#listening to the new olivia rodrigo song for the prequel movie and i can feel myself coming alive

[littlespoonevan]

the next time someone asks me my favourite music genre i'm just going to say the hunger games soundtrack and when they're like, 'oh you mean the album?' i'll say 'no no the genre' and the people who get it will get it

[thecinematicalgorithm]

Can't Catch Me Now: Lucy Gray and Katniss Story-Tie Analysis

I have not been on Tumblr much over the past couple of years but with the coming film The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes on its way I knew I'd be dusting this old page off. The Hunger Games series is one of my all-time favorite book series and the films are some of my favorite book-to-film adaptations, so to say I am pumped for this upcoming movie is an understatement. And to top it all, I have been obsessing over Olivia Rodrigo's new song Can't Catch Me Now, which if you've read the prequel, you'll know that it perfectly ties Lucy Gray's story to Katniss' journey. As always I want to warn anyone who might read this that spoilers for the upcoming film and Suzanne Collins' novel lie ahead. Also fair warning, this is super long cause I don't know how to be concise.

In preparation for the prequel film I have re-read TBOSAS and I am currently re-reading the original THG series (I am currently on Catching Fire, if anyone cares to know lol). I am also planning on a movie marathon the week of the prequel release, which I fully intend on subjecting my boyfriend to as he recently admitted he has only ever seen the first (and I simply cannot let him continue living life with no clue on how wonderful Peeta Mellark is). With that said, I have had a few thoughts, which I wanted to share before the release knowing that I will certainly have more thoughts after I have seen the film.

Honestly, I am going to be ridiculously obsessed for the next several weeks. I also know I wrote a couple of analyses on the differences between Snow and Katniss and the early games vs. the later games, which I will re-post so people can read them if they haven't before.

Enough chit-chat though let's get to it.

The parallels between Katniss and Lucy Gray are quite extensive and beautiful despite the characters being in many ways polar opposites. There is the saying that "Lucy Gray Baird is a performer made to hunt while Katniss is a hunter made to perform". This is a great summary of their overall character profile, and while I may at some point do a breakdown of Lucy Gray vs Katniss, I first want to write about how Lucy Gray and Katniss' story are far more connected than some might have realized. Part of the realization for me actually came while listening to Olivia's new song.

The chorus of the song reads as:

But I'm in the trees, I'm in the breeze

My footsteps on the ground

You'll see my face in every place

But you can't catch me now

Through wading grass, the months will pass

You'll feel it all around

I'm here, I'm there, I'm everywhere

But you can't catch me now

No, you can't catch me now

In terms of Katniss, I think it's been obvious for sometime that Snow particularly despises Katniss because she is a strong reminder of Lucy Gray Baird. She is a girl from District 12. She stood out during her Reaping, and swept the Captiol off their feet during her time in his city. She not only sang in the arena, but she sang a young girl "to sleep" with the very song Lucy Gray sang Maude Ivory to sleep. She used the Captiol's berries to save herself and Peeta, just as Lucy Gray used the Captiol's snakes to save herself. She wears a Mockingjay pin, the very bird which Snow undoubtedly relates to Lucy Gray and rebellion (far before it truly became the symbol of rebellion).

Katniss may not be like Lucy Gray in personality, but to Snow, Lucy Gray's spirit must seem very much alive in Katniss, and just as he tried desperately to rid the forests surrounding District 12 of mockingjays, this is one Mockingjay he wants to destroy.

The second verse of the song goes:

Bet you thought I'd never do it

Thought it'd go over my head

I bet you figured I'd pass with the winter

Be something easy to forget

Oh, you think I'm gone 'cause I left

This verse summarizes Snow's mindset at the end of TBOSAS, as we know he thinks he is safe from the threat of Lucy Gray. Her games have been erased, as time passes "there will be a vague memory that a girl sang in the arena" and even that too shall pass. However, where he goes wrong is when he fails to understand the deep connection and love the other Covey share for Lucy Gray. Despite not seeing how the story ends for them, or even having a solid explanation of Lucy Gray's ending, we at least know that Lucy Gray and her songs were not wiped from existance. Whether they believed, as he supposed, that the mayor was responsible for Lucy Gray's disappearance does not erase their connection to her.

