I happened to catch a few older and newer movies in July, but felt my thoughts were better if they were laid out simple reviews. A part of me is hoping I can keep this up to complete my 2019 bucket list, so I'll see where this goes. These are my quick movie reviews for Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Thelma, and Ali. The review for Thelma contains spoilers. Have you seen these films? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Us (2019) Works Best in Fragments But Not As A Whole
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Universal Pictures |
In 2017, Jordan Peele made the
unforgettable switch as a comedy veteran to masterful horror director. His
debut film Get Out stunned audiences with complex storytelling, attention
to detail, and ability to set an allegory of the real world into the horror
scene. While it’s natural to expect just as much from him for his next film, Us turned out to be a lukewarm
experience in its story and script. Much of it works on paper, but what's
presented on screen leaves as many open-ended questions as it answers.
The Wilson family – Adelaide (Lupita
N’Yongo), Gabe (Winston Duke), Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan
Alex) - venture to a lake house near Santa Cruz for a fun vacation. Their harmless
trip to the beach turns deadly when mysterious clones emerge around the country
to hunt their other halves down. A traumatic event from Adelaide’s past, where
she encountered her own doppelganger, brings back haunting memories, but they
also might be the key to their survival.
If you haven't seen Us, read at your own risk. This post contains spoilers!
Friday, July 26, 2019
Epic Trailer Drops At San Diego Comic Con 2019
San Diego Comic Con is where all the can't-missed events drop for the biggest franchises and most anticipated flicks in movies, television shows, and games. From the terrifying new trailer for It: Chapter Two to the , this year didn't hold back with epic teasers. Here are some of my favorite trailer drops at San Diego Comic Con 2019. Let me know what your faves were in the comments.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Happy 20th Anniversary to the Best Damn Comedy and Most Smartest Movie
Young adult movies always explore characters feeling like an outcast, falling in love for the first time, or trying to find their identity outside of school. Grease riffs on the jocks, nerds, and beauties from the 1950s. Mean Girls cleverly explores dysfunctional girl culture in high school. The Perks of Being a Wallflower brings the misfits together in their senior year before college. While I love all of these movies, and many more, my go-to teen flick has and will always be Drop Dead Gorgeous.
Because it was a commercial and critical failure, there’s a chance you might’ve never heard of it. And if you did, there are even more chances that the talk surrounding the movie was about its sense of humor. But it is a dark and twisted comedy that not only do I know better than the back of my hand, but also feels like it deserves some praise, especially on its 20th anniversary.
Because it was a commercial and critical failure, there’s a chance you might’ve never heard of it. And if you did, there are even more chances that the talk surrounding the movie was about its sense of humor. But it is a dark and twisted comedy that not only do I know better than the back of my hand, but also feels like it deserves some praise, especially on its 20th anniversary.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Watch On Netflix: Stranger Things 3 (2019)
There’s just no avoiding Stranger Things. When a new season releases on Netflix, you run towards the Upside Down arms open – Mindflaying domination over Hawkins, Indiana be damned.
The third season of the popular series kicked off with another edition of Nancy Drew adventures for our heroic misfits: Steve, Robin, Erica, and Dustin investigate a mysterious code at the new Starcourt Mall. On the other side of town, Eleven with Mike, Lucas, and Will try to discover why the Upside Down is having a sadistic affect on Max's brother Billy. Meanwhile Nancy and Jonathan struggle with their new responsibilities after high school, as Joyce and Hopper discover that the Russians are coming (or have never truly left).
If that seems like a lot to read, it might not come as a surprise that it’s also a lot to digest while watching the newest episodes. As the third chapter in the Stranger Things saga, the series finds a balance in righting and recycling some of its previous flaws.
As a precaution, if you haven't seen Stranger Things 3, read at your own risk. This post contains spoilers!
Friday, July 19, 2019
7 Fascinating Reveals About Avengers: Endgame at San Diego Comic Con 2019
Avengers: Endgame is one of the biggest movies of all-time. Since its release earlier this summer, much has been speculated about its complex time travel plot, the arcs of favorite characters, and the start of a new phase in the MCU. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo, as well as the screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, held their own panels in the famous Hall H soundstage. By discussing the unique approach of making the most colossal Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to date, we learned some fascinating behind-the-scenes intel about how the foursome created the movie. Here are 7 Reveals About Avengers: Endgame at San Diego Comic Con.
