9/28/2022-"Wanted"

This week we kinda just wanted to order food and talk, but we managed to watch a movie at the same time. Who knew we were capable? We watched “Wanted” (2008), a movie we have both seen a few times. We’d both seen it because it fucking rocks. This movie has fucking style. I’m convinced the reason this movie hasn’t firmly planted itself in the popular media consciousness is because it’s far ahead of its time. While watching, I commented that it was the most “2012 movie ever lol” and G agreed with a laugh. Then we looked it up and saw it came out in 200fucking8 and we kinda lost it. We were 14 (not to age us or anything, lol) so it’s no surprise why it buried itself hard into our minds, and the minds of our peers. To a 14 yr old boy “curve the bullet” is the fucking coolest thing a hot lady could possibly fucking say that we could also say later playing with Nerf guns lol. Otherwise, often when I mention the movie to people just a few years older than me, or a few years younger than me, they either only have a vague memory of it or they have no idea what I’m talking about. Sometimes they’ll recognize the poster, because it was everywhere. It was a weird fantasy action movie, released at a weird time, and the premise+Jolie probably reminded most people of the Tomb Raider movies which most people did not like. I like them. I like “Wanted” more. It reviewed generally well with critics at the time. They seemed to note and understand the comic-book feel, the shallow plot as a feature and not a bug, and recognized how well made the film actually was. Audience reviews were heavily mixed. From what I could tell, people who enjoyed it enjoyed it for its fun action, easy watching, and goofiness. These people are cool, imo. People who did not enjoy it are simply joyless husks, who are deeply annoyed that anyone is or could possibly have fun with such a low-brow waste of film. These people need to lighten up, imo. Maybe watch some cartoons, like Adventure Time. Or maybe something “artsier” like Over the Garden Wall. That’s what it’s called right? I thought it was fine, but I was also fucking UNWELL when I watched it so maybe I’ll give it another go.

The point is, I generally don’t think people could see the care and passion that went into the movie. I think that’s what it’s reviewing generally much higher these days. I think it would have also flopped in 2012. And 2013. And 2014. I don’t think that it is a movie with mass appeal like a Disney/Pixar or a…well that’s kinda all there is huh. But I do think it would have found its audience sooner. It’s not a bad movie, like “Priest” that came out in 2011 and no one likes but me. It really kills me that their respective user scores on IMDB are only 1 point apart. “Priest” is a Bad Movie. It’s a fucking mess. The effects are wildly inconsistent because of the 3D gimmick. The lore is confusing and almost pointless in the end. The editing is bizarre. Paul Bettany and Karl Urban are there, though. What “Priest” does have up on “Wanted” is a popular existing IP that it’s based on. While it’s true that “Wanted” was loosely based on a comic mini-series of the same name by Mark Miller (who else), the popular culture had yet to shift into what it is today. Comic books were still relegated to nerds that no one wanted to talk to, in their dingy little shops with all the other stinky nerds we beat up at the mall. As an emo kid at the time, I was pushed into this clique by most non stinkies. Even here none of us knew jack shit about anything. We picked up individual issues that had cool cover art and read them all out of order and shit and that’s how it was done. I think I’ve gone off track a bit. Veered into “old man sitting on his porch talking to himself” territory a bit. This is all to say why I personally think “Wanted” was far ahead of its time. Why I said “most 2012 movie ever”. “The Avengers” came out in 2012 and changed the media landscape forever. Before that superheroes or comic books weren’t a thing most people thought or cared about. Now you can ask your friend’s mom who their favorite superhero is and she would have an answer. My mom loves Deadpool and Harley Quinn. My grandmother loved Thor. It’s a phenomenon that interests me greatly.

