Swallow is a 2019 psychological thriller film written and directed by Carlo Mirabella Davis, in his directorial debut. It stars Haley Bennett, Austin Stowell, Elizabeth Marvel, David Rasche and Denis O’Hare. The story follows a young woman who is suffocated emotionally in her marriage and outside life, starts to consume inedible things on impulse.

Hunter Conrad (Bennet) lives like a 1950’s housewife, including her fashion sense, except she enjoys games on her cellphone. Her husband Richie has taken over his as CEO of his father’s corporation and is gone a lot, leaving Hunter bored at home a lot. She isn’t nearly as outgoing as Richie or his family. She eventually finds him to be inconsiderate and removed towards her. One day at home alone, she develops the urge to swallow a marble. She finds it gives her a feeling of euphoria and begins to swallow other non-food items around the house, including thumbtacks, metal figurines and even batteries. Each object, after digested, she obsessively cleans and arranges in a dish on her vanity.

When Hunter finds out she is is pregnant, she and Richie go to the hospital for an ultrasound, during which the technician finds an anomaly in Hunter’s stomach. She is transported immediately to the emergency room to remove many different things trapped in her intestine. She is diagnosed with pica, a psychological disorder that coaxes people to eat inedible items. She is forced to go to therapy where she reveals her unhappiness in her marriage and how she was born from her mother being raped and being too conservative to terminate the pregnancy.

This film is very slow at times, almost boring, but it does pick up and gets a lot better. You get to see how a person with a pica lives, how they struggle, hurt themselves and the ones who care about them. You also see how it is to live as the black sheep in the family and through a broken marriage that keeps getting worse. It is disturbing knowing that pica is s real condition and seeing a person (real or not) is hard to watch, but you can’t help watch Hunter swallow almost no food throughout the film.

Hunter’s husband Richie (Stowell) is veery little help for her, he mostly yells and tells her to get professional help or he’ll divorce her. Her doe however, mention the health of their baby and calls her selfish for not thinking of them or her own health. Richie’s parents are worried she might kill the baby and herself and she eventually checks into a mental institution.

Haley Bennett is outstanding as Hunter Conrad and definitely worthy of any best lead actress awards. Austin Stowell is great as Richie Conrad. Elizabeth Marvel does a fine job as Richie’s mother, Katherine Conrad. David Rasche does a fine job as well as his father Michael Conrad. Richie’s parents are a lot nicer and more helpful than him. They are there for Hunter when Richie is not.

This film is more disturbing and eye-opening than scary. Much of this movie is quite slow, but it is a story that should be told as not many people know about pica. It is an eating disorder like anorexia, where the person suffering craves eating things that shouldn’t be eaten. This film also deals with how psychological disorder affect people and their loved ones. It also deals with marital problems.

Despite the slowness, this film is well done and all the lead stars do great jobs in their roles. The only problems are that the movie could have been a bit less slow and gotten into Richie and Hunter’s marriage issues more as well as how her loved ones were affected, since it mostly focused on her and the pica. This film really only has a few somewhat romantic scenes and I get the feeling Richie didn’t really love Hunter after all,

Not exactly a thriller, but not exactly a complete drama either, it’s a bit of both. Not fantastic, but terrible either. 18 & up 3.5/5

Kramer vs. Kramer is a legal drama film written and directed by Robert Benton, based on Avery Coleman’s 1977 novel of the same name. It stars Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander and Justin Henry. It tells the story of a couple’s divorce and the impact it has on their son, their relationship and parenting views.

This film is as impactful and realistic today as it was then. The story of a divorced couple’s custody battle over their young son and their differing views on raising children many parents and kids can relate to. It is deep, sad at times, might make you angry and also heartfelt at moments too. Both parent said love their son and both believe they are the best parent to raise him.

Ted Kramer (Hoffman) is a workaholic advertising executive who tries to be a good father to Billy (Henry), but eventually gives up after he realizes he’s being too strict. Ted comes home from work to find his wife Joanna (Streep) is leaving him. She leaves Billy with Ted. At first they resent each other, when Ted has no time to spend with hi men due to his increased work. They eventually learn to live with each other as father and son. Ted befriends his neighbor Margaret (Alexander), who had coaxed Joanna to leave him since she was unhappy. Margaret is also a single parent and she and Ted become good friends.

