Poll #1

The Greatest Showman: How Great Is It? (PART 1: MUSIC)

So I watched The Greatest Showman last week in theaters and I had VERY high expectations going into it. My choir teacher had been raving about it for weeks before, several of my friends were talking about how great the soundtrack was, and overall I had been hearing fantastic things about this movie. On top of that, I love musicals and overall I just love theatrics. I remember first seeing teaser trailers for The Greatest Showman and feeling absolutely invigorated. A movie about PT Barnum just seemed compelling and above all else, exciting. I saw the list of cast members and I was sold. A collection of actors I like in an original musical period piece? Yeah, I’m DEFINITELY there.

So, was it good?

Honestly, I don’t actually know how to answer that question. I simultaneously have so many good and so many bad things to say about this movie. I walked out of the theater exhilarated and wholly entertained, but there are so many issues I have about the writing and music regardless. Watching this movie feels like getting off of a roller coaster in which the seats were slightly uncomfortable and you got banged around a lot in the cart but you still walk off of the ride with the rush of adrenaline that roller coasters leave you.

Music

The first issue I noticed was with the music. Disclaimer: I’m not a huge fan myself of the style of music, but my own preferences definitely are not the only problem here. I am a musical theatre person to my very core. I love showtunes, and I consider acting and singing to be a VERY substantial part of my life, and so I feel like I have some justification in believing that The Greatest Showman was not a good musical. It was really hardly a musical. Yes, the characters sing. Yes, it has original music. But really, almost none of the songs felt right for the film. Every song was very clearly a Top-40s inspired Oscar Original Song grab, and all of the lyrics were written vaguely enough that they could be about almost anything.

A key part of musicals, in my opinion, is that the context is almost as crucial to the music as the music is crucial to the context. Music very clearly adds something to the story of the show/movie, and the plot in the show/movie gives the music added meaning. Characters speak to each other in song, they sing about very specific situations, they call each other by name in the songs. If I were to take almost every song out of the Greatest and shuffle them up, I would not be able to correctly guess where they fit. I’ll take that a step further and wager that almost any song could be switched chronologically with any other song, and the movie would not change much. I know this may not sound like that big of a deal, but when the songs feel irrelevant to whatever is happening on screen at the moment, it throws me out of the film. The anachronistic nature of the pop soundtrack and the historic setting already bothered me enough, but when each song felt more like it was putting the plot on hold than like it was expressing and furthering the characters and plot, I had trouble staying invested. There were few songs that I found interesting or worth listening to again.

On top of that, from a musical theatre stand point, I do not like the lead in to the songs. Normally in musicals, you know whenever a song is about to happen due to either maybe some background strings or piano, or the characters will start talking in a specific tone. The Greatest Showman gave no indication pointing towards the songs beginning. This may sound like a nitpicky thing (and you’re most likely right in believing that), but it’s something that really took me out of the movie experience.

 

TO BE CONTINUED: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PLOT

Superheroes and SuperTropes: Why I Snoozed Through “The Avengers” (Part 2)

So in my last part of this post, I spoke about why I feel the characterization and dialogue in Superhero films is often flat. You can check that out here. I’m gonna lead off this next post with the issues I have with the interconnected universes as a whole.

2. Superhero Movies as Standalone Films

Off the top of your head, can you remember the plot to Thor? How about Iron Man 2, The Man of Steel, or The Incredible Hulk? I suppose this is more of an issue with the MCU than the DCEU considering the MCU vastly has more movies; however, I think the issue will definitely become more prevalent as the DCEU continues to develop. Big superhero movie studios focus so intensely on pumping out huge movies with big casts like The Justice League and all of the Avengers movies, that the smaller superhero movies end up kind of flat and forgettable. They begin to feel like a means to an end, like “Welp, I guess we have to churn out a few Captain America movies before we can make The Avengers, and we need to make Doctor Strange before Avengers: Infinity War, so let’s get those out quickly and everyone will be forced to watch those to fully understand Infinity Wars.

