Hello and welcome back! It’s been a busy couple of weeks, but I’m hoping it will calm down to the normal level of busy now.
If you haven’t listened to my podcast yet, please do! We put out a Dune Part 1 & 2 episode and will have the next one out on Sunday 3/31.
Let’s get to the recap!
FILM
Highlight: Babette’s Feast | 1987 | Gabriel Axel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A French housekeeper with a mysterious past brings quiet revolution in the form of one exquisite meal to a circle of starkly pious villagers in late 19th century Denmark.
SCAM Girls Movie Club contiues to ooh and ahh. This gorgeously shot film is simple, sweet, and all-around delightful. As one of our members put it, “Life affirming.” I don’t want to talk too much about the plot, as I think the less you know the better. I will say, don’t watch while you’re hungry if you care about yourself. Weeks later, I’m still thinking about this movie as it reverberates in my soul.
Belle | 2021 ⭐⭐½
I wish I would’ve liked this anime, Beauty and the Beast-inspired movie. It truly is a gorgeous film, but I felt the themes were all over the place. A classic case of trying to do too much, so nothing really worked.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | 1954 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Despite the incredibly sexist plot and bonkers actions of the main brother, I love this movie. It’s dumb and acts almost as a parody, even if it’s not meant to be. I have fun looking at all the dancing; the barnyard dance-off is one of my all-time favorite dance sequences on film.
Big Fat Liar | 2002 ⭐⭐½
While I still laughed a bit at this childhood favorite, it’s really not great. My enjoyment comes from the nostalgia of Frankie Muniz and Paul Giamatti having a go at each other. It’s also fun to see the cameos that I actually understand now as an adult.
Mr. Nice Guy | 1997 ⭐⭐⭐½
Jackie Chan’s oeuvre is so much more vast than I ever thought. This was a fun screening at The New Beverly. It’s silly; something only late-90s action films can pull off.
Soul | 2020 ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
I finally caught up with this and man I wish I would’ve seen it sooner. Gorgeous animation, as expected with Pixar joints. As a jazz enthusiast, I also loved the score. Another life affirmer, as with Babette’s Feast.
The Day After Tomorrow | 2004 ⭐⭐½
Happy 20th! This was never a favorite of mine, but I did enjoy it as a kid. Now it feels like a minor disaster movie with some mediocre effects and subpar performances. Still, I enjoy even bad disaster movies well enough.
One Life | 2023 ⭐⭐⭐
This was the last movie I watched with my mom while she was in town. She loved it. It’s based on the true story of a man who saved 600+ children during WWII. It was touching, if rote. I did enjoy Sir Anthony Hopkins, as I always do.
Eat Drink Man Woman | ⭐⭐⭐
This was a SCAM Girls Extra Credit and so far the only one I didn’t absolutely love. It was a family drama that was fairly sad and not as much about food as the trailer made it seem. It was still very early for Ang Lee and it feels like an early film.
Love Lies Bleeding | 2024 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I loved this! Bound meets The Hulk in this sexy, pulpy thriller. I won’t say too much here as this will be on the next Agree to Disagree episode, but suffice it to say: it whips!
Late Night with the Devil | 2023 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I came for a great David Dastmalchian performance and left with a new annual Halloween watch. I do want to call out the AI controversy. Some of the art used AI and the production team touched it up from there. This is something that we need to be extra cautious with right now. Despite the use, it was a fun movie.
Cats | 2019
This gets no stars. I’m gutted by how bad this was. I knew it would be, but god, it was abhorrent. The stage show, while not perfect, is a lot of fun and a magical experience. No one should ever watch this. Go watch the 1998 pro-shot of the stage show.
Road House | 2024 ⭐½
I thought this would be at best, pretty dang good and at worst, fine but passable. It was quite bad, however. The performances were bad, even from usually solid actors, the camera choices were odd, and the story was trying to be too serious for what it is. Yeah, I misjudged this one.
SCAM Girls Movie Club
Big Night | 1996 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stanley Tucci. Tony Shaloub. Big Italian dinner. What more do you need? This was supremely good and the final shot moved me in a way that I was not expecting. Also, Bilbo Baggins himself (Ian Holmes) plays a wonderful antagonist.
TV
In Progress
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Season 1, Episode 16
Shōgun, Season 1, Episodes 4-5
Naruto, Season 1, Episode 11
Spring Baking Championship, Season 10, Episode 1
Books
Highlight: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter | Brandon Sanderson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The third of Sanderon’s Secret Novels has been my favorite so far. As always, it was intriguing, with excellent plot twists and Cosmere revelations. The central romance was well-crafted and written, too. It was a sweet, innocent romance that felt very realistic despite the fantastical intertwining their lives take. I also enjoyed the narrator’s voice (a familiar one if you are privy to the Cosmere at large), and the discussion of art. It was in direct communication with the AI conversation we’re having right now. I do recommend it, but I will say that prior Cosmere knowledge makes this a better read, otherwise, some things might go unappreciated, though you don’t need that to understand it.
American Gods | Neil Gaiman ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Weathered Tome Society finished this dark Americana fantasy and I think I was the only one who liked it. I found it to be clever and stimulating; I loved trying to figure out all the mythological allusions. As usual, Gaiman’s prose is top-notch. I’m happy to finally have read this modern classic.
In Progress
The Sunlit Man | Brandon Sanderson — 7%
The Big Read
Jane Eyre| Charlotte Brontë - 16%
The Weathered Tome Society
The Shamshine Blind | Paz Pardo — 12%
Games
In Progress
Persona 4 Golden | PS Vita | Atlus
YouTube
This is so my jam! Thanks to my fiancée for reminding me I need to keep up with Tiny Desk Concerts.
That’s it for this week. Let me know what you’ve been taking in!
Thanks for reading. Til next time!
— Colton
Cats was a cinematic masterpiece, how dare you. :P