March Wrap Up

Happy Spring You Guys!

It’s “Monthly-Wrap-Up” time, and for ONCE I’m somewhat on schedule with my post! This month was incredible, and I have so many rave reviews coming your way. March felt like it lasted for four months.. SO much went on. I have a feeling April is going to be even wilder though. I leave in three days for an epic Palm Springs weekend, with 14 other girls.. to celebrate my Sister’s Bachelorette Party. I have a feeling it’s going to be one of the most insane weekends of my life.. as well as one of the most amazing. I have so many cute new outfits to wear, and a suitcase full of Bachelorette Party decorations. Lets just say.. some of them are heavily-penis-themed.. and I really hope my suitcase doesn’t get opened up and searched in the middle of the Vancouver Airport haha! That would be AWKWARD as hell.. and honestly it’s 99% going to happen. I always end up in the weirdest situations haha. Stay tuned for my “Palm Springs Recap” in a few weeks time.

Now back to the March Wrap Up…

MOVIES

1.) “US”

Written and Directed by the INCREDIBLY talented Jordan Peele.. who brought us the masterpiece “Get Out”. Hands down my most anticipated movie of 2019.

9.5/10

Wow. Wow. Wow.

This movie was brilliant. In every single way, in every single moment, and it honestly blew me away.

You guys know how much I love Horror Movies, and while this was definitely a Horror Movie.. it was so much more than that. It was VERY creepy, horrific, gory, and honestly in parts skin-crawling-ly shocking. What I loved the most though, was the humor laced through the entire thing. Right when something shocking happens, a joke is slipped in the cracks.. and it’s the exact right balance of light/dark & humor/horror. Not only was it scary, and hilarious.. but it was absolutely hands down one of the most artistically shot films I’ve ever seen. Every shot was beautiful! So many angles, that we rarely see in movies.. and that SCORE. The score of the film keeps you right on the nail-biting edge. I ripped off all my fake nails, once again. That feeling of being trapped in a house, with a threat quite literally BANGING on your front door… really creeps me out. It reminded me of much more fucked up version of “The Strangers” (which is also one of my Top 10 Horror Movies).

Jordan Peele once again has produced a beautiful, and amazing Horror movie. It’s a social commentary, and it’s also a total mind-fuck. I mean the one scene where we hear the voice of Adelaide’s new.. “friend”… I have NEVER been so genuinely creeped out. I’m still dreaming of it. Lupita Nyong’o completely stole my heart, and blew me away in this role.

The only reason I gave it a 9.5 instead of a 10, is this. I would say 98% of the movie is amazing, funny, scary.. all laced with a killer soundtrack. The final 10 minutes are just a back-to-back info dump of some INSANE SHIT. Personally… I loved every second of it. I love how Jordan Peele’s mind works, and I love this wild idea he came up with.. as the “twist” if you will. I only rated it that 0.5 lower, because I want to warn all my readers on what to expect. If you are someone who hates movies, that leave you with a “WTF did I just SEE” ending.. you might be angry at this one. Honestly, as soon as I got home and watched all the You-Tube videos going into details about the meaning behind the ending choice.. it just made me want to watch it all over again. I loved this with all my heart, and I think it deserves a 10/10.. I just wanted to prepare you to not expect a clean ending.

Rotten Tomatoes Plot Summary

(Haunted by an unexplainable and unresolved trauma from her past and compounded by a string of eerie coincidences, Adelaide feels her paranoia elevate to high-alert as she grows increasingly certain that something bad is going to befall her family. After spending a tense beach day with their friends, the Tylers (Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Cali Sheldon, Noelle Sheldon), Adelaide and her family return to their vacation home. When darkness falls, the Wilsons discover the silhouette of four figures holding hands as they stand in the driveway. Us pits an endearing American family against a terrifying and uncanny opponent: doppelgängers of themselves.)

2.) “Greta”

A fresh, and creepy new take on a classic “stalker” story.

8/10

As soon as I saw the trailer for this movie, I was counting down the days until it came out in the theater. I adore Chloe Graze Moretz, and the French Actress Isabelle Huppert is an incredible force of her own. These two together was magic. Also did I mention it’s a STALKER movie? Who doesn’t love a creepy stalker story?

