Kimolisa Was Here

Let me begin by saying I was split in going to watch this movie. Part of me wanted to see James McAvoy, I view him as an amazing actor and was looking forward to him playing multiple characters. But part of me didn't want to see a movie by M. Night Shyamalan.

It Started With A Love Affair

It was back in 1999, my first semester at college and I went to see a movie by myself in NYC. The movie was the Sixth Sense and I loved it. I mean tell everyone I know loved it. I held Shyamalan in high esteem because he made this thrilling, thought provoking movie and I was like


Then he disappointed me. And I truly understood the meaning of there being a thin line between love and hate. Hell, he did After Earth!! I couldn't even make it through to the middle. Woosah.

But This Is Different

So my sister drags me out of the house and we go to see this movie and at first, I'm hating the opening credits. Then the movie starts and I'm getting into it. McAvoy is amazing, be on the look out for Hedwig and et cetera. Be prepared to laugh a little, have your mind blown a little. Be ready to feel the suspense and to yell at the screen. You know there has to be at least one trusting person that you are waiting for them to be killed.

It may appear like a single narrative, but there are two going on and as the movie continues you have an understanding of the female lead and why she is what she is and how it saves her. I must say in promoting the movie it wasn't given it away and I feel like Shyamalan has come full circle. Oh, and stay for the end because you might see an unexpected character.

Why To Watch Split

If you like to watch a thriller that is beautifully crafted and has you engaged, watch this movie. If you want to see an actor do his thang, watch this movie. If you are looking to watch an M. Night Shyamalan movie and not leave the theatre feeling  lackluster, watch this movie.

Then again, this is my opinion, watch it for yourself and come to your own.

I was tempted to title this post "When a Trekkie goes to watch Star Wars" but I decided to keep it simple so I stuck to the usual. Anywhoo, last night went to see Star Wars Force Awakens and on a whole I felt "meh". First things first,

The premise

Thirty years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, the galaxy faces a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order. When a defector named Finn crash-lands on a desert planet, he meets Rey (Daisy Ridley), a tough scavenger whose droid contains a top-secret map. Together, the young duo joins forces with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to make sure the Resistance receives the intelligence concerning the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the last of the Jedi Knights.

What I liked?
I liked the action, I liked the droid, I liked the villain's hair. I liked Rey's pants near the end. LOL. What can I say, it was an action packed movie with humour and a leaning towards mysticism. Was it a bad movie? No, but it didn't leave me feeling as though I saw an epic movie like I felt after watching John Wick or Her. I felt lacklustre and as though Hollywood tried to do better than the previous movies instead of making it a damn good movie.

What I didn't like?
I didn't like that they didn't explore mature love. Here is Han Solo and General Leia meeting for the first time after he skipped out on her because he couldn't handle his son going over to the dark side. Hell, Chewy (I know I spelled that wrong) gave her a hug long before Han did. And the extent of their affection was a lacklustre hug. Memo to Hollywood, old people do kiss, it's not relegated to the young.

I know I'm nitpicking on this one, but Finn should have been dead in the scene when he was caught by the rolling octopus. I'm just saying, if these things killed the bad guys on first contact but gives the brother a tour of the ship, I call foul.

As for the brother, Finn, you are a very moist person. Sorry, I couldn't help but notice when you sweated. Also there was a point where you entered the realm of Kevin Hart when it came to your humour and it didn't work for me as it pulled me out of the movie. But I must say, I've grown to like storm troopers.

In my last breath
Star Wars is for the fans, they get the little nuances of the story and love to watch the dynamic between the dark side and .... the light side? For me, I went with an open mind and enjoyed parts of it but as a whole, I would rather have watched it at the end of a Star Wars marathon on cable. Oh, and I'm nitpicking again, but I felt the intro was a bit dated. I mean I recognize it for what it was but it didn't feel like new blood. It felt like the franchise hadn't moved on but promised the same old same old. That's my take on it.

Should you watch it?
Sure, if you are into Star Wars, space opera's, intergalactic dog fights and young people coming to terms with their place in the universe. Nope, if you aren't into those things.


Image Credit: i

Long, long time ago, in a land 15-20 minutes away from where I live now, I read Addicted by Zane. At the time, I was exploring sexuality as my experience had been very limited. Okay, let's be honest, Zane is porn for black women, that is before Eric Jerome Dickey took the mantle away from her. I'm just saying. Anyway, I had the book for a while because I thought that even if you took away the explicit sex, the story was strong, and I would have still had it in my library if I hadn't lost it. On the real, it's a solid book.

