Are We Dead Yet?: Dead in a Week (Or Your Money Back) Movie Review

Check out my review of Dead in a Week:

Meet William (Aneurin Barnard) a forlorn writer who is convinced that his life has no purpose and dying is the only way out. After yet another failed attempt at suicide, he crosses paths with an “Angel of Death” assassin,  Leslie (Tom Wilkinson), who promises to fulfill his wish once and for all.

There are odd moments in Dead in a Week, directed by Tom Edmunds, where Leslie and William are sitting down to discuss the details of the contract, complete with a brochure titled “Your Death, Your Way.” The pamphlet has various options of death that you can choose from, including pictures.  If you haven’t guessed by now, dark humour is rampant in this British film and there is no shortage of mockery on such a grim topic.

With some pretty off-the-wall humour and morbid scenes, I was reminded a bit of filmmakers; the Cohen Brothers, who seem to delight or disturb their audiences.  At times, it’s hard not to laugh because although William continues to muster up the courage to die, it doesn’t seem like he can even do that properly. There is a short little montage of all his suicide attempts, including the most ridiculous one, where he sticks his head in the oven, but the gas suddenly turns off. In the background, “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany is playing.

William has lovable qualities and who can resist those puppy-dog eyes, but his preoccupation with dying seems unconvincing. After making all necessary arrangements, out of the blue, William gets a call from Ellie (Freya Mavor), who is a publisher’s assistant and seems very keen on his book.  A romantic love connection forms between them, making William realize that he may just want to live.  Unfortunately, a signed contract is taken very seriously for Leslie, who is teetering on forced retirement if he doesn’t fulfill his quota for “kills” during the week. He is less than impressed with William’s sudden revelation.

Things that could go wrong, go wrong, oh so very wrong. People are accidentally killed and William is once again escaping death, this time hand-in-hand with Ellie. The dark humour really comes into play during one scene between Leslie and his boss, Harvey, (played by the eccentric Christopher Eccleston). The interaction has funny elements, but seems to trail off into a zone where the initial joke gets lost in the banter.

Despite some flaws, I found this film oddly sentimental in very unexpected ways. The obscurity of how suicide is portrayed might not sit well with everyone, but sometimes it reminds us not to take life too seriously after all.

Hoping for a Miracle: Mail Order Monster – Movie Review

Check out my review of Mail Order Monster:

What is it like to lose a parent? There is a sense of devastation, sadness, and even anger that can really shake a young child to the core. Over time, emotions can wax and wane but there comes a point of acceptance that needs to be reached. The most troubling part is when the other parent begins to not only start dating again, but actually finds love.

Mail Order Monster, directed by Paulina Lagudi, tells the story of Sam (played by Madison Horcher) who is trying to come to terms with her mother’s passing. It doesn’t help being relentlessly bullied at school and realizing that her father, Roy, has slowly slipped away into a new romance. Sam’s future “step-mother” Sydney, is trying desperately to fit into the family and Sam wants absolutely no part of it.  Sydney decides to surprise Sam with a rare comic book, in hopes to win her over, but the slight affection that Sam begins to show her, ends up backfiring after Roy decides he is ready to be re-married.  The thought of replacing Sam’s mother is too hard for Sam to imagine and so she sends away for a mail order monster (an ad found on the back of the comic that Sydney got her) for comfort.

The box arrives at Sam’s doorstep in a huge wooden crate with the words MOM printed on the outside (an anagram of Mail Order Monster). Sam goes into the shed and builds the robot monster, keeping it a secret from everyone. The monster comes to life and begins to take on the mannerisms of Sam’s mother, which becomes an endearing part of the movie. There is a heart-warming scene too when MOM (the name of the monster) brushes away a single strand of Sam’s hair and they make a pact to always be there for each other.

The monster is definitely quirky, just like Sam. It looks fragile yet has intuitive thinking capabilities. It reminded me a bit of Johnny 5 (Short Circuit), Chappie and The Iron Giant all rolled up into one. The pace of the movie had some lagging parts, especially the drawn-out scenes when the monster was walking, which I think could have been executed better.

The film was done in a live-action style, which was pretty interesting and even though there were some funny scenes throughout, it gets dark…and for a family drama, take note parents to sit down and discuss with your kid(s) how they felt. I could appreciate the more violent moments done in a comic strip sequence. It was a creative approach to take instead of totally censoring the violence and disturbing scenes (similar to the opening with Sam’s mother’s death).

