Child's Play 2

Year: 1990
Director: John Lafia
Writer: Don Mancini
Genre: Horror: Evil doll

For most of my young life I was terrified of Chucky. I'd never even seen a movie but the idea and look of the character creeped me out more than anything. One time I remember the first film coming up on tv one night and my family watching it... Though I wasn't in the same room I heard some of it and it didn't help one bit! I used to be legitimately scared that Chucky would come into my bathroom and get me (kind of a mix of Psycho thrown in there lol).

So only last year did I finally watch Child's Play. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I guess after the first few movies when they became subtitled with Chucky's name that things took on a more humorous tone. That's really all I was exposed to from friends so I expected all the films to be kind of dumb humorous horror. While there is some fun to be had I still really just enjoyed it.

Anyway, so I watched Child's Play 2 and it was pretty good. I liked how they kept it directly connected to the first. It made enough sense how Chucky was able to come back after the end of the first. However, at the end of this movie I'm not sure how they are going to bring him back yet again. It seemed pretty final. Of course, that could be said of all sorts of horror icons. They're never truly dead!

It was still a very enjoyable movie although less so than the first. It's not as scary because this time around you know just what to expect from Chucky. In the first movie it was surprising and super creepy to see Chucky's face turn angry for the first time. Still, it was a nice romp and I especially enjoyed the multiple attempts to end the evil doll's life.

Black Christmas

Year: 2006
Director: Glen Morgan
Writer: Glen Morgan
Genre: Horror: Slasher

Black Christmas is a modern slasher classic. When it came out in the 70s it was known even if many people wished it didn't exist. Some years later this remake came out and mostly attempts to re-write the story, as far as I can recall anyway. It's been years since I've seen the original but I'm pretty sure there wasn't nearly as much back story.

It seems particular of  modern horror remakes to give killers fleshed out reasons to kill. In this version, we see that the killer was hated by his mother as a child. He only killed out of revenge and the hatred that his mother had taught him. This is all revealed early on so we're sure to know what he's capable of. Why did we need to have a story for him? Modern audiences appear to prefer it when we get to see someone succumb to evil, rather than simply embody it from the start.

Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't. For me, I felt for the guy and found it odd that he really didn't play a central role beyond during the backstory segments. If you're going to focus so much time on him why not give him more screen time for the finale? It was an odd decision.

Another thing I didn't like was that the murder's signature thing is trash bags and poking eyes out. Honestly, I don't recall this from the original at all (the eye part). I know he suffocates a girl early on in the film but I was pretty sure there was only one scene like that, not multiple. I also didn't like that the trash bags were not opaque. For some reason I'm also thinking that was the case in the original, though I could be wrong.

It then seems extremely strange to me that they would tone down the suffocation violence but make everything else much more brutal. I guess that was also decided upon because Hollywood also seems to think moviegoers love ultra gore. Maybe they do?

For the most part this didn't feel like a remake. Sure, it took place in the same location with the same kind of cast but things played out in a new way. If you're looking for a mildly entertaining holiday-themed slasher than this would be a fine pick.

Paranormal Entity

Year: 2009
Director: Shane Van Dyke
Writer: Shane Van Dyke
Genre: Horror: Haunting

Asylum, the people behind Paranormal Entity, are most famous for what they do, rather than the movies they actually produce. They tend to take well-established names and churn out movies with similarities (as well as very close titles). Their business method is shady if smart... it's an attempt to confuse consumers into getting their product instead of the "real deal". Probably one of their "best" non-copycat films is Mega Shark VS Giant Octopus.

So how does this film which basically attempts to be Paranormal Activity stand up? Surprisingly well. Luckily for Asylum this isn't a movie that requires lots of money be put into it. The house looks nicely furnished and even the actors aren't too bad. The scares are subdued for the most part, like the original PA.

The story is a bit more akin to the 2nd PA film... there is a family occupying the house instead of just a couple. This family is a mother and her two teenage children. It's a pretty nice little story and possibly even better than the premise for PA. I'm glad to see they didn't just rehash the story and went to try something of their own.

Later on the movie gets a little silly trying to scare viewers. It also gives us more titillation with bare breasts from time to time. It's not really necessary but I'm sure the filmmakers thought it was the perfect excuse to do so. Overall I think it's weird but this isn't a bad movie at all. I intend to watch Paranormal Entity 2 soon.