If you haven't seen Avengers: Endgame, read at your own risk. This post contains spoilers!
If you haven't seen Avengers: Endgame, read at your own risk. This post contains spoilers!
Friday, July 12, 2019
Katie Says Goodbye (2016) Strives to Find Meaning Out Of Misery
Katie (Olivia Cooke) dreams of leaving her past behind to move to San Francisco and attend beauty school. While pulling double-shifts as a waitress where her tips are wasted by her alcoholic mother, the seventeen-year-old supplements her savings as a prostitute. As she reserves every dime she can for greener pastures, falling in love with an ex-convict Bruno (Christopher Abbott) spirals her life out of control.
Everyone in Katie Says Goodbye has to forge their way in a claustrophobic nowhere town in the middle of the desert. There’s little to do for its residents except serve travelers on the road, drink, have sex – either for fun or as a gig. Left to fend for themselves with the basic necessities, Katie makes the best of what she has always looking for the silver lining. A few glimpses at her day-to-day life of monotonous waitressing, and excitedly gleaming at passing trains offers no rhyme or reason as to why she remains abundantly hopeful, and yet the film lovingly sets up this infectious charm only to gradually deconstruct it.
Everyone in Katie Says Goodbye has to forge their way in a claustrophobic nowhere town in the middle of the desert. There’s little to do for its residents except serve travelers on the road, drink, have sex – either for fun or as a gig. Left to fend for themselves with the basic necessities, Katie makes the best of what she has always looking for the silver lining. A few glimpses at her day-to-day life of monotonous waitressing, and excitedly gleaming at passing trains offers no rhyme or reason as to why she remains abundantly hopeful, and yet the film lovingly sets up this infectious charm only to gradually deconstruct it.
Sunday, July 7, 2019
Hugh Jackman World Tour Was The Greatest Show
When I saw tickets for Hugh Jackman's world tour go on sale last December, I didn't know anything except that I had to be there. I didn't know how I was going to go to the arena where the show was held, what the arena's layout was, if I bought tickets that had a decent view, or if I'd have money to get a hotel for the night. #mydreamsarebiggerthanmybankaccount I definitely didn't know that six months later, I'd save up enough to attend, but also be as sick as one can possibly get without going to the hospital the day of. As sure as I was the day I bought the tickets, I knew I had to be there.
With a relentless fever, drippy nose, burning lungs, and not being able to move without sweating through my clothes, I WAS LIVING at this concert. Both literally and figuratively. I'm still not 100% well as I'm writing this, but at least I'm not Patient Zero right now.
From Broadway and movies to his own triumphs and personal interests, Jackman's show is a showstopping combination of who he is as an actor on stage and in film as well as a kid who had a big dream to entertain. Just as the world tour is called, it's all about The Man, The Music, The Show. And whatta man whatta man whatta man he is, I mean music, I mean show, it was.
With a relentless fever, drippy nose, burning lungs, and not being able to move without sweating through my clothes, I WAS LIVING at this concert. Both literally and figuratively. I'm still not 100% well as I'm writing this, but at least I'm not Patient Zero right now.
From Broadway and movies to his own triumphs and personal interests, Jackman's show is a showstopping combination of who he is as an actor on stage and in film as well as a kid who had a big dream to entertain. Just as the world tour is called, it's all about The Man, The Music, The Show. And whatta man whatta man whatta man he is, I mean music, I mean show, it was.
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Booksmart (2019) Is A Genuine Revelation
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Photo Credit: United Artists Releasing |
From earning admission into Yale to doing charity work in Botswana, best friends Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) have high aspirations for themselves and their classmates. When Molly discovers that the slackers have also leveled up into amazing post-high school opportunities without sacrificing fun, she encourages Amy to squeeze four years of partying into the night before graduation.
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Rocketman's (2019) Imagination Almost Burns Itself Out
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Paramount Pictures |
Growing up with his cold father and self-absorbed mother, a young Elton John finds refuge, imagination, and identity in his musical gifts. The lack of love he didn't received as a child, homophobia, and toxic relationships turns into a devastating recipe for substance abuse as he rises in the music industry. (Read the full review below)
Monday, June 17, 2019
Watching Game of Thrones For The First Time
If anyone told me eight
years ago I’d binge-watch Game of Thrones months ahead of its series
finale, I honestly wouldn’t believe them. I was never a fan to brag about not watching a popular show, as if ultra-cool fans who
weren't interested in the series act like they deserve some sort of medal for living off-the-grid. Game of Thrones, in the beginning and its peak, didn’t appeal to
me because The Walking Dead was ruling my life, and after trying to watch one
episode, I just didn’t connect. Giving it another chance, and having been 98% unaware of its biggest moments, felt like a fun challenge. And
if there is one thing that I accept more in life than anything else, and what I actually think I'm decent at, it's live-tweeting a whole series on a ridiculous time limit.
