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This item is in your Recycling Bin |   ...there you will find me. |
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **   A fascination for the stars, a friendship with the darkest night; a search for adventure, a longing for the light; a journey to the edge of the universe, a wonder in my eyes... I have strong convictions, I love to sing and dance, I hate sham, lies and guise. I love life, people, oceans, pens, dreams, cats, chocolate, and I'll stand for what is right. You can tell me what I should be, Everything I lack. But at the end of the day just take me back to where the stars still shine at night.  Warning: Contains pert opinions, illogical thoughts, unrealistic dreams, ridiculous rants, irrelevant links, un-profound philosophy and "conservative" religious beliefs.You're welcome to read, follow, comment, listen, laugh and cry.  I can't promise any emotionally-tranquil content.  ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ® Bragging Rights Reserved |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 20 Prompt: Open – Tell me about a popular actor/actress you simply cannot stand.Ooh, ooh, pick me, pick me!   I am good at hating things.  And there is one actress in Hollywood who has the talent of actually making me hate every film she appears in. Roll up the curtain, here she comes!Is there a reason why I dislike Pirates of the Caribbean  , Pride & Prejudice (2005) , Atonement and Bend It Like Beckham ? Yep, you got it! They all star Keira Knightley. I hate her voice; her characters are always shallow and obnoxious, and never do they develop or provide something interesting to think about; and the movies are always about her, not her character.And that overdone accent.  I'm afraid she's more of a Hollywood mar than a Hollywood star.  I'm sorry, Keira. I have nothing against you, but you should never have started acting. And I look forward to your retirement, when you stop butchering every movie you enter. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 19 Prompt: Television – Talk about the moment when a favorite show of yours jumped the shark.As I have said before, my range of viewed television shows is limited. So I don't really have an answer for this prompt, except that I think every show does this eventually. TV script-writers just don't seem to think ahead. They run out of ideas. Things get quickly old. They rehash or they come up with something so ridiculously off track that it's like a new show starting all over again...but not. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 18 Prompt: Open – We already did something popular you don't like... but what about an incredibly popular movie or show that you've never actually seen?I have heard so much about this show but I've never got around to watching it. (I don't know if it counts as "incredibly popular".) People seem to be divided over whether this is a good show or not. Apparently the personal lives of the five surgical teams aren't so great, so I'm not sure if this show is worthy watching or if it's overrated. You tell me! :-[ Another show that interests me is Downton Abbey , but I have also heard mixed reviews of this and I'm not sure whether I should bother. What do you think? :-[There is also Game Of Thrones , but I'll never watch that. I've read half of the first book and frankly, I got bored. The plot is too slow and ongoing. I have also seen fragments of the show, and although I think it's well done, it's too violent and sexual for me, and again, the ongoing plot with all the characters killing each other is a little...average. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 17 Prompt: Movie – Which existing movie, old or new, would you love to see remade with modern technology/actors/etc.? The setting is perfect and the props were all very well done, but I thought the acting could have been better. But it was a very good movie, and on the other hand I'm not sure if modern actors could do it justice. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 16 Prompt: Open – Which deceased actor or actress do you miss the most?The most tragic deaths in cinema history aren't always on screen.  What breaks my heart the most is when an actor or actress dies during the making of a film. Runners-up would be James Stewart , the immortal western heart-throb, the sweet, girlish and gorgeous Audrey Hepburn , and the Joker, Heath Ledger . All of these actors left behind many to grieve their deaths and celebrate their lives, and a lasting legacy of artistic and inspiring films.Charlie Chaplin is known as one of the primary founders of the comedy genre. I think there are few in the West who haven't heard of the hilarious British comedy actor, Charlie Chaplin, whose silent black-and-white films still enchant and entertain audiences of all ages all over the world. Chaplin had the natural talent to make people laugh – a simple and yet powerful ingredient to a healthy lifestyle, a healthy family life and a healthy society. Did you know? Charlie Chaplin's career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death at age 88 in 1977. I am particularly attached to Chaplin because of how he didn't let his difficult childhood define his life. In fact, after a childhood of poverty and hardship, with an absent father and a mother who was later committed to a mental asylum, his life has been called "the most dramatic of all the rags to riches stories ever told" (according to his authorised biographer David Robinson). And I never realized how handsome he really was until I saw a photo of him off-screen  as compared to his usual appearance on-screen  .But his facial expressions and his body movements are my favourite thing about him. How does he do it?! It's a true talent to be able to express so much without saying anything at all. He soon became a global phenomenon, but I find it rather tragic and ironic that his life was a sad story compared to his happy and funny silent comedy films. I believe it's fair to say that Chaplin is the king of the silent era, if not the king of the comedy genre. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 15 Prompt: Television – Which character of which television show would you most like to see a spinoff series about (i.e. a show specifically about that character... examples include FRASIER who was originally a character on CHEERS, JOEY who was originally a character on FRIENDS, and PRIVATE PRACTICE which followed a character that originally starred in GREY'S ANATOMY)? Watching and reading movies and stories always gets me thinking about the secondary characters, and often I am tempted to write my own story for them out of sheer frustration for not knowing!  That awkward moment in the film industry when a secondary character outshines the primary character. The classic "sidekick" who makes the movie so much better with comic relief and making the protagonist look cool, and the fascinating villain or antagonist who decides the plot of the film by setting about on their evil plans.Examples of this in the movie world are the Joker in The Dark Knight , Muse in Captain Phillips and Matt Kowalski in Gravity (yes, I finally got around to seeing them!). But in these films, the characters aforementioned wouldn't stand alone outside the movie. So yes, they were wonderful characters in themselves, but a movie about them wouldn't work.I carefully considered some of the characters from TV shows (the very few that I have seen!), and once again, my choice is: (...which is technically a TV mini-series.  )I always wanted to know what happened to Mary and Kitty. Both sisters are kind of left hanging at the end of the story, and I could see massive room for character development in both of them. It would take a very clever director and some very clever screen-writers to do it, but I think it could be done. :-[ I think Kitty is the kind of girl who would get better as she grew up, but Mary especially needs some events in her life to lighten her up and actually show her that the world doesn't revolve around books and self-righteousness.  I even like her a little in the book. Was it entirely fair of Miss Austen to dump her? Whatever the story, with sisters like Jane and Lizzie, Mary and Kitty couldn't always stay the same. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 14 Prompt: – What actor or actress do you like enough to watch in just about anything? I don't exactly trust anyone in Hollywood. There aren't many actors and actresses that I would see in anything, especially since they like to experiment with different stuff and although I might be a fan of their performance in one movie, I may not like it in another. And that's okay. We all have our different ways of going about things. But I think it says a lot for an actor if their viewers are comfortable watching any film they appear in. And I'm aware that aside from their professional lives, actors are just like the rest of us – they have serious personal issues and lots of faults and failures, and they let us down occasionally, but still you can love them for who they are.Also, when I approached this prompt, I asked myself, "Which celebrity would I actually trust as just a person, off-screen and out of the spotlight? Who could I imagine being friends with, or having a normal dinnertime conversation with? Who could be my next door neighbour or a person I pass in the street and say, 'Hey, they've got talent!'" And I narrowed it down to about three. So before I reveal my most trustworthy actor/actress in both professional and personal roles of life, I would like to pay tribute to some lasting favourites of mine: Who doesn't love Jennifer Lawrence's hilarious frankness?Who wouldn't follow Viggo Mortensen or Russell Crowe to the death?As for looks, aw, hell, I'm a sucker for Matt Damon . And he has the drive and the charisma to pull of a stunning performance in just about any role.Although Tom Cruise is overrated, he always plays a fun and action-packed character, however thin and unvaried, and I'll admit I've grown to like him through a bunch of his movies.Daniel Craig 's eyes will never cease to give me the shivers. Christian Bale usually plays a dense, moral and interesting character. Robert Downey Jr. has a great attitude and an inspiring life story.Mr. Bean...ahem, I mean Johnny English...arg, what's his name? Rowan Atkinson is the king – no, the emperor – of comedy, with his lummox personality and utterly outrageously hilarious roles as two of my favourite comedy characters in the history of film.I could go on, down through the IMDb lists of Top 100s: the legendary Tom Hanks , the one and only Audrey Hepburn , the lively and laugh-with-us Cameron Diaz , the masterful Cate Blanchett , the before-she-went-crazy Amanda Bynes , the elegant Gwyneth Paltrow , the exciting Scarlett Johansson , the serious and hilarious Will Smith .But despite my deep struggle to choose between Tom Hanks, Russell Crowe and Matt Damon, I console myself with the understanding that this isn’t about my favourite actor or actress, but an actor or actress I like enough to watch in just about anything. Colin Firth has never let me down. Every film I have seen him perform in I have enjoyed. His dignified, aristocratic, gentleman-like personality is charming and engaging. Of course, the peak of his career was his roles as Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice (1995) and King George VI in The King’s Speech , but I would trust him in just about any movie.I think that what I respect most about him as an actor is his ability to adapt to almost any role and totally convince the viewer that it’s real. He doesn’t do much in his roles, and I think it takes a lot of talent to make a character stand alone simply by what he says and how he acts on screen, almost regardless of the events of the story. In his personal life he has also shown devotion to his family and a good balance between “real life” and the show business. And besides being handsome, he’s the epitome of that old English aristocracy we love and miss so much. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 13 Prompt: Movie – What's the first movie you remember seeing in a theater? Okay, don't laugh at me, but I haven't been to the cinema many times, and the first film I remember watching was... This is the sequel to Shrek and it continues in the life and adventures of the ogre Shrek, his new wife Princess Fiona and his annoying but funny sidekick, Donkey. Princess Fiona's parents, the King and Queen of Far, Far Away, invite the newlyweds to a feast in celebration of their marriage. Unfortunately, they don't take kindly to their daughter's big, green ogre husband ~ or the fact that Fiona is now a big, green ogre herself!It wasn't as good as the first movie, but Puss In Boots rectified the situation. He is the best cat character in film history, second only to Tom from Tom And Jerry and perhaps Catwoman. His multi-personality his a crack up, one minute the cute, kind and daring cat, and the next minute the roguish rebel with sharp claws and teeth. And oh, the famous Puss In Boots eyes. :-[ Enough to make a grown woman cry. I mean, just feast your eyes! [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Aaaaaaaaaaaaw!!  |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 12 Prompt: Open – Talk about a movie or television show that you feel has particularly strong writing. Forget the actors and directors and production value and special effects; what property dazzles you with the dialogue and storytelling?This one took a bit of thinking through. Many of the movies that came to mind were more action-oriented, and I wanted a film with lots of dialogue and less action. What could be more fitting than the dialogue of a movie about dialogue? This movie was an instant favourite. It combines my favourite time in history (the World War 2 era) with one of my favourite settings (England), two of my favourite historical figures (Winston Churchill and King George VI) with three of my favourite actors (Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Elizabeth Bonham-Carter) in one of my favourite kinds of stories (a less-well-known true story)! Bertie's s-s-s-speech impediment makes a great obstacle on top of the conflict surrounding his ascension to the throne. I love it how such a small thing becomes so important in light of who he is (or rather, what he is). The director could have chosen to focus on much bigger events in Bertie's life, such as Elizabeth's rejection of his proposals, his brother's abdication and World War 2. Instead, these external events became foundational conflicts for an overarching and much deeper and more personal struggle: Bertie's self-confidence and acceptance of responsibility. He could have shrunk from his burdens, hidden, made excuses, abdicated like his brother. But instead he chose to step up to what his country needed in a very dark time: a true king. And who can go wrong with Colin Firth?  Everything about this film was heart-warming, realistic, funny and ultimately triumphant. It was a story full of dialogue, built on dialogue and about dialogue while remaining fresh and entertaining (and not dry, like most movies with so much dialogue are). It excelled many action movies I have seen. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 11 Prompt: Television – Are there any long-running shows you've seen every single episode of? No one-season wonders here; let's say a show has to have a run of at least 48 episodes to count. If you haven't seen every episode of a show, tell me about one you'd like to consider watching from beginning to end. Um, not really. I don't like wasting my time. I have watched a few mini-series, but not 48 episodes of anything. I think the closest I have come to it would be 24 , but I only watched one season. So, I'm sorry, but this entry is barren of anything interesting. :-[But if you're feeling like supporting me and my great endeavours you could check out these two:
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 10 Prompt: Open – What's the best adaptation of a book (or book series) you've seen? Ooh, this would be a very close draw between The Lord Of The Rings and Pride & Prejudice (1995) . Although The Lord Of The Rings movies are my favourite of the two (and indeed, my favourite of all time), I want to consider the difficulty and accuracy of book-to-film adaptation, rather than just my personal favourite.Jeff  , I hate you for making me choose between these, but I'm going to step off the beaten track and choose Pride & Prejudice (1995). I choose this because The Lord Of The Rings films are quite plot driven, which they must be, compared to the dryness of the books. They compliment the books by bringing action and much more dialogue into it, although I would argue that some of the characters weren't quite as accurate to the book as the could have been – which is where Pride & Prejudice excels. Okay, so before I move on I'll present some honourable mentions: The Bourne Trilogy (The Bourne Identity , The Bourne Supremacy , The Bourne Ultimatum and The Bourne Legacy ). Beside Matt Damon being my favourite actor :-[ I love the action, political intrigue, romance and morals of these films. The plot was easy enough to follow, yet hard enough to keep you interested; the action was dense enough to keep you gripped, yet diluted enough to let you breathe; the political intrigue was very interesting and realistic; the romance was refreshing; the constantly changing setting was also exciting and still believable, a great back-drop for the story.Others are: Defiance and Jane Eyre (2006) .Now this is an example of when Andrew Davies excelled himself. :-[ I have read and loved the book, and the film stayed true to the novel. I think Jane Austen would have nodded her head while watching this. In many ways, I like the film more than the book (dare I say it!  ). Elizabeth Bennet in the film (played by Jennifer Ehle) is a little more mature and womanly than the bouncy, girlish Elizabeth Bennet of the novel, but both characters are merged well into one. Mr. Darcy (played by Colin Firth) is much more involved in the movie. In the book his character is very distant and hard to imagine.The characters are all so colourful, and so much attention was given to even the smallest details of costume and setting. The music is delightful, the actors and actresses are perfectly cast and the plot moves slowly enough to suit the time and yet fast enough to suit the modern audience. I absolutely love everything about this movie, and if I could pick out one fault...well, I'd be here a long time...and it would give me a new excuse to watch the movie a few more times. :-[ |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 9 Prompt: Movie – What's the worst movie you've ever seen? This was incredibly easy, since I have a hate list of movies I wish I had never seen. First we'll have the runners-up: Pride & Prejudice (2005) . I only watched this one to mock it, and I'm telling you, there was more than enough to mock! It was highly unrealistic – an American adaptation of a classic English book, for one, and clearly no one put any research into the times: everyone spoke too quickly, there was none of the dignity of the aristocracy (in fact, there was no aristocracy, just a bunch of barn-dancing freaks) and everything was too emotional.  