While things in the Disney Marvel universe and some things in the WB DC universe are the most average of pop cutter these days, I’m not generally fond of their movies. They’re fine. I quite like the first Captain America movie, and the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and “Thor: Ragnarok”. Otherwise I always find myself latching onto much less popular or well-known comic book movies. “Blade” is one of my absolute favorite movies ever, and people often forget he’s a Marvel hero. “The Crow” is another comic based movie that always seems to be only beloved to goths and goth adjacents. “Judge Dredd”, “The Mask”, “The Rocketeer”, “Men in Black”. For me, “Wanted” is definitely a top-tier comic book movie. I just love it so much.

9/21/2022-"Mission: Impossible"

Aha! Finally G and I watched a movie for movie night. We wanted something fun and action-y, and literally what fits the criteria better than "Mission: Impossible" (1996). G had never seen it, and I had only seen it once– for the first time only a few years ago. I’m on kind of a Tom Cruise kick right now too, so it really hit the spot. G was excited to finally see such a classic, and he was not let down. We were both hollering throughout the film at just how incredible of an action movie it really is. I personally am a huge fan of Brian De Palma’s style when it gets to shine through (which it usually does lol) with my favorite movie ever being Phantom of the Paradise. "Mission: Impossible" has De Palma’s stink all over it. This gives the movie a very unique feel amongst its contemporaries, and the genre as it persists still today. De Palma had a firm grasp on what makes a scene exciting and tense, and how to use his cast and crew to achieve that. This is all wrapped up in literally one of the most memorable and culturally significant theme songs ever. Originally composed by Lalo Shifrin for the 1966 TV show of the same name, Danny Elfman does a wonderful job modernizing it and creating a score for the movie that fits the theme and the movie as a whole. I think the movie did a wonderful job of modernizing the original material throughout without compromising the nostalgic, whimsical feel.

"Mission: Impossible" is a movie I could watch over and over again. On this, my second viewing, I got so much more out of it. It’s an incredibly detailed movie. Watching it with G especially helped me notice a lot of things I don’t think I would have if I’d watched it alone. Tons of symbolism, subtle symmetry, clues about what’s really going on sprinkled tastefully throughout and almost never explicitly pointed to. Ah! It’s great. I truly believe it’s one of, if not THE best action movies ever made. Really really. It influenced the genre as a whole, and nothing has been able to live up to it except for its own sequels sometimes lol. Don’t get me wrong, there are tons and tons of fantastic action films made before and since, and very many that I even like as much or maybe more than M:I. There just hasn’t been one that has had the same enormous cultural impact as M:I. If you think you know of one, I’d really really like to hear about it. I fucking love movies, and will always accept suggestions.

Please for the love of God if you haven’t seen "Mission: Impossible" go watch it. It’s under two hours, and it’s old enough I’m sure you could find it streaming somewhere. If not, maybe you should take a sip from the link on the right. A sip of KNOWLEDGE.

Also, thank you Tom Cruise for my life.

9/14/2022-"Legend"

Again this week I have nothing to report for the official movie night, but I did watch another new (to me) movie with J. We watched “Legend” (1985). It’s a movie that I’ve been interested in for a very long time, since I was a little kid I guess. I probably saw the cover in my uncle’s extensive collection and was enamored with it’s dark fantasy art and/or Tom Cruise’s face lol. So to J chagrin, we watched it. He agreed on the sole basis that Tom Cruise was in it, and that Tim Curry played the Devil (or as the story called him; “the Prince of Darkness”). Needless to say he wasn’t thrilled by it. I will admit that I had a good feeling that J wouldn’t like it, but I wanted to watch it with him anyway. I’ll preface this by saying I am in love with my husband– but also Tom Cruise.

