5 Outbursts I've (Accidentally) Made at The Movies

Sometimes a movie is so good or bad, everyone gets a little caught up in what's going on. Especially if we're seeing something for the first time at the theater, we get frustrated, scared, or excited about what's going on. While I'm usually pretty respectful not to cause any kind of disturbance, there's actually been a few times where I went into Eliza Doolittle mood. Here are five times I've made outbursts at the movies. (Sorry!) Maybe I'm not the only who's done the same? Have you ever been so excited or angry you've made a big reaction? Feel free to share in the comments.

Dunkirk's (2017) heart speaks louder than its action

Warner Bros Pictures

Director Christopher Nolan has made a stunning career of delving heavily into themes and into the minds of his characters. Frequently, he often centers his stories on time, manipulating its synchronicity and complexity to amplify the drama. Unlike his previous movies languidly exploring his protagonists' psyche, Dunkirk dives right into the heart of a historical event with a surprising, different approach, letting the action do all of the talking.

In May 1940, during the early years of World War II, the Nazis swept through Europe pushing thousands of British, French, and Belgium soldiers to the beaches of Northern France. To avoid being completely wiped out by the Germans, the Brits led an evacuation from the seaside city of Dunkirk. Military vessels were struck down by bombs and torpedoes at every turn, making it far from an easy feat to turn over thousands of fighters to the next battlefield.

To cover the event unfolding on land, in the sea, and up in the air, Nolan splits the story into three points of views. A young soldier Tommy (Fionn Whitehead) joins his comrades on the shore trying to escape on rescue boats. As they dodge attacks from every side, a civilian boatsman Mr. Dawson (Mark Rylance) races to shore to rescue whoever they can, and a Royal Air Force pilot Farrier (Tom Hardy) surveys and shoots down enemy bombers from above. Peril permeates over the course of a week, a day, an hour, as hope remains a distant dream on the horizon.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) chokes on its aspirations

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

With Princess Leia ruling the original trilogy and Rey holding up the mantle for The Force Awakens as girl power icons of the galaxy, Rogue One offers another brave warrior the opportunity to give fans a new heroine to aspire to. Renegade Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is called upon by the Rebel Alliance to steal the plans for the Death Star, and in doing so, finish her family's attempt to bring down the Galactic Empire.

Like the Star Wars movies that came before and will come after Rogue One, the immersive journey relies heavily on ordinary people, Jedis or not, to vie for light, humanity, and goodness against the darker forces threatening the galaxies. This prequel (to A New Hope) relies heavily on Erso to bring a deeper meaning to the cause, but unfortunately, the production and lead character just don't have the force on their side.

Erso has all the makings of a compelling insurgent, but her journey is surprisingly incomplete. Since the space-opera saga is not particularly new with lone heroes destined for greatness, Erso's estranged relationships recycle other similar arcs created over the years. The story itself doesn't commit to original or unique moments besides the basics: Erso is an orphan, henceforth the Death Star must be stopped. As if aware of the movie's ending before giving it away, the production goes through the motions, plucking Erso in between moments of her past to the current cause, and fails to develop her identity in the galaxy.

On the page Erso must've been truly fascinating to helm such an important part of the series, but unfortunately, she's not portrayed in the best light. Felicity Jones serving as the leading lady falls very flat. Perhaps this criticism could be pointed to Gareth Edwards's direction, but Jones struggles with her bearings almost every time she's on-screen. From delivering dialogue to letting the meaning of Erso's determination come across, Jones is often unmotivating, lacking the much-needed chemistry with her castmates. (Other actresses like Emmy Rossum or Jenna Malone could've been much more interesting casting choices.) After quite a few particular dull "rousing" speeches, it's difficult to believe she's the one other warriors want to follow into the battlefield; that presence of a misunderstood loner turned leader isn't there.