Paranormal Activity 2

Year: 2010
Director: Tod Williams
Writer: Michael R. Perry, Christopher B. Landon
Genre: Horror: Haunting

Last Halloween I watched Paranormal Activity and was pleasantly surprised. On a whim, I decided to hit up the sequel and see if it was still good. This version takes us into the lives of another family and they're a bit more interesting. You've got a mother, father, daughter, baby boy, the mother's sister, and even a dog in the cast. If there was one issue with the first movie it was that it felt a little too foreign to moviegoers with having only two main characters.

So, we've got a nice cast of rounded-out characters. The premise remains pretty similar about spirits coming after people for whatever reason... Then of course there are cameras around the house just like in the original which help you see the hauntings. It's something I liked most about the first film. Things are shown on camera but most of the time it's very minor stuff. For example, a door opening slightly or a pot falling in another room. It's all very small stuff and I appreciate it.

What I don't appreciate about Paranormal Activity 2 is that it pulls more Hollywood-styled hauntings into the mix. About 3/4th of the way through the movie I felt like I was watching Poltergeist. That's a fine movie on its own but in this one where it is attempting to be "found footage" the hauntings seem much less plausible.

The movie was still okay but felt stretched by the end. I wish they could have kept the atmosphere of the first without having to go and blow it later on. If you like this movie you should also check out REC. 

Girly

Year: 1970
Director: Freddie Francis
Writer: Brian Comport
Genre: Horror: Thriller

Girly is an odd little British film. In it, we have a family living all together in a great big house. Their names are Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny, and Girly. In fact, their names were the original title of the movie but when it was brought to other locations they simply called it "Girly".

Sonny and Girly are two adorable and attractive teenagers who just love to play games. They play not only because it is a rule Mumsy imposes but because they enjoy it. One of their games is to find men and bring them back home with them. There they can play with everyone until Mumsy decides they are no longer needed. Once they are dull or break the rules they are murdered. Sounds like perfect family fun to me!

It's definitely unusual to see these characters all interacting. The home life of all the inhabitants is strangely infantile and free of adult logic. Even though there are multiple adults present it never seems any of them ever focus on "tough" matters. It's interesting to see how everyone interacts and how their world is normal to them.

Unfortunately, the movie is rather dull. There's some fun to be had but mostly I never was able to get into the groove of watching it. It also ends on a very abrupt note. You feel like the movie could continue on further but we never get to see the final resolution (you're simply left to assume).

I Spit on Your Grave

Year: 2010
Director: Steven R. Monroe
Writer: Stuart Morse
Genre: Horror: Exploitation

I Spit on Your Grave/Day of the Woman was a film that I never thought would be remade. The first (and only) time I watched the original I was petrified through most of it. Sure, there was no murderer or giant monster but all that happened onscreen was intense. It seemed the kind of movie nobody wanted to touch then and would never touch again.

But then a remake happened and somehow left me feeling the exact same way. What's interesting to me is while the rape scenes were toned down of actual graphic content, they were kept long in other ways. The buildup and abuse carried out by the group of men was just as hard to watch as the scenes that would follow.

What also struck me was that I believe the way that revenge was served was more graphic than before. It was also more creative. I figure these scenes must have been amped up because a movie-going audience would accept it after the atrocities the woman had to go through. Still, it was surprisingly hard to sit and watch it all. I needed a break in the middle of it and took one (something I rarely do).

This is the kind of movie you don't watch with friends, if ever. It stands as a very powerful film around the same caliber of Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom and Men Behind the Sun.

My Bloody Valentine

Year: 2009
Director: Patrick Lussier
Writer: Todd Farmer, Zane Smith
Genre: Horror: Slasher

My Bloody Valentine (3D) is a remake I actually contemplated going to see when it was out. To me, it seemed like the perfect way to cap off a Valentine's Day date. However, as fate would have it I never went to see it then. Watching the film today lets me know that was probably the best twist of fate ever.

This movie is entirely too dull. The premise presented is neat enough... A miner killed his partners in a mine shaft, then it collapsed, leaving him in a coma for years after. He came to some years later and started killing once again before being shot down during his spree. More years pass and then it seems our miner killer is back again!

