movie monday – Book Dust Magic

Movie Monday: The School for Good and Evil #MovieMonday #TheSchoolForGoodAndEvil #Netflix

The School for Good and Evil Netflix movie cover

Movie Monday is a feature here on my blog, in which I’m rambling about movies I’ve watched lately.

Today I want to talk about a movie I watched yesterday and was swept away.

The School for Good and Evil

I remember years ago, back when I started to read in English and was religiously watching BookTube videos, The School for Good and Evil book series was pretty popular. It also found it’s place on my tbr, but as time passed I never picked it up and with time it got pushed away by all the other books that were released.
I had no idea Netflix was making an adaptation of the same, but you can imagine my pleasent surprise when I saw it on my homepage (I guess I should keep up with book/movie news more).
As I never read the books, I can’t compare the movie to them, or say if certain things were changed.
However, I can tell you that I really, really liked this motion picture and 2,5 hourst just passed by so quickly, because I was having so much fun.
I guess I needed some fantasy in my life, a magical world that made me daydream how it would be like if those pararel worlds really existed. I caught myself more then a few times daydreaming about crossing that line that parts our world from the different ones we read only in our books.

The cast was very good. Charlize Theron was probably the most noticable, but there are also Kerry Washington, Laurence Fishburne and Kate Blanchett (who narrates the story).
Young actresses Sophia Anne Caruso and Sofia Wylie were both amazing in their performance.

This movie is perfect choice for a family movie night, as it is appropriate for younger audience but interesting enough so all generations can enjoy it.
I will admit that I find it to be better than I expected and I highly, highly recommend it.

Movie Monday: Hellhole #MovieMonday #Horror #Netflix #Halloween

Yesterday I decided to have a movie night on my own and watch a horror (because that is how I usually prefer to watch horrors: alone and in the dark).
Hellhole was the one suggesed to me because it was new on Netflix, and when I saw it was European (Polish, to be precise) I knew I wanted to give it a try.

I don’t think there is much to say about this film. It was definitely worth of time. It wasn’t anything mindblowing, but it was good. At times it felt like I was watching a drama, but then again, with all the paranormal things going on, it was definitely horror.

I liked how it took a different look on sanatory and overall it was a good, short movie to pass time. I liked it and although I think the end was a bit dry, I still enjoyed it.

Movie Monday: The Invitation #MovieMonday #Horror #Halloween #TheInvitation

This week I was in a mood for some horror, as spooky season officially started (but let’s be real, that genre is my favourite and I am in a mood to be scared most of the time).
I was happy to see that The Invitation was officially out, because I remember we watched the trailer in the cinema back when we were there to watch Orphan: First Kill back in July.

What I noticed after few minutes into the movie was that the trailer we watched back then was not for the same movie as I was watching. At first I thought there were two movies with similar titles that I have mixed, but now I am not so sure. What probably happened was I watched the trailer for a totally different movie, and thought I was watching the one for The Invitation.
All I remember about that movie from the trailer is that it was about an exorcism, and that it looked good.

But let’s not talk about that unfortunate misconception, and let’s talk about the movie I actually watched.

The Invitation started as a modern story set in New York, following a young girl who’s role was played by actress named Nathalie Emmanuel, who is best known from Game of Thrones.
She was reached out by her long distanced cousin who found her through some DNA finder app, and he invites her to a wedding where all of her long lost relatives would be, to meet them and get to know all of them.
She accepts, goes to England to the biggest mansion one can imagine, who’s owner comes from the old money and all that jazz. It all seems too perfect to be real, and as it usually goes, it is.

I loved the first half of the movie. Evie as a character was very likeable, the invitation was fishy so I was curious to see how the Hell will broke loose, and once we got to the part in England it started to get creepy.
Characters were shady, the house was cold and mysterious, it’s owner (played by Thomas Doherty) was… you could feel something just wasn’t right.

I liked the turn the story took, but if I am being honest, at some points it was too much that it looked ridiculous.

So all in all, it was a solid horror with first half much better then the second.
Would I recommend it?
To horror fans, definitely!

Movie Monday: Me Time #MovieMonday #MeTime #Comedy

Movie Monday is a feature here on my blog, in which I’m rambling about movies I’ve watched lately.

Today I want to talk about a comedy I watched two days ago. Me Time was so fun and I want to share my opinion and spread a word, so you can give it a go too.

Me Time

I am happy to announce that we have Netflix back again in our household and Me Time was the first movie my husband and I watched. We happened to play it two days in a row because the first day we were both too tired so giving it another shot the next day was a good move because we both liked it very much.

This was a perfect comedy to relax with, with great cast of characters and actors who played them. Some scenes were hilarious and I still laugh about them today.

My sister paid me a visit today and we ended up talking about Me Time as she watched it too and she and her husband also loved it. So when I do the math, it’s four of us who agree the movie is worth of checking.

I don’t have much more to say about it except that the music was also good. I mean, even Seal acted himself in a few scenes.

