November: Movie Madness
Vincent N Roxxy
5/10
Netflix
Well. That took a turn.
There were several things that led me to watch this movie: It popped up in my Netflix search results and I noticed that it had Zoe Kravitz in it. I like Zoe Kravitz and I think she chooses interesting projects to be a part of, so I thought it would be a good movie since she was in it. I watched the trailer and it reminded me somewhat of the movie Tramps, which I absolutely ADORE. It seemed to have that same theme of two outlaws who are in trouble but fall in love despite everything. I mean, cute, right? It had also gotten a few Indie Film festival awards, and there is nothing I love more than a well crafted Indie movie. They're some of the best films out there.
However, the movie itself didn't live up to my expectations. First of all, if you were to ask me to describe the personalities of the characters, I'd have to stare at you blankly and be like "Ummmmmmmmmmm..." because honestly, they were all super duper flat and boring and I learned next to nothing about their lives. Even when they tried to give a little bit of backstory, like about how the two guys' mom died, or about the main girl's brother, they never actually gave the full story, so I still had no idea what their past was like, or what they themselves were like. Second of all, the cute outlaw love story that I'd been expecting happened very quickly in the first half hour of the movie. It's like they just crammed it all in there so they could get to [SPOILERSSSSS] the epic, gory, disturbing bloodshed. Like one minute Vincent and Roxxy are on a Ferris wheel at the carnival, or out in a field making out, and the next minute KABLAMMY, some random thug dudes show up and start murdering everyone?? But then somehow Vincent doesn't die right away and manages to murder the thug dudes?? But then he takes his last shuddering breaths as he's lying in Roxxy's arms (who, by the way, is caked in blood too but miraculously doesn't die)?? And then Roxxy puts aside her good girl persona, wraps her hair up in this hardcore femme fatale twist and smudges some hardcore femme fatale eyeliner on and dons her dead boyfriend's leather jacket and then drives into the city to find the king pin thug who had managed to get away earlier, and KABLAMMY she shoots up everybody in his house and then stabs him in the eyes with her hair pins???? Which was pretty awesome I guess, like way to go girl, you avenge the death of all your loved ones, but at the same time...... so much blood, so much violence. Like it went from sub par Indie Romance to Quentin Tarantino REAL quick.
Overall, I like the IDEA of this movie, but I really really didn't appreciate the execution. There were so many areas that could have been improved upon. I wouldn't watch it again, and I would not say that I recommend it. Too much blood, not enough character development.
Yard Boys
YouTube (FREE)
10/10
If you want a documentary that will make you feel good about life and friendship and God and the world that we live in, you have got to watch Yard Boys. It was just so beautiful, and reminded me of my friends and me. Quite possibly one of my favorite documentaries that I've ever seen.
I follow Marcus Johns and his wife on YouTube and keep up with their life pretty consistently, so I already know that I enjoy Marcus' content. But I'll be honest: when I first saw that he was releasing a multi-episode documentary series about train hopping....I just frankly wasn't interested. It's not a topic I really cared about, and I just thought it would be boring to watch 5 grown men sleeping on trains and whatnot for multiple episodes. Recently, though, I've been thinking a lot about how great it would be to just chuck it all, throw caution to the wind, and just drive and drive with no destination and no plan, or something else like that, where I have no choice but to rely on God with my crazy whimsical decisions. And with that in mind, I started thinking about this documentary series again. I finally decided to just give in and watch it, and I am so so glad that I did.
Naturally, some of the camerawork is shaky and a bit dizzying, but it fits the subject matter perfectly and is of course just the result of the fact that much of the time, the guys are running or jumping or climbing onto moving trains, and that doesn't bode so well for great camera angles. That being said, the fact that it's all shot just by these four guys with GoPros and iPhones and a few nicer digital cameras just gives it such a raw and authentic feel that I think really adds immensely to the entire story. And believe me, despite some of the shakier, harder to watch scenes, there are even more absolutely gorgeous, breathtaking scenes too-- scenes of the world passing them by, scenes of lakes and mountains and fields and every lovely terrain that makes America so beautiful.