This movie is extremely strange. I only know bits about its production, but I know it was troubled. It’s directed by Ridley Scott of all people, after the most outstanding work of his early career; Alien and Blade Runner. Legend is…less than outstanding. At least, in the way any film critic would be likely to say. It certainly stands out to me, as an incredibly interesting and unique piece of work. After two minutes of watching a fucking sweet ass looking goblin walk through a night-time forest as titles appear in eye-straining red letters, he comes upon a dark fortress at the edge of the trees. Tim Curry’s deep voice heard from offscreen. After delivering some “very delicate” exposition and lore about himself to apparently no one, a small knock echoes through the stone room. The goblin enters, Darkness greets them jovially and we learn his name is Blix. They speak in the most flowery of language, indulgently so, which I love. Darkness instructs Blix to bring him the horns of the last two unicorns or something idk it’s hard to follow they both have insane voices and speech patterns whatever. Blix swears to do whatever he’s been instructed to do. I like Blix, I sure hope he doesn’t just disappear from the movie halfway through without explanation.

Um, and then we are in the brightest fantasy forest you’ve ever seen. Absolutely scorching your eyes out as a girl sings. I love the way this movie is shot and filmed, and the effects are great and fun and magical, but damn if it’s edited like fucking shit. The editing is just wild y’all. Like, the light rigger’s nephew had a video toaster and they let him do it, despite the fact the video toaster wouldn’t be released for another two years after the film’s release. So many awkward hard cuts at the wrong times, spliced together with scenes that make little to no sense being together. This makes the viewing bizarre and confusing. The plot is also unconventional, more of an epic wherein Jack (the hero) encounters things or events or characters in no particular order, gathering knowledge and companions on his way to defeat the evil and save the damsel. I have no problem with this structure. It seems, however, that someone at some point did. Either they edited the meant-to-be epic to seem more fluid and conventional, adding and removing scenes where they deemed necessary, or vice-versa. I’m inclined to believe the prior. There are so many strange shots of Blix by himself just watching the main characters from the brush suspiciously, hinting that he may be more important to the overall story. But halfway through, he’s gone from the movie entirely. He’s hardly even the main threat in the first half of the film. He and his crew kill one of the unicorns, throwing the forest into a dark eternal winter. This is the main conflict, solving the problem caused by Blix. I don’t even recall if Jack even encounters Blix at all. Whatever. Who cares.

Truly, though, that’s really where my complaints stop. I loved this movie. I loved it so much. I loved the sets, the costumes, the makeup, the fakest snow you’ve ever seen, the surrealism, the LIGHTING omg, the absolutely over-the-top dramatic dialogue, and ESPECIALLY the shortest tunic in the world that they put Tom Cruise in. When I found the collector’s edition with all the bonus features and alternate ending and shit for 25 cents the other day this was me -> \_o0o_/

There is a lot to love about this movie, I really think so despite what J says. If you can find the joy in silliness or camp, I think this is certainly a movie for you. I’m glad I can have it in my physical collection, I’m glad I choked down the abysmal editing, and I’m glad to have finally watched it after all these years.

Oh, and I’m glad for Tom Cruise.

9/7/2022-"The Blob"(1988)

This was one of those weeks where G and I just ended up eating food and hanging out without watching anything, but I did watch a movie with my husband– I’ll call him J. We watch movies often, or we try to, but we tend to have very different tastes. I think that’s one of the reasons why it’s fun to watch things with him. Other reasons are that he usually lets me pick, he doesn’t mind me talking about /over whatever we’re watching, and of course because I love him. This time I picked a movie that had been on my list for a while, and that I had recently acquired, “The Blob” (1988). I’d always heard good things about it, from my parents and other people who have similar tastes as myself. I’d heard it was campy, and had some fun gore and hokey visual effects. These are all things I’m sure you know by now that I love, but I was interested to see what J would think. He has very, very broad tastes, but will almost always wrinkle his nose at camp or cheese. Well, horror camp or cheese. Sometimes I can convince him that certain specific bits of specific movies are worthwhile because of the camp, but mostly he’ll scoff at it. But he surprised me with this one. He tends to do that, lol.

This, like many of my blogs, will contain spoilers for the film. I highly recommend for this one if you haven’t seen it and have an inkling that you want to– do so before reading this. Okay? Okay.

