XO Kitty is a spin off series from the movie series, To all
the boys that I loved. The series stars Anna
Cathcart as Kitty, a Korean American who goes to boarding school in Korea. She
goes to boarding school to learn to learn more about her deceased mother who
went to the school and be with her long-term boyfriend Dae-heon Kim (Choi
Min-young).
imdb.com
It’s a cute series that’s perfect for binge watching. I love stories where the characters are in
boarding school. I think it’s something about being with your friends 24/7 and
being independent at a young age. It’s fantasy viewing with the eye candy cast
members and cool clothes.
The only criticism
that I have is that the series had the ‘I can explain trope’ where there’s a
big problem and one of the characters refuses to listen. All their problems
would be solved if they would hear them out instead of storming off.
I’m not sure if there’s going to be season 2 but I will
watch it if comes out.
Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) is a passenger on the Avalon, a
spaceship on a voyage to a new planet. The trip will take 100 years from earth
so all the passengers are cryogenically frozen until a few months before they
land. Unfortunately for Jim, his sleeping pod malfunctions causing him to wake
up. Jim cannot fix his pod so must spend the rest of his life on the ship
alone.
Jim learns to adjust to his new life with the company of Arthur
(Michael Sheen), an android bartender. He enjoys the facilities around the ship
but always feels lonely for human company. While exploring the ship, Jim sees
Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence) in her sleeping pod. He falls in love with her
and hopes that he’ll meet her some day. Jim gets to meet her when Aurora’s pod
seems to malfunction and she awakes up. The two fall in love but Jim holds a
secret that could break their relationship.
The actors were all great in their roles. Chris Pratt and
Jennifer Lawrence have good chemistry and Michael Sheen is an excellent robot. I
kinda disliked Chris Pratt’s character but it was refreshing to have a good guy
who wasn’t entirely good. I liked Aurora and pitied her for the situation that
she was in. In the end, Aurora had an important decision to make and I left the
cinema thinking about what I would do in the same situation. I think I would choose differently.
I like the array of space movies that we’re having lately.
I’ve had an interest in space since childhood, mainly from my brother who was
space mad as a child. I thought this movie was okay and I would watch it again.
I feel that wasn’t much going on in the movie. I would have liked to have seen
more of Jim and Aurora’s lives throughout the years and have interesting stuff
happen to them. However, I know it’s not Lost in Space. The movie’s focus is
about relationships and trying to live a fulfilling life even if your dream
changes.
Crackerjack is an Australian film starring Mick Molloy as
Jack Simpson. Jack has been a member of the Cityside Bowls Club for many years
but has never played a game. He rents out his bowls parking space to workers
for some extra money on the side. One day, he gets a call that he must
participate in lawn bowls otherwise his membership will be cancelled. So Jack plays a game of bowls and quickly
comes to enjoy the game.
The other club members begrudgingly accept Jack’s presence
as they need him to help win a tournament which will save their club. The club
is in financial difficulties and at risk of being sold to Bernie Fowler (John
Clarke). Bernie wants to buy the property and put in pokey machines to add more
revenue. The club members hate the idea of the club turning into a cash cow.
Meanwhile, Nancy Brown (Judith Lucy ) a reporter for the small time news
reports on the tournament and is the love interest for Jack Simpson.
Lawn bowls clubs are a common sight in Australia and this is
the first movie that I have watched where it was featured. I haven’t played
lawn bowls before. While the story of a greedy business man taking over a
struggling place has been done before, I still found this movie to be
delightful. In the movie, the bowls members are sticklers to the rules and it
reminded me of being on school committees. There was this funny scene where
refreshments have been laid out and Jack cuts a hunk of cheese and makes a
sandwich. Usually people are supposed to cut a thin slice of cheese and eat it
with a cracker or its own.
The action is disapproved by some of the members and
they have a meeting about it. Someone says that an incident happened with the
cheese and they want no cheese to be served next time pending on an
investigation. Someone else says that there should be a subcommittee to handle
the case.
I didn’t find the lawn bowls part interesting; I rather
liked the characters instead. Jack is a likeable guy although he’s a loudmouth;
he’s got a good heart. The senior citizens in the movie are like sweet
grandparents.
