Change Your Image
fireworksness
Reviews
This Is Me... Now: A Love Story (2024)
Rooting for Bennifer after 20 years
I don't know if I'm crazy but I absolutely loved this.
I found it to be powerful and emotional. It sent me on a nostalgic journey along with her. Visually stunning, entertaining and heavily coded to her life and experiences. I remember the entire Bennifer extravaganza from twenty years ago. I was so engaged in it back then as a big Affleck fan. It's so special and beautiful to see them reunite after all this time. It's a really beautiful ending (or new beginning?) to the narrative that was started back then. I am really rooting for them and this project really made her feel relatable in a new way.
This is such a fun and emotionally charged way to introduce new music and make it relatable. I really enjoyed this film and connected with the music and the beautiful outlook she has on her new life with Ben. Really loved this. I am so moved.
The Christmas Club (2019)
The most awe-inspiring kitchens
This Hallmark Christmas follows a widow and her daughter as they enjoy the Christmas season before disaster strikes at her dance studio! In comes Edward a dashing but very busy business consultant visiting from the big city! The Winter Festival is A FOOT and a nice little old lady begins meddling in their lives....
A cutesy film that is simple enough and recipe enough for a Christmas film lover to accept. The title is a super weird choice though that threw me off. Perhaps a better title could have been The Christmas Festival? Or Evergreen Park? Maybe, the Holiday Meddler! Maybe Ms. Claus the Christmas Love Helper....
Once Upon a Studio (2023)
A fantastic collection of characters for Disney fans
This short put the biggest smile on my face!
So much nostalgia in such a short time. Made my inner child so happy to see so many characters from my childhood and today. I knew it would be cute but I didn't realize how heartwarming it would be to watch all these characters get together to take a photo. It was chaotic and joyful.
I am thrilled this exists and mentions even long forgotten tales from decades ago!
Definitely worth the time to watch this short 13 minute film. The attention to detail is immaculate, and softly reminds me of the old House of Mouse show where similarly characters from various worlds would come together.
A joy joy JOY to watch and pause and see who is hiding in each frame!!
Great anniversary special for Disneys 100 year's anniversary!
Scandal: Till Death Do Us Part (2016)
Scott Foley's pain is my pain
This episode BROKE MY HEART.
I cannot BELIEVE that we keep BREAKING THIS MANS HEART.
Why WHY can't I have NICE THINGS
POOR JAKEY.
OUTRAGEOUS
OUTRAGEOUS
OUTRAGEOUS
Olivia has been obsessed with this man FOR AGES. We have broken him so many TIMES. When does JAKEY WIN!
If I have to watch Scott Foley's heart break ONE MORE TIME
like DAMN ELI that was COLD!!!!! He is FINALLY THE FIRST CHOICE!
Please GOD he should have SEen THROUGH HER!!
COME ON JAKEY DO BETTER
Outrageous
Outrageous
Outrageous
I should never have watched this show! It's just PAIN.
Pain in SCOTTS EYES
JAKEY NEVER GETS what he WANts !!
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Predictable slog
This film was underwhelming and predictable.
I found myself pausing it often to read a book but I was determined to finish it.
Doric was delightful but underused as they seemed to regularly forget what she was capable of at every turn.
Hugh Grant was hilarious as a wildly silly person.
There was a handful of funny moments and one great sequence with a wagon and a reverse robbery that was a nice unique touch.
The visual effects were stunning and it was very clear the bulk of budget was spent on CGI/Effects.
Another rewrite around the table could have saved it from a very formulaic film that gives nothing to the D&D brand.
Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)
Hanging in a state of perpetual loneliness.
Compelling, interesting, attention grabbing.
A story full of sorrow and sadness which in turn left me feeling empty and sad.
The story touches on loneliness, solitude, sadness and the passage of time.
Left me with some questions along with the feeling of hopelessness.
Questions like, why did she hallucinate the man in white at the beginning which we later see in an ancient court? This is never a expanded.
Also, does Djinn not have a name? They all just call him Djinn.
Additionally why was there never translations to any of the ancient times scenes?
