Tuesday Review – The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star (2021)

films, reviews

This weekend I realised that I’d still not watched a Christmas movie in 2021. I just haven’t felt in the festive mood recently. Thankfully, Netflix were on hand with their traditional outpouring of festive crap. Including the third film to see Vanessa Hudgens pretend to be Vanessa Hudgens. Did I really think that the first Christmas film that I watched this year was going to the third film in The Princess Switch trilogy? No. Am I happy about it? No. Is there anything that I can do about it? No. It’s done. If your first festive film of advent is any indication of how the next year is going to go, then I’m not looking forward to 2022.

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TBT Review – Hot Shots! (1991)

films, reviews, TBT

Once again, I find myself running out of time. I’m writing this way later than I should be and rushing to get it finished. It doesn’t help that I really don’t know what to say about this film. Sometimes you can watch/read something and it just doesn’t leave much of an impression either way. It’s not so horrendous that you can rant about it or so good that you’re gushing praise. This is a film that I first watched at university a long time ago. It was really hyped up beforehand, so it never really lived up. It’s not one that I rewatch very often but I will give it a go every now and then. This seemed like a good week to do so.

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Tuesday Review – The Starling (2021)

films, reviews

After Melissa McCarthy was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar in 2019, I finally thought that Hollywood was ready to offer her some juicier roles. I know that she loves a comedy but, as we’ve seen, they don’t always work out well. Can You Ever Forgive Me? forced people to see just how talented a performer she is beyond slapstick. I get excited every time she appears in a new film but, for the most part, I end up disappointed. That doesn’t stop me hoping and I will give pretty much everything a try if she’s in the cast list. The fact that her latest film also stars Chris O’Dowd was just an added benefit. He’s another great actor who hasn’t been given the kind of meaty role that he deserves. Maybe this time would work out for both of them?

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TBT Review – Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019)

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I was at university when Between Two Ferns started, which was perfect timing. I spent all my free time on the internet and, as an English literature major, I had plenty of free time. It was as if it has been tailored my sense of humour. I was a huge fan of awkwardness and making people uncomfortable. So, watching Zach Galifianakis play the role of an awkward interviewer was perfect. Of course, it’s good that the show didn’t run on for years and years because it’s the kind of premise that would have got tired very quickly. So the announcement that there would be a movie spin-off was interesting. We know from the likes of SNL that short skits don’t translate well into a longer form. Which is probably the reason that I’m only just getting round to watching it now.

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Book Review – Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

books, reviews

I’m a fan of Shakespeare. I think he’s way more accessible than people give him credit for. I can also understand why so many people don’t get along with him. For me, it all comes down to how you first experience him. For most of us, we’ll come across our first Shakespeare play at school. If you go through this with the right teacher then he you’ll be able to embrace the Bard fully. If you don’t have the right teacher then you’ll just think he’s old and boring. Thankfully, the first play that I studied was Macbeth and it ended up being a lot of fun. Then I got stuck into Othello, Hamlet and King Lear. By the time I was 16, I was already pretty hooked on old Willy. Although, I’ve never been a big fan of a couple of his most popular plays. Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Nights Dream tend to be ones that most people are willing to watch. I guess they’re more like traditional romantic comedies, so they might be easier for modern audiences to get behind. Really, I don’t know why people love these plays so much. For me, they’re two of his most tedious plays. And, yes, I have studied the histories. Certainly in the case of Romeo and Juliet. I just think it’s stupid.

TBT Review – Little Nicky (2000)

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When watching Hubie Halloween last weekend, it was hard not to compare the character to other Adam Sandler characters. I mean Hubie is basically Little Nicky but without the religious aspect. Does it help that both films are directed by Steven Brill? Probably not but it does raise questions about just how long Sandler can keep going. I mean, he’s barely evolved since the start of his career and that would be fine if this latest film didn’t feel like such a throwback. And I know. Uncut Gems but he didn’t write that. Just look as his other Netflix films. Murder Mystery? The Ridiculous 6. How long can he keep churning out the same tired comedy films?

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Tuesday Review – Hubie Halloween (2020)

films, reviews

I have to admit to something, I never got round to watching Uncut Gems. Phew, that’s a weight off my chest. At the time that it was really doing the rounds, I was desperately trying to watch all of the Oscar nominated films and, unfortunately, it was totally ignored by the Academy. I always intended to catch up but it never happened. Not because I didn’t think it would be good but because it just seemed so heavy. I mean this year is heavy enough. The reason I bring it up is because Uncut Gems could very well be the reason that Hubie Halloween exists. Before awards season kicked off, Sandler made a vow that he would make the worst film possible if he wasn’t nominated for an Oscar. 10 months on and another Netflix original hits us. So, was it really going to be the worst of his vast and often uninspiring career? There was only one way to find out.

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TBT Review – Borat (2006)

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The first Borat film came out just before I headed off to university, which meant my entire 3 years were full of bad impressions and catchphrases. I lived on a floor with about 50 people in total and there were a lot of idiot guys who thought the only indication of their sense of humour was being able to regurgitate film quotes. Oh, and let’s not forget one of flatmates who bought the character’s trademark mankini and wore it to every social event possible. I know it sounds like I hated the film but I didn’t. It was just fucking endless. It was everywhere. My undergraduate course was defined by Borat quotes and that Linkin Park and Jay-Z Numb/Encore mash-up. It was an interesting time.

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Tuesday Review – Love, Guaranteed (2020)

films, reviews

I haven’t been a massive fan of romantic comedies since I was a stupid tween but I can definitely see the appeal this year. There is so much awful stuff going on in the world that escaping into a rom-com seems like the perfect thing to do. There is a familiarity about these films that is pretty comforting. You know where you’re going to end up before you’ve even started, so you can just sit down and let it all wash over you. Considering the rest of the world is in utter turmoil, there’s a lot to be said to knowing what to expect. This is my only explanation for sitting down to watch the new Netflix original romantic comedy despite the fact that I knew I wasn’t really going to enjoy it.

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Book Review – Q by Christina Dalcher

books, reviews

As we’ve already discussed, I’m a petty and stubborn person. I stayed up way too late on the 31st August to make sure that I finished this damn book before the month was over. After all, I had already included it in my August Reading Wrap-Up and I didn’t want to miss my book count of 10. Thankfully, I did manage it and I didn’t end up being too late a night. The question is, was the book worth it? I wasn’t exactly expecting a great deal from this book because I really hadn’t thought much of Vox. When I wrote my review of Christina Dalcher’s previous novel, I discussed the rise of feminist dystopia and how bored I was with it. I guess, on the plus side, Dalcher has taken a broader approach. Women don’t exactly have it easy in this one but at least it wasn’t another literary world specifically created to torture women into submission.

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