Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Bros - While I think Billy Eichner is hilarious for the most part, I also think he was a bit delusional to think that this movie was going to ever be a blockbuster hit. Not only are we still in a pandemic and an economic crisis, the only blockbuster movies are Marvel movies or star Tom Cruise. Even the recent rom-com starring HUGE movie stars, Ticket to Paradise with Julia Roberts and George Clooney, went fairly under everyone's radar. Him blaming it on straight people not supporting it is disappointing and kinda bullshit, really. If they put it on streaming, I think it would have had way more buzz, a bigger audience, and still received the (somewhat puzzling) rave reviews. Just look at Happiest Season! That was a super gay rom-com that received a LOT of love. People expecting films to make bank are just not looking at reality, anymore. It's unfortunate, but it's not (necessarily) straight people's faults. I also think, that it was set up to fail. It's touted as the first studio backed rom-com, and I do think there is a bit of conspiracy to over-hype certain diverse projects so that when they don't hit the "blockbuster" numbers that were "estimated", then the studios can shrug and say "well, we tried". I mean, they released this in late September, which is more of a traditional time to release horror, not rom-coms. And it doesn't have any big names. Why, exactly, did they think it would do any better than it did? Anyway, this movie is cute. I laughed a few times, but it wasn't nearly as funny as I expected it to be. Overall, I found it a little dull and predictable. And the acting is atrocious. Eichner is just himself (and somehow even more annoying), and the guy from Brothers & Sisters is super hot, but he's a terrible actor. They have zero chemistry. I'm honestly a bit shocked at how well it was received. But, it's far better than the next movie in this post...

2. The People We Hate at the Wedding - I wasn't necessarily expecting this to be a great movie or anything, but I thought it looked cute? And it has a great cast of people that I usually like - Allison Janney, Dustin Milligan, Lizzy Caplan, etc. Plus, I sometimes like Kristen Bell. But unfortunately, it's really, really awful. It's just about terrible people being terrible and mean-spirited, and none of it is funny. There are also these very serious issues sprinkled in, like the multiple references to a miscarriage, that I just think doesn't belong in a light comedy like this (it just alienates so many people from enjoying a movie). I'll never understand sibling rivalries, either (I'm an only child). It just always seems weird to me if, like, one sibling is super successful and another isn't. Wouldn't you share??? It's just wild to me that there would be a class difference among siblings. Anyway, like I said above, the biggest problem here is that all of the characters are horrible, horrible people (you know...the kind that you hate at weddings?), so the audience does not care about them at all and will actively root against them for most of the film. There are a lot of moments that are supposed to be funny - like when they fall into the Thames, but I would liken that to falling in the Hudson and that is absolutely disgusting. And when the bride starts yelling at the retail worker in true "bridezilla" fashion as if that's acceptable or funny??? It's not. It's also not that big of a deal to go to a wedding alone? I don't think I've ever seen someone at a wedding alone and thought they were a "loser" (I don't even assume that they are single, either? Maybe they don't want to subject their partner to the awfulness of weddings?). I think the only thing I liked about this movie is the reunion between Bell and D'Arcy Carden (love them together!!). Otherwise, I can't think of one nice to say about it. It's weird that I was just putting together my best & worst list earlier today, and this doesn't make the cut for worst? Someone needs to stop me from watching so many terrible movies. 

3. Unhuman - I weirdly enjoyed this - for a dumb zombie horror movie, it is surprisingly entertaining and well-made. There's a lot to criticize, for sure. I can start with the acting - the main actress is the one from the I Know What You Did Last Summer tv show and she is just as terrible in this as she was on that show. Just atrocious (I do like the name "Ever" though. I might name my next kitty that). Just every single cast member is awful - and I think they are all newcomers and I hope I never see any of them again. And if you thought that was mean, just wait, because also NONE OF THEM ARE HOT. I don't understand?? I can't tell the difference between who is supposed to be a loser and who is supposed to be the popular one if they all...look...like....that. Sometimes I think this is just a reaction to me getting older, but then I watch other movies and shows, and it makes sense (like Euphoria for example. That Jacob guy is very attractive. Terrible actor, but attractive). I think it's this weird thing to erase societal standards of "attractiveness", but if you are telling the audience that "this is the hot, popular guy" then he needs to be, you know, hot. Anyway, I'm not sure if it's because of the acting, their lacking in attractiveness, or just terrible character development, but I did not care about any of them. They do really weird, non-realistic things, like argue for no reason even though their lives are being threatened and the world is seemingly being taken over by zombies. And also *please* never, ever, ever kiss someone after you've thrown up. It can wait, girl. Probably grosser than anything else in the entire movie. However, there is a super, duper fun twist that I don't think anyone can predict. And honestly, it just makes the whole movie worth it. There's also some funny dialogue (like after the bus hits someone and the chaperone guy says "Let's hope he was a racist, so we don't have to feel bad". That made me laugh for a full 5 minutes). I don't know, I can't really say that it's good, but I had fun watching it and that counts for something. 

4. Dual - Hmmmmm.....I love the concept of this movie, but I just don't think it's executed very well. It's not very original since a film with practically the same concept came out last year on Apple (Swan Song - it also wasn't very good), and it's influenced by previous works about "doubles" and "doppelgangers", such as Dostoyevsky's "The Double" and Jose Saramago's, also purposefully ironically titled novel, "The Double" (it's called Enemy for the movie version). I think this one takes things much farther than Swan Song does by exploring the complications that could occur if this cloning practice actually existed. The title is an interesting play on words with the often confused duel vs dual - the film could have easily been titled with either word and it would have worked. *spoilers ahead* In case you haven't worked it out yet - the plot is about being able to clone yourself if you know that you have a terminal illness so that your loved ones won't have to suffer your death. But then, this woman finds out that she's not actually dying, after her clone has already taken over her life. There's some great dialogue ("what's the point of fighting to live?" - something I ask myself every day and I've yet to find an answer), and asks some really interesting questions. However, the acting is really distracting. Clearly a stylistic choice, the absurdist, emotionless tone, is really painful to experience. I like Karen Gillan a lot - even though she's been in some terrible projects. I don't think she should be blamed for this, though, because as I said, it's definitely an intentional style that I just don't think works. It's also inconsistent - the only one that act this way are her, her clone and her doctor (everyone else seems normal including her mother & her boyfriend). The worst part is that I don't really care about the characters - the main character is a bit too pathetic and just severely unlikeable. I do relate to her relationship with her mother, though. I don't hate my mom, but she is very self-centered and doesn't listen to a word I say, so it's very hard to love her sometimes. Oh wait, the worst part is the white people trying to hip-hop dancing. CRINGE. 

