Flick Pick: Frank & Lola

I recently bit the bullet and administered an ad-blocking program to my computer. As an avid YouTube watcher, it's one of the best digital decisions I've ever made. But when I'm on my mobile device, I still suffer through those pesky commercials. While most ads are no more than time thieves, when properly executed, they occasionally deliver inspiration and guidance. Enter the promo for Frank & Lola that ran before a vlog I watched from a Wiccan medium who lives in DC (shout-out to Psychic Bob).



Deliciously described as a 'psychosexual noir', Frank & Lola delivers in the form of fast-paced suspense and erotic romance. Viewers are taken inside the scattered lives of characters whose worlds are divided between the bright lights of the two very different cityscapes of Las Vegas and Paris. In his feature debut, writer-director, Matthew Ross, enchants with seedy cinematography that perfectly sets the tone. Fans of similar movies within the genre such as Manhattan Night will enjoy this film as well. 7/10.


Frank & Lola is available for rent or purchase online.











Now Playing: "Weird Fishes / Arpeggi" by Radiohead

The INFJ Movie Questionnaire

1. Your favorite movie: Before Sunrise (the entire trilogy, actually)



2. A movie you still haven't seen but want to: The Godfather



3. A movie that makes you happy: Troop Beverly Hills



4. A movie that makes you sad/cry: Steel Magnolias



5. A movie that reminds you of someone: Anywhere But Here 



6. A movie that reminds you of somewhere: The Next Three Days (filmed in my neighborhood)



7. A movie that reminds you of a certain event: Zack and Miri Make a Porno (high school reunions)

8. A movie that you know all the lines to: Clueless



9. A movie that makes you think: Eyes Wide Shut



10. A movie with a good soundtrack: Stealing Beauty



11. A movie by your favorite director: Dazed and Confused (Richard Linklater)



12. A movie featuring your favorite actor: The Notebook (Rachel McAdams & Ryan Gosling)



13. A movie that is a guilty pleasure: The Women



14. A movie that no one would expect you to love: Party Monster



15. A movie that describes you/you can relate to: Safety Not Guaranteed



16. A black & white film: For Lovers Only



17. A movie that you see often on TV: Mean Girls



18. A movie that you wish you saw on TV: To the Wonder



19. A movie from your favorite genre: Titanic



20. A movie that you love at Christmas: The Family Stone



21. A movie that you love at Halloween: Hocus Pocus



22. A move that makes you scared: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre



23. A movie from before you were born: Gone with the Wind



24. A movie from your childhood: Now and Then



25. A movie you wish you were in: Sixteen Candles (not necessarily the movie but the era)



26. A sports movie: The Mighty Ducks



27. A movie that makes you laugh: What We Do in the Shadows



28. A romantic movie: Charlie Countryman



29. An animated movie: The BFG



30. A musical: The Wizard of Oz



31. A fairy tale: Ever After: A Cinderella Story



32. An action movie: Striking Distance



33. A documentary: Living Dolls: The Making of a Child Beauty Queen; Nursery University



34. A foreign film: A Swedish Love Story













Now Playing: "Anabel - (Radio Edit)" by Luc Angenehm

Flick Pick: Manhattan Night

It's not often that I pay much attention to current movies that are being released. I prefer to find them a bit more organically. I must have totally missed any marketing or promos that was done for Manhattan Night. Recently, I randomly caught the trailer but quickly discovered that the film was out earlier this year. It can now be viewed online in its entirety.



Adapted from the 1996 crime novel Manhattan Nocturne by Colin Harrison, the story promises many thrilling twists and turns. Several reviews are rather abysmal but I rarely agree with critics. I have yet to check this one out for myself but it looks exciting and is on my watchlist. I will update this post with my thoughts after I view the film.

UPDATE: I'm not sure how I feel about this movie. There was several elements that I really admired but overall, I think it will be forgettable. The acting was superb. I thought Adrien Brody and Yvonne Stahovski had immense chemistry. The cinematography was beautiful. The score was nice. And the noir vibe that director Brian DeCubellis created was one of the strongest aspects of this film. I simply found the story itself to be lacking with certain arcs borderline ridiculous. This genre of film is out of the norm for me. I enjoyed spending a couple hours with it but would I recommend it to someone else? Perhaps, but it definitely caters to a specific audience. It had an old-world vibe that some movie buffs could either love or hate. If you enjoy dark mystery and erotic romance, you might find something here. 7/10.









