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Dec roundup, part 2

Nightmare Alley – I love GDT, so I assumed I’d love this, but I was so very wrong. I was bored throughout. The most interesting part to me was learning the mentalism tricks, but the story left met wanting. I think I know the problem tho. Del Toro is known for how much he loves his creatures/misfits/outcasts, and that passion was clear when we were with the circusfolk (I hate to call them freaks). Unfortunately, they were background characters, and our lead was a (to put it nicely) scoundrel who was (appropriately) treated with disdain. It was hard to care about him, and I simply didn’t.


The Matrix: Resurrections – Was this as revolutionary as the OG Matrix? No. Was it as confusing and convoluted as the sequels? Not really. Did this really add a whole lot to the universe? Eh. Did I enjoy it? Yes. And what I most enjoyed was the way it played with the originals in telling it’s story, the intercut scenes and evolved characters were so much fun to watch. This film was therapeutic for director Lana Wachowski and there was a comfort in watching it. Shout out to Jonathan Groff who I need more of in my life, and a smaller shout out to NPH who chews scenery like no other.


The King’s Man – This was so loosely tied to Kingsman with only a few hints at the organization’s origin scattered throughout. It was really an old timey spy in wartimes movie, and I wasn’t that interested. A couple of cool sequences (I loved Rasputin’s fight style combined with his costume) but nothing to make this stand out as memorable. Diminishing returns those Kingsmen have been, which is a pity.


Sing 2 – The first move is such a joy to watch, which I’d forgotten until the obligatory homework rewatch earlier in the month. The sequel is equally cute and wholesome, but loses just a touch of the charm. I think part of the issue for me was that the songs were less recognizable to this outta touch millennial, and so many of them sounded like generic poppy dance songs. Nothing can beat Taron Egerton singing “I’m Still Standing” in the first movie (even better than any Elton number he did in Rocketman, including that song) and nothing came even close to rivaling it here.

American Underdog – It’s a faith based movie disguised as a romance disguised as a sports movie. Thankfully the preachy stuff was fairly minimal, but I find even the slightest bit triggering. From there, it’s like it was aware that we all know how underdog sports movies play out, so it based most of the story on the relationship between Kurt and Brenda, which was a solid play. By making the football secondary, it made this stand out just a bit in the genre. The movie was endearing and an enjoyable watch, but nothing that’s gonna last in my memory.

The Tragedy of Macbeth – The smartest thing I’ve done movie-wise in a very long time is that I purposely chose an open captioned screening (sidebar: I love how those are starting to appear more and more). I struggle with Shakespeare, and I’ve given Macbeth many attempts to fully understand it. This time, between veteran actors who knew the material and the dialog written out beneath them, I actually followed the story! I was so proud I was giddy. This adaptation is super artsy, which lets the text shine. However, while I love this cast and they were fantastic, they’ll never beat the one man version I saw Alan Cumming perform at Lincoln Center (that eventually transferred to Broadway). Frances McDormand, goddess that she is, ain’t got nothing on Cumming’s Lady Macbeth

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Dec roundup, part 1

Don’t Look Up – I got really excited to see that Alamo was showing this. I’d heard very polarized buzz going in, and it didn’t take long to get why. The film is very uneven, but when it hits, it HITS. There are so many moments of sheer brilliance and biting humor. For me, that was more than enough to make the film worth it (plus add in the epic cast to really knock it over the edge) but not everyone is gonna feel the same way. And that’s cool. Just don’t be a dick about it.


West Side Story – I’m a musical theater kid, so I know West Side very well. I was even in it in college (just an ensemble role, random Shark or Jet girl as needed). I have issues with the show in general, mostly that it’s kinda basic. I love the Jets, and the more they dance, the more I love them, but I couldn’t care less about Tony and Maria. The message of the story is important, but has been done better elsewhere. For this movie update, the filmmaking is phenomenal. It really does feel like it came right outta the 50s and is absolutely gorgeous. But it’s still West Side Story (and the Jets didn’t dance as much as I’d have liked). Was totally willing to see it again so I could take Mom on Christmas Eve (which I did and she was ambivalent towards it), but there are so many other more exciting and better musicals out there that deserve a chance on the big screen.

