Let's Be Evil

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 5 August 2016
     Watched on Netflix 29 November 2016

Director: Martin Owen
Writer: Elizabeth Morris and Martin Owen
Running Time: 1 Hour and 22 Minutes

Staring:  Kara Tointin, Elizabeth Morris, Jamie Bernadette and Elliot James Langridge

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS

IMDB: 5.9 of 10

RT: Critics: 22%; Audience: 19%
MY RATING: 2

STORYLINE

Three chaperones are hired to supervise an advanced learning program for gifted children, who wear Augmented Reality Glasses to assist in their education. Contained within a secure, underground facility, events quickly spiral out of control.

MY REVIEW

Let's be REAL, this is REALLY BAD!! This was an hour and 20 minutes of my life that I WILL NEVER GET BACK! I really wanted to give it a shot because it has an actor that I recognized from the British soap opera, The Eastenders, Kara Tointin who played Dawn Swann. Although the premise sounds like it would be a very interesting ride towards modern teaching techniques mixed with a little Village of the Damned undertones, it does not deliver.  

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• For a low budget horror thriller, the Special Effects are amazingly well done. 
• It's ambitious, I'll give then that one little recognition. 

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Character development is basically nonexistent! There is no time spent to better understand the motives of the three main adults other than they need money so they take an insane job in a weird under ground bunker basically babysitting a handful of pre-teen genuises who all have to wear a google-glass knock off.
• Who is the random janitor looking dude they kill at 1:06? Where did he come from? 
• Advanced technology? For a movie that was supposed to be heavy on the high-tech.. the ONLY thing high-tech along the way were the glasses. 70's-80's furniture and atmosphere and 90's computers?
• The Ending? What the hell does all of this mean? There was no plot line that got us to this place. No story. Nothing. It just didn't make any sense at all.

On a more personal note..... Well, it was a pretty enjoyable day minus this crapt-astic movie. Selfies, kitties and Pumpkin Spice cake balls!

The Arrival

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 11 November 2016
   Saw it at Lynnhaven Mall AMC (Written 19 Nov)

Director: Dennis Villenueve
Writer: Eric Heisserer and Ted Chiang
Running Time: 1 Hour and 56 Minutes

Staring:  Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? Not Enough to make a difference

REVIEWS

IMDB: 8.5 of 10

MY RATING: 9

STORYLINE

When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team - led by expert linguist Louise Banks - is brought together to investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers - and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity.

MY REVIEW

You know that feeling you get when you leave a movie that just makes you feel like it spoke to you on a level that cannot be explained? That IS how I felt leaving The Arrival. I was not surprised since the director Denis Villeneuve also directed another stellar movie, Sicario, as well as having experience in writing, acting, editing and cinematography. I think that helps him create a complete experience. I think the question, "Are we alone here?" is the foremost query for anyone who is interested in space exploration and the universe. This movie demands your attention unlike any other Sci-Fi in this specific genre since Contact.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• This movie was filled with complex and nuanced emotional pieces that when tied together and reviewed at the completion are amazing works of creativity! There are so many streams of conscious thought going on at the same time in this movie and they are intertwined beautifully.
• Amy Adams earns some serious street cred from me for this role where she plays mother, teacher, educator, scientist and explorer. Her range going from one to the next brought a genuine humanity to the character of Dr. Louise Banks.
• If you enjoyed Inception and it's story in a story in a story theme, this will work for you. I appreciated the complex planes of existence told in back story flashbacks. I don't want to give anything away, but this was done beautifully!
• The Score! It was understated but bold. There should be Oscars here!!
• I think the set design and costuming was stunning. It was understated and likely drab in most places, but I think it was necessary.  

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I wanted more from the story that was promised. Aliens arriving on earth and I only got to see them briefly. I wanted to better understand the whole piece and I know it's unlikely in a movie like this. (By a movie like this, I mean that it was less about aliens and more about the human experience.) 
• It was super slow to get started but once it picked up, it was good. Just took WAY too long to get going.

On a more personal note..... First, there's a song that's been on repeat for the last few weeks in my head and in my iPhone. Blue October's Home. This band has been a big part of my life since their first album, Consent to Treatment, came out in 1998. They're songs have such amazing lyrics and Justin Furstenfeld puts his life into the these songs and they have such amazing soul. So, here is the music video and I have a feeling that if you give it a listen, you'll like it!!

On to the normal stuff! It's been a fun few days!! I finally got a new job this month!! I am super excited! So excited that I went out and bought some new SHOES!! I love heels and these little black velvet wedges were JUST the thing that I needed to make my afternoon! Absolutely does not hurt that they look super adorable with skinny jeans!! Halloween was last week. I was a fancy cat, again! I think I need to throw away these ears so I can make better choices!!