Little Talks

A couple of months ago I went with my sister and cousin to watch The Best of Me . My sister loves Nicholas Sparks (books and movies) and so she never misses one. As is to be expected from Sparks, the movie was sappy, sad, and sexy. Not that I don't like his other movies, but I feel like this one had more depth at times. It was the cliche plot of high school sweethearts who lose contact and meet up years later die to the death of a friend only to realize that there is still something between them. Dawson grow up in a broken home, his family being a hillbilly gang...it's not certain what they deal, but probably moonshine and maybe drugs. They definitely handle, if not sell, weapons. Amanda is one of those classic rich, southern, white girls. She has a life that appears to be perfect (whether or not it really is). Dawson is the classic ugly duckling character that every girl wishes was real. He has a rough look and muscular build that make him ruggedly handsome, while the other me...

That's right! Finally another book! Today's book is  Fahrenheit 451  by Ray Bradbury. This dystopian sci-fi classic didn't really seem like something I'd read when I first looked at it. I have really enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale  in the past, but this seemed more like 1984.  Still, the concept of firemen burning houses instead of putting out the fires was intriguing. I'm going to try to summarize without soiling everything because I want people to know what the book is about without feeling like they've read it. There is so much more to the book than just the summarized plot. (And hopefully I can do this for all other books afterward as well). Montag is a fireman who meets the strange young girl next door, Clarisse, and begins to wonder why she is so different. In a world where people never just walk or have conversations, where televisions fill a whole room and books are banned, Clarisse essentially introduces him to how things used to be. Montag...

So I hope you all had a merry Christmas or a happy holiday (whichever one you celebrate). It didn't feel like it was really Christmas until it was actually here, but I've enjoyed it nonetheless. To top it all of I got one of the best gifts a fan girl could ask for...all 8 Harry Potter movies! Coincidentally, Space  has been playing them all weekend so I've already seen the first five and parts of the sixth and seventh. I also got to go watch the last Hobbit movie with all my closest friends. I really enjoyed my weekend. And now I would like to change my usual style for Sunday Sayings by typing up a passage that I recently read from The Wheel of Time. This particular quote is from The Gathering Storm  which, while still being a Robert Jordan story, was written by Brandon Sanderson. (Warning: I have edited out parts of the plot happening around this story being told). "Reasoning with a woman is impossible. It's like... Well, reasoning with a woman is like sitting dow...

Apparenlty I've had more time to watch movies during the break so far than to blog about them. I should have known better. This was to be expected. Anyways, lets see if I can do one a day all week. New Year's Eve is brought to you by the people who made Valentine's Day . That's right, another romantic movie about a holiday that follows the stories of a number of people who all or mostly connect in one way or another. And thus, the plot is somewhat complicated to describe...so I'm not going to try. But it's a romcom so I think for the most part you all know how it will turn out already. The star-studded cast includes Zac Efron, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lea Michele, Josh Duhamel, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jake T. Austin, Matthew Broderick, Halle Berry, Robert DiNero, Ashton Kutcher, Sofia Vergara, Russell Peters, Katherine Heigel, Hillary Swank, Abigail Breslin, Jon Bon Jovi, Seth Meyers, Hector Elizondo, Ludacris, Alyssa Milano, Til Schweiger, Carla Gugino, Carry Elwes, S...

So I came to the realization recently that  artistic and creative aren't quite the same thing. One is more about skill while the other is more about a state of mind. Let me explain. Artistic talent is just that: a talent. It is a skill which some people are born with. Artistic people are those who have the technical ability to communicate images on paper (generally in such a way that it is recognizable as something from the physical world. Creativity is the ability to come up with ideas, or to think of ways to communicate thought and emotion in an artistic manner. Creative people see the world in a different way from others. The way that they experience and view objects and events in their lives is unique in that they can see the artistic potential where others cannot. Often, these two come together. However, it is possible to have an artistic person who can only replicate images or ideas, but struggle to have their own creative views. One could also be creative, but lack the skill...

I'm not too sure how busy I'm going to be during the holidays so I just want to wish everyone merry Christmas! (And remember that Jesus is the reason for the season!)

So it has been quite a while since I watched this and I think I missed some bra to begin with, but I saw enough to understand the movie. I would like to apologize in advance because this summary is going to be very lacking. Daniel Craig plays an investigative journalist. He is assisted by a young woman who has been long abused (physically, verbally, and sexually) by a man who was supposed to be a caretaker / benefactor of sorts. He basically turns her into a prostitute, making her endure unbearable shame and hurt in order to get the money she is supposed to have for everyday expenses. She has observation skills and memory beyond compare and is a huge help in his solving this cold case. Her assistance is not often within the law or normal methods of solving cases, but it is effective and she never gets caught. Eventually, she is able to get revenge on her abuser and does some undpeakable things (you can watch for yourself if you really want to know). The journalist also gets his man, on...

J.K. Rowling's new Pottermore Christmas releases (yes, I'm a nerd...I know) have gotten me into a real wizarding mood. So for this weeks quotations, have some wise words from the characters of Harry Potter .

Hello world, I really am still alive. And I am ever so far behind on my blogs. But fear not, I will catch up if I have to write several posts a day for the next few weeks. So on to today's topic: We're the Millers. I want to introduce this as a hilarious family movie, but let's face it, it's not appropriate for the whole family. However, the atmosphere really is a happy, family one. So where do I begin? A dealer gets sucked into picking up a shipment of drugs from Mexico, and uses his neighbour the stripper, his other neighbour the teenaged boy, and a homeless girl to create a fake family and travels across the border in an RV under the illusion of being a family on vacation in order to throw off suspicion. In Mexico they get into some trouble as it turