Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Fear Street Part 2: 1978 - Even though I didn't really like Part 1, I had high hopes for this. The trailer for it sure looked fantastic. The whole summer camp Friday the 13th vibe seemed more focused and contained than what became of the first part. Plus, I like that another Stranger Things cast member was part of the main cast (Sadie Sink - she just fits into the late 70s/early 80s aesthetic so well). Unfortunately, I found it quite dull. Not necessarily any better or worse than the first part. Half of it is focused on two girls who are both really, really terrible actresses and both have really awful haircuts that are not flattering for their face (and also, look like wigs?). The other half (featuring Sadie) is better, but also quite predictable. I just hate the whole supernatural aspect. Slasher horror is far more terrifying if it feels real so as soon as they are like "a witch made them like that", I'm out. It's just not scary. And somehow the needle drops are even more obvious in this one - "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", seriously? Come on. Do better. *spoiler ahead* I will say that the ending is fan-fucking-tastic, with the sisters being brutally stabbed - it was unexpected and really brilliantly gory. 

2. Gunpowder Milkshake - I liked this! I read a few reviews that cite the beginning as strong, but then it flattens out, but I felt the exact opposite. I was really skeptical in the beginning. It felt so forced, so unoriginal (basically combining John Wick and Kill Bill...Ugh...), and what a dumb fucking title. And I've loved Karen Gillan in most things, but when she's bad...she's really bad. And she's really bad in the beginning of this. The outfit in the beginning also does her no favors (why in the world is she dressed like Carmen Sandiego? The hat, the collar popped - she would stand out wherever she went and that is obviously not the intent). Then she has this whole fight scene in a bowling alley that is just so unbelievably unrealistic - she fights like 6 guys (who are bigger than her and are also trained assassins) at the same time. I screamed at the screen "use the fucking bowling balls" because that's the only believable way she would physically be able to overpower them. And THEN she does...and I think it's the moment the whole movie won me over (actually, that combined with when she breaks the mop in half and uses the stick as a weapon ala Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Also, what a dream cast of women - Angela Bassett, Lena Headey, Michelle Yeoh, and CARLA GUGINO (I love her so much). There are some really cool scenes - the scene where she can't use her arms, for instance. Just pure action, filmed in a really exciting way. The way the camera moves throughout the action sequences is so smooth, too. The world-building is done really well - they can easily make sequels, prequels, and spin-offs with ease (and I feel like they probably will?). Overall, I had a ton of fun and I think that's saying a lot considering how critical I was in the beginning. 

3. The Empty Man - *some spoilers ahead* Ooooh a supernatural horror movie that actually scared me a little bit! It's been so long (I think maybe since The Babadook?). Not like, nightmare inducing or anything, but it definitely got under my skin and when I went to bed I definitely scanned my room for any creepy shadows. There are three scenes that really stuck with me - first, the one in the sauna room (it's just a perfectly shot, classically styled horror scene), second, the one where he wakes up and sees the shadow moving (which is why I now scan the room for such things that don't exist, obviously) and third, the cult in the forest all running at the same time. All of it is just so fucking creepy. I like that it took more of a cult twist instead of just straight up supernatural. And I expected a twist - not the one that we are give, but I did think that certain people are "in on it" to make him feel mentally unstable. The film really boils down to the lesson of "don't cheat on your wife or bad things will happen". I also really like James Badge Dale and Marin Ireland a lot. People have slept on Dale, but he's a great actor (and he gets hotter as he gets older). I could already tell you before the movie started that this movie does not need to be over 2 hours in length and...I was absolutely right. However, it does move really quickly and remains interesting through the whole thing. 

