#old version does have its charm though.. glad multiple versions of it went around

[sacrificialalt]

ID: A colored sketch of Pluto from Heaven Will Be Mine with a wide smile, though she's slightly covering this up with the Cradle's Grace sash hanging loosely around her frame. She's surrounded by messy starry and plant designs, and has both the veil of her ship-self and a laurel crown atop her head. End ID

The perfect princess of Cradle's Grace.

[filmmakerdreamst]

‘Boy Meets World’ Re-watch (as an Adult)

‘Girl Meets World’ doesn’t count as a sequel. Not because of the writing/tonal choices but because in the original show - despite continuity issues - the characters felt like real people e.g. the way they spoke/acted/dressed was the way people behaved in the 90s where as in the spin off, they were Disney characters e.g. hyper versions of themselves especially Cory and Eric. And the transition between both shows didn’t come naturally. It’s not an objectivity badly written show but it was pretty much a re-do of the old show with the same storylines/tropes without continuing the story. (I say the same thing about ‘The Incredibles’. vs ‘Incredibles 2’.) Also there were too many cooks in the kitchen pushing one way or another. You could see Micheal Jacobs style, all the aspects were there, but he was also creating a ‘DISNEY’ show at the same time. I don’t know about you but the one message I took from the original show was ‘finding out that life cannot be packenged into a lovely little present ’ which kind of contradicts everything that the new show is. If anything GMW is an AU universe (and it really felt like that, rewatching it right after BMW e.g. it felt flipped) almost like Disney’s version of ‘what happened next?’ The primal difference between both shows is BMW is portraying what is real and GMW is based on what is real.

Going off my point, I will however be always thankful that it exists because I probably wouldn’t of found out about ‘Boy Meets World’ otherwise. Although saying that, I never thought that the original show needed a continuation of any kind (a lot of things make sense about the spin off if you acknowledge that Disney requested it - I think it would of been much better off on its original platform) ‘Boy Meets World’ was very much a product of its time i.e. when tv shows were still relevetivley new and had no rules - like there is stuff in there that not even adult shows today have. Plus there was something about it that felt very personal (such as the characters and setting) as if the creator based it on his own childhood growing up and I think that was part of its charm and why it had such a big effect on pop culture - I’m not so sure you can repeat that.

BMW is big on meta I’ll tell you that. I love how it’s so aware of itself. The amount of depth that it has never ceases to amaze me. It’s whole universe is so dense and huge. Every quote/storyline is so unique it sticks in your brain forever. (I swear the humour got more and more deranged every season). The show was also incredibly queer and progressive.  It didn’t give a crap about sexuality. Much more than I remember. Proof to never use ‘but it was made in the 90s’ excuse.        

I loved how the show kept reinventing itself every season as Cory grew up so you really felt you were growing up with him and all the characters. The Character Development on this show was so natural/authentic. Every single character got a chance to shine. No one changed their look in one episode and no one had an intervention every time someone had an identity crisis (GMW) My favourite development was Shawn Hunter. He went from a cool kid to a ladies man to a poetic soul. It was so satisfying to watch.

I realised that Cory Matthews is actually my favourite character (before it was Eric or Shawn) I already have a special soft spot for ‘annoying’ characters because they tend to be the most memorable/real. For example, Karma Ashcroft from ‘Faking it’ was my babe while everyone was hating on her. I really related to his anxiety/self hatred about being average and I loved that he constantly made mistakes. It was very refreshing. He’s also incredibly queer-coded. I found that alot of his mannerisms make sense if you see him with extreme compulsory heterosexuality (because identity’s such as bisexual or gay couldn’t exist normally in the 90s) There are moments in the show where he literally mimics his best friend’s behaviour around girls e.g. when the class pretty much gets brainwashed by the sex ed video in ‘Boy Meets Girl’ Shawn gets asked out by a girl, making Cory jealous - which pushes him to ask out Topanga.

It’s funny how a few years of life experience can change perspectives completely because when I was sixteen (aka the same age as Cory and Topanga) watching BMW for the first time, I was mad at Amy for ‘not understanding that they were in love’ (in ‘A Walk to Pittsburg’) but now that I’m older I’m actually agreeing with her. Yeah, what do they know about love? Because all season long they were acting quite superficially.

