Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Let's Go To There: Halloween Horror Nights 2019

Halloween Horror Nights 2019
When Halloween comes around, it's time go to Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights.

This year, my sister and I snagged Frequent Fear Passes. Instead of packing all of Universe Orlando's haunted houses into one night, we attended the event over and over again to face our fears (and there were quite a few of them). It's been a real treat to scream our hearts out over and over again.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Book VS Movie: Beverly Marsh

Stephen King has created quite a few memorable female roles – an author's obsessive admirer in Misery, the telekinetic outcast in Carrie, and of course, Beverly Marsh in IT. With Andy Muschietti’s reboot of King’s novel and the reemergence of The Losers Club, I thought it’d be fun to talk about how close the character of Beverly Marsh manages to be different and similar between the book and duo-logy.

This post talks about topics related to Beverly's arc in the book and movie including abuse, sexual violence, and puberty. Read at your own risk.

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Trailer Reaction: Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

Between Pennywise the dancing clown in Stephen King's IT and a reboot of DC's supervillain Joker, clowns are all the rage in Hollywood right now. But one version that broke out of the pack and revitalized the trend a few years ago was Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn in the critically panned Suicide Squad.

After a highly anticipated wait for her own solo flick, the trailer for Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn has finally dropped. The results are exciting and controversial, to say the least.

Here's a look at the trailer, some info of the plot and characters, and my own reaction. Hope you enjoy!

Friday, September 27, 2019

Judy (2019) Reminds Us Of the Woman Behind the Stardom

Biopics is one of the trickiest genres. Directors aim to pay homage to someone they admire or whose work speaks to them. But if a film exerts too much creative freedom, the story blurs lines between  fiction and reality. If creative pursuits are limited too much, reading a Wikipedia page would be more exciting. For an American icon like Judy Garland, there's more than enough exaggerated lore director Rupert Goold's Judy could've pulled from. And yet for the first time since the last salacious profile, the film finds a good balance between exploring the myth of Judy and showing the real side of her.

Based on Peter Quilter’s play End of the Rainbow, Judy covers the last year of the legend's rollercoaster life. Facing homelessness, bankruptcy, and a custody battle for her children, Judy Garland (Renee Zellweger) takes on a five-week engagement of sold-out shows at London's Talk of the Town. As she grapples with one more comeback and falls head over heels for a sketchy entrepreneur Mickey Deans (Finn Witrock), Garland struggles to keep her head above water as her final spotlight starts burning out.

With all that has been gossiped about Miss Showbusiness, how a biopic would grapple with her legacy is a question I've asked myself as a longtime fan of "Joots." At worst, I expected a repeat of scathing tell-alls that are more concerned with melodrama and anonymous sources; so much so that they ignore her humanity and tarnish her reputation. At best, I just wanted it to be better or just as good as other musical biopics. A well-organized, entertaining, and emotionally-driven tribute doesn't seem like a lot to ask for, but the last time I wished for a biopic of a favorite icon, I got Bohemian Rhapsody... To  my great delight, this film hits most of the right notes.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Real Neat Blog Award


Big shout-out to Heather at Nerdy by Nature for nominating me for the Real Neat Blog Award. Heather covers her adventures in fandom, geeky subscription boxes, and book reviews. If you're not following her, make sure to check out her blog! Thanks Heather!

The ‘rules’ of the Real Neat Blog Award are to thank the person who nominated you, answer seven questions, nominate fellow bloggers, and ask new questions for others. So let's get started!

Saturday, September 7, 2019

My Love / Hate Relationship With It: Chapter Two (2019)

Warner Bros. Pictures
It's been two years since director Andy Muschietti's adapation of IT took the horror genre by storm. Fans have been craving, dreaming, and waiting for the second half of Stephen King's novel to finally wrap up The Losers Club's battle against Pennywise. In a weird twist of fate, the sequel combines enough elements from the book to be a faithful adaptation, but doesn't organize it enough to feel like a satisfying final chapter.

This review contains spoilers and flashing gifs- read at your own risk!

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Epic News Breakdown From Disney's D23 Convention

D23 Marvel Disney Plus News
What San Diego Comic Con is to all things film franchises and comic books, D23 is to the future of Disney's theme parks, shows, and movies. As Marvel moves into its next phase after Avengers: Endgame, and Disney continues to dominate the film industry, lingering anticipation is an understatement for what's to come in the next few years.

Offering a conveyor belt of sneak previews and announcements, D23 delivered epic news for Disney Plus, upcoming Marvel projects, and the Star Wars franchise. Here's a breakdown of some of D23's biggest revelations. What are you the most excited for? Let me know in the comments below!