4. Music - I debated whether or not I should actually watch this, but ultimately, as a film enthusiast, I try to watch as much as I can - good and bad. And sometimes it's worth watching how something should not be done, not only for learning purposes, but also to appreciate when things are done right. There was a lot of dialogue around this movie - and most of it was very negative. The two big takeaways seem to be that the autistic community felt someone with autism should have played the role, and that the film depicts disturbing and dangerous ways to "handle" someone with autism (i.e restraining them during episodes, etc.). But MY biggest concern was how Sia handled the criticism - she was so dismissive and disrespectful, that even without seeing the movie, I knew that their concerns were obviously valid. Nobody is perfect, and telling stories outside your own world view is always going to be challenging - but if you're not going to listen and engage with someone within that world view then you should not tell that particular story. I will never agree that an actor HAS to be a part of the community that they are portraying, but I do think every single case is different. Here is an example of what I mean: my boyfriend is half Cuban (his dad and paternal grandparents are political refugees from Cuba), but he is white passing. I asked him if they made a movie about him, would he care if the person playing him was Cuban and he said "no, not at all, for all intents and purposes, I'm a white guy from NJ". BUT a few weeks later, I told him how Javier Bardem was cast as Desi Arnaz and he was like "oh cool, I didn't know Bardem was Cuban", "he's not"...."Oh well that's some bullshit then". And he's right. It is bullshit, because Desi is one of the most famous Cuban-American actors - a Cuban icon, even. It's part of his identity, and therefore it's problematic to cast a non-Cuban actor. I know this isn't completely on-topic, but my point is that it can't just be a blanket casting decision - every single project is different. And if you are going to cast someone outside of the specific community, then you have to, at the very least, make sure that you are handling it with respect. It's clear that this film is not respectful in any way. I don't know much about Maddie Ziegler, but I don't blame her at all. She was a minor while filming this, and trusted the adults around her. Her performance is very exaggerated, and definitely doesn't feel authentic. The storyline is obviously another concern - her sister is basically "burdened" with having to take care of her. I'm pretty sure they hid the fact that Leslie Odom Jr. is part of the main cast because I don't remember him being a part of the discussion at all? I can't stand his voice, so obviously that was hard for me. And Kate Hudson's drunk acting is....something else. The only good thing about this movie is the completely odd musical interludes - they are perfectly Sia. Abstract, joyful, lively - I wish more of the film was like that. 

5. Blood Red Sky - There are some great ideas within this movie. The plot is basically an airplane heist movie combined with a vampire horror movie, which is just as awesome as it sounds. But even better than that, they actually do a great job with the telling both stories. They also do something interesting by making the main character, who is basically "patient zero", into the heroine of the story even though she is a terrifying, blood-thirsty vampire. Which brings me to another great aspect - the vampires are fucking scary in this (I saw some criticism that the movie confuses vampires with zombies, but...I don't agree with that assessment at all). There's also some really strong acting, some fun over-the-top villains, and they even stuck the ending! Overall, I can honestly say that I enjoyed this movie, but ONCE AGAIN...it is totally unnecessary to make this movie this long! Especially because it could have been a stellar movie if the editing was tighter. It just feels long - I paused it thinking there was about 15 minutes left but there was actually still 47 minutes left. I just don't understand why this keeps happening? And it feels like it keeps getting worse. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. No Sudden Move - I've always been up and down with Soderbergh, but I always go in with high expectations. And my expectations for this, in particular, were really, really high. I'm so here for Julia Fox (incredible debut performance in Uncut Gems) and Kieran Culkin, along with Soderbergh favorites, Don Cheadle and Benicio Del Toro. Plus, nobody does a heist movie like Soderbergh - they are usually just so effortless. But this felt like work. It drags, there's just no energy, and I lost track of who was screwing over who. I can blame most of this on the dialogue - it's just so dull (definitely no memorable moments like "Does he make you laugh?", "He doesn't make me cry.", which is still among my favorite movie dialogues of all-time). Also, Fox and Culkin are not in it very much, so obviously that's disappointing for me. I've seen a lot of people saying really positive things about this movie, but I just didn't connect to it at all. I did enjoy when a certain someone shows up (which, if you love movies and Soderbergh, you can totally guess who I'm referring to). Ultimately, I will forget it exists in a few months and it's definitely towards the bottom of my Soderbergh ranking (I don't actually have a ranking, but I would put it on the same level as Haywire). 

