Your Custom Text Here
So how did 2019’s reboot of the 1988 cult classic Child’s Play manage this? Or did it at all?
Read More
Mary and Kelli saw Booksmart, a new film by Olivia Wilde and had some FEELINGS about it! Spoilers for Booksmart to follow!
Kelli: Helloooo
Mary: Hiiiiii! Today, we are very excited to talk about Booksmart, the directorial debut from Olivia Wilde!! Do you want to introduce us a little?
Kelli: Sure! So, before I saw Booksmart, I heard it described as a cross between Lady Bird and Superbad, and I think that is a fairly accurate description - though it's probably more on the Superbad end of the spectrum. The film stars Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as Molly and Amy, two "booksmart" best friends who realize, on the last day of their senior year, that while they were studying hard to get into good schools, all of the other kids who were partying and acting like typical teenagers... also got into good schools. Horrified by this knowledge and determined to prove to her peers that she is "fun," Molly (Feldstein) drags Amy (Dever) along with her to have one night of debauchery before they graduate.
Mary: And boy, is it a wild night.
Read More
As you might remember from my summer movie preview post, I had low expectations going into the live action remake of Disney’s Aladdin. And nonetheless, a lot was pulling me to get to this movie in the theaters: the nostalgia factor cannot be denied (this was an important movie of my childhood of course), the casting looked excellent, the color palate was bright and fun, and most importantly, Raja would be there. I cannot stress this enough. I want a pet tiger.
So, yes, I went to see this movie, but no, I wasn’t expecting to like it at all. Especially since pretty much every Disney live action movie I’ve seen before this has been complete garbage (looking at you Beauty and the Beast). But, friends, I really liked this 2019 adaptation of Aladdin. Maybe I even loved it. So while in all fairness calling Aladdin the best Disney live action adaptation is a VERY LOW BAR, I mean it from the very bottom of my heart. This movie is the best.
But why? Let me break it down for you.
Read More
This month, over a year after its initial premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, Unicorn Store was finally released on Netflix. Here at BSG we are known advocates of Brie Larson, from her incredible work in Room to her turn as action hero Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel — but how did we feel about Larson’s directorial debut? Read on as Kelli and Mary dissect childhood fantasies, Art World expectations, and the Lisa Frank aesthetic in this conversation about Unicorn Store.
(Spoilers to follow.)
Read More
Othersode #26: Sometimes Dad Is Better / Pet Sematary
Get unburied with the #BookSquad (and special guest Charlie, Emily’s dad!) as we come back from the dead to talk about the new 2019 film adaptation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. We discuss grief, death and the big changes between the book (and the 1989 film) and the new movie. Plus, you get to learn a little about our childhood pets! Then we dig into some Captain Marvel listener feedback and tell you what’s on the #BookSquadBlog right now. Up next for our #bookpisode: Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi. Read along with us for that and for our next #othersode, where we’ll (probably) hate on Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena.
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read More
Summer movie trailers are in full swing. As an avid film watcher with OPINIONS, I have already made a lot of decisions about which movies I’m excited to see and which movies are most likely to disappoint. So of course, I am absolutely ready and armed to give you my full on summer movie preview.
But what’s the fun in being positive? We all know summer is the season where studios drop all of their big budget crowd-pleasing movies that will get butts in seats but aren’t likely to be winning any awards. In other words, most of these movies are going to be crap, my dudes. But which ones are the most likely to be terrible and/or disappointing? Well, here are my predictions, from least terrible to most terrible. And… go!
Read More
Us is the sophomore follow-up to Jordan Peele’s highly successful critically acclaimed horror movie Get Out, which Mary and Emily both loved. So there was a lot of expectations and excitement over here at the #BookSquadGoals camp for this latest movie. Naturally, Mary and Emily went to see this movie the day it came out and had to get their thoughts down immediately.
With a movie like this, there is a lot to process and there’s a lot going on, so please keep that in mind. Were they better people, perhaps Mary and Emily would have been responsible and would have gone to see this another one or two times before committing their thoughts to the written word. But they’re both too eager for that. And as you’ll soon discover, we are all our own worst enemies.
Naturally, all of the spoilers are to follow. Enter at your own risk.
Read More
Othersode #25: What's a cat? / Captain Marvel!
The #BookSquad crash lands on planet C-53, aka Earth in the mid-90s, to talk about Captain Marvel, the newest origin story movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We discuss where this movie fits in the MCU, how it works as trauma narrative, the film's feminist themes, how it compares to other superhero origin stories, and — of course — Goose the cat! Plus, we give you a rundown of what's on the #BookSquadBlog (it's a lot of recaps!) and what's up next on the pod. Read along with us for our next #bookpisode on Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras. Our next #othersode will be on the remake of Pet Sematary, coming to theaters soon! Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast, and send any listener feedback to us at thesquad@booksquadgoals.com. We want to hear from you!
Click through for summary, table of contents, and show notes!
Read More
Last October, Hulu began a horror anthology series called Into the Dark, releasing one “episode” per month. They began with “The Body,” a Halloween themed episode that takes place over one spooky night, but I didn’t start watching until “New Year, New You,” and even then I didn’t fully grasp what the series was about, or why Hulu was producing it. “New Year, New You” follows a group of friends over the course of a New Year’s Eve party as they try to kill an old friend that has become Instagram famous and egotistical. The episodes are long, about an hour and a half, or the length of a short movie. They have good casts and production values, and they’re all campy. Very, very campy. (Spoilers for “Treehouse” to follow)
made with love by emily, kelli, mary, and susan. <3 thanks to kristin teston for our group photos.