Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts

Sunday, December 31, 2017

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!

Saturday, December 30, 2017

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

Wonder Woman No Man's Land Inspiration
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!

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Thank you Carrie: 13 Moving Tributes to Our Princess Leia

Princess Leia Carrie Fisher Artwork Tributes
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.

Sunday, November 12, 2017

Stars I Love: Ryan Gosling

Art Streiber New York Magazine
How do you describe Ryan Gosling? I've unceremoniously given him the nickname Canadian Sugarcube, but that's just my massive crush talking. (The Twelve Days of Ryan Gosling is up to two threads on twitter and has only just begun...) But critics have called him one of the best actors of his generation, while almost anyone familiar with The Gos calls him charming, talented, smart, personable - to say the least. Settle into your onesie, in celebration of his birthday, we're digging into the charisma of his career and what makes him so lovable. Or, all of the reasons why he's one of my favorite stars - if not my TOP favorite.

Sunday, October 22, 2017

20 Favorite Episodes of The Walking Dead

One of my all-time favorite shows The Walking Dead has hit its monumental 100th episode! For eight years, we've seen epic walker kills, learned how not to be walker bait, and witnessed beloved characters' deadly fates, surviving some of the worst a zombie apocalypse could deliver. After ranking my favorite seasons, quotes by the cast and Rick Grimes, Glenn Rhee moments, I thought it'd be a perfect time to cover myself in walker guts and go down a brutal memory lane.

In an effort to not repeat myself, some episodes are reserved for my favorite Rick-Grimes centered episodes, and there's probably a lot more I could give honorable mentions. But these are my top twenty favorites (so far). P.S. Reviews of the new season will be returning as a weekly feature on Wednesdays!

Happy 100th Episode The Walking Dead! (SPOILERS BELOW) What are your favorites? Let me know in the comments!

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) Trailer Reaction

Star Wars The Last Jedi Trailer Poster
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The time has finally arrived young Padawans! After months of the first teaser release, the Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer dropped. As expected excitement for the eighth film, which will return to the Resistance's fight against the First Order, and Rey's ascent/descent with the force, was absolutely insane as we get a bigger idea of what's going to happen next.

Let's get straight into the new trailer! SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT

Friday, September 15, 2017

Old Vs New: 4 TV show Remakes Compared with the Originals

The landscape of television is always changing, and sometimes that prompts networks to bring back some old favorites to revamp. Welcoming in my first guest post writer, Katie takes a look at a few old vs new tv shows, and shares her thoughts on the contemporaries and originals. Take it away fellow Katie!

Sometimes network execs should let sleeping dogs lie. Like those holiday destinations we loved as a child and drag our own children around now; we should never return. The town looks old and forgotten and they’re serving microwave pizza and month-old chips rather than freshly fried churros and candy-floss as big as our heads.

The remake is a many faceted beast. It can find new heights and try something new and fresh and it speaks to a whole new generation. Or, like Frankenstein’s monster, it wakes up and we suddenly wish it hadn’t. Perhaps they hadn’t thought this through.

But amongst so many car-crashes, there are some returns that are worthy of the memory. What are you favorite or least favorite tv show reboots? Let us know in the comments below!

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Favorite Movies from 2017 (So Far)

Can you believe we're more than halfway through 2017 already? This nugget of a realization made me think of the movies I've seen so far. Plenty of good, enjoyable movies have come out already, and a lot more promising ones are on the way. I'm hoping the next few months expands this list since it's pretty short right now, but here are my favorite movies from the past several months. What movies stick out in your mind this year? Feel free to let me know in the comments!

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

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.

Monday, May 22, 2017

5 Fictional Planets I'd Visit for a Summer Vacation

Who's looking to get away this summer? *raises hand* But staying on our planet isn't exactly what I have in mind. Unless you've been living under a rock, things have been pretty tense here on Earth. Which made me wonder how I could hyperdrive out of this mess. Last year, I held a dream vacation blog challenge, and that inspired me to think of maybe traveling to a galaxy or two, far, far away. Here are five planets I'd love to visit for a summer vacation.

If you could travel to another (or alternative) planet for a summer adventure, where would you go? Feel free to share in the comments! I'd love to read your picks.

