Atomic Fangirl

“Why are we doing this?”

Story: Poor little Cady. She just lost her parents in a horrible car crash, and now she’s got to live with her self-absorbed aunt Gemma. Meanwhile, Gemma, who is Much Too Busy to deal with her new charge – “She’s not my daughter!” – decides to re-commission the android/robot doll she’d been working on at the toy company she works for. The latest in tech…with absolutely zero stopgaps or emergency protocols. Because who’s got time for that? Just throw that electronic babysitter at Cady and get back to real life, right? What’s the worst that can happen? cues up creepy music

Genre I’d put it in: Probaby Intentionally Hilarious Horrors
Release Date: 2023 (limited 2022)
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Lots of vibes from earlier films, but original nonetheless

Gotta say: Okay y’all. We’ve all seen that clip. Director Gerard Johnstone knew what he was doing when M3GAN‘s teaser trailer included it. He was setting the scene, letting everyone know that this was gonna be silly fun, rather than balls-out horror. And while I laughed my way through a good deal of this film – enjoying every one of those moments – this film should have really gone for peak hilarity, rather than trying to bob and weave between serious and comedic. A for effort, I guess?

“This is what they want. America’s sweetheart.”

Genre I’d put it in: Powerfully Compelling Biopics
Release Date: 2022
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Based on the life and career defining moments of Whitney Houston

Story: Whitney Elizabeth “Nippy” Houston grew up in New Jersey, but became a worldwide music sensation thanks to the power of her incredible voice. But who was she really? And how did she deal with the pressures of fame and her demanding father? (Spoiler: as well as any normal person thrust into fame at an early age could)

Gotta say: Dance does exactly what it sets out to do; remind you of exactly how talented Houston was as a singer. Thanks to an electric performance by Naomi Ackie as Houston, the film pulls you get you pulled in to the beauty and power of her performances. To be completely honest, I wasn’t expecting much when I readied myself for this screening. But I was pleasantly surprised by the way the creators put in the time and effort to make a visually beautiful, compelling film.

“Alright! No tits!”

Story: 1920s Hollywood was absolutely crazy. Decadent, hedonistic, and straight-up lewd, those in the cinema system were all-out, every day. Work hard, play hard, amirite? But soon, audiences began to eschew silent films filled with “excess”, and wanted talkies with “morals”. What of the folks behind-the-scenes? Let a few actors, musicians, and other shot-callers walk you through it all.

Genre I’d put it in: Crazypants Debauched-to-Moralistic Film Histories
Release Date: 2022
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Based on the history of Hollywood(land), especially how the “anything goes” vibe of the 1920s turned into the “Golden Age of Film” of the 1930s.

Gotta say: Holy cow, Babylon is insane. All the flavors of insane; gloriously insane, strangely insane, horrifyingly insane, and even heartbreakingly insane. You’ll probably either love it or hate it, but director Damien Chazelle left absolutely nothing on the table after making this film. And wow, it’s A Lot. I dig it.