BIRDS OF PREY MOVIE REVIEW: "NO ONE IS LIKE ME" [SPOILERS]

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Birds of Prey

and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

Directed by Cathy Yan
Starring MARGOT ROBBIE, ROSIE PEREZ, JURNEE SMOLLETT-BELL, MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD, ELLA JAY BASCO, and EWAN MCGREGOR

'Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn' is gutsy, raw, twisted, and oh so much fun. It's 'Kill Bill' meets 'Deadpool' and it's a blast. Unlike 'Deadpool' (which was also an R-rated comic book film), 'Birds of Prey' was not marketed properly. It's already facing criticism because it didn't give fanboys nudity and sex appeal. It focused on women AS HUMAN BEINGS, not objects of sexual pleasure.

Birds of Prey is NOT a Flop

I'm writing part of this post on Saturday. Yet disgruntled fanboys are claiming victory for the sex appeal theory because 'Birds of Prey' is not meeting box office expectations. The echo chamber of the film news world is adding fuel to the fire.

PICARD EPISODE 1 REVIEW - "I HAVEN'T BEEN LIVING. I'VE BEEN WAITING TO DIE." [SPOILERS]

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Star Trek: Picard Episode 1 Review

REMEMBRANCE

Directed by HANELLE M. CULPEPPER

Starring PATRICK STEWART, ISA BRIONES, ORLA BRADY, JAMIE MCSHANE, MERRIN DUNGEY, and BRENT SPINER

'Star Trek: Picard' starts out with the familiar-- Commander Data (Brent Spiner) and Jean Luc are playing poker. Data accuses Jean Luc of stalling and he's right. Jean Luc doesn't want the game to end and neither do we. Scenes like this are hard to come by. They're both masterful actors who need no introduction. They step back into their respective roles like one would walk into a room, which is easier said than done. There have been more than a few reboots with rusty actors and questionable writing. Thankfully 'Star Trek: Picard' doesn't have this problem.

"Jean Luc doesn't want the game to end and neither do we."

Sadly we know this scene will end because Data died 18 years ago at the end of  'Star Trek: Nemesis.' That's not the only wrench in this cog. The Star Trek universe as we know it was changed with the reboot of the film franchise in 2009. In this reality, the Romulan sun would go supernova in the late 24th century during 'Star Trek: The Next Generation's' (TNG) timeline.

Brent Spiner in 'Picard' | CBS Corporation | 2020

WHY ARE YOU STALLING CAPTAIN?

Data [to Picard]

I DON'T WANT THE GAME TO END. 

Picard [to Data]

PICARD, OSCARS ALMOST SO WHITE, WB/DC BE HATIN' + LINKS

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It's 2020! I'm so excited to be back talking about all of the things I love! 

I was tempted to do a best/worst 2019 list, but honestly, I didn't see many movies last year. I took a 2-year hiatus in 2017 when my dad had a stroke (and passed away in 2018). My dad and I went to the movies every weekend, so we saw a LOT of movies. We weren't picky so we saw quite a few stinkers. But without my beloved movie partner, I don't go to the movies that much anymore. If I do, it's going to be a film that ranks well on Rotten Tomatoes. I also have a newish baby (he's 20 months)! So with two young children, yeah I don't leave the house much. I don't go to the movies much AT ALL lol. I'm lucky if I get to binge-watch a Netflix show. I still haven't gotten past episode 3 of 'The Witcher.' Yeah, I suck.

THE WITCHER EP. 2 REVIEW: "YOU SMELL OF DEATH AND DESTINY" [SPOILERS]

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Directed by ALIK SAKHAROV

Starring HENRY CAVILL, ANYA CHALOTRA, FREYA ALLAN, MYANNA BURING,

and ROYCE PIERRESON

The second episode 'Four Marks' is immediately more interesting than the first episode. Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) is a deformed bullied servant. She's also the first person of color we see with an extensive speaking role. Chalotra is of Indian descent. 

SOMETIMES THE BEST THING 
A FLOWER CAN DO FOR US IS DIE.

Tessaia [to Yennefer]

'The Witcher' is based on the beloved fantasy series from Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, which was turned into a video game. The world created by Sapkowski is based on medieval Eastern European folklore, so it makes sense that the actors are of European descent are cast, but I'm glad the showrunners added people of color to the cast.

THE WITCHER EP. 1 REVIEW: "WE DON'T WANT YOUR KIND HERE WITCHER" [SPOILERS]

Directed by ALIK SAKHAROV

Starring HENRY CAVILL, FREYA ALLAN, JODHI MAY, LARS MIKKELSON, 

and EMMA APPLETON

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Hello there! After two and a half year hiatus, I'm so glad to be back. A lot has happened since the summer of 2017. I finished grad school, had a second baby, and my father passed away. Needless to say, 2018 was difficult. Shortly after I posted my most recent post in June 2017, my father had a massive stroke that paralyzed him.