But that's exactly how I decided to ring in 2019.
But that's exactly how I decided to ring in 2019.
Friday, June 14, 2019
Quick Tv Reviews: The Orville, Survivor: Edge of Extinction, What We Do In The Shadows
With all of the streaming services available and tapping our fingers on apps to find exactly what we want, it's a little odd to talk about traditional shows - those old things we used to wait wait-to-week to watch an entire series unfold. The Orville, Survivor: Edge of Extinction, What We Do In The Shadows recently wrapped up their latest series, and were some of the traditional shows I enjoyed this past Spring. They may not be "on" or available right now, but thought it'd still be fun to share my thoughts on their latest seasons.
What are you watching right now? anything on streaming or traditional tv? Let me know in the comments.
What are you watching right now? anything on streaming or traditional tv? Let me know in the comments.
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
John Wick (Chapter 3 - Parabellum) Is Back So Tell A Friend
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Lionsgate |
The John Wick series is unlike any other spy movie. In one-fourteenth of the time of James Bond’s legacy, fans have gobbled up John Wick and all the new ways he can kill someone over the past four years. It isn't that he just massacres bystanding hitmen; it's the intense choreography Keanu and the stunt crew perfect for every action scene; his enigmatic reputation and the relateable relationship Wick has with his dog; the slick direction of Chad Stahelski; the sleek production design as Wick sheds blood in a nightclub, on the city streets, or by a dockside that keeps us wanting more. While John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum carries over all of the stunning elements from the first two films, it also proposes that idea that sometimes story can damper the action.
Sunday, June 2, 2019
Dan Fogler Makes A Fantastic Appearance at MegaCon Orlando
In J.K. Rowling's spin-off series to Harry Potter, No-Maj Jacob Kowalski captured Potterheads' hearts in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Leading the franchise alongside Eddie Redmayne, Katharine Waterson and Alison Sudol, the rising star Dan Fogler made a fantastic appearance at MegaCon Orlando with a panel full of impersonations, tales from the set and questions about the series' future.
A big topic of conversation at the panel was arguably Fogler's most popular character to date from Fantastic Beasts. Fellow Potterheads delved deep into the wizarding world about his time at the theme parks, his own favorite baked goods, and so much more. Here's a general transcript of fans' questions from the panel that are not included in the videos below.
A big topic of conversation at the panel was arguably Fogler's most popular character to date from Fantastic Beasts. Fellow Potterheads delved deep into the wizarding world about his time at the theme parks, his own favorite baked goods, and so much more. Here's a general transcript of fans' questions from the panel that are not included in the videos below.
Isn't It Romantic (2019) Knows How To Be A Copy But Not Exactly Original
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Warner Bros. Pictures |
As much as romantic comedies have found resurgence on streaming
services, the typical genre of a woman searching for the love of her
life has changed drastically over the years. Landing Mr. Right while living in a fancy apartment and having a career of every woman’s dreams
has made way for rom-coms to feature more realistic views of dating, singledom, and marriage. Modern stories have commonly explored imperfect relationships with female characters struggling to balance work, love, motherhood, and friendships. By trying to take a page out of the chick flicks that have paved the way with tropes and running gags, Isn’t It Romantic
doesn’t quite know how to be a parody of the traditional genre and say something new.
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Lana Parrilla Instills Magic and Hope at MegaCon Orlando
In 2011, Once Upon A Time premiered on ABC and introduced a new land where fairytale characters discovered that they were cursed to live in a real small-town called Storybooke. By reinventing characters like Snow White and Prince Charming as well as Rumplestiltskin and Belle from Beauty and the Beast, the well-known fictional worlds we used to know in Disney animated films and classic childhood stories were given a new twist. From the beginning one of the most popular characters and performances to emerge was Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen / Regina Mills. As someone who was devoted ONCEr who loved the things she learned about herself from the series, it was a real treat to finally see the queen in person at Lana's panel.
