Thoughts on 5 Films

1. The Room Next Door - Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in a Pedro Almodovar film??? How did this stay so under-the-radar?? I barely even heard about it until it popped up on Netflix, but apparently it was released theatrically last year?? Weird. But, I guess, it's not that great so maybe that's why. I mean, I liked it a lot, but compared to his other films it's definitely one of his weaker movies. It's also his first English language film, and maybe that's why it felt a bit off for me? But it's very Almodovar, with the set design, colors, and blocking. And it's really dialogue heavy with some GREAT dialogue on cancer and dying (the "fighting cancer" monologue is really wonderful, and the line "Cancer can't get me, if I get me first"). The story is that this woman has terminal cancer (between this and Dying for Sex, I've watched some seriously depressing cancer stories), so she asks a woman, a friend with whom she's fallen out of touch with, to help her die. They have a lot of discussions about life, motherhood, dying, etc., but nothing really happens. I thought that there would be a mix-up with the medications or that maybe she was setting her up to make it look like she murdered her...or something? It just keeps alluding to something darker happening, but it never does. It's still good, though. And Swinton's death outfit is INCREDIBLE. I, too, would like to die peacefully by a pool in a lime colored suit with matching sandals. Also, I laughed really hard when Swinton's character's daughter shows up and it's played by....Tilda Swinton. Only Tilda can play a mother and her own daughter in the same movie. LOL. 

2. Havoc - This was...fine. It was exactly what I was expecting and sometimes that's not a bad thing. I like this cast, and I liked The Raid, obviously. I think this is Gareth Evans trying to recreate that energy, but that's a lot to live up to. Action-wise, I think it's very sleek and has some great sound design. There are some sequences that are brilliant, like the way the camera follows the guy going though the window and then whips back in with him. Just incredible! And some of the kills are brutal. Tom Hardy is made for roles like this. Ditto for Timothy Olyphant (although I think he's earned star status by now! Why is he still doing supporting roles?). Forrest Whitaker goes a bit too camp, but otherwise I think the supporting cast is fine. But, I think the story is very lacking and a little convoluted. And there's a lot of pieces to it to make is seem like it's way more complicated than it is. It goes in so many directions that it loses its own plot about 1/2 way through. Overall, though, it is an entertaining and well-executed action movie (but it's not even close to The Raid). 

3. Last Breath - The true story to this is fascinating, but it's also, like 30 minutes of a story stretched into a 90 minute movie. I wasn't aware of the story before, and spent a little time researching the real story, so that's always a win. And the movie is exactly what you would expect for a movie about a guy trapped underwater and a group of people trying to rescue him. It was interesting to see all the different options they tried (they were literally going to use an arcade type grabbing arm at one point. LOL), but it gets boring really quickly. And the fact that they actually don't know how he survived is probably the most interesting part and they barely even mention it until the end. HE SURVIVED FOR 30 MINUTES TRAPPED UNDERWATER WITH NO OXYGEN?! HUH??? HOW??? And how have we not figured it out since (it happened 13 years ago! Nobody has figured it out yet? Obviously it has something to do with the pressure underwater - but wouldn't that be a great scientific advancement to survive without oxygen for 30 minutes? Isn't that something we want to know how to do? Especially for deep sea divers and space exploration?). ANYWAY, the cast is a little lacking - I love Woody Harrelson, but he gives nothing in this. And Finn Cole is completely unmemorable. Simu Lui is a very one-note character. It's all very dull. And then it ends with him showing up at home and being like "I almost died", as if his wife wasn't notified about it already? How rude!

4. Azrael - I watched this for my girl, Samara Weaving, but it's...not good. I like some things about it, but overall, it's a dud. I probably would never have watched this if it weren't for Samara - it's just not my type of horror film. But I think she does an incredible job - especially with there being no dialogue (which I didn't know about beforehand - and it's very jarring). You can still feel her exhaustion and desperation in every scene, but it's very hard to follow. I didn't really understand what was going on - I think a group of people are after her to sacrifice her for...some reason? And I think it takes place during the apocalypse, maybe? They really don't give you much information and the movie just starts with her running through the forest. There's really not much else to say? I do like that Samara continues her legacy of being absolutely covered in blood at some point in every movie. I can't wait for Ready or Not: Here I Come - what a cast!! David Cronenberg??! SMG!!! & Elijah Wood?! YES! I'm so ready. 

5. Black Bag - I'm AMAZED at the reviews for this because I think it's one of Soderberg's worst films. I was BORED TO DEATH. First of all, what happened to Soderberg retiring??? Did he change his mind? Actually, I just looked up his filmography and he's directed some truly terrible movies (No Sudden Move, The Informant!, Bubble), so I take back that first sentence. But, I stand by the fact that I was bored. I wasn't expecting to be so bored. Cate Blanchett in a Soderberg movie about spies?? And it's only 94 minutes?? Sounds like a dream! But...nothing happens. There's a so-called mystery that is being explored about who is the traitor in the group with Michael Fassbender trying to figure it out, but it's like they forgot to make us care about the characters first. The supporting cast is less than desirable -aside from Naomie Harris. The rest of them are rough - this is the first thing I'm seeing Marisa Abela in outside of her portrayal of Amy Winehouse, and she's...not good. But the worst is Rege-Jean Page. He just got really lucky with the Bridgerton role (although I also thought he was terrible in that), and he's hot, so he keeps getting cast in stuff. But he's a horrible actor. And then Pierce Brosnan shows up in a really irrelevant role? None of them feel like they are in the same movie. Blanchett and Fassbender are fine (I'm not sure why he dresses like Steve Jobs for a majority of the movie?). The worst part of the whole movie, though, is the lighting. The soft glow filter is so awful that my eyes had trouble focusing on anything. Plus, the ending is plain stupid (it's basically Murder on the Orient Express and none of it is interesting or surprising). And the thing is, I still rated it 3 stars because the movie is fine (except for the lighting), but it's WILD to me that people (that I trust!) have rated this 4-5 stars?! There's nothing here to justify such a high rating. 

Thoughts on 5 New TV Shows

1. The Studio - So far, so good! I think if you are a film fan (like the technical and the industry stuff not just "I like movies!"), then you will really appreciate what this series accomplishes. Plus, it's funny and entertaining even if you don't get the inside film jargon. My husband agreed to watch this with me because he likes the Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg writing team. But I have to explain A LOT to him. I mean, he doesn't know who anyone is. And he definitely doesn't know why the episode featuring Olivia Wilde as an insane director is hilarious. I had to stop the episode and go over the entire history of the Don't Worry Darling drama (everything from "Miss Flo" to spit-gate). Even I have to look some stuff up - like I had to look up if Owen Kline was an actual person (he is! And he's Kevin Kline & Phoebe Cates son!). The show has a lot of meta moments - like how they talk about how precisely planned a oner is, while the episode is filmed as a oner. It's probably my favorite episode and I love that Sarah Polley is the director attempting to create this perfect shot. I also appreciate the episode in which he dates a doctor and conflates the importance of his own job with theirs (they literally save lives). I agree that art makes life worth living, but I think it's great commentary on why people in the film industry seem to live in a bubble of their own importance and end up dating each-other - it almost feels incestuous (and most of Hollywood dating is fake for publicity. How do people not realize that? Tom Cruise and Ana De Armas are not dating. They both have high profile films being released and need extra publicity.). There's still one episode left, but I think the series does a great job at touching on a lot of problems within the industry while also being a love letter to film and the people who make them. I love all the celebrity guest stars, like Dave Franco, Adam Scott, Martin Scorsese, Rebecca Hall, along with Wilde and Polley. And the main cast are all excellent - even Ike Barinholtz won me over (actually he won me over with his run on Jeopardy! He made it to the championships! Along with actual smart people!). I'm glad that it's already been given a second season. I think there's a lot of directions this show can go. 

