What to Watch This Weekend: Psycho Goreman, You Will Die At Twenty, Synchronic, Alone, Like a Boss, I Used to Go Here, Cut Throat City, How to Train Your Dragon

For A Throwback Bloody Good Time: Psycho Goreman (Digital)
Psycho Goreman is an entertaining throwback to 80s and 90s shows, with an exaggerated style, intentionally noticeable costumes, and fights that definitely earn the "gore" in Goreman!  For more information, check out the review!

For A Powerful Oscar Contender: You Will Die At Twenty (Virtual Cinema)
You Will Die At Twenty is a powerful piece of cinema with some expert cinematography and a story that highlights religion, fate, and life.  For more information, check out the review!

For Genre and Time Bending Sci Fi Film: Synchronic (Digital, Redbox)

Synchronic takes you on a mind-bending time travel trip with a dark, gritty style, fantastic performances by Mackie and Dornan, and a powerful score.  For more information, check out the review!

For The Horror Fans: Alone (Digital)

Alone is a tense survival horror film with great performances by Willcox and Menchaca, a slow burning story, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing what will happen next.  For more information, check out the review!

For Those Missing Their Bestie: Like A Boss (Amazon)

Like a Boss has charismatic leading ladies, who form a strong foundation for both the funny and dramatic parts of this friendship comedy.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Blast From The Past Drama: I Used to Go Here (HBO)

I Used To Go Here is a wonderfully personal story, with an emotional performance by Gillian Jacobs, a quirky, funny cast, and a heartfelt message about life and success.  For more information, check out our review!

For the Fan of Thrillers and Tension: Cut Throat City (Netflix)

Cut Throat City has a lot more going on than meets the eye, from its complex characters, to its involved story, and wonderful dialogue, this film steals the spotlight.  For more information, check out our review!

For The Kids: How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Hulu)

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a beautifully animated movie that continues and concludes the story from the first two films.  It is fun to watch, despite its less than stellar story, and provides a fitting end to this high flying trilogy.  For more information, check out our review!

What to Watch This Weekend: August 7, 2020

Emotional Korean Slice of Life Drama - House of Hummingbird (Physical and Digital)

House of Hummingbird is like life.  It is a complicated, layered film but at the same time a simple exploration of a family in the midst of cultural change.  Like life, there is so much going on but Kim's amazing shot choice lets you just stop and appreciate what is happening in the now.  It is like family: messy, rough, emotional, but also beautiful.  For more information, check out our review!

Beautiful Anime About Climate Change And Youth - Weathering With You (Digital)

Weathering With You is an absolutely stunning film with amazing animation, incredible weather effects, and moving music that combine to tell a beautiful, heartfelt story.  For more information, check out our review!

Relatable Story About Life and Success - I Used To Go Here (Digital)

I Used To Go Here is a wonderfully personal story, with an emotional performance by Gillian Jacobs, a quirky, funny cast, and a heartfelt message about life and success.  For more information, check out our review!

Creepy Horror Movie With Historical Context - La Llorona (Shudder)

La Llorona's strong cast, fantastic cinematography and sound design, and the important historical context of this film make it one that should not be missed.  For more information, check out our review!

Powerful Performance And Tense Drama - A Good Woman Is Hard To Find (Digital)

Sarah Bolger's great performance, the interesting story, and the pumping soundtrack make A Good Woman Is Hard To Find an easy movie to appreciate.  For more information, check out our review!

Beautiful Cinematography In This Period Drama - Carmilla (Digital)

Carmilla is a beautiful piece of cinema, with fantastic cinematography, a moving, weighty soundtrack, and interesting, conflicted characters.  For more information, check out our review!

Unfiltered Look At Money And Politics - The Swamp (HBO)

The Swamp gives an unfiltered, in depth look into some charismatic Congressmen and the inner workings of Congress during a pivotal time in politics.  For more information, check out our review!

Insightful Teen Comedy - Banana Split (Netflix)

The movie starring co-writer Hannah Marks serves up a sweet comedic dish in banana split.  It is certified fresh and receives praise for its casting, dialogue, and insightful look into female relationships. 

