The Kids Are Creepy

ParaNorman - When an army of zombies invades a small town, it's up to an odd local boy with a knack for communicating with the dead to save the day. But judgmental adults prove to be even more formidable adversaries.

(rent/buy) This animated film is worth at least one watch, although it may not suit everyone. It will be just spooky enough in the beginning to make a good Halloween flick, but the creep factor doesn’t last long (so no nightmares) as it provides a heartwarming, uplifting message in the end. Although this isn’t one of the great animated films, it has a simple plot for children and lots of subtext for adults.

Velvet Goldmine - A decade after British glam-rocker Brian Slade fakes his assassination on stage and disappears from view, tabloid journalist Arthur Stuart is dispatched to deconstruct the legend of the bisexual pop star.

(rent) An odd one. My biggest complaint was the sound mixing, which made hearing dialogue difficult when the background music was more in the foreground. Obviously music played a major role in this film, but it still made it hard to follow some things. The best part, I feel, is that while Arthur is figuring stuff out, he rarely tells the viewer what is happening or explains what he figures out. The watcher has to do that on their own.

Of course, that also means that some elements of the movie may remain a mystery to the viewer, or things may be interpreted differently by the viewer, but I think that adds an element of depth to the movie.

Edge of Seventeen - A 17-year-old rediscovers his sexuality in this 1980s story about coming out and its social consequences. Eric (Chris Stafford) takes a job at an amusement park and meets Rod (Andersen Gabrych) -- but finds out too late that his crush just wants sex. He seeks consolation at the local gay bar, only to be used again. As he continues to question his sexual orientation, a female friend (Tina Holmes) volunteers to be his next partner.

(rent) This movie seemed especially long. It was a slow-progressing flick as Eric came to realizations about his sexuality. It had its up and downs and played with what felt like a lot of stereotypes (although those stereotypes are based in fact, I assume). This story definitely looks at things and makes you think, but it’s not amazing either. Kinda middle of the road. I probably would have liked it more if it moved at a quicker pace.

C.R.A.Z.Y. - There are five boys in the Beaulieu family -- Christian, Raymond, Antoine, Zachary and Yvan. But Zac (played by Emile Vallee and Marc-Andre Grondin) is the only one who's gay. That's why growing up in Montreal alongside his heterosexual brothers and his strict, emotionally distant father (Michel Cote) proves especially challenging for the blossoming outsider, who finds solace in the music of Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie.

(rent/buy) This is a fairly long running movie and a tad slow, but definitely worth a watch. It’s very much a family drama, specifically focusing on a father-son relationship, but it also looks at sexuality, child rearing, love, and family. I think what’s best about this movie is that while one of the motivating factors for some of the actions is Zac’s sexuality, there is so much more at play here.

The Kids Are All Right - Joni and Laser, the children of same-sex parents Nic and Jules, become curious about their sperm-donor dad and set out to make him part of their family unit. But his arrival complicates the household dynamics.

(rent) I generally found this movie to be lacking, but I know a good portion of that is just preference. The cover of the film makes it look happy and positive, but the film itself seems to be the opposite. While there are some good takeaway messages here, there are also lots of bad behavior. It’s all very real, but it doesn’t make it into a moving movie. I was bored for a good chunk, uncomfortable with several pieces, and frustrated the rest of the time.

The only interactions I really liked was between Laser and the donor, although Joni wasn’t too bad, as she can be forgiven, since she’s young. Mostly I found the characters to be selfish, unbearable, and poor representatives of humanity. Jules, especially, irritated me, both with her actions and how it presents her as a character, specifically a lesbian. Joni’s female friend was obsessed with sex and Joni constantly called her a slut. Both traits were irritating and seemed to be trying to say something that I don’t think the film got across.

Where Nerves End (A Tucker Springs novel) by L.A. Witt

Where Nerves End (A Tucker Springs novel) by L.A. Witt
Stars: 3/5

Length: 61,000 words, 180 pages
Blurb
Jason Davis can handle a breakup. And an overwhelming mortgage. And a struggling business. And the excruciating pain that keeps him up at night thanks to a shoulder injury. Handling all of it at once? Not so much. When his shoulder finally pushes him to a breaking point, he takes a friend’s advice and gives acupuncture a try.

Michael Whitman is a single dad struggling to make ends meet. When a mutual friend refers a patient, and that patient suggests a roommate arrangement to alleviate their respective financial strains, Michael jumps at the opportunity.

Living together would be easy if Jason wasn’t so damned attracted to Michael. Good thing Michael’s straight, or the temptation might just be too much.

Well, their mutual friend says Michael is straight…

Overall
Sweet, cute story that isn't incredibly fresh, but holds up on its own. Another lovely Tucker Springs tale.

Review
Oddly enough, this was the first Tucker Springs story to come out, so of course it was the last one I read (not including any future releases)! Part of that was just circumstance, so when I had birthday money to burn on books, I remedied that problem.

I could very much associate with Jason and his pain, and his struggle to find something that would relieve the agony, along with the sleeplessness that can join that pain. (And I'll be honest, the story has caught my interest regarding acupuncture.)

While I liked Michael and Jason together, I struggled with the mid- to late-sections of the book. The conflict, while reasonable, didn't feel believable to me. I had trouble really relating to Michael's dilemma, although I realize it's a very real challenge. In real life, something minor--no matter imaginary or not--can stop us from going after what we want. So it wasn't that it wasn't something that needed to be overcome, I just felt he was making a bigger deal about the whole thing than was necessary.

But, along that same vein, the resolution and falling action all fit well with the story, the characters, and the conflict. So I guess I'm a little mixed on the whole thing. It's all perfectly reasonable and realistic, but it also made me want to smack Michael upside the head.

If anyone was scared off by the presence of child in the story, this one is fairly safe. He's 7 years old and only with Michael half the time, so he's barely on screen for those who prefer their romances child free. And toward the end, he has some rather cute scenes with his family.

In general, I found the story enjoyable, but it didn't wow me. Aside from some disagreements with Michael, I don't have anything bad to say about this tale. Definitely worth a read, especially for fans of Tucker Springs, who--if you're anything like me--want to collect them all! (And on that note: These probably work best read in order, but for the most part, it's not necessary. The only points given away is you know who ends up with whom, which is usually obvious anyway in this genre.)