Lserver362 Reviews

[lserver362reviews]

This is a me movie. 100%. I remembered today that my elementary school put on a production of this before I could participate in musical theater, and I also remember my 4th grade chorus doing "Ease on Down the Road." Between that and all the Rupaul's Drag Race references and loving the Wizard of Oz (1939) to my core, I figured I was in for a very me time and very overdue for it. Director of VTIFF, Steve MacQueen, gave a nice intro to the film bringing up the role of Werner Erhard's est movement and it's influence on Sidney Lumet and Diana Ross, and icon (screenwriter) Joel Schumacher. BUT, and you cannot convince me otherwise, folks, in this film Dorothy Gale is a gay woman. She is looking around her home (didn't know this was a Thanksgiving film) and seeing all these shades of love (the younger cousins kissing, her lil sister's (upon reflection is that also just another lil cousin?) new baby, the man from down the street her aunt wants her to get with) but nothing that reflects the way she feels and understands love. What is the song, "Be A Lion" but a coming out anthem? Same with Dorothy's "Believe in Yourself." Maybe it's just the 70's of it all, but this movie said, Friends of Dorothy? Oh there will be friends of Dorothy. Hold my beer '39. Need my gay little podcasts on this film stat! I'll get more into this in a bit but Glinda floating in space with floating babies around her was crazy!! As soon as the graffiti-ed munchkins began pulling themselves off the wall I was sold on this movie, even if their dance number was a little long. The costumes are so great! The dancing is so great! The sets are so great! The music is so great! I got the inkling that I was gunna cry at this film as Dorothy was walking along the rubble starting to sing the first verses of "Home." It all looked so beautiful.

Overall, I did find Diana's acting to be over the top, same with Michael when he was on that pole - for the rest of the film he was very charming, BUT by the time the finale of "Home" came and the camera holds on Diana's stunning face I was wrecked. What a brilliant choice. THE diva!!!! Some of the editing was a little clunky, but it added to the humor and didn't detract from the amount of fun this movie is (a crap ton). Loved the costuming for the Crows and I loved all the cabs! I have always been a stan of The Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz (1939) but when it comes to this film, I fell in love with Nipsey Russell as the Tinman and if Dorothy had to stay, I'd want her to stay for him (too bad she's gay). He really stole the show for me. Although, Ted Ross does give him a run for his money. I thought the Cowardly Lion's makeup was really beautiful and the fit of his costume was divine. Also love the nod to the New York Public Library! That subway scene was so crazy! Such a bonkers horror sequence of the highest absurdity. I love a movie that says how can we make this location scary for each of these characters? and then goes off the wall. The Emerald City Sequence was EVERYTHING! So much in there about how silly trends are and the need to be seen and broadcast participation - it feels more relevant than ever. Everyone looked so good! Evillene's "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News" is so iconic! Everything about it is really the way theater should be. When her demise occurs (rather abruptly) an older gentleman behind me said aloud, "hah a toilet!" "Everybody Rejoice" really got to me just for the joy of it all. The extended dance number was pretty poignant (although long). I bet that first half was so fun to film! Diane Ross was so swingable! Richard Pryor absolutely broke my heart. When he was explaining how he got where he was and that he just wanted company I was crying. When Dorothy explained to him he needed to find it in himself I was crying. When Lena Horne sang the "Believe in Yourself (Reprise)" and it showed the little babies that felt so ridiculous earlier but made me think of all the black and brown children watching this film, I was crying. I overheard someone say, I just wish that I had the memories of this growing up, and I completely felt that. The overt self-empowerment from this film completely worked for me in a way that my beloved Judy Garland Dorothy Gale just doesn't have. Which is so foundation shaking for me as a person! I am overdue for a rewatch of The Wizard of Oz (1939) (I had covid when my fav big theater was showing it a couple years ago and I was bummed and haven't been able to bring myself to watch it). It was just so ground breaking to me to see Dorothy Gale help the Wizard! She is going to go on to be the best kindergarten teacher ever and make her future lover so happy and fulfilled. I didn't think I could like a movie more than The Wizard of Oz (1939), I'm not saying that's the case. The fact that this movie comes so close is crazy to me! I look forward to buying this on criterion and rewatching to cry in the comfort of my own home. Chef's kiss.

