Last Minute Movie Watches of 2022

A few extra movie reviews to share that you might want to check out before we head into 2023. 

I love a good whodunnit movie, and so the first Knives Out was a total blast to watch with intriguing characters and a great story.  Rian Johnson is back again in the director’s chair to present us with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

We welcome back to the screen, world-famous detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) as he travels to Greece this time to solve a new case, involving tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) and his privileged bunch of has-been socialites. 

This sequel had its moments of enjoyment, mainly thanks to Daniel Craig and Edward Norton’s performances, with a few laughs from others, like alpha-male, Duke Cody (Dave Bautista). Mirroring a lot of narcissism qualities that are abundantly obvious in many leaders and trendy gurus, if you haven’t kept up with the kombucha craze or have any familiarity with cancel culture, you may not laugh as hard as others would.  Despite some twists, the casting fell short for me though, as there wasn’t as many layers to peel back as I would have hoped.

When you mix Home Alone, The Ref, and Die Hard together, you’ll get just a taste of  Violent Night directed by Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola.

No one expects to get a taste of their own medicine on Christmas eve, but one wealthy family is held hostage by a team of mercenaries who are not interested in spreading any holiday cheer. What could have been a total train wreck in this film, turns into a sleigh ride of insanity,  but in the best possible way. 

Without spoiling much, let’s just say Santa (played by David Harbour) deserves all the milk and cookies he wants for his performance. Although the amount of brutal kills were pretty intense and graphic, there’s more to the film than just horror. There’s a beautiful bond between Santa and Trudy (Leah Brady) that might be expected, but still brings a sense of spirit and magic to the screen.

Love Birds is an uplifting New Zealand film that has the right amount of comedy and romance. It’s light-hearted and rather predictable of what we’d witness in a rom-com, but it’s still joyful. When failing at love and floundering through life, it doesn’t seem so bad when a shelduck comes to the rescue.  Doug (Rhys Darby) and Holly (Sally Hawkins) are lovely on-screen together.  With the epic soundtrack of Queen, in the end, we all just need somebody to love. 

Troll is a Norwegian film directed by Roar Uthaug that in some ways could be a template for many mythical creatures who are awakened after years in captivity or due to humans tampering with nature. 

This time we are set-up looking at deep into the beautiful mountain of Dovre, where folklore tales about creatures made of earth and stone (trolls) are shared between father, Tobias (Gard B. Eidsvold) and his daughter Nora (Ine Marie Wilmann).  Fast-forward to 20 years later, estranged from her father, Nora is a leading paleontologist and a sudden explosion awakens a massive troll who is ready to destroy everything in its path.

The movie is action-packed, with some comedic relief added in from Andreas, (Kim Falck) and awesome cinematography to keep the entertainment level high.  Gard is great at story-telling in a way that we can really feel like we’re transported in time, where imagination and the wonder of childhood never gets curtailed by growing up. 

Nora’s rekindled bond with her father is endearing and holds a special place in the film. We watch as she wrestles with conflicting emotions, yet still holding echoing words of her father to “look with your heart, not with your eyes.”

💜Special mention:  Ms. Marvel, created by Bisha K. Ali

My husband binge-watched all 6 episodes and told me that I really need to watch this. 

Episode 1 just grabbed me. "Let's go to Episode 2, then leave the rest for the next day," I said. Well, this mini series was so exceptionally good that I got hooked into all of them in a single evening.

The characters are so layered and expressive in their roles. What a wonderful casting overall, especially Kamala - Ms Marvel (Iman Vellani) and her mother, Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff).  I loved their connection so much.  

I could really appreciate the cultural aspects too, the humour that went along with it, and the emotional scenes that just weaved so effortlessly throughout.   

Every episode is filled with such great dialogue and a lot of self-reflective moments that are very relatable at various stages of life. I don't think this is just inspiring for the younger generations, but also the older ones too. 

Of course, there are some great action-packed battles and superhero moments of awe, as well as a head-bopping soundtrack too.  

We are reminded from a beautiful quote by Sheikh Abdullah in the show that "good is not something you are, It is something you do."

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

Getting Into Mischief: A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong Review

Welcome to December!  I just celebrated my 42nd birthday – so thank you so much for all the wonderful wishes.