The YouTube channel “I Hate Everything” put this in a better way than I ever could, stating that all of these movies end up feeling more like homework for the bigger movies than they feel like actual standalone films. Here’s their video. (Warning for language in this one). More often than not, the movies end up so formulaic that most of them are utterly forgettable. If I’m being honest, I never really wanna watch any Marvel or DC movie I see more than once, unless it’s Guardians of the Galaxy or Wonder Woman. I end up watching a lot of these movies at the movie theater because it basically feels like a cultural must at this point, considering  how there are always consistently a few superhero blockbusters each and every year (according to this IMDB list about 2017 Blockbusters, Superhero movies take 6 of the 36 spots, all ending up in the 16 most popular movies. I did not count LEGO Batman in this list due to it being an animated movie). But if I’m being 100% honest, most of them I don’t actually remember the plots to. I just walk out of the theater knowing that I was mildly entertained, but I can’t remember anything specific that happened in Avengers: Age of Ultron or Captain America: Civil War, aside from the one scene in the parking garage and Peter Parker making that one Star Wars reference. That actually brings me to my next point:

3. References and Cameos Pander to Audiences

When done correctly, references to other things can be hilarious and really improve the entire movie or TV show. Some quick examples: The Smurfs scene in Donnie Darko (which you can look up but I probably shouldn’t directly link considering this blog is TECHNICALLY for a class) adds a lot of character to the dialogue and tone and creates a memorable comedic scene in the movie, and The Dobler-Dahmer Theory in How I Met Your Mother references the famous John Cusack movie Say Anything to prove an interesting point about modern romances and romantic gestures, creating an excellent ‘relatable-comedy’ moment in the show. I also think “Easter Egg” hidden references can be especially fun for super fans without detracting from actual dialogue or plot, like Disney’s Easter Egg references to other movies like this Beauty and the Beast reference in Tarzan.

My issue with superhero movies lies in their reliance upon references and cameos for a lot of their appeal and audience reaction. It comes across to me as an easy way to please audiences without having to do the work of writing an actually memorable script on its own. When Captain America: Civil War‘s attempt at an interesting theme about morality fell flat, all it fell back upon was “Hey look! We brought more of your favorite Marvel superheroes in for a quick cameo so they can fight!” They know audiences will gasp when Ant-Man comes on the screen because Hey, He’s the Funny One! I Watched That Movie! so the plot can still be boring because Marvel knows they’re still gonna make money and get good immediate audience reviews. The only reason I particularly remember Civil War is because of the scene when all of the other superheroes get recruited to help Cap and Tony Stark, but the rest of the movie really is kind of a blur. I personally think Marvel and DC can use these types of things as a crutch. DC already knows die-hard fans will watch Suicide Squad because Harley Quinn is a fan favorite, and regardless of how terribly made the movie is, people will still watch the first live action interpretation of Harley Quinn.

References in dialogue like Tony Stark calling the newly formed Avengers “Earth’s mightiest heroes, that kind of thing” after the tagline on all Avengers comics since the 1960s pleases fans and would be interesting if it did not happen quite as often.

When references like this occur regularly in dialogue, I personally believe it takes up valuable time that could be used to develop characters, and I also believe it often passes for clever comedy when it really isn’t. The Smurfs reference in Donnie Darko is a reference used for comedy, simply stating a reference doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a comedic reference. Using cameos and references to advertise for movies, especially in trailers when the cameos are hardly plot relevant is a cop-out way to make more money and garner great audience reviews without doing as much work in the writer’s room.

It’s important to me that superhero movies are viewed and critiqued as films, not just as a part of a franchise, because I feel much of the time they tend to get a pass when it comes to plot, characters, or writing simply because it is another installment of a saga with everyone’s favorite heroes. We love to see the characters we love on film, but we are allowed to demand better. The Dark Knight Trilogy, for instance, are beautiful, compelling, films about the rich orphan bat we all know and love. Superhero movies have the potential to be fantastic, I just think we allow them to be lazy.

Thank you so much for reading, and leave your opinions in the comment section, I love to hear them. 

Superheroes and SuperTropes: Why I Snoozed Through “The Avengers” (Part 1)

The next big Summer Blockbuster is out, and you can’t wait to see The Avengers: Super War Soldier Man Muscle Fest. All 40 of your favorite superheroes will be in it, each with at least five whole minutes of screen time! Tony Stark is sure to have lots of hilarious sarcastic lines, and Black Widow is going to kick things! Some of the smaller heroes like Spiderman, Antman, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Doctor Strange even appeared in the trailer. You wonder what steamy romances might crop up in this new flick! Maybe they’ll say quippy lines to each other back and forth when fighting; gosh, you sure love when the superheroes flirt!

