100 word Netflix Documentary Reviews

 So yeah its been 3 months .College is just crazy. I've been collecting these reviews for a while. These  aren't all the documentaries I've watched but a lot of them are repetitive with common themes such as murder. So here are a couple I found interesting.

The Queen

The Queen is a documentary about the 1967 Miss All-America Camp Beauty Contest and its contestants. It was a great example of LGBT history and also didn't have any commentary which was nice as you could form your own opinions and thoughts. I also enjoyed how it touches on the contestants' experiences with the military and the varied reactions from some of their families. If you are looking to educate yourself on drag culture this is a short, one hour doc on one section of its history. 

Athlete A

Athlete A is a doc about the sexual abuse that went on at USA Gymnastics. It goes into detail about USA Gymnastics' sexual allegation policy and how many times they not only didn't report it to the police but also treated the athletes who spoke up. I wasn't following the case at the time and i was surprised that the Larry Nassar case was in 2015. The audience that would find this documentary interesting would be those who don't follow the sport and want to learn more about what these athletes sacrificed for a shot at the Olympics.

John Water’s Cry Baby – A Movie Review

 

Cry Baby is a John Water’s musical which was released in 1990. Johnny Depp plays Wade Walkin otherwise known as Cry Baby, who’s the gang leader for The Drapes. The Drapes are frowned upon and seen as juvenile delinquents. Their hang out of choice is Turkey’s Point which is owned by Grandma Walkins. Alison Vernon Williams ( Amy Rose Locase) belongs to the Squares who are seen as upstanding members of society who all attend RSVP charm school. The two fall in love but Baldwin, Alison’s boyfriend is determined to put a stop to it.

THIS REVIEW DOES CONTAIN MAJOR SPOLIERS

One of the most enjoyable parts of this musical was Lenora. That bitch is THIRSTY! She literally gives herself a CB tan line to try and get into his pants. The woman has the audacity to literally say she’s engaged with him and is pregnant with his baby THEN joins the squares. Honestly, don’t fuck with Lenora. Moral of the film.

                       

So, this is very much a biased Romeo and Juliet type of situation. The Drapes are seen as dangerous but are very inclusive, often seen with people of colour. Its made clear that the Squares are racist, especially when Baldwin is shocked and disgusted when Cry Baby starts to sing “coloured music”. It’s an important message of inclusivity and it’s a theme with John Waters. It’s the main message of Hairspray which is also based in Baltimore. I would have liked the Squares to have some sort of redeeming quality but I understand that wasn’t the film style.

 

QUICK FIRE THOUGHTS!

-         Alison singing please Mr Jailer was the most sensual and sexy thing I’ve seen for a while. The film is really campy and it totally took me by surprise that they slowed it and she DID that song!

                             

-         I pity Wanda on a cellular level. Her mam is a lollipop lady and her dad drives the school bus BOTH AT HER SCHOOL. Was there really no other school they could’ve sent her. I would’ve died if it were my parents.

-         At an hour and 24 minutes its one of the shortest musicals I’m aware of so I found it really easy to watch. It seems ideal for people who want to get into musicals as its not super long, its easy to find on Netflix ( at least on the Irish) and not super song heavy. Plus, it has Johnny Depp which you know, always a plus.

 

I’m not in a huge rush to watch this again but its fun enough that I probably would at some point.  It is be a 3.5 out of 5 for me, just because I would’ve liked the Squares to have a redeeming aspect. It would’ve given it more, but again that wasn’t this movie’s writing style.

                     

The Mask- A Mini Review

 

The Mask is a 1994 comedy directed by Chuck Russell and its based on the DC comic of the same title. The movie is about Stanley Ipkiss (Jim Carey) and how he discovers a mask which when a person puts it on, it brings their deepest desires come to life.

So I really enjoyed the symbolism of the mask. Throughout the film people point out to Stanley that he is The Mask, that only he is holding himself back. Minus the super speed and the mega flexibility, self confidence can’t quite get you there. Anyway it’s a representation of how we’re all insane but society makes us wear a mask to dull that down. The real question is, who’s brave enough to take theirs off?

Wow sO dEep

The club scene where Tina ( Cameron Diaz) sings ‘ Baby Ain’t I Good To You’ was sexy as hell. She killed that song. Tina clearly has his idea in her head that her body is her power and that’s the only way she can control things in her life. Long story short shes seductive as hell when shes singing. I wasn’t a huge fan of The Mask at the beginning of this scene but he totally redeemed himself with that dance number. Also his conga line prison escape is the only way anyone should ever escape prison ever.