As the holiday season stumbles upon us, I've been working my way around the globe and feeling pretty cozy right now in the UK. After all, it is the home of delicious Yorkshire Pudding, putting on the kettle for tea at any given time, and gleefully watching countless episodes of Monty Python - as we must always look on the bright side of life.

So if you’re like me, then it won’t be a surprise when I tell you that A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong, created by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, while directed by Richard Boden and Adam Meggido, should definitely be added to your list. 

During this Christmas special, the Mischief Theatre Company are at it again, proving that The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are way in over their heads. They’ve been banned from ever appearing on the BBC again. To our delight, they are not giving in to such rubbish, and decide to hijack a live production of Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol.  

In theatre, thespians rule the stage. While forgetting their lines, stagehands awkwardly appearing in scenes, dodging falling props, it’s clear that there can be only one – only one Scrooge, so someone needs to be incapacitated!  

It was a great opportunity to be able to see this and share my thoughts! The cast was absolutely brilliant and I was in stitches from the performances by the Henry’s (Lewis & Shields), Jonathan Sayer, Derek Jacobi, and more. There is no shortage of puns, physical comedy and just all sorts of shenanigans that will leave audiences wondering who spiked the egg nog. 

No spoilers, but if you don’t watch this, I am telling you, yule be sorry. 

💜Make sure to check out all the other incredible works from Mischief

Worth Every Penny: 2022 Stratford’s The Miser Review

After seeing the incredible production of Chicago at the Festival Theatre, another opportunity led us to fill the gas tank up and head right back to our beloved Stratford this week to be part of an exciting video taping of the hilariously- modernized stage show The Miser, staring Colm Feore and directed by Antoni Cimolino. Not only that but we had front-row tickets, something that was extra special and gave my husband and I the opportunity to get quite a view.

Before sitting, a quick photo before the show started.

Lots of cool props on stage to set the tone!

Molière's 1668 satire comedy is spun quite a bit differently with Ranjit Bolt’s new adaptation of The Miser, which doesn’t take itself too seriously and is riddled with pop culture references and plenty of millennial nods that explore the conflicts of greed, family legacy, love and who could forget, money.

Charlie (Qasim Khan) is head over heels for penniless Marianne (Beck Lloyd), and sister Eleanor (Alexandra Lainfiesta) is smitten by the butler, Victor (Jamie Mac), yet they are both consumed with fret over the notion to tell their wealthy, curmudgeon father, Harper (played by Colm Feore) who will gladly axe them entirely out his inheritance, if they don’t succumb to his demands.

Meanwhile, Harper is up to all sorts of trickery of his own, devising an arranged marriage for his daughter and planning to actually marry Marianne with a little help from matchmaker, Fay (Lucy Peacock).

Paranoid that everyone is out to steal his money, chaos erupts with poignant moments to reflect upon and scenes that leave you in pure full-bellied laughter.


Some highlights:

👉Taking things to another level, my husband told me that my eyes lit up when I first saw Colm Feore walk onto the stage. He shined as Harper, giving such a passionate performance and showing his tremendous skill of physical comedy.

👉Charlie, played by Qasim Khan. What a delight to watch perform. He had a sharp quick-witted tongue and commanding presence on stage that leaves the entire audience laughing whenever he flounced into the room.

👉Ron Kennell as Jack – a wearer of many hats (chef, chauffeur) and is down-right hilarious and cooks up quite a performance.

👉The set and costume design by Julie Fox was outstanding, especially the ridiculous pastel-like purple top hat and bell-bottomed ensemble that Harper (Feore) slipped into, which had discount Rocky Horror attendee meets Abba vibes!

We’re taken on a wild ride here with some surprising twists along the way that I’m not going to spoil for you. Fitted with yet another perfectly-crafted cast that brings loads of humour, talent, and laughter, The Miser is, as my title says, worth every penny!

Have you seen this one yet? If so, leave me a comment or send me a message via my webform! I always love to hear from my readers.

Visit the website to see what's currently playing.

*Tickets are available to see The Miser until Sat. Oct 29th, 2022.

💜https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/

Grab Your Passport: 2022 Movie Reviews

Happy almost Autumn! I'm back with another set of movies! 🍿🎥 This time I ended up going on a little travel excursion with films and so you'll enjoy some reviews from our neighbours across the border in The United States, all the way to Ireland and Australia! 

