Listening

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 11 September 2015
     Netflix 27 September 2016

Writer and Director: Khalil Sullins
Running Time: 100 Minutes

Staring:  Thomas Stroppel, Artie Ahr and Amber Marie Bollinger

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? Yeah, but its not THAT good anyway

REVIEWS

IMDB: 5.6 of 10

MY RATING: 4

STORYLINE

A team of genius-but-broke grad students invent mind-reading technology that destroys their lives and threatens the future of free-will itself.

MY REVIEW

When I first saw this title along with the story, I was intrigued. I mean, who has not thought about having the ability to read minds in the past? I know, I have often said that it would just be easier sometimes to just KNOW what people are thinking instead of trying to guess. Yes, of course, the dangers of KNOWING peoples thoughts are plenty. This could have been a good movie. The story was interesting, but not well done. The production design was good, but not above par. The acting was solid, but not high calibre. This was a GREAT study of the the answer to the question, "Would you want to be a telepath?"

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Thematic Treasure Trove: There were  great pieces in this movie about surveillance and mind control. The idea that mind control and telepathy could be used as a weapon to control the masses into doing someone else's will is exhilarating. The use cases are multiple especially with military or government access.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• First-Time director and writer Khalil Sullins did tinker with some interesting concepts, but the execution is where it fell flat for me.
• There was a little too much pushing the characters at the viewer. It almost felt as if they were trying too hard to make you care about the characters. Example the personal problems of the young married couple, the extensive use of sexual innuendo during the early phases of the testing.

On a more personal note..... Today was baby Rocket's 8 Month Birthday! He's such a handsome baby boy!! He's growing up so fast! A little selfie in the afternoon and then started a new piece of art. It's not quite done, but it's coming along nicely.

First Contact: Lost Tribe of the Amazon

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 23 February 2016
     Netflix 26 September 2016

Director: Angus McQueen
Running Time: 48 Minutes

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? No

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.9 of 10

MY RATING: 6

STORYLINE

In this Channel 4 UK Special Documentary, anthropologists encounter several groups of UNCONTACTED people in the jungles of South America, in a preserved region on the edges of Brazil and Peru. Patiently communicating as best they can, with the help of translators who speak a dialect not too different, they learn about these peoples experiences with rubber barons and invasions in the years before. They begin to help some of them integrate into the modern world.

MY REVIEW

This documentary is striking and awkward and amazing that there are still people who live like this in the modern world that I live within. This documentary follows the discovery of 35 indigenous tribes people who first appeared in June 2014 and nine months later are now living under the protection and authority of the Brazilian government. It's crazy how easily they took the modern convenience. It's crazy that they have no concept of time. It was mentioned that they only have a counting system that goes to ten and there is no way to determine age or even how long they might live.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• The understanding that we were able to gain from having the interpretation of their languages.
• The tribe spoke of killings by rubber traders, loggers and even hunters over the years that have made them wary of trusting outsiders.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I'm not an anthropologist so I can only speak from opinion, but these "uncontacted" tribes seem very "dressed". I mean like window-dressing. They were way too comfortable with the idea of clothing and the white people themselves. They were distressed by the idea of someone smoking a cigarette? I just feel like that was absurd. Maybe since they were discovered, they feel more comfortable, but it just feels off to me.
• It felt a little scripted in places.

On a more personal note..... Good day today! I am hoping that this will be the last time I have to weed and mow the back yard! So proud of myself that Is got ready and did the grocery shopping for the week!

He Never Died

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 18 December 2015
     Netflix 25 September 2016

Writer and Director: Jason Krawczyk
Running Time: 1 Hour and 39 Minutes

Staring:  Henry Rollins, Jordan Todosey, Booboo Stewart and Kate Greenhouse

Rating? R

SPOILERS? Yes

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.4 of 10

MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

Jack's in a rut. Depression and severe anti-social behaviors has whittled down his existence to sleeping and watching television. He spends his days in a diner, playing church bingo and sleeping. When the outside world bangs on his door and some hired thugs show up Jack's life is stirred up and the question of his violent past and existence in general is called into question.