2. Fear Street Part 1: 1994 - I've never read the books, and I've never really been an R.L. Stine fan. The Goosebumps series was super popular when I was a kid, but I remember reading one of them, and I thought it was dull (but I don't remember which one it was). I was also more into things like Tales From the Crypt because I thought it was cooler (more adult-like). Anyway, I'm not really a fan of this movie. I'm super confused at the target audience because it feels really immature (and exactly what I think of when I think of R.L. Stine books), but then there are these super gruesome kills and it's rated R. It starts off great, with a very cool homage to Scream - Maya Hawke is perfectly cast in this role, too. I was so excited to see her, but then I realized quickly she was the Drew Barrymore of the film. Still, excellent, though. But then, the whole thing takes a huge nosedive. It's boring, the main girl can not act (and what is up with her voice? She sounds like she is trying to sound younger than she is?), the whole supernatural stuff is so dumb, and there's just nothing fun about it. The only sort of good thing is the much talked about needle drops of the most perfectly picked 90s songs (NIN's "Closer, "Sweet Jane" by The Cowboy Junkies - just absolutely perfect songs). I also think that the trailer for Part 2 looked excellent (my thoughts will be in the next post, but I was wrong...). 

3. Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar - I was tricked into having high expectations for this - so many people I trust with movies just gushed about this. It's...cute? Certainly not anything to rave about. It reminded me of an extremely long SNL sketch (and that is definitely an insult nowadays. But, again, that's something I consistently get tricked into watching snippets of, because on Sunday morning so many people will talk about a particular sketch and say "I know SNL isn't funny anymore, but this is" and guess what? It's never funny. Like that Titanic iceberg sketch?! Eeeek...that's supposed to be funny? And that guy is nominated for an Emmy? What is happening?!). There are definitely parts of this that I adore - Jamie Dornan, in particular. I absolutely love when an actor does something unexpected - and this is something I never expected him to, not only participate in, but he just devours every scene he's in. It's wonderful. His song is really catchy too (I've had it stuck in my head for days - *sings dramatically* "am I in Heaven or am I in Hell"). And he's so fucking hot, and this somehow makes him even hotter. I'm also a big fan of Kristen Wiig, but again, in this, it feels like she's doing one of her SNL characters instead of acting. It's also just...dumb that these women are supposed to be in their 40s? They act and dress older than my mom (who is late 50s), so the whole vibe of it just doesn't make any sense. Also, don't get me started on Florida - I'm convinced it is the worst place on Earth. There are parts that made me laugh - like the shark poster with all the blood and the rave version of "My Heart Will Go On" (I actually remember that being played in clubs in like 1999/2000 LOL). Anyway, like I said, it's cute but it is waaaaaay over-hyped. It's not something I would ever watch again. 

4. Shiva Baby - I don't say this a lot, but the score totally makes this movie. The screechy violin noise makes if feel like a really intense horror movie. You can just feel her anxiety that builds within this claustrophobic story. And for such an uninteresting plot, it's just a really well made film with excellent acting performances. It's unnerving, uncomfortable, and also really amusing. I'm impressed that this is a directorial debut from someone who is only 25 years old because it feels so self-assured and confident in its choices. Rachel Sennott is great, but she reminds me of someone in real life who I hate (I only hate like 3 people, so you know she must be awful). Although, I don't think you're necessarily supposed to like her character, so the whole thing sort of works for me. The woman who plays her mom is so absolutely perfect (I'm sorry but I'm too lazy to look up her name). I was super surprised when Dianna Agron shows up - I was very harsh on her during her Glee days, but now I have such a soft-spot for all the Glee kids. She's really good in this, but it's really disturbing when the one girl describes her as having "the essence I want in 15 years", which made me realize that Dianna is now 35 years old. Time is such a fucked up thing, ya know? 

5. False Positive - Could be the worst movie I've seen in the last decade? The last 15 minutes are so outrageously bad and in such poor taste that it physically makes me sick to think about. I watched this for Justin Theroux and Gretchen Mol (love them!), but I am honestly horrified by how bad this is. Where should I start? *spoilers* I guess, first, I've had many, many people tell me to watch Broad City (it's towards the top of My List!), but Llana Glazer is so terrible in this that it's really not selling me on watching anything else that she's involved in (even worse, she is a co-writer of this atrocity). Second, absolutely nothing happens for the first 40 minutes - and then suddenly - she's suspicious of her doctor and her husband? Why? And then - all of the sudden - she imagines they are making out? HUH? Third, why is it called False Positive when she is really pregnant? I thought that maybe that was the twist? But instead the twist is very obvious and not as outrageous as I was expecting. Fourth, why is the Head Nurse also the Receptionist? And how did Mol say the line "I trained myself to not have a gag reflex" without laughing? Finally, as I said, the ending is just atrocious and features one of the worst images I've ever seen. And anyone who has suffered a miscarriage/stillbirth/neonatal death, etc. should NOT watch this movie. I'm just so offended and I don't get offended very easily (I mean, maybe I do with certain things, but I try not to let it cloud my judgement of things, but this is offensive on every level). 

Emmy Nominations: The Good, The Bad, and The Snubbed

The Good

- Some great nominations in the Drama category (which I usually agree with the Emmys on, it's the Comedy category that's always a mess). The Crown, Lovecraft Country, The Boys - all wonderful

- I am happily surprised for Jurnee Smollett - I thought she would be ignored, but she's mesmerizing in Lovecraft Country 

- I've just reluctantly started Ted Lasso due to everyone banging on about it. I'm only two episodes in, and...I am LOVING it. And, I've never been a fan of Jason Sudeikis (like ever, he's so boring), but he's won me over. He found something that fits him perfectly - and that's coming from someone who has consistently criticized him for the last decade. 

- Allison Janney vs Jean Smart??? I refuse to choose! But I would go with Janney, only because it's the final season of Mom and she's been consistently hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure for that entire series 

- The supporting performances for Mare of Easttown are among my favorites of the year - Evan Peters, Julianne Nicholson, and Jean Smart are all just perfect

The Bad

- Emily in Paris? For real? A consistently critically panned show? The Golden Globes noms are one thing, but this is...bizarre

- I like The Mandalorian but 24 nominations seem very generous. Especially the acting nominations.

- I know I am completely alone, but Emma Corrin's Princess Diana is one of the worst portrayals of the icon that I've ever seen. I hate it so much, and I can't believe how much everyone else praises it. Just truly baffling 

- I usually LOVE Uzo Aduba, but I'm about 7 episodes into the new In Treatment and I'm not loving it and I think it's mostly because I don't love her performance and the series hinges on it. There's something really disingenuous and false about it, but I can't quite put my finger on why yet. 

- Hamilton is NOT a "Limited Series", nor is it a "Movie" - so all of those nominations can FUCK OFF

- The continued love for SNL is wild

The Snubbed

- First and foremost, everyone is sleeping on the best series right now, For All Mankind - a true masterpiece of a show, with some terrific acting performances 

- While I'm shocked that Ewan snuck in a nomination for his mediocre performance in Halston, the actual performance that is award-worthy on that series is Krysta Rodriguez - her Liza is stunning and unforgettable 

- I'm surprised by the lack of love for Small Axe, even though the episode I adored the most has been widely ignored anyway (Lovers Rock)

- Nicole Kidman for The Undoing - I assumed she would be Anya's biggest competition until I saw everyone's adoration for Kate Winslet as Mare (I think Winslet might win, too, which sucks because Anya's performance was way more consistent)

- Nothing for Lupin? Is it not eligible? I'm too lazy to look into it, but I'm guessing it's because it's considered "foreign"? 

- I would have loved to see more attention given to the last season of Shameless - other than William H Macy, the show was consistently ignored. And there was some serious talent there. 

