January Popcorn Flicks To Enjoy!

Here we are again, it’s a new year – 2022, so did you make any New Years Resolutions or are you more just aiming to go with the flow?  Personally, I prefer to take off that extra layer of guilt and pressure and just BE.  

We lost plenty more amazing people in the entertainment industry as the ball dropped to welcome 2022. Comedian, Bob Saget, actress and human/fur-itarian Betty White, iconic Sidney Poitier, and a deep sigh, operatic legend, Marvin (also Michael) Lee Aday, aka Meat Loaf.   However, it’s inevitable. Life does not go on forever, but they will surely remain in our hearts.  I’ll be playing the Bat Outta Hell albums, a hell of a lot today. 

Here are a few movies you may want to check out, as we head into some chilly wintery temperatures! 

West Side Story  I absolutely love musicals and so I was quite interested in seeing the Spielberg version of West Side Story that just came out recently.  It didn’t disappoint at all. 

The cinematography by Janusz Kamiński was stunning. The look of the film was beautiful, utilizing different light and shadow techniques. It brought a really ominous feel to the fighting scenes. The choreography was perfect and I loved how they did the song “America” and "Gee, Officer Krupke"  Also the vocal performances were beautifully sung.

“Cool” which is just naturally a really umm...cool song to begin with was envisioned in a completely new, taking place before the rumble, which was an unexpected surprise, but worked well. 

Maria, played by American/Columbian actress, Rachel Zegler and Tony, played by Ansel Elgort (who I may add was phenomenal in Baby Driver) was an interesting pairing. I didn’t feel the love connection right away, but as the movie went on, I could sense a bit more of the romance blooming.  Still...I hate to bring up the original again, BUT the casting of Tony, played by Richard Beymer and Maria, played by actress, Natalie Wood, personally did it for me. Their chemistry exploded on screen. It felt so natural. I believed they were madly in love. 

The only other issues I really had were the placement of “I Feel Pretty” as I didn’t like where it was used in the film. It felt odd.  

Also, the assault scene with Anita was much weaker than expected. I had braced myself for more of a punch (metaphorically speaking) with emotional intensity. I felt like something was being held back throughout the entire scene.

Oh Crappy Day  Written by Jon Lance Bacon and produced by Steven P. Neilson, this is one independent film that I absolutely loved watching.  It hit home on so many levels.

There are many ways that mental health disorders are portrayed in movies and so a fair warning that if you do deal with OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or anything else that is mentioned in the film (I don’t want to really give all that away), this may not be how you are, or it might resonate with you deeply.  

Dating is difficult enough and so searching for love when you are dealing with OCD is even more of a challenge.   We meet Jared, played by Jordan Estes, who is an aspiring film maker. We watch his struggles, his small feats and all the awkward interactions along the way, as there are many!

So things begin to change when he is encouraged to meet a very spirited woman; Katie, played by Jess Barbour, who is looking to meet someone and once disclosed of his rather extreme condition, she’s rather accepting, yet has some secrets to share, but with great hesitancy. This is when the movie just takes off and our hearts are just rooting for them both the whole way, even if they don’t end up together.

I felt so connected to Jared and Katie, both in their dating explorations together, and apart as separate characters. I love the nuanced moments mixed with humour. The acting had a sincerity to it and I just loved the entire film from start to finish.  

The Woman In Red This one was absolutely ridiculous, yet who doesn't love watching Gene Wilder? Sworn that he would never have an affair, Teddy (played by Gene Wilder) becomes absolutely bewitched by a beautiful model (played by Kelly Labrock) that he sees and starts to fantasize about.   This obsession leads to all sorts of schemes that go terribly yet hilariously wrong. Gilda Radner is in this one too, and although her role is small, she gives a great comedic performance.

Bull Durham Definitely a home-run! I haven't seen this in ages. Although the subject is baseball, still well-known today as America’s Pastime, it is far more than that. It’s about everything that goes on off the field, which is the most captivating part when you get such a great cast together. There’s plenty of romance, humour and spirit.  Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon are sizzling together on-screen.  There is also such a genuine friendship between Nuke, played by Tim Robbins and Crash (Costner). Definitely check out the fantastic soundtrack too.  

💜Drop me a note in the comments, or send me an email using my webform on the side and let me know what you've been watching!