2. Dying For Sex - I don't like this show. I can see why others do, but I'm having a hard time connecting to it and I think Michelle Williams is awful in this role. And I like Michelle Williams! She's given some incredible performances, but she's also been terrible in multiple roles and somehow still gets praise for them. She just doesn't feel real or genuine at all, and she makes the weirdest faces. It's like she's trying to be awkward but it feels so forced. And I'll just never connect to women like this - who don't communicate to their partner, and are left so sexually repressed and sad. Like, why did you get married to this person that you're not even attracted to? The whole premise is that she's been given a death sentence (incurable cancer), so she decides she doesn't want to spend her last days with her husband because he's never given her an orgasm. But the whole point of getting married is to literally agree to die with that person. It's like the Lady Gaga song "Is That Alright" ("I want you at the end of my life, I want to see your face when I fall from grace, at the moment I die. Is that alright?"). I get that she feels smothered by him because he's trying to take care of her and he goes a little too far (men have that need to "fix" everything. My husband does it too. When I get depressed, he becomes insufferable because he's trying to "fix" me. BUT I COMMUNICATE and we work through it!). I actually feel bad for her husband because he's sacrificed a large chunk of his life caring for her and she just....leaves him. It's really shitty. I also don't connect to the whole submission/dom fetish with sex. And they make sex seem so fucking complicated. I don't understand. You'll have better sex if you have sex with people you're attracted to. It's literally that simple. Anyway, I also HATE the inner-monologue. It's so grating. As is Jenny Slate as her bff. I like Slate, but she can definitely get annoying, and she goes over-the-top with this flaky friend character. But, there's also some funny stuff. And I do think that some women, unfortunately, will connect with this and maybe it will drive them to make some changes in their life too (but please don't leave your loving husband. Just talk to him!). I did laugh a few times (like when she masterbates to Speed. LOL). I'm actually only 1/2 way through the series, so maybe it will address some of the problems that I have with it. We shall see. 

3. Toxic Town - Great story, but this miniseries is a bit of a letdown. First, I cannot get past Jodie Whittaker's WILD Scottish accent. I winced when I heard it. And sometimes I think "well, obviously, I'm not an expert...maybe it's good. Let's see what the internet says", so I looked it up, and NO, it's not just me. The consensus is that it's a terrible attempt. The Scottish accent is actually one of my favorite accents so I do feel like I can tell when it's bad, but just like with American accents - a lot of it is regional so maybe it's fine, so I was relieved to see all of the negative reviews for it. Anyway, she's the star of the show so it's automatically a difficult watch. Plus her hairstyle goes from bad to worse as the series progresses over 13 years. But the supporting cast is great - Aimee Lou Wood, Rory Kinnear, Robert Carlyle, the butler guy from Downton Abby, and the girl from Bridgerton (sorry I don't feel like looking up names). I like that it's only 4 episodes long, but it feels very choppy. It jumps forward in time without explaining how much time has gone by so it's very jarring. Like all of the sudden her twins are toddlers! WHAT?! I also think it could have been a 90 minute movie. There's not enough story here for 3.5 hours of viewing. It repeats itself a lot. But, again, it's an important story (that's based on a true story) - about fighting back against these big corporations that are literally killing people. It's a bit like Erin Brockovich, so if you like stories like that, then this is definitely worth a watch. 

4. Adolescence - Technically spectacular. The first and last episode are stunning. The one continuous take for each episode is SO GOOD. I feel like this has been used as a bit of a gimmick lately (it's popping up everywhere from The Bear to The Studio), but this is on another level (actually The Bear episode is one of my favorite oners ever). The way this actually shifts locations, though, really makes it feel chaotic and urgent. I like Stephen Graham a lot, and am really excited for what he does next, writing-wise (he co-created & co-wrote this). We've definitely seen the story before - female student gets murdered by her male classmate, but we've never seen these stories from these perspectives before. From the perspective of this boy's family (his father, in particular), the detective working the case, and the therapist trying to decipher the motives and mental state. It's all very interesting and impactful. You want to know something funny??? This is how I found out where the word "incel" came from. I know that it's a word used for these loser type males who live in their mom's basement and harass women in their spare time and blame them for all their problems. But I thought the word "incel" came from the fact that these guys will likely end up "in a cell" (like a jail cell), eventually. LOL at my dumbass. So, when they say "involuntarily celibate", I paused my tv and sat in a bit of shock at this slang education. Anyway, I think the show does a good job at showing the cycle of violence & trauma - because bullying and calling someone an "incel", especially a young boy will ruin their life and without proper guidance young boys will react how they've been trained to by the media (violently). It also tackles how social media has shaped the adolescent experience (I'm so happy that didn't exist when I was a teenager. We had AIM and that's about it). I like that there's no "did he do it?" aspect after the first episode because we see him do (CCTV did it's fucking job!). I think the second and third episodes are a little bit of a letdown after the exhilarating first episode - they both move at a much slower pace. But the 4th episode is really strong with the focus on the family. It's a show that is trying to engage with its viewer, create a dialogue, and hopefully help parents, teachers, therapists that are impacting children to discuss things more openly. And maybe limit the use of Instagram and Tik-Tok?? It's just so bad for people's mental health. It's tough because once your kid is a teenager, you want to give them privacy and respect them, but it's just impossible with the access they have nowadays. You have to be on top of that shit. No excuses. 

5. The Residence - It's like Clue and Knives Out but...not good? Very boring, in fact. It's a whodunnit, but nobody cares whodunnit, so it feels like a very pointless exercise. I love Uzo Adubo, though (and her hair is FABULOUS in this!). I've also been sucked in by many Shondaland shows, so it's surprising that this hasn't done that yet. I think I'm on the 5th episode, but I fell asleep for 1/2 of it and didn't feel like I missed anything important. That's a big problem. There's a great supporting cast, but so far a lot of them are underused - like Eliza Coupe who has just spent every episode interjecting and looking angry, but has not been given a backstory or anything. Also, Susan Kelechi Watson, Jane Curtin, Jason Lee, Ken Marino, Randall Park, Giancarlo Esposito, the list goes on! And they got Kylie Minogue to cameo as herself?! WOW. And they cast Julian McMahon as the Australian Prime Minister which is funny casting if you know that his dad was actually an Australian Prime Minister (now you know!). I think my problem with the show is that the episodes are too long. It should be 6 episodes at 35-40 minutes instead of 8 almost hour long episodes. It also could use a lot more humor - a lot of the jokes land with a thud. I do like that the episode titles are all famous whodunit stories (Dial M for Murder, Knives Out, The Third Man, etc.). 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Mufasa: The Lion King - This post is going to be short and sweet, because I'm very behind on my posts (some of these movies I watched over a month ago!). So this is a prequel to the live action version of The Lion King, a film that nobody wanted and very few people actually liked??? I'm not sure why this was even made, or how they got an esteemed director like Barry Jenkins to direct it, but I have to admit - I like it better than its predecessor. Only because it's a different story, so I didn't feel like I was watching the same thing, but a worse version of it (does that make sense??). However, it's not exactly good. There are things I like about it, for sure. First, what an incredible cast! Aaron Pierre as Mufasa??? Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Scar???!! AND an INCREDIBLE group of black actresses - Thandiwe Newton, Tiffany Boone, Anika Noni Rose, Thuso Mbedo! Just fantastic. And, in theory, it's interesting to see how Scar became a villain. But, the reality is that he becomes a villain over a girl, and that's just plain stupid. Also, if I were a child, I would cry hysterical at the beginning scene of Mufasa getting separated from his family and almost drowning because I almost cried at 43. The songs are dreadful - and I laughed so hard when I realized that this is where all of the "My brothaaaa" memes came from. What a horrific song! But, it's made well, and has some good life lessons. I could do without the GoPro shots though. 

2. One of Them Days - This isn't the greatest movie, but I was highly entertained by the comedic chemistry between Keke Palmer and SZA. It reminded me of old school 90s movies like Friday and Go, combined with the more modern raunchy female friendship comedies like Bridesmaids and Joy Ride. I honestly could not tell you who SZA is or why she is famous (rapper, maybe?), but I hope she continues to do comedies like this because she's really funny. And I've been a fan of Keke for a while (Scream Queens is probably the earliest thing I know her from). I like the dynamic that they set up between them because they are both complete messes, but in entirely different ways. They make very believable friends. I also could not stop humming "just one of dem days, that a girl goes through....don't take it personal". Remember that song??? I think it was Monica? Man, I used to love that song. So catchy. Anyway, this movie is really funny. The "tumbleweave" line KILLED ME! And Maude Apatow showing up as the white girl moving into their all black complex. Perfect casting. No notes. It's also a perfect 97 minutes so none of it overstays its welcome. I would TOTALLY watch a sequel. 