This was a unique take on the classic stalker story. Not only does it involve two women, with quite a large age difference.. but the movie is also in question. I can’t get too into this plot.. but let me just say.. I was NOT prepared for how twisted this actually got.

While I did find it somewhat predictable in parts, I was still completely shocked by the corners it turned. Chloe and Isabelle are electrifying on screen together. You need to go see this one! Also this movie made me think twice, about returning lost items I find on the Skytrain haha.

Rotten Tomatoes Plot Summary

(A sweet, naïve young woman trying to make it on her own in New York City, Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz) doesn’t think twice about returning the handbag she finds on the subway to its rightful owner. That owner is Greta (Isabelle Huppert), an eccentric French piano teacher with a love for classical music and an aching loneliness. Having recently lost her mother, Frances quickly grows closer to widowed Greta. The two become fast friends – but Greta’s maternal charms begin to dissolve and grow increasingly disturbing as Frances discovers that nothing in Greta’s life is what it seems in this suspense thriller from Academy Award (R) winning director Neil Jordan.)

3.) “A Vigilante”

A very hard watch, but I think the BEST role Olivia Wilde has ever done. Stunning.

10/10

I hadn’t heard much about this movie going into it. I just sort of fell across it online, and since I love Olivia Wilde (I’ve been obsessed with her, ever since she played Marissa Cooper’s hot bi-sexual girlfriend on “THE O.C”) I had to watch this. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.. because this movie was a difficult watch.

The reviews have all said, that this is a career-defining move for Olivia Wilde.. and that this is her best work. I completely agree. It was a heartbreaking, shocking, empowering.. and brutal role. Her acting is so beautiful, and you believe 100% that she IS this character.

(Huge trigger warnings in this, for abuse, death, and some other difficult subjects.)

This movie is hard to review, because it’s told in the present.. with a slowly un-folding past. You begin to piece together her past (what happened to make her like she is now)… which lets you understand why she now does what she does.

She plays a character named Sadie, who seems to spend all of her time helping victims of domestic abuse.. escape from their abusers. We see how seriously she is taking this, and we don’t know the “why” behind it…. until about 1/2 way though the film.

It’s hard to say I “enjoyed” this movie, because it wasn’t an enjoyable thing to watch. It was a beautifully shot movie, with an important message. Also Olivia Wilde really needs to win ALL the awards for this one.

Rotten Tomatoes Plot Summary

(A once abused woman, Sadie (Olivia Wilde), devotes herself to ridding victims of their domestic abusers while hunting down the husband she must kill to truly be free. A Vigilante is a thriller inspired by the strength and bravery of real domestic abuse survivors and the incredible obstacles to safety they face.)

TV SHOWS

1.) “The Act”

Currently Streaming Weekly On: Hulu

Based on a True-Story/ True Crime Anthology Series

10/10 So Far!

I really love True Crime.. like in an obsessive way. I used to watch 20/20 and Dateline all the time, and I was always fascinated with a good True-Crime story. I feel like I’ve seen every single T-C Documentary Netflix has ever put out.. but for some reason this specific case has never crossed my path. I can’t BELIEVE I haven’t heard about this case before.. it’s INSANE! It’s so incredibly deranged, twisted, and just an absurd thrill.

“The Act” is currently airing weekly on Hulu, and there have only been three episodes so far. Ryan and I are OBSESSED with it! It’s so gripping! I love the young actress Joey King, who plays Gypsy in this show. She actually shaved her head in real life for the role, and she is such an amazing actress. I can’t wait to finish the series, and give you my full review.. but so far, so great. I can’t WAIT to see what happens next.

Google Plot Summary

(Dee Dee Blanchard is overprotective of her daughter, Gypsy, who is trying to escape the toxic relationship she has with her mother. Gypsy’s quest for independence opens up a Pandora’s box of secrets, which ultimately leads to murder. The stranger-than-fiction true-crime series is based on a 2016 BuzzFeed article that detailed the shocking 2015 crime. Oscar winner Patricia Arquette and Oscar nominee Chloë Sevigny star in the Hulu original series.)