Then on the by and by, I found out that they made a movie based on the book. Although the trailer was interesting, I didn't have the strong desire to watch the movie. Then out of boredom and because the internet is slow in the evenings, I watched it and here are my thoughts on it.

Here I Stand Waving My Prude Flag
I know I'm a prude when I keep thinking, "Are they having sex again? Gosh! Can we get to the story. Geez, more guys' asses." I wouldn't say I was made uncomfortable by it but I got over it quick. I know the movie is based on a book that is erotica true and true, but I felt like the story is strong enough that I don't have to suppress the desire to skip the sex part.

Reminder To Kim, It's based on the book, it's not going to be exactly like the book
I had to stop myself from comparing it to the book. Although I can't give you blow by blow every chapter in the book, I know there were some things left out, like the main character being with a woman. The woman was there but she didn't get busy with her, which makes me make the assumption,

Every now and then, I have the desire to be a kid again. Sometimes I would go to see a kid's movie (i.e. a cartoon) and I was way overdue for one. The last one I saw was Frozen, while the last one I saw on the big screen was How To Train A Dragon 2 (I came close to tears while watching that one.) This week, I went to see


Let me start off by saying that I love, no lurve Pixar. I don't know how they get these talented people to come together and deliver movies that are not only great entertainment but can tug at your heart strings like your heart is a bass guitar. Don't even get me started on the full range of humour they execute with such ease that it appears effortless.

Now Pixar has a strong history, you know, Wall E., Up, could they keep up their winning streak with Inside Out? Hell yes. What I enjoyed immensely was the reality of the dynamic between the "good guy" and the "not so good guy". Although the built up the latter as the lesser of two evils, they were able to show that they were not perfect. Joy was not batting 100 when it came to being a good person. At times she was condescending and manipulative. While Sadness who came across as whiney and slow on her potential to harm had a good heart and at times was a voice of reason.

I think the message of imperfection is good for kids in a school system that preaches black and white in preparing you people for a world which is more than 50 shades of gray. (tee hee). Inside out was heartwarming, funny and a great movie to see with the family be it your own kids or someone else's kids (well maybe not that)

What I liked

• That there was this ultra cute short movie at the start called Lava;
• That although they had relatively big name actors voicing the characters, the story was so strong that you didn't notice that Joy was Amy Poehler or Anger was Lewis Black;
• That Lewis Black was Anger, he is one of my favourite comediens;
• The scenes in other people's heads were funny;
• That I was so caught up in the movie that I don't know how long the movie was;
• That I left the cinema feeling satisfied.

What I didn't like

•  Um....
• Uh....
• That....
• That I can't think of anything I didn't like about the movie (Damn you Pixar!)

Overall, I loved it. Take your kids, take your siblings' kids, take your grandkids or go by yourself. I promise you, you will like Inside Out.

Image Credit: IMDb

It has been a hella long time since I've reviewed a movie and this is the first time I've ever reviewed two movies in one post so this will be long. If needs be, scroll down to the movie that interests you.

Last Tuesday, the movie group I am a part of went to see two movies one after the other. Actually, the women went to see two movies, there was no way the men would have gone to see Magic Mike. The movies were Terminator Genisys and Magic Mike XXL.

My thoughts?

Terminator Genisys

I didn't hate, in fact I saw it as a fun time at the cinema. I got my action with a bit of the mushy stuff and there was some comedy to it. It was interesting to see Arnold again and having him do fight scenes, the near nakedness of Kyle Reese was a great prep for Magic Mike and the story line was interesting although it left a lot of holes.

Now I'm not going to pretend to understand and by extension explain the time travel paradox and what may have you, but I would like to think of this movie presenting a possible time line that leads up to Judgement Day as opposed to the definitive time line. What this movie presented was what was possible when a terminators or people were sent back to alter the time line from different points in the future time line. As I said I prefer to see it as a possible time line as opposed to saying this is the time line we are running with.

I would add more but I won't so as to not drop a spoiler, but...

