Hollis Films

Last year I went through some Cartoon Christmas specials for nostalgic enjoyment. However, My mom is a Disney mom, and raised me to be a Disney stan. So I just had to go back to Disney Channel Classics for their Holiday specials this season! Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street Shout out to the "undeserving European savages" line from the Thanksgiving flashback. Anyways, this "movie" special isn't like the epic Power Puff Girls one. It's just a collection of 3 episodes, including the Christmas special from season 2, "Yes, Mikey, Santa does shave." Now that Christmas special is what you'd really want from a Recess Holiday episode. Mikey is on a quest to prove that Santa exists. And in Recess fashion , Christmas magic is here! Lizzie McGuire: Xtreme Xmas One of the most nostalgic shows on this list, Lizzie McGuire spends this episode re-learning what Christmas really means. She learns that the holiday season is all about "good will tow

"The legendary Clades are a family of explorers whose differences threaten to topple their latest and most crucial mission." - IMDB There are a lot of negative reviews and I just gotta say none of y’all better say this movie is the worst when Cars & Planes exists. The 1st was okay, but after that, it became a franchise geared toward 4-year-old boys with car obsessions. Be critical, but not overdramatic. Geez Louise.  That being said. I dd enjoy this movie, though it does rank a little low for me compared to, like, 60+ other Disney films. At its surface, it's one of those “I don’t wanna be my parent but ended up like them anyway” story with Jaeger and Searcher, which we’ve seen before. But the real moral of the story, and the real heart and soul of this film, is actually a message about protecting the environment, with Grandson, Ethan, at the helm.  When I saw the first trailer, I thought it was Rick & Morty meets Treasure Planet. Then I started watching and I was

"A group of young misfits called The Goonies discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate's long-lost treasure." - IMDB In a long list of classic kids' adventures, the Goonies has gotta be at the top of the list. The Goonies is the crème of the crop when it comes to 80's cult classics and the legacy is almost unmatched. The story is a simple pirate treasure hunt tale taking place in 1980's Oregon. But as the Goonies navigate their way to One-Eye Willy's treasure, their journey is full of heart and friendship. Not to mention a long list of iconic quotes and scenes. The Wishing Well scene alone can be quoted by every cultured swine between the "goonies never say die" line and the "it's our time down here" speech. With action, comedy, and emotion, this film is the perfect balance as all things should be after 35+ years providing nostalgia for multiple generations . Yeah.... So Samwise Gamgee plays Tha

"An ex-hit-man comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that killed his dog and took his car." - IMDB The Boogeyman First of all, the cast. Of course Keanu Reeves is the heart & soul of the film but we also got Ian McShane, Willem Dafoe, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki, & Lance Reddick. All very talented. But I gotta hand it to Keanu. There was actually a scene where he made me emotional. His line delivery caught me off guard. I can't say I've shed a tear for Keanu's performances before now. He did such a good job. The concept is really cool. Any sort of Assassin or Secret Agent premise is solid. John Wick is thankfully one of the many takes on the idea that didn't fall through and had solid execution as well. It really throws you off though given how John Wick throws himself back in the Assassin's Creed. Not only do you not expect it but it's unnecessarily tragic... Let's just say that next time I get on the Sims 4, I'm going

Winona Ryder will, and always will be, a 90s goth queen that all emos worship. Today's her birthday, so here's a run down of her extraordinary career. I recommend every title in this essay. Winona Ryder was infamously born in Winona, Minnesota. Her birthday is October 29th (which also happens to be my sister’s birthday). She started her acting career in the mid 80s, first starring in a film called Lucas. Though her break is most notably Beetlejuice. She also went on to star in Edward Scissorhands. Being the star of 2 iconic Burton films while still being a teen is legendary let alone the rest of her career. Also, Heathers. Do yourself a favor and throw that in your 80s cult classic marathon.   The 90s was real prime time for Winona as her career was at it’s peak. I guess I gotta start off with her 2 Academy Award nominations for Age of Innocence and Little women, also winning a Golden Globe for her Age of Innocence performance. The way I see it, you get any nomination at this

"The vampire Angel, cursed with a soul, moves to Los Angeles and aids people with supernatural-related problems while questing for his own redemption." - IMDB It started with Buffy , and now here we are with Angel in his own spin off. And I gotta hand it to Joss Whedon because the main reason why this spin off was even possible wasn't just because of the fan base, but because Angel as a character is so well written and so interesting, and David Boreanez's portrayal is so good. He was the best character of the series, which is how it should be. I grew up watching him play Booth on Bones. Angel is such a different character so it's been refreshing to see David spend 8 seasons portraying different sides of Angel. Quick mentions of a few other standout characters. Starting off with a negative note - Cordelia. She stood out to me because I dislike her so. I hate hate hated her on Buffy, was so upset to see her in Angel, though I really loved their brother-sister- dynam