This movie might be a bit niche for some, as it features
Australian comedy and it’s about lawn bowls which is a not a popular sport in
some countries. However, I recommend viewers give this film a go particularly
if you are looking for a movie to watch with older people. I will caution that there is a bit of swearing
in the movie so it’s up to the viewer discretion.
Jon Bear surprised me with tickets to Matilda the musical for
my birthday. Matilda is based from the novel Matilda written by Roald Dahl.
It’s about a young girl named Matilda who is treated poorly by her family
because she’s a girl. Matilda goes to school where the headmistress, Agatha
Trunchbull terrorizes the children. Matilda develops telekinesis as a result of
her treatment in life and uses her powers for revenge.
I thought it was sweet and I liked the different take on Matilda. I thought the theatre Matilda was more impish
compared to the movie one. I don’t remember the book Matilda. I liked how there was more detail to Miss
Honey’s back story about her parents and how it was weaved into the plot. I also
liked the use of puppetry for those scenes. One criticism that I do have is
that I thought Miss Honey was a little too timid in this adaption.
All the performers were very good. I really liked James
Millar who played Miss Trunchbull. He was an imposing yet ridiculous too. I
also admired how hard the children must have worked and their discipline. There were many child performers, four
Matildas who perform on different occasions to meet with child labour laws. My brother and I joked that they could change
the Matildas for each scene.
The song that I liked the most was When I grow up. It’s a
cute whimsical song and I like how the actors swing out of the stage.I had a great time watching Matilda. I would recommend it
for families. Thanks again Jon Bear!
Sally Field stars as Doris Miller, 60 year old woman who has
lived with her mother for almost her entire adult life. Doris’ mother dies suddenly
leaving a huge gap in her life. At work, Doris falls in love with a new
employee named John (Max Greenfield), a man in his twenties. Doris tries to win
John over by befriending him and through making a fake Facebook profile.
Meanwhile, John is oblivious to Doris’ feelings, seeing her only as a friend. While
pursuing John, Doris experiences youth culture particularly Hipster trends and
learns to become independent.
Sally Fields did an excellent job in portraying Doris as a
real and likeable person. Max Greenfield had great chemistry with her too and
plays the perfect dreamboat. There were some steamy fantasy sequences that
happen between Doris and John which is quite entertaining.
I felt embarrassed for Doris when she was trying to court John
and I thought he was way out of her league. I think he only viewed her as cute,
eccentric old lady rather than a potential love interest. This movie also
highlighted for me, the assumption that I had that older people view younger
people like their grandchildren. I had forgotten that older people have desires
too. In the movie, Doris went home to take care of her mother when she was in
her twenties. One of my friends pointed out that Doris probably still thought
of herself as a twenty year old girl which was why she went after John.
I thought this movie was sweet, funny and a little cringe
worthy. I liked how Doris tried new things while chasing after John which lead
to new friends and opportunities for her. I wanted to know what Doris would do
in her new life after the movie ended. I enjoyed seeing her grow more confident
and take control of her own life. It
reminded me that you can change your life at any age.
Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) is a stoner who works the
graveyard shift at a convenience store. He passes the time by drawing and
wishing he was spending his time with his girlfriend Phoebe (Kirsten Stewart).
One day, a woman enters the store and tells him a coded message that Mike
dismisses.
The message was from Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton) a CIA agent
warning him that he is about to be terminated. Mike was a part of a government
experiment to make super soldiers. His memory was wiped when the program was
shut down. The coded message that Victoria stated to Mike activates his fighting
skills just in time for when the first assassin appears. Mike must fight for
his life, protect Phoebe and learn the truth about his identity.
I loved the premise of this movie and I thought Jesse
Eisenberg and Kirsten Stewart were excellent as two kids with no clue. They
have good chemistry with each other and seemed like a real couple. I liked how
devoted the characters were to each other and how Mike adored Phoebe and how
Phoebe was so supportive of Mike. It was entertaining to see the contrast
between Mike’s sensitive nature and his killing skills.
Topher Grace stars as Adrian Yates, a CIA director who is
the villain in the movie. He plays Yates as just a young man trying to get
ahead in his career by being ruthless. The dialogue between Adrian Yates and
Victoria Lasseter adds to the humorous premise.