I also think that the fact that this whole thing was directed and produced by Marcus Johns without any external funding or production equipment or filmmaking bureaucracy is just SO SO cool and impressive. This movie is literally top notch film making and editing and deserves to win awards. But thankfully-- and this only adds to the coolness-- Marcus Johns published the entire thing on his public YouTube channel for anyone to enjoy for free. That will never be the case for big shot filmmakers who have to concern themselves with the money side of it. For Marcus, he just wants to share his passions and create awesome content for his loyal viewers, not meet a bottom line or blow up the box office. And I think that is such a wonderful, humble, honorable thing for a filmmaker in today's industry to do. With that being said, I think it's CRAZY that this film hasn't garnered more attention from bigwigs out there! It is so well made and just so good you'd think Marcus Johns would be asked to do interviews or press conferences about it or something? But in a way I'm kind of glad he's not. It keeps the whole endeavor far more humble.
The music in the movie was also soooo good. I would have been incredibly disappointed if it weren't, because it's the exact type of film that lends itself to some amazing tunes, and Marcus Johns definitely didn't let me down in that department.
What I walked away with at the end of this movie was this: God is undeniably real, and His existence is apparent through the strength of friendship, the beauty of the earth and the way He orchestrates things in such a way that we are always sustained and taken care of-- even when we put ourselves into arguably stupid and definitely illegal situations. Just watch the movie and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
----------------------------------------Let the Christmas Movies Begin!!-----------------------------------------
A Christmas Prince
6/10
Netflix
This Netflix original Christmas movie had all the ingredients of a perfect cheesy low budget Christmas movie! Beautiful white people in the leading roles, token minorities in the supporting sidekick roles, the main character is a journalist who wants to move up in the company—and breaks about every single rule in the journalists code of ethics but this is completely overlooked for the sake of the movie— there’s a royal palace with terrible security, there’s an instance where they almost kiss as the result of a fall and tumble in the snow. I️ mean you name it this movie had it. As cheesy and hackneyed as it was, it was just as enjoyable as its similar counterparts (and when I say similar, I mean similar. This movie is basically exactly like A Princess for Christmas which came out a few years ago and is arguably a better movie-- I mean that one had early Sam Heughan in it soooo). Anyway, in conclusion, I guess I would sum this movie up by saying "Yeah, it was fine." Lol.
Snowmance
6/10
iON Channel
Okay this movie was absolutely RIDICULOUS in the funniest way possible. Basically, this chick made a wish to find true love before Christmas (even though of course her best friend was in love with her for years and she secretly loved him too) and when she made this wish, her snowman transformed into a REAL man—the man of her dreams, minus a few quirks like his obsession with snow and the fact that he can’t eat carrots and his hands are always freezing and he starts freaking out when they sit near a fire.........yeah. It was as dumb and goofy as it sounds. I was trying to tell Rachel about this movie the other day, and I literally couldn't get through it because I kept cracking up. It's so dumb!! Like how did the script get through all the vetting processes in order to actually become a movie?? I have no idea. You're probably wondering why, then, did I give it a whole 6/10? Well, for one thing, I hate being too mean to movies, and for another thing, for as absolutely stupid as the whole thing was, I watched it from start to finish and I was honestly very entertained. Like I'm not sure it was trying to be as funny as I found it, but I really thought it was hilariously stupid, so it won me over.
Dear Santa
7/10
Netflix
Okay, for a cheesy holiday made-for-TV romance, this one was actually pretty good. The acting wasn't as lame as it can often be in similar movies, and we actually got to know more about the characters than we usually do with this genre. Also, there was no out there magical wish or snowman transformation, or slightly-shifty-but-also-wizardlike old man involve-- the characters were all just normal people. The plot still wasn't all that realistic, but it was less far fetched than some. This movie also came out in 2011, and for some reason, I tend to like the slightly older Christmas TV movies better than the recent ones. I'm not sure why, but I think sometimes they're just better written and there's a bit more thought put into them. Nowadays, it feels like the movies are just pumped out at lightning speed with even less regard for quality than ever before. This movie, on the other hand, retained some of that early on charm that is what attracts me to these cheesy movies in the first place. The characters were actually charming, and we knew a little more about them than what their names and careers were, plus though there were the stereotypical sidekicks, they actually got to have a bit more personality than usual too.
I'll just warn you now that pretty much all of the movies next month are going to be Christmas related, although I promise, they won't ALL be cheesy Hallmark and Made-for-TV films. And I am a-okay with that!!