MY REVIEW

Best line in a movie ever award goes to Jordan Todosey with this gem: "A vagina is like a coupon-book for alcohol." It's a great movie in disguise and a low-budget quirky Canadian movie.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• This movie is completely insane and unpredictable. But it's amazingly charming and thoughtful. I was surprised at how much I actually liked this movie.
• Henry Rollins, oh, how I love you! Such a great job sir!
• Film Noir with a hint of dark comedy. 

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I would have enjoyed a deeper delve into the role of Jack. I think there could have been such a great backstory full of rich details. I got some of that, but not as much as I would have liked.

On a more personal note..... Finished this bad boy today. 

"Play Me a Song, Love"

Oil Pastels on Tan Paper

When I was drawing this, I was thinking that he is sitting on a stage with yellow lights above him and blue lights to the side. Maybe a red light or two bathing him from the crowd. I'm kind of in love with this right now! 

Not sure if I even want to sell this one. I think I want to look at out for a little longer.

The Imposter

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 24 August 2012
     Netflix 23 September 2016

Writer and Director: Bart Layton
Running Time: 99 Minutes

Staring:  Carey Gibson (The Sister), Beverly Dollarhide (The Mother), Nancy Fisher (Special Agent) and Frederic Bourdin (The Imposter). There are several appearances of other family members as well.

Rating? R (For Language Only)

SPOILERS? YES, but not enough to NOT WATCH!

REVIEWS

IMDB: 7.5 of 10

MY RATING: 9

STORYLINE

A documentary centered on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas Family that he is their 16-year-ld son who has been missing for 3 years.

MY REVIEW

I cannot believe how emotional I got watching this movie. I literally cried at one point. I think it hit home specially for me because I WAS kid in Texas at the time when this happened. It was 13 June 1994 and I remember watching news stories about the missing boy from San Antonio. I was on summer break from West Texas A&M University at the time, a sophomore and a girl in my dorm wing was from there and we talked a lot about this. It's captivating and damn near chilling how this IMPOSTER could have fooled so many people for so long. I guess when your child goes missing, you're willing to believe the improbable, much less the impossible. This was a damn good documentary.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Director Bart Layton made the impossible task of selecting specific pieces of interviews with various people at random times seen well collated and maintained the flow of the documentary with such aplomb!
• It's fascinating to see/hear about these events in such detail FROM BOTH SIDES! 
• I love the way the film was structured. As you are watching, you feel the sense of urgency and wonder along with the Special Agents, family members and this Frederic pretending to be this poor missing boy.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• So many questions left unanswered. Loose ends are left so entirely loose that I cannot forgive!!

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ARQ

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 16 September 2016
Netflix Original Film
     Netflix 22 September 2016

Writer and Director: Tony Elliott (You may know him from Orphan Black)
Running Time: 88 Minutes

Staring:  Robbie Amell, Rachael Taylor and Shaun Benson

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.5 of 10

MY RATING: 7

STORYLINE

Trapped in a lab and stuck in a time loop, a disoriented couple fends off masked raiders while harboring a new energy source that could save humanity.

MY REVIEW

I read the story synopsis and at first I was like, great, another Groundhog Day movie. But it sounded interesting and I decided to give it a shot. I am very glad that I did. I think we've all had those nightmares where we relive the same day over and over and OVER again! This felt like one of those on steroids. It was enjoyable. Not great, but a decent hour and a half.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Solid Writing, not A+, but good enough. Very cerebral. Definitely asks a lot of the watcher to be aware and actually pay attention. I did and I was happy.
• Did not treat the watcher like an idiot. I feel like the writer treated us like actual adults who were capable of rational thought. Thank you Mr. Elliot for using basic common sense with this one!
• That MUSIC!  Dear Sound Editors: You guys did an fucking amazing job! (Raises glass)

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I did shake my head as it totally set up ARQ2. I hate it when it's that OBVIOUS!
• Shaky cam adjacent. It wasn't quite shaky, but it was annoying.

On a more personal note..... I was a little more than bored today. I ended up taking a lot of selfies on Snapchat. Here are a few of the ones that I enjoyed the most. 

