WWE Smackdown Live In Orlando

Except for the occasional tweet, my fangirling life as a WWE fan isn't that well-known. I became a fan when I was twelve years old, finding one of their televised programs Smackdown on a whim and becoming obsessed with everything wrestling.

Since to 2002, World Wrestling Entertainment has been in and out of my sphere. There was a good five years where we went through a rough patch, and I honestly didn't think I'd be going back to a wrestling event anytime soon. I was super surprised to find myself at Smackdown Live to kick off 2018 with one major goal in mind: seeing Shane McMahon in person.

2018 New Years Film + Life Goals

Well, we made it through the Upside Down folks. I hope everyone still has their wits about them 'cause 2017 was an onslaught of impossibly-impossible nightmares (and dreams) coming true. It's nice to roll over the date to 2018 and try to make the next year as best as possible.

Looking at my list of goals from last year, I'm pretty proud of the ones that I accomplished: kept up with Walking Dead recaps and Wonder Women series, posting on Instagram, cosplayed as Belle at Disney, and followed a blog calendar.

Some of my favorite moments included attending MegaCon with a press membership, celebrating what Harry Potter means to me and my favorite memories, saying goodbye to The Great Movie Ride at Disney, making it to Platform 9 3/4 nineteen years later, and had some writing collaborations (my first guest blogger and some sponsored posts).

2018 Film + Life Goals

If there's one character I learned the most from in 2017, it would definitely be Wonder Woman. If you've been around the block on my blog recently, you might be familiar with how much she has inspired me. Her confidence and determination gave me ideas about myself that I didn't know about before.

Cause you see: I have anxiety and it sucks. It's an endless, crappy headgame dealing with change, self-doubt, and perfectionism, where you never feel like a winner no matter what. While it took me several years to reach a 'We'll See' moment in life to accept life's twists, I struggle with following other people's ideas of what's best for me instead of taking my own good advice. With scene's like No Man's Land, it's actually settling into my noggin that what I do is not up to others or that asshat called Anxiety telling me I can't or shouldn't do something.

As nervous and apprehensive I feel about the future, hope and optimism is still stirring somewhere. I don't know where life's gonna take me if I don't try, so these are a few things I know I'd like to do:

Geekiness

+ So many books, I'm going to learn to make time. My goodreads goals is 20+books. I've already started with The Happiness Project and the next installment of Velcro The Ninja Kat, so that's a pretty good start.

+ Movies. Every year I hit about 50 movies, mostly tracking them on Letterboxd. This year I'm plugging a lot more reviews in. A few movies I'm looking forward to Proud Mary, Fifty Shades Freed, Annihilation, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Ocean's 8.

+ TV Shows. I plan on writing more season or series reviews like Outlander and Game of Thrones, and a ton of others I haven't quite started or caught up with.

+ Find a candle that smells Ryan Gosling. I already have Chris Evans / Captain America covered, so I gotta one find for Canadian Sugarcube. RIGHT?!

+ DIYs. I have so many ideas for crafts - collages, drawings, pom poms, bookmarks, diys of fandoms like Star Wars and Harry Potter. 2018 is going to artsy.

+ Blog series. I want to continue Wonder Women series, Trailer Reactions, and a variety of lists posts. The Walking Dead recaps past season eight is to be determined. I'm also going to introduce a new fandom series called Fandom Throwback to talk about various fandoms I've loved in the past.

+ Blog Calendars really helped me realize how much I like and need to track projects. Having a place for ideas and upcoming events helped me trail posts I wanted to make, even if I strayed sometimes. I bought a planner before the new years started and it's already helping me.

Social Media

+ Grow My Instagram. I love blogging my adventures and be inspired by other users' feeds. I started a Harry Potter instagram which has been a lot of fun sharing my muggleness and meeting other Potterheads. I'd like to see how far I can take both of them.

+ Be a Conscious Instagrammer. As much as I love Instagram, it's very easy to slip into the mindset of playing catch-up with trends, especially with new books coming out all the time or some of the beautiful feeds out there in different communities. Sometimes I think about the impact on the environment with what people are constantly buying and where does it go - which is their choices to make (not judging). But I want to be conscious about what I buy for props or if it's just for Instagram, if I'm actually reading the books I post, and making sure that if my style grows, it's still me.

+ Cosplay. It all started with Matt the Radar Technician, and then Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I'll be heading to A Celebration of Harry Potter cosplaying as Harry Potter (Sorcerer's Stone style). For Halloween, I'm thinking about Dana S. Pumpkins, the long-lost cousin of David S. Pumpkins.

General

+ I hope to move out of Florida this summer...Ironically, before I leave I want to go to Madame Tussaud's (and meet Ryan Gosling), the Titanic Museum, and Kennedy Space Center.

+ 5000 Sales. It took me a long time to hit 3100 sales on my Etsy store. This year I'm expanding to bookmarks and instant downloads with a lot of fun geeky ideas up my sleeve. I'd like to hit 5000.

+ Continue #28Lessons. When I turned twenty-seven in 2016, I started #27Lessons, which I filled with thoughts and quotes. After having semi-quarter-life-crises once I turned 28 last December, I want to keep it going as #28Lessons.

+ Figure Out Something with the 1940s. I don't know what this means yet, but I'd love to find a space for my interest in Classic Hollywood and the 1940s.

What do you have planned for 2018? Movies, books, or events you're looking forward to?

“Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.” ― Carrie Fisher

2017 Year In Review: Television Shows

Another year has come and gone, and so has plenty of great tv shows. While I plan on catching up on so many that debuted this year in 2018, this is a Best and Worst List of TV in 2017. Some of my picks were newly released this year, and some are just new-to-me. From celebrating a fictional character's death to favorite ships, you'll find a lot of different categories below that I hope you enjoy.

I don't believe this post is particularly spoilerish, but I'll give a warning for the following shows just in case: The X-Files, Once Upon A Time, Big Little Lies, The Walking Dead, Bates Motel, Daredevil, This Is Us, Luke Cage, Feud, The Punisher. Thanks for tuning in! Here's to another round of fangirling next year!

How to Treat 2018 like No Man's Land and Kick Butt In the New Year

One of the biggest, empowering moments in superhero films for 2017 comes from Wonder Woman and its depiction of No Man's Land.

If you haven't seen the movie, here's a little non-spoilerific refresher: During World War I, Amazonian princess Diana Prince heads to the frontlines looking for the God of War Ares, but starts witnessing the unflinching violence humankind is capable of. As the Allied forces stands off against German troops, neither having gained new ground for a year, local villages suffer from their occupation. Prince wants to help everyone she can, but companion Steve Trevor tells her that it's not possible to cross the forbidden terrain known as No Man's Land. Shielding everything the enemy can throw at her, she's able to move their soldiers ahead. Along the way Diana transforms into the Wonder Woman as we know of her: powerful, courageous, wise, a leader and team player.

No Man's Land became one of the most significantly inspiring scenes not only for the year but for moviegoers and Wonder Woman fans everywhere. By following her gut instincts and leading the pack, we were reminded that barriers can be crossed with compassion and determination. Here's some tips on how to treat the new year like No Man's Land - believe in yourself, try new things, don't let anyone limit your potential, and kick some butt in 2018. Hope you enjoy!

Blade Runner 2049 (2017) Is More Than Just a Replica

Photo Credit: Blade Runner 2049 / Warner Bros. Pictures

For thirty-five years Blade Runner fans have waited for the next chapter of director Ridley Scott's cult classic. His grim noir world focused on a future 2019 where LAPD officer Deckard (Harrison Ford) retires replicant slaves (androids) who have gone rogue against their human masters and ends up falling in love with one of his targets (Sean Young). After audiences were left wondering the whereabouts of humanity and its android population, its sequel Blade Runner 2049 succeeds at being more than a replica.

Set in 2049, the world has continued to fall into economic and enviromental despair as a genius with a godlike complex Niander Wallace (Jared Leto) has reinvented replicants with a shorter lifespan and wired to obey their masters. Agent K (Ryan Gosling), one of the newest models, is tasked to "retire" older rogue versions like Deckard. When one target sets K off on a quest against Wallace's corporation, he's bound to discover a dangerous truth about himself and his own kind.

While the original film and all of its uncut versions toyed with the notion of whether or not Deckard and Rachael were replicants or not, and a deeper philosophical meaning of what it means to be either, 2049 carries a much-heavier weight about love, humanity, and the soul. Establishing a steady history in film with intrigue and science-fiction, director Denis Villenue's vision dips the story back into its futuristic roots and manages to pull off an impressive, complimentary follow-up. (This review contains spoilers - read at your own risk!)

Stars I Love: Carrie Fisher

Despite being a huge geek, Star Wars wasn't a fandom I easily connected with growing up. My mom and sister have always been obsessed with George Lucas's space opera. Even though they took me to the prequels released in theaters, always had the original trio playing on tv, and even attended conventions to meet a parade of castmates, The Force failed to click with me.

Even though I didn't get the hype of the original movies, the iconography of the damsel-without-the-distress was a simple concept to love. My interest in the Star Wars realm wasn't strong, but I hugely admired Carrie Fisher.

When it’s out, it’s someone else’s version of what’s the matter with me. I want it to be my version of what it is. My recourse is to do my version. (x)

In 2015, when the original cast was announced to return to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, knowing Carrie Fisher would be on press tours and much more involved in the public than she had been was an absolute gift for me. If there was one person I looked forward to hearing from, it was her - that sharp humor, vulnerable candor, and unvarnished approach to life in and out of Hollywood.

Thank you Carrie: 13 Moving Tributes to Our Princess Leia

Carrie Fisher didn't expect to become famous, let alone the icon of a major franchise. 

Daughter to actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher, she started studying the arts as a young adult, and then sort of fell into showbusiness by taking one small job and then landing the role of a lifetime. In 1977, Princess Leia in George Lucas's A New Hope became a beacon for what would become generations of fans. Her character's intelligence, tenacity and resilient attitude set herself among the best and most beloved heroines in film history.

After being absent from the big screen for nearly thirty years, the fandom never thought Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia would ever return. When Disney rebooted the franchise in 2015 with The Force Awakens, one of the greatest most anticipating moments was to see the original characters come back. Leia returned as a sophisticated General still fighting the good fight against evil. Though Fisher unexpectedly passed away in December 2016, a year before the eighth film and most recent installment The Last Jedi hit theaters, her character and performance became a sudden a goodbye that has meant the world to so many fans, including myself.

The legacy she leaves behind both on and off the screen is unforgettable. Now that the eighth movie has hit theaters, I thought now would be the best time to send out a simple Thank You to Carrie and our Princess Leia with thirteen moving tributes celebrating her humor, confidence, bravery, spontaneity, vulnerability, and pure bad-assery. May the Force Be With You.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) Is Not the Sequel We Were Looking For

Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

In 2015, Disney brought back George Lucas's Star Wars with ambitious plans to churn out films until 2020. Following a long-awaited ten years after the prequels disappointed the masses, Star Wars: The Force Awakens renewed the beloved franchise to a solid, mixed reaction. Leaving its sequel with a lot of questions to answer, The Last Jedi had one job to do, and unfortunately, didn't get it exactly right.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS. Please return when you've seen the movie.

The Ten Best Christmas Movies of All Time Relay

Nostra came up with a great idea to get everyone in the Christmas spirit: a Best Christmas Movies of All Time relay race, where bloggers try to decide which are the best holiday movies. Thanks to Margaret at Cinematic Corner for passing the torch over to me! Let's get started!

Here are the rules:

The list has 10 Christmas movies (in random order) and when the baton is handed over to a new blogger, he or she has to remove one title of the list (with an explanation why) and add one new title. 

Once that is done a new blogger is contacted who will take the baton and run with it, doing the same (you can reinstate a title which has been previously removed). 

As Christmas is in three weeks I want to ask you to publish your entry as quickly as possible to make sure the list changes as much as possible before the 25th of December. Add the logo of this relay race to your post and also add links to those who came before you making it easy for everyone to find all the entries

The bloggers so far: Marked Movies, Keith and the Movies, Flixchatter, Rambling Film, Two Dollar Cinema, Dell on Movies, A Film a Day, Cinematic Corner

2nd Annual Merry Fictional Challenge

The holiday season is here! And, I thought I would pep this place up a bit with a little Christmas cheer from a holiday blog challenge I created last year. Get the list of questions at this post. If you'd like to join in, feel free to comment with a link to your blog in this post below or tweet me! I'd love to see your answers!

5 Questions That Need To Be Answered in Star Wars: The Last Jedi

In 2015, Disney revitalized the galactically popular Star Wars franchise with the exciting reboot Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In the seventh installment, Rey (Daisy Ridley) was an orphaned scavenger who discovers her astonishing Jedi abilities and becomes entangled in Luke Skywalker's legacy, the rise of the First Order, and the dark Jedi-in-training Kylo Ren. As the follow-up to the previous flick, The Last Jedi aims to be a massive success at the box office and hopefully answers a lot of questions its predecessor left behind. Before we hop into our Millennium Falcons and hit hyperdrive to the movie theaters this weekend, here are five questions that need to be answered in Star Wars: The Last Jedi! Hope you enjoy!

20 Scenes Why Gal Gadot Should Be Nominated for Best Actress

One of the biggest highlights in 2017 was Wonder Woman. After the studios had so little faith in her own solo movie, she was finally able to shield herself from an onslaught of low expectations, superficial backlash, and a crummy production to give female-driven movies a continued fighting chance.

It's hard to believe a movie like Wonder Woman - adventurous, romantic, funny, dramatic - took 72 years in the making. The culmination of her film's success - which includes breaking box office records - came to down to timing with director Patty Jenkins, screenplay by Allan Heinberg, and most importantly, its leading lady Gal Gadot. If the movie was rushed to rake in money or compete with other female-led superhero movies, WW could've been a complete disaster. Because Zak Snyder discovered Gal, and she stole the show in Batman Versus Superman: Dawn of Justice, this movie offered an incredible portrayal of the legendary character.