The Randomness Digest #2: The Movie Edition
It’s almost summer, so what better time to avoid the sun, sit inside, and watch movies?
The Devil Wears Prada 2
We live in weird times, where a sequel to a twenty-year-old dramedy is close to outcompeting Star Wars at the box office. That is what’s happening, though, and the world is better for it – a decade of high-concept franchises1 dominating the box office was not good for anyone. Many – evidently most – want genres other than superhero movies in their lives.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 isn’t just star-studded counter-programming to IP-driven movies; it’s one of those rare sequels that actually adds something to the original. Here, twenty years later, we pick up at Runway in a world where print magazines are folding on a regular basis, and the fashion press is increasingly losing ground to social platforms. The film, like its predecessor, is as much about journalism as it is about the fashion industry. And, it is a through-and-through well-written comedy.
The film doesn’t fall into the trap of harping loudly on the advent of social media – that serves as an undercurrent, while the film mainly focuses on the characters. And rightly so. With a cast that includes Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt, why wouldn’t you? Justin Theroux is a perfect tech bro.
One could say The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a slick, high-budget Hallmark movie, and I’ll leave it up to you to decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Me, I go with the former.
Videoheaven
File Videoheaven – a three-hour documentary on the rise and fall of video stores – under the “for a particular niche audience” category. Its director, Alex Ross Perry, delivered my favorite movie of 2025, Pavements, and while Videoheaven might not hit quite as hard, it’s a fun watch for anyone who obsessively searched for VHS tapes during the stores’ heyday.
Three hours is a commitment, but luckily, the film is divided into chapters. Videoheaven currently streams on Criterion.
Cube
You wake up in a cube-shaped room, no idea where you are, and notice that each wall has a door. You pick one, climb through it, and end up in another identical cube. So it continues until you reach a room with a trap, and you go ashes-to-ashes, dust-to-dust.
Cube is a Canadian sci-fi movie from 1997 that has built up a solid cult following over the years. Why does a group of people end up in the cube? And what exactly is the cube? Why does it exist? It’s a suspenseful movie, one that spawned two sequels. Those are both shaky, but fun nonetheless. Give them all a shot – JustWatch lists your streaming options.
Send Help
Sam Raimi returns with a comedy-horror movie. Send Help follows two people stranded on a remote island as they try to survive not only the environment but also each other. Comedy ensues – darkly funny comedy at that.
Sam Raimi will always be famous for the Evil Dead trilogy, and if you know those films, you’ll have a decent idea of what to expect. Send Help is a slicker movie, but it still has the heart of an eighties slasher. Some excellent performances from Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien elevate the experience.
Send Help is currently on VOD – as it’s a 20th Century Studios title, it’ll presumably hit Hulu in not too long.
Merch for the People!
Don’t just read Awesomeness – wear it! This distinguished publication proudly features two official shirts – or magnets, stickers, or whatever medium you can think of: The Hallgrrrl and Zune. Why those? For one, the Hallmark channel and Riotgrrrl are, as I’ve said before, the natural combination. And, who doesn’t love the Zune?
Go shop at The Better Taster Boutique for only the finest goods.
Read: Superhero movies with actors who, at this point, look to fall asleep on screen.