This morning (Friday morning when I started this post) I got a text at 5:55am. One of my besties, whom I haven't seen in, ugh! too long, sent me this, "Ok I need you to go watch and review some movies on your blog because I trust your judgement. Also I miss you and love you."
First of all, C, I miss and love you too! Secondly, you read my blog??? Really, I was pretty sure only 3 people read my blog, and not always that many. Thirdly, anytime you want my opinion on a movie just ask, seriously, I have probably seen it! And finally, what a great way to start my day! (thankfully I was already awake).
So by C's request, I shall now review Zootopia... It's been a few weeks, so forgive me if I get anything wrong, it isn't as fresh as my movies I review usually are.
Uh-Hmm....
I mentioned Zootopia's preview in my review of the Good Dinosaur. Just the preview put me in fits of giggles... can't breathe this is so ridiculous giggles... they really are the best kind of giggles. And I am happy to say the movie didn't disappoint. Now I wasn't in giggles the entire time, but I giggled throughout.
Plot Summary:
Judy Hopps is a bunny that dreams to be a police officer in the beautiful city of Zootopia, where predators and prey live harmoniously. With everyone doubting that a bunny rabbit can take on big bad guys, Judy works unceasingly in the police academy to prove them wrong and follow her dream. Though graduating first in her class at the academy, once in Zootopia, she still isn't taken seriously, and is assigned as a meter-maid. Until she essentially tricks her boss into giving her an impossible case of a missing predator. Then things get tricky!
Cinematography.... err... I mean animation:
Of course it was beautiful! It's Disney.
Soundtrack:
The soundtrack was good. The only song that stood out to me while at the movie was Shakira's Try Everything, but the Zootopia Suite is very fun as are a lot of the other songs if you take the time to listen to them on Spotify.
Overall Thoughts:
I loved it!!! It is fun and witty. There are lots of underlying lessons, but the two that stood out the most for me were, even if you're afraid, or think you might fail, you still should try (ergo the song Try Everything), and the second lesson is on prejudice, and how it can go both ways. I laughed lots. It's a nice, feel good movie. The sloths still kill me, they were my favorite!!!
Parent Guide:
Some scary jump scenes with "savage" animals. There is also a part with nude animals... which is, ya know, how we are used to seeing them... but still they make a big deal about it so if you are uncomfortable with that, now you are aware. (It's been awhile, so I don't remember the language, so I apologize if there is anything else.)
Trailer:
I'll show you the non-sloth trailer since that one was featured in a differnet post.
When I started my journey into Kdrama obsession, I knew it wasn't long until I would have to delve at least a little bit into the Kpop world. It was only a matter of time.
I had heard of Kpop before and knew that the fangirls of Kpop were quite passionate about it (my type of peeps), but I wasn't sure I could really get into it. I love music and all, but could I really get into pop music I couldn't sing along with, or understand???
YES! YES I COULD!!!!
HOLY MOLY!
SUPER JUNIOR OBSESSION
So how did this happen?! Well you know how I LOVE my Kdramas... and as expressed in the last post, She Was Pretty is currently at the top of my LOVE list. And the main reason I love it is because of REPORTER KIM!!!!! Oh my heavens, he is so funny, kind, playful, sweet, adorable, and all together lovable. Like this character is exactly the kind of guy I would love to date!!! AH!!! Love him!!!
Anyway, this lovable character was brought to life by Choi Siwon. So thus was born my new bias. (Bias = Korean term essentially meaning #1 celebrity crush) (See it really is all about the character if you want my love.) So with this new bias, I delve into who Siwon is and what else he is in... he had done a few things but I also found out he was in a group called Super Junior... like a boy band? Certainly he isn't anymore, because isn't he a bit old for that now? I mean boy bands only last like 3 years tops, right? (At least American ones)
Well, I told my friend that introduced me to Kdramas about this discovery, and her sister may have gotten extremely excited about this! This news somehow made Siwon even better!!! Really? How would I know that.... unless I learned about Super Junior...