Red Rocket – This was simply delightful. I absolutely fell in love with Simon Rex from the first five minutes and his charisma was a joy to watch. Unique spin on the Might have gone on a tad long, but I’ll allow it. Also, excellent use of N Sync.


Black Christmas – Caught this OG slasher classic as the first half of a festive double feature at the New Beverly (my first post-pandemmy return, not that the pandemmy is over yet). Such an amazing opportunity to see this on the big screen. Not only does it hold up, it’s amazing seeing cinema history in action. So many tropes of the genre can be traced back to this film and it’s not hard to understand why


Silent Night, Deadly Night – The second half of the double feature, and once I get my hands on the BluRay, this might need to be added to my yearly Christmas movies. It was absolutely batshit and I lived for every second. Okay so this kid ends up believing that Santa punishes the naughty the kids, which is tragically (and kinda uninentionally hilariously) reinforced when a criminal in a Santa suit kills his parents. Kid grows up afraid of Santa, somehow ends up in a Santa suit himself (because reasons), and goes on a killing spree doling out punishment. God bless us, every one!


Spider-man: No Way Home – Where do I even start with this one? I’ve already seen it twice. The first was one of the best movie going experiences of all time (almost on par with Endgame). Second time I took the not so little little cousin back home, but I woulda gone without her. I feel like the best movies in the MCU are the ones that are the most patient and really honor previous films and tie everything up nicely, and this is the new gold standard. I think if I even try to elaborate further, I’ll end up with a whole novel, so let’s just end it here. We know I loved it.

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Nov Recap, Part 2

Oooh lots of fun classic screenings the back half of this month!

Cabaret – If I’d blogged right when I got home, I coulda written a small novel about this. I mostly bought tix bc I wanted an excuse to go to Alamo. I invited a friend who had been in a production of Cabaret with me. Oh man, it was spiritual watching this movie, esp so far removed ([redacted] years) from when we’d been in it. The movie covers slightly different story points than the stage version, but it’s all really dense and heavy material. With everything that goes into putting on a production, I knew it was a hell of a show, but I didn’t truly appreciate it until now. And the first time I saw the movie, it was around when I worked on it, so I was mostly thrown by the differences. It’s certainly moving up my list of favorite musicals, that’s for damn sure.

House of Gucci – So pretty to look at, and an amazing cast, but I was bored out of my mind for most of it. The pacing of each scene was way too slow, and except for the first 20 and last 10 minutes, the story was not progressing much at all. We just kept getting more of the same sequences in new decades without much changing at all. I think Ridley Scott’s ego has gotten the best of him, esp if his disparaging comments about millennials not going to his movies are any indication. Said a millennial who did go to the movie he was ranting about (The Last Duel) and did enjoy it, even if it really wasn’t for my peeps.

Encanto – What’s not to love? An animated Disney musical with tunes by Lin-Manuel Miranda that celebrates Latin (specifically Columbian, I think) culture. Yep, sign me up!! I don’t think I have much more to say beyond that, but I don’t really need to. Oh I did meet lead character at Mirabel at Disney the day before, and it was awkward bc she was trying to quiz me on her family, but I hadn’t seen the movie yet. Points for energy tho!!

Dawn of the Dead – FINALLY! I have wanted to see this movie (MY movie, cause y’know, “Dawn”) for so long. The Aero kicked off what they’re expected to be a yearly Black Friday tradition of showing the OG zombies in a shopping mall masterpiece. And my god it was a masterpiece of pure perfection in every frame. Worth having waited way too long to finally see, and to see it properly on a big screen. They even had lead actor Ken Foree in person to intro the film and Q&A after. Or at least I assume he eventually got to Q&A’s. I left after ten min of him rambling about trying to get his writing projects sold. It was painful. But the movie rocked!