Although some of the plot left gaps and aside from Sam’s performance, the rest of the cast fell a bit flat, the guiding message that really holds strong in this movie is that whether in life on Earth or with the angels above, a mother’s love for her daughter is never forgotten.

Kevin Smith – Silent But Deadly (Stand-Up Comedy) – Movie Review

Check out my review of Kevin Smith - Silent But Deadly:

Kevin Smith wears many hats. As a producer, director, comic book writer and actor, he’s been working hard, or hardly-working (he admits to his laziness at times) to create a successful career. Most know him for the sleeper hit 90’s movie; Clerks, and of course being the silent half of the stoner duo; Jay and Silent Bob.

In this stand-up comedy show, Kevin Smith is quite a story-teller and you do get a glimpse into his life in a very open and honest way. He wears his snapback ball cap and signature jersey with pride. Although the topics may seem mundane, like his copious amount of hilarious weed tales or detailing his random 20 minute phone call with Bruce Willis, Kevin has a way of hooking you into his world with a genuine sense of curiosity. There is a lot of vulgarity, which is kind of his shtick, and clearly TMI (too much information) into his sexcapades with his wife that will have you laughing.

I am not sure if it was the lighting during his performance, but Kevin looked like he was developing jaundice as the show went on. He did reveal though at the start of the show candidly about his near-death experience. He had a massive heart attack and claimed that smoking weed saved his life because he remained so calm through the whole situation. Obviously, take it with the grain of salt, he’s a comedian, not a doctor. Fortunately, Kevin survived the ordeal with a very loud wake-up call. He vowed to put his obesity to rest by following a totally vegan diet, which he now sings the praises of.

When Silent Bob speaks, people listen and I’m glad that he is still alive and kicking ready to share more of his adventures with us and to keep his best friend Jason Mewes from ever crying again.

Feels Like Home: Instant Family Movie Review

Check out my reviewof Instant Family:

What if your doctor told you that you would never be able to conceive a child? For many couples, this devastating news is like a knife through the heart. The countless other methods to figure out what to do next and the thousands of dollars spent for a possible miracle is exhausting, physically, emotionally and financially. Other times, careers take precedent and baby-making is an after-thought. It then simply becomes a matter of wanting a child before all those grey hairs start to sprout. The idea of “adoption” can be a scary word because it hits a cord of “but it’s not mine, it’s someone else’s kid!”

Instant Family was based off of director and co-writer Sean Anders real story of adopting three siblings out of foster care. The movie has tons of humour (thank goodness!) because some scenes will literally bring you to tears. It does balance well with a serious tone too. It sheds some light on the complications of adoption, such as when the birth mother comes back into the picture and wants custody, as well as the behavioural struggles that foster children go through. It also shows how many teenagers are left behind and “age-out” (which is a key part of the film – adopting a teenager and also her younger brother and sister) and put back into the foster care system. A majority of couples want to adopt a baby or at the most, a very young child.

The whole cast fit really nicely together. The case workers; Octavia Spencer and Tig Notaro, as well as some of the other couples (and a single mom) who had their own stories to share were definitely comic relief. Plus, you have the multi-talented Mark Wahlberg, who is just a joy to watch on-screen and the surprise appearance of Joan Cusack. The ending with everyone was really touching too, with the perfect send-off of 80’s Starship’s epic song, Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now. Yes it’s cheesy, yes it’s predictable and probably not the way most court cases would go, but who cares! The whole audience in the theatre was overtaken by emotion and for me, that makes this one wonderful movie.

There are plenty of reasons why adoption is not the right choice for everyone, but after seeing this film, perhaps you may find that one reason to know why it truly is.

Trigger Warning: President Evil Movie Review

Check out my review below of President Evil:

Get out of your safe spaces and enter a satirical mindfu*k that feels like the love child of 4Chan and Buzzfeed.

President Evil, directed by Richard Lowry, doesn’t hold back parodying all the social commentaries on the political spectrum. If you can think of any stereotype, chances are it’s in this movie.

The movie follows the rhythm of Michael Myers Halloween horror flick, where someone dressed as President Donald Trump is on the war path against anyone who is not a conservative idealogue. It has all the horror tropes, such as the walking slasher vs the running victim, jump scares and second-take disappearances.

