Lost Weekend III: What We Do In The Shadows

I missed What We Do in the Shadows during Lost Weekend III.  Honestly, I don’t remember why- quite possibly I had a scheduling issue, but it’s more likely that I didn’t pay attention to what it was about, assuming it was a scary film and I’m not usually into horror flicks (sorry Faye!).  So I got a copy from Bowman Library (front and center in the Film Club 3.0 display! Check it out), settled in to watch it, and almost turned it off during the first 15 minutes because I had no idea what I was seeing.  I am here to tell you, I did not follow my instincts and BOY am I glad I didn’t!  This film was a hilarious send up of campy vampires, reality TV, mockumentaries, and bromances.  If you liked Best in Show, Spinal Tap and the like, this film is definitely for you.

Lost Weekend I: Broken Circle Breakdown

Thank You for giving me an opportunity to revisit not only one of my favorite Lost Weekend films, but one that became one of my favorite movies of all time.  Broken Circle Breakdown was literally the first film shown at our first Lost Weekend.  It wrecked me, made me cry, made me think about it the entire following day, no three days, made me go buy the soundtrack, listen to it incessantly…saying this film had a profound impact on me is a vast understatement.

The Automatic Hate— Tense, troubled, complex. Ahhhhh Family!

I have never seen a movie like Justin Lerner’s The Automatic Hate.  It begins very benignly, introducing us to ordinary people who have ordinary issues.

“Strong and alone, huh?” “OUI.” —- A GIRLHOOD REVIEW

As a mother of 11 year old twin girls, I was slightly less than jazzed to watch a coming of age movie about girls growing up. I had trepidations of what I would see, what I would hear that girls are talking about these days and hearing from the world around them- about their worth, their place in society, and their opportunities in said society. Not only did Girlhood inform me, it challenged me, and definitely entertained me.

SELMA: A Review

I will admit, my knowledge of American History has some holes. I’m working on it. I knew that Selma, Alabama was notable during the 1960s because Martin Luther King, Jr. led a march there related to Civil Rights. I did not know much about the particulars before watching Selma this past Monday, which was of course, MLK Day.

Meet the Patels…and the O’Rourkes….and the Brennan’s…and the Barsetti’s…

This delightful documentary from Geeta and Ravi Patel really tells the story of what every young adult in every close ethnic group who is “of marriage age” hears from their family: when are you going to get married? And will you please choose a nice Indian/Italian/Greek/Jewish girl/boy and make your mother and me happy? What makes it more interesting is that one of the filmmakers, Ravi, is going through it right now, with his awesomely fantastic and witty Indian family. We get to see every painful and hilarious step, thanks to his sister Geeta, who films the whole thing. Adding in a little outside-his-ethnic-group dating, checking out prospective dates on Facebook before meeting them, and one of many laugh out loud scenes involving what could only be described as Indian Speed Dating (The Patel Expo!!), serve to effortlessly weave old and new world together.   An Old World Tinder if you will…

“What done happened don’ matter. You jus’ go on.” — A Review of Drafthouse Films’ THE KEEPING ROOM

I’ll admit it: this native Northern gal had to look up the definition of a “keeping room” while doing this review. According to Central Virginia Home’s web page, a keeping room refers to a room just off the kitchen where families and servants gathered to do chores and have meals, as it was often the warmest and coziest room in the house. More on that in a minute…

Jennifer Takes a WALK IN THE WOODS and Finds the Path Choppy and Uneven: A Review

A Walk in the Woods is based on the 1998 book by travel writer Bill Bryson- a book I read a few years ago- so I was eager to see the film version starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. I am sad to say I enjoyed the book way more (I know, always the case). However, I was not prepared for how much worse the movie was. It’s possible that because Redford initially confirmed he would produce and star in the film adaptation in 2005, and had numerous people in to adapt the screenplay and direct, finally settling on Bill Holderman and Ken Kwapis, this may have lead to the choppy and uneven film version.

Say Anything – A Dare to be Great Situation for Cameron Crowe

Ahhhh the 1980s. The Golden Era of teen movies. And yes I believe this because I was coming of age in the mid eighties so of course this was the best crop of teen movies that were ever made! (It’s a fact. Look it up.)

Cut me Mick: Antoine Fuqua’s Southpaw is 2015’s Turn at the Boxing Movie

Jake Gyllenhaal sold me on going to see this movie. Not the cliche redemption story, or the boxer’s story we’ve seen 3,256 times, or even the rise and fall and rise story, not even Eminem, who executive produced the soundtrack (although that was a close second) was able to sell me on seeing this film.

It was J-A-K-E.

But Jake Gyllenhaal wasn’t in this movie (more on that later).