Unlike this time last summer, I haven’t been watching a slew of horror movies. Instead, I picked up a puzzle habit, started a new music blog, and have been working on small things to prepare for anywhere from a week (everyday life) to a month (big, effortful things) of recovering from surgery. I imagine I’ll be watching a lot more, if mainly TV, for the next couple of weeks. But I’ve been watching movies at a rate similar to the old low hum times these past few months, and that’s added up, so it’s time for some mini reviews here & now.
Good Boy/Heel
Can’t argue with the idea of leashed men, but this felt a little too toxic family unit slash culty for me, and seems to me cruel patriarchy still won out in the end. Reminded me of People Under The Stairs meets Clockwork Orange. Fairly unique otherwise, so worth seeing if you’re bored of the usual.
Honey Bunch
Went in blind besides its poster art & genre and that was a good move. Interesting 70s style & approach. Wasn’t as gross as I expected. The mystery part took time to unravel and wasn’t predictable, but eventually reminded me of stranglehold-level “for your own good” people so I’m on team 3.
Forbidden Fruits
A bit disjointed but a welcome kind of weird. Took from whole swaths of female-led movies like The Craft and Mean Girls (and many more). Despite its character, I’m not certain it had the same kind of punch, though a younger person might have been more sparkled by it.
Keeper
DRUGS. Not good, not bad, just DRUGS. It does different things but felt somewhere along the lines of Men with the same kind of setting, WTF vibes, and weird-ass visual effects.
The Threesome
This was a tenuous choice as I don’t normally watch romcoms but I figured what the heck with that provocative title. The story and type of storytelling still just wasn’t my cup of tea. Remember to use protection, kids!
Send Help
Interesting to see Rachel McAdams in a thriller/horror, and it’s fun to see Survivor referenced in a movie, but it had some close familiarity with another stranded on an island movie I’ve seen recently even with the tonal changes.
Obsession
Watched just before Jupiter exactly squared my Scorpio Moon, which feels apt given its plot. I had to sit with this one a bit to fully process it as day-of I was just bummed out. I’m finding it interesting how the topic of “nice guys” is returning to public consciousness like it was in my 20s.
Independence Day (rewatched)
90s American narcissism on full display. The big disaster scene got me thinking that this wouldn’t have been made after 2001, then wondering if it was inspirational for what ensued in 2001 and the subsequent yeehaw reaction.
Thinking about how this movie is 30(!!) years old now gave me a case of existential horror. What happened to all that hope?
Part of it, I’m sure, was that I was 14 in 1996. The other part is the expectation of progress. Computers, tech, the internet, space discovery, medicine, science generally all seemed to be pushing forward into Star Trek territory. I thought of the world getting smaller and better, of people having more access to knowledge and each other, and I thought of a world free of, say, homophobia, poverty, racism. Certainly more good was coming.
What a joke the 90s played on the perception of a glittering future.
Boogie Nights
I loaded up the watchlist, scrolled to the 90s with intent to cleanse me of the ID4 existential crisis, and this was among the titles. It was very effective. Comedic timing was 10/10. Use of music was great. I have the coordination of a newborn giraffe, but now I want roller skates.
Backrooms
Imagine the kids doing the scientology speedruns doing speedruns through the backrooms.
I like original movies. It was okay. Had a nice laugh at the Creep actor showing up given that guy is the personification of the backrooms. I also randomly thought of The Morning Show beforehand, so, neat.
A few weeks later I’m finding this movie more endearing than when I first watched it.
The Amityville Horror 1979
I was expecting discomfort from having seen It’s About Time and the 2005 remake, and yep! But the pace was tough on the soul and the ending felt anticlimactic. Just, ok? AND?? No wonder there have been so many sequels.
I did tarot beforehand and one of my questions was if any animals die in the movie. I got 4 of wands, 10 of cups, 4 of swords. The last big scene is a pet getting rescued from the house (and they’re all so happy). Weird that I thought to ask since I don’t remember the remake at all.
Iron Lung
I haven’t played Iron Lung, but in part of the game Myst you navigate through a series of underground tunnels within a vessel. That was this movie, except add blood ocean, psychedelic confusion, and needless displays of Man Anger. Was irritatingly slow and probably an hour too long.
Disclosure Day
Young me would have been annoyed at this movie for similar reasons as when I saw Contact originally, but old me didn’t mind. Liked the pre-90s former Hollywood stylistic approach and choices (why was I reminded of Indiana Jones movies?). Some predictability but it gives room to insert oneself, which is what sci fi does well: Hyoo-maans.
Nightborn
It’s been a long time since I saw Little Otik, but it was hard not to be reminded of it here. Generally insane, uncomfortable horror movie with a sprinkle of body horror. A good portion of it made me regretful that I had ears today given the long period of screaming infant.
Colony (KO)
Zombie horror Sense8. It has a fresh take, but it relies on a ton of tropes to speed up the plot. It’s watchable if you like zombie horror.
Soulm8te
Essentially if the Terminator started as a sex bot. Plenty of movies cover the subgenre of computers becoming sentient, but it was watchable, and the actress who plays the robot takes a lower-mid level movie up a notch.
I don’t know what state of mind I’m going to be in in a few days, so no movie watching promises today. I know I want to see The Odyssey, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, and have a soft plan to catch up on House of the Dragon, Interview With The Vampire, and Silo. My brain keeps telling me to rewatch Star Trek, especially since I missed episodes from The Original Series when I started that project originally (stupid Netflix), but that’s a huge time commitment.