Even though Erso isn't as interesting as she could've been, background players for the Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire have a chance to be the real stars. For the former, we have Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, Donnie Yen as Chirrut Îmwe, Riz Ahmed as Bodhi Rook and Alan Tudyk does a sensational job voicing the sassy droid K-2SO. Together, they create the humorous, heartfelt band of misfits and warriors needed to anchor us to the good side. For the latter, we have Ben Mendelsohn as Orson Krennic, the Director of Advanced Weapons Research who pretty much acted by himself against extras and a creepy CGI incarnation of Peter Cushing. If you're looking to rally for one of the two teams, these guys give the emotional pull the movie deserves.

The script doesn't help by jumping between the Empire, the rebellion, and Erso. The first hour feels as if Disney needed something to fill the gap between The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, and rushed to deliver this faster than the Millenium Falcon in hyperdrive. So many familiar and new places and characters are supposed to be woven together as if we naturally know everyone and everything in the Star Wars world, but rough edits and hasty dialogue rarely unites the story on the same plane. Parts of the production are wonderfully unique like the muted colors and vast cinematography, and composer Michael Giacchino is a welcome addition to challenging what a Star Wars soundtrack can sound like. What truly makes Rogue One exciting is the final battle against the Empire. Smaller characters and unexpected cameos have some amazing moments to shine and pack a punch. The non-stop action and heartbreaking sacrifices instill all of the feels and entertainment to correct what doesn't initially work. Taking over as the real showstopper, the second hour puts everything on the line and catapults the story into a fascinating finale.

Rogue One isn't the Star Wars adventure I was looking for. As an essential part of the resistance, Erso doesn't compare to her counterparts as much as she could've. If it wasn't for the movie's climatic finale offering the exciting and tragic connection to A New Hope, a lot could've been lost with this prequel. Either from a direction or studio standpoint, Gareth Edwards didn't break free from the other 'prequel-sequel-reboot' mode Disney's churning out. As if Darth Vader had his hands around the production, this installment chokes on its aspirations.

Rating: ★½☆☆

Have you seen Rogue One: A Star Wars Story?
What do you think?

5 Favorite Moments at SDCC 2017

The geekiest weekend on the calendar known as San Diego Comic Con has come and gone. Fandom across the galaxies and comic book universes was lit as studios delivered sneak peaks for some of the most anticipated movies and tv shows. There was so much to look out for and get excited about for the next year (or more). These were my five favorite announcements from SDCC. What trailers or teasers excited you the most? Feel free to share in the comments!

Bright on Netflix

"Humans, Orcs, Elves... everybody is just trying to get along. Get ready for the world of Bright", seems to be a wild new movie ready to drop on Netflix in November.

*By the director of Suicide Squad* I'm out.
*stars Will Smith* YAAASSSSSS.

I went from mildly disinterested to LET'S DO THIS in about five seconds.

The Defenders

Four of Marvel's biggest misfits are coming together to stop a villainous sect from destroying NYC. Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist are facing off against the sci-fi queen herself Sigourney Weaver. Sign me up! We're also finally seeing the Punisher in his full costume, sparking even more excitement for Jon Bernthal's first season as the anti-hero Frank Castle.

Stranger Things Season 2

Netflix promised the next descent into the upside down would be bigger and more bad-ass than ever before. The thrilling new trailer for season two definitely proved that. There's even more eighties nostalgia as everyone deals with opening the curiosity door. I know where I'll be this Halloween!

Thor: Ragnarok trailer

So this is what a Marvel movie on crack looks like! The Hulk and Thor duel in gladiatorial games while trying to stop Hela ( goddess of death played by queen Cate Blanchett) from destroying Asgard. Oh, and Jeff Goldblum 'cause why not.

Black Panther trailer

When the trailer above dropped a few months ago for Black Panther's solo flick, I was already stoked. At San Diego Comic Con, Marvel released a trailer with new footage which sparked an adorable, ecstatic reaction from the cast and a standing ovation from the fans in attendance. It's said to be one of the craziest best reactions for a first-reveal. I can't wait to see it eventually. February 2018 can't come soon enough!

