Gut and Heart Punch

I have been two for two with seeing good films my last couple of outings. One was an indie and the other a teen flick. These movies are on complete opposite ends of my interests but I loved them both. I felt they accomplished what they were trying to portray and engaged the audience throughout the whole showing.  

First up is Colossal. I invited Kelly out for a late night showing at our local historic theater. We were both tired from work and could barely keep our eyes open as we looked to find seats (to the right and towards the top). It was just us and another couple in there that seemed lost. The film opened with a short film that showed the less appealing aspects of technology. It was hilarious. I wish I could remember what it was called and I'm too lazy to look it up. 

After that, the film started and it completely blew me away. I was expecting a funny slapstick monster movie comedy. Instead, I got a heartfelt, slightly uncomfortable view of an abusive relationship. I won't say how or why but it was handled in such a unique way. Anne Hathaway is such a great actress and she owned that role. I wanted to go back and see it again but it had already left the theater before I had the chance to.  

The latest movie I've seen was Everything Everything. Again, Kelly and I made our way to the cinema. We went on discount Tuesday and smuggled in food from Brown Rice. To make up for our deception, I also bought popcorn and hot dogs for myself. We found seats right in the center and laid back in the recliner seats. There was a good crowd for the early evening showing. As an audience, we were pretty talkative but it improved my movie going experience. The film was so darn cute. I loved the two lead actors. They had amazing chemistry. I really liked the movie but the soundtrack was the real star. I was damn near dancing in my seat while the film was trying to make me feel things. I'm happy I didn't wait for the DVD like I had originally planned to do. This is the feel good movie of the year so far.

Epic Space Superhero Action Comedy Vol 2

Those are the exact words I used to describe Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 to someone who avoids superhero films. I agree with the observation that there are so many of them and it's difficult to tell them apart. But I absolutely loved the first film and it's still holding up as my favorite Marvel movie so far. I was hoping the second out of the Guardians would take the torch but I failed to really connect with this movie.

My boyfriend and I went to a local theater that's under some construction. They had just put in new recliner seats, which are becoming a great bonus of seeing movies. It was discount Tuesday (thank God for discount Tuesday) and we went to a late night showing. By late night, I mean after nine when I am usually in pajamas and zoning out on YouTube videos. It was mostly empty which I was surprised at. I think I was hoping for a more audience driven experience. In retrospect, it would have helped me get more excited and lost in the film. Because it was just my boyfriend and I, we were left to pick apart the film and roll our eyes at allllll theeeeee speechesssssss.

It was too sentimental and sappy for me. I sighed out loud and said, "Really?" under my breath too many times to count. I get it, they are no a family. Just don't beat me over the head with it. I did love all the post credit scenes. There are five total, so unless you don't care don't leave the film until the very end. They don't really play into how the Guardians will fold into the Avengers story line in an obvious way. They seemed like little funny clips to amuse, not intrigue.

The next film up is Thor: Ragnarok and that one has me a little hype. I just hope it doesn't disappoint me like this one did.

New theater

I used to live on the opposite side of town where there was this little movie theater and no one seemed to want to go to. They knew it was there but it seemed abandoned and run down. And it was, just a little. But it was always empty and the prices were decent. If you were looking for a secluded movie experience, this was the one to go to.

I hadn't been out there in 2 years and since then, they've completely renovated it. It's awesome inside. They have a small lounge area near the concession stand. The theaters vary in size but none are teeny tiny. And the seats...they recline. I love this new feature theaters have been putting in. It's so damn relaxing. It almost makes me forget I'm there to see a film and take a nap.

But I didn't this past Tuesday. I got my boyfriend out on a date. Another bonus: Tuesdays have discount prices all day. So I only paid $12 for the both of us. We were a little early but still decided to check out our seats instead of sitting in the lounge. We sat in the middle towards the left of the screen. After the repetitive commercials and the less than exciting previews, the movie began.

By the way, we went to go see Sleight. The actual cinematic outing overshadowed the film. I still really liked it though. It's about a street magician who sells drugs to support himself and his little sister. When she's kidnapped, he does everything it takes to get her back. The actors were believable and lifelike. I just wish they were either more or less backstory for the main characters. It just fell a little flat and didn't fully capture my attention. The ambiguous ending left me confused on the point of it. I didn't stay through the end credits to see if it was explored further either. I enjoyed the movie but it's not something I'd recommend for a theater experience. You can appreciate it just as much on your home T.V.