THE TWELVE CLIPS OF CHRISTMAS - DAY 6: A STRANGER THINGS CHRISTMAS

Of course I watch Stranger Things. Was there ever any doubt? I am, after all, the poster boy for the show's demographic. And, yes, I still watch A Charlie Brown Christmas every year. It remains a thing of singular beauty in an increasingly ugly world. So, when I saw there was a mix-up of the two, well, all I could say is... sign me up!

I have to admit, Thirteen has a point. Eggos are pretty much the answer to a lot of problems. Sure, there are the rare instances when the golden goodness of a waffle just isn't enough, and when those moments arise, it is good to have someone around who really loves you to help you get through it all. Still, waffles are pretty darn good.

You know, like almost everything else in the modern world, the Catholic Church had a hand in the creation of waffles. The ancient Greeks are the ones who first started roasting thin cakes between two heated pans, but it wasn't until the Church got involved that their popularity really took off. Called oublies, medieval waffles were basically over-sized communion wafers (unconsecrated, of course). Made from the same ingredients as hosts, these grilled goodies were often decorated with religious imagery and served after meals as a form of symbolic blessing.

Eventually, the Church gave permission for people to make their own oublies, and that's when butter, cream, and spices began being introduced into the recipe. Non-Church oublies, or wafels as they came to be known, also didn't need to be unleavened, so they began to get a bit thicker. And then the Dutch got involved in the 15th Century, started using square pans, and voilà... Eggos. Okay, so it actually took a little bit more time to reach Thirteen's favorite frozen food, but the basics were there.

So, the next time you're overcome by greed and gluttony and feel the compulsion to shout "Leggo my Eggo!", maybe you should consider the waffle's holy origin and decide to share instead. That's what a friend would do.

Snowpiercer (2013)

I remember watching Snowpiercer when it came out because of Chris Evans and honestly, I was expecting a pretty bad and stupid-ish film. Instead, I found myself watching a very smart, thrilling and entertaining film. I've watched it again, years later, and my opinion hasn't changed a bit.

Bong Joon-ho's film (the director of Netflix's Okja) is set in a future where a climate-change experiment brought another Ice Age. The only survivors live on a train hurtling around the globe. But not everyone is equal on that train. There are indeed first class and low-class citizens and Curtis (Chris Evans), the leader of low-class citizens, is determined to get to the front of the train and spread the wealth around.

The story, based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, is rather simple and illogical -- there's no explanation whatsoever for the majority of the events and there's some pretty ugly shit going on (Curtis is disgusted when he finds out that the protein bars they've been fed with are made out of insects but it was totally okay for him to eat humans) -- and it has (too) many plot holes and still, it has a nice twist and it's interesting and engaging throughout.

I didn't care much for the plot anyway to be honest because what's important here, like in any respectable dystopian work, whether it's a novel or a movie, is the social commentary made, and Snowpiercer is great at doing that. The film is indeed a wonderful portrayal of the society we live in and a criticism of our capitalistic society. It shows the huge gap between rich and poor. While the first is partying, eating sushi and doing drugs, just for fun, the latter is starving and a victim of abuses, violence and oppression.

CJ Entertainment, RADiUS-TWC

Another important aspect of this film is the characters. While there are way too many of them, they are quite stereotyped and the rich ones are pretty ridiculous, the film takes the time it needs to explore their suffering and hunger. The characters themselves aren't particularly memorable but the performances of the actors make them stand out. Evans gives a solid performance as Curtis, the hero who doubts himself (yeah, I know, so clichéd) and makes you like the characters in spite of everything. Octavia Spencer also gives a good performance as Tanya, a mother searching for her missing child and so do John Hurt as Gilliam, a semi-disabled wise man who is helping Curtis, and Ed Harris as Wilford, the guy who invented the train and who is pretty much the big brother figure in this. However, Tilda Swinton is the one standing out. She is unrecognizable in the role of a cruel authoritarian Nazi-like figure and she gives a terrific performance.

There was something I didn't like about Snowpiercer though, the violence. I know violence is the ABC of Korean movies and I'm not complaining about that. I'm just saying that it's a little too over-the-top here, there's really nothing new and I believe a different director, Tarantino to name one, could have handled it better. Also, the action sequences aren't very well filmed, but the effects and visuals are pretty good.