Let me say, the love and admiration for her vulnerable, strong, and determined character and for the actress was palpable. One of the special elements of Once Upon A Time was how fans united (and sometimes divided) over their favorite characters, ships, and storylines. Support of Lana as a performer and her character was sparked from the beginning when fans gave Lana a standing ovation as she first appeared on stage. There's nothing quite like being in a presence of a queen.
Let me say, the love and admiration for her vulnerable, strong, and determined character and for the actress was palpable. One of the special elements of Once Upon A Time was how fans united (and sometimes divided) over their favorite characters, ships, and storylines. Support of Lana as a performer and her character was sparked from the beginning when fans gave Lana a standing ovation as she first appeared on stage. There's nothing quite like being in a presence of a queen.
Friday, May 31, 2019
David Tennant & John Barrowman Should Be On Your Convention Bucket List

Every question and answer panel at a convention is different. Sometimes the atmosphere is intimate and feels like you're talking to someone you admire one-on-one, even if you're not the one leading the interview. Other times it can still be a regular question-and-answer panel, but the celebrity beams so much positive energy, it feels more like a party than anything else. Maybe you even feel like you're at a comedy club as the celeb takes centerstage to talk to the fans, tell adventurous stories, and even sings. Both of the latter is what you'll find with David Tennant and John Barrowman. So much so they should be must-attend events at your next convention.
Friday, May 24, 2019
MegaCon Orlando Community Zone Makes Fans' Dreams Come True
At the heart of every fandom, a sense of community remains an intricate element of every convention. At MegaCon Orlando, hundreds of thousands of attendees enjoy the opportunity to interact with local organizations to share in the love and craftsmanship of their favorite films, television shows, anime series, or comic books.
The Community Zone at MegaCon Orlando exhibits a vast number of one-of-a-kind experiences for everyone. To benefit charities around the country, attendees can donate money in exchange to have their photo taken in front of an iconic piece of film history like the Batmobile or the Delorean from Back to the Future. Booths offer family-friendly activities like getting close to exotic wildlife to learn and donate to conservation efforts. Located in the midst of the retail section, autograph booths, and cosplay red carpet, fans act out their biggest dreams to help make the world a better place or learn something new.
This year I discovered a few special places to geek heart that not only helped me become aware of the incredible work and craftsmanship that goes into my favorite fandoms, and also made a few of my biggest and geekiest dreams come true.
Ripley's Believe It Or Not Debuts at MegaCon Orlando 2019
For 100 years, Ripley's Believe It Or Not has drawn millions of curiosity seekers into its exhibits to explore bizarre, mysterious and weird discoveries. To celebrate its momentous anniversary, the exhibit debuted at MegaCon Orlando as apart of its event tour for the year.
Founded by Robert Ripley, the exhibit originally began as a newspaper panel and has grown into a chain of museums, comic books, and book series featuring nearly 20,000 photographs and 30,000 artifacts of unique artifacts, artwork, and props.
Every item at Ripley's Believe It Or Not exhibit comes with its own unbelievable 'you've gotta believe it' story. From the vaults of pop culture to the vast regions of history, the Ripley's exhibit included rare artifacts you couldn't find anywhere else. Guests attending the convention got up-close and personal to Indiana Jones's bullwhip and Marty McFly's hoverboard as well as a vampire killing kit and shrunken heads.
Founded by Robert Ripley, the exhibit originally began as a newspaper panel and has grown into a chain of museums, comic books, and book series featuring nearly 20,000 photographs and 30,000 artifacts of unique artifacts, artwork, and props.
Every item at Ripley's Believe It Or Not exhibit comes with its own unbelievable 'you've gotta believe it' story. From the vaults of pop culture to the vast regions of history, the Ripley's exhibit included rare artifacts you couldn't find anywhere else. Guests attending the convention got up-close and personal to Indiana Jones's bullwhip and Marty McFly's hoverboard as well as a vampire killing kit and shrunken heads.
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Epic Cosplay at MegaCon Orlando 2019
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Cosplayers: Libina Cosplay, Pinky Pandemonium, Life Like Cosplay Photographer: Amber Valois |
Note: Credit has been attributed to cosplayers in the photo captions. Please check out their amazing work on social media. This post will continued to be updated as more cosplayers are identified.
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