Aquaman

RATINGS

MY RATING: 6

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 21 Dec 2018

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: James Wan
Writer:David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall
Running Time: 2 Hours and 23 Minutes

Staring: Jason Momoa (Like anyone else matters, but there were some other people in the movie) Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Nicole Kidman and Dolph Lundgren

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

Arthur Curry, half human/half Atlantian, goes on a trip of a lifetime. Not only does this adventure compel him to come to terms with his real identity, but it also forces him to discover whether he is entirely worthy of fulfilling his own destiny: becoming a king.

MY REVIEW

I need to say this to set the tone of my review. I'm not a huge DC Comic fan, so I was going into this movie with a mediorce expectations. I'm glad I set that expectation for myself. This was not a HORRIBLE movie and Jason Momoa was wonderful eye candy.

If you're going to watch this movie, and you SHOULD in a theater, you will need to set aside your reality and turn on your suspension of belief meters.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Jason Momoa was not TOOO Momoa. He has been a little over the top snarky in the DC movies that he's been a recurring character. At least his snark was kept to a minimum for this one. There were a few moments that made me giggle though. But seriously!? Who would complain.. HE'S JASON MOMOA. I don't think he's NOT anyones type!
• Cinematography undersea was amazing!
• Soundtrack- What  smorgasbord of awesome music! And I will be adding a few of these to my general work out playlist. 1- Pitbull- "Ocean to Ocean" with sampling of Toto's "Africa" 2- Skylar Grey- "Everything I Need" 3- Depeche Mode- "It's No Good" 4- Roy Orbison- "She's a Mystery to Me" 5- Signor Ros- "Saeglopur"

What was JUST EHHH about this movie:

• CGI- Well, I have to say that there was JUST so much CGI that it almost took me out of the movie. I understand why it was necessary, but it was SOOO over the top. Especially in the first 20 minutes where Nicole Kidman basically looked like a Nicole Kidman mask stretched taught over a face form. 
• The mood shifts are a little off. The characters go between dead serious and cracking jokes way too easily.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I really had a hard time with the suspension of believe bit. I kept having to remind myself that this was supposed to be this way. I mean, I do love a good fantasy movie but the whole idea of Atlantis and living and breathing people under water. The Aqua-Special Forces with their water breathing suits. The laser cannons. SHARKS with armor and saddles? Seriously! This was a difficult one to get behind.
• Predictable as FUCK!! This was such a linear plot that nothing much was a surprise!

On a more personal note..... 

Just being adorable today. Snapchat took a pretty awesome picture of Dexter Morgan and he basically looked like a hipster cat! AND I'm close to finishing my 3-D printed robot cat.

Murder Maps

RATINGS

IMDB: 7.4

MY RATING: 8

GENERAL INFORMATION

First Episode Air Date: 10 Nov 2015 (UK)

Seasons? 1 through 3
Watched Where and When: Netflix
Genre: Crime, Documentary, History

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? Not really

STORYLINE

This drama-doc takes us back in time to the most shocking and surprising murder cases in history. Nicholas Day guides us into the world of the killer as we see how police ingenuity and early forensics helped bring them to justice.

MY REVIEW

Brief overview; This doc series is available on Netflix. (Only seasons 1 through 3 at this time) East episode is roughly 45 minutes and there are 4-5 episodes per season. It's astounding to see the path that forensic evidence takes through these winding tales that take us through the murders from the 180s through to the first fingerprinting evidence in the 50's. This is worth the watch.

I love how the series uses live action reenactments as well old photos and drawings of the times at which the murders were done. Peppering in a few interviews with historians and law enforcement professionals that made the stories really come to life.

Of course, any horror movie aficionado as myself, knows some of these stories all too well, but a good amount fo the murders were new to me. Season 2 tells the story of John Christie, the murderer who was responsible for the Notting Hill murders in 1943-1953. It was so intense that it was spread over two episodes. Another new one was the Brighton Trunk Murders, Season 3 Episode 1 about the summer of 1934.

On a more personal note..... 

