Irrelevant But Awesome

If you’ve had the desire to check out the Netflix Marvel series recently, (We’re talking about the ones that make up The Defenders : Daredevil , Jessica Jones , Luke Cage , Iron Fist , and The Punisher ) you may have seen a notification that states these shows will be removed from the service at the end of the month. This is likely to elicit one of two responses from you.  1. You might think “Of course. They’re Marvel series, and Marvel is owned by Disney, and Disney has their own streaming service. Why would Disney let Netflix keep these shows when they could be on Disney+ making money for the mouse? Especially with a revived interest in the characters with cameos that showed up in both Spider-Man: No Way Home , and the Hawkeye  TV show.  Or you might think… 2. Wait a minute, those shows were Netflix Originals. They were supposed to be on Netflix forever, no matter what. That’s the whole point of Netflix Originals. What gives? The answer, of course, lies somewhere in the...

Alexa:  I think Joel is absolutely right in his assessment that for most people “Friends and Romans” is an average movie, and that’s definitely the case for me. I enjoyed it and don’t regret the time I spent watching it, but I haven’t thought about it much since and I’m not likely to watch it again. It was the perfect way to spend roughly an hour and a half of my holiday break while curled up on the couch. The film’s concept of mob movie extras breaking through typecasting barriers by mounting a Shakespeare production is a clever one, and I honestly would have liked it more if that’s all it was. The plotline with an actual mobster infiltrating the cast adds more conflict, but it distracts from the film’s central premise. For me, the struggle of whether or not the actors can pull this show off successfully is compelling enough on its own. “Friends and Romans” makes some excellent points about how often Italian Americans are stereotyped in popular culture, but it also suffers fr...

Alexa:  I will freely admit that Netflix’s “A Christmas Prince” is objectively a bad movie, but it is perfect for those of us looking for some pure holiday cheese. It has just the right blend of Christmas magic, royal scandal, the picturesque scenery of fake European countries, and absurdly rushed romance. Naturally, I was hoping for more of the same with “A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding,” but I was pretty disappointed! Naturally with a title that includes the words “Royal Wedding” I was expecting just that - some fabulous royal wedding planning with plenty of drama. But the wedding was almost the subplot of a movie about this England/Switzerland hybrid country’s financial collapse and the corruption that led to it. Naturally Amber, perhaps one of the world’s least experienced investigative journalists, uncovers the truth with her extensive note taking (i.e. writing the word “Fishy?” in her untouched reporter’s notebook) and Princess Emily’s random hacking skills. And p...

Alexa:  I have to admit something. I didn’t grow up watching Monty Python, and as such, I’ve always felt like I’m missing something when I view it now. Monty Python is notoriously hilarious but I don’t laugh out loud at it as much as I feel like I should. I felt that way about “Holy Grail” and had the same reaction to “Life of Brian.” It’s not that I don’t like it or don’t think it’s funny. On the contrary, I think this movie is whip-smart in its social commentary and its humor. The Python guys have such a unique sensibility, and “Life of Brian” is expertly executed. I just found myself appreciating it as an art form more than I found myself actually laughing at it, if that makes sense. I acknowledge that this is a personal failing on my part, to recognize that it’s funny without laughing much. There were a few moments that really had me rolling, like the grammar correction scene Jason mentioned and the “what have the Romans ever done for us” bit. But as revered as Python is, ...

Alexa:  I’m a sucker for offbeat, low-key sci-fi fare and “The Lobster” certainly checks a lot of those boxes. I thought the trailers gave off an “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” vibe, but “The Lobster” has little in common with anything else I’ve ever seen. While ultimately not as poignant or thoughtfully constructed as “Eternal Sunshine,” there is a lot about “The Lobster” that works. Director Yorgos Lanthimos (who is currently gaining strong Oscar buzz for his new movie “The Favourite”) creates a distinctly bleak world. The hotel is polished and refined but with an almost ashen color palette that hints at something sinister. It’s a world obsessed with romance but one built on a superficial foundation of instant gratification rather than investing time in cultivating a real connection. Is having nearsightedness in common really enough to forge a lifetime of love? It’s certainly an intriguing and timely commentary bolstered by the direction and performances, but I agre...

Alexa:  Being from North Carolina, I actually remember hearing about the case featured in “Finders Keepers” long before watching the documentary. But I still wasn’t prepared for all the story’s strange twists and turns, of which there are many. I can’t really wrap my head around wanting to keep someone else’s severed leg, no matter how much attention it might garner, but Shannon’s claim does raise some legitimately interesting legal questions. And while the film does spend a lot of time dwelling on just how bizarre this dispute is, it also delves deeper into unexpectedly insightful territory. Ultimately the movie is less about the novelty of the case than it is about the two men at the center of it and what motivates them. They are weirdly sympathetic characters (ultimately John more so than Shannon) and the filmmakers take great care not to belittle their beliefs. Both are driven by their fathers in a sense - John to preserve his late father’s memory and Shannon to obtain the...

Alexa:  I saw “Moon” years ago when it first came out and loved it, but I remembered little about the details. So when I saw it was on Netflix, naturally I had to add it to the list. And from the first few bars of Clint Mansell’s atmospheric score, I immediately began to remember why I had such a strong reaction to it the first time. As much as I adore a good effects-heavy epic, I’m a sucker for low-key sci-fi, and “Moon” embodies that genre at its finest. The lunar landscape director Duncan Jones creates feels vast and isolating, which only underscores the feelings of apprehension that simmer beneath the surface throughout the entire film. Even the animated smiley faces GERTY uses to express emotion are unsettling. Everything about Sam’s habitat on the moon feels manufactured. That ambience is critical to establishing the film’s tone. It’s quiet, but each reveal as the story progresses is deliberate and impactful. But above all, “Moon” belongs to Sam Rockwell. The movie deman...

Alexa:  I wanted to hate “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser,” but I didn’t completely. That’s not to say I liked it, but it had enough saving graces to keep me invested in the story - namely Shannon Purser, aka Barb from “Stranger Things.” Purser’s performance is charming enough to make a character that could be completely unlikable in less capable hands at least somewhat relatable. And a compelling lead actress is essential to this movie given the slew of horrible choices she makes throughout the film. Listen to me, readers: Catfishing someone is not the way to win their heart, contrary to what this movie’s inevitable outcome might have you believe. The filmmakers clearly envision this high school Cyrano de Bergerac as a story about the importance of being yourself, even though Sierra ultimately wins over the guy of her dreams by first pretending to be someone else. Every poor decision along their path to love is cringeworthy and decidedly unromantic. I’m all for suspension of disbel...

Alexa:  I watched “Devil’s Advocate” days ago and I’ve been struggling over what to write about it because I’m so conflicted on it. While watching it, my reaction was mostly negative. The imagery is so heavy-handed that it teeters toward melodrama, and the story arc so predictable that the surprises are few and far between. And yet, there is something thought provoking enough about it that I found the film stayed with me much longer than I anticipated. Though overt, the moral quandaries it presents almost beg to be explored in think pieces. Much of the movie’s message about temptation and vanity is pretty surface-level, but it invites viewers to take a deeper analytical dive beyond what’s explicitly happening on screen. And I 100 percent agree with Jason that the film belongs to Al Pacino and Charlize Theron. Keanu Reeves, bless him, is a charming guy, even with his uneven southern accent. But Pacino is a dynamic villain and Theron a superb tragic heroine. “Devil’s Advocate” m...