Sorry, did I come across as snarky? Must be all of that fantastic Marvel back-and-forth witty dialogue seeping into my system. Listen, don’t get me wrong, I happen to really love a lot of superhero media like Justice League Unlimited, Teen Titans, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Dark Knight Trilogy to name a few. My beef doesn’t lie with superheroes, no, my beef lies with huge movie studios pumping out lackluster writing and characters to make huge stacks of cash. And listen, believe me I know this isn’t an issue solely with superhero movies, I’d argue that lots of action movies and lots of Blockbusters have the exact same issue, I just think superhero movies often illustrate my exact issues perfectly, and I know that I have enough personal knowledge to speak about them.

So let’s get right into the nitty-gritty of it.

1. Characterization

So okay, I don’t know if this is just me, but I really don’t feel like most superheroes in these movies have a very distinct personality. A lot of the times in movies, most characterization comes from dialogue and how characters interact, and personally I feel that most dialogue, whether in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) or the DCEU (DC Extended Universe) is extremely cookie-cutter. All of it feels either like it’s pandering to the comic nerd audience or it’s creating throwaway jokes and snark, but either way, it’s not creating a clear distinction between how each character acts. Yes, Tony Stark has the “funniest” lines or whatever, but for the most part if you throw out some sarcastic line and try to guess which character said it, you might have some trouble. Here, watch:

“This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said peace wasn’t an achievement, it was a responsibility. See, it’s stuff like this that gives me trust issues.”

Hmm, let’s see, which superhero could potentially have trust issues? OH, I don’t know, ALL OF THEM? It’s a signature superhero trait, you have to be stoic, angry, and have trust issues. Side note, this was said by Nick Fury in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Let’s try another one.

“Kiss me.”
“What?”
“Public displays of affection make people uncomfortable.”
“Yes, they do.”
“Still feel uncomfortable?”

Which characters are flirting here? Well, lucky for you, there are only a few recurring girl superheroes throughout both the MCU and the DCEU: Wonder Woman, Black Widow, Gamora, Scarlet Witch and, uhhhh…? That’s about it. This was said by Captain America and Black Widow also in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Light flirting is a must in any superhero movie, but only if both of the characters (especially the superhero) are emotionally unavailable. After a while, it just comes across as flat and ultimately boring.

I’m gonna backtrack for just a second though. Can we just dwell for a moment on the fact that despite all of the different female superheroes that happen to exist, only four of them consistently show up within the two most popular superhero cinematic universes? Four. Do you know how many stubbly white guys (usually named Chris) appear in these same universes? Too many to count and almost too many for me to keep track of. Can we also speak a bit on the fact that the female characters all have extremely similar personalities? I’m gonna give Wonder Woman a bit of a pass, because she actually has an extremely refreshing idealistic, caring nature about her (which honestly, is one of my absolute favorite parts of Wonder Woman). But Diana mostly aside, every female superhero shown to be cold, no-nonsense, extremely serious, and extremely intelligent. While these aren’t necessarily bad traits, it’s frustrating to see that only a few similar versions of “strong female character” are really able to get any type of screen time. Either the female characters are almost overly rational to the point of appearing that they almost have no feeling (Black Widow, Gamora), or their irrationality/outrage consistently gets in their way, making them extremely reckless (Scarlet Witch, Diana). Again, these portrayals would not be an issue if they weren’t the only portrayals of female superheroes that we get in movies.

Within the next part of this, I’ll be exploring the inability for these movies to stand on their own, some cash-grab gimmicks, and potentially some other petty issues I have. Stay tuned, folks because I’m angry. Also, side note: feel free to disagree w/ me in the comments here, I wanna know how you guys feel!! 

PART TWO

Short Film: Let It Be

I thought I’d share one of my favorite short films with you all. It’s a quick watch, about 18 minutes, but it’s my favorite short film that Bertie Gilbert has done so far. I thought the concept was interesting, the characters were compelling, and it really made me think. Not to mention, it had a nice sort of Beatles motif/symbolism thing going on that was used for important characterization. I hope you like it!

LET IT BE (2016)

13 Halloween Movies for the ‘Fraidy Cats (Part 2)

Just in time, here are the final 6 picks for my favorite non-horror Halloween movies. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you don’t mind Tim Burton, bc he really takes the majority of this list (For good reason, in my opinion).

8. Coraline

Some people are going to argue with me about the scariness-level of this movie, but Coraline was one of my favorite books AND movies growing up. Produced by the aforementioned Laika Films, Coraline is a claymation movie based off of the Neil Gaiman children’s book by the same name. After moving into a new home, Coraline finds a magical door to an “Other” version of her life- but she soon finds that the grass might not be greener on the other side. Coraline is a creepy, surprisingly mature movie with breath-taking claymation and an utterly wonderful story. You’ll find yourself completely swept up in this world and all of it’s intricacies, and you’ll end up just as unsettled as Coraline is once the tone begins to shift. Coraline will always be one of my favorite movies-not just for Halloween, but for all time.

9. Casper

What would Halloween be without our favorite friendly ghost? The 1995 live-action casper movie is something I grew up watching, and therefore it’s something near and dear to my heart. Casper feels like something of a coming-of-age story, except with an added friendship with a ghost. A girl named Kat and her father move into a haunted house, and Kat quickly befriends Casper. Through friendship, they each learn a bit about themselves and each other, all while wrestling with middle school drama and the concept of death. Casper’s a sweet, funny movie, and it’s a great watch for Halloween.

10. Corpse Bride

Surprise! Another Burton claymation movie! Corpse Bride mixes the usual Burton melancholy with a romantic Victorian flair. A nervous and shy young groom practices his wedding vows in the woods and accidentally proposes to a murdered corpse named Emily, who assumes she and Victor are now married. Victor ventures through the bright and colorful land of the dead, a stark contrast to the ‘lifeless’ (ha) and dull land of the living. The colors are brighter, the music is happier, and Victor learns to let loose a little more, all while the mystery of Emily’s death is unraveled. I love Corpse Bride, mainly because I love the characters and I LOVE the music. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for something just slightly morose and just slightly spooky.

11. Nightmare Before Christmas

Nightmare Before Christmas is the perfect Christmas movie, the perfect Halloween movie, the perfect Thanksgiving movie, and honestly, the perfect every day movie. The movie is set in a universe in which each Holiday has its own world. Jack Skellington of Halloween Town, dissatisfied and bored of his life, comes across Christmas Town and attempts to bring the spirit of Christmas with him back to his home town. Nightmare Before Christmas has another excellent Danny Elfman soundtrack and bright, enthralling claymation. It’s simply just fun to watch, and the story is intriguing as well. I grew up watching this movie, and if you haven’t seen it by now, you’re SERIOUSLY missing out.

12. Edward Scissorhands

In another Tim Burton movie, Johnny Depp stars alongside Winona Ryder as Edward, a man created by an inventor who never got a chance to make him hands. As a placeholder, he has scissor blades instead of artificial human hands. Edward is brought out of his isolation in his castle by a traveling saleswoman, and he’s invited into her aggressively suburban life. The stark juxtaposition between Edward (who honestly looks like the lead singer of The Cure), and the pristine, pastel suburbs is absurdly hilarious. One of my favorite scenes is when Edward, who has SCISSORS for HANDS, is given the nice room with the water bed to sleep in. Not only does he look ridiculous clad in all black sitting politely on the bed, but I stress to you again: Edward LITERALLY has scissors for hands, and he’s given a WATER BED. Anyways, Edward Scissorhands is a sad, sweet, romance that I will always be particularly fond of, especially around Halloween.

13. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

You guessed it: Burton again! Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is based off of the YA novel of the same name about an orphanage for children with strange and unique special powers. A boy named Jacob unravels the odd mystery surrounding his grandfather and the “peculiars” and their home. Peregrine is interestingly eerie, but it’s also a sweet and compassionate story about a bunch of misfits who have become more of a family. Peregrine even has an interesting historical element embedded within the time loop plot. Overall, Peregrine is a great spooky watch about friendship, the fantastic, and the bizarre.

Thank you for reading, and let me know if I left off any of your favorites on this list! Have a spooktacular rest of the Halloween season! Bask in it all before Christmas punches us in our holly jolly guts on November 1st. Not yet, sleigh bells… Not yet.

LINK TO PART 1

 

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13 Halloween Movies for the ‘Fraidy Cats (Part 1)

So you’re not really the scary movie type. Gore makes you nauseous, clowns freak you out, and any type of jump scare will keep you up and glancing at your closet door all night long. Listen, I get it. It’s Halloween and your friends want to watch movies, but let’s face it, you’re a more “Casper” and less “Poltergeist”.

