My Full Brain

Remember a post or two ago I mentioned getting into a routine? Well, I think I found it. I'm sitting at an undisclosed location, sipping a latte, listening to Prince, and thinking about a jumble of things I want to tell y'all about. Or at least two.

Let's start with JoJo Rabbit.

JoJo Rabbit (2019)

My expectations were high, because Taika Waititi. If that's a name you're not familiar with, do yourself a favor and check out the NZ director's What We Do in the Shadows (film, not the tv show, but that's a lot of fun, too.) and The Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Shadows is one of my favorite comedies of the last 20 years. It's clever and silly and even a little sweet when you think of it in terms of enduring friendships. Seriously! I always describe it as a comedy about friendships!

Wilderpeople is also funny, but there's more to it than that. It's a sort of oddball buddies-on-the-run movie, where the buddies are two loners who are on the run from their own grief.

Back to JoJo Rabbit. This is a movie that's been splitting folks left and right. The first time I saw the trailer, everyone I was with exclaimed I WANT TO SEE THAT! Others have said "I'LL NEVER WATCH A MOVIE GLORIFYING NAZIS!" This is an actual thing someone said to me. I think the trailer makes it pretty clear that's not what this film is about. Crowds and critics alike have praised and panned. Waititi has said in his country, something being divisive is a good thing.

JoJo focuses on a young boy in Hitler's Youth Army near the end of WWII. His imaginary best friend is none other than Adolph Hitler (Waititi). JoJo is injured at a training camp, and begins spending more time at home with his Mother (Scarlett Johansson), who slips out during the day for hours, leaving JoJo to discover a young Jewish girl being hidden in a secret room. WHAT A CONUNDRUM! He asks his buddy Adolph for advice, while weighing the consequences for his mother and himself. He's seen those consequences first hand in the town square where traitors are hung for all to see. The story unfolds and by the end the comedy has fallen away, packing a pretty powerful punch.

Focusing on a young boys choice between morality and nationalistic fervor rather than just showing the horrors of the Third Reich (trust me, those get plenty of play here), is very, very clever. Morality vs Nationalism. Gosh, that sounds awfully familiar. Featuring a fantastic cast including Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen, and Stephen Merchant, along with Waititi and Johansson, newcomer Roman Griffin Davis does a great job as JoJo, but its really his friend Yorkie (Archie Yates) who steals the show. I urge you to get a ticket to this one. Need more reason? There's already buzz ScarJo might get an oscar nomination, and it could a nom for screenplay.

And now, I want to take a second to talk about something dear to my heart. Picture books. I read at least one a day. I can't help it. The covers pull me right in, and I see so many while working at the library. When I read a great one, I share it with my coworkers. Or I point it out to patrons. I put it on display if there is space. I post a pic of it on my instagram and recommend it to friends with kids. But really, what I want to say is these books aren't just for kids. Picture books are for everyone. I mean, adults are writing and illustrating them. Why can't adults read them? Guess what, THEY CAN! I'm giving you permission, right here in my blog. So next time you are in a bookstore, or a library, pick one up that has a cover that draws you in. Maybe you'll laugh out loud, maybe you will tear up, but I bet you will be entertained and probably be reminded of a good lesson. Heck, maybe you'll read just the right book at the right time and you'll feel better about being different. Just, don't let me hear you say they're just for kids. That's right up there with "Sorry, I don't read." Serious offenses, friend. Serious offenses.

Too Soon to Tell

Parasite (2019)

Last night, the topic of best film of 2019 came up. Of course, it's all I've been able to think about since. 2019 isn't quite over yet, but what is the best film I have seen so far? And what has been my favorite. They are not the same, these two things. 

This conversation was prompted by Parasite, which I saw last weekend. Its fair to say that this, Bong Joon-Ho's 7th feature film, is his masterpiece. Or perhaps his masterpiece so far. Its also fair to say that this may just be the best film of the year. Parasite begins as one thing, and ends as another. Some might call it a very twisted comedy, others a horror film. I say its both, and also a tale of class warfare. The distance between rich and poor, a theme familiar around the world. I think that's why this film resonates with so many. Come on, you say, there are plenty of movies about that. Yes, but its Bong's clever storytelling and attention to every detail make this better than all those films. It's his ability to show the lengths to which people will go, how far and also when they realized they've gone far enough. Or endured quite enough might be more accurate.  So, right now, I will say I think Parasite is the best film of the year. 