- WAIT...If Sylvie's Love and Uncle Frank are considered TV Movies, then where the fuck are the acting nominations? Paul Bettany should be up against himself. Also, I'm so confused as to what constitutes a TV Movie? 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Unhinged - This is a solid little thriller. It's completely ridiculous and unrealistic, but it's tense, fast-paced and the acting is good enough that you don't really notice how dumb it is. I've never really been a big fan of Russell Crowe - he's ok, but I've never really been "wowed" by a performance. I did really like that recent miniseries The Loudest Voice, though. He's great in this - completely believable psychopath. The film is basically about road rage, although it is actually about rage in general - and specifically male rage, but there is also an odd lesson about having patience and sympathy for assholes because they might just be having a bad day (or they might be psychopathic murderers!). Road rage is a HUGE problem where I live (New Jersey). I actually think it might be the capital of road rage (NY is not nearly as bad, and Cali's traffic is worse but they are mostly nice about it). I've learned to just let it go - if someone cuts me off, runs a stop sign, or beeps at me for no reason, I just smile and wave my hand and say "oops my bad" (a la Cher from Clueless) and honestly it's so much more satisfying than getting angry because most of the time people with road rage are LOOKING for confrontation so if you're nice they get super confused and drive away. I do have to address the stupidity of the plot, though. First, the casual "I don't have a passcode for my phone" dialogue is the most obvious foreshadowing I've seen in a while. Second, she is an adult woman, so, surely, this is not the first time she's been harassed/followed by a man while driving? There's like a checklist in my head of all the things to do but I've found the best thing that works is googling the closest police or fire station and driving there. Men are so focused on their anger that they don't even realize where you've driven them to (seriously, I had a guy literally follow me into the police parking lot before realizing where he was and peeling out so fast he left tire marks - they got his license plate on their cameras though. What a fucking idiot). Also, it's still really weird that certain states, like PA (where this film takes place), don't require front license plates. I should be able to easily get a plate number from someone who is following me, but that's impossible to do in some states and that is bullshit. Third, there is NO WAY this woman would put her child in danger. Anyway, I could go on, but like I said, it's still a highly entertaining movie. And there's an absolutely epic car crash scene towards the end. Oh and a fantastic one-liner, "here's your fucking courtesy tap". Just THE BEST. 

2. Minari - I liked this movie, as I expected I would. I think it opens up a lot of dialogue around what should be considered an "American" film - because this is about as American as a film can get but because the dialogue is largely non-English, it is seen as "foreign". It's definitely part of the institutionalized racism in the film industry - I don't see how anyone can argue that. So, technically this film should be categorized as "foreign language" per awards categories, but...instead of being angry at the category itself people got mad that it's in the category. The real problem is that so many "American" films should be told in non-English for authenticity purposes, but most don't have the balls to do it (the most recent example I can cite is In the Heights - should have featured far more Spanish dialogue especially in the songs, but that would have required subtitles and that's a big No from studios). But if more films were made this way - people would be forced to just get used to it. Anyway, that's my piece on the subject. Steven Yeun is fantastic, as is the rest of the cast. I know a lot of people loved him on The Walking Dead (he was a favorite among moms, I think. Definitely my mom's favorite), but I never really paid much attention to him. I hope this film serves as a really big stepping stone for him (you would think being nominated for an Oscar would be enough but sometimes it's not). The biggest success of the movie, though, is the authenticity of it - not only the Korean dialogue, but just the relationship within this marriage felt really genuine. The family dynamic is bursting with tension and I don't see that explored a lot in such a realistic way. *slight spoilers ahead* I was not expecting the heartbreak. I guess I though it would end on a happier note, or even more open-ended, but instead it absolutely destroyed me. 

3. Luca - Not sure I get the hype for this. It's good; not great. I'm extremely bothered by the clearly gay metaphors and innuendos within the story, but...it's not gay. It's a story about "coming out", but they can just claim it's not ("it can be a metaphor for anything" seems to be Pixar's stance). It's the epitome of Queer-baiting or Queer-coding (I don't know what it's called nowadays), but I understand why the Queer community is celebrating it (it's still a win, I guess...). However, I just found it a bit dull. And to add to my previous point in Minari - it also bothers me when films take place in other countries but they speak English dominantly. So within the first few minutes of the movie, I was like "why aren't they speaking Italian instead of doing this weird cringey English with an Italian accent dialogue???" I also think The Little Mermaid comparison is hard to ignore - when he starts collecting all the human stuff I couldn't help but sing "you want thingamabobs? I've got twenty". It just becomes such a distraction. And it's not really funny, either. Aside from the cat being suspicious of them (cats are always the best parts of movies). I don't know, it's just there. Absolutely nothing memorable about it, for me. 

