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had to rewrite half of this because i accidentally closed the page :(
i originally posted movie reviews as a bulletin, but decided i’d make more permanent posts for the future! I also integrated that original bulletin into this blog post.
these movies are ranked in order from most recently watched, to least recent!
Fargo (1996)
watched June 28, 2024
A first time watch that was a long time coming. Fargo is a classic and its easy to see why. I loved William H. Macy in this (its always fun to see him in roles outside of Shameless)! The accents in this movie were also so fun to listen to. Though its been made fun of for its pretentious production/writing, I think with its fantastic performances and some great examples of cinematography, it makes sense why its heralded as such a classic. I actually watched Fargo because of a parody by The Simpsons (season 33 episodes 6&7…FANTASTIC episodes btw) and I wanted to understand all the references. I’m very glad I watched it! If you’ve never seen this crime thriller, I’d say its definitely worth a watch if you’re into the genre. Overall though, I’d give it a solid 4/5 stars. It could’ve been a little shorter or expanded in some other areas.
Gummo (1997)
watched June 21, 2024
After seeing Haromy Korine’s Julien Donkey-Boy, I really wanted to look more into his directorial work. What better than the film he’s most well known for? Gummo takes place in an Ohio town that decades before had been ravaged by tornados and never recovered. Stylistically its very similar to JDB, with shaky camera work and grainy film (though not hidden cameras like in JDB), Gummo gives another look into rural Americana. Not for the faint-hearted though, as Gummo features a plot reliant on animal death/abuse, look up warnings if you’re planning to watch it and have issues with these themes, especially if you’re a cat lover like I am. My favorite parts of the movie were the opening credits sequence with Bunny Boy, and the tap dancing scene. The spaghetti scene, however, was nauseating. I also loved the opening narration, though it got somewhat tiresome the longer the movie went. Chloe Sevigny was another bright light in this movie (I loved her in Korine’s JDB as well) If you’re into weird movies with sporadic plot lines, give Gummo a try. 3.5/5 stars.
Flipped (2010)
watched June 18, 2024
A big vibe change here. Flipped is a tween romcom from the 2000s. I originally read the book when I was a tween, so finally seeing the movie as an adult was an interesting experience. I remember loving the book, and the movie is a pretty faithful adaptation, though I’d have to reread the book to fully compare the two. Its funny, as a kid reading the book, I never put it together that this story was set in the 1950s. If you’re looking for something more light-hearted to watch, Flipped is a good choice. 3.5/5 stars.
Uptown Girls (2003)
watched June 17, 2024
It’s crazy that I’d never seen this movie before. I LOVE early 2000s “girl” comedies. Starring Brittany Murphy and a very young Dakota Fanning, this movie is so charming. A childish rich girl in her twenties suddenly loses all her money and becomes a nanny to another seemingly spoiled rich child who’s too busy pretending to be an adult to enjoy life. This movie was so funny but also had some very great heartfelt moments, I almost cried. Hated the love interest though, he can die LOL. 4.5/5
Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
watched June 17, 2024
I’ve been meaning to watch this for years. I always planned to read the book first, but alas, I didn’t. I’d made fried green tomatoes for dinner and decided I should finally watch the movie, and wow. This is a great queer movie (even if it’s seemingly censored? I’ve heard the book is more explicit). Kathy Bates was great, it was so fun to see her in such a fun role instead of a horror. I absolutely loved the two stories that coincided! Idgie and Ruth <3 I definitely plan to read the book eventually. Such a fantastic movie that makes the absolute most of its runtime. 5/5 stars.
Saved! (2004)
watched June 16, 2024
What did I say about early 2000s romcoms? Yeah, I love them. I was skeptical going into this movie because of its premise — a very religious Christian girl gets pregnant soon after finding out her boyfriend is gay. But this movie subverts any expectations you might have from that premise. This movie is HILARIOUS! It deals a lot with characters grappling with their relationships with religion, and with each other. Not to mention my favorite couple of the movie — the only Jewish girl at a Christian school played by Eva Amurri (who I loved in the TV show Monk when I was younger), and her disabled boyfriend played by Macaulay Culkin. They were the highlight of the movie for sure. The entire movie does an excellent job of tackling difficult subjects comedically, but of course it IS a movie from 2004, so some of it has aged. I will say that I definitely recommend giving it a watch! 4/5 stars.
