My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006):

My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006):

“When a regular guy dumps a superhero for her neediness, she uses her powers to make his life a living hell.”

Everyone in this movie is crazy. Even the superhero. Matt Saunders works in a design firm, and has bad luck with the ladies. His pervert friend Vaughn says the answer is just a quick hookup. Unfortunately, the woman he hooks up with is a superhero. Things start hot and heavy, as Jenny Johnson (a.k.a. G-Girl, whose hero moniker is never explained. What's the G stand for? Great? Gamma? Genetically-enhanced?) is just looking for reprieve from her job. But then, she gets psychotically possessive.

G-Girl routinely controls who Matt can see and won't let him go to work, breaks his stuff during making out, and is paranoid to a fault. When Matt tries to break up, she breaks his apartment, ruins his meetings (by stripping him with super speed in public.) and throws his car into space. At one point, she even throws a shark into his apartment. That was funny, because it was so unexpected!

One day, after a date, Matt is kidnapped by the goons of G-Girl's archnemesis Professor Bedlam. He reveals that he and G-Girl used to be in love. (After Professor Bedlam hangs Matt from the Statue of Liberty.) But, after she gained her powers from a meteor, she ignored him. Luckily, he has a piece of the meteor that gives her her power. If she gets too close, it will de-power her. Matt, tried of having his life screwed up, agrees.

Meanwhile, back at Matt's office, a girl named Hannah is always getting Matt to ogle her. I told you everyone is crazy in this film. G-Girl has been jealous of her since the beginning, so when she shows up as he's luring G-Girl towards the meteor, a huge fight erupts. But then, Hannah is exposed to the meteor, and can suddenly give G-Girl a fair fight. Then, “Berry” Bedlam realizes he should've gone out with G-Girl, and Hannah and Matt take it steady afterward.

Honestly, everyone in this movie is just a huge relationship red flag. I thought it would end with G-Girl realizing she's a villain, but I guess since it's a comedy, it's all played for laughs. But, the only one who kind of made sense was Bedlam. He shouldn't want to de-power her, but it absolutely makes sense in this case. Overall, this is a movie best enjoyed with snacks, and a huge grain of salt! It's free on Hulu, anyway.

Erased (2016):

Erased (2016):

“Satoru Fujinuma can travel back in time to save others' lives. When he wakes up 18 years in the past, he has a chance to save his murdered classmates.”

Erased is an anime on Netflix that time travels between 2006 and 1988. It's a murder mystery. Each time somebody is about to be killed, Satoru can use his ability called “Revival” to go back in time and stop it. This results in several timelines being created. A few where he and his friends and family die. A few where he goes back to 1988.

It all starts when his classmate Kayo goes missing. Then, she's being abused. He finds her as a 9-year-old in 1988, and vows to find “Date X” the day she is murdered. He can switch between 1988 and 2006, but never control when he revives. This anime is a roller coaster of emotions. Often a sweet scene like a birthday will be immediately followed by child abuse and murder.

It's a mystery, so I can't give that many spoilers as to who the killer(s) are. I'll say the sci-fi time travel aspect is neat. Soon, more abductions follow Kayo's. There are even a couple timelines where he is framed as the murderer. If you have the hankering for a good mystery, definitely check this one out. But, I'd say be warned, it goes from very light to very dark all the time.

Paprika (2006):

"When a machine that allows therapists to enter their patients' dreams is stolen, all hell breaks loose. Only a young female therapist, Paprika, can stop it."

This magical tale centers on a revolutionary machine that allows scientists to enter and record a subject’s dream. After being stolen, a detective and brilliant therapist join forces to recover the device — before it falls into the hands of a “dream terrorist”. It really needs to be seen to be believed. There's a beautiful contrast here between dreams and mundane reality. Plus, many secrets the characters have are only expressed in dreams.

As the movie goes on, the dreams become darker and more surreal. People start talking nonsense and killing themselves. And eventually the nightmare visions infect reality. Only Paprika, who appears to be a happy-go-lucky therapist can stop them. Paprika's early scenes have a great sense of limitlessness and flight, in contrast to drab waking life, highlighting the theme of magical realism. Check it out, whenever you can!

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006)

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006):

Strange movie based on the imaginary life of a photographer who photographed circus freaks. In this version, her husband is the photographer. Eventually she meets a circus freak neighbor (man with werewolf syndrome.) and they begin a romance, and it encourages her to start exploring her body, desires, and the human form.

Pre-Iron Man RDJ does a great job as the neighbor with werewolf syndrome. Unfortunately, the DVD cover gives away a huge spoiler. In any case, it's a great quirky film with a lot of dark tension and heavy romance themes. I've never quite seen anything else like it.