Little SnapChat fun with the cats tonight. They were not as amused as I was at the idea!

Bohemian Rhapsody

RATINGS

IMDB: 8.4

MY RATING: 7

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 2 November 2018
   Lynnhaven Mall AMC 23 Nov 2018

Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Director: Bryan Singer
Writer: Anthony McCarten and Peter Morgan
Running Time: 2 Hours and 14 min

Staring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton and Gwilym Lee

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

A chronicle of the years leading up toQueen's legendary appearance at the Live Aid concert in 1985.

MY REVIEW

This was a good movie. Don't get me wrong in the rating of 7. It was good, but it could have been better. The theme should have earned this an R. They just slightly touched on the the heart of Freddie Mercury; drug use, homosexuality, multiple sex partners, etc. If you didn't sing along then you're dead inside!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Rami Malek did an amazing job playing Freddie. (Thanks to Canadian Marc Martel for lending his voice to the icon himself). He only resembles Freddie on a very base level, but he did a wonderful job with his manner and his body language. It was perfection. Love!
• The music- All EPIC!
• I did like the story itself. I am a huge fan of beginning at the end and ending at the beginning if that makes sense. 
• Favorite scene: The part where Ray Foster (Mike Myers) tells the boys that Bohemian Rhapsody is NOT the type of song that kids will sing along to in their cars. All I could see was the scene in Waynes World and smile.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• This was not the movie that it COULD have been. It truly needed an R rating to really bring Freddie to the big screen.  This was a sugar-coated pretty story that could. All surface, not a great deal of substance.
• This movie was touted as a biopic. This was not the case. This was a retelling of a story with edits and modifications that were made to make the movie watchable and less "controversial."

On a more personal note..... 

A SnapChat Selfie, a New Car and a New Shot for the Blog!

Dead Awake

RATINGS

IMDB: 4.6

MY RATING: 2

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 12 May 2017
     Netflix 22 Nov 2018

Genre: Horror, Thriller
Director: Phillip Guzman
Writer: Jeffrey Reddick
Running Time:  1 Hour and 39 minutes

Staring: Jocelin Donahue, Jesse Bradford and Jesse Borrego

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? YES-ish

STORYLINE

A young woman must save herself and her friends from an ancient evil that stalks its victims through the real life phenemenon of sleep paralysis.

MY REVIEW

In my defense, I was bored and Netflix is full of movies that I have not seen. This movie was pretty horrible. So, if you take the premise of The Ring and toss in a little real life sleep disorders, shake in sprinkling of cliche and voila, you get this movie. I basically had to pause a few times and back up a few seconds to just check to see if I heard what I thought I heard. I gave it a 2 because fit did make me laugh. That is NOT what a scary movie is supposed to do, but whatevs!

At one point, Kate (Jocelin Donahue) and her deceased sisters boyfriend Evan (Jesse Bradford) as talking the the "Expert" on sleep paralysis demons, Dr. Hassan Davies (Jesse Borrego) and they ask him about "Did you try the online message boards?" to which he replied, "I didn't think of that!"

So, no real direction other than down for this movie. There was a complete lack of likability for any of the characters. The acting was amazingly horrible. This should have been released on YouTube.

The Babysitter

RATINGS

IMDB: 6.3

MY RATING: 6

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 13 October 2017
     Netflix 22 Nov 2018 

Genre: Comedy and Horror
Director: McG
Writer: Brian Duffield
Running Time: 12 Hour and 25 Minutes

Staring: Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving and Robbie Amell

Rating? TV-MA

SPOILERS? YES

STORYLINE

The events of one evening take an unexpected turn fo rate worse for a young boy trying to spy on his babysitter.

MY REVIEW

It wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen and it was also not an award winner. If you set appropriate expectations and acknowledge the fact that this is a Netflix created, TV-MA rated, B level star filled comedy/horror romp, you will not be disappointed. 6 because I could not bring myself to go any higher. Think Tucker and Dale but not as good.

So, we have Cole, played by Judah Lewis, is WAY too old for a babysitter, but he is neurotic, scared and constantly being bullied. What do his parents do? Of course, hire a hot high school babysitter, Bee (Samara Weaving). Of course, the story starts with Cole staying up late to see what Bee and her friends drafter he goes to bed and boy does he discover a whopper!! She and her friends have just killed someone and are in the process of doing some sort of satanic ritual. Her friends include cheerleader Allison ( Bella Thorne ) handsome guy Max (Robbie Amell), nerdy and crazy Sonya (Hana Mae Lee) and John the Jock (Andrew Bachelor). Let the crazy ensue!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Writing and editing was pretty good. Started out with some really great and creating shots and ideas, but... (see What I did not like)
• Pacing is really well done. Not a lot of down time to get bored and plenty of two-punch combinations of comedy and horror.
• It's raunchy enough to be funny.
• Cinematography was well done. I loved some of the shots and they really did a good job of alluding to some of the off screen stuff!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Continued from above-- but.... It really began to fall apart when the typical cliches breathe their fiery breath into every bit! Predictable as F&%K!
• I KNOW!! It's a Netflix TV-MA rated HORROR movie. WHY did I think I would get the level of horror and gore that I really want? I don't know either. I must get my brain to comprehend this. This was lacking in a major way for me. They did a decent job with the death scenes but it should have been so, so, SO much more!
• No where near enough to scare anyone. The jump scares were more like yawn scares!
• Words flashing across the screen were ridiculous!

On a more personal note..... 

The kids were enjoying a little catnip on the floor in the afternoon. Oliver does love the nip! Late that night, we had our own little Thanksgiving for the kids! Left to right: Isabella, Jinx,Oliver, Dexter and Rocket.

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane

RATINGS

IMDB: 5.6

MY RATING: 3

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 6 September 2013

   Netflix 19 November 2018
Genre: Horror
Director: Jonathan Levine
Writer: Jacob Forman
Running Time: 90 minutes

Staring: Amber Heard, Anson Mount and Whitney Able

Rating? R

SPOILERS?YES

STORYLINE

A group of high-schoolers invite Mandy Lane, an innocent, desirable girl, to a weekend party on a secluded ranch. While the festivities rage on, the number of revealers begin to drop mysteriously.

MY REVIEW

I did not love Many Lane, which is fine, because I am not a boy! Was it an absolute piece of shit? No.  The trailer looked interesting and the plot seemed vague enough to give it a shot. Let's dig in, shall we?

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• The Twist at the end- Was the only thing that I really liked. I was not expecting it and I was rather pleased to have an ending that I couldn't see a mile away. 

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Direction and Casting- The characters are very one dimensional and the only thing that really gives them any depth is their sex. That's it. Boys and girls. Not even the main characters have well developed backgrounds or richness for the viewer to pick a side. At one point, I was just hoping the "killer" would just get it over with and blow up the whole ranch! Even the title character Mandy Lane, played by Amber Heard, was nothing special. She was pretty, that's it. Why was she worthy of the title? 
• Writing/Editing- Yeah, this makes sense. Mandy is not friends with any of these people who ultimately invite her to a weekend party getaway at one of the boys family ranches AND SHE FREAKING GOES!?!? We clearly see that the objective is for one of the boys, and it seems that it's nebulous as to which one seeing as they are all on the list, one of them want to sleep with Mandy Lane, who is the "Mount Kilimanjaro" of high school girls. I would have liked to see some realistic ideas such as maybe she protested going, so one of her friends came along to make her feel better.
• The Killers- SPOILER- So, in the end we realize that Mandy is the killer, well one of them. Quick recap- Mandy and her BF Boy Emmet were at a party the year before and at one point, Emmet convinces one of the jocky-rich-douchy kids to jump off of the roof to show his love for Mandy and he dies. Flash forward to now, Mandy is at this ranch and the killings start. We find out that Emmet is there and he's the main killer. I kept going back in my mind after the end trying to figure out why they were killing? THere's no obvious motivation. Just didn't get over the line for me.

It's a passable movie, but not great!

