MOVIE REVIEW: Bad Moms

Imagine if the Mean Girls got married and had kids, Bad Moms stars Mila Kunis (in her first reel life Mom role) as Amy who juggles her everyday life as a wife, mom to her two kids and her work in a start-up coffee company where at 32, she is the oldest worker. 

She meets fellow mothers in the school that her daughter and son go after an unfortunate incident with its PTA President (Christina Applegate in a delightfully villainous role with comic bile) and her friends Jada Pinkett-Smith (unfortunately wasted in a supporting role) and the Oscar nominated screenwriter of Bridesmaids Annie Mumulo. They form a clique of Queen Bee Moms and even though they have kids of their own, they make everyone feel like they're back in school again. 

Amy finds solace and friends with the other set of mothers: the free-spirited and fast talking Carla, a funny Kathryn Hahn and the very busy supermom Kiki (Kirsten Bell). The trio then rediscover life with friends and themselves as well.

The great cast raises the quality of Bad Moms with impeccable comic timing and some cameos from celebrities that work. It also feels like watching a Judd Apatow film with some scenes that tug your heart especially when the gang open up being mothers. 

MOVIE REVIEW: Lights Out

James Wan director of The Conjuring movies is on a roll with Lights Out, a supernatural horror film that answers one of our worst fear: the darkness, once our lights at home had been switched off. 

This time, he is the executive producer and handed out directorial duties to Swede David F. Sandberg, who is making his full length directorial debut based on his short film that became a viral sensation 3 years ago.

I have not seen the short film (but I will after) but Lights Out is one effective horror film that is completely CGI free matched with an outstanding cast led by the lovely Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies) who plays Rebecca who saves his half brother Martin (Gabriel Bateman) from their unstable mother Sophie (The great Maria Bello) who battles depression following the death of her two ex-husbands as well as talking in the dark to a shadowy entity Diana ,who had a special bond with Sophie when they  were both younger and has a violent attack streak to match even until the afterlife. The comic touch is provided by Bret played by Alexander DIPersia who plays the boyfriend of Rebecca. In an average horror film, he will just be the token partner of the lead but his character isn't and  Bret is the key that unravels the film's last half.  A special

commendation should be given and  to the wonderful cameraman and cinematographer who made the darkness beautiful yet scary again.

Lights Out short running time of 82  minutes is just about right if its based on a short film.