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I didn't crack 300 films watches this like I have for the past couple, but I went to a lot more concerts this year!

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Top 10 Films of 2025

Top 10 Albums of 2025

Didn't get to a lot of films this year because I went to so many concerts!

Good year for documentaries & horror - how ironic.

[lserver362]

This was an astounding moment for me and my pals at the Oasis show in Chicago at Soldier Field.

So me and Brian (@okaybrian) got up at 4 am, walked from our airbnb in Chinatown in the rain to be in line at 5 am. We were 8th and 9th in line. We know this because superfan (and one of our Guardian Angel of Oasis Live '25) Rex, had the forward thought that since we didn't think the venue would be giving out wristbands to the early arrivers, we could number ourselves with a sharpie. It seems like this practice was kept up by the first 200 people, a human affirming act in my eyes. Because we were doing this, we told our other three friends to come to the line asap and then we could start doing shifts for food and bathroom breaks. When security came to organize the official line it seemed like at first they didn't care that we numbered ourselves, but then when it came to crunch time and moving us to the actual gate they honored the system. The feelings of solidarity between security and the line members was amazing. We met people from Mexico City, Florida, Boston, Mississippi, and Chicago. My group was half from Vermont and half from Washington state, meeting in the middle for a band that meant so much to us and connected us to each other in different ways.

So we waited since 5 am but really, we'd been waiting for so much longer.

I never expected an Oasis reunion to happen.

I certainly never thought I'd get to yell the title track of the album that started it all for me, with my forever brother who handed me said CD many many years ago (at least 12-15 according to tumblr dates. God Bless this hellsite), his wife, his brother-in-law, and my first college friend/bandmate. Years ago, when Brian was moving to Washington from our home state, he was getting rid of stuff or handing it off for safe keeping until he was settled. He gave me (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. For my high school senior project I worked as a radio DJ at a low frequency local station and I remember playing my favorite Oasis song, Roll With It, on one of the shows of The Junk Drawer.

Over this summer I have been revisiting their catalog and I think Half the World Away might be my favorite, although it changes week to week. Don't Go Away was one of my favorites in high school. I woke up with D'You Know What I Mean? stuck in my head this morning. Really anything off of the first four records (which I've had on CD for what feels like forever) could be in that fight though, plus all those amazing B-sides.

Sharing this with our little adventurous cross country family, and my musical brother, and the new friends made from this moment was unreal. The people around us during the show were fantastic. I fist bumped this guy Danny during one of the songs and after the show he said I was the number one fan (far from ture but Im flattered!). People around us didn't hold their phones up for the whole show, they sang loudly, and there was enough room to breathe and just Be Here Now. I expected rowdy pushing and shoving and fighting to hold my ground. Turns out I didn't need to.

I met my friend Bailey, who came with me from Vermont, the very first night of orientation weekend at college in 2014. We became fast friends over our love of music, a big one being Oasis. He asked me to join his band for a Grateful Dead Cover night and the rest is Seven Leaves history. He's seen both Noel and Liam on their solo tours over the years. He told us the first song he ever learned on guitar was Live Forever by Oasis and it made him obsessed with guitar and being in a band. I owe him a lot, and therefore Oasis a lot, for my own music journey, moreso than I realized, because of what he got from them.

I don't normally put as much thought into what I'm going to wear as I did with this gig. I'm usually anti-hat, let alone a bucket hat. I usually don't like animal prints. This occasion needed something extra out of the ordinary though, plus it's been very easy to spot me now in the content coming from the gig. Emilie (@Lookingforanewplacetobegin) made me a bucket hat to match my cheetah get-up! I made her tambourine earrings as the internet didn't offer her vision, which shocked us both. I brought Oasis pins for everyone so we could brand whatever we wanted (obviously our homemade bucket hats). Emilie made pseudo-ticket stubs for us to take home. I even made an Oasis themed 15 min long visualization meditation for us to do because I knew that emotions would be all over the place and I wanted to try some grounding exercise to combat that. We were extremely prepared for the occasion, but also how do you prepare for such an event? I thought I could, but I wasn't prepared for the comedown I'm now facing.

