PLAN B

POSITIVES…

  • As a rather mature teen comedy that leads into crazy situations, this was actually quite the entertaining movie. 

  • Because of this movie, you should add Sunny and Lupe, played wonderfully by Kuhoo Verma and Victoria Moroles respectively, into the distinguished list of memorable cinematic comedic duos, like Harold & Kumar, or Bill & Ted, before them. 

  • There are some funny and outrageous scenes and encounters to be found in this. 

  • “Indian Mafia.” 

  • Loved the clever witty lines in this movie. “Girls are horse f****** and I haven’t even had my first kiss.” “Who plays hockey in a cardigan.” “...weirded out by the phallic nature of corn.” 

  • If that isn’t obvious, there is some very very frank dialogue in this, that I appreciated. 

  • There’s also that sex scene. LOL. How appropriately on point for this movie. 

  • Movie has some good surprises plot wise, but also character wise. Like Michael Provost as Hunter, who is an absolute delight in the role. 

  • The commentaries on social issues here are to be commended. 

  • That abstinence educational video was such a hoot and a half. I mean sex euphamisms via vehicular terminologies. Hilarious. 

  • Christian trap hip-hop music.

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s not always a laugh-a-riot of a movie like you probably would have wanted it to be. 

  • Doesn’t completely maintain that fun energetic tone from the first act, during the next two acts of the story. 

  • A little too on the nose with men wanting to sexually exploit women, a couple of times too much in this movie. 

  • Isn’t showing mean teenagers just such a tired old cliche by now? 

  • Plot conveniences and familiar plot tropes still show up as expected. 

  • Vomit.

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PLAN B - watched it on HULU

Cruella

POSITIVES…

  • As a reinvention of the Cruella DeVille character, I was pleasantly surprised at how good this turned out. 

  • Movie is also not afraid to have a dark, wicked, naughty, tone throughout. So parents just know that it may not be for kids at all. 

  • While it doesn’t lean heavily on comedy, there are several comedic moments throughout to keep you entertained. 

  • Narrative is fantastic and engaging. Incorporates a lot of good pacing, editing, one-take tracking shots, plus all those great montages. 

  • Has lots of amazing scenes, from the opening act, the black & white ball, to the final set piece during the third act, and all those scheming heists sequences. Not to mention the conversations Estella has with her Mum. Loved those. 

  • Lots of witty and clever lines of dialogue, that only enhances the scenes they are in even more. “Fabrics! Can you get me a red like that.” “Sorry. Slight tone delivery problem.” “You’re in my way.” “Thank You.” 

  • The dynamic between Estella / Cruella and the Baroness is just so much fun to watch, it’s electrifying. 

  • Speaking of which. Huge applause to the two Emmas here. Emma Stone and Emma Thompson. They are both just simply amazing in this. 

  • Excellent supporting cast that includes Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Tipper Seifert-Cleveland, Andrew Leung, John McCrea, Mark Strong, and more. The Dogs! Can’t forget to give a shout out to the dogs too.

  • All the colorful, kinetic, arresting visuals and imagery that can be found in this film. Spectacular stuff. 

  • Really enjoyed the soundtrack, that’s filled with lots of rock favorites from the 1960s and 1970s. 

  • Oh yeah, and then there’s all that fashion stuff. I’m sure fashionistas will get a kick.

NEGATIVES…

  • Song choices can be arguably superficially implemented into the movie. 

  • Certain story conveniences and familiar tropes here and there. 

  • Some logical flaws that take you out of the movie at times. 

  • Movie is probably longer than it had to be. 

  • CGI dogs. I mean. Advancements in live-action computer animation and all, but still. Obvious CGI dogs.

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Cruella - watched it on DISNEY+

A Quiet Place Part II

POSITIVES…

  • A worthy follow-up to the first installment. Arguably even better than part one. 

  • Amazing cast! From Millicent Simmonds, Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Noah Jupe, to John Krasinski. 

  • Day 1 flashback section of the movie. Amazing. 

  • All that tension and thrills that this movie can achieve. Fantastic. 

  • So effective in telling a story with many scenes not containing dialogue. May as well be a silent film at times. 

  • The moments that do contain dialogue, were eloquent, and even thought provoking. 

  • Really great at intercutting certain scenes together, that were really engaging to see play out on screen. 

  • There were some really engrossing scenes to experience in this movie. Kudos to Director John Krasinski! 

  • What also greatly helps with the tone and the narrative, is the musical score. So good. 

  • Visually, the cinematography and those arresting imagery. Top notch. 

  • Monster creature effects are excellent. 

  • Those big triumphant moments deserve a standing ovation.

NEGATIVES…

  • Certain plot conveniences and familiar tropes do still crop up, which cheapens the narrative a bit. 

  • Some “why are you doing that?!” moments that make you want to do a facepalm. 

  • Fake out jump scares. Come on. I feel like you don’t have to rely on those for this movie. 

  • That one stupid idea of a trap. Unbelievably wasn’t thought through was it? 

  • All those shots of bare feet.

