The Buzz on Halloween

     One of my favorite holidays, Halloween, is right around the corner and with it not only comes trick or treaters and endless amounts of candy-but also the time old tradition of spooky movies on rerun. Thought not exactly considered a "Halloween" movie per se, I decided to review one of my favorites that seemed appropriate for the occasion. 

     Coraline is a stop motion animation picture directed by Henry Selick, which also combines CG effects to give the characters more realistic appearances. Not only does the storyline appeal to my attention, with mixes of fantasy, realism, and dark humor, the special effects really stand out. Even though the movie is animated, using stop motion creates a sort of human quality to each character in the film, which can also be seen in other movies by Selick like The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach. Also, the movie is very detailed in every single scene, often adding whimsical touches and creativity along the way. A feature that really stood out to me was the stark contrast between Coraline's real world, and the "other" world she enters through a portal in the wall. Everything is the same in the other world as it is in Coraline's real world, except the real world is abnormally bland and gray. There is a constant state of winter and in Coraline's other world its as if everything comes to life; there is a vibrancy that is executed in the perfect way. At the end of the movie we come to realize that this "other" world is not all it's cracked up to be and the timeless motto "what shines isn't always gold" fits just right. Only when Coraline comes to grips with her own reality, does it regain its "color." As far as I'm concerned, the movie deserves two thumbs up and I can't wait to watch it when the holiday nears.

Zombie Apocalypse?

One movie I have recently picked up from  my local Redbox is World War Z, starring Brad Pitt. Starting the movie, I was not sure what to expect considering the plot circled around an attack of zombies; needless to say, there have been some pretty cliche "zombie" movies that have premiered in the box office recently. However, about 30 minutes in and I was hooked already. Finishing the movie I was pleasantly surprised to realize that World War Z doesn't portray the storybook version of zombies. These zombies are more lifelike, which in turn makes the movie more realistic and more relatable. In the movie, there is a deadly virus that has been spreading and nobody knows where it originated. The side effects of this virus turn those into flesh eating monsters, and the process of transformation is over exaggerated in a cinematic way...but the theory is not improbable. After all, a few years back we had an incident in real modern time of a man eating another's flesh. Other than the two thumbs up I give to this film for being realistic, the CG and special effects also were well executed and the entire storyline left me captivated and entertained throughout the whole movie. I do wish there was a little more elaboration on the ending, as the movie sort of finished abruptly with a war between the humans and zombies, but besides that I would personally give the World War Z 5 stars for sure.

A Modern Fairytale

     With my recent subscription to Netflix, I have stumbled upon a vast array of shows and movies that I otherwise either would not have known about, or have cared about. To strengthen my tolerance of entertainment of different genres, I decided to delve into a storybook land, one that is known, coincidentally, as Storybrooke. The ABC original series, Once Upon a Time, has ran for two seasons already (both available on Netflix) with the third season premiering less than a week away on the 29th of September. While I can't claim to be a true follower of the show since the very beginning, I can claim that I plan to follow this series for (hopefully) many seasons to come. The whole plot of the show focuses on Fairytale characters we all know and love who have been cursed by "Snow White's" evil stepmother, the Queen, and sent away to Storybrooke, Maine where she resides as the mayor. The strange twist of events occurs when he audience realizes that in this new town, nobody but the mayor actually remembers who they once were. Finishing both the seasons on Netflix in about 5 days to prepare myself for the season 3 premiere, I have plenty of opinions on the sequence of events if the show, as well as the way scenes are set up. 

    

     I give a huge round of applause for the episodes of the first season. It was filled with emotion and joy, despair and hope, and it really kept me on the tips if my toes as to what would happen next. I couldn't wait to get back home after a busy day and set up my Netflix to pick up where I left off. The way the show works, there are many different characters of the show that are progressively introduced. In a particular episode we will see a new (or already introduced) character living in the "real world" of Maine, but we will also get a glimpse of flashbacks to who they once were in their previous life. Fast forward to two or three following episodes and we will see more flashbacks of the same character, yet this time they will be facing a different obstacle. I've realized that this technique really pulls the audience in and leaves them wanting more after each episode, because instead of figuring out each character in one episode, the episode builds on each character and the pieces are slowly put together. This way of setting up the show also makes it hard for new viewers to really get into the show mid-way, but that could attribute to a loyal band of viewers that follow the story from beginning to end (or those with Netflix and loads of free time). 

     In the second season, I was a little disappointed with the sequence of events. I started finding the series a bit repetitive and restating points or realizations that had already been introduced or that weren't relevant to the overall challenge being faced. Many times I ended up zoning or getting distracted by something else for half of the show, and so had to rewind and start all over again. Another part of season 2 that turned me off from watching was the frequent amount of deaths or near-deaths of the characters, who ended up living in the end actually. Out of 8 "deaths" between the first two seasons, only 2 of the characters have actually died...and continued to stay dead. At this point it has become common sense to view anyone proclaimed dead as living until actually proven dead. However slow the start of the season was, nonetheless it did pick up towards the final episode and I was back to being captivated.

