Holiday Down Under: A Sunburnt Christmas Movie Review

Hello readers!

I'm ready to share another holiday film with you that is a little naughty and nice. So pack your bags, check your virtual passport twice, and let's go to Australia!  

Sunburnt Christmas is directed by Christiaan Van Vuuren and tells the story of a widowed mother, Fiona, (Ling Cooper Tang) who is struggling to keep the family farm afloat due to horrendous drought conditions and becomes obsessed with fixing their broken windmill. 

We also have the kids, big sister Hazel (Tatiana Goode), who is in charge of everything and is trying to hold the pieces of what is left of the family together, hypochondriac yet also grief-stricken brother, Tom (Eaden McGuinness) who fears everything will kill him, and younger sister, Daisy (Lena Nankivell) who is a bit of a reckless spirit and yet a dreamer too.  She holds onto her dad’s old shotgun and goes around shooting passing clouds, with the hopes to make it rain.  The innocence through a child’s eyes has a lot of moments here to cherish.

While foreclosure on their home is near, a criminal on the loose dressed as Santa Claus named Daryl Dunn, (Daniel Henshall) crashes into their property, changing all of their lives forever. 

There is something wonderful about watching Australian films.  I was really smitten with the performance from Daniel Henshall.  He’s such a likeable character and you can really see the connections he makes with the kids that really bring new perspectives to the story. The plot may seem pretty standard, but there is a twist in this one that you might not see coming.  I also loved the wacky humour with the emotional punches woven into many of the scenes.

There is a lot of heart down under with this holiday film, so you’re bound to have a ripper of a time with it!

💜A Sunburnt Christmas Trailer

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 

No Late Fees: The Last Blockbuster

The Last Blockbuster is a wonderful documentary, directed by Taylor Morden and written by Zeke Kamm, with charming narration by actress/comedian, Lauren Lapkus  all about the history of Blockbuster video. Included are loads of nostalgic memories from some celebrity faces like comedians Kevin Smith, Jamie Kennedy, and Doug Benson.

So what would happen if Netflix and chill never existed, and we never became accustomed to streaming tv shows and movies?  The old saying “you don’t really know what you’ve got till it’s gone” definitely has some truth here.

Blockbuster went from an outstanding 9000 video rental stores to 1.  Yes, 1 store in the whole world!  Spoiler, as of writing this blog in 2022, only ONE Blockbuster store remains, headed by manager, Sandi Harding in Bend, Oregon, who is well-known as the “blockbuster mom”.  Throughout the doc, we see Sandy's dedication to Blockbuster and the countless hours of personal sacrifices that she makes for the company. It's all really quite remarkable.

A single Blockbuster card was the ticket to watching old favourites, new releases, and anything your heart desired. I know that I could spend a good hour there or more, just going up and down the aisles.  It wasn’t just another trip to the video store. It was an experience. 

Of course, after choosing a few videos and piling them on the counter, you awaited the employee to scan your card. There was excitement mixed with a bit of dread each time, maybe a bit of sweat too, as you didn’t want them to utter those four words “you have late fees.”  I never had any, but that sigh of relief always felt good hearing it straight from the Blockbuster staff. 

If we’re going to rewind here, I remember a lot of fond memories going to Blockbuster here in Windsor, Ontario.  I was only a few blocks away from one when I was living at home, so many weekends would be spent renting movies. There was something cool about whipping out that little plastic card out of your wallet and flashing it to the employee before they could ask you whether you were part of the membership club. It held much responsibility.  

Did anyone collect movie posters that Blockbuster intended to throw out?  If you asked, ye shall receive. They were always more than willing to give out a few after they didn’t have any use for them in the store anymore, including some of the cardboard cut-outs.  Our basement was filled with them! 

Although we have really evolved with technology and soon enough I’m sure we’ll be able to just think of a movie and it will randomly appear on our devices to watch, heading out for that weekly trip to the movie store to find what treasures await me will never go out of style.

💜Do you have any memories of Blockbuster video? I'd love to hear them! Leave me a comment below or send me an e-mail via my contact form. 

Listen With Your Heart: Coda Movie Review

I'll love you forever. 

