It's finally that time of year again! Today marks the beginning of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and I couldn't be happier. To commemorate the occasion, I've finally gotten around to compiling the ten films set to debut at the festival that have really caught my eye. My track record can be a bit hit or miss in my selections, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt (though for what its worth, the ones that turn out to be good are REALY good.) 10 - Assassination Nation SUNDANCE SUMMARY: High school senior Lily and her crew of besties live in a haze of texts, posts, selfies, and chats—just like the rest of us. So when a provocateur starts posting details from the private digital lives of everyone in their small town of Salem, the result is a Category 5 shitstorm. We’re talking browser histories, direct messages, illegal downloads, secret text chains, and way, way, way worse. People get angry. Like, “rampaging murder posse” angry. And Lily finds herself right in the middle. Why I want to see it: When done right, teen girls & the horror genre is a DELIGHTFUL mix (see Night of the Comet,) but....when they miss they miss hard (Yoga Hosers.) 9 - Mandy SUNDANCE SUMMARY: Bubbling up from somewhere in the realm of madness and chaos comes the eagerly awaited latest from grandiose filmmaker Panos Cosmatos. Somewhere in the primal wilderness near the Shadow Mountains in the year 1983, Red Miller (Nicolas Cage, in an adrenaline-inducing performance) has fallen deeply for the beguiling Mandy Bloom (Andrea Riseborough). But the life he has made for himself comes suddenly and horrifyingly crashing down when a vile band of ravaging idolaters and supernatural creatures penetrate his idyllic paradise with vicious fury. A broken man, Red now lives for one thing only—to hunt down these maniacal villains and exact swift vengeance. Why I want to see it: Could Nicolas Cage appear in a good movie? This one sounds pretty batshiz insane and Cage usually seems to thrive in films like that. While he usually appears in horrible movies, every now and then he gets a gem and gives a great performance. 8 - Ophelia SUNDANCE SUMMARY: Something is rotten in medieval-era Denmark, where political intrigue swirls around the imperial court like dark magic. Amid it all, the queen’s brightest lady-in-waiting, Ophelia, finds herself drawn to Hamlet, the charismatic and elusive crown prince. As their secretive love affair takes flight, betrayal strikes the court, threatening to derail their union and devastate the royal family for good. Caught between her desires and her loyalty, Ophelia has to decide where her devotion will ultimately lie. Why I want to see it: I’m always interested to see more of Daisy Ridley’s acting chops. She did a fine job in Murder on the Orient Express, so I’m interested to see her continuing range. Also I think seeing the familiar story from a different point of view sounds very refreshing. The rest of the supporting cast helps too! 7 - American Animals SUNDANCE SUMMARY: Lexington, Kentucky, 2004: Spencer and Warren dream of remarkable lives beyond their middle-class suburban existence. They head off to colleges in the same town, haunted by the fear they may never be special in any way. Spencer is given a tour of his school’s incredibly valuable rare book collection and describes it all to Warren. Suddenly, it hits them—they could pull off one of the most audacious art thefts in recent history, from the university’s special collections library. Convinced they can get away with it, they recruit two other friends. Suddenly, the dance of knowing what happens if they cross the line becomes all-consuming. Why I want to see it: I’m not always into heist movies but this one sounds like a lot of fun, plus I’m a big fan of Evan Peters. 6 - Hearts Beat Loud SUNDANCE SUMMARY: As single dad Frank (Nick Offerman) prepares to send hardworking daughter Sam (Kiersey Clemons) off to UCLA pre-med, he also reluctantly realizes he has to accept that his own record-store business is failing. Hoping to stay connected with his daughter through their shared love of music, he urges her to turn their weekly “jam sesh” into an actual band. Channeling Sam’s resistance into a band name, they unexpectedly find We’re Not a Band’s first song turning into a minor Spotify hit, and they use their songwriting efforts to work through their feelings about the life changes each of them faces. Why I want to see this: Me & Sundance films about bands have a good track record! Plus I really love Nick Offerman and Toni Collette. 5 - Juliet, Naked SUNDANCE SUMMARY: Annie is stuck in a long-term relationship with Duncan—an obsessive fan of obscure rocker Tucker Crowe. Duncan is far more devoted to his music idol than to Annie. When the acoustic demo of Tucker’s hit record from 25 years ago surfaces, it leads to a life-changing encounter between Annie and the elusive rocker himself. Why I want to see it: Juliet, Naked is an adaptation of a book by Nick Hornby (Brooklyn, About a Boy, An Education, Fever Pitch.) Plus I really love Rose Byrne! 4 - Don't Worry He Won't Get Far On Foot SUNDANCE SUMMARY: John Callahan has a lust for life, a knack for off-color jokes, and a drinking problem. When an all-night bender ends in a catastrophic car accident, John wakes up to the reality of being confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. In his journey back from rock bottom, his honesty and wicked sense of humor turn out to be his saving grace, as he makes friends with an oddball AA group, finds that love is not beyond his reach, and develops a talent for drawing irreverent and sometimes shocking cartoons. Why I want to see it: The cast! Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, Jack Black coming together can only mean good things right? It’s an interesting assembly of players and the trailer looked fantastic. 3 - Wildlife SUNDANCE SUMMARY: Fourteen-year-old Joe is the only child of Jeanette and Jerry—a housewife and a golf pro—in a small town in 1960s Montana. Nearby, an uncontrolled forest fire rages close to the Canadian border, and when Jerry loses his job—and his sense of purpose—he decides to join the cause of fighting the fire, leaving his wife and son to fend for themselves. Suddenly forced into the role of an adult, Joe witnesses his mother's struggle as she tries to keep her head above water. Why I want to see it: This is the directorial debut of Paul Dano, who along with his longtime companion, Zoe Kazan, also adapts the screenplay. Plus he attracted two of the best actors in Hollywood to the project: Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan. 2 - Nancy SUNDANCE SUMMARY: Nancy is a 35-year-old temp living with her mom and cat in a modest home in a modest town. She is also an aspiring writer whose submissions are consistently rejected by the likes of the Atlantic and the Paris Review. To make up for these failures and the invisibility she feels, Nancy spins elaborate lies and hoaxes under pseudonyms on the internet. When she encounters a couple whose 5-year-old daughter went missing 30 years ago, fact and fiction begin to blur in Nancy’s mind, and she becomes increasingly convinced these strangers are her real parents. Why I want to see it: This plot may have been done before, but usually from the parent's who've lost their child's point of view. Seeing it from the view of someone whose life was upturned and shaped by deception sounds fascinating. 1 - Burden SUNDANCE SUMMARY: Mike Burden (Garret Hedlund) is a taciturn repo man rising through the ranks of the Ku Klux Klan in small-town South Carolina, 1996. Orphaned as a child, he is fiercely loyal to local Klan leader and toxic father figure Tom Griffin (a terrifying Tom Wilkinson). But Burden has a change of heart when he falls for Judy (Andrea Riseborough), a single mother who stirs his social conscience. His violent break from the Klan sends him into the open arms of Reverend Kennedy (Forest Whitaker), an idealistic African American preacher, who offers him safety and a shot at redemption. Why I want to see it: The redemption of someone who joined the KKK is certainly not something I've ever seen in film before! A unique tale that is definitely a timely one. Also noteworthy selections: Summer of '84 (More 80’s nostalgia of kids solving mysteries,) Hereditary (Toni Collette in horror is always a good thing.) Puzzle (a movie about Puzzle competitions—who knew there was such a thing!?) You Were Never Really Here (Joaquin Phoenix as a vigilante.) An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn (a zany screwball comedy with Aubrey Plaza, Craig Robinson and Jemaine Clement.) Search (a thriller using social media to find the answers.) A Futile & Stupid Gesture (a look into the beginnings of the National Lampoon brand, starring Will Forte.) Lizzie (another take on the Lizzie Borden story, with hopefully less Lifetime results.)

As another year ends, that means it's that time to recap my ten favorite movies I saw this year! 10. Wonder Woman There were a lot of films competing for the ten spot, but ultimately I had to go with the blockbuster that I had the most fun with this year. While Wonder Woman suffers from a predictable bloated CGI finale, everything that proceeds that is excellent. Gal Gadot is absolutely charming as our titular heroine and her chemistry with co-star Chris Pine just made me smile all the way through. It was so great to get such an empowering super-hero film and I can't wait to see more of Gal in the role. 9. I, Tonya Margot Robbie shines in this biopic of the disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding in her rise to fame and descent into infamy. I thought this was a fascinating film depicting the media and the role it plays in creating the celebrity monster. Robbie is fantastic, but the rest of the cast including Allison Janney, Sebastian Stan and Paul Walter Hauser are all great as well and make this film really come to life. 8. The Killing of a Sacred Deer The Killing of a Sacred Deer is such a bizarre, unsettling film and honestly there's nothing else out there quite like it. Right from the get-go there's something off and the more film goes on you find that you just can't shake it. The film culminates into one of the most strange and outlandish finales I've ever seen, but at the same time I'll never forget it. 7. Mother! I guess this year I couldn't just put one really weird movie on my list... I had to have two. Mother! proved to be one of the most polarizing films of the year as audience either admired or reviled it. Sold as a horror film, Mother! was something else entirely: an allegory that tears apart our human comfort zones. I felt so much anxiety and discomfort in this film that it might as well have been a traditional horror film. 6. Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing Missouri Frances McDormand gives a stellar performance as a mother who takes the law into her own hands in order to solve her daughter's murder. She's joined by an incredibly strong supporting cast with Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Lucas Hedges and Peter Dinklage. Each character is given a lot of depth, while the audience is constantly trying to decide whether anyone is actually likable. The story and script though are so compelling you just can't take your eyes off the screen even as all the characters on it are morally gray. 5. Get Out Jordan Peele delivers an instant classic to the horror genre in his directorial debut Get Out. The film manages to be simultaneously funny, scary and thought provoking ensuring that its rewatchability factor is high. While I still wish the trailer hadn't given away so much, the film still managed to meet the high expectations I had for it. 4. The Post The Post is kinda like the journalistic prequel movie to All The President's Men. I really dig a good journalistic movie where a piece of history comes alive, and seeing The Post today it couldn't be more relevant. Meryl always gives great performances, but it was interesting seeing her playing a character so timid in a time where women didn't get nearly the same respect in the work place. Her plight to gain respect in a field dominated by men was inspiring and courageous. 