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!!

Glitch

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: Australian Television show that premiered on 9 July 2015 on ABC1. Available on NETFLIX.

Director: Emma Freeman
Writer: Tony Ayres, Louise Fox, Adam Hill, Kris Mrksa and Giula Sandler.
Running Time: 6 Episodes, 55 Minutes each

Staring:  Rick Bramhall, Emma Booth, Ned Dennehy and Andrew McFarlane

Rating? Unrated Television Show

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: 7.7 of 10

MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

When Constable James Hayes (Rick Bramhall), a police officer in the small town of Yoorana, Australia, is called to the local cemetery in the middle of the night, he makes a discovery that turns his world upside down. Six people have inexplicably risen from the dead in perfect health, one of them is his deceased first wife, Kate (Emma Booth).

MY REVIEW

I'm always looking for something on Netflix, obscure, interesting.. I did find something that quite nearly fits the bill with this TV series.  I am a Netflix junkie and can easily get through an entire season of a show in a day or two. At the end of the first episode, I couldn't stop watching!! I believe I finished in two days!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Suspense! The writer/director/producers did an amazing job on the ideas of how to draw your attention into a focused spot that builds such an amazing feel of suspense that you almost can't blink your eyes!
• Acting! The actors found for this tv series are just fabulous!
• Storytelling at it's best! I loved the way they really used the actors to further the story. Twists and turns, facial expressions, you could feel the pain in the actors eyes as they were trying to play out their story lines!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• I'm really hoping that they address some of the loose ends that were left dangling at the end of season one. How did they come back from the dead? Why can't they leave the city? Come on!! Bring on Season 2-3 or even 4!!
• It's NOT that I DIDN'T like anything super big. I just couldn't see giving this a 10 because it's a tv show and definitely has less of the general grandiose attitudes you'd find in a movie.

On a more personal note..... Fun times today! I played out in the back yard with the kitties for a little while. Decided to get the sewing machine out and make a knife roll for all of my fancy knives! And finally, decided to go for a run. Something about closing the day out with a de-stressing run that can really make you feel amazing!

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Independence Day: Resurgence

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 24 June 2016
     Watched on iTunes 22 Oct 2016

Director: Roland Emmerich
Writer: Nicolas Wright, James Woods, Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich, James Vanderbilt and others.
Running Time: 120 Minutes

Staring: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman Sela Ward, William Fichtner, Judd Hirsch, Brent Spiner and Vivica A. Fox

Rating? PG-13

SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS

IMDB: 5.4 of 10

MY RATING: 2

STORYLINE

Two decades after the freak alien invasion that nearly destroyed mankind, a new threat emerges. This alien mothership is more than twice the size as the last one and once again, the world's armies must band together to save the world. Do they have enough firepower or will this battle change and will the aliens take over?

MY REVIEW

I almost feel like making a post on the Reddit feed for "Today I Learned" and it would have gone a little something like this..

Today, Reddit users, I spent two hours of my life watching a movie. It was supposed to be a big budget action movie and well, Today I learned that action movies can be pretty boring.

I remember in 1996 going to see the original in theaters when it came out. I did like it and I feel pretty bad about saying this, but this was a pretty terrible movie.  It was just missing something that the original didn't have. So, I give it a 2 for the pretty bad acting (Except for Bill Pullman), horrid writing and dialog, lack of a good story and just nothing redeemable in my eyes.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Some of the CG was not that bad.
• The first 10-15 minutes were not too bad, it's the rest of the movie that just lets your down. There is no soul here!!
• Thanks for bringing back Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman and Brent Spiner. But it felt like they were there, but they were half of what they could have been. Bill Pullman really pulled out a great performance despite the bad concept and basic writing.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Will Smith, however you play it, was the star of the original. With him  not there, even though the concept that they came up with for why he wasn't there was not bad, he was missed.
• Did not treat the audience like intelligent humans. I do not need to be spoon-fed the plot by bad dialog and mediocre actors.
• I should have known better since the writer/Director Roland Emmerich was also responsible for 2012, a smorgasbord of the absurd and quite a bad movie.

On a more personal note..... Had some awesome time with the kittens in the backyard today. Pretty awesome photo shoot! Then Taylor came over for me to put on her face paint for a Halloween party. I am pretty proud of how it turned out! Then I made dinner... Boneless Pork ribs in a Soyaki Sauce with rice and veggies...