3. Companion - *slight spoilers* Horror is on a huge upswing and this is another great entry. My expectations were fairly high because it got a lot of solid reviews and I like both Sophie Thatcher (a lot) and Jack Quaid (a lot). I like the twist with this because it feels modern. Robots suddenly gaining feelings and/or free will is not a new concept in sci-fi, but this has an actual plausible explanation for it and that explanation is human interference. And it also gives a solid reason as to why this technology shouldn't exist (I mean, I think we should have learned our lesson with the Terminator movies, but I guess not). I saw one of those robotic dogs from Boston Dynamics in person last year and I thought it was fucking terrifying. A lot of people were really into it and getting close to it, but as soon as I saw it I literally started backing up. The person in charge of it turned it off to let me pass because he could tell I was not fucking around. But I digress. This whole robot companion concept is fucked and the fact that people are still trying to make it a legitimate future of our relationships is really scary to me. And I think it's creating an even more misogynistic thought in a lot of men. This is sort of shown here - the way he chooses how smart his companion will be (definitely not smarter than him), etc. I think the film balances the tension and thrills with the dark comedy very well, and it moves really quickly. The weak link is Rupert Friend's exaggerated Russian accent, but he's not in it enough to ruin anything. It ends on a high note with the Bee Gees song "Emotion". Overall, I had a lot of fun with this, and was entertained. 

4. Wolf Man - I was interested in this because The Invisible Man remake was much better than I was expecting (this is the same director, Leigh Whannell). There is even a scene in that movie that I will likely never forget and I think that's rare for films nowadays. And even though I can't stand Julia Garner, I *also* can't stand Elisabeth Moss, and she was great in The Invisible Man, so I had hope! It's weird that Whannell would work with two of my least favorite highly praised actresses, though (his next movie will probably star Zendaya with that trend). Unfortunately, this did nothing for me. It's not bad, just a bit dull. I like some things about it - the disorienting camera effect is done really well, but there is definitely nothing memorable about any of it. I also like that it deals with generational trauma in the same way that The Invisible Man deals with domestic abuse. But I do think it's all a bit obvious - like, obvi his dad is the wolf and he's also becoming a wolf. And if I saw my husband eat his own arm, I would have been out of there so fucking fast. I just kept thinking "run as fast as you can! JUST RUN!", because obviously STAYING isn't safe. I think Christopher Abbott is fantastic, and Garner is...fine, I guess (that hair, though, so unflattering). And on a side-note, my basement looks exactly like his dad's because my husband is a ham radio enthusiast - he builds his own radios and antennas etc., and is licensed and all that. Our entire basement is radios, machinery (even a lathe!), and every tool imaginable. Oh and space food in case of the apocalypse. LOL. Anyway, I love the poster design though! With her peaking through her fingers that form a W. Someone had their thinking cap on! 

5. Babygirl - I wanted to love this, but it fell a little short of my expectations. I kind of knew that was going to happen because I think Harris Dickinson is the dullest of the dull white boys of the month. His sudden popularity is INSANE to me. He has ZERO screen presence. But I was hopeful because I was really surprised by Bodies, Bodies, Bodies (same director - Halina Reijn), and I appreciate a good ole' erotic thriller. Plus, I love that Nicole Kidman does not shy away from sex and/or kinky shit in movies - Eyes Wide Shut, The Paperboy, To Die For, etc., she always steps up. But I found this mostly bland and sad, instead of sexy. I don't know, sexually repressed women just makes me sad. It doesn't help that none of it feels grounded in reality - I mean, I'm supposed to believe that THAT boy is better in bed than ANTONIO BANDERES??? COME ON. And Nicole Kidman is 57 (a very hot 57), but they would not let a woman that age in a club like that. I don't even think they would let me in and I'm 43. And I think it just needed more substance than this. There's some great needle drops, that ultimately made me like the movie, but I also feel like it's manipulative. Like, the montage scene of them having sex mixed in with scenes of her living her "normal" life, with INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart" playing is INCREDIBLE, but only because the song is so good. And my God, I WISH I was attracted to Harris because him dancing to George Michaels "Father Figure" would have hit so good. And his accent is horrendous. It's like he's doing an American accent by impersonating Sylvester Stallone. Anyway, I'm still interested in what Reijn will do next because there are some genuine moments of really good filmmaking here, but as a whole, this movie is really average. 

Film Retrospective Part II: Thoughts on 10 Films (pre-1990)

1. Harold and Maude - [blind spot] I liked this a lot even though the story is obviously a bit icky. It doesn't have to be icky - it could literally be two people from two different generations finding a connection and forming a really special bond, but they include a scene in which they are in bed together, implying that they had sex and that's....not cool. He's a teenager! I think he's technically an adult because he's 18, but still. NOT cool. But if you just ignore that one small implication, the rest of the film is really interesting. It's also very dark. I was not expecting the opening scene at all, and I'm a little sensitive to suicide stuff so it really threw me. Hal Ashby directed this, and I think he does a really good job balancing the serious stuff with the incredibly funny dialogue. Maude is hilarious - her response to when the cop asks her for her driver's license is "I don't have one, don't believe in them" and then she just drives away. LOL. I also like how he notices that she has a concentration camp tattoo, but the story doesn't focus on it. I think the only thing stopping this from being a 5 star film is that you really have to like Cat Stevens because he does the entire soundtrack. I think it gets a bit grating, to be honest. 

2. Adventures in Babysitting - [rewatch x100] This was one of my favorite movies as a tween (possibly my favorite?!). It was one of those films that I watched on repeat and it drove my mother insane. I knew every line and I thought Elisabeth Shue was the COOLEST woman alive. It's HILARIOUS that she's supposed to be 17. The oldest looking 17 year old to ever grace the screen. She was only 24 but definitely looks and acts like she was in her 30s. But whatever, she was still super cool. That opening scene with her dancing along to "And Then He Kissed Me" is so cute. I didn't remember that Bradley Whitford played her asshole boyfriend! That's so funny! I think the best scene is the blues scene "nobody leaves this place without singing the blues". It's so good. And the scene with the line "don't fuck with the Lords of Hell" and she responds "don't fuck with the babysitter". Classic. Although I watched this on Disney + so they changed the line to "don't fool with the babysitter". It was very jarring! Haha! I really thought that this would lose some of the excellence, watching it 30+ years later with a more critical eye, but it's still a 5 star movie, I don't care what anyone says. Perfect adventure comedy. Great cast, funny dialogue, genuine moments of peril, some romance sprinkled in, and a solid ending. 

3. Raging Bull - [blind spot] Obviously one of my bigger blind spots, but I dreaded watching it because it's long and about boxing and I feel like I already knew the story. They're all the same, even when I think some are good (or great even!) - the stories are all identical. And this is in black & white??? Fucking kill me. But, obviously it's a great film. DeNiro is incredible - probably his best performance outside of Taxi Driver? I like all of the non-boxing stuff. The story of this man - who is very clearly bipolar before people were diagnosed with bipolar disorder (he's manic, paranoid, angry etc.), who is a misogynist and an emotionally abusive manipulator isn't something that resonates with me, but DeNiro gives him depth and nuance that only the best actors can accomplish. I also love the curly hair! But, it's not a movie I'd ever want to watch again (although that can probably be said for most of Scorsese's films? The only one I've watched A LOT is The Departed because it's my second favorite film of all time. My Scorsese ranking is WILD). I did like that the home video moments are all in color - that's a really nice little touch. And as I expected, the whole boxing part is incredibly boring. 

4. The Outsiders - [blind spot] This is actually not what I was expecting at all. I always considered it as part of the "brat pack" films, but it's definitely not. It just has some of the "brat pack" actors so I lumped it in. It's a very dark film, though. And it's basically West Side Story but changed a bit. There's lots of fighting and arguing and yelling and I couldn't tell who was on what side because the characters all have names like "ponyboy" and "sodapop", which made me laugh and is very distracting. There is a STACKED cast in this, though. Tom Cruise??! Rob Lowe! The Karate Kid! Patrick Swayze! Leif Garrett (my mom loved him!), Sofia Coppola (makes sense, it's directed by her dad), and an ABSOLUTELY STUNNING Diane Lane. She was only like 17 in this and just drop dead gorgeous (she still is!). And I can't forget Matt Dillon doing his best John Travolta impression (what is that walk he does in the beginning??? Did he think he was in Saturday Night Fever? LOL). There's some really cool camera angles though - weird thing to focus on, I know, but I really like the extreme angle shots. It feels modern but also retro (Hitchcock inspired) for that time period. I just think the story was lacking, and extremely dramatic - like the scene with them fighting in the rain. DRAMA. It had the opposite intended effect because I couldn't help but laugh at it all. 

