In order to change things up a bit, I’ve decided that, every Thursday, I am going to post a song that I vibe with. It might be a newer song, it might be an old song. I am going to begin this new weekly feature with my favorite song from Green Day, “She.”
The Struggles of Daily Blogging and Why I Do It
I’m not going to lie. Blogging every single day is difficult. And there are a variety of reasons why it’s difficult. Sometimes it’s a time thing, sometimes it’s a topic thing. Let me tell you about the struggles I have and why I continue to do it.
My biggest struggle with daily blogging is going to get filed under “Laziness,” even though it isn’t really laziness. See, in addition to writing this blog, I work a full time job. Sometimes I don’t want to run over to my computer to write a review or blog post after logging off of work. Sometimes I want to sit on my couch and play games on my cell phone or watch a movie with my family. It usually takes me around an hour to write one blog post. That doesn’t include the time it takes for me to find or create a graphic to use on the post. As a result, the blog gets put on the back burner. I try my best to combat this feeling by writing a stack of posts at once that I can schedule throughout the week. Of course, that means getting the gumption to write a number of posts at once. It really is a vicious circle.
Once I get over the “Lazy” problem, the next struggle is finding something I want to write about. Sure, I can write a review every single day. I watch a lot of movies and a lot of television shows. I could easily talk about any of those. However, I’m not sure I want the blog to only be reviews. Would that be interesting to people? Would someone keep coming back to read what I think about various movies or whatnot? Despite the fact that a majority of my professional writing has been reviews, it feels like a cop out to only write reviews. But maybe I’m being too hard on myself. If I write it, they will come, right?
So, if blogging is such a chore, why do I do it? Well, I really do love writing. If I didn’t have to work an outside job full time (ugh, money), I would gladly write all day every day. While I did pooh-pooh a bit on reviews earlier, I love watching a show or listening to an album and telling people my opinions. Yes, it feels like a chore sometimes but once I sit down and let the words start to flow, I feel….well, I feel like myself. Like this is something I should be doing with my life. Like this is what I was meant to do. It’s a shame that I let “real life” get in the way of the things I thoroughly enjoy. That sounds like a New Year’s Resolution….
I turn to you, my audience, for some feedback. Do you like my reviews? Would you like to see me review more things? Not just movies but television series or music albums or maybe alternate reality games (ARGs)? Leave me a comment telling me if I am heading the right direction or am I just yelling into a void. I need to hear more than just my own voice echoing back at me. I appreciate it!
Don't Look Up | Movie Review
Released just in time to give 2021 the send-off it deserved, Netflix gave us Don’t Look Up. A movie that was written before the Covid pandemic about the reaction of the United States to climate change but feels very relevant to the current Covid-ridden world.
Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) is an astronomy Ph.D. candidate who discovered a large comet hurtling through space toward Earth. Her professor, Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio), calculates that it will hit Earth in about six months, causing a planet-wide extinction event. They, along with Dr. Teddy Oglethorpe (Rob Morgan) from NASA, take the information to the president of the United States. President Jeanie Orlean (Meryl Streep) ignores the warning, choosing to focus on the scandal involving her current Supreme Court nominee instead. Kate, Dr. Mindy, and Dr. Oglethorpe try to warn the country of the impending doom themselves, only to be met with the same apathy they received from government officials. People don’t take the threat seriously until it is too late.
Don’t Look Up hit a little too close to home for me. While I don’t have any Covid-deniers or anti-maskers/anti-vaxxers in my family, there are a few of those in my workplace. And while this movie wasn’t addressing the response to the pandemic itself, it is a fitting metaphor. To be honest, it fits any situation where something awful is happening and the seemingly-majority (who are usually a vocal minority) scream about how it’s not true. (cough gun control conversations after mass shootings in the United States cough) Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure the message of “Take action now before it’s too late and we all die” isn’t going to get through the to necessary people. They will all claim it as some sort of liberal agenda and write it off altogether.
Maybe it’s because I am on the side of “maybe we should save the world?” but I found the movie sadly entertaining. Jonah Hill as President Orlean’s son and Chief of Staff, Jason, was hysterical but also scary. He wrote in a post on his Instagram, “creating this guy was the grossest blast I’ve ever had. I thought, what if Fyre Festival was a person and that person had power in the White House.” I would say that sums his character up well. As terrible as he was as a person, I think he may have been my favorite character in the movie.
While I would love for everyone to watch Don’t Look Up. the people that need to watch it aren’t going to. Nevertheless, everyone else should watch it. Maybe we can figure out how to save our world through the inevitable destruction of theirs. Or maybe, at the very least, we can figure out why a Lieutenant General would charge someone for free snacks.
Encanto | Movie Review
My family put off watching Encanto for way too long. We finally watched it on Disney+ over the New Year’s weekend and I’m a little sad we waited so long.
Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) is a young girl living in Columbia with her family. All of the people born into the Madrigal family have powers, except for Mirabel. When the candle that supplies their magic begins to lose its flame, Mirabel decides to find out why the candle is dying and how she can save her family.