3. The Disaster Artist I've always said I love movies about movies, but movies about BAD movies are the funnest. This movie made me laugh uncontrollably all throughout. James Franco totally commits to the role of Tommy Wiseau as the terrible auteur who is convinced he's destined for greatness. Bolstered by a script by my favorite (500) Days of Summer duo, The Disaster Artist shows that even bad movies can bring joy. But luckily this one was a gem. 2. The Big Sick The Big Sick is one of the rarest things in Hollywood that you can find anymore: a good romantic comedy. The genre has practically gone the way of the dinosaur, so finding any of them.... let alone an excellent one is like striking gold. The Big Sick actually is one of the most unique rom-coms I've seen wherein it focuses on a much more unlikely relationship to get the two leads together: not the relationship between the leads themselves, but it is the relationship between the suitor (Kumail Nanjiani) and the love interests' parents (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano) that forges the bond that convinces our heroine (Zoe Kazan) to give the romance another try. Ray Romano and Holly Hunter are both terrific here and Kumail's deadpan humor is hilarious. The film is hysterical and heartwarming. One of my favorites of the year for sure. 1. Baby Driver Baby Driver literally had me hooked from the opening scene and did not lose my attention for one moment. Edgar Wright made one heck of an entertaining film and one that could easily have been forgettable. Ansel Elgort is an unconventional lead in an unconventional heist movie. He plays Baby, a getaway driver who has to have the perfect playlist at the ready for every job he does. The editing here is in a masterclass of its own as each shot matches every beat. As an editor, it's honestly a joy to watch. HONORABLE MENTIONS: DUNKIRK, JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, INGRID GOES WEST, WIND RIVER, WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, ALIEN COVENANT, LADY BIRD, LOGAN, JOHN WICK CHAPTER 2

Out now is DC's long awaited answer to Marvel's successful Avengers, with their own super hero team up movie: Justice League. Critically and generally, DC has gotten off to much more of a rocky start than Marvel with their cinematic universe. Their films have been much more divisive, and attacked for being so, that now you see the shift of studio damage control trying to mimic Marvel's formula and create funnier, more crowd pleasing films. This was certainly evident in Suicide Squad and the results were clumsy at best. Wonder Woman, on the other hand was able to find its footing and audiences and critics alike loved it. Does Justice League carry on in that same direction, redeeming DC once and for all? Generally, the answer here is no, but some will receive this film better than others, because after all, the studio, with much involvement, did their best to make it more fun. Justice League directly follows the events of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Superman is dead, while Batman and Wonder Woman (and their alter egos Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince) are just trying to do their part to help the world in their own ways. Batman desperately wants to assemble a team because he can tell that something dangerous is coming, and he's right. It isn't long before he and Wonder Woman are faced with saving the world from the evil villain Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is after three boxes hidden in different locations (the Amazon, Atlantis and Earth) that will grant him absolute power to conquer everything. Bruce and Diana know their power won't be enough, so they seek out the super powered individuals that Lex Luthor had his eye on in Batman V Superman. Enter Barry Allen, Victor Stone and Arthur Curry aka The Flash, Cyborg and Aquaman. Will they be enough to defeat Steppenwolf? Or is there another member of the team waiting in the shadows? Going in, I'd heard early reports that Justice League was fun but suffered from a weak villain. I didn't suppose that I would have issue with that until the moment I actually saw him and all the stakes were removed with this CGI goon. Everything about him is generic and forgettable from his look to his motivations. He absolutely did not work for me on any level and unfortunately weakened the movie right from his first appearance early on. So that's the first and most obvious thing wrong with the movie. The plot and the villain are pretty weak sauce. But the bigger underlying problem is how studio interference just wreaks on this film. Comparing this to Batman V Superman (which if you may recall, I'm one of the few defenders of that film,) Justice League feels vastly different in tone and style. It does not feel like an organic sequel to a filmmakers vision; it's not his film anymore, it's the studios. And all the studio wants is for people to like their movies and for them to be FUN. While I appreciate that not everyone is a comedian here and that these characters all have their different brands of humor, there are definitely a lot more jokes here and not all of them land. Also of note in what feels off here compared to the world we already established are two of the three most important characters to DC: Wonder Woman and [SPOILER highlight to read] Superman [/end SPOILER] Wonder Woman is still delightful herself as a character, but it's obvious that she's MUCH more objectified here than in previous films. It feels disingenuous to sexualize her so much when in her last DC appearance she stood much more for female empowerment than male fantasy. There are gratuitous butt shots galore, the most ridiculous and cleavagey shirt I've ever seen in my life, and I swear they made her skirt shorter too. After Wonder Woman, this treatment of the character was disappointing. Luckily Gal Gadot still shined in the role and was one of the best parts of the film. Then there's [SPOILER] Superman, who comes back and whose personality is completely unrecognizable from the Superman we met in previous movies. I know people have had issues with a brooding Superman, but I never did in this universe. However, seeing him here grinning constantly, just feels like a light switch move and I wish I could see more of WHY he suddenly has a complete personality change. That said, while I'm talking Superman here in the spoilers I must admit that Clark and Lois reunion was unbelievably sweet and legitimately made me emotional. Lucky Amy Adams showing up for a day's worth of work, kissing Henry Cavill and calling it a day. [/end SPOILER] As for the rest of the team, Ben Affleck is still solid as Bruce Wayne/Batman. I