VaughnDL
 |
| I guess this movie poster could have been a tip off... |
Netflix
Well. That took a turn.
There were several things that led me to watch this movie: It popped up in my Netflix search results and I noticed that it had Zoe Kravitz in it. I like Zoe Kravitz and I think she chooses interesting projects to be a part of, so I thought it would be a good movie since she was in it. I watched the trailer and it reminded me somewhat of the movie Tramps, which I absolutely ADORE. It seemed to have that same theme of two outlaws who are in trouble but fall in love despite everything. I mean, cute, right? It had also gotten a few Indie Film festival awards, and there is nothing I love more than a well crafted Indie movie. They're some of the best films out there.
However, the movie itself didn't live up to my expectations. First of all, if you were to ask me to describe the personalities of the characters, I'd have to stare at you blankly and be like "Ummmmmmmmmmm..." because honestly, they were all super duper flat and boring and I learned next to nothing about their lives. Even when they tried to give a little bit of backstory, like about how the two guys' mom died, or about the main girl's brother, they never actually gave the full story, so I still had no idea what their past was like, or what they themselves were like. Second of all, the cute outlaw love story that I'd been expecting happened very quickly in the first half hour of the movie. It's like they just crammed it all in there so they could get to [SPOILERSSSSS] the epic, gory, disturbing bloodshed. Like one minute Vincent and Roxxy are on a Ferris wheel at the carnival, or out in a field making out, and the next minute KABLAMMY, some random thug dudes show up and start murdering everyone?? But then somehow Vincent doesn't die right away and manages to murder the thug dudes?? But then he takes his last shuddering breaths as he's lying in Roxxy's arms (who, by the way, is caked in blood too but miraculously doesn't die)?? And then Roxxy puts aside her good girl persona, wraps her hair up in this hardcore femme fatale twist and smudges some hardcore femme fatale eyeliner on and dons her dead boyfriend's leather jacket and then drives into the city to find the king pin thug who had managed to get away earlier, and KABLAMMY she shoots up everybody in his house and then stabs him in the eyes with her hair pins???? Which was pretty awesome I guess, like way to go girl, you avenge the death of all your loved ones, but at the same time...... so much blood, so much violence. Like it went from sub par Indie Romance to Quentin Tarantino REAL quick.
 |
| On the plus side for this movie, Zoe Kravitz's hair looked GR8 from start to finish. And the main character dude was giving me major early-2000s Shane West vibes. Which are good vibes to be giving. |
Yard Boys
YouTube (FREE)
10/10
If you want a documentary that will make you feel good about life and friendship and God and the world that we live in, you have got to watch Yard Boys. It was just so beautiful, and reminded me of my friends and me. Quite possibly one of my favorite documentaries that I've ever seen.
I follow Marcus Johns and his wife on YouTube and keep up with their life pretty consistently, so I already know that I enjoy Marcus' content. But I'll be honest: when I first saw that he was releasing a multi-episode documentary series about train hopping....I just frankly wasn't interested. It's not a topic I really cared about, and I just thought it would be boring to watch 5 grown men sleeping on trains and whatnot for multiple episodes. Recently, though, I've been thinking a lot about how great it would be to just chuck it all, throw caution to the wind, and just drive and drive with no destination and no plan, or something else like that, where I have no choice but to rely on God with my crazy whimsical decisions. And with that in mind, I started thinking about this documentary series again. I finally decided to just give in and watch it, and I am so so glad that I did.Naturally, some of the camerawork is shaky and a bit dizzying, but it fits the subject matter perfectly and is of course just the result of the fact that much of the time, the guys are running or jumping or climbing onto moving trains, and that doesn't bode so well for great camera angles. That being said, the fact that it's all shot just by these four guys with GoPros and iPhones and a few nicer digital cameras just gives it such a raw and authentic feel that I think really adds immensely to the entire story. And believe me, despite some of the shakier, harder to watch scenes, there are even more absolutely gorgeous, breathtaking scenes too-- scenes of the world passing them by, scenes of lakes and mountains and fields and every lovely terrain that makes America so beautiful.