My father was my movie partner. The last film we saw together was 'Dunkirk.'  I couldn't bring myself to set foot in a theater without him. When he died in early 2018 I was devastated. I had no appetite to watch movies or television for quite some time, so this blog went by the wayside.

I'm so happy to say that I've returned to the movies and I'm glad to be here. I hope to visit some of my favorite blogs and catch up! Now on to the fun stuff.

'WONDER WOMAN' REVIEW - "ONLY LOVE WILL TRULY SAVE THE WORLD"

Directed by PATTY JENKINS

Starring GAL GADOT, CHRIS PINE, DANNY HUSTON, 

CONNIE NIELSON, and ROBIN WRIGHT

I am on hiatus or semi-retirement (haven't decided which). I'm still active on social media and I visit blogs, but I no longer review films as I once did. It's partially because I don't have much free time. I work, have a family, and I'm in grad school. Once grad school finishes (in 2018) I planned to review films again, but I don't know if I will.

I don't want to waste 2 hours of my life on a bad (or semi-bad) film. I also don't want to feed the monster. Hollywood has serious problems with representation, which I've discussed in previous blog posts. I still watch movies via streaming, but I rarely go to the theater. So before watching 'Wonder Woman' I only saw two films in theaters this year-- 'Logan' (which was one of the best comic book movies since the 1978 'Superman') and 'John Wick 2.' That's it.

"Given that this is a WB/DC Comics film, I prepared myself for the worst." 

MY BEST & WORST LIST OF 2016

Whew, what a lovely five month hiatus. I'm finally posting my best and worst list for the year 2016. After this post I will probably cocoon again...popping up occasionally. Mind you I am still lurking on everyone's blogs. You may see me pop in every now and then. Although I may not update it often, this blog will continue as long as I watch films and have breath! So hopefully this blog will continue to run for a very long time...albeit intermittently.

Admittedly I have seen a good number of films this past year, but I have not have an opportunity to write about them all. The reasons why are abundant. I am in my late 30s, in grad school, have a 3 year old, a husband, and a full time job. So unfortunately this year, my blog went by the wayside.

I hope you enjoy my best and worst list for 2016. Please share with me yours, agree, or disagree with me in the comments. I look forward to reconnecting with everyone.

I preface my film list by saying that I don't necessarily qualify this list as the best films of the year. They are simply the best films I HAVE seen thus far this past year. I think 2015 was a much better year at the movies. Have I mentioned that 2016 was a bad movie year?

DON'T BREATHE REVIEW [SPOILERS] - STILL ON HIATUS!

I took a mini-break from my hiatus to review 'Don't Breathe.' Similar to this Spring's '10 Cloverfield Lane,' 'Don't Breathe' took me by surprise. I didn't know anything about it before I went to the theater, but 'Don't Breathe' is a slick little horror film, with a great cast, and a thrilling (yet unbelievable) plot. Admittedly, the film has enough plot holes to drive a truck through it, but it kept me on the edge of my seat--which is hard to do. What I liked about the film is that none of the characters are particularly likable. This is one of the few horror films in which there are no heroes.

OH AUGUST! HIATUS=MINI-REVIEWS + SPOILERS

This past month has been a bear. Having a full time job, a family, and being in grad school is no joke! I will be on hiatus for a few months. I will still be popping in to see my favorite blogs and make an occasional post, but I won't be able to post regularly for a while. If only I could be a blogger full time right? I really don't know how people are able to do that unless thy are independently wealthy. I finally finished up my last paper for the semester, but will be starting a new semester in a few weeks. Ugh. I am so behind on my film reviews. So much so I will have to create a combo post.

In the months of July and August I've seen the 'Ghostbusters' remake, 'Lights Out,' and now 'Bad Moms.' I've also seen 'Stranger Things' on Netflix. In my effort to limit my exposure to bad movies, I have purposely left several films off the list. I believe I have succeeded...so far. 'Batman v. Superman' was the "worst" film I've seen this year and it wasn't that bad. Don't get me wrong, BvS was not a good movie, but it wasn't terrible. It was just "ok." Notably absent from my list is 'Suicide Squad,' 'Jason Bourne,' and the 'Legend of Tarzan.'

'PURGE: ELECTION YEAR' REVIEW - "THE SOUL OF OUR COUNTRY IS AT STAKE" [SPOILERS]

The 'Purge' films get a lot of flack. I've heard some reviewers refer to fans of the purge films as sociopathic. After all, these are not highbrow films, nor do they stimulate intellectual conservation. And yes these films are violent, but thankfully, writer and director James DeMonaco never crosses the line into "torture porn" territory. The horror of the film is all about the buildup. The tension is created in the idea of "what could happen" and less on what is actually happening. But what these films lack in critical acclaim, they more than make up for in their entertainment value. Lastly, these films are highly allegorical. The symbolism and social satire in these films only add to its charm.