Now Playing: "ILYSB" by LANY

29 Things About Me: Movies I've Never Seen

1. Star Wars
2. Ghost
3. The Sixth Sense
4. Spider-Man
5. Scarface
6. The Godfather
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
8. The Avengers
9. Frozen
10. The Lord of the Rings
11. Transformers
12. Pirates of the Caribbean
13. Despicable Me
14. The Hobbit
15. Inception
16. The Sound of Music
17. Interstellar
18. Fight Club
19. Indiana Jones
20. Saving Private Ryan
21. Gladiator
22. The Departed
23. Braveheart
24. Inglourious Basterds
25. Fargo
26. Into the Wild
27. No Country for Old Men
28. 12 Years a Slave
29. The Terminator







Now Playing: "Free" by Rudimental ft. Emeli Sande

Flick Pick: The Chair Projects- Not Cool/Hollidaysburg

For those who are unfamiliar, The Chair is a television project on Starz that gave two upcoming, young directors the opportunity to create a debut feature film from the same source material. The results were two staggeringly different films. Had I watched these movies separately, without any prior knowledge of its origins, I would have never guessed they were related. Being both from Pittsburgh (the setting of the project) and an aspiring screenwriter, I found this series both informative and entertaining.

My only concern with The Chair was the voting process for the winning film. I think it was absolutely fantastic that the audience got to participate and select the best film. That being said, there's no way this project had a chance at delivering a fair winner.

From the perspective of Shane Dawson's Not Cool, we have someone who is widely well-known, arguably one of the most famous people on the internet. He's already successful in his own right. He didn't need this opportunity. Open voting involving Shane versus anyone is not going to be fair- no matter how strongly he may or may not have urged his young fan base to be honest. Current views on the Not Cool trailer: just over 3.5 million.

From the perspective of Anna Martemucci's Hollidaysburg, we have a person who is close friends with the executive producer of the show, Zachary Quinto. I'm not challenging the integrity of the people behind the scenes of The Chair, but hypothetically, had her film genuinely won and she was up against anyone other than Shane Dawson, people would be whispering. Current views on the Hollidaysburg trailer: just under 50 thousand.

While I believe Hollidaysburg was obviously the stronger of the two films, I doubt there will be a chance for it to truly shine. The director who deserved the $250,000 to hone her craft will be robbed of the victory. But all is not lost. The industry was no doubt watching. More people know her name. A great little movie was made. Martemucci should be proud of her work. As a female writer, she inspired me.


Not Cool


Hollidaysburg













Now Playing: "Spirit In The Sky" by Norman Greenbaum
*This song is the best. Perfect for All Souls' Day, tomorrow.

Sexy Witches

A few years late to the Coven but this was hilarious! Of course, I love all things witchy but this transcends the genre. Halloween week is upon us!

Flick Pick: A Walk Among The Tombstones

Liam Neeson is one of my favorite actors. Love him. I appreciate a well-crafted thriller and this one looks pretty good. The Soundgarden cover by Nouela in the trailer certainly didn't hurt, either. Nice work.











Now Playing: "The Wolves Act I and II" by Bon Iver
*Where would I be without Justin Vernon? That man's music has gotten me through so much.

Flick Pick: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby

James McAvoy is without question my type. All I want in life is a man like that. Not asking too much, is it?

Music by Son Lux. That title. A redhead as the female lead. Sold.













Now Playing: "So What Now" by The Shins
*This one stopped me in my tracks.

Best Dressed: The Oscars

Lupita Nyong'o in Prada.
I thought the color of the gown complemented her complexion perfectly. I loved how whimsical it was. Very classic yet modern. I also adored her acceptance speech and the fact that she uses the same lip balm that I wear and sell (Clarins Hydraquench).

Kate Hudson in Atelier Versace.

This was very reminiscent of Gwyneth Paltrow's Tom Ford gown from a couple years back but I loved it none the less. She looked stunning. I also loved her hair and makeup.

Sandra Bullock in Alexander McQueen.

While this was a very safe selection in my eyes, it's also incredibly timeless. She looked regal in this gown and her hair and makeup was also on point.

Cate Blanchett in Giorgio Armani.

She seems like she has such a spectacular sense of humor so hopefully she wouldn't be offended if I said this look gave me a little bit of Britney circa 2000 MTV VMAs vibes. Perhaps a little young for her but still gorgeous. I love anything girlie that sparkles so this is a big winner in my eyes.