This movie, in my opinion, has one of the most brilliant opening credit sequences I’ve ever seen. The opening scene in any movie is extremely important to set the tone, establish setting, introduce characters, etc. There are a few opening scenes in movies dear to me that will always stand out as masterful examples of the right way to accomplish this. The Goonies, Blade, From Dusk Till Dawn, and many more. The Blob makes it to the list for me. We start in space, and the title morphs into view before the camera pans down to show Earth below. It flies through the clouds, towards a small town surrounded by forest and mountains. It fades into slow, quiet shots of empty streets. Papers blow in the breeze. Shops are closed, restaurants are dark. A soundtrack as quiet as the town hums softly, ominously. The camera moves through it silently while names of cast and crew fade in and out on screen in glowing letters. The music swells suddenly as we see the cemetery come into view, but it quickly quiets to nothing as the camera pans up and around. A loud whistle sounds as the camera reveals tall bleachers packed with people. Everyone stands and cheers as the marching band plays over the sound of the game. Boom, movie starts. I really do think this scene is very important to set the tone for this movie, because it is a strange one. It’s funny, and it wants you to know it is right away. It wants you to know that it’s okay to laugh at the horrible and ridiculous things that will happen, just like how you probably chuckled at the entire town being at the highschool football game– right next to the cemetery. I know I did. It also shows you the movie is going to surprise you, it’s trying to subvert whatever expectations you have of it going in. It’s not like the original, so much so that it’s almost a parody of the original. So yeah, great opening done so simply.

This movie is very concise. There is nothing long winded, nor are there any parts that feel underdeveloped in my opinion. It’s a simple movie, with a simple plot, and simple characters. It’s really just a monster movie, with not a lot more depth than the original. You can still draw the same parallels you can with most horror of the 80’s– fear of the cold war, foreign invaders, etc. There’s good amount of distrust in authority figures on display in this movie, as most of them die and/or are blatant villains. Cops, government officials, clergy, even doctors. That’s always fun. To be fair there are A LOT of deaths in this movie, and a lot of fun and interesting kills considering the monster lol. It eats people by melting them and absorbing(?) them, and gets bigger over time. That means there are some AMAZING little miniatures in play. Miniature buildings, cars, trees, furniture, etc. The effects tend to look cheesy, and some of the matte paintings are pretty obvious, and I’m convinced that this was purposeful. To me it feels like it’s adding to that very obvious self-aware tone and purposeful camp. And there are other effects that are spectacular. Practical gore that’s super realistic, very convincing forced perspective when they want it to be, great lighting and camerawork. I refuse to believe that that same crew also would do such a sloppy composite at the climax of the film if not for a small gag. And IT IS funny!! It’s a comedy shot! I’ve heard some poor faith criticism of this scene in particular, and I feel sorry for those people that can’t appreciate the little things.

Ok, I think maybe I’ve rambled on a bit too long. This is my most rambly-est blog post I think, and I fear the next one will be worse. I guess that’s what happens when you take meds that fix your brain a little. Anyways, watch the Blob, it’s really good. Oh, I do feel I should warn you that there is an excessive amount of gore, and a child dies horrifically, so skip it if that’s upsetting to you. The dog lives though!

8/31/2022-"Annihilation"

Last week G and I didn't get together and the week before we ended up just talking through the evening, but THIS week we actually managed to watch Annihilation (2018). I saw this movie when it came out and I remember thinking back then that G would love it. It's right up his alley. A high concept scifi horror centering around an extraterrestrial phenomenon that changes the world around it in a way that is at the same time beautiful and horrific?? Perfect. And I was right, he did love it. I've seen it maybe 5 times now, and every time I see it I come away with something different and with new questions. I thought it was funny that he had a lot of the same questions that I had on my first viewing, but as usual he also noticed a lot of things that I never have before. He pointed out unique things in the sound design I've never thought about, and little visual details the movie doesn't draw very much attention to but are very much there. I think I would have gotten a lot less out of the experience this time if I hadn't watched it with him, and I like to think he feels the same. One thing about this movie that surprised me on my first watch was Natalie Portman. I'm not usually a fan of her, not for any particular reason, I just don't vibe with her, but I like her a lot in this. I really think the movie would feel a lot more shallow without her, I think she adds weight with her performance. The whole cast is very good, and really are the heart of the movie in my opinion. I haven't seen the director's other film "Ex Machina" but I've been told it's also very good and it's on my list.