The writing was beautifully done and the story was complete; I don't feel you are left hanging. Unless you count hanging in a state of desolation.
Clerks III (2022)
Elias is my hero
KEVIN HOW COULD YOU!
Not quite what I expected....
As a decades long devout follower of the View Askewniverse....this film was highly anticipated by me. This introspective film was somber, deep and heartfelt. It really hit me hard watching these beloved characters and actors reliving the film Clerks, and experiencing middle age.
A lot of cameos as expected from Kevin, my favourite hands down was Harley in the final shot in an ode to her grandmother, Grace's role in the original Clerks film.
I think what I expected was a jaunty romp back into the roles and the world that I grew comfortable and accustomed to with laughs and absurdity; what I got not quite that.
My heart is absolutely broken as for the first time Kevin ripped my heart out at the end.
Clerks two is one of my favourite films of all time and the fact that Dante is so unhappy...it's just not what I pictured for his character.
Trevor Fehrman was absolutely hysterical every minute he was on screen and stole the show completely.
The Island (2005)
Ewan vs Ewan
Ewan McGregor is so charismatic playing a dual role in this film. He is truly the saving grace of the film.
Many tropes in this film that we see a lot of these days. Good chance if I watched this when it initially came out I may have been more "wowed" by it and it's Blockbuster high action big budget vibes.
Overall it took me too days to watch this between many pausings to find something more interesting to do. Plenty of plot holes to pick apart, that didn't really affect anything anyways enough to pick apart.
Really stacked excellent cast led by Ewan. And given Sean Bean's career trajectory you know very swiftly exactly what is going yo happen to his character, the head of the evil corporation.
Pretty predictable for todays audiences.
Fun to see Scarlett as a love interest role Pre-Black Widow. We do get to see her flex those action chops in what could be called her in film audition to portray Black Widow in the future. It's fleeting but refreshing to have this young woman stand up for herself and boss around the men who are treating her like a piece of meat.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Rewatching after five years
Rewatching Infinity War for the first time since seeing it in the cinema in 2018 and it was still incredible tension building, heart pounding, non stop action.
I can't believe it's already been five years since it came out. Since I went on opening day to see it and scream along with everyone in the audience as each character shows up, as Gamora fell, as he should have aimed for the head.
How even now as Tony is holding Peter before he crumbles to ash I almost succumbed to the tears forming behind my eyes.
Watching Wanda try to hold back Thanos as she destroys the stone, the pain and heartbreak in her eyes. Elizabeth Olson won me for life.
I didn't know if it would stand up, if it would last on rewatch. It exceeded my expectations a SECOND time.
I am overwhelmed with love for this film and sadness at the somber ending.
Without Infinity War we couldn't have the MCU as we know it to this day.
All the spin off shows on Disney Plus started right here.
One day it will be just an old Marvel movie when there's too many to go back and start at the beginning.
But I'll remember the time when this was the height of the MCU and all the doors it opened for so much more.
Crossroads (2002)
Nostalgic treat!
Despite being a Britney Fan in the early 2000s and this film being over 20 years old I never got around to watching it until today!
I was prepared for a boring poorly made film and got a lovely treat! Very cute and funny and sometimes introverted snapshot into 2001 culture. Things like fashion, slang and tropes of that time that were once outdated and overused were a sweet trip to memory lane and remembering my childhood.
The acting can be wooden at times and the dialogue is just okay. The music is excellent though and as they use a time capsule as a plot device the film itself is a time capsule of a simpler time.
Didn't think I would love this movie as it's time in the sun had long past. Young Britney is sweet and innocent with her whole life and career ahead of her....it's a poignant look back and a sweet treat!
I wished I could have seen it back then !
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Excellently crafted
It was long and I still wish it was longer; the acting impeccable the story a web, the editing was superb. Cinematography; chefs kiss.
Janelle Monae a stand out.
The first time I really felt Goldie Hawn vibes from Hudson.
Bautista stepping out of the Drax spotlight and avoiding a typecasting and creating a clear fully formed character.