But its not my favorite film of the year. 

My favorite film of the year (so far) will be hard to suss out. I've loved so many in 2019. Midsommar may top the list for me. Ari Aster's follow up to Hereditary blew my mind. Florence "Lady MacBeth" Pugh gave a powerful performance as Dani, a young woman who had lost her whole family to a murder-suicide and was looking for acceptance, trust, love and a place to belong finds it. Well, its finds her. Oh wow, this is an incredible film. Plus cults. Y'all know how I love cults.

Then, there's Us. Jordan Peele's second film. I loved this with every fiber of my being. Fantastic cast, creepy score, a breadcrumb trail of a story, an allegory for oppression, slavery and denial (cough, cough, talking to you America). I really loved this movie, saw it twice in the theater.  I hold Us and Midsommar right next to each other in my heart for favorite of the year. 

BUT WAIT! I also loved The Farewell. And The Last Black Man in San Francisco. These are both films that take a look at person and place. Where they  and where they came from. I loved the silly and melancholy Wild Nights with Emily. I intend to see The Lighthouse again, Robert Eggers insanely good follow up to The Witch. I also really enjoyed Jim Jarmusch's The Dead Don't Die, Olivia Wilde's Booksmart, Octavia Spencer chewing ALL the scenery in Ma, and Penny Lane's doc on the Satanic Temple's constant challenge to religious freedom, Hail Satan? 

So see, this isn't easy. And I haven't seen  Harriet or Jo Jo Rabbit yet, so stay tuned.  

The End...?

Well, October has ended and with it, my 31 Film Challenge of 2019. For my last four days of October I watched a highly debated classic, a very creepy take on a folktale, an outstanding sophmore effort, and a dud. There's always at least one dud.

Here they are in order:

October 28th: The Lighthouse (2019)

                Robert Eggers' sophmore effort lives up to and exceeds expectations. It definitely bounced way over the high expectations I had for it. The film gives us striking visuals, a spellbinding story, and powerful turns from Robert Pattinson and Willem Defoe as two men taking their 4 week shift at a lighthouse. Loneliness, paranoia, the feeling of being trapped not only with someone you hardly know and are forced internally and externally to deal with ones own guilt and conscience. This is just a surface level commentary on it. By all means get to Cinemapolis and see this movie! Then, find me and we will chat. Theories abound!

October 29th: Hole in the Ground (2019)

                This one had been getting recommended to me for months, but I keep passing it by. What a fool was I! A single mother and her son move to a old fixer upper in the Irish countryside. This house is near the forest which contains a gigantic sinkhole. Scary already. The mom, Sarah (Seana Kerslake), hears a strange story about a woman from the town who started claiming her own son was "not really her son". One night Sarah's son goes missing, and when she finds him something seems just a bit off. The changeling tale is not new, but this take is clever, creepy, and had one an excellent ending. This was perhaps the scariest film I watched all month

October 30th: The Nun (2018)
               This was a bummer. I love horror films about nuns. But this movie was a drag. It was all jump scares you could see coming a mile away, and characters I just didn't care about. If you're looking for a scary nun movie, I suggest The Devil's Doorway.

October 31st: Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

               I know, people either like this one or don't, but I have always loved it. I found the premise so disturbing as a kid- a big Halloween mask manufacturer plotting to kill kids on Halloween night through the masks. KILLING KIDS! Rarely do you see a kid getting his face melted and snakes crawling out of it, but you do see that in this movie. Scary stuff. Sure, the movie has a squirrelly plot and some cheesy dialogue, but Dan O'Herlihy is so deliciously diabolical as Conal Cohcran, the mastermind behind the deadly masks, coupled with the reveal of what those masks can do and why they want to do it make this one close to my heart and a Holiday favorite. Also, that Silver Shamrock jingle is so darn catchy.