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A Quiet Place Part II - watched it IN THEATERS

Together Together

POSITIVES…

  • The opening interview scene is a great way to kick off this interesting premise of a movie. 

  • Ed Helms is great in this as Matt, showcasing his skills of being awkward and vulnerable. 

  • Patti Harrison as Anna is also great here, and is fantastic at her deadpan comedy. 

  • A lot of this movie is about the chemistry and the conversations Matt and Anna have, and they easily kept me engaged. 

  • There is quirky, awesome, and clever dialogue in this that covers fantastic topics from fascinating factoids, social-philosophical thoughts, and pop culture references. 

  • Along with the conversations, are the excellent scenes that feature them. This movie is filled with fun quirky and humorous scenes. 

  • “Opening the shade: The deeper meaning behind color…” 

  • “Lamp.” 

  • “I can’t tell if she’s really rude or amazing.” 

  • There are lots of excellent supporting casts here, but I gotta give it to Sufe Bradshaw for stealing every scene she’s in. 

  • Three story arcs. Three trimesters. Cute. 

  • Sweet. Touching. Thought provoking. Good stuff!

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s not exactly the most exciting movie in the typical sense. 

  • Some might think Patti Harrison’s dry comedic role is just much too dry. 

  • There will be those who won’t be too happy with how the movie ends.

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Together Together - watched it on VIDEO ON DEMAND

Army of the Dead

POSITIVES…

  • If you like zombie movies and Zack Snyder, then by all means go check out this movie. 

  • Fun premise of combining the zombie genre with a heist element to it. 

  • Opening montage is awesome. All the montages in fact. Snyder knows how to do fantastic montages. 

  • Good ensemble cast, from Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Garret Dillahunt, Theo Rossi, plus many more. 

  • Speaking of the cast though, I gotta specifically give it to Tig Notaro, Nora Arnezeder, and Matthias Schweighöfer, for being the stand-out characters in this. 

  • The introduction scene for the Athena Perample zombie character. Fascinating. 

  • That one set piece involving Samantha Win’s character is peak zombie movie awesomeness. 

  • Booby trap sequence. Entertaining stuff. 

  • Has some spectacular visuals to see in this movie. 

  • Liked the mythological touches to the story behind the zombies. 

  • Zombie animals. 

  • Richard Cheese and Allison Crowe’s “Viva Las Vegas.”

NEGATIVES…

  • While there’s a heist element to the premise, it doesn’t really capitalize on that genre as much as I hoped it would. 

  • Logical flaws in the story. 

  • Characters you just don’t really care for.

  • There are some slow moments that I didn’t like halting the momentum the movie had. 

  • Needless to say, some pacing and tone issues. 

  • Zack Snyder arguably indulges himself too much here. 

  • Considering the content of the movie, it really didn’t need to be 148 mins long. 

  • Was the topless female zombies really necessary?

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Army of the Dead - watch it on NETFLIX

Oxygene

POSITIVES…

  • The way this film builds from the simple concept of somebody who finds herself trapped in what is essentially a coffin, and expands it into so much more, is an incredible feat by Director Alexandre Aja and writer Christie LeBlanc. 

  • Having pretty much the whole movie set in that one claustrophobic location and still manages to keep you engaged is fantastic. 

  • You’d think with just that one location there wouldn’t be much to see visually. Not true at all. There’s a lot of dynamic visuals that take advantage of the premise in nice ways. 

  • Plot progression moves and builds up in interesting, surprising, and suspenseful ways. 

  • That big reveal in the middle of the movie. Well done. 

  • This story manages to tackle some very thought provoking themes and topics. 

  • Mélanie Laurent carries this film splendidly. Amazing performance. Especially considering she is only interacting with disembodied voices. 

  • Shout out to Mathieu Amalric for the excellent job of being the voice actor for the artificial intelligent computer M.I.L.O. He is definitely a character. 

  • "Would you like a sedative?"

NEGATIVES…

  • Starts off a little slow. 

  • Some jump scares seemed unnecessary. 

  • Certain plot coincidences might be pushing it for you. 

  • Rats.

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Oxygene - watched it on NETFLIX

The Woman in the Window

POSITIVES…

  • A mysterious thriller that will keep people guessing as to what’s going to happen next. 

  • Part of the fun of watching movies like these is trying to figure out the answer to the mystery before it’s revealed.  

  • The manic pacing and plot progression completely fits the themes and tone of the film. 

  • Eye grabbing stylistic visual touches were pretty awesome to see. 

  • Excellent utilization of having this being set in one location. Adds to the claustrophobic tone of the movie. 

  • That tone can be quite tense, and suspenseful as well. 

  • Second act really puts you on the ringer here. Which I guess is the point. 

  • If there’s one single reason to see this, it’s Amy Adams as Anna Fox. She is simply spectacular in this. 

  • The rest of the supporting cast is also good. From Wyatt Russell, Gary Oldman, Fred Hechinger, Julianne Moore, Brian Tyree Henry, and more. 

  • “Punch” the cat.

NEGATIVES…

  • Going to be a lot of people saying “hey, isn’t this just Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window?” 

  • Can’t be helped I guess, but the premise does feel kinda generic and derivative. 

  • The drama can appear to be quite over the top, to the point of frustration. 

  • Speaking of over the top, the acting sure is cranked all the way up to 11 here. 

  • Very questionable face palming decisions made by our protagonist. 

  • A little manipulative in some cases.

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The Woman in the Windows - watched it on NETFLIX

Those who wish me dead

POSITIVES…

  • If you’re looking for a good traditional thriller involving bad men, a mysterious conspiracy, firefighters, and a big fire, then this might just be for you. 

  • This is one of those movies that really just gives the actors moments to shine in some enjoyable scenes and set pieces. Some good stuff here. 

  • Angelie Jolie is expectedly solid in her role as Hannah, bringing some good emotional beats necessary for her character’s back story. 

  • Finn Little is fantastic as Connor, and is given some very entertaining lines to say. 

  • The pairing of Jolie’s Hannah and Little’s Connor is easily the best thing about seeing this story play out. Their conversations and the scenes they perform it. Bravo. 

  • Aiden Gillen and Nicholas Hoult are absolutely excellent in their roles of the main antagonists. Provides more highlights for the movie. 

  • Medina Senghore is another wonderful highlight as Allison. I would give all the best action sequences to her scenes actually. 

  • Jon Bernthal being Jon Bernthal. ‘Nuff said? 

  • Appreciated seeing some of those survival tactics demonstrated in the movie. 

  • “It’s impossible to feel sorry for myself in front of you.”

NEGATIVES…

  • Have to admit that despite the recognizable stars and big fire special effects, this movie isn’t exactly the most spectacular thing you’ll see this year. 

  • Slow start. Taking its sweet time getting to the thriller aspect of the story. 

  • That big annoying plot convenience that’s needed just to keep the plot going. 

  • Big tease of a macguffin that is handled in the most unsatisfying way. 

  • Speaking of conclusions. That ending. You’re going to cut to credits from right there? C’mon, you’re killing me here.

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Those Who Wish Me Dead - watched it on HBO MAX

Spiral: From the book of Saw

POSITIVES…

  • Fans of the Saw franchise should check this out. With that said, those who never followed the franchise can easily jump in on this installment.

  • Liked the mysterious killer police procedural narrative.

  • Most will be here for the deadly traps that is synonymous with this series of films, and they do mostly deliver.

  • Needless to say, fans of bloody gore and violence will find things to like.

  • Then there are those who will be watching because of Chris Rock, and he too delivers with what you expect from him.

  • Gotta admit that I enjoyed the stand-up comic bits of jokes he actually got to do in this.

  • Chris Rock did get to drop some entertaining pop culture references here and there too.

  • Good supporting cast, that includes Marisol Nichols, Max Minghella, Richard Zeppieri, Samuel L Jackson, and more.

  • There are several scenes that should grab your attention, and one that I had fun watching involved being able to see a bone sticking out of a broken leg.

  • Thematically tackles some very prescient and important subject matters.

NEGATIVES…

  • Those quick camera zooms, pans, and cuts, were just annoying.

  • Somehow I thought there would be more traps. There aren’t as many traps as I expected there to be.

  • A couple of huge plot holes that killed some of that required suspension of disbelief.

  • Mystery of the villain a little too telegraphed and predictable? I know I guessed correctly!

  • Movie seemed afraid to actually deal with the overall themes of the story.

  • That moment you the end credits start. Seriously? That’s how they’re going to conclude the movie?!

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Spiral: From the book of Saw - watched it IN THEATERS

PROFILE

POSITIVES…

  • More proof that a movie that is completely set on a computer desktop is still a viable form of story telling. 

  • Compelling, fascinating, and thrilling premise. 

  • Considering the “screen life” aspect of this movie, it chooses some effective liberties with what we see on that computer desktop. 

  • I particularly liked it’s method of indicating the passage of time in the narrative. 

  • Achieves that proper tension and suspense needed to hook you into the plot. 

  • Third act in particular really ramps things up, and will keep you invested until the eventual conclusion. 

  • Valene Kane is generally solid in her thankless role of Amy / Melody. 

  • Shazad Latif is absolutely fantastic as Bilel. 

  • Subject matter itself is quite triggering, and worth thinking about. 

  • Considering that this cautionary tale is inspired by a true story, only makes the movie scarier than it is.

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s a movie that’s purely shown via a computer desktop. It’s not for everybody. 

  • Kinda rolled my eyes at some of the movie’s attempts to create a supposed authentic representation of how we use a computer, and how our video chats apparently are riddled with constant pixelations and buffering issues. 

  • Familiar plot tropes and cliches.

  • Certain plot points and plot conveniences were also quite annoying to see in this story. 

  • The character of Amy Whittaker will frustrate you. 

  • Expect to do some face palms and incredulously ask “what the hell are you doing?!” 

  • Didn’t think it needed to be 105 minutes long.

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PROFILE - watched it IN THEATERS