On a more personal note..... 

Had a pretty good day if I do say so myself. I was feeling pretty good about my hair and make-up before work, so selfie time! The kittens had a good dinner. (Jinx, Princess Isabella, Rocket J., Dexter Morgan and Lord Oliver). Finally, ended my night watching THIS MOVIE and doing a little art. 

Sixteen Candles

RATINGS

IMDB: 7.1

MY RATING: 9

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 4 May 1984
   Netflix: 21 Nov 2018

Genre: Comedy and Romance
Writer and Director: John Hughes
Running Time:  1 Hour and 33 Min

Staring: Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Justin Henry, and MANY MANY MORE

Rating? PG

SPOILERS? YES

STORYLINE

Samantha's life is going downhill fast. The sixteen-year old has a crush on the most popular boy in school, and the geekiest boy in school has a crush on her. Her sister is getting married and with all of the excitement her family forgets her birthday. Add all this to the pair of horrendously embarrassing grandparents and an foreign exchange student named Long Duk Dong and we have the makings of a hilarious journey into young womanhood.

MY REVIEW

Again, I'm doing away with the "Did and Didn't Like" as usual and going with a general review. Oh, John Hughes. How did you do this? What little piece of your brain allowed you to get this so well? This is the movie that that gave all of us young girls the concept of our own personal Jake Ryan. I mean seriously, there was no boy in junior high that could hold a literal candle to the idea that was Jake Ryan.

From the opening scenes with the Baker family getting ready for their days is so perfectly 80's. Samantha's (Molly Ringwald) room is so essentially PINK and the whole idea that her mom and dad are so preoccupied with her sisters wedding that they have forgotten her birthday sets up a montage of hilarity. This movie is filled with the best lines and the most amazing scenes. It's like watching a time capsule: Floppy Discs, headgear, the music, the clothing!

On a more personal note..... 

Holiday baking well underway with the help of these two little rascals: Dexter Morgan and Rocket help by playing with their toys. I made mini pies (custard and chocolate) and finally, me cooking watching Sixteen Candles.

The Breakfast Club

RATINGS

IMDB: 7.9

MY RATING: 9

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info:  15 Feb 1985
   Netflix 20 Nov 2018

Genre: Comedy, Drama
Writer and Director: John Hughes
Running Time: 1 Hour and 37 minutes

Staring: Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy and John Kapelos.

Rating? R

SPOILERS? YES

STORYLINE

Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought.

MY REVIEW

This movie never gets old. John Hughes had one of the single greatest grasps of the human condition and this in particular, the teenager. His films will resonate with anyone no matter where you grew up and to which clique you belonged.  I won't even use the system of "Like" and "Didn't Like" because there's not really much that I don't love.

John Hughes as the writer and director is brilliant. I love how he used the five teens as a cross section of youth of the time. The Jock, the Princess, the Nerd, the Criminal and the Basket Case. You see yourself in one or more and this film reminds you that it's okay to color outside of the lines. The other fact, more subtle though, is that you are in your groups and these groups are all too often inescapable.

The lesson that we learn in the span of the movie is that each was sent to detention for a reason that they eventually share and even though they are so different, they are the same. They struggle with their own demons and eventually find ties that bind them together. I cannot watch this movie without the story in my head is Claire (Molly Ringwald) and Bender (Judd Nelson) getting married.

I like the music but the Simple Minds song at the ned, Don't You (Forget About Me) stays with you!! LOVE!!!

And then there is the EPIC last scene with Bender (Judd Nelson) walking away with his fist raised while we are listening to the essay that Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) has written for the group.

On a more personal note..... 

Came home today to a pretty sweet surprise from my husband, a Star Wars themed necklace! Super adorable. Also, speaking of adorable, This is Jinx andLord Oliver Cromwell napping on the couch!