Star Wars . Apart from every 13-year-old boy obsessing over this series, I have other reasons for hating it: the villain completely outshone the hero, the acting was lame (especially since most of the actors were on drugs), the plot was cheesy and dragged out and the setting was unconvincing. The only reason this movie was famous and I will grudgingly admit it served some purpose, was because it was a "break through" kind of movie – one that was the first of its time.The Matrix . I mean, what the hell? No one got this film because there was nothing to get! The plot was unreasonably complicated, it dragged out, the fighting was ridiculous. Overall, it was the most outrageous pile of crap I have ever laid eyes on.Okay, now that I've got that out of my system, here is the single worst film I have ever watched in my entire miserable existence: What the hell was Andrew Davies thinking?? Usually his screenplay isn't too bad, but here he completely flopped. I haven't read the book, but the plot was so utterly ridiculous and boring that I found myself suggesting to my friends halfway through that we turn off the movie and go and get ice-cream, but they were curious "to see how it ended". I'm afraid all curiosity was beyond me at that point. You'd think with star actors such as Matthew Macfadyen, Luke Evans, Orlando Bloom, Christian Oliver and Logan Lerman you couldn't wrong. But it went very, very, very wrong. Honestly, it was like watching a bunch of actors bumming around while they were bored. It was like they couldn't even be bothered putting the effort into making their characters convincing. In fact, it seemed they were making the effort to do exactly the opposite. There were only two funny bits ("What shall I write on your tombstone? 'Little s***'?"), which admittedly I enjoyed, and the fighting, however unrealistic, was entertaining, but the plot became more and more slow-moving. The majority of the movie was CG. The setting was so completely and utterly out of kilter it was sickening. 21st century thinking, 21st century dialogue, 21st century attitudes, all dressed up in unconvincing 18th century costume with a "Muskateer" label pasted on it. And the tagline – "Every legend has a new beginning"? Really?! Who wrote that. If Alexandre Dumas saw what had become of his novel, he would be more than embarrassed. He would be suicidal. What have we become? We should be ashamed of ourselves. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 8 Prompt: Open – What property (book, comic, toy, etc.) would you love to see adapted for the screen? Movie or TV, and why?Am I allowed to choose my own writing? :-[ Because I would choose my novel: I think this would make a good movie because while writing it, I have had a very visual concept of the story, characters and setting. I think the plot is gripping, and the relationships and tensions between the characters could be portrayed really well. The only downside would be the long travel scenes at the beginning and perhaps the horror/zombie side of it, but I'm sure they could be worked around. Besides, I have always wanted to work on a movie set, and this would be the ultimate opportunity. :-[ Otherwise, the choice remains very difficult. I'm a great fan of Alistair MacLean 's war novels, especially HMS Ulysses , San Andreas and South By Java Head , as well as peace-time novels, When Eight Bells Toll , The Way To Dusty Death and Ice Station Zebra . However, I'm not sure if movie adaptions could do the stories credit. MacLean's writing style is half the magic of the books, and his characters would be too unbelievable and invincible on screen without their emotional and psychological backing.Agnes Grey , by Anne Brontë, is one of those sweet, feel-good novels which would make a lovely film, but it would need a little more plot to make it interesting on screen.So in the end I would probably choose: This is one of Charlotte Brontë's less well-known novels. There have been many film adaptions of its predecessor, Jane Eyre (my favourite of which is the 2006 adaptation , starring Ruth Wilson as Jane Eyre and Toby Stephens as Mr. Rochester, but none of the much darker, colder and more powerful Villette.Although this novel has very little action or plot and much of the story is in the protagonist Lucy Snowe's thoughts, the character interaction is pure enchantment. It is gritty, fascinating and bitterly realistic. It would be one of the most impossible books to adapt to screen for many reasons, including the need for hundreds of young actresses to convincingly portray the schoolgirls, and the mysterious ending, which would be very difficult to capture in a movie. But I'm sure one of the talented directors out there could manage it, and I hope someday someone will undertake this challenge. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 7 Prompt: Television – Write about a television show that, love it or hate it, went (or is currently going) on for way too long.This was a toss up between The Simpsons (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096697/?ref_=nv_sr_1), Shortland Street (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098911/?ref_=nv_sr_1) and Coronation Street (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053494/?ref_=nv_sr_1), but in the end I chose the one I hate the most: Has it really been running since 1989? This is the most mindless, irritating show I have ever seen. Imagine spending your life creating 554 episodes of this absolute rubbish. Okay, no offence to any Simpsons fans, but I think 25 years is a bit over the top.To be honest, I haven't watched much of it, but there was a big craze for it a while back (I'm not sure if it's still so popular as it used to be) and every time I walked into a shop or any other place with a TV, it was on. With those annoying voices. The dull, senseless plot. The horrific yellow. The sameness. The fart jokes. In other news... Today I rediscovered an old book of poems and short stories that my Nana left to me when she passed on. Before she married my grandfather she had a friend who, like her, loved to write. I'm not sure if he was a lover (my mother