Snow may have chosen never to allow love to control him again, but he did not erase the love those children had for Lucy Gray. Her music became all they had left of her so you can bet they continued singing them and sharing them, even if they had to do it on the down low. (I also share the common fan theory that Maude Ivory is the grandmother to Katniss Everdeen, and I'm hoping the film confirms this). Either way, Katniss clearly learned those songs from somewhere, which for Snow would have been a siren's call from the great beyond that Lucy Gray did not pass with the winter and she was not as forgotten as he had hoped.

Then we go into the bridge of the song where Olivia sings:

You, you can't, you can't catch me now

I'm coming like a storm into your town

You can't, you can't catch me now

I'm higher than the hopes that you brought down (repeats)

This is my favorite part of the song. Not only is it moving and emotional but it ties so much of Lucy's story to Katniss'. Both girls were like storms in the Capitol, sweeping the people and the nation into their stories so they could not help but be invested. Both were near impossible to control, despite Snow's best efforts, and both had a spirit of hope greater than Snow's ability to crush the highest of hopes. There's also something deeper, which intended by Olivia or not, makes this song perfect for the series. The lines "I'm coming like a storm into your town" and "I'm higher than the hopes that you brought down" is sung from the point of view of Lucy Gray. Both bring to mind images of the rebellion in THG: Mockingjay. The rebels stormed into the Capitol and their hope was higher than the hopes and lives which Snow had already destroyed in an effort to quell the rebellion.

However, just like Katniss becoming the Mockingjay, or the symbol of the rebellion, Lucy Gray had become her music. She was the anthem of the rebellion. If Katniss inspired hope, Lucy Gray was that hope. The hope of freedom. Dead or not Lucy Gray was finally free and her song reflects that truth and the rebels clung to it. Dead or alive they would be free.

Furthermore, Lucy Gray's song not only led to the freedom of Panem, but it also led to the freedom of Peeta's mind from the lies and brainwashing inflicted on him in the Capitol. Remember, Katniss always associated Peeta with hope until Snow brainwashed him. And if you'll recall, Peeta's first true breakthrough in regaining his memory of Katniss and his love for her was when he heard her rendition of "The Hanging Tree". Lucy Gray not only stormed into the Capitol but she stormed into Peeta's muddled memory, and her music was higher than the hope Snow had brought down. Lucy Gray's song led Peeta and Panem into freedom, and it helped to restore Peeta as the hope and love of Katniss' life.

Lastly, the ending of the song greatly foreshadows Katniss' journey:

There's blood on the side of the mountain

It's turning a new shade of red

Yeah, sometimes the fire you founded

Don't burn the way you'd expect

Yeah, you thought that this was the end

Of course, we all know the end is far from over for Snow. As Lucy Gray told him once, "The Capitol show isn't over until the mockingjay sings". Katniss' story ends with her singing Lucy Gray's lullaby to her children. Katniss was the fire founded by Snow, and despite his best efforts, it didn't burn out or even burn the way he expected it to. The line "the fire you founded" is also perfect to describe Snow and Katniss' dynamic because in many ways Katniss was only a threat because Snow threatened her. It's the same dynamic as Harry and Voldemort's. If Voldemort had left Harry and his family well alone, Harry never would have been the perfect enemy to thwart him. In the same way, if Snow had left Katniss and her friends and family well alone, she may never have come for him the way she did or joined the rebellion.

Interestingly enough, if Prim's name had never been called not only would the rebellion most likely have been avoided, but Lucy Gray's music may very well have been truly forgotten. Assuming Katniss is the only one left who actually remembers the songs, we know from reading the books that Katniss does not like or want to sing simply because they are painful reminders of her father. If Prim had never been threatened and Katniss had never been a contender in the games she would have been subjected to a life of mining and may have let the songs fade from memory as she lived out her miserable slave life in District 12.

But as we know that's not what happens, and instead the memory of Lucy Gray and her music is forced from Snow as Katniss is forced onto this journey proving the memory of Lucy Gray is very much still alive except this time Snow can't catch her now.

Thank you for reading if you made it this far! Please share your thoughts if you'd like!

[the-ultimate-bookworm]

Just listened to “Can’t Catch Me Now” by Olivia Rodrigo (I’m OBSESSED with her), and as it is the only song (as far as I know) in the soundtrack released from the movie “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” (which comes out November 17th, I can’t wait!), which is an adaptation based off of the prequel of “The Hunger Games”, if you didn’t know.