Elf – Movie party at Alamo! That’s all 🙂

Wolf – Technically a Dec film, but might as well get it in now. I really shoulda skipped this. I only went because otherwise I woulda had no movies to see this past weekend. From the trailer it had a bit of a Yorgos Lanthimos vibe and the concept was interesting, but in actuality it all played out too slow. They didn’t know what to do with the concept or how to build a compelling story around it. Kind of a bummer.

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Nov Recap, Part 1

Wrote and deleted my paragraph of excuses for the late posting bc whatever.

Scream – I got to go to a brunch screening of Scream on Halloween at Alamo. Mostly went cause it gave me somewhere to wear my costume. No one commented on it, but I left a few of my character’s business cards with the check. And Scream is still awesome.

The Eternals – A month ago I prolly coulda gotten a full post outta this, but laziness prevails. I enjoyed it, as I enjoy pretty much all MCU movies, but it was A LOT to process. 10 new heroes who have lived thousands of years is a ton of info to squish into one film. Some great setup for later, and it certainly was a better watch than most set up type of films, but tough to rank it amongst the greats. In a year with tons of Marvel content, it’s prolly towards the bottom, but still far ahead most other competitors.

Spencer – One of the most stylishly beautiful movies to look at, so much that the aesthetic is almost enough to carry the film. Story is minimal, but the mood is palpable. I left there so depressed because I could FEEL the claustrophobia Diana had being trapped in her situation. As gorgeously decorated as her world was, it was a very sad one, and that theme came across loud and clear.

Belfast – I was kinda happy that the BFFF forgot to take the day off when I came to visit in NYC bc it gave me a chance to visit the new Alamo in lower Manhattan (even tho I haven’t been to the Brooklyn one yet). I liked this movie more than I thought I would. Branagh did a fantastic job of telling a story about a difficult time thru a child’s eyes, so that it felt fun and magical despite it’s bleak backdrop. Not sure how sold I am on this as a possible Awards front runner, but worth the watch

Ghostbusters: Afterlife – It’s funny to me how Ghostbusters has evolved to be seen as a family movie. That’s not really where it started, but Afterlife seeks to fully claim that classification. It was fun, and at its best when it fully leaned into the nostalgia, but otherwise felt like a pretty basic fam-com (is that a phrase?) Woulda also benefit from more of a B storyline than just sticking with a straight thru plotline.

King Richard – I say this every time I review sports movies, but there is a reason we all love them so much. Except for the sport, not much differentiation there. It did seem weird that a film about Venus and Serena is really about their dad. Initially I thought it was bc Will Smith is gonna Will Smith, but I heard later that the ladies actually wanted it that way, to honor their father. I still think it’s a weird choice, but it delivered everything it served up (see what I did there?)

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October, Part 2

I’d initially thought Part 2 would be longer, esp since (as previously mentioned) I intended to include SoHo. But since I’m on a roll, might as well wrap this up. Besides, next up is Eternals and I’ll likely have thoughts.

Halloween Kills – I really liked the 2018 Halloween, so I went in with optimism. Caught a screening with a friend who’s majorly into this type of slasher flick and had put together a motley crew of friends to go. Which is what made me feel bad about my negative opinion of the film. There was zero plot or arc or anything to move it forward. The whole thing felt like we were just waiting for the next kill, most of which weren’t that exciting, and then I’d be bored in between. I first attributed it towards my general feelings of horror movies (like its original era slasher) that relied more on kill than story, but it seems much of the world at large sided with my opinion. Also, could the people of that town be any dumber?

Dune – How did you feel about Blade Runner 2049? Because that’s likely how you’ll feel about Dune. I thought it was absolutely gorgeous to look at (esp in Dolby) but slow as all hell. So slow, that I completely fell asleep thru the second half, even with the Dolby sound shaking my seat thru all the action sequences. I wanted to love it. I wanted to be absorbed in the world. Maybe I just need to do what I did with 2049. I was frustrated by the lack of story movement on the first watch, but ended up at a second. That time, since I already knew where it was all going, I could really focus on the artistry and visuals and appreciated them so much more. May or may not get to it.