8/10/2022-"Mad God"

G and I were in a chatty mood so I thought it might be fun to watch something we could talk over without much trouble, so I put on “Mad God”. I watched this when it became available, and immediately noted the people in my circle who I thought would like it and those who should NEVER see it. It’s not a movie for everyone. In fact, I’m of the strong opinion that it’s for a very specific and niche audience, but that that audience will love it. There’s almost no obvious plot, just a string of events in an incredibly dense world that is presented in some of the most interesting and visually striking stop-motion animation I’ve ever seen. It is NOT an animation for children, although I think with discretion perhaps certain tweenagers might enjoy it without much consequence. I think I would have been allowed to watch it at age 11/12, and I think I would have loved it then too. It’s grotesque, chaotic, horrifying, and confusing– but I feel like there’s just one or two key elements I’m missing to be able to understand it better. There’s some judeo-christian imagery sprinkled without, so I’m certain there is meaning I’m unable to interpret because I lack the knowledge necessary. Even without it, though, the film is crafted in a way that if one has an appreciation for animation and the macabre then it’s worth a watch. It’s a film that I will praise endlessly simply for not being ashamed to wholly be the vision of the creator. It feels like the artist’s mind spilled directly onto the screen, and in a world increasingly dominated by sanitized, cookie-cutter media, it stands out. If this can still be made and distributed, then there’s hope for all the weirdos I think.

8/04/2022-"The People Under the Stairs"

Last night we watched Wes Craven's "The People Under the Stairs". It's another that had been on my list for a long time, as I'm a big fan of Craven but just never had this one as a kid or whatever. My parents weren't huge Craven people, I don't think they had a single one of his movies on VHS. My uncle did though, and I always saw this one in his collection. The box never really drew me in, I was more enamored with the art for "Nightmare on Elm Street" or "Serpent and the Rainbow", but the title was intriguing to my baby brain. That uncle gave me my first burned DVDs ever lol, weirdly enough all 7 Nightmare movies.

It was a few months back when I was just watching YouTube reviews when I was reminded of this movie. It was a channel I don't particularly care for anymore, so I won't plug them. Go watch Ryan Hollinger, he's good. Anyways, I put it on my actual list to get and watch at some point. I think I liked it more than G did, but like I said I'm a huge fan of Craven. It was very much his style, especially the dark humor and the overall weirdness. G and I were both particularly fond of Roach when he showed up, and the hard cut to the dad in his gimp suit just blasting holes in the wall with a shotgun also got a huge reaction from us. The house felt like a character, with all the traps and switches and reoccurring rooms and bits. That's so underappreciated and something I ALWAYS love. Ving Rhames is always a favorite of mine, it was good to see him. I really liked the kid, Fool, and how he needed little help from the adults around him. In fact, it seemed like most of the adults around him couldn't/wouldn't help. I like how he seemed to be inspired by Roach, and then he went on to inspire Alice and the others. I also really really appreciated that it had a happy ending. Not everything needs to be so dour.

Overall I think "The People Under the Stairs" will become another of my favorites, like most of Craven's movies. It felt like a fucked up "Home Alone" and it had lots of things I very much enjoy in movies that also don't show up as much as I'd like. Elaborate setpieces, children in horror, horror-comedy, basement dwelling weirdos, fucked up families, ...gimp suits.

