Thursday Movie Picks: Halloween Edition: Rituals

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

As much as I love Halloween-themed Thursday Movie Picks, I was not able to join the past two weeks because I simply couldn’t come up with anything. Or if I could I was too lazy to actually put in the effort to write. I’m not sure. Anyways, I’m back on track with this week’s theme because I simply could not miss horror movies featuring rituals. Without further ado, I leave you with my picks.

Midsommar (2019) - Review

After a tragedy strikes her, Dani (Florence Pugh) travels to Sweden with her boyfriend, Christian (Jack Reynor), and his buddies to attend a summer festival. Once there, they soon begin to realize that nothing is what it seems. If you haven’t seen it I urge you to do it because Aster’s second feature is a terrific film. It's creepy and terrifying but also funny and entertaining throughout and Florence's performance is beyond mesmerizing. 

Suspiria (2018) - Review

A young American ballerina, Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson), travels to Berlin to attend one of the most renowned dance schools in the worlds which is, as it turns out, run by a cover of witches. I'm probably in the minority here but I like Guadagnino's reboot way more than Argento's original. It's got such a compelling story, the performances, especially Swinton's, are great, and the direction is top-notch. 

The Wicker Man (1973) - Review

Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) is sent to the fictional Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl whom the townsfolk claim never existed. While it has aged terribly and I'm still not sure how I feel about it being a horror musical, it's a very creepy and suspenseful film. Definitely better than Nic Cage's version. Although Cage has an undeniable charm.

PS: I just realised all my picks are set in Europe. Coincidence? I don't think so. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Halloween Edition: Period Drama Horror

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

It's finally October which only means one thing in the Thursday Movie Picks series, it's time for the Halloween edition. Starting off this year are period drama horrors, a genre I'm not particularly fond of — mainly because I'm not a fan of period movies. Despite this, I still was able to find three films that not only fit the theme but that I didn't mind watching.

Apostle (2018) - Review

1905. Former missionary Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) travels to a remote Welsh island to rescue his sister, Jennifer (Elen Rhys), who has been kidnapped by a mysterious cult demanding a ransom for her return. In order to find her, he pretends to be a follower of the cult leader, Prophet Malcolm Howe (Michael Sheen). I’m not into period movies and yet I really enjoyed this Netflix original. You should check it out if you haven’t seen it yet. 

Crimson Peak (2015) - Review

Buffalo, New York, 1880s. Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), a young woman who strives to be more than just of marriageable age, falls in love with a mysterious English entrepreneur, Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). They eventually get married and as Thomas's sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain), moves in, Edith soon comes to realise that not everything is as it appears as ghosts of the past start haunting her. Although as a whole del Toro's film is a bit disappointing as the story is quite predictable, it's visually outstanding and the acting is superb. 

Interview with the Vampire (1994) - Review 

Spanish Louisiana, 1791. After the death of his wife, Louis (Brad Pitt) accepts Lestat's (Tom Cruise) offer to turn him into a vampire. His life changes completely only when he meets a little girl, Claudia (Kirsten Dunst). It's a great vampire film with an intriguing, compelling story that addresses serious philosophical questions.

Thursday Movie Picks: Break-Ups

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You know what's harder than getting over a break-up? Getting over a break-up between two characters you love and want to see together. Needless to say, these are the movies I'm focusing on for this week's Thursday Movie Picks, films whose break-ups break my heart every time.

Casablanca (1942)

Rick Blaine (Humprey Bogart), a cynical American who runs a nightclub in Casablanca, Morocco during the early stages of War War II, finds himself in a dilemma when his former lover, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), shows up at his club with her husband, Czechoslovak underground leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), asking him for help to get them out of the country. | Although we meet them after the break-up, I cannot help but hopelessly hope Rick and Ilsa end up together. 

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Minds (2004)

Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) fall in love in a very short time. but after two years they breakup. Upon learning that Clementine had all her memories of their relationship erased, Joel is devastated and decides to undergo the procedure himself. | Joel and Clementine do end up together eventually but the process of them getting back together, especially seeing Joel like that, is beyond heart-wrenching. 

La La Land (2016)

Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a dedicated jazz musician, meet while pursuing their dreams in Los Angeles, the city known for destroying hopes. | Mia and Sebastian need to be together and yet they don't end up together. That last glance between the two makes me cry all the time, and every time I hope that last part is just a terrible dream one of them had. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Non-English Language Movies

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I've been internet-less since September 2 — not one but two lightings struck my phone wire, the phone company guy showed up only yesterday to fix it and turns out it fried the modem too — which translated in no Netflix. Which forced me to watch stuff I own. Which ended up with me rewatching Linklater's brilliant Before trilogy. And since yesterday I saw Before Sunset not long before working on this, and it's set in Paris, for this week's Thursday Movie Picks I went double theme within a theme with three films in French set in Paris. 