really hope he stays with this role. I'd hate to see him replaced. Ezra Miller is a total scene stealer as Barry Allen/The Flash. He ends up with the task of providing the majority of the comic relief in the film, and he's up to the task. Again, not all of the jokes are successful, but I'd blame that more on the script than the delivery. Ray Fisher as Cyborg does a good job in his role, while Jason Momoa is a lot of fun, but most certainly the most underdeveloped character in the film. I speak for all (straight) women in America when I say, we could have seen a lot more of him. I'll be excited to see his character expanded upon in Aquaman. With a film of such scope, Justice League inevitably ends up being quite the juggling act. As such, it ends up being somewhat of a mess, even if it's an enjoyable mess. Going forward, Justice League marks the continued effort of DC films (following in Suicide Squad's attempt) to be far more palatable now to mainstream audiences, catering less to a director's vision. While I recognize I'm one of few who truly appreciated Batman V Superman for what it was, I can't help but feel a little disappointed that this film isn't cut from more of that same cloth. I enjoyed it, but was a little let down. However, when it comes down to it, I just have a special place in my heart for the heroes of DC. I enjoy seeing their adventures, even if it's a little messy (I mean hello, I was an avid watcher of Smallville for Pete's sake.) Anyway, I wish this film had more vision, stayed true to itself, and had a much stronger villain...but I still had fun with it. RATING: a generous 7/10

It's always difficult to review a film that's an adaptation of a piece of classic literature when you haven't read the source material. It forces me to speak only on its merits as a film without knowing whether or not it did justice to what it was based upon. To me that's a very important part of reviewing a film that's based on a beloved work, because of it's being made at all, it should capture the spirit of what made it beloved. While I understand that books and film are two completely different mediums and that some changes must occur in the adaptation process, it's still important not to take creative license to the extent that the original is unrecognizable. In the case of Murder on the Orient Express, I don't know whether to credit Agatha Christie for the twists and turns the story takes, or director Kenneth Branagh if he chose to take any artistic liberties. However, since Branagh is usually a faithful adapter of works, I will assume that he honored Christie's works and speak only of the story presented in this film. Murder on the Orient Express follows the story of world renowned detective Hercule Poirot, (Kenneth Brannagh doing double duty here as he stars and directs the film) who ends up the passenger on a train ride he'll never forget. One of his fellow passengers is murdered in the night and it's up to him to find the real killer. The problem is, the more he examines each passenger on the train the more he finds that every single one of them has a motive, making it almost impossible to discover the truth. Murder on the Orient Express has a lot of strengths, most notably the fine cast that Kenneth Branagh assembled. He's joined by a lot of talent including Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad and Judi Dench. Everyone does a great job and you wish that you are definitely left feeling that certain characters deserved more screen time. With such a large cast, it's hard to give equal amount to everybody, but they all make the most of what they're given. My only issue casting wise is that Michelle Pfeiffer doesn't really fit the period to me, but she still delivers a great performance and makes it work. Branagh is great in the lead role, and really fleshes his character out and makes his quirks lovable. He's a fun protagonist that I'd love to see more of, should Branagh have the itch to adapt any more novels featuring the character. Films like this, while once rampant in Hollywood don't tend to exist much in the mainstream anymore. Murder is definitely dialogue heavy, and the pace certainly won't be for everyone. But I have to say, I found the film to be completely refreshing and charming. It was a breath of fresh air and something of more substance than most popcorn films nowadays. Towards the end I was getting a little incredulous at all of the coincidences that were adding up, but everything made sense in the end and I was truly surprised where the story went. Branagh's direction is steady and artful throughout, and if you have the patience, it's just a great murder mystery. RATING: 8/10

As many long time readers will know, I have long ceased looking forward to Marvel movies, let alone caring whether I see them at all or not. If you've seen one, most likely you've seen them all. A couple years ago I stopped bothering to see them in theaters altogether and felt perfectly content about that decision. However, since I married a man who happened to be quite fond of Marvel, those days of pretending these vanilla superhero movies don't exist are most likely over (even though he assured me several times that I didn't have to go with him, I decided to be a dutiful wife and movie critic anyway.) So here I am. Writing a full Marvel review for the first time in years for Thor Ragnorak. The first two Thor movies were pretty forgettable, so no one really had any reason to be excited about this film before it started production. But two choices Marvel made with this film did make me slightly more potentially optimistic: one being the decision to hire Taika Waititi as director, whose work with What We Do in the Shadows I loved; and two, casting the always phenomenal Cate Blanchett as the film's villain. After seeing the film, both decisions paid off enormously in what was, to me, the most palatable Marvel film in years. Thor Ragnorak reunites us with the avenger Thor (Chris Hemsworth,) whose father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) tells him and his adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) of a long lost evil sister they never knew they had named Hela (Cate Blanchett.) Oden knows his time is short, and once he dies Hela will be unleashed and seek the throne of Asgard. Thor and Loki try to