Please use the reply button as a petition to get Kelly to write next week’s Scorecard on Reminders of Him. If we get enough of you to respond we are confident we can bully her into doing it. So hit reply and tell us why you agree that Kelly is the only person qualified to write next week’s newsletter.
Here’s what we have for you this week:
Concession Stand Scorecard: The Bride!
ICYMI Pod: Horror movie draft
This week’s movie - The Bride!
Letterboxd Description:
Here comes the mother f*%#ing bride!
A lonely Frankenstein travels to 1930s Chicago to ask groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious to create a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman and The Bride is born. But what ensues is beyond what either of them imagined.
Best Watched With
Anyone who loves love (or sex, or violence - best if it’s all of the above).
End Credit Thoughts
Getting two brand-new Frankenstein movies released within a year of each other wasn’t on our bingo card, but Maggie Gyllenhaal delivers a capital-F Film with her sophomore outing as writer and director. The writing, acting, and general chaos on screen reminded us of a big Broadway production (in the best way). Between the standout performances and the bold stylistic choices, Gyllenhaal clearly has something to say.
The movie is set in the 1930s, and the Bonnie and Clyde meets Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde vibes are strong. The noir backdrop is accentuated by swooning orchestral strings that rise and fall with the action on screen. Highly stylized monologues and dance numbers blur the line between what’s actually happening and the warped reality of Frankenstein and the Bride.
Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s Monster is a delight. He plays a tortured immortal soul so convincingly that you can’t help but feel his pain, his longing, and his devotion to his bride. It’s all rounded out by how surprisingly funny and endearing he is throughout the film. But it’s Jessie Buckley (The Bride) who walks away with the acting crown here. She shifts between characters and accents with expert precision. We hope that since she basically played three roles she got paid three times as much. Every penny would be deserved.
Genre-wise, this movie has a little bit of everything. There’s action, crime, drama, gore, a deeply flawed love story, and a strong message about women and how they’re treated. Outside of a few familiar ingredients used in clever ways, you won’t find much of the original Frankenstein story here. But this modern direction is a weird, fever-dream blast.
Gyllenhaal is clearly making a statement about how women are viewed and treated in society, and viewers should know going in that there are scenes involving violence toward women that may be difficult to watch. Everyone’s tolerance will be different, but for us it never pulled the story off course. The movie is wild and weird, but Gyllenhaal proves she has a steady hand guiding the whole thing.
As much fun as we had, this one doesn’t demand the big screen. Save the ticket money and stream it at home when it lands.
Want to know more about our individual rankings of movies?
Follow us on Letterboxd:
@justjoshperez
@ericharrison
@kellyharrison
@newmexicodrew
Horror Movie Draft: Creating Our Own Horror Movies #65
🎧 Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube
Josh, Eric, and Kelly go head-to-head, building their own theoretical horror movies by drafting from nine specific categories. The episode is filled with chaotic energy, accusations of cheating , and a deep-dive analysis of why Christian Venegas doesn’t watch movies.
Let us know who had the best horror movie draft in the comments on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, social media, email, or text message.
Draft Categories
The hosts built their movies by drafting picks in the following 9 rounds:
Director
Setting
First Character to Die
Final Girl (or Survivor)
Two Ensemble Characters
Soundtrack
Villain (Outside the Horror Genre)
Horror Subgenre
The Twist
Tune in next week for | Reminders of Him
Follow us on:
Instagram: @_sweetandcondensed_
TikTok: @SweetAndCondensed
Youtube: @SweetAndCondensed