Amélie (2001)

Amélie (Audrey Tautou) is a shy waitress in a Montmartre café. After returning a long-lost childhood treasure to a former occupant of her apartment, and seeing the effect it has on him, she decides to set out on a mission to make others happy and in the meantime pursues a quirky guy (Mathieu Kassovitz) who collects discarded photo booth pictures. | It's a charming, colourful and funny film, well-written and wonderfully performed. 

Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962)

Cléo (Corinne Marchand) is a hypochondriac French signer who is afraid of getting the result of a test from her doctor. She thinks she has cancer and that she will die. While waiting for the result, she visits a fortuneteller (Loye Payen) who too says she is dying. This completely affects the way she approaches the day, from her encounters with friends to what she observes in strangers. | It's a terrific character study with superb acting and direction. Please watch it if you haven't already.

Venus in Fur (2013)

A playwright, Thomas Novachek (Mathieu Amalric), is about to leave the theatre after a long day of auditioning for the female lead of his new play which he adapted from the 1870 novel, Venus in Fur by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, when an actress, Wanda Jourdain (Emmanuelle Seigner), arrives soaking wet from the rainstorm outside. She doesn't look like an actress and her name isn't even on the audition list, but eventually, with much persuasion, Novachek agrees to read the part of the play with her, and he's immediately stunned by her. | It's a wonderful film about art, with a story that is both strange and fascinating because of the characters' interactions. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Hostages

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When it comes to the hostage genre, I'm the first whose mind goes to action flicks because, let's be honest, nothing says "hostage movie" like an action movie. But there's so much more to the genre and that's the way I decided to go with two of my picks.

Argo (2012)

Iran, 1979. The American embassy was invaded by Iranian revolutionaries and several Americans were taken hostage. Six managed to escape and, in order to get them out of the country, CIA agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) acts under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a sci-fi film. I've seen this only once, shortly after it won the Best Picture Oscar, and I really enjoyed it as it was very gripping and tense. Especially to my ignorant old self who didn't know history.

John Q (2002)

John Quincy Archibald (Denzel Washington) takes a hospital emergency room hostage when his insurance won't cover his son's heart transplant. Watched ages ago when my obsession with Denzel began, this film kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire time. I'm pretty sure I even cried at some point. And Denzel's performance was fantastic. 

Speed (1994)

A retired bomb squad member, Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper), arms a bus with a bomb that will explode if it drops below 50 miles per hour. It's up to a young police officer (Keanu Reeves), with the help of one of the passengers (Sandra Bullock), to save the people on the bus. I watched this for Sandra Bullock and I ended up falling in love, all over again, with Keanu Reeves. As for the movie, it's such a thrilling action flick. 

What genre do you usually associate with hostage movies? And which movies would you pick?

Thursday Movie Picks: Actors in Multiple Roles

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What's better than a great performance from an actor? Two great performances from the same actor. In the same movie. Which is exactly this week's theme. Okay, maybe we are not asked to pick great performances but that would be too easy, right? I mean, one could pick Adam Sandler for Jack and Jill and, I don't know, it just feels wrong. So, without further ado, here's my highlighting multiple performances from an actor in a film.

Adaptation. (2002)

Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage) is hired to write an adaptation of a book called The Orchid Thief. But he suffers from writer's block so he comes up with the idea of writing a script about his inability to write the script. Nicolas Cage plays both Charlie and Donald Kaufman — yes, I know Donald Kaufamn is not a real person — and, honestly, he blew my mind as I was not expecting not one but two great performances from Cage. Also, this is a hell of a movie so if you haven't seen it already, please do. 

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

A US Air Force general (Sterling Hayden) loses his shit and sends his bomber wing to destroy the USSR and it's up to a room full of politicians to stop the upcoming nuclear war. Peter Sellers plays Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, President Merkin Muffley and Dr. Strangelove, and he's freaking amazing in all of them. As for the film, it is a tremendous satire of man's fears and delusions and makes fun of politicians and the whole military structure. My favourite Kubrick.

Suspiria (2018)

A young Amerian ballerina (Dakota Johnson) travels to Belin to attend a famous company which happens to be run by a coven of witches. She soon becomes the lead in the company's most important ballet, and in the meantime, a psychiatrist (Tilda Swinton) starts investigating the disappearance of a former student (Chloë Grace Moretz) at the company. Swinton plays both the psychiatrist, a man psychiatrist, and madame Blanc, one of the teachers and she is terrific. The film itself is really good too as Guadagnino managed to deliver such a nightmarish atmosphere.  