What I liked

• Them giving us an old school action movie with a present day edge;
• How they integrate our current technology, i.e. smart phones that sync to everything to the SkyNet coming online. It is somewhat foreboding, making one ask the question of is it possible?
• Arnold not denying that he is old;
• Making references to the better terminator movies, the liquid metal terminator, the 80's music, etc;

 What I didn't like

• The early CGI of Arnold after arriving to 1984, it looked faker than a Ken doll, I'm just saying;
•  It felt long, I know that our attention spans have shortened drastically but there comes a point when you feel like the movie should be wrapping up. Perhaps the movie had too much in terms of times - 2029, 1984 then 2017, each with their own action scenes etal.

Overall, I liked it, I don't feel like I wasted any money on the movie, but I must say the off screen ish is another thing. Scroll down to the bottom for more on that.

Magic Mike XXL

 

I'll be straight with you, I had low expectations. I saw the first Magic Mike and although it had its high points, its low points left me feeling sad and not too happy that I saw the movie. As such, I didn't expect that I would like this movie, but I did. To me, it was a great road trip movie with half naked men, well and a few near-naked men.

The humor was endearing, the people they met along the way were interesting and fun. There were a few well known people up in this film, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Andie McDowell, Donald Glover and they fit in seamlessly into the story line. Oh and Lord, there was a lot of bromance going on.

My only drawbacks were I didn't think the romantic angle was necessary. The guys were wavering in and out of caricatures of their characters as a result it veered in and out of being believable. Perhaps, that is why I think the women stole the show.

Jada Pinkett-Smith nailed it as the MC, every time she performed that role, I sat up and noticed because I would love to be able to command an audience like that. Andie McDowell just oozed Southern charm and scorn with equal parts bourbon and honey. I would love to be that fearless. And there was one other woman, Elizabeth Banks, she was a little bit of both Jada and Andie.

What I liked

• The humour;
• The characters they met along the way, from the drag queen to the women I mentioned before;
• That it was a fun road trip movie;
• The convenience store scene;
• That Tatum attempted a death drop (my favourite drag queen move);
• That the private strip club scene was tasteful and it was more about moves and technique than the raunchiness of what the moves are trying to portray;
• Half and near naked men, how can I leave that out;
• The last three performances;

What I didn't like

• That some of the main characters were over the top, I mean some of them made it work and others made me wonder why bother and why are you here
• The romantic interest felt bleh, another why bother. It felt like it was tacked on.

Overall, it was a good movie to see with your girlfriends.

Now, before I end this post, let me share my thoughts on the going to the movies on the day when the ticket price is reduced. Let's call this part,

I should have paid full price
The early movie. Don't go.... Now one of the guys in the group hates going to the 6:something movies because of the children and I agree with him. Yes, we went into the cinema late. Yes, we arrived at the same 5 seats the exact time a couple and their toddler arrived, but why didn't the couple take the two seats leaving the other three for the rest of us? This forced the couple on the other side to move over to let us have three seats. Okay, you brought your little girl to the cinema, but can you at least sedate her, why is this strange child touching me? Why bother come to see the movie if 3/5 through it you have to pack up your kid and go? I'm not saying you can't take your kid to the movie, just be mindful of others who don't want to hear your kid bawling.

We are in the dark, and still every Tuesday, Caribbean Cinemas becomes a fashion show of the tacky variety. Lord, I tried real hard not to judge but when my, ahem, sisters are showing up with dresses under their backsides or shorts that display the lower parts of their backsides, I have to judge. I almost broke out into prayer. We are in the dark. Sigh.

Please light up the darkness with your phone. Of course I want to know that you are messaging someone on Whatsapp. Oh, during this riveting scene, you have this strong desire to check your FaceBook? Really? You have an old school phone, what the buck are you looking at during the movie. Oh, you want to take a picture of yourself in the cinema while people are watching a movie? I don't know if people realize that they create a rectangle of light that distracts people from the screen. I sometimes make a point of speaking about people using their phones in the movie, pretty much dropping words because that is some tomfoolery.

There are more things that tick me off but these are what ground my gears at the excursion to the cinema. What grinds your gears when you go to the cinema? Leave your answers in the comments below.

Image Credits: IMDb, Time

I used to post trailers of movies I would want to watch, sad to say most of these won't make it to the cinema down here. C'est la vie.