Finally the initial gang scene where Dorian (Peter Greene) where he’s used as a golf tee. ICONIC. “ I’ll use your skull to break in my 9 iron.” It was just so calm but so terrifying. I dunno it just really stood out to me.

Overall this film was hilarious. The comics are supposedly a lot more violent. It was just so manic and larger than life and I’d definitely recommend it.

Kissing Booth 2 Summary and 3am Thoughts

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

 

The Kissing Booth 2 follows Elle, a high school senior who’s in a long distance relationship to college student Noah Flynn. The film is about them and learning if they truly trust each other, Elle trusting Chloe is just Noah’s friend and Noah if Marco is truly just Elle’s dance friend.

 

I like how they focused on there being a financial limit with Elle. The first film it felt like money was no object but now we focus on the struggles of a widowed father having to put BOTH of his kids through education , not just Elle. 

 

I thought we had established that the rules were dumb. Why are we still focusing on the 6 year old rule of only ever going to school together? They literally had no choice up until now. Rules can be broken and it’s ok. 

 

 Rachel’s monologue and sticking up for herself at the Halloween party, amazing. Yes, Elle is lonely but Rachel needs alone time with her boyfriend. It’s important for a line to be drawn. And I’m glad to see that prom actually had an effect on her. She has more guts than in the last movie which was deserved. 

 

 

I’m sorry why didn’t we pick Marco. Just asking for LITERALLY EVERYONE! He was cute, he had a good haircut. They liked the same thing. He helped her win $50000.  How was Noah in anyway a better fit?! 

 

 

I like Noah’s vulnerability in the last scene. We see past all the anger and bravado and see that he hasn’t been doing well and that he needed support. It’s ok to need help, especially in college. Noah probably felt intimidated by his college friends and their intense discussions, realising he wasn’t the biggest fish in the pond anymore. 

 

 

Also, it shows long distance relationships are hard. There’s a lot of trust involved and if you don’t commit then you won’t make it. That’s a key lesson Elle and Noah learn in TKB2. 

 

 

Final shoutout goes to the gay couple story line. It was just really pure and I was glad to see everyone so accepting of them cuz ya know it can be hard. 

 

The Sum of Us – Mini Screenplay Review

The Sum of Us written by David Stevens is a 1994 film based in Australia. The film is about Jeff and his dad Dave who are trying to navigate finding love. The thing is Jeff is gay and Dave is a little too supportive when it comes to Jeff’s endeavours.

The comedy in the screenplay was on point. The naivety of Dave when it comes to Jeff’s love life is mildly hilarious. My favourite gag was when Dave interrupted Jeff and Greg getting it on to ask him how he likes his morning tea.

The addition of the gay grandparents was really moving. The focus on their love being labelled as that and not Lesbian Love was really refreshing. The scene where they have to be separated brought me to tears and it was one of the most moving scenes. I also liked how they focused on Jeff growing up with it and just finding it normal which isn’t always shown in films like this.

I loved the positivity towards Jeff’s sexuality. Not only does his father accept it but also his pub football team calls him Baxter. Even when Dave buying gay magasines is so innocent because he’s just trying to understand him and keep him safe.

The film’s moral is about how you should find someone who accepts you entirely. Joyce was lovely with Dave until she found out about Jeff and then she lost it. Dave didn’t want someone who didn’t accept him fully, and Jeff was apart of Dave.

Overall it’s a moving screenplay and I’d recommend it highly.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdoms Review

So, this is just a mini review of the 2018 sequel to Jurassic World. We get a lot of Chris Pratt, some incredibly sad dinosaurs and a lot of questionable decisions by the character.

This will contain some spoilers for the film so you’ve been warned. Now, let’s get into it!

Basically, this film is about  the volcano on Jurassic World that has become active. Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Clare Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) are recruited to rescue the dinosaurs but is all that it seems?

So, I think the director’s were really smart when it came to the dinosaurs. I felt genuine sadness for the brontosaurus as the rescue team sailed away from the island. They showed how yes, these dinosaurs are ferocious but that its not their fault. They were literally made by humans and now they’re being left to die.

The metaphor for animal cruelty and preservation in this film was also a really nice edition. I took from it the debate of should we save animals from their environment in natural disasters or should we leave them in their habitats. In a weird way to me it resembled the Australian wildfire disaster of early 2020 and how the animals needed rescuing but obviously this has dinosaurs and a big volcano and Chris Pratt.

