Stephen King's Children of the Corn (1984)

A creepy concept with decent execution at barely 90 minutes. The film opens with a narration (a signature trait of King's stories) by little Job about how a once sweet small town in Nebraska went so sour so fast because he and his clairvoyant sister Sarah are the only youngsters that don't wield farm tools. Biblical names galore in this picture, too, because, well, Gatlin's got religion. Trouble is, the poor children should have lost it instead of losing their minds (and their parents) and seeking to reap the harvest of fanaticism.
But no worries; Sarah Connor, the mother of humanity's savior, real name Linda Hamilton, has come to town, or maybe those credentials do not extend beyond The Terminator story (also released in 1984). Along with Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton gives a satisfactory performance, but the characters lack notable substance outside of being a happy couple. She wants to get married; he doesn't. What else is new? The screenplay was on a diet.

The best part is the kids and eerie atmosphere. The close camera angles on the farm tools and children make for remarkable imagery, along with wide shots of the desolate ghost town. There is also a nice but shoddy theme about manipulation and how it can lead people to commit terrible acts.

Of course, this manipulation comes from a supernatural demon that lurks behind the rows of corn, but hey--what else from a Stephen King story! I guess Old Scratch enjoys corn on the cob and possessing Isaac, sporting devil horns and a very deep pubescent voice.

Mademoiselle C (2013, Fabien Constant)

Rating: 7 out of 10

This French documentary focuses on the making of a fashion magazine and offers snippets from the busy life of prominent fashion mogul, Carine Roitfeld, who is both quirky and intriguing.

Because I know zilch about couture and fashion, this was a nice getaway from typical movies, and attractive French women (as well as the gorgeous language) doesn't hurt! Her ballet instructor was a looker, too, as were plenty of the models who actually had some meat on their bones!

Those in the fashion world, or at least those in this documentary, say that fashion is a dream world with tasteful (or cringe-worthy, you be the judge!) clothing that we would love to see people wear in that dream world. I was drawn to this documentary due to the artsy cover it has on Netflix, and for the same reason I got a laugh out of Zoolander.

Overall, Carine I found to be rather likeable and open about her feelings. One might say vapid is as vapid does, but I appreciate art.  The reviews almost turned me away, saying it had scatterbrained editing and focused on 'soulless' fashion weirdos, but I stuck with it and it paid off! I would love to have a copy of the first issue the movie is about, since most of the shoots were eye-catching (especially the artful nude ones). Photos from the magazine are available for viewing at CRfashionbook.com and "CR Fashion Book" on FaceBook.

This is a serious but lighthearted take on the magazine production and honest glimpse into Carine's quirky character, who I'd never heard of before, offering an abundance of celebrity cameos and who's-who's of the fashion world. It was a neat 90 minutes or so.

Diana (2013, Oliver Hirschbiegel)

Rating: 7 out of 10

Very enjoyable portrait about love, compassion, discontent and choice. Naomi Watts is a constant delight on screen and she shines brighter than ever in gorgeous gowns and to-die-for hair-and-make-up. The brunette wig sequences show that Naomi's beauty is omni--oh, what's the word? Breathtaking? Exquisite?

During sad moments, Watts takes the sympathetic Princess Di and sheds a tear to remind us why the Princess was so loved. Without this wonderful and very human performance, "Diana" would not be as touching.

 The film is roughly shot in the beginning but by its end I could list a handful of scenes that were so effective at summarizing the woes of a Princess that was forever in the public eye until her woe was at last gone and the world inherited her mourning about this bittersweet existence that all of us struggle to understand. The musical score was great, and there are plenty of lines from the dialogue that I loved as well as plenty of picturesque frames.

I hope Diana found that elusive garden of love, despite her tragic route of escape not being the most desirable one. Naomi Watts admittedly wishes this picture about a "gorgeous creature" had been received better, and so do I, for it has a softness to it that carried me vicariously along into Diana's dreams. She fell, yet flew. I fell in love with her dreams.