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Blair Witch

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 16 September 2016

Director: Adam Wingard
Writer: Simon Barrett
     Both known for V/H/S & You're Next (my reviews)
Running Time: 89 Minutes

Staring:  James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Corbin Reid, Brandon Scott, Wes Robinson and Valorie Curry.

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: 5.8 of 10

MY RATING: 6

STORYLINE

After discovering a video showing what he believes to be his sister's experience in the demonic woods of the Blair Witch, James and a group of friends head to the forest in search of his lost sibling, Heather.

MY REVIEW

This was not a bad movie. It wasn't great either. I think it falls short in some places and excels in others. The original Blair Witch Project came out in 1999 and in that short 17 years most everyone has gotten over the "found footage" and grown annoyed by the shaky-cam style of film-making. I am in that group. I think this was less of a sequel and more of a redux.  If you are going to see this movie, go see it in the theaters, the big shots and the sound design is best experienced in this setting. But know this.. If you're going in expecting a new and original movie, that is NOT what you are going to get.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• This was a slow build to some pretty decent scares. I think that taking time to let the audience get to know the cast and develop themselves into complete people was a wise choice. (Still, some of this was cliche, see below)
• The forest was well used as a character instead of a setting. It was dense and really set the idea that finding the way out would be an issue. The woods are inhumanly quiet at times leaving a very uneasy feeling.
• The sound design was AMAZING!
• There is a scene, which I will not specify, that left me holding tight to the chair, taking deep breaths because of the claustrophobically spectacular events. It did go on a bit too long for me, but it was amazing!
• I loved  James Allen McCune's character, James. He did a brilliant job. 

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Cliche!! There was just a little too much for me in some parts. Like seriously, the idea that the first person to talk shit about the supposed ghost/witch is the first guy to die. That's like the prerequisite for every horror more, EVER!!
• A few too many jump scares for the simple fact of adding in a scare. Unnecessary.
• Hold the god-damed camera steady people!

On a more personal note..... Baby Dexter was adorable, again! I put on a ton of make up and did my hair all fancy to go to this movie... AND finally finished my first commissioned piece! Finished the matting tonight and will deliver tomorrow and get paid for art for the first time!!

Spotlight

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 25 November 2016
      Netflix 12 September 2016

Director: Tom McCarthy
Writer: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy
Running Time: 128 Minutes

Staring:  Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, Stanley Tucci and John Slattery

Rating? R

SPOILERS? YES, but it's not really a deal breaker.

REVIEWS

IMDB: 8.1 of 10

MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

When the Boston Globe's tenacious "Spotlight" team of reporters delves into allegations of abuse in the Catholic Church, their year-long investigation uncovers a decades-long cover-up at the highest levels of Boston's religious, legal, and government establishment, touching off a wave of revelations around the world.

MY REVIEW

Director Tom McCarthy you may know from appearances Pixels, 2012, The Lovely Bones, and The Little Fockers. His directorial history is much shorter. This is a grand slam for him in my eyes. He did an amazing job telling the story along with the co-writer John Singer. This was a daunting story to tell and needed to be told.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• This is a haunting movie. It stays with you for hours after the movie is over. There is no doubt in my mind why this movie won Best Picture. This unnerving and makes one question so many things about life in general.
• This is direction and writing done to the best of their abilities. This story is told in cinematic brilliance.  
• Whoever casted this ensemble did something that I never thought could be done. Batman, Leiv Schreiber, the girl from the Notebook and The grey haired guy from Mad Men.. I would have never thought that this group would be put into the same movie, much less create a cast that REALLY WORKED! They were amazing together. A true group of characters that were believable and true to form.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Could have used a little more Boston accents! :)

On a more personal note..... I had SOO much fun today with some of the girls from my last job! Me, Taylor, Chris and Ami went to a place called Breakout. It's a situational game where they lock you in a room with clues and a ton of locked doors, cases, drawers, etc and you have to connect the clues and figure out how to ESCAPE! The thing is, you only have 60 minutes to get out. WE DID IT!! With 5 minutes to spare! Baby Dexter Morgan helped me with some drawings this afternoon. I finished one that I was working on with the Moai of Easter Island. It's one of the places that I would love to go to someday!!

