Ready for a Holiday Zom-Com

Anna and the Apocalypse directed by John McPhail, and written by Alan McDonald and Ryan McHenry, takes a group of soon-to-be graduating high schoolers and opens up their inner-diaries to share the woes of teenage life in the small town of Little Haven. 

This zombie-comedy, affectionately coined as a “zom-com”  is full of surprises and if being a teenager wasn’t hard enough, we add in a zombie infestation to shake things up a bit and get to know the characters a little more as they have to fight together to survive.  

With nods to Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The Breakfast Club, Shaun of the Dead and many others, it was really creatively done.

You can’t have a good musical with sub-par choreography, and so Steph (Sarah Swire) who also stars in the movie, did an amazing job juggling both roles. 

Anna, played by Ella Hunt, was perfect for her role. She was able to break away from the stereotypical female needing to be saved,  while showing bravery and kicking some zombie brains.  

Socially awkward best friend, John (Malcolm Cumming) is another good character. We feel his pain through song, as he deals with unrequited love for Anna but we also see him grow separate from the anguish, just like any best friend would.

Another stand out performance was the eccentric Headmaster,  Arthur Savage (Paul Kaye). He took that creepiness level and cranked it all the way up in the best way possible.

There are so many wonderful songs too, written by Roddy Hart in collaboration with Tommy Reilly.

🎶Break Away had my eyes wide open because I wasn’t expecting something so emotional right off the bat. With its poignant lyrics, I was just awe-struck. 

🎶Hollywood Ending. Believe me when I tell you that you will be singing this song in the shower, in the car and in your sleep! It is so ridiculously catchy. The song tells us what we already know, but are sometimes too afraid to face. While we deal with the harsh realities of life, we will still be okay without perfection. 

🎶Turning My Life Around is another great song with upbeat music and some fun dance sequences. It also holds a special nod in a way to a certain Shaun of the Dead scene where we are oblivious to the chaos that is going on around us. It has a comedic yet disturbing undertone.

Overall, I think this movie is really fun to watch and holds a lot of meaning beyond what is on the surface. Sure, it’s a little gross at times (okay... a lot) but this is definitely an infectious one to add to your holiday list!

💜Anna and the Apocalypse Trailer 

Afterlife Delight: Spirited Movie Review

Well it’s that time of the year and as much as I love watching the old classics, I always like to see what kind of new variations of holiday films come out.   Last year, Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas won me over and as it stands right now, not even into December yet, Spirited has me awaiting the dvd release to come out so I can buy it and add to our growing movie collection!

Directed by Sean Anders, Spirited takes Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and flips it on its head, spins it magically around while adding plenty of musical numbers and modern-day relevance that deserve their own hashtag. 

Ryan Reynolds, who plays Clint the “nonredeemable” is a perfect match for Will Ferrell, The Ghost of Christmas Present.  As they dance and sing, revealing vulnerabilities, it’s just a joy to watch. When we add in Octavia Spencer, who is Clint’s assistant and the apple of Christmas Present’s eye, it’s a triple threat of happiness that you feel in your heart.  

Then we come to the songs, which I will mention my top 3. 

🎶Good Afternoon is a hoot and the amount of choreographed work is exceptional, including both Will and Ryan learning how to actually tap-dance and spending many gruelling sessions perfecting their techniques. If you are a performer, or even have watched like a fly on the wall of the physicality that goes on, you can applaud these guys.  

🎶View From Here (Riverwalk), an introspective song that sings like one’s diary or even our inner conscious, which includes a brief yet whimsical scene that just gets you feeling even more warm and fuzzy.

🎶Ripple is another hit, and I think a real earworm that holds a lot of meaning especially lyrically. It’s a big and bold production, as it should, and gives hope in a world that is just so confusing to navigate sometimes.

And so friends, not just during the holidays but all year round, let’s try to do a little good. 

💜Spirited Trailer

*Side note: Now the movie isn't all egg nog and jazz hands. It is heavy-handed with profanity at times, and does include some heavy topics that people may feel uncomfortable with. So, if you are watching with young kids (rating is PG-13), that's something to keep in mind. However, we all have to learn and grow, so instead of shying away and pretending these realities don't exist, open up the dialogue.

Thanksgiving Gratitude

It doesn't matter if you're eating a lavish turkey dinner or simply Kraft Dinner out of the pot, the fact that you are eating something should warrant a moment of gratitude.

If there is someone in your life that you can call up to talk to, count your blessings.

If you're able to be cozy and warm in bed, even if someone is stealing the covers, you're still way ahead of the game. I could go on and on, but you get the point.

It will always be those simple things that enrich our lives and keep us grounded.

Happy Thanksgiving!