While the film did have some humourous moments, mostly from the utterly ridiculous exaggerations, it also had some that were cringe-worthy, such as the Sheriff who was completely incompetent. I particularly laughed hardest at the Trump character when he was looking directly at the solar eclipse, the awkward bromance with Dr. Lutin (aka Putin) as well as the appearance of his baby hands.

If you are someone who is not very politically-savvy, you may miss the over-abundance of references. I don’t think this movie was intended for the average viewer. I can forgive the low budget and bad acting, but with such a limited demographic appeal is where the movie fails.

President Evil is available on Demand (Amazon and other platforms).

A Silhouetto Of A Man: Bohemian Rhapsody Movie Review

Check out my review below of Bohemian Rhapsody:

The expectations were very high when it was announced that Rami Malek was going to be portraying the iconic frontman performer of Queen, the immortal Freddie Mercury.

The biographical film, Bohemian Rhapsody, directed by Bryan Singer, received a rating of only PG-13. The whole idea of making this movie stirred up a lot of buzz because you have purists who would be looking with a fine-tooth comb for any inaccuracies that dare follow a different story line or creative vision that doesn’t mesh with their memory of Queen, and the real members of the band that may not feel they were depicted fairly or accurately. In all honesty, it took me a few times after seeing the different trailers launched to really get excited. I had a few questions wondering if this movie would solely delve into controversial waters like Freddie’s sexuality or his passing from HIV/AIDS.

Well, by the end of the movie, tears were streaming down my face and Malek showed the world that he could not only fit into the tightest jeans possible, but he had the skill and passion to portray Freddie Mercury in such a genuine and heartfelt way. It was revealed by critics that Malek actually was lip-syncing (Marc Matel, a Canadian singer was part of the actual vocals) and he had the assistance of Spoons keyboardist Rob Preuss to help him with his piano moves. In reality, it takes some big chops to get a multi-octave vocal range identical to the late Mercury. I realize that doesn’t sit well with some people, but to each their own. I was still very moved by not only the story, but the way Rami really connected with the role and made you feel like he had that soul of Freddie Mercury.  All the vocal performances throughout the movie, especially the epic song; Radio Ga Ga (yes, a personal favourite), were still very inspiring.

The one distracting part was the prosthetic teeth that Malek had in the movie. Freddie Mercury was known for his overbite, but I think the designers went a wee bit overboard.

I’m glad that the director and writers didn’t dwell on Freddie’s sexual promiscuity or orientation. There was so much more to his life than who he went to bed with. One moment in the movie will stop you in your tracks though. I will not share this spoiler, but it really encompassed the most vulnerable side of Mercury that lets you know that despite his grandiose and flamboyant persona, he was human too. The scene managed to subtly show, the profound impact that Mercury had on his fans and what they meant to him in return.

As the years go by and the champagne stops flowing and the makeup comes off, the only thing we ever need is just somebody to love.

Not Just a Pelvic Thrust: Stratford’s Rocky Horror Picture Show Entertains

I have been a fan of Richard O’Brien’s 1975 cult-classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” for such a long time. I remember setting my sights on Tim Curry (who played Frank N. Furter) in fishnet stockings, smudged lipstick and eyeliner and feeling that twinge of excitement. I had no idea boys (other than my heart throb Robert Smith of The Cure who smudged his makeup proudly) could look so feverishly handsome this way and I had even less knowledge about what a sweet transvestite from Transylvania was all about. One thing that was crystal clear, I knew early in my life that I was not quite like the other girls and that was okay.

I had the pleasure to see a stage play of Rocky Horror before, which was really impressive. I bought my first pair of fishnets for the event, put on gobs of makeup and looked like a walking dominatrix.  I felt really uncomfortable until walking through the theatre doors and saw everyone was dressed in a similar fashion. For one night, no one was judging.  I could swoon over all the boys who looked liked girls, or maybe it was girls who looked like boys. It was hard to tell at times.  I hung up my fishnets that night after coming home with a little jump to the left and then a step to the right.

Fast forward to the present day. When I found out that the Stratford Festival was putting on the broadway musical at the Avon Theatre (produced by David Auster),  I was incredibly excited to see what this version would look, sound and feel like.  Of course after seeing the movie countless times (note the tv special in 2016 was cringe-worthy and I couldn’t even get through it) and getting a taste of a live theatre performance, it wasn’t just about the music, the characters really needed to WOW me.