One thing that bugged me was Grady and his inability to get seriously injured. Now I sound terrible, let me explain. Grady escaped lava, being eaten, stepped on etc. He was left with nothing but the stereotypical light graze on the cheek. Clare got her leg impaled with a big dino bone but no Pratt couldn’t have got a burn that made his life a little harder.

I really enjoyed Maisie and her twist was really surprising. Reconstructing your daughter can’t be an easy thing to do. Although she just pops up in the last bit of the film and suddenly gets to make a few BIG decisions like I dunno .. RELEASING DINOSAURS INTO CIVILISATION. But it did explain the British accent nicely.

Overall, it was good film. I liked the very smart dino boi and he was the most interesting part. I don’t know if I would rewatch it  as I was disappointed at the lack of time on the island. But the acting was good and if you are a big fan of the franchise including the original Jurassic Park there are references throughout which you might find entertaining.

Black Panther - Why it Kicks Ass

So, I rewatched Marvel’s Black Panther.  It is one the best movies that Marvel has ever come out with and in this, I’m gonna tell you why.

So,  one thing that irritated me about Endgame was the female hero battle scene. This was on the final battlefield where all the female heroes all at once did a slow mow walk together. I get what it was trying to do but Black Panther did it way better. In Black Panther Okoye and  the female warriors were established as bad ass and a team from the beginning and so their fight scene against Killmonger just felt more meaningful. I don’t have a problem with female power scenes I just like when they have consistency with the rest of the film which is the case for Black Panther.

I also adored the costuming and fashion. The creators of the film really did their research on the traditional wear. What I also enjoyed was the unspoken timeline of their fashion as it evolved. Shuri is a great example with her first outfit, it had a modern twist on the traditional dress which I enjoyed.

This film was also very topical to the current spike in the publicity and international attention of the Black Lives Matters movement. Whilst Wakanda is unaffected by this, Killmonger grew up in a community oppressed by white people throughout history. His character shows an extreme portrayal on the rage that can build up from being constantly beat down and how if the oppressing race don’t change that war and violence could occur. “They’d rather die than be in bondage” was the quote Killmonger used to describe Africans jumping overboard on slave ships to avoid a life in chains.

The worrying thing though was that honestly Killmonger had some good intentions. He wanted to stop the oppression of his people and felt Wakanda was just standing by instead of acting. In a different world Killmonger and Black Panther could’ve planned for the future of Wakanda. Killmonger with his ambition and Black Panther with his calm approach.

The ‘sneakers’ gag made me laugh far more than it should’ve and I just loved siblings relationships. Also go Shuri for literally developing all the technology for Wakanda, that girl has insane skills.

Overall, this was different the other Avengers film as we are introduced to a new country with its own traditions, laws and culture. We’ve had new planets like Asgard which are fantastical but this felt like it was more realistic. 

 

100 Word Netflix Documentary Reviews

I tend to ramble and so I thought I’d set myself the challenge of summarising four Netflix documentaries and my thoughts in 100 words or less each. Did anyone ask for this? No. Does it fit with the blog? Kinda? Am I gonna do it anyway? Yes. Let’s get started.

Have a Good Trip: This is a documentary about LSD and other psychedelics so if you find those to be triggers then obviously this isn’t for you. Several celebrities including Ben Stiller and Sting give their insights into the world of LSD. Unlike government education, this doc gives real life accounts of good and bad trips. If you find it hard to sit through normal doc format then you’d enjoy this. Its split into short sections and has a lot of animation throughout so its easier to pay attention and if you do zone out then you aren’t completely lost.

Circus of Books: This doc is about the gay porn magazine and magazine shop in West Hollywood called Circus of Books. The daughter of the owners interview them and as we watch we learn of the rise and fall of the business, which is largely because of internet porn. I’m LGBT myself and I found this super educational as the bookstore was one of the first of its kind. In the 60s being out wasn’t safe and in this we learnt about one of the safe havens for gay men at the time.

Miss Americana: Taylor Swift is the topic of this next doc. The pop princess gives an insight on the joy her career has brought her, but also the struggle and the fear too. This was eye opening as it’s easy to perceive Swift as ditzy but we learn that its because in a sense she’s terrified of being seen as controversial and not sweet and perfect. If you have an interest in the American dream then definitely check this out because it gives an insight to some of the struggles of being such a public figure.

