Things I Love Today…

I haven’t done one of these in a while!

1. Come Along, Chelsea Lauren- http://comealong-chelsealauren.tumblr.com/

This is my favorite nerdy fashion blog. Chelsea is always so inspiring. She takes characters from shows, books, and movies and then recreates the looks.Here’s an example. This is based on Hazel from The Fault in Our Stars:

2. This video. I’ve had it on replay.

I just recently saw Robin Hood: Men in Tights. I thought it was hilarious, if a bit crude at times. It’s my first foray into the dangerous world of Mel Brooks.

3.

Sherlock and Watson: Ponies by Vondell Swain

4.  The fact that I get to read The Hobbit, Frankenstein, and Slaughter-house Five for my science fiction and fantasy literature class.

5.  Guys, I make some mean chocolate Oreo cupcakes, if I do say so myself

The Tree of Life (film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I saw Tree of Life tonight. I wanted to like it, guys. I really wanted to like it. However, I just couldn’t.

According to Wikipedia,

“The Tree of Life is a 2011 American drama film with experimental elements written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, and Jessica Chastain. Malick’s film chronicles the origins and meaning of life by way of a middle-aged man’s childhood memories of his family living in 1950s Texas, interspersed with imagery of the origins of the universe and the inception of life on Earth… The film received widespread critical acclaim, but also polarizing responses to Malick’s use of technical and artistic imagery, directorial style, and fragmented non-linear narrative.”

So, visually, this film was a treat. It was stunningly beautiful, mixing nature, animations of the beginning of universe, dinosaurs, and 1950s Texas.  This sounds like a wide range of things to be covered by one film. And it is, which is exactly my problem.

Nonlinear storytelling isn’t a turn-off for me. In fact, I find it refreshing. However, this film is not just nonlinear. It doesn’t appear to truly have a story line. I mean, there’s the overall story of Jack, a boy growing up with a selfish dad and a kind mother. But really, most of what I know about the film is inferred from my own conjectures.

I did like the tie-ins with the Book of Job, which were obvious to me from the start. I just wish that there hadn’t been so many moments that left me asking “What?” and scratching my head in confusion.

As my friend summarized it, “That movie was weird, trippy, pretentious and unfortunately written, but beautiful, visually speaking and in terms of tone and themes.”

Have you sen Tree of Life? If so, opinion?

 

BEDA #3

This post is one of those “Here’s what I did today” things that I hate. So to make it more interesting, watch this first:

Proof that you can, in fact, sing along to the Doctor Who theme. (that is not me in the video, btw. It’s the lovely Hayley G. Hoover. Look her up on Youtube. She’s amazing :P)

So today, I bought a textbook

…drew a Stargate

…worked on a project for my one high school class

Then I went to the library for a while.

For the grand finale, I saw the Hunger Games again, this time with my friend Ilsa. It’s still amazing. I *may* have spent most of the movie teary eyed. (*May* ).

Better post tomorrow! Cross my heart and kiss my elbow! (bonus points if you know where that’s from…)

The Hunger Games: A Movie Review

Hello lovelies!

This last week has been full of crazy ups and downs. I’m on break now, though, so I have a little bit of time to decompress.

On to more important topics: The Hunger Games!!!! (limited spoilers ahead…)

Guys, I really really liked this film. It’s on my list of best book to movie adaptations. There were some frustrating things (i.e shaky camera movement, sins of omission, etc.), however it was still fantastic! Jennifer Lawrence deserves all the awards. 🙂 Her performance was moving and just perfect. She fulfilled my vision of Katniss. Hats off to her.

Josh Hutcherson was an ideal Peeta.  I was worried that the movie would overemphasize the Peeta/Katniss romance,but I actually found myself wishing that their relationship got a little more screen time.  Also, the fact that Katniss sees the relationship as a facade is never raised in the movie, which is kind of important!

Liam Hemworth was a gorgeous Gale (of course!). Since Gale isn’t really a crucial character in the first book,  I can’t really say that he was good or bad in the role. Elizabeth Banks was the perfect Effie. Really, she was spot on. Woody Harrelson was great as Haymitch. The only think that irked me is that the character sobered up rather quickly, keeping us from seeing the full picture of Haymitch as portrayed in the book. Donald Sutherland was a sinister President Snow. I can’t wait to see more of him in Catching Fire! Lenny Kravitz was so-so as Cinna. His performance didn’t particularly stand out. Wes Bentley was a good Seneca Crane, but his performance was shadowed by the brilliance of his beard.

The tributes were great! Alexander Ludwig was an intense Cato and Amandla Stenberg  was the most adorable Rue. I would argue that she outshone Willow Shields’ performance as Prim by a long shot. And can we give a shout out to Jacqueline Emerson as Foxface? She didn’t have a single line, but she rocked that role! She was exactly how I imagined Foxface.