Malevolent

RATINGS

IMDB: 4.8

MY RATING: 1 stretch to a 2

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 5 October 2018
   Netflix 16 Nov 2018

Genre: Horror
Director: Olaf de Fleur Johannesson
Writer:Ben Ketai and Eva Konstantopoulos
Running Time: 1 hour and 29 Min

Staring: Florence Pugh, Ben Lloyd-Hughes and Scott Chambers

Rating? TV-MA

SPOILERS? YES

STORYLINE

Siblings Jackson and Angela run a ghost hunting racket; swindling the bereaved with fake equipment and Angela's paranormal 'visions'. Hired to investigate an old foster home, the team uncover its terrifying past.

MY REVIEW

Oh, wow. I struggled with with the rating for this one. It was a solid 1 but had some moments of decency so I gave it a 2. If you want to save your sanity, skip this!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• CINEMATOGRAPHY- You know, typically, it's not the cinematography that saves a movie, but it was a close call for this one. 
• SPECIAL EFFECTS and COSTUME DESIGN- Not too bad.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• WRITING and EDITING- This movie had a chance at success. It had all of the possible ingredients for a successful movie but failed to deliver on any of them. Where on earth did these people learn how to be humans? Do they not have any common sense? Speaking of the characters. Would have been nice to meet them. What do I mean? Well, there was really no development whatsoever other than the "Hello, I'm Jim".
• DIRECTION- This was a lazy horror movie that made me do more of the work than the people who were supposed to be writing, editing and filming!

On a more personal note..... 

Because that movie was so terrible and I feel bad for making you waste your time reading this review, here are some ridiculously adorable pictures of my youngest baby boy, Lord Oliver Cromwell. He's 14 months old and I love his terribly!

The Shining

RATINGS

IMDB: 8.4

MY RATING: 10

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info:  13 June 1980
 Watched for the millionth time 15 Nov 2018

Genre: Drama, Horror
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Writer: Stephen King with edits by Stanley Kubrick
Running Time: 2 Hours and 26 Minutes

Staring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd

Rating? R

SPOILERS? YES

STORYLINE

A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil spiritual presence influences the father into violence, where his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and the future.

MY REVIEW

I decided it'd been a while since I'd watched this and well, with nothing really to do and seeing it on Netflix.. why not? I've always been a huge fan of the Shining. It was the first movie that really put a scare into me. It's brilliant. Period.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• DIRECTION- It's comedy and horror all in one. I'm not sure if Kubrick directed Jack Nicholson to do everything that he did, but his performance is haunting. Shelley Duvall is underwhelming. I still see her as Popeye's wife and I can't get that out of my head.
• EDITING and CINEMATOGRAPHY- There is something that is intentionally foreboding in the shots that lead you through this movie. It's as though you are being maneuvered through the movie under the spell of a masterful story teller.  I love the long continuous shots that are quiet and dead. It's a delight when  you move rapidly through each scene to see what you might have missed in the first, second of fifty-seventh viewing.  
• WRITING- It is Stephen King, so it's magnificent, however, the book and the movie are not the same. I think that Kubrick took some liberties but it worked for me.
• SET DESIGN- I feel like the isolation should be the main point of the set. They really drive home the idea that they have to drive so far out of the way and they are so far out from help. They are on their own until the frozen tundra defrosts in the spring. The hotel itself is a pretty amazing piece of art. The use of the large empty spaces is genius!
• SCORE- The score truly brings more tension

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• That the movie had to end. That's all I have.

On a more personal note..... 

Know what I did last night? Well, I went to see one of my most favorite bands in the whole entire world! Blue October played at the Norva last night. I sang every song. I have no voice today.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Season 1)

RATINGS

IMDB: 7.8 of 10

MY RATING: 7

GENERAL INFORMATION

First Episode Air Date:  28 October 2018

Seasons? x1 right now, 3 in the works.
Watched Where and When: Netflix
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Staring: Kiernan Shipka, Ross Lynch, Lucy Davis, Chance Perdomo, Michelle Gomez and a whole ton more.

Rating? TV-14

SPOILERS? YES

STORYLINE

Reimagined story of the adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and of course witchcraft. Totally in the vein of Rosemary's Baby and the Exorcist. In this adaptation we find Sabrina Spellman wrestling to reconcile her dual nature of half witch and half mortal, while standing against the evil forces that threaten her and her family and the whole daylight world that humans inhabit.