Spoiler under the cut, cause this song is literally just *chef’s kiss*

If you haven’t read the series yet, you should.

First of all

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

There’s the song.

Second,

Can we take a moment to appreciate this song?

Like, it describes the book, like perfectly.

I’m literally going to a deep examination of this song and point out every single reference to the book. Peeps who’ve read the book can add stuff.

“Shadows of us are still dancing

In every room and every hall”

Olay, I don’t think Snow and Lucy Gray ever danced in the book, but this feels like a direct reference to the fact Lucy Gray was a performer, and SHADOWS OF US.

Their broken relationship, obviously.

“There’s snow falling over the city

You thought it would wash away”

Now, a normal person wouldn’t think anything of that, but I, am not a normal person.

Direct reference to “Snow fall on top” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And then, in the trailer and the book, Dean Highbottom is like “Do you hear that? It’s the sound of snow falling” or something like that.

“The bitter taste of my fury,

And all the messes you’ve made”

Do I really need to explain this one?

Snow’s just messed up.

“Yeah, you think you got away

But I’m in trees, I’m in the breeze

My footsteps on the ground

You’ll see my face in every place”

LUCY GRAY AND HER MOCKINGJAYS

LUCY GRAY AND HER MOCKINGJAYS

Also “Wordsworth’s Lucy Gray”

“But you can’t catch me now,”

I don’t know if this is a reference to “She could fly around District 12 all she liked, but she and her mockingjays could never harm him again” which is Snow not being harmed by Lucy Gray.

Or, if it’s Lucy Gray not being able to get under Snow’s words and lies anymore, and he can’t hurt her anymore either.

“Through wading grass, the months will pass

You’ll feel it all around

I’m here, I’m there, I’m everywhere”

Wading grass gives me “Deep in the Meadow” vibes, and the months will pass is like, even though it’s been months, years even, Snow’s guilt will be there. He might not show it, but it’s there.

Lucy Gray’s haunting him.

“Bet you thought I’d never do it,

Thought it’d go over my head”

Okay, so here, it’s like, where Lucy Gray is hiding from Snow. She could’ve ignored the signs pretend that she didn’t know, but she chose to show that she knew, because that is Lucy Gray Baird.

“I bet you figured I’d pass with the winter

Be something easy to forget

Oh, you think I’m gone cause I left”

Lucy Gray lives on in District 12, through her songs. Not her name, but her songs.

“You can’t, you can’t catch me now

I’m coming like storm into your town”

This is more in the beginning of the book, where Lucy Gray comes to the Capitol. She made a giant impact, in my opinion, especially with her reptile show.

“You can’t, you can’t catch me now

I’m higher than the hopes you brought down”

Obviously, Lucy Gray’s just better, and Snow is… certainly something

“There’s blood on the side of the mountain,

It’s turning a new shade of red”

Lucy Gray disappearing after we presume Snow shit her, which might’ve caused her death.

“Yeah, sometimes the fire you founded

Don’t burn the way you expected”

This definitely feels like a reference to the OG series, you know “catching fire”, “fire you founded”.

It definitely feels like Snow had something to do with sparking the rebellion, and it got out of hand. The Hunger Games, especially the 75th one, was to prove the Capitol controlled the districts, but the rebellion was sparked because of the and tore it down completely.

“Yeah, you thought that this was the end.”

It wasn’t. You know, Katniss and the rebellion. The mockingjays really could hurt Snow again.

[crowdvscritic]

round up // JUNE 21

In June, I met King Kong, discovered new fashion icons, and flashed back to teenage angst. Enough to pique your interest? Let’s hope so, ‘cuz we’re jumping right in...

June Crowd-Pleasers

1. HGTV Binge: Celebrity IOU (2020-) + House Hunters: Comedians on Couches (2020-)

I checked out at least five new HGTV shows this month, but apparently famous people are what really do it for me. On Celebrity IOU, the Property Brothers help celebs with even more charisma than them (like Brad Pitt, Melissa McCarthy, and Property Sister Zooey Deschanel) to transform the home of someone they love. On Comedians on Couches, funny people like John Mulaney make jokes about the over-the-top personalities and demands we watch on House Hunters. HGTV is my comfort food TV because every problem resolves in 60 minutes or less, and these shows add new twists to the tried-and-true home makeover formula.

2. Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997)

For months I’ve been trying to describe the bright, bombastic clothing I’ve been looking for as we come out of a pajama-clad pandemic—now I know to call it Romy and Michele! Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino star as BFFs with lewks and dance moves you won’t find anywhere else. While their one-of-a-kind outlook is why we love them, they second guess their worth as they prep for their 10-year high school reunion. Kudrow and Sorvino are hilarious, and Romy and Michele are my new fashion icons. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 6.5/10

3. A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (2020)

If we didn’t need a Hunger Games prequel—and we definitely didn’t—why couldn’t I put this 500-plus-page novel down? A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is set during the 10th Hunger Games and follows Katniss Everdeen’s nemesis, President Snow, as a teenager. He hasn’t become the arch villain Donald Sutherland plays to delicious effect in the movies, but Collins develops a character we can connect while still showing whom he will become. She also knows how to keep you hooked—her end-of-chapter cliffhangers are legendary in my mind—and her innovative plotting explores the overlap between marketing and politics, the difference between vengeance and justice, and how we dehumanize others to help ourselves. If you loved the original trilogy and movies as much as I did, be sure to read her latest—as far as I’m concerned, Collins can write a novel about every Hunger Games she wants.

4. Mr. Deeds (2002)

If you prefer your Adam Sandler in the sweeter variety, Mr. Deeds is your guy. He flips from pizza parlor owner to billionaire overnight, but he has no interest in the the rich-and-famous lifestyle. Winona Ryder is the tabloid journalist trying to get the scoop on him, Peter Gallagher is the corporate suit trying to profit from him, and John Turturro is the eccentric butler waiting on him. Not a plot twist: This hilarious cast makes the most of the simple premise. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 7/10

5. SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo (2021)

You couldn’t pay me any amount of money to be a teenager again, and Olivia Rodrigo has the wisdom and angst to capture why. Much has been gossip-ed about the inspiration for the breakup songs that make the bulk of her first record, and while they’re killer tracks reminiscent of early Taylor Swift, I also recommend her non-romance tracks like “jealousy, jealousy” and “brutal,” which feels like a spiritual successor to John Mayer’s “No Such Thing.”

6. Oxford Blues (1984)

Speaking of teenage angst, Kyla and I watched a forgotten Brat Pack feature as our latest pop culture reference on Gilmore Girls. Rob Lowe is chasing his dream girl, and her name is Lady Victoria Wingate (Amanda Pays). He moves from Vegas to Oxford, joins the rowing team, and hangs with Ally Sheedy—I’ll bet you can already guess where this is going. We say it’s a hidden gem even if the plot doesn’t really make sense. You can listen to our full episode to see if you want to check it out for yourself. Crowd: 7/10 // Critic: 4.5/10

7. The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021)

It’s been a minute since I’ve watched a movie this dumb starring this many overqualified people. Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek re-team for a sequel to the 2017 action comedy The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and now they’ve roped in Antonio Banderas and Morgan Freeman. I admit it’s also been a minute since I’ve watched a movie so profane—as they say in A Christmas Story, Jackson and Hayek work in profanities the way other artists might work in oils or clay. But this bad movie knows it’s a bad movie, which I’d argue makes it a good movie in its own bad way. Banderas is hamming it up, Freeman gets to play against type, and that Reynolds sarcasm is firing on all cylinders. I’m a little embarrassed to say I had a good time in this movie, but maybe like this movie, I should just embrace who I am. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 6/10

8. Movie of the Night

Ever feel like it takes longer to pick a movie than to watch it? Then it’s time to try Movie of the Night. Option 1: Filter down by genre, era, language, runtime, and which streaming platforms you subscribe to. Option 2: Search by actor or keyword. Either way, you’ll discover plenty of titles you didn’t even know you had access to that are probably right up your alley.

9. F9: The Fast Saga (2021)

This movie has everything: John Cena! Helen Mirren! Charlize with another bad haircut! A guy who comes back from the dead! A long-lost brother! Flashbacks! Electromagnets! Rocket cars! Armored cars! Cars on fire! Cars in space! Cars on ropes! Cardi B? Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 6.5/10

June Critic Picks

1. Double Feature – Best Picture Winners From Actor-Directors About Broken Men Turned Macho Men: Unforgiven (1992) + Braveheart (1995)

Yep, these two Best Picture winners from the ’90 have a lot in common. Along with All About Eve (keep reading for more on that film), I knocked out three more films in my Best Picture Project this month. And since this pair was so thematically in sync, I wrote joint Crowd and Critic reviews for them.