Directed by Julius Avery and written by Bragi F. Schut, we’re not just entering a good vs evil superhero story in Samaritan, although it may seem like it at first. A young boy named Sam (played by Javon Walton) is convinced that his neighbour Joe, played by action-star Sylvester Stallone, is in fact Samaritan – a forgotten superhero that went missing 25 years ago.

The relationship between Sam and Joe is what really stood out the most. The interactions between them felt genuine, and I loved the curiousity of Sam’s character. I also like the restoring of humanity aspect that does wax and wane a bit but in the end, we know that one act of kindness can have a domino effect in life.

The movie is predictable in some ways, but surprising in others. I never read any of the comics so I am just basing my judgment solely on this film. We can’t forget the action of course, as there were some pretty amazing fight scenes, especially the warehouse battle and also the unexpected twist. The villain, Cyrus, was lame though, so that was a bit of disappointment as I think a stronger one would have really helped the movie along. He was like a watered-down version of Bane from the Dark Knight mixed with a little Keifer Sutherland appearance-wise.  He was rather forgettable.

Despite some of the flaws, the acts of heroism always hold up. The fact that Stallone has not aged as gracefully as others in the Hollywood spotlight and people might criticize that element, I didn’t really mind as his performance was heartfelt and highly entertaining overall. 

I’m not really into sports, although I don’t mind seeing a live game every now, but I do love a good sports movie and this one just blew me away.  When Adam Sandler is not bleeding my ears with his annoying baby voice act (I got through 15 minutes of the film; Going Overboard and had to shut it off) his other abilities are so impressive.

Hustle is directed by Jeremiah Zagar and produced by basketball legend, LeBron James, Adam Sandler, and others.

Sandler plays a Philadelphia 76ers scout named Stanley Sugerman, who lives and breathes basketball. His job sends him travelling all the time, which clearly has an impact on his family life, but he is determined to find his next talent and prove he can rise up to be more than just a coach. While in Spain, Stanley comes across Bo Cruz, played by Juancho Hernangomez who is a phenomenal streetplayer (and is a pro Spanish b-ball player in real life too! ) who doesn’t back down from anyone or anything. Stanley believes he can mold him into the next superstar basketball player with some tough love and mentoring. Bo has what it takes but carries a lot of skeletons in his closet that will test the limits of how far he’ll go with or without Stanley by his side. 

The movie is so impactful on many levels, as we see the struggles of Stanley on and off the court especially his desperation to be somebody. It’s heartbreaking but we’ve all been in his shoes in some way or another, so it’s relatable and his performance hits straight to the heart.  The friendship between him and Bo is so genuine with real tender moments and shows how trust is the foundation to build upon anything else. 

Hustle is one of the best movies of 2022 for me and a total slam dunk!

Swinging Safari is an Australian comedic and dramatic romp of craziness with a 70’s vibe, starring Guy Pearce, Kylie Minogue, Julian McMahon (biggest crush from the series Nip/Tuck) and more. It was written and directed by Stephan Elliott, who is well-known for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

The movie is funny, fast-paced, loud and bordering on obnoxious at times, showing the perspective of life through the lens of the adults and children in Australia during the 1970’s. Throw in a random beached whale that is really the most exciting thing to happen to the town of Wallaroo in a long time, maybe forever.

There are so many characters in this one, it is hard to keep track.  I loved the innocence and sweet relationship of Melly (it’s rare I can find a movie with a “Melissa” in it – so yaay!) played by Darcey Wilson and Jeff (Atticus Rob), as they had to both navigate dealing with their dysfunctional families.  I also appreciated Guy Pearce, who played Keith Hall, who was as eccentric as his fashion choices.

The narration helps to create some sort of cohesion of telling the stories of each of the families, including the sad stories of two pets specifically Doody the Dog and Tommy the Turtle, but a lot of scenes are disjointed and that’s probably intentional, to show what it was like to grow up in suburbia with cruel parental discipline and moral compasses tossed out onto the barbie.

Some scenes were so outrageous that I was thinking of giving up on the movie, but then it pulls you back in and you’re laughing awkwardly while tapping your feet to the great soundtrack with songs like Spirit in the Sky and Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep.  

So grab a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken and have a swingin’ good time!