Image from IMBD

Coda is a remake of the 2014 film, La Famille Bélier.  It is a heart-warming coming-of-age story about a girl named Ruby, played by the impressive, Emilia Jones, who is part of a deaf family (CODA - child of deaf adults/ also a musical term)  yet was born with the ability to hear.

Like most families, there is a certain level of chaos to expect, but for Ruby, she is the glue that is holding her family together. School, working the family fishing business to keep it afloat, and being readily available as the family translator is exhausting. Emotions are hanging by a thread trying to juggle it all.

Ruby's one salvation is taking a leap and joining the choir at school and finding her voice with help of choirmaster, Eugenio Derbez. Her beautiful hidden voice wants to be heard, but she's afraid - afraid of not being good enough. Not only that, but add on dealing with some new unexpected feelings being paired for a duet with classmate Miles, played by Ferdia Walsh-Peelo  (I literally screamed out SING STREET! when I saw him on screen).  Ruby's love of music and the possibility to soar to new heights going to a prestigious music school comes at a cost though that she's unsure she can sacrifice. 

Fair warning, Coda is surprisingly vulgar at times with its comedic flare which I think some may appreciate and others might be taken aback by. The whole idea of  knowing your parents are hot for each other and are still getting it on is kind of an uncomfortable feeling, but there is a hilarity in how it's presented in the film. The acting is terrific and although the predictability factor of the outcome of the movie is obvious, there is a deep empathy felt and a beauty of how the dynamics evolve with the characters, especially Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur, who play Ruby's parents, as well as brother, Leo, played by Daniel Durant. 

When you add in the soundtrack with songs by Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, David Bowie and The Clash, it's a beautiful film that deserves applause that has paved the way for more films to be produced and represented in authentic ways that help us learn, grow and embrace who we are.

Some cool facts about Coda:

👉The director, Siân Heder intended on having the roles casted by those in the deaf community, which is pretty awesome and such a huge stride, and getting help with translating 40% of the script into ASL (American Sign Language).

👉Emilia trained for 8 months with a deaf coach who taught her ASL but also about deaf culture and the nuances. Eventually she was able to improvise on-set with her cast members.

Overall, I loved the movie and the message that shone through so brightly that I think we can all agree upon is  that there is nothing more powerful than to listen with your heart.

Have you seen Coda yet? Leave me your comments or connect with me through my contact form! I'd love to hear from you. 

💜Watch the trailer here: Coda Trailer

💜 Available on Apple Tv

Crazy Beautiful Life by Thomas Hien & Scott Chesak

Hearing this song and lyrics could not have come at a more pivotal time.

I am really shocked that this particular track doesn't have more views because it is achingly beautiful on so many levels.

🎶Whatever you got, whatever you give, you make it a beautiful life to live.🎶

Thomas Hien & Scott Chesak - Crazy Beautiful Life

from "Why Him?" soundtrack.

Minions Toy Controversy

It's rare that I will order a Happy Meal from McDonald's, unless they have a really cool promotion on to get a collectible toy that I want.  So being a huge fan of those adorably and quirky Minions, inside my meal was the Egyptian Minion.

For parents who are making a big deal saying these Minions are swearing and McDonald's should stop selling them, get over yourselves. If you have listened to the Minions speak in any of the movies, including Despicable Me 1 & 2, you would realize they just babble. There is nothing malicious going on.

After getting home from seeing the Minion movie (it was pretty good, not as great as D1 & D2, but it had amusing moments) with my friend Jen and her daughter Aya, The Count tallied up the votes and my new Minion (I named him Zulu) was accepted into the family!

I guess i'm always going to be a kid-at-heart. :)

The Count, Travelocity Gnome, Stay Puft, one of my many gargoyles; Patience,
my stuffed ring-tailed lemur 

Signed, sealed, delivered, i'm Yours: Review of Fifty Shades Of Grey

So last night I watched the erotic and steamy film; Fifty Shades of Grey. It was directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and written by Kelly Marcel and E.L. James. The desire was mainly out of curiousity and to see what all the hoopla was about. So, I decided that I would write a short review on my thoughts.  It's been a while since my last update of anything that was unrelated to my family. A dose of fantasy had to come to the forefront though because sometimes reality is just too overwhelming.