The movie is an action comedy but I didn’t find the movie
that funny. It was a little amusing rather than laugh out loud for me. Most of
the funny scenes occur due to Mike’s bewilderment of his abilities and how he
kills people using ordinary objects. The fight scenes were excellent but a
little too gory for me. I don’t like seeing a lot of blood. Other viewers
probably won’t have a problem with it.
Pants on Fire is a made of tv movie by Disney. It’s a story
about Jack Parker (Bradley Steven Perry) , a 15 year old boy who lies to get
out of trouble and to impress people. His biggest lie is that he helps an
underprivileged boy named Mikey by being his friend and tutor. Jack made up
Mikey so that he could have an excuse for being late and not doing things.
Jack’s principal nominates Jack for the Student of the Year award for being an
upstanding student. The Student of the Year gets their dream internship and
Jack wants to be a bat boy for the Red Sox.
After Jack’s nomination Mikey (played by Tyrel Jackson
Williams) appears as well as some other people he lied about such as his hot
long distance girlfriend and aliens that had tried to adbuct him. Jack and his
friends try to solve whether Mikey has magically come to life or if he’s just
another liar trying to con them.
Bradley Steven Perry’s acting was satisfactory for a kids
movie. Jack is a likeable character despite being a liar. His lies never hurt
anyone but he was starting to become a compulsive liar. All the rest of the
cast are okay too rather than outstanding but I expected as much. The roles
were one dimensional and typical for kids movies. Jack had two friend, one goof
ball and one intelligent one that exist just to support him, two clueless parents, an resentful sister and
a cute love interest.
I really liked the premise of this movie and working out the
truth about Mikey. It’s not a clever mystery and it’s not supposed to be as it
is a kid’s movie. I thought Tyrel Williams was excellent as Mikey. He played
him eccentrically like he was alien in human form which added to the mystery.
There were a few cute and funny moments as Jack tries to find out about Mikey. The
best part being when Jack sneaks into the house of the girl he likes because
she had invited Mikey over. There are some near misses where he almost gets
discovered by her family members which I thought was amusing.
I don’t keep up with new music anymore but I sometimes
stumble across new songs through Youtube auto-play. One song that has been on
my replay list is We Don’t Talk Anymore – Charlie Puth featuring Selena Gomez.
I love duets and I love the laid back vibe of this song. It’s about a couple
who have broken up but still miss each other. I’m a fan of Selena and I
particularly like the live version of this song.
I listen to a few other Charlie Puth songs and I like One
Call Away. My students sometimes sing it too.
Grimsby is the latest Sacha Baron Cohen movie. He stars as
Nobby Butcher who lives in Grimsby, an English seaport town. Nobby is a family
man of eleven children with his wife Dawn (Rebel Wilson). The only thing
missing in his life is his brother Sebastian ( Mark Strong ) who he was
separated from as a child. Nobby learns that his brother will be attending at a
humanitarian benefit and goes to meet him.
Sebastian is a M16 agent to stop the
assassination of a philanthropist Rhonda George (Penelope Cruz). The reunion between Nobby and Sebastian
results in Sebastian being mistaken for the assassin. The two brothers both go
on the run while trying to clear Sebastian’s name.
This is my favourite Sacha Baron Cohen film. I think this
film has a more solid plot than some of his other movies. I love action comedies and my guilty pleasure
is watching chav reality shows so this was a good mix for me. I’m astounded by
Cohen’s dirty mind as his humour is both crude, shocking and hilarious. It’s
not a film for everyone as it may offend some.
I thought all the actors in the film were great. They all
have a talent for comedy and their timing is just right. Rebel Wilson, Sacha Baron Cohen and Mark
Strong were especially good with each other.
Harry Potter fans may delight in seeing an actor playing
Daniel Radcliffe in this film. Perhaps the real Daniel Radcliffe was busy or he
didn’t want to be in the film. I don’t
think the “Daniel Radcliffe” looks anything like the real Dan but he is used as
a running gag in this film.
I hope there’s another Grimsby movie. It would be a good
franchise.
Taeyeon is an Kpop singer from the group Girls
Generation. I recently stumbled upon her song Starlight featuring DEAN after
watching a video about Korea. The song is about being in love and how they are
each other’s “starlight”. Starlight has
been on my repeat list ever since. I love the cruisey, dreamlike vibe of the
video clip which I believe is filmed somewhere in California and the music is a
fun chill out song.
