Thoughts On the Call Jane Trailer

Martin Luther King Jr. once said the following about our laws:

One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. Any law that uplifts human personality is just.

The trailer for the new movie, Call Jane, is the story of Joy (Elizabeth Banks), a woman who just found out that she is pregnant in the days before Roe v. Wade. Told by her doctor that the pregnancy is a danger to her life, she first goes through the “proper” channels to receive medical care. Unable to get the abortion, she discovers an underground network. Known as “Jane” Joy gets help from a number of women. Among them is Virginia (Sigourney Weaver).

I have seen the trailer twice and I am so ready to see the full movie. It is extremely timely and a reminder of how important it is for women to have full control of their own bodies and futures. What I am liking about the film (based on the trailer) is that it points out that some things remain the same, even after fifty-plus years.

Call Jane will be in theaters in the US on October 28. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Halloween than a scary story of my rights being taken away.

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Thoughts On the Hocus Pocus 2 Trailer

When Hocus Pocus premiered in 1993, critics didn’t have a high opinion of the film. Almost thirty years later, it has become a cult classic and a staple of the television schedule in the fall.

The teaser trailer for Hocus Pocus 2 was released this week. The story as we know it to be (as of now) is as follows: three young ladies light the black flame candle and bring the Sanderson sisters back to life. Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy) are once more eager to wreak havoc on the residents of Salem.

Though it is not clear if the original child actors (Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, and Thora Birch) will be returning, it looks (as of now) to be a perfect follow-up to one of my favorite childhood films.

Hocus Pocus 2 will be available for viewing on September 20, 2022, on DisneyPlus.

I’m Ok-The New York Terrorist Attack

There was a terrorist attack today in New York City.  A man (who shall be rendered nameless in the blog post and therefore powerless) drove into a crowd near the World Trade Center Memorial. It was mid afternoon. Students were getting out of school, many of them excited for their Halloween festivities.  Adults were minding their own business when a man drove a rented Home Depot van down a busy bicycle path.

As of this evening, 8 innocent people are dead and others are injured.

The fact that this terrorist chose to kill civilians near the 9/11 memorial just adds to the grief of the families whose loved ones were needlessly taken from them. It also reminds me what a dangerous world we live in.

It also reminds me that New Yorkers have an inner strength that is always in the background. We survived 9/11. We survived Hurricane Sandy. We can survive this.

G-d bless the souls of the innocent lives lost, may their memories be a blessing to those who knew them best.

Dear Retailers

Dear Retailers

Today, if you are not aware is November 4th. Halloween was five days ago.

The weather in New York City was comfortable today, the only requirement to stay comfortable was a light jacket. The leaves are falling, Thanksgiving is in a few weeks.  Fall is in the air.

And yet, the Christmas blitz has begun.

I understand that the holiday season represents a good chunk of your annual revenue.  You need to get us, the buying public, excited about the holidays, so that we will buy your stock. I get it, I start thinking about holiday shopping this time of year like anyone else.

But truth be told, I don’t want to think about the holidays in November. When I think of the holidays, I think of cold weather, of snow. I think of putting several layers just to take the garbage out.

When did the Christmas season become about playing “top that” on gifts and decorations? Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, it’s about family and tradition. It’s not about the latest and greatest gift which has a good chance of becoming a dust collector in six months or the newest piece of technology which will be outdated in less than a year with next model.

And I won’t even get into black Friday (which at this point, for some stores, is bleeding into Thanksgiving).

In short, I would like to enjoy my fall.

Sincerely

A shopper

Late Flashback Friday Post-Halloween Style-Scream (1996) and Carrie (1976)

Horror movies can range from psychological (a la Alfred Hitchcock) to outright gory (a la Eli Roth).

Today is Halloween. In honor of the festivities that is Halloween,  I will be looking at two different horror movies in this post.

In the 1990’s Halloween and scary movies were represented in one single title: Scream (1996).

Directed by the late Wes Craven, Scream stays both within the boundaries of the horror genre and also steps out of it. Sydney (Neve Campbell) has just lost her mother. While she is coping with the loss, she is also dealing with a violent stalker/killer, who calls his victims to ask what their favorite horror movie is before killing them.

This movie is more than the typical blood and guts horror movie. Intertwining elements of comedy and psychological horror, the film keep the audience on their toes and their eyes glued to the screen. Wisely opening the film with an homage to one of the greatest horror movies of all time, Psycho, Craven and future Dawson’s Creek show runner Kevin Williams opens the movie with the character of Casey (Drew Barrymore), who will become the first of the killer’s victims.

While I am not a huge horror film buff, this movie is just enough to prevent me from sleeping soundly.

The other movie I will be discussing is Carrie (1976). Based on the book by legendary horror author Stephen King, Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) does not have a happy life. An outcast at school, she is the target of jokes and insults from her classmates. At home, her mother Margaret (Piper Laurie) abuses Carrie because of the difficulties that she has faced. Carrie is surprised when she is not only invited the senior prom, but she is also named homecoming queen. But some of her classmates have an ulterior motive. What none of them know is that Carrie has developed telekinetic powers which she will use to take her revenge on those who tormented her.

Yes, this movie falls into the horror category. But to me, the horror is not the traditional horror. It is the treatment that Carrie receives that is the true horror. But what makes this movie so satisfying is Carrie’s revenge, especially if the audience member/reader feels disenfranchised either at school or at home.

Do I recommend them? Yes. Happy Halloween

Halloween Costumes

As we all know, Halloween is coming.

There are two types of Halloween costumes for females.

For the young girls, they  are girly. They have ruffles and tiaras and are mostly pink.

For the women they are of a sexual nature. They are the sexy witch, or the sexy pirate, etc.

So these are my options? Pretty, pretty princess or the slut? Nothing in between?

Halloween is supposed to be fun, but if this is what I am supposed to wear, I will be myself this year and skip the holiday.