The Invisible Man

MY RATING: 6

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info:  28 February 2020

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Writer and Director: Leigh Whannell
Running Time:  2 Hours and 4 Minutes

Staring: Elisabeth Moss and Oliver Jackson-Cohen

Rating? R

SPOILERS? YES-ish

STORYLINE

When Cecilia's abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspect his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia wrks to prove that she is being hunted by someone no-one can see.

MY REVIEW

Let's just state the obvious- - I KNOW I was expecting a modern day Hollow Man scenario based on the trailers and while it was close, it was not what I thought it was going to be. It was okay, not great and definitely fell flat in some areas, but it was a solid 6. Read below (YES, SPOILERS) to find out why I gave it that rating.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• The tension in the first two acts was intense. I love when movies give you something to be afraid of and NOT show you what that might be. Your thoughts run way and your imagination seems to run wild. What you CAN'T see is scary.
• The viewer is placed in the shoes of Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) as she struggles with the aftermath of domestic violence, trust issues and a mental breakdown in the making.
• Dark themes. While abuse is no laughing matter and should to be made light of, this movie did give the abuser some of his own medicine but it takes us a little while to get there.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• The third act leaves a lot to be desired with some obvious plot holes, camera angle oddities and an almost never-ending movie. What we think is the end is not the end and then that happens again. While it was interesting, there's such a thing as too many endings.
• Why do they not have a Canary or Ring Camera in the house on the first night weird stuff happens. Seriously, Bust Buy or Amazon can get that shit to you in 1 day. I have so many cameras in the house I catch every dumb thing my cat does!
• Better writing please...

On a more personal note..... 

I did a thing on the way home from work last night and got about 6" cut on the length of my hair I'm okay. It grows back pretty quickly! Also, had some work done on my sleeve this week. Clay went in and made some highlights on the sugar skill and the microphone. One of these days, I'll get back up in front of people and sing. I do miss that sometimes! Last but not least, my little house panther Isabella hanging out at the base of Darth Vader in the living room.

Ready or Not

MY RATING: 6  - quite nearly a 7

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: Released 21 August 2019

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
Writer: Guy Busick and Ryan Murphy
Running Time: 1 Hour and 35 Minutes

Staring: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody and Andie MacDowell

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

We follow young bride Grace (Samara Weaving) as she joins her new husband  Alex's (Mark O'Brien) rich, eccentric family in a time-honored wedding day tradition that turns into a lethal game with everyone fighting for their lives. 

MY REVIEW

I saw the trailer a month or so ago and was not exactly dying to see it, but it sounded interesting. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are really only known for V/H/S and one of the writers, Ryan Murphy, was responsible for one of my long-time faves, Wrong Turn from 2003. The idea was interesting. It reminded me of a gory and somewhat satanic version of the movie Clue at times. We'll get into the reasons below, but this is a fun movie. It was by far, not the greatest or even Oscar-worthy, but it was fun. It had flaws, like REALLY bad acting in most cases, but it was fun and there were some authentic ideas and some great laughable lines. Let's dive in, shall we!