5. Amsterdam - I know this got slammed by the critics, but I honestly thought that meant I would enjoy it because that seems to be the case this year (I loved Blonde, Men, Don't Worry Darling, Crimes of the Future, etc.), but unfortunately this is just as terrible as everyone said it was. Pretty shocking considering the talent involved, but sometimes it just all falls apart and it's like everyone is trusting each other that it's going to be successful, but nobody is pointing out the faults (does that make sense? I feel like it happens a lot - like the cast just put their blind trust in the other actors and O. Russell assuming everyone knows what they are doing). I tend to like O. Russell films, but they do seem like they are getting progressively worse (Joy is probably my least favorite of his, except for this disaster of course). This is, without question, the strongest cast in a movie this year - Margot Robbie, Christian Bale, Robert De Niro, Anya Taylor-Joy, Michael Shannon, Zoe Saldana, ANDREA RISEBOROUGH (!!), Matthais Schoenaerts, Chris Rock, etc., but then also John David Washington (who actually isn't bad here, but he sounds so much like Denzel it's actually distracting to me) and Rami Fucking Malek. I will concede that he at least attempts to act here, but he still comes off as cold and unfeeling and he somehow still seems like he has his Bohemian Rhapsody false teeth in? And I don't know who told Taylor Swift she could act, but they need to reel her in before she makes a fool of herself. I felt bad for her with the Cats fiasco, because that wasn't her fault - just completely miscast. But she's really bad in this (Please don't come after me Swifties! I have no hard feelings about Taylor - she's adorable and has some nice songs), and *spoiler* I laughed hysterically when she gets hit by the car. Some of the character eccentricities become a little distracting - it felt like the actors were all trying too hard to be quirky (the only one who succeeds is probably Bale. Sometimes I forget how good he is). Other than the cast, though, there is just nothing interesting about it. I honestly could not care less about the mystery at all (something about dodgy medical practices??). I don't think it's particularly interesting to look at either - the colors are very muted and bland which is off-putting. For the first hour, I thought, well this isn't bad, necessarily, just boring - but it never really picks up so watching another hour of it becomes pretty painful. 

Thoughts on 5 New TV Shows

1. Interview with the Vampire - I was definitely not expecting this to be as good as it is. I'm not even the biggest fan of the movie (and I've never read the novel! Must correct that soon, I think). But I do like vampire tales, and this one is a classic. But, it's really, really good. First, the two main actors, Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid, have insane chemistry together (and Jacob is HOT!). I was not expecting it to be so explicitly sexual and violent for an AMC show, but it definitely never shies away from either (I guess The Walking Dead was pretty violent, but I can't remember a single sex scene in it? Was there ever? I know people had babies on it, so there must have been sex?). It's also genuinely funny, which I wasn't expecting (when they talk to each other through the coffins LOL). I've also become a little obsessed with New Orleans recently (I've been there about 14 years ago, but I went there again this summer and there was something about this time that really made me fall in love with the history there. I'm also in the middle of watching Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke, which is devastating), and there are a lot of gothic myths and vampire legends that is just so deeply embedded in the culture. I also think the tv series adds another layer with how it handles racism in the south during the early 1900s (on a side note, when I mentioned how good this show is on twitter, a weird person responded that it's "racist". I ignored it, but it definitely baffles me that people think something depicting racism - that most definitely existed in the early 20th century and still exists - is automatically the thing that it is depicting. It's not racist to show racism, just like it's not misogynistic to show misogyny). Anyway, so far, I am loving it. It's something that I actually look forward to watching. 

2. A Friend of the Family - This story is straight-up insane. But I love that it starts with an introduction from the real victim of the story, setting up the fact that, yes, it is insane, but not everything is black and white, and times were very different back then. It's a little weird, but I think it instantly makes the audience empathetic to this family instead of judging them (at least, that's the effect that it had on me). I really started this for the cast, but the story is definitely intriguing. While I'm not the biggest Anna Paquin fan, I do love Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, McKenna Grace and Lio Tipton (for once I wasn't being lazy and looked up how to spell their name only to realize that they've changed their name and came out as non-binary last year. Good thing because I would have repeatedly used the wrong gender without even realizing it. Please know that if I do ever do this it's not out of disrespect but out of pure laziness. I am not a professional. I assume that I spell actor names incorrectly at least once per post because of my laziness). I've loved Lio since America's Next Top Model (they should have won!) and I even watched that terrible show they were in, Manhattan Love Story. Anyway, the cast is great, and all feel authentically part of this time period. I am super fascinated at how he got away with kidnapping this girl - and legitimately made it believable for this little girl to fall for his story about aliens abducting them, etc. But it's even crazier that he does IT AGAIN?! I'm so intrigued! I haven't gotten to that part of the story, but it's so batshit crazy! And it's TRUE! 

3. Shantaram - Ughhhh this is very disappointing for two major reasons: One, I really love Charlie Hunnam, but his Australian accent is really hard to listen to. It's not necessarily bad, but it just doesn't fit him at all. And Two, Apple TV+ has been so on point with their television programming, I instantly had higher expectations than if this were on, say, Amazon Prime or Netflix. The show isn't that bad, but it's incredibly boring. And also somehow way too complicated. I can't even really tell what it's about? Or if it's actually about anything? Maybe I'm reading into it too much and it's just very surface level about an escaped convict getting into some more trouble in India. But it's just not interesting enough to be this complicated - too many characters are introduced and I'm too confused to figure out who is important. I think I'm 4 episodes in, but I don't really have any interest in watching more. But I will. Eventually. 

4. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - I watched The Lord of the Rings movies a total of once and it was when they were first released (so approx 20 years ago) and I do remember really liking them, and even rooting for them during the Oscars (also I was pretty obsessed with Orlando Bloom back then). But I have to admit, I don't remember a single thing about them. I've also never read the books (but it always reminds me of the Friends scene when Ross is baffled that Joey doesn't know who Gandalf is and he asks "didn't you read Lord of the Rings in high school?", "no, I had sex in high school". Never fails to make me laugh). I was nervous watching this that I would have no idea what was going on, but it's fairly easy to follow. I think hardcore fans will obviously get a lot more out of it than I did, but overall, I did like it. It's beautifully made, and *looks* expensive (and it's super weird that certain critics claim that it looks terrible). The biggest draw for me was Morfydd Clark because she is stunning in Saint Maud. She is fantastic here - tons of screen presence, raw emotion and she showcases a quiet sort of strength that is necessary for this lead role. BUT, the actual highlight for me is Nazanin Boniadi!!! I freaking LOVE her (I was a big General Hospital fan - watched it for a solid 15 years, but stopped about 5 years ago. She played Leyla for a few years and was one of my favorite characters)!! I hope this makes her a star. I was so happy when she appeared, I actually waved my hands in the air and started screaming. It's dumb, but there are so many popular actors who get randomly shoved into the spotlight and they can't even act, so it's always nice to see someone shine who actually belongs there. Anyway, I watched the whole thing pretty quickly - it's easy to binge which I wasn't expecting, but it's also a little boring in parts so I found myself drifting and doing house errands as it was on. 

5. Wednesday - This is a super cute show. I'm obsessed with Jenna Ortega. OBSESSED. And I would like to point out that I'm not just jumping on the bandwagon (she's definitely a hot name right now with several popular projects in 2022), and that I noted how great she was during the second season of You. And even in that dumb movie Yes Day. She is undoubtedly a star - the camera loves her. The absolute perfect casting is her in this role of Wednesday Adams. She feels like she owns this character even though others have excelled before her (I never thought anyone would out Wednesday Christina Ricci, but here we are). Plus, anyone who can make dark hair and pale skin popular again is a win in my book (I have dark hair and pale skin...). And speaking of Ricci, I love that she is in this show as a different character. It's weird because she was a big name when I was growing up, but I never really liked her, but NOW, I adore her. I really, really, really don't like Catherine Zeta-Jones though (I do like her voice. And I loved her in Chicago. And regularly listen to her songs from the Chicago soundtrack. I just don't think she's a good actress in anything else). I understand the casting, but she's just so blah. But the show is really fun and cute, has a little mystery and self-awareness. It's like Riverdale, but has a plot that makes sense (at least so far...). 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Cyrano - I loved this! I really wanted to see it before I updated my Best of 2021 list, but it took FOREVER for it to be available on one of my streaming services. I think it would have made the cut during my reassessment, but oh well. I saw a lot of love for this during awards season, but then it got a total of zero nominations (I think?) and I haven't heard anyone talk about it since. I didn't realize that it's a musical, but that makes me really, really happy. I've since added some of the songs to my Spotify playlist because some of the songs are stunning; "I Need More" is my favorite - it really showcases Haley Bennett's voice. Bennett is a really strong, captivating actress. I've loved her in everything I've seen her in. But my personal highlight in this is Kelvin Harrison Jr. I'm just patiently waiting for his career to explode (if you aren't familiar, then please watch Waves - his performance is something I think about often). I love Peter Dinklage, too, but his voice isn't the greatest - and since it's a musical, I think that a strong voice is incredibly important. Obviously, the story is strong (it's a classic for a reason!), but it's also just so beautifully made, which caused me to go "oh who made this??" only to realize it's Joe Wright. So OF COURSE it's beautifully made! It's JOE WRIGHT! He has never made a visually dull film. Which just makes it even weirder that this film was basically ignored? I just looked it up because it is really baffling and apparently it did get one nomination for Costume Design, so the Academy knew of its existence, clearly, but decided to ignore it in every other category. Huh. Anyway, highly recommend!