said Nana always insisted he was just a friend), but he wrote a poem for her in the front of this book and gave it to her. On the inside cover it says: E.F. Searle Maidstone June, 1953 In a way I am sad that I have the book instead of his family. One day if I can find the time and work up the courage, I'll look up his surname and see if I can get hold of his relatives, because, even though it was a gift, it is a beautiful piece of history that probably means a lot more to them than it does to me (as much as I love its faded old pages and the beautiful words written out in neat cursive). (It's a strange coincidence that LostGhost: Seeking & Learning  asked in a recent notebook post, "Note: While trying to attempt a romantic poem today, I r...", for our favourite romantic poems.)Here is the poem, penned in such elegant handwriting: To Margaret You are all that is lovely and light, Margaret whom I adore, And, waking, after the night I am weary with dreams of you. Every nerve in my heart is terse and sore, As I rise to another morning away from you. I dream of your beautiful eyes, Margaret whom I adore; Of the ruffled silk of your hair I dream, and the dreams are lies. But I love them, knowing no more Will ever be mine of you, Margaret my life's despair. You are all that is lovely to me, Margaret my only light, One white rose in a desert of gloom; I only live in the night, The night, with its fair false dreams of you, Your utter loveliness, Margaret my one delight. |
I'm sorry all these entries are late. I have had a very busy few weeks and although I could write shorter entries, I really want to take time to do them well. Hopefully from now on I'll be able to keep up with my nemesis, the WdC clock, but no promises!  I'm enjoying this challenge very much. Thank you, Jeff , for being patient and gracious with my late entries and letting me have a chance even though I don't deserve it. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 6 Prompt: Open Tell us about an unexpected gem; something you've seen and love that you doubt many other people know about. There were a few that came to mind, such as The Trail To Hope Rose and Love Comes Softly , but the most surprising, distinct and memorable of all was...This was a complete impulse movie which I got out without knowing anything about it. I had never heard of it before and I wasn't expecting much. The beginning was very slow moving and I didn't like the modern scenes. Frankly, I kept watching because I was bored. But the beginning didn't do the film justice. Not at all. I think this film is one of very few I have seen with such a small and insignificant plot, almost nonexistent, that wanders through an everyday sort of life, and almost insufficient dialogue, which was such a success for me: and that was because the characters were what held the story. In the 1920s, following World War 1, Inge, a German woman with no family, comes to America to marry Olaf, a man she has never met before. Facing prejudice, discrimination and bureaucracy, the couple struggle to make ends meet as they work the farm. At first the Inge is reluctantly accepted by the families of the local farming community but events eventually lead to her being ostracized altogether, and Olaf chooses and in a way is forced to share her social exile. Only through their perseverance, kindness and forgiveness when the tables turn do these two find acceptance and even love. The characters are the beautiful melody that make this symphony a masterpiece. Inge's humility and loneliness make the viewer really reach out to her and connect with her. She has a kind of quiet dignity and grace and naive sadness that steal your heart away...and of course, Olaf's as well. Olaf is a humble and hard-working man of integrity. He sees wrong in the world and by standing for what is right himself, he effects those around him and in his own small way changes the world. He is protective of Inge, kind and gentle, and his self-sacrifice makes the ending so beautiful. The only thing I would have changed was the contemporary story, with Olaf having died and Inge telling the story to her son, who must sell the farm. The flashback story is enough to stand on its own, and I felt the modern scenes were slow moving and didn't give much to the film. Without the enchantment of the 1920s and the original characters, I felt the story lost its relevance to the viewer. "Let us hope that we are preceded in this world by a love story." - Of Time And Memory I really love it how the Olaf and Inge share a kind of soul communication beyond the language obstructions. Their connection is deeper than what words can express – even if they could say the words! The music is lovely and the story has so much to say but it doesn't say it loudly. This is indeed an authentic, intricate, deeply emotional and gratifying film. Leading actress Elizabeth Reaser and co-star Tim Guinee work their magic. I'm not sure if after reading this you will enjoy the movie as much as I did, since part of the beauty of it was discovering something new and being so delightfully surprised, but I recommend it all the same. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 5 Prompt: Movie What was the last movie you saw in a theater? I can't believe it...has it really been a year since I went to the theatre? I definitely need to get out some more!(Yep, the stars get a new colour because this is a dark movie that does not want pretty stars! )This film is unique to me because it was the first of its kind that I watched: horror, without comedy. I have seen a bunch of zombie/alien/apocalypse films (such as Bad Taste , District 9 , Zombieland and Shaun Of The Dead ), and I used to think horror was only redeemed when paired with comedy. So with courage and a bit of dread I stepped out of my comfort zone and went with a bunch of friends to watch World War Z at the theatre – being one of only two females among them. One of the guys had already gone to see it – and ended up shrieking out loud when he got a fright in one of the scary parts. Perhaps this helps to paint a picture of what I was going through when I followed my supposedly fearless friends into the massive dark room, smuggling food and drinks in which we hadn't bought at the theatre shop. Although I wonder if they weren't feeling the same as me? The opening credits stole my heart. The beautiful, haunting and