When Michael Left for Colorado

I'm in a hotel, watching the episode of The Office where Michael finally leaves Dunder Mifflin, heading off to Colorado with Holly. The staff all think he has one more day, but he doesn't. So Pam isn't at work and he is sad he cant say goodbye. He is leaving Scranton as soon as he leaves work that day at 4pm

But Jim knows. Michael reveals he's sad, and can't believe hes sad and worries he might be making a mistake. But Jim gives him a pep talk of sorts, and tells him is s the best boss he's ever had. That is maybe a stretch but here is the thing: I've seen this episode at least 4 times. When it fist aired, a couple times during re-watches. And tonight. And I have teared up every time. John Krasinski and Steve Carell are so good, and so believable. and so genuine.

The reason this show is so watchable (and re-watchable) is the dynamic between all of the characters- not just the core cast, but also the background players. This sitcom made me tear up more than maybe any other I can think of. Even my beloved Parks and Rec. It has also made me laugh, a lot. If you've never seen it, you should give it the 5 episode shot.

Overdue Recaps

Between the last 2 movies I wrote about, which were Unsane (in March)  and Hereditary, I have seen a slew of stuff I'd like to say a sentence or two about.

Flower- I think I would have enjoyed this more if I were 20 and or didn't care about a flimsy plot.

Ready Player One- Not sticking to the book worked for this film. I went in with low expectations and found myself enjoying it.

A Quiet Place- This one deserves it's own post. Possibly my favorite film of the year so far, A great, scary, original film that made me afraid to make a sound while I watched a family terrorized by monsters who hunt by sound. My poor popcorn didn't have a chance!

The Party -Pitch black comedy about political and marital discontent. Fantastic cast, I liked it.

Ismael's Ghost- If someone says "you could watch Ismael's Ghost or watch paint dry" Watch the paint dry. This was so boring and disjointed.

Gemini- Two words: "Lesbian Intrigue". Two more words: "L.A. Noir". Very enjoyable.

Revenge- This was a little too I Spit on Your Grave for me. And over-hyped.

Solo- There was plenty to like about this (Han's origin story, young Lando, meeting Chewie,  Finding out how he made the Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs). I'd personally like them to slow it down with the Star Wars movies. It's taking the magic out of them.

Adrift- I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. Less about the love story, more about survival at sea. And Shailene Woodley was great.

RBG- This documentary on Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a little too middle of the road for me.

The Rider- A beautifully shot film based on a true story featuring not actors, but the real people the story is about. Sad, real, and beautiful to sum it up.

Ocean's 8- I liked this heist movie a lot. Maybe because of the cast (Sandra Bullock, Cate Blachett, Mindy Kaling, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, and Rihanna) or maybe because the cast had hardly any men. Whatever, Cate Blanchett on a motorcycle!!!!! WOO!

The Seagull- Do you like being depressed? Do you like great casts who don't have a lot to do? Do you like Russian literature brought to life by not Russian actors? Well, this might be the movie for you. We cringed our way through it.

Alright! There you have it, mini reviews! You are welcome!

No Matter...

No matter how hot out it is, my dogs will always want to cuddle. After I turn on the A/C of course.

(this is a dramatization, these cute pups are not my cute pups)

Found in the Stacks

I find many a wacky book when I'm shelving at work, but after finding this I figured it was time to start sharing the here:

Sure, you've seen Fabio on the cover of many a romance novel. But how many novels have you seen where he was also the author?

Feelings...

This week my Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram feeds had an explosion of posts about mental health, dealing with depression, people being open to "listening" if you're feeling sad, and a lot of sharing of feelings and personal expression of depression. The catalyst for this being the suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. For one week, my feed was less regurgitated babble and ire about terrible Trump, and more about caring for one another.

Last night I was having drinks with a friend and we got talking about feeling sad and dealing with depression. I told him I sometimes get sad for what seems like no reason. Everything in my life could be going great, but I just feel sad. And sometimes angry. I know, for me at least, a lot of this has to do with hormonal imbalance, being hangry, etc. But also, sometimes, I just feel sad. Its not the same as being depressed, and I know how lucky I am I can say that.

When I got home, I watched a little TV and saw a very thoughtful ad with Michael Phelps, advocating for therapy, by talking about how much it has helped him. I thought "wow, this is great, and hopefully will help de-stigmatize therapy".

I know so many people who have been helped by seeing a therapist. I also know an equal amount of friends who think they can work stuff out on their own. Maybe they can. But when you are feeling overwhelmed by everything around you, it doesn't hurt to talk to someone who can hep you deal with your stuff.