The Circle (2017) is too square to spark excitement or thought

STXfilms / EuropaCorp

Set in the not too distant future, the Circle is on its way to ruling the world; think Google meets Facebook on crack as a global empire in charge of our personal and professional business. Mae (Emma Watson) takes us into the company, as a new skeptical employee who becomes more motivated to share her life for the greater good. It's not long before she's usurped into TrueYou, an initiative to share her human experience without an iota of censorship. Logging into weekend activities to stopping human rights threats with frowning (sending emojis) to tyrants makes her more popular, but is it worth being tracked and used as a piece of data instead of a person.

The story doesn't too sound too far-fetched when we consider how social media and the internet is used every day from building brands off our personal adventures, to sharing parts of our private lives with strangers to acting as warriors for certain issues. Adapted from the novel by Dave Eggers, The Circle could certainly ask a lot of interesting questions about technology and how we use it, or it may be used against us, but fails to make a convincing, even entertaining case about the line between transparency and privacy.

At first, Mae's connection to the Circle seems safe enough. As a customer service rep, she has to keep her numbers high, even though her work ethic is monitored by all of her co-workers. And then the Circle's campaigns start pushing invasive agendas like streaming their user's lives 24/7 and inciting witch hunts using GPS and smartphones. No one really knows what it's like to live on their own as we're all connected like a cult with no escape. But instead of pushing the promising thriller of the book, Mae's descent comes across as TEDX talk on QVC.

In part, it's difficult to separate Emma Watson's conscientious, notoriously private reputation from the character. She hits a fair stride in the beginning when Mae isn't fully convinced in what the company has to offer, finding their "voluntary" participation laughable and crazy. But when Mae's increasingly comforted by her millions of followers, the story doesn't know what to do with her motivations. At one moment, she expresses that her biggest fear is unfulfilled potential, but her ascent to the top and trying to make the Circle better, thus a more dangerous Big Brother, doesn't feel layered or motivated by any deep drive.

Unfortunately, the script doesn't set up anyone or anything to stand in Mae's way. As creators of the Circle, Tom Hanks and Patton Oswalt are pretty much Steve Jobs stand-ins, making the rounds every half hour to pitch a flashy idea that benefits the greater good but robs people of their individual identity. They aren't treated nearly as bad as other actors: Mae's parents, played by the late Bill Paxton and Glenne Headley, offers emotional stability outside of her work life, but Karen Gilliam as Mae's workaholic best friend is nowhere to be seen. The ever charismatic John Boyega has huge ties to overthrowing the Circle that could've easily upped the ante (as would Gilliam) but is so underused, it's embarrassing. Almost all of her connections could offer tension because they're similar or contrast what she's doing with the Circle, but none of them are used to their advantage.

When a book is adapted to the big screen, it's expected for characters and scenes to be left on the cutting room floor. What's not typically expected is that the adaptation goes out of its way to stay neutral on an issue that could have hard, defined lines. The stakes never effectively rise despite a number of people affected by the Circle through Mae, so the whole movie comes across as a long episode of Big Brother.

The Circle comes across as a day-in-the-life movie, going through the motions of its heroine risking autonomy to be loved, if even that. The story tries to illuminate the lack of divide between reality and what we portray online but fails to incite drama or excitement. Instead of a thought-provoking Orwellian thriller, the movie is so square, our real world is scary enough on its own.

Rating: ☆☆☆ 

Have you seen The Circle? What do you think?

The Walking Dead Season 8 Trailer Reaction

San Diego Comic Con is underway for 2017, and obviously, one of the biggest announcements to look forward to what The Walking Dead has in store. Unlike season seven's dreaded trailer reveal last year, season eight looks absolutely killer. It's actually the first time in a long while I'm excited for what's ahead for Rick and the gang, and couldn't wait to start a trailer reaction.

This post contains spoilers. Here is the full trailer 'cause there's a lot to talk about!

Colossal (2016) smashes monsters and humans together in the weirdest way possible

Neon

Some of the best monster movies aren't just about gigantic creatures causing mayhem and wiping out cities, but people who aren't what they seem or are struggling to clean up their own disasters. When both manage to face-off against each other, it can make for a crazy, powerful combination.

