hello, hello, hello!
thanks for checking back in with me. i must say, i’m gettin’ pretty good at this whole weekly blogging thing. consistency is key, right?
a few updates since last post: the stay at home in my town has been lifted (yay!) so i was able to see my friends (yay!) and my boyfriend, jake (yay!). i also finished my sophomore year of college despite a pretty rocky year (read here, here, here, and here for more about that mess) with a 4.0 GPA (double yay!)! best of all, i passed french class. and if you know me, you know how absolutely horrible i am at french, so i’d classify that as one of my greatest achievements to date (i know, i lead a sad, sad life if that’s one of my greatest achievements). i have an awesome internship, started some new jobs, and have actual sponsorships and collaborations on deck for this blog. i mean, am i an influencer yet? i demand a pr box, kylie jenner!
most of all, i made a lot of new friends and rekindled relationships with some of my old friends. and i feel really happy and like myself again. and my clothes are mad cute, so i’m happy about that.
all in all, life’s pretty good. i’m happy.
but even more so, i’ve been watching a lot of movies. and if you think you watch a lot of movies…try going to film school.
for reference: i do not think i’m pretentious about movies, even as a film school kid. i love stepbrothers and terrible hallmark movies and think that movies like call me by your name and lady bird are super overrated. i mean, i even call movies, movies instead of referring to them “films” or (even worse) ~”cinema”~
however, to people who don’t love movies as much as i, i will always be seen as a pretentious, wannabe screenwriter that wears berets and uses smoking cigarettes as props to look cool. very shoshanna dreyfus a la inglorious basterds.
my boyfriend once told me that, since film school, i have become a certified film snob: he hates how i judge movies so harshly and never want to watch a subpar film, my friends hate to watch movies with me because i overanalyze and read into every single plot-point and directors mistake, my mom falls asleep watching killing of the sacred deer… it seems as if i’ve become everything i vowed to destroy: a horribly pretentious film snob who uses words like “cinematography” and “mis-en-scene” in everyday conversation.
i just really love movies, okay?
and with “quarantine summer” replacing my ever-coveted “hot girl summer” i’ve been waiting to participate in, i’m fairly sure that late night ice cream runs and bonfires will turn into netflix-binges and movie nights. and if you find yourself saying “oh no! what ever shall i watch?” i suggest you heed my advice today.
with that being said, here are some of my favorite ~less pretentious~ recommendations for any mood that you’re in. you’re welcome, by the way.
if you’re craving a rom com…
okay, confession time. i am a sucker for a good rom com. i know, kind of off-brand for a total horror fanatic but it’s true. i love the cheesy, romantic gestures and over-the-top poetic dialogue that skewed my expectations of love from a very young age. and man, did 10 things i hate about you set me up for unrealistic expectations.
based off of shakespeare’s taming of the shrew, this movie is a modern adaptation set in a 1999 seattle high school. it’s centered around two sisters: popular, pretty bianca stratford and her unpopular, rebellious, boy-hating older sister kat. with an overbearing obstetrician as a father, bianca is unable to date the popular douche-bag until kat gets a boyfriend of her home. in an attempt to win bianca, the popular douche-bag teams up with one of bianca’s nerdy admirers (young joseph gordon-levitt <3) to set kat up with an equally as brooding (and so handsome) classmate, played young heath ledger.
it’s a funny, heartbreaking, and timeless classic that sure to become one of your all-time favorites.
if you’re craving a tear-jerker…
i love this movie more than i love myself. if you haven’t seen it…leave this post and watch it right now. i won’t even be mad.
eternal sunshine is one of those movies that stick with you. it made me laugh and cry and feel emotions i never even knew i had. while i’m not a huge sci-fi fan, this movie is more of a romantic drama with science elements, rather than a total cheesy, alien sci-fi.
joel barish is a man who is informed that his ex-girlfriend, clementine, has had her memories of their relationship erased from her brain via an experimental procedure. being hurt and confused, joel decides to have the same procedure done to himself. during the experiement, joel realizes he doesn’t want to lose his memories, and struggles in his own mind to save the memories of clementine from being deleted before it’s too late.
it’s a really beautiful movie about the importance of relationships and illustrates how everyone comes into your life for a reason. also, it’s a total mindf*ck that will have your questioning everything for days on end.