Jenna Dewan-Tatum in Reem Acra.

Next in line on the feminine glitz and glam train is Channing Tatum's beautiful wife. Nothing we haven't seen before on the likes of red carpet pros like Penelope Cruz or Eva Longoria but still incredible.

Camila Alves in Gabriela Cadena.

She always looks incredible on the red carpet. I loved this shade of pale pink on her. True elegance and sophistication from the lady with the best date of the night.

Charlize Theron in Dior Couture.
I loved the train on this dress. The neckline and adjoining straps kept me intrigued. Very well-proportioned. Classic with a twist. She wore this perfectly.


And it should also be noted that the gentleman came dressed to the nines...

Acadmey Award Winners Matthew McConaughey in Dolce & Gabbana with Jared Leto in Saint Laurent.

Wooderson's McConaughey's acceptance speech was such perfection that I would be remiss to not share it:

Kevin Spacey in Burberry. Love a man in a blue suit.

& The Brads, both in Tom Ford.

Bradley Cooper & Brad Pitt.


In all honesty, one of the main reasons I look forward to awards season is because of the red carpet fashions. But this year, up until The Oscars that is, I was so uninspired that I didn't even bother to post best dressed lists for The Golden Globes, SAG Awards, etc. The stars must have been holding out for the big night because just about everyone looked phenomenal. While the show itself tends to be boring, I'll give it to this year's producers because it was actually quite entertaining. I think that the winners' speeches and the "approachable" and familiar nominees had something to do with it. The Academy even managed to salute one of my favorite films of all time, The Wizard of Oz. For that, I'll forgive them for all of the Gravity hoopla. Now that's a movie I would never recommend.













Now Playing: "Boy/Girl" by Bomb The Bass ft. Paul Conboy

Flick Pick: Endless Love

Here, we have a movie that my intuition tells me will either be very entertaining or so bad that it's actually good. Either way, I need to find myself a Valentine, get to the theater and see what this one is all about. I'm a sucker for a sexy little romance and what better love story plot is there than a good girl-bad guy scenario? So over-dramatic, so cliche, so perfect.














 Now Playing: "I Will Be There" by Odessa

Flick Pick: Christmas Movies!

It wouldn't quite feel like the holidays without watching some of my favorite Christmas movies. Here is a small list of some of the films I enjoy watching the most during this time of year...

A Christmas Story (1983).

The King of Christmas movies in my eyes. I keep this playing on TBS all day long on Christmas day. It just isn't the same without watching this movie once (or 10 times).

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

I find Rankin/Bass movies to be so adorable. I've loved them since I was little. These are the movies I'll want to show my own children the most someday.

Christmas Vacation (1989)

I love this one. A true classic comedy.

The Family Stone (2005)

I remember seeing this one at the theater with my family when I was home for college break. It's not for everyone but it's one of my favorite modern Christmas movies.

Home Alone (1990)

This was one of the earliest movies I remember. In grade school, it was always the one we watched on movie days. I love the vibe of this. John Hughes was the master.















Now Playing: "Big Jet Plane" (Acoustic) by Angus and Julia Stone
*This version is beautiful but the original is one of my absolute favorite songs of the past decade.

Flick Pick: Safety Not Guaranteed

Apparently Safety Not Guaranteed came out last year but I don't remember ever seeing any trailers or hearing a thing about it. I'm really glad that I stumbled upon it on Netflix. Simply put, this was one of the most outstanding films I've seen in quite some time. It was completely original and the type of screenplay that I'd want to write. In fact, the movie itself reminded me of a Missed Connections ad that I posted here on my blog a couple years back (check it out here).

Charming, funny and surprisingly profound, I would definitely recommend seeing Safety Not Guaranteed. The cast was superb. This is a movie for people with an open mind and a longing for the past. If you've ever had your heart broken or known pain of any kind- the type of wound that time didn't seem to heal, this movie will capture that feeling. You'll finish with a sense that you're not in this thing alone.










Now Playing: "Shake" by The Head and the Heart
*This song fits the film perfectly!

