B-MOVIE OF THE MONTH - DEAD END (2003)

Made for less than a million dollars, the slightly obscure Dead End is a chilling little indie you don't want to miss. It might just be the best Christmas horror movie no one ever heard of and every dollar is up there on the screen. It's quirky, weird, funny, bizarre, and scary all at once. Black comedy for sure but much more, this would make a nice double feature with The Perfect Host, another movie we're big on around here. So, grab some eggnog and a snack or two and check out the inimitable Ray Wise with legendary Lin Shaye as they take their family down a wrong turn, what's up with this road? Why doesn't it end? After all, they're just trying to make it to Christmas Eve dessert at Frank's mother's house. Tubi, Plex, Freevee, enjoy! 2.75 stars/2.75

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

TOMMY'S FIVE FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES #4 - FROM LONDON TO BEVERLY HILLS : KATE WINSLETT & CAMERON DIAZ SWAP HOUSES FOR "THE HOLIDAY" (2006)

 
From Private Benjamin to She's Gotta Give and many more, Nancy Meyers has given cinema some of the most prolific and thoughtful rom-coms ever made. The Holiday continues what she does best and I really think this is her masterwork.  Fueled by the casting Grand Slam of Kate Winslett, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Jack Black, the two-hour fifteen minute film hardly seems that long and while none of these performances are necessarily nomination-worthy, Kate Winslett continues to blow me away with her skills and this is a Jack Black performance like none other, a perfect hybrid of his dramatic and comedic sides. 

The plot is simple - two heartbroken women who just went thru break-ups decide to swap houses for the holidays and then each land up falling in love with one of the locals. A subplot involving Eli Wallach as an elderly Beverly Hills movie mogul whom Winslett helps and befriends is a nice dynamic to drive home the holiday compassion so it's not just about two sets of lovers. The locations for the houses are beautiful and I love the scene where Winslett first tours her new diggs in Beverly Hills and discovers she scored majorly in the swap. 

A great holiday film for any audience really but particularly I could see this as a perfect choice for a ladies night kind of get-together. A big box office hit but receiver of mixed reviews overall, this is one of those where I scratch my head and wonder if people realize just what a great film this is. 4.0 stars/5 (told ya there would be some shockers, wait til you see #3!)

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