So I looked them up on Spotify. (I love Spotify!) And I not really knowing where to start in this massive list of songs, I just let it play randomly. A few songs go by... meh... nothing was really striking a chord with me... UNTIL ... SPY came on... I loved... it was so fun! And then SUPERMAN came on... this one is quite a bit different than their usual sound, but again I LOVED IT. Soon to follow were Mr Simple, Sorry Sorry, Mamacita, Devil, Shirt, Swing, Sexy Free and Single, No Other, and pretty much everything else they do!!!!
And then the Music Video Binge began!!! Thankfully at this point, (maybe a day later) Suey was fully ensnared with me in this new obsessive behavior! (Have I ever mentioned how much I love my sister and how much we are alike in our tastes, and behaviors?!!!! I love it. We really are twins separated by twenty years!) OH MY GOODNESS PEOPLE! There are 11 of them! One boy band! Eleven members (used to be 13), been together for 10 years, so half of them are in their 30s!!!! SO THEY ARE MY AGE!!! (Totally legit to crush on them! Yes!!!) AND!!!!! These guys can dance! It looks like so much fun!!! I am a bit jealous having grown up performing in a singing and dancing group as a little girl... they actually get to do it for a living!!! HOW FUN!!!! (I miss performing! And dancing! And audiences, and the excitement right before you go on stage!) And then as I watched more I started to recognize faces and I wanted to get to know all of the members of this group... So I started to look up the individual members, and more videos of interviews so I could get to know their personalities. (Why are their personalities important to me? Especially since I can't understand them??? Who knows... but a body wants to know... and wants what it can't have I suppose...)
I was like a sponge, soaking in as much information about this group as possible... Shocking myself by learning all the members' names (and how to spell them, because if I can't pronounce them correctly it's the least I can do to learn how to spell them) and being able to recognize them within days. It has now been 14 days... and I'm fairly certain I can recognize individual voices. (I go all in when it comes to fangirling.) And the obsession doesn't seem to be dying down... My Kdrama watching has been put on the back burner, Super Junior now stolen my main focus.
My goal now is to learn all of their dances, because they look like such fun and when a song comes on I want to be able to dance "with them". Suey and I have already discussed going to their next world tour concert, which will probably be in LA. But it probably won't be for awhile since 5 of their members are fulfilling their required military service for the next two years... :( And even if a sub group comes to perform I want to wait until Siwon, Eunhyuk, and Donghae are done because they are my favorites...
Speaking of Favorites... Suey wanted me to do my Top 5 Super Junior Members... So here we go!!!!
#1 Siwon
Siwon will always be my number One because of Reporter Kim... the end. But he has the most expressive face! I love it... There is a trend in all Super Junior music videos, a lot of them start with a close up of Siwon's face... It's kinda funny. He seems to always be there for his fellow members whether it is to comfort or break up a fight, or cheer up, or entertain. He seems like an incredible friend. (Which, can I say, comes across in She Was Pretty!) He is handsome and adorable, there is a difference and he is both! He's my fav!
I am not going to give the rest of my top 5 numbers because... well because it is quite fluid at this point... (and I'm indecisive)
Eunhyuk
Oh Eunhyuk! My favorite dancer! I just LOVE this guy! The members of Super Junior always tease him about being the ugliest member... I just want to say NO WAY!!! This GUY!!! UGH! He is such an amazing performer! He might not be classically handsome the way Siwon is, but there are moments when he performs that he just takes my breath away because I find him so attractive! I think it comes from his confidence, his skill, and his charming personality. When he dances he has this punk attitude and style that I love to watch. Eunhyuk also seems so sincere and sweet, I just can't help but love him! So if anyone says you're ugly, I'll fight them for you Eunhyuk Oppa!
Donghae
This one kinda snuck up on me. Yes... he is very attractive, but he is kind of a quiet one, and because I am cursed, I tend to like the outgoing charming ones. The vibe I got from Donghae was just quiet, and maybe even a little cockiness... OH MY NO! He is quiet, yes. The strong silent type, but he is just a big ol' softy, and is quite sensitive and humble. I am so glad to be wrong again! Ah! He is so endearing with strong sincerity. And then with the members he is so fun! I can see him being a contender for Siwon's number 1 spot if Siwon wasn't locked in.