Flick Pick: Tanner Hall

Often times, it seems as though films with a predominant female cast (especially of the younger variety) receive harsher than necessary criticism. Until now, I had never even heard of 2009's Tanner Hall. After catching a bit of the film on late night television, I did a bit of research (of the Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb persuasion). The reviews were abysmal. But the plot and cast (Rooney Mara, Georgia King, Brie Larson, Amy Ferguson, Tom Everett Scott, Amy Sedaris, Chris Kattan) intrigued me. I gave Tanner Hall a viewing on Netflix. I'm so glad that I did.

Now I can understand that this isn't a movie for everyone. It doesn't have an extremely broad appeal but for those who can get behind its message, it is superb. If you're a female who enjoys a well-presented coming-of-age tale, this is a nice one to see. I thoroughly enjoyed the performances and found the pace of the film to move quite nicely. It's one of most underrated movies I've had the pleasure to watch. Fans of Now and Then, Mona Lisa Smile, and An Education will likely appreciate this hidden treasure of a film.













Now Playing: "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" by Stars
*Beautifully placed

Quoteworthy

“It's no good pretending that any relationship has a future if your record collections disagree violently or if your favorite films wouldn't even speak to each other if they met at a party.” 
-Nick Hornby









Now Playing: "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison
*I like to sing "Krista, Krista" because I'm a lyrical purist and all.

Flick Pick: Before Midnight

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know how I didn't notice the exact moment this trailer was released but I was beyond excited to find it when I did! I can't wait to watch this movie! I will see it the weekend it gets released in my city. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. I've mentioned this countless times here on my blog. They're my favorite movies. I just know I'll love this one as well :)

Flick Pick: Carrie (2013)

I normally roll my eyes at the mere idea of a film remake. Why mess with perfection? Remakes have that uncanny ability to ruin a good thing while wasting time recreating trash. But this trailer looks promising. Julianne Moore is one of my favorite actresses and I trust her ability to choose a good script. What I've seen from Chloe Moretz I can also get behind.

The original Carrie is one of my favorite horror movies so I'm particularly protective of its integrity. This isn't the first time someone's tried to mess with the pig's blood since '76 but it may be the only version that actually worked. I might see this one in the theater in October but I'll definitely view it when it hits Netflix.













Now Playing: "Lullabies" by Yuna

Flick Pick: The Impossible

I just got back from seeing this one. For those who don't know its premise, it centers around a family in the immediate aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. If a movie can capture the intrigue of my Mom who had not been to a theater since seeing Titanic in 1997 (no exaggeration), it deserves a mention.

I thought The Impossible was very well done. The young child actors in the film really impressed me (and were absolutely adorable might I add). The entire cast was excellent. I also really enjoyed the cinematography. If you're a fan of films that are inspired by actual events, this is something you'll appreciate. The Academy also acknowledged lead actress, Naomi Watts, with a best actress nomination.

When a film moves you to tears, it gets an A in my book. An awkward exit from the theater is well worth the experience. The message of The Impossible is one of fate, family, camaraderie and love.


Sidenote: I adored the use of Damien Rice's "One" cover in the trailer above:

Flick Pick: Celeste & Jesse Forever

I've been wanting to see this movie for some time and finally had the chance. I definitely recommend it if you're into offbeat romantic comedies. It would be the perfect rental for Valentine's Day. The entire cast is excellent.

 

I have to say that the music selections were fantastic. Celeste & Jesse Forever automatically scored points with me for including this magical number...

"Baby" by Donnie & Joe Emerson

That song gets me every time. I seriously am in love with it.

Celeste & Jesse are now among my favorite on-screen couples; along with another Jesse... and Celine. FYI: I can't wait to see Before Midnight this year! If you love romance/appreciate good dialogue but haven't seen Before Sunrise or Before Sunset, leave this blog right now to watch both!

It's Christmas Time in Krista's Head

It's not even Thanksgiving and I'm already extra excited for Christmas! One sure fire way of realizing that I'm in the holiday spirit is wanting to watch The Family Stone. It's one of my favorite modern Christmas movies. If you haven't seen the film, I highly recommend it. The entire cast is superb; Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Sarah Jessica Parker and Claire Danes are among my favorite actresses. Luke Wilson- hot. Dermot Mulroney- hot. Paul Schneider- hot. Craig T. Nelson- Coach. Before 2013 rolls in, I'm sure I will have watched it an additional five or six times. I just love its vibe.














Now Playing: "Count On Me" by Jefferson Starship
*It's in the soundtrack! ;)

The Light Bulb Conspiracy: Planned Obsolescence

Watch the entire film below: