Random Thoughts of a Movie Insomniac(A Sentimental Alpha Hunt w/ Anemone Spider Woman)

 

On this episode of Random Thoughts of a Movie Insomniac.  The Vern reviews current movies that are either in theaters or coming to a streaming platform near you soon.

 

Featuring reviews of

A tale of two mommies scorned. ( Written Reviews of Die My Love & If I had Legs I’d Kick You)

 

Die My Love

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, Sissy Spacek

Writer and Director: Lynne Ramsay

**** out of Five Stars

 

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Cast: Rose Byrne, Conan O’Brien, A$AP Rocky

Writer and Director: Mary Bronstein

** and a ½ *’s out of Five

 

I should say this from the start of this article that I am a cis, white, male and have 0 knowledge or experiences when it comes to any aspect of motherhood or raising children for that matter.  These are movies that my sometimes co host of my podcast(who is a mother of three) should evaluate but I’m pretty sure these movies would most likely piss her off if I showed them to her. 

Nouvelle Vague(2025) Video Review

 

The Vern reviews Richard Linklater's docu drama about the making of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless.  Stay to the end to get updates on the podcast and thank you so much for watching.

The Legend of Ochi(2025) Written Review

 

The Legend of Ochi

Cast Willem Dafoe, Finn Wolfhard, Helena Zengel

Writer and Director: Isaiah Saxxon

 **** and a 1/2 *'s  out of Five

Set on the magical island of Carpathia in a remote village.  A young girl named Yuri(Helena Zengel) has been told by her family and father Maxim(William Dafoe) to fear and hunt a certain species of creatures called Ochi.  After finding one of their young wounded.  Yuri sets out on a quest to return them to it’s family.

Sorry Baby(2025) Written Review

 

Sorry, Baby

Cast: Eva Victor, Naomi Ackie, John Carroll Lynch

Writer and Director: Eva Victor

** & a ½ *’s out of Five

 

 There is a scene near the end that had me laughing when I shouldn’t have been.  In this scene, our main character is visited by a former colleague of hers.  While in school together, this other girl was clearly jealous that our protagonist got this big teaching job over her.  The punch line comes when the jealous girl admits to having sexual relationships with a mentor of both of theirs.  Only because she thought it would help her secure the job she wanted and it didn’t.  It went to the other girl instead and she is very jealous

It’s when this former peer just casually shrugs off having sex with this guy when it has caused our lead person such great trauma is what I found funny.  It’s humorous, because one person’s tragedy is mundane to another and it’s that  juxtaposition of what the other finds tragic is what was funny.  For the one girl not getting the job was tragic.  For the other hearing someone not be upset about the actions this guy did was tragic.  Im sure this wasn't the intent of the scene but it almost reminded me of something I would see in an early Todd Solendz(Happiness) feature

Stationed at Home(2025) Written Review

 

Stationed at Home

Cast: Erik Bjarnar, Darryle Johnson, Eliza VanCort,

Director: Daniel V Masciari

 ** and a 1/2 *'s out of Five

 https://www.stationedathome.com/

On Christmas Eve in 1998, a cab driver named Ralph(Erik Bjarnar) looks forward to seeing the international space station pass over his home once he is done with his shift.  Working the graveyard shift for a budget cab company, was usually Ralph’s preferred shift, but seeing this once in a life time event was too important to miss.  During his shift we are introduced to a bunch of ecentric and off beat characters. Including, Harry(Darryl Johnson) and George(Peter Foster Morris) two friends out for a good time.  Who unfortunately bring on a drunk, coked out third wheel named Jack(Jeff Dumont) after losing a game of pool.  There is also a mysterious woman who calls herself Elaine(Eliza VanCort) who checks into a motel to write a story.

Frankenstein(2025) Written Review

 

Frankenstein

Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elrodi, Mia Goth

Writers: Guillermo del Toro(screenplay) Mary Shelly(novel)

Director: Guillermo del Toro

*** and 1/2 *'s out of 5

Ever since we were shown The fawn in Pan’s Labryrinth or Hellboy from the feature of the same name.  Guillermo del Toro has always been a defender of monsters. His best picture winner, The Shape of Water made that point clear to show that the all American patriot(played by Michael Shannon) was in fact the real monster while the amphibian creature(played by Doug Jones) was our hero at the end.

Now del Toro has set his sights on the most misunderstood monster of all time, Frankenstein.  First introduced as a novel by Mary Shelly and than as a film by director James Whale and starring Boris Karloff as the creature.   Since 1931 there have been way over two hundred different adaptations of the famed creature.  From straight up remakes to homages.  This character has been infused in our pop culture for decades.