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• The bright star of this movie was Margot Robbie, oh, that wasn't her? For a few minutes, it sure did look a lot like her! No, seriously, Samara Weaving was pretty good. She was in a little Netflix find The Babysitter- also a solid performance. She stole the scene from whoever she was paired with and that was unfortunate for them.
•  Adam Brody has quite possibly the best line of the whole movie when he is talking to Grace (Samara Weaving) about what his family thinks of his brothers new bride.. "Don't take it personally, they're just trying to figure out if you're a gold digging whore. You know, like my wife."
• It's dark. Pretty god-damned dark with the murder and all, but it was genuinely a pretty solid take on the weird shit that people do for fame and fortune.
• Aunt Helene. (Nicky Guadagni) Oh, she was awkward and weird but she was glorious!
• This might be a little too much of my weird psychoanalytic  bullshit but here goes and I'm trying not to spoil anything. During the movie we start with Grace in her white wedding dress and all of the others in the movie are wearing dark clothes. This COULD be a symbol of good vs. evil or light vs. dark. But as she plays the game and finds her footing and fights back, her white dress becomes more and more dirty.. and by the end, she's covered in dirt and blood. Fitting? Interesting?
• The song. "Hide and Seek" is the creepiest thing I've ever heard in my life! Nothing else in the soundtrack really stood out.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• It was hard to have even the slightest bit of empathy for ANY of the characters really. There was little to no development to explain they "why" or make you care if they lived or died. The only one who even began to be a real person was the brother of the groom Adam Brody.
• If you look at the climax of the movie, the last 30 minutes of the movie felt really rushed. The first two acts were like foreplay, peeling back layer after layer in a good balance of exposition and action. Then, in a rush to "get it over with" the story takes a direct path that failed to really satisfy the buildup that I was given. Left me wanting more. I actually had to pause and let myself take in the fact that THAT was really then end. 

On a more personal note..... 

This week was pretty fun. I had a great dinner with a visiting co-worker from Las Vegas and realized that the sun was my best friend when  I wanted to show off the bright red/purple highlights in my hair and I drank some delicious mimosas with friends!

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 Nun

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 7 Sept 2018

Director: Corin Hardy
Writer:Gary Dauberman and James Wan
Running Time: 1 Hour and 36 Minutes

Staring:Demián Bichir, Taissa Farmiga and Jonas Bloquet

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO- ish

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.1 of 10

MY RATING: 3

STORYLINE

A priest with a haunted past and a novice on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate the death go a young nun in Romania and confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun.

MY REVIEW

I think the Conjuring follow-on's are getting a little overboard. I mean, how many more can they really get in there with the ridiculous antics of Ed and Lorraine Warren. I'm all for a good scary movie, but when so meany people take the words that the filmmakers say in these as gospel and fail to research this duo of duplicity and know that they are frauds and have been debunked a number of times.

That being said, lets get back to the movie itself. It's not a great or even unique story. It's not great acting or cinematography. It's bland at best. It's lacking a certain joie de vivre that usually comes with a James Wan film.

What is it that makes a horror movie great.. we need to be gradually brought into the world and be given a well crafted tension that does not reveal too much that sets up a compelling dramatic conclusion. This film brings none of that to me life.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Setting- It's sad when the best thing that I have to say about a movie is that the set decorations were pretty stellar. I loved the look of the Romanian castle. The oddly satisfying amount of crosses in some scenes was pretty unsettlingly perfect.
• Twist- There was a little twist, LITTLE. By no means enough to save this film.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• STOP SHOWING ME THE DEMON!! Come on, this is rule Number 1! The more you show the bad thing, the less power it has!
• Plot- What plot. It just feels like someone threw a bunch of plot ideas on the floor, gathered them and made a movie.
• Jump Scares- typically, I do love a good jump scare. This is just missing the whole point here. Yes, there are jump scares but my issue is that they are too obvious and not scary enough to hold their own. It felt like the jump scares were placed to keep the watcher from being g bored to death at times.
• Writing- The dialogue is a MESS!

On a more personal note..... 

I painted a set of Storm Trooper/Kiss pieces that will eventually go into the living room.  Rocket and Dexter were pretty amazingly adorable! I played on SnapChat and pretended to be a cat!!

Slasher- The Executioner

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 2016 Canadian TV Show available in Netflix

Creator: Aaron Martin
Running Time: 8 Episodes, 45-55 minutes each

Staring: Katie McGrath, Brandon Jay McLaren, Christopher Jacot, Steve Byers, Patrick Garrow, Dean McDermott and Jefferson Brown

Rating? Unrated, Made for TV

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: 6.6 of 10

MY RATING: 7

STORYLINE

A young woman returns to the small town where her parents were murdered, only to find the past re-emerging as a new series of murders begin.

