Christmas means comfort, joy and chaos

Love the Coopers
2015 | PG-13 | 1 Hr 47 Min | Comedy | Image Ent.

Director: Jessie Nelson

Writer: Steven Rogers

Stars: 

Steve Martin

Diane Keaton

John Goodman

Ssynopsis:

When four generations of the Cooper clan come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday.

Back in the day when I worked for the theater we always agreed on one thing the bigger the star list the worse the movie gets. Well, Love the Coopers takes an amazing line up and squanders it away with the likes of Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Marisa Tomei, Alan Arkin, Olivia Wilde, June Squibb, Amanda Seyfried and Anthony Mackie in a Christmas comedy of numbing boredum and tackiness.

However though all of its subplots Olivia Wilde is the only storyline that holds your interest. Almost as if this was the main part of the story and the rest was pure fluff around it.  It is quickly established that  Joe Swanberg is her Drinking Buddy as we watch them awkwardly flirt their way through this movie. Their storyline does bring much-needed vinegar to otherwise flat material. The scenes of Eleanor and Joe also stand out as the only ones grounded in any sense of contemporary reality; she ribs him about climate change, gun control, and religion, though of course, their clashing values are no match for the parents need to see Eleanor settle down.

And then there is what I think the main story to be and that involving Tomei who plays Emma, Charlotte's (Keaton) sister and easily the film's least charitable creation. Childless, husband-less, needy and passive-aggressive, Emma is also a shoplifter and ends up in the back of a police car while trying to compete with finding the perfect gift. She's envious of Charlotte's seemingly perfect suburban existence but learns a valuable life lesson, which, as far as I could tell, had something to do with the importance of buying expensive gifts for the people you love. Tomei is a superb actress as well as Keaton but man its comforting to know they both go on to make better movie choices. 

I did laugh a little and was moved mainly by Amanda Seyfried story even if it was a short one. But in the end, it was just another Christmas Movie about a dysfunctional family over the holiday looking for a cheap laugh as we watch them struggle. Many of us struggle through the holidays and are looking for a laugh or an escape through the warm glow of our television sets. Sadly the Coopers did not do it for me as Chevy Case can. 

3 Ninja Santa's out of 5

My top 10 non-horror

So earlier today I posted my best of 2018 horror but it seems like I watched an open pallet of movies this year. And Documentary's seem to have lead the charge along with those Superheroes! No keep in mind I'm always behind in my movies (Dang kids and job) so things like Solo and Aquaman will hopefully make next years list. Ok, so let's get started.

Number 10

(Click for Review)

Number 9

(Click for Review)

Number 8

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Number 7

(Click for Review)

Number 6

(Click for Review)

Number 5

(Click for Review)

Number 4

(Click for Review)

Number 3

(Click For Review)

Number 2

(Click for Review)

Number 1

I still recommend this movie to everybody!

Check my review here.

So if you combined my list's it would look like this 

5) Basketcase

4) Theater of Blood

3) Mudbound

2) To Hell ANd Back

1) Florida Project

and as time goes by Pooka just might have to pass up Basketcase. In the end, I'm just glad to have met my goal of 52 movies. Maybe for 2019, I will shot for 100 we will see.

The Best of 2018

Ok so here you go the top horror movies I watched in 2018. Please note these are not just new tiles just the ones I watched and felt where the best of the best.

Number 10 

(Review here)

Eebee is back in the Seventh in the franchise and they seem to get better as they go!

But I had to call it a tie with this one...

(Review here) 

Was kind of hard not to include MicroWave massacre as it was also the highest viewed post of the year as well. 

Number 9

(Review here)

So crazy! This one stuck with me for a few weeks after!

Number 8

(Review Here)

I'm so glad I spent most of my year watching what people call classics!

Number 7

(Review Here)

Judge me all you want I really liked this movie. Anytime a horror flick can make you laugh and forget about the crap reality around you its a good flick in my book. Plus Thomas C Howell is pretty hot in this one.

Number 6

(Review Here)

I love Witches they are my favorite part of Halloween and when your favorite podcast Shock Waves talked about it I shot to the top of my list for the brisk fall season. 

Number 5

(Review Here)

Just like Killer Donuts Plan 9 was a loose adaptation of the original was just plain and simple fun!

Number 4

(Review Here)

If you have not seen Ghostwatch you are missing out! And it takes place on Halloween so yeah watch it!

Number 3

(Review Here)

I know that I have not had a chance to watch most of the 2018 hits yet like Halloween or Hereditary but out of the new movies from this year Pooka really moved me. If you have Hulu do not let the Christmas theme stop you check it out today.  

Number 2

(Review Here)

As most of you know Joe Bob Brigg's hosting again on Shudder was one of the biggest news stories of the year for Horror Fans. And with Basketcase being on my bucket list for far too long this was a win-win for me! And a slap to the head wondering why I waited so dang long to watch this one. 