Unemployed writer and alcoholic Gloria (Anne Hathaway) struggles to admit that her life is an absolute trainwreck. After her boyfriend kicks her out, she retreats to her hometown and reunites with a childhood friend Oscar (Jason Sudeikis). When viral footage exposes a Kaiju creature in Seoul mimicking her actions and behavior, she's finally forced to face the issues wreaking havoc on her as an adult.

Having gone into this gem not knowing a lot of the story's surprising twists, it's difficult to talk about what I love and disliked without spoiling the best and most important parts.

Something I can say, without hesitation, is that the leading lady is absolutely stunning. As a sharp, layered and fiery character, Gloria is a refreshing, beautiful mess. Tangled in drunken stupors to the point she blacks out or sleeps all day, it takes something otherworldly as well as human for Gloria to see how life has gotten so damn bad. Once she realizes her connection with the Kaiju creature, and what means in stopping both problems both at home and abroad, Gloria's determined to pick herself up no matter how many time she gets knocked down. Hathaway hasn't stepped out of the spotlight, but this is by far and away a hugely welcoming return for her. She gives a marvelous grounded performance, always keeping Gloria funny, endearing, and down-to-earth.

Blending different ideas into a comedy-indie-monster-flick, Colossal is one of the most polarizing movies to break through in a long time. Some fans love every aspect of it, while others feel Gloria's journey of discovering the root of her problems a little too forced. For me, the story genuinely resonated, but the script's own uniqueness comes gradually out of left field, which can make the ending feel a little dragged down. While the premise seems familiar enough, director Nacho Vigalondo infuses a lot of different ideas to create something that entertains and makes you think.

More metaphorical and supernatural than a big studio blockbuster, Colossal is one giant step away from the monster movies we typically think of. No matter how much I loved the performances, the story spends as much on its special effects and showy battles, as it does the character's strive for understanding and sobriety. Gloria's link to Seoul never seems to be exactly what you expect, showing that some of us can turn into the worst and best versions of ourselves. Going from indie to unassuming romance to unexpectedly destroying those assumptions, the fight between human and monster is ultimately an epic, bad-ass showdown.

Rating: ★★★

Have you seen Colossal? What did you think?

Pitch Perfect (2005) falls flat on its girl power promises

One of the things that excited me about Pitch Perfect was its reputation as a feminist movie. From the trailers and posters I had seen, I intuitively felt like I knew what the movie was going to be: singing and girl power told with a humor that left a lot to be desired. Finally jumping on the bandwagon, I honestly tried to keep an open mind. But nothing really prepared me for the onslaught of mixed messages.

Taking centerstage, rebel queen Becca (Anna Kendrick) wants to be a DJ more than anything. After she begrudgingly accepts her father to pay tuition for college as a backup plan, she joins an all-girls acapella group that's trying to recover from major embarrassment at a prestigious competition. With different ideas and musical styles, she knows she can lead them to victory. But in order to help them to success, she has to earn her spot alongside other newbies and learns that being by herself isn't as necessary as she thinks it is.

For its leading lady, the story sails along as she moves from a loner closing off everyone around her to finding her voice and place in the Barden Bellas. The group itself is filled with misfits just like her, reaching for success everyone hopes to achieve. But knocking down the movie's awesome music and hit-and-miss comedy is that the rest of the girls don't fare in originality or depth.

Everyone around Becca exists to reassure us what trope they represent. The girls might not need men to sustain them, and refreshingly, a majority of their musical prowess is about hitting those high notes and making their dreams come true. As much as that empowerment shimmers with inspiration, supporting characters weaken that united front because they're one-dimensional stereotypes: the ugly dorks, the tomboy, the slut, the fat one, the rebel, the control freak, the lesbian, the ice queen, the kooky foreigner. The movie is not as inclusive as it thinks it is. The proof is in the posters.

Pitch Perfect thinks it's a lot smarter than it is in showing how girls are treated differently in college and the arts than boys. Double standards run rampant with the club's rules to plant cringe-worthy innuendos. While Kendrick gets to play her role as deadpan as possible, her peers are exaggerated caricatures with glimmers of "normal" quirkiness. For instance, the girls aren't allowed to have sex, or even show interest in boys, or they'll be kicked out, except for one girl who sleeps around and everyone openly considers her as a slut. The beacon of eccentricity Rebel Wilson fabulously plays Fat Amy, but she really doesn't do anything besides point out her own weight so the controlling, perfectionist, skinny chicks don't. As the white female characters are backed into skinny, fat, or sexy corners, the minorities aren't treated better as ice queens, kooky foreigners, and the lesbian who comes onto everyone whether they want it or not.