Thursday Movie Picks: Witness

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How is it Thursday already? Time really flies when you work all the time which applies to me so much since this is the first day off I have since last Tuesday. I mean, last week's Tuesday. Of course, all work and no play left me very little time to work on my Thursday Movie Picks post — I know, again — so I leave you with my picks involving witnesses. 

Rear Window (1954)

While confined in his New York apartment after breaking his leg, a professional photographer (James Stewart) spends all of his time spying on his neighbours and soon becomes convinced one of them has killed his wife. Hitchcock's film is a magnificent blend of mystery, suspense, comedy and romance. If you haven't seen it I don't even know what you're living for. 

Sister Act (1992)

A lounge signer (Woopy Goldberg) witnesses a mob crime and in order to protect her, the police hide her as a nun in a convent. She ain't a nun though so she has trouble fitting in. I haven't seen this one in such a long time but I remember it was very funny. Avoid the sequel though. 

Woman on the Run (1950)

A man (Ross Elliott) witnesses a murder but when he learns the victim was about to testify against a gangster, he flees from the police. His wife (Ann Sheridan), convinced that he's just running away from their marriage, teams up with a reporter (Dennis O'Keefe) to find him. Although the title makes very little sense, the film is still an interesting take on the manhunt genre. It's not the best noir out there but it's quite suspenseful. 

Thursday Movie Picks: The Mrs Robinsons

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Between my brother’s birthday — which is today —, problems with my car and a fight with a coworker, I completely forgot to work on my Thursday Movie Picks for this week. So without any introduction whatsoever — and probably very little written below —, I leave you with my picks featuring a relationship between an old woman and a young man, aka the Mrs. Robinsons, a theme suggested by Getter over Mettel Ray. 

Don Jon (2013)

Jon Martello Jr. (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a modern-day Don Juan who, despite having a very active sex life and a very hot girlfriend (Scarlett Johansson), is more sexually satisfied by masturbating while watching pornography.

The Mrs. Robinson: Julianne Moore's Esther, the considerably older widow who forms an emotional and sexual connection with Jon. 

Malèna (2000)

A 12-year-old Sicilian kid, Renato (Giuseppe Sulfaro), falls in love with the town's most beautiful and sensual woman, Malèna (Monica Bellucci). 

The Mrs. Robinson: Monica Bellucci's Malèna. Renato isn't actually in a relationship with her but he fantasizes about being with her a lot. So I guess it qualifies. 

Rushmore (1998)

Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is a precocious 15-year-old who is doing terribly in all of his clases as he doens't bother to study and spends all of his time enjoying extracurricular activities. His life takes an unexpected turn when he befriends a depressed industrialist (Bill Murray) and falls for a teacher (Olivia Williams).

The Mrs. Robinson: Olivia William's Mr. Cross. 

Thursday Movie Picks: The Great Outdoors

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Although I love nature, I wouldn't exactly say I'man outdoorsy person as I've never been to camping and the only thought of sleeping outdoors where wild animals and all kind of insects and spiders live makes me shiver. Some people love the outdoors though, and some love making films about it, so we could have an outdoor themed Thursday Movie Picks. Just kidding. Seriously though, here are my picks for the week

127 Hours (2010)

Without telling anyone, Aaron (James Franco) travels to Blue John Canyon to spend the weekend doing his favourite thing to do: climb canyons. Unfortunately while descending a canyon he falls down, and his hand is wedged between the boulder and the canyon wall. Based on a true story, this is one of the most intense films I've seen. It is an emotional, terrifying and unforgettable experience, and, while facing death, Danny Boyle, with the help of James Franco who gives an Oscar-worthy performance, makes a statement about living. 

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

A rebellious kid (Julian Dennison) and his foster uncle (Sam Neill) go missing in the wild New Zealand bush, and, as everyone is worried for the boy, a national manhunt is ordered. This is the first of Taika Waititi's films I've seen and I loved it. It is so charming and funny, it explores several important issues, and the characters are brilliantly written. And of course, New Zealand's scenery is breathtaking, but that comes without saying. 

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

On an island off the coast of New England in the 1960s, a young boy (Jared Gilman) and girl (Kara Hayward) fall in love and run away together in the wild, and most of the town's people mobilize to search for them. A charming, quirky, sweet and funny film which easily is my favourite of Wes Anderson's. The story is so sweet, the characters are so colourful and, of course, the film is visually stunning. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Television Edition: Crimes

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

Whether they happened in real life or it's just fiction, crimes always make for a very compelling subject; when properly executed, of course. Today, for the last Thursday Movie Picks of July 2019, we are asked to pick 3 to 5 crime TV series. Without wasting any more of your time, here are my picks — I went with a season as opposed to the entire series as these are shows I significantly enjoyed one season over the other(s). 

