And part two is here! I know, shocker, I actually managed to get something out on time, who am I? But before I get into the movies that I watched in July, I want to write a little something in support of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes that are going on. It really isn’t that difficult to understand, or at least it shouldn’t be. People deserve to get paid for the work they’ve done, and when it comes to things like art, I’m of the opinion that AI is never going to fully be able to capture the essence of what makes art human. Get it? Because they're not human. And even if one day we do develop general AI (which is AI that acts like a human in all the ways, basically a human consciousness that isn’t a human), people still deserve to have their rights protected. So studios, pay your writers, pay your actors, and just get moving on it so we can start having fun promo stunts like Cate Blanchett flirting with women in interviews again, okay? I need that in my life.
If you can support the Union, here are a few links where you can donate and help out a little. It doesn’t have to be much; five dollars can build up when a million people contribute.
For SAG-AFTRA: https://members.sagfoundation.org/donate
For WGA: https://www.wgfoundation.org/donate
Okay. With that out of the way, here are the films that I watched in July.
July 4th, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
This is a re-watch for me, because I had seen the film originally when it came out back in 2018, but I had forgotten most of it (duh, I was like, 13 when I watched it the first time and now I’m 18, how many of us can say we remember our tween days). So I decided to watch it again because I was absolutely obsessed with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023). I kid you not, I watched that movie three times in the theaters. So I decided to re-watch the first one just so I could be able to see all of the little details and foreshadowing that I couldn’t understand the first time.
This movie is about Miles Morales, who finds himself becoming Spider-Man right when the universe starts to explode and different Spider-Mans from all these different universes start to show up in his. Together, they have to save the world. (Sound effect: DUH-DUH-DUMM.)
I don’t think I really need to get into the level of detail that this movie has. So many of the tiny details will be referenced again in the second film, and so many of the things that aren’t explained in the first will be explained in the second, so if you love the second, definitely watch the first again and you’ll be in for a huge surprise. The style of animation for this film is still amazing (especially black and white Spider-Man, I loved his style), and the way that Sony is able to weave together these different animation styles is still stunning even five years after the movie.
This is altogether a very enjoyable film (I do still like the second one more, but this one definitely deserves the hype as well), and I would one hundred percent recommend this to everyone. Even my mom, who fell asleep in the theaters watching the second one.
July 7th, The Remains of the Day (1993)
This film is essentially the same as the book, with a few minor differences (in the ending). Altogether, though, it’s a good film, and it did a really good job of taking what was mostly an inner-monologue centered book and turning it into an enjoyable film.
That doesn’t mean that I like the film better; I still will always think of the book as superior. However, if you don’t want to have to read a hundred pages of what it means to be a butler but still want to get the gist of the story (and trust me when I say I was heartbroken for weeks after I finished the book), I would definitely recommend the film. It gets most of what makes the book amazing right, and that’s more than I can say for a lot of book to film adaptations.
July 8th, 消失的她 Lost in the Stars (2023)
(God, this translation makes absolutely no sense and really makes this film seem like something it’s not.)
This the film that has recently taken China by the storm. It’s essentially the story of a man who finds himself embroiled in a mystery case where a woman who claims she is his wife, but is actually not his wife. It then becomes the story of finding his wife, dead or alive, and unraveling the mystery behind her disappearance before the man, He Fei, has to return to China (because she disappeared while they were vacationing in Thailand).
It’s really hard to talk about this film without spoilers, because essentially, the entirety of the story hangs on the final twist at the end. And I have to say, it’s really not an impressive twist. It’s very weak, and the finale is something that feels like a Wattpad writer wrote, where they try everything they can (make the impossible possible), just to create a final plot twist. The plot is lackluster.
The same can be said for the characters. He Fei, as the husband and main character, is compelling for about half a second before you realize he’s not exactly who he says he is, and it’s his lack of character that makes the plot twist of the film so predictable. His wife is plain stupid, while the other main character, the lawyer Chen Mai, is such a genius you would think an outside force was guiding her right along the correct path. None of the characters in this film make you care about them, despite the amazing acting that both Zhu Yilong (the actor who plays He Fei) and Ni Ni (the actress who plays Chen Mai) displays. There is one scene at the end that truly showcases how amazing Ni Ni is as an actress. Unfortunately, the writing didn’t do her talent justice.