Cory and Topanga became somewhat of a toxic couple in seasons 5 -7. Reminded me of my parents relationship because my mum gave up her chosen university to be closer to my dad and they aren’t together any more. Topanga’s love for Cory was very conditional and Cory cheated on her multiple times/openly begged for sex  (Again like my parents) And you should never be in a relationship with someone who makes you say “You make me think not so very much of myself” There are arguably much more signs of emotional abuse than love in their relationship especially from Topanga’s side. Plus their story was altered so many times to give it more basis (they retconned Shawn and Cory’s friendship to do this) I could write an essay on how Kevin and Winnie’s love story on ‘The Wonder Years’ is much more believable because it actually addresses how toxic it was and they grow apart in the end. If GMW was a realistic continuation, they would be divorced with a little girl - leave them in the 90s where they belong.

Alan and Amy were couple goals! Cory and Topanga wish that they could have what they have. Literally the definition of ‘a healthy relationship on tv that keeps thriving and over coming obstacles without big drama’. Best TV parents ever.

I loved the Matthews family; how they all had individual arcs and developments of their own. One of my favourite arcs was in season 5, when Eric and Cory were both jealous of what they ‘didn’t have’ with their dad, so Alan made an effort to give them both that they needed. Honestly, I had never seen so much healthy communication on TV before. Alan is the best father around. His whole personal arc of giving up managing a supermarket because he wasn’t passsionate about it anymore and buying a mountain store was so inspired. I found it funny that the family had more of a relationship with Shawn than Topanga.

Shawn Hunter never caught a break. It got a bit tiring. He was never allowed to be happy for five minutes. Every time he laughed or smiled, 5 years were added onto my lifespan. Why didn’t Johnathan Turner adopt him? I loved their dynamic. Why did he let him go back to his abusive father who just dumped him anyway?

Jack and Shawn’s complicated dynamic was possibly the most unique/interesting arc of the entire show and no one talks about it. I don’t care what y’all say - despite them being very different, Jack was the only one who fully took care of Shawn without second thoughts (Turner and the Matthews family had doubts)

I liked Shawn and Angela. I thought they were much better suited than Cory and Topanga. I honestly wouldn’t of minded if they ended up together even though I always had a feeling they wouldn’t. (Like I’m glad she went with her dad in the end) And considering how important they were as a interracial couple in the 90s, GMW handled that very poorly.

Shawn and Cory should of ended up together. And before you come at me with ‘it’s important to have m/m friendships without toxic masculinity’ (which is an important arguement to have) - yeah no shit there’s an entire Industry based around that/pitting women against each other. While it is important to have those friendships between men that are close and even intimate (take Chandler and Joey, Schmidt and Nick, Isak and Jonas and Jake and Charles for example) there was also another layer to their relationship which the narrative played off sometimes as them “going out” or “in love”.  I actually recently found out that a writer - who came into the show in season 3 - confirmed that she wrote gay undertones into their relationship on purpose ‘In my opinion as a writer, they thought they were “straight”, they both didn’t realise or understand their feelings for eachother’ but couldn’t deliever because the producers wanted to keep the show “kid friendly”. Kind of like Xena and Gabby. I know people prefer Jack & Eric (I love them as well) but everything got ruined for me as soon as they introduced the ‘love triangle’ and I always tend to prefer emotional tension over sexual. They were just so unconditional with each other/ their friendship was so good and healthy and now I’m so bitter that it never happened.

I never understood why Shawn and Cory had to stop being best friends after he got married. He’s not Topanga’s property. I always hated how Topanga tried to interrupt/interfere with their dynamic — although now I realise it was because the two of them purposely left her out. Looking back at it, If it really was just a intimate friendship then why would she get so easily jealous if she didn’t sense there was something else deeper going on? You should never marry someone who puts you second.

I didn’t like Topanga when she was with Cory (or vice versa) Especially after they got married. She was a great character on her own. Feminist before her time. Hermione Granger before her time. I always felt she deserved a lot better than him in a way e.g. if someone I considered a friend speard a rumour around high school that we slept together - I would never speak to that person again. SHE SHOULD OF GONE TO YALE GOD DAMN IT. And as someone pointed out the other day, if the roles were reversed some of the stuff she does or says to Cory would be considered domestic violence. ‘She’s always blaming Cory on shit that isn't even his fault or makes him feel bad or shuts down his emotions and turns it around so he's comforting her instead.’ There was even a moment in GMW (not that I consider that show a continuation) where she locks him out the house for a few days after he insulted her chicken, and his son Auggie had to bring him spaghetti. If Cory was a woman, that would not be played off as a joke - that would be considered abuse. They were however a better couple in GMW ironically.