Cheer: Our final topic I that of the 6 series documentary about the Navarro college cheer team and their preparation to defend their title at Daytona Beach. If you’re looking for something addictive but don’t want to go the Tiger King route then this is for you. You find yourself entirely invested in who gets on mat and you definitely establish your favourites that you would defend to the ends of the earth ( *cough* Jerry *cough*).

5 Things to Know Before your First Show and Tech Week

I don’t come from a performance heavy family so when I was 15 and did my first show, I was blind going in.

These are 5 things I feel like every newcomer performer should be told

1.     Jeans have NO place during show runs. If you’ve just performed for 2 and a half hours and its like 10 pm, the last thing you want to do is shove yourself back into them. Trust me sweats are your best friend, unless its wrap party, then wear your jeans til the cows come home.

 

they're dead to you

2.     Eat. I always forgot to eat during my first show and it affected my performance. McDonalds and green room biscuits are fun but you need to balance  it. Don’t mean to sound like your mother but make up is already hurting your skin , a tonne of junk food ain’t gonna help.

 

3.     Take your time. Yes, you might be able to get hair, makeup and costume done in 15 minutes. But its rushed and you’re not in the right headspace. Its best to be calm and collected. Moral of the story, don’t show up 30 minutes before the show goes on.

 

4.     Hang up and tidy up your costume and props! Its best for everyone involved. You know where your stuff is for the next day. You also aren’t getting in everyone’s way as you are probably sharing a dressing room. Seems basic but you don’t want to be that person.

 

5.     Take your makeup off. So so so important. Yes you are tired, yes you have work or school tomorrow but your skin doesn’t care. It’s the largest organ in the body, respect it. Even if it’s a makeup wipe. If you’re young and have someone collecting you or you’re public transporting yourself home, wipe your makeup off during that journey. Just don’t leave the wipe in said transport, shove it in a bin or pocket. Tiredness isn’t an excuse to litter.

 

I hope this helped. They seem like they are pretty obvious but I knew none of them when I started.

Have an awesome day. See ya around

It Chapter 1 Review

So, I know what you’re thinking. Why am I writing an It review a solid 6 months after I wrote about It Chapter 2? Simple answer: went to watch the sequel at the cinema in September and wasn’t running the blog in 2017 when I went see the first IT. But anyway, enough rambling let’s get started.

This review obviously contains major spoilers

So, the It I’m reviewing is the 2017 remake of the Stephen King novel. The film follows the Losers Club (Bill, Eddie, Stanley, Richie, Bev, Ben and Mike) as they try to figure out what’s happened to Billy’s brother Georgie and the rest of the kids that go missing in Derry. Life isn’t made any easier by the town psychopathic teen Bowers and his gang. The monstrous clown does his best to stop them by throwing things at the Loser Club which frighten them the most.

Ok so the acting and characterisation in this film is so amazing and unreal. You can tell that the actors really studied their characters and back stories well and got their characters down to the fine details like how IT’s eyes went out of focus as he got more and more hungry for Georgie. It just felt really well studied.

Shout out to Jack Dylan Grazer for pulling off the inhaler in the slideshow garage. It would be really easy for an inhaler to become an almost gag but just like with the earlier parts of the film before he found out about the gazebo placebos, that he was genuinely terrified and clinging to his medication.

One thing that I would have loved to see would be more of a focus on Hockstetter in Bower’s gang. I just think he had really sadistic aspects like with the DIY flame thrower and how he sent the other goon purposefully on the wrong path so that he could deal with Ben alone. I think Bower is a good character but Hockstetter is the most interesting of the pack.

Overall, it’s an awesome film. I’ve watched it around 4 or 5 times at this stage and found it terrifying the first time. I found it terrifying not particularly because of the clown but because of the people of Derry. There is so little concern for what happens as they have grown up in fear as children. The message of this story is that fear is one of the most dangerous to have ever existed. It can lead to control issues like with Eddie’s mom, passiveness when it comes to the woman who saw Georgie and violence who lived in fear of his father and made him violent to prove he was strong.

See ya around

Poster and film property of New Line Cinema, Lin Pictures, Vertigo Cinema and Katzsmith Productions.

The Funhouse Massacre- What I liked, disliked and what I wanted to be different

Obviously, this is gonna be full of spoilers.

The Funhouse Massacre is a 2015 horror film that tells the story of a bunch of escaped insane murderers from their secret asylum to take over a haunted house themed around their crimes.