Leeteuk
Oh Leeteuk! Leader of Super Junior... because he is the oldest. He is 32... He doesn't look 32... Gosh... I wish I looked half as good as he does! This guy is super charming, which you know I have a weakness for... Ugh! He has my favorite smile! That dimple! He has one of the best smiles! Oh man, I love smiles.
Kyuhyun
The first time I heard him sing A cappella I was floored! He has my favorite voice in the group! He is also the evil maknae (meaning the youngest in the group) and loves to give the other members a hard time and pranks them. I love it!
Here are the rest of the members I love them too! I'd love to meet anyone of them. But I would probably just stare awkwardly and tell them thank you over and over again since that is pretty much the extent of my Korean at this point.
Thank you for enduring my gushing! Isn't it amazing that because of the internet in two weeks I can go from not being able to tell them apart to knowing their names, what their personalities are like, who is singing, and who is missing... Crazy! Hopefully I will soon be able to say I know their dances! I am loving this new group!!! Do you have Kpop groups I should love as well??? Or should I just love on these guys some more??? ;) I think I shall!!! :) PROUD TO BE AN ELF!!!!
A little less than a year ago a friend told me she was really into Kdramas (Korean Dramas)... I began to worry about her sanity. She recommended that I should try them out and insisted that I would love them. With eyebrows doubting and slight eye rolls, I tried my best to politely say, "Yeah, no way, but thanks." I imagined anime, I imagined really bad acting Korean soap operas, I imagined it being extremely lame!
Then this same friend came to stay with me for Thanksgiving. (Maybe I should mention that we are kindred spirits, bosom buddies, and best friends... essentially, I would do anything for this chica.) So when asked if I would give Kdramas a try... just three episodes... I reluctantly said yes....
A little over a month has now passed and I am utterly and irrevocably obsessed with Kdramas. I have consumed eight dramas. I've put away my foolish Kdrama prejudice, eaten crow, and doing penance for my harsh judgements by trying to K-onvert any and all that are willing to give it a try...
So WHY do I LOVE Kdramas SO much? Oh my... let's see if I can illuminate the addictiveness of them...
1. Maybe this one is not a huge reason for you, but it is for me. For the most part they are very "clean" entertainment. There aren't overly graphic sex scenes, which seems to be so rare nowadays. (If you have seen some the "teen" dramas nowadays I am shocked at what they show on TV, and especially direct at teenagers... it drives me a little crazy.) And girls are dressed fairly modestly, ok granted they wear some pretty short skirts, but I would rather have that than bosoms fairly overflowing out of blouses.
She Was Pretty
2. They usually have a very engaging plots with cliffhangers at the end of each episode. Some of the plot lines are a little outrageous, but at least they are fun. And this also adds to their addictiveness.
Lie To Me
3. THE ROMANTIC TENSION. This might seem weird if I also were to say that in 20 episodes you might only get 3 kisses, maybe 5 mutual hugs, a handful of wrist grabs that you just wish were hand holds. And I LOVE IT. The romantic interactions are so sweet and innocent, it just kills me. These little dramas are more romantic than those shows that have a sex scene once every episode. Every much a lesson in less is more! And when the couple finally kisses it's pure ecstasy.
Secret Garden
4. You get to see your couple really grow... as individuals and as a couple. Over the time I watch a drama, I notice the characters become stronger, they mature, they grow. And the greatest thing is that when the couple gets together the show isn't over! They get to struggle together some. It makes me happy... It isn't, "oh, she got the guy and now life is hunky dory!" It's "Oh they are together, now let's see them work as a team... or not work as a team and struggle some... or lots." It's great!