7/22/2022-"Nope"

Tonight we went to see the opening of "Nope" by Jordan Peele. Our theatre was sold out, I was glad we bought our tickets early for the 6 of us. I won't spoil any of the plot in this post, just give my opinion.

While I really liked the movie overall, I thought it could've used some tightening up. Maybe I would like it more on repeat viewings, but it felt too long and there were definitely parts that felt overdone, unnecessary, or gratuitous. Stephen Yeun's character in particular felt like a b-plot we didn't need, that distracted from the main plot a little too much. I liked Stephen Yeun, I always do, and all the stuff with his character, but it just felt unnecessary. He could have existed in the movie as a relevant character without all the back story, whether it added anything or not. That's my biggest gripe with the movie though. Overall I thought it was really good, and I liked the themes and structure despite the bloat. There were some genuinely horrific parts, and I thought it all wrapped up very nicely. Also, it was pretty funny which I liked. The cast was good, and I was delighted to see Keith David, who I didn't know was in it. I'd like to see it again, maybe with my brother. If you liked Peele's other movies, you'll like "Nope".

7/20/2022-"Willard"

This week’s theme: rats! We watched the 2003 remake of “Willard” starring one of my favorite weirdos, Crispin Glover. Neither G or I had seen this one. It had been on my list for a long time and I had finally gotten a copy of it so was able to watch it at last lol. I can understand why it was hard to find, and not popular when it was released. I personally loved it, but it was extremely out of its time. It felt like an old movie, with lots of intense cinematography and melodrama– definitely not something you would normally expect to see in early 00’s movies. The original came out in 1971, and I imagine this one is only just barely modernized. The sets and characters feel vintage, and the effects are mostly practical, going as far as to use live rats in most scenes. Oh my god, so many rats. Rats and rat themes lol. It was an incredibly sad movie, but so much so it pushes into melodrama and feels a lot more like a gothic story rather than something to be actually sad over. G made the comparison to “Joker” right away, and I have to agree. It reminded me a lot of “Joker”, which I also liked very much. A pathetic guy with an INCREDIBLY sad life turns to violence to achieve a sense of justice. The major difference to me is that Arthur in “Joker” is mad at the world, and his violence is much more wide-spread, and Willard’s is much, much more isolated. The isolation gives this movie a much more intense mood in my opinion, and fits the theme of the film perfectly. You know, “rat in a cage” and all that. I think if this movie had come out much later, like 10 years later, it would have been more well received. In 2003, though, it was probably too much for a post 9/11 America. Such was the fate of many horror movies of the 2000’s. If you happen to give this movie a watch, know that the opening credits are…not an indication of the overall quality of the film. They had us worried lol. We compared them to DVD menu options. Past that though the movie is very very good, and I wish I had seen it sooner. They truly could not have cast anyone better for the role of Willard, either. Crispin Glover was perfectly weird while retaining the emotion necessary to sympathize with him as the protagonist as he continues to choose violence. *mwah* Perfect. Love that guy. There’s a scene at his mother’s funeral that really stuck with me, where he is confronted by a lawyer about his parent’s debt. It’s suggested that he sell his house and move so he can “start over” and he replies with discontent, “Start over?? I’m almost done!!”. Oof. If you know, you know. If you don’t, then I’m happy for you.

7/16/2022-"Thir13en Ghosts"

A huge heatwave hit our area, so it was another week where we just wanted something goofy. Earlier in the week G had asked the groupchat what was a “bad movie” we would defend and I had a difficult time thinking of an answer at the time. But of course it would be Thir13en Ghosts. I’m not saying it’s a masterpiece or anything, I’m just saying it’s better than its tomato score would have you believe. And it’s one of my all time favorite movies ever. I’ve seen it dozens of times. I’ve been in love with Matthew Lillard since “Scream” and in love with costume and effects since “The Thing”. Honestly I don’t know why this movie doesn’t have more of a cult following with how fantastically fun the ghosts are. There are also some practical effects that are really impressive, and the production design is TOP NOTCH. It’s hokey, sure, but how could you not love the black zodiac?? That’s the coolest fucking shit in the world. My favorite one is The Torso >:)

