aquaphoenix

Great performances with a protagonist that you love to hate. Such a tame albeit dark beginning that devolves into a twisted unpredictable ending.

On a serious note: this was a "canary in the coalmine" type of film depicting the ruthless corruption of guardianships. And that is quite terrifying! Truly my worst fear exemplified on film...

Tonight I watched "The Lie" on Amazon Prime. It's kind of mediocre and slow with shallow character development, not able to connect much to any of them. Maybe that was intentional? Because the slow simmer mediocrity exploded into a bombshell ending that I did NOT see the that coming at all!! 😲 8/10 ⭐'s

Wow! Parasite is a great ride!!

Although there was some grimness, it's not a horror flick, but a psychological thriller. The film paints with grandiose broad strokes using extravagance to tell a bigger story...a story about social inequality and the gullibility of people, particularly entitled acting rich foks. The story crawls into your mind and leaves you pondering.

PS. Can I just say that I'm sickened by the fact that the rich husband & wife have matching pajamas 🙄

*Disclaimer: if anyone has matching pajamas with their significant other, my apologies 😆

Who else came here because of the COVID-19 quarantine? The premise of "The Last Days" is different than what we are dealing with, but long /short of it, is that people can't be outside. Despite it being a horror/thriller, I remember it being a beautiful compelling and haunting film when I first saw it nearly 7 years ago. Now I'm inspired to re-watch it 😊

Patton Oswalt has been a long time favorite comedian of mine, following him through his career and life.

When his wife Michelle died tragically in her sleep in April 2016 at age 46, Patton was faced with the daunting task of being sole parent to their kindergarten daughter, Alice.

Patton handles his material with grace, anger, intelligence, humor and honest heart-wrenching grit. I laughed and wept, was angry alongside him and felt buoyed with hope in spite of it all.

Because as Patton explained Michelle's philosophy of life as "It's chaos. Be kind" in a bit thru which he walked the thin line between humor and sadness, with looks from people in the audience who were trying to stifle polite & nervous laughter, he brought the audience through to the other side. Because there is no place else to go...

Patton's "Annihilation" is the best of what I love, respect and admire in comedians: they bring us to a place out side our comfort zones, encouraging us to look more closely, leading by example that a best lived life, is the examined life, and a life examined with humor.

"It's chaos. Be kind." ~ Michelle Eileen McNamara

I absolutely LOVE The Walking Dead!! I can hardly wait for Season 7 to start on Sunday! So as I wait, I bide my time writing this review...

What I like about TWD is the character development, watching, for instance, a meek passive woman like Carol grow into a kick-ass-take- names-not-going-down-without-a-fight-warrior. These character developments are accelerated time lines, reminders of our own development and how we morph over time.

And of course, I thoroughly enjoy envisioning myself in the What-Would- I-Do-To-Survive-In-These-Scenario's? I find myself coaching the characters out loud "No, don't go in there!" and "Oh now, that's not gonna work!" And my all time favorite, "See...I told you so!" Overall I don't know that I'd be any more compassionate than Rick in a leadership position. Drastic moments sometimes call for drastic measures.

To be sure, the gore is quite "in your face" at times, and sometimes feels gratuitous, but it also is what makes it so hold your breath and life threateningly real!!

Although zombies are characters in the series, it is SO much more than flatly saying that this series is about zombies. I view the zombies as representations for other things in life, what external things motivate us to grow/change/evolve, how we keep going in the face of adversity, where to the edge we can be pushed mentally, emotionally and physically and STILL survive. It's no surprise these are the reasons I am hooked on this series.

Gravity pulled me in right from the start!! The cinematography of Earth and space is stunningly breathtaking!!! The CGI was flawless, lending the impression of actually being there. I can't remember ever being pulled into a film so completely and thoroughly.

Gravity is a film that takes place in space, but it is SO much more than just a space movie. I identified with Sandra Bullocks character on a couple levels and I felt like I was in her place at the final scene.

Gravity. It pulls us down. It places us solidly where we are. It defines us. There is no escaping the reality...although sometimes we try. Sometimes all we need to do is let go and let gravity bring us home...

Questions that the film conjured in me: Where do we escape? What causes us to awaken? How do we pick up ourselves against the weight of the world and learn to walk again? Who are we really when we are stripped down to our core?

To feel the pain, the fear, the loss of dreams amidst each breath. To try again. To never give up. To heal. To dare embrace life. To love...

