Welcome to recommendations!
I will be posting these quick and informal viewing recs on Mondays but I want to get this one out quick before tonight in case anyone is wondering what to watch and needs advice. Also, buying or going to the movies is expensive so these movies can be found in some combination of Netflix or Amazon rentals/prime.
Anyway, when I watch movies I tend to watch them in sporadic clusters so here are several things I watched last weekend (as these are recommendations and not reviews, these are all spoiler-free):
Housebound (2014): This horror/comedy is available on Netflix. Don't be thrown of by the Texas Chainsaw Massacre-esque cover; hailing from New Zealand, I found this movie to be hilarious and also really scary (though your mmv with that). Best of all it has a lot of twist and turns, and the gore is kept on the funnier and minimal side of things.
Featuring a haunted house and delinquent daughter, come for the clever dialogue but stay for the delightful accents in which it's delivered in.
Highlights: Female driven, funny, solidly creepy, great horror comedy
It Follows (2014): Another horror film, this was is serious and also seriously scary. The central premise, basically a sexually transmitted haunting, has some really creepy rules that govern it that I found truly terrifying. My enjoyment was tempered by the fact that the ending I felt was a bit of a let down and the, while I read some things criticizing the central idea s misogynistic, I felt the most misogynistic thing about the movie was the disgusting whiny nice guy garbage boy played by Keir Gilchrist. Regardless, it is still Worth watching. It can be rented on Amazon.
Highlights: Seriously scary, unsettling out of time setting, interesting music, good atmosphere.
Lowlights: Some poor character choices, not sex positive (duh).
Soap Dish (1991): Silly little movie bout Soap Operas that feels unbelievably dated. Between the subject matter and how young everyone looks in this movie I really got an 80s vibe from it. That being said though it's good fluffy entertainment. It won't change your life but you can fold laundry while it's on. Available on Netlflix.
Highlights: FULL of celebrities looking very young. Whoopi Goldberg has amazing hair in it. Cathy Moriarty's voice gives me pants feelings. These amazing asymmetrical fruit earrings:
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| Kathy Najimi |
Life Partners (2014): Starring the adorable Gillian Jacobs (Oh Gilly!) and Leighton Meester this very very light comedy about two friends entering a new stage in their friendship and lives is perfectly fine viewing. The conflict is low stakes but the clothes are great and everyone in it is unrealistically pretty. It's not a good movie but it's completely non-offensive. Available on Netflix.
Tig (2015): If you know Tig Notaro's story then you might be interested in this documentary about her. Not all of it worked for me. Her story is moving but the pace moved more quickly than I would've liked. Also, I feel like she has such an interesting personality that I would have liked to learn more about her and more about how she has changed since dealing with all her traumas. It is worth watching though- it certainly provoked a lot of thinking in me about a lot of different topics touched on in the doc. Available on Netflix.
Sassy talking points: I wonder how a less affluent person would have been able to deal with all the horrors that happened in Tig's life in such a short amount of time? Can a self-proclaimed straight girl be turned lesbian/bi by anyone, or does it mostly help to be famous? (I love Tig and her comedy but, like I said, this movie did provoke a lot of thoughts in me).
Bonus: I didn't watch The Guest (2014) last weekend but I watched it a while back and it's now on Netflix. It's a low gore/high tension thriller style horror film that I would def. recommend. Dan Stevens minus his accent is very, very attractive in this movie and Maika Monroe (also the lead in It Follows) has found a great niche for herself with her natural portrayals of young adults. Really notable though is this movie's amazing 80s flavored soundtrack that enhances every scene and really complements the action and atmosphere.
So there are my recommendations. From the list three things can be learned about me (for possible future reference). One, I love horror but I have aged out of the slasher/torture porn/gratuitous gore genres. I prefer a little thought and care with my horror these days. Two, I prefer movies that have a strong female presence in them. And finally, I am a comedy nerd. That makes my three major categories I am going to recommend in horror, sci-fi, and comedy. Woo hoo!