I will say, though, that if nothing else, this film is passable. It’s not great, but then again, it’s not terrible, and honestly that’s a big step up from films like Man in Love (2021) where I wanted to scream from frustration at the stupid characters and plot. And this film’s cinematography is beautiful: finally, we as a society are moving past films where they add filters to the main characters so that every person is so pale it’s unrealistic and has porcelain skin. Finally, the actors are doing their own voice-work instead of having voice-overs dubbed in for them (it’s actually a thing in Chinese films, don’t ask). It’s so nice to go into the theater and see actual people on screen rather than photoshopped models (although the actors are all, of course, still stunning), and there are quite a few shots that I enjoyed from an aesthetic point of view.
Overall, two point five stars out of five. Not terrible by any chance, but not great, either.
July 10th, 小时代1 Tiny Times (2013) and July 10th, 小时代2 Tiny Times 2 (2013)
And now we get to the actual bad films. Jesus Christ. I’m putting these two films together because in my mind, they’re basically one convoluted, long, music video in which attractive people do incredibly stupid things in pretty clothes. The Tiny Times films (there’s like five of them; don’t ask me how they got made) are absolute garbage, but that’s kind of what they’re known for: being trashy entertainment.
Essentially, the story is about four girls who are college roommates, with a focus on Lin Xiao (played by popular Chinese actress Yang Mi), Gu Li (played by the amazing Amber Kuo, and this character was actually fun before they butchered her in the second film) and their boyfriends, Jian Xi (played by Liu Yueming) and Gu Yuan (played by Kai Ko) as well as Lin Xiao’s boss, Gong Ming (played by Feng Xiaoyue, or Rhydian Vaughan). The two other college roommates are the artist Nan Xiang (played by Bea Hayden or Kuo Hsin-yen) and the ‘fat friend’, yes this was actually a thing, Tang Wanru (played by Evonne Hsieh).
There is basically no plot. It’s supposed to be character driven, but let’s be honest, these films are like the worst of what the 2000s films were. All of the characters are caricatures, with a sham Mia from The Princess Diaries (2001) in Lin Xiao (she’s clumsy, sucks at her job, and somehow everyone still loves her, especially after her make-over), the ‘fat’ best friend in Tang Wanru (don’t even get me started on the way they made her promiscuous, undesirable, and the butt of the joke the entirety of the two films), the elegant and innocent artist Nan Xiang, and the ice-cold rich mean girl in Gu Li. The boyfriends are there to be cheated on or to cheat, the boss is there to fall in love with the girl that’s not like other girls (Lin Xiang), and everyone else is a side-character.
Can you tell how much I hate these films? From an intellectual perspective?I will say, though, if you’re having a bad day: these are amazing. You just put one on, lose yourself in the complete stupidity of it all, and wham, bam, thank you ma’am, all of your troubles just float away in the wind.
Still, 10 out of 10 would not recommend.
July 11th, Dial M for Murder (1954)
I watched this film (and the next three after this) on the plane, so you can imagine my state of mind when I got to Scream (2022). But this was when I was just getting started, so I was fine here.
This film is essentially the story of a man who finds out that his wife has been cheating on him and is planning on murdering her. He plans the perfect murder, but unfortunately finds out that things don’t always go as planned.
I liked this film. I didn’t necessarily agree with the way that Grace Kelly’s character in this film was portrayed (she was too much of a weeping, hysterical damsel in distress for me), but I do think that the film had a very interesting premise. There were obviously plot holes, but I don’t know if they’re because back in the day police didn’t need to have a warrant to be sneaking around in your house (I doubt it, something about one of the Amendments prohibits that), or if because the studios just couldn’t let an attempted murderer escape. But it was a fun watch, and especially if you’re looking to start expanding the timeline on the films that you watch, I would recommend this one. It’s fun, not too dark, and the cast is amazing.
Plus, it’s Hitchcock. Can’t go wrong with the man who directed Psycho (1960), even if I haven’t seen that film yet. I did do a radio play version of The Thirty-Nine Steps, though, so I like to think of myself as a Hitchcock connoisseur.