MY REVIEW

I was not quote young enough to have really enjoyed Sabrina when it was out in the late 90's with Melissa Joan Hart. I did watch a few, but they were too bubble-gum and rainbows for my dark little heart to enjoy. Which is why it was with trepidation that I watched the first episode of this reboot. I liked the idea of a darker and more sophisticated retelling. I watched the first one and then the second episode and then the third and right through the whole eleven episodes in about 2 days. It was not perfect by any means but it was funny, dark and just a ridiculous enough to keep me interested!

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa created an amazing little slice of something that really worked. He was also known for Riverdale, Carrie (2013)m Supergirl and some episodes of Glee and Big Love. Most of the episodes were directed by Rob Seidenglanz, You might know him from some of his little projects like Blindspot, the Following, Jack and Bobby, Party of Five and Suits.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Direction and Storytelling- There were several producers, EP's, AP's and a ton of other P's involved in this tv show and it was the combination of all of those professionals that created the environment that felt like a real story. They were able to get good performances and some great performances from their actors. I liked the dark path, a LOT!
• DARK!! (Not dark enough though, see below)

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Did someone watch Harry Potter a little too much? I think the school of dark magic that is masked with some sort of spell that cloaks it from view. Really not unique.
• I would have appreciated a little more darkness. (Did I mention that I do have a dark little heart!?) Come on with the Satanism! Most intelligent people know that wicca/ witchcraft and most other practitioners of the darker arts are NOT satanists. They worship the earth or earth gods that have nothing to do with Satan or even god for that mater! 
• If they worship the Dark Lord, let's get real, I needed more. It's still a bit too bubble-gum.
• I read this somewhere else, but i laughed when I did because it was SOOO true!! "When someone is killed by rope around the neck the word is hanged. When the 13 were hung, it implies they were dangling in a tree and were not murdered by hanging. Really really annoying."

The Rezort

RATINGS

IMDB: 5.3

MY RATING: 5

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 15 June 2016
   Netflix 11 Nov 2018

Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Director: Steve Barker
Writer: Paul Gerstenberger
Running Time: 93 Minutes

Staring: Dougray Scott, Jessica De Gouw and Martin McCann

Rating? Unrated

SPOILERS? NOT REALLY, one little one  :)

STORYLINE

Following a near-apocalyptic zombie outbreak, humans are back in control. In this day and age, people know how to handle the "Z's". The latest craze is "Zombie Safari". A chance to shoot the undead in the wild. The ultimate therapeutic revenge following the losses suffered during the outbreak. Little do the vacationers realize they're actually in a highly controlled environment, where the zombies are always kept at a safe distance. Nothing is left to chance, nothing is unplanned. So far.

MY REVIEW

Following a pandemic where millions of people were killed by zombies, why the hell not? The plot and general direction of this movie was strong. It's definitely not a high budget festival of delightful scenes, but it's a passable, original, jump-scare filled movie. Set your expectations to moderate and you'll be okay.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Writing/ Editing- Good job on the part of the writer Paul Gerstenberger in getting both an action packed first act. Makes sense, since most of his repertoire is TV shows.
• Set Design and Location- Filmed in the Philippines., the set is amazingly beautiful. I love the juxtaposition of the island paradise and the flesh eating zombies..
• Firearms, lots of guns, lots of BIG GUNS. (Insert prior military girl boner)
• Zombies- The powers who were in charge decided to make the spectacular decision to go with the classic Romero style zombie. Good choice team. #Team Romero

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Writing/Editing- I would have liked if the "incident" was a little more slow to develop. It just kind of happens so fast that the view does not have a chance to take in the severity of the situation.
• Special Effects- I know, it's low budget, but even low budget movies can get a decent special effects artist to help with the basics. If  you couldn't get it right with the big show-stopper style make-up, then you should have paired it back and did what you could. Could I have done it better? Nope. But I have watched all 10 seasons fo Face Off.
• The "Why?"- So, we get little tiny bits of what happened and why, SPOILER, a zombie rights advocate (really, yes, that's what I said) made a computer virus that caused the incident. 