It's close enough in soul to the original except that it doesn't feel nearly as fun. It's all dull and you never find yourself caring for anyone. The movie almost feels like a horrible train wreck at points. There is a part where a woman is completely naked and running from the murderer. Yes, 100% nude. This takes the "girl in skimpy outfit running from maniac" to the extreme and I can't say I liked it one bit.

None of the lead males are especially compelling either. I mean, are we supposed to feel for the young cop on the force who had some of his friends die to the maniac? I could initially understand that but nearly a minute after he is introduce we find out he's a huge cheater. I don't know about you, but knowing someone is cheating rather uncaringly on their partner isn't going to bond me with them. As for the other guy, well, he just feels like a slab of concrete. He's got no real personality that shines through. Oh, there's a "twist" ending too. I figured it out early on and I'm sure anyone else watching will catch it too.

Maybe I sound harsh but I'm mad that I wasted an hour and 40 minutes on this thing. If you like or want to watch it though, then more power to ya.

iDig Your Blog Award

iDig Your Blog Award Protocol: 

1) Gratefully accept this award.

2) Link to the person you are receiving it from. 

3) Post 3 interesting facts about yourself.

4) Pass this around to at least 5 blogs you dig.

5) Notify them. 

The award rules: 

1. Here I am... gratefully accepting! I'm glad that anyone reads this thing, haha. 

2. Thanks a ton Zena -  the Real Queen of Horror!

3. Aside from movies I have a near-obsessive love for video games. Although most people will never know it, my constantly-expanding game collection consists of over 1,700 separate titles slowly taking over my media room. That may be for the best though as I don't want everyone using me like a rental service :P.  

The first horror movies I ever watched all the way through were The Birds, The Shining, and Zombi 2. I put them all together because I basically saw one and then immediately went and watched more. After these initial tastes of classic and zombie filmmaking I went weekly to Blockbuster after school to grab more movies from the horror section. Those were the days...

Sometimes I think I would like to move to a random state in the US since almost every state is cheaper than California. But then I stop and think about how much I love it here that it wouldn't really do any favors to my mood to leave here. Time to become rich and famous!

4. There are some really awesome film blogs on the web. These are a sampling of my favorites:

• House of Self-Indulgence - Excellent, excellent blog. Tons of strange, bad, and/or weird/campy movies are put on display here. 
• In It for the Kills: Horror Perspectives - Horrrrrror! I really enjoy reading through the posts and sometimes there are neat lists put up.
• Soiled Sinema - This page has SO MANY reviews all on films which are on the outskirts of the medium. Check out this blog and you'll be stuck there for hours. 
• Twisted Flicks - "Exploring the seedy underbelly of world cinema" indeed! Come here if you want to gain knowledge of foreign films you might have never heard of before. 
• Wtf-Film - The name of this blog should tip you off to what it's about. If you're in need of a quick dose of "wtf" then this is your place. 

The Stepfather

Year: 2009
Director: Nelson McCormick
Writer: J.S. Cardone
Genre: Horror: Thriller

I don't know what it was about the 1987 original but I really liked The Stepfather. Because of my enjoyment of that version I was a little apprehensive about giving this movie a view. Either way, I've gone and done it and it wasn't so painful.

This film is very similar to the first. Basically, you've got a man who goes around trying to find his perfect family. He meets divorced women with kids and worms his way in until he can marry them. However, things seem to never exactly work out so he murders them and runs away to find a new family. This is the tale of just one family and it's decent.

 The characters are all decently believable. It's good to see characters actively raising attention about how strange the father is. In many movies, characters just tend to gloss over that stuff (so that the killer can keep on killing). Sometimes it feels like characters are too detective-like but I suppose that's better than simply going with the flow. It creates a "staccato" murdering spree which is neat.

The movie isn't incredible or great or too good but it's okay. Fans of the original might as well see it for better or for worse.

Prom Night

Year: 2008
Director: Nelson McCormick
Writer: J.S. Cardone
Genre: Horror: Slasher

When I started watching this movie and seeing the basic plot being structured I thought it was not a remake of the 1980's Prom Night. As it turned out, it's not a "remake" at all but a "re-imagining". Honestly though, there are basically no similarities between the two whatsoever. With this being the case they really should have just made an entirely new, not titled "Prom Night" film. However, as seems to be the case in Hollywood, scripts only seem to get optioned if they are an adaptation or remake.