The French Dispatch – I went into this with what I felt were appropriate expectations. I have nothing but mad respect for Wes Anderson. He’s one of the few filmmakers where you can see any ten second clip of his work and immediately identify it as his, even if you’ve never seen it before. But I just don’t care for his overly cutesy setups and quirky storylines. Not my thing, and that’s okay. I expected it not to be. Yet I was kinda into it. The film was split into three stories. The first and last were fine, but I was really into the middle one (Timothee Chalamet and Francis McDormand). Chalamet thoroughly understood the assignment, and was far more engaging than the typical wooden toy in Anderson’s dollhouse approach that most of the rest of his playmates tend to take. The shorter format kept me wanting more, and I’ll take that as a victory.

The Last Duel – Oooh almost missed this one. This was one of those, ugh-I-have-to-go-don’t-I movies, mostly because I wanted to see Matt and Ben reunited as screenwriters, even if I had minimal interest in this type of period piece. Plus Adam Driver is always a welcome incentive. Took a little bit to get into it, but then I really enjoyed it. Mostly, I liked the storytelling. We get one story told from three perspectives. The first one felt a bit like it was missing pieces, but that was kinda the point. Then we get a bit more of the picture with new scenes and different perspectives on ones we saw before. Yet it’s not until we get the third side that we really see it all, and even then the earlier views make it a little hazy. There’s some controversy about whether or not the subject matter was handled in the best and most effective way, which I won’t get into. For my part, I just appreciate the way that story was told as well as the fact that this type of story is being brought to light.

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October part 1

I still don’t have my laptop back, but thankfully I’m good about putting movies into my Google Calendar. The lack of laptop is my excuse for putting this off for so long, but we know better than that. Splitting this into two posts

Got to see The Addams Family (my generation’s, with Raul Julia) and A Clockwork Orange at Alamo (not on the same day). Addams at least gave me an excuse to bust out the Wednesday dress for some easy cosplay. Not much else to report, just like bragging about Alamo trips. Scream brunch coming up on Halloween!

Venom: Let There Be Carnage – I know I had fun watching this, but now nearly a month out I can hardly remember any of it. Still, I’ll take a light and breezy blast of a supe movie over something that takes itself way too seriously and suffers for it any day. Venom knew exactly what it was and didn’t try to be anything else. Respect.

The Many Saints of Newark – I tried to binge my way thru The Sopranos in the background while I was working for a couple weeks as a refresher. Totally the right call to help me remember who some people were, although I wish I woulda been able to pay the attention it deserved. Without The Sopranos tie in, Saints woulda felt like just another wannabe gangster movie. It’s those references and echoed performances that made this really special. Worth noting, while it was marketed as such, it’s not actually Tony’s story. It’s Dickie Moltisanti’s (father of Chrissy), and he’s a damn good character to dig into. Oh and because I didn’t know this until IMDB trivia told me, “Moltisanti” means many saints, hence the title that was far more brilliant than I initially realized.

Titane – My instinctive reaction to the trailer was that this looked cool and artsy, but that I wouldn’t be into it. I intended to skip it, but kept hearing good things. It took me reading the synopsis on wikipedia to finally convince me to go and yeah, it was cool and artsy, but I wasn’t into it. I liked the dark and the weird, but the pacing and storytelling weren’t my style. Basically my reaction to the trailer was correct. Got a similar vibe from the Lamb trailer, so I skipped that one. I know I shouldn’t put all my stock into trailers, but given how many movies I see, I think I’m justified in finding some way to filter the list down.

No Time to Die – Since Mr Bond is rather ubiquitous, I got asked about this movie a lot by those who know how to best initiate small talk with me. While I always make a point to try and say something more insightful than just a few words, I usually couldn’t get further than “It was long”. Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. It was a great Bond film, and wonderful sendoff for Daniel Craig. Bonus points for Rami Malek using his God given “resting villain face” as he joked on SNL. But for the life of me, I still am at a loss for saying anything else more profound or thoughtful. It was a modern Bond movie.

