When the monthly lottery came around at MovieBoozer, I thought for sure I’d put myself up to review the revamped Halloween, with Jaimie Lee Curtis reprising her role as the beleaguered Laurie Strode. Who doesn’t want to see Laurie kick that pesky Michael Myer’s ass? But then I watched the trailer and something felt… off. As excited as I was, I couldn’t shake the darkness of the plot. Obviously it’s not going to be sunshine and daisies, but I found myself unable to embrace the thought of heading into the theater with my notebook to jot down my thoughts on the kills. But I was also didn’t want to skip an opportunity to write for a website I dearly love. I am deadline-driven and need assignments to thrive. What was I going to do?

Then I watched the trailer for Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (a flick that was not even remotely on my radar) and something unexpected happened – I actually wanted to see the damn thing. The cleverness of bringing Halloween to life, costumes and all, looked like too much fun to miss. And that’s when it struck me – I wanted the perks of the spookiest holiday, without having to embrace the nightmares. Sometimes it’s okay not to go all in. With far too many scares happening in the real world, I was more than happy to kick back with Fright Lite ™  and it turned out to be the perfect compromise. It’s definitely not for everyone – I was one of the few child-free audience members in the mix. But if you’re craving something that’s not too taxing that will still signal your brain that fall’s favorite holiday is nearing, Goosebumps 2 could be for you. Read the surprising amount of words I have to say about it in my full film review, available at MovieBoozer now!

There’s been a dearth of rom-coms of late (save the fantastic summer blockbuster, Crazy Rich Asians) – it’s almost as if the genre has been as waylaid as the demographic it (mainly) represents. (You don’t have to look far to see what’s happening to women in the news these days.) So it was with great pleasure that I jumped at the chance when Juliet, Naked finally came to town. The film stars the gorgeous Rose Byrne, along with Ethan Hawke (yep, Gen X-ers, Hawke plays a grandpa in this flick!) and the ever-hilarious Chris O’Dowd – a buzzworthy middle-aged haven. (It turns out old people like to fall in love too. Who knew!) There are few plot surprises, given the trope – but that’s exactly what is supposed to happen. Romantic comedies are the comfort food of films – you don’t need the unpleasant surprise of ground glass in your cookie. You just want to enjoy the damn cookie. And Juliet, Naked let’s you have the whole bag, guilt-free. Perfect for a solo watch or date night. Read my full review, available at MovieBoozer now. xo

It’s almost like Diablo Cody can’t help herself. The talented screenwriter has so many clever ideas that she’s just gotta stuff ’em all in there, even if the film would actually flourish with less interference. It was the case with her breakout project, Juno, and it’s the case now with her latest effort Tully (her third movie with director Jason Reitman). Tully initially soars, with an outstanding performance by Charlize Theron that’s a meditation on modern motherhood and the dangers of depression. I was all in until the the third act, which goes seriously off the rails with an unneeded twist. Damn it, girl – you were almost there! I hope Diablo finds the strength to lay off the tricks because she’s got a strong voice hiding under the gimmicks, dying to come out. More on my review at MovieBoozer here. xo

It’s crazy to call a movie named Big Ass Spider! a delight, but that’s exactly what this flick is – an all out silly good time, and a cast with chemistry to spare. Yes, of course it’s ludicrous – and that’s half the fun. Plus with the lean run time, you can’t afford not to watch it! Check out my review on Cinapse here – 200 words of raw movie critic firepower. Woot!

No, YOU be quiet!

What happens when a critically-lauded film isn’t actually that great? In this case A Quiet Place has no sound, and the emperor has no clothes! This is a companion piece to the official MovieBoozer review for fun, and is in no way meant to disrespect the critic’s article or opinion. It’s simply a rebuttal to the movie itself from a mouthy broad who thinks John Krasinski looks mighty hot with a beard. Enjoy my write-up at MovieBoozer here! (Contains loads of spoilers, so read post-viewing.)

I had the honor of conducting a phone interview with the Wild Wild Country co-directors, Chapman and Maclain Way, on March 26, 2018. Their six-part docuseries, currently streaming exclusively on Netflix, is a compelling and engaging piece of work – a MUST-SEE, worthy of adding to the top of your binge-watch list asap. The brothers were an absolute delight to speak with – to learn about how they researched this massive project, what it was like spending time in the presence of Ma Anand Sheela, meeting the Duplass brothers, and more, click here. xo

[Maclain and Chapman Way. Photo Credit]

I’m thrilled to return to writing film reviews for MovieBoozer (we rate movies by the pint – way more fun than tomatoes)! Kicking it off with a writeup on the lovely indie flick, Band Aid, by Zoe Lister-Jones.

Hot people airing their marital problems in song? Yes, please! Read the review, see the film, hit me up with comments. xo