American Vandal

This mockumentary tv show was hilariously aware of itself and the result is pure entertainment! I don’t think this is for everyone, but I found myself laughing at more than a few situations. The kid making the documentary is not my favorite lead, but Jimmy Tatro is as hilarious and engaging as ever. This show is obviously not taking itself serious, so neither should you! If you don’t enjoy the first episode, I wouldn’t keep watching. The rest of the series is more of the same, but if you do like it, have fun! Happy watching.

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Arrival 2016

This mystery, sci-fi movie literally blew me away! I was on the edge of my seat for about 75% of the time. Typical alien movies are basically monster movies, but Arrival flips the norm and delivers a much different perspective. Instead of an action thriller, it’s more suspenseful, but it builds up beautifully. The alien lifeforms are intelligent, but our protagonists are also intelligent. Amy Adams’ performance was fantastic and all of her interactions with the aliens are phenomenal. This movie plays with time in a way I’ve never seen before and I loved it! Can’t recommend this movie enough!

mother! 2017

Most of my reviews so far have been from movies I’ve seen several times. If not several times, I’ve at least been able to enjoy them from the comfort of my own living room. For new releases, I find that it’s helpful to come home from the theater and either talk about the film at length or write a short phrase or synopsis to better remember it. I’m glad, however, that I did not do that with this movie. I watched “mother!” several days ago, and if I wrote a review that same night, it would be completely different than the one I’m about to write now. See, my first reaction to this movie was that I hated it. Not “didn’t like it that much” or “wasn’t for me”, but I seriously did not enjoy it at all. Halfway through the movie I was ready to walk out, that’s how unbelievably stressful this movie was. Not only stressful, but confusing too. This movie has no plot, and Javier Bardem’s character is catalyzing everything, but his motivations are unclear/nonexistent. Since then, I’ve learned that this movie is a metaphor for the book of Genesis in the Bible.  I honestly love this concept, but I wish the movie itself made this a bit clearer. There are subtle hints (very subtle), but the few lines of dialogue are too broad to draw any sort of conclusion. Jennifer Lawrence plays mother nature, so spoiler alert, it doesn’t turn out well for her. Understanding what the film is based on makes me like it more, but I think a film should stand on it’s own, without requiring internet research.

After taking a step back and a deep breath, it’s hard to deny the talent behind the camera. Darren Aronofsky does a brilliant job showing us every little detail about the house, the only setting in the entire movie. And although I was very stressed toward the end, the effects and the scenes were visually stunning. I still can’t point to any one scene and say “That was good, I liked that.” Which is kind of an issue for me, but maybe that says less about the movie, and more about the Bible. Either way, good or bad, I cannot stop thinking about this movie. I don’t think any review can prepare you for the madness, but this movie is worth watching for the after discussion alone. Happy Watching!

IT 2017

IT was a truly terrifying remake… Good terrifying. With horror movies generally lacking substance these days, Andy Muschietti delivers a powerful film with a lot (A LOT) to chew on. I’m usually not keen on child actors, but all of the children in this movie are directed so perfectly, by the end of the movie, I felt like I knew all 6! It’s difficult for most horror movies to develop more than 2 or 3 characters, but I think, in time, we’re going to look back on this movie as a road map to the future of scary movies. I hope so anyways, because although I was frightened several times throughout the film, I genuinely enjoyed the ride. On the edge of my seat, even. Bill Skarsgard’s performance as Pennywise is the only reason you need to watch this, but you’ll be glad you did. Happy Watching.

“You’ll float, too!”

Gangs of New York 2002

It’s clear to see the talent behind the camera in this film. Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio team up for the first time, and the result is exactly as good as it sounds. Daniel Day-Lewis’ character is terrifying, but extremely watchable. Solid acting and directing makes Gangs of New York an achievement of a film. It’s a long movie, grab a popcorn. Happy watching.

Titanic (1997)

I wouldn’t normally describe any movie as “perfect”, but after my most recent viewing of James Cameron’s Titanic, I’ll have to change that rule. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet have the sort of chemistry that other on-screen couples can only dream of achieving. That’s impressive by itself, but the rest of the movie is shot so beautifully, you might forget this movie is 3 hours long! The only VHS I can remember that needed 2 separate tapes! It’s ironic, because what I found particularly interesting on this repeat viewing was the fact that you could look at Titanic as 2 completely separate movies. The first half is a romantic drama, telling the age-old story of forbidden love. The second half, however, is an action thriller. Once the Titanic hits the iceberg and the ship begins to sink, the movie becomes about survival. And because of the blossoming love we witnessed in the first half of the film, the gravity of the situation is only heightened. I’ve seen the movie at least 10 times, and even thought I know how it ends, it doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of the film. The journey that James Cameron takes us on is beautifully inspired and I can’t recommend this movie enough. I’m not crying, you’re crying! Happy watching.

“I’m the king of the world!”

Dead Poets Society 1989

If you haven’t seen this movie before, you might think it’s overrated, but I can assure you it is not. This “coming of age” movie pulled me in right away and was a blast to watch! Robin Williams teaching poetry and mentoring a small group of boys doesn’t necessarily sound like a movie you “have” to see, but this film is executed so beautifully that it is. There is a hint of nostalgia I get from some of the classroom scenes, although this was years before my time. I could have swore I was watching young children at the beginning of this movie, but along the way it’s clear to see that these boys are actually young adults. And Robin Williams is there to guide them and us through their journey. There is a fantastic scene where Ethan Hawke adlibs a poem in front of the classroom with the support of Robin Williams and it’s tearjerkingly satisfying. I honestly can’t say enough great things about this movie. I’m surprised it’s only rated 8/10 stars on IMDb. This is a must see. Happy Watching.

“O Captain! My Captain!”