The Intern
Release Date: 25 September 2015



Hotel Transylvania 2 Release Date: September 2015

Good Kill
 

 Dial A Prayer
pic

I'm back with trailers......!!! I am looking forward to this! Jodie Foster looking hot. Matt Damon looking hot and ready to do damage and the person behind District Nine. I swooneth! This looks like fun and I have a thing for coming of age films. Plus I love Toni Collette. I watched 1 and 2 and it only makes sense that I watch 3. "I believe I can fly....." This movie just might meet my need for speed.

I loved the first one so you know I'll be present for the second one, I could go through all the stars and say I love each one, but I will resist. Yippee Ki Yea I want to watch this, it has some teeth, but will it show in Wadadli? I doubt it. I will admit it: I want to see this for James McAvoy.

I'm back with Trailers!!!! I know, I know, where have I been? What's been going on with my blog? Well stay tuned for that info, but check out these trailers. Woohoo!! An apocalypse movie. I'm watching this because I was disappointed my Godzilla and want to see monsters and machines. Can we have Superman keep the beard? He looks uber cute with the beard. I'm watching this because Superman feels edgier and has issues. At first I was not interested then I saw Morgan Freeman. Then the plot got twisted and now I want to know what is happening. Who's the bad guys? His bosses? Morgan Freeman's people? or those monsters? So many questions. Oooh another end of the world movie. Am I seeing a theme here? I first saw this on FaceBook and I was interested. I'm a Will Smith fan and I hope this movie has legs

OMG! This looks.... okay, it might not be exceptional but it has Sandra Bullock and Spoken Reason so I'll be on the lookout.

I had planned on not continuing with posting trailers but...... I couldn't help my self.



I've got goosebumps, Tarantino, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson and Leonard DiCarprio. I'm looking forward to this.


I don't always have a taste for Hitchcock but there a some of films that are excellent and I love what I'm seeing in this trailer. The cast looks solid and I'm definitely going to watch.


This is why I love Sean Penn. He can be a gay man in one movie and a tough gangster in the next. I love the film noir feel of this movie. Will it make it to Wadadli? Not sure, I might have to wait for it to come out on HBO.

I have a lot of respect for Sean Penn as an actor and this looks so trippy that I would love to watch it, but I might have to watch it on HBO


This looks interesting


I love the actors in this movie


Christopher Fucking Walken.....

This movie looks interesting,

I love the Bourne franchise so I want to see this

For a James Bond movie, this looks intense. I think I might watch it LMAO and PMSL I'm not expecting this to be ground breaking but I think I'll get a laugh out of it. This looks beautifully shot and Leo and Tobey look hot. At first, I was thinking I should read the book, but this looks hot. This looks like a good time at the cinema This really makes me question a lot of things I want to watch this This looks cute This warms my heart - Bill Murray in a serious a role and being fabulous

OMG This looks intense, I wanna watch this LMAO

Oh my God, this movie is scary (I did scream) and was beautifully shot. It makes me think about my life and my island where as I'm used to my environment and Christianity but I never thought of what it's like living in a similar environment but different belief systems. I loved this movie even though I hid behind my hands for a lot of parts. Definitely expand it to fill up your screen as it has great quality.

One of my favourite things to do is watch movies on a week day afternoon. Perhaps because on a normal day, I would be at work or when I was in college, at class, but to do something out of the ordinary is pretty nice. I am loving YouTube more and more because there are chances to watch films you would not normally see. Be it because you don't live in the States or you are living life and missed a movie. The thing is it's not even relegated to YouTube, there's NetFlicks and Hulu and a number of other sites online to get your movie on. I once asked a group what they could live without, TV, Internet, Phone or Friends and every time the answer is TV. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, TV is going to have to revisit their programming to get people back. I haven't used my TV in ages and my family has been without for a while, but they are itching for it, lol. The thing is the internet is taking up the slack where TV is leaving off. Anyway, here is a movie I found, it is in the tradition of made for TV where it's wholesome, American with a message or two. Some may find it cheesy, but I have a fondness for cheese. Be on the look out for more movies on Kimolisa Was Here. XOXO

This looks so interesting, I hope this opens people to the idea of families coming together for genuine conversation.


 Le sigh


 I'm getting goosebumps thinking about this movie

I tried so hard to resist this, but it has Emma Stone (why u no redhead no more?) and Dennis Leary. Also the plot is pulling me in.

I loved the first one, so this one better be good. lol

This so cute and artsy, definitely a film to look for

It takes a strong straight man to play a drag queen, so nuff respect to these actors. Here's a movie for your Friday