2. Where the Crawdads Sing - The book has been sitting on my "to read" pile for a year or two, but haven't gotten to it quite yet. I wish I read it before watching this because I know that it is probably far better than this movie and I would have loved to be surprised by the ending. I really love Daisy Edgar-Jones - she was incredible in Normal People and really proved herself in that Mormon mini-series that I can't remember the name of right now. She is definitely the strongest aspect of this movie, because otherwise it is a boring mess. It definitely feels like a Nicholas Sparks movie, except they hired really bland actors (aside from Daisy). I think my biggest problem is that the two male characters look so much alike - I thought it might be part of a twist or something (it's not), but also they are so fucking dull. Just no charisma at all (one of them is Harris Dickinson - who I previously described as having the charisma of a garbage bag. This is the third film I've seen him in and I stand by this claim). I don't recognize the other guy from anything, but he's just as bad. I also don't think that a girl living in a marsh would...uh...look like this (once again, I'm supposed to believe that Daisy isn't one of the most gorgeous women you'll ever lay your eyes on...). Her hair smooth & shiny; her skin clear and even-toned. It's all just so unbelievable. Plus, the blue floral dress she wears looks identical to one that we had at my work a few years ago (I think it might be the same one, but I'm not 100% sure. My point is that it's not a cheap dress). The story is pretty bland for most of it - and all seems fairly obvious. However, I really wasn't actually expecting the ending?! I thought it was going to end in a more ambiguous way, as in, leaving you guessing who the killer really was. I think if Daisy had some better actors to play off of, and if it really committed to showing someone authentically poor and living off the land, then maybe this could have been a good movie. 

3. Smile - I truly love a great marketing campaign, and this really hit the mark. In case you missed it, they hired people to stand in crowded arenas smiling. Like really creepily just standing there smiling into the camera for no reason at all. It kind of freaked me out when people started posting these random people smiling, so I was super relieved that it was part of the marketing this movie and not a bunch of freaks. It definitely got people talking about the movie and created some mystery and intrigue. I also think that this has a little bit of originality to it for a horror movie (although I do think there is some inspirations from recent films like It Follows). Unfortunately, it just doesn't quite work for me. I didn't hate it, but it definitely relies way too much on jump scares, and goes too batshit in the end (and not in a good way like Malignant). It also feels terribly long and just drags the story out far too much. And obviously I do not like the cat scene - incredibly unnecessary. I just don't really connect to the story either, because if all of this were happening to me I would just beg to be locked up (like, HELLO I'm going fucking insane someone please just put me in a room where I can watch tv all day). It does have some great commentary on suicidal depression and forcing yourself to "smile" through the pain ("I smile, and I smile, and I smile" is still one of my favorite movie quotes of all-time). And the main actress, Sosie Bacon, is really great - and I feel really dumb for only *just* figuring out that she is the daughter of one of my favorite Hollywood couples, Kevin Bacon & Kyra Sedgwick. I guess I would have figured it out if I knew her name, but I only knew her face from 13 Reasons Why and Narcos: Mexico. But now that I know who she is, I realize how much she looks like Kyra. I'm interested to see what she does next. On a random side note: how fucking cool is her ex-boyfriend's apartment? 

4. Nope - I'm a big fan of Jordan Peele as a director. I thought Get Out was brilliant, and even though I didn't love Us as much, there are still moments of sheer genius within it. I was all in for this. Plus, Daniel Kaluuya is great - one of my favorite young actors (I prefer him with the British accent, though. Posh Kenneth forever!). I don't know Keke Palmer very well - I think I've only seen her in Scream Queens and the Scream tv show (weird that those two things have no connection to each other). I like her though - she seems sweet and honest, and doesn't seem to take herself too seriously (and I adored the pregnancy announcement - it was so cute!). This is a rare time in which I'm rating a movie higher than how much I personally liked it. It's stunningly made, with every detail perfectly curated - from the sound design, character development, depth and layers of the story, it's all flawless. But....I was kind of bored throughout? It just didn't really hold my interest and that is incredibly disappointing. I felt like maybe the pace was off a little bit, but others seem to disagree. I'm not really sure why I wasn't captivated. It's not something I would ever watch again, while I definitely would watch both Get Out and Us again (maybe even Us more so because I feel like there were little things I missed). I also don't really think it's scary at all, which is fine, but I definitely feel like it's advertised and talked about as a horror movie. It's more Western Sci-fi (although there are some disturbing moments). I think the biggest problem that I have with it is that I don't have much to say about it. I really liked Kaluuya in it, though. His little "nope" throughout the movie really made me smile. And when he manually locks his truck door as if that's going to protect him while the sky is seemingly swallowing everything whole. I giggled. Anyway, as I said, I've rated it higher than my own personal enjoyment simply because it's well-crafted, full of imagination while also explicitly referential, and I can completely understand why film enthusiasts enjoyed it. 

