A couple stops in Normal Town
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Just wanted to pop in and write about a few things that…aren’t terrible.
I made this the other night. Not a lot of ingredients, mostly pantry staples. AND it was easy and to quick to assemble. Turned out GREAT!
If I had one quibble, it was that it needed maybe a fresh herb at the end, or a bit of Pecorino. This is gilding the lily, since it’s already lovely, but I do highly recommend adding a sprinkling of cheese.
I watch a lot horror content on YouTube because I like to know what’s being released in theaters and on streaming, and I like to keep up with what horror is resonating with fans. So it’s always bummed me out a little that 2024’s Smile 2 does not get more love and attention.
I do think that if you went into the film hoping it would expand a lot on the lore, you were sure to be disappointed. In fact, I think it is almost a beat by beat remake of the first film. But–wow!–what a remake! With sets and costumes and everything on an amped up budget, Smile 2 still felt like a gut punch in much the same way the first film did. I was blown away but the look and feel of the it. And Naomi Scott– playing a huge pop star, with physical and emotional problems that are being ignored–is absolutely phenomenal. And Kyle Gallner (PLEASE SEE “STRANGE DARLING” IMMEDIATELY!) gets the ball rolling with an opening scene that absolutely careens right through you.
Films where the horror genre is mapped onto explorations of grief and poor mental hygiene seem to be all the rage these days, but I’d argue no one did it as sleekly and artfully as Parker Finn and his Smile franchise.
What movies have you been appreciating these days?
Here are a couple of new pieces.