7/6/2022-"Ed Wood"

Finally, a movie I’d never seen! I love sharing my favorites with G but it was so good to watch something new together, especially something like “Ed Wood”. It had been on my list for as long as I can remember, being a fan of Tim Burton’s earlier work, but I’d just never gotten around to it. My parents always spoke highly of it when I was a kid, but always insisted I wouldn’t like it until I was older. I believed them then, and I’m sure they were right. They weren’t the type to censor things, and if I had to guess they probably wanted me to watch it when I could genuinely appreciate its significance. I’m glad I waited, and I’m glad I watched it with G. While I think Tim Burton has taken a drastic turn into mediocrity, I genuinely feel his early career had an incredible impact on an entire generation of weird kids, and their kids. It did me, anyway. He had such a way of portraying weirdos as weirdos but in the best possible way. It really struck me while watching this movie. It’s mostly accurate to the life of the real person Ed Wood, a disliked delusional dreamer who died young and sad. The movie shows us this. It shows his bad movies, his unethical practices, his failed marriage, his crossdressing– the things history tells us. But it also shows what history liked to exclude for a long time. His friendships, his ambition, his dedication and loyalty, and all the people he inspired by refusing to give any part of himself up. I sometimes have a hard time writing about these movies for movie night, because I feel like I’ve said everything already at some point. This movie really affected me, in a way I’m having a hard time describing because I’m bad at writing lol. Most movies I see affect me greatly, though, that’s probably why I like them so much.

6/29/2022-"Darkman"

This week G and I were feeling kinda blah so we didn’t want anything very serious. I had recently watched Sam Raimi’s “Darkman” for the first time and had been raving about it nonstop since. G decided he wanted to get in on that. I wholeheartedly think it’s one of the best comic book movies ever made, even though it’s not based on any comic book at all. Darkman is an original character who feels like an old school EC Comics protag, and with Raimi’s distinct style the movie comes together in such a fantastical way that unfortunately alienated many viewers. It didn’t do well when it was released in 1990 and I think it would do equally poorly now. I do not like to commiserate on the public’s lack of taste or whatever, because I know my taste is extremely eclectic. “Darkman” feels like a passion project that was fortunate enough to have been able to get a decent enough budget (not that Raimi has ever had trouble making do with very little). I will never get tired of weirdo filmmakers finagling their way into money enough to make something everyone hates. James Wan’s Malignant comes to mind (another absolute favorite of mine).

6/22/2022-"From Dusk Till Dawn"

This week G and I watched “From Dusk Till Dawn” (1996). We are just beginning to play Vampire: The Masquerade, so we were justifiably in the mood for vampires lol. While this is one of my favorite movies ever, G had never seen it. It’s always very fun to watch these movies I’ve seen a lot with him, because he always has a different perspective or notices things I never had before. He noticed a lot of little details I’d overlooked in my many viewings. I think this has something to do with me watching these movies as a kid and just seeing what I expect, and having my adult eyes ignore a lot of things. Movie night with G has been incredibly revealing lol. What I especially like about this movie is that it doesn’t become a “vampire movie” until like an hour in, but remains incredibly entertaining nonetheless. You’re not just waiting for the vamps to show up, but the crime drama of the first act is a movie on its own. In fact, G had forgotten it was a vampire movie until the reveal lol. It’s a great movie that has always been one of my favorites and I was delighted to share it with my best friend.