The story itself kept my interest, as well as the on-going psychological games that both characters play with each other, perhaps very calculated or just out of human nature. As controlling as Christian is, Ana is no angel or sweetheart either, so the poor innocent virgin who gets manipulated by the wealthy dominant - not buying it. I'm not quite convinced that he's truly the most abusive and despicable human being.

Hold on! Before you think i'm insensitive to the nature of abuse, trust me, i'm clearly no stranger to it, but I think there is a real misunderstanding when you are used to a regular coupling (maybe you occasionally tie your partner up or have some dom/sub fetish play) to a serious arrangement which is based on a contractual relationship with consent along the way. It is imperative to understand that your purpose is to serve your Master, as he/she sees fit. You give up the power and surrender body,mind and soul, which Ana didn't fully do, but that seemed to excite Christian the most. She's a challenge, but he has the ace; taking her virginity.

You also get rewarded (as in the film, Ana got a new laptop and Christian bought her a brand new car for her submissiveness and to, of course, to show her the "good" life). Even when genuine moments of affection and love seep in, you can still feel that emotional distance take over Christian. The balance is tricky. No doubt, Christian has some major issues, but he's the boss, applesauce. It's a interesting dynamic going on, at least from the movie's perspective.

I have yet to read the trilogy of 50 Shades Of Grey, by author E.L James, to see how things progress. I liked the ending though because it really makes you feel so many different emotions on "what could be."

I didn't really feel the electric chemistry that should have been there. Some of the intimate scenes were well done, but if you don't invest in the couple on screen, it's difficult, at least for me, to feel anything more than a brief tingle. Acting-wise, i'd chalk it up to Magic Mike; absolutely awful. The dialogue lacked and at times, I went to check my e-mail, when Ana and Christian were having a long, drawn-out conversation.

I am intrigued enough to see the next film. Perhaps my feelings may dramatically change and i'll want to yell profanities at the screen, seeing how awful Christian really is, but for now, my opinion remains unchanged.

Signed, sealed, delivered, I'm Yours.

Ekran: Roza By Any Other Name

The upcoming 4th Annual Ekran Polish Film Festival is taking place in Toronto, during the week of October 25-28th. In honour of celebrating Poland’s cinematic achievements, I was given access to many of these films for review.

I must say that I’ve taken a few days to gain back my emotional composure after watching Roza, directed by Wojciech Smarzowski and written by Michal Szczerbic.

I am deeply touched by many films that I’ve seen over the years, especially ones that involve sacrifice, tragedy and the all encompassing subject of love, but this particular film was one that you really need to view, so you can understand why I needed time to settle my soul.

The world was changed by WWII and although some may not have lived through it or experienced it first hand, the raw exposure you see in the opening sequence is horrifying through any eyes. The film revolves around two main characters, Roza, who is a Masurian peasant, and Tadeusz, a former AK soldier, who develop a bond, more so a love for each other, that tests their strength in every imaginable way.The film is slow-paced and you truly get to delve inside the sadness of both characters, and at times, feel the happiness when life seemed bearable. The courage that Roza has to not be chased out of her own home is unbelievable. The vivid brutality is hard to watch, as you know that the beatings suffered felt so real, and not one you could actually laugh and say was ketchup-induced. Nothing is overly dramatic, but the cinematography brilliantly captured by Piotr Sobocinski Jr is superb. The commitment of acting ability in each and every scene is very evident as well and makes it hard to even turn away.

I will spoil what you probably already know because I feel it’s important to mention. Roza dies. You want to cheer for someone breaking the rules and risking their own life though to help, even if that meant sworn secrecy. Her daughter (who lives in the attic) becomes a pivotal part of the film, as she is the first one to inject medicine into Roza, to help with the suffering. Together, she and Tadeusz experience a joyful day with Roza on the lake fishing, and it feels as if they are a real family. As the film goes on, we realize that Roza’s death is one that is heart-breaking and uplifting at the same time. As her body rests in a wooden coffin, the windows are opened to allow her soul to fly away.

Another journey is now paved out for Tadeusz, and fate deals him the cruellest hand, as he endures the torture that mankind was capable back then. I state “man”kind simply for the fact that his suffering was at the hands of men… men who are vile, disgusting beasts who are brainwashed into a world of hatred.

The ending of Roza brings you to tears. Some may not see it as a happy ending at all. However, given the circumstances, it’s more than what someone could ask for.