So, with the fact that there is absolutely nothing binding this version to the original I can't compare them. I can say however that this film all by itself is a decent horror romp. It's another PG-13 horror film so you never get to see wounds inflicted directly although you do get surprisingly graphic stabbing sequences (does that make sense?). I guess you might have to watch to see what I mean.

The story focuses on a pretty high school senior. Three years ago she was stalked by one of her teachers and this stalking culminated in him killing her family. Now living with her aunt and uncle it is time for her high school prom - and the murderous teacher just escaped from jail.

It all plays out in a pretty straightforward fashion but I found myself getting very antsy when characters were being stalked. I don't know what caused this. It might have been the movie or it may have just been my mood while watching but it's always fun when a film makes you a little scared. Online it seems the movie is unanimously panned, which seems strange. Unless I've suddenly grown soft I thought this film was acceptable. It's nothing classic or noteworthy but it was an okay way to spend some time. However, I don't generally enjoy films that don't employ empowerment of the lead character at some point so, it definitely loses some points there.

The film also made me question a few things. Like, I was really excited to see a black leading cop character. I'm so used to the typical white tough guy cops/fatherly protectors that it was nicely refreshing. On that same note it made me wonder why the lead wasn't the black teen instead. She was perfectly competent and it's not like the actual lead was all that great anyway (just blonde and blue eyed). I know it's nothing new but it would have been cool if the people who made the film had the same idea as me. The scenes that scared me most were the ones of the supporting gal, not the actual lead girl!

If you ever have the chance to watch Prom Night (either of them) I would suggest the original. While they may be two entirely different films with the same location the 1980 film is infused with much more spirit. Aside from that, it has a Jamie Lee Curtis dance number which is awesome.

When a Stranger Calls

Year: 2006
Director: Simon West
Writer: Jake Wade Wall
Genre: Horror: Thriller

First off, let me just announce that I've decided to watch some remakes. I've avoided many of them because my memories and enjoyment of the old films eels like it will be hurt by viewing a remade version. Either way, here's the movie that kicked off my remake adventure.

When a Stranger Calls first came out in 1979 and quickly became famous for the unexpected location of the murderer. It was a film that followed the story of a young woman who was simply trying to babysit some children but had a lot more in store for her. The film has some famous lines such as "have you checked the children?" and "it's coming from inside the house!".

Thankfully, the idea and even these classic lines are still present in the remake. In fact, it surprised me how faithful the remake was to the original's theme, if not everything else. The theme was left untouched even with the various updates to the world.

What really surprised me about this remake was that it didn't fall into the trap that so many horror remakes do. It didn't attempt to amp up violence or make everything suddenly more sexual. In fact, there is only verbal discussion of anything sexual at any point. No girl ever gets her shirt torn off and doesn't have outrageously large breasts. Our heroine looks pretty, but a normal pretty - not Hollywood manufactured. She wins extra points for wearing an outfit that seems normal for a babysitter and not something super low cut to show herself off (to who? Certainly not the children!). I'm really pleased with these choices and wish that more remakes could learn from this example.

House of Wax

Year: 2005
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Writer: Chad Hayes
Genre: Horror: Thriller

I'll readily admit that I never really liked the 1953 House of Wax. It's certainly a piece to see because it's rather creative, but definitely a relic of another era. This version of the film is very different and even casts Paris Hilton as one of the characters (not simply a cameo). The film was so proud of having her in it that her face even appears to be on the cover, just wax-ified.

Despite the really awkward casting choice the movie is surprisingly engrossing. Also, Ms. Hilton is not the lead character. Thank goodness! The story is changed up quite a bit. In this version, there are a group of teens (or 20 somethings?) who are just trying to travel to a big football game. One of their cars breaks down along the way and so they travel to the nearest town to try and get it fixed. Of course, visiting the town leads into murders.

What surprised me first was how much time in the film is spent building up the story and characters. For what felt like more than 20 minutes the movie lets you experience the characters and their interactions. It throws out red herrings and slowly casts a feeling of dread over everything. Maybe at 30 minutes they finally enter the town. It's incredible to see modern movies not just try to jump right into insanity. It's not quite up to Psycho quality lead-in, of course, but it's better than a lot of modern attempts.

Because of the building up of characters and helping viewers to become attached to them it is more worrying when they are cast into dangerous circumstances. It seems like a little bit of the film was inspired by Saw at one point, but aside from that it kept a strangely classic vibe. The climax is exciting and was also just really cool to watch. It was a fun watch and I hope others think so too.