MY REVIEW

BINGE-WORTHY tv horror. No, it's not the greatest thing in the world. No, it
s not going to win an Emmy. But, the story is decent, the casting is average and the gore is above board.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Violent. Not for kids. This was perfect. Just not a great dinner-time watch!
• It was definitely a fun watch. For those of us who enjoy trying to figure out the "real killer" behind the masked ones. This was an enjoyable task over 8 episodes. It was a little obvious close to the middle, but it was good. I guessed wrong for the first half!

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Katie McGrath is Irish and it was pretty obviojs
• It's B-level, Canadian Horror TV. Enough Said.

Atomic Blonde

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 28 July 2017
     Sneak Preview 19 July 2017

Director: David Leitch
Writer: Kurt Johnstad, Antony Johnston
Running Time: 1 Hour and 55 Minutes

Staring:  Charlize Theron, James McAvoy and John Goodman

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS

IMDB: ?? of 10

MY RATING: 9

STORYLINE

An undercover MI6 agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and revoker a missing list of double agents.

MY REVIEW

This was a pretty amazing movie. Due to it not being released yet and I got to see a pre-release preview, I don't want to go into too many details. 

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Setting- I love the setting. Berlin wall is a month from being torn down.. US, British, French and Russian spies a plenty! Excellent use of music and costuming! This was a visual masterpiece.
• Violence was necessary and perfect.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• Not much. I think the only thing that was a little iffy was the twist, or the twist on the twist, or the twist on the twist of the twist... It's almost like they filmed 3 endings and decided to use them all!

On a more personal note..... Finished my 3-D printed Wonder Woman Tiara. Wore it to work today! Finished a new trooper helmet. Isabella and Dexter were pretty cute!

Get Out

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 24 February 2017
     Watched on Demand 29 April 2017

Writer and Director: Jordan Peele
Running Time: 1 Hour and 44 Minutes

Staring:  Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO!!

REVIEWS

IMDB: 8.0 of 10

RT: 99% Critics; 89% Audience
MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE

A young black man visits his white girlfriend's family estate where he learns that many of its residents, who are black, have gone missing, and he soon learns the horrible truth when a fellow black man on the estate warns him to "get out". He soon learns this is easier said than done.

MY REVIEW

I was skeptical about this movie at first based solely on the idea that modern movies that are touted as horror typically fall off track and fail me. This was not that movie. Jordan Peele both wrote and directed this atypical mystery horror that was light on the horror to the point of nonexistent and heavy on the mystery thriller. This hit a majority of the buttons for me with a few iffy moments.

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Theme/ Social Commentary- This should spark heavy on the conversational side for watchers, I can assume. This movie is not about making white people feel uncomfortable, this is a film that digs heavy into the idea that everyone wants what someone else has and will stop at nothing to take.
• Writing- Jordan Peele, sir, this is a work of art. The short bursts of storytelling that were masterfully stung together by simple threads that the watcher sees stitched together in a way that brings the story to life and fleshes out the most intriguing plot that I've seen in a while.
• Music- From the very firs scene, the musical choices were unsettling to say the least. They were perfection.
• Cinematography- There are some brilliantly shot scenes here that really draw your eye into the locations. The scenery becomes a character that is hard to ignore although it has no lines.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• This was NOT a horror film. I was expecting one and that's not what I got. The only real issue that I had is that this movie seems to change it's mind about what it wants to be a few too many times. I mean it wasn't a deal-breaker in the slightest, but it was just a little odd.
• Some of the acting was a little one the top in both performance and writing. The father, played by Bradley Whitford was annoying and less interesting than i would assume they intended.
• A little similar to Skeleton Key.

On a more personal note..... So, last week, we went to Star Wars Celebration in Orlando for 4 days. Here are a few snaps... I did find my people though, Horror and Star Wars Mash up!!

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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!!

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!