After listening to Starlight, I went to listen to other
the songs by Taeyeon. I also like I featuring Verbal Jint which set in a gorgeous
location but this time in New Zealand. The song is about escaping drudgery and
going after your dreams.
Thirdly, I love her song Rain where Taeyeon sings about
how every time it rains she misses her loved one. I love the symbolism in the
video clip when the room starts to slowly flood.
I’ve definitely become a fan of Taeyeon. I look forward
to listening to her other songs.
Marche
Militaire composed by Franz Schubert has been in my mind for the last
week. I've recently started to listen to classical music while I do
my work on the computer. I love to listen to music while I work and
find classical music to be relaxing and less distracting than
contemporary music with singing.
I
don't know much about classical music, I wouldn't be able to tell the
difference between Beethoven or Mozart but I know what I like. What I
like about the march is it's sprightly, I've been humming the tune
all day long.
I
first heard Marche Militaire from Youtube by a group called Heart
Strings Cello
I
later learnt that Marche Militaire was written as a piano duet also
called four hands piano. I think it would be fun to play the piano
with another person. I'll have to add it to my bucket list.
Dawin is a Youtube star whose debut song Dessert reached over
a hundred million views. He has since signed with GMA network. Silento is a
singer famous for his song Watch Me (Whip/ Nae Nae) which features a dance that
has become viral.
The love interest in the song is Rosanna Pansino, a fellow Youtuber with a popular baking channel.
I’m a teacher and I dedicate this next song to my grade 4/5/6
class. (I teach in Outback, Australia in
a small class which I have a multi-level
class. )My little girls love the song Dessert by Dawin featuring Silento. I’ve only heard snippets of this song until
one of the girls won a class reward which was to play music in class. They have
been singing this song all the time. After viewing the song I can see why they
like it. It has a cute video clip and it’s easy to sing. It would be just the
kind of song I would have liked at their age.
I realized while I was writing my Spice Girls post from two
week ago that I wasn’t done with the Spice Girls yet. So here’s Entertainment
Monday: Spice Girl part 2!
So after the Spice Girls disbanded I still kept an interest
in the girls’ solo projects. Here are my favourite solo spice girl songs.
Mel B (Scary Spice) I want you back featuring Missy Elliot
I remember when this song came out in 1998. I thought the
song was so dope and I still think that could hold up in 2016. The video clip
has a Matrix type theme where Mel B and Missy are in a computerized world and
it’s all green inside. The leading man in the video clip became Mel B’s first
husband too and she was pregnant at the time of filming although you can’t see
it.
Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) What took you so long
I thought this song was so cute and I like how it has a
country music vibe.
Mel C (Sporty Spice) Never be the same again
featuring Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes
Mel C was my favourite Spice Girl. I like many of her solo
songs. Never be the same again is a song about moving out of the
friend zone and into a relationship. I
love the futuristic house that the video clip is set in. Sadly Lisa died in a
car accident a few years later.
Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) Out of your Mind by the True
Steppers featuring Victoria Beckham and Dane Bowers
Another song with a futuristic video clip but this time with
dance music. I really loved this song and I use to play it on repeat all the
time.
Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice) Look at Me
This was her first single after she left the Spice Girls. I
love it because it’s loud and brashy which announces her way as a solo artist.
I loved the Spice Girls when I was younger. They were one of
my first forays into fangirling. The late 90s was a fun time to be a pre-teen.
It was time filled with colour and youthful energy. It was a time of bubble gum
pop and boybands and girlbands. Fashion wise, we were moving away from the
grunge era of slip dresses with combat boots to bright mini-skirts and platform
shoes thanks to movies like Clueless.
My family didn’t have a lot of money while I was growing up.
I didn’t even own a Spice Girl CD but I did read all the magazine articles,
watch the t.v interviews and all their video clips. My favourite Spice Girls were
Sporty Spice and Baby Spice mainly because I thought they dressed the nicest. I
loved Sporty Spice because she was a tom boy and so was I.