incredibly zombie piano music, together with the "news" clips and the ominous footage of this strange disease taking over the world, was the best movie opening I think I have ever seen. Gerry Lane (played by Brad Pitt) is a United Nations employee who barely escapes with his family from the zombie attack on their city. He then begins a race against time around the world to discover the root of the pandemic and find an antidote before humanity is destroyed. The suspense was killing, the plot progressed rather well and the zombies were more convincing than any others I have encountered in the world of film. Brad Pitt outdid himself. I don't think I've seen a better performance from this star actor whom I have never been fond of until he stepped into the roll of Gerry Lane. :-[ Unfortunately I have already discussed this movie in a previous entry ("Invalid Entry" ), but I'll try not to repeat myself.I really liked Daniella Kertesz's character, Segen. This female Israeli soldier is assigned to escort Gerry through Jerusalem, and when the zombies overwhelm the city she is bitten. Fortunately Gerry amputates her hand, saving her life. She deals with her amputation with a lot of grit and although very weak she continues with Gerry on his journey to seek a treatment for the disease (she didn't have much of a choice! It was either go with him or be zombified). For a while I thought she was going to die, and I felt myself desperately hoping she would live. And she did. Which made me super happy. She quietly supports Gerry and always has his back, even to the end.My only issue with the movie was the lack of dialogue, too much flying around and not enough consistent characters. (The characters come and go almost as quickly as the scene. I suppose this was a good effect to shake our confidence and make us realize it was more likely for a character to die than to survive. But it still frustrated me, since characters are what hold up any story.) I was glad that I could predict the parts meant to give me a fright, so I didn't end up screaming or wetting my pants. :-[ I had a few nightmares afterwards, but the movie had some great inspiration for my novel, "Invalid Item" , and overall I enjoyed watching it. Although I wouldn't watch it again. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 4 Prompt: Open Write about an extremely popular movie or television show that you just can't get into. Why is it a miss for you? There are a ton of movies that I watched and wished I hadn't (or at least, enjoyed having something to hate ), but I think there is quite a difference between disliking a movie and just not getting into it. And I have seen a few popular movies that I never really got into.The first that comes to mind is The Hunger Games (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/?ref_=nv_sr_2). The films didn't reach the standard of the books. I thought they were poorly done and the only thing that redeemed them was Jennifer Lawrence's performance. The love triangle is immature. The action didn't start until near the end, and then it was gruesome. I found the plot dragged out a lot and I didn't feel the suspense that I felt with the books. I won't go on because I have already written a blog entry on the Hunter Games books and movies, which can be seen here: "Invalid Entry" Star Wars (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120915/?ref_=nv_sr_3) is another series of films I never got into. However, it has been a long time since I last saw the movies, so I'll skip that one for now and try to go for something more universally popular, rather than just popular for a certain genre or audience. The Dark Knight Trilogy (Batman Begins: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372784/?ref_=nv_sr_1 The Dark Knight: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/?ref_=nv_sr_1 The Dark Knight Rises: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/?ref_=nv_sr_2) I am yet to see the third film, but so far I have only liked bits and pieces from the first two movies.  The Pros & Cons:  Batman Begins started out well. I was intrigued with Bruce Wayne (that name cracks me up because it's two of my brothers' names, Bruce and Wayne, and it's weird seeing them put together as a character's name) and his journey to find himself. His decision not to execute the "criminal" at the beginning shows off his compassion and softness as a character, revealing that mercy can take more strength than killing. And yes, I love Christian Bale. Who doesn't? When he saved his mentor's life, I knew Ducard (played by Liam Neeson) would turn up in the film later, but I got a huge surprise when Ducard turned out to be the villain. Considering Ducard owed his life to Bruce, I thought it was pretty inconsiderate of him to repay his debt by becoming Bruce/Batman's adversary. It was an excellently executed plot twist. I also love Ducard's speech about a man becoming legend: "But if you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can't stop you, then you become something else entirely... Legend." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCyYLymJxgc). The flashbacks of Bruce's childhood show his discovery of the bat caves and the traumatic experience that later founded his almost unreasonable fear of bats. We also get to know Bruce's father, who is a tender yet competent man. I liked the contrast of the well-to-do businessman and the gentle, guiding father. I really felt for Bruce when his parents were murdered, although I thought it was unrealistic, especially for such an extremely wealthy family and a smart businessman, that they exited the theatre through a back door into a dark, menacing alleyway. Overall, the flashbacks were convincing and a clever way of building the background story, tying in Bruce's fear, guilt and hunger for vengeance, each seeming to trigger the next (his traumatic experience with the bats caused him to freak out at the theatre, causing them to leave the theatre in a hurry, causing the abrupt encounter with the criminal in the alleyway and his parents' death, causing Bruce's extreme guilt, which in turn prompted him to seek revenge to redeem his supposedly fatal mistakes – ultimately, with the guidance of good people, spawning the legendary crime vigilante Batman). Father-figure Albert (played by Michael Caine), the Wayne family's butler, has taken on the responsibility