Hollis Films

"On the outskirts of Whoville lives a green, revenge-seeking Grinch who plans to ruin Christmas for all of the citizens of the town." - IMDB This is a book adaption done right. The set design, costume design, make up, prosthetics, every teensy detail did not go amiss to ensure that this film looked like a Dr. Seuss story come to life. As I've gotten older, I've learned to appreciate how well done this movie is. Every intricate detail helped create this immersive lived in world that somehow exists in a snowflake. All the cast, including extras, also do a good job representing this weird species of people. The film also told the original Grinch story while also expanding lore, which we didn't need but got anyway, and it was great. Of course this is a whole Christmas tale. The main theme of this story is that "Christmas doesn't come form the store." The holidays are more about spending time with people you care about rather than any material items. A gr

I've really liked the Movie Club format I used for Ghibli & Disney movies here on the podcast, and thought I'd use it moving forward.... except for topics I have to write a thesis about. Welcome to my Watch Party Series! "Thirty years after their popular television show ended, chipmunks Chip and Dale live very different lives. When a cast member from the original series mysteriously disappears, the pair must reunite to save their friend." -  IMDB Where do I even begin.  I seriously don't know why I am talking about this because it's much more satisfying to watch the movie yourself. I knew going in that there were decent easter eggs to be found - from Jimmy Neutron, to Rick Rick and Morty, to Sora's hair.... Ugly Sonic takes the gold medal in terms of references. Disney actually made this meme a literal character...... What catches me so off guard is how Disney characters are portrayed. Disney is so strict... like SO strict with their franchises and h

At the end of last year, I indulged myself in A LOT of Monty Python content. I watched the show and the movies, and felt it was only right to feature them on on Friendly Fangirl podcast soon after. I thought about singling out John Cleese as he was my favorite to watch in most skits, with him being THE Black Knight.... but you know what, the whole squad deserves recognition. Enjoy this little blog post about a group of iconic British legends – Monty Python.  Alrighty, so that you are aware..... I literally got all my information from their wikipedia page so... Anyways - Monty Python consisted of the comedic legends John Cleese, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, and Terry Gilliam. Most met through college and the Troupe worked a lot together in different comedic projects through the 60s prior to Monty Python. Cleese & Chapman were invited to do a show, but Cleese, wanting more than 2 people, invited Palin, who invited Jones and Idle, and Idle invited Gilliam. A

"Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse." - IMDB The Conjuring films are based on the real life Warren couple and their haunted investigations. Of course it's heavily altered with dramatized events and modern effects to give us a classic horror movie. And honestly... every element is effective in making the Conjuring a classic horror film for sure. This movie was good enough to spark a whole franchise of scary movies, and for better or for worse, James Wan and his films have been the face of the horror genre for the last decade.  The story itself is what pulls me in every time. I love spooky folklore in any scenario, it's why I've watched so much Ghost Adventures in my day. The haunt of this Conjuring definitely fits that vibe. Just throw in a demonic possession and mystical exorcism and you got yourself a solid horror flick. I really gotta hand it to the whole cast, though. Their perf

"When a young girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her daughter." - IMDB Max von Sydow and Jason Miller may be the faces of the most iconic scene in the film, but its Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair that carry the film. Ellen as the mom is more of the emotional drive of the story as she's a desperate mother who want's her little girl back and perfectly portrayals the devastation of this totally realistic scenario. Linda Blair.... woah fam. Linda broke boundaries with her portrayal of Regan. I honestly can't think of a child performance to compare this to. She was insanely good. The film itself has a bit of a slow build up as we get to know the characters. There is a bout 30 minutes before the spookiness starts and the possession starts off with weird behavior and minor incidents. It all escalates when Regan pees on the floor... The demon quickly takes over Regan entirely shortly after and the Exorcist truly begi

"When the sun goes down on the last night of summer camp, nine teenage counselors are plunged into an unpredictable night of horror." - IMDB  The Quarry had a very creepy start as it established the setting in the middle of nowhere where the supernatural happens. I will say, there was more than enough foreshadowing to let us know it was werewolves. Which was exciting at first, but in the end, it wasn't my favorite rendition of a werewolf storyline. I didn't think the werewolves looked like werewolves. Honestly, they looked more like a mix between until dawn's wendigos and Harry Potter's werewolves. The werewolf lore in this game went with the "break the curse by killing the first" law of werewolf nature. This concept got way more exciting towards the final act of the game. If Laura survives long enough, we see the fortune teller integrated into the story, the whole harem scarem plot is revealed and the ghost encounters make sense despite them being s

Check out my blog for the other 3 posts about my Top Disney Picks! "To save her father from death in the army, a young maiden secretly goes in his place and becomes one of China's greatest heroines in the process." -  IMDB Ming Na Wen is a queen and BD Wong is a legend. That's all there is to say. Mulan is one of the objectively best Disney films ever. The music is iconic. Mulan's story is a classic tale. Mushu - the man the myth, the legend. And don't get started on ya boi Cricket. The comedy also just hits. There's no other way to say it. It's highly quotable and memeable. And the Huns are scary. With all the musical elements, there is still that dark undertone that is at it's peak when they find a village in ruins.  We love to talk about Mulan for being a symbol for strong woman, but can I give a shout out to Shang. You cannot convince me that he was not gay. Seriously. I firmly believe he was sooo angry when Mulan's true gender was revealed

"The survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together in order to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island." - IMDB Seasons 1-3 Review here Season 4 I almost forgot how confusing this show gets... and I love it. So, Season premiere. The present becomes the past and the future becomes the present. I’m glad for this change of pace to the nonlinear storytelling. After season 1, for the most part, I felt like I knew what I needed to know about the characters and was getting bored with the parallel back stories. Now it feels more productive as flashbacks are filling in the gaps as we enter a new chapter.   But the Oceanic Six???? Lance Reddick??? Of course, we get more questions than answers and I’m just going with the flow.  After episode 2, I was definitely positive that these so called “rescuers” were Dharma. Good ol’ ghostbuster Miles straight up said “we’re looking for the Ben.” Who essentially destroyed Dharma here on the island. But Dharma may have lost the isl

It's my birthday and I'm celebrating by talking about some of my favorite Disney films. "Lion prince Simba and his father are targeted by his bitter uncle, who wants to ascend the throne himself." -  IMDB Where do I even begin???? I guess from the first 20 seconds. The sun rises and you her aaaaaaaaaaaaa and you just know Disney peaked here. The Lion King is by far one of the greatest Disney Films of all time. First of all, the aesthetic of this movie just hits. Any fan art or professional art for the Lion King is always stunning. Artists just go all in for Lion King art and I love it. Even at Walt Disney World, looking around Animal Kingdom, Animal kingdom Lodge, Art of Animation, Lion King just makes everything better. I think what really resonates with most people is how mature the story is. It's a bunch of talking animals but the target audience is not specifically kids. You look at past movies like Aristocats or Oliver and company - those are cute family fun

  "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 g