I powered through working on Thanksgiving again this year with the help of good company and Luby's turkey and mashed potatoes. I'm super excited to finally get to hang out with my family during Christmastime because I haven't seen my mom, sister or nephew in over a year! And I haven't even met Luna. Stoked for all the food, love and baby snuggles.
Also, earlier this month, I got to attend (another) wedding for some of my best friends. Bryan and Tess technically got married last December in a very sweet, intimate ceremony – but this year, they decided to have a big wedding so that everyone could celebrate with them. It was beautiful and fun and I feel very lucky to have gotten to be a part of it – plus, it's always interesting to meet the people who made some of your faves who they are.
Now, onto our usually scheduled programming:
Holiday in the Wild
I'm watching all of this year's Netflix live-action Christmas movies and reviewing them for work, which is how I ended up watching a movie with Rob Lowe, Kristen Davis and a ton of elephants. Was it great? No. Was it cute enough to start making me feel a little Christmas spirit? Perhaps. Read the full review.
Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby
I saw Seth's "Lobby Baby" tour at the Paramount on 4/20 (as one does) and had a lot of fun. This was the first time I'd watched a comedy special that I'd seen live – and I still enjoyed it. However, I admittedly have a very pro-Seth Meyers bias, as anyone who's followed me on Twitter for the last nine years could tell you.
The Words
I liked this! It was very interesting, a good story with good acting. One pro: Jeremy Irons has one of the all-time great voices. One con: Not enough Ben Barnes.
Insomnia
When I was too young to see One Hour Photo, I watched it and it ruined my life. It's still one of the scariest (and saddest?) films I've ever seen. For years since, I've wanted to see Insomnia, basically the only other film where Robin Williams plays Not the Good Guy. Unfortunately, it wasn't great – and it definitely wasn't as great as a film with Robin and Al Pacino should be.
Let It Snow
This was delightful! I never read the book and I've heard they made some changes, but it seems like they're all for the better. I really liked it and I think it worked that it came out so early (on Nov. 8) because it's really more of a "Teen Movie that takes place at Christmas" than a "Christmas Movie." Read the full review.
Parasite
The classism is coming from inside the house! This film was so interesting. I had a very basic theory about what I thought was going to happen (based off of the trailer, which gave nothing away), and I was completely wrong. When I first walked out of the theater, I was a little disheartened because I didn't feel it lived up to the "this movie is revolutionary!!!" hype – because I rarely do – but I've thought about it every day since. It really is very good.
Cat People (1942)
Ok, here's the thing: I was on the phone the entire time I watched this. But I did watch it! And from what I paid attention to, it was very silly but had some really cool lighting and everyone looked very glamorous all the time, even when they were sleeping.
Iliza: Unveiled
This was my third Iliza Shlesinger special of the year, and I liked it as much as the other two. She's very funny and, as an aside, always has killer outfits. I also love that her specials integrate hashtags.
The VVitch
The moral of this film is not to trust goats or annoying children. I thought I was going to hate this movie because I figured, like Hereditary, it would be a slow-burner that used graphic and/or disturbing imagery for no real reason. But it has a good story, a good vibe and some twists I didn't see coming. I liked everything but the last scene. Also pro tip: put on subtitles because Puritans are hard to understand.
The Knight Before Christmas
The product placement in this movie is so bad that it almost derails the whole thing. But it celebrates fresh bread, hot chocolate and British accents and Vanessa Hudgens wears some great high-waisted pants + sweater combos, so. Read the full review.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
This was somehow the first Elizabeth Taylor movie I've ever watched?? And I really liked it. The dialogue is crackling, the acting is good and everyone in it is having a full-on hot mess meltdown, which is excellent. It was also very cool that I didn't know anything about it going in even though 1) it came out over 60 years ago and 2) it stars Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman and is therefore very famous. Also, like Brando in Streetcar, Newman is a Tennessee Williams man that is extremely awful all the time but looks good doing it.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
I'm hesitant to compare this too Rocky Horror because it feels to obvious, but it is very like Rocky Horror in that it's extremely weird in an irresistible way. I can safely say that even with that comparison, I've still never seen anything quite like it.
Holiday Rush
Oof. This one was...so bad. And not bad in a "this is a Christmas movie so I'm still enjoying myself" kind of way. Just bad. Read the full review.
I finished The Body this month and subsequently started Misery because I'm a full-on Stephen King person now. I also started Call Me Evie by JP Pomare, which allegedly gets crazy but is so far pretty slow.
Also, in addition to it somehow being the end of 2019, it is also the end of? The decade? So, look out for a post of me talking about movies, TV and music as usual but in a larger "LOL, I was 17 a full 10 years ago?" context.
Parasite
The classism is coming from inside the house! This film was so interesting. I had a very basic theory about what I thought was going to happen (based off of the trailer, which gave nothing away), and I was completely wrong. When I first walked out of the theater, I was a little disheartened because I didn't feel it lived up to the "this movie is revolutionary!!!" hype – because I rarely do – but I've thought about it every day since. It really is very good.
Cat People (1942)
Ok, here's the thing: I was on the phone the entire time I watched this. But I did watch it! And from what I paid attention to, it was very silly but had some really cool lighting and everyone looked very glamorous all the time, even when they were sleeping.
Iliza: Unveiled
This was my third Iliza Shlesinger special of the year, and I liked it as much as the other two. She's very funny and, as an aside, always has killer outfits. I also love that her specials integrate hashtags.
The VVitch
The moral of this film is not to trust goats or annoying children. I thought I was going to hate this movie because I figured, like Hereditary, it would be a slow-burner that used graphic and/or disturbing imagery for no real reason. But it has a good story, a good vibe and some twists I didn't see coming. I liked everything but the last scene. Also pro tip: put on subtitles because Puritans are hard to understand.
The product placement in this movie is so bad that it almost derails the whole thing. But it celebrates fresh bread, hot chocolate and British accents and Vanessa Hudgens wears some great high-waisted pants + sweater combos, so. Read the full review.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
This was somehow the first Elizabeth Taylor movie I've ever watched?? And I really liked it. The dialogue is crackling, the acting is good and everyone in it is having a full-on hot mess meltdown, which is excellent. It was also very cool that I didn't know anything about it going in even though 1) it came out over 60 years ago and 2) it stars Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman and is therefore very famous. Also, like Brando in Streetcar, Newman is a Tennessee Williams man that is extremely awful all the time but looks good doing it.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
I'm hesitant to compare this too Rocky Horror because it feels to obvious, but it is very like Rocky Horror in that it's extremely weird in an irresistible way. I can safely say that even with that comparison, I've still never seen anything quite like it.
Holiday Rush
Oof. This one was...so bad. And not bad in a "this is a Christmas movie so I'm still enjoying myself" kind of way. Just bad. Read the full review.
I finished The Body this month and subsequently started Misery because I'm a full-on Stephen King person now. I also started Call Me Evie by JP Pomare, which allegedly gets crazy but is so far pretty slow.
Also, in addition to it somehow being the end of 2019, it is also the end of? The decade? So, look out for a post of me talking about movies, TV and music as usual but in a larger "LOL, I was 17 a full 10 years ago?" context.
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