Mini Reviews: Tammy (2014), Cold in July (2014) & Secretary (2002)

I loved Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids and The Heat, so I felt like I owed it to her to watch Tammy. It’s your typical ‘something bad has happened so let’s go on a roadtrip’ kind of movie, which always makes me smile. There’s quite a few films like this out there, and I have to wonder, does this sort of thing happen in real life? I don’t think it is in the UK! It would cost us far too much in fuel to drive 600 miles on a limb.

Anyway, I’m rambling. Tammy started off okay, a few funny moments but nothing laugh out loud. My favourite moments were whenever Tammy knocked something over in a grump, which happened often. Sadly, it just went downhill and I stopped paying attention for the last 20 minutes.

I was missing Michael C Hall after getting used to watching him every night with my dinner for 4 months, catching up on Dexter. Cold in July seemed like the best way to get my fix. Honestly, I just couldn’t get out of my head that his character wasn’t actually Dexter. I think I ruined it a little for myself with that.

The film itself started really well and was full of suspense, starting with an intruder in the main character’s home, resulting in a murder. Unfortunately, from that point on it got terribly predictable, and the last half an hour didn’t make much sense. It was okay though, but that’s why it’s in my mini-review post, because it was ‘just ok’ and that’s all I really have to say.

I’m a woman, so of course I know what 50 Shades of Grey is. I’m also a blogger, so I’ve learnt that inspiration for 50 Shades also came from the 2002 film Secretary. It then became my duty to find out just how similar the two are. I’m not decided on whether I’ll see 50 Shades in the cinema yet (Jenna maybe we’ll have to go together?!) but at least I could watch Secretary in the comfort of my own home, and alone as I’d sent my other half out for a play date!

The emotional themes and issues were too close to home for me and I feel a little uncomfortable to really discuss those themes in a full review. Nonetheless, it was nice to see more of Maggie Gyllenhaal who I thought was fantastic in the film, especially as I’ve only ever seen her in minor roles.

Currently Watching...Six Feet Under

WHY WHY WHY did it take me so long to watch this.  I was staying at my Aunts, where as there is no TV in the room I sleep in I watch something on my iPad.  Unfortunately, this time the Internet hadn't connected and I couldn't be bothered to go downstairs so I had to watch whatever had already been downloaded.  This happened to be Six Feet Under. 

Now knowing how much love (although have yet to finish!) Dexter, I have no idea why this wasn't on my radar sooner.  So one episode in and I am completely and utterly addicted...

The series follows David Fisher (Michael C Hall) who after his Father dies is left to run the Family Funeral Home that he has worked at all his life.  His brother Nate (Peter Krause) returns home for the funeral to be told he has been left half of the business in his fathers will.  This means they have to run the business together while dealing with their meddling mother, Ruth (Frances Conroy) and wannabe badass sister, Claire (Lauren Ambrose) and trying to live their own lives.

I have watched a total of three episodes of this and its so well put together, it's unapologetic dark humour had me laughing hysterically and the acting is superb.  The characters fell very real, like they are people you might meet, they talk like normal people (and swear like normal people!)  Who'd have thought a series about a funeral home could be so entertaining, but the addition of their family dramas, personal dramas and conversations with the dead keeps you coming back for more.

I can not wait to watch the rest of this season and the four after that!!  Sleep is over-rated anyway!!

Why must you introduce me to another new TV Show when I'm already so far behind on so many others?! I'm still recovering from Dexter and this might be what the Michael C Hall shaped hole in my life needs!

Thursday's Thought: Dexter Finale

 

Okay so I might be cheating a little here, as my last Thursday's Thought was about TV Show finale's in general. However, I recently finished all 8 Seasons of Dexter and I feel the need to vent a little. There are spoilers ahead so if you haven't finished Season 8, please stay away!

 



 

Before I spiral away from any points I actually want to make, I want to say that I have truly loved watching Dexter. Me and my other half started watching it in March earlier this year and it's always been something to look forward to, coming home from work and eating dinner with an episode of Dexter. We don't know how to fill this serial killer-shaped hole in our lives now!

 

Everyone has their favourite Season of course, and mine was Season 4 with Trinity. Plus if I remember rightly, it's also got the episode with the alternative opening scene, which was brilliant. I also enjoyed Season 6 with Doomsday, and the cliff hanger at the end was possibly the best in the entire Season.

 

However, for me, Season 7 is where it all went downhill. The story arc with Debra knowing who Dexter really is, and having LaGuerta looking into Dexter could have made this Season the best of all, but everything was just dragged out too far. In the end, we found ourselves watching each episode more out of habit than anything.