stop her, but are thwarted and find themselves on another planet. Thor ends up a prisoner to a Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) who forces gladiator matches against God-like opponents. There Thor discovers an unlikely ally who might be able to help him escape and defeat Hela for good. Now, don't get me wrong, a lot of the same problems are here from other Marvel films, but for some reason, Thor Ragnorak just doesn't feel as derivative. It feels more fresh and new. Yes, it's trying to be Guardians of the Galaxy, but it actually works better here. I credit that to Waititi, but still some of the same Marvel schtick can't help but get in the way. The humor in its setups is still usually pretty obvious as I could always guess the punchline, consequently I think I only laughed once. Also, the characters' actions usually didn't seem true to themselves, as they were used just for punchlines, so not a lot of the humor felt genuine. As for the action, there's nothing new here that you haven't seen before, but the final third was fun. As far as being the third entry in a trilogy, it certainly didn't feel very connected to the other two films. While it's good this one stands out more than its bland predecessors, it feels like a complete separate entity from them tone wise and also by completely forgetting the characters who played a major role in the other films. It's a little disingenuous to write off Natalie Portman's Jane with a throwaway "we broke up" line, when he was pledging his undying love for in just the previous entry. But the writers are hoping you won't notice with the addition of Cate Blanchett's fabulous (if underwritten) villain, new love interest Tessa Thompson as a hardened female warrior, and Jeff Goldblum's nutty Grandmaster (and for most people, it will work.) Marvel is really only concerned with connecting with the big picture anyway, as they shove in a couple of Extended Universe cameos that definitely induced an eye roll or two. Thor Ragnorak is easily the best Marvel movie to come out this year, and in some time. It wasn't a necessary film by any means, but at this point, what Marvel movie is? So luckily this one benefits greatly from Taika Waititi, who breathes some fresh air into the franchise even if he can't avoid all of the same Marvel stumbling blocks. RATING: 7/10

Happy Halloween readers! My month has once again been filled to the brim with viewing as many horror films as possible, but this year in particular I made a very special goal. Every year the local indie theater in Utah plays a select few horror classics throughout the month, but this year they upped their game. They had movies playing every day, all month long with several new releases every week. They had a promotion where, if you saw ten horror movies during the month you got a free t-shirt, so you better believe my husband and I took the challenge and completed it. While this wasn’t every film they offered, these were the ten we were able to see. SUSPIRIA- Suspiria follows a ballet student and the mysterious new European school she’s accepted into. When she learns of a few murders that have taken place there, she and her roommate attempt to discover what secrets the school might be hiding. This movie has been on my must watch horror list for quite a few years. I’d never been able to get around to it, so I was thrilled when I saw it was on the Tower’s list, and that it would be shown in a glorious 4K restoration. I was happy to finally see this horror classic and could appreciate it on its own terms. Suspiria is the definition of a very stylized horror film. I can see how this film would have been incredibly influential on someone like Guillermo Del Toro. The look of the film was amazing, and the way the kills were set up were (as weird as it is to say,) incredibly and artfully done. There were some moments in the film where I wished I would have seen it without the heckling audience laughing at some fumbling horror tropes that ruined the mood, but all in all I was very happy to see this on the big screen finally. The ending makes the whole thing worth it, and the score has now become one of my favorite horror themes of all time. FRIDAY THE 13TH– Friday the 13th is all about the tragedy that happened at Camp Crystal Lake years ago when a boy drowned while the camp counselors weren’t paying attention. Consequently, the camp closed down for a few years but finally seems like it’s going to be able to reopen. Will reopening the camp unleash some horrifying revenge on the new counselors? And did that boy REALLY die? I’d seen the original and first entry in the Friday the 13th franchise a couple years ago and while I absolutely loved the ending, I found myself a little bored throughout the rest of it. Seeing it at the Tower on the actual day of Friday the 13th was a completely different experience. The energy of the crowd propelled the first half of the film and made it so fun to be a part of. Each kill was met with blood curdling screams from members of the audience who didn’t see them coming. And that ending that I loved? It was even better on the big screen with a whole audience fully engaged. If you ever get the chance to see this in a theater with a big audience, do it! HAUSU – A young girl is invited to bring six of her friends to her aunt’s home in the country. Once there, each of the girls start disappearing one by one as the house seeks to devour them. Surprisingly, this cult classic Japanese horror film from the 70’s never managed to be on my radar. I read the description and went in pretty blind, not knowing the wild ride that was in store for me. This movie was an absolute trip and I can’t say that I didn’t have a ball with it. The movie is outrageous, and it’s crazy to think that someone not only thought it up, but that some producer out there agreed to make it. These visuals will haunt me forever, and not in the chilling way! TEMPLE – Three American tourists get more than they bargained for when they follow a map to a hidden temple deep in the jungles of Japan. To be honest, I’m not really sure how this film made the Salt Lake Film Society’s cut to appear on the Tower of Terror’s schedule. It’s a made for tv film that’s incredibly average, if not mediocre. There are some cool effects and makeup here, but not much more. I’m