Number 1

(Review Here)

Wow, this one moved me and has resonated in my mind for months. I love Price and was given this VHS as a gift and it sure was! The colors, story, acting it was all amazing. So as you can see older movies are still better than today's flare.  And trust me I know this list is without A Quiet Place, Halloween, and The Shape of Water all tiles I really wanted to watch. And those are on the top of my list for 2019!!

Pooka see, Pooka do, Pooka me, Pooka you

Pooka!
2018 | 1 Hr 23 Min | TV-MA | Horror | Hulu
Director: Nacho Vigalondo

Writer: Gerald Olson

Stars: 

Nyasha Hatendi

Latarsha Rose

Jon Daly

A struggling actor takes on a seasonal holiday job as the mascot for the year's hottest new toy: Pooka. However, after putting the costume on, he develops two personalities - one for himself, and one for Pooka.

Holy Sh%t is there anything that Blumhouse can do wrong right now? With The Purge, Happy Death Day, Paranormal Activity and of course this year's huge hit Halloween everything seems to be going the right way for our favorite Hollywood studio! Pooka does a crazy job of wrapping itself around the Christmas Carol storyline that you just don't see it coming. 

And this Nacho guy who is he? The only thing that rings a bell on his resume is ABC's of Death but in my, mind Pooka should be his springboard! The way he takes this dark story and splashes color of red and blue driving you to end of the movie is downright brilliant! And Gerald Olson with only three scripts to his name how is that? He does a fantastic job gluing you down to your seat even though Pooka is a real slow burn! And thanks to a fun cast and a crazy looking mascot that is incredibly creepy at times and somehow absolutely hilarious at others.  Oh and that theme song is sure to get stuck in your head. “Pooka see, Pooka do, Pooka me, Pooka you.” so enjoy that I know I did all last night while I laid awake thinking about what I just witnessed earlier in the evening.

I just don't want to give anything away but I can’t stress enough how much I enjoyed Pooka!. The story deserves so much more attention, but I again don't want to spoil it. Pooka is perfectly dark and twisted, the cast is fantastic and Pooka himself is the perfect mix of everything stuck in your childhood mind of Christmas a long time ago. If you’re looking for something creepy to watch this holiday season, look no further than Pooka!. This was the most fun I had in a long time and will be part of my Christmas season must watch for years to come. 

4 Bloody Brains out of 5

Find out who you are and do it on purpose.

Dumplin'
2018 | 1 HR 50 Min | PG-13 | Comedy | Netflix

Director: Anne Fletcher

Writers:

Kristin Hahn

Julie Murphy

Stars: 

Danielle Macdonald

Jennifer Aniston 

Odeya Rush 

Synopsis:

Willowdean ('Dumplin'), the plus-size teenage daughter of a former beauty queen, signs up for her mom's Miss Teen Bluebonnet pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow her footsteps, revolutionizing the pageant and their small Texas town.

Everyone is so busy talking about Netflix's Bird Box they just might be missing out on this tender coming of age flick Dumplin' or are they. With strong performances from Aniston and Danielle Macdonald can’t save this conventional pageant saga that seems to be centered around the music from Dolly Parton. In a house full of girls this was the movie of choice last night and even if the movie never really gets into second gear its message is important and not shoved down your throat.

Dumplin' is a big-hearted dramedy about an overweight teenager who finds herself by way of Dolly Parton. There is fun to be had, as in a scene where a cheerful group of Texan drag queens performs some of Ms. Parton’s greatest hits. But as a coming-of-age tale, a comedy of southern pageantry, or a story of mother-daughter reconciliation, it is well boring. Giving the sensation of having seen it all before, only this time with more glitter and higher hair. It's a story worth telling just at a staggering and very predictable pace.

Dumplin’ is more often a film loudly announcing its noble intentions with slogans instead of dialogue: “A protest in heels”, “Every body is a swimsuit body” and as if inching toward self-awareness, “Hey hey, ho ho, patriarchy has got to go.” That’s a message to get behind, as is Aniston’s superfluous southern accent and the ascent of Macdonald. The movie, however, not so much.

Sorry Dumplin' 

3 out 5

HBO's Camping Hits the Snooze Button

Camping
2018 | 30 Min | MA | Comedy | HBO


Creators: Lena Dunham, Jenni Konner

Stars: 

Jennifer Garner

David Tennant

Juliette Lewis

Synopsis:

A man's camping trip with his wife and friends spirals out of control. A U.S. adaptation of the British series, 'Camping'.

Camping should be a great show. The series has a phenomenal cast, and is the product of two writers, Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner, who gave us the runaway hit "Girls". Unfortunately, Dunham and Konner weren’t able to duplicate their previous success.

There are good performances and sharp jokes embedded in this campfire story if you stick around long enough to appreciate them. One of the better (or not) is Juliette Lewis as she relishes the opportunity, to derail Garner's scheduled-to-death outing provide Camping with some of its energetic sequences. All though at times it is hard to understand what Lewis charter was trying to do she is clearly here to drive this truck even tho its a Garner vehicle and for me that was the problem. 