On a more personal note..... 

His Lordship, Oliver Cromwell was particularly adorable today. Well, so was I, so we both took some pictures. I finished another piece today. I am calling it "Tuscan Summer".

Evil Genius

RATINGS

IMDB: 7.6 of 10

MY RATING: 9

GENERAL INFORMATION

First Episode Air Date: 10 May 2018

Seasons? 4 Episode Series
Watched Where and When: Oct-Nov 2018 on Netflix
Genre: Documentary, Crime

Rating? TV-MA

SPOILERS? YES

STORYLINE

The extraordinary tale of the "pizza bomber heist" and the FBI's investigation into a bizarre collection of suspects.

MY REVIEW

I remember seeing this in the news in 2003 but wow, just wow. This documentary was intense. Netflix has done a really great job with this one. What I feel is the most powerful fact is that the researcher spent 15 years of his life getting to know the main suspect, Marjorie Deihl Armstrong. Definitely worth the 2.5 hours you will need to get through this documentary. Great job!

Part 1: The Heist
So let's set the scene. A bank robbery in Erie, Pennsylvania ends
in the death via collar-bomb device on a pizza delivery man, Brian Wells, who may or may not have been a hostage forced to commit the crime. The police are confused/bumbling in this portrayal where they just watch as he yells from his spot in the road that he was set up. The device blew and he was declared dead but NOT dead enough apparently to put their guns down. We find out later that this was definitely a set up for this guy by a prostitute that he often went to. She sold him out for some quick cash.

Part 2: The Frozen Body
Now we find out more-- SO there's a frozen body (James Roden) in the freezer at the house of this woman, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, who by all reports is crazy intelligent but is riddled with personality disorders and mental issues.. AND get this, she was turned in by her friend/boyfriend/lover (William "Bill" Rothstein) whoever since it just kinda all merges. What we do find out is that one of them killed James Rosen, even through Rothstein claimed in was Deihl-Armstrong. Roden was her boyfriend and was killed so he wouldn't tell about the heist is the assumption.

Part 3: The Suspects
Two years after the heist, one of its architects (Rothstein) has died of cancer, a witness comes out of the woodwork and then Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong reveals much too much to her cellmates in prison.

Part 4: The The Confessions
So here we are, years after the death of Bill Rothstein, conspirators start to come forward, deals are made and a jury renders its verdict BUT THEN, another twist, more witnesses to the so-called solved crime step forward.

Don Giovanni

GENERAL INFORMATION

View Date and Location:
4 Nov 2018 at the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk, VA

Premiere Date: 29 Oct 1787 in Prague
Language: Italian
Composer: Mozart

Virginia Opera:
Director: Lillian Groag
Conductor: Adam Turner

STORYLINE

This is a two-act opera written by Mozart that is based on the legends of Don Juan, a fictional seducer of women. 

MY REVIEW

What I really love about the Harrison and the Virginia Opera is that before every performance is a 30 minute introduction to the themes and music and a little lesson about the opera itself. That really makes the music more enjoyable. There is a sense of understanding that you get when you can hear the music beforehand and know that when you hear a certain piece, to watch for something. Love this!

This was a well directed and well performed opera. Don't get me wrong, I know that the opera is ABOUT Don Giovanni (Tobias Greenhalgh), so he is the star, but the star for me was Leporello (Zachary Altman) He played the Don's servant with such a sense of humor that it was fun to watch him. He stole the stage for me.

I do identify with Donna Elvira (Sarah Larsen) as she is not only seduced once, but falls for his sweet words over and over again. I get it.

I was dismayed with the supertitles at the Harrison. That's the small screen that is displayed for the non-Italian speakers. My Italian was good enough to keep up, so it wasn't that bad for me!

