As you may remember, as part of my monthly thing with Dawn and Terry, we have a chat about the movie that was selected for the month. This is actually my favorite part of the whole deal. It is nice to be able to sit around and talk about a movie without holding back so I don't spoil anything. Since it was my turn to pick the movie this month, that means it was also my turn to post the chat. If you haven't watched Trash Fire yet, then you will want to skip this post as there be plenty of spoilers ahead.

Heather: And the countdown for the chat begins!

Dawn: I HAVE ARRIVED!

Heather: 2 out of 3!

Dawn: OOH

Terry: Almost there!

Dawn: I see him!

Heather: Yay 😃

Dawn: Okely dokely

Heather: Terry is always the last one 😉

Dawn: Hehehe, the man is in demand!
....when did Matthew Gray drop the Gubler? That totally threw me off!

Heather: Huh?

Dawn: The guy who played Isabel's brother. He always went by Matthew Gray Gubler. I know him solely from Criminal Minds. 🙂

Terry: I’m here, I’m here!

Dawn: hey hey hey!

Heather: I have no idea Dawn 🙂

Terry: Hi! Let me apologize in advance if my computer starts acting stupid.

Heather: Computers are only as smart as the user you know 😉

Terry: I don’t know if it's my computer or facebook but FB chat seems more of a chore lately.

Dawn: Bwhahahahahahaha!!!!

Terry: Heather: why you!

Dawn: Oh shnikeys, I really hope that was a well-planned joke

Terry: Yeah, like, I can’t seem to read what I’m typing, for instance, so typos galore!

Heather: This will be fun to clean up this chat lol

Terry: Yeah, sorry!

Dawn: Oh my god, indeed Heather!! I love it.

Heather: lol Are we ready to get this party started?

Dawn: yup yup!



Dawn: NICE

Terry: TRASH FIRE CHAT Yes. Okay, I tried something, that... didn’t really work...
Anyway, let’s do this. yes!

Dawn: I think I liked this movie from the get-go because of that opening scene with Owen's therapist!

Terry: Sorry I didn't finish my review yet. But, I will say, you guys liked the film more than I did. Especially Dawn.

Dawn:  didn't expect much and knew absolutely zero going in, so I was pleasantly surprised. They definitely had a way with words in cutting each other down, though. What did you not like about it, Terry?

Terry:  Sorry. I just changed to my wife's computer upstairs to see if it improves things. Fingers crossed!

Dawn: Awesomesauce!

Terry: Well, like both of you, the first 20-25 minutes were tough to sit through, specifically because of Owen.

Heather: Poor wife's computer.

Terry: Haha, why you..!

Dawn: Like, Owen is hard to deal with?

Terry: Haha! But, also with both of you, he became infinitely more tolerable when we met violet, his grandmother.

Dawn: Oh my gosh, right?! You could almost understand why he is the way he is coming from that family dynamic. ALMOST

Terry: But, the characters' behavior would still drive me crazy, and then when Violet has her "confession" with the pastor, that whole thing with the snake I found confounding and unbelievable. One, the PASTOR has a snake, but not only a snake, it's a rattlesnake?

Dawn: Yeah, that's a hard one to swallow!

Terry: And, you don't know it's rattlesnake until it's in the toilet.

Dawn: And also, I found it hard to believe that Violet's threat to keep the pastor quiet would hold any weight after all these years and the victim being a little dead...

Terry: And that whole snake in the toilet was a little contrived, too. Isabel really had to not look in the toilet to see a snake that freaking huge curled up in there!

Dawn: Who's gonna corroborate those claims?

Heather: Claims still have a way of destroying people. True or not.

Terry: Well, nowadays, those claims seem to be almost a de facto expectation of any religious authority. Belief in claims first, proof second.

Dawn: You ARE right...

Terry: And what was with that skeleton under the house?

Dawn: What do you think the pastor's intentions were when he showed up to the house that night with a tire iron?

Heather: Was there one? I didn't notice that.

Dawn: Oh shit, I was looking, but I didn't see one!!

Terry: Oh really. It's actually in the foreground while Owen is crawling around under the house.

Dawn: I paid more attention to what appeared to be propane tanks under there!