Jennifer Garner, bless her, commits to the character. She does her best to be the person who seems to vacuum up the joy in any space she inhabits. Kathryn needn’t be likable for Camping to succeed, of course, however, Kathryn is all sharp edges, with no warmth or vulnerability to ground her. Despite Garner’s best efforts, the premise that a group of people would willingly spend this much time with her borders on unbelievable, especially on a weekend that’s supposed to be a relaxing getaway in the woods. Aside from their child, it’s hard to understand why her husband (his birthday is the reason behind the trip) is still with her. She is selfish, controlling, and cruel, blaming her abrasiveness on chronic pain and myriad illnesses real and imagined. She invents medical excuses for the fact that she and her husband haven’t had sex for two years. and the sexual tension plays off as a downer and unwanted tension that I think was to play off as a joke.

The cast at least offers some welcome and occasionally humorous insight, mostly due to the unbridled hippie magnetism of Lewis. She gets Carleen to cut her extremely long hair, she offers dangerous pills to the already teetering Joe, she enthuses to Joe’s daughter that being gay means that she’s likely headed for a great sex life. All Kathryn offers are screeches and accusations and physical ailment descriptions that not only make the other characters tense, but she can also kick up the blood pressure of the viewer, and not in a good way. In fact, I want to ditch both of them and make it a bro getaway instead.

I really wanted to like Camping but it's a waste of a fine cast and a dull setting. One possible upside for the series is that Camping might inspire people to go camping themselves, just to get away from the TV for a while.

2 out of 5 Stars

Hi, Cruel World

Kidding
2018 | 30 Min | MA | Comedy | Showtime


Creator: Dave Holstein

Stars: 

Jim Carrey

Frank Langella

Judy Greer

Synopsis:

Jeff, aka Mr. Pickles, is an icon of children's television, a beacon of kindness and wisdom to America's impressionable young minds and the parents who grew up with him - who also anchors a multimillion-dollar branding empire. But when this beloved personality's family - wife, two sons, sister, and father - begins to implode, Jeff finds no fairy tale or fable or puppet will guide him through the crisis, which advances faster than his means to cope. The result: a kind man in a cruel world faces a slow leak of sanity as hilarious as it is heartbreaking.

Right up until its final moments, Kidding, the Showtime series starring Jim Carrey as the Fred Rogers-esque Jeff Piccirillo (a.k.a. Mr. Pickles), brings back the dark comedy that has been missing through the past few years. The balance between the brightness of the show within the show, Mr. Pickles’ Puppet Time, and Jeff’s slow breakdown over the death of one of his sons and his subsequent separation from his wife is mostly weighted towards tenderness. The essence of the lessons Mr. Pickles teaches is simply to be good to each other.

Jim Carrey's Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless mind was always my favorite of his that finally drug me into is world and seeing him in a dark role was so financing. For me, Carrey is a much better actor in a Drama setting rather than his early comedy roles. And Kidding has you sucked into his sad dark mind from the first few minutes until the dark end of season one. 

Kidding, when it works, which isn’t always, wrestles with the difficulty of goodness and the strictures of persona, of having to pretend to be happy when you are so unhappy and the difficulty of treating other people and yourself decently when you are so sad. You owe it to yourself to "binge" your way through Showtimes Kidding as its a breath of fresh air.

4 out of 5 Stars

Prince Of Peoria A Christmas Moose Miracle

Prince Of Peoria A Christmas Moose Miracle
2018 | 25 Min | G | Family | Netflix

Creators:

Devin Bunje

Nick Stanton
Stars:

 Gavin Lewis

Cynthia Kaye McWilliams

Theodore Barnes

Synopsis:

Teddy gets snowed in at a bowling alley, which may cause him to miss the Festival of Lights for the very first time. Fear not, though, because Emil "insists the Christmas moose will save the day.

Oh, Netflix next time you want to make a TV show about Peoria Illinois do some scouting will you? We just do not have mountains in this wonderful flat state. I know the Griswald'ss made the same mistake picking up a Christmas tree but come on now. Now don't get me wrong they get a lot right in fact the Festival of Lights Parade is one of the biggest of its kind in Illinois and we all take the trek to go see it but it's also in East Peoria. And to make my ears cringe more they drop a street name in the mix and again it is on the other side of town!! Ugh. Ok, I will stop knit picking A Christmas Moose Miracle is actually pretty good. 

For a Christmas special this one was done very well and can be watched on its own. We have watched a few episodes and its a neat show heck not to many shows take place just south of where I live so why not? You get a really cute story that is modeled after those Disney show formula that ends with an overload of sweetness. You can even grab your teens for this one I promise this one will have you believing in the Christmas Moose. 

3 Ninja Santa's out of 5