5. The Little Mermaid (1989) - [rewatch] One of my favorite Disney movies of all time. I prefer The Lion King slightly, but this has better songs (still a tough call). "Part of Your World" is my favorite Disney song. I love it so much. But also "Under the Sea", "Kiss the Girl" and "Poor Unfortunate Soul" are ALL incredible too. And HELLO Ursula???! One of the greatest villains EVER. I haven't seen it in a long time (aside from the live action remake, which I surprisingly didn't hate), so this was a fun rewatch. My husband said he could hear me singing along to it from the basement (haha!). It does such a good job at introducing us to all of these characters and making us fall in love with them so quickly. Flounder is adorable, Sebastian is hilarious, Scuttle is a knucklehead, and Prince Eric risks his life to save his dog! I love him! I did think that this was an obvious 5 star film, but with this rewatch, I do think that the ending feels way too rushed. And it doesn't make all that much sense either - that he wants to marry this stranger so quickly after having such a connection with Ariel. I subtracted a 1/2 a star, but still close to a masterpiece! 

6. Do the Right Thing - [rewatch] I think the last time I watched this in full was probably over 25 years ago, and I watched it in film classes (in parts) when I was in college which was still like 22 years ago. I was WAY overdue for a rewatch. I saw a lot of people bring it up during the BLM protests in 2020, and when Spike Lee dedicated BlacKkKlansmen to Heather Heyer. It's INSANE how relevant this film is to present day. That all of these things happening with police brutality and the clashes between different races and cultures is still SO prevalent in our current culture that this film could literally be made today and you wouldn't even have to change anything except maybe the soundtrack. Not that I'm knocking Public Enemy's "Fight the Power", I just think it's the only part that feels dated. Well, I guess the costumes too, but the 90s are back in fashion, so that's not even true. I LOVE Rosie Perez dancing her ass off in the beginning. It's so fucking iconic. I think the thing that Spike gets so right - and that I see people often criticize about films about race today, is that most of the film is just black people hanging out. It's just their everyday life in Brooklyn - and it's not about drug dealers or prison or slavery. It's the beginnings of gentrification with the clash of an Italian pizzeria being at the center of the story, and an Asian supermarket opening across the way. It's creating dialogue, and opening up conversations. The way these cultures interact with each other - each being so disrespectful instead of learning about and accepting their cultural differences. It all begins to boil over, with an explosive ending that feels unfortunately accurate. The cast is incredible - obviously Spike Lee is great, but the highlight is definitely John Turturro. It's insane that he was not nominated for an Oscar for this. Also, I did not realize that THAT was Giancarlo Esposito until writing this little blurb. How did I not put that together??? I literally was just looking at the cast and said to myself "I don't remember Giancarlo in this...who did he play?" LOL at my dumbassery. 

7. A Hard Day's Night - [blind spot] I've never really been the biggest Beatles fan. I mean, they're great, sure. But I'm probably only familiar with a dozen of their songs and they have like hundreds between them all. Although, fun fact: I met Paul McCartney in 2000. Like, really met him - was introduced to him, shook his hand, sat in a meeting with him, etc (I used to intern at a major record company - not his record company, but he had a meeting with one of the executives and that executive really liked me and asked me to join the meeting to take notes). But anyway, I was inspired to watch this by The Beatles biopic announcement. Sam Mendes directing four different biopics featuring each Beatle and releasing them all in the same month??? It's certainly...interesting. I'm not thrilled by the cast, aside from Barry Keoghan. Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn and Harris Dickenson are just white boys of the month that have overstayed their welcome (I like both Mescal & Quinn but they aren't being cast to their abilities). Anyway, as far as this movie goes, I'm not the biggest fan. Some of it is interesting - like the scene with them switching cars to try to trick the crowds. But overall, it's just a lot of running. I think you just have to be a pretty big Beatles fan to truly enjoy this. 

8. The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) - [blind spot] I read the book last year for the the first time, so decided to watch the original film too. I would love to see the Broadway version starring Sarah Snook, but I doubt I'll get the chance. Unfortunately this movie is...boring. I hate the narration and the guy who plays Dorian looks like a plastic surgery nightmare (this was before plastic surgery, but he's so weird and creepy looking). It's weird to me that it's described as a "horror" when I would describe the book as a drama/suspense. And this I would describe as dull drama. The highlight is a young Angela Lansbury! She was so beautiful! Otherwise, this is a snoozefest. There's not even much else to say about it. 

9. The Abyss - [blind spot] Wow...I don't know how I missed this movie when it was released. I assumed that I had watched it, but then one day my husband was describing this movie (he couldn't think of the name of it, but claimed it was one of his favorite movies even though he's never mentioned it during the entire 9 years we've been together), and I had NO IDEA what he was talking about. He finally said "The Abyss!!!" and that's when I realized that I've never seen it! It's great! It's basically Armageddon with a little bit of Alien, but underwater. And it's SO James Cameron - it's like everything he loves combined into one movie. I'm a big Cameron fan - he has such a flair for big, cinematic movies and such an imagination. I really wish he would step away from the Avatar movies though. I enjoyed the first one just fine (and it's INCREDIBLE filmmaking), but I still haven't even seen the second one. I know that he's obsessed with them, though, and he has the type of personality that fixates on something (like how his obsession with the Titanic kept him going for years). I will say that this lacks one thing for me - likeable characters. I don't care about any of them. I do like Ed Harris, though! He's one of the greats. But it's crazy that he's only like 30 years old in this but he looks 55. He's always looked 55. As expected, some really great filmmaking on display - I love the POV shots. Some of them are really cool and I think pretty innovative for the late 80s. The more interesting part of the movie is all the behind-the-scenes drama (I was reading all the insane drama that happened well after the film was over). 

10. La Boheme (1926) - [blind spot] I feel like now that I'm into the 80s with this retrospective series, I don't want to get stuck watching relatively newer movies, so I have to be adamant about still watching older films. So, I went real old with this one! Pre-talkies! I was drawn into this by the poster because it looks like a Renoir painting, but I'm HERE for Lillian Gish!! Such a STAR. It's based on the Puccini opera, so it's a well-known story (typical story of a woman giving her whole life for a man to be successful). I love the music in this (obvi). The piano heavy soundtrack, and how it changes to match the mood of each scene was so essential to films before dialogue, but still essential to modern films (definitely something I don't recognize as much, but some film people are more attune to). I also like some of the superimposed images - pretty radical for the time period. Overall, I really liked this - but it's an adjustment to watch a film with no dialogue. You, like, really have to pay attention which is hard to do in this modern world. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Queer - Oooof - this is going to be a rough post because I hated all 5 of these films. I guess "hated" is a strong word, some I'm indifferent on - but all are 2.5 stars or lower. This is probably the best film of the five, but it's SO boring. I like a lot about it, but overall I think it's very dull. I'm not the biggest fan of Luca Guadagnino's films, though, so it makes sense that I didn't like this (my ranking: Challengers > Bones and All > Suspiria remake > Call Me By Your Name > Queer, which is probably a very controversial ranking). They're all well-made movies, for sure, but I'm always disappointed by the story. It just lacks something that I can't quite put my finger on. So first - the good stuff: The scene in the beginning with him walking in the white suit with Nirvana's "Come as You Are" playing. The way the scene is slowed down to perfectly sync with the song is GORGEOUS. I'm almost never a fan of using Nirvana songs in movies and/or Nirvana remakes because I know how much Kurt would hate it (especially in a fucking Marvel movie! Who let that happen???), but I think this is an exception. There's a lot of thought behind how the music is used - it's not just thrown in for effect. There's also a lot of shots that look like an Edward Hopper painting that I don't think it's a coincidence - they are very beautiful. But that's all I got. Daniel Craig is fine. The other guy...unmemorable. I just don't care about these people, and Craig's character comes off as a sexual predator. The sex scene is not sexy because the guy literally vomits right before. Fucking gross ("do I smell like vomit?" I wish you could see my face as I watched this scene. It's so disgusting). Then there's like a 5 minute long shot of Craig staring off into the distance, smoking a cigarette. WHYYY GOD WHYYYY? It's based on a William S. Burroughs story, which I didn't realize at first (the name William Lee should have clued me in!); I haven't read it but I know some of the history of him living in Mexico and killing his wife during a William Tell game. I think once the film dives into the whole hallucinatory part, it starts to really turn dull (and gross with them throwing up their hearts). Overall, just like Luca's other films, it's just not my thing. 