Demonic

RATING

IMDB: 5.3 of 10

MY RATING: 2

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info:  10 October 2017
    Netflix 3 Nov 2018

Genre: Horror, Thriller
Director: Will Canon
Produced by James Wan
Writer:Max La Bella, Will Canon
Running Time: 83 Minutes

Staring: Maria Bello, Frank Grillo and Cody Horn

Rating? R

SPOILERS? YES

STORYLINE

Louisiana: Det. Mark Lewis is called to the notorious Livingston House and finds three bodies and one survivor, John. A team of ghost hunters, Bryan, John's pregnant girlfriend Michelle, Jules, Donnie and Sam, have decided to hold a seance. Marta Livingston committed a violent slaughter here years ago. It goes horribly wrong and evil spirits are released. Queue the interrogation of John while a technical team try to retrieve the hard disks and footage from the event.

MY REVIEW

Okay, so, I saw the cover and saw James Wan in decent size letters and then the smaller. Presents. So he was not thee writer, not the director, but had some interest in the movie. That is one of the first problems with this movie. The writing is horrific. It's a tale that has been overdone so much that within the first 20 minutes, I can guess the outcome. That could be the fact that I watch way too much horror as well. I didn't hate it, it just wasn't that good.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Maria Bello- she was good, even if she did always have a confused look on her face. It was as if she knew the shit show she was starring in was such a confusing piece of crap.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Cinematography- Found footage is my least favorite genre of film-making. The combination of actual directed footage in combination with the footage of the ghost hunters team placing the cabers and finally the footage of what the camera shot was not a successful join for me.
• Writing- This felt to me like a "horror movie generator" came in and took a few pieces: Demons, Haunted House, seance and a bunch of dead kids, and spit out a movie. Just a bunch of desperate acts as the writers just tossed some crap into the air and let it fall down on the paper. And the final twist at the end. It was as if they knew the movie was failing and just tossed this in as an afterthought.  It's JUST not that interesting. 
• Editing- I know a little about filming movies, not too much, but enough. I think they filmed a bunch of stuff and then sat in a room and taped it together. It's not exactly smooth transitions. The first hour of the movie is just blah and the majority of action is in the last 20 minutes.

On a more personal note..... 

Just a little Snapchat fun, made a delicious breakfast and walked in on Oliver who had crawled up on top of Rocket to got to sleep!

1922

MY RATING: 8

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 20 October 2017
     Netflix 2 Nov 2018 

Genre:Crime, Drama, Horror
Director:Zak Hilditch
Writer:Stephen King
Running Time: 1 Hour and 42 Minutes 

Staring: Thomas Jane, Molly Parker and Dylan Schmid

Rating? TV-MA

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

A simple yet proud farmer in the year 1922 conspires to murder his wife for financial gain, convincing his teenage son to assist. But their actions have unintended consequences.

MY REVIEW

1922 is a slow and deliberate look at guilt and consequences. This movie is rich in character development and heavy in a suspense. One can see influences of Edgar Allan Poe here with nods to "The Tell Tale Heart" and "The Black Cat." I've always been a big fan of stories that are told by one of the characters.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Thomas Jane as husband to Arlette (Molly Parker) and father to Henry (Dylan Schmid) is quite possibly my favorite part of this whole movie. His dedication to the 1920's farmer persona was refreshing. He's overbearing as a father and in his attempts to control his wife. Arlette seems to not want to be controlled and that is very odd for a wife in that time.
• This movie will F&*$ with you psychologically.  In the beginning, we hear Thomas Jane's character Wilfred James speak the words "In the end, we all get caught." How perfect were these words once you get to the end of the movie. This theme did resonate with me. You can't hide from deeds in your past. They always catch up to you. ALWAYS. In one way or another, they peep out and catch you when you least expect.
• The plot begins dark and spirals down a dark path that continues to become even darker than one would think possible. 

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Once the story was defined, it was somewhat predictable. 
• I was set in 1922. Everyone looks too clean. I mean for real, at that time, everyone was taking baths once a week and greasy hair as the norm. Henry always looked too clean! Could have been a little more realistic with the attire. 14 year old farm kids did not wear pressed shirts to school.