 



Let's talk about Hannah McKay. I couldn't stand her to begin with, but there were pretty obvious signs that she and Dexter were going to hook up. I warmed to her pretty quickly though, as a 'bad guy you love to hate' to begin with. I never thought I would get over Lumen, but Hannah and Dexter are pretty darn cute together. Plus, that winter wonderland scene was hot!

 

In the end, it was their romance story that kept me going through the final season. I was keeping everything crossed that they would make it to Argentina together, although in my mind I knew it wouldn't end well.

 

 

I'm sorry if this is controversial, but I didn't care for the Evelyn Vogel story line. I know Dexter saw her as a motherly figure but I didn't warm to her at all. It annoyed me how she kept telling Dexter that his feelings of love weren't real, and I couldn't understand why she was doing that in the first place. I'm glad she managed to help Debra though, although that didn't end well either. I think Deb's story is what saddened me the most.

 

When we were on about Season 2, I was happily reading some Dexter trivia on IMDB and accidently read something along the lines of 'Originally the producers were going to kill Dexter off at the end, but then they changed their minds'. Oh great. I'm so bad at accidently seeing spoilers!

 



 

With that in mind, I thought right, well this can only end one of two ways then. Dexter is either going to escape with Harrison and Hannah, or he's going to get caught. I found my peace with either of those endings. Then, 5 minutes before the end of the episode, there Dexter is on his boat in the middle of a storm, waiting for death! But I thought I read - oh wait, here's a closing scene. This will explain everything. Wait, what! No. No, no, no, no, no. I will never accept that lousy ending!

 

Is there anyone out there who did?

Review: Kill Your Darlings (2013)

Am I the only person who will watch a film just for the cast alone, or does anyone else do it too? I don't mean just one actor either, when I look up a film on IMDB and see at least 3 actors/actresses I really like in it, I just feel the need to watch it, regardless of the genre or plot! I actually text Jenna about this film so I could tell her I was watching a film starring Harry Potter, Harry Osborn and Dexter Morgan!

There are a few films sat right at the top of my list of 'need to watch very soon', I won't tell you them now, but as I snuggled up with a cup of tea and two kittens, very sleepy, most seemed either too long or too complicated for me at that time. I actually couldn't remember anything I'd read about Kill Your Darlings so that's why it was chosen!

This is no reflection of the quality of the film at all, but I fell asleep half way through. It's an odd film, but definitely not boring. My point being I watched this in two halves in the end.

Now that I've seen the film in full, I'm still not sure how I feel about it. It was certainly interesting, I wasn't bored at all, but that might have been because I was trying so hard to understand it. I now understand after doing a little digging that this is a film based on a true story, and now feel a little silly as I sit typing this, reading the tag line on the movie poster right above me!

The romance between Allen and Lucien was really believable and also very sad, I really empathised with Dane's character and he is most definitely an actor to watch out for. He reminds me of a young Leonardo DiCaprio in more ways than one.

If you've been thinking about giving this film a try, watch the trailer and I'll leave you to make your own mind up. I don't think I could sell this to you, but I wouldn't discourage anyone either.



Currently Watching...Dexter (Allie)

Somewhere in between work, kittens and film watching, I also have several TV shows on the go! There are a few that I'm totally up to date with like Arrow and White Collar, but others that I'm playing catch up on and binge watching whenever I get the chance. Right now, me and my other half are working our way through Dexter.

My parents got us a year's subscription to Netflix for Christmas last year, so we've been trying to make the most of it, and Dexter was a show recommended to us by friends. We just watched the Season 4 finale, and I'm not going to be spoiler free here, so if you're behind me then I would suggest closing your browser now!

This show is seriously amazing. I haven't been hooked on anything this badly since Sherlock, honestly! It's just the perfect combination of thriller, mystery, and humour. Dexter is a serial killer, you should hate him, but he's just so loveable and you sympathise with him over everything! 

For me, Season 3 was quite slow to begin with, still enjoyable but not as gripping. Although, it did contain my all time favourite moment, and I'm going to try and find you a clip of it without seeing spoilers myself...

Huzzah! The comments said this was Season 4 but I could have sworn it was Season 3...

One of my favourite characters in this show is Debra Morgan. She steals every scene that she's in and I can relate to her in so many ways! I read somewhere that she swears just under 1,000 times across all 8 Seasons, that's crazy! Here's just an example...

Love her! Love this show! Spoiler warning ahead...we just finished the finale of Season 4. Holy freaking moly. I really didn't see that coming. I'm seriously so gutted that Rita got killed off. What is Dexter going to do with the kids? I want to start on Season 5 right now!

Does anyone have any other TV Show suggestions for me once I've finished with Dexter? It's not going to take me long at this rate...