Best & Worst Movies 2017 Year-End Review

Best & Worst of 2017

I posted so many movie reviews I lost count. There was one week where I watched twelve movies.
Check out my previous reviews!

I watched two-hundred and forty seven movies this year. Here are my top 19 and bottom 7 picks for the year. This is based simply on the movies I watched this year, not on what was released this year.
Check out the previous year-end reviews.

I frequently forget to catalog the best scenes, but The Conjuring 2 nun scene stands out.
The Top 19 of 2017:

Atonement (2007) 

Rent Atonement on Amazon Video
Written by: Ian McEwan (novel), Christopher Hampton (screenplay)
Directed by: Joe Wright
Starring: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai, Vanessa Redgrave, Juno Temple, Brenda Blethyn, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfie Allen,
Rated: R
Plot
Thirteen year Briony changes the course of several lives when she falsely accuses the son of her family's servant and her sister's lover of rape.
Verdict
This is one of those movies that does everything right. It's an incredible movie, everything one should be. It tells a sweeping story that makes you feel something, while being completely engrossing and deserving of all praise. It's bleak and depressing but powerful, aided by brilliant cinematography. Each frame, each shot is framed with purpose.
It's the opposite of a romance movie, in this two lovers are continually separated while Briony lives with the guilt of one fateful decision.

Beauty and the Beast (1946)
La Belle et la Bête

Rent Beauty and the Beast on Amazon VideoWritten by: Jean Cocteau (dialogue & screenplay & story), Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont
Directed by: Jean Cocteau, René Clément (uncredited)
Starring: Jean Marais, Josette Day, Mila Parély
Rated: --
Plot
A young woman is kept prisoner by a mysterious beast that wants to marry her.
Verdict
This may be the best example of a fairy tale translated to a live action film. It's a beautiful black and white film that's well made despite the low budget and social unrest of the time.

The Ice Storm (1997)

Rent The Ice Storm on Amazon VideoWritten by: Rick Moody (novel), James Schamus
Directed by: Ang Lee
Starring:  Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood
Rated: R
Plot
Set in the 1970s, two dysfunctional upper-class Connecticut families escape their lives through alcohol, adultery, and sexual experimentation.
Verdict
While it's a dour movie, it captures people phenomenally well. Great direction and writing draw parallels between adults and children. They're both trapped, searching for an escape. The difference is that adults don't have anyone to admonish them. This has a distinct charm and great imagery set against an incoming ice storm. Why can't these characters find happiness?

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

Rent The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp on Amazon VideoWritten by: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Directed by: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Starring:  Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr, Anton Walbrook
Rated:--
Plot
The story of Major-General Clive Wynne-Candy as he rises up the ranks of the British military.
Verdict
It's an amazing movie, indeed a classic. We start with a blustery old general and the movie shows us how he became as such through his military service, friendships, and loves. It's quite a transformation that brings the movie full circle. It's a sprawling and sentimental story featuring great acting and direction. This is how you tell a story.

Sully (2016)

Best & Worst TV Series 2017 Year-End Review

Best & Worst of 2017

I watched eighty-six TV seasons and mini-series this year. Here are my top 14 for the year. I didn't watch any seasons that fell into the 'worst' category this year. This is based simply on what I watched this year, not on what was released this year.
Check out the previous year-end reviews.

The best pilot goes to Dark (2017). It immediately hooked me, granted it's also a show I've seen more recently. 
The Top 14 of 2017:

The Fall (2013-)
Season 1 - 5 episodes (2013)
Season 2 - 6 episodes (2014)

Watch The Fall on Netflix 
Created by:Allan Cubitt
Starring:  Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan, John Lynch
Rated: TV-MA
Plot
DSI Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) chases serial killer Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan).
In season two, Spector's personal life is in disarray as Gibson closes in.
Verdict
This is an amazing season that defies convention to create a subtle yet terrifying serial killer. The best way to catch a psychopath is to use a sociopath. DSI Gibson is clinical and cold, unable to relate to people, where Spector has a family and is employed as a grief counselor.
The mystery isn't who the killer is. This identifies the killer in the first scene. We don't look for clues to determine who, but to determine how he fits into society. This guy looks completely normal, and yet he's not right, causing you to wonder who you know could be a twisted psychopath. That person could be blending in and you don't even realize.
Season 2 feels like the second half of the story season one began. This season is the noose closing around Spector's neck. Season one was slow methodical and chilling, establishing the characters of Spector and Gibson. This season is the chase. It's a different tone, but just as engrossing as season one.

