Bachelorette (2012)

"Bachelorette" is the worst kind of comedy- tacky, shallow, mean-spirited, and unfunny. The venomously unlikable cast of characters will grate on you after the first five minutes... by the 80 minute mark, they're Hell. These gal pals will remind you of everything you don't like in human beings, hardly the tone to set for a romantic comedy.

   Regan (Kirsten Dunst,) Gena (Lizzy Caplan,) and Katie (Ilsa Fisher)- ditzy, cruel, and devoid of charm- prepare for their friend Becky (Rebel Wilson)'s wedding. Infuriated that the 'fat girl,' who they always had a demeaning attitude toward, got engaged before them, the clueless three find themselves in big (and well-deserved) trouble when they rip Becky's wedding dress while playing a cruel joke.

The Art Of Getting By (2011)

There isn't anything remotely likable about the protagonist of "The Art Of Getting By," and he is only an interesting lead if you like entitled, angsty little pricks who think the world revolves around them. I know, I know, most kids his age can be entitled and angsty from time to time, but this kid brings the 'glib teenaged hipster' canon to a whole new low.

   Never in recent memory have I so wanted the 'hero' of the movie to be hit by a delivery truck, or at least go away, just go away, and get out of my sight. It doesn't help that lead actor Freddie Highmore is about as boring as straight out toast, or that he (warning- spoiler for the cinematically challenged) gets together at the end with bland 'quirky girl' Emma Roberts (one of the least interesting young people in Hollywood.)

Side Effects (2013)

Side Effects (2013)

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Writer: Scott Z. Burns

Why I Watched It: I am a fan of several of Soderbergh’s previous films, and I was curious about this one.


My Reaction, In a Nutshell: Never has my reaction to a film gone downhill so dramatically. At the beginning, my response was: “Hey, this is going to be great!” I was captivated by the interesting characters and masterful cinematography. Later in the movie, my response shifted to occasionally rolling my eyes and muttering, “Um … seriously?” By the end, I’d devolved into repeatedly shouting “Oh for fuck’s sake!” at the screen. I guess if I really wanted to reframe that nicely I could say, “It was a hell of a ride.”

Parents, Raise Your Children To Question Authority: Discussion of Compliance & Other Chit-Chat

We've been bad bloggers lately. Between continuing to plug along through Stephen King's 11/22/63, which I'm loving, watching old episodes of American Horror Story and The Wire, and ... y'know ... working and parenting and stuff, there hasn't been time to finish books, watch new movies, or blog.

Sarah and I are still digging The Wire. We do love complex, morally ambiguous characters, and there is a load of them here.

She and I watch American Horror Story with John on nights he's off work. It's an interesting pastiche of ghost stories and horror films, with shades of The Shining and Rosemary's Baby, that is if Rosemary decided to forgo chowing down on a little raw meat in favor of a nice bloody raw brain.  It's definitely beyond by fucked-upness threshold, especially with the recurring theme of dead babies, one of the few things I consistently can't stomach. Yet I can't look away. :-)

Last weekend, Sarah and I watched Compliance, the next movie I plan to discuss with her and James as part of homeschool. This film was difficult to sit through, especially for Sarah. This kid, who introduced me to the likes of Tyrannosaur and Red, White and Blue, found Compliance too disturbing. She swears this is my ultimate revenge for all the spectacularly unsettling movies she's gotten me to watch.