American Crime Story — Season 1 aka The People v. O. J. Simpson (2016)

It explores the O.J. Simpson (Cuba Gooding Jr.) murder case, specifically following the legal teams battling to convict or acquit the football legend. It's absolutely brilliant, very compelling and the performances are great all around. 

Fargo — Season 1 (2014)

A hitman, Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton), ends up influencing a Minnesota insurance salesman, Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman). This meeting sets forth a series of murders and Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman) attempts to solve the crimes. Simply outstanding. It has a great plot, great cast, humour, and Thornton's character is unforgettable. 

True Detective — Season 1 (2014)

Two Louisiana State Police Detectives, Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Martin Hart (Woody Harrelson), are forced to revisit a homicide case they worked almost 20 years before. Despite not liking McConaughey and season 2 starring on of my favourite actors, Colin Farrell, this is the one I love the most. It is dark and tense, the plot is very interesting and the performances are great. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Blockbuster Flops

My brother lives for blockbusters. Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but these huge movies are pretty much all he watches. And don't you dare to tell him a film suck if it made tons of money at the box office because, in his logic, if a movie makes money then it's great; if it doesn't make money, then it's not. Now and then, however, there's that one film he hates and, coincidence or not, that film usually bombed. These are the movies I'm focusing on after my hiatus for this week's Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. 

Fantastic Four (2015)

Four young outcasts, Reed Richards (Miles Teller), Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan), Sue Storm (Kate Mara), and Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell), teleport to an alternate universe which gives them powers. When they come back to Earth, their friend, Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell), is jealous, becomes their enemy and they must fight him. As if the first film wasn't bad enough, they decided to make another one. And it was terrible. Both in terms of film quality and money. There's Michael B. Jordan, I'll give the film that. 

Jupiter Ascending (2015)

A young woman discovers her destiny as an heiress of intergalactic nobility and must fight to protect the inhabitants of Earth from an ancient and destructive industry. The plot is courtesy of IMDb because the film was so bad my brother suggested I'd stay the hell away from it and so did I. It's not like I had read any positive review anyway. 

Pixels (2015)

When aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth in the form of the video games. Again, thank you IMDb for providing the plot because this one too I managed to avoid. Once again, I have to thank my brother for it. He went to the movies to see this. I don't know what he was expecting, honestly. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Television Edition: Gangsters

Gangsters make for a fascinating topic, you can’t deny it. Reason why I love watching movies about them. It’s not the same when it comes to TV series though as I add these shows on my watchlist but, most of the time, never start them. So, yeah, this week of Wandering Through the Shelves’s Thursday Movie Picks was a tough one for me.

That said, I did manage to find three and here they are:

Breaking Bad (2008-2013)

After learning he has cancer, Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a high school chemistry teacher, teams up with Jesse (Aaron Paul), a former student of his turned criminal, and start making meth so that he has money to leave to his family once he’s gone. Walter is not your typical gangster but he sure is a great one. If you haven’t seen this show, please do yourself a favour and watch it. 

Narcos (2015-2017)

It tells the story of the growth and spread of the drug cartel, specifically focusing on drug lord and family man Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) and the DEA agents trying to stop him. This is a very informative and entertaining show. And the men, man...

Peaky Blinders (2013- )

It follows Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and his gangster family challenged by the arrival of a ruthless copper (Sam Neill) who wants to clean up the city. I decided to watch it because of Cillian Murphy, but I fall in love with it. The script is fantastic and so is the setting. The performance from Murphy and Sam Neill are phenomenal, but my favourite part is the music, one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard in a TV series. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Period Dramas

I don't know about you but period drama makes me think of drama related to something bloody... anyway, that's the theme for this week's Thursday Movie Picks, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves, the movie genre, I mean, not the other thing. And since I'm not the biggest fan of the genre, I decided to go with three films starring actors I love. 

The Favourite (2018) - Review

It's 18th Century England and while Queen Anne (Olivia Coleman) occupies the throne, it's her close friend, Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz), who rules the country. Things are about to change when Sarah's cousin, Abigail (Emma Stone), enters the pictures. This is not a terrible film but it's definitely was a major disappointment from Yorgos Lanthimos. Also, Coleman didn't deserve that Oscar. Fight me. 

Jane Eyre (2011) - Review

Orphan Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) starts working as a governess for a wealthy, cold and mysterious man, Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender). She soon softens him, they grow close in friendship and she falls for him. But he hides a terrible secret. It's a good-ish adaptation of Brontë's novel. The cinematography and acting are great though. 

Mary Queen of Scots (2018) - Review

Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan) returns to Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne and she ends up on a collision course with her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie), the ruler of both England and Scotland. It was beyond tedious, the characters were bland and uninteresting to say the least, and there are historical inaccuracies everywhere. At least both Ronan and Robbie did a good job in their roles.