Terry: It's on the left in front.

Dawn: Rewatch in my future!

Terry: I actually thought the performances were good or even better. But the characters were tough to like. And I think because the film was more a dark comedy so still closer to reality than a general genre film, I think I was more critical of motivations. So, I had my moments of criticism of Isabel's behavior but actually later in the film. In the beginning, I was mostly impatient with her staying with Owen.

Dawn: Oh my gosh, I know what you mean!!

Terry: I simply couldn't stand Owen until he decided to change because of the baby and his actions seemed to mean it.

Heather: I understand that, but I think the bombshell that was the baby was the whole reason we see her trying to stick it out. She wasn't sure what to do.

Terry: But, when Isabel wouldn't simply say, Pass the beans PLEASE, I was getting annoyed with Isabel.

Dawn: But, she had been called a whore before that by Violet.

Terry: I mean, yes, Violet's HORRIBLE, but Isabel insisted on this visit. Just fucking say please to the bitch, hahaha!

Heather: I wouldn't have said it either at that point. Why should she be nice when Violet refuses to do the same?

Dawn: Granted, I'd have still acted respectfully in that situation beings that I was a guest

Heather: You are better than me then Dawn. lol

Dawn: LOL, grin and bear it. It only sucks while you're doing it!

Terry:  understand what you're saying, Heather, but still, I'm thinking this was almost a petty moment for Isabel.

Heather: Sure it was.

Terry: Also, when Owen leaves Isabel to visit the old house? What?

Dawn: Yeah... bad call sir Owen.

Terry: First, Isabel hates even being at the house, I found it hard to believe that they would even be separate from each other. So, that moment seemed contrived from a writing perspective.

Dawn: Exactly, didn't Isabel even say straight out "keep her away from me"?

Heather: Will Terry convince Dawn to change her mind about this movie? Stay tuned!

Dawn: Hahahaha!! There are problems, for sure, but I was impressed with it as a whole. I loved the fighting, I loved the dread of "what's this crazy bitch gonna do next?" I think the production value and acting were good enough for me to overlook quite a bit.

Terry: Oh, and back to criticizing Isabel. Pearl comes into Isabel's room and asks her to stay one more day and Isabel won't? "Poor" Isabel--- Grrrrr! So, I was slowly going crazy with both Owen and Isabel, but at different points. Oh, and getting back to the snake: I forgot- the PASTOR has a snake, conveniently?

Dawn: But, I also loved V.C. Andrew's books as a kid...and there was A LOT of family drama in those.

Which is pretty deviant from the Christian faith, wouldn't you say?

Heather: Wasn't Owen leaving with Violet though? So yeah she was there without Owen but Violet wasn't around either.

Dawn: But, I guess he DID deviate from his faith with Violet's daughter though...

Terry: Considering the significance of a snake from a biblical point of view, it just being there in his office is mind-blowing without any explanation whatsoever. So, I thought that was a bit contrived writing-wise.

Dawn: That's when Owen went with his grandmother to the store, but he went to the house on his own, though.

Heather: That's true.

Terry: And I really don't want to change Dawn's mind about the movie, hahaha! I'm sincerely glad she enjoyed it. Dark comedies are a strange animal.

Heather: Sure Terry. 🙂

Dawn: I really did.  🙂 I actually loved the scene where Owen outed their lifestyle with Isabel's brother.

Terry: But I think all three of us had to struggle to some degree getting into the film. Those first 20-25 minutes, holy crap.

Dawn: THAT is where I would have had a piece to say. Oh hecks yes, Terry. We get it, right? The relationship is effed. Let's get on with it!

Terry: I rewatched part of the film again, as I usually do when I'm writing my review, and I think the film is really strong, especially when they have sex and Owen has a fit while performing, hahaha! That's brilliantly sick. But the back and forth between characters from then on is really great.

Dawn: Oh my god, I laughed and LAUGHED. "Oh, this is new.."

Heather: The setup was long and I thought Owen's turn around was a bit quick. I don't know anyone that will change that fast.

Dawn: Oh yeah, totally, Heather. A complete jump from one opinion/take to another. Classic Narcissist

Terry: And rewatching it, I appreciated it that Isabel was not just going to give into Owen deciding to have this baby. I really liked how she was not going to go easily.