Overall, if you’re looking for a comedy to chill with, look no further: Me Time will give you an awesome me time (or time with a company, whichever you prefer better).

Movie Monday: The Black Phone #MovieMonday #TheBlackPhone #Horror

Movie Monday is a feature here on my blog, in which I’m rambling about movies I’ve watched lately.

Today I want to talk about the best movie that I have watched this year (so far): The Black Phone

The Black Phone

Guys, what a great movie I watched recently!! The Black Phone was amazing. I went into it with somewhat high expectations but I was still surprised how good and captivating it was.

In case you didn’t know, it was based on short story written by Joe Hill. I never read the story as I didn’t know about it after after I finished the film, but even though I now know how it goes, I would still take a chance to read it.

This movie is generated as a horror. It was scary at some moments, but I would rather prefer to say that it is a fiction set in late 70s with elements of magical realism.
Still, it was very violent so keep that it mind. There were scenes with brutal bullying and peer violence but also with parent hitting a child (or beat her to blood to be precise).

Otherwise, it was even a relaxing movie when all of the violence and main fabula gets out of the way, the setting was kind of nostalgic.

Actor performances were great and I am sure future big movie stars played in this movie.
As for the already acknowledged actors, Ethan Hawke’s performance was appreciable. To me he gets better and gets better roles as he gets older.

The story was well done and the only thing that was missing was the motive behind it all, but then again it reminded me how evil sometimes doesn’t need the motive. It just is.

Movie Monday: House of Gucci #MovieMonday #FamilySaga #Fashion

Movie Monday is a feature here on my blog, in which I’m rambling about movies I’ve watched lately.

Today I want to talk about a movie I watched yesterday. It is a drama about Gucci family that features so many great actors, but it also has captivating story.

House of Gucci

Yesterday me and my husband watched House of Gucci. It was available on HBO so we took an advantage of that.

I have heard good things about this film and waited on my chance to see it. It is on a longer side (2h 38m) but it was so entertaining that those two and a half hours passed by very quickly.

To be honest, when it comes to general culture there are still so many things I don’t know. Gucci family are ones I know the surname of because of their famous fashion brand, but anything about them is a great unknown to me.
So basically, I went into this movie completely blind, having no clue what happened to Gucci family members at all.

Overall, the story is sad and unfortunately true. It was a shame that one powerful family went down the hill so fast and how it took one person to wake up the worst in them.
Also, it made me wonder how greedy one can truly be?

The cast was amazing, their performance astonishing. My father who watched this movie months ago still can’t believe that Lady Gaga can act so well.
To me, everyone was perfect, but the one who stood out from them all was Jared Leto. I marvel his acting skills the most, but I can’t turn a blind eye on his capability to change his looks completely for a role. Once again he did it here (but let’s not forget all the costume designers and make up artists who did great work there), and I see, he is doing it again for his next role.

Al Pacino, Adam Driver, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Irons… There were so many good actors that anything but perfect performance would be acceptable.

Overall, a great movie that I even dare to call a family saga and one I recommend wholeheartedly.

Movie Monday: Spider-Man: No Way Home #MovieMonday #Spiderman #Marvel

I am pretty behind when it comes to movies, but today I want to take an opportunity to talk about one that blew me away. It is the latest Spider Man movie. In case you didn’t know, Spider Man is my favourite hero, and seeing not one but all of the spiders in one movie was like a dream come true (but not really, I am exaggerating here).

Me and my family are staying at my parents’ for vacation (or our days off would be a more appropriate saying), so me and my husband had to take an advantage of my father’s streaming subscriptions.

I have heard only good things about the newest Spider-man movie, so when I saw it was available to watch it was a done deal.
In case you didn’t know, out of all of the heroes out there, Spider-Man is my no 1. I was a fan ever since that first movie with Tobey Maguire (which is still my favourite til’ this day).

Watching Spider-Man: No Way Home was like walking down the memory lane. At this point I don’t know how much giving away is too much, and if there is a rule for spoilers because the movie came out some time ago. I will say some things, but won’t go into too many details.

I will say that seeing all three of Spider-Men was my favourite part. I know it has been years since the first movie, and when the second Spider-Man first was about to come out, the one with Andrew Garfield I was not thrilled because I couldn’t understand why a young guy has to be bitten again and to me, Tobey was one true Peter Parker.
The first one with Tom Holland was good but all of technology was what turned me off a little, because I liked that old school nature freak spidey.

In this movie I appreciate how all of the universes intertwined and everything made more sense. I respect how creators keep the step with time that we live in, and I hope, with time, there will be more Spider-Man movies and my favourite hero will always have new stories to tell, change along with the world we live in.

As for the movie itself, the only character that didn’t make sense to me to live in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man universe was J. Jonah Jameson, played by J. K. Simmons, as he was originally featured in the first Spider-Man where he was played by the same actor. I loved his character in that first set of movies. He was my absolutely favourite so seeing him was a pleasant surprise. However, I still don’t see the logic why he was in both universes looking the same.