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August movies

Now that we’re almost halfway thru Sept, I should prolly finish talking about what I watched in August, yeah?

Free Guy – This is one of those movies where I left feeling happy, lighter than air. It was so cute and fun and original, I can’t help but smile when I hear it mentioned.

Don’t Breathe 2 – And on the other end of the joy spectrum, I don’t understand how this got a theatrical release. In order for a suspense to be truly effective, you either need to sympathize with your imperiled characters or really believe they’re in danger. I’m sorry, but just because our blind baddie from before has a daughter somehow, we’re supposta forget the truly awful stuff he did before and root for him? And also believe that he doesn’t always have the upper hand? It took me all of 2 minutes in to realize I didn’t care and didn’t wanna be there any more. So I took a nap instead.

Reminiscence – Reminiscence was a mess, but a very beautiful mess. It never quite settled on the genre blend it wanted, and the story didn’t always make sense. But I love where it ended up, going for a much more romantic spin than I expected or realized I was in the mood for. You just gotta sweep some of the mess under the rug and be sure not to revisit those memories.

The Night House – Really great on suspense, but very lacking in payoff. The mystery that was building was so juicy, and then it threw an ending out there that felt very unsatisfying and unworthy of the journey. Rebecca Hall was at the top of her game tho. She often comes off a bit standoffish in her work, but she played that as her strength in a way where being icy fit the character and gave her some real bite and depth. We just needed a better place to take her to.

The Protege – I enjoyed this much more than I expected. I’d pushed it back a week because it looked very basic, so I was willing to skip it if scheduling needed. And it was very basic. I adore Maggie Q and I want very much for her to have a mega action film or franchise, but this wasn’t quite enough heft or flash. The saving grace was her unexpectedly intense chemistry with Michael Keaton. He’s amazing in everything he does and the way the two played off each other was delicious. They just needed a more interesting film to channel that towards.

Candyman – Among the best I saw this summer. The creep factor was way up there, but the social issues it tried to highlight were equally present. This movie had A LOT to say and did so in a way that heightened the terror. Super impressed with director Nia DaCosta, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. Also, right after I saw the film I stopped at H&M to shop for part of my Halloween costume, and was freaking the eff out riding down their mirror covered escalator. So yeah, well done Candyman crew.

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Summer Recap

I liked the quick hit recap approach from last month, so I was waiting to build up a few more movies to warrant a post. Then they built up quickly, so I’ll hafta split it into multiples. The good news is that movies are still holding their release dates (except you Venom, gonna make me sit thru the exact same trailer for a whole other month) and the theaters are staying open here. My A-List has been getting a ton of use, and Alamo is hitting my bank account hard. All is right with the world. In that regard at least.

Stillwater – Realized that the timing of my return trip from Texas and the multiple releases that weekend were gonna be tricky to fit in. So instead of my usual afternoon at the movies, I hurried Mom thru dinner and dropped her off at home so I could run to a Thur night movie–that I hadn’t realized was two and a half hours long. This was a very solid and interesting drama, that I knew I’d immediately forget about days later (which I pretty much did). I also felt kinda guilty later about giving it my money since it’s pretty blatantly exploiting a real life story even if it claims to be fully original. So maybe best forgotten about after all.

The Green Knight – This one is gonna be a bit of a hot take because I know hardcore cinephiles have been drooling over this for months before its release. It wasn’t for me. Yes, it was absolutely gorgeous to look at, and the craft of it was stunning. I value story about most else, and that was way too slow for me (which makes sense when I realize it was the same director as A Ghost Story). My brain was in a very detailed and elaborate (cue Mariah) sweet sweet fantasy baby throughout the whole 2 hours, and yet I didn’t miss a single plot point. That’s a problem for me. Highlight of the day was that while I was waiting for my hot dog at concessions, I took one turn at the crane game. It was one of those sideways cranes that I don’t like, but I somehow managed to hook three Spider-men on that one turn. So I kept one and gave the other two to the little cousins.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery – Saw this at Alamo a few days after I got back (and Eastern Promises a couple days before). The main reason I wanted to watch this there was because when Bond first moved its release date last year and we all thought they were being silly and paranoid, Alamo replaced it on its lineup with Austin Powers. Then Alamo (and everyone else closed). I forgot how absolutely hilarious this movie is (I typically prefer the second film), and how much I love being in an audience for a good comedy. The buzz of laughter was non-stop and it felt so good to soak it all in. Also forgot what a goddess Mindy Sterling is, and we need more of her. I would absolutely do a repeat viewing in a heartbeat.