The Unborn

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 9 Jan 2009
     Netflix 11 Sept 2016

Writer and Director: David Goyer
Running Time: 1 Hour and 28 Minutes

Staring: Odette Annable, Gary Oldman and Cam Gigandet

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NOPE!

REVIEWS

IMDB: 4.8 of 10

MY RATING: 5

STORYLINE

A young woman fights the spirit that is slowly taking possession of her..

MY REVIEW

It gets partial credit for trying. It was quite nearly a good movie. Having seen the trailers and knowing that David Goyer also directed "The Dark Knight", I gave it a go. I was hoping to be entertained for at least 90 minutes. I was mistaken for most of that.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• A few pretty decent special effects.
• Points for making this a horror-comedy, at least unintentionally!
• Lots of things keep happening that further the thin plot. It was able to salvage itself. Just barely.
• Cam Gigandet was worth the watch! (Adorbs!!) This guy!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Much too "by the book" for typical horror.. Childhood trauma, nightmares and not-so-subtle homages to classic horror. 
• With heavy and obvious steps, this movie tramples into your face with it's obvious scares that are utter failures.

On a more personal note..... I made a lovely trifle for the dessert. We are having a few people over for dinner and I wanted something tasty and light to serve for dessert. This is layered with Butter Pound Cake, Fresh vanilla Cream, Strawberries, Chocolate Ganache and some dark chocolate shavings. Then, I finished the 4th in the series of Italy drawings that I was working on.. Cinque Terre. Love this one and ABSOLUTELY loved my memories of being there! Bought some chalk as well today and tried a little something with that. This little tree is the product of about 15 minutes with some paper and chalk! 

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They're Watching

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 26 March 2016
     Netflix on 9 Sept 2016

Writers and Directors: Jay Lender and Micah Wright

Running Time: 95 Minutes

Staring:  Mia Faith, Kris Lemche, David Alpay and Brigid Brannagh

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS

IMDB: 5.7 of 10

MY RATING: 5

STORYLINE

The renovation of an old house in a village somewhere in Eastern Europe, will bring the crew of an American home improvement TV show, up against superstitions, misunderstandings and bloody violence.

MY REVIEW

Horror and Humor so sometimes go hand in hand and in this film, it worked in some ways and it fell flat in others. It was a pretty interesting idea for a movie and it genuinely kept me guessing. I have to give them credit for an original plot! It can be best described as a really good bad movie.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• I LOVED how they used the House Hunters International theme at the beginning. I was immediately drawn in and smiled. 
• Originality!! Well done!
• It's a slow-play horror. Takes some time to get going.  

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• The cheesy humor is played on especially thick at times. I could've done with less.
• Despise "Found Footage" style movies.
• Over the top acting.
• Terrible CGI. (Low budget)

On a more personal note..... Baby Dexter and Isabella enjoyed a little time in the backyard today. Bella is less concerned with having her photo taken as Dexter seems to be. He loves it! Then Dex helped me with some art.. I finished the 3rd in the Series of Italy.. Florence. I remember standing in front of the Duomo a few years ago taking in all the sights and sounds of Florence. Then we went over to the Ponte Vecchio and had a 7 euro ice cream cone! Ah, memories!!

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The Dead Room

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 8 April 2016
     Netflix on 8 Spet 2016

Director: Jason Sutter
Writer: Jason Sutter and Kevin Stevens
Running Time: 80 Minutes

Staring:  Jed Brophy, Jeffrey Thomas and Laura Peterson

Rating? N/A

SPOILERS? Yes-ish  

REVIEWS

IMDB: 4.7 of 10

MY RATING: 4

STORYLINE

When a terrified family flees a desolate southern New Zealand farmhouse, two cynical scientists and a young psychic are sent to investigate their claims of a haunting. There they encounter a powerful spirit that will protect the house's secrets at all costs.