15 months after she walked out, Joanna goes back to New York to claim Billy and a custody battle occurs. Margaret is forced to tell how unhappy she was married to Ted in court. He reveals that he has had less time to spend with Billy because of his work overload. Joanna eventually gains custody of Billy.

This film isn’t a completely happy one. The son’s life for over year is spent in and out of houses and court. He doesn’t know who he going to live with next. This still happens to SO MANY kids today. Some people aren’t fit to raise children and some are. Some parents are strict and some are not. Parenting styles and marriage issues can clash, making an unstable household. Sometimes divorce is the only answer and often times the best solution. This film proves that.

Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep are outstanding in their roles. Jane Alexander is great as well. You see lifecycle through the eyes of a crumbling marriage, a divorce and custody battle, also through the eyes of a small child caught in the middle of it. Parts of this film are very slow, rather boring and some are long and drawn out. This is definitely one of the better “family issue” films, though it’s not fantastic by any means. It is a story that needed to be told in both book and film, because it is a serious subject that so many can relate to. But the majority of this movie is slow paced and not one that can be watched over and over again like Ordinary People or The Squid and the Whale.

Overall, the acting is great, but this feature was a bit boring for such bold subject matter. But one that still deserves a viewing at least once. 11+ 3.5/5

1. The American Friend – 1977
2. Ashes and Diamonds- 1958
3. Belle du Jour – 1967
4. Un Chien Andalou – 1930
5. The Blue Angel – 1930
6. A Nous Libetre – 1931
7. L’Avventura – 1960
8. The Bicycle Thief – 1948
9. Boudu Saved From Drowning – 1932
10. Contempt – 1963
11. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie – 1972
12. Celine and Julie Go Boating – 1974
13. La Dolce Vita – 1960
14. L’Eclisse – 1960
15. The Burmese Harp – 1956
16. 8 1/5 – 1963
17. Breathless – 1960
18. The Double Life of Veronique – 1991
19. Diabolique – 1955
20. Eyes Without a Face – 1960
21. Earth – 1930
22. Forbidden Games – 1951
23. Ikiru – 1952
24. Lamerica – 1994
25. Floating Weeds – 1959
26. Daybreak – 1939
27. Lola – 1961
28. Gertrud – 1965
29. Fanny and Alexander – 1982
30. The 400 Blows – 1959
31. M – 1931
32. Murmur of the Heart – 1971
33. Night and Fog – 1955
34. Masculin Feminin- 1966
35. Nosferatu – 1922
36. Metropolis- 1927
37. The Night of Shooting Stars – 1982
38. Persona – 1966
39. La Notte – 1961
40. Playtime – 1967
41. The Passion of Joan of Arc – 1928
42. Ran – 1985
43. Pandora’s Box – 1928
44. The Red and White – 1967
45. The Rules of the Game – 1939
46. Repulsion – 1965
47. Shame – 1968
48. Jules and Jim – 1962
49. Pierrot Le Fou – 1965
50. The Seven Samurai- 1954
51. Rashomon – 1950
52. Shoah – 1985
53. Through a Glass Darkly – 1961
54. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg- 1964
55. Zero for Conduct – 1933
56. Two English Girls- 1971
57. Throne of Blood – 1957
58. Weekend – 1967
59. Tokyo Story – 1953
60. Wings of Desire – 1987
61. Tristana – 1971
62. Au Hasard Balthazar – 1966
63. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles – 1975
64. Grand Illusion- 1937
65. Close Up – 1990
66. The Battle of Algiers – 1966
67. Wild Strawberries- 1957
68. The Virgin Spring – 1960
69. Man with a Movie Camera- 1929
70. Scenes from a Marriage- 1973
71. La Strada – 1954
72. The Nights of Cabiria – 1957
73. Rififi – 1955
74. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – 2000
75. Amour – 2012
76. Chungking Express – 1994
77. Amélie – 2001
78. Children of Paradise – 1945
79. Cries and Whispers- 1972
80. All About My Mother – 1999
81. Spirited Away – 2001
82. Cinema Paradiso – 1988
83. Oldboy – 2003
84. The Artist – 2011
85. Waltz with Bashir – 2008
86. Roma – 2018
87. The Exterminating Angel – 1962
88. Eat Drink Man Woman- 1994
89. My Life to Live – 1962
90. The Lives of Others – 2006
91. Grave of the Fireflies- 1988
92. Battleship Potemkin – 1925
93. A Separation – 2011
94. Persepolis – 2007
95. Parasite – 2019
96. Knife In the Water – 1962
97. Day for Night – 1973
98. Life is Beautiful- 1997
99. Departures – 2007
100. My Life as a Zucchini- 2016
101. The Triplets of Belleville- 2003

Little Shop of Horrors is a 1960 American horror comedy film directed by Roger Corman about a florist’s assistant that grows a plant that feeds on human blood. The film stars Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph, Dick Miller, Mel Welles and Jack Nicholson. The film combines dark humor with Jewish humor, horror and romance.