2. Y2K - I thought this had a fun idea, but an awful execution. I didn't hear much about it during release, but I was super aware of it because some of it was filmed in my town! Like, literally around the corner from my house. I still didn't know much about it - just that it was a teen comedy about New Years Eve 1999. I was shocked that it's an alternate reality story about all the things people said might happen (the computers will destroy the world!) actually happens. The electronics basically turn into Transformers and start killing people. LOL. What a good idea!! I WAS IN! But then, it just goes absolutely nowhere and all of these characters are annoying and feel really inauthentic for 1999/2000. I was 18 and a freshman in college on this day, so very close to these kids (they are in high school, but I don't know if they specify whether they are seniors, etc.). First, the kid from Stranger Things looks like he belongs in the 80s or 2010 and nothing in between. Second, why are the bullies the skater kids?? That makes no sense. Third, New Jersey's own Rachel Zeigler is clearly way too good for this movie. And last, casting Alicia Silverstone as the mom is just plain mean. The saving grace is the kid with the Australian (New Zealand, maybe?) accent. He is fucking hilarious - I DIED during "The Thong Song" scene. DEAD on the living room floor. It's just too funny. BUT GUESS WHAT?!!! *spoiler* They kill him off in the beginning of the fucking movie! The only thing the movie has going for it is the nostalgia factor and they use it all on Fred fucking Durst. I knew he was in this because I was looking up exact filming locations and saw him listed in the cast. But I didn't realize just how big of a role he has. I'm not gonna lie - I loved Fred Durst in 1999. I even had tickets to see Limp Bizkit and someone else (maybe Eminem?) live in Albany, but we drove all the way there and he canceled it like 20 minutes before it was supposed to start. It sucked big time and it made a lot of people very angry. Anyway, he's funny in this - and probably the best part of the movie, but....it's way overdone. I mean, I gave it a whole extra star just for his acapella version of "Faith" because it's still to this day one of my favorite covers of a song ever. But there are just so many other things they could have focused on. And I appreciate more of the subtle nostalgia hits - like seeing the portable cd player glued to the dashboard of his car, because that's exactly how I listened to Limp Bizkit! And it reminded me of picking all my friends up before school and screaming "Give me something to break!!!!". I can picture it so clearly! Good times. I love little moments like that. There's a few laughs to be had, but overall, I was mostly bored and I absolutely did not care if any of these kids died. In fact, I welcomed it. 

3. Holland - Welp, I was really hoping that The Gorge was going to be my worst film of 2025, but this one has it beat. I didn't know much about it going in - although I did see a few less than favorable reviews. But I love Gael Garcia Bernal SO MUCH. And I sometimes love Nicole Kidman. Plus, Rachel Sennott! But then it just starts off really weird with Sennott doing a weird-ass accent, and Kidman watching Mrs. Doubtfire. What is going on?? It's supposed to be a thriller, but it's...not. It's just this woman who becomes suspicious that her husband "has a secret", so she confides in her co-worker and they start to spy on him, and then she starts her own affair with him. But it's clear that her husband isn't having an affair, instead he's just a weirdo. Until the end. We find out that he's a serial killer. And even then, it barely makes it into the "thriller" genre. It's a very slow drama. And a bad one. I don't have much else to say about it because it's a big fat nothing of a movie. Sometimes I think Kidman just takes roles without even reading the script. She just likes to keep working. 

4. O'Dessa - I'll give this film some leeway for its attempt at something radical. It fails miserably, but the attempt is appreciated. It's a post-apocalyptic rock musical based on a retelling of the Greek myths of Eurydice and Orpheus. If it was done well, it could have been this generations Romeo + Juliet. It's hard to pinpoint what went wrong, exactly, but I was very bored for most of it. I like Sadie Sink a lot, but I was here for Kelvin Harrison Jr. with BLUE HAIR (and him singing is even more of a highlight for me). I was surprised at Sink's voice - I was hesitant at first when I learned that she sings the songs herself, but as soon as she hits that first note, I was like "OH OK SADIE"! Her voice is beautiful! But the songs, themselves, are just not my style (it's more bluegrass than rock). And they just go on for FOREVER. We get it, she's a "rambler". But the biggest "miss" of the film is that these two characters are very gay - like super, duper gay (look at that poster! Does that look like a straight woman to you?), but we're supposed to believe that they want each other??? WHAT? They do not sell this heterosexual couple at all. It's very strange. But I do like that both Regina King and Murray Bartlett really go for it with these roles - they are both so over-the-top, but I think they "understood the assignment" as the kids say. Plus Bartlett's featured performance is the only fun song of the movie and the only one that feels different than the rest. And on a minor note: does she just leave the alpaca (or llama - whatever it was)? It's trapped with no food and she just gives it a hug and says good luck, I'm gonna go be a rambler??? What the fuck? 

5. Moana 2 - Not a bad movie, but a very unnecessary one. A lot of Disney princess movies received sequels but none of them were given a budget or a theater release. They were made-for-video movies that were fun for children under the age of 10 to see more of their favorite characters. But to do a sequel like this with a big budget, big stars in the voice roles, and a holiday theater release date is just so UGH. I wasn't really a big fan of the first Moana. It was fine, but I just hate this new over-saturated style of animation. I only watched it like 4 years ago, and I barely remember it. It didn't have any memorable songs or characters or anything. But I know that a lot of kids liked it (and younger adults too! When this was released on Thanksgiving my husband's sister and cousin were all talking about how excited they were for it because Moana was their favorite?! WHAT? They are in their early 30s, but still that seems weird to me). But I have two nice things to say about it: I like the "Get Lost" song by the villain. Super catchy and she has a great voice. And I love hearing all of the New Zealand accents (I'm going there in October and I'm SO excited!). Other than that, I was bored. And because I was bored I started looking up stuff about the movie because I was curious about how much this girl got paid to lead these movies in comparison to The Rock because it's so shitty that he gets like 20 million (minimum - the exact amount isn't disclosed) and she gets 2 million. I get it - he's The Rock, of course he's going to get paid more, but if he were an actual good person he would defer the pay to the actual star of the film. He has enough money. And before you tell me that's unrealistic or idealistic or whatever - it is something that is done, but we don't hear about the good people enough (I remember hearing about Chadwick Boseman doing this for Sienna Miller only after he died. There's talk of several big celebrities that share their pay though - Affleck & Damon, Keanu Reeves, Sandy B., etc.). It's so weird how people are unwilling to share pay for co-workers that worked just as hard as you. At my work, we have a monthly bonus program, and when I was the store manager, if we hit the bonus I would split it up between the staff I thought worked the hardest for that goal. But now we've had 5 other store managers since I stepped down and not one of them has done the same. Fucking weirdos (I actually like them all, but I just find it so greedy and sad to not acknowledge your team). 

Thoughts on 5 New TV Shows

1. Zero Day - I thought this was better than the reviews suggested. Solid political thriller with a fantastic cast. It's only 6 episodes long so it feels very efficiently told, with very little filler. I was disappointed by the reviews, but with this caliber of a cast, I was never going to NOT watch it. Obviously DeNiro, but also Lizzy Caplan!!, Jesse Plemons!!!, Joan Allen!, Connie Britton!, Angela Bassett???!! AS THE PRESIDENT?! HELLO! I think the story is interesting and relevant, because ultimately it's about our country losing its way. However, the only real mystery is the whole "who killed Bambi" trippy moments, because the other "mystery" is no mystery at all. *spoilers ahead* It's quite obvious that he's being misled immediately. It's also obvious that the "bad guy" is going to be the old white guy who is seeking more power (is it EVER anyone else??). And I kind of assumed his daughter was on the wrong side in order to make things more complicated. But, even with it all being so obvious, I think the story is still told well. And there are still a few surprise moments. It's very easy to binge, and has a satisfying conclusion (even though the ending feels a little rushed. I feel like they were trying to make an 8 episode series but realized at the last minute that they didn't have enough story for that). But, I also think that I probably won't remember a thing about it in a year or so. 