Directed by Tom Reeve, Hard Times (known prior with the title Holy Water), is a crazy, tushy-grabbing good time Irish comedy that pokes fun of all our insecurities, religion, sex, and it’s “fecking” bizarre. 

Set in the village of Killcoulin's Leap, what could possibly go wrong when you have a group of men who are desperate to make quick money and try and hijack a Viagra truck? Well you get the FBI after you and of course, with fear of now being caught, the only logical thing to do is dump all the pills into your local "Holy" well.  Unfortunately, all goes haywire as everyone from the town takes a sip, and another sip, and another, of the water, which leads to many residents “rising up” to these miraculous feelings thrusted upon them.

The movie is funny but a little long-winded at times. It was actually filmed in Devon, England, and the scenery is gorgeous throughout so that's a plus.  One thing that seems to be apparent is that Irish movies never shy away from nudity so you’ll be seeing a lot of anatomy in this one!

💜Have you seen any of these films?  Drop me a note in the comments, or send me an email using my webform on the side and also let me know what you've been watching!

Crazy Little Things Called Love: Film Reviews

Hello readers! I've compiled another list of films that I've watched recently that I wanted to share. 

Ah yes, Cyrano de Bergerac, a timeless tale that was probably thrusted upon many of my readers, like myself during our high school English class days. Those 5 paragraph essays in full swing and then watching the black and white version from the 50’s on a projection screen for the next few classes. I remember seeing quite a few film adaptations too, the most fond one of Cyrano being played by the comedic genius himself, Steve Martin in the film titled, Roxanne.  

Rolling into 2021, still in the heart of the pandemic, a musical version came out of Cyrano. This time, instead of revolving around a facial feature (his prominent nose), this film directed by Joe Wright, re-imagines the epic character Cyrano dealing with dwarfism, played by the impressive Peter Dinklage, who falls madly in love with Roxanne, played by Haley Bennett. 

Knowing how devastating unrequited love can be, we ache for Cyrano, probably far more than ever before because of Dinklage’s performance. Do we care about his size? No. Do we care about his heart? Oh yes we do! There is a longing for human connection, yet the deep self-loathing of the harsh realities of the world at the same time, which can be extremely relatable.  The costume designs were gorgeous, not to mention many of the picturesque scenes throughout. 

The main highlight of the film is of course the soundtrack. I don’t think there could be enough tears shed after listening to Overcome for the first time, followed by Wherever I Fall.   

You’re invested in the story and the characters, even though there is no swaying away from the ultimate fate of what love can do to us. Unrequited love can be the most torturous.  Roxanne and Cyrano together on-screen though are quite magical as you’re catapulted into their hearts indefinitely as the credits roll.  

The End of Us is a quirky indie-style comedy film by Steven Kanter and Henry Loevner that I think is quite relatable for many going through the pandemic and have questioned their partnerships! Dealing with each other’s “ism’s” might not seem so bad when you’re able to get out into the world, but as the world shuts down, it’s a reminder of a relationship going to hell in a handbasket for the characters, Nick played by Ben Coleman and Leah played by Ali Vingiano. 

Leah is an interesting character. She reminded me a bit of Sarah Silverman with her sarcastic wit. So she’s adulting, has a stressful job, takes care of all the finances and makes sure Nick moisturizes his awfully dry skin. Nick on the other-hand is slacking in all departments, unmotivated and still working on a book that never seems to go anywhere, but reaping all the benefits of the relationship, or is he? 

Making the tough decision to end a long-term relationship is never easy but we can see that the passive-aggressiveness and toxic behaviours are a cry for help.  Leah gets up the courage to tell Nick to leave when the pandemic rears its ugly head and mask-wearing begins, as well as the spiral of job losses, isolation and more.  

We can see how each of these characters deal with change and uncertainties of life. I liked the style and pace of the movie. There is no shortage of emotions as both of them try to navigate how to live with someone who you are not in love with anymore. They still desperately hold onto memories that feel so long gone, along with the gratuitous sex mistakes that shouldn’t have happened, but they do because it feels almost like the norm in movies.

Overall, the movie was enjoyable, it had a lot of introspective moments, humour, quite a bit of vulgarity (warning if that’s not your thing) and without spoiling the ending, you want the best for both Nick and Leah, you really want them to succeed in their dreams, whether they are together or apart.

