FILM DIARY

Had never heard of this film before I came across is scrolling through Tubi hoping to find a fun crime drama. It was directed by Bill Duke, an actor who, if you don't recognize his name, you probably recognize his face if you've seen, say, Predator? And a few other iconic films. I did not know he was a director at all let alone that he's that fucking good. This was a fantastic movie. Lawrence Fishburne is so good. Stylistically, thematically it just all worked for me. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes crime movies.

I had never heard of this movie either. Tubi just played it after Deep Cover. This was also a really interesting movie. A Samuel L. Jackson vehicle that is VERY 90s in a way i really enjoyed. A bit melodramatic and goofy but also serious and tense. You pick up early on it's an inner-city-teacher movie which tend to go a certain way, but this movie defied my expectations, surprised and thrilled and impressed me. Written by a teacher, apparently. Pretty cool.

I thought this was a creative and effective horror movie which communicated its themes clearly and concisely. I know this movie had polarizing reception paralleling that of the 2017 Arronofsky film Mother! (which I also liked) and I can understand why. They were thematically similar for sure. I saw some criticisms that this movie is not an effective allegory for the dynamics of patriarchy but i disagree with the premise that it was an allegory at all (unlike Mother!). I saw it more as jsut an exploration of the themes through the haunted house horror genre without trying to be 1:1 analagous to those dynamics. I liked that it got weird with it. The climax felt Cronenbergian and if you know me at all you know I mean it as a compliment. I feel like maybe people wanted this movie to be deeper than it was. I didn't really need that. I think it did its job and did it well.

Erotic y2k time capsule. I hated this movie. That's an hour and a half I'll never get back.

Suddenly I am thrust back into my love for film. Obsessed with historical dramas at this time and apparently the historicity of this one is pretty spot on even though the plot itself is purely fictional. This was my first Werner Herzog film and now I see what all the fuss was about. This was just exactly the kind of movie I've been craving. I watched it on Tubi. I smell a Herzog deep dive in my near future. We're back!

A rewatch of coruse. This movie is so good it should be illegal but you didn't need me to tell you. Makes me weep every time.

Another rewatch. Objectively the best movie set during the Roman Empire. Gorgeous, bleak. What more do you expect me to add to this conversation?

I'm sorry but this movie is an overlong terribly paced mess. I really expected it to be good, too. Or at least to like it. Can't win em all.

This was a fun and silly movie. Very entertaining. If I had found it for free on Tubi i'd tell everyone it was the best movie I'd ever seen. Loved the performances. Excellent way to spend Friday night.

Yeah, the JLO movie. Every bit as good as Gigli.

An odd, flawed, sweet and charming movie. I understand why it kind of faded into obscurity. I just love Brittany Murphy so. I miss her dearly.

A tight, weird little comedy horror-ish Nic Cage vehicle. Thoroughly entertaining and painful. Seems to be trying to comment on fame. I don't know how successful it is in its commentary but I enjoyed the movie.

I laughed, I giggled. Good movie.

Happy St. Paddy's Day! I love Willem Defoe.

Middling mother-daughter flick with good performances. Kind of forgettable.

So I've been approaching watching movies differently for a while now. I moved away from watching movies from the perspective of an amateur critic, picking apart the movies to make sure I only like the "good" ones. I now just allow myself to be immersed in the experience of the film as best I can in order to allow for maximum enjoyment. The part of me with Impostor Syndrome was concerned that this would reveal that my sense of taste and discernment about movies is false and shallow and that I would revert to the adolescent tendency to be impressed by any movie presented with enough pomp and circumstance (the blip around age 13 when I was convinced Avatar (2009) was my favorite movie... smh) and that I wouldn't actually be able to tell not only if a movie was genuinely good, but if I personally liked it.

I'm happy to report that that was a silly fear (writing it out just now makes that kind of obvious but I am my own worst enemy). I now enjoy far more movies and types of movies than I ever used to when I was trying desperately to distance myself from "bad" movies. So many more movies are good and enjoyable than I ever realized, and my sense of taste is actually more refined and clear now that I've opened myself up.

Dune 2 got me thinking about this because I, as a sci-fi fan, was fairly confident I would enjoy this movie despite its mixed reception, taking into account my current strategy of just enjoying the ride, buying into the world and suspending disbelief to allow for maximum potential for enjoyment.

All this to say, I did not end up enjoying Dune 2 very much. It's difficult to think of a movie that has ever made me feel less emotion than this one. I'm an emotional girl. Catch me at the right (wrong?) time of month and I get misty hearing Break Free by Ariana Grande. The relationships, characters, dynamics, none of them even nudged me in the direction of an emotion. I felt nothing and I wasn't resisting, either. It just didn't feel deep or real.

I felt like there was a lot of visual potential that was kind of squandered by how dark and beige this movie is. I really would've liked a richer more fleshed out world with more to look at. There was a sort of minimalist bent to the visual approach where there was a focal point of something interesting to look at on a fairly plain background. Which is an approach I respect but I ended up feeling bored. The best way to describe my feelings about this movie is that it was just missing something. Missing a few things. I don't think it has much if any rewatch value, even for background ambience. Everything about it is something that I should like, would like, and somehow I just don't.

Austin Butler was a bright spot for me, committing to a damn good Stellan Skarsgard impression with his performance. Everyone else was pretty good but I thought he was visually and characteristically the most interesting.

Some of the action was kind of fun in the moment but ultimately nothing to write home about. Paul riding the worm felt like Fonzi jumping the shark to me. The sound design was very charactersitically Villeneuve in a way that felt gimmicky. I get that music is important for mood and drama but I felt like these loud droning blasts puncuating moments that would've otherwise been blah and boring was somewhat repetitive and uninspiring. Nearly a 3 hour runtime in the theater with the big screen and surround sound and I just felt nothing.

The movie was polished, grandiose, and competently made with a clear vision and artistry. It just fell flat for me. Not altogether a waste of my friday night, though. It was nice to be out and I'm glad I saw it. I will be watching Dune 3 when the time comes.

Of the Chalemet vehicles I watched this week, Wonka prevails.

Not much to say about this. I laughed.

I wasn't sure what to expect as a person whose favorite movie of all time is the 1971 Willy Wonka. I am pleased to report I was utterly charmed by Wonka!!! It was such a sweet movie for kids. I don't know that it's quite as transcendant as the original, but I had a lovely time. What a pleasant surprise! This makes me like the 2005 one even less than I already did. Yay Wonka!!!

Is it crazy to say this movie is completely underrated? Especially if you skip Troy and Gabriella's boring songs.

Campy fun. Most 2001 thing I've ever seen.

Comfort rewatch. The superior "Confessions" movie.

I'm sure you can see the trend in my recent watch history. This is a fun chill movie but somehow doesn't quite hit legendary status. just a mild classic.

One of the less-remembered DCOMs. I was surprised by how much of it was familiar to me. Y'all remember Everlife? I think I saw them open for Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus back in 2008 (when life was good).

Notably came out the same year as Ice Princess. 2005 was a big year for ice skating.

Jump scare when the lead referred to herself casually as "moderate conservative" HELLO??

Upon further reading I'm seeing that Everlife was Christian (i should've known) and also the Christian band Superchick was on the soundtrack so there's something to think about. I really should dedicate a spot on this site to my Christian past and all the music that entailed lmfao.

I hadn't seen this in years and was relieved when it turned out that Paolo was the villain because I was thinking this man is a FREAk??? lizzie was ignoring some red flags but how can i blame her i think she had just graduated the 8th grade. Impeccable wardrobe. I'll be letting that inspire me.

I love 2000s period pieces and I want a Blackberry.

I'd heard it was bad but WOW. Just a mess through and through. Unwatchable and remarkable.

Immaculate sickday fare. "No, mom. I'm giving up YOUR dream."

Another long, famous era of chey haterism has come to an end. After at least 4 failed attempts over the years, i finally watched enjoyed and appreciated Cloverfield. It required some reframing, but I finally did it and now I can put my hate train to rest. I'm changeable, ever-evolving!

The best way to watch this is as if it is a SyFy Channel original film, in which case it is the Citizen Kane of SyFy Channel original films. Sorry, Minotaur (2006).

I watched this on a whim after seeing a few clips of it on tiktok. It wasn't great! It was pretty poorly written and shakily acted and costumed tbh but i can't say I didn't enjoy it. Lately I'm really not needing movies to be good in order to enjoy them. Very chill and pleasant Valentine's evening fare.

Was craving a Shakespeare and found this one by the Royal Shakespeare Company on Tubi. I had fun with this! It was strange and unique whimsical erotic and funny as it should be.

I'd been meaning to watch this for a while. It was a touching story about being kind of a fuckup and an asshole and unlucky and the gamut of facing the consequences for your own shitty behavior and being given grace for it. And I really liked the cat. I've been really into musicals lately and this sort of fit actually.

Ok, this is technically a show. A miniseries really. From Hallmark. And largely forgotten. And if you know you fucking KNOW. 10th Kingdom stans if you're reading this: RISE!!!! Seriously, please leave a comment on my neocities profile or SOMETHING I desperately need to interact with someone who gets itttt.

This might be the first DVD i remember asking for and getting after seeing it while at preschool. Which is also insane because it's decidedly... not really for kids. It came in 3 discs in a chunky booklike case that I've kept close since the literal year 2000, maybe 2001 and it's such a precious relic of its time. I will keep it forever. Since it's a miniseries it spans a little over 7 hours but growing up I always treated it like one long movie. I didn't know what the hell a miniseries was. I loved forcing my friends and family to sit through it with me. It was probably unreasonable to expect that they'd endure all 3 discs in one sitting. But this was the best thing ever and I wanted to share!