Just because October is over, that doesn't mean the horror movies stop. I say celebrate horror all year round. It's here for us all. Be here for horror.
 

Another Week in the ol' Trick or Treat Bag

Halloween is nigh, so here is another weeks worth of horror to tell you about.

October 22nd: Gwen (2019)
            I saw so many comparisons of this film to The VVitch and Hagazussa that I felt compelled to check it out. A sense of dread hangs over the main characters of this movie from start to finish. Its lacking the power of the aforementioned films, but it does capture the atmosphere, even if the plot doesn't seem quite clear. 

October 23rd: Urban Legend (1998)
            Riding the Scream wave, Urban Legend helped send the 90's out in he best way possible, by paying tribute to the slasher film AND the obsession with urban legends us 80's and 90s kids held so dear. This one is fun, has a great cast, and keeps you guessing until the reveal. 

October 24th: The Field Guide to Evil (2018)
            I love a pleasant albeit horrific surprise. This horror anthology boasting segments by an international cast of directors you may only recognize by their previous films- Goodnight Mommy, The Lure, Baskin, Nothing Bad Can Happen, The Oregonian, Berberian Sound Studio- was a twisted creepy surprise. Highly recommend.

October 25th: Haunt (2019)
            This "teens caught in an extreme haunt with a killer" film is a cut above the rest. Pun all the way intended. Some of my favorite horror is when the reason for the horror isn't explained, it just is. 

October 25th: Lords of Salem (2013)

             I want this to be better than it is. Rob Zombie has such an eye for style, and he pays so much tribute to horror in general, I just wish he had cast someone other than his wife to play the lead, its too hard to take her seriously among such a great cast. The idea for this movie is great,but there are so many plot holes that could use a little filling. 

October 26th: Moth Diaries (2012)
             I wanted more suspense and more vampires. And less of Lily Cole's eyebrows. They were the there were, however, plenty of moths. Also, that rock Band scene... The Dr. and I weren't impressed with this one.

October 27th: Hell Night (1981)

             I was so scared of this movie when I was 10 or 11. Watching it in 2019 is an entirely different experience. One day I may sit and write something more thoughtful about how we as a culture bought into the whole Frat plot line in the 80's and 90's, but for now, I'll just say that schtick is very dated. Along with the Fraternity stuff, we get an extra helping of sexism and misogyny.  Fun! Despite all this, I still think this works as a mashup of slasher in the old haunted mansion movie. Linda Blair post-exorcist looks like a high school student who sneaked in to a college party, all the frat guys have great hair, and once the kills start happening, the movie gets better. Maybe because they're killing off the frat bros? Now, that's MY kind of movie!

A Fond Farewell

Last night, I said an unexpected goodbye to my dear TV. I remember the evening I brought you home and plugged you in. We had some really great times together. Watching movies, playing the very occasional video game, and spending countless hours on a binge of too many shows to name. I'll miss you.I'm not going to lie, its not going to be the same finishing this 31 Days of Horror without you, but I know, you'd want me to go on. Thanks, TV. Thanks.

A Week of Horror Gems

Another week of October has come and gone, and I have watched so much horror! In fact, I feel like this week's films were mostly hits. 

Near Dark (1987)

I finally sat down and watched  Issa Lopez' masterful horror-fantasy Tigers Are Not Afraid. The Dr. and I screened Near Dark, a movie we've been discussing since our very first date (happy anniversary to us!). I joined a fun group of friends for the macabre and unexpectedly gory Theater of Blood, with Vincent Price chewing every bit of scenery he could get his fangs on. And, Diana Rigg as his daughter. 

Let's take a moment for Diana Rigg, if we may. 

That isn't all I watched, so let's break that down here:

October 13th: Curtains (1983)

                     A year or so ago I saw an old trailer for this and thought it looked creepy as hell, based on the weird mask the killer wore. In a nutshell, someone wants a role in a film by this sketchy director and they'll go to any length! Leave a boyfriend, break a contract, escape from an asylum,  murder the competition. Acting was nice and hammy, plot was a bit contrived, but whoa, that mask reveal and twist ending. I enjoyed it. 