Coffee Prince
5. This last reason is probably a very individual experience, pertaining only to me. These dramas restored some of my belief in the love story again. With the beautiful innocence that surround these kdramas, I could feel some of acidic cynicism being sucked out of my bitter and single soul. I couldn't help it. The repugnant stench of pure lustfulness and selfish wanton disguised as romance has abounded in American shows and movies, being slyly and gradually slipped into my life and tainting my expectations of love. I'm fairly certain that no one would ever want to rip off my clothes and devour me. But suddenly, watching these cute little shows I could feel my heart lighten in the simple expressions of affection. A kiss to the forehead. A piggy back ride. Getting medicine for someone who is sick. A brush of a hand. Making them lunch. UGH! IT WAS JUST SO DARN CUTE!!!! I COULDN'T HANDLE IT!!!!! The innocence and the sweetness... that is what I long for.... *sigh...
Therefore, a new obsession was born. And in the words of my family, my friend created a monster. It has taken over my life... leading me to a new Kpop obsession (more on that later) and beginning a study in the Korean language. (So really it has become a cultural study.)
Another reason I love this new obsession... If you find someone who is also into Kdramas, you are instantaneously best friends. Seriously... instantaneously. It's great. I love fandoms.
SO if you are willing to give it a try, I recommend starting with She Was Pretty. It is my current favorite. It's adorable, funny, frustrating, and wonderful. Give it at least three episodes... and after you are done we can talk about how much we love Reporter Kim! Man I wish he was real... really in my life...(I use dramafever.com and viki.com, they are like hulu)
Here are the Kdramas I have watched... If you have seen these, let's chat... or if you have recommendations, I am all ears!
Lie to Me (Loved... but it was also my first drama so it has a special place in my heart)
Faith/ The Great Doctor (Loved! Only one kiss but so many other great moments!)
Secret Garden (Loved! So funny! Very quirky)
Boys Over Flowers (This one just made me mad! But lots of people love it, it's like a rite of passage, but if you watch I will definitely have lots to talk about with you!)
Coffee Prince (Frustrating, in like a good way, but after the12th episode, one of my favorite couples!)
She Was Pretty (LOVED!!!! Favorite!)
Heirs (Another Lee Min Ho one... it was good, but I wasn't like WOW... I can't love them all)
Birth of a Beauty (Not done with this one, but this one has a bit of a dark plot... but I am enjoying)
Anytime Disney and Pixar get together I usually think, "Instant Classic," but for whatever reason the previews for The Good Dinosaur were underwhelming. I wasn't dying to see it, I wasn't waiting for opening night to come so I could watch this new movie, like I was for other Disney films. But I knew I would see it eventually, on a night that I just wanted something simple to watch.
So on a Monday night I suggest it to my brother, and we head out. I thought there would be lots of families there for Family night, but we go anyway. We walk into the theater. There is one family there. One. Two parents. Two kids. And us. This doesn't bode well for the movie. We settle in. Previews start... And can I just say I laughed more at the preview for Zootopia than at anytime during the movie. (Like it was almost embarrassing at how much that preview tickled my funny bone... We couldn't tell if the family was laughing at the preview or at me. Sorry, not sorry. Those sloths killed me!)
Plot Summary (SPOILERS):
Arlo is the runt of his family. He wants to make his mark like the rest of his family does when they do a good job. But the problem is he is scared of everything, even the chickens he is in charge of feeding. (Seriously though Arlo, I am right there with you! Chickens are terrifying. I'm utterly scared of birds.)
Me waiting for chickens to move away from the door. Scary chickens. No I wasn't joking!
His dad tries to encourage him and gives him a new job of trapping and killing the critter that is eating all of their food storage. When Arlo can't bring himself to kill the cute little critter (human child) and lets him go, events follow that lead to the death of Arlo's father and then Arlo being swept away and lost. He survives with the help of the Spot (the human critter), meeting friends and foes along the way, and ultimately overcoming his fears and making his mark.
Arlo protected by Spot
Soundtrack:
Wasn't anything to holler about. Good, but not spectacular. This one is kind of fun.