The Suicide Squad – This was frustrating. While we know where I typically side on the Marvel vs DC debate, I was genuinely rooting for this film. James Gunn gave me hope. And I love some of what he did, but it was a bit of a mess. A lot of things felt like he was doing them just because he could, and the humor and violence felt forced as a result. But my biggest problem was the character development, or lack thereof–always a risk with a big ensemble film, esp when most characters are net new. Too much time was spent on peeps who didn’t hang around long, and not enough was spent on the ones that stay (could we have more Polka Dot Man backstory and a better explanation of his abilities, please). It was hard to feel a connection to them or even differentiate some of the similarly powered dudes (looking at you Elba and Cena). The one character that was done right was Ratcatcher 2 so of course she ended up being my favorite. That’s what happens when you properly invest the time and effort. I wish I could cherry pick which squad members we did focus on, and then have them introduced right.

Jungle Cruise – There was exactly one thing I wanted out of this movie and I got it: The Rock giving a very classic Jungle Cruise experience, full of puns I love from the ride and a few new ones. I got exactly that about twenty minutes into the film. I was happy, and didn’t need anything else besides that. Which is good because it was otherwise a fairly generic adventure. Fun and enjoyable, but it felt like an amalgam of every other family adventure film that came before–most of whom are also owned by the Mouse.

Donnie Darko – I just wanted to brag that I got to see this at Alamo.

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Quick Recap

Welp. It’s been a month and a half since my last post, and I just haven’t had the motivation to get another one done. So many times, it’s been right there on my to do list, but then I just didn’t wanna. I’m not quite ready to let this whole thing go yet, but I haven’t missed the weekly hours I’d put into it. I guess from here on, I’ll just post when the spirit moves me, instead of strictly sticking to writing up every new release I see in theaters.

So why was I so moved now? Because I’m halfway thru a week in Texas, it’s 5 AM here, and I’ve been awake for an hour (after taking forever to fall asleep in the first place) and sleep is not coming. I blame the black tea latte I snuck in with me to see Snake Eyes. Was falling asleep all day despite getting 8 hours the night before and had a headache, so I thought a decent jolt of caffeine (which I typically avoid) was a good idea. I mean, it was a good idea at the time. Got me thru the day. Now I gotta get thru the night (and will likely be a zombie tomorrow).

I picked Black Widow as the movie I wanna fully write up (MCU obsession and all) but I should at least do a quick run thru of everything I’ve seen since last we met.

LOTR: ROTK – Did complete the full trilogy at Alamo over three weeks. That brings my total watch count up to 7/10/14. And my total spend for that last tour between tickets, food, and parking was well over 200. Making up for lost time at the movies I guess

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard – Felt the exactly same way about this as the first. All the pieces are there for it to be hilarious, but it just falls flat. I did appreciate that Salma Hayek got a bigger role. Not because I cared about her character, but because I love Salma in general

The Sparks Brothers – I’m picky about what documentaries I’ll give my time to in theaters, but I was sold at Edgar Wright. Felt about it the same way I typically do for his movies. Thinking about it in tiny bits, it’s brilliant. Watching the whole thing, mostly kinda meh. I did end up downloading a greatest hits album of theirs. Oh and favorite running bit was the way he’d label his various guests (splitting Duran Duran, Weird Al as “professional accordionist”)

F9 – Saw this with my coworkers at a new Regal location that opened, and saw that they had a 4DX theater, so I went back again the following week. Not the best for a rewatch, but great for the auditorium effects. Definitely on the lower end of the F&F ranking. Felt very thrown together and incoherent, but still a lot of fun if you don’t try to use your brain much.

