MOVIE WEEKEND POSSIBILITIES

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

When I wasn't blogging much, I watched quite a few movies. I don't know why, but when I have a migraine, I can still watch TV. Thank you, God!

Here are some possibilities for your MOVIE WEEKEND. These are all movies I watched on DVD, delivered by my nice mail carrier and sent by Netflix for a small fee.

Hell or High Water This movie could be as much of a cliché as its title, but in spite of being formulaic, it's gripping. A Texas Ranger scheduled to retire and his Native American partner investigate a series of bank robberies committed in small towns. You'll be as interested in the robbers as you are the Texas Rangers. Has four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Jeff Bridges as the Texas Ranger who has to survive long enough to get that retirement pension. Earns The Janie Junebug Seal Of Hell Yeah You Should Go Ahead And Watch It Approval.

Captain Fantastic Oh, Viggo Mortenson, I've loved you since the moment I first saw you in A Walk On The Moon. I still want you to make love to me under a waterfall. Well, that was then, and this is now. In Captain Fantastic, a man and his large brood of children live off the grid and constantly practice their survival skills. A tragedy changes their way of life. One Oscar nomination: Viggo for Best Actor. Earns The Janie Junebug Seal of I Like It A Lot But Don't Let Your Kids Watch It Approval.

The Witch A family in colonial America is cast out by the community. When their baby disappears and their corn rots, they begin to accuse one another of signing the devil's book. Amazing, amazing acting, but it scared the crap out of me. Earns The Janie Junebug Seal Of So Good It Might Make You Brown Your Drawers Approval. Not for children!

The Fits A group of young girls practice their moves every day for their award-winning dance team. First one girl and then another and another experience mysterious fainting spells. It seems at first glance as if it could be a modern companion to The Witch, but it's really more about trying to fit into a group. Earns The Janie Junebug Seal Of It's Interesting But Not A Great Movie So Kinda Sorta Approval.

The Birth Of A Nation Not so long ago, this movie was the darling of Sundance and received a record breaking 17.5 million dollars from Fox Searchlight Pictures for the rights to the story of Nat Turner's slave rebellion (not historically accurate in all of its details). Then the public learned that writer and director Nate Parker, who also stars as Nat Turner, had been accused of rape when he was in college. He was acquitted, but the young woman's family revealed that she never recovered from the experience and committed suicide. If it hadn't been for the scandal surrounding Nate Parker, I feel quite certain that this movie would have some Academy Award nominations. Nate Parker is luminous as Nat Turner, and Armie Hammer is crazy drunk nasty as his owner who was once Nat's childhood playmate. A boycott The Birth Of A Nation movement began because of the accusations against Nate Parker. If you don't want to see it because the man was accused of a crime, then don't pass judgment on whether it's a good or bad movie. It's an excellent movie, though not for the fainthearted. Earns The Janie Junebug Seal Of What Might Have Been Approval.

Happy viewing!


Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

Oh, Dowager Countess, how I do miss thee.