Well don’t you fret- not every spooky movie needs to have gory gut-busting blood and entrails, some will actually just bust your gut from laughing too much. Here’s my list of best Halloween movies, sans the fear:

1. What We Do In the Shadows

A friend just introduced me to this movie a few days ago, and if I said it wasn’t the whole reason I created this list, I’d be lying. What We Do In the Shadows is a hilarious mockumentary about vampires living in a flat together in New Zealand. Navigating everything from luring human victims to suck their blood to flatmate meetings about chore responsibilities, What We Do In The Shadows is a gloriously goofy peek into the modern vampire’s life. And the best part is, most of the lines were actually improvised! 150 hours of everyday vampire shenanigans was cut down into 90 minutes of pure gold. A DEFINITE must watch on Halloween. (Warning: Some blood, though always overdone in a comedic way)

2. Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead is another fantastic horror comedy. If you know me, you’ll know I ADORE Edgar Wright (director of Baby Driver and Scott Pilgrim vs The World). His iconic direction is prevalent in this satire that both pokes fun at and celebrates zombie apocalypse movies. It centers around Shaun, an average guy trying to get a grip on his life and win back his ex gf. Oh, and deal with the undead armies attacking his town. Full of wit and fun Easter eggs, Shaun of the Dead is a movie you’ll wanna watch again and again. (Warning: like What We Do In the Shadows, this movie has blood, but it’s always comedic)

3. Paranorman

Paranorman’s a heartfelt, lovable, claymation movie made by Laika Films, one of my favorite up-and-coming animation studios (Coraline, Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings). Set in Blithe Hollow, Massachusetts (a play at Salem), ParaNorman centers around a boy named Norman who can see and speak to ghosts. I absolutely love this movie. Unique, creative, funny, and full of character, ParaNorman’s a wonderful Halloween movie that often slips through the cracks of the mainstream. If you like the classic ragtag unexpected group of misfits story (I know I do), you’ll love ParaNorman.

4. Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice! An 80s Burton classic, Beetlejuice is quirky, offbeat, weird, and kooky to the max without ever being too scary. A recently deceased couple attempts to scare a new family and their goth daughter (Winona Ryder, one of my favorites) out of their home. They enlist the help of a chaotic and unpredictable but powerful ghost named Betelgeuse, pronounced Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton, another of my favorites). With wacky practical effects and costumes, Beetlejuice is full of character and makes for a delightfully spooky watch on Halloween.

5. Frankenweenie

Don’t you just love a story about a boy and his (undead) dog? Another Burton masterpiece, Frankenweenie is a claymation story about a boy who, when devastated by the loss of his pet, finds a way to bring his dog back from the dead. The whole movie’s done in black and white to recreate an old horror movie aesthetic, and it works EXTREMELY well. Frankenweenie’s cute, creative, and altogether a super pleasant watch, especially for those of us with pets at home.

6. Halloweentown

In my opinion, no Halloween movie list (scary or otherwise) would be complete without Halloweentown. This Disney Channel Original Movie is a cornerstone of my generation’s Halloween traditions. Marnie, a 13 year old girl who loves Halloween, finds out via her kooky grandmother than being a witch runs in the family. She and her siblings travel with their grandma to Halloweentown, and learn about the magical side of themselves that was long hidden. Halloweentown is hokey, cheesy, and fantastic. And no character will EVER be as cool as the skeleton taxi driver.

7. Over the Garden Wall

Alright so, I know this is a miniseries and not a movie but this is my blog and I make the rules, so we’re gonna let it slide (and anyways, the run time of the entire show is under 2 hours). Over the Garden Wall is by far one of my favorite cartoons. It’s just the right amount of eerie and lovable, and in my opinion it encapsulates everything that is Autumn. This 5 part mystery created by Pat McHale (Misadventures of Flapjack, Adventure Time) reflects the old cartoon aesthetic and style. It creates a sort of isolated old-fashioned limbo for the viewer while they watch Wirt and his younger brother Gregory find their way home from “The Unknown”. This cartoon is beautiful and thought provoking, and I’ve honestly watched it no less than 25 times all the way through.

Part two on its way! Do you agree with my choices?

 

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Animation: From Child’s Play to Art?