My previous job drove me close to what I am pretty sure was a nervous breakdown. I spent most of my time crying and feeling like I was being crushed every day I was able to get out of bed.  I put on a happy face at work- well, as happy as I could, even though I was barely hanging on. When I did talk to people about how I was feeling, I often heard "hang in there". "Hang in there" is for those last couple hours of a work shift. It's for finishing a grueling project. Don't say that to someone having  a meltdown. I contemplated therapy every day, but had no idea how I would be able to get away from work to go. Or pay for it. So I didn't go. Instead I quit that job. A place I loved, a job I didn't. It took a while being away, having a new job I love to get back to what is normal for me.

Why am i even writing this blog post? Well, I guess I have been thinking about it a lot lately. And writing stuff helps.

Hereditary (2018)

Hereditary 2018, A24

I saw Hereditary twice this weekend. I avoided everything I could leading up to its opening, but after my second viewing, I read a few articles and most of what I saw was that it divided audiences, as Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 93%, while CinemaScore gave it a D+. Which lead me to ask

What the fuck is CinemaScore? 

I had never heard of it, so I looked into it. Here's what Wikipedia had to say:

CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.Wikipedia

I looked at their website and saw the following grades:

Hereditary D+

Hotel Artemis C-

Ocean's 8 B+

Book Club A-

Midnight Sun A-

Overboard A-

Solo A-

Solo an A-?  I haven't seen Midnight Sun, Book Club, or Overboard, but I am scratching my head at those grades. But only a tiny scratch. We see this in box office figures. We see this in longevity at the theaters. Most people like a simple story with a clear plot. Or they are up for a more complex story that doesn't hold all the cards for a final reveal in the last 15 minutes of the film. 

Here's your "It might get a little spoiler-y" warning.

Part of this score, I would guess, is the way Hereditary was marketed. Scariest Movie of 2018! Not by a long shot. A Quiet Place was far scarier. Because when a horror fan hears "Scariest", they want to be scared. Hereditary does dole out some good scares, but its more of a creeping dread type of film. An in-the-back-of-your-mind kind of scare. After my first viewing,  I was struck by the themes of mental illness present throughout the film. That and so much decapitation. I went with a big group and we were definitely divided on how we felt. After seeing it again, I caught things I missed or that just didn't register the first time, as you do on second viewings. But I also went with a different set of people, so there were different insights and opinions. One of which was that Toni Collette's character Annie complained constantly about how awful her own mother was, while her son is thinking the same thing about her. These inherited cycles. DNA. The environment you grow up in. Family history. Family plots. All this, and witchcraft. 

It's ALWAYS witchcraft.

The look and feel of this film got to me. For a first time director, I feel like Ari Aster nailed it, even if the film felt a wee bit long. Toni Collette was outstanding at playing a range of emotions in a way you don't always see, definitely not in horror. If you want to see a well crafted, psychological horror film that will stick with you after seeing it, this is for you. 

Could it be...Murder?

I've always had a fondness for true crime, but I often finding myself saying things like "I LOVE MURDER!" Which, is not what I mean. Just the other day I had to make a promise not to kill someone I care for very much, and also had to agree not to expect them to ever help me kill someone. I made the promise on both accounts, in case you were wondering.

I have no interest in killing anybody, think of all the work and planning that would entail. No thank you! I also don't like ruining clothes, and blood stains are a pain to get out. Ruining clothes means having to go shopping, so for that reason, along with the work involved and planning means I will give murder a hard pass.

Also, I'm going to go out on a limb and just say that prison is not for me. Nor is being "on the lam." I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like either of those things. Also, I have a very, very guilty conscience. So the truth is, I do not in fact love murder.

I love true crime. I often feel like I can't get enough, and I know I am not alone. Recently I gained access to the Investigation Discovery channel and after saying I hardly watch TV in the summer (to the same person I promised not to murder) I am finding myself glued to the TV every night. I just watched Dead North in one sitting. From ID's website:

Dead North is a true crime thriller set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This is the story of a female police chief who goes against all odds to uncover what happened on the night Chris Regan went missing and will stop at nothing to catch his killer.

Ooooh copy and paste is so fun. I am leaving that as is. Dead North is a whodunit that turns into what in the hell WHO WHAT WHY WHOA! I highly recommend it, and if you also are a true crime fan/murderino like me, just check out the ID channel in between fun and sun. Because murder! Dang, I mean true crime. I'll keep working on that.

Unsane (2018)

Unsane 2018

I didn't know much about Unsane going in, heck, I was telling people it was a new Ellen Page movie for weeks before it hit theaters.

Ellen Page is not in it.