Waiting in line was truly an endurance feat, it is wild to me that some people do this for every show. Like Carley (our other Guardian Angel of Oasis Live '25) who has been to every Oasis Live '25 show this tour. The people who don't get it never will, but to me, she is a hero, icon, goat, and legend. I had seen a video of her online and when we got to the line that morning I said to Brian, that's that girl who has been to every show. We started talking to her and I was like, you probably get inundated with the question if you're the girl who has been to every Oasis Reunion show, and she said, well are you asking for context? and I said, I'm just asking because I think you are the girl who has been to every Oasis Reunion show. We clicked after that.

Seeing her after the show, standing with Rex, Joey, and the number 1 man in line, Oscar from Florida, I went over to them and said, 'that was amazing for me and it was because of each of you'. I then thanked them individually which caused Carley to sob and give me the biggest hug ever. I then also started sobbing. On our way out I saw one of the guys from Mexico City, Eric, who had been there since close to 5 am, and slapped him on the back. We both remarked how amazing the show was.

I had been telling my friends, "I'm sorry for who I'm gunna be when Oasis comes on stage, because whoever she is will be loud." I figured I would sob a lot at this show but as uou can see in this video (taken by Bailey) I was truly too happy to cry. The sense of wonder was high. I was fully swelled up in the rush of seeing them. It was just unreal. I did cry at Half the World Away because that horn part is just so stirring. It wasn't until Carley sobbed at me that I really lost it a bit.

There was some confusion and mis-management with Ticketmaster apparently assigning different colors to tickets and giving wrist-bands that meant you could enter and stand in specific places in GA that were RANDOMIZED. Our WA group had gotten a pre-sale code so four tickets were secured, but I had to get mine off a re-seller. If we had been randomized differently, I could've not been able to be with my group. We're very lucky to have not been affected by this kind of non-transparent BS. I'm so sorry to anyone who did get screwed over by it. There was also 0 bag checking, and the wrist banding station was chaos, then getting onto the field was chaotic (which we expected) but my group ended up 3rd row in front of Noel.

The gig itself was astounding. Their voices sound amazing and they're obviously having an amazing time. Their presence alone is captivating. I had been studying the setlist and listening to as many full bootlegs as I could over the last two months of the tour. Experiencing it, I wish Noel's stuff came a song of two later than it did because I wasn't ready for Liam to leave! It made sense though, and my friends thought it was perfectly placed. We did miss having Columbia on the set. I'm also surprised no Gas Panic! I had figured they'd change out at least one song by the time they hit North America but it's kinda nice to know that all the tracks they've been doing have appeal to the whole world. My face was blasted up on the jumbotron and I was shown right behind a giant Noel for Acquiesce. I sang along to every song for the 2 hours. And so did everyone else.

We were a LOUD crowd. Chicago brought it. Maybe we all just knew what the night meant. First time back in the US. The first stop on the tour with 1 night only. The gauntlet had been thrown down from the band, "You have one last chance to prove that you loved us all along," and we did just that.

I think Liam and Noel knew that we knew to bring it. The amount of times Liam clapped for us and the amount of smiles from Noel were well earned. He did have some moments where he just seemed exasperated at the size of the response. I feel like he put in some extra effort, prolonging endings of words, and letting us sing more than at other stops. Of course, I could be extremely biased comparing being there to some bootleg. Even Bonehead commented on his social media that we sang LOUD. Doing the Poznan was just as epic as I'd hoped it'd be. I get chills watching it back. Liam blessed himself almost constantly with his water. When it was all over I told my friends and messaged my sister, I don't think I can see another concert ever again. What's the point? It's not Oasis.

I'm ruminating on how we all owe each other something. We're all connected, we've all got stories to share and connections to make. A bit of my faith in humanity has been restored. I've been referring to this gig as the Healing of the Nations because if the Gallagher brothers can do it (reconcile), anyone can. Yes, nostalgia is playing a huge part in it, but the thread in all of that nostalgia is love and connection. "I’m connected and protected by a biblical force of well being and celestial good fortune" - Liam Gallagher on Twitter, June 6th 2024. The world needs to come together more than ever and this planted so many seeds of that for me. Be Yourself. Believe in One Another. Live Forever.

