My Favorite Things: February
My Favorite Things is a monthly segment where I share my personal and current favorites in seasonal products, health & beauty, food, decor, movies, TV, and more. I hope you enjoy these personal picks!
Movies
Lisa Frankenstein
A misunderstood teenager and a reanimated Victorian corpse embark on a murderous journey together to find love, happiness, and a few missing body parts.
If you like Tim Burton films, The Heathers, and dark comedies then this film is a must-watch. This is a good fun horror film with some gore but with the fun contrast of the neon colours of the 1980’s. The acting performances are over the top giving the film its quirkiness and ecentricity. I enjoyed it and think it has the potential to be a cult classic. This film is the feature-length debut of director Zelda Williams, daughter of the late great Robin Williams and she did a really good job making this horror romance comedy story that viewers will enjoy.
Stamped From The Beginning
This documentary chronicles the story of anti-Black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history.
Based on the book of the same name this is an excellent documentary that takes on a point of view about slavery, colorism, assimilation, abolition, and parts of American history that are very rarely explored. It covers topics and historical events that are often erased from textbooks. It’s informative, interesting, and full of important facts we should all know,
Congrats My Ex
Risa agrees to organize an Indian wedding, only to find out that the groom-to-be is her ex-partner, Arun. To make things worse, she is forced to hire her other ex, Tim, as the photographer.
With bright colorful music, outfits, and cinematography this film delights and entertains its audience the entire time. It had me smiling, laughing, and dancing along with the music. It’s a sweet, comical movie with lots of good scenes even if it does get predictable at times. The actors did a great job bringing these lively characters to life. The cultural exchange that happens on screen is endearing to watch.
Happiness For Beginners
A year after her divorce, 32-year-old Helen Carpenter lets her brother persuade her to sign up for a wilderness survival course. Through this experience she discovers that you have to get lost to find yourself.
Based on the book of the same name (which I haven’t read yet) this rom-com is an entertaining movie about starting something new and starting over again. It’s an easy-watch and predictive film that offers chuckles, smiles, and even some cheesy moments. The film has a great ensemble cast which has great chemistry with each other and each character is very endearing and comical. If you’re looking for a film to give you a cozy feel this is it.
Jumping From High Places
To honor her best friend’s last wish, a young woman with severe anxiety confronts her greatest fears to try and reclaim her life — and perhaps find love.
This film is a feel-good inspiring movie. As a person who also struggles with anxiety, I felt like I could relate to this film deeply. More importantly, I think it’s a movie that will resonate with anyone because of its message of overcoming your fears and doing things that may scare you in life. This film is heartfelt and incredibly cute, I appreciated the theme of taking chances and how Sole takes on this daunting list with the help of new friends. In the process of living her life fully she also finally confronts her grief and tries to move on. The cinematography is beautiful!
TV
Kim’s Convenience
While running a convenience store in Toronto, members of a Korean-Canadian family deal with customers, each other and the evolving world around them.
This show has been on my list for such a long time and I’m so glad I started to watch it. I’ve been trying to make more time for self-care in the evenings after work and that includes casual TV viewing. This show is a bright spot in my day and it’s so funny. I love watching the antics in the convenience store and the Kim family members with their colorful personalities.
Podcasts
Black History Year
Black History Year connects you to the history, thinkers, and activists that are left out of the mainstream conversations.
I love discovering new podcasts and this one is great for those looking for a short-form podcast. Each episode is about three minutes long and covers some notable and lesser-known Black history facts, people, and events.
Music
Texas Hold ‘Em by Beyonce
I’ve had this song on repeat since it was released. I always enjoy when artist switch the genres of their music so I’m looking forward to what this new album from Beyonce will sound like.
Mori no Chiisana Restaurant
Aoi Teshima has such a soft melodic voice that always transport the listeners to a whimsical place. I always love her songs for Studio Ghibli and this little waltz about a tiny forest restaurant is so soothing.
What are some of your favorite things from February? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Yaaaay, you know I love Kim’s Convenience. It’s definitely comfort viewing and, yet, they manage to introduce some astute and thoughtful observations and concepts along the way, while being entertaining. Stamped from the Beginning is one of my reading projects for this year (a chapter or two each week, moving slowly through a tonne of details about American history) so I’ve been super curious about the film. It’s on my TBW!