5. The Wonder - This is definitely one of those movies that hit me harder after absorbing it. I rated it 3 stars, but I might reconsider and add a 1/2 star to that. I think the most interesting aspect about it is that if feels dated while watching it, but I can see the connection to modern religious zealots who are willing to put others at risk due to their "beliefs". The story is fairly simple - set in the late 1800s, this nurse is hired to watch a young child who claims that she hasn't eaten anything in months but remains "healthy". Locals start to tout it as a "miracle". It's honestly very boring for the most part, but there is some intrigue in finding out exactly how this miracle is taking place. *slight spoilers ahead* I think I was expecting a straightforward explanation, but the part that really hits strong is that when she explains the "miracle" to this group (of men) that hired her, they completely reject the explanation and turn it on her - she's suddenly the villain for telling the truth. It's really interesting, and unexpected. The score is really beautiful - haunting and mesmerizing. Florence Pugh just gets better and better, yet I don't love her in period pieces (I'll never understand the Oscar nomination for a rather mediocre and miscast role in Little Women). There is something about her that feels too modern. I was excited to see Niamh Algar because she was sooooo great in Censor, so I wanted to see if that was a fluke, but unfortunately she's barely in this so I can't tell yet. I think the only thing I really, really didn't like about this movie is the weird introduction "you are about to watch a movie" part - it's just one of the dumbest things I've seen in a while for a movie like this (and just unnecessary? Did they think that would make it feel modern or cool?). Overall, I definitely liked this but I LOVE that it seems to be sticking with me. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. My Policeman - I don't think Harry Styles is as bad as a lot of critics claimed in Don't Worry Darling, I think he was just up against an acting force (Florence Pugh), so it felt worse than it actually was. But, I'm assuming that the 3000+ 5 star ratings for this movie on Letterboxd are Harry Styles fans, and that is super annoying (I mean, I'm obsessed with Taron Egerton but I wouldn't rate Robin Hood (2018) 5 stars. Heck, I didn't even rate Rocketman 5 stars and that's one of my favorite movies of the last decade!). I didn't really like this movie, there's nothing really necessarily wrong with it, but I just found it terribly boring. It reminded me of The Notebook combined a little with The Talented Mr. Ripley. Except that both of those movies had my attention instantly and this almost made me feel sleepy in the first 10 minutes. And whether you like Styles acting or not, he's by far the more interesting actor in this. I was interested to see Emma Corrin in something else because I absolutely hated their performance as Princess Diana (I seem to be the only one, which stuns me). They are terrible in this too - it's like a robot trying to show emotions by fake smiling in the most awkward way possible (and this is what they did in The Crown too - I think people gave them way too much credit with the coy smile acting, but I found it grating). The other guy acts too weaselly for me to root for his happiness and I don't think that's the intent. It's a good story, but I would have preferred some repercussions for Corrin's character's disgusting actions. It's awful that she seemingly gets to walk away and live a more fulfilling life. Otherwise, I will admit that I love a passionate sex scene, and this one really does it well. That's about the only good part of the movie.

2. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story - I can't say that I'm the biggest Weird Al fan; I actually find most of his song parodies obnoxious. But, I do respect the hustle - and he is uniquely and unapologetically himself. There are a few things that are really brilliantly done with this biopic - first, casting Daniel Radcliffe is perfect. I was not a fan of the Harry Potter movies, but since then Radcliffe has really chosen some unexpected roles and he's excelled in them all. Honestly, I instantly became a fan of his when he rapped "Alphabet Aerobics" on The Tonight Show - it was so unexpected. But I think, because of watching that and being wowed by it, I knew that he would shine as Weird Al. Second, I really dig the way it perfectly encompasses everything that Weird Al does - just relentlessly parodies everything. Nothing in this movie can be taken with any grain of truth or seriousness - it's all just one big parody of biopics and it hits every point that every biopic does (and usually why I don't rate the genre very highly at all - Rocketman is an exception, of course). The poster is pretty conclusive as to its intentions and it is genius (literally a knock-off of the Bohemian Rhapsody poster). Third, the entire Madonna bit is hilarious from start to finish - the fact that Evan Rachel Wood's costume is like a Halloween version of Madonna will never not be funny to me (especially because as a child of the 80s, I dressed like Madonna for Halloween pretty much every year from 1988 until 1997, and then again at a college party in the 00s - and this is literally the outfit I wore). But also just the entire plot around her character just made me laugh hysterically - and then the end "Madonna Ciccone still at large". I cried with laughter. Otherwise, the rest of the movie is entertaining, but it goes quite batshit off the rails towards the end and not really in a good way. It just kind of loses its steam. On a side note, I can't believe that Julianne Nicholson plays mom to Weird Al and Marilyn Monroe in the same year! 

3. Causeway - I've seen Jennifer Lawrence give some great performances, but it's just so rare (I liked her in The Hunger Games and mother!, everything else I feel like she sleepwalks through- she's miserable in the X-Men films and she's miscast in most O. Russell movies - oh wait I think I liked her in Joy too? Maybe? I don't really remember it though, so that says a lot). This seemed to be advertised as her going back to her roots and focusing on "acting", which is kind of funny if you think about the fact that she's, like, 30 years old. But I also don't think quieter performances necessarily mean better performances, and I don't think her acting is anything special here. I kind of feel like she has a hard time being a "normal" person. That sounds mean, but even her walk is weird. I think she may have been pregnant while filming some of this, but she walks as if she has a huge belly sticking out (and she doesn't), but I also question if it's supposed to be part of her "traumatic brain injury" that was caused by an explosion even though she has absolutely no physical injuries or scars at all. AGAIN, a traumatic brain injury from AN EXPLOSION and she still looks like that. Anyway, she is outshined by Brian Tyree Henry (he should have like 5 Emmys for Atlanta), but overall, the film is lacking substance. It's a sweet movie, but just very mediocre and forgettable. Also, I would totally rather clean pools than work in an office to be fair. But do pool cleaners really swim in people's pools?? Because that's so creepy. And *spoiler* why on Earth would she encourage a man missing a limb to swim in a pool in the dark when it's just the two of them? She physically would not be able to save him if things went south. That's just dumb. 

4. Goodnight Mommy - I liked this movie. Probably because it was better than I was expecting based on the reviews. Apparently it's a remake of an Australian movie that I haven't seen, but I may seek out now based on this. The premise is super fucking creepy, and Naomi Watts is spectacular (but probably deserves better films than this? What's going on with her career? I don't feel like she's been given worthy parts in at least 5 years. I haven't watched that new show Watcher yet but fun fact I live 2.5 miles away from "The Watcher" house! EEEEEK!). I also think the kids did a really good job - I recognize the one kid from The Boys. I think it's made really well, in that you don't really know who to believe, but also I think it's pretty obvious that ****major spoiler ahead**** Lucas doesn't exist (I figured he was either dead or an imaginary friend). But even if you figured that out, it's still unclear if this woman is actually their mother or not. I wasn't really expecting how dark it got, though. And the ending is super dark, which I loved. It does rely on dream sequences a little too much, but the first dream sequence with her taking off her skin is so well-done. Overall, I think it's weird that this received such bad reviews - it's super creepy, well-acted, beautifully filmed. A solid 3 star movie (which by my standards means good!).