The movie is action packed, entertaining and funny. It does have some sad moments but overall it is so enjoyable to watch and it would be a shame to miss it.

Movie Monday: Orphan: First Kill #MovieMonday #Orphan #Horror

Today I want to talk about the movie Orphan: First Kill. I was really looking forward to see it and now when I watched it I can, with no regrets, say that it is the worst movie I’ve seen in years.

As a dedicated lover of horror movies, I was more than happy when I’ve heard that one of my favourites, Orphan, will get another movie, set in time prior then the original story.

I took the very first chance I got to go to the cinema with my friend and let me tell you, our expectations were high, but the feeling we had after we finished the watching can be described with only one word: disappointment.

However, the execution can be described with many words: lazy writing, plot holes, stupid characters, lack of motives, lack of explanations, cash cow, money and time waste.

The actors weren’t bad, but they couldn’t save the movie that was doomed from the start.

Overall, the movie was so bad it made me want to talk about it so everyone who isn’t sure if they would give it a chance would know that it would take my advice to save some money and skip it.

I was so let down by the movie that I am sure everyone in the movie theater felt the same, and now I wish we picked another movie instead of this one, but it is what it is.

I still am a great fan of the original Orphan and I recommend it with all my heart, but when it comes to Orphan: First Kill I do not recommend it at all.

Movie Monday: The Hating Game #MovieMonday #RomCom #Comedy

Recently I watched a movie I was so thrilled with and I decided to write about it here on Book Dust Magic. What I was so surprised with was the realisation that Movie Monday, a feature here on my blog, was posted for the last time more than 2 years ago.

I know I didn’t have time to enjoy films after I gave birth, but I still can’t believe I just let go on this feature that I loved so much.

However, the good thing is I have more time to watch movies (which means I am lucky if I see one movie per week), so Movie Monday is officially back.
Every Monday, from now on, I will bring you my thoughts of movies and sometimes series/shows that I watch.

Today I want to talk about movie adaptation for one of my favourite books: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.

The Hating Game

Two years ago my life changed completely and it feels like for that time I have been hiding under a rock, when it comes to movies, tv shows and entertainment in general. It isn’t something I thought would happen and it seems like every day of my new life I am wishful for the way it used to be, for more free time just to absorb stories and enjoy myself time in front of tv (or computer).

I love movies, and I missed so much watching them. However, the good news is, life got little bit easier as my son isn’t an infant anymore, and we also changed our internet provider so we can again stream movies and tv shows without problem.

It is little embarrassing to say how I didn’t even know there would be The Hating Game movie until I saw reviews popping up on YouTube.

As the novel is one of my all time favourites (you can read my review HERE), I was more than happy to give it a go, and I am even more happy to announce that I really, really liked it!

This rom-com was everything I wanted and more, featuring beautiful Lucy Hale who portrayed Lucy so well. The actor Austin Stowell did also a very good job.

Because it has been five years since I read The Hating Game (I should really reread it at some point) I forgot so many little details from the story, so watching a movie felt like visiting a comfortable place, but not knowing what waits there exactly.
I am glad it turned out that way because usually, if I watch a movie when the book is too fresh in my mind, I end up comparing the two too much and my enjoyment is spoiled (this is why I choose movie before the book most of the time).

The movie was funny, relaxing, entertaining and I recommend it to everyone who likes to watch romantic comedies.

Movie Monday: The Lion King – Beautifully nostalgic #TheLionKing #MovieMonday #Disney #MovieReview

Movie Monday is a feature here on my blog, in which I’m rambling about movies I’ve watched lately.

Today I want to talk about the movie that was my most anticipated picture of 2019, and now I finally had a chance to see it.

The Lion King

The Lion King was my most anticipated movie of 2019. I couldn’t wait til’ it got to theaters, and then once it did, I couldn’t go and watch it because I found out I was pregnant and my doctor forbidden me to be anywhere near children.

I was devastated, to say the least, because knowing I wouldn’t be able to see this amazing picture on the big screen kind of broke my heart.

Nevertheless, now when it finally came out I was able to see it at home, and to say that I enjoyed it would be an understatement.
I can’t even find the words to describe my feelings. I felt so nostalgic, filled with all kinds of positive emotions.

I just loved it so much!

The movie is funny, as the cartoon version also is. I was little disappointed that they didn’t include my favourite scene in the movie (the one where Zazu has to sing to Scar), but they included so many new ones plus also an original song.
However, I liked the old songs so much better.

Now, let’s talk about the cuteness!
Little cubs were to die for! Simba and Nala reminded me so much of GiGi and my late Simba.
I mean, every animal in this movie was cute! Even hyenas was adorable.

This movie made me so emotional, as I knew it would because even when watching the trailer my eyes get teary.
I know that the reason behind that is the fact that I grew up with original The Lion King Movie, but this time around it was like watching enchanted version of something that was already perfect.

I highly recommend The Lion King to everyone, no exception!