Angela Moore is now one of my favourite characters on BMW. She was beautiful. Her friendship with Rachel (and Topanga) was the best. And I frickin’ loved her and Cory’s friendship development - when they could of easily not played into that. I hate that she got villiaized in GMW.

My favourite seasons are 4, 5 & 1. My least favourites are 3 & 2 & 7. And even then the show was still pretty darn good.

The back and fourth clash between Turner and Mr Feeny in season 2 was very entertaining.

Mr Feeny and Eric are my favourite relationship on ‘Boy Meets World’. I love how Eric was the only person that Feeny directly told that he loved him. Also, why didn’t Eric become the new Mr Feeny? He showed more traits of becoming a teacher in the show than Cory did.

Eric and Tommy was probably the most heartbreaking plot line in season 6. (That season was an emotional train wreck) I cried for a fourth time. The world doesn’t deserve him.

I loved the development of Shawn and Topanga’s friendship. Even though there was a silent competition over Cory, they eventually became good friends. I found out that the song ‘She will be loved’ was inspired by them which is awesome but it’s also proof that people ship for less if it’s an m/f dynamic - just sayin’. I however see a more convincing potiental romance with the two of them than Cory and Topanga sometimes.

On Cory and Topanga again - they weren’t a bad couple overall. I liked them in s1 - 3. They had some great moments. But upon my rewatch (getting out of that 90s idealised headspace) I found them to be too similar at times - chafing as another person put it - to the point where they cancel each other out. A lot of people pointed out that Riley and Maya paralleled them and I was thinking “That’s not nesserily a good thing.”

‘Dream. Try. Do good.’ is on my mantelpiece.

[multimetaverse]

Andi Mack 2x20 Review

Andi’s Choice was a sweet fluffy episode, a nice contrast to all the angst we’ve had in 2b. I’m gonna divide my reviews from now on into positives and negatives. And don’t worry I’ll be talking a lot about Cyrus and his lack of jealousy and what it means for his story in the negatives section.

Positives

Being around you is a great song! Asher has a lovely voice and it would be great if Disney released a full version. I’m glad that they had Bowie write most of it as it would have been unbelievable that Jonah wrote it all himself in the show’s fake 10 day timeline or it’s actual 3ish weeks timeline.

But you can tell that the core message, “I love being around you’’ came from Jonah and it was a nice little callback to what Jonah told Andi at the Space Otters dinner. 

It was great seeing Jonah facing down his anxiety and winning. 2b has been full of angst and setbacks and defeats. Yes we need to see characters struggle and grow and learn but it can’t be constant defeats we need to see them win too. We’ve really seen the toll his untreated anxiety has taken on his life which makes his victory tonight all the sweeter and it lets kids know that they don’t have to be ruled by their anxiety.

I think tonight has been the most likeable Jonah has been in a long time. We get flashes of that old Bill Clinton charm of his but also his natural sweetness and we got some callbacks to his obliviousness. I laughed so much when he thought that Bowie wanted him to look at Bex.

I know that most people on here hate Jandi but it’s just your typical middle school relationship, nothing to get so worked up over (and if you want to hate on it just use an anti-jandi tag). They’ve had some sweet moments and will probably have a few more before Terri pulls the rug out from under the core audience of 6-14 year olds who love this ship and keep this show afloat. I do enjoy seeing the lengths Disney is going to plug the ship (#jandiforever). And I’m sure the Team Jonah kids on the Mack Chat will be popping bottles tonight. In fact I’ll bet that this episode has the highest ratings of 2b so far.

Obviously the ship has its faults and Terri has spoken negatively of it in the past but the casual audience (which is the vast majority of the audience) doesn’t know that and all they see is the show continually pushing Andi and Jonah together so why would they hate it?

As for the seating it wasn’t so that we could see Cyrus’ reactions (we didn’t) it was because Buffy is a bit taller than Cyrus and her longer and curlier hair would obstruct our view (and Jonah’s) of Andi more than Cyrus would. 

I will give the show credit for keeping the lyrics gender neutral (though it was the very least they could do). However, they did make it clear that the song and Jonah’s feelings are only directed at Andi.

And as for the kiss I thought it was exactly like an unexpected first kiss at 14 would be like. I don’t read too much into Jonah’s eyes being open I think it just happened so quickly and took him by surprise that he didn’t know what to do. i know some people are comparing it to the first Ciris kiss but what people forget is that their first kiss went well and Cyrus was actually very happy afterwards (too happy for a soon to realize he’s gay boy in truth). Both Jonah and Andi were happy afterwards and it was nice to see them smiling. 

I also give the show credit for keeping Andi at the centre of this love triangle and keeping all the power in her hands (putting Lucas at the centre of the triangle was GMW’s fatal flaw). I also think it was good to show younger women that it’s okay for them to take charge and make the first move. And kudos for the show having Andi explicitly say that being in a triangle is no fun; obviously the show is selling a fantasy but it’s important to let reality peek in.

I’ll have more to say about Bowie’s behaviour in the negatives but I do think the show was trying to draw a parallel to Bex’s scenes with Amber. Just as Bex’s advice (get a makeover) was immature so was Bowie’s advice (write her a song). It reminds the audience that these are two teen parents we are dealing with and they are still stuck in their teenage mindsets in some ways. I think a big part of their arcs in S3 will be doing that growing up.

Celia’s behaviour doesn’t make much sense but it’s all part of the show moving her from ‘’stern and responsible parental figure’’ to ‘’wacky grandma’’. The show needs Celia to let loose a bit so Bex looks more mature and responsible in contrast. Buying the fringe when Bex has no experience running a small business wasn’t a well thought out move but again it’s necessary because the show wants to establish Bex and Bowie as responsible parents who can financially support themselves and Andi once they’re engaged. 

It was nice to see Britney again, hopefully Bex doesn’t lay her off.

I do like that Cyrus used his director’s skills when joking around with Andi and Buffy.

Lol I was completely wrong about the High School Musical lady being Amber’s mom. 

Walker is nice and I think he’s taking his cues from rom-coms (where else would a 14 year old get romantic advice) which explains these sweet but unexpected gestures. I’m glad that he made such a good impression on Buffy and Cyrus, I’m sure he’ll fit right in with the GHC in S3.

Cyrus’ mom writing a friendship application letter on his behalf was hilarious and also explains so much of why Cyrus is the way he is.

Negatives

For the casual audience a crush that cannot be shown or discussed is for all intents and purposes a crush that does not exist. When Cyrus comes out to Jonah and Jonah gently turns him down the only thing that will surprise most viewers is that Cyrus still has a crush on Jonah. 

Jealousy is such a common trope to establish or reinforce that a person has romantic feelings for another person because it is unmistakable and everyone has experienced some form of jealousy. It’s especially easy for for children to grasp which is why it’s a staple of kid’s shows. For example, in GMW we saw Lucas get jealous multiple times when Riley was with Charlie or Evan and this told the audience that he still had feelings for her and wanted to be with her. It was the show’s way of telling the audience that we should pay attention to Lucas’ feelings and that they mattered. 

When the show doesn’t let Cyrus ever show jealously it tells the audience that Cyrus’ feelings don’t matter and that there’s nothing there. Most viewers take their cues from the show and when the show does’t let Cyrus be jealous or even have very many scenes with Jonah it’s guiding them away from shipping J*rus. If you showed this ep to someone who had never seen Andi Mack and afterwards told them that Cyrus had a crush on Jonah they wouldn’t believe you. Whether they’re 6 or 60 the first thing they’d ask you is why didn’t Cyrus show any jealousy.

The key point this episode drove home imo is that if the show can’t ever discuss or show Cyrus’ crush except when he’s coming out to someone then there’s no way the show could ever discuss or show Cyrus dating Jonah. And can you even imagine how Jonah would even realize he’s bisexual and how the show would even be able to discuss that. The show is barely even pretending that Cyrus has a shot with Jonah and that’s because the writers have long known that it’s not going to happen. 

I re-watched 2x01 so it was fresh in my mind for watching 2x20 and the contrast in how Cyrus’ jealousy and Buffy’s support for him is portrayed is stunning. What’s worse is that Cyrus’ jealousy is all in what was originally 1x13. It’s very clear that Disney only let Terri have Cyrus hang out with Jonah so much in in S1 and to show such overt jealousy because it was necessary to set up his sexuality arc. And Buffy was so supportive and careful of Cyrus’ feelings in 2x01 and that’s nowhere to be seen in this ep. 