  

Welcome to Woop Woop is From the makers of Priscilla Queen of the Desert...” so how could I NOT want to see what this movie had to offer? Priscilla is one of my favourite movies of all time for its beauty, elaborate costumes, humour, bravery and homage to Abba, of course.

Directed by Stephan Elliott, this Australian tale is pretty basic really and then starts going off the rails. Teddy played by Johnathon Schaech, is a New York bird smuggler and after a deal goes wrong, he takes off to Australia to replace a bunch of birds that escaped. Along the way, he ends up rendezvousing with a free-spirited woman named Angie, played by Susie Porter. 

After being knocked out by Angie, Teddy finds himself married,  and stranded as a prisoner in Woop Woop, a forgotten place where they dine on canned pineapple, boat loads of tobacco and dog food (made from road-killed kangaroos). The only entertainment available to the residents is old Rodgers & Hammerstein films and soundtracks. Of course, you can't get married without meeting the whole Aussie family, including the alpha-male dictator father Daddy-O, played by Rod Taylor. 

Make sure to watch out for one character, the oddball Blind Wally, played by Barry Humphries, who you might also recall as the colourful and spunky Dame Edna!

I will say that this movie will definitely leave a lasting impression, what kind of impression is very subjective. You’ll be randomly quoting specific movie lines spontaneously though (ones that are just a bit too vulgar to mention here) and maybe even re-thinking life choices. 

Despite the craziness, offensiveness that some may feel watching this one, grotesque animal scenes (NO animals were actually hurt according to the disclaimer put out!) there is a beauty towards the end that you don’t see coming. It throws you for a loop and is a bit overwhelmed with emotion, but it works. You’ll Never Walk Alone serenades us in a tearful scene, followed by the oddly amazing Junior Vasquez remix of Climb Every Mountain, from none other, The Sound of Music. 

Although deemed as one of the worst Australian films, it’s raging on as a cult classic and rightfully so. 

 

This is actually a two-part review, as these films intertwine with each other. 

Before you watch BlackFish, watch Free Willy, or re-watch it if you remember the film from the 90’s. The whale, Keiko was used in the movie and became the poster-whale for a desperate plea to end orcas in captivity.  

Although meant to be a light family movie with a feel-good vibe of reckless boy meets whale, whale saves kid (or kid saves whale too?) and ultimately defeats the evil amusement park owners,  a darker and sinister story actually is underneath. The connection is beautiful in the movie in the innocence of a child, but still a far cry from what reality looks like for many of these intelligent creatures.  

A huge highlight comes from its soundtrack. After seeing this movie in the theatre back in the 90’s, I rushed out to get the cassette tape and played “Will You Be There?" by Michael Jackson continuously.  I felt a spiritual connection to the song without religious context. 

20+ years later, after hearing it again, the song resonates with me completely different due to seeing the next film I will talk about entitled BlackFish.

Causing a lot of waves, the documentary BlackFish came out in 2013.  A very compelling documentary about marine mammal captivity, highlighting Tilikum, an orca that was held by SeaWorld and the devastating consequences that unfolded.

There is a lot of controversy in this film but there is no doubt that the motivating factor was the all-mighty dollar, not the well-being of the orcas at all. The trainers I felt had really good intentions yet were greatly misled in many ways by being employed at SeaWorld. 

Filled with so many ethical dilemmas to ponder, it was still quite heart-breaking to see what kind of treatment orcas did receive and how their psychological health, not to mention physical health, greatly deteriorated.

SeaWorld has claimed to have changed their focus and use the orcas for "educational" purposes instead of entertainment and no longer have a breeding program. They have a new show called the Orca Encounter, which is currently $100/ticket.  Still, you surely won't be seeing me there anytime soon. 

It all feels like smoke and mirrors to the real issues surrounding orcas that are still to this day not being addressed properly.  It is understood that sometimes sending them back into the wild is not always an option, which makes things even more complicated, but they deserve a better life than being spectacles at money-hungry theme parks. These beautiful creatures were never meant to be caged, only to be free.

💜Have you seen any of these films?  What were your thoughts? Drop me a note in the comments, or send me an email using my webform on the side and also let me know what you've been watching!

