The Adventures of Mrs.Movie Snob

Breaking News! Breaking News! Breaking News! TV off. I'm a bit jealous of folks who gave up social media for lent. I can't remember the last post I saw that wasn't virus-related. A friend of mine said something like, "anxiety loves this stuff." She ain't lying. I watch the news, get all bothered, turn it off and calm down and then go back for more. Anyone else? Today, our Prime Minister said, "Let me be clear. If you are abroad, it's time to come home." This was followed by something along the lines of  if you don't already live here, you ain't gettin' in.  This was hardly a surprise but hearing him say it out loud is a little unnerving. Especially when our families live thousands of miles away. AND I have elderly and seriously ill relatives. For now, I'm not sure when I'll see them again. I speak to my Mom when I can and she's told me she's glad we're here. (so am I) But still. Shitty. We've just com...

For the last year I've been saying  that we are living in the shit-storm montage that you see at the beginning of every post-apocalyptic film. (*cue the zombies*) I have yet to be proven wrong. This last week, though, we hit the gas pedal. You can't turn on the news without being inundated with COVID-19 updates. Everything is cancelled. Everything is scarce. Everyone is home. (Well, everyone that can be) And so begins the era of self-quarantine - an era, I hope, we'll look back on fondly in a few weeks when this is all over. Until then, though, guess what? We're all in this together. The Sullys' have not been exposed (that I know of). We have not been out of the country. (for far too long) But, we will still do our part and I hope you will too. It's going to be a long few weeks, to be sure. But we WILL get through it. Our families live in the USA. On a good day, I'm worried about them given current affairs. I've been watching the news, of c...

I’m getting too old to be modest. Too much time has already been spent worrying (obsessing, even) about what people think about me. There’s nothing I can do about that now. Going forward, though, I can do everything. I was reminded today of just how powerful self-pride can be, especially for women. A colleague of mine just received a well-deserved, major promotion. At the end of our meeting, she was recognized for her achievement and we all congratulated her, of course. *applause, applause* I watched her, completely at ease, hearing our accolades - taking it in and smiling. It wasn’t conceit or ego. It was confidence. And it was beautiful . When our President said to her, “You work hard!” She didn’t miss a beat, “Yeah, I do.” *mic drop* If there ever was a moment to say, “ You go girl !”, that was it. (For the record, there really isn’t a correct time to say that… or “been there, done that” or “that’s what I’m talking about” or “it’s all good” … but I digress...

The next decade is pretty bleak... if you ask Hollywood. Dystopian, disconnected, dangerous. In keeping with America’s obsession to promote fear, we have been taught, through film, that our reality will go majorly awry … relatively soon. When we were kids, my mind didn’t see 2020 like this . We have fun gadgets now, sure, but sadly, my car still doesn’t fly (lies, Jetsons), I can’t make pizza with a “hydrator” in less than a minute (thanks for nothing, Back to the Future 2), and we can’t even implant memories! (although, Total Recall, wasn’t exactly promoting this) To be fair, though, a future envisioned where things are just sort of the same wouldn’t bring in box office numbers. Throw in a robot uprising, a worldwide plague or carnivorous aliens and we line up.  What the hell is wrong with us? Here's 5 movies that make me want to build a bomb shelter:    1. Blade Runner Released in 1982. Set in 2019. Siri and Alexa are relatively new to u...

I’ve become the very thing I used to mock. If 5-years-ago-me   heard some of the things coming out of Today-me’s mouth regularly, I’d scoff, “Suck it up!” and take another bite of my extra-cheese pizza and gulp a drink of beer. But, oh how times have changed. I’ve been reduced to 3 questions: “Do you have gluten-free options?” “Can I get lactose-free milk?” “Is it possible to leave off the sesame seeds?” A little background: I’ve basically been in some sort of pain for about the last year or so. I got used to taking daily Ibuprofen’s, sometimes Naproxen. Some days Ibuprofen and Aspirin. And still some days both with a heating pad. That’s just how it was going to be now. I’m in my 40’s and (according to one useless Doctor’s analysis and dismissal) and I should just learn to cope as I begin my decade-long slide into menopause. Yeah, thanks. My discomfort sent me to the emergency room 3 times. Blood work showed nothing and I was beginning to lose hope. Then, af...

Why is everyone so angry lately? In public. Online. On the roads. It’s so exhausting. The very air can be so heavy sometimes. And it can really beat you down if you let too much of it in. We can all do better. I can definitely be  impatient. Sometimes, I get triggered, sure. When these situations arise, though, we have a choice; hastily react or pause (breathe, if necessary) and assess the actual scenario. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I have terrible anxiety. And, unfortunately, it seems to be getting worse as I get older. Ironically, I always thought the opposite would happen. You grow up and you’re supposed to let minor bullshit go, right? The answer is a bit more complicated than “yes or no.” I can let minor things go, yes. But usually it’s only after I’ve obsessed for a while. And now, for added fun, I find I obsess over very different things than I used to. Gone are the days or worrying what I’m going to wear out or when my paper is due. (Well, not complet...

In 2013, thanks to a very good yet misleading trailer, Matt and I went to see "Man of Steel." As we left the theatre, I turned to him and said, "That's it. No more superhero movies for me." Besides the fact that it absolutely SUCKED, I realized something else. They're mostly all the same. And I was bored. Then a few months ago, I watched the trailer for "Joker." I was intrigued. It looked dark and disturbing. It touted itself as yet another in the new genre of alternate universe. And most importantly, it starred Joaquin Phoenix. Check. Check. Check. Fine, I'll go... We just got home. One word: Masterpiece. Set in a very Scorcese-ish 1980's Gotham, Joker introduces us to Arthur Fleck: a pathetic, forgettable little man doing odd jobs, in clown garb. He is the awkward guy everyone talks about at work. He's the guy just creepy enough that you might cross the street if you saw him in your path or switch seats on the bus if he was ...