October 14th: Altered States (1980)

                       I wanted to keep the Ken Russell train rolling, so I re-watched his bizarre and trippy tale (written by Paddy Chayefsky)about a scientist obsessed with expanding his mind to unlock human development from the earliest stages of man. Is that right? This movie is bonkers. The special effects are wild for 1980, even if the plot revolving around the personal is eye-rolly. 

October 15th: Scary Stories (2019)

                      This was a fun gem I found at work! Yes, don't forget to check out the DVD shelves at your local library, y'all, you'll never know what you might find. Scary Stories is a documentary and tribute to the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books. Fun and fascinating, it talks about creator Alvin Schwartz, illustrator Stephen Gammell, the controversy that's surrounded the books since release with school boards and parents, and a lot of swooning fans. After watching it, I was inspired to re-read the books (also at your public library!)

October 16th: Friend Request (2017)

                      This ended up being a lot better than I was expecting, especially based on the rotten tomato score. It has some good jump scares, and is a cautionary tale about online "friendship". Just be careful who you friend on the SM's, y'all. It might be a demon. If so, good luck deleting your account. 

October 17th: The Enfield Haunting (2015)

                     This British miniseries is based on the most famous haunting in the UK. Great cast including Timothy Spall, Matthew MacFadyen tells the story of the poltergeists plaguing the Hodgson's, but is also about dealing with grief and letting go. Sure, its a thing in horror films, but this series does it pretty darn well. 

October 18th: Tigers Are Not Afraid (2018)

                      I missed this when it was at Ithaca Fantastik last year, and when it finally came to Shudder, I kept saying to myself, I wasn't ready. Well, last Friday I was ready, and it destroyed me. Issa Lopez has made a masterful tale of childhood trauma told through fantasy. Not a single frame of film in wasted, as there is so much to see in every shot. The kids in the film act their hearts out scene after scene. Akin to Pan's Labyrinth or even The Devil's Backbone, this is a film you can't shake after seeing it. A must see in my opinion.

October 18th: Theater of Blood (1973)

                     I'd watch Vincent Price drink tea for 2 hours, that's how much I adore the guy. As a kid, he was my favorite. And still is. Toss in Diana Rigg as his faithful daughter who may or may not know he's getting revenge on the theater critics who he felt wronged him, by murdering them a la Shakespearean demises, and you've got a fun, gory film. Everything about this is over the top and I loved it. 

October 19th: Near Dark (1987)

                     I've loved this film since I was a kid. I can remember watching it countless times with my brother and sis whenever it was on HBO. On our first date, 2 years ago, the Dr. and i discussed vampires and this film came up. She had never seen it. I offered to watch it with her, I had it on blu ray, after all. Smooth, yes, very smooth. Only, we never got around to it. UNTIL LAST SATURDAY! So, to mark our anniversary we finally watched Kathryn Bigelow's take on a small group of vampires roving and feeding from small town to small town in the midwest. Not your typical sexy vampire film, but more gritty and dirty. Yet there is something erotic about it. Maybe its all that bloodsucking, or romanticizing the night and how dark it is?

More Horror!

I'm back with a round up from week 2, fiends!

I watched some doozies this week, but the best of the bunch has to be Candyman and a fun screening of Blood and Black Lace over at Cinemapolis, courtesy of the Ithaca Fantastik crew.

For the record- here's what I watched this week:

October 7: Creep (2005)
                  This isn't the one with the weird guy in the mask. This is about a woman (Franke Potente) who falls asleep on a subway platform, is trapped underground with a homeless couple and a mutant maniac named Craig. It seemed a lot like a movie that began as one thing, and then someone kept rewriting. I watched it so you don't have to.

October 8: Candyman (1992)
                  If you've never seen this masterpiece, I urge you to. Based on a Clive Barker short story, with a chilling score by Philip Glass, Candyman takes an urban legend known mainly in the projects, a dose of gentrification, and one "white savior" and twists them into something else.  Its a much different experience watching this racially charged film in 2019 vs. 1992 when it was released, but it also shows how little has changed. The internet is abuzz with talks of the upcoming remake by Jordan Peele and I am enthusiastically anticipating his take on it, and how he intends to reshape the legacy of Candyman.

October 9: Dolls (1987)
                 The cover of this VHS box scared me as a kid, so I had never seen Dolls until now.

With fun, practical effects, some hammy acting, and horrible people you will really enjoy see getting attacked by dolls and other toys, Stuart Gordon's underappreciated film really is a fun little gem. Imagination is magic, and this film is a reminder of that.

October 10: Two Evil Eyes (1990)
                    This was intended to be a series, but 2 directors backed out, so George Romero and Dario Argento stepped up with their adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe tales. The Romero Segment (The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar) was fun and felt like a Creepshow segment. The Argento one, however, (The Black Cat) was hard to watch. Mostly due to Harvey Keitel in a beret. Seriously, its all about Harvey Keitel as a jerk reporter/photographer/artist (beret), who kills his girlfriends cat. But cat's have 9 lives so... watch out, jerk in a beret!

October 11: Gothic (1986)
                   Oh, Ken Russell, how I love you so. This movie is over the top and kind of silly, but a beautiful and weird and erotic version of the night at Lord Byron's when Mary Shelley and co. told ghost stories. Modern Prometheus, anyone?

October 12: Blood and Black Lace (1964)

                   Oh, Mario Bava and the film people say started the giallo genre! I have been meaning to watch this for some time, and was delighted that Ithaca Fantastik was able to bring it to Cinemapolis for a showing. Sure, its dated and dubbed (which adds to it, I think) but its a gorgeous film- and not just for the attractive cast! A gloved murderer in a trench coat and mask is murdering the women in the fashion House of Christia! But who could be doing it! Thrills! Chills! 60's couture. Big Hair, attractive people. a wild score. Best watched with a crowd I, I think, but aren't most horror movies?

Wrinkles the Clown (2019)

Somehow in my last post, I neglected to mention that I'd watched Wrinkles the Clown. If you haven't heard of this documentary (yes, it's a documentary) I am posting the trailer so you can see what its all about. Watch it, I'll wait.

You watched it? Good.

I don't really want to say much about this one so I don't spoil it for anyone, but I do want to say its not as scary as you think it will be. It's clever and a little twisty, and the stuff that's scary isn't the clown.

Although, he's pretty creepy.

Round One

The first week of October is in the books, and here is a rundown of what I've watched.

Oct. 1: The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh (2012)

        I enjoy tales of haunted houses and things that go bump in the night, so naturally, I thought I'd start with this film, directed by founder of Rue Morgue, Rodrigo Gudiño. In short, a man comes home to claim his estranged mother's estate and right off the bat, you know she was into something...strange. The man is an arts dealer, and the house is filled with eccentric and occult ephemera, which he wants to gather and sell himself. But, his mother's death and memories of his own childhood start spooking him, Something about the house doesn't quite seem right. Toss in a weird religious cult, creepy twins (played by the always creepy Julian Richings), bizarre footage on old VHS tapes, and someone or something lurking just outside and you've got a nightmare for this guy. Slow and atmospheric, this film really takes its time getting to the scary stuff, but I think the payoff is worth it.

Oct. 2: Vampire Circus (1972)

   
          Ah, this gem from Hammer studios is one I remember seeing as a young Woodrow on Monster Movie Matinee back in the 80's. A count is luring beautiful young women and children to his castle on the outskirts of town. The townspeople find out, storm castle, and kill the count. A tale as old as time. But not before he places a curse on them. "Your children will die to bring me back to life". Ominous. The woman who was helping the count is sent down a gauntlet and left to perish with him. Or is she? 15 years later, a circus rolls into the town, now under quarantine due to the outbreak of plague. Ah, good old plague. The circus, billed as "The Night Circus" only performs at night because guess what?? VAMPIRES!  This is a fun one, the vampires have come to enact the curse and bring their head honcho back to life. The townspeople take forever to catch on. One vampire turns into a panther and is a hit with the ladies. A set of twin vampires attack from a mirror. There are acrobats, a mischievous clown, and a quiet strongman. It has all the trademarks you expect from Hammer, with twice the body count. 

Oct. 3: Godzilla: King of Monsters (2019)

         I love Godzilla. Always have, and probably always will. But, I retain a childhood memory of the guy. I didn't see the last film, and I felt like Godzilla 2000 was an abomination. However, this one was fun in the way Pacific Rim is fun. It's all about the monsters. The humans? Ho hum. Seriously, the story line was weak and not remotely interesting. Godzilla. YES! Ghidorah shooting lightning from his wings? YES! Rodan? YES! That Mothra reveal? HELL YES! Gimme more monsters. I want the next movie (they hint at Skull Island which means King Kong) to be ALL monsters. No pesky humans. Add Gamera and the giant lobster and I will buy a ticket.
       
Oct. 4: April Fool's Day (1986)

          Another gem from my youth, I was happy to rewatch this with the Dr. I am always envious of a first time watcher of this film because its so fun and has such a great twist. The less I say about this one, the better. If you've never seen it, I urge you to treat yourself. I will warn you to avoid the 2008 movie with the same name.

Oct. 5: The Innocents (1961)

         This eerie, supernatural gothic thriller was a delight on a cold and gray Sunday. Deborah Kerr plays a governess hired to look after 2 precocious and seemingly- well, I'll say clairvoyant but I'm not sure if that's exactly right- children. Secluded far outside London at a sprawling old estate, Ms. Giddins (Kerr) begins to suspect something isn't quite right with the children, and she begins to head towards hysteria while trying to figure out just what's going on. An adaptation of Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, adapted for the screen by Truman Capote, and directed by Jack Clayton, this is one for fans of the supernatural and classics alike.

It's Horror Time Again!

Greetings, my dear ghouls and mutants. I know it's been ages since I've written, but here I am, back with the blog, at least for the month of October. Why, you ask? After being away for 9 months?

Well, October to me means horror movies. Ok, every month means horror movies to me, so hear me out. October is special. Its spooky. It's ghoulish. Its filled with creepy crawlies and things that go bump in the night. Its the month where everyone is sharing their favorite scary movies, watching the new releases, and revisiting classics. Every channel you stream is loading up on the good stuff.

That said let me share something I was thinking about earlier. I have loved horror movies since I was pretty young. I saw Night of the Living Dead at a way too young age, and maybe that piqued my interest in the genre, but it was Jaws that pulled me under. I first saw it with my mom when I was 8 or 9. I remember being terrified, by a shark that was eating people. I had never even seen the ocean but it didn't matter. Lakes, creeks, and even pools became scary. I must have seen that movie 10 or 12 times throughout my youth, but by my 20's, after not seeing it for many years, I revisited it and found it scared me on a different level. The scene with Alex Kintner- you know the one. full beachfront of people, everyone swimming, little boy goes out on an air mattress, everyone gets called back in when the shark is spotted. But one person doesn't make it back. I had seen that film so many times but I guess I had never really felt the full power of that kid getting eaten by the shark.The panic of the swimmers. It's almost hard to believe that scene was actually more brutal and that Spielberg decided to cut it. Its terrifying enough. That first time I saw it, I felt just as Chief Brody did on the beach. Like I was zooming in on something horrific, but I couldn't look away. I rewatched it a few more times then put it aside. In my late 30's, i received a special anniversary edition on Blu-ray and again, found it to be horrifying in an entirely new way. Sure, the shark was eating people. He could, because he was enabled by the worst villain of all...

Capitalism!

Gotta have those tourist dollars to keep Amity going. That mayor, what a schmuck.

I'm now 44 and its 2019. I don't plan to rewatch Jaws this month, but if I did, I am sure there would be something new i'd glean from it. I will, however, be rewatching some gems I haven't seen in a while, many of them with my co-pilot, The Dr., who, when we first met assured me she did not care for horror movies, but did enjoy films with a supernatural element. And haunted houses because come on, who doesn't like a haunted house movie? She is now a full fledged horror fan. We watched many classics last October and throughout the year.

For this month, we have Near Dark, Candyman, Blood and Black Lace (on a big screen!!!) April Fool's Day, and You're Next all on the list. Plus a slew of stuff TBD because, October has 31 days! I will be blogging throughout the month so I hope you'll enjoy some extra ghoulishness in your life and in your feeds.