Deep Red

Year: 1975
Director: Dario Argento
Writer: Dario Argento, Bernadino Zapponi
Genre: Horror: Thriller

First off, Dario Argento is one of my favorite horror directors out there. It was through his films that I sort of discovered my taste for more "modern" horror as opposed to classic Hitchcock drama. I always felt like I had already watched this movie but apparently not because it seemed a wholly new experience.

The story starts off with a psychic who is at an event and suddenly becomes overcome with the dreadful thoughts and feelings of a murderer in the crowd. Shortly after her premonition, she is murdered. From there a man who caught a glimpse of the killer is determined to find him. With an intrepid journalist beside him the two attempt to uncover what's going on.

The story isn't the most creative out there but the characters are likable enough and it's easy to get invested. The murder scenes are done quite well and excellently tense. There is not a huge focus on gore but most injuries are shown straight on with the camera, which might not be the best idea with 70s era special effects. Regardless, it works very well and I liked it. I especially have always enjoyed what looks like bright red paint they use for blood. It's obviously fake but something about it makes everything seem a bit more artistic somehow.

It's a nice little film. What I find odd is just how much content was cut for the US release (which I watched). The film is nearly 130 minutes in original form but clocks in a little under 100 for the US theatrical release. What exactly was lost? I'm not sure. However, near the end the film feels slightly schizophrenic so I'm assuming that's where content was lost. Aside from that though this is actually one of the more linear stories that has come from Argento.

The Baby

Year: 1973
Director: Ted Post
Writer: Abe Polsky
Genre: Horror: Thriller

Here's one of those movies you have to see to believe. The Baby is so aptly named as the film focuses around a baby, simply named "Baby". This isn't your ordinary baby though as our heroine comes to find but a full-grown man instead. Despite looking very mature physically he has about the same mental, verbal, and otherwise capacities of a baby. He is cared for by his mother and sisters an then finally the lead who is a public service worker of some sort. For some reason the mother character reminded me of Joan Crawford and I liked this because I like Joan Crawford. I'm probably the only one to make such a random connection though.

This isn't typical horror with any sort of monsters or demons. It's mostly a thriller attempting to be Hitchcock-esque with the plot and where it leads. Beyond that though it's mostly an odd piece of cinema with a very abrupt twist in the final minutes. I suppose you could gather what the ending would be from the multiple hints dropped throughout, but it seems mostly a cop out to be "weird" or "creepy".

Beyond that though it's a decent film. It kept me hooked despite being very 70s (which often turns me off for some reason). What I find most striking is that the movie Pink Flamingos also featured a grown "baby" character and came out a year before this. However, for that character nothing much was ever explained. It just seemed an interesting point to me when considering how close the films are in years of release.

I wouldn't really suggest this film unless you're into 70's thrillers. Otherwise, you won't be missing much by skipping right over.

Dog Day Afternoon

Year: 1975
Director: Sidney Lumet
Writer: Frank Pierson
Genre: Crime

I've had Dog Day Afternoon on my list of things to watch for a while now. Owning a copy of the VHS I just kept staring it at it and thinking it might be fun. One fine evening of browsing Netflix and I came to realize the film is available for streaming! So, I sat down and watched the whole two hour feature.

This is a movie I thoroughly enjoyed. Typical crime drama stories are not my thing but this isn't one of those stories. For one, the main character may be a bank robber but he's exceedingly entertaining. Played by Al Pacino, I wasn't expecting such a lovable guy. He robs a bank with a friend of his and all the bank staff are stuck in there with him. There's the manager, a security guard, and a flock of tellers.

The police catch on to the scheme rather quickly and surround the bank. However, due to the hostages, the situation gets drawn out for a long time. During that time frame the hostages mostly lose their fear of the robbers and discuss and pal around with them. It's really unexpected and makes things a lot of fun. It's also fun when the ever-growing crowd of spectators begin to take the robber's side and see him as sticking it to the man.

One of the most interesting things in the film to me was why the Pacino character wanted the money. I won't spoil it because the reasons don't come to light until later, but it's really quite unexpected (especially for the time period the film was produced). I suppose the reason the story is so outlandish is because it is based on a true story. And you know how that goes... true life is stranger than fiction and whatnot. I'd really suggest checking this film out if you've ever got a lot of time to spare and want to see one of Al Pacino's first big works.