I also think that the fact that this whole thing was directed and produced by Marcus Johns without any external funding or production equipment or filmmaking bureaucracy is just SO SO cool and impressive. This movie is literally top notch film making and editing and deserves to win awards. But thankfully-- and this only adds to the coolness-- Marcus Johns published the entire thing on his public YouTube channel for anyone to enjoy for free. That will never be the case for big shot filmmakers who have to concern themselves with the money side of it. For Marcus, he just wants to share his passions and create awesome content for his loyal viewers, not meet a bottom line or blow up the box office. And I think that is such a wonderful, humble, honorable thing for a filmmaker in today's industry to do. With that being said, I think it's CRAZY that this film hasn't garnered more attention from bigwigs out there! It is so well made and just so good you'd think Marcus Johns would be asked to do interviews or press conferences about it or something? But in a way I'm kind of glad he's not. It keeps the whole endeavor far more humble.The music in the movie was also soooo good. I would have been incredibly disappointed if it weren't, because it's the exact type of film that lends itself to some amazing tunes, and Marcus Johns definitely didn't let me down in that department.
What I walked away with at the end of this movie was this: God is undeniably real, and His existence is apparent through the strength of friendship, the beauty of the earth and the way He orchestrates things in such a way that we are always sustained and taken care of-- even when we put ourselves into arguably stupid and definitely illegal situations. Just watch the movie and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
----------------------------------------Let the Christmas Movies Begin!!-----------------------------------------
A Christmas Prince
6/10
Netflix
This Netflix original Christmas movie had all the ingredients of a perfect cheesy low budget Christmas movie! Beautiful white people in the leading roles, token minorities in the supporting sidekick roles, the main character is a journalist who wants to move up in the company—and breaks about every single rule in the journalists code of ethics but this is completely overlooked for the sake of the movie— there’s a royal palace with terrible security, there’s an instance where they almost kiss as the result of a fall and tumble in the snow. I️ mean you name it this movie had it. As cheesy and hackneyed as it was, it was just as enjoyable as its similar counterparts (and when I say similar, I mean similar. This movie is basically exactly like A Princess for Christmas which came out a few years ago and is arguably a better movie-- I mean that one had early Sam Heughan in it soooo). Anyway, in conclusion, I guess I would sum this movie up by saying "Yeah, it was fine." Lol. Snowmance
6/10
iON Channel
Okay this movie was absolutely RIDICULOUS in the funniest way possible. Basically, this chick made a wish to find true love before Christmas (even though of course her best friend was in love with her for years and she secretly loved him too) and when she made this wish, her snowman transformed into a REAL man—the man of her dreams, minus a few quirks like his obsession with snow and the fact that he can’t eat carrots and his hands are always freezing and he starts freaking out when they sit near a fire.........yeah. It was as dumb and goofy as it sounds. I was trying to tell Rachel about this movie the other day, and I literally couldn't get through it because I kept cracking up. It's so dumb!! Like how did the script get through all the vetting processes in order to actually become a movie?? I have no idea. You're probably wondering why, then, did I give it a whole 6/10? Well, for one thing, I hate being too mean to movies, and for another thing, for as absolutely stupid as the whole thing was, I watched it from start to finish and I was honestly very entertained. Like I'm not sure it was trying to be as funny as I found it, but I really thought it was hilariously stupid, so it won me over. Dear Santa
7/10
Netflix
Okay, for a cheesy holiday made-for-TV romance, this one was actually pretty good. The acting wasn't as lame as it can often be in similar movies, and we actually got to know more about the characters than we usually do with this genre. Also, there was no out there magical wish or snowman transformation, or slightly-shifty-but-also-wizardlike old man involve-- the characters were all just normal people. The plot still wasn't all that realistic, but it was less far fetched than some. This movie also came out in 2011, and for some reason, I tend to like the slightly older Christmas TV movies better than the recent ones. I'm not sure why, but I think sometimes they're just better written and there's a bit more thought put into them. Nowadays, it feels like the movies are just pumped out at lightning speed with even less regard for quality than ever before. This movie, on the other hand, retained some of that early on charm that is what attracts me to these cheesy movies in the first place. The characters were actually charming, and we knew a little more about them than what their names and careers were, plus though there were the stereotypical sidekicks, they actually got to have a bit more personality than usual too.I'll just warn you now that pretty much all of the movies next month are going to be Christmas related, although I promise, they won't ALL be cheesy Hallmark and Made-for-TV films. And I am a-okay with that!!
VaughnDL
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