Comedy For A Cause: Last One Laughing - Canada

Photo credit: IMDB

Last One Laughing Canada is a six-part comedy romp that you can stream so far on Amazon Prime Video that brings some of the funniest Canadian comedians together for a cause. The rules are pretty simple; try not to laugh, but make your fellow comics laugh in order so they will be ousted from the competition.  As the title goes, The “Last One Laughing” after six hours wins $100,000 for their selected charity. So pretty much it’s a win-win for everyone, no matter who remains.

Host, Jay Baruchel is huddled away in a control room, getting his voyeuristic fill of watching everything go down and anxiously awaiting a simple snort or full out giggle so he can hit that buzzer and dash into the room to present either a yellow card for a smile/laughing infraction, or the dreaded red card – which is immediate elimination. If he misses something while picking his nose, there are over 30 cameras watching too, so no worries there. 

The host and 10 competitors. 

💜Jay Baruchel – I remember him from Million Dollar Baby, which was an incredible dramatic film that you need to see. Also, he was the voice of Hiccup in How to Train Your Dragon.  He’s uber quirky and uses the word f*ck a lot.

💜Caroline Rhea – Best known as Aunt Hilda Spellman, from the iconic Sabrina the Teenage Witch. A lot of her comedy comes from real life experiences, which always makes things funnier. I just love her self-deprecating humour – she makes it seem effortless. 

💜Dave Foley – Admits he has to pee a lot (who doesn't right?) and of course he is from one of the best Canadian sketch comedy shows -The Kids in the Hall.  Ridiculously funny with that sprinkle of sarcasm and sharp wit. Plus he does make some snazzy fashion choices.

💜Colin Mochrie – This man can make me laugh just looking at him! His improv skills are top-notch and I love his quick-witted humour. Watch reruns of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, you’ll be happy you did.

💜Tom Green – Shock comedy at its weirdest! Oh Tom, you're quite something. If you remember the movie; Freddy Got Fingered that you snuck into the theatre to see and was voted one of the worst movies ever (even more reason to see it!) as well as The Tom Green Show, this guy will do just about anything. His stoic face and commitment to whatever concoction of insanity he’s brewing for a laugh this time around, makes you burst into tears on the show.

💜Andrew Phung – Big and bold personality, quite funny and has a style of his own. He’s a multi-award winner for his performance on the Canadian series; Kim’s Convenience and I have watched a few episodes of his latest family show called Run the Burbs.

💜K. Trevor Wilson -  A burly, rugged smart-aleck comic, straight out of the hit show, Letterkenny. I absolutely love his dead-pan humour. 

💜Jon Lajoie – I had to look him up on Youtube, as so many of his videos have gone viral and I can see why.  This guy is ridiculously funny and talented.  He feels like the neighbour you’d want to have, yet put up a privacy fence for too. 

💜Debra DiGiovanni –Oh the sass with this one! Saw her perform at the Chrysler Theatre here in Windsor, Ontario many years ago and her stardom is well-earned.  Bold and unapologetic, no wonder she’s a multi-award comedy champ. 

💜Mae Martin - Part of the LGBT2Q+ community, and another comic I had never heard much about before. Well-known for the Netflix comedy series; Feel Good.  I love the super awkwardness and self-deprecating style Mae brings to the table, or rather the room in Last One Laughing. 

💜Brandon Ash-Mohammed – What a firecracker on stage!  In all honesty, I never really heard of him up until now, but I’m convinced if I see him in real-life, he’ll be in a monster truck with eyelashes.  Oh and check out The Ethnic Rainbow - created by Brandon, it's Canada's first and only stand-up comedy show to showcase solely LGBT2Q+ comedians of colour.

Final thoughts: 

From the very first episode, there are zero f*cks to give, as anything is fair play for joke material. It’s raunchy, it’s a little risqué and might be a bit shocking too at times. Everyone seems to be having a good time though.  It’s going to delight and equally offend, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles, so that’s your warning. It's geared for mature audiences, so don't let you Paw Patrol kiddo sit in.  If anything, it’s a spontaneous smorgasbord of comedy relief that I think many of us can use right now. 

I have my bets set on who I think is going to be in the top 3, but let me say clearly that if you enjoy delicious cheese sandwiches, yes, delicious cheese sandwiches, you’re going to love this show.

💜Drop me a note and let me know if you're tuning in and who you think is going to be the Last One Laughing!