July 11th, Moonage Daydream (2022)
This is a documentary about David Bowie, who is a queer king that we adore and worship in this house. I honestly think that the documentary felt very Bowie-esque. It was a bit weird, very rock and roll, artsy, and something that felt more like an experiment rather than a polished showcase. I liked that. It did also make the documentary more confusing for the viewer, but in general I think that the important thing about documentaries is to convey the spirit of the subject matter as well as the facts, and this documentary definitely achieved the former and wasn’t too shoddy at the latter either.
July 11th, Encanto (2021)
I’m in love? I didn’t watch this film when it first came out because I am the type of person who refuses to watch something that everyone else is raving about because I just don’t feel like it. That's why I didn’t watch Bridgerton (2020–) until last month. So I didn’t watch this film when it first came out, though I jumped on the We Don’t Talk About Bruno wagon like the rest of the world. Then I saw it, and now I’m shook by how much I like it. I swear, I never thought I would like this film as much as I did, but I really did.
The film is the story of Mirabel, who is part of the family Madrigal. The family all have superpowers except Mirabel, but Mirabel is the only one who notices that the family’s magic candle is flickering and she tries to save the family. Other things happen, more things happen, and amazing songs do show up.
My favorite part about this film is that they didn’t make the ending perfect. A classic Disney ending would have had Mirabel find her own powers and then, boom, everything is great. But Mirabel is normal, she doesn’t have powers, and that’s also okay. That doesn’t take away from her importance nor her significance to the family.
Also, everyone slept on Surface Pressure. That song is *chef’s kiss*.
July 12th, Scream (2022)
Horror film where Ghost-face goes around trying to kill everyone. The plot twist was meh, the characters were meh, Courtney Cox and Jenna Ortega and Mikey Madison and Neve Campbell and honestly the entire cast was hot, but that’s the film’s only saving grace. Just overall, it wasn’t scary or interesting or thought-provoking. Would not recommend (just stop making Scream films, guys, seriously).
July 14th, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 (2023)
First film that I’ve seen with salty popcorn since Tár (2022)! (That’s just a weird way of me saying that I’m seeing the film in a movie theater in America, ignore me.) I went to the film to see my wifey Rebecca Ferguson and my other wifey Vanessa Kirby, but I came out of the film with a third wifey in Pom Klementiff! I just love it when I can come out of a film having gained a wife. This is the wlw version of Pokemon. Collect all the actresses ages 35 and above and you will win the prize of being gay and happy.
The film is essentially the story of Ethan Hunt (played by Tom Cruise) and his team who are trying to stop the world ending (as these films do) from the attack of a super-AI called the Entity. The plot was honestly pretty mid, and they did a lot of my babes dirty. I will say, though, that even though the film was three hours long, which it didn’t need to be, it went by fast and I enjoyed it thoroughly, just as a popcorn film. I mean, what else are you expecting from a Mission Impossible film, right?
July 20th, The World to Come (2020)
Hey, it’s a film with my wifey Vanessa Kirby, and she’s playing gay? You bet all the cream cheese in your fridge I’m going to be sitting down to watch it.
The film is set in the 19th century, and it’s the story of two women, Tallie (played by my wifey) and Abigail (played by Katherine Waterson). Their husbands also exist (ew). I honestly think that this film had the potential to be amazing. The cinematography was great, the cast is stellar, and the overall plot wasn’t half bad. The ending was also amazing (I’m still dead inside because of it). However, the buildup to the climax was seriously lackluster. I didn’t understand how the two women became close (the pining was there, it just wasn’t done well enough), and I feel like the narration of the film was too on the nose. I don’t personally have anything against narration when it’s done well, but this film’s narration felt too… Telling rather than showing, you know? It got to the point where I didn’t understand the feelings of the characters unless Abigail was telling me through her narration.
I liked the film. It wasn’t a masterpiece, and I wouldn’t watch it again unless I’m feeling my Abigail and Tallie ship again, but I would recommend it to others just because it’s an indie film that deserves recognition for trying to tell a complex story and mostly managing it.
July 24th, Barbie (2023)
I had such high hopes for Barbie. I told everyone this is going to be my new personality, and I was so looking forward to it. Plus, it has my wifey Kate McKinnon. But then I actually saw it, and I have to say, I’m kind of disappointed.
