A surprisingly good made-for-TV movie about a man whose former lover had disappeared many years ago, only to resurface now at a local store. He tries to talk to her but her once beautiful face is heavily distressed and she simply runs away. Uncovering the why of it all will take the man through hell, and he may possibly lose his daughter as well. Recommended. Great, shock ending.

This is a fun whodunit slasher film with a fairly clever ending. We enjoyed it!

The doorbell rings,
and another loved one enters.
Ten more times the chimes,
and our home is a conference center.

We share our joys,
but we also share our sorrows.
By the inglenook blaze with family,
we find and give a shoulder for tomorrow.

A blackbird knocks
at our window to break the spell.
Just one little bird’s dance,
and the heaviness in the room is expelled.

We hear his insistent chirp,
see how he is out among the snow.
And we remember to be grateful,
for the warmth we share of fireside glow.

As he suddenly leaves,
we notice he joins a large flock.
So we look around and smile,
at all the loving friends we’ve got.

Now the food is on the table,
and thanks is what we have in our minds.
Thanks for the food,
and thanks for all its varying kinds.

We are thankful,
for the preparers of this expert meal;
because, the love from the cooks,
has filled our table with their loving zeal!

Everyone partakes!
And our bellies are delightened!
The carrots glaze so tasty,
and the herb potatoes are exciting!

Pass the gravy
and the rolls, won’t you?
they’re very good!
You are always the cooks we turn to!

And while the melody,
of conversation and eating plays,
someone is thinking of another,
and on that being he is intent of gaze.

Yes, there sits a young boy
engaged in deep thought.
He looked at the turkey,
a life that this boy didn’t want forgot.

So, he stood up,
and took some rolls in his hands.
To everyone’s surprise, he headed out,
where ice and snow were the land.

Over to the ledge,
whence the blackbird had said hello,
he crumbled up the rolls,
and set them down to help balance the quo.

He looked up,
his eyes filled with such tears,
and he said, “Thank you, little bird,
and to your kind for all you share.”

Then the boy went back inside,
and one by one,
Each family member took food out there,
and soon a pile was on the ledge, a hearty sum.

Then they all returned
to the living room’s warmth and comfort,
and waited watching the window,
eagerly with eyes of great wonder.

First, one bird,
landed on the bounteous window sill,
and he or she looked at the food,
and then let out a loud, excited shrill.

More birds flocked,
to the window ledge with glee,
and their bellies were very full,
from the giving of a family.

And though their food
on the table was now getting cold,
no one seemed to notice,
the day the birds got some of what they were owed

Writer's Retreat is a slasher film that takes place at an English home where writers of varying skills have gathered for a workshop. What's not to love? As this writer watched it, I thought it was utterly brilliant. And speaking of brilliance, keep an eye on the impossibly talented and beautiful Poppy Drayton. I couldn't take my eyes off her as she stole every scene effortlessly.

I have a walnut-wood polished case for 20 films that I deem highly important. I have a large cabinet for all the other films-- some of which I love very much, yet don't quite make it to the case. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the only actor with three films in the case.

The first two are Brick, and Manic. Brick is a dystopian noir masterpiece that leaves you scratching your head as to who was what and what just happened. It's genius. Joseph is in such brilliant form that my artistry aches to ask him just how he transformed into that character. Manic, a film where he plays a young guy with severe bipolar issues speaks to my heart, because I have bipolar level I as well. He got inside my head in that piece, and that's not an easy place to navigate.

The third film is the best. It's an astounding piece of genius, called Hesher. Never has a metalhead been conveyed so realistically and authentically on the screen before (full disclosure: I am a metalhead currently listening to Spectral Wound and The Ocean Collective). Another strange film that has no cellphones and no obvious clues as to what decade we're in, Hesher takes the prize. I was so moved by Hesher that at the end I cried. Here's a young man that seems to have had problems with family (been there), and yet does his dysfunctional best to bring another family together. And he succeeds, in his own crazy way! The character of Hesher should get his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt right next to it. Joseph is going to win 2-3 Oscars for Best Actor someday, and he deserves them. If you are reading this, Joseph, then let me say 'thank you so damn much' for your choices in movie projects. You rule the pack, and I can't wait to see what you do next. Oh, and I just watched 500 Days of Summer last night and it was another brilliant film! Keep going!