Intriguing Atmospheric Horror Movie - You Should Have Left (Netflix)
An all star cast of Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried and some intriguing elements make this a creepy set up that just doesn't come together.  However, if you are looking for a new horror experience, then this might be for you.  

I Used To Go Here Chicago Film Festival Interview Summary

On Wednesday, August 5, 2020, The Chicago International Film Festival held a virtual Q&A with Kris Rey, the director and writer of the new film I Used To Go Here (review) starring Gillian Jacobs and Jermaine Clement.  Kris shares insight into making the film, the writing process, and trying to keep her films local and stay in Chicago.  The full video is below but we have provided a summary of the main points from the interview for those that would rather read them.  The interview and the highlights have some spoilers so if you haven't seen the film, definitely watch it before reading the transcript.

Kris Rey Interview Highlights

• I Used To Go Here was inspired by her own experiences touring for a previous film, Unexpected.  It is about the dynamic of going back to college and still trying to identify with the students that viewed her through this lens of success and validity.
• Casting Gillian Jacobs didn't change the script much, but after casting Jermaine Clement, she redid the script in his voice.  Some scenes changed due to having Jermaine on it, for example the tea scene.
• Translating her vision to the script can be tough because everyone involved has a part in how the movie gets made.  If you want a scene to have someone drinking from a red coffee cup, you need to write "red coffee cup."  You have to be sure when you are writing a script, that if you are imagining a scene, you note how you want it to be shot.
• For example, for transitional scenes, you might have in your head a beautifully framed telephone wire with birds.  If you don't write it into the script, no one is blocking the time to get the shots, and in the end you're so overwhelmed with making the movie that no one then has time to do those little touches.
• Learning that is something that just comes with experience.  Kris said that she is still trying to get better as a filmmaker to ensure her vision translates to the screen.
• How does she make her characters feel alive?  
• She gave the example of just finding the people that were perfect for the roles.  For example, she cast Cindy Gold as Ms. Beeter (the B&B owner) because she did a table reading for SAG last February and cast local actors for all the roles.  Cindy Gold was cast for it as well as Rommel Chan who plays Elliot.  They brought so much of themselves for the table read that they were eventually cast.  Then those actors, bringing their own personalities helped to make the characters feel alive.  For Ms. Beeter lady, in the last scene, she wrote a prompt for the actor but didn't write the actual line.  It was something like "she drops her shoulders and says that is all that she has wanted."  The actor made this scene come alive.  
• Any information about the hi-jinks that occur later in the film?
• To explain the hi-jinks later in the movie, she sent a draft of the script to a friend.  The feedback her friend said to add in baby steps to the film to have them progress up to the hi-jinks.  Rather than have the idea be to go break into the house, the friend suggested to have them go "check out the house," then lead them on in baby steps from there.
• Origin of Hannah Mark's poem?
• Hannah Mark's poem, didn't have anything in the script.  Up until shooting it, the script said "and then she reads something that is vulnerable, bold, sexual, and really really good."   Kris had no idea how to write that poem, but enlisted some writer friends to help.  
• Was there a reason that she didn't make it about a filmmaker?  
• Kris thought it would be lame if she made Kate a filmmaker. Also didn't want to make the movie completely about her.  Also, a novelist has less influences from others making the work.  For a novel, it is really you writing it.  The reaction to the book is a reaction to your work.
• Process for writing and rewriting a film?  
• Drafts drafts drafts.  She probably had about 15 drafts of the movie.  Where it started versus where it ended up was a very different place.  
• Typically do a basic outline on a word document, then take those scenes and notecard, put them in the order she thinks and then rearranges them.  Then goes and really tries to fill out some of the scenes to make sure that the film is in a good place, then really fills it out.
• Later in the draft process, had friends in the industry read her film.
• Then once you get to shooting, there are budget and time constraints for the film.
• Filming in Carbondale?
• Did not film in Carbondale.  It was cost prohibitive and logistically difficult so couldn't' film there.  Really explored filming there, but went on scouting trip and it didn't make much sense to actually do it.  And to be honest, Carbondale is a different town from what it was when she went to school there, so filming would require a lot of changes to make it the quaint, college town that she remembered.
• Why she named a character Bradley Cooper?  
• When she is writing a script, she gets stuck on names.  Knew that she wanted the character to be called by first and last name no matter what.  But couldn't think of any other name that people would always call by first and last name.
• On featuring Chicago and Illinois-based musicians.  
• She wanted to represent.  She loves Chicago and is always trying to make work here and get people to stay there.
• What inspired her to be a director?
• She likes telling stories about awkward situations she's been in and likes hearing stories.  And she likes exploring what she is grappling with.  This movie is tackling subjects she is grappling with personally, and as a filmmaker writing and making a movie helps her work through what is going on in her life.
• What tips do you have for creating good characters?
• She doesn't really know.  Often she thinks about people that she has encountered or know.  Tall Brandon is based on someone in her social circle named Brandon Daley.  Thought he was funny and wrote a character based on him called Tall Brandon.  He found out about this, and asked if he could play the character.  She made him audition and he stole the show.
• Other examples, Ms. Beeter (B&B owner) and Elliot are all made up, but they are all based on characters or people that she has come across.  