2. New York!

I finally made it to New York City! I had planned a trip last March—obviously, that didn’t happen—and while the city hasn’t opened fully, I did make it to plenty of tourist-y spots and museums on my bucket list like the Metropolitan Museum of Art (those Impressionists!), Central Park (where I relived moments from Elf, Enchanted, and Ransom), the 9/11 Memorial, the Statue of Liberty, the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration, and the Empire State Building (where I met King Kong!). Yes, this is also an unoriginal recommendation, but I’m throwing in my two bits that New York City is worth the trip.

3. Kiss of Death (1947)

Film Admissions have returned at ZekeFilm, and this month we focused on classic film noir. I checked out the crime thriller Kiss of Death, which is part family drama and part crime thriller. You can check out more about the film noir flicks our writers watched for the first time at ZekeFilm. Crowd 8/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

4. In the Heights (2021)

My review of the new adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s other Broadway hit for ZekeFilm is part analysis of the state of the movie musicals and part shameless praise for this very good one. It’s the kind of film I hate to write about because it’s so darn good I know I’m not doing it justice, but you can read my review anyway. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 10/10

5. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Robert Wise’s entry in the 1950s sci-fi canon is one of the best I’ve watched so far. We wouldn’t have modern greats like Arrival without it, and it even reminds me a bit of Jurassic Park with its focus on how different people react to ethical anomalies. If you have a penchant for sci-fi more about weird stuff happening than aliens and mythology, this is for you. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

6. New Trailer Round Up

Cinema, baby! Trailers are dropping left and right, including ones for some potential awards season contenders.

Jungle Cruise (July 30) – Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson on a Disney theme park ride!

Respect (Aug. 13) – Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson!

The Protégé (Aug. 20) – Samuel L. Jackson as another hitman!

Reminiscence (Aug. 20) – Rebecca Ferguson and Hugh Jackman re-team for something that looks really confusing!

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Sept. 17) – Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield in a true crime-y biopic!

Dear Evan Hansen (Sept. 24) – The Broadway hit with an all-star cast!

Last Night in Soho (Oct. 22) – Will I try a horror movie for the sake of Edgar Wright?

tick, tick…BOOM! (TBD) – Lin-Manuel Miranda directs Andrew Garfield!

The Harder They Fall (TBD) – Revisionist Western with Regina King, Jonathan Majors, LaKeith Stanfield, and more!

7. Solaris (1972)

Let’s get back to sci-fi where weird stuff happens. Let’s just say there’s some weird stuff going on at the Solaris space station in this Russian classic, and it makes our characters (and us) think about the nature of humanity and how science can’t explain everything. File this with 2001: A Space Odyssey under I Didn’t Totally Understand It But I Think I Liked It?

Also in June…

Kyla and I also covered All About Eve on SO IT’S A SHOW, and I covered it as part of my Best Picture Project with Crowd and Critic reviews. Spoiler alert: We’re both big fans. (I had watched it before this month, which is the only reason it’s not in this Round Up!)

While the pandemic isn’t behind us yet, I’m back at the office several days of the week, which means I’ve completed tracking every movie watched while sheltering in place on Letterboxd. My pandemic viewing capped at 966 unique titles—sigh, just shy of 1000—and I’d like to wrap up this Round Up by commemorating some of the best, weirdest, and most specific ways I tied my watching together thematically in these 14 months:

MAR 26, 2020: Family-focused rom-coms in which the female romantic interest switches her affection between brothers (Dan in Real Life, While You Were Sleeping)

APR 2: Movies with a twist ending, Daniel Craig speaking in a Southern accent, and a song about a Virginia (Knives Out, Logan Lucky)

MAY 6: A promising high school dancer loses a parent and considers giving up her dream, but her love interest from a different socioeconomic background shows up just before the final dance routine so she can achieve it (Step Up, Save the Last Dance)

JUNE 1: An unassuming businessman from NYC has to travel many places to clear his name (North by Northwest, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty)

JULY 2: ‘00s comedies about adults who vicariously live out their dreams through children (School of Rock, Kicking and Screaming)