[lserver362reviews]

If you want a reason to be anti-war, just look at Elvis Presley's life. I have to wonder what he would've done had he not gone into the army. The pills, his mother, the reworking of his good all American boy image, and those shitty pictures. King Creole (1958) is genuinely a good film and his best-if he could've followed that track the movies would've been good. I felt like this movie was a little bit overblown at first, but some really good talking heads like Baz Lurhman and (RIP) Robbie Robertson. Bruce Springsteen crushing on Elvis Presley on Ed Sullivan, this is what is meant by icons only. Also Robbie and Bob Dylan watching the 68 Comeback Special together is crazy to me. I've never heard those Elvis audio clips as clean as they are presented in this, so that's really cool. We also get a lot of emotion from Priscilla, which I love seeing. This doc also goes into territory none of the other ones I have seen in regards to race and the movements that he did not engage in. Finally!! I had been wanting to rewatch The King (2017) since the election as I still think it'' is the best analysis of Elvis and the United States. I love Elvis doing his gospel work. I am also the biggest fan of (the good sections) the Comeback Special (the ring & gospel parts). Overall, a very good doc and I know I'm gunna cry when I visit Graceland next year. I dont think most Elvis docs give him the humanity and emotions this one does. Humans are complex and interesting and I think that Elvis Presley is a very unique person to study to delve into what it means to be a complicated human. To my surprise, Conan O'Brien said my favorite stuff. As I have said before, say whatever you want to about Elvis, his life and music, but it always comes back to If I Can Dream from the 68 Elvis Special.

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Insane watch in 2024. What a thorny film and for that I say, huzzah! Plus as always, Barbara Stanwyck is so magnetic. So so many angles to analyze this story from! I can see this as a really unique film with a feminist lens (Barbara's words needing a man to gain any attention and her only being in it for the money in the beginning #girlboss). Very odd religious themes throughout. There are just too many political lenses to use to analyze this film as well, whether you're a republican, libertarian, anarcho-communist, socialist, or a democratic. I am turning the idea of "going soft" by being a part of the system as monologued by the Colonel and the odd pride of not needing charity. I think everyone deserves a friend like the Colonel. Gary Cooper sure can play awkward well. I'm also thinking about how I tend to not believe that the ends justify the means. A crooked foundation is still ill-intent, even if good gets done. Not to say it discredits the good. What I will be reminded of is to not put individuals on pedestals, to not blindly trust media or politicians, and to try to get to know my neighbors. If it's worth dying for, its worth living for. Such zippy editing for a long film.

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My aunt compared this to a Grimm fairytale, which I think is apt. I love what it says about how we treat ourselves. Yes, there is the obvious commentary on youth and beauty (this movie really loves butts) but what stands out to me is really the commentary of how we treat ourselves (and given the opportunity of seeing ourseves from an out of body place how we'd potentially act) and the disrespect for balance we have. Loved how this was filmed and the use of food. They just had too much fun that third act. Oscar for Demi Moore now.

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I fell in love with Kacey Musgraves and dubbed her my queen in 2014 after I saw her do Follow Her Arrow on the Grammys that year. I finally saw her live on this tour in Boston (Sept 7th 2024) and it was astounding. I have never seen such immaculate arena production. I went as far as to purchase tickets to go see her again with my sister in Texas, I even got plane tickets, and then realized I have a gig to sing at that eve! But Kacey really is that good. I was gooped and gagged at the show. I cannot believe she did Family is Family (an absolute anthem in my household) in this set! Before playing that song, watching this could not live up to my experience of seeing her live. I truly laughed, cried, my mouth was agape, and when it wasn't on the floor it was singing along to this angel. The way that this show only solidified how much I love Deeper Well. Jade Green was a highlight for me (a song that hadn't grabbed me when I listened to it just off the record), but honestly Cardinal blew my mind so entirely, I was hooked from the opening. The lift!! Having Kermit during Lonely Weekend made me laugh so much. Then all of the B Stage material just had my soul ascending. I had thought The Architect was going to wreck me but it was Follow Your Arrow. I was surprised by how much Golden Hour material there was and only Justified from star-crossed. Her songs throughout her career have always meant so much to me. Also huge shout-out to Julia for being my friend and being down to go to this! I love you, Julia! We had bonded over how Deeper Well, the song, had stirred our souls. Right song, right time. This song gave me the strength to leave my band of 10+ years because I was no longer getting anything out of it. I have harkened it to a John Prine song and that's what I've always loved about Kacey, her ability to build on the past and the tradition of country music. What a special weekend. I regret not seeing Kacey sooner. Forever, My Queen. I ended this viewing like I ended that show, sobbing over Rainbow, and the belief that it will all be alright.