Wow. Just finished watching "Boyhood"...truly extraordinary! Director Richard Linklater filmed this over the course of 12 years with the same core cast, allowing us to see the passage of time shown from a unique perspective.

People either love or hate these type of films because "nothing" happens. (It's for the same reason I loved David Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons") When seen through a deeper corridor of months, years or decades, we don't seem to recognize ourselves and think we've missed something. We think we've missed moments; in essence, the moments become us and we become them.

Through the seizing of moments, we slowly gather glorious memories, we move and grow and change and become. Like moss on stone, these memories bring beauty, warm and substance to our lives and to others. I certainly wouldn't want to live any other way...

I'll be ruminating on this film for some time to come... Two thumbs up from me! May you all be seized by moments!

--------------- "You know how everyone's always saying seize the moment? I don't know, I'm kind of thinking it's the other way around, you know, like the moment seizes us." ~ Boyhood (2014)

"Mission Blue", Netflix's original documentary featuring legendary oceanographer, marine biologist, environmentalist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle is thought provoking and inspirational with a real call to action! In her own words, "The Ocean is dying! A world without the Ocean, is a world without us". As of 2014, less than 3% of the Ocean is protected. Mission Blue's goal is for at least 20% by 2020 through creating "Hope Zones".

Some may fault this documentary as being more about the crusader than the crusade. What Rachel Carson was to insecticides, birds and our planet in 1962, Sylvia Earle is to the Ocean today. After spending an excess of 7000 hours underwater in connection with her research since 1953, Sylvia brings a lifetime of priceless observations helping to bring awareness and causing people to talk about the issue and ultimately helping to re-wire the way people look at our relationship to nature. Courageously and untiringly, her invaluable and passionate research has caused a rippling effect of conversations, of action, of bringing Hope and restoring life to the Ocean. We shall in 50 years look back at today and see what difference it has made.

In her words, "If I could be born anywhere in time, it would be now. It would be now because this is the time as never before. That we understand what we didn't 50 years ago. If we wait another 50 years, opportunities we now have will be gone. This is the moment. Our decisions. Our actions will shape everything that follows."

I just finished watching one of the best films I've seen all year!! Within 6 minutes, I was pulled thoroughly into "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty".

This charming film was a feast to my eyes, ears...and especially to my heart. An engaging storyline with an genuine and affable main character. The rich deep texture to the film itself made me wish I had seen it on the big screen (how did I miss this at the theater??).

The music/soundtrack was equally delicious in way that seemed so very inspirational and sweet...and yet, at the same time haunting. I can tell this film will linger with me for a long time...

Two thumbs up!!!

>> Quotes from the film << "I live by my ABC: Adventurous, Brave and Creative." ~ Walter Mitty

"To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, to draw closer, to find each other and to feel. That this is the purpose of 'Life'" ~ credo of Life Magazine

"Life is about courage and going into the unknown." ~ Cheryl Melhoff

"Beautiful things don't ask for attention." ~ Sean O'Connell

After hearing rave reviews of Loving Annabelle, I rented the film without realizing the plot involved a teacher and an under-aged teenage girl. I thought the story was between a teacher and a college student, in other words between two consenting adults. True, this film is fiction. Yes, these situations happen. It is not enjoyable watching an adult take sexual advantage over a child. I watched the film hoping for redemptive quality; instead, I stopped the film when they kissed passionately because it was evident that the plot progressed beyond the point of no return. That was not a scene between two consenting adults, rather between a teenage girl and an adult woman. Am I the only one who was deeply disturbed by the lack of responsibility of the teacher in the film?

Like most young teenage lesbians, I had huge crushes on teachers, camp counselors and Girl Scout leaders. To their credit, they never crossed that boundary between teacher and student. Over the past 20 years, working as teachers at various camps, I have experienced crushes from blossoming baby dykes. As the adult in the situation, I have tremendous obligation as a teacher, role model and a sister to these young women, not to take advantage of the situation. Yes, egos are stroked with adoration, but it's never appropriate to reciprocate the feelings. Mentors are looked up to and entrusted with inmost secrets, feelings and thoughts. It is not an opportunity to exploit, but to lead and guide. It is never acceptable simply because the student makes the first move.

If the teacher in the film were instead a man, would perceptions and opinions of the film be different? I draw the line with entertainment that includes adult and under-aged sex even when it's packaged as a lesbian love story. In this world of perceived animosity toward gays and lesbians as pedophiles and promiscuous, films such as this perpetuate the myth that gays and lesbians cannot control their passions, and as such do a great disservice to us all.

Two thumbs down for me.