Dawn: Yep, actions not words. Let's go see the family!

Terry: Well, this whole movie was like watching therapy done as reality movie.

Dawn: Completely agreed!!

Terry: So, in my review, unless I erased it, I think I compared wanting to stay with this movie like watching a car wreck. But, there's also a sense of wondering if these people will get better. I felt bad for Pearl, especially.

Heather: Just by shotgun apparently.

Dawn: Oh yeah, me too. With Violet being the only voice in her ear for all those years Right?! That end scene wasn't what I expected, Heather! Maybe I was blind, I should have seen it coming. But I really didn't!

Heather: The small standoff between Violet and Pearl, I really wanted more of that.

Dawn: Mmmmhmmm! There really should have been a confrontation. It was so abrupt.

Terry: When she fires that last shot and we don't know who's actually shot, I'm thinking; are both Owen and Isabel dead? And as it took several moments to reveal what happened, it occurred to me: Owen HAS to be dead. That's the one injustice Pearl wants to right. Owen's abandonment of her.

Dawn: Ooh, that's rough, Terry. But spot on, I think!

Terry: Heather. Yes, re: more standoff between Violet and Pearl.

Well, I was in shock a bit when the shooting came at the end and especially with Pearl shooting either Owen/Isabel?or both until it was revealed. But, waiting for the reveal, that was the one motivation for Pearl that made sense, and that was also foreshadowed by her saying she didn't forgive him.

Heather: Pearl hates fights but she was quick to point a shotgun. There was more going on that was really known about I think.

Dawn: Agreed, Heather. And those are the bits I wanted to see. I wanted more of a reveal.

Terry: At that moment, this story comes across like a classic tragedy, uh, well, maybe. These dysfunctional characters carry the seeds of their own destruction, rightly or wrongly.

Dawn: And what's to happen now? It looked like Isabel had a moment of hateful vengeance...

Heather: Nothing says love more than killing your brother to steal his girlfriend, am I right?

Dawn: Did you see how she gripped Pearl's hair? And then she reeled it back.

Terry: Oh, interesting. I didn't think that re: Isabel's vengeance, but that's interesting.

Dawn: She DID take an immediate "liking" to Isabel, Heather. Cringeworthy 😉

Terry: Also, I think Pearl might've compartmentalized her feelings towards the couple. She doesn't forgive Owen, but she likes Isabel.

Dawn: She's the extension of Owen that Pearl can accept...and forgive.

Terry: Jeez, I hadn't considered Pearl killing Owen as a way to GET to Isabel in her twisted way of thinking, but simply that was a happy accident. But that's definitely a possibility.

Heather: I don't know. She was masturbating while watching Isabel. Violet even says that Pearl likes Isabel.

Dawn: That scene totally took me by surprise, too...

Terry: That's true. Okay, so at the beginning... did it seem like the Pastor was sleeping with Violet? That's how I took it when Owen and Isabel arrived. Or he had at some point and was hoping to again?

Dawn: YES!!! You're right! "No, you CAN NOT spend the night!"

Terry: VIOLET IS A DIRTY GIRL.

Dawn: Yeah, she has odd whack material... God, that creeped me out.

Terry: She doesn't simply save herself for the Lord and TV evangelists.

Dawn: Bwahahahaha!!

Heather: It was hard to get a handle on Owen's family and the pastor. Just too bad there wasn't more there to play with at times.

Dawn: Yeah...there was too much left open to interpretation.

Terry: Also, rewatching the "confession" scene between Violet and the Pastor, I realized I grossly misheard what she said to him. I thought she said he slept with her 15 yr old granddaughter-- with Pearl!

Dawn: Too many unanswered questions. OH SHIT! Are you serious?! I totally thought it was her daughter!! That would def make more sense as the pastor wouldn't have really been old enough for it to have been a crime if it was her daughter at 15! I'm just guessing...

Terry: In the same way that Adult Children of Alcoholics seem to be attracted to other alcoholics without realizing it because they're attracted to what they know instinctually, I like that this was a variation on that: Adult Children of Religious Fanatics. So, that made sense to me and I liked that.