2. Prime Target - I added this show to my list after watching Leo Woodall in the new Bridget Jones movie. He's a cutie pie. I'm only on the 3rd episode, but I kind of regret it. It's not bad, per say, but I'm definitely bored by it and I know there's a million other things I could be watching (there are TOO MANY shows right now! I still haven't watched Adolescence, The Studio, Dying for Sex, the new Daredevil! I'm so behind!). It's described as a "Bourne Identity" type show, but I don't get that vibe at all (I know it's early still). But, I really do like Leo - and I just realized that he's with Megan Fehy in real life???!! Since their season of The White Lotus??!! That's so cute! I love her (and I'm so happy she's starring in a new film. The Drop? I think it's called that. Anyway, she's a STAR for sure). I like that Woodall's character, the main character, is gay - and it's not really a topic of discussion. Seems rare for a thriller type series with a hot newcomer. I also like the actress in this, Quintessa Swindell. She's definitely got screen presence. It's just that the pilot episode was SO SLOW and BORING until the last 10 minutes, when something finally happens. And the the second episode is the same until the last 2 minutes (I was NOT expecting that ending!). But it's really annoying to watch 50 minutes of nothing before something good. The third ep picks up...slightly. It's quite scary to think about the level of surveillance that is happening in the world right now, but also I lead a very boring life so I don't really mind if I'm being watched (I know it's not right though, but I don't care enough to...care, if that makes sense. Like my husband has a vpn (? I think that's what it's called lol) on his phone to block things like targeted ads, etc. and I just...don't care. Anyway, I'm kind of interested in where this story is going, but I'm just not fully invested in it. 

3. The Pitt - When this was first released, I told myself that I'm definitely NOT going to watch another medical show. I'm still hate-watching Grey's Anatomy! It's been like 20 years! Plus, I thought it was weird that Noah Wyle was doing this role again. But then the rave reviews starting pouring in, and I couldn't help myself. AND LET ME TELL YOU: This is the BEST new drama series of the year. Maybe 5 years? Maybe in the last decade. It's like ER by way of 24. But also AMAZING (and you won't see a crowning birthing shot in ER). The concept seems so simple - set in an emergency room following around the staff during a 16 hour shift in real time (each episode is one hour of their shift). But, from a filming aspect, it's technically spectacular - the way the camera weaves between these characters, following different plots and perspectives so seamlessly. It's brilliant. But the only reason it works is because these characters are fully realized. And complicated. None of them are seen as superhuman - they are flawed, emotional, exhausted, broken people who are in a work environment that involves saving peoples lives. Noah Wyle leads the way, and if he doesn't win an Emmy for this, I WILL RIOT (quietly from my couch). I feel like him having so much "doctor" experience from his ER days, is actually why this performance is so good. We already trust him as a doctor, so we can focus on the human side of this character - and that human-ness really comes through towards the end of the season during episode 12 & 13, in which the ER is hit with victims of a mass shooting event. I'm not exaggerating when I say that these are the two best episodes of television that I've seen since Breaking Bad's "Ozymandias". It's unforgettable. I don't think we've ever seen the effects of a mass shooting event with this much intensity and devastation. But the thing is - the series starts off great from the first episode, so it's not like every other show that people often go "oh...it gets SO GOOD, you just have to stick with it", instead it's like "OMG this is SO GOOD". And then it just keeps getting better!!! It almost seems impossible. But, anyway, back to the cast - I think most are relatively unknown actors. The only ones I recognize are Shawn Hatosy (who disappointedly disappears after the first episode, but don't worry he comes back WITH A VENGEANCE), and Katherine LaNasa (although I admit, I never knew her name before - but she's been in a lot of stuff. Most notably, Justified). But you'll get to know the other names like Taylor Dearden (who is Bryan Cransten's daughter!!), Isa Briones, Fiona Dourif (who is Brad Dourif's daughter!!! Nepobabies ARE GOOD!!), Tracy Ifeachor, Supriya Ganesh and my personal favorite, Gerran Howell because they ALL deserve ALL the awards. And I say my favorite is Howell, because his character is the most loveable (Huckleberry for the win! Plus the actor is Welsh, but his American accent is perfect), but it's really hard to choose because all of the characters get a moment to shine. The final episode is really good too because we learn things about some of the characters that are quite shocking, but it's all told so matter-of-factly. I almost cried when I learned that Huckleberry was homeless and then Santos invites him to live with her ("I know Krav Maga", "cool. I don't know who that is". LOL through the tears). Santos is probably the most interesting character because she's made to be unlikeable, and almost like a bully, but you WILL end up liking her. I will admit that they go a little too far with all of the emergencies and it's a bit unrealistic - in the first 7 hours we see a possible sex trafficking victim, a spider bite, a child drowning, a poisoned child molester, a shooting victim, etc., when in reality most people in an ER are there for the flu or a car accident. But it keeps the drama moving and keeps your interest. The episodes FLY by. I also like that a lot of the storylines are kept open and/or are unresolved because that does feel real. I can't wait for season two!!

4. Gross Pointe Garden Society - I was in for a new trashy Desperate Housewives drama, and this isn't quite there, but I'm entertained nonetheless. I LOVE Aja Naomi King, but I think she should be a movie star by now. She's put in the work! Why has nobody cast her in a big lead role yet? This feels very similar to her other big series How to Get Away With Murder, and I just feel like she should be bigger than that now. I also really enjoy Melissa Fumero in such a different role from Brooklyn Nine-Nine because she is nailing it! Her comedic timing is incredible ("I gotta work" "On a Wednesday??" LOL), but it's not the same kind of comedy as as sitcom. It's more sarcastic and bitter, but still hilarious. I'm not fully bought in on the mystery - they killed someone (maybe? At least that's what they want you to believe, but I'm guessing whoever it is died by accident or self-defense reasons but they panic and think they will be blamed so they hide the body?), and every episode goes back to telling the story pre-"murder" and post- "murder", and sometimes the timeline is confusing (especially if you look down for more than two seconds and the timeline switches). I'm also not loving the whole "who killed the dog" mystery because WHY DID A DOG HAVE TO DIE? Nobody wants to watch that as entertainment. But this is a good show to throw on while you're doing other things - it's not hard to pay attention to, but if you miss something, it's not hard to figure out what's going on. And the characters are all likeable. And the costume design is glorious - especially their gardening outfits! LOL - who would actually wear any of that gardening though?? I wear an oversize tshirt and jeans that are one more hole or stain away from being garbage. 

