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.