Fangs For the Memories: Halloween Favourites!

From the vampiric Nosferatu and the blood-lusting Lost Boys from Santa Carla, to the pun-filled Young Frankenstein and gender-bending cult classic like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Halloween is always full of surprises.  

Back in the day, I remember my first costume going trick or treating was this enormous inflatable plastic neon blue witchy get-up.  I could barely get out the door, let alone up and down the stairs to get candy. However, it was still fun and I came home with enough candy to make any dentist cringe! 

Although I tread carefully with watching films on the paranormal side (Poltergeist gives me shivers and I didn’t sleep for a month after watching The Exorcism of Emily Rose), I have so many other favourites to enjoy. I’m definitely more into campy, cheesy and of course the classics. I don’t mind  many of the Nightmare on Elm Street  series (my orthodontic surgeon looked identical to Robert Englund - true story!) Halloween - Michael Myers series and some creepier films but it just depends on my state of mind. 

I wanted to mention some movies that many have probably seen and then a few others you may want to add to your Halloween watch-list.  I also included my 2 favourite tv series and to keep things on the strange side, I tossed in a made-for-tv adventure from the "Wonderful World of Disney!" that even got its second life!

💜 My Halloween Favs 💜

Corpse Bride – Although everyone raves over Tim Burton’s, Nightmare Before Christmas, which is a great film, I found myself really tuned into the gothic stop-motion animated and romantic tale of Corpse Bride. I loved the characters, the story, and of course the entire soundtrack from Danny Elfman.

Witches of Eastwick –  Power, love/lust and loneliness have a reoccurring theme here. Great cast, especially with the one and only Jack Nicholson wooing the ladies.  Definitely a dark one, but plenty of comedic fun.

Shaun of the Dead – Another gem, also a bit of a rom-zom (yes I said rom-zom) with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. It’s a zombie apocalypse that’s never been funnier. 

Clue - All the characters bring their own charm to this unforgettable dinner party. It’s a murder mystery of “who-done-it” with some of the best deadpan humour.

Silver Bullet - 80’s horror cheese? This one has it. Corey Haim is an endearing character though, and sure the werewolf was coined as looking more like Smokey Bear with a hangover, but it’s still great. 

My Mom’s a Werewolf  - Another comedy/horror that I watched so many times back in the day that my VHS tape broke. John Saxton is the most handsome yet creepiest in this film. 

Haunted Honeymoon  -  Gene Wilder’s best playing the neurotic, wee hypochondriac groom-to-be who starts suffering from panic attacks after proposing. Shock therapy is on the menu for the cure, but comes at a price. If you thought your family was a bit weird, this eccentric bunch will have you thinking otherwise. 

The Monster Squad –  When some of your favourite classic Universal monsters come together on screen in the 1980’s and try to invade your town to get the elusive amulet to rule the world, you’ll get your buddies together and fight tooth and nail so that doesn’t happen. “Wolfman’s got nards!”

TV

Mr Boogedy/Bride of Boogedy – These were made-for-television short films.  The weirdness factor coming from Disney is pretty much off the charts, but it has a cool nostalgia factor.

Hilarious House of Frightenstein – An incredibly creative, funny, and a little morbid Canadian television series. Billy Van played nine characters and Vincent Price’s eerie narration was the joy of waking up on Saturday mornings to sit in front of the tv.  The Oracle tells me that you must watch this

The Little Vampire – A very special 13 part Canadian-German children's television series that melted my heart about a young boy named Anton, who befriends a family of vampires. Yes you can see the strings of them flying, but they can see in the dark. :)

Clearly there are so many more amazing Halloween films so I will have another fun list up for next year! What are some of your favourites? Leave me a comment and let me know!

17 Again Movie Review: I Think Our Hands Just Made A Baby

Movie Review

In the movie, 17 Again, with all of Mike O’Donnell’s (Matthew Perry) regrets, he travels back to the days of high school, as a 17 year old boy (played by Zac Efron) and is given the chance to relive and possibly redo, the one pivotal moment in his life that changed everything.

I really enjoyed watching this movie. It reminded me in a lot of ways of the other time-reversal movies such as the classic Big and 13 Going on 30. Zac Efron was surprisingly well-fitted for the role and I really liked Thomas Lennon who played his best friend/geeky “man-child” father. 