5. Long Bright River - I feel like this show has been done a million times, but I'm a big fan of Amanda Seyfried after The Dropout. But I've actually been a fan for a while - I remember being really surprised by her portrayal of Linda Lovelace. I think she was just cast in a lot of dumb blonde roles early on but she's so much stronger than those roles. The problem with this show is that I feel like I've already seen it. It's like True Detective mixed with that show from last year with Riley Keough (sorry my brain is not working and I can't remember the name of it). It's about a series of murdered unhoused sex workers that nobody cares about until she starts to, but only because it reminds her of her missing sister. This whole "missing sister" plotline is extremely confusing (how long has her sister been missing? 10 years? One year? A few months? I couldn't tell you). And I have no idea why she talks to her son like he's a 70 yar old man? Is there something wrong with the kid??? They kind of act like there is, but he seems totally normal. Also every episode feels 10 hours long - I'm only on the 4th episode but I could swear I was on the 8th episode at least. This might be because of the amount of ads that play during the episodes. Seriously, the pilot episode had more ad breaks than I've ever seen during an episode on a streaming service. What is Peacock doing? I don't feel like it has a big enough audience yet to pull this ad shit. If I had to cancel a streaming service this would be at the top of the list already, and now the ads would make it a lock. ANYWAY, there's a strong supporting cast - like the guy who played Benvolio in Romeo + Juliet!!! He's been consistently working as a guest actor in like one or two episodes of a series, but I've never seen him have a regular main role in anything. He's great! And I like that they are connecting the missing girls to the opioid crisis - this is often the start of the end for unhoused women who end up in this line of work. It could happen to anyone who has addictive tendencies and no familial support, but people still look down in judgement and think that people "deserve" their fate. But I wish the show focused more on this, and less on her personal life. There is NO WAY in Hell that I would be a police officer if I was a single mom. It's such a dangerous all-consuming job. So the whole plot doesn't make sense to me. The missing girls mystery is kind of stupid too because I could have told you within the first 30 minutes of episode one that a cop was involved, but we don't find that info out until the end of the third. She's not a very good cop, is she? And the thing that bothers me the most: the actress that plays the younger version of Mickey literally looks nothing like her at all. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Kraven the Hunter - I know this was supposed to be bad, so I was prepared for the worst. It's....fine. I think the cast is interesting because it stars people that are supposed to be box office gold - Aaron Taylor Johnson is rumored to be the next Bond (which was before the big Amazon announcement, so maybe that's changed now), and Ariana DeBose is an Oscar winner (?!), you would think these are both big deals. But ultimately, if a movie is bad, people are not going to support it - and the reality is neither of these two have a big enough fanbase or star power to overcome a bad film. It's literally proof that Johnson would be a terrible Bond, and that DeBose should not have won that Oscar. She was fine in West Side Story, but I didn't think it deserved Oscar attention. Her nomination and win was wrong and we can admit it now! There's a great supporting cast - Russell Crowe, Fred Hechinger (who is in like 6 movies from 2024!), and Christopher Abbott. But ultimately, the story is really lacking. There is only one really solid scene - the one where he is chasing the van on foot and then the helicopter scene. It GOES HARD. But other than that, I was really bored and completely lost interest by the 90 minute mark. The whole Calypso part is just plain stupid, and I don't understand why they dress her like she's in En Vogue. It's supposed to take place in the present day and she's dressed like that??? And while I don't think Johnson has "star power", I have liked him in a few things before (Bullet Train, Nocturnal Animals). He's AWFUL here. I think they might have used AI or something for his Russian scenes because the dialogue doesn't link up to his mouth moving, but then his American accent is even worse. Is he trying to sound like Matthew McConaughey? WHY??? Ugh...the whole thing is BAD. And I think it's slightly worse than Madam Web too because, at the very least, that was entertaining. And yet, everybody this let this go "under the radar bad" instead of "ripping it apart on the internet bad". I wonder why? (I'm kidding, I know the answer. It's misogyny). 

2. Wicked - I really dreaded watching this. I've never seen the Broadway show (zero interest in ever seeing it and I'm a theater nerd!). And the marketing blitz for this movie was so fucking grating. It's already starting again for the sequel and I'm not ready. I don't think I can survive it again. I may need to log off of movie-related news until it's over. I've always been a big fan of and cheerleader for Cynthia Erivo (she was excellent in that Stephen King series!, She went to school with Taron and was nice to him!, she has an incredible voice!, she's going to EGOT!), but I definitely find her extremely annoying now. But aside from all that, the biggest reason that I dreaded watching this is because it *looked* terrible! And guess what?! I was right! It's one of the ugliest blockbuster movies I've ever seen. It's also 2 hours and 40 minutes long and it's only part one! LOL. What the fuck are we doing here guys? I know a lot of people talked about the coloring, but it's a fact that the muted colors are a terrible choice for this universe. I felt like I wanted to turn the contrast up on my television. The Wizard of Oz was KNOWN for its colors, as one of first films in color, it was also VIBRANT. The sparkling ruby red slippers, the shining yellow brick road, etc.!! Not only is this dull looking, all of the actors look sick! Ariana's dye job does not help the cause at all - that color is so unflattering for her complexion and the fact that she kept it that way during the entire press junket is WILD. All of the set pieces look like they are made of styrofoam and can easily just get pushed over. Some other stuff that I hated: (1) Bowen Yang is not funny. I've never laughed once at any his SNL skits, and he's so annoying in this. (2) The whole story basically feels like Harry Potter when he's at Hogwarts and I fucking HATE Harry Potter. It's so stupid. In a world of talking bears, people are weirded out because someone is green? That doesn't make sense. (3) Again, I've not seen the Broadway show, so I don't know the story - AND YET, they cast Jeff Goldblum as the wizard - someone who has a super recognizable voice and "hide" the fact that it's him in the beginning. So, literally within the first few minutes, I was like "oh...that's Jeff Goldblum. So the wizard is her dad. Duh". Why do I even need to sit through the next two hours and forty minutes???? However, I have two nice things to say about it - both Ariana and Cynthia do a fine job. They have amazing voices. And, as much as it pains me to say, Ariana does grow on you throughout the movie. Her comedic timing is *on point* and I think she understood and interpreted the role in a very interesting way. But also, as I suspected, it's a co-lead role not a supporting role. She's in the film only 14 minutes less than Cynthia, which for a 2 hour and 40 minute long film is not that much difference. If she won, she would have broken the record for most screentime in a supporting performance. I wonder if she'll campaign for lead with part 2? I honestly think she'll have a better chance at winning. 

3. A Complete Unknown - Another movie I dreaded - I can't stand Bob Dylan and I don't see what's so special about Timothee Chalamet (Chamalet?). BUT, sometimes I'm wrong! I do like James Mangold as a director, and the supporting cast is excellent - Elle Fanning, Scoot McNairy, Melissa Barbaro, Edward Norton, Boyd Holbrook...the list goes on! So, I tried going into this with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn more about Bob Dylan. Plus, a lot of it was filmed in NJ (and I even know someone who was an extra in it, so that's cool!). But, as I expected, it literally tells me nothing about Bob Dylan. It's just him picking up a guitar, mumbling through some dull-as-fuck songs that you can barely understand, and being an asshole to the women around him. Cool story, bro. And Timothee looks like he's dead behind the eyes for 99% of the movie. He also does the whole "squinting my eyes to show emotion" thing that drives me crazy (I call it the Reese Witherspoon School of Acting). Sure, he sounds like him, but Dylan sounds like nails on a chalkboard, so I don't think that's...a good thing? I feel like this performance requires very little of him, so an Oscar nomination is fucking crazy. Barbaro as Joan Baez is the only interesting part of the movie, but I wish she just got her own biopic because she's an actual interesting person. But I would argue that an Oscar nom for that role is also fucking crazy. It's all fucking crazy. I got super bored by about 30 minutes in - they show all of these historical events happening at the time but fail to connect how Dylan feels about anything or how it influences him in any way. The only interesting scene is when Dylan is throwing a hissy fit on stage and Baez just keeps going like a goddamn professional (the lighting is really good in this scene too). And as far as the "filmed in NJ" stuff - it's crazy that they would use such recognizable places as non-NJ locations. The whole end of the film is clearly filmed in Cape May with a NJ landmark (Congress Hall) heavily featured, and it's supposed to be...Rhode Island??? LOL. So stupid. Anyway, needless to say I hated this. Also, to be clear, I hate Dylan's voice and I think all of his songs sound the same, but I will concede that he is a brilliant lyricist - I wish we saw more of his writing process. 

4. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera - I think I liked the first one, but I don't really remember it, if I'm honest. I rated it 3 stars, so I assume it was a fun action film starring Gerard Butler being Gerard Butler. (it's weird that I just rated it 3 stars on LB without writing anything up about it on here? I still question whether or not I actually watched it, but whatever!). This is exactly that - a fun action film starring Gerard Butler and also starring O'Shea Jackson Jr., and they have great chemistry together. It's a good, twisty, action heist film with some great scenes (Rave Butler is almost as good as Rave Venom!!). I found myself questioning whether or not Butler was actually going to betray his new group of "friends". I kind of wish it ended a few minutes before it does to leave things a bit ambiguous, but instead they provide closure and a set-up for a third movie. There's not much else to say about it - I think it's very clear whether this is the type of movie you will enjoy or not, and it's exactly what you'd expect. 