Timer

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 14 May 2010
     Netflix 10 Oct 2016

Writer and Director: Jac Schaeffer
Running Time: 99 Minutes

Staring:  Emma Caulfield, John Patrick Amedori, Michelle Borth, Desmond Harrington and JoBeth Williams

Rating? R

SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.6 of 10

MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

When implanted in a person's wrist, a TiMER counts down to the day the wearer finds their true love. But Oona O'Leary faces the rare dilemma of a blank TiMER. Her soul mate, whoever and wherever he may be, has not had their TiMER implanted so her wrist is blinking all dashes. Staring down the barrel of thirty and tired of waiting for her would-be life partner to get on with it already, she breaks her own ruled and falls for Mikey. He's a young and charming supermarket clerk with a countdown on his timer of 4 months. 

MY REVIEW

This movie resonated with me on multiple levels. The fact that they used in this movie was that with the use of the TiMER, you could KNOW if you found the ONE. Imagine it, you could know! I mean, we've all taken chances and fallen for someone whom we shouldn't have and this invention would have stopped you from making that bad choice. I found myself stopping and going back a few times and even watching this movie a few more times. This was good. It's witty and focused and smart.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Brilliant concept. This was not something that I had every really heard of as a movie plot before. It was a great take on the epic search for love in the modern time.
• Character development was on point. Even the sub-plot people were developed and full of life.
• Cinematography was on point. I loved the use of colors to define sections and people.
• I loved the idea that was set in this movie.. the what if factor. Hat if the person who you are connected to and quite possibly love is NOT the "ONE?" What would you do? Would you risk a good relationship to find out?
• The idea that Oona, Emma Caulfield, must look down at her blinking timer with no idea when or if her "ONE" will ever appear. It's heart heartwrenching.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• The only real beef that I have with this movie is the story does go right down the path to the most obvious trail. 

On a more personal note..... So, we had a hurricane blow through Saturday night/ Sunday morning. The first pic is of me brushing my teeth Saturday night in the dark using a flashlight. The second is my menu board for the week. Today, the third picture, is what I wore to my interview this morning. The final pic is the remaining standing water on the back porch from all of the water!! I do love my wellies!

The Girl on the Train

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 7 October 2016 
     Lynnhaven AMC on the 8th.

Director: Tate Taylor
Writer: Erin Cressida Wilson (Screenplay)
Based on the novel by Paula Hawkins

If you have not read the book, I beg you, please go read the book before watching this movie! No, you don't NEED to, but I think it will make the changes THAT much better!

Running Time: 112 Minutes

Staring:  Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Edgar Ramirez, Laura Prepon, Allison Janney and Lisa Kudrow

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO, because you should see this!

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.7 of 10

MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

This is the story of Rachel Watson's life post-divorce. Every day, she takes the train in to work in New York, and every day the train passes by her old house. The house she lived in with her husband, who still lives there, with his new wife and child. As she attempts to not focus on her pain, she starts watching a couple who live a few houses down -- Megan and Scott Hipwell. She creates a wonderful dream life for them in her head, about how they are a perfect happy family. And then one day, as the train passes, she sees something shocking, filling her with rage. The next day, she wakes up with a horrible hangover, various wounds and bruises, and no memory of the night before. She has only a feeling: something bad happened. Then come the TV reports: Megan Hipwell is missing. Rachel becomes invested in the case and trying to find out what happened to Megan, where she is, and what exactly she herself was up to that same night Megan went missing.

MY REVIEW

Although it had some hiccups, this was a brilliant movie. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire film and was pleasantly surprised with the modifications made from book to movie. I thought that the casting was well-done. The piece that I loved, and this will not give anything away, was the story-telling piece that we nee Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt) do while she is on the train. I myself play this game while bored in the car!  Loved that!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• This movie has some pieces that are so reminiscent to real life that they are haunting. It deals with issues such as alcoholism, paranoia, infidelity, obsession, envy, lust, abortion and so much more. 
• Loved the twisty-turny nature of the book and they were able to bring it to the film. 
• Emily Blunt IS Rachel Watson. She took that character and made it her own. Wonderful! 
• Most of the remainder of the cast: Justin Theroux, Luke Evans (mmmm, Luke Evans), Allison Janney and Rebecca Ferguson. They were amazing and I loved their nuanced and interesting portrayals of them.
• I loved having the pieces, one by one, revealed a little, then a little more until finally, there is a sense of closure that is just then ripped away!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Scrambled chronology does not do it for me here. There is so much that was retold and seemed to be edited along the way. I usually enjoy when stories are told in an awkward reverse to reveal things that we didn't know. But this really didn't settle well with me.
• Just a bit more of the book from the ending would have been awesome!

On a more personal note..... On Monday, we went to Breakout again and WE DID IT AGAIN!! We broke out of the Kidnapping Scenario with 5 minutes to spare!! (Back row is Taylor, Me, Scott and Jon and kneeling is Ami and Chris) Wednesday there is a pic of baby Rocket! He's getting so big!! I love his little face! And finally from today, I am about 65% done with printing a castle on my 3-D Printer!! so fun!