of raising Bruce in his father's place. Armed with good advice, quiet, down-to-earth strength and common sense, he is an original and trustworthy sidekick. Lucius Fox (played by Morgan Freeman) is a scientist who gets away with way too much, I liked him all the same. The spawning of Batman was interesting. I like Bruce's ideas, his enthusiasm, his determination. But would it have been the same if he wasn't so rich? Somehow I feel that Batman is just too easy for Bruce to create. Once he is in the suit he is invincible. Can money really buy you invincibility? (That word must have the most "i"s I have ever come across! ) But after Batman was born, everything went downhill (for me, at least). His voice was ridiculous. The plot became predictable. The villains were pathetic until Ducard turned up. Ducard's misguided attempt to save Gotham was completely unbelievable. I mean, even the most irrational villains have some kind of logic? The "action" seemed to me only mindless violence. The plot lost its intricacy when it became everyone blowing things up, shooting things, dying and jumping off buildings. It became unbalanced. Oh, but Bruce posing as a playboy was hilarious. I thought that was a fun and kind of clever way of hiding his true interests and identity. I realized then that Bruce was becoming Batman. Everything Batman represented was Bruce's true self coming out, however masked. A lot of the explanations of the advanced technology of the Batman suit and the "microwave emitter" were all just scientific garble that made no sense (I'm not a great scientist geek but my brother, who I was watching the film with, was explaining how and why it was nonsensical). Finally, Rachel (played by Katie Holmes), Bruce's childhood friend and love interest, was unconvincing. As a lawyer fighting for true justice and struggling against the justice system's corruption, she didn't impress me as a lawyer at all. Lawyers are very clever, guarded and rational people. I think she was too emotional. And the part where she had to be rescued and then asked Batman to reveal his identity was SO clichéd! My brother and I were predicting almost everything that happened after that. But I did like the way Batman cryptically told her who he was by quoting what she said earlier: "It's not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me." I thought that was a rather epic scene, even if a little cheesy. I loved the moral dilemmas, the discussions about fear and power, and Bruce's inner conflict. Overall, if I counted correctly, I gave this movie 11 s and 10 s. So in the end the pros outweighed the cons – but only just! :-[ Remember, this is more a movie I couldn't get into rather than one I dislike. Actually, I would argue that they are good films but just not for me. Well, I think I have gone on long enough. I hope I haven't bored you. :-[ I'll discuss The Dark Knight in a future blog post because I don't want this one to get too long and drawn out. So, are you a fan of Batman? What do you like and dislike about the movies? |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 3 Prompt: Television Which past TV show was canceled or otherwise ended WAY too soon? Like I said before, I don't watch many TV shows and never have. I'm more fond of movies. One thing I dislike about TV shows is how they don't have a resolution. Their ongoing nature wears me out because there is never an ending to the overarching storyline, and I feel dissatisfied after watching each episode. I prefer series that change character perspective every few episodes. I thought The Paradise (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2391224/?ref_=nv_sr_1) wasn't going to continue, and that nearly broke my heart. I absolutely loved the ending of Season 1, though, as ambiguous and teasing as it was. But when I looked it up again recently I found out that it continued into Season 2. Deadwood (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0348914/?ref_=nv_sr_1) shouldn't have ended where it did, but the most disappointing of all was... What I loved about this series was its original plot, its action-packed hilarity and quirky and endearing characters. I'm sad that it never ended properly. I wanted to know if and how Ned told Chuck in the end that it was he who accidentally killed her father. I loved the crazy aunts and I was dying to know why they left their home (no doubt to become assassins or pursue some other such dark and animated career). I wanted to know if Ned pursued his new job raising people from the dead or if he got tired of it. I wondered what sinister things were happening on the cruise ship and who the ninja was.In other words, it ended too soon, although it was a nice kind of ending. |
| Sorry, it's late again. I started writing this entry yesterday but never got around to posting. So here it is at last! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 2 Prompt: Movie In honor of the Oscars tonight, talk about your favorite movie from last year (2013). Well, I am very embarrassed to say this, but I haven't seen that many movies from 2013. My first choice was The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/?ref_=nv_sr_2) which I watched in January of last year, but (duh!) it was made in 2012 (was it really that long ago??). I loved that movie, although its fantasy element was bigger and stronger than The Lord Of The Rings (my all-time favourite movies, ever) and it felt a bit overdone. The scene with Gollum and Bilbo sparring with their riddles was done so well. It excelled all my expectations. Martin Freeman performed it so naturally and so intensely that I was in the scene the whole time. That rarely happens for me as deeply as it did then. Martin Freeman is now one of my favourite actors. He has ease, dignity and perfect theatrical talent for a convincing delivery. I watched The Host (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517260/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) but didn't like it at all. It was highly unrealistic, the characters were shallow, the plot was narrow and moved slowly, it was predictable and cheesy. I gave it a very low rating. Monsters University (www.imdb.com/title/tt1453405/) didn't live up to my expectations. It was fun, but a little boring and lacked the humour of the first one. I watched World War Z (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816711/), which