  The pacing was good (in my opinion. Some of my friends felt like it moved a little too fast). Overall, though a great movie based on a great book!

Hunger Games!!!

The Hunger Games (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I haven’t posted about it a ton, because I know how annoying I sound when I’m into something. When I fangirl, I fangirl HARD! 😀 But guys, can I just tell you how excited I am for the Hunger Games movie?!?

 

I read through the books as quickly as I could. The trilogy is fantastic, although my favorite is and always will be the first book.The thing is, this series gets everything right that series like Twilight got wrong (this isn’t a Twilight bashing. I’ll save that for later 😛 ) I had all but given up hope that I would find a YA series that was fun, driven, and intellectually stimulating. Now, I’m not implying that this book is the intellectual equal of Shakespeare or anything, but it raises valid questions about the nature of entertainment, society, and morality. Pretty heavy stuff.

I’ll admit that I’m a little nervous about the film. The book depends on the internal dialogue of Katniss and that can be difficult to capture on film w/o use of narration (Oh, for the love of all things sacred, please don’t let there be narration! 😦 ). The reviews have been good so far, so that’s encouraging.

I’m going to the midnight premiere at my local theater Thursday night. I’ve never gone to a midnight premiere, so if nothing else, I’m looking forward to that! Unfortunately, I have a history final the day after. Yay?

Are you a fan of the Hunger Games? If so, are you looking forward to the movie?

Happy New Year

Image via Wikipedia

 

I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions. However, I’m all for to-do lists. They’re what keep me organized. So here’s a list of some of the things I want to accomplish in 2012. I’d love to read yours

 

• To get started, I’m doing the Try Something New Revolution through the UK’s Channel 4. Everyday, I have to complete a challenge and I plan to vlog about it. To stay up to date, you can follow me at youtube.com/ifimjuliet.
• I want to blog at least once a week. Because I miss you.
• Also, BEDA. Need this be said?
• Finish editing 2011’s NaNoWriMo
• Do NaNoWriMo this year
• Complete my submission to Less Than Three
• Read at least 50 books. Reviews to be posted here.
• Watch 100 movies. I’ll post the reviews on this blog, if I feel the movies deserve reviews.
• Make a black and white silent film.
• Keep my 4.0 college GPA.
• Do Drawctober
• Make a top 5 college list by February (I’m a high schooler attending a community college, so I’ll need to transfer after next year)
• SAT!
• Help decrease world suck. Every year, I choose an organization to volunteer with. I haven’t chosen one yet..
• Take a kickboxing class
• Learn how to do a backflip. I only recently learned how to front flip, but I want to try!
• Meet John and Hank Green (and the Katherine!). I’m going o the local stop of the Tour de Nerdfighteria courtesy of my dear friend Caitlin (she of the Green Applesauce fame).

That gives you an idea. I tend to be overly ambitious.

 

Merlin, Christmas, and a bit about chick flicks

Image via Wikipedia

Hello there!

So first things first: I did win NaNoWriMo but I didn’t finish my novel. It has decided that it wants to be more than 50,000 words and who am I to stand in its way? 😀

Now that I have that out of the way, you may be wondering what it is that I do when I’m not blogging, vlogging, tumblring, doing school, or getting injured. The answer to that comes in three parts, placed in the title of this post for your convenience.

My latest TV fascination sustaining me during the hiatus of Doctor Who is Merlin.  Basically, it takes the story of Arthur and Merlin, turns them into teenagers, and places them in a court where magic is outlawed. Is it cheesy? Definitely, but it’s fun. And it’s clean. Plus, it seems like everyone in the show is good looking. Yes, I can be that shallow.

Moving on… a good deal of my time lately has been spent on making Christmas presents, buying Christmas presents, wrapping Christmas presents, worrying that people won’t like their Christmas presents and so on. I have this mindset where I want to get The. Best. Present. EVER. for people. And consequently, I have this fear that after all the time and energy (but not money, because I’m poor) I spend on a present, it is simply destined for the re-gifting pile.

It’s not just Christmas though. Whenever I get a present for someone, I want them to love it. I want it to be personal. This translates into me rarely giving gift cards or money. I don’t want to give a gift just for the sake of saying I gave you something. Ramble over.

The third and final part of this post is the idea of chick flicks. For those of you who are unaware of what this genre is all about, we turn to the ever reliable Wikipedia:

“Chick flick is a slang term for a film mainly dealing with love and romance designed to appeal to a female target audience. Although many types of films may be directed toward the female gender, “chick flick” is typically used only in reference to films that are heavy with emotion or contain themes that are relationship-based …”

That may be one of the broadest definitions I’ve ever heard, but it works for my purposes. Basically, a chick flick is a sappy romantic film that involves exaggerated plots, unrealistic relationships, and happily ever after endings. Right?