Themyscira from Wonder Woman

Paradise Island isn't on another planet. It's technically located in modern-day Turkey, and for the new Wonder Woman movie, the production was inspired and set in Italy (another pick on my list is too below). Who wouldn't want to go to an exotic island filled with female warriors supporting each other and kicking ass? Could I get train-like-a-Greek-goddess vacation package, please?


Monstropolis from Monsters Inc

I'd love to take some time off from being a human and get scaley, maybe grow a few eyes, and legs. Making kids laugh or help capture the power of their laughter to keep Monstropolis's lights on, well count me in! There's also the possibility of being an exchange student at Monsters University too.

Gallifrey from Doctor Who

As aspiring companions and Doctors, I feel like we hear about Gallifrey so much but never actually visit the Doctor's home planet unless it involves some grave tragedy. I'd definitely love to spend time here, preferably before or long after the Last Great Time War against the Daleks to help defend or rebuild it.

Zootopia

Zootopia mixes different habitats ranging from meadows and the desert to jungle and arctic. Like the Hogwarts's sorting hat, I'd love to which kind of animal I'd be and if I could survive in the city. I always thought of my patronus as a duck, so I'd love to know what world Disney Studios would've come up with. But I'd definitely want to turn back into a human at the end of this experiment though.

Naboo from Star Wars

This is a fictional paradise if I ever saw one. I love the mixture of the meadows with the waterfalls, and Padme's palace is on the cusp of an ocean. I'd love to just drop by her digs and hang out for a few weeks. And, it's nice to know that this place kinda exists in our realm. Naboo's look was heavily inspired by Italy. So maybe one day I'll actually go there.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

6 Feels You Get After Seeing a Bad Movie

6 Feels You Get After Seeing a Bad Movie
Whether at home or the movie theater, there's nothing quite like seeing a really bad movie. An okay movie can be redeemed by a memorable performance, imaginative production design, or a wicked soundtrack. Ever walk out of a theater and feel like you wasted your time or money? you're jealous of people walking out of a theater happy with their night out? YEP. A pretty bad movie can make you remember where you were the day you saw it even though you want to forget. If you're lucky, it'll be bad enough to get a lot of memes or earn an honest trailer. A movie that fails to live up to your expectations or has terrible direction or cast is a real bummer. These are six feels you might get after seeing a really bad movie. Am I missing a feeling you get? I'd love to know! Feel free to share in the comments!
boo monsters inc sleepy gif

Tired

After seeing a really good movie, you might feel energized and wonder how the time magically flew by. This sleeper flick just seems to go on and on and on with no end in sight. A car exploding in a massive action scene or an actor shouting might give you a shot of much-needed adrenaline, but when the end credits start you're tired...if you're lucky to have not snoozed through the movie already.

Bored

Nothing is happening. Maybe words are coming out of the actor's mouth but you can't make sense of what they're saying. Or that one frame was pretty....but you feel like nothing is going on. You're waiting for that moment to feel engaged, but the story isn't holding your attention. So you start thinking about grocery shopping, your job, did you leave the stove on at home, should you've spent your afternoon at the DMV instead...That's one boring movie!

Confused

The movie could've been really good, but what was the story really about? why was the direction so weak? Maybe the characters' choices went against their motivations, and you're left to watch the mistakes unfold. You might even anticipate how the next scene will change things around. There's got to be a good twist or cathartic ending to clean up this mess....There's nothing to do except wonder dumbfoundedly - how could a movie be so terrible? What did I sit through? what is life?

Cheated

You're psyched: the music videos are awesome. The trailer gives you life. But something happens between initially seeing the teasers and the movie's release. The ad campaign misses the mark on what the movie was going to be about. It's one thing to have expectations, it's another to feel like you were watching an entirely different movie than what you were anticipating. Were you watching an entirely different movie? GAH, you feel so cheated. You want the movie you were promised!

Ranty

A better protagonist. Cut the montage. The villain doesn't have to be a super softie underneath because of his *woe is me* past. Fewer edits. Deepen the romance. More pacing between scenes. You have a checklist of ideas for how the movie could've been better. If only the studio or director knew what they're doing, they could've had a hit on their hands, which makes you feel ranty. CAUSE IT COULD'VE BEEN BETTER.