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway – Yo, it was the only thing playing nearby that I hadn’t seen yet and I had to get outta the house. I ended up sleeping thru half of it, so I’ll call that much a win.

The Forever Purge – Interesting concept, and prolly the most logical progression for the franchise, but it felt a bit lazy overall. Or specifically the violence felt lazy. Just a bunch of shooting and mayhem without any thoughtful choreography or much intent behind anything. Point and shoot, then run away and do it again.

Zola – I’m not sure that I cared much for this as entertainment, but I appreciated it as art, particularly in the storytelling. So interesting to me how it was put together, I just wish I had been more invested in the actual story itself

Black Widow – See next post

Space Jam: A New Legacy – Simultaneously the best movie ever and worst movie ever. But really more the latter. Had a lot of fun watching for their WB property cameos, but it felt too much like they knew it was a kids movie and therefore didn’t try too hard to make it palatable to us older kids. And Lebron was much better in Trainwreck.

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions – It did its job as far as the suspense. Oh man did it not let up. However, as an escape room concept, it was a little disappointing. The first movie was paced well enough with puzzles that I could try and solve as I watched. Here was less puzzles and more don’t-touch-things-they’ll-kill-you and find-the-thing=that’s-hidden.

Old – I’m still a sucker for a good Shyamalan movie. This was a decent one. I felt the main premise went on for too long (felt like it shoulda been a short). Was able to avoid spoilers for a couple days until I saw it, and the implications of the reveal still have me thinking.

Pig – I went in fairly cold, and did not understand what the movie I was watching really was. I had some idea in my head, but it wasn’t until doing my research after that I got that I had missed the point completely. It will warrant a rewatch.

Snake Eyes – Very light but totally watchable action fun. And I still pick Henry Golding for the next 007.

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Quick Posts

Set it Off – This movie is from 1996, but it feels like it was shot yesterday. Four black women rage against the system that’s held them down. They’ve had family shot by police for no reason, lost jobs just because of who lives in their neighborhood, had children taken away under BS pretenses. Their answer? Rob some banks and watch the city burn. Loved Queen Latifah’s performance and just simply love Jada always. As a heist movie it’s okay, but as cultural commentary, it’s incendiary. And infuriating that we’re still in the exact same place today.

Whatever it Takes – This a mediocre at best teen comedy that gets lost in the shuffle of many from its era that are infinitely better. But what I hadn’t realized (mostly cause I’d forgotten everything about this movie) was that it was also part of the trend of modernized adaptations of classics. This one is Cyrano de Bergerac. With that context, it’s kinda cool, even if it’s otherwise not too exciting as written. What is kinda exciting is the cast. I bought it cause of James Franco. I didn’t realize that this was the film debut of Aaron Paul. If you ever saw that Juice Fruit commercial, it’s like that character got written into a movie. Sort of a long precursor to Jesse Pinkman without the nuance. Colin Hanks is here too!

Mirage – As of writing, I’ve only seen half of this movie. I was really tired and didn’t wanna fall asleep watching it. But this movie is so cool. It’s one of the ones on my poster and I found it on Netflix. It’s a Spanish film that plays out similar to Frequency. A lady in the present is communicating with a child in the 80s due to some technological phenomenon. She’s trying to save him from a horrible death, but in doing so upends her entire life. So now she’s gotta try to put it all back together. I’m digging it

Whip It – This movie always makes me wanna join the roller derby. I actually had sort of an opportunity a couple years ago. I knew someone in it, who tried recruiting me. She even offered to teach me when I told her I couldn’t skate. I chickened out thinking about how breakable I am, but I’d thought that if she brought it up again I might check it out. She never did. This movie is just such a fun display of girl power. I LOVE the attitude that everyone of them bring to the film (oh hi Zoe Bell!) that I just want to be them. And I really think I could be. Except I don’t skate