5. Catherine Called Birdy - It's been a long time since a movie completely drained me of any and all energy. I actually started to fall asleep so I stopped it, took a nap, then forced myself to watch the rest. There is just nothing fresh about it. I can't stand Lena Dunham, but it seems like a lot of other people who hate her still concede that this is a good movie, but they are all wrong (I mean, not actually "wrong" because opinions of film can't be wrong, but sometimes they can be...ya know?). And I've heard the name Bella Ramsey before, but I've never connected who it was - and ugh...finding out she's the little girl from Game of Thrones is not a good thing in my book (the acting on that show was the worst part about it). I'm not a fan, mostly because she talks in this really accentuated unnatural way that makes my ears hurt and she kind of reminds me of Lena, which is obviously not a good thing but I'm going to stop now because criticizing a child feels wrong (even though she'll need to get used to it if she wants to continue acting). I wish Billie Piper was in this more because I LOVE her (she's in one of my favorite series of all-time, Secret Diary of a Call Girl). I'm a little confused, though, by the casting of her brother because he looks like he's of Asian descent (maybe Indian?), but definitely not like either parent - so I thought maybe the mom had an affair or something but it's never mentioned? I'm all for diverse casting - but it still needs to make sense....biologically? Anyway, here are some good things about the movie: The soundtrack is very cute ("My Boyfriend's Back", etc.), Joe Alwyn has charisma galore, there is one really, really funny moment when she sees the hot monks and starts stroking the Jesus on the cross statue. I literally laughed for like a 10 minutes (but then I went to sleep LOL). 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Bullet Train - This is quite fun. Really convoluted and ridiculous, but quite fun nonetheless. I don't want to talk about the Brad Pitt thing, but I feel like it's necessary - I think it's interesting that there really hasn't been much talk of any so-called "cancellation" after the details of Jolie's abuse allegations were made public. It was like one day of headlines, but no real outcry from the usually vocal crowd. Part of me feels like he's just too big of a movie star and Hollywood definitely needs movie stars right now (this is also why I think Tom Cruise remains as popular as ever even with his Scientology background. People are willing to ignore what they want to ignore when it's convenient). And part of me thinks that maybe we're just waiting for more to come to light. You know how I often go into personal tangents sometimes?? Well, I had this whole huge personal story relating to this incident, but then I deleted it all because we just don't know the truth - and we probably never will. So, I'm just going to move along and talk about the movie. Pitt is the epitome of a movie star, in my opinion, even more so than Tom Cruise (I know many disagree) and he just shines in this - a mix of action and comedy, with his character exuding charm and wit in every turn. But the film is definitely elevated by the talent of the supporting cast and cameo appearances. I think it's been well-established that Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson steal the movie. While the accents are wild, they definitely have a comedic chemistry that is undeniable and super fun to watch (I will be shocked if they don't get a spin-off prequel). Bad Bunny and Zazie Beetz have some really entertaining scenes, Joey King is finally in a role that matches her talent, plus *spoiler* cameo appearances from Ryan Reynolds and Channing Tatum, as well as the expected one from Sandra Bullock (if you don't know Sandy B's voice instantly then we probably wouldn't be friends). I do think it's all a bit predictable how it will all turn out, but there are still some surprises along the way. Also, it's a bit weird to have SO MANY white people in Tokyo (there are literally more white people than there are Japanese people in this movie. Set in Tokyo.). The ending drags a bit, but otherwise just solid fun throughout. 

2. Barbarian - *slightly spoilery* While I think some of the reviews and praise are a little overboard, I did really like this. It's very well-made, structured in such a way that truly takes a turn that I don't think anyone can predict, and has a really strong central performance by Georgina Campbell (a relative newcomer - at least I think? She doesn't look very familiar to me). I was definitely skeptical of the beginning - although I enjoy that it's about an Airbnb fucking up a booking, because fuck Airbnb - I can't wait until that company burns to the ground. But, in all reality, there is just no fucking way this woman would EVER enter that house. It's just plain idiotic - and the "setup" for her being practically forced to enter is even more stupid (all the hotels in the entire greater area of Detroit - a major city - are booked for a conference. Sorry, but even if there were 20 conferences, there would still be a hotel. Or just drive to a busier area and sleep in your car - that would be safer than entering a house with a strange man inside). But, if you get past that - and just "go with it", it does present a good start to a horror movie. I guess we're then supposed to think this woman is brilliant because she takes a picture of his driver's license and doesn't drink the tea he makes her. I kind of figured that Bill Skarsgard was not going to be the villain of the movie - it's just too easy. But, casting him in the role, will definitely make the audience question his intentions (sorry, but he is instantly creepy). The film starts to take an even more horrifying turn when she goes into the very creepy basement (again, wouldn't be me), and it is really effectively done with the pace of the scene, the music, and then her slowly pulling on the rope (I screamed "NOOOO" as my heart began to race). AND THEN. Well, if you've seen it, then you know. But, if you haven't - you will think you know where the story is going, but you will be wrong. And you will be horrified. It drastically takes another turn by introducing Justin Long's character as an uber-douchebag, just defying expectations at every moment. I also think there is some great commentary on how society treats the homeless/the mentally ill/people they assume are drug addicts, etc., and it's definitely not a coincidence that it uses Detroit as the location - a city that continues to struggle with segregation, a constant housing crisis, and economic devastation (if you're not familiar, Collider did a fairly simple but thorough article: https://collider.com/barbarian-detroit-housing-crisis/). Overall, it's a very solid horror movie - one of my favorites of the year (and as a lot of people have pointed out 2022 has been a very good year for horror!). 

3. The Good Nurse - I think with this, I've come to realize that I don't like Eddie Redmayne. Like, it's kind of crazy that he has an Oscar, if you think about it. I think I did like him in The Theory of Everything (which is what he won his Oscar for), but he has not been good in anything else, and in fact, has been absolutely terrible in almost everything I've seen him in (The Danish Girl, Jupiter Ascending, the Fantastic Beasts movies). He's, once again, very awful in this. His American accent is unbearable. But the saving grace, as per usual, is of course, Jessica Chastain. If she wasn't giving such a strong performance, I may have fallen asleep about 1/2 way through. It's an interesting story; just not told in any exciting way. The beginning is a little suspenseful - which is exciting because I wasn't expecting it (I actually had no idea what this was about before watching it - just that it starred Chastain and Redmayne and *somehow* they are *not* playing siblings???). It's based on a true story, but if you aren't familiar and don't want to be spoiled, then *warning spoilers ahead*. I think this could have been better as a miniseries, and maybe if we got to know the victims a little bit; maybe some more information about just how he kept getting away with murder, etc. Although his reason for murdering people is quite chilling ("they didn't stop me"). The whole thing is quite chilling actually - we put so much trust in certain professions, like nurses, it's unfathomable that someone can just keep hopping from hospital to hospital killing people (and even crazier that he admitted to 29 murders, but they think the number is closer to 400. How does it jump that far??). It does start to get intense once she starts helping the case - like when he just shows up to see her daughters. I just wish it had more depth, more insight, something to make it memorable. 

4. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent- This was a little disappointing for me. I'm not the biggest Nicolas Cage fan - I'm not not a fan, but I don't belong to the cult of his fanbase. I do think he's been great in some films (and some of his films are among my all-time faves - like Face/Off). BUT, I am a HUGE Pedro Pascal fan. I saw the trailer for this before The Lost City and I thought it looked really good. And fun. I think a lot of movies are missing the "fun" part nowadays (The Lost City is a great example of a movie that focused on being fun). Plus, it mostly got good reviews (even some 5 star reviews from people who I usually agree with!). But ultimately, they showed most of the actual fun parts in the trailer, and overall, I was a little bored. It's a great concept, but the whole meta thing has been done a billion times and other than the Nic Cage/Nick Cage thing, there really isn't anything special here. It's very predictable and seems to drag on forever. Pascal has a tendency to over-act sometimes (see: Wonder Woman 1984), but I think it works up against Cage in this. I've said it multiple times, but I really don't like Tiffany Haddish and I totally forgot that she was in the trailer, so I loudly groaned with disgust when she appears. However, she's not that bad here - I don't think she's really given much to do, so she really makes no impact on the film whatsoever. Other thoughts I had while watching this: (1) I hate the CGI de-aging stuff with a passion. It's awful here - Cage talking to his past self is completely unnecessary and could have just been easily cut altogether. (2) I totally forgot Monica Potter was in Con Air (another GREAT Nic Cage movie). I met her about 13 or so years ago and she was lovely. (3) The shot in which Cage is looking at a statue of his face and then the images merge together is fucking gorgeous. Seriously, what a shot! (4) I'm sorry, but people who cite Paddington 2 as a perfect movie really need to get their shit together (I'm not actually sorry *shrugs*). (5) *spoiler* LOL at the Demi Moore cameo. 