Disappointed

The movie had one job to do: not let you down. But after the hype for months from friends, or family, the internet, the movie fails on an epic score. In fact, the promotional tour of trailers and interviews were much better than what the movie was advertised to be, or what you thought it was going to be. You might've just lost a potential fandom or favorite, but it feels like you lost something much bigger. It's going to take a lot to get over this disappointment. Maybe a good movie will do the trick?

Monday, March 6, 2017

6 Feels You Get After Seeing A Good Movie

6 Feels You Get After Seeing A Good Movie
There's nothing quite like seeing a really good movie. An okay movie can make me feel life is okey-dokey, a little bit better than average, maybe brought out some laughs or cries and then it's over. BUT an awesome, really good, fantastic, wonderful movie can change our whole life. Ever walk out of the theater and feel excited to the point of invincible? transformed? happy? stunned? YEP. A stupendous, amazing movie gives us something new to fall in love with, brings comfort on the worst days, and a reason to forever geek out.

These are six feels you might get after seeing a really good movie. Am I missing a feeling you feel? I'd love to know! Feel free to share in the comments!

Monday, February 20, 2017

Favorite Oscar Acceptance Speeches

Award show season is one of my favorite times of the year. Ever since I was a little girl, I've dragged my family into the living room to celebrate one of Hollywood's biggest events of the calendar: the Academy Awards. It's the one night where I rave about my favorite celebrities, gab about the fashion, and get inspired with the humbling Thank Yous.

With one acceptance speech, I'm reminded that all the greatest stars of the silver screen are still are people who had a dream and their hard work paid off. In celebration of film, here are some of my favorite acceptance speeches - What are your favorite acceptance speeches? Feel free to share below!
>

Cuba Gooding Jr for Best Supporting Actor in Jerry Maguire

Not only one of my favorite movies of all time but one of my favorite performances too. A partner to Tom Cruise's Jerry Maguire, Gooding kills it at his only client; eccentric, family-oriented, bursting with frustration Rod Tidwell. A deserved award for a deserving performance in a cut-too-early standing ovation worthy speech.

Christian Bale for Best Supporting Actor in The Fighter

An actor with a stable amount of performances that were so worthy of nominations. A longtime fan since seeing him in Little Women when I was nine, I was so happy to witness the night he finally knicked one.

Marion Cotillard for Best Actress in La Vi En Rose

She could win an Oscar for a Crest toothpaste commercial. A bundle of stunning nerves and grace, Cotillard expresses what everyone must think of when they run out of peers and family to thank.

Tom Hanks for Best Actor in Philadelphia

Words so beautiful and spoken so sincerely, there might not be a truer heavenly speech that tops this one. An equally wonderful speech is worth a look as well for his award-winning work in Forrest Gump.

Matthew McConaughey for Best Actor in The Dallas Buyers Club

McConaughey accepts an award in the only way most would expect, giving some life lessons to just keep livin' as the underrated storyteller he really is.

Hattie McDaniel for Best Supporting Actress in Gone with the Wind

For a heartbreaking performance and an award that broke down barriers, Hattie McDaniels gives a beautiful thank-you speech so full of heart and class.

Audrey Hepburn for Best Actress in Roman Holiday

Roman Holiday is not a movie I've seen yet, but I trust by the love of her work that it is well deserved. Her speech is the gentlest one ever uttered. Who couldn't listen to her soft voice all the live long day

Saturday, December 31, 2016

2016 Year In Review: Movies

2016 was a strange year for movies - so many landed on my to-watch list for 2017 because of their limited releases, and what memorable movies I did see felt few and far between. In all, I watched about 50 flicks which beats last year's total but I plan on seeing a lot more next year.

Below are my favorites and picks for Best Of from what I've seen so far. When a movie is pretty bad, I tend to forget about it pretty easily - so there's no worst category here (unlike my 2016 tv post).  I hope you enjoy my picks of characters, couples, and genres. What were your favorite movies? What movie surprised or disappointed you? Let me know your favorite movies of 2016 in the comments!

2016 Year In Review: TV SHOWS

Television had many highs and lows in 2016. What show were you excited to see return? What was the worst character death? Some of these have been answered in categories for worst, favorites and best from what I watched have been compiled below. Spoilers ahead for the following shows: The X-Files, The Walking Dead, Bates Motel, Hell on Wheels, Jessica Jones, Scream Queens, Stranger Things. Hope you enjoy!

