August 2022: Leos
We just finished Leo season! Here are some movies featuring our favorite Leos.
Chris’ Rec
Eve’s Bayou (1997)
I’m a 90s kid, and I remember so many child stars from the 90s. What happened to all of them? Where is Goldberg from Mighty Ducks right now? I couldn’t tell you, but I can tell you about Meagan Good (born August 8th, 1981), who broke out at 16 with a big role in the sultry drama Eve’s Bayou. Ok, I wasn’t watching Eve’s Bayou when I was 10, but I do remember her from Cousin Skeeter, and unlike all the other breakout child actors from the 90s, Meagan Good is still working! Despite costarring in You Got Served, she never got served the accolades she deserves. That’s why I’m stomping the yard for Eve’s Bayou, which is a very ADULT movie with a lot of amazing performances, beautiful people, and lovely Louisiana accents. I guarantee!
Stephanie’s Rec
Jupiter Ascending (2015)
What better way to celebrate Leo season than enjoying the 2015 classic Wachowski space opera, Jupiter Ascending?! The story focuses around Jupiter Jones, played by Mila Kunis (born August 14th, 1983), an ordinary earth housekeeper that finds herself embroiled in a succession/inheritance feud between the children of the House of Abrasax. Kunis is charming as always, Eddie Redmaine rasps through the movie, and Channing Tatum plays a half-dog half-soldier…what more could you ask for?
Dylan’s Rec
Second Act (2018)
We’ve become more class conscious in the past few years, which rules so much. In 2018-2019, a trilogy of films were released that I feel capture the spectrum of class struggles in America. Us and Minding the Gap have been widely praised enough, so today I’m recommending Second Act starting Jennifer Lopez (born July 24th, 1969). The film turns the rags to riches story on its head, showcasing that the work done by those in the working and service class is valid and essential to the fabric of society, and posits that the executive class is set to keep the rich rich. Which it is.
Kirk’s Rec
Rope (1948)
Alfred Hitchcock (born August 13th, 1899) embodies many stereotypical Leo traits: he’s confident, particular, and a little bit cocky. You can see Hitchcock’s Leo self emerge in all his films, however his ultimate Leo take has got to be subversive-gay crime thriller, Rope. The lion’s mane is at full-throttle here: it’s dark, funny, and titillating. But what really pushes it to the next level is the whole film appears to be one real-time long take. Hitchcock really out-Leo’d himself on this one!
Jesse’s Rec
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
The high voltage opening action scene in Kill Bill features Uma Thurman in intense hand-to-hand combat with my Leo for the staff picks, Vivica A. Fox (born July 30th, 1964). While she doesn’t appear often on screen in the Kill Bill universe, her unbridled energy—which quickly shifts to boiling restraint when her daughter enters the scene—immediately matches Thurman’s ferocity and sets the tone for the emotional stakes at play in maybe my favorite action thriller. It is a short, powerful cameo, a role well suited to her Leo sensibilities.