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When many think of cartoons today, they think of how kid’s animation today doesn’t live up to the chaotically creative standards of 90s animation. Bold new and distinctive styles, wacky characters, settings somehow both relatable and wildly out-of-this-world – 90s cartoons have definitely made a name for themselves in the world of cartoons as well as media in general. While it’s true that 90s cartoons were unique and wonderful (and quite frankly, I adore them), many cartoons of the new millennium are just as good, and they’re making their way to the mainstream critical world.

From cartoons with beautifully complex world-building like Avatar: The Last Airbender to quirky family-centric mysteries like Gravity Falls to gorgeous and heartfelt movies like Disney’s Moana, the children’s cartoon industry is only growing as a medium for storytelling. The philosophy of family animation seems to continue to put more and more emphasis on the family aspect of things. Just because shows and movies are marketed to children and aired on children’s networks doesn’t mean that the content should be less creative, artistic, or intelligent than a show or movie marketed to adults. In the wise words of Walt Disney himself:

“You’re dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway.”

And considering recent trends, this only seems to be more and more true. The shows that have made a splash in communities online aren’t cash grabs like Teen Titans Go, they’re shows that animators have poured their hearts and souls into like the Cartoon Network miniseries Over The Garden Wall or the upbeat magical Star vs the Forces of Evil, or the original Teen Titans. Critics are taking notice, as well. Animated shows and movies can win awards such as The Annie Award and The Reuben Award. On top of that, The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature was first given out in 2002, marking a turning point for animation as a form of film making, bringing it further towards the forefront of the mainstream adult world.

It’s not just children’s cartoons and movies that are gaining traction; it seems as if animated adult shows are more popular than ever now. Long-running animated comedies such as Family Guy, The Simpsons, and South Park continue while new shows like Rick and Morty, Bob’s Burgers, Archer, and Bojack Horseman grab attention. Newer shows also seem to utilize animation abilities much more than the older longer-running adult cartoons ever did.

  

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For instance, Rick and Morty (first picture above) uses interesting, bright, color palettes when animating different universes, giving the show much more character. Bojack Horseman, on the other hand, uses an entirely different style of animation during one stream of consciousness episode (4×06) to illustrate Bojack’s intrusive thoughts (second picture above). These animated shows have also been stepping away from the streamlined form of animated sitcom most adult cartoons used to take on to create overarching narratives and character arcs.

As surprising as it may be to CEOs in big corporations, sticking to the same formula is never going to continue to succeed at appealing to audiences. Allowing for room to take risks and add substance to shows and movies is essential to the survival of the industry. This is exactly what animation needed to really grow as a medium. Entering the new millennium, animation has shown itself to be a force to be reckoned with, and I’m excited to see how it will continue to rise and gain traction in society.

A Neat Video Illustration The Evolution of Animation Through the Years

Poll #2

As a bit of foreshadowing to my next big post, I thought I’d ask all of you about your favorite Animation studio. Keep in mind, movies released under Disney Pixar (Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Up, Monster’s Inc) are different from movies released under the regular Walt Disney Animation Studio (Almost all Disney Princess movies, Fantasia, The Lion King).

I’d love to know how you guys feel!!

(Personally, I think I’d have to choose Disney Pixar, but it’s a real tossup).

Some (Hidden) Netflix Gems

Movies and TV shows can be difficult to watch, especially if you don’t have the right streaming service. And for Netflix users, it often seems as though Netflix rids movies from its library more often than it adds them. So, for the dissatisfied and lost Netflix user, I’ve decided to compile a quick list of some of my favorite TV series and movies on Netflix that you may not know about. To keep this list on the shorter side, I’m leaving super popular shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Stranger Things off because I doubt there’s anyone who hasn’t at least heard of them.

TV SHOWS:

-Bojack Horseman (netflix original animated dark comedy/drama)

-Freaks and Geeks (cult classic series about highschool circa 1980)

-Arrested Development (cult classic comedy sitcom)

-Love (netflix original romantic comedy)

-Dear White People (netflix original comedy drama)

-Bob Ross: Beauty Is Everywhere (Relaxing and pure. I grew up watching this)

-It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (cult classic comedy sitcom)

MOVIES:

-Coraline (claymation eerie children’s movie)

-Big Eyes (Drama based off of a real artist’s story)

-Heathers (Cult classic 80s teen dark comedy)

-The Fundamentals Of Caring (Neflix original roadtrip comedy drama)

-The Good Son (drama thriller)

-The Little Prince (animated/claymation heartfelt children’s movie)

-The Sixth Sense (Drama mystery thriller)

-The Iron Giant (Animated heartfelt children’s movie)

-The Babadook (independent horror film)

-Amelié (lighthearted and sweet french drama/romance)

-Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson adventure/drama/comedy)

-Wet Hot American Summer (Goofy cult classic comedy)

BABY DRIVER: Another Edgar Wright Masterpiece- But Does it Leave its Female Lead to the Curb?