MY REVIEW

So, I was a little excited to see this movie. I know it was based on an urban legend about a farmhouse in Otago, NZ where two science teachers in the 70's  tried to debunk the haunted house and ended up fleeing the scene. (CLICK HERE to read the article in Stuff.com) That in itself was interesting to me.  I love a good debunking story!! This was not going to be that awesome movie for me. It was good, but not great. Lacking in some essential pieces.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• I think they did a pretty good job with the small budget ($) and mediocre writing.
• It was good, not great, no blood. Easy for some

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Just too agonizingly slow!! I mean, if it were slow with an excellent story it would have been forgiven, but this was not that!
• It's pretty generic and unscary and lacking in any sense of suspense. There was no foreshadowing. I guessed the plot as i was watching. 
• There is absolutely no chemistry between the characters. They were unbelievable at best.

On a more personal note..... Ah, my little guy, Dexter Morgan, has some serious separation anxiety I think. He just does not not to be away from me these days. He's about 14.5 months old and I've been super cuddly with him since day one! I did some baking this afternoon as well. I think the apron in the middle picture says it all. I finished the 2nd in the series of Italy. The Colosseum. I remember the first day that I ever say it back in November of 2005.. Love that memory!

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Hellions

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 25 January 2015
     Netflix on 6 Sept 2016

Director: Bruce McDonald
Writer: Pascal Trottier
Running Time: 80 Minutes

Staring:  Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland and Rachel Wilson

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS

IMDB: 4.3 of 10

MY RATING: 3

STORYLINE

A teenager must survive a Halloween night from Hell when malevolent trick-or-treaters come knocking at her door.

MY REVIEW

Director Bruce McDonald, who also directed Pontypool, did what can only be described as below mediocre. It had a great premise that sucked me into the Netflix story. I may have not been the right audience for this movie.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Visually, this is a masterpiece. It's dark and dreary with hints of color and wash with visual and aural cues. 
• The story is different, not different enough or done well enough to make it better.
• Creepy as fuck kids!!
• Robert Patrick. Yes, Robert Patrick from Sons of Anarchy, True Blood, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Walk the Line, the X-Files, the Sporanos, Fire in the Sky and about 100 other amazing movies. He was a gem in this movie of pure charcoal!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• The story is very loose and does not feel like it's fully fleshed out. Lacking the ligaments that hold the muscle of the story together. Disjointed and lacking cohesion.
• So we have child-like demons surrounding the house of the pregnant teen demanding that she hand over the child. This is silly. She's just found out that she is pregnant. How the hell is she gonna hand over the kid? Was this supposed to be some sort of hidden pro-life agenda crap?
• Who wrote this? Have they ever heard of a plot line?

On a more personal note..... Baby Dexter. I can't say enough about this little guy! He was super helpful to me today. I was finishing up the first in the Italy Series of Venice and watching Dexter on the iPad. Of course, Dexter is named after the serial killer!! He loves watching it with me!

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Cruel & Unusual

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 5 April 2014
    Watched on Netflix 3 Sept 2016

Writer and Director: Merlin Dervisevic
Running Time: 95 Minutes

Staring:  David Richmond-Peck, Bernadette Saquibal and Michelle Harrison

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? Yes

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.7 of 10

MY RATING: 7

STORYLINE

Wrongly condemned for killing his wife, a man finds himself in a mysterious institution where he is sentenced to relive her death for eternity.

MY REVIEW

This movie surprised the hell out of me. I was not expecting much from an unrated Netflix find, but what the hell, it was a recommendation and I gave it a shot. I am so glad I did. There are some little things that keep me from giving it a higher rating than a 7, but it was definitely not bad. 

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• It was unpolished and low-budget, but that worked well for this movie. When the production value shoots up too high, sometimes it's like the actors stop trying hard enough.
• At first, this story seems played out and overdone. But after the relentless bad acting in the first 10-20 minutes, the rest of this movie is interesting and evocative of a good mystery novel!
• It's a bad dream brought to the screen.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Massive plot-holes
• Bad Acting
• Oh my god Doris! Shut the hell up!

On a more personal note..... When I got up this morning, it smelled like Rocket had slept in the cat litter box and he absolutely needed a bath! But the kicker is that apparently after his litter slumber, he had hopped on the bed, meaning that all bed coverings MUST be washed!! So, after some deliberation deciding if this would be worth the pain, I decided that EVERYONE was going to get a bath! Rocket, Dex, Isabella and Jinx all got baths. After theirs, I needed one too since I was soaking wet!