Ever since Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen, Disney Animation Studio has moved away from the romantic-based princesses stories. Yes, there is a romance plot in Frozen and that plot is brought more to the forefront in Frozen 2, but I would argue that they are not integral to the story. The story is about family and sisterhood more than it is about Anna and Kristoff. The same is true for Encanto.
Our main character, Mirabel, is a black sheep of the family. She is the only one without some sort of powers. Even the house has powers! However, she is still a part of the family and does what she can to help them flourish. Much like Frozen, there isn’t a villain character. Sure, Hans is a terrible person but you can’t say he’s really the villain of the story. The same holds true for Abuela Alma in Encanto. Like the Latina grandmothers in most pop culture entertainment, she is overbearing and demanding but that doesn’t make her a villain. And while both Hans and Abuela move the plot forward, they could both be removed from the movie with little change to story. Don’t get me wrong, both characters do fit into their stories well and have good reason for being there but they are also kinda unnecessary.
Before anyone comes at me saying that Abuela was the heart of the family and, as a result, was needed, I would argue that Mirabel was the heart. Even toward the end when Mirabel was finding out the true feelings of her sisters, the conflict could have been resolved there. Abuela’s outburst and resulting destruction of the family home wasn’t entirely necessary. It was more of a metaphor of breaking the family apart only to put it back together. Except that there wasn’t a reason to break them apart. Mirabel was getting them to recognize their true selves and what they really wanted from life. If Abuela had listened instead of screaming, the house would have never been destroyed.
I truly loved Encanto and I will most likely watch it again. (And again and again.) The music is catchy, the characters are interesting, and the story is something I think everyone can relate to. Even on the first watch, you will most likely walk away singing at least one of the songs. And don’t forget - we don’t talk about Bruno.
Worst Christmas Movies of 2021
It is almost always easy to write the best list of Christmas movies in a given year. The best movies are few and far between. It’s the list of worst Christmas movies that is difficult to figure out. Are the movies actually bad or just so boring that it drives me insane? Well, here is my list of the worst Christmas movies of 2021.
10. Sister Swap: Christmas In The City
9. An Ice Wine Christmas
8. Match Made In Mistletoe
7. Welcome To The Christmas Family Reunion
6. Secretly Santa
5. Christmas By Chance
4. Baking Spirits Bright
3. Christmas CEO
2. Christmas…Again?!
1. Father Christmas Is Back
Notable mentions: Five More Minutes, Dancing Through The Snow, Blending Christmas
Best Christmas Movies of 2021
This holiday movie season feels like it was never going to end. I ended up watching 78 movies this season. While I wish I could have jammed in the 13 movies I missed, it was probably better for my mental health that I didn’t. With that said, here are my top 10 best Christmas movies of 2021.
10. Christmas Sail
9. Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday
8. A Mrs. Miracle Christmas
7. Single All The Way
6. A Christmas Dance Reunion
5. One December Night
4. A Boy Called Christmas
3. The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls
2. The Claus Family
1. 8-Bit Christmas
Honorable mentions: David and the Elves, A Kiss Before Christmas, Robin Robin, My Christmas Family Tree
That's All, Folks!
As you might have noticed, I haven’t posted any Christmas movie reviews since Saturday. I was hoping to get the other fourteen movies on my list reviewed by the end of 2021 but, alas, it is not going to happen. That doesn’t mean these movies will never get reviewed though. Let me unveil my lofty plans for 2022!
While posting daily movie reviews is very exhausting, it does keep me on my toes posting-wise. And I really would like to post more than two or three months every year. So I am going to attempt to post something every single day in 2022. Now, I won’t be posting movie reviews every day. I may not even be posting reviews every day. However, I will be posting something. This also gives you a chance to help out with the blog!
If you have a topic that you would like me to talk about, you can leave a comment on any of my posts or send me an email through my contact page. And, seriously, it can be anything. Do you have a favorite movie that you would like me to review? Let me know. Is there an album that you adore that you would love to let other people know about? Send it on over. Is there a topic that you would like to know more about or a craft that you aren’t sure how to complete? I will try my best to give you all of the knowledge I have.
I will be taking the rest of this week off and I will begin the new year with my traditional Best and Worst Christmas movie lists. The movies that I have not watched this season will be sprinkled throughout the year until we reach the 2022 Christmas season. I hope to make my blog as entertaining and informative as it has been these past three months. (Moreso, I hope that I can find 365 interesting things to talk about!)
Well, wish me luck!
Mistletoe In Montana | 2021 Christmas Movies
Montana in December means you can go outside in a turtleneck and a shoulder-wrap sweater, right? The average temperature for Montana in December is in the mid-30s (Fahrenheit). That might be a little chilly for a light sweater.
Mark (Duane Henry) is a single father to two children. He brings them to Paradise Ranch, run by Merry (Melissa Joan Hart), for Christmas break. None of them expected this to be the best Christmas of all of their lives.