2.) “Shrill”

Comedy/Drama Series on Hulu

I watched ALL Six Episodes in one Sitting

10/10

I hadn’t heard anything about this show, and I came across it randomly on someone’s Instagram Story. They were saying how good it was, so I went ahead and looked it up online. The star of “Shrill” is Aidy Bryant, who I know from watching her on SNL. Honestly I’ve never really been a “fan” of her comedy, and didn’t know much about her. All that changed about two minutes into “Shrill”.

Aidy Bryant plays Annie, a hilarious, smart, driven, and bad-ass main character. She is dealing with love, work, life, and the pressure to be seen as conventionally “attractive”. This show does a really good job of showing how our society treats people who are overweight, and just the general awful body-shaming tendencies so many people intentionally & un-intentionally participate it. This show was incredibly empowering, hilarious, and I loved every second of it. I even cheered at one point out LOUD, because the speech she gave was that fucking epic. PLEASE watch this show.

I will attach the speech I am referring to here, for reference. Best scene of the show.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, “SHRILL”)

BRYANT: (As Annie) You know, I was, like, at that event today. And there were so many people just, like, living in their bodies and enjoying their life. And that was unbelievable to me. And also, it’s like, OK. Cool, man. Very original point. You don’t think the whole world isn’t constantly telling me that I’m a fat piece of [expletive] who doesn’t try hard? Every magazine, and commercial and weird, targeted ads telling me to freeze my fat off? And at this point, I could be a licensed nutritionist because I’ve literally been training for it since the fourth grade, which is the first time that my mom said that I should just eat a bowl of Special K and not the dinner that she made for everyone else, (sobbing), so that I might be a little bit smaller and so that I could have boys like me.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #3: (As character) My mom said that to me, too.

BRYANT: (As Annie) I honestly – I don’t even blame her because – because it’s a [expletive] mind prison, you know, that every woman, everywhere, has been programmed to believe, you know? And I’ve wasted so much time, and energy and money for what? For what? You know? I’m fat. I’m [expletive] fat. Hello? I’m fat. You know?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #3: (As character) Yeah. I wish someone would’ve said this to me when I was younger.

BRYANT: (As Annie) Me too. Because it would have saved me so much time and pain.

3.) “The O.A Season 2”

Currently Streaming on Netflix

I have literally been counting down the weeks until this hit my screen.

10/10!!!

This show is one of the weirdest, most mind-blowing, most ARTISTIC.. and just addicting things I’ve ever seen. Season 1 completely blew me away, and I have been waiting what seems like FOREVER for Season 2. It’s such a complex and layered story.. that unfolds perfectly down to the exact frame. It is so beautifully shot, with some of the most gorgeous cinematic moments I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure Creator and star Brit Marling is a genius.

I can’t really tell you anything at all about Season 2, or share any photos from Season 2 (all the photos I’m attaching are from Season 1), because of obvious spoilers. If you haven’t seen Season 1 yet, do yourself a favor and get on Netflix as fast as you can.

Google Plot Summary for Season 1

(In addition to her role as creator and executive producer of this mind-bending series, Brit Marling also plays the role of Prairie Johnson, a young woman who returns home after a 7-year disappearance. Her sudden return is not the only miraculous occurrence: everyone is shocked to learn that Prairie is no longer blind. While the FBI and her parents are anxious to discuss Prairie’s disappearance, she won’t talk about what happened during the time that she was missing. Zal Batmanglij, the co-creator and an executive producer of the series, is the director of every episode.)

BOOKS

1.) “The Truth About Keeping Secrets”

By, Savannah Brown

Audio-Book Version, Narrated By, Savannah Brown

8/10

First off, I am a HUGE fan of the author of this book, Savannah Brown. I came across one of her slam-poems online.. which led me to her You-Tube Channel, and her Instagram. Since then I’ve kept up with her, and loved everything she’s done. Savannah is an incredibly talented poet, and when I found out she was writing her first Fiction book… I was SO thrilled. Her book was released in the U.K, and I was so desperate to read it (it hasn’t come out in Canada yet), that I decided to get it on Audiobook. I NEVER ever listen to Audiobooks. I always get distracted, and I 100% prefer to read a physical book. However “The Truth About Keeping Secrets” Audio-Book version, is actually narrated by Savannah.. so I had to have it. If you have ever watched her You-Tube channel, or heard her speak.. you know what a hypnotic voice she has. It’s like what ASMR dreams are made of! Listening to her read her own words, was magical.