So, in that case, I would not consider myself a fan of chick flicks. Sure, there are a few I like (anything with Audrey Hepburn), but many of the “romantic” films I like have sad or even tragic endings (Casa Blanca, Phantom of the Opera). And what about films like Marie Antoinette (2006) which is female-oriented, but not relationship based?

Movies seem more complicated now than when I was a child. Then I could either like a movie or dislike it without having to explain why. Now? Not so much. 🙂

That’s all. I have a video project that I’m hoping to create during the Christmas break and I’ll continue editing (read: “finishing”) my NaNoWriMo. Is it ok if I simply bombard you with poetry instead of actual post until after the holidays?

What I Did Today

Cover of Paris When It Sizzles

Watched”R2-D2: Inside the Dome”.  Checked tumblr. Started wading through my clothes in a effort to get rid of all the stuff I’ve outgrown. Went school supply shopping. Got sunglasses. Watched “Paris When It Sizzles”. Walked dog. Ate cupcakes.

Today has been a day.

Only BEDA could convince me to actually publish this post.

X-Men: First Class

Image by Lyon & Pan via Flickr

Let me start this by saying I’ve only seen the first X-men movie and this one. I haven’t even read the comics…yet! So, my review is based solely on my enjoyment of the film, not on how well it follows the comics or whatever.

I saw three films starring James McAvoy this weekend (of Becoming Jane, Narnia: LW and the W).  The first was Gnomeo and Juliet, which I refuse to review. It was cute but soooo cliched it was almost painful. The next was Penelope, which could have been much better. I just felt like the story was rushed and never fleshed out. Then I saw X-Men First Class.

The story is simple. It’s all about the origins of the mutants we all know and love (Professor X, Magneto, Mystique) and some that I at least was unfamiliar with (Banshee, Angel, etc.).  The pacing is good, the plot is interesting, and the action is just what you’d expect from X-Men.

What I loved, being into psychology, was to see the relationships. I especially loved getting to learn more about the friendship/battle/bromance between Professor X and Magneto. However, as much as I understand the need for the plot to keep moving, I really wish that they could have spent more time on this relationship (maybe a spin-off? 🙂 ).

Another interesting dynamic was Mystique. She seemed really needy. I mean, she’s a hardcore chick who can hold her own in battle, but emotionally, she seemed like one of those girls who needs a man to assure her of her own self-worth. Jennifer Lawrence was good, but her performance did nothing to soothe my doubts about her role as Katniss in the upcoming Hunger Games movie.

Then there’s Moira MacTaggert. In the comics, she’s a geneticist. In the movie, she’s a CIA agent. Overall, she was ok. She was a necessary tool in the plot to bring the mutants together, but it seemed a bit contrived.

Can I talk about Prof. X/Magneto again? 🙂 Both James McAvoy and Patrick Fassbender were stupendous. I loved the contrast they provide. X is all about control, serenity, and the greater good. Magneto is more about rare power, emotion, and self-preservation.  I do like the fact that Magneto is shown for the complex character he is, although from the beginning we can see his villain tendencies.

Overall, it was a fun movie. It provided an entertaining ride without taking itself too seriously. I can say one thing. It certainly has me interested in exploring the X-Men galaxy.

Hi! So, briefly…

This is a random jumble of things that interest me right now. It’s not a 10 Things I Like post, but it’s like the cousin of one. Basically, these are things I can’t get out of my head.

1. I have to see this movie. My favorite Youtube/blogger movie reviewer recently posted her thoughts about it, and though they weren’t glowing, they were good enough  to increase my desire to see The Art of Getting By. Here’s the review  for those of you who are interested.  She also posted a video with some thoughts:

2. I’m not sure how I feel about this: Parts were funny, but…yeah, it was a little flat. So many wasted opportunities! This could have been hilarious!

3.  I really, really want to read Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino. These student films from DePaul University’s School of Cinema & Interactive Media in Chicago are awesome! Their goal  was to make a book trailer that would “inspire viewers to find out more”. Here are my favorites.

This one is so whimsical:

I wish this one had been developed a little bit more:

This one best captured that sense of wonder:

There were others, but these three were my favorites.

4. The fact someone cared enough about my favorite formula to tattoo it on their arm along with Pacman. Seriously.

(Yes, it’s nerdy to have a favorite formula, but in all honesty, the quadratic formula was the best part of algebra for me.)

5. Gosh! You just need to go on YouTube and type in “Straight No Chaser”. Do it! Don’t ask questions, just go! They blow my mind.

That is it! I have a bunch of posts in the works. I just have to smooth out some issues.  See you oon!