5. See How They Run - I liked this a lot, but I do question whether I would have liked it as much if it didn't star two of my favorite actors - Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell. They are a match made in heaven with this film - seriously, I could probably watch them banter back and forth for hours without getting bored. Just delightful. Plus, I really like Ronan doing something a bit different, and showing her comedic timing. The film itself, is a very typical whodunit mystery in the same vein as Clue or Once Upon a Crime, both of which I loved - so for me, I was entertained for this. It kind of felt like a less quirky Wes Anderson film (which can be both good and bad, depending on how you feel about Wes Anderson). Aside from Ronan & Rockwell, there are some other really strong supporting actors - Ruth Wilson, David Oleyowo, etc., but there are also some actors that I simply don't like - Harris Dickinson has the charisma of a garbage bag. How is he getting roles? I'll just never understand. And Adrien Brody is a decent actor, most of the time, but that doesn't mean that I have to like him. He's incredibly annoying and full of himself, and an entitled asshole. Anyway, there are some really, really funny stand-out moments and colorful characters. My favorite bit is when Rockwell learns that the cops don't have guns in England and he responds "but how do they kill the bad guys?" and then later they callback to it with Ronan yelling at the "bad guy", "stop! in the name of the law!". There are also a lot of references to Agatha Christie (as it is a centerpiece of the film - a murder in a theater that is running a play based on one of her stories. She's even a character in the film), my favorite being when a character says casually "perhaps they were all in it together, sir" and then shrugs it off. I think there are probably a lot of smaller moments of reference and funny bits that I would probably pick up on a second watch. 

Thoughts on 5 New TV Shows

1. House of the Dragon - I'm so mad that I started watching this fucking show. I had no plans to watch it, but then reviews starting rolling in and everyone started saying great things about it (some even giving it 10 out of 10 *AHEM*), so I was like "well I guess I have to watch it!". But I definitely didn't. It's so blah. Every single thing that has happened so far has been incredibly predictable (I'm on episode 6, I think) and I hate every single character. I will say that the acting is FAR better than it was on Game of Thrones, though, so thank fuck for that (90% of the acting on GoT was awful - the only exceptions were Dinklage and Headey). I usually do prefer when they do time jumps that they get new actors instead of aging or de-aging the actors, but it's super weird that they only replace the two main actresses. And it's even weirder that the "older" actresses don't look that much older than the younger versions. I do love Olivia Cooke though - she's definitely a big draw for me. I also think that the other actress is great too (sorry, I'm having a lazy day and don't feel like googling her name), but she also looks identical to Hunter Schafer from Euphoria (I honestly thought it was her until I saw someone else say she looked like Hunter - baffling that those are two different people!). Paddy Considine is one of the greats, obviously. My only real problem with the cast is obviously Matt Smith (I know I've mentioned several times how much I hate him). I know I'm in the minority with that one, but I honestly can't understand how anyone thinks he's hot, but also he's a terrible actor too! I also think it's absolutely psychotic that people root for this couple??? Just baffling. Anyway, I don't really expect it to get better, but I'm somehow still invested so I'll keep watching (obvi). 

2. Reboot - This is cute! I thought the idea of it was kind of dumb, but that cast drew me in! Rachel Bloom! Paul Reiser! JUDY GREER! ELIZA COUPE! All just terrific. Bloom is definitely the standout. Her and Reiser have incredible chemistry as father/daughter. And after watching the pilot episode, I no longer think the idea is dumb because it is definitely taking the "sitcom" in a new direction. We are getting this influx of reboots. The Fresh Prince, Saved by the Bell, Full House - all have reboots. And SURPRISE! You know what else apparently has a reboot?? Reiser's Mad About You! I found this out because I thought to myself "wow, I really miss Paul Reiser" (I know he's in Stranger Things, but he's not funny in that) and I used to LOVE Mad About You - so I googled if there was ever talk of a reboot and apparently it already exists! It's listed as a "Spectrum Original". What the fuck is that? Another streaming service?? Ugh. Anyway, back to this show, I think playing off of the "reboot" idea works really well. The show moves really quickly, has some great one-liners, is easy to binge-watch, and has some great back and forth between the different generations, with great commentary on what's considered "acceptable" within the comedy realm. It's also genuinely funny while also being fairly broad comedy (I honestly laughed out loud when he said he made reservations at "The O.G" and it's The Olive Garden). Also, my favorite TV dad shows up in the last episode (Sandy Cohen!). I can't wait for season 2 (*crosses fingers that there will be a season 2*)

3. American Gigolo - I have no idea how this ended up on my watchlist? I feel like I saw a trailer for it and it looked good, but it's not. At least so far. I think I'm on the 4th episode, but not much has happened other than someone getting murdered in the beginning. And then they just talk about it for 4 episodes. I'm waiting for the rest of the story to emerge, but I'm afraid that it's not going to? I like Jon Bernthal a lot, but I really, really, really like Gretchen Mol. I've always been a big fan of Rosie O'Donnell (I used to watch her talk show every single day. Recorded it on a VHS tape so that I could watch it after school), but she is giving one of the worst performances I've ever seen and it's making me sad. It's like she's trying too hard to be nonchalant, but it doesn't even make sense for the character because she's playing cop who actually cares about solving the case. It's so weird. I watched the movie version that the series is based on quite a while ago, and I don't really remember it, but I thought I liked it. It doesn't even feel like it's in the same universe as this show is, though. I also don't think the non-linear story is working at all - the timeline is confusing and so far none of the episodes have felt cohesive at all. On a side note - I'll never understand attractive women paying for sex, though. Like literally just go outside - an attractive man will have sex with you. For free! Anyway, I'm not really invested at all, but I'm hopeful that it will get better? Please? 

4. Andor - I was really looking forward to this. I LOVED Rogue One - honestly, it's one of my favorite Star Wars projects. I also LOVE Diego Luna, but was pleasantly surprised to find out that Adria Arjona is in this. Unfortunately, I'm not loving it. I don't dislike it, but I'm 4 episodes in and...not much has happened? I really like the vibe of it, though, because it feels kind of Blade Runner-esque. It's darker, more adult-like, but I'm also waiting for it to pull me in. Also, there is another actress in this that I really don't like - the one that's in that movie Monday (I didn't like her in that, but was willing to give her another chance, but I hate her in this too! Again, too lazy to google her name *shrugs*). She's kind of ruining things for me even more. I don't have much more to say about it but it's still early, though, and like I said, I like the vibe of it. 