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I implore you to watch this with the Dungeon Calling commentary watch-a-long track: "Bonus - There Can Only Be Fun" www.dungeoncalling.com/bonus-there-can-be-only-fun/ I was laughing very very hard. I love hearing what these guys pick up on. High fantasy, low humor, indeed. Thank you, Dungeon Calling!!!!! <3

The thing is that I love Christopher Lambert from Subway (1985) and his brooding eyes. I would live in that crazy apartment and wear pastels with him. I couldn't imagine watching this without a commentary track, but I think I love this film because of it. What a chain of movies to see with x the man with the x-ray eyes (1963), then to go to Madame Web (2024), then this film! This movie is so bonkers, I truly can't bring myself to give it a five star rating but I had a five star time watching it with my pals.

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This is a movie I really like bathing in. I like the stilted performance from Lee, the singing from Longlegs, and the visual choices, even if I feel like plot-wise they needed a warrant to got to the barn and she would've gotten taken off the case way sooner. I love what it says about feeling like you're not actually in control, especially with a weird religious mother. I also love the weird themes of motherhood, generational trauma, and memory. I keep thinking about how Lee's father is not in the picture at all. I seem to see a new devil outline everytime I watch it! This movie is all vibes to me! The sound design in this is especially wonderful. My pal Susan said she thought Longlegs on video taped looked like bloated Elvis, while my friend Meredith said he looked liked Lana Del Rey. I just love Longleg's devotion to the edges of glam rock. The whole film is incredibly tense. Gimme more movies with Tulpas! This is what Barbarian could only hope to wish to be. It feels like Twin Peaks, Chucky, and The Silence of the Lambs had a baby. Don't listen to that satanic rock 'n' roll music, folks!

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Maaaannnn, I loved everything about this until the concert ended. Josh Harnett: Star. Saleka Shyamalan: STAR! I loved the themes of fandom, and fatherhood! It was also quite dark. The only place I'd rather be at than a movie theater is a concert, although I'm more of a club/venue kinda goer rather than an arena show, and never a festival set! Why did so many people leave the show so many times? I loved everything they put together to craft a popstar. This was more a kin to Split than a premise like Old or The Village, and I felt like there wasn't really a quintessential twist! For a while I really thought this was a 5 star banger for me but the post concert stuff was just a little too much. Great final scene though! M. Night will always be one of my favs and he really loves a beefcake, huh. This movie is just so fun!

[lserver362]

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Watched this while & after decorating my mom’s Christmas tree because my coworker texted that he and his wife were watching it and so I asked my step-dad if he liked it, as I was wondering what movie to put on. He said he’d seen it probably one hundred times. My mom absolutely cackled at this movie, which she probably hadn’t seen in ten years. We rented it from the video store back when it first came out, and my family arrangement looked different. Holidays are usually kinda rough with my family, and this year is different in its struggles, but I’ve been really looking forward to Christmas coming. I associate this movie with my step-mom and her daughter, my best friend from high school turned step-sister (the first time we hung out out of school was me going to her mom’s to watch this-I brought a cylindrical tin of gummy life savers), so it dawned on me that what was familiar for me felt uncharted at my mom’s tonight. I still always associate the line, “smiling’s my favorite” with a childhood friend of mine. I also saw this movie for what it is: beautiful nuerodivergent christmastime escapism. That is just what was needed tonight as we were all feeling quite sensitive. When Santa arrived in Central Park, my mom audibly said, “wow, look at that.” I’m thankful to be here and I’m thankful for this stupid little flick. & I mourn the time lost.