4. The Ice Road - I absolutely love that Liam Neeson has found his niche of "grizzly action star". The problem with that, though, is that I feel like I've seen this movie before - all of his movies are starting to blend together (aside from The Grey, which is wonderful). I was honestly surprised to see this listed as a "new release". I think I was overly excited when I saw the girl from Legion is in it because I really liked her in that, but she is sadly terrible here. And (spoiler) it's really obvious that Lawrence Fishbourne is going to die really quickly, so that Neeson can be the one to "take charge" of the mission. And the mission is basically...impossible. They have to drive 3 big-rigs over a literal ice road in order to rescue a bunch of trapped miners. Like, obviously this is a thing - I think there was even a series about it called Ice Road Truckers (?), but in this movie so many things go wrong that it just becomes so unbelievable. It's not a terrible movie, but it's also something you can zone out for 20 minute intervals and still know exactly what's going on. Just seems like a waste of everyone's talent. 

5. The Tomorrow War - Ahhhh the July 4th big summer blockbuster apocalypse movie, I've missed you. Except...wait...this wasn't even released in theaters so I think that whole idea is dead, I guess. It can't really be considered a "blockbuster", right? I probably would not have seen this in a theater, but I do think a lot of people would have, so I'm not sure why the decision was made to release it as a streamer. I also think Chris Pratt gets so much unnecessary hate for being a republican, but...he's rich, white, straight and Christian...so of course he's republican. And if you think other actors in his position aren't republicans, then you are delusional. Also, I don't necessarily agree with his politics (obviously), but I think there are other actors that seem to get a pass - like Tom Cruise, for example. Scientology is a fucking cult and yet, he's able to make big blockbuster films with fairly little backlash. I just find it weird who gets picked on - there's no consistency to it so, to me, it feels like bullying. And it's not that I don't think people shouldn't be criticized, I'm not, like, making an excuse for him, but there's a way to do it that isn't so hateful. Hate hasn't worked for us yet, so why do we keep continuing to do it? Anyway...he's great in big blockbuster movies (as seen in the Guardians movies and Jurassic World), which is so unexpected from where he started (I never watched Everwood, but I will absolutely always remember him as Che from The O.C.). This is definitely a "turn your brain off and enjoy" kind of movie, and it is very successful in that, but the second you actually start to think about the plot it just absolutely falls apart. There's some cool action sequences, some creative "time travel" images, really cool alien designs, and a buff J.K. Simmons - what more can you really ask for??? My only real criticism is that Betty Gilpin is severely under-utilized. 

Thoughts on 5 New TV Shows

1. Loki - So, um, I think maybe I just don't like Marvel anymore? I really only like Iron Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and two of the Avengers movies (the first one and...I think the 3rd one? They all blend together at this point but I did hate one of them). I liked WandaVision at first, but it got really boring and predictable after the 4th episode. And The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is so, so, so boring. I didn't have high expectations for this because I never liked Loki - I always found him grating, and I'm sorry but Tom Hiddleston is so full of himself (I will never forget his speech when he won that Golden Globe for The Night Manager - such a fucking narcissist). I don't necessarily hate this series, though. This show is kind of interesting, I guess. It's well-made and moves really quickly but there is still something about it that's just "meh" to me. I also hate the whole romance with another version of himself because that's just fucking weird. I do like Owen Wilson with the grey hair. And Gugu Mbatha-Raw is a favorite of mine. 

2. Solos - I actually saw some good reviews for this anthology series, so I was excited, but sadly, I could barely make it through the first two episodes. It's like a really bad Black Mirror knock-off. And, it's surprisingly, so far, full of some terrible acting. The first episode features Anne Hathaway arguing with a past and present version of herself and it is spectacularly bad (and the line of sight is way off - how did no-one in the crew say something?). Also, she disses 13 Going on 30 and that's just not going to win anyone over (I get that it might not be for everyone, but as romantic comedies go - it's one of the sweetest to exist). The second episode is Anthony Mackie talking to a cloned version of himself and it's not as bad as the first episode, but it's sooooo incredibly boring that I stopped paying attention after about 10 minutes. I appreciate that creators still found ways to make films/television during a pandemic (art & entertainment is so important for mental health for a lot of people), but this feels like it was thrown together with no real thought or heart behind it. 