Dawn: Oh, good observation.

Terry: No, he had sex with Owen's mother. I misheard it. But for a while there, I thought Pearl's life was COMPLETELY filled with abuse.

Dawn: Ahhh... I'm a dork. I see!

Heather: You said it Dawn, not me. Just kidding. hehe

Dawn: I'll always be the first too! Bwahahaha!!

Terry: Awww, but you're OUR dork.

Dawn: Awww! I wish I was a more discerning film reviewer... I tend to take a super simplistic approach to what I like. Good production value = good.

Terry: Well, I'm super inconsistent.

Dawn: I think, for me anyway, there has to be a number of things wrong in a movie before I can say that I really didn't like it. Bad acting Bad production.

Terry: Usually if there's lots of female nudity, I'm pretty forgiving...

Dawn: Bwahahahaha!!!

Terry: NUDE FOR SATAN, for instance...

Dawn: Speaking of! I was glad to see the girl who played Isabel Saw her in Final Girls and adored her

Heather: Someone was acting? Sorry, I was looking at boobs.

Dawn: Bwahahaha, Heather!

Terry: But seriously, sometimes, I seem to let a lot slide, but then I'll become fixated on something and it really biases me. Heather, YES.

Dawn: LOL, you guys

Terry: I hadn't seen her before. It was cool seeing Ray Martinez from ASH VS THE EVIL DEAD.

Heather: What color was the scarf?

What scarf?

Dawn: Oh my gosh, YASSS.

Terry: And Matthew Gray Gubler... who doesn't use his full name anymore?

Dawn: LOLOLOLOL, @Heather. I saw that, too, Terry. It threw me off.

Terry: Yeah, I wondered if Richard Bates, Jr had a connection to CRIMINAL MINDS.

Heather: I thought that was the same guy, I have been watching that show on Netflix, so I paused to make sure. Was cool to see him in something else. Ash VS The Evil Dead.

Terry: @Heather Hahaha! Because looking at the end credits, Paget Brewster does the vocals for one of the songs. I really like her in CRIMINAL MINDS.

Dawn: He totally pulled off his pearl-clutching religious role though, right? "Are you two... SLEEPING TOGETHER?!" For shame.

Terry: But I couldn't find an IMDb connection to the show for Bates.

Dawn: FORRRRR SHAAAAAAME!

Terry: hahaha

Heather: Owen does have a way of letting certain information slip at just the right time.

Dawn: Haha, it twas an accident, surely.

Terry: When Owen says he has bulimia, I thought he was just being a jerk. I didn't think he actually had bulimia. He was still being a jerk, though.

Dawn: I know, me too!

Terry: I didn't realize AnnaLynne McCord was Pearl until the end.

Dawn: What have I seen her in? She looks so familiar!

Terry: I've been meaning to watch EXCISION for a while, and now I see Richard Bates did that film, too.

Dawn: I don’t think I’ve seen that one

Terry: She's done some interesting indie films but I can't think of their names. I think I saw parts of some on cable. If you liked TRASH FIRE, EXCISION seems just as screwed up, hahaha! Anyway, her choice in films seems more interesting than some actresses.

Dawn: I’ll have to check it out.

Terry: But, having said that, this is the only film I've actually seen of hers.

Dawn: I still need to watch Goat Witch. I tried a month ago, but couldn’t find it streaming anywhere.

Terry: Oh, it's not on Vimeo anymore?

Heather: Is it gone? No, Goat Witch.

Dawn: Ahh, my supply is generally from Amazon, Hulu or Netflix. I don’t know why I didn’t try Vimeo! I think you even told me that before, Heather!

Heather: There is a link for you. No excuse now 😛

Terry: That's telling her, Heather! Sic her!

Dawn: Hehehehe!! Yeeeaaaah!!! Gonna do it!

Heather: You don't have to review it. Under 14 minutes long and I find short films hard to review.

Dawn: Well, hell. That’s not too much for me to commit to!

Heather: Pearl won't mind if you commit.

Terry: I'm curious about the feature film the same filmmakers did before GOAT WITCH. I think it's a feature.

Hahaha

Dawn: C’mere, Pearl!