5. Last Light - It's been a long time since I've been stuck watching a bad television show (and I mean genuinely bad, not like HotD, that is a well-made show that I just don't like. There's a big difference) - I've been much better at limiting my viewing, plus television is good now! Even some of the bad shows are good by comparison to actual bad shows (not sure that sentence makes sense, but it does in my head). But this is bad bad. Real bad. Luckily it's only 5 episodes long, so I'm not stuck watching it for 11 seasons (*ahem* The Walking Dead). And I think it's a mini-series and it received mostly terrible reviews (that I saw after watching it!), so it's doubtful that there will be another season of it. The reason I watched it is for Matthew Fox; I've been a fan since Party of Five, but even more so with Lost. He's an incredible actor and is waaaay underrated because he's known mostly for television and has never quite made the jump to solid film roles. Well, unfortunately, while watching this, I was bored and googled him out of curiosity because I *thought* he was one of the "good guys" in Hollywood, but apparently he might not be??? I never heard about the alleged assault (he was accused of punching a female bus driver) nor had I heard about the accusation from his Lost co-star that he "beats women", which is a pretty serious accusation to make for no reason? Also, I'm confused as to whether he is still with his wife - some websites still have them married (to the same woman for 30 years!), but some have them separated or divorced - but I couldn't find anything about him being abusive towards her. But again, there must have been a reason this accusation came to light? So disappointing, but I guess it's not that surprising anymore. Anyway, the reason the show is so bad is simply because it's boring. Like, so boring for a show about a global apocalypse type event. It's desperately trying for a World War Z kind of vibe, but it fails miserably. I do like the actress from Downton Abbey, though! I don't think I've ever seen her in anything else so it was a little jarring at first, but she's adorable. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Stars at Noon - Well, Taron really dodged a bullet here didn't he? For those who don't know the backstory - Taron Egerton was supposed to star in this after Robert Pattinson dropped out due to Covid scheduling issues, and then Taron dropped out due to personal issues (his mom had Cancer). Obviously, I would have preferred Taron had no personal issues and continued in this role, but this ended up being very bad. I rated it two stars, but one of those stars is simply because I like both actors and they deserve better. Honestly, when I heard Taron took the role, I was skeptical about it (I've only seen one Claire Denis movie, High Life, and it was awful); it didn't seem the right role at the right time for him (yes, I have his entire career trajectory planned out in my head - and yes, the Netflix movie he is filming right now is the right move to get his name more recognizable). It was sort of ironic that Joe Alwyn took over the role because Taron has talked about not getting the lead role in Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (another bullet dodged), and it really upset him (the role went to Alwyn). I really like Alwyn - he has a really strong screen presence, and he gives these really interesting, quiet, introspective performances. You can tell that there is a lot of emotion and thought in his eyes. I also really like Margaret Qualley. And like I said, they deserve better. There are so many choices in this movie that irked me beyond repair. Like the overwhelming elevator music when our two leads meet?? WHY? It's annoying. Also, both characters are very unlikeable and annoying - and I'm not even sure if that's supposed to be done on purpose? I feel like the audience is supposed to root for them? But nothing about their interactions feel genuine or authentic at all. I just don't buy any of it - the characters, the romance, the plot - none of it. Her hair is fabulous, though. And I love that they kept it very big and frizzy because that is, in fact, what her hair would look like in that humidity (probably the only thing that felt authentic in the whole movie). I do appreciate the sex scenes - I know more and more films are shying away from these steamy, but unnecessary sex scenes, but Denis seems to have no problem keeping it all in. I do wish that the leads had more chemistry (but again, I can't tell if this was done on purpose), because it makes even the steamiest scenes fall really flat. At least with High Life, there are a few stunning shots (actually there is one that I think about regularly), but this is ultimately very boring. There are so many unnecessary moments dragged out for seemingly no reason at all. And it's weird that there is all of this political commentary in the backdrop, which I'm not familiar with (political strife in Nicaragua), but this movie is definitely not helpful at understanding any of it. A little background would have helped immensely. I'm a little annoyed that I paid to rent this - I'm very good at waiting it out, until it's released onto one of the streaming services I already pay for, but I was really curious about this so I became impatient - and it definitely wasn't worth it. 

2. Beast - This was way better than I expected. Not necessarily a great movie, and probably not something that I will remember years from now - but it was very tense and entertaining, with some strong performances. It's kind of like The Grey, more action-packed, but the allegory is still there - with battling a "beast" as a way of seeking redemption for not being a good husband or father. Idris Elba is very good, as expected, but the actresses who play his daughters really stood out for me. I'm really against any kind of zoos or even those open zoo things that call themselves "safaris" (there is one in NJ that is part of Great Adventure I think, but obviously it's not an actual safari - it's in NJ for fuck sake!), but I would LOVE to go on an actual safari adventure and see animals in their natural wild habitat. But I am also convinced that lions would love me - like they would sense my aura and know that I'm not a threat (I *know* that's not how it works, but...still...maybe??). The movie gets a little boring and repetitive, because obviously they are not going to kill off the kids, but I was still entertained for its entirety. I also laughed hysterically when he punches the lion (somehow so much funnier than when Neeson punches a wolf). I also like the little Jurassic Park references (the daughter's t-shirt and the ending is definitely a reference - expected, but brilliant!). 

3. Rosaline - This is super cute! I would have been obsessed with this if it came out during my teenage years. I'm a bit of a Shakespeare junkie now, but I was a huge Shakespeare nerd as a teen. And I LOVED (and still love) movies that adapt Shakespeare for a modern world - like 10 Things I Hate About You (which is The Taming of the Shrew) and speaking of that movie, someone on Letterboxd pointed out that Kyle Allen (who stars as Romeo) looks like Heath Ledger and HOW HAVE I NOT NOTICED THAT BEFORE?!! He's such a cutie! But the resemblance is uncanny. Anyway, this doesn't do the modern story thing, but instead focuses on a side character - which has been done before, probably most famously with Rosencrantz And Guildenstern are Dead. Rosaline is Juliet's bff in Romeo & Juliet, but believes the greatest romance in history, should have been her story. They modernize the language and change the plot in really fun ways (especially the tragic end - probably would have made this "cute" story less "cute" if they both commit suicide LOL), and I dug it all. I've said this before, but it stands even more so now, Kaitlyn Dever is A STAR. Ditto for Isabela Merced. The cast work together really well in this. The whole thing is just very likeable. 

4. Blackout - I really like Josh Duhamel and Abbie Cornish, but obviously this got some terrible reviews. It even has a 1.7 star rating on Letterboxd (a site in which users regularly hand out 5 star reviews to movies they simply "like"). So, I knew going in that this was bottom of the barrel type stuff. And yet I still pressed play because I was in the mood for a quick trashy action thriller before going to bed and this fit the bill. Both Duhamel and Cornish should have much bigger careers. They definitely carry the movie because literally everything else about it is God-awful. The supporting actors, including Nick Nolte, are terrible. The story just...starts, with no real set-up, plot or character introductions - and then never addresses any of these essential elements for a movie. I think it's trying to be a bit like The Raid, especially with some of that wild camera work, but it just fails miserably. The worst part, though, is that they have Abbie in this white button down shirt that clearly doesn't fit her - and it's not even in a sexy too tight sort of way. It's just ill-fitting and unflattering (and anyone in costuming or wardrobing knows not to put a button down on a woman with larger breasts unless it's specifically designed for larger breasts...it's styling 101). Anyway, I did laugh hysterically at one part - when Nolte is flabbergasted that nobody noticed Duhamel who he describes as a "6 foot 3 Ken Doll". 

5. Raymond & Ray - Mildly interesting, but never really goes to the depths that it could - and instead opts for a more "ew" factor than an emotional one. But before I get into that, let's talk about Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke for a second. It's genius to cast them as brothers because for some really weird reason, I get them confused all the time. More so when I was a teenager in the 90s and they were becoming very popular then. It's such an odd phenomenon because they look nothing alike, and certainly don't talk alike (one is from Scotland and one is from Texas!), but I'm seemingly not the only one who thinks this. The story is about these two estranged brothers who have to bury their also estranged father - but, it's such a weird story, because can't they just...not do it? Like, if their dad was actually that bad, and they have no connection to him, then who cares what happens to him after he dies? Why do people have this weird obligation to do things for people simply because you share DNA? But I get the impact of having closure and finding forgiveness, etc., but the story just moves so slowly. However, back to the "ew" part - *spoiler ahead* one of the brothers has sex with his dad's girlfriend??? WHY? There are millions of women in the world to have sex with. It's so gross and it makes me physically ill to think about - so I'm just going to erase it from my memory. I truly worry for Apple film content (their tv and miniseries are superb, though), 90% of their films have been mediocre at best. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. RRR - Well, this is mostly wonderful. I would say that it's superb if it were edited down by an entire hour. But unfortunately, it is a full 3 hours long. However, I will allow it, in this case, because it is genuinely an epic story (while a lot of 2+ hour long films stretch out a story to make it feel like an epic, but it's not), so at least most of it feels necessary (I do feel like it still could have been edited down by about 40 minutes - there are a few scenes that are repetitive and do nothing to advance the story). Other than the length, though, it is hard to find any faults. There is something for everyone, too - a love story, a story of brotherhood, a Shakespearian-like plot of confused identities (although based on Hindu mythology that I'm not going to pretend I know anything about), an epic Bollywood dance-off, and some truly spectacular choreographed fight and action sequences. All with the themes of revenge, forgiveness, heroism and loyalty among a political backdrop of race and class struggles in India. I enjoyed it all, but was particularly taken with the action scenes - they felt fresh & modern somehow, but most importantly, these sequences are so detailed and fully realized. I can tell that a lot of hard work and passion went into creating these scenes, and I feel like that's becoming very rare nowadays. This isn't a film that I would recommend to a lot of people (the length and the subtitles will put off pretty much everyone I know, unfortunately), but if you have a passion for filmmaking, then this is a must. 