if you’re craving a good scare…
first things first, it’s a foreign language film. but don’t let that scare you! international movies are amazing and just as brilliant (or even better) than american ones. it’s in spanish, done by one of the greatest directors of out time (guillermo del toro), and mixes elements of horror with family drama and fantasy.
the movie revolves around a young woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage for handicapped children. after a while, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend and sinister stuff begins to happen throughout the house.
it’s not a cheap, jump-scare movie, but rather one that made me feel on edge and claustrophobic. i was scared of seeing things out of the corner of my eye, or visualizing a demonic child out of my pile of clothes. equally as heartbreaking as it was horrifying, this movie is sure to give you the creeps no matter what time of day you watch it.
i’m going to write a whole blog post on my favorite horror movies, so definitely stay tuned for that in the future.
if your craving biographical drama…
okay, so maybe i am a bit pretentious being as this is another foreign film. even worse…it’s french.
wow, i hate myself.
anyway, the diving bell and the butterfly is an amazing true story of elle magazine’s editor jean-dominique bauby who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralyzed body; only his left eye isn’t paralyzed.
it’s such a beautiful story about overcoming obstacles and perseverance against horrible odds. i first watched it during one of my film classes at school and fell so in love with it. it’s the perfect mix of mainstream/art-house film that makes it a perfect introduction to foreign film. seriously, look this one up. it’s amazing.
if you’re craving a musical number…
i first saw this movie before moving to california and loved it. then, i watched it after i moved to california…and now it makes me cry like a baby every. single. time.
la la land tells the story of mia, an aspiring actress, and sebastian , a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet in los angeles, a city known for breaking people down and crushing their dreams. it’s a musical about pursuing your dreams and the beauty and struggles of modern-day relationships.
i’m not a huge musical person, but i absolutely love la la land. it’s different than most musicals, it doesn’t involve cheesy songs and overacting and the oh-so-dreaded jazz-hands. the musical numbers are fun and the colors are beautiful. above all, the story is so raw and real and heartbreaking. i cry every time i watch it, no kidding.
it’s one of those movies that just leave you remembering why people love movies. it’s just pure magic.
if you’re craving a foreign film…
this movie made history as the first foreign film to win best original screenplay, best foreign language film, and best picture in one year.
i’m not even going to go into detail. it’s amazing. it’s on hulu. and if you haven’t watched it yet, watch it ASAP.
if you’re craving a laugh…
what can i say, i love a good, stupid, stoner-comedy. and superbad is the quintessential laugh-till-i-pee movie that encompasses all the best parts of being in high school. it’s smart, endlessly-quotable, and absolutely hilarious.
high-school seniors seth and evan have a plan to throw the best graduation part ever:core booze and babes so they can finally be part of the in-crowd, and kick-start their sex-lives before heading to college in the fall. complete with a hilarious cop duo, the best fake i.d. ever, and the ever-present awkwardness of teenagers, superbad is my go-to for a good laugh.
plus, michael cera is in it. i mean, anything the man touches turns to gold.
if you’re craving a coming of age film…
this is the second time damien chazelle is on my list but what can i say, the man makes great movies.
it’s the story of a promising young drummer (who is played by my KING, miles teller) who enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory. however, his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student’s potential.
while not a traditional coming of age film, whiplash definitely encompasses every aspect of the genre while also being extremely dynamic. it deals with a lot: anxiety, perfectionism, psychological trauma, and emotional/physical abuse. it’s quick, anxiety-inducing, and claustrophobic…but in the best way.
as a perfectionist myself, i resonated with so much of this movie. i’m a total sucker for coming of age films, so i’ll definitely make a whole list dedicated to that at some point.
while i’d love to sit and talk about movies all day, i have to stop eventually…for everyone’s sake. and also to give you time to start binging all of these semi-pretentious recommendations!
if you love movies, comment below your favorite or a recommendation you have for me! i’d love to hear them.
with that, i’m going to curl up with a chocolate frosty and rewatch whiplash because, what else is there to do when you’ve been inside all day? not much!
subscribe and stay tuned for a lot more film, fashion, and me related content!
julianna marie 
Leave a comment