If you’re looking for something to watch this month, here are all the films I viewed last month. Maybe something will inspire you!
Dark Corners (2007)
This looks and feels like it would be right up my alley. Dark, creepy, and mysterious, with a twist ending. And I certainly was not bored. But I spent most of the movie too confused to get really attached to it. People compare it to David Lynch, and I would say that’s a fair assessment, because that’s how I feel about most of his stuff, too–confusion verging on annoyance (or vice-versa). I was relieved when the ending came along so I could finally Google just what the heck was going on. 2/5
Flight 7500 (2015)
I have to say this was kind of a guilty pleasure. It wasn’t great by any means, and I guessed what was happening pretty early on. Still, it was entertaining and I didn’t want to look away. There were also some moments that were truly creepy. The intentionally obnoxious characters were fun to hate. But what started out as really intriguing went downhill about halfway through, around the time when you know what’s going on and are just waiting for them to figure it out. 3/5
The Boys (2009)
I had no idea that the lives of the beloved and talented Sherman Brothers were so fraught with turbulence. I never would have guessed that the highly successful duo did not get along. While I love almost every one of their songs I’ve ever heard, my especial favorites have always tended to be the more solemn, emotional ones, such as “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins, “Deep in the Dark” and “Mother Earth and Father Time” from Charlotte’s Web, and “Hushabye Mountain“ from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. (Special shout-out, as well, to this creepy updated version of “Trust in Me” from the remake of The Jungle Book.) It was interesting to learn that most of those were written by Bob and the more joyous tunes were by Dick.
I liked learning that Charlotte’s Web was Bob’s favorite album they’d written, because I feel like it doesn’t get much attention these days. I got to hear songs by them that I had never heard or had no idea they had written–I was shocked to learn they had written Johnny Burnette’s “You’re Sixteen”. And now I have a bunch of movies I want to watch that I’ve never seen. It was also fun learning about their musician father and hearing some of his songs–you could definitely hear the family resemblance.
There was a moment with Bob that shed some light on what made him the way he is, when he was saying that he was the first American to see Dachau, along with his squadron. In the movie, he stares out the window, haunted, his voice cracking. “In 1943, I was 17.” Silence. “I didn’t know anything about anything.” Longer silence. “But I learned.” That got a tear out of me, and again a little bit later when he’s talking about painting after the war. “Beautiful things…helped heal my soul. But the horror…the horror lasted a long time.” It’s no wonder he wrote the sad songs!
I hoped this would end with a joyful reunion between the two where they’ve decided to put their differences aside and become friends. Instead, it ends with the bittersweet acceptance that this is just who they are and how it is going to be. 4/5
Brave (2012)
This was my second time watching Brave, the first time being several years ago, and I have to say I liked it better the first time. That is not to say that I didn’t enjoy it–that would be inaccurate! But for some reason I feel like it didn’t have the rewatch power that a lot of other Disney animated films have. Or maybe I was just in the wrong mood that night because I recall I really didn’t know what I was in the mood for and wasn’t sure about the choice.
Things I love: Merida. Merida’s hair. The fact that it isn’t a romance. (Usually I love the romantic Disney movies, but this is a breath of fresh air!) The music. The magic. (I love the whole will-o’-the-wisp folklore element, as well as the witch.) The mother-daughter relationship. The end results of the haunted bear character (I forget the name) and the clan rivalry. 4/5
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2010)
I don’t know how because I’d never heard of it before, but I could tell this was a comic book movie as soon as it started. And I absolutely loved everything about it. The characters were entertaining, especially Sam Huntington’s best friend/sidekick. It had me cracking up nonstop. I really enjoyed the setting and loved the noir vibe. The world-building was great. This was a super fun movie that does not at all deserve its terrible rating! (Seriously, one star on Rotten Tomatoes!? How!?) 5/5
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
This is brilliant. I adored it the first time and I adored it this second time. Everything about this is wonderful. The characters, the comedy, the inside of Bridget’s head, the acting, the Pride and Prejudice references, the Harry Potter reference, the soundtrack…I am so in love with Bridget Jones. I really need to read those books. 5/5
From Beyond (1986)
At some point, I went through Prime and added all the movies to my watch list that had anything to do with Lovecraft. Unfortunately, most of them seem to be really low-budget, just plain bad movies. This was no different. However, I would absolutely recommend this one to fans of bad movies from the ’80s. We happened to be in that sort of mood the night we watched this one, and we were not disappointed by the terrible effects and laughable plot. (“But why is there water…?”) I kept saying.
This got quite a few chortles out of us and we had a good time watching it. If you’re wondering how much similarity it bears to the original short story, the answer is very little. Or more accurately, it basically encompasses the entire plot in about 5 minutes and then builds on that in a deliciously bad-’80s-movie sort of way. 2/5
The Disappeared (2008)
This movie has a cold, dreary feeling all the way through, but it was engrossing. I was a little skeptical at first, but got more and more into it as it went along. There are some good twists and turns along the way. I enjoyed the creepy vibes and the relationships between some of the characters. If you pay very close attention, there are some hints as to what’s going on. (SPOILER AHEAD: In particular, if you look closely at the tombstones in a certain scene when a certain character is onscreen, you’ll pick up on what’s happening more quickly if you’re a horror fan.) 3/5
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