If A Good Hair Day had aired as 2x04 as originally planned we would have seen Cyrus’ gay arc mostly wrapped up in 5 eps before being completely dropped until 2x11. That was probably part of Disney’s deal, Terri could have her coming out story but it could only be focused on for a few eps. And I think they’re taking the opposite approach in S3. The first eps will focus on the het ships and story lines before TJ returns in ep 4 or 5 to kick off Cyrus’ romance arc. Again that was probably part of the deal, Terri could give Cyrus a boyfriend eventually but only after all the het ships were put front and centre. 

And boy was it ballsy of the show to have Cyrus call himself the sassy (gay) friend. It helps draw attention to how unfilled out Cyrus is and how he could have been easily cut this ep and nothing at all what have changed.

As for Bowie this episode while I understand that the show is trying to emphasize his immaturity it is super weird that he’s helping Jonah win back his daughter and mostly writes the lyrics to a romantic song about his daughter that also clearly applies to his relationship with Bex. 

But I now understand why there have been so many Bexie and Jandi parallels lately. Bowie and Bex are re-living their relationship through Andi and Jonah because they both feel that it’s too late for them. I do feel more confident now in saying that Jonah and Andi will not get back together after they break up for good this season.

Terri has talked a bit about how important momentum is for the show which is why I’m again left wondering why the writer’s thought it would be a good idea for the show to destroy it’s momentum by imposing a 10 day deadline that has been impossible to keep. It takes basic reasoning skills to see that they had way too much story to cram into 6 episodes to justify such a short deadline. And we can tell by the number of weekends that it has actually been almost 3 weeks in show time not 10 days.

They’re going to have to change Jonah’s middle name from Hercules to Wolfgang because he’s clearly a Mozart level prodigy if he picks up guitar in a week.

Once again no word on Buffy’s crush but I’ll admit that Jonah is being Andi’s first kiss is a strike against my Juffy theory (and is also a strike against J*rus happening). 

And while I appreciate that Jandi needs to happen one more time to deal with all those feelings I still think it’s a bad idea to give them such a sweet moment only to undercut it in 5 eps and have Andi end up with Walker anyways. 

And this is a very minor quibble but why has Buffy known Cyrus since the 2nd grade but Andi’s ‘pet’ hasn’t been fed in 7 years which would be around Kindergarten which is also what I remember being mentioned in 2x15 as the start of their friendship?

[maczazind]

Film Diary 2017: January

Now that my 2016 film diary is FINALLY published, I wanted to try something different with my 2017 version. With this blog now up, I wanted to post this year’s entries in monthly installments as opposed to one massive list. Since it won’t be a single post I wanted to do something I wish I had done more with my 2016 list, which is detail my thoughts a bit more on the entries involved. Some admittedly may warrant their own separate post because I feel so passionately about said film, but at least a monthly breakdown now will allow for a more detailed film diary going forward.

If you’d like to see them as the year progresses, however, each installment will be given the tag “Film Diary 2017” so feel free to follow along!

That being said, here is the list of films I saw in the month of January 2017 - including how each feature was primarily seen and an asterisk which denotes that viewing was the first time I’ve seen that movie in its entirety, despite possibly having seen pieces of the film previously or having a general knowledge of it. All reactions are strictly MY OPINION:

January 4th: 1) Into The Woods* - DVD (Rental - Library); As a fan of movie musicals, I have to admit this one kind of disappointed me. I really like the other fellow Sondheim adaptation of Sweeney Todd, but this one fell flat in my eyes because it doesn’t quite take advantage of its capabilities. Though it does revamp the stage version with some solid visuals and an impressive cast, it’s in the third act where there are multiple scenes that don’t quite take the liberty of being transformed, ultimately feeling like they’re more or less the carbon copy from the original and don’t expand given that they have the capability to. Not to mention, the cast at times feels so large and we spend time jumping around between all of them, it doesn’t really allow us the time to grow overwhelmingly connected to some of the characters.

2) I Am Big Bird: The Carol Spinney Story* - Streaming (Amazon Prime); Not the best documentary I’ve seen, but still an interesting and emotional one. Worth a look.