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My aunt sat down and watched this with me this year. I put it on as I shopped depop for new snow pants because I got the main theme stuck in my head. Honestly this whole soundtrack is wonderful, as is the cast. I've waxed about watching this with my mom in a previous year and how much it made her laugh and it was a very similar experience with her sister this evening. Despite them not talking for this past year, it was fun to see their similar reaction to this film I have seen countless times. We both noted how the mail room buddy of buddy said he was 26.

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I so wish I could give this two bloody thumbs up, but alas the tired trope of a pervert dresses in women's underwear was present. Besides that, it got huge laughs from me and my friends. Fav line has gotta be the child in the play turning to the audience to say, I didn't even know they were dead! What a budding comedian. Aisling Bea, you are a star (I already knew this from my BritCom obsession-but, she's Irish!)!!!!!! Overall, whatta twist! I really liked the subtle notes of tourism and the disrespect, very Midsommar lite. This is like Hot Fuzz meets The Wicker Man.

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"The night demon has supped of your good wife’s blood and shall return for the rest" Loved the first third of the film. No scenery left, it all was all chewed up! Overall, I liked how visceral it was. Good reminders about the importance of public health and women's healthcare. Kinda hate the treatment of women in this. Reading through the 2016 draft of the script made it seem like Thomas and Ellen were a worse fit together. I wish it stuck up more for it's female characters. My boss likes to say how much he hates vampire content because it's "really just a stand-in for something else" and this was not at all subtle with that. A mustache was a bold choice.

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This was an incredible incredible show. I saw Alok open for Jonathan Van Ness a couple years ago and I am just captivated by the way they perform stand-up, in their capable hands it is elevating the artform and so brilliant. Go follow them on all social media and sign up for their newsletter because you will start becoming a better human by opening your heart and mind to their framework and body of work. Astounding material and wonderfully filmed.

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A profoundly sad film with knock-out performances in a meandering (& not in the compelling way) glamorous facade. After an extremely taxing week I've had, complete with panic attack inducing discussion of family trauma, this was a bit of a rough watch and hit some nerves that are incredibly raw for me right now, coupled with trying to change my sleep schedule which has just created a lack thereof. I share this for context about the state of mind I'm coming into this viewing with. A sense that I am barely holding it together myself. For this, I'll start with the negative elements that I think make this not a great movie. Showgirls (1995) ran so this could plie, and do not get me started on the music choices (not good). I had a similar feeling towards the end of this watch as I did with Vampire's Kiss (1988) i.e. oh, we're watching someone's descent into madness. Shelly is, as the kids online say, delulu. BUT, and here's where the positives lie, Pamela Anderson is sensational. As is Dave Batista. And Brenda Song (holy wow, let's get her in more stuff). The casting for this was absolutely inspired (Jamie Lee Curtis, Kiernan Shipka, and Billie Lourd (who is looking more and more like her momma <3). This was an amazing role for Pamela Anderson. And I think the same for Billie Lourd. The catharsis that these roles must have offered, just based on their own life stories hit me deep. I also feel very akin to Shelly and her willingness to be there for people, and what people might call her naivety, and I think part of what I mean by that, is that the parts of me that I feel are shared with Shelly are the parts of me that I get from my mom. A sensitivity to those around us and an insecurity to excel and shine. So I really see a lot of my mom in Shelly (Shelly's got to be a Capricorn). There's so much in the relationship between identity and what you do and what your dreams are. I was not expecting this film to ultimately be about motherhood, and that is not at all a detriment to the film. I just don't like the awkward editing and the stylistic choices, and even some of the dialogue felt strange. I typically am very much here for a meandering film, but it felt too spectacular (which the intentionality of that is not lost on me) stylistically. The campy quality didn't quite feel like it was in on the joke, so I found myself rolling my eyes and there was a lot of nervous chuckling (some lady left with about ten minutes of the film left). There was a certain grace lacking, especially when it came to the total eclipse of the heart sequence. It just made for a distracted, over-developed, barrier from the fact that this really could have been incredible or Oscar worthy. As we were getting into it, I did think to myself, how lucky are we to be seeing a cult-classic in the making? So for that hope for the future of this film, and the fact that this hit me so deep after the week I've had, I raise a glass to The Last Showgirl.