I Used To Go Here Review: An Emotional Story About Life And Success

Release date: August 7, 2020

Running time: 85 minutes
Starring:  Gillian Jacobs, Hannah Marks, Jemaine Clement

Following the launch of her new novel, 35-year-old writer Kate (Jacobs) is invited to speak at her alma matter by her former professor David (Clement). After accepting the invitation, she finds that much has changed in her college but a lot is also as she remembers it.  As she reminisces about her college experiences Kate finds herself deeply enmeshed in the lives of a group of college students.

This movie feels like a very personal experience, and a lot of that is Gillian Jacob's great performance.  She is fantastic as the young writer who is just starting out in her career, full of confidence at her first success but also unsure if that success is deserved.  Kate is a very vulnerable person at the time, dealing with plenty of personal issues as well as trying to promote her book.  The nostalgia she experiences returning to her college town is easily relatable and something that I imagine a lot of young professionals go through. And although Jacobs is the main draw of the film, the rest of the cast make this a memorable and enjoyable film.  Jermaine Clement is always great and he is in his element as David.  He is charming and supportive, someone who encouraged Kate early on and still encourages her to this day. The chemistry between the two is easily apparent, but it is the rest of the cast that provide a lot of the heart in this film.  When Kate goes back to her old college, she befriends a group of fun and quirky college students who form the brunt of the interactions.  From relatable Hugo (Josh Wiggins), to quirky but good natured Animal (Forrest Goodluck), and hilariously awkward Tall Brandon (Brandon Daley), this cast of characters help Kate to work through her own issues and grow as a person.  They also provide a lot of perspective in the film, as they are all young, full of hope and ideas, and look up to the successful Kate.

And the story of I Used to Go Here is one that was relatable to me and I imagine relatable to anyone that has revisited their old haunts and experienced the changes of time and age.  The story highlights success, ego, confidence, and the need to relate to others.  The story is wonderfully told with plenty of drama, emotion, and relatable moments.  It is a lovely emotional drama about life, success, and what it takes to make it.  The story itself has a slow, determined progression that gives you plenty of time to meet and enjoy the characters.  It builds towards a larger event that seems to come out of nowhere but does provide some fun hi-jinks.  And the final ending of the film wraps up a lot of Kate's questions while maintaining a little ambiguity.  If there is a negative in the film, it is that there is an event that happens towards the end of the movie that I just didn't think had to happen and wasn't necessary for the character's development.  But other than that, this is a wonderful, personal story about a young artist's first taste of success and what that means for her personally and professionally.

I Used To Go Here is a wonderfully personal story, with an emotional performance by Gillian Jacobs, a quirky, funny cast, and a heartfelt message about life and success.

Watch it.

For additional information about the film and to rent / buy it, check it out at the links below.

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