Short Film/Short Review – “If anything happens I love you”

Posted on November 26, 2020 by Denise

Genre: animated dramatic short
Watched on: Netflix

Welcome to the winner of this year’s Best Animated Short Film.

When their daughter is killed in a school shooting, her parents struggle to make it through the day, every day. Oh my God this is a gut punch to the heart. Beautiful, poignant, and a hell of a lot of power in twelve incredible minutes. Creators Michael Govier and Will McCormack crafted an intimate look at the aftermath of senseless murder, and it’s an instant classic.

Gorgeous visuals use a minimalist look to laser focus on the feelings of the parents left behind to pick up the pieces. Beautiful songs by Lindsay Marcus lend the perfect balance of beauty to the painful story. Déjà vu as this film unwinds? You’re not crazy; during the Parkland shootings, kids in the school texted their parents.

Watch this immediately. If you cry, that’s okay, you’re not alone. And if don’t mist up at least once, you’re dead inside. My heart breaks for you.

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My yearly “here have some tunes for Thanksgiving” post

Posted on November 26, 2020 by Denise

Because what’s turkey day without Alice’s Restaurant, Mashed Potato Popcorn, and Rubber Biscuit? Have a great day – and Thanks everso!

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Ho or No? – Holly’s Holiday

Posted on November 24, 2020 by Denise

“We should move in together!” – spoken less than five minutes after a first kiss

Where I Watched: Amazon Prime

Genre: WTF Holiday “Romance”

New Holiday Spirit or Ghost of Christmas Past?: It’s definitely…a thing.

Synopsis: Holly (because Christmas story, get it? GET IT) is a perfectionist in all aspects of her life. How do we know that? Because she’s young happens to work very hard at her job, while still maintaining a BFF and going out on the regular. But she’s ignoring the cute nice guy Milo in her office. She’s obviously in need of an attitude adjustment. Cue a fall on the ice, and a meet cute with a “perfect” guy. Hey, wasn’t there a male manequin in that shop window just a second ago?

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TrailerWatch – “Chaos Walking”

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Denise

Ready for some scifi fun? Love Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley? (DUH) Check out the trailer for Chaos Walking, based on the book “The Knife of Never Letting Go” by Patrick Ness. (The first book in the Chaos Walking trilogy.) Synopsis!

In the not too distant future, Todd Hewitt (Tom Holland) discovers Viola (Daisy Ridley), a
mysterious girl who crash lands on his planet, where all the women have disappeared and the men are afflicted by “the Noise” – a force that puts all their thoughts on display. In this dangerous landscape, Viola’s life is threatened – and as Todd vows to protect her, he will have to discover his own inner power
and unlock the planet’s dark secrets.

Chaos Walking is currently scheduled to hit theaters January 2021.

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Ho or No? – “Christmas With a Prince”

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Denise

“Well, this is completely insane.”

Genre: Romance With Extra Schmaltz

Streaming: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Tubi

Synopsis: Dr. Tasha Mason is a pediatrician in a small hospital in the woods. So when Prince Alexander – Tasha’s brother’s BFF and her high school nemesis – gets a broken leg at a nearby ski resort? Let’s have him stay in Pedes for the next few weeks! And whoa, it’s almost Christmas. Looks like Alex and Tasha are going to get cozy. Because of course they are.

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Freaky Fridays – “The Endless”

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Denise
Horror, Cult Movies, 70s Schlock, and more! Let’s look at something cool every Friday!

“You figure it out.”

Genre: Calm But Crazy-ass Scifi

Pedigree: Riffs on Lovecraft, but has ideas that are based on real life events. A possible sequel/same universe link with the 2012 film Resolution by creators/stars Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead .

Synopsis: Brothers Justin and Aaron walked away from a suicide cult years ago. Okay, so older bro Justin ran off, dragging Aaron with him. But they just got a videotape from the cult, revealing the members are still alive. Aaron wants to check things out, Justin isn’t so sure. Naturally, they go to the commune in the sticks where the cult lives…and things look great. Too great. Must be that beer they brew.

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Movie News – “Wonder Woman 1984” to debut on HBO Max & in theaters on December 25th

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Denise

Amazing news! Or, dare I say it, Wonder-ful? Fine. But this is a great compromise for pandemic ridden areas (which is basically everywhere in the US right now…)

WW84 will hit international markets a week earlier, but hey. I’m not jealous. It’s a great Xmas prezzie for me, and all other Wonder Woman fans. (It’s all about me, apparently…) Huzzah, Warner Brothers!

Read the full 411 after the jump!

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Ho or No? – “A Christmas Prince”

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Denise

“There’s nothing loose about this goose.”

Holiday: Christmas. Obviously.

Genre: Regal Rom-coms

Synopsis: Amber longs to become more than a copy editor at her newspaper. Prince Richard longs for freedom from the crown. When Amber sneaks into the palace as the “nanny” to the Princess, unexpected sparks fly. Can these two figure out what they really want? Um, DUH.

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Freaky Fridays – “What Keeps You Alive”

Posted on November 13, 2020 by Denise
Horror, Cult Movies, 70s Schlock, and more! Let’s look at something cool every Friday! Starting this Friday the 13th with something spooky…

“Baby please – just talk to me! I love you so much! I’m scared, please!”

Genre: One-on-One Horror

Synopsis: First anniversary? Mazel! Jackie and Jules are a married couple who are absolutely crazy for each other. So a romantic getaway to Jackie’s family cabin in the sticks sounds like a cozy getaway. But as Jules starts to learn more about her wife’s childhood? It’s looking like one of them might be straight up crazy.

Fabulous or Frustrating?: Alive has similar vibes to Revenge and The Duelists… A weird blend, sure. But it mostly works, thanks to fantastic performances, cinematography that creates an eerie sense of isolation, and a few twists that kept me on my toes.

There’s lots of cat-and-mouse thrills here, mixed with moments of Hitchcockian “bomb under the table” suspense. As the married couple Jules and Jackie, Brittany Allen and Hannah Anderson both do both loving and life-or-death exceedingly well. My heart broke for Jules, yet I wanted to know more about about Jackie and her fucked-up life. Here’s hoping for a prequel?

One thing in the negative column though… There are scenes that feel like bits of padding in an otherwise taught thriller, going on a tic too long here and beat too long there. Nothing so egregious that I found myself checking the time, but enough to sometimes feel the drag. Still, the way this film takes well worn tropes and adds fresh elements to the mix makes things interesting even in those moments.

In the end, it was worth my time, if only to see a brand new badass come into her own.

Score: 4 out of 5

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Ho or No? – “Holidate”!

Posted on November 8, 2020 by Denise
It’s that time of year y’all! Time for cheesy holiday films, weird holiday comedies, and other assorted Xmas mess. Let’s check out what’s going on, and see if there’s anything worth watching!

“Just relax. I’ve got it all under control. You don’t have to lift a finger.”

Holiday: All of them. But it begins and ends on Christmas.

Genre: Saucy Rom-com

Synopsis: Sloane is sick of being a twenty-something at the kiddie table. Jackson is sick of casual dates becoming Big Deals simply because it’s a holiday. So when these two run into each other, they figure being each other’s “holidate” for every coming gathering this year is a great idea. All fun, no feelings. Right? Sure.

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