5. Sing Sing - It's INSANE that Colman Domingo was in the same category as Timothee for an Oscar, and that Timmy had the edge towards winning!!! INSANE. Domingo is AN ACTOR - truly one of the greats, and this performance is incredible. I think his performance outshines the actual movie a bit - because it's a really interesting experiment, and an interesting story. It's based on a true story of the supporting actor, Clarence Maclin - who probably should have been Oscar nominated, as well, in the supporting category (if they didn't nominate lead performances instead). A former prisoner who rehabilitated himself through performing arts and continues to help incarcerated people - it's a really inspiring story. I do believe in rehabilitation for prisoners, but I think it's such a rare thing because the U.S. prison system is run as a business and it makes too much money to care about its inhabitants. They care about making money - and it's directly linked to people committing more crime when they are released. ANYWAY, I'm glad that there are people that are able to break free from this system of abuse by our government - and the sheer willpower, strength, and determination that it takes is mind-blowing. This film is also advocating for the simple notion of treating prisoners with humanity and dignity - and that's also a concept that not a lot of people grasp. You don't know someone's story - how they got there, the events that led them to prison, etc., and there is a very small percentage of criminals that are actually evil - most were in desperate situations, were victims of abuse themselves, or just didn't have the support needed for mental illnesses. And I'm saying this as someone who had an immediate family member in prison for most of my life who definitely belonged there. But, I think, as a whole, we've lost a lot of our ability to empathize with imperfect people. Anyway, this film is a great study in character and humanity - it brings to light the importance of the arts and finding *that thing* that makes life worth living, to keep fighting for your freedom, etc., and it's really beautiful. I do think it could have pushed this narrative a little bit more, and had a little more intensity because I did find my mind wandering to other thoughts. It's just slightly too slow, but I love what it's doing. I almost cried during the end credits - seeing all the actors that portray themselves. It definitely strikes a chord. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Heretic - Another great horror film from 2024!! Honestly, I think 2024 was one of the strongest years for the horror genre in a long time. I like Sophie Thatcher a lot, and I also like what Hugh Grant has been doing lately. But Chloe East is the star in this - just such a great performance, especially for such a newcomer. And Topher Grace is WILD casting for this considering he's the only one from That 70s Show who didn't join the cult of Scientology. The film starts off strong with the initial framing of the opening credits, and then just never lets up. The suspense begins the second Hugh Grant answers the door - we know these two girls are in danger, and it's pretty clear that they can sense it as well but are trained to believe that their guidelines will save them. Sending two women to knock on a strangers door to talk about Mormonism in the year 2024 is not safe - it's not even debatable, but women are disposable compared to the bigger picture. This is not just specific to Mormons, either. All regions are a cult, some are just cult-ier than others. The film works so well because literally everything Grant says is mere common sense, anti-cult, pro-intellectual and free thought, but he's a psychopath so there is this strange dichotomy of rooting for and trusting your beliefs (i.e these girls), even when you know it's bullshit. In particular, I love his speech about diluting the original - with Monopoly and Radiohead's Creep as his examples. I also love that these girls are smart, but make stupid decisions and yet, they are believable stupid decisions. It's very interesting, very creepy, and very intense. And *spoiler*, I was not expecting the "death" - especially so early on. The "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" cover is fan-fucking-tastic, and I just looked it up and SCREAMED when because I had NO IDEA that it was Thatcher singing??!!! Adding it to my Spotify immediately! 

2. Elevation - This probably would have made it on my Worst of 2024 list if I watched it earlier. It's BAD. The only reason I had this on my to watch list is because my husband said he wanted to see it, but then when it was released on streaming, he changed his mind (he does this a lot. He's not really a movie person. Nobody is perfect). I really like Anthony Mackie, though. And I LOVE Morena Baccarin. But the other woman in this is awful, and even worse - her haircut and those eyebrows??? I looked her up, and pictures of her are mostly normal, so WHY did they do that to her? It's so distracting and it's honestly hard to look at her. And unfortunately, they somehow erase all of Mackie's charm and Baccarin's intrigue, and make them so dry. The plot of this is kind of interesting - it's kind of like A Quiet Place, but with altitude instead of sound. And I like the twist of where the "monsters" came from. But they over-explain the monsters so much it becomes grating (we get it - they can track humans by their Co2 and can't go above 8000ft, you don't need to remind the audience every 5 minutes...). The monsters aren't even cool looking! They pretty much look like giant stink bugs. The whole thing just sucks. 

3. The Order - JUDE LAW BABY!!! I love him so much, and he is fantastic in this (I could do without the mustache and the American accent, but at least he does it better than most). Nicholas Hoult is in, like, every movie now (I'm exaggerating obviously, but 4 movies in one year is A LOT - especially when three of them were all released towards the end of the year). He's also really incredible in this, as a very unlikeable person. I like Jurnee Smollett (she's going to be in a miniseries with Taron Egerton, so I can't wait for that!) and Tye Sheridan too. And I thought this movie was a really strong showcase for both of them. It's a really interesting story based on true events about a large scale domestic terrorist group in the 80s. It feels a little long, but I was fully absorbed into it the whole time. It's definitely a slow burn story - and if you told me that Jeremy Saulnier directed it, I would have believed you. There's a lot of restraint in the story, a focus on character and relationships, and it builds on a "true crime" part without feeling exploitative. White power groups are so fucking scary, and it's even scarier that they are still around and still allowed to spread hate all in the name of "free speech". I was shocked that they ended this film by mentioning January 6th in relation to the Turner Diaries - it's quite bold (and true)!! Because I'm sure in about a decade we are going to get a film just like this, but with January 6th rioters as the focus. 

4. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - Surprisingly, I enjoyed the first one - but I hated the second one. This one is slightly better, but still nowhere as fun as the first. I just love how much Jim Carrey goes for it, and even more so with this because he does two roles. I also love James Marsden! AND Krysten Ritter?!! I had no idea she was in this and she plays a baddie! Love it! Idris Elba is great voice casting as Knuckles - I kept meaning to watch the series spinoff of Knuckles, but it escaped me and now it's so far down the list, I'll probably never get to it. Keanu Reeves pops up as the voice of Shadow, too, which was really unexpected. I think some tighter editing would have made this more enjoyable. It's far too long for this type of movie - it's geared towards kids and I just don't think kids, especially NOW, have an attention span for an almost 2 hour film. But I laughed a few times (the Prodigy song really got me! I repeat - IT'S A KIDS MOVIE! And the line "Listen, I don't know if it's Godzilla or Hello Kitty down there". LOL. I laughed loud with that one). Sometimes that's all that counts!

5. Better Man - While I loved this, I do think that it copies Rocketman in a LOT of ways, and I find that annoying. But it's still really, really good. So, first of all, when this was released in theaters in America, and bombed, a lot of people blamed it on the fact that "nobody knows who Robbie Williams is". And that's simply not true. If you were a teenager or older in the late 90s, then you know who he is. He had a huge hit here - "Millennium" that was all over MTV. The video was a play on the Bond movies. It was on TRL for months. And there was another popular song too called "Angels" (the chorus is really catchy "and down the watttterrrrfaaaaallll" I can hear it so clearly in my head). I think it has more to do with the fact that it stars a CGI monkey and the average moviegoer doesn't get it. Also, it's a pop musical that's a bit fantastical, and that doesn't always reach a mass audience (even Rocketman disappointed at the box office, but mostly because Bohemian Rhapsody did so well). I know a lot of people like to write off box office, as if it's not important anymore, and while I do think it's less important with streaming revenue increasing, but it's still important for the bigger picture - it helps greenlight other movies like this getting made. Ones that are bold, creative, honest, and different than the biopics that we are constantly spoon fed that tell us nothing about the person but focus on the actor's imitation and recreating performances. And those biopics BORE ME TO DEATH. So, just like with Rocketman, we get to know Robbie as a person, and it's not all good. Second of all, as far as the monkey gimmick - it works so well as a metaphor for being so famous you no longer feel human - he quite literally becomes an animal expected to perform on command and entertain us. I get it. And I think this is especially true of boybands during this time - Take That was pretty much the UK version of our New Kids on the Block. There's a line about how it's said that people stay the age that they become famous at, and I think that can definitely be seen with a lot of people (like Britney Spears - she's MY AGE but still acts and speaks like she's 17 years old). It's a fine line that crosses back and forth between having empathy for how these performers are treated but also going "well they are millionaires who can have whatever they want, so why should I care about them", and I think this film balances those two feelings very well. Anyway, I also found a lot of it very funny and the dialogue is very witty ("I came out of the womb with Jazz hands, which was very painful for my mom"). And the performance scenes are INCREDIBLE. The "Rock DJ" scene, in particular (again, it sort of copies Rocketman's "Saturday Night" scene, but I'll allow it!). It's so fun, imaginative, and bursting with energy. I loved it all so much that it might even break into my Top 10 of 2024 when I re-evaluate in July!