This book is about a young girl named Sydney, who’s Father is killed in a car accident. She is dealing with this immense grief, when she starts getting mysterious texts/messages. Someone seems to think her Father’s death wasn’t an accident after all. Sydney’s Dad was the local town Psychiatrist, so he had private relationships with a lot of people.. any of who could have a motive? Sydney tries to piece it all together, and ends up developing a friendship/a little something more, with the local Homecoming Queen June Copeland.

I really enjoyed the fact that our main character Sydney was LGBT, and how that whole subject was dealt with. It wasn’t sensationalized at all, and it was wonderful to see an author be so inclusive. I will say the overall plot of this book was a bit predictable, and overall sort of ridiculous. I saw it coming a mile away, and even then it left a bit to be desired. However that being said… this was hands down one of the most beautifully written, poetic books I’ve ever read. This is not surprising, given the fact Savannah Brown is an accomplished Poet. So many times I had to pause the audio-book, to rewind a specific passage, and listen to her read it over and over again. I absolutely loved this book for that reason.

Good-Reads Plot Summary

(Sydney’s dad is the only psychiatrist for miles around their small Ohio town.

He is also unexpectedly dead.

Is Sydney crazy, or is it kind of weird that her dad-a guy whose entire job revolved around other peoples’ secrets-crashed alone, with no explanation?

And why is June Copeland, homecoming queen and the town’s golden child, at his funeral?

As the two girls grow closer in the wake of the accident, it’s clear that not everyone is happy about their new friendship.

But what is picture perfect June still hiding? And does Sydney even want to know?

THE TRUTH ABOUT KEEPING SECRETS is a page-turning, voice led, high school thriller.)

Photo of the gorgeous and talented Savannah Brown below (Google Images 2019)

2.) “After”

By, Anna Todd

Movie Version Coming Out Soon

Audio-Book

A trashy romance, which actually began as Harry Styles Fan-Fiction

I’m almost embarrassed to even mention this, but I had to.

2/10

“My life before him was so simple and decided, now after him…It’s just…After.”

Okay I will keep this short. This was bad. Really bad. I sort of enjoyed it for the first 1/4, but after that it became repetitive, and really annoying. I saw the trailer for this movie, and I was intrigued. It was a hot trailer, with two gorgeous young Actors.. set to the sexy Selena Gomez song “Good For You”. I will 100% see this movie, and probably love it… like the way I loved “50 Shades of Grey”, and I thought the books were garbage too.

I’m not even going to bother going into all the problematic, awful things about this book. This book apparently all began on Wattpad, as a Harry Styles fan-fiction. Something like one BILLION people were into it.. and then came the book deal… and then the movie deal. I was on the Audio-Book train, and figured why the hell not?

The story is about a young girl named Tessa, who goes off to University, leaving her sweet boyfriend back home. ENTER SCENE, Hot/Tattooed/English Accent/ “Bad Boy” Hardin.. who shakes it all up. He’s a real asshole, toying with her feelings.. over and OVER and OVER. It’s just the same repetitive thing, the entire book. Hardin confides in her, he pulls away. Hardin is nice, then he’s an asshole. Hardin kisses her, then he hates her. Ugh.

There were some hot sex scenes (I guess). I feel really uncomfortable reading erotic books, and I think listening to this on Audio-Book made it all 100 times worse. The narrator had the creepiest voice.. and her male voice was creepy too. It was all just a disaster.

That being said, I can’t wait to see this movie next month. I will make sure to update you on my thoughts haha.

Good-Reads Plot Summary

(Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She’s got direction, ambition, and a mother who’s intent on keeping her that way.

But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to.

But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before.

He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn’t the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper.

Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her?

Unless…could this be love?

Now newly revised and expanded, Anna Todd’s After fanfiction racked up 1 billion reads online and captivated readers across the globe. Experience the Internet’s most talked-about book for yourself!

There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything AFTER … Life will never be the same.)

