2015

Director: Kevin Greutert

Genre: Mystery horror

This film presented me with the most terrifying scenario imaginable:

A woman buys her own winery and goes to live there. However, she's pregnant so she can't drink any wine! 

I mean... that's just not fair. She loves wine! Wine is great! Especially if it's wine that you actually made. I remember when I was younger I let some grape juice ferment for a couple weeks to see if I could make my own wine. I vaguely remember it tasting weird. 

I believe that sharing a bottle of wine and talking with someone is one of life's best experiences. My issue with wine is that I can drink a lot of it, and it's expensive. I usually buy wines in the 10 to 30 dollar range, but that can add up. 

I definitely prefer red to white, though I do love a good Sauvignon Blanc. Merlot and Pinot Noir are the shit. Chardonnay can suck it. 

I would like to eventually get to the point where I can actually taste the subtleties in different types of wine. That has always seemed to me like a way to justify a purchase, or maybe it really improves the experience of drinking. There are so many wines to choose from. That of course goes for beer and liquor too, but I've never felt overwhelmed by choices when looking for whiskey. 

I always enjoy scenes in movies when characters drink alcohol. It’s always a subtle way to explore who a person is. You can tell a lot about someone by looking at what they drink. For example, someone might only drink Chardonnay, and then you'll know that person is an asshole.

Oh and, this is a film about a woman who starts having visions and is scared that her house is haunted. The cast is bizarrely populated by comedic actors. It's shot in that annoying modern horror film way that makes everything seem glossy and bright. You can always tell when a scene is meant to scare you or if it’s just moving the plot forward. 

The ending was clever and redeemed some of the film for me. The idea that all of her visions, which we assumed were ghost sightings, were actually visions events in the future that she would experience, was a neat subversion. 

I wonder if I should buy some wine today. It's summer right now, and the California heat is killing me, so that makes me want to only drink something that feels refreshing. Maybe a Riesling. Maybe not. 

I've been to several breweries, but it occurs to me that I've never visited a winery. Taking a trip up to Napa Valley sounds very appealing. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️