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First and foremost, let me just say I am NOT a car chase movie type of person. Rugged manly men start racing away from equally-rugged loose-cannon police officers and I start snoozing at the wheel by the first tire screech. That said, I LOVED Baby Driver. I’ve always been a big fan of Edgar Wright’s direction (Scott Pilgrim vs The World is one of my favorite movies and the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy is absolutely ingenious), and he absolutely shattered my expectations with Baby Driver. It was cleverly written, from the foreshadowing in the opening scene to the way he sets up the humor. Personally, I was especially excited to see how Wright echoed his past films in his highly structured style. At one point, Baby (Ansel Elgort) flicks through TV channels in the beginning of the movie and then, throughout the entire movie, recites the television lines he originally heard, which also happened in a similar way in Shaun of the Dead. TV Clip Here

On top of the direction, the soundtrack of course was fantastic. Wright often used music to enhance action scenes by synchronizing gunshots to different beats in the song, highlighting his precise direction. Wright’s style almost outshone the actual plot (which was difficult to do, considering how interesting the plot was).

In the film, Baby, an orphaned young adult, is forced to drive a getaway car in order to pay off a past debt with Doc (Kevin Spacey), the brilliant mind behind the heists. Baby repeatedly tries to escape his life of crime, especially after falling in love with Deb (Lily James), the beautiful waitress at the diner. Which, unfortunately, brings me to my one major criticism of Baby Driver: Deb’s character is poorly developed, and the romance between her and Baby was mind-numbingly lack luster.

 

SPOILERS FROM HERE FORWARD

Baby and Deb, after dating for what appears to be about a month or two, decide to run away with each other to escape Baby’s life of crime (Which Deb is just somehow okay with). Baby is given good reason to up and leave his life behind. His elderly room mate he used to take care of is now in a home, he no longer has a family because both of his parents died in a car accident when he was very young, and most of all, he no longer wants to be a getaway driver because he realizes it endangers the lives of himself and others.

Deb, on the other hand, is given about as much back story as the shades Baby wears every day. Oh wait, even they had more backstory than she did. Deb has very little character development- she’s presented as pretty, kind, and a bit of a dreamer, but past that I can’t really think of any way to describe her. She’s ready to up and leave her job and (presumably) her home to run away with her boyfriend who she’s only just gotten to know for… reasons? I guess? No details about her life are given to give a bit more reason to her decisions. Because of that, she feels like more of a prop than a character. Only a few of her and Baby’s “dates” are shown in the movie, and the chemistry just isn’t present.

I once read about an interesting feminist test akin to the widely-known Bechdel Test called the “Sexy Lamp” Test (named after the Sexy Leg Lamp from A Christmas Story). Coined by Kelly Sue DeConnick, the general premise is that if a female character can be replaced by a sexy lamp and most if not all of the movie remains the same, then you might need to redraft the movie because it’s not feminist and quite frankly, not very well-written. Baby Driver fails this test with flying colors. Debora’s character has practically no bearing on the actual story, despite Debora being one of the main reasons Baby wants to run away. Debora’s decisions don’t affect the story because she doesn’t make any decisions for herself. By having absolutely no character arc whatsoever, Debora could be poster child for the Sexy Lamp test. What might bother me most, is that it seems that almost none of the Baby Driver critics actually address this. They may praise the complexity of Baby’s character, but they cannot acknowledge that unfortunately Edgar Wright does not treat his female lead with the same careful thought.

Despite this, I definitely recommend you watch Baby Driver. It’s still a wonderfully entertaining, fast-paced, brilliant movie and I’m sure I’ll end up owning the DVD. I just encourage you to think back to the Bechdel Test and the Sexy Lamp test next time you go to the theatre or rewatch a favorite movie. You may be shocked by how many movies don’t actually pass.

Thank you for reading, and please let me know your thoughts on Baby Driver and/or the Bechdel and Sexy Lamp tests. I’d love to hear what you have to say!