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Heavenly Creatures 1994 poster.jpg

Heavenly Creatures (1994)

Rachel Says

First, it was both of their feature film debuts, which is lovely. Second, Peter Jackson co-wrote it with his wife, which is lovely. Third, it is based on the true story of a terrible murder, which is also lovely. Fourth, rather than focus on the murder it digs incredibly deeply into the psychologically rich and twisted friendship between these two girls, which was truly lovely. It was really very complicated and I felt like the film respected Pauline and Juliet, and also that Winslet and Lynskey played their roles fucking so well. Also reading about it all now and it's nuts that Juliet changed her name when she got out of prison and wrote mystery novels! Might try to read one.

Peter Jackson (yes, him)
Kate Winslet (Juliet), Melanie Lynskey (Pauline)

Skinamarink (2023)

Rachel Says

Maybe there is more to say but I am mad that this made me so scared and bored at the same time!!!!! First time in a long time I've hid behind my hands while watching a movie though, for what that's worth (which is kind of a lot).

Kyle Edward Ball
Lucas Paul, Ross Paul, Dali Rose Tetreault, Jaime Hill
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Polite Society (2023)

Rachel Says

Extremely fun time. Basically beat-by-beat followed an 80s action movie but with a richer plot and way better relationship development. Adored the fight scenes between all the characters, especially the one between the sisters where they bust up their entire house and get all bloody and then everything is normal and fixed right after. Just a notch above realism, a little bit brighter and sillier! The angle of the bad guy just wanting a redo for a life she feels cheated out of lets you empathize with her a little bit, which adds depth too. Great time.

Nida Manzoor
Priya Kansara, Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha
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Wings of Desire (1987)

Rachel Says

Thoroughly enjoyed and was moved by this artsy fartsy black and white German film about angels wandering around East Berlin and listening to people's most intimate thoughts, most of which are existential as hell. Rly like the idea of thoughts turning from negative to hopeful being because an angel is gently hanging out next to you, gonna think about that some more. The moments he chose to go into color were interesting and rly striking, and I freaking loved the scene toward the end when the angel finally becomes human and is seeing colors for the first time, shouting out each one like a little baby. What rly brought it all home is Peter Falk. What a guy, such a bizarre and perfect element that totally made the movie for me.

Wim Wenders
Bruno Ganz, Solveig Dammartin, Otto Sander, Peter Falk
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But I'm a Cheerleader (2000)

Rachel Says

Star studded, colorful, campy, incredible soundtrack and sound effects, the sets were fantastic, the POV shots ruled, and very liberal with the montages--all shit I love! The bathroom wall covered in crushed daisies??? Get outta town. So funny and charming and simple and rly well done. The Julie Delpy cameo sent me, and always nice to see Melanie Lynskey, especially when she gets to be a Kiwi.

Jamie Babbit
Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, Ru Paul, Melanie Lynskey, Michelle Williams, Julie Delpy
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A River Runs Through It (1992)

Rachel Says

Thank goodness Brad Pitt is so handsome and Montana is so beautiful and it's fun to watch boys catch fish. I can see how this is probably a rly gorgeous and emotionally arresting novel and I imagine a lot of the descriptive language came directly from the text, but it seemed like they cut out relationship/character development and depth in the film version. Brad and fish were enough tho, a p good time.

Robert Redford
Brad Pitt, Craig Sheffer, Tom Skerritt, Emily Lloyd, Brenda Blethyn
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Showing Up (2023)

Rachel Says

All of Kelly Reichardt's art school students wear loose fitting denim pants and shirts and now I want to wear loose fitting denim pants and shirts. OK but rly I enjoyed this. I don't like the descriptions online which make it sound like Michelle Williams's character is struggling to complete a life-changing show or some big dramatic things is happening. There's no indication that that is the case! It's just art, she's just making art, and it's hard and there are a million things that life is asking her to do, and she's still making the art and it's rly not that fun and she's having a hard time, but she's making the fucking art OK??? At first I thought the final scene with the pigeon flying off and the frenemies/landlord-tenant-combo strolling away was too much, but I think it's actually just right. The pigeon is that one extra thing when you think you can't take any more, and you can buckle and not make the art, or you can take in the god damn pigeon and keep going, and maybe that one last thing is rly the momentum you need, the good friction in the gears. And when the show is done, the pigeon is done, and in a while there will be another show and another pigeon. And they get to leave the opening because for the art maker it's not about the opening. What it was about is making the art, and by the time the opening happens that's already done. Like Joan Didion talking about the "action" in Hollywood, and how the movie actually doesn't matter at all, and even making the movie hardly matters, it's the action around the making of the movie that keeps creators going.

Kelly Reichardt
Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, André Benjamin
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The Wedding Singer (1998)

Rachel Says

Nice. Adam Sandler's got pipes. His The Cure-inspired song kinda slapped.

Frank Coraci
Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Christine Taylor
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Walking and Talking (1996)

Rachel Says

I don't know why I keep watching these Nicole Holofcener movies. They're so annoying and the main characters are all such whiny little bitches. But there's just something so nice about watching friends and lovers fight and then make up and you know what there don't got to be more to it than that :)

Nicole Holofcener
Catherine Keener, Anne Heche, Liev Schrieber
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Volver (2006)

Rachel Says

Loveeeed this. The Threads! Almodóvar is a master weaver. Mothers and daughters (and sisters lol), belief and disbelief, superstition and tradition and modernity, cheating, murder, assault, paralleling of traumas happening to generations of women who are still dealing with it and dealing with it again. The tenderness of all the relationships. Penelope Cruz's insane ugly ass outfits but it doesn't matter cuz she's so hot and her boobies are so big. Her singing!!!!!

Pedro Almodóvar
Penelope Cruz, Lola Dueñas, Carmen Maura, Yohana Cobo, Blanca Portillo
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The Abyss (1989)

Rachel Says

Action packed and plot packed and a rly good time. How tf did they film this??? I'm sure I can find out very easily but I like to imagine various things involving big tanks and darkness and tiny submarines and things like that. Rly enjoyed how many things were happening at once here: trapped under the ocean, hurricane, people drowning, the love story, the cold war paranoia with the warhead and the guy going insane, the fuckin deep sea magical creatures. And it all fully came together somehow. Insane! This movie entertained me, it freaked me tf out (my reactions to drowning and claustrophobia were v visceral), it made me tear up, it did all the things. Great success.

James Cameron
Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth
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Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)

Rachel Says

Super fun and chaotic. Felt very Shakespearean with all of its surprising connections, missed connections, disparate threads coming together in very coincidental ways. Antonio Banderas being Ivan's son and coming in to rent the apartment was cute, and the way Pepa started treating him like her own son was also cute. Rly colorful, full sets with plants and art and cool furniture. Her apartment was so dope. Love how everyone was allowed to have insane, over the top emotions. Also love how everyone put themselves to sleep at the end lol.

Pedro Almodóvar
Carmen Maura, María Barranco, Antonio Banderas, Rossy de Palma, Julieta Serrano
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A League of Their Own (1992)

Rachel Says

Funnier and more moving than I thought it would be (I was also high and tipsy while watching but shhh). Rly enjoyed the action baseball shots, lots of sliding onto bases while wearing skirts, great throws, swaggy catches (Madonna catching in the hat, Geena Davis catching behind her back, etc). Tom Hanks was cute and unassuming, let the girls be the stars. Love how there was very little friction around the idea of women playing pro sports and much more friction around the sisters' relationship. As it should be! Personal drama much more interesting than social-historical drama, imo!

Penny Marshall
Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell
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