6/15/2022-"Psycho Goreman"

This week for movie night G and I watched Psycho Goreman(2020). This is another movie that I had seen before, multiple times, but G had not. We were looking for something casual, something we could talk over if we wanted to, but we ended up wrapped up in the film anyways lol. I really like the movie, and so did G. It's very fun, and the novelty doesn't wear off for me. The titular Psycho Goreman is extremely fun to watch, and the girl Mimi I personally like a lot as an unapologetic little shit. The movie comes off as a parody of E.T. style family movies, showing the viewer it knows what ropes it should be exhibiting and then ignoring them. This works better at certain points in the movie than in others. The entire movie felt like a cartoon, and I think it works better when viewed that way. The problem is that it isn't a cartoon, so there are moments where the live-action causes the joke to fall flat for one reason or another. Overall I really like it, but I can understand the criticisms it recieved.
A huge draw for me personally was the makeup and effects. The whole look of the movie is very unique, like a hyperviolent super sentai. There are also several jokes that I think are very funny. I heard a lot of people complaining about the kids' performances, but I like them both a lot. Everyone vibes onscreen, and you believe their characters. It's one of those things that I think works better if you watch it with the idea of it being a cartoon. They are all very cartoony, even the parent characters. I recommend this movie for anyone who likes horror comedy, gratuitous gore, camp, and fantasy/scifi. It's a Shudder original(but there are plenty of other ways to get it of you catch my drift *wink wink*).

6/12/2022-"Jurassic World Dominion"

Today I actually went to the theatre and saw "Jurassic World Dominion"(2022). I went with my friend H, and many of her co-workers. While the outing was very fun, the movie was disappointing. I guess that probably isn't the right word, because it did meet my quite low expectations. It wasn't horrible, just kind of what I've come to expect from these sorts of blockbuster IPs. Flashy effects, totally fine performances, tons of action and set pieces- all to distract from how incredibly bad the script is. Seriously the more I think about it the more I feel like hardly anyone even bothered to make the plot make sense. Because of the ensemble cast, there was almost an hour of exposition alone- mostly recap. I really did think the setting was very interesting, it was just almost completely unused in lieu of ANOTHER island of dinosaurs and laboratory. Must get mcguffin girl. Must get mcguffin...bug + awkward fanservice. The plot was somehow very simple and contrived, but also confusing in the way it was presented. I genuinely do not know what the bad guy was doing, because what the protags postulated was denied by the text and then the issue is abandoned for another inane non-obstacle they need to overcome. By the time we were treated to the short and very camp kaiju battle that ends in EPIC TEAM UP AND LIGHTNING STRIKE YES HELL YES I was just too tired to really be excited about the sudden shift in tone. Overall the only thing that really saved it from being a real hackjob in my opinion is that it really doesn't seem to take itself too seriously. It feels like it knows it's a silly summer popcorn flick and doesn't bog itself down with a lot of self-righteousness or plot for that matter. It was way too long though.

6/1/2022-"Big Trouble in Little China"

Last week(6/8) we got together but ended up not watching anything lol. This happens often when we get distracted with converstation. The previous week however we watched "Big Trouble in Little China"(1986). My friend had never seen it before, but it's a movie I grew up with. I have always been a huge John Carpenter fan and had a huge crush on Kurt Russell(still do lol). It's such a fun movie, that I think holds up very well. It's definitely of its time, one of those that you can tell inspired a lot of modern movies but couldn't be made in its own form for today's audiences. That's ok. I especially love the mix of the mundane and fantastical to create a world that seemingly exists all around us if you know where to look. Magic is real, demons are real, and so are monsters. When we watch the movie we are Jack Burton, dragged along on this adventure mostly confused but wholeheardedly along for the ride. The main character and yet hardly participating. The narrative treats him as the hero, almost as a joke, while we watch him bumble around. It works because he also believes himself to be the hero of the story. It easy to forget that the plot is being presented through a retelling of events by Egg. I feel like if someone finds they have a hard time suspending their disbelief enough to enjoy the film, this is why. Ultimately it made for a very fun movie night. G got to experience it free from the influence of nostalgia, and loved it. There are a lot of movies I wish I could have the privilege of seeing this way as an adult, but getting to show G all them has been a comparable delight.