The world is scary right now. Well, it has always been pretty scary but it is definitely more apparent right now. I know that we are all learning a lot about ourselves and the world around us while we’re trapped inside. For me, I have already learned that I am apparently “essential”. I am a paralegal and I am still going in to work so that we can continue to fight for our clients. I get anxiety each time I leave the house and relief every time I throw the lock on my front door in the evening. With all that’s been going on in the world lately, I thought I would offer up a bit more content. I thought I would point out a few shows and movies that you might not have been aware of.
The Frisco Kid
(Streaming on Amazon)
Do you like Harrison Ford? Do you like Gene Wilder? Of course, you do. They’re both brilliant actors who never really got a big head about their celebrity. Here, Harrison Ford was young as it was two years after the release of A New Hope. Gene Wilder was older and more experienced. He had just directed and starred in The World’s Greatest Lover. Their experiences really lend to their characters. Ford plays a young and roguish bank robber traveling west. Wilder plays a Polish rabbi who is journeying to set up a new congregation in San Francisco. Wilder’s dry wit plays well with Ford’s aw shucks nature. Wilder is no doubt the star here but a lot of the movie relies on the chemistry between both men (much like many of Wilder’s other movies).
The Unicorn Store
(Streaming on Netflix)
A movie I keep going back to, this might not have seen the light of day had it not been for the success of Captain Marvel. This movie was directed by and also stars Brie Larson. It has an all-star cast of Bradley Whitford, Joan Cusack, and Samuel L. Jackson. The movie is about a young woman who fails out of art school and must retreat to live with her parents. She struggles to connect to the normal world while dealing with the criticism of the world and her own inner critic. Also there are unicorns. The movie is such an uplifting look at finding your way in life and regaining your self-confidence and self-worth after a bad fall.
Wait Until Dark
(Streaming on Hulu)
For my fellow horror and suspense fans, you cannot do much better than this classic. I actually first saw this performed on stage but it is still pretty visceral on the screen. Audrey Hepburn plays a young blind woman who gets caught up with a couple criminals. Hepburn is really good at playing fragile yet tough. She is a master in the old style of movie acting which was more similar to live theater. The tension is maintained throughout and the plot still holds up as clever even after this formula has been used subsequently.
Journey to the West
(Streaming on Tubi)
The combination of comedy and martial arts has long been a great combination. This movie is an update of the Buddhist fairytale which has formed the basis of so many tales told out of Asia (Dragonball, The Monkey King, etc.) This story follows a non-violent monk who uses stories to quell demons. He is sent by the Buddha to obtain a set of scriptures in the West. There is a lot of good slapstick and wonderful martial arts wirefighting. The story kind of breaks down into three parts but maintains a great through-line.
Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead
(Streaming on Tubi)
The original Dead Snow is about a bunch of Swedish medical students who get terrorized by Nazi Zombies out in the snow. That movie is incredibly tense and really smart and serious horror movie (with a little bit of comedy). However, you do not really need to watch that to get the gist of the sequel. The sequel is more of an action-adventure film where the protagonist of the first film tries to stop the oncoming Nazi Zombie invasion. It is schlocky, silly, and a whole lot of fun. It is nothing like the first movie but still a great way for the franchise to go.
Tags: Covid, Dead Snow 2, Frisco Kid, Journey to the West, Recommendations, Unicorn Store, Wait Until Dark
Wolf of Words 
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