Insidious Coffee Table... This Time for Beginners... Oppenheimer Overrated... Two Tickets to Rosehill Cemetery... Queen of this Carnival Creation.

The Steve Miller Band wasn’t kidding. Time keeps slipping into the future. However, I hardly feel like someone able to fly like an eagle. Granted, I’m no moose trudging through mud, but some days it’s easy to fall into that space between the hammer and the anvil. Yet, one hopes any battering leads to better days. But enough mixed metaphors.

​Last month resulted in a wide array of flicks for review. It’s always nice to experience a broad spectrum. Plus, publications are moving towards print. While the fiction anthologies I’m lucky enough to be in might be a few months away, it’s something to look forward to. Meanwhile, there’s always paranormal adventures in Chicago to keep things interesting. 

Kicking things off is a review of Insidious: The Red Door. I’ve been a fan of this horror franchise since the start. While fright levels have varied over the years, the films have never failed to deliver interesting plot concepts. And personally, though the first remains best, I did enjoy the third. The series is good at opening up to new creepy haunts that stick to the overall franchise theme, and the Man Who Can’t Breathe really hit me as lingering spooky.

That said, I think this installment could’ve been better. Yet, it remains a solid casual horror watch. It’s not about to be an iconic film, but Insidious: The Red Door is still a horror movie sure to spice up any Halloween movie marathon. 

Insidious: The Red Door Reveals Nothing New | Film Obsessive

After that I got to watch a foreign film entitled Two Tickets to Greece. This French flick didn’t really venture into any new territory, but hey, not everything is going to be a win. It’s not the worst movie I’ve seen and has some charm. However, there are elements which hit me weird.

For instance, a character with clear depression is treated as someone who just needs to smile more. Furthermore, a Greek guy physically assaults a main character, roughly throwing her to the floor, and afterwards, everyone acts as if that’s just to be expected while sidewise blaming her for making him chuck her about. I’m sorry, but fuck that. Though the movie has some charm and comedy, the overall message is people with depression need to try harder to be happy or else they’re a burden on everyone around them; and if you’re abused, take it with a smile – don’t be a Debbie Downer. Worse, it repeatedly implies that women are responsible for the terrible ways men treat them.

The movie tries to imply these aren’t its messages. That it’s a tale of empowerment about people learning to seize the day. Perhaps to a degree that’s true. As I said, it isn’t a bad movie, and has some entertaining aspects, but something about the way certain situations are handled rubbed me the wrong way.

Two Tickets to Greece Avoids Any Interesting Rocks | Film Obsessive

I was lucky enough to get in on an advance screening of Oppenheimer. Though I’m certain the film will dominate awards in the coming months, nominated if not winning – this movie is woefully overrated. This frenetic Wikipedia recitation of history is drier than a desert. Lacking any humanity, Oppenheimer is just a cleverly nonlinear history lesson that delivers nothing more than facts. I’ve read accounts of folks overwhelmed by emotions after watching this movie, and hearing as much, it’s clear to me I’m completely dead inside because nothing remotely close happened to me.

Though I’d never try to dissuade anyone from watching Oppenheimer, I would advise watching it on streaming. The IMAX aspect does nothing to enhance the viewing. Furthermore, streaming at home gives a person a chance to hit the bathroom. This is 3 hours of dry history masquerading as clever commentary on matters it isn’t brave enough to really confront, hiding its cowardice as a warts and all display of the main character shying away from the truth of the horror he unleashed on the world. Worse, it fosters the lie that dropping the atomic bomb as the only way to defeat Japan. Yet, the film pretends to be a deeper examination of that decision, while reiterating a bold lie.

Frankly, the more I think about it, the more I hate this movie. It’s a cowardly film trying to be clever in a way that only hides its dull story. But like I said, it’ll likely dominate awards ceremonies in the weeks to come. Folks will focus on the good acting and technical skill – IMAX, camera work, etc. – while ignoring the shallow narrative as they pat themselves on the back for recognizing a film that says nuclear war is bad.

Congrats. It is, always has been. You’re a fucking genius for saying so. 

Oppenheimer Becomes Death, Destroyer of Three Hours | Film Obsessive

Following up, I watched a Spanish horror film called The Coffee Table. This hit sidewise in a manner that caused a stumble. A married couple fight about a new furniture purchase. What follows is them buying a coffee table which results in an accident that undoes their entire lives. It’s rare to see the slow burn creep to the end of this film.  The Coffee Table is a gothic nightmare about people drifting, seemingly relentlessly, towards a terrible end. Horror fans will find it well worth watching.

The Coffee Table Fabulously Ruins Lives | Film Obsessive

Then I got sent an indie film which screened at the Asian American Film Festival in DC. Entitled This Time, the movie is a look at romance recontextualized by nostalgia as well as time apart. The leads are two people who were lovers as teenagers, but events ripped them apart. Reunited twenty years later, it’s hard for them not to wonder what might’ve been. In many ways, aspects of the movie may remind viewers of Before Sunrise (1995). However, I think that’s fine given that the main characters are supposed to be children of the ’90s. Their lives mirror the pop culture of the period.

It was a refreshing film with a unique take on certain things. More details on what works and what doesn’t are in the review. But if you stumble on this one some evening, it may make for an interesting date night flick.

This Time Fondly Recalls What's Gone | Film Obsessive

On a similar note, I got to watch the Netflix original Happiness for Beginners. Based on a book of the same name by author Katherine Center, this romcom wasn’t without charm. Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) is wonderful throughout. While it doesn’t go anywhere fresh, the film is the kind of casual watch that seems less common these days. The kind of movie folks can put on while making dinner, or doomscrolling and still delight in having on. Not a lot of those solid two-star films being made anymore, or rather, it seems like they get swept into the dumpster to be quickly forgotten. The algorithms only want to recommend the big winners. 

Happiness for Beginners Charms without Surprises | Film Obsessive

Finally, I suckered myself into doing a paranormal investigation article. Again. I know, I know. I often lament doing these. Meanwhile, I’m the one volunteering. This time I took a tour of Chicago’s Rosehill Cemetery.

The most interesting thing about writing this article was looking back on previous paranormal pieces I’ve written. I was finding it hard at first to type anything enthusiastically. Everything came out as a dry account of details which would’ve captivated no one. Glancing back at prior articles about things like Bachelor’s Grove and The Congress Plaza Hotel, I saw a real effort to capture the atmosphere of such paranormal places. Fortunately, that kicked up a spark and the writing came a little easier. Working on this article was a good reminder about how important it is to be in the mood to write a particular piece, but also that with a little effort one can conjure the mindset necessary to do a topic justice.

Although Rosehill offered nothing truly haunting – I remain ever skeptical – the article is still an interesting run through Chicago history. On top of that, I did put in one or two bits which debunk popular myths about the place. I always find it sad how many websites include stories or legends which are easily disproven. They don’t seem to understand that publishing falsehoods only hurts their own case. 

Chicago's Gothically Haunting Rosehill Cemetery - Horror Obsessive

As far as fiction goes, I managed to sell a story I loved to write called “Queen of this Carnival Creation”. It will appear in an anthology of epistolary horror published by Crystal Lake later this year. I cannot emphasize enough how thrilled I am that this piece found a home. I loved writing it every minute I was at the keys. On top of that, at risk of shamelessly tooting my own horn, this is a good story. I’ve rarely received so glowing an acceptance letter. Witches, cults, haunted woods – I can’t wait for folks to finally read this one. So stay tuned, I’ll be sure to post when and where to get your hands on a copy.

Otherwise, that’s all for now. My best to you and yours. As usual, stay weird, keep safe, and always be ready to shoot first. Cheers!