My March in Media

I got to see seven of these 12 films before they were released to the public, so I truly lived my best life in March.

Pink Wall*
Like a few other films I've written about on here (The Tale, Tully), Pink Wall is a very good movie that doesn't make you feel very good. It kills it in every regard: cinematography, writing, acting, sound editing. It's Tom Cullen's directorial debut, and I have high hopes for his career. Plus, I obviously love Tatiana Maslany so much (she's that cute in real life, y'all). Read my full Professional Review™ here.

The Beach Bum*
This movie is ridiculous, but I couldn't help but like it? As Melany said before it started, "You're about to see Matthew McConaughey at his most Matthew McConaughey." She was right. I also got to attend a Q&A with Harmony Korine, McConaughey, Stefania LaVie Owen and Isla Fisher right after, which included some great behind-the-scenes stories and proof that McConaughey really is Like That in real life. Read more about that here.

Sword of Trust*
I can't really explain why this movie is good? Especially not without giving away a bulk of the plot. But if you like Marc Maron, you'll love it. If you like screwball comedies, especially of the heist variety (think Fargo), you'll like it and you may love it. If you just like movies with surprising, refreshing writing, you'll like it.

Little Monsters*
Wanted to love this one, but didn't. I consider myself a horror-comedy connoisseur, and this one was just passable. Lupita Nyong'o is good in it, but she's good in everything. Read more about why you should rewatch the better zom-coms of the world instead of watching this one here.

Nothing Stays the Same: The Story of the Saxon Pub*
I didn't have any expectations going into this film, and it ended up being one of my favorite events for all of SXSW. It's about an Austin institution and how it's managed to hang on even as its fellow music venues have lost their lives to high taxes and high-rises. I got to see it in a theater full of locals who felt strongly about the Saxon and the film's message, and it was delightful. You can read more about that experience here.

Pet Sematary*
Woof. Apparently, the entire Internet saw this movie and came away with a different conclusion than I did. But listen: it's bad. Read more about how bad it is here.

The Dirt
I actually watched The Dirt three weeks before it was released because Bryan got a screener for work and didn't want to sacrifice five years of friendship by watching it without me. But I rewatched it when it was released on Netflix on March 22. And ok: I'm biased. I've been a Mötley Crüe fan since I was a small child because of my parents and a huge fan on my own since I was 12. I read The Dirt a million times (after I got it for my fourteenth birthday, yikes), I saw them live six times, I wrote my college admissions essay about Nikki Sixx's battle with heroin addiction – I'm who this movie was made for. But I also waited 13 years for it (the rights were originally purchased in '06) and heard a lot along the way that made me almost as anxious about it finally happening as I was excited. But you know what? I like it. It's ridiculous and raunchy, the timeline doesn't make sense and I have no idea why anyone who isn't already a fan would watch it. But it was made for me, and I like it. I might not have believed that was possible a month ago.

Bad Reputation
I love Joan Jett with my whole heart. She very well may be the coolest person on the planet. And this is a great documentary explaining all the reasons why.

Studio 54
The moral of this story is: "Everything popular is corrupt." Studio 54 was a fascinating, absurdly successful juggernaut – and it ultimately fell apart because human beings can't be trusted to have power and money and not be criminals about it. This doc does a fairly good job of examining the criminality of what happened at Studio 54 – but it's also pretty smug. Like, it's truly Something to listen to a bunch of people talk about how inclusive and diverse their establishment was when it was also an establishment built on exclusivity. Also, the most fascinating part of the whole thing to me was that everything about Studio 54 was/is so '70s, but at the same time, with our current emphases on ~experiences,~ Instagram and #FOMO, I think something like it could happen again any second.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
I'll be real: I didn't watch all of this. It was on in the background of a TMNT-themed potluck that I, someone with no connection to the turtles whatsoever, attended (it was bring-your-own-pizza, obviously). But I think I saw more than enough. It seems ridiculous, and I'm sure everyone that saw it as a child thinks it's the greatest movie ever made. Maybe they're right.

Poltergeist 
That final act! This movie was super fun. It was also pretty scary, with some effects coming across a little dated, but others still very impressive. I'm sure it's scarred children the world over and rightfully so. Plus, the last 30 minutes were completely unpredictable, crazy and delightful. I feel like this one would be a great one to see at a drive-in theater.

Mamma Mia: Here I Go Again!
A delight, obviously. Just as fun and campy as the first, plus the casting of young Donna, Rosie and Tanya is perfect. Could be carried just on the strength of how adorable Lily James is.

I finally finished Vampires in the Lemon Grove and my takeaway was mostly "meh." I did really enjoy "Reeling for the Empire" and "The New Veterans," and "The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis" were quite good as well. I could take or leave the rest.

I also started reading The Shining – which will take me 90 years to finish, but I'm sure will be great – and Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, which I've wanted to read for months. Elsewhere in reads: I really connected with this piece about collaging as a form of expression, as someone who can't last four months in a bedroom without plastering the walls with photographs and scraps of magazines.

My most listened to music of the month was definitely The Dirty Nil's Master Volume, but I also discovered/rediscovered a few other great songs.

Let's enjoy these few great months before it's too hot to live, yeah?