I was so impressed and compelled to know more. I did suspect the killer the whole time but I watch a lot of mystery films!
Janelle had the best storyline by far and the most surprising!
Would love another film with these hilarious characters but am very much looking forward to the next Daniel Craig helmed film!
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)
Empty and cold
Where do I start?
I knew from about 30 minutes in to the movie who was going to live. The pacing was all over the place and the characters didn't make me care about them at all. Claire is cold, and angry. Chris is arrogant and callous. Wesker is one of the only three dimensional characters and I think it's more the acting than the actual script. He seems sincere in his decisions at least.
A few decent attempts at jump scares. Quality makeup and CGI but this does not make up for the lack of plot and unanswered questions.
Claire's response to finding out a tiny amount of details? Shred all the evidence and peace out.
Disappointed in this outing of the Resident Evil Franchise.
All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996)
Nostalgia
Nostalgia plays a big part in my rating for this film. I didn't know it until I was watching it but I remembered so much of this movie! I knew all the names and twists and I was so excited to find a piece of my childhood again. Again, maybe it's nostalgia speaking again but I did prefer this film to part one! But my daughter thinks the first one was better! The quality did go down in the art and effects however it feels like a cute quirk of the film and of the time! The love song stayed in my head for ages! Charlie Sheen replacing Burt Reynolds's is barely noticeable and it even seems like my brain prefers Sheen!
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities: Dreams in the Witch House (2022)
High tension
Perhaps it's nostalgia and childhood familiarity but I immediately was rooting for Grints' character. I wanted him to find what he was looking for and to win out in the end.
I did not know this was also an adaptation of a Lovecraft story.
Overall it was chilling in all the right places, building suspense and keeping my interest.
The plot moved along quickly and my guesses changed throughout.
I never thought there would be a happy ending and in a way there kind of was, it's just from a different point of view.
I would have been intrigued to learn more about the other world or the woman in the room beside, or perhaps more about the bodies in the cupboard. I don't know if these are even expanded on in the original story but it would have added to the spooky bits very well.
The design of the witch is excellent and scary !
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities: Pickman's Model (2022)
Weak
This is easily the weakest episode of the series so far.
I found my attention wavering even leaving for a while to walk my dogs mid episode and later again to make a pizza.
It's hard to say what failed to grip me into this story. The acting was fine the plot was fine...everything was just fine. The scariest things to occur are in the final act.
I'm tempted to look up the original story this work is based on so I can compare the two. Perhaps the adaptation to screen is what made it fall flat.
The makeup on the ghouls was great and the CGI was great but overall just wasn't enough to save this slow sludge of a tale that left me feeling bored.
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities: The Outside (2022)
Adipose meets Alo Glo
In this tale the use of taxidermy seems to represent maintaining beauty that can be admired. Stacey who is skilled at taxidermy wants to maintain her own beauty. She becomes manic in her attempts to do so. Some questions are left unanswered. Is Stacey's mind playing tricks on her because she is a paranoid and anxious individual? Did the lotion engulf the other women in their homes as it engulfed her? Is there an alien ingredient here that we are meant to infer?
Overall I can't help drawing comparisons to the Doctor Who episode "Partners In Crime" where the characters are aiming to lose weight and purchase pills that encourages the fat to just fall off. In fact it does fall of and at some points completely kills the individual in an attempt to grow more of itself (the alien Adipose). The "nanny" growing the Adipose is similar to Dan Stevens character as he is encouraging her to change by letting his product engulf her entirely. Obviously this is the less family friendly version, what could have been an ending had the aforementioned program not been a family program.
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities: The Autopsy (2022)
Gruesome and terrifying
This episode had my full attention.
Now here is a truly chilling episode.
The autopsy's themselves were gruesome to watch and seemed so accurate and true. The cutting of the rib cage seared into my mind. The face of the doctor realizing there's no blood inside consecutive bodies. The eerie music. The chilling way that "Joe Allen" crawls around and the way he talks to the doctor. Chilling and bone tingling.
True horror finally.
Finally in the last autopsy I had to shield my eyes like a child as the doctor does away with his senses. He take his final epic revenge.
The twisted satisfaction of a job well done leaving a smile on his face.... I wonder how much of the tape recorded....
Gruesome and satisfying horror.
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities: Graveyard Rats (2022)
A Spooky win...should have listened to the skeleton!
So many excellent horrors in this one! Nightmares, debt, rats, grave robbery, corpses, rodents of unusual size, catacombs, cave systems, Spooky skeletal monsters! The acting is brilliant and immersive. The action is constant and consistent. You are rooting for the character even when he is acting despicably. On another hand we do get some kind of closure by following through with the consequences of his actions. If he just hadn't made like Abu in the Cave of Wonders... perhaps he could have survived but the ongoing theme of greed and desperation was his undoing. It was unsettling that he predicted his own death the night before.
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities: Lot 36 (2022)
First episode left me wanting more
For the series opener I did expect something a little more to keep me interested in continuing the series.
The atmosphere was dark and bleak. The tension was high and this was led mostly by the mystery of the old man and the music in the background. I started to make my guesses right from the start which were mostly correct.
In stories like this I know you don't always get the answers you are seeking but the final act did feel a little bit rushed and it ended quite suddenly. This episode or the themes within could be more deeply explored as I feel there could be more horror within than what we are left with.
The Dressmaker (2015)
Incredible
I dare say that what we have here is an excellent film; a film that forces every emotion from you.
The casting is exceptional, the storytelling is clear and direct. The gowns are fantastical.
The first hour and a bit I found myself transfixed. No desire to fiddle away with my phone as one can do during a slow paced film. The characters were full and alive. I laughed very much and enjoyed the brewing mystery of what happened to Stewart, a little boy that died before the events of the film.
Then when everything began to feel healed in the story I noticed there was still half an hour left. Then the laughter turned to tears. I was left shocked and shouted at the film for changing so abruptly but the tears were necessary and fuelled the vengeance driven final act.
Incredible closure and adored how they closed up everything neatly with a bow.
The perfect revenge and a delicious slice of film.
Highly recommend.
Ps: Hugo Weaving is an incredible delight !!!
Jane Eyre (2011)
The pit of despair
I decided to watch this film with no prior knowledge of the plot of Jane Eyre. This film had me in tears three times, as well as brought me to the edge of my seat. I gasped, I frowned deeply. I struggled to grasp the passage of time between events as no one appears to age yet time passes. I don't know what happens to the young ward of Mr Rochester but I was confident he had died even before I knew of the fire. This film brought me to scrape the bottom floors of despair and left me in crumbs.
I couldn't help thinking what am I missing from the novel that would expand my understanding and also my pain.
I'm led now to research parts I have missed.
I'm left in complete sadness for this tragic tale for if it were to have happened today nothing would have been the same.
Rosaline (2022)
Loved this film
Absolutely loved flipping Romeo and Juliet on its head with this fiery red head who won't take ghosting for an answer. Fiesty and opinionated she won't be bossed around either!
This story points out all the places Romeo and Juliet made less than stellar choices and the speed at which Romeos fickle heart fluttered from maiden to maiden and his prose he presented at their windows. Loved the characters of Rosaline and Dario was so much more likeable than Romeo!
Film was short, cute and funny. The music was soft and pop and flowed perfectly from scene to scene. Music was easy to find on Spotify and added to my playlist right away.
Would recommend this film to anyone looking for a lighthearted movie.
Loved this !
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
Not my cup of tea
I found myself shouting at the screen and asking Ana to run. I definitely found a lot of Christians behaviours outside of the bedroom to be abusive and in real life likely wouldn't be tolerated by any modern woman. Ana deserves better.
Twilight (2008)
Nostalgia
My respect for the actors and the film have grown throughout the years. This has made me raise my review. There's a lot of nostalgia here for a simpler time.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Lizzie is the queen
I feel like Wong finally earned the title of hardcore sorcerer supreme!
And Elizabeth Olson is a dream! The quivering lip, the hint of a tear...incredible performance from her and made me want more Scarlett Witch !!