I have a lot of praise to give, which I will go into more detail later, but unfortunately, it wasn’t a flawless performance in my eyes. Here’s why:

One of my favourite songs “Eddie’s Teddy” was a huge letdown. How can I describe Eddie’s (Trevor Patt) character? It felt like a fake orgasm.  Sorry, I had to be so blunt but where was the hyper-masculine, bad-boy, you’d never bring home to your parents that we all grew to love? He was lost in a sea of air guitars and broad way smiles. Nope, pass.

Then there was Rocky (George Krissa). I’m going to be superficial but it was something that really stood out. Rocky’s hair was poofy and kind of reminded me of Carrot Top. His physique was… perfection and even being higher up in the balcony section, I could count his glistening abs. His hair though was another story. I much rather preferred the slick down hair cut, just like what was in the movie. Character wise, I don’t think he was able to get the right balance of passive creature and aggressive. Plus during Touch-a-Touch-Me, he should have looked at Janet’s ta-ta’s with awe and lust, yet his facial expression told a different story. Instead it felt like “yeah i’ve seen these before, let’s move on.” For a song that is meant to be highly sensual and sexual, my libido fell flat.

Next, oh Janet! (Jennifer Rider-Shaw). Although her voice was angelic and her look was pure as snow, I didn’t really get the demure vibe even at the start of the show that Susan Sarandon (1975 movie) pulled off so wonderfully convincing. Also, where was that repressed sexual tension? It was really missing for me.

Then we have Columbia (Kimberly-Ann Truong). When I think of her, all I can envision is the phallic lollipop sucking. It was really distracting and not in a good way. I felt her role was really over the top, yet in the scenes where she should have been highly dramatic (when Eddie’s death was announced), it felt like she was holding back.  She hit that level of crazy that just didn’t work for me. Her whole character was really quite confusing to be honest, but despite those flaws, she had quite the voice on her!

Magenta (Erica Peck) didn’t really grab me. Magenta was the spitting image of Tim Burton’s ex-wife, Helena Bonham Carter, yet she kind of blended into the background with the phantoms. Plus where was her inappropriate lusty self? Lost in the shadows, I guess.

Dr. Scott…well this was played by the same person as Eddie, so I definitely didn’t enjoy this performance.

Now onto the positives!

Riff Raff (Robert Markus) and Frank N. Furter (Dan Chameroy) were incredible, beyond anything that I really could have dreamed of! You could see the passion and love in both of these characters.  To me, they were the stars of the show.

Brad (Sayer Roberts) also did a great job, exuding in overt geekiness and awkwardness, just like what I remember. Plus, what a voice!

The narrator (Steve Ross) was also enjoyable. His deep voice gave me chills and he never broke out of character once, even when he went down to his skivvies and fishnets!

The choreography (done by Donna Feore) for the dance scenes were wonderful. I loved hearing all my favourite songs with a few surprises along the way. The set, lighting, and costuming (kudos to: Michael Gianfrancesco, Dana Osborne, Michael Walton) were done really well. I have to find out where Frank N Furter gets his lingerie. Ooh la la! Also, despite a lot of the character flaws, the vocals of everyone really blew me away, especially Frank N Furter’s solo part of “I’m Going Home.” I almost shed a tear.

I loved the audience hecklers who blurted out random comments throughout the show. They had the audience in stitches. Be warned that they don’t hold back. You will hear lots of profanity! Nothing is off limits, including a quick shout-out for the legalization of marijuana, which fit in rather perfectly since it was actually legalized on the day we went; Oct. 17, 2018 and some mentions of sexual positions that you may or may not have tried already at home.  There are audience alerts up mentioning mature themes and offensiveness, so if you tend to trail along the overly-sensitive path, this show is NOT for you.

Despite some criticisms, I really loved the show. I understand the blood, sweat, and tears that go into making these productions and I can appreciate that they didn’t want to stick to the film entirely and used their own creative juices to add a bit more flair.

If you are looking for a fun-filled, gender-bending good time, then I would highly suggest you book your tickets to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show. They have added a number of new shows, but they sell out quickly, as does everything in Stratford because this is truly world-class entertainment.

The show runs at the Stratford Festival until Nov. 25, 2018. Tickets start at $25 and are available online.  *update now extended until December 2018!

💜You can also check out my 519 Magazine  review of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in Stratford, Ontario!