Terry: Just don't fight.

Dawn: Nope, I’m allergic to buckshot What’s your selection for next months movie, Terry?

Terry: Anyway, even though I had issues with TRASH FIRE, I'm glad I watched it. I think it'll be an incentive for me to watch EXCISION now.

Dawn: It’ll be on my list, too

Terry: Okay, I was thinking about this and after seeing we had distinctly different reactions to this month's film, I now have no qualms about what the group reaction is to any of my choices, hahaha!

Dawn: Lol, what’ll it be?

Terry: I started watching a film a few months ago and never finished. I saw maybe 10 minutes of it late at night but never got back to it.

Dawn: Yes? Do go on.

Heather: No worries if we don't like it, Terry, not like I will find my shotgun.

Dawn: Doh!

Terry: Suspense: It's the Japanese film TAG. uh, I think that's the title.

Dawn: Ooh Yassss!!!’ YUSSSS!!

Terry: Have you seen it already?

Dawn: It's on Netflix?!? No, I haven’t but I REALLY WANT TO!!

Heather: Yes it is Dawn, just added it.

Dawn: Shweet!

Heather: I'm surprised. I thought for sure we would have to wait longer for Terry to make up his mind. lol

Dawn: Bwahahaha!!

Terry: Thatis the title, right? By the same director who did the film of the schoolgirls committing suicide via subway car?

Dawn: Well, awesome. I’m excited.

Heather: Surely two months won't be long enough. 😛

Dawn: Heck’s yes Terry!! Lol, oh, my god. 😂😂

Terry: Smiles sweetly...

Heather: I know, I know. Yes it is long enough and stop calling me Shirley, right?

Terry: hahaha!

Dawn: I was hoping you’d be Leslie Nielsen!!!

Terry: Well, theoretically my review will be finished tonight.

Dawn: Yay!! What about realistically? Without the theory? JOKES! Kidding!!

Terry: Big thank you to my wife Amy for letting me use her computer. This would have been a miserable process FOR ALL OF US without her computer.

Dawn: “Thank you, Amy!” Says the class.

Heather: A whole month to watch and write and...never mind. 😛

Terry: Dawn, Uh, I'm not making any bets on that...

Dawn: I have waited until the last days to watch and write. I want the movie fresh in my head when we talk! My mind has a tendency to move things out without my approval!

Heather: I'm just messing. I'm the same way. One reason I kind of hate watching so many movies at once at the film festivals. Makes it hard to remember everything days later.

Terry: Oh, same here.

Dawn: Hahaha 😁😁😁

Heather: So date...13th or 20th?

Terry: Heather, Yeah, that's frustrating as hell. After a festival, you ever write a review and realize you're actually combining the plots from more than one movie..?

Dawn: Heck, that’d definitely be a hazard for me!

Heather: Not the plots so much but small things that happened that I wanted to talk about. I will remember it was from a different movie.

Terry: I prefer the 13th.

Heather: Dawn?

Dawn: I can dig it. The 13th.

Terry: I can chat on the 14th then.

Heather: We should have gone for Friday the 13th, maybe next time. 🙂

Dawn: We’ll have to make it work!

Terry: Festivals are fun but they're DAMN exhausting.

Heather: And they need better chairs for people like me that sit for hours on end. lol

Terry: Yeah, did you guys do anything Friday the 13th-y this weekend? I sure didn't! I was thinking about it though

Heather: I was just telling people to watch out for Jason.

Terry: Hahaha! Okay, I gotta go. Amy's through watching TV and needs her computer back!

Dawn: Yeah, I didn’t do anything. I didn’t even realize it was Friday the 13th! Ok, talk to you guys soon!

Terry: It was great chatting! Later!

Heather: I will clean this up tomorrow and have it posted. Have a good night you two. 🙂

Dawn: You too, you two!!

Terry: Yes, until next time you troublemakers! 😉



Terry: Oh! There was one thing I forgot to bring up last night! When Pearl leaves the home-made earrings of broken glass for Isabel, this was after Violet talked about the windchimes of broken glass made b Pearl. I thought it was obvious that Pearl made these. But it did lead to more fodder for Violet to insult Isabel when she thnaked Violet for them.