pinkbunnies1772-1

Coming of age movie? Slice of life? Honestly I have no idea how to classify this movie, it begins with a missing girl and then it ends at some point. The story feels like a bunch of random scenes tied together somehow and sometimes they involve the missing teenager. It was all very disjointed, surreal and confusing... And I couldn't look away.

It helps that the movie is incredibly well shot, everything from the scene composition, to the lighting, to the costumes and the scenery is pure eye candy. Even the scenes that are supposed to make you so uncomfortable you want to look away, you simply can't because of how beautiful the scene is. All elevated by some incredible music, both the choir covers of popular hits and the original soundtrack add so much to the film. It also helps that the performances are stellar from the entire cast.

This movie isn't for everyone, it's weird, but I really enjoyed it.

This is a beautifully shot film from beginning to end, the colors popped off the screen and everything was just dark enough to set the mood. Following a young woman named Laurel from Oregon so she can give things a shake in LA for a summer, we see her go to a concert where she meets up with a group of mysterious women who turn out to be vampires. Shenanigans of course ensue as Laurel gets turned and has to learn the ropes of what it means to be a vampire.

Queer themes are everywhere in this movie, but never more than what's necessary to establish that the women are indeed lesbians (or queer). The fact that Laurel is transgender was honestly lost on me until I checked out the reviews for it. So clearly they didn't go overboard in the film, it just wasn't that central to the story.

Speaking of the story, this is the one area I struggled with... It's a simple story, which is fine, but I honestly wanted more back story for the supporting cast. We know Laurel and the lead vampire Duke, who has a highly entertaining bit of exposition to cover her back story (to the tune of 'Rasputin' no less). However there are three other women there that have a good screen presence but never actually get much more than a line or two of background information.

The acting isn't bad either, they were going for a sort of ethereal performance I suppose and it worked in a campy sort of way.

All in all, the movie is fun as long as you aren't a fragile dude bro.

I remember staying up all night with my friends during the once a year Scooby-Doo marathons that Cartoon Network used to do, we'd try to stay up all night at least though I don't think we ever did make it. Needless to say the characters have always been really close to my heart and even as I've grown older that has never changed. I loved the live action movies that came out years ago, and I tentatively enjoyed every new show that has come out over the years.

However, I must admit that I was apprehensive about the announcement that WB were launching a Hannah Barbara shared universe and that Scooby-Doo was going to be its launch pad. Even worse was when I heard that Matthew Lillard wasn't going to continue his work with Shaggy (not that I don't love Will Forte) as I think Lillard has earned his place as the best Shaggy.

Luckily my apprehension was misplaced, I really think they nailed Scoob! in every way I couldn't have dreamed of. The animation is beautiful, paying full tribute to the classic styles without feeling like it was out of place. The voice acting and writing is incredibly well done, with solid jokes for kids and adults alike, and the story was fast paced, but very fun and easy to follow. The movie is just full of heart, and it's clear that the people who made the movie put a lot of their own heart into it.

This movie is well worth your time.