3. Physical - I like this show, but it's definitely not what I was expecting. It's much darker and meaner than I thought, as it's advertised as a comedy. And I wouldn't even consider it a "dark comedy" either. Instead, it's just really sad and heartbreaking to watch this woman navigate her life, dealing with depression, body dysmorphia, an eating-disorder, and self-loathing all by herself in the early 80s - back when it wasn't as openly discussed as it is now. Rose Byrne is an incredible actress. She can convey so much even with her outwardly loveliness, you can see the pain in her eyes. I think a lot of women can relate to her internal thoughts (the pressure that we place on ourselves, the jealousy of others etc.). I also like the idea of finding something that distracts you from the world - in this case it's aerobics. I think I'm on the 4th episode and I am fully invested. But I'm also mad because mother fucking Apple TV+ is KILLING me with their quality. They have two of my favorite current shows - For All Mankind and Dickinson, plus hopefully later this year or early next they will release the film Tetris and the series In With the Devil (both starring The Love of My Life). Looks like I'm in for the long haul. Grrrrr.... 

4. Lisey's Story - This is also on Apple TV+, but I can easily give it up. I really liked the first episode, but each episode is getting more and more confusing. It's very much on par with the other more recent King tv adaptions (Castle Rock and The Outsider - although I really liked The Outsider) in that it is very beautiful and spooky, but doesn't make a bit of sense. There are reasons to keep watching it, though. Like the spectacular performance from Julianne Moore - she's always so good. Might be my in my Top 5 favorite actresses, if I really thought about it. There are also some stunning shots - like the scene with the sink that turns into her looking in the mirror - just so good. Some of it is overdone - the shots in the water, in particular. There are just so many of these shots and they are all so beautiful, but it also loses something when it's repeated so much. It also irks me that they pronounce her name "Lee-see"; from the title I would pronounce that like "Lizzy" and assumed it was short for Elisabeth. But her name is "Lisa" according to her name tag (which is also short for Elisabeth), so why do they pronounce it weird? and why isn't it called "Lisa's Story"? I know, I know - I'm always one to ask the important questions, aren't I? 

5. Kevin Can F**K Himself - The concept for this show is really brilliant, but I'm not sure it executes it well. I've only seen the first episode so far, but it already seems like it's run out of steam and I'm not sure it's going to follow through with how dark it pretends to be (most of the dark stuff, so far, is in dream sequences). I love Annie Murphy so much, though. She was brilliant in Schitt's Creek, and I don't think she got enough credit for creating a character who is so vapid and self-obsessed but yet so freakin' loveable and sweet (she did get an Emmy for it, so I guess she did get the credit she deserves, but I just don't think she got the attention that lesser actresses receive, if that makes sense). She does a wonderful job here - even with the overdone Boston accent (which I think is done on purpose to fit with the grating sitcom feel). I'm pretty sure that's the set from Everybody Loves Raymond, which is kind of hilarious because that show is so bad but I've watched so many episodes because my mom loves it (and if I had to choose between that or The Big Bang Theory, I definitely choose Ray). They way they switch between the two worlds is done really well, too, it just becomes really repetitive within the first episode, so I'm not sure if they are going to be able to overcome that. But I'm intrigued! 

Best Films of 2020 ***Updated***

Here it is- my updated "Best Films of 2020": 

1. Promising Young Woman

2. The Devil All the Time

3. Pieces of a Woman

4. Possessor 

5. Sound of Metal 

6. Wander Darkly

7. Miss Juneteenth

8. Black Bear

9. Minari

10. Another Round

This is another year in which the list changed drastically from the original list that I posted in January. What a surprisingly great year for movies!! And there are a few that I wasn't able to get to that *still* might change the list (The Father and Shiva Baby are the ones I suspect might change things...).