"The monstrous spirit of a slain child murderer seeks revenge by invading the dreams of teenagers whose parents were responsible for his untimely death." - IMDB One of the very first horror movies I watched as a kid was Freddy vs Jason . Years later, I've watched both of their original movies & loved both. Today, I'm talking about the legendary Freddy Krueger. The biggest thing that makes Freddy stand out is, well, everything. Sure, we've got Jason & Michael going around in masks killing people in brutal ways. But Freddy doesn't wear a mask - that's just his face. His ability to kill people through their dream is also extremely unique, even after almost 40 years later. There's also something about his voice and his knife gloves that pull the fear factor of the character together. Robert Englund just knew what he was doing. There's no denying that Freddy Krueger is a Halloween icon to be reckoned with.  The Nightmare on Elm Street as it'

"Sixteen-year-old Sarah is given thirteen hours to solve a labyrinth and rescue her baby brother Toby when her wish for him to be taken away is granted by the Goblin King Jareth." - IMDB First of all, it’s very sad to me that this film did poorly in box office given how much effort and detail went into the puppetry and set design. Jim Henson did it like no other, and his legacy continues to be felt as the Muppets and Sesame Street continue to be relevant 30 years after his death. This was also a Lucasfilm production, with George Lucas himself involved in production right after the unbeatable success of his Star Wars trilogy and Indian Jones films. This movie was set up to be good, and almost 40 years later... yeah, it still holds up. And the concept itself is fascinating. I see the hard work that went into this project and the number of people that worked hard to make it all possible. From a film making stand point, it should definitely be appreciated more.   The story is ver

"Elliot, a brilliant but highly unstable young cyber-security engineer and vigilante hacker, becomes a key figure in a complex game of global dominance when he and his shadowy allies try to take down the corrupt corporation he works for." - IMDB This show has been on my list for a while now. I loved Rami Malek in Until Dawn, so I already loved him before he gave the Oscar winning portrayal of Freddie mercury. He’s why this show was on my radar. So I was pretty hyped to see what the show was all about.  Season 1 Elliot is a genius hacker who shares the same outlook on society as I do basically. There’s too many specifics to state but every time his inner monologue comes on, I’m always agreeing with what he’s saying when he reflects on society as a whole. One major flaw that seems to be the heart of the plot is the concept of economic imprisonment, basically referring to how we are all bound to some financial contract, absolutely swallowed in debt, be that some individual, comp

"As Harry Potter begins his sixth year at Hogwarts, he discovers an old book marked as "the property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's dark past." - IMDB Well.... Half-Blood Prince is my least favorite Potter film.. Actually 2nd least favorite really. It just seems like there's an emphasis on the rom-com part of the story rather than a better balance of this and the mystery-of-Tom-Riddle part of the story. I absolutely loved the book for this reason as the book was able to take enough time to really flesh out Tom Riddle and his life while also letting Harry spend time as a student at Hogwarts for a final year and be engulfed in the cringey rom-com dynamics of his peers. The movie was a rough adaption of this and I don't enjoy it as much as the other movies. Though even the worst Potter films have their moments. I loved the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes segment. This was the twins' destiny. I do prefer the chang

I've been following Timothée's career for a few years as he made it as the next Rising Star. But I think since Dune , it's safe to say he's an official super star now, with an Oscar nomination already in his pocket. So I've decided to go back and watch the 2 films that made me avert my gaze to him in the first place and really see how this young actor became such a big deal.  "Based on the best-selling pair of memoirs from father and son David and Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy chronicles the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years." - IMDB This was a gut wrenching story. Mostly because it was sad to watch Nic go through the ups & downs of addiction recovery. Through flash backs, we see what a sweet boy he was and how close of a relationship he has with his father. It makes David's desperation to help his son hit that much harder, especially when Nic, himself, has moments

"In a hostile, post-pandemic world, Joel and Ellie, brought together by desperate circumstances, must rely on each other to survive a brutal journey across what remains of the United States." - IMDB I discovered this game a year after it released. I was looking into "best games" and this came up so without question or research I gave it a shot. And with that in mind, I will now give a thesis as to why this remains my favorite game of all time after 8 years. Sarah So obviously that opening scene gave me confusion as Sarah did not look like the girl on the cover. I should've read the signs, but I was to interested in the moment so I remained ignorant as to what exactly was about to happen... We're immediately introduced to Sarah & her father Joel. They have a very lovely father-daughter bond that is so clear in that opening scene. Sarah wakes up to a distress call in what sems to be a quiet night. As she wonders to Joel's room, the news and the explosi