There was a good blend of comedic and heartfelt moments and it had unpredictable scenes which is always refreshing to see in any film. 

Worth mentioning would be the music soundtrack, as it had Kool and the Gang, Young MC and more!

Everyone wishes that in some ways they could turn back the hands of time and do things differently in life…oh to be 17 again!

Young People F***ing Movie Review: Talk Dirty To Me

Movie Review

In the movies, intimate scenes from the seduction all the way to the blissful orgasm are often made to seem effortless. In the film, Young People F***ing, five stories are told about young adults who are all faced with various complications that inhibit, no matter which way you want to phrase it, one simple goal: to f**k.

I’m not sure which story line I liked best, as they were all pretty amusing. The first date story was typical with the male playing the role of a womanizer. The harsh realization that the so-called player was not immune to being played (gotta love a taste of your own medicine) was great! 

The threesome tale was hilarious since it seemed that the act of eating actual food was more of an aphrodisiac then seeing his girlfriend with another man. 

I liked the how some of the relationships were filmed showing the awkwardness and clumsiness in scenes especially the friends with benefits as well between the long-term couple who wanted to spice up their bedroom activities but had no idea where to start. 

I also enjoyed seeing both sides of the coin with the ex’s story where it’s not always the woman who is unable to move on, but the man realizing his feelings run deeper than just a booty call. 

This was a good movie, and I’m pleased to see Canadian film makers are stepping up and not shying away from being a little risqué like our neighbours in the USA or even some ground-breaking world films that are also not afraid to push the limits. 

I will comment that they went a little overboard with the vulgarity but overall had a charismatic cast and this was definitely something different to watch. 

Although you can try harder to find some deeper philosophical meaning to what this film was really all about, the title couldn’t have been clearer.

Run Fat Boy Run Movie Review: I Thought Spoiling Your Day Was Better Than Ruining Your Life

Movie Review

In the movie, Run Fat Boy Run, directed by David Schwimmer (yep you’re not mistaken, Ross from Friends!) Dennis played by Simon Pegg, could be the equivalent of a runaway-bride, but in a quirky British way. Working as a security guard seems uneventful as is his overall life, which is full of laziness and fear. Flashbacks of leaving his pregnant fiancée at the alter 5 years ago starts to replay in his mind and so in order to even try and win her back, Dennis must ditch the cigarettes, endure painful spatula whippings from his neighbour and prove that he can finish what he started with her by running the London marathon. There's only one minor setback, he's competing with her new seemingly perfect boyfriend who won't stand for defeat. 

Aside from the wit of Simon Pegg, the supporting roles brought more to the story, especially his neighbour (played by Harish Patel). The fight scene, if you can even call it that, between Whit (Hank Azaria) and Dennis (Simon Pegg) was hilarious too! The story is predictable but it's still full of sweet, funny and empowering scenes, plus there is a heartwarming and rather mature bond between father and son, in a similar way with two characters Sam and Daniel, from the movie Love Actually.

Don’t run away from this movie until you at least give it a chance.

It's Complicated Movie Review: I’ve Never Really Known How To Live Without You

Movie review:

In the movie, It’s Complicated, after 10 years of being divorced, Jane and Jake played by Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin find themselves in each other’s arms after reuniting for their son’s graduation. Jane is a workaholic and is unsure about going back into the dating scene, while Jake has taken the plunge again, this time marrying a younger woman. As Jane battles being the other woman in this discrete yet exciting affair, she is suddenly courted by a new love interest played by Steve Martin who is recently divorced and wants to start anew. Going on dates yet still sleeping with your jealous ex-husband who wants you back, doesn’t seem so easy anymore and so Jane and Jake need to decide what kind of benefits they are really looking for so things won’t remain complicated.

I loved every second of this movie! Everyone can relate to this film in some way as relationships at any age or of any kind are not always simple. Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin were fantastic together. The dialogue between them was really entertaining. Add in the painfully shy but zany character played by Steve Martin, and this was a sure hit. John Krasinski from the popular show The Office had a small but great role worth mentioning too. There were tons of hilarious scenes especially one involving a webcam and some tender moments as well that had a lot of meaning. 

It was anything but complicated to go out and purchase this movie, which I know that I will watch repeatedly and hopefully you’ll feel the same.