What to say about Mistletoe In Montana? It is pretty bad. Not so much for the story and the acting, although they aren’t great. But moreso for the absolute unbelievability of everything that happens. For those of you that are terrible at US geography, Montana is one of the northernmost states in the continental United States. It gets very cold there and it stays very cold for a long time. Thanks to Lifetime movie magic, there are few times that any of the characters are wearing non-cowboy hats or gloves. They could have easily placed this movie in a number of other states but they picked Montana. While the state is very pretty, all of these people would have had some sort of frostbite at some point.
But let’s overlook the fact that the writers didn’t even attempt to make any of the weather based in reality. Instead, let’s look at what a terrible businesswoman Merry is. She frequently has guests staying at the ranch for a “ranch experience.” She straight up allows Mark to do things that would hurt either himself or her horses. More than once he tries to mount a horse improperly. Once he even sprains an ankle! Her insurance rates must be through the roof. I get that Mark is supposed to be egotistical at first but it is her job as the ranch owner to put her foot down and not allow anyone to do anything that would cause injury.
As for the romance aspect? Merry and Mark make zero sense together. Jasper (Sam Marra), one of the ranch hands, literally falls head over heels in love with Mark’s nanny, Debbie (Harley Bronwyn), the minute he sees her. That would be fine if it was the main plot of the story but it barely makes a sub-plot. We only get a few scenes of them spending time together in order to make them a feasible couple. It’s almost like the writers forgot that these are supposed to be romantic Christmas movies.
I would say skip Mistletoe In Montana. There isn’t really anything good here, unless you want to look at horses. Though we don’t get to see a lot of the horses either. Just forget about it altogether.
Christmas By Chance | 2021 Christmas Movies
Big surprise! The leading lady of Christmas By Chance is named…..Chance. I’m not sure it can get more cringey than this.
Chance (Winny Clarke) owns a gift shop slated to close soon. She gets hired by William (Jacob Blair) to create the most romantic Christmas week for his girlfriend, Leyla (Celeste Desjardins), ending in a proposal. Will Chance be able to pull it off or will William’s proposal be ruined?
It is really sad that the worst part of Christmas By Chance is actually Chance. She is so painfully clueless about everything that I have no idea how she has been able to run a business for this long nor do I understand why anyone would hire her to plan anything. Despite the fact that she is fairly young (we don’t get age ranges on the characters), she knows nothing about the internet or social media. She literally relies on her young employee, Becky (Celine Tsai), to handle all of her online presence. That part is fine. Hiring someone to handle the online stuff while you handle your actual business is a normal thing. However, Chance doesn’t understand how to post things online and, when she is trying to research things that Leyla likes, she misunderstands all of Leyla’s social media posts. I know there are people that don’t spend a lot of time online but they still aren’t quite as clueless as Chance.
Unfortunately, since Chance is so unbearably annoying, the rest of the movie suffers. Characters like Becky, the social media guru, deserved way more screen time. She is adorable. Maybe she can get her own show where she teaches naive people about social media. The same goes for Ryan (Sharjil Rasool), William’s assistant. I know there is in insinuation that Becky and Ryan get together but I want a movie where the two of them go into business together teaching the old fogeys how to live their lives in the 2020s.
Needless to say, I don’t think you should watch Christmas By Chance. It was painful to watch. I wish there was a way I could unwatch it. Does anyone know a way?
The Enchanted Christmas Cake | 2021 Christmas Movies
My least favorite Christmas movies are the ones where everything could be solved if someone just asked a question. Why are people so averse to talking, especially to family members?
After her grandmother passed, Gwen (Erica Durance) took over her bakery. Unfortunately, the secret ingredient on her grandmother’s recipe for the Enchanted Christmas Cake was torn. As she struggles to figure out the missing piece, a celebrity chef comes to town to film a Christmas special. Gwen is pressured by the show’s producer, Gavin (Robin Dunne), to appear on the show to talk about the cake. Will Gwen be able to perfect her grandmother’s cake or will Christmas be ruined?
There are two big conflicts in The Enchanted Christmas Cake. One is figuring out the missing ingredient but the other is whether Gwen should give out the recipe once it’s completed. Both of these could have been solved if Gwen simply asked her grandfather. She seems to be pretty close to him so I have no idea why she never thought to ask him in the first place. If I was in her position, I would have immediately asked him if he knew what the ingredient was when I saw the rip on the recipe. If he didn’t know, my second question would have been if anyone else had the recipe. Of course, then the movie would have been over before it ever began.
Looking past the stupidity of the plot, the rest of the movie wasn’t too bad. Both Durance and Dunne are decent actors. Though I think the shining star here is Kyana Teresa as Gwen’s friend, Becky. She is a delight in every scene she is in.
The Enchanted Christmas Cake is worth watching if you can look over the gaping plot hole. Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be a ton of bakery-themed Christmas movies this year. So, if bakery movies are your thing, this may be your best bet for 2021.