What to Watch This Weekend: July 31, 2020

The Poignant Family Drama: Ice Cream in the Cupboard (Digital)

Ice Cream in the Cupboard ultimately depicts a beautiful relationship, even if you have to view it through a painful lense.  It is touching, beautiful, and brutal and should not be missed.  For more information, check out our review!

The Quarantine Zoom Horror Movie: Host (Shudder)
Host dials in the scares with a clever use of technology, references to the current predicament, and enough jump scares to keep you from dropping out of this zoom meeting.  For more information, check out our review!

The Modern Political Thriller: The Hater (Netflix)

The Hater explores a timely issue with an amazing performance by Musialowski, stellar sound design, and a dark, engaging story.  Make sure to Like this one!  For more information, check out our review!

The Scary Weekend Getaway: The Beach House (Shudder)

It may not be a perfect time to do a beach trip, but The Beach House is a great way to spend your afternoon with its strong performances and many explanations for this impending threat.  For more information, check out our review!

The Emotional And Violent Family Affair: The Shadow of Violence (Digital)

Shadow of Violence is an emotional tour de force, with great characters, a powerful, impactful soundtrack, and a story that hits you early and hard.  For more information, check out our review!

The Atmospheric Horror Movie: Amulet (Digital)

Amulet tells a strange tale through its amazing sense of dread, unsettling sound effects, and simmering, complex story.  It won't be for everyone but there is plenty here for those looking for an atmospheric horror experience to appreciate.  For more information, check out our review!

The Documentary That Goes On A Rampage: Tread (Netflix)

Tread tells the story of Marvin Heemeyer, a master welder who quietly fortifies a bulldozer and systematically destroys numerous businesses and homes in the small mountain town of Granby, Colorado.  The man basically built himself a tank and went on a rampage.

The Edward Norton Crime Thriller: Motherless Brooklyn (HBO)

Motherless Brooklyn is an experience, with a fantastic setting that captures the lights, sounds, and soul of 1950’s New York and fills it with a cast of interesting characters to meet along the way.  For more information, check out our review!

Scoob! (Redbox)
Scoob! tries to play on the nostalgia for the franchise and if it would have stuck to this, it might have been an entertaining reboot of the Scooby Doo franchise.  For more information, check out our story!

Ice Cream in the Cupboard Review: A Beautiful And Painful Family Portrait

Release date: August 7, 2019 (Digital July 28, 2020)
Running time: 90 minutes
Starring: Dana Ashbrook, Claudia Ferri, Jaime King

After being physically attacked by his loving wife Carmen (Ferri), a series of unsettling incidents lead her husband Pat (Ashbrook) to question just what is happening to her. It's only when Carmen can't find her own house one day, that she and Pat are ready to face the unimaginable: Carmen has early onset Alzheimer's.  As her cognition deteriorates, Pat and Carmen have to try to deal with the prospect of this terrible disease and salvage what they can from their life together.  

Ice Cream in the Cupboard is all about the characters, and they are really fantastic.  The film focuses on the relationship of Pat and Carmen, while also splicing in scenes from their past.  The two characters are well developed and perfectly acted.  Pat is a supportive, devoted husband who is dealing with an impossible situation.  Carmen is a fiery, loving wife who is on the decline due to her condition.  Their relationship feels very real and authentic; some of the emotional scenes are painful to watch.  As Carmen's condition deteriorates, these emotional scenes take on a new gravity.  And the splicing in of scenes from their past is a great way to show how they met and the beginnings of their relationship, but it is also a painful reminder of what used to be.  And although Pat and Carmen are the main draws of the film, their two kids are an added touch and do a great job of highlighting that this is a family situation.  

But Ice Cream in the Cupboard is ultimately a beautiful film about a painful situation.  There are so many little touches in the film that make this relationship feel real.  From little thoughtful gestures, to references that the pair make, to how the two interact; you will be rooting for this couple the entire time.  Which ultimately makes some of the more painful mental health scenes all the more poignant and raw; when you see where this couple has come from it makes it all the more difficult to accept their current predicament.  But the beauty of this film isn't limited to the acting, story, and relationship. The music in Ice Cream in the Cupboard is also beautiful and moving, and really sets the scene when it is called upon.  And as with everything else in this movie, the ending also feels realistic and decidedly not Hollywood.  

Ice Cream in the Cupboard ultimately depicts a beautiful relationship, even if you have to view it through a painful lense.  It is touching, beautiful, and brutal and should not be missed.

Watch it.

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

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