Amazon Prime Video – Fishing for Metaphors

3 Poetic Movies I Watched

August 23, 2021October 1, 2022Halsdoll2 Comments

I’m becoming a bit lazy with my introduction or maybe I don’t have much esteem for the fast pace society we have become. Not all of us like reading drawn out long rambling paragraphs. So, I will spare you the trouble and give you my list. Perhaps, you might find something worthwhile to watch.

Roman Holiday (on Amazon Prime)

Release date: September 2, 1953
Director: William Wyler

What is a real holiday? A one without a schedule? Being able to breathe and enjoy the simple things in the present moments that are. This film sure captures it –black and white breathtakingly beautiful shots, especially Audrey Hepburn who looks like a flower with her tiny waist. The male actor, Gregory Peck also looks a quite handsome pairing up with the actress. It’s quite wholesome, sweet, and just like a dream to watch two people flirting. It’s one of those feel-good films where you just want to take a short break from doing whatever you are doing and relax with a cup of coffee, tea, or a glass of wine, depending on your preference. Just let the stress melt away. Like a photograph, each scene was mesmerizing and I just realized movies are just moving photographs. Ah…I am dreaming of a holiday in the comfort of my living room.

Rear Window (on Amazon Prime)

Release date: August 4, 1954
Director: Alfred Hitchcock

I don’t think I have seen an artistic suspense film that occurs in one view, sitting by the window. I love the concept and I believe Silent Hill 4, a survival horror game for the Playstation 2, may have been influenced by this idea of being trapped in an apartment. The plot reminds me of the board game Clue, which involves solving a murder mystery. It’s far from scary but suspenseful enough to be entertained. A news photographer plays the detective and watches his interesting, colorful neighbors going about doing their business until he suspects a murder has been committed just from watching them from his window. The whole feel of the film reminds me of staring inside a doll house. It’s very staged and I sort of like that. Try the film, you might enjoy watching a glamor ad. The film did end with a fashion magazine Bazaar. Fashionably bizarre film indeed. Now, I want to live in one of those apartments, but I don’t want to be spied on by a peeping tom news photographer.

Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop (on Netflix)

Initial release: July 22, 2021 (Japan)
Director: Kyohei Ishiguro

This cute animation made me realize teenagers these days must have it hard growing up with social media and smartphones. It only amplifies low-esteem and depression. At that age, I remember I was trying to find my identity through music. There wasn’t a lot of distraction from the outside world called Cable T.V., especially not in my household. We get our entertainment from video cassettes and public channels. So, I can only imagine feeling overwhelmed if I were a teenager from this time being exposed to so many influencers from all over the world. The result would be to hide in poetry. Like the male protagonist, I was a shy kid too. Some of us don’t like to draw attention to ourselves because we want to avoid involuntary blushing. Overall, the animation is vibrant and stylish. It feels old but new. Same teenager issues, but just set in a different time.

That’s it for my list of three. Hope you found something worthwhile to watch as well.

Pretty Girls Are Scary :Three Psychotic Films I Watched

October 9, 2020April 7, 2022Halsdoll2 Comments

Did you think I was done with Halloween? There are more scary stuff to talk about. I am just getting started. I’ll be honest, I don’t know what Amazon is trying to tell me from my browsing habit. They recommended me some suspenseful shows. I hope they are not trying to imply I am CRAE-CRAE.

Here are the top three psychotic films I watched and enjoyed.

People like my parents say that artists are kind of crazy so when I was in my teen years, my parents discouraged me from pursuing the creative field even though I am a natural when it comes to art. It comes as easy as breathing. The problem with creativity is that your mind never shut and you start to make things up and tell elaborated lies to point it seems very real. In this case, what is more scary than a girl who believes she is in a relationship with a man she barely knew. He Loves Me He Loves Me Not is a fun film to watch and a little disturbing.

Next…

The undertone of this film is very sexual. You got three different ice cream flavors: vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. I am referring to hair color by the way. Hmm.. Napoleon ice cream sounds rather delicious in fact. When I was a kid I want all flavors. Is that how boys feel about girls? Anyway, this film is pretty intense. A woman’s grudge runs deep so you better not try to make enemies because women never forget, especially the beautiful blonde ones. Better not let her in the house no matter how seductive she is. She will destroy you!!!

Final…

Well I wouldn’t call this one psychotic, but I know a lot of people raise their eyebrow when a beautiful woman chooses to remain single and not have children. People may think she is a vampire, a witch, a demon who knows! There is definitely something wrong with her because she should be married by now! The film is quite comforting and humorous. Maybe it’s because I find the protagonist relatable. Life can get pretty lonely sometimes even for a Beautiful Vampire.

There you have it. I hope you enjoy this Pretty Girls are Scary Edition. Hopefully you found something interesting on this list to watch. I try not to reveal too much about the films because it’s more fun to jump into something without knowing and I am a bit of a list maker so I enjoy doing these posts. Until next time, bye bye.

The Children’s Hour Review: When Lesbian Is Not Sexualized

September 13, 2020September 25, 2022Halsdoll1 Comment

It seems like Amazon Prime Video knows exactly what sort of films I like–thought-provoking ones and anything with Audrey Hepburn is a must-see! She is the best and most beautiful actress that has ever walked the planet (subjectively speaking).

When it comes to entertainment, I like to gamble with my time. It’s part of my primitive hunting nature (I am the huntress, not the hunted). Just dive into something blindly and I come out happy, sad, or neutral. Most of the time, it’s neutral (I am kind of hard to please). This film sure took me by surprise: I don’t know anything about it beforehand, other than the fact, Audrey Hepburn is so beautiful and strong. I think I mentioned that earlier. Sounds like I have a crush, don’t I? Well, this is what the film is all about! A schoolteacher, starring Shirley Maclaine as Martha Dobie, realizes that her affection towards her colleague Karen Wright (Hepburn) runs really deep. She is “insanely devoted” to the school and to Ms. Wright to the point her “unnatural” behavior causes a child to spread a lie, which resulted in the destruction of the schoolteachers’ business and ultimately their lives. However, there is more to this film than meets the eye. It gives the victim of homophobia a powerful voice. The schoolteacher’s job is to bring up good citizens. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with someone’s morality. After all, “Wicked young” [eventually turns into] “wicked old,” said Ms. Wright.

What I enjoyed about this film is the way how it was shot. It’s a beautiful black and white film directed by William Wyler, based on Lillian Hellman’s play: The Children’s Hour. Watch it if you want to know how strong and influential women can be in society. It’s a shame that nowadays, there aren’t many classy strong female actresses in the entertainment business. I can’t really think of any because most are just eye candy.