Overall Thoughts:
Really I kept thinking, this seems a lot like Lion King... like a lot. I mean there was the death of his dad, a stampede, even a vision where his dad comes back to guide him. So the plot didn't feel very original. What I did like was that it had a real western feel to it. Herbivores were farmers, and Carnivores were ranchers with herds of bison, and there are rustlers and everything. I liked that the T-rexes were not the bad guys and even galloped when they ran. I liked that Spot had doglike attributes. I did cry near the end... but I cry at tissue commercials, so that really isn't a measure of how great it is, but that I was invested enough. So the Good Dinosaur, was just that, Good. Not great.
I was far more attached to Spot than Arlo...
Trailer:
Parent Guide:
If you have a gaggle of kids, you probably don't want to spend the $70 to see it, wait for it to come to video. Death of a parent (but it's Disney, I mean come on, what do you expect). Some potty humor. Death of some animals for food. Perilous situations.
AND here is the trailer for Zootopia that had me in fits... I'm a little ridiculous.
I started thinking of other movies that have similar plot lines, but not just Christmas time themes. Here are some I came up with... The Wedding Date, One Small Hitch, The Proposal, Pretty Woman, Green Card. I am sure there are even more out there, but this makes me wonder, have people actually done this that it is such a common story plot?
Then I start thinking a little more... Has this strategy actually worked for people? Is this a sound dating strategy? I mean, I am the only single female in my family, I have reached the ripe age of 30, the subject of my dating life or lack thereof is mentioned at least once during each family get together, blind date setups are offered constantly, and my desperate-o-meter is on the rise, is this a strategy I should consider? Approach a man I find attractive and seems to have everything going for him and proposition him in pretending to be my boyfriend and eventually he will fall desperately in love with me? Essentially, the thinking is if someone pretends to do something long enough they will develop those feelings... Interesting... so you are saying I could get anyone to fall in love with me as long as I get them to pretend that they are for long enough... Extremely interesting.
... Where is Tom Hiddleston?
... though I don't think I can afford his usual acting salary... stupid teacher salary!
Man, I love Hollywood logic. (Also why if I ever had an acting husband, "Sorry Honey, tell your agent you can only do action and horror films now.")
Though I don't think this is something I could actually pull off because I can't even approach a man to have a conversation with me, let alone ask him to pretend to love me.
Do you watch The Walking Dead? Do you have a favorite character? Do you have several? Are you like me and warn the show's writers and producers while you watch the episode that if they kill off So-and-So, that's it, you'll be done, and swear to hunt them down and force them to rewrite the episode???
I do. I have three. Well four. Okay five.
First Glenn and Maggie, I think of them more as a unit. Glenn for his just plain niceness, he was a good guy before, his is good guy after, he is reasonable, loving, guy. And Maggie, well, because she makes Glenn happy and loves him like we all do. And they found each other after all of this garbage happened and they are the hope that life can continue on even amongst all the craziness.
Second is Carol. Now she is a character that I sometimes struggle with, especially some of her tactics! But at the same time, she is a person who suffered through abuse before the zombie apocalypse, and now through all the crap that is going on in the world she has grown into this really strong woman that is solution minded. She sees what needs to be done, and not matter what it is or the cost, she gets it done. Her whole bad-A-ness is pretty awesome. Symbolic that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.
And along the same lines of Carol's bad-A-ness is Michonne. Oh my goodness, this chica. I want her on my apocalypse team as she sports a samurai sword and can take a walker's head off in one stroke. She is also solution minded, smart, but very compassionate and funny, and sticks to her moral code. She has more hope than the rest of the group that things might get better.
And then finally is Daryl. I LOVE DARYL the most.
No, it's not because he can rock the crossbow, though he does rock it. Better than anyone else in TV or movies.
Not, it's not because he has this rugged biker vibe going on, even though, come on, it's attractive.
No, it's not because he has some pretty sweet arms, even though, oh man have you seen them???
No, it's not because he is an amazing tracker and can discern a person from a walker by the way a twig snaps in the woods.
No, none of those reasons, though great as they maybe, are why Daryl is my favorite.
Do you remember Daryl at the beginning of the series? He was almost the cliche hillbilly. Running his mouth in his ignorant arrogance. Didn't care about anyone expect his brother, who really only cared about himself. Shoot first and ask questions later. Trying to take advantage of other people, planning with his brother to rob the group they were with... Then collecting ears of walkers and wearing them as a necklace. It was really easy to not like him to begin with.
But then something happened. He decided to care about someone. Carol. And her daughter. When Sophie goes missing, he comforts Carol with a flower and spends his time looking for Sophie. And slowly he changes. He calms down, and becomes this steady, reliable person, trusted by the group, and pretty much second in command. And even when he finds his brother again, he just can't make himself abandon this group that has become his family. Rick calls Daryl his brother. And when Rick loses it completely, it's Daryl that is there for him. Daryl, who is now so rational, who is this still water that runs deep. And this season, you wouldn't even recognize him, because he is the one who is not only caring about his group, but wants to go out finding people to bring to the safe compound. He is the one who hopes to find good people out there still. He is the one whose judgement you can trust the most. He is the one who tries to help the strangers that captured and tied him up. He is the one who returned to those strangers to bring back the insulin they needed.
This is why I love Daryl, that when season after season we run into people who trying to survive have turned into the worst of monsters. Way more terrifying than the walkers. Here is a man that has gained more humanity and character in spite of the worst possible of circumstances. Daryl became a better man, when most are becoming animals. He gained more compassion, when most can't care in order to survive. When others crack, Daryl has forged a stronger person.
Ok, I've decided I know it's a really good movie when I want to write a blog post about it IMMEDIATELY!
The Walk! Guys, Gals! Have you heard of it? I remember the first preview I saw of it... I swear it was a year ago. Maybe not, but it was forever ago. And it was really simple.
And I feel like that was it. There wasn't really much hype accompanying it. Why? I don't know, but this definitely deserved more hype. At least for me. And it's not just because I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt (even though I do, I really do). It was a great story, told extremely well, terrific actors, with great effects, beautiful music, wit and charm.
Joseph with blue eyes! Weird!
Plot Summary:
This is the true story about how a Frenchman, Philippe Petit, has the dream of walking on his high wire between the World Trade Center Towers. He calls this walk The Coup, because people say it can't be done, he is crazy, it's impossible... oh! and it's illegal. His friends he call his accomplices in his Coup. The Towers aren't completed yet, so they have to sneak up to the roof at the end of the day, hang his wire in the cover of night, and Philippe has to do the walk at dawn. At least that is the plan.
Cinematography:
This is shown in IMAX 3D, 3D, and standard D. I am sure it was incredible in 3D, but I chose to watch it standard definition for fear of getting... height sick? It was simple cinematography, but it was beautiful.
Soundtrack:
I didn't really notice the soundtrack until the end when he was walking. But, oh my, it was perfect for his walk. These are the two I loved!
Overall Thoughts and Feelings:
I loved the story line, and how it is narrated through out. I love that during his walk, being afraid of heights myself, I was perfectly anxious and yet exhilarated. I didn't realize I was holding my breath until the credits rolled. I also loved the brief tribute to the Twin Towers at the end.
This movie is really about following your dreams. Philippe has a dream, and he is relentless in following his dream. (Cue "I have a Dream" from Tangled) He is unwaveringly optimistic and confident. There are two moments where he doubts his dream. My favorite is when he sees the Twin Towers for the first time. He climbs the stairs to the top. He balances on the beam hanging just a little off the roof and staring at that massive void separating the two towers, then looking down says, "I let myself whisper it. I whisper it so the demons won't hear, 'It's impossible!'... But I will do it anyway." I LOVE THIS LINE!!! His tenacity! How many dreamers have felt this way? It's Impossible. But then they do it anyway! Did J.K. Rowling feel this way? Walt Disney? Neil Armstrong? Beethoven? I am utterly fascinated by the real life dreamers who overcome their "It's impossible," I admire their determination, will power, heart, and spirit. And that is what I felt this movie was really about. I will definitely own this movie someday. Go see it!
Here is a trailer with a little bit more.
And in case I over hyped it... it was awful... Go see it! ;)
Parental Warning:
There are naked bums. And some mild language. (At least that I noticed, but it is PG)