Photos from the After Movie below (Google Images 2019)

3.) “My Friend Dahmer”

Written and Illustrated By, Derf Backderf

10/10

The Most INCREDIBLE Graphic Novel I’ve Ever Read!

“It’s my belief that Dahmer didn’t have to wind up a monster, that all those people didn’t have to die horribly, if only the adults in his life hadn’t been so inexplicably, unforgivably, incomprehensibly clueless and/or indifferent. Once Dahmer kills, however – and I can’t stress this enough – my sympathy for him ends. He could have turned himself in after that first murder. He could have put a gun to his head. Instead he, and he alone, chose to become a serial killer and spread misery to countless people. There are a surprising number out there who view Jeffery Dahmer as some kind of anti-hero, a bullied kid who lashed back at the society that rejected him, This is nonsense. Dahmer was a twisted wretch whose depravity was almost beyond comprehension. Pity him, but don’t empathize with him.” – Derf Backderf

Okay so I’m willing to bet, most of you have probably heard of the infamous Serial Killer, Jeffery Dahmer. I recognized the name for sure, but knew little about his life, or even about his crimes. This Graphic Novel caught my eye, mainly for it’s incredible reviews. It’s regarded as one of the most amazing Graphic Novels ever, and has a huge cult following. Not only did it’s Author & Illustrator Derf Backderf, write and illustrate this stunning book.. but he actually went to high-school with.. and was FRIENDS with Dahmer. He writes of his experiences, the best way he knows how… through his Art.

This story is creepy, dread-inducing.. graphic, and deeply sad. It doesn’t go very far into Dahmer’s killing’s.. but explores more of his life as a teenager. It shows his isolation, his social awkwardness, and also flashes on those giant warning signs people should have seen. Derf remembers his own experiences with Jeff, and he also extensively interviews his former classmates/teachers, and friends.. to flesh out the book more.

The only thing I didn’t love about this book, was the incredibly offensive jokes they made about a disabled man. I found it horrific, but the fact that this is a true story… just sort of shows, this really happened. I’m sure the author isn’t proud of this behavior at all, but it was a fact at the time, and it’s actually a huge part of the story. If this had been a work of Fiction, and the author had made these jokes.. I would have been disgusted.. but since it’s re-counting an actual event that took place, I suppose it’s not quite so bad. Still turned my stomach though.

Overall this was a really gripping ride. Ryan and I both read it, in one sitting! I heard there has been a Film adaptation of this, and I think I’ll watch it tonight.

4.) “The Mermaid’s Voice Returns In This One”

By, Amanda Lovelace

4/10

This is the third book of Poetry, in the “Women are Some Kind of Magic” Series. The first one “The Princess Saves Herself In This One” I LOVED, the second one “The Witch Doesn’t Burn In This One” I thought was pretty good…. and this third one “The Mermaid’s Voice Returns In This One” I thought was only okay. I feel really bad saying that, because I respect the author SO much.. and I think all the awareness and light she is shining on sexual assault and domestic violence, is incredible. This is a powerful and important movement she’s a part of, and while I really loved some of the poems in this one.. I found some of it lacking. Some were just a few short words on a page, other’s almost completely blank pages. It felt a bit repetitive, and shallow? So many of them were really wonderful though, and sparked that feeling I felt in the first two collections.

However, in this collection she had a few other Guest Author’s add some poems of their own.. and one of my favorite poets Orion Carloto submitted her poem.. and it was STUNNING. (I will attach it below.) The guest poet’s work, were by far the best part. That being said I’ve loved this Series, and I’m proud to own it in my Poetry Collection.

Good-Reads Plot Summary

(Goodreads Choice Award-winning poet and USA TODAY bestselling author Amanda Lovelace presents the mermaid’s voice returns in this one — the third and final installment in her “women are some kind of magic” series, featuring a foreword from Lang Leav and 13 guest poems from leading voices in poetry such as Nikita Gill, KY Robinson, and Orion Carloto.

The mermaid is known for her siren song, luring bedroom-eyed sailors to their demise. However, beneath these misguided myths are tales of escapism and healing, which Lovelace weaves throughout this empowering collection of poetry, taking you on a journey from the sea to the stars. They tried to silence her once and for all, but the mermaid’s voice returns in this one.)