is about the most horrific I've seen (I'm not into horror, unless it's horror-comedy :-[), and was thoroughly horrified. The filming was done very well. It was stark, dark and realistic (for zombies). Brad Pitt outdid himself, and the Pepsi cans scene at the end is one of the most memorable for me. I really like how the movie opened and closed. I thought it was very unique. The part when he chops off Segen's hand was amazing because Gerry's quick thinking saved her life, and I had been wondering through the movie what would happen if you chopped off the part that was bitten by the zombie. :-[ The only things I didn't like were 1) limp dialogue, 2) too much flying (did I count two helicopter rides and two plane rides that made up the majority of the movie?), 3) no consistent characters (I wanted Gerry to have at least one friend who stuck with him the whole way, and except for Segen, who only came in halfway through, he left all the other characters behind or they were zombified). And Captain Speke's death broke my heart.  Some epic scenes, though, and I was glad that I could predict all the parts that would freak me out (the music stops and there are distant clanging, discordant sounds and zombie noises), so thankfully I made it through without wetting my pants or screaming (the latter of which one of my friends did). :-[I planned to go to the cinema to watch Captain Phillips (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535109/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) but something else came up on the night and I had to abort. Only three days ago I was going to finally get out Gravity (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1454468/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1), which I have heard so much about, but chose to watch Batman: The Dark Knight instead (and wasn't that impressed). So these two acclaimed award-winners Oscar-winning (I am also absolutely desperate to watch Walking With The Enemy (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1515208/), a war movie that looks gripping and brilliant. I love having such a rich array of movies to choose from. )So my decision is... *drum roll* This sequel to Despicable Me (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1323594/?ref_=tt_rec_tt) lives up to the classic humour of its predecessor, although not quite beating it. :-[ There is only one thing that is better than a movie that you think it going to be bad only to discover that it excels your expectations in every way, and that is knowing the movie you are about to watch is really good only to discover that it excels your expectations in every way. :-[ Our tough yet affectionate ex-villain, Gru, is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to uncover the secret identity of a mysterious criminal who has stolen a top secret Arctic laboratory...a laboratory that produced some kind of dangerous chemical. Trying to balance his family life with his new job, Gru must tackle Margo's teenage love life and his own growing affection for fellow AVL agent, Lucy, while facing an unknown enemy who is trying to destroy the world from his headquarters in the Paradise Mall. And it doesn't help that Gru's minions are being kidnapped en masse. The minions, paired with Gru's Russian accent and devotion to his adopted daughters, are what I love most about these films. Here is a movie that anyone can enjoy, that promote good values such as family relationships, good vs. evil, loyalty, love, perseverance and enjoying the small things. The animation is colourful, the story is uplifting and the characters, cartoon as they are, are 3D and totally lovable. Fun can still be family-friendly. Here is my "2013 movies to watch" list:  Captain Phillips Gravity Walking With The Enemy Iron Man 3 Epic The Family Elysium Oblivion Safe Haven The Best Offer Hours The World's End Diana The Railway Man Thor: The Dark World (well, I have to see the first one, first )I'd love to hear your recommendations (or warnings !). |
| Call me crazy, but I've decided to participate in "Blog Harbor from The Talent Pond" 's latest challenge: "March Memory Lane Challenge: Movies & TV Edition!" I'm a bit late right now and I have a bit of catching up to do, so let me get to it. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Day 1 Prompt: OPEN Write about a movie or television series that terrified you as a kid and still gives you the creeps today. As a kid, I didn't watch many movies or much TV at all. My six brothers and sisters and I were extremely outdoors-oriented, and for most of our younger years our family didn't even own a TV (I know, shocking, considering the technologically over-advanced, over-obsessive world we live in, but back then we were rather poor and TV wasn't seen as a good influence in our family life). On the odd occasion that we did watch films, we borrowed a TV and made a night of it, but since I was the youngest I often had to go to bed early or miss out altogether (oh, poor dear creature that I was! ). Call me sheltered, call me what you will, but I wasn't ready for...We enjoyed watching the Indiana Jones movies (what kid doesn't?). The adventure, mystery and humour was enough to hook even the adults. We especially loved Ke Huy Quan, Indiana's Chinese sidekick, and despised "the chick", Willie Scott. Harison Ford's performance was fun enough to make us laugh and serious enough to keep us in constant suspense, wondering how he would get out of the next scrape, but we always knew he would come out the winner, hat, whip and all...even if at times it seemed a bit unlikely, what with all of those traps and villains and voodoos. I think the suspense was what made the movie so scary for me. The graphic images weren't even that graphic until that scene in the catacombs. {e:shivers} I was scared stiff when Indiana Jones went into the catacombs and discovered the horrific scene of human sacrifice as the witch doctor pulled the heart out of the victim and droned "Kali Ma! Kali Ma!" as the cage descended into the fire. All of my brothers and sisters laughed, but I quietly got up and went to sit on Mum's knee (she said I always did that when I was scared). I had some vivid nightmares after watching that one, and the thought of it still gives me the shivers...although it is kind of funny, now. :-[ |
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