What I liked:

·        Right so the best damn character was Gerardo hands down. This film pitches itself in the horror/ dark comedy genre and honestly, if Gerardo wasn’t there the comedy would be preetttyyy dire. Also, he was one of the most active characters in the entire film after Sheriff Kate. He was a really good mix of comedic genius and actually murdering the murderers like in the Animal murder scene when he blinded Animal with fucking cleaner of all things but proceeded to burn his face off. Chavarria did a really good portraying him.

·        Ok that plot twist though with Sheriff Kate being Mental Manny’s daughter was kinda amazing. It was really unexpected and made the revenge for her mother oh so sweet.

·        I also really enjoyed the back stories of the characters especially the Taxidermist. I thought he was such an interesting character in the way that he seemed almost half human. He gets really frustrated when they don’t display proper taxidermy tools and in his final standoff his final words are about how they didn’t give him proper tools. He clearly knew what he was doing was wrong, but he also seemed to not care about the crime but more about how they were then his projects and cared for them that way.

What I didn’t like:

·        Ok its petty but like their planning of how to kill the final four killers is kinda ridiculous.  Deputy Doyle basically tells Laurie to gather a group of civilians to help her but like WHAT CIVILIANS ARE GONNA RUN TOWARDS CRAZY KNIFE THROWING BITCH. They really didn’t think that through

·        In general, I just don’t think they should have had that many characters. Like dentist chair guy. Why did he need to be involved after the scene like he should’ve just died or bled out in the distance as Laurie runs to safety? Yes, it would’ve been shitty of her, but it just makes way more sense cuz they’re on the verge of death and definitely aren’t gonna make it.

What I would change:

·        I would have focussed more on the Taxidermist rather than Mr Suave because I just find his story more interesting and his character played on the more disturbing edge of insanity rather than just straight sociopath.

·        Jason should’ve survived rather than Morgan. It would have made it more interesting how him and Laurie interacted, I guess.

Anyway, that’s just my opinion. Overall, it wasn’t my favourite horror film but its better than a slap in the face with a wet fish.

See ya around

THE KISSING BOOTH – MY THOUGHTS AT 3AM

So, I was scrolling through Netflix and just said fuck it and watched The Kissing Booth. Now its 3AM and I have things to say.

This contains major spoilers by the way

·         The detention scene was my favourite scene.  I genuinely think Tuppen liked Elle and wanted to apologise and the skirt apology was hilarious. All the jocks were pretty nice and the most they tried to do was get her in the hot tub. They were all just teenagers.

·         Shout out by the way to Yearbook Guy and Edgy Emo Teen who were hilarious.

·         I find the Elle and Noah height difference mildly hilarious. Fucking love the kissing in the rain scene. Not cuz it’s a good scene, it’s not the best reason but that they both drop to their knees to solve the height gap. And shout out to creepy Andrew who constantly watches this guy make out with girls all the time and doesn’t really do anything about it.

·         Speaking of Noah, I’m sorry Jacob Elordi, you’re really hot but what was your hair cut in this film. Same goes with Lee but admittedly his hair was mildly better and suited his face a lot more.  but these kids are supposed to be rich. I mean their house is the size of a small village, can they not afford a decent barber?

                                             

     I mean LOOK AT IT

·         Now the two Flynn brothers, Noah and Lee, who’s the best character? LEE DUH. He made her a survival kit for her hangover; he was her chauffeur to everywhere and the fact they have such a close bond is iconic. Plus, I like that Lee didn’t roll over when Elle presented him with ice cream, and he was like NO MA’AM. Did Lee need move on from being six, yes.  Did he, eventually yes.

·         But Lee has one fatal flaw which makes this movie terribly unrealistic. NO, I REPEAT NO GIRLFRIEND IS EVER OK WITH HAVING THEIR BOYFRIEND’S BEST FRIEND THIRD WHEEL THEM ON PROM NIGHT. He lost points for that. Did I like his girlfriend? Meh. She got like no character development and all we learnt is that she was hot, pretty nice and ran after Elle in a vague attempt to stop her and have a talk about something? Don’t get me wrong I would’ve loved to get to know her, but she fell to the side lines for me.

Overall, it was an ok film. Keep in mind that the writing wasn’t for me and I don’t usually watch chick flicks but wanted to try it out. Was it kinda cringey yes? Yes. But was it a light-hearted film that was easy to watch and made me laugh a few times? Absolutely. It was well portrayed and kinda gave the insight to the dream life of a teen and honestly, it was nice escapism.

Anyway, those were my thoughts

See ya around

ALL RIGHTS TO THE KISSING BOOTH AND THE POSTER BELONG TO NETFLIX. THIS IS JUST MY OPINION