sure they didn’t want to go with the obvious choice of Ringu or Ju-on which inspired popular American remakes, but it would have been the better choice. Or if they didn’t do exclusively Japanese it would have been great to see the modern Korean horror classic A Tale of Two Sisters. AUDITION – A widower looking for a new wife, holds a faux audition for a film that will never be made in order to find the perfect girl to date. He instantly takes a liking for the meek and shy Asami, but soon will learn that she is not what she seems. Audition, like Suspiria, has been a horror film I’ve been meaning to get around to for ages, and was also delighted to see pop up on the Tower’s schedule. Throughout the film I was worried it had been a little too hyped, but once the film’s finale came all of those fears had dissipated (and might I add…new ones from what I was viewing came to life.) This film was so horrifying, and just as a whole very well done. The manner in which the story is told (through some flashbacks that the main character wouldn’t necessarily be privy to) was really great. Little by little the audience got the information they needed to sink further and further down the rabbit hole. And what we found there will probably haunt my dreams forever. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD – Night of the Living Dead follows a group of strangers stranded together in a house, hoping to survive an unheard of event: a zombie outbreak. The first time I ever saw this movie was in one of my film classes nearly a decade ago. I couldn’t recall much, so I was excited to be able to see it again in a theater. We caught a matinee, so there wasn’t a packed crowd to see it, but those who were in attendance were still very much actively engaged. The film is paced very quickly and you can just see how revolutionary that must have been for movies of the time because of how different it feels. It’s really incredible when there’s a film out there that basically marks the beginning of a genre, the way that this film marks the beginning of the zombie subgenre of horror. Night of the Living Dead isn’t just a gem to the zombie film genre because it’s the first of its kind, but because it’s a really solid film in its own right aside from being revolutionary. It’s incredibly well constructed and tense, two musts for a horror film. While some of the supporting characters come off a little two dimensionally, it never stops the lead character from stealing the show, or the film from being incredibly enjoyable as a whole. TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE – A group of teenagers on a road trip pick up a mysterious hitchhiker and later stumble on the house of a psychopath they find difficult to escape. Two years ago I saw this horror classic for the very first time and was utterly terrified by it. It’s a film that’s an absolute nightmare that pushes your adrenalin to the brink. I was really excited to see this film on the big screen and it absolutely did not disappoint. Right from the beginning the audience feels unsettled, and that feeling only grows to down right uncomfortable by the end. To me, this is one of the scariest films ever made, and one of the best that the horror genre has to offer. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW – A young couple’s car breaks down and stranded in the rain, seek refuge at a mysterious castle. Once inside, they meet a band of zany characters and discover a whole new world that they had no idea existed. Somehow, I’d gone my whole life without ever viewing this cult classic, but I decided that this year was the year to end all that. Boy, what an experience that was seeing it at the Tower for the very first time. For other first time viewers, I must say I would recommend seeing it on your own first before seeing it in a very rambunctious theater experience such as mine was. In the past, I’d been to some of the Tower’s interactive movie experiences (like Sound of Music, West Side Story and Mamma Mia) and had an absolute blast. This experience though was a whole other beast. There was a lot of fun to be had to be sure, but for seeing it the first time there was also a lot of distractions for a movie that’s already not exactly the easiest to follow (such as live commentary & a pretty well done simultaneous re-enactment of the movie happening right in front of the movie.) So, first time viewers this experience probably isn’t for you, but Rocky Horror Picture Show buffs who have seen the movie a thousand times, on the other hand (as I myself saw,) were enraptured. PSYCHO – The fateful decision of a woman on the run to stay the night at a motel is at the heart of Psycho. Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is probably the film that really began my love of horror. Perhaps for that reason,, it still holds a very special place in my heart as my favorite of the genre. But just a fondness for it isn’t the only reason it’s so great, the larger reason being that it’s just so masterfully done. Seeing it on a big screen only made that incredibly more evident. Each movement of the camera, each shot and the way its edited is a work of art. The performances Hitchcock gets from everyone involved are so good. Anthony Perkins in particular is just so nuanced in every single line he delivers as the iconic Norman Bates. This film is a must see in any medium available, but if you have the chance to ever see it in a theater, please take it. I just only wish I could see it back in 1960 with an audience who had no idea what was coming. How magical that must have been I can only imagine. HALLOWEEN – A murderous psychotic killer breaks free from the mental hospital to return to his hometown and kill again on Halloween night. What better way to celebrate Halloween than by seeing Halloween in theaters? This slasher flick will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s one of the first that I saw, and quite frankly it’s still one of the best. Michael Myers is such an ominous and mysterious figure, made only more terrifying by the score that accompanies him. This too is one of the only slasher flicks of the era that not only had a great villain, but a likable (and not forgettable) final girl in Jamie Lee Curtis’s Laurie Strode, to inevitably face off with said villain in the final act.