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Ranking The Walking Dead Seasons (so far)


The Walking Dead has just been renewed for an eighth season. It seems like only yesterday the fandom was just tuning into the first season and waiting to see where the show would take the zombie apocalypse next. In celebration of the next stage for the series, I thought it would be a fun challenge to rank the seasons so far.

What's your favorite or least-favorite season so far? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

11 Best Moments of Glenn Rhee from The Walking Dead

Glenn Rhee captured fans' hearts from the very beginning of The Walking Dead. Over the past six seasons, he's kept us inspired and making us pray to the Powers That Be he wouldn't get killed off. Whether or not the seventh season will cement his comic book fate into television history, I thought now was as good of a time as any to give thanks to Glenn Rhee and Steven Yeun.

The former pizza boy turned wise leader has been there and done that throughout the apocalypse. These are eleven moments of why I personally love Glenn and believe what makes him a fan-favorite. What moments do you think are missing from my list? Feel free to share in the comments below. Hope you enjoy!

Friday, July 8, 2016

Favorite Movies of 2016 (So Far!)

It's hard to believe half of the year is gone! A lot of great movies hit the theaters with a bang leaving an impression on fans and critics alike. Not to mention raking in the dough. With so many great films that have come out this year and many more to come, who will lead the box office for 2016?

I just couldn't help thinking about hitting the half-way mark and what were knock-out favorites of the these first sixth months. Looking back my picks, they include Critic Approved, Box Office Smash/Disaster, or well-loved by all. 

Which movies have been the most memorable, action-packed, heartwarming, and entertaining so far for you? It's tough to predict but what movies for the rest of the year will be definite crowd-pleasers, but Suicide Squad seems like a definite Yes? Yes.

What were your faves for 2016 so far? Feel free to share below!

Brooklyn

A young Irish girl Eilis immigrates to the United States, and her heart is divided between a new home of Brooklyn and her old roots. My heart goes out to this movie so much. Saorise's performance and the eye-popping gorgeous direction makes this one of my all-time favorites, not just 2016.

Yes, this came out sometime last year just in time for Oscar season (but I saw it in January, soooo), and it was definitely worth it's weight in gold. The movie garnered three nominations, including Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Actress. After award show season hype has wavered, there are certain movies whose Oscar bait becomes pretty obvious while others will just remain classics well into the future. Brooklyn is definitely the latter.

Captain America: Civil War

I couldn't stop raving about this one, and neither could critics and movie goers. A huge fork crashes smack down into Roger and the Avengers's road when Tony Stark and the United Nations want to enforce an accords which controls their missions.

Talk about the movie of the summer before the summer even officially kicked off. The Russo Brothers carries Captain America's final individual installment over the finishing line with a bang; an action-packed, feels-heavy bang. It's hard to even watch the first two Captain America movies without wanting to dive right into the third one again and again.

How To Be Single

Replacing the usual romantic comedy where two love-sick characters force themselves into finding true love because of Plot, How To Be Single attempts to do the opposite but doesn't succeed. Alice takes a break from her long-term relationship to try to find out who she is on her own. It's admirable (???) but she ends up taking ill-advice from other single people trying not to be single or mastering a life without romantic attachments, and the whole thing ends up being a mess.

LIKE A BIG HOT MESS, mostly because the movie doesn't click until the very end. That being said, I really like the cast and some of it is pretty funny. Surely, if the script was more polished, it could've been a bigger success and I could recommend this one more....but it's become one of those movies that I am regularly in the mood to watch and don't really know why.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Love. Adventure. Kick-Ass heroines. Maybe the world is over it's zombie-obsession, but the updated twist of Jane Austen's classic novel is so much fun!! Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy ward off their own pride and prejudice as the undead dominate the world.

 If there was one movie I wished didn't bomb at the box office and with critics this year, it's definitely Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. There was so much room for another installment and I can't imagine how the story would've awesomely moved forward. Myself, and some fans, will just have to enjoy this one on it's own. AND PRAY FOR A SEQUEL.

Saturday, June 4, 2016

5 Ideas To Get Out of A Streaming Slump

Maybe it's the summer heat down here in Florida, or I'm just in a really bad movie rut. Because I am having a really difficult time watching any kind of movie. And, nothing feels less inspiring as a movie buff or blogger than to watch a dozen movies and come away feeling BLAH about them all.