My favourite thing about the Spice Girls was their GIRL
POWER! I found that empowering as a young girl. I wasn’t sad when The Spice Girls
split up as by then I had out grown them. I remember when there were two girls
in my class who were so glum; they refused to play P.E because the Spice Girls
broke up. I thought that was funny. It’s a pity the Spice Girls don’t get along
now because that means no reunion tour. If I could go back in time I would see
them in concert.
Here are my favourite songs
Wannabe
The Spice Girls debut song was catchy and the video clip was cheeky. It was no surprise that it became such a success.
Say you'll be there
This was their second single. I love all the kicks and punches and dancing in this video clip.
I also love the cover by MØ
Viva Forever
I knew it was the end for the band when this song showed up and there were rumours that they were disbanding.
God Help the Girl is a quirky independent musical about a
girl named Eve (Emily Browning) who is an aspiring singer/songwriter. She’s
also recovering from anorexia and escapes from the hospital to live out her
dream. Eve meets James (Olly Alexander) who is a uni student and fellow
musician. He invites Eve to live with him and his flat mates. Eve also meets
Cassie (Hannah Murray) a high school student who wants to be a
singer/songwriter too. The trio forms a band called God Help the Girl with
other local musicians.
The film was created and directed by Stuart Murdoch, lead
singer of Belle and Sebastian.( Jon Bear reviewed their music here.) Murdoch
was inspired to create the movie after writing songs about young women. The
band Belle and Sebastian are featured in the movie as the accompanying band to
Eve and her friends.
I’ve been a fan of Emily Browning since she was a child. She
guest starred in numerous Australian TV shows before her big break in the movie
A series of Unfortunate Events. I never knew she could sing! Emily is the best
singer in the movie and talented enough to produce an album. I found her
character Eve, to be a beguiling and fragile young person. Everyone was charmed
by her as she is talented and mysterious but also looks overwhelmed by life. I
wasn’t surprised in the movie, when Eve said that she needed more structure and
older people in her life.
While Eve and her friends share a close bond, she never
confides to them about her illness. She reveals her experiences through her
songs. James becomes aware of her problems from listening to her music and from
living with Eve but never talks to Eve about it. I felt a little disappointed that
James never talked to Eve about her health issues which I think would have been
healthier for all of them. James is also pining for Eve which doesn’t help. Cassie is too young to realize that anything
is wrong with Eve. Instead, she admires Eve for her worldliness and musical
talent.
I thought this movie was okay, it was just the little things
that stopped it from being a good movie. I think teenagers will like this movie
as it is a coming of age story with three cute young people. It’s a fun breezy
kind of movie to watch with friends.
The movie has a whimsical hipster feel which is helped by the
adorable vintage outfits that they all wear. Eve has an extensive wardrobe yet
only has a backpack which is supposed to have all her possessions in it. I
found that little detail jarring because with her wardrobe, she would need a
suitcase. Aiding the hipster vibe is the music which is quirky and cute. I liked
the little dance numbers in the songs. Although, I didn’t think the songs were catchy
or memorable. Personally, I thought all the songs sounded the same; it could
have been improved if the characters had their own sound when they sung their individual
songs.
Alice (Dakota Johnson) a recent college graduate asks her
boyfriend Josh (Nicolas Braun) to put their relationship on hold while she goes
to New York to find herself. Alice goes to live with her sister Meg (Leslie
Mann) and goes to work as a paralegal. At the law firm, Alice meets Robin (Rebel
Wilson), a nymphomaniac who shows her how to have a good time. Robin introduces
Alice to Tom (Anders Holm), a womanizing bartender. The two enter into a casual
relationship. Alice and Tom become confidantes about leading directionless and
commitment free lives.Meanwhile, Alice’s sister decides to have a baby with the
help of a sperm donor and Josh decides to date someone else. Alice spends a lot
of time partying and trying to figure out her love life. She becomes lost and unsatisfied with life
until she learns to be her own person.
My friend suggested we watch this movie and I agreed because
it was cheap Tuesday, a day where tickets are five dollars. I was surprised at
how much I liked this film. I want to add it to my movie collection when it
comes out on DVD. I’m only three years out of university and still trying to
figure out my life so I could relate to Alice. I felt that Alice is what you
call a hot mess. She was easily persuaded by her party animal friend to party
and have flings which left her unhappy. Alice’s sister was a sympathetic
listener but didn’t guide Alice in making better decisions. I think she was
more concerned for her own love life and her pregnancy. In the movie, Alice
kept having an on and off again relationship with Josh and other guys, which
made me worry that she would never learn how to be single.