3) Edward Scissorhands* - DVD (Rental - Library); Yes, yes – it’s my first time seeing this and to be quite honest it’s not my favorite Burton movie. Knocking it off my film lover’s bucket list, it was good! Funnier than I thought it would be; an intriguing story with plenty of fun elements. But at the same time, it certainly doesn’t knock Beetlejuice off its top spot in my eyes.

January 9th: 4) Scouts Guide To the Zombie Apocalypse - Streaming (Amazon Prime); While the opening scene set up a Zombieland-like tone and actually had me excited for a bit, this flick crosses a point midway through where it never quite exceeds its B-movie status. Mindless fun, entertaining but nothing over the top to gush over. It may surprise some out there; still, just an ok watch.

January 12th: 5) Alice Through The Looking Glass* - Streaming (Netflix); Having enjoyed the odd tone I’ve come to expect from Alice in Wonderland, the live action remake from 2010 lands in a solid spot for me. This sequel, however? Well it depends on your suspension of disbelief as the movie goes on. Alice as a ship captain? Actually cool. Time travel? …sure, why not. It elevates the supporting character of the Hatter and admittedly adds some backstory to it all. The play on whether or not Alice truly has been imagining this or not in the real world is an intriguing piece for the few minutes it’s presented, but that’s never quite driven home as we’re whisked away more in the Wonderland journey and everything is wrapped up in an all too neat bow. At the very least, its heart is in the right place and the moral undertones drive home. At the same time, it’s an additional voyage that perhaps didn’t need to set sail.

January 13th: 6) Dr. Strangelove* - Blu-Ray; In this….let’s say INTERESTING…political climate, there certainly have been a number of media entries listed by people to reflect the present day events. If anything, this classic satire has something for everyone to love. Peter Sellers is fantastic in multiple roles, the scenes range from tense to intriguing, and if you’ve never become acquainted with the work of George C. Scott then this is the perfect introductory. While not my favorite classic feature from decades passed, it’s one that has stood the test of time for good reasons.

January 14th: 7) Big Trouble in Little China* - Streaming (Netflix); I think i finally understand the obsession with Jack Burton. Besides being a total badass, Jack was easily the most relatable in all of BTILC as he is more the audience perspective than anything else. Like us, Jack is swept away in something way larger than he may understand and at times it can be confusing as the story grows to ridiculous size. While a cult classic, I’ll admit BTILC didn’t really grab me. Perhaps it’s one of those films you need to check out in your age of development to have a love for, but really I’ll pass. I adored Jack, but the rest was a crazy visually-strong jumble that I’m glad I at least crossed off my list.

January 15th: 8) Patriots Day* - Theater; Maybe it’s because I’m from New England, but man was this an emotional rollercoaster. While you’ll know the story pretty well given how closely followed this tragic story was when it happened years ago, Patriots Day does a great job of taking that and adding the real world heart, perspectives and details beyond whatever CNN could give you. With visually memorable scenes and strong performances filled throughout, definitely give Patriots Day a watch when you can.

9) Short Term 12* - Streaming (Netflix); I put off seeing this indie for years and after the credits started rolling I was kicking myself for not doing so sooner. It’s rare when I have the urge to see a movie again after having just seen it, but my god Short Term 12 was one of those exceptions. An emotional character driven story revolving around themes of depression, abuse, trying to embrace love in spite of it all, mixed with surprises, genuinely funny moments, heartstring pulling sequences and all pulled together with an outstanding performance by Brie Larson, I absolutely loved it all.

10) Pocahontas - Blu-Ray; It had been awhile since I’ve seen this Disney animated film that has always felt middle tier for me. And rewatching it as an adult, yeah I can see why. There are some plot devices that don’t make sense while the romance is really what needs to be embraced regardless of the shortcomings. Visually stunning, but further cemented as not in my top five favorite Disney films.

January 16th: 11) Hardcore Henry* - DVD (Rental - Library); I went in expecting a fun mindless action movie that played like a videogame and that’s exactly what I received. Sure the plot is a little convoluted. Sure the ending is rather abrupt. But man if Sharlto Copley doesn’t steal the entire show. As questions build up about his character, it all pays off in a fantastic scene that just further drives home the comedic elements of the movie. If you can deal with the videogame campaign first-person POV of it all, give it a chance.

January 18th: 12) Little Sister* - Streaming (Netflix); My least favorite entry this month. An indie flick on Netflix that’s a gothic….let’s go with dark comedy? Though I’d say more family drama. The concept sounded interesting, but I kinda walked away from this one bummed out.