It is so profoundly late 90s in style and aesthetic and effects and it has only gotten more charming to me with time. The costumes, makeup and most importantly performances are truly stellar and bizarre and so so endearing. It's so funny and full of weird fetishes and so earnest and charming. I'm telling you even the dog is acting his tail off!!! It is such an insane ride from start to finish. If you love fantasy and aren't afraid to get silly with it I IMPLORE YOU SERIOUSLY IMPLORRREEE you to watch it. I hear it's on Freevee with ads. It's so insane, quotable, and earnestly and unironically excellent. It WILL enrich your life, I promise. This miniseries will always be among my very favorite pieces of media ever created.

Writing this has got me inspired. I will likely create a shrine and move the following section to that shrine,but for now enjoy it here.

If you are of legal drinking age and want to make a game of it, I recommend taking a drink every time:

• Wolf says "succulent"
• Trolls say "suck an elf!"
• You notice a thinly (if at all) veiled fetish
• Tony does something idiotic
• It gets darker than you expected
• Trolls sing Saturday Night Fever
• You see a self-help book

Bought the dvd at half price books and popped it in as soon as i came home. Believe it or not I hadn't seen it before. It's pure perfect fluff. I'm glad there are movies like this. I loved it.

This was a sort of comfort rewatch. Haven't seen it in a long time and had forgotten how truly great it is. The perfect spooky atmosphere, beautiful composition of mundane locations. The more I think about it the more pissed off I get about the 2002 Gore Verbinski version.

I lovvve this movie it is pure perfection. It's so harrowing and is a perfect execution of play to film. It's easy to see why every single credited actor received an acedemy award nomination. They all bodied it baddddd. Especially Liz Taylor obviously. But no one needs me to say this, it's well established.

This move was FABULOUS I loved every moment of it. It was sweet and heartwarming and charming while also being disgusting. You know I eat that shit up! Emma Stone is wondrous to behold. I would do anything for her. Same with Willem Defoe. Maybe I'll finally watch The Favorite I loved it so much. i can't wait to watch it again. NO NOTES perfect movie.

Rewatch. I think this is undisputably one of the very very best movies to come out in a really long time, especially in the like, blockbuster sphere. Truly terrifying, really inspired sci-fi with so many cool details and a hell of a cast. This is up there with Jurassic Park for me that's how much I like it. Thank you Jordan Peele!! I think you're a genius.

When i first saw this movie as a teen I loved it. Then I watched it again in college and I hated it. Now I love it again. This is obviously a classic. I watched it to prepare for a role where I need to embody the essence of evil. I'm not sure how much it helped but I had a good time revisiting this.

My second time watching this. The first was just a few months ago. Upon first watch i thought this was one of my new all-time favorites. Upon second watch I can say it's true with full confidence. This movie has EVERYTHING. Everything that i like. Like it was made specially for me. It's from the 70s, it's weird and psychosexual, medieval(ishh), brutal, funny, religious, ridiculous, and gorgeous. And a guy uses a crocodile to block blows from a sword. WHAT MROE CAN I ASK FOR? If you haven't seen it watch The Devils on the Criterion Channel RIGHT NEOW.

I also watched this one for audition prep research. I needed to see someone unhinged and zealous to inform my performance. it helped!

Again i watched this for audition research. The play i'm auditioning for takes place during the Trojan war with all those guys we're so familiar with and I just needed to immerse myself in that world. I'd seen this once before though not the director's cut and i thought it sucked baddd. This time around I pretty much enjoyed it. Director's cut was definitely better than the cinematic release but this movie is decent but never strays into greatness. Kept me entertained for the 3+ hours and got me in the zone for my audition and informed my performance objective though so it did its job. Achilles was wayyyyyy too straight. Patroclus is his BOYFRIEND not his cousin smhhh imagine what we could've had!!! And they should've let the women speak more smh. WHAT ABOUT HELEN'S PERSONALITY, hmm?

I know there's a new one out but that's not the one I watched. This was my first time. It was so good but wow so devastating from the very beginning. Very rough watch. Some of Spielberg's best work though. Should've gone harder with the lesbianism. But even Spielberg himself would say that. Excellence.

Long overdue. I laughed a ton. Not overrated in the slightest. Marilyn Monroe is a vision I would do anything for her.

Once I asked a pretentious man at a bar about his favorite director. I almost spit out my drink. "Linklater???" I said incredulously. I'm sorry, pretentious dude. I had seen Dazed and Confused and thought it was pretty good but not life changing. I didn't know he did A Scanner Darkly and I certainly didn't know it was this good. I just knew film bros like it. Idk why I avoided it on that premise since I generally tend to like film bro movies.

While watching it I thought it dragged but ultimately had a good payoff. I prefer the hindsight perspective. A vampire movie in every sense of the term. Made me gaggggg PLEASE drains are my biggest fear. Said basically nothing about class.

Laughed and wept and so glad to see a happy ending for our girls. Incredible performances.