Sure, we all don't like a movie here and there. Typically, even when I watch a flick that isn't an instant fave or something I'd watch again, I still try to find something redeemable.

After watching a string of movies that just weren't any good, where I just felt like I wasted my time, where I couldn't find something that made me go Well it was all right because this actor's performance stood out or at least this scene made me laugh, doubts arise when I go to watching something new: what if I just don't end up liking it? or it gives me nothing new to think/write/talk about?

Basically, my curiosity or excitement to watch movies has dried up for the time being. I know I want to watch something but I just don't know where to start. I wanted to fix how I or others can get back on the film wagon. These are five ideas on how to get out of a streaming slump. Good luck!

Monday, May 23, 2016

Ranking the Best and Worst Every Flavor Beans

One of the best things about being a fangirl is when food, places, or merchandise come to life straight out of a book, movie, or television show.

Every Harry Potter fan has wanted to live out fantasies from J.K. Rowling's series - receiving a letter from Hogwarts, having the wand choose us, and so many other things. We've all definitely wanted to snack on Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans from Honeydukes. When I got my hands on some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (truly from HoneyDukes!), it was pretty freakin' magical.

What's fun about Every Flavor Beans is that you never know what flavors you're gonna get. I'm not sure if the manufacturers have a quota for certain flavors to be in every package, or if it's just random. Mine had at least one of every flavor, so I felt very lucky.

(If you're looking to try some of these out for yourself or haven't visited Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks yet, you can also find them here!)

For my first try, I picked random ones and tried guessing the flavor. Let me tell you, I didn't think a jelly bean could get as good as Marshmallow and then as bad as Vomit or Dirt. Gradually I ranked the best and worst, and thought it'd be fun to share my thoughts below.
Harry Potter instagram

Initial Thoughts: 

Banana - Sorry Minions! It's not a good flavor, no matter what incarnation it takes.
Black Pepper - Pretty spicy!
Blueberry - Strongest flavor next to cinnamon and soap but tastes GOOD.
Booger -  Doesn't have a specific taste but feels slimier the longer it lasts in your mouth. UGH.
Candyfloss - Cotton candy with a hint of floral-scented perfume. Nice!
Cherry - Already my favorite flavor, so it's hard to not love this. Tastes exactly like cherry.
Cinnamon - Maybe my tongue is just sensitive but it's HOT! so so HOT!
Dirt - Imagine garden manure as a taste. Yep, that's it.
Earthworm - Doesn't taste too different from dirt, maybe slightly less stronger.
Earwax - It's deceptive to tell Earwax apart from Sherbert Lemon. Their colors are pretty similar. It's surprisingly crunchy.
Grass - Pretty sharp flavor, kinda like the smell of freshly mowed grass.
Green Apple - A little disappointed. It's not as sour as you would expect.
Marshmallow - Like a fluffy mini-smores you can pop into your mouth anytime. COOL!
Rotten Egg - Actually, sweeter than expected. I thought it would be muskier.
Sausage - A little difficult to tell Sausage apart from Dirt. Simple BBQ flavor that's not overwhelming.
Sherbert Lemon - I can see why it's Dumbledore's favorite. Sweet and not too sour.
Soap - YUCK. NASTY. Actually made my stomach churn.
Tutti-Fruitti - Fruitilicious with a hint of bubble-gum, but not very memorable.
Vomit - ABSOLUTE WORST. Exactly like bile.
Watermelon - Some tasted like fresh watermelon, others tasted warm and rotten.

Official Rankings:

Best: Marshmallow, Cinnamon, Blueberry, Cherry
Personal faves: Marshmallow, Candy Floss
A-Okay:  Banana, Sherbert Lemon, Sausage, Tutti Frutti, Watermelon
Most Creative: Bogie and Dirt. Bogie doesn't have a strong flavor but creative texture. Dirt is right on with its flavor (I'd imagine anyways).
Could Be Stronger: Green Apple, Rotten Eggs, Earwax, Grass
Worst: Vomit, Soap, and Dirt. Interesting to try, but all made me absolutely nauseous.

Have you tried Every Flavor Beans?
What's your favorite or least favorite flavor?