This film starts out very slow, then instantly gets really silly, a lot of times to the point of stupid. The plot is clever and the effects are good for the time period, but the acting is nothing great. Several scenes are laugh out loud funny and a few are cringingly bad as far as acting and dialogue. This would have been a fun film if there had been more action, more humor or maybe a little song a dance numbers.

The main character Seymour Krelboined (Haze) is dimwitted and shouldn’t be working in a floral shop, especially with a man eating and talking plant. He is illiterate, dumb and unromantic like his mother. Audrey Fulquard (Joseph) who also works at the floral shop falls in love with Seymour for some reason wanting to marry him, the two couldn’t be more polar opposite, she is super smart and pretty and comes from an upper class family and he is not. His mother is a divorced alcoholic, who can’t cook, clean, keep a man or a job. She relies on he really son’s very little income to get by.

Despite this movie being called a horror comedy, there is very little comedy and it isn’t the least bit scary. The effects are almost B movie like, meaning not quite a film that would be featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000. It is one that is so bad, it’s good. It’s cleverly stupid, but not over the top. It is perfect for fans of horror, comedy, classics, or science fiction. It has inspired the 1986 remake and several stage productions.

This is such a bizarre film, but a very well done one of that. It isn’t outstanding but isn’t terrible either, it is only very good. This movie may scare young children, it also deals with alcoholism, death and vandalism, has drinking, smoking and kissing. This is one movie, you either love it or hate it. 13+ 3.5/5

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a 1953 American musical comedy film based on the 1949 stage musical of the same name. It was directed by Howard Hawks and starred Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe.

The film follows Lorelei Lee (Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw (Russell), American showgirls and best friends. Lorelei has love for diamonds, believing that finding a rich husband is one of the few ways a lady can be successful money-wise. Dorothy, is searching for a different type of love, only attracted to men who are good looking physically fit.

This a charming and fun filled movie that never fails to bore. It is filled with memorable songs like “Bye Bye Bye,” “A Little Girl from Little Rock” and “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Marilyn is pretty much typecast in her role as Lorelei Lee, being another ditsy high maintenance and flirty blonde. Jane Russell does far better in her role as Dorothy Shaw who could care less about jewels and money.

Arts of this film are over the top cheesy, especially when Lorelei and Dorothy flirt and several of the dance numbers, particularly the dance number with the men in swim trunks. The best scene is of course is “Diamond s Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” which inspired Madonna’s “Material Girl” video. Although Marilyn was not a great singer, dancer, or actress, she portrayed a]her typecast characters well. She had a sex appeal that people still talk about today. Jane Russell had a sex appeal too, even though she was not nearly as pretty as Monroe in my opinion, she was a better singer and actress as well.

This movie is filled with singing and dancing, flirting, drinking and mischief. Lorelei is accused of stealing a tiara, but it is revealed that it is a man that is in love with her who plots it out, also spying on her in her cabin and taking pictures. Dorothy pretends to be Lorelei in court and pretends to be in love with Malone the plotter of the crime. It is revealed that the man the real Lorelei is supposed to marry has the tiara and she is acquitted.

Yes, this is a total lady’s movie. Men may not like it, as it does talk about how women should marry a man only for their money or looks. The two main characters are almost always scene in fancy attire, as they are showgirls, so it does paint that a woman can only catch a man in a dress, which isn’t true at all. If the main characters would have been seen in at least two or three scenes without makeup or fancy attire, then that picture wouldn’t have been so negative. This is definitely not a feministic film, but it is girly to the max.

There is lots of flirting, gambling, smoking and drinking. There is also some revealing dresses, crime, cheating and lust. But overall, this is great movie musical that can be enjoyed for years to come. 13 & up 3.5/5