Annoyingly, the movie doesn't know how to make the characters funny without making them gross, raising the question of why female-driven comedies try to be ten times raunchier than men. As the all-boys acapella groups naturally act dorky, selfish, shy, awkward, etc., the girls are forced to make uncomfortable puke and sex humor seem relatable. For every down-to-earth connection or moment between the girls, the writer employed word-vomit dialogue that felt random and induced second-hand embarrassment. Given that this is an all-female led movie in and about entertainment where boys run the show, it would've been nice to see more originality, smarter risks, and deeper sentiments.

In its better moments, humor and heart find their place. At its core, the women are sarcastic, determined, ambitious, loyal, and headstrong, and do their best with the roles they have. Their journey doesn't pit themselves against each other or use others as rungs on the ladder to a-ca-success. In Kendrick's favor, the adorable cups song put her on the map, and Becca is a great role model. Her story is packed with a lot of layers, but it would've been nice if the group had the same vulnerability and growth.

To be honest, Pitch Perfect is fun, if you can look pass a lot of problems, and I can see myself watching it if happens to be television. (But I'm hesitant to see the sequels since I've heard the characters don't get better). The sisterhood and camaraderie of the group give the cast some material to do the best they can, while the musical sequences are purely catchy. Ultimately, if Glee and Mean Girls didn't throw up all over the story, its potential might not have fallen so flat.

Rating: ★½☆☆
Watch instead: Heathers, Mean Girls

Have you seen Pitch Perfect? What do you think?

10 Favorite Memories of Harry Potter (so far)

Harry Potter's been alive and well for two decades. While celebrating the 20th anniversary, I started wondering what bewitching memories I've been lucky enough to experience since I was a kid. From reading the books for the first time to visiting the theme parks, it's been one magical journey so far. Let's take a dip into my own little pensieve with a tour of my ten favorite memories as a Potterhead. What are your favorite memories of Harry Potter so far? Feel free to let me know in the comments!

What Harry Potter Means to Me

On June 26th, 2017, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone turns officially turns twenty years old. As a devout Potterhead, I tried thinking back to the time when I was a kid during the very beginning of the series J.K. Rowling had created. I don't remember much about the nineties, and maybe that's a good thing, just by the lack of coherent trends that took place then. The memories that came to mind was just how much Harry Potter means to me, and the weird road it took from pre-fan to a hardcore one.

Unlike an almost entire generation, I didn't grow up with Harry Potter in a typical way - dressing up and queuing at bookstores, anxiously reading each new adventure, chatting and befriending other Hogwarts students on forums and websites until the new book was released. Ultimately, being apart of the fandom culture that is so much more well-known and celebrated today in the open.

As a pre-teen, my little town was very hush hush about the wizarding world. In classes, kids who were given permission by their parents to read the books were as odd as the ones who were forbidden. My classmates chatted about their favorite characters, but it all felt very off-limits; that even though it was allowed, it was still wrong. It didn't help matters much that the quiet protest at school was only amplified on the news with groups hailing the Rowling's fantasy saga as 'evil' and 'satanic' burned copies, and the increasing controversy that the series was recruited impressionable children into worshipping the occult.

Either from the library or my mother, somehow I managed to finagle Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban. I don't remember reading them in secret, one after another, but being shy, I hardly ever vocalized what or how much I loved the books. If my mom took me to the mall, of which Warner Bros. used to have stores filled with Loony Toons, Animaniacs, and Harry Potter merchandise, I'd usually oggle everything knowing it was too expensive to buy but secretly wanting it anyways. She knew I was interested, but we didn't really know how much by a long shot.

Then, the one time I really expressed my love of Harry, everything changed.

Stars I Love: Nicole Kidman

Since I was a teenager head over heels for Moulin Rouge, Nicole Kidman has always been a star that I've loved. Known for her eccentric, classy red carpet style and longstanding career, she's never been far from the limelight or committing to various projects.

From a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination in Lion to her praise-worthy performance in HBO's Big Little Lies,  and festival support for Sofia Coppola's remake The Beguiled, 2017 has been quite a fabulous year for the acclaimed actress. Since today is her birthday and has been on my fangirl heart lately, it's time to rave about the Australian native.

The Arrangement (2017) Season 1 Review

When we're getting ready for summer or going on a vacation, we usually take along a trashy book to read to kick back and relax. E! channel's tabloidesque drama The Arrangement is a tv-version of those addictive pageturners, and its simple cheesiness has me hooked.

Aspiring actress Megan Morrison (Christine Evangelista) auditions for a lead role in a Jason-Bourne-esque action flick starring opposite A-List hunk Kyle West (Josh Henderson). Their sizzling chemistry-at-first-sight inspires his team to present a $10 million marriage contract, which includes West's close ties to his self-help guru Terence Anderson (Michael Vartan) and his Institute of the Higher Mind. Acting more like a Big Brother cult than a competent health-based center, the new couple is quickly challenged by IHM's control and the minutiae of living in the public eye.

E! channel touting their original series as similar to Fifty Shades of Grey might not be the right foot to start off with, especially for those who don't like the E.L. James' novels or films. The two general premises have a lot of common both in the worst and best way. For the former, The Arrangement features a general contract, the tacky dialogue, and silly side-plots. For the latter, it has luxurious production design and the actors do the best with what they're given.

Thankfully unlike Fifty Shades's Ana and Christian, this duo has a lot of issues to deal with, and none of them come close to abusive behavior passed off as "BDSM" or inner goddesses. Problems from Morrison's disturbing past comes back to haunt the contract's "morality clause" as she tries to navigate this crazier side of Hollywood, while West struggles with superficiality versus authenticity as a person and an actor. Standing in the middle of their relationship is IHM, which she doesn't fully trust, and ultimately creates the creepy suspense around this fantastical 'romance' and the cult-like organization West is fully involved in.

Most of us know Hollywood isn't perfect because scandals slip through the cracks all the time. One of the series's biggest sources of highly-theorized inspiration was  Katie Holme's marriage to Tom Cruise and the influence of Scientology which led to its demise. The show coyly cashes in not on how actors market and brand themselves but which all-seeing, all-knowing Powers That Be wield its power over Tinseltown. With humor (intentional or otherwise), a flair for drama, and suspense, it takes what we think we know of the entertainment industry - feuds, deals falling apart, scandals created for publicity or to cover up other juicier scandals, Scientology - and leaves us wondering what actually goes on behind the scenes.

A big reason why this show works is its leading lady Christine Evangelista and her compelling performance in every episode. Realistically, her character is too easily influenced to just sign her life away because West is good in the sheets. Her career needs a serious upgrade and she has the talent to go far, so when the opportunity presents itself (aka the money and hot guy), it seems like a good deal. Quickly, Morrison has to adjust to the convenience her new life brings - travel, wardrobe, a new boyfriend - and face the sacrifices she's made for a lack of privacy and the convenience IHM affords. This wild ride makes her question if her future is worth the expense of autonomy. Morrison's feisty, independent, and personable as hell, and Evangelista acts circles around the cheesy dialogue thrown at her. Both the actress and character are destined for stardom, and it's strange that her acting chops exceed what this show can be and also fits this particular bill. Henderson's West isn't given as much to do, but over time you can see why they were cast and make a convincing duo.

The Arrangement aims to be meta, and for the most part works, even if it's exceptionally corny and indulges in what we see through the grapevine online or at grocery stores. Evangelista and Henderson's chemistry is playful and fun, while the Institute's unethical operation delivers unexpected twists. If one would be looking to enjoy a show that doesn't take itself too seriously, sign on up for The Arrangement. It's a sweet deal.

Rating: ★★☆

Have you watched The Arrangement?