Claire Foy is, and she plays a woman who ends up in a mental hospital, as the trailer tells you. But it doesn't tell you why she is in there, or if she should be in there. I'm not going to tell you that bit either. What I am going to tell you is Unsane is an unnerving film that is part twisty thriller and part commentary on the big business of insurance/private hospitals. Foy is excellent as Sawyer Valentini, keeping you guessing if she is unhinged or hinged. Is she delusional? Is she being stalked? Is all this just in her head?

Steven Soderbergh shot this film on an iPhone, and claims making films by smartphone to be the "future". I'm not sure about that, but it does work for Unsane, creating a frantic pace the way found footage films often can. It's fuzzy and kind of muddy at times, but for me, that created the anxiousness Foy was feeling in that hospital. And trust me, there's anxiety to spare. Worth seeing for Foy's performance and Kennedy-esque Boston accent, as well as the wild twists.

Weekend Triple

I saw a movie every night this weekend, and everything I saw was good! How often does that happen? It all started on Friday, when I went with a group of friends to see The Cured. Part of the Fantastik Friday series at Cinemapolis, The Cured is not your typical zombie movie. Set after 75% of infected zombies had been given a "cure", the film tells the story of a pack of former zombies reintegrating into life in northern Ireland. Naturally, it isn't easy, as the general populace is against them rejoining society, unable to get past the horrors of what these people had done while infected. And the cured can't forget it either, as they are still aware of what they did while infected. Senan (Sam Keeley) is plagued by nightmares of what he had done while infected, but is trying to get back to his normal life, living with his sister in law Abbie (Ellen Page) and young nephew. But there is no normal life anymore. An uprising is stirring among the former infected, and Senan is caught up in it while Abbie struggles with supporting Senan, and finding out about things he did while infected. Very intense, very original, and very, very good.

The Cured (2018)

On Saturday, I saw a film I have been anticipating for months. There is a reason A Fantastic Woman won the academy award for best picture- it is timely, harrowing at times, and completely riveting. The story of Marina (Daniela Vega) who loses her lover Orlando after he suffers an aneurysm, and dealing with the loss coupled with his family. Orlando's ex wife and adult son want nothing to do with Marina, someone they don't respect as she is much younger and also transgender. So, in addition to dealing with her grief, Marina is dealing with the bullshit that comes along with being persecuted for being different. But she is strong, and Vega is absolutely mesmerizing in the role, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. It is not an easy film, but it is an excellent film, so please see it if you can.

A Fantastic Woman (2017)

Today, I saw a movie I normally would never have bothered with, even thought it's gotten great reviews. Even with Movie Pass, I'm a bit of a snob, but I'll talk about that in a future blog. A friend suggested we see Tomb Raider or Love, Simon, and I said hell no to both. "I'm going to use and abuse my Movie Pass for as long as I can!" she said. "I've got to stop being such a snob" I replied. This morning, another friend asked if I would go See Love, Simon and I thought why not. And I am very glad I did. Love, Simon is based on the YA novel by Becky Albertalli and tells the story of Simon (Nick Reynolds), a high school senior with a big secret- he's gay. When someone in his school posts on a blog that they're gay, Simon reaches out and starts an online friendship, with neither knowing who the other is, and questioning whether he should come out to friends and family and stop hiding that part of who he is. This is a really good film featuring all the feels as Simon deals with being blackmailed by a classmate who stumbles upon his emails, and trying to solve the mystery of who he is emailing (and falling in love with). The cast is great, there are plenty of laughs to be had, and watching Simon deal with not only keeping his secret but also navigating high school life was very entertaining. Also, feels. This movie has so many feels! So. Many. Feels! 

Love, Simon (2018)

Here's hoping for plenty more lucky weekends of 3 great flicks in 2018.

Thoroughbreds (2018)

I didn't know what to make of Thoroughbreds when I first saw the trailer, but went last night and I am happy to report it is worth it. SO worth it!

Thoroughbreds (2018)

I don't want to bore you with a summary of what it is about. That's why I always include a link, silly. Instead I say this- buy a ticket and here's my short plug: Thoroughbreds is darkly comical, psychologically twisted, and clever from start to finish. It's layered with subtext on wealth, class, and privilege, wrapped in the always popular "things are never quite as they seem behind mansion doors".  The performances of the two leads, Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy is worth the ticket price. Director Corey Finley gives us a movie where he shows just what we need to see, letting our mind fill in some of the blanks and guess at what may or may not be happening. I won't get extra nerdy and talk too much about camera work but shot after shot I was marveling at some of the choices. Plus the score is unnerving and perfect for keeping you off balance the whole time you are piecing things together.

So, seriously, go see this!