JULY 16: Early '00s comedies in which a young woman underestimated because of her interests and blonde hair overcomes the naysayers, achieves her goal in a different way than she expected, and chooses the not-as-popular guy who believed in her over a selfish ex (Bring It On, Legally Blonde)

AUG 6: Musicals in which three sailors on leave fall in love and get caught in shenanigans that cause law enforcement to chase them, and they try to evade them by pretending to be part of a musical performance (On the Town, Hit the Deck)

AUG 7: Late ‘90s/early ‘00s high school rom-coms featuring a combination of unpopular kids dating popular kids, crazy parties, costumes, and deception about why they’re at Prom (Never Been Kissed, She’s All That, Can’t Hardly Wait, Drive Me Crazy, Get Over It!)

AUG 10: These historical boats are a-sinkin'! (Dunkirk, Titanic)

AUG 11: Early '00s action about West Coast law enforcement with an appearance by Ashley Scott (Walking Tall, S.W.A.T.)

AUG 26: Comedies in which the main character discovers something he doesn’t believe in is actually real and becomes less selfish as a result (Galaxy Quest, Bruce Almighty)

AUG 31: A good guy gets caught in a government conspiracy to protect American interests on foreign soil (Shooter, Clear and Present Danger)

SEPT 1: Rom-coms feat. Queen Latifah, Common, and a character dating a New Jersey Nets player (Brown Sugar, Just Wright)

SEPT 18: ‘80 comedies in which the female American lead gets romantically involved with a European man through unusual circumstances (Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Private Benjamin, A Fish Called Wanda)

OCT 3: Spooky Season - Misunderstood, not-totally-human children edition (Village of the Damned, Edward Scissorhands)

OCT 7: 2013 Romeo and Juliet interpretations (Romeo & Juliet, Warm Bodies)

DEC 4: ‘10s movies in which teens almost die because of an online game (Ready Player One, Nerve)

DEC 15: Early '90s movies in which young men on their way to the big city run into trouble with the law after trying to pass a slow truck on the highway and get stuck in a small Southern town because of a trial including an actor also in Home Alone (Doc Hollywood, My Cousin Vinny)

JAN 27, 2021: Comedies with Leslie Mann is contemplating her romantic future (The Other Woman, 17 Again, The Cable Guy)

JAN 28: Rom-coms in which the blonde female lead meets her true love away from home (When in Rome, New in Town, Sleepless in Seattle)

FEB 1: Comedies with redheads having a tough time in high school (Mean Girls, Sixteen Candles, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen)

FEB 4: Romantic dramas in which a character asks if it’s possible to meet the one person right for you and miss it (Before We Go, Ever After)

FEB 6: Title mentions the male sex (The Man Who Would Be King, Three Men and a Baby)

FEB 24: Starring Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, and Topher Grace (Interstellar, Ocean’s Eleven)

FEB 25: Post-apocalyptic YA adaptations in which our teen heroine tries to keep her promise to return to her younger brother and takes refuge in the wilderness from alien invaders hosting themselves in humans (The Host, The 5th Wave)

MAR 1: 2002 teen comedies in which somebody tries to ruin someone else’s life (Slap Her… She’s French, Big Fat Liar)

MAR 3-5, 9-10: The 1980s, chronologically (Caddyshack, Arthur, E.T., Flashdance, Splash, The Breakfast Club, Stand by Me, The Lost Boys, The Great Outdoors, Turner & Hooch)

APR 12: Netflix originals about people in one city getting superpowers (Thunder Force, Project Power)

APR 13: 2010 action rom-coms in which a blonde falls for a guy she meets on a trip but he turns out to be secret killer of some kind (Knight and Day, Killers)

APR 27: ‘10s action thrillers set in Nevada hotel/casinos (Wild Card, Bad Times at the El Royale)

MAY 14: Late '80s teen comedies in which our main character gets into a lot of hijinks in one night (License to Drive, Adventures in Babysitting)

MAY 18: Rom-coms set mostly in NYC with a misbehavin’ dog (Isn’t It Romantic, The Awful Truth)

MAY 20: “Two” rom-coms (Two If by Sea, Two Can Play That Game)

MAY 25: 2018 Tiffany Haddish comedies featuring spontaneous dance battles between two different generations (Uncle Drew, Night School)

Photo credits: HGTV, A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Olivia Rodrigo. New York my own. All others IMDb.com.