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Showing posts from 2016

Sky

Ah, nothing like living in the desert. France? Meh. I want me some desert.  I have a confession to make: the main reason I watched this was because of silly, vapid celebrity gossip. For shame! But to sum it up: Diane Kruger (supposedly) cheated on cutie pie Joshua Jackson with her Sky costar, Norman Reedus. Gross. Reedus was kinda hot in Boondock Saints , and he was my favorite character in The Walking Dead before I stopped watching a few years ago. But honestly, I want him to get a haircut and shower, because he perpetually looks unwashed, and that's not sexy. Okay, so that's just gossip, but when Sky popped up on Netflix recently, I decided to give it a go and see if the movie was worth cheating on Pacey for. I mean Joshua Jackson... Short answer: No. God no. Diane Kruger is Romy, an unhappy French woman on vacation in California with her troublesome, sometimes abusive husband. When things get out of hand, she flees and decides to stay in America and go explor

Plemya (The Tribe)

*Contains spoilers* This is probably one of the more unique movies I've watched recently. "Unique" doesn't always translate into "good," however. Plemya is a Ukrainian film set in a school for the deaf. It's entirely in sign language, meaning no one ever speaks, or at least we're not allowed to hear them. There are also no subtitles, so if you don't know sign language (I sort of tried teaching myself when I was a kid, but...yeah), then it's a matter of "actions speak louder than words." I'm fine with that, personally. It's an interesting concept, and I can see why they chose to have zero spoken words or subtitles. It truly adds to the storytelling. Plemya starts off with a teenage boy, Sergei, joining the school, which we quickly surmise is basically just a school for thugs and hookers. At first I thought, Oh dear, this is a story about a nice boy being corrupted by a bunch of violent criminals. Well, as it turns

The Conjuring 2 (with a dash of Annabelle)

I've been excited about seeing this since the first Conjuring film came out, at which point Vera Farmiga said she's be willing to do a series of these wonderful, scary, creepy films. And that's what's happening! I'm a happy woman. Unlike Annabelle , which was disappointing, I wasn't too worried about The   Conjuring 2 letting me down. For starters, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are in it. Annabelle , while not a bad film, didn't produce the scares, nor were the story or characters quite as involving. And seriously, the only black character in the movie died. Who didn't see that coming?! But The Conjuring 2 lived up to my expectations. Set in London, a young girl, Janet, is being haunted by a malevolent old man who died in the house. I won't get in to any spoilers, but there's obviously more than meets the eye. But what does meet the eye is pretty terrifying. If you're me, anyway. What I like most, aside from the creepy factor, i

Hush

There are two types of movies I like to watch when I'm upset or in a bad place: comedy and horror. Comedy is a very likely choice, but horror is, too, in its own way. And let me just say, it hasn't been a great week for me. I think I've cried more than a waterfall, or Justin Timberlake's river. Naturally, I went in search of relief in the form of Netflix, and it would seem I was in dire need of...murder! Hush was actually my second watch, but it did the job better than All Good Things , which I'll review later. Set in the woods, a fancy cabin in the woods, Hush centers around Maddie, a deaf/mute woman who lives in isolation while working on her second novel. She's not completely alone, however; she has a cat and neighbors. You can tell Maddie feels safe out there; she leaves the sliding door open so that the cat can wander in (I'm a firm believer in locking everything, no matter where you live). Unfortunately, that also means a masked killer can

Shelter

*Contains spoilers* I've watched so many films over the last few days, but I thought I'd start with this one. My boyfriend made me watch it, and I wasn't sure why until mid-way through the movie or so. Dear god... Basic plot: A homeless, coke-addicted woman meets a homeless, not coke-addicted Nigerian immigrant. Love, or something like it, happens. He tries to take care of her and get her off drugs, but their lives are still crazy and dangerous. He ends up getting sick and going into hospital, which results in them getting thrown out of the apartment they were in...which in turn leads her to doing things to a security guard that I'd rather not specify, in order to sleep in a boiler room. So yeah, that's when this movie changed for me. It was traumatic. If you watch it, you'll know the scene I'm talking about. Bottom line, this is depressing, a bit icky, and occasionally induces anger. It's not a bad film, but would I watch it again? No. My gr

Finding Vivian Maier

A self-portrait by Vivian Maier  If you're a photographer, love photography, or have no experience with cameras, period, you should watch this. Basically, everyone should watch this. I only discovered this documentary last night. Thanks Netflix! It's about a nanny with a secret: she's an avid, and exceptionally talented photographer. Despite this, she never did anything with her photos. It was only after her death that someone bought her negatives at an auction, not thinking much of it, but deciding to see if there was anything useful. From there it spiraled, and he had to find out more about this mysterious woman with an incredible gift. Why wasn't she famous? Why weren't her photos published? Who the hell was she, anyway? Was she French, or did she just love French accents? Ah, the mystery! I was impressed by how far the filmmaker, John Maloof, went to discover what Maier was like, and I can see why he did: she was fascinating. But like most people, espe

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Warning: I'm one of those people who adores Pride and Prejudice . Not only do I own two copies of it, but I also have four movie adaptions in my modest collection. Despite this, I never read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies , not because it didn't interest me, but because I never got around to it. When I saw the trailer a few weeks ago, though, I decided that I needed to see it. I spent the weekend at the beach (not literally, but close enough), and intended to get some much needed shopping in, which ended up not happening. I loathe shopping. On top of that I was feeling grumpy due to lack of sleep and acute boredom, so seeing a movie theater with all the times posted in big numbers outside was a true blessing. Weekends aren't the best time to see a movie, I know, but this particular theater wasn't packed, and my mom and I didn't sit next to anyone. Even better? It's a good movie! I didn't go in expecting much. How are they going to incorporate the o

Star Wars: Episode VII-The Force Awakens

*Spoilers* I've been hesitating to put out this review, because I know I won't be able to review it without giving away one or two spoilers. So yes, you have been warned! Don't read this unless you've already seen it, or you simply don't care. Basic plot: Set after Return of the Jedi . Luke Skywalker has gone missing, and the First Order are desperate to find and destroy him. As with most movies, I went into this with lowered expectations, despite the glowing ratings it's received. I'm glad I did. Don't get me wrong -I enjoyed it, but I have a bone to pick, and if I don't get this out of my system now, I never will. First of all, what is up with Carrie Fisher's mouth? This is why we avoid plastic surgery! And really, Leia and Han Solo broke up?! No, that's wrong, all wrong! It just won't be the same when I watch Return of the Jedi . What's worse is that they give Leia next to nothing to do. She's there to inject some

The Conjuring 2 Trailer

I'm so excited!! I only recently realized they were filming this, which means one of my dreams is coming true. Now if it can be half as good as the first, I'll be (somewhat) happy, but I'm hoping it'll be on par.