This movie explores other factors in singledom too such as
being career focused and bereavement. The only one that doesn’t come to some
realization or doesn’t need healing is Robin, who relishes her single life.
Robin doesn’t have a healthy lifestyle but she’s happy and knows herself. My
favourite scene featuring Robin is, when she and Alice wake up from a night of
partying and realize they are going to be late for work. Robin has been in that
situation before and manages to get them to work wearing stylish clothes, full
makeup and blow dried hair and they arrive at work… three hours later. It’s
only at the end of the movie that it is revealed how Robin can get away with
her lifestyle.
The movie takes place in New York City which was appropriate
given how many people go to New York is make their dreams come true. The city
was like another character. Before I could never understand the allure of New
York but now I do. There’s this scene where Alice is sitting on the fire escape
staircase and she’s so high up yet dwarfed by the other skyscrapers which made
the city look magnificent. I don’t know enough about New York to know about the
places featured in the film except Central Park but all the landscapes were
stunning and vast.
This is a good movie to watch with friends when you want a
lighthearted entertaining movie. Or a good film to watch for me time especially
if you are single. This movie reminded me to enjoy my singledom and that there
are plenty of fun things to do alone.
Deadpool is the newest Marvel character to get a movie
franchise. Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) was a wise talking mercenary whose life
changes when he falls in love for the first time with Vanessa Carlysle (Morena
Baccarin) and he learns that he has cancer.
A representative from Weapon X, a
secret organization approaches Wade and claims that they can cure his cancer
with an experimental drug. In order for the drug to work, Ajax/Francis Freeman
(Ed Skein) tortures Wade because the drug activates when the patient is in
extreme distress. The treatment is successful and Wade is cured of cancer but
horribly deformed. He is also able to regenerate his cells so that he’s
virtually immortal.
Uncomfortable with his appearance and wanting revenge on
Ajax/Francis, Wade becomes a masked vigilante known as Deadpool. The X Men come
to convince him to use his powers for good but all Wade cares about is finding
Francis to change him back to his handsome self.
Last week, I went to see Deadpool with my best friend and
her niece and nephew. It was a mistake to bring the kids. Deadpool is not for
children. Deadpool wisecracks are too smutty for a twelve and thirteen year
old. There’s also graphic violence, sex
scenes and nudity. My friend thought that the movie was only rated M in
Australia , which means it’s for mature audiences and it would be the same as
other superhero movies like Captain America or Iron Man. Nope! It’s a movie for
adults. The movie is actually rated MA 15+ which is for people over 15 years
old but children can see the film if they are accompanied by an adult. The
cashier did warn us that there would be bad language in the film but we weren’t
told about all the other stuff.
Personally, I loved the movie and now I have a favourite
superhero. I didn’t know anything about Deadpool so I didn’t know where the
movie would go. He’s not a hero yet but he probably will be in the next movie.
He’s an antihero as he’s not interested in saving the world just yet. I like
Deadpool because he’s a bad boy and his jokes and antics are hilarious. I
missed 10 or 20 minutes of the film because the kids were slow to get ready but
I enjoyed what I did see of the film. I feel happy for Ryan Reynolds over the
success of this movie. His first attempt at the superhero franchise was as the
Green Lantern which was a box office flop. I know he is a successful movie star
with millions of dollars but I still feel sorry for people when their hopes and
dreams are dashed.
I thought the co-stars were great as well. I’m a fan of Morena
Baccarin from seeing her in sci fi shows such as V and Firefly. She’s also
appeared in many other TV shows and movies but I think this is her biggest role
yet. There were new X Men characters introduced in this movie and they were
Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Stefan Kapičić as Colossus. I didn’t find them
that interesting but I hope to see them again in the sequel.
I’m looking forward to the sequel and hopeful that one day
there will be an assemble movie with other Marvel characters. The action scenes
were good in the movie with lots of intricate fight sequences and plenty of
things that blow up. The movie moves at a fast pace perfectly matching
Deadpool’s energetic personality.