Updates and Such

I've been pretty silent on here as of late, as well as my other blog. I've been busy with life as well as not finding myself entirely too compelled to watch much. It seems weird that after a few years of being really, really excited to watch movies quite often that I've suddenly felt the need for a break. I suppose that's what has to happen at least occasionally. That, paired with really exciting life circumstances have made me want to focus on those as opposed to sitting on a couch letting my eyes glaze over.

Either way, just today I found a really cool blog called The Oscar Completist. This person is in the process of watching every Oscar nominee and so far appears to have done a bang up job with it. He also makes sure to watch a film a day similarly to Horror Movie a Day, except, I guess not focused on horror. Seriously though, finding that blog reminded me how I wanted to watch every Oscar nominee as well. It reminded me how much I love films and how much I still need to see.

Every year around Halloween I have horror movie month to the extreme where I watch more and more films. Last October I watched 60 at least. I always feel like there are no more good horror films to watch when I'm done with those months, but there is always more. Seeing people that are able to watch movies daily and always find something new and good encourages me to press on. There is so much out there in the horror genre (and others) that are waiting to be unearthed.

So, basically I'm saying that I was feeling a little down about movies lately but am now ready to press on once more.

Birdemic: Shock and Terror

Year: 2008
Director: James Nguyen
Writer: James Nguyen
Genre: Horror: Animal attack

What the hell is this movie?

Birdemic: Shock and Terror is the tale of two people who meet, go on a date, go to a motel together, and then wake up to birds attacking. It's basically The Birds except without any level of class and effects that are so much worse. I can't even believe this is available on Netflix.

It basically looks like a really terrible student movie. Except, unlike most student movies, it's a full length film! The characters cannot act, the video quality is bad, the effects are horrendous, the music is goofy, and to top it all off the story could have been cobbled together by an elementary school student.

The birds make the same horrendous cawing sounds over and over and over. Their animation is basically one loop of wings flapping. The birds are very obviously CGI and beginner CGI at that. The script is painfully awkward and only the children characters deliver their lines with any ounce of authenticity. Everything about this movie is terrible.

Because it's so terrible it ends up being rather funny. It's still pretty annoying though with the constant horrible cawing sound effects and stupid characters. Still, if you need a movie to watch with a big group of friends (who enjoy bad movies) it is a nice choice.

Heavenly Creatures

Year: 1994
Director: Peter Jackson
Writer: Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
Genre: Drama

Why did Peter Jackson ever leave his really cool style of films to pursue huge Hollywood ones? I guess I should be happy with it but after he created Bad Taste, Dead Alive/Braindead, and this I kind of wish he had never hit it big. Well, it's too late now!

Heavenly Creatures is a departure from Jackon's previous films. It's not a horror film but just a sort of interesting drama, romance, coming-of-age thing. The story focuses on two imaginative girls who create a whole world together. They create characters to inhabit their world and all the backstories that come with them. It's a pretty interesting look into youthful friendships.

The characters feel pretty damn real which is appreciated. Normally, it might seem odd that 14 or 15 year old girls would be creating such elaborate fantasy worlds together but it fits them. What especially interested me was the relationship between the girls. It seemed to be so true for a fiction narrative. I guess that's the sign of a good movie though.

Honestly, I can't really think of what to say. I really enjoyed the film and would watch it again if a friend was interested in it.

Movies I've Watched Recently

Not every single movie I watch gets a nice little post about it on here. I know that kind of invalidates the point of my blog where I wished to "remember" every film with a post... but it's hard sometimes! Here's a listing of some films I have watched over the past month and don't intend to write about.

• Freakonomics
• One Nation Under God
• Fall From Grace
• Fish Out of Water
• Call Me Malcolm
• Playing Columbine

They're all documentaries and all pretty good ones in one way or another. I especially liked Fish Out of Water and Call Me Malcolm. The first is a documentary which seeks to discuss all the main reasons that people use to discredit gay marriage and show what's wrong with the reasons. It's a very nice film and probably would help people who were on the fence with the idea of supporting gay marriage or not. 

Call Me Malcolm was also pretty sweet. It is one transman's journey across the country where he talks with friends, family, and others about transgender topics. It's a good movie to show to someone who doesn't really know what trans is, although a few points could have been shared in a clearer fashion.