2. Halloween Ends - *some spoilers ahead* It's not amazing or anything, but it's certainly better than Halloween Kills, and more interesting than Halloween (2018). And it's one of those films that I thought about for a little while after, and the more I think about it, the more I like it (originally rated it 2.5 stars, but now I'm thinking it might be a solid 3 star film). I like that the beginning sets up a new storyline within the Halloween universe instead of just rehashing the same thing. I really like that they focus on the cycle of violence route - how evil can be born through trauma and also how trauma can affect your brain in wild ways (as Laurie refers to it as "an infection"). *personal story ahead* My mom often talks about how nice my dad was when they first met; she described him as peaceful, quiet, nurturing even. But then his best friend died in a car accident and he just shut down completely and started doing hard drugs. She says that it changed his whole personality and he started to blame her for everything that went wrong in his life (and then the violence started). I used to think that she told me this to make me feel better about sharing DNA with him and also as an excuse for herself as to why she stayed with him for so long, but I always assumed that my mom just didn't see the early signs. But, who knows? Maybe both of those things are true (it also was a great way of keeping me away from drugs LOL. I was terrified of them - to the point that I wouldn't even take pain killers). Anyway, I think that exploring this idea and sticking to the psychology behind Michael Meyers and "evilness" (which has been explored a lot in the earlier films) is a good way to "end" the story. However, the actual movie isn't that good. There's some terrible acting on display (the three bullies, in particular, are off the charts awful). It's very poorly edited (Laurie's granddaughter is at work in one scene and then suddenly walking out of her house - is it the same day? who knows?). The last 30 minutes focusing on Laurie and Michael is actually kind of boring and predictable (did anyone believe that Laurie Strode would even *think* about suicide?? Be real.). The whole "evil dies tonight" from Kills is the worst mantra ever, but I like that they end it with "evil doesn't die, it changes shape". Also, the main guy does a really great job - he's about the only one that can actually act, so he stuck out like a sore thumb, but he definitely carries the whole movie. 

3. Resurrection - This movie hit me pretty hard. I don't like to watch trailers or read plot summaries before watching a movie, so I usually just hear about them from quick snippet reviews and film twitter. But sometimes that's a mistake because I end up watching something that really fucks me up (or is "triggering" as they say nowadays). If you just read the above paragraph on Halloween Ends, then you can quickly decipher why this might be hard for me to watch. So, in relation to this movie and to the personal story told above, I'll continue it: my mom eventually escaped my father (like literally escaped) and I was/am always terrified of him showing up. Luckily, I did have the advantage of him being in prison for most of my life (drug & weapons charges - smuggling, selling etc.) and when he would get released (a ridiculous amount of times - the prison system in America fucking sucks), he would just go right back in for violating parole. I was forced to see him for my grandmother's funeral (they let him attend with an entire police squad surrounding the cemetery) and it was actually really relieving because he was not the man I imagined. He was old and frail - the drugs had definitely taken a toll; he was no longer this towering aggressive presence. I haven't let my guard down yet (and I won't until he's dead), but it helped a lot. Anyway, back to the movie - I can definitely relate to that feeling of constantly having to look over your shoulder, but I can't even imagine how it was for my mom. To constantly live in fear that someone wants to hurt you and/or your daughter is terrifying. Rebecca Hall is stunning at nailing this fear. There is a scene in which she tells her intern what is happening and from an acting perspective, it's the stuff of dreams (from a storytelling perspective, though, it's dumb - she wouldn't hold it all in for years only to tell essentially a stranger). She delivers an absolutely perfect monologue - just a masterclass in acting that will likely go unnoticed. I like that the story makes you question if we are dealing with an unreliable narrator (is she crazy? hallucinating? paranoid?), but it also feels very grounded in reality. Tim Roth is also perfectly creepy. The ending really goes for it - it's quite surprising, gory and disturbing. Overall, I loved this. 

4. Last Seen Alive - The beginning of this is basically that 90s movie with Kiefer Sutherland called The Vanishing (which I think was a remake??). It's literally identical - he stops at a gas station with his girlfriend and she disappears. FYI, his girlfriend is played by none other than Miss Sandra Bullock (pre-Speed). It's a great catalyst for a thriller, but it's funny that most Letterboxd reviews call this movie a "Liam Neeson movie minus Liam Neeson", which is definitely true. Although, Gerard Butler often makes these types of movies too. And I LOVE Gerard Butler, which is weird because he's not generally my type so I'm convinced it's just the accent. And I genuinely think that he's a good, solid actor. I kind of like that he keeps his accent in this, but it's sort of Americanized and never really addressed. I also love Jaimie Alexander - she is stunning and she deserves to be a much bigger star. I thought her career would take off after the Thor movies, but I am disappointed that she's relegated to the kidnapped wife role (and therefore barely in the movie at all). *spoilers ahead* It's obvious from the first minute of the kidnapping that there is a twist because no woman would walk over to a stranger calling to her. Ever. But it doesn't make sense as to why the cop is such a terrible cop, and that Butler's character is questioned as possibly being in on it, when there is no proof of that at all - and that would be the worst way ever to get rid of your wife (so many things could have gone wrong in that scenario). So I assumed the cop was part of the twist, but he's not...I guess he's just a terrible cop, then? It's pretty stupid when you think about it. The plot actually goes a little crazy - and also becomes terribly uninteresting. I think I started scrolling through twitter about 45 minutes in because it was just all so bland. 

5. Athena - I think my expectations were too high for this. I saw a few people really hype it up, especially the opening scene. I agree that the opening scene is fantastic (more on that in a second), but the rest of the film is just one big ball of clutter - there is no emotion, no real plot - just a catalyst for chaos, and no character development. Sometimes this can work brilliantly, like with The Raid, but this is too important of a story to not tell it. Instead of something powerful and meaningful, it becomes spectacle. But back to that opening scene, because it is really brilliant and quite a technical masterpiece. It's a long tracking shot sequence that's a single take (it's quite long too - not sure of how many minutes), but it is filled to the brim with action that seemingly sweeps through an entire city - crowds move through open spaces, our focused characters moving among them through buildings and on rooftops, there's chaos filling every single space. You get an instant sense of the passion and anger among the crowd, rooting for them to cause the aforementioned chaos. But then, it just never lives up to its own hype. Certainly not a bad film, but definitely a let down. It's well-made but meaningless.