Rectify (2013-2016)
Season 4 - 8 Episodes (2016)

The Apartment (1960)

I was searching the internet for New Year's Eve related movies and I could find nothing interesting, so I went on Twitter and asked for suggestions. Easy Riders Raging Podcast suggested The Apartment and since I loved Some Like It Hot I (Billy Wilder directed both) gave it a try.

Bud Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is an insurance clerk who has discovered a quick way to rise in his company: it's letting his superiors use his apartment to take their mistresses. Mr. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), his superiors' boss, finds out and promotes Bud in return for the exclusive use of the apartment. Everything is going smoothly-ish until Sheldrake's mistress turns out to be Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), the elevator operator Bud has feelings for and complications arise.

It seems like a very simple and basic plot (and two hours seem like a lot of time to fill), but it draws you and it's very engaging and entertaining. And it isn't as shallow as it may look. The Apartment indeed deals with many heavy themes such as suicide, loneliness and power, specifically the cost of it and how far are we willing to go to have some. Bud here loses pretty much everything to have some power, his apartment, his dignity, love even.

As interesting as that is, what I liked the most about Wilder's film was the characters, especially Bud. He isn't an entirely likeable character -- after all, he helps his superiors cheat on their wives in exchange for career advancement -- but the situations he finds himself in makes you emphasize with him and root for him. The credits for that mainly go to Jack Lemmon who gives a stunning performance as Bud Baxter. He brings so much heart into the role and brings to the screen the right amount of charm and silliness.

United Artists

The supporting actors are great as well. Fred MacMurray is flawless as Mr. Sheldrake, a man who uses his power to control others and to get what he wants. Shirley MacLaine's performance though is even greater. Her character may be too submissive and her happiness depends too much on men for today's standards, and she is quite naive, to be honest, but MacLaine makes you fall in love with her.

And lastly, kudos to Billy Wilder because this film could have easily been nothing more than a cheesy romantic comedy; instead, it's a more melancholic, tragic and deep film that has the perfect balance between drama and comedy. It's not a laugh-out-loud kind of movie like Some Like It Hot, but it still has enough humour to make you laugh now and then.

I almost forgot to mention the gorgeous cinematography. The black-and-white widescreen provides the film with the perfect, melancholic mood.

The Open House Netflix Movie Trailer

The Open House (2018)

The Open House premieres on January 19

A teenager and his mother find themselves besieged by threatening forces when they move into a new house.
Written and directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote, Dylan Minnette from 13 Reasons Why and Piercey Dalton star.

Images from the trailer:

 

 

THE TWELVE CLIPS OF CHRISTMAS - DAY 5: HARDROCK, COCO AND JOE

Most depictions of Santa's annual Christmas Eve delivery show the old fella making his rounds all by himself. When you think about it, though, that's a twenty-four hour trip. Unless Santa is pounding down Red Bull the whole time, he probably needs an occasional hand with the driving. That's where Hardrock and Coco come in. Oh, and Joe, I guess...

Joe. What a loser. Even the lyrics don't pretend he has any use whatsoever. Santa loves hims, though, so he gets to come along for the ride.

It's kind of like the way God loves us, no matter if we're 'useful' or not. As Pope Francis noted, "This is precisely what the prophetic ministry of Jesus consists of: announcing that no human condition can constitute grounds for exclusion from the heart of the Father, and that the only privilege in the eyes of God is that of not being privileged, of being abandoned into his hands."

That's certainly good news for those of us who aren't out there doing the heavy work when it comes to the faith. We can't all be priests or nuns or ministry leaders or whatever. Some of us just do silly things like watching bad movies and trying to find something good and true in them. Some of us are Joe. And God let's us come along anyway, cause he loves us so.