Barbie is the story about the doll Barbie who goes into the real world and figures out a few things about herself and about Barbieland. Being a diehard Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse fan (it’s my comfort show, alright, don’t judge me), I was expecting Barbie to be something like that. Fun, self-aware, and one hundred percent feminist because it was directed by Greta Gerwig. And I was right. The film was fun, it was self-aware for the most part, and it was feminist. The thing is though, it also felt like an educational film rather than a film that discussed big topics without directly saying them out loud. I wanted to see feminist Barbie. But I didn’t want to see Barbie telling me, in as many words, that being a woman is hard. I know that. I want to see her struggle with that and somehow manage to come out the other side while not having to soliloquy it to me.
I can see the significance of Barbie. It’s not a film from a previous IP, it’s an original work, and it’s taking back the hyper-femininity that has almost been turned on because of the patriarchy and the way that we associate masculinity with power. But at the same time, there was so much potential for this film to have gone deeper than it had. It’s literally about Barbie, a doll who has been attacked for the ideals that men have heaped upon her to sell her to little girls. There was so much to discuss beyond just the simple ‘patriarchy bad, women power’ that the film practically screamed in your face. I know I shouldn’t have expected so much from a mainstream movie that has the support of Mattel, the company that owns Barbie, but I did, because it was Greta Gerwig. At the end of the day, though, Barbie isn’t out there trying to make real progress in the discussion of feminism. Barbie is here to sell as many tickets to as many people as possible while alienating as few people as possible. I should have recognized that. I can’t explain this as well as I want to be able to, but the YouTuber verilybitchie says it really well, so I’ve linked her video here:
I also watched this video by the YouTuber talistheintrovert that talks about the importance of Barbie and its representation of Barbie’s asexuality, and I also highly recommend it. It made me realize that even though Barbie isn’t the feminist film I had hoped it would be, it is not without its merits and importance to other minorities:
Also, what does the way that even a very, very moderate feminist film like this can make straight, cis-men angry and annoyed say about the state of our society? I keep seeing videos about men saying that Barbie is anti-men. Actually, I’m pretty sure Barbie is anti-patriarchy. It’s odd so many people associate themselves with the patriarchy. I wonder what that says about them.
Anyway, I still did support this film in the theaters, and I am still really happy to see Greta Gerwig become the bestselling female director of all time. Plus, I’m really, really happy to see the way that this film, despite the way that it isn’t the radical feminist re-telling I had hoped it would be, has managed to re-spark so many people’s love for the color pink, a color that so many of us dismissed because of it being too ‘girly’, as though being girly was a bad thing. So Barbie did some pretty good things. Will I think of it as the masterpiece of the decade the way I had hoped I would? No. But will I recommend this to everyone? Yes.
July 30th, Talk to Me (2023)
I walked into this film knowing only that it was a horror film and that it was supposed to be pretty good. That’s it. So you can imagine how excited I was when I saw the A24 symbol on the screen (yes, I do like elevated horror, yes, I also do like plain horror, you can like both), and how shocked I was when all of the actors opened their mouths and sounded deeply Australian.
This film is the story of Mia, who’s mother dies under mysterious circumstances, and (the previous fact is not causation) afterwards she begins to participate in a ghost ritual, where all of the people have to take an embalmed hand and essentially ask to be possessed.
There’s a lot to unpack in Mia’s story. For starters, there’s grief, and the way that she doesn’t cope well with it. There’s also the discussion of found family, because it’s with her best friend Jade’s family that Mia finds solace, There’s also the obvious comparisons between the possessing and drug use. I have to say, the story does really well with balancing all of these different themes, and it was pretty interesting.
On the other hand, there are parts of the lore that don’t make sense. For example, when Mia goes over the 90 second limit, she starts to see ghosts and even gets possessed once. So is she somehow sucked into the hand? Has she become a part of the ghosts that are attached to the hand? And the ending, while it is shocking and I applaud the directors for going in that direction, also leaves the audience feeling a little uncertain about where the story is headed.
Overall, I think it was an interesting story and I’d definitely say that it is one of the best horror films I’ve seen in a while. If you can, I’d go support it in theaters, since it is a very small indie production and is actually rather interesting, despite the parts that left me wanting more.
And that is it for July! Whew, that was a lot. See you guys whenever I see you guys again!
Happy Friday!!
(Praying that tomorrow’s update of Durian’s Affair doesn’t kill me or my Semi-Doyi ship.)
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