Pieces of April (2003)
watched June 16, 2024
A small indie film featuring Katie Holmes, Pieces of April is a family dramedy set on the day of Thanksgiving. April is the black sheep of her family, but she’s invited them to her apartment for Thanksgiving dinner. Alternatively, we see her family making their trip to April’s, where her Mother, who is struggling with cancer, is grappling with her relationship to her eldest daughter, and the rest of her family. This movie is very much focused on the family dynamics at play, though of course there’s comedy with April struggling to cook Thansgiving dinner with a broken oven. The low budget and bad camera quality give this movie an intimate and grimy feeling. Heartfelt and doing its best, I’d say it’s worth a watch if you’re into small productions and family narratives. 3.5/5 stars.
Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
watched June 15, 2024
Wow, what a strange movie. Directed by Carl Gillespie of I, Tonya fame, Lars and the Real Girl is a bizarre drama starring Ryan Gosling as Lars Lindstrom, an antisocial guy that believes the sex doll he ordered online is a very real, alive girlfriend of his named Bianca. Sometimes comedic, but played with sincerity, this movie deals with mental illness with grace. It’s very endearing how Lars’ family tries their best to give him the help he needs. I don’t want to say much about this movie, because I don’t want to spoil it. Don’t be thrown by the premise, this movie is fantastic. Definitely worth a watch. 4.5/5 stars.
Beetlejuice (1988)
rewatched June 13, 2024
A classic 80s comedy about ghosts, if you haven’t seen it, you have to! Always an easy movie for me to throw on when I can’t figure what else to watch. 4/5 stars.
and for the rest, the original first bulletin I made of movie reviews posted below in italics and in quotations (pictures are a new thing i added! again, these movies are NOT ranked in order of enjoyment):
“i'll rate and review some of my most recent movie watches! hoping to do more of these :)
if ur interested in watching any of the movies, i can also provide a trigger warning list if needed.
1. the killing of a sacred deer (2017)
4/5 stars. possibly could be lowered to a 3.5/5. very weird and offputting. i like the premise and the execution but i'd say that it could've been shorter. the end was crazy. good performances all around.
2. thelma and louise (1991)
5/5. i can't believe i'd never watched this before. so fun and emotional and just a really good time. i love a girls roadtrip movie.
3. coyote ugly (2000)
4/5. not a ton of substance but who cares? there are hot girls dancing and a fun soundtrack.
4. julien donkey-boy (1999)
5/5. probably one of the weirder movies i've watched. very offputting. i loved the camera choices and the fuzzy quality. it was all like a very dreamy nightmare. chloe sevigny stole every scene she was in. i'm very interested in more dogme95 genre movies now. wouldn't recommend to anyone that easily disassociates or is easily disturbed.
5. psycho (1960)
4/5. another one i can't believe i hadn't seen before. unfortunately i knew the plot twist, so it wasn't as hard hitting. overall great performances. just really wish they hadn't spelled everything out so much at the end. worth a watch for it being a classic, and a hitchcock film.
i saw the tv glow (2024)
4.5/5. really beautiful. after watching it, my friends and i kinda just sat in silence for an hour i'm ngl. beautiful work. highly recommend. good to go into it blind.
eraserhead (1977)
5/5. oh david lynch, your filmmaking is crazy. i love eraserhead baby. theres so little dialogue in this movie and when there is its ridiculous or incomprehensible. another very dreamlike nightmare
pink flamingos (1972)
4/5. the acting is bad and i love it for that. old poor camera quality really adds to it. very weird and strange and yes, gross. but very fun as well! i'm very interested in watching more of john waters' movies :)
idk how entertaining it is to read about my recent movie watches, but maybe you'll get something out of it! i've watched 70 movies so far this year, and i plan to watch many more. if you've watched any of these please lmk ur thoughts i am so curious.”
and thats it! i hope you enjoyed! i’ll continue making these sorts of posts if you guys like them, plus its helpful to gather my thoughts into a proper review! i think i like writing the more lengthy ones rather than the casual short ones from my original bulletin, but let me know what you prefer! i love movies, so feel free to give me recommendations or talk to me about them any time. thanks for reading if you made it this far!
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