January 20th: 13) The Hustler* - Streaming (Netflix); Turning it back to the black and white classics, The Hustler skyrocketed up my list and landed firmly in a top spot of one of my favorite old movies. Paul Newman is charming as ever while the action is so incredibly tense in the best way. While the movie is a bit long and may drag in the middle, George C. Scott once again emerges with an interesting supporting role and has compelled me within two movies to further explore his filmography.

January 21st: 14) The Color of Money* - Streaming (HBO GO); Well if you watch the aforementioned original, you HAVE to see the sequel the next day, right? What I thought was going to be a shift where Newman plays the supporting character turned into a different sort of film where he’s actually the main character yet again. Not nearly as good as its predecessor, it’s a worthwhile expansion of the themes from the first film.

January 25th: 15) Ghost in the Shell* - Blu-Ray; An inspirational anime feature to many creators, this isn’t exactly my first exposure to the franchise (I caught some of the Arise chapter when it was broken up across Netflix, and Stand Alone Complex was around when I was younger). While it wasn’t my favorite film of the genre, it was certainly intriguing to watch. I wanted to experience the original in all its influential glory before the U.S. remake with Scarlett Johansson came along and I’m glad I did.

January 27th: 16) Star Trek Beyond* - Blu-Ray; The second film in the rebooted Star Trek franchise, Into Darkness, left me quite disappointed upon its release because besides the super obvious Khan concealment prior to release, the story to me just felt like a bunch of event sequences loosely strung together. Here, the heart and character is thrust back into the plot while additionally feeling a bit like a traditional Star Trek episode as a majority of the action takes place on a single planet. Even though the opening box office didn’t sound too confident, I’m glad there are plans in motion for another Star Trek film because I felt this was a great course correction that stands strong next to the 2009 reboot.

17) Trainspotting* - Streaming (Netflix); Another film I put off for awhile, its impending removal from Netflix quickly moved this one up the list. And yes, i finally understand the praise. There’s something so simple and yet so interesting about it all. A character driven look at addiction, told in a visually impressive package of comedy, tragedy, heartbreak and growing up.

January 28th: 18) There Will Be Blood* - Streaming (Netflix); Yet another viewing influenced by an impending Netflix departure, I was swept away the second Daniel Day Lewis began to deliver his lines as Daniel Plainview. As the man of science vs. man of faith story moves along the tracks, there are so many layers in this film to attach yourself to and love at least some aspect of. The greed, the wealth, the confrontation, the father and son tale, the flexing of ego and so much more. I finally understand not only why people have praised this film for a decade but why it’s remained in conversation for all that time as well.

January 29th: 19) Don’t Breathe* - Streaming (Flixster); One of the many acclaimed horror films from 2016, thankfully I finally had the chance to see this one after picking it up via a short-lived Blu-Ray sale on Amazon. Not nearly as gory as Fede Alvarez’s previous directorial effort in the Evil Dead remake, Alvarez does a great job of establishing a closed space (which I’ve always been a fan of in others such as Die Hard or 10 Cloverfield Lane) and unleashing a number of anxious possibilities that continue to surprise. Relying on an incredibly small cast, the performances count just as much despite not even our protagonists being morally virtuous along with a few secrets up its sleeves.

January 30th: 20) Blair Witch (2016)* - Blu-Ray; Extended thoughts here, but long story short – I don’t believe this one deserved as much hate as it received.

21) No Country for Old Men* - Streaming (Netflix); My final film of the month actually came as a welcome surprise for me. When it comes to Coen Brothers films, I am that rare outcast who kind of feels disappointed because I don’t feel most live up to the hype (well, except for Fargo at least). Thankfully, NCFOM lands on the positive side of my personal preference as it’s a visually incredible movie alongside a story that expands into an edge of your seat showdown the more it goes on. Admittedly, I had to rewatch the third act to really fathom the message driven home as things shift in order to relay a central message and subvert expectations. But at the same time, it’s a bold approach that never takes away from the other two acts while allowing you to sit & think afterwards about what transpired and what is stated.

Furthermore, Best Picture winner No Country for Old Men has prematurely kicked off a successful string of films in February’s 2017 listing that have all been nominated and/or won Academy Awards. But more on that later…

What movies did you see in January 2017? Are there any movies you’d highly recommend that I should add to my watchlist? Feel free to drop me an ask or a reply!