Nowadays, there's a lot of debate about the role Rotten Tomatoes plays in how we as an audience receive a film. Many filmmakers decry the website and claim that it's ruining cinema. While I tend to be more of the opinion that a film should be good enough to stand on its own merits rather than what the consensus thinks, I can't disagree that the scores assigned to films on that website often affect the perception and even opinions of a film before the general audience has even seen it. After all, the point of Rotten Tomatoes is to inform people what type of caliber every single movie that comes out is, therefore how can they not have expectations of its quality beforehand. This brings us to The Snowman, a film that received a staggering 8% on Rotten Tomatoes. This, along with word of mouth on film twitter, set me up to believe I was about to witness one of the worst films of the year. I honestly expected this to beWicker Man levels of bad. As I watched, I kept waiting for the moment when it would cross into pure absurdity but to my disappointment, it never happened. The Snowman opens by telling the unfortunate tragedy that befalls a young lad in his youth when he unexpectedly loses his mother. This event sets him on the path to revenge, and years later he engages in a series of killings where all the victims have something in common with his deceased mother. Two detectives hope to unravel this case (Michael Fassbender and Rebecca Ferguson,) though both with different motives and connections to it. To be upfront, nothing in this movie warranted so low of a score as it received on Rotten Tomatoes. The biggest sins this film commits is being a little bland, forgettable and unable to decide on the proper tone for what they wanted the film to be. Most of the time it wants to be a crime thriller/drama, but every so often it clumsily tries to switch to horror and the results are somewhat jarring, if not unintentionally comedic. But even so, the film remains watchable because I think it's impossible for Michael Fassbender to turn in a bad performance. The rest of the cast gave adequate performances as well, though the inclusion of Val Kilmer was a puzzling and distracting decision. I get how the majority of critics would be disappointed by this film, but it's unfortunate that the score portrayed a movie that was atrocious, instead of one that was just averagely mediocre. RATING: 5/10

A review for Happy Death Day can be summed up in two words: glorious trash. But since movie reviews are typically much more substantial than that, I'll try to go more in depth in dissecting a film that has none. The premise here is simple: a stuck up sorority girl named Tree (Jessica Rothe, or a poor man's Blake Lively) is trapped in a Ground Hog Day type loop, except the particular day she is doomed to repeat happens to be both her birthday AND her death day. Each time she relives this birthday, no matter what she does, she winds up murdered by the end of the day by a masked killer. After a new friend suggests that the only way to escape the day and move onto the next is to discover the identity of the killer and defeat him, Tree makes it her mission to do just that. But with so many people out to get her, it might take her much longer to discover the killer than she might think. Your enjoyment level of Happy Death Day will vary upon how much you take the film seriously. It's the type of movie that's kitschy trash, and knows it is. If you can accept it at that level, you can enjoy it, which I most certainly did. It's not trying to be a particularly good film, nor does it even attempt to explain its plot gimmick. Happy Death Day is perfectly content to be what it is and nothing more. However, it's understandable to see the film somewhat of a missed opportunity because if it had more bite in its humor as well as its violence, this film could have reached true cult status. As it is, it's a mindless wannabe horror comedy that ends up being pretty forgettable. Even still, I can't say I didn't enjoy it on a guilty pleasure level. As I already established that the film is mostly trash, I did mention earlier that it's pretty glorious trash at that, and that's a very important distinction to make. That's because of how often it manages to cross the "so bad it's good" line, which makes the whole thing pretty enjoyable to watch. The ending is the most prime example of this, but there are certainly other moments that made me feel incredulous that what I was watching on the screen was really taking place. Because this film was so stupid, yet so enjoyable at the same time to watch I have a difficult time grading it. My head says one thing, and my heart says another. Therefore I shall have to give it two scores. ENTERTAINMENT RATING: 6.5, FILM RATING: 5/10

For pretty much my entire cinematic life, Blade Runner was one of those defining 80's classics that I always really wanted to see, but never found the time to get around to watching. In fact, it wasn't until the impending release of Blade Runner 2049 that I finally made it a priority to sit down and watch it. I wish I'd watched it years ago in college, and really had the chance to dissect it. Perhaps then I'd have a greater attachment towards it, and a lot more patience. But, when I watched it now, I found a lot to admire to be sure, but a pace that kept me at arms length when trying to embrace it and get lost in it. I liked it, and appreciated its place in film history, but I couldn't love it. Maybe it's a film that would benefit and grow in my fondness with repeat viewings, but unfortunately I didn't have time for that before my viewing of Blade Runner 2049. So the question is, how did this sequel to the original film fare to such a newbie of the franchise? Blade Runner 2049 takes place in the same universe as Blade Runner, thirty years after the events of the original film. But this time, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is no longer our blade runner protagonist (blade runners being cops who are tasked with hunting down replicants aka artificial intelligent robots.) In fact, he's been on the run and in hiding ever since we last saw him. So this time, the story focuses on another Blade Runner, a replicant simply known as K (Ryan Gosling.) On one of his many hit jobs hunting down other replicants, he discovers some incredibly shocking evidence that puts him on the path to find Deckard. But this newly discovered evidence isn't only of interest to K and his police department, but the head of a replicant creating corporation obsessed with creating life (Jared Leto) and his devoted assistant, who are determined to watch K's every move. This time around I had a much easier time connecting with the story and found that this was a good continuation of the world we were introduced to in the first film. There's a definite sense of world building going on in this film with all of the different types of characters you have, and it's definitely half of the fun. It's fascinating to see replicant K's relationship with an even more AI than himself, his Siri like girlfriend Joi (played fantastically by relative newcomer Ana de Armas.) But the other thing 2049 does apart from expanding the universe, is also setting the stage for more. Here you see the seeds being planted for a real uprising as replicants are starting to believe they're more human than humans. But aside from all the interesting questions that Blade Runner 2049 has to pose, it has a lot more to offer as well, starting with how beautiful it is to look at! The cinematography by Roger Deakins is absolutely breathtaking. The original had many sweeping and beautiful shots, and Deakins definitely plays tribute to them. One of the main reasons I was really excited to see this film was because it was being helmed by Denis Villeneuve whose past work (most recently being Arrival,) I really admire. He didn't let me down as he accomplished something truly difficult in making a film that still felt like it was his, while completely honoring the original. Villeneuve also assembled a really fine cast. Gosling is solid as always and carries a lot more of the film than I thought he would. But he gets some great support from his costars, particularly from the female cast. I already mentioned really enjoying Ana de Armas' performance as K's longtime artificial girlfriend, but Robin Wright makes the most of her screen time too as the Lieutenant that K reports to. The other female performance that really impressed me was by another newcomer, Sylvia Hoeks, who plays Jared Leto's replicant assistant. Perhaps for me, the weak link here is Ford, who seems that with every classic character he slips into nowadays, he simply plays them as a grumpier old version of himself, rather than connecting to who these characters were. I didn't see much of a resemblance to his original character, but then again after 30 years of being on the run, maybe everyone would start acting crotchety? All in all, Blade Runner 2049 is a really well made film that I liked a lot. However, as much as I enjoyed it, I still found that since I didn't have a strong connection with the first film, I couldn't really say I loved this one either. Again, perhaps repeated viewings could really warm me to it, but for now I will appreciate it from a distance. RATING: 8.5/10

Out now, audiences have the choice to take part in another adventure in the Lego Movie universe or see the followup to one of the most fun surprise hits of 2015. Those films, respectively are The Lego Ninjago Movie and Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Both films provide an enjoyable enough time, though they're unable to match the heights of the films whose footsteps they follow. The Lego Ninjago movie is the tale of a group of ninjas trying to save their city, as told by a wise old man (a welcome return performance by Jackie Chan) to a young boy who visits his store one day. The boy wants to know all about the young warrior (Dave Franco) whose absentee villainous father (Justin Theroux) has made his life a living nightmare. Can this warrior repeatedly save the city his father is trying to destroy AND have a relationship with said father at the same time? Only if he, along with his ninja buddies, can become one and heed what they've learned from their wise old teacher (also Jackie Chan.) It's pretty obvious that The Lego Ninjago Movie is definitely the least inspired of the Lego Movie franchise. It's hard not to feel like many of its concepts were taken from scraps off the cutting room floor, or rejected writers room ideas from the previous entries. That's not to say the film isn't fun, it just doesn't really feel fresh....or completely necessary. And compared to the other two Lego Movies, it definitely is the most forgettable. That said, being a girl who loves cat humor...there was definitely a large part of this movie that got many chuckles from me. You can certainly do worse with kids movies, but if I'm looking for something to watch with my nieces and nephews, I'll likely reach for the original Lego Movie and The Lego Batman Movie before this one. RATING: 6.5/10 Kingsman: The Golden Circle picks up not too long where Kingsman: The Secret Service left off. The film opens with Eggsy (Taron Egerton) on the run from one of his former schoolmates and it's a completely fun and amazingly done sequence. Unbeknownst to him, this encounter sets off a chain of events that changes the Kingsman and rocks them to their core. With nowhere to turn, Eggsy and Merlin have to travel to America to seek help from the Kingsman's American counterpart: the Statesmen. There, they discover an old ally, as well as another nefarious plot that's in motion across the globe to once again bring the world to its knees. I definitely had higher hopes and expectations for the Kingsman sequel than I did for Ninjago, and while it certainly wasn't a *bad* sequel, it just didn't thrill and excite me the same way the original did. To be fair, it couldn't exactly surprise me, since this time around I did have expectations because of loving the first one. Golden Circle doesn't try to top the craziness of the first movie which is good, but it does perhaps try to add too many new characters that aren't really needed. I definitely had fun with the movie...particularly with the one celebrity cameo that they milk to death. But, whether it's not enough sequences like the opening one or something else...something just felt lacking or missing about this sequel. That said, I am optimistic about where this franchise could go if it continues. RATING: 7/10