     Overall, I think it's a fantastic show with a very original idea and executes that idea in the most systematic way possible that draws viewers in and continues to keep those viewers. I would recommend this show to anyone but, again, without the convenience of Netflix it may be hard to just jump in for the premiere of season 3. 

The Great Gatsby (new and improved)

Everybody knows that the Great Gatsby is a classic, and the rendition of the timeless film has brought the story everyone knows and loves to a much younger generation. Though the movie released several months ago, it is still fairly relevant, with the new Blu-Ray release already flying off shelves. I wanted to share my thoughts on the movie, because though its a little bit of "old news," I have not seen a movie since that was as compelling and as outstandingly produced. 

The main feature of the movie that stood out the most to me as a viewer was how vibrant each of the scenes were, almost as if the colors were jumping off the screen. It really helped me to feel more connected with the overall movie, as if I were actually living the life of Nick, the main character, as he told of his encounter with the infamous Gatsby. All of the features of the original novel and movie were enhanced, reflecting a very modern touch that also helped to connect me with the film. I can't give much credit to the overall plot of the Great Gatsby, as it basically followed the outline of the novel, but the execution and sequence of scenes was very understandable and easy to follow along without prior knowledge of the books content. 

The CG effects used in the movie gave a very powerful touch to the overall effect the film had on its viewers, including written word appearing and fading over scenes to really convey and point and let it sink into the viewers head, letting them ruminate on the words and phrases and comprehending fully their meaning and impact. Finally the soundtrack to the movie gave it a very fun vibe, and separated the movie from being just a simple rendition of a classic movie, to a whole new cinema experience, bringing a classic movie to light in a whole new way entirely. With a soundtrack composed of modern songs and artists, as well as the other modern twists made mentioned above, Steven Spielberg has brought the Great Gatsby alive again, in a fresh and energized way.

April's Greatest (and worst) Hits!

Recently, I have downloaded some new albums that had been buzzing around music and entertainment news during the past month. The first album I will review this week will be Wolf by Tyler, the Creator. This is the third installment of his trilogy of studio records, the first being Bastard and the second, Goblin. Collaborations on the album include other Odd Future artists, Earl Sweatshirt and Frank Ocean, as well as a feature from recording artist, Erykah Badu. This new album has been received with open arms from the public, as well as many music critics.

In my opinion, being a personal fan of Tyler's work, I say that the album did live up to expectations. The beats are original and despite the nature of many 'Top 40' rap collaborations, the lyrics have clear depth and meaning. As is seen throughout the whole trilogy, when taking into account Tyler's previous works, he takes most of his inspiration from the absence of a father figure in his life. This situation, though unfortunate, provides for lyrical masterpieces. Listeners are thus able to connect with Tyler and his music on a personal level, which takes away the 'facade of fame' many artists portray. Though serious, this album does mix it up with it's fun beats and clever use of rhyme and rhythm. I don't see how this album would be able to even remotely disappoint someone who takes a listen, whether they are fans of Tyler or not. While his previous two albums depicted him still a little immature, getting used to the industry and new found fame, this new album shows Tyler growing up and really finding his own true sound, molding it according to himself. All in all, I give this album two thumbs up and can't wait to hear more from him!

Talk to ya next week!
Taylor, xx

You know that girls love Beyonce...

Hi there! My name is Taylor and welcome to my blog. This will be the first post of many and I am super excited to share it with you. Recently, after months and months of waiting with bated breath, Drake finally released a new single, titled Girls love Beyonce. Despite what the title of the song does imply, it is not entirely based off of Beyonce, other than the first verse being, "I know that girls love Beyonce."Along with the theme of Drakes many other singles and hits, this song focuses on the negative effects and turmoils that come along with a long-term, committed relationship. However, what makes this particular song stand out from the rest is its ode to the classic Destiny's Child single, Say my Name. The chorus of the single features James Fauntleroy, an American R&B singer/songwriter, performing his own rendition of the infamous tune.

In my opinion, James' version greatly out trumps the original, but that's only a comparison between the two chorus'. Overall, I am greatly in love with this new single. The beginning, I have to say, is fairly slow but as the song progresses so does the tempo and pace. The time spent waiting for Drake to produce a new single was well worth it, as he definitely did not disappoint! The lyrics can be said to relate to everyone, no matter the gender and age; it's a universal song! With just the right rhythm that permits it to be just in between, not too fast and not too slow, the song can accompany basically any occasion or any day. All in all, I am super pleased with Drake's newest work and I can't wait to hear more from him.

Talk to you soon, xx.




Listen!

Girls Love Beyonce