Every so often when I can’t think of something to post, I
simply put up a list of movie suggestions. I watch a lot of movies when I can’t
find time for reading, which has happened a lot lately. I also tend to like a
lot of things that mainstream audiences don’t enjoy or never bother to watch,
so I feel obligated to put that disclaimer out there. If you watch and don't like these, I'm sorry. I'm weird. I have no excuses.
For those of you who like movies and have a few hours to
kill this summer, I thought I’d share some fantasy-paranormal-sci-fi movie
recommendations with you. These are some I’ve seen lately:
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES
I must preface this with a note that I do love Jane Austen’s
“Pride and Prejudice” — it’s one of my favorite books of all time — and I own
every movie version of “Pride and Prejudice” ever made. That said, I wasn’t
sure how I’d feel about “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.” I felt a little
snobbish about the whole thing — how dare they?!? — if I’m honest. However, I
do like zombie movies and TV shows, so in the end, I was game to see it. You
know what? OMG, I absolutely loved this movie! Yes, it was very silly, but it
was also a lot of fun! I thought they also made some smart choices with the
storytelling. I haven’t read the book on which it’s based so I have no idea if
that credit goes to the filmmakers or Seth Grahame-Smith. Either way, good job,
movie people. I also have a mad crush on Sam Riley’s leather-clad version of
Darcy now. I never thought I would say that about any Darcy portrayal other
than by Colin Firth or Matthew MacFayden, but it’s true. Sam Riley, I heart
you. And if you love “Doctor Who” you will adore Matt Smith’s version of Mister
Collins in this. He is absolutely hilarious. Best of all are the Bennett
sisters, all of them, especially Elizabeth, because they kick serious hiney in
this movie. There is some blood and gore, but not a ton, so if you’re
squeamish, don’t let that stop you from watching (it is rated PG-13, after all). I enjoyed it so much I went
out and bought my own copy. I mentioned I’m weird, right?
400 DAYS
I totally admit that I watched this sci-fi movie mainly
because I love the actors Brandon Routh and Caity Lotz, but it turned out to be
quite interesting. The premise is that four astronauts are put into a 400-day
simulation in an underground facility to test the psychological effects of space
travel. When they emerge, they discover that the Earth has changed — but are
the changes real or psychological? I can’t say more than that because then I’d
get spoiler-y. The ending is more than a little frustrating, but overall, if
you like sci-fi, you’ll probably like this one — or at least the first 50
minutes or so. It kind of falls apart around that mark. The surprising thing
for me is that it was produced by Syfy (yes, the TV network that produced “Sharknado”)
although it wasn’t campy or stupid. It was a legit, straight-up sci-fi film.
Who knew Syfy was even capable of such a thing?!?
ZOOTOPIA
This movie had me at cute, talking animals. I know it’s a Disney animated
film and one you wouldn’t expect to find on a list here, but seriously, this
movie is amazing. It’s entertaining while delivering some important social
messages. "Zootopia” follows adorable Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin of
“Once Upon a Time”), an ambitious little bunny from Bunnyburrow with a dream of
someday being a police officer — never mind a bunny has never been a
police officer before. Judy crosses paths with
Nick Wilde, a sly con artist fox who knows how to
pull off the perfect hustle, even on rookie cop Judy. When Judy gets a chance to solve the
mystery of 14 missing mammals to prove she’s every bit as capable as the other
cops on the force, she turns to Nick for help. “Zootopia” shows that anyone can be anything. “Zootopia” also inserts sly innuendo about workplace
discrimination and racial and police profiling into its buddy cop comedy. The
result is that kids of all ages will, hopefully, walk away with good lessons
about tolerance, being open minded, and not judging people by appearances. Did
I mention it had cute, talking animals?
In theaters ….
THE CONJURING 2
I personally love horror films, and “The Conjuring” is one
of my favorites. I love a good ghost story, and so I was excited to see “The
Conjuring 2” when it hit theaters last weekend. I didn’t expect it to be as
good as the first movie. After seeing it, I can now say I really think it’s the best
sequel I’ve ever seen, hands down, although I don’t think it was as scary as
the first. However, it is still pretty freaking scary, so if you can't handle scary, this movie will make you a nervous wreck. I hope you're not a scaredy cat because I thought it had some excellent storytelling behind it with a strong
theme of good versus evil. Mainly, I love the way Ed and Lorraine Warren are
portrayed here. I totally want to hang out with these two ghost-hunting
investigators! Ed and Lorraine are real people (Ed passed away some years ago,
but Lorraine is still alive) and I have studied their cases when doing research
for my stories, so I have the benefit of knowing more about them than the
general public. I also know the real events surrounding the Enfield Poltergeist case didn’t happen exactly
like they are portrayed in the movie — eh, Hollywood, what are you gonna do? — but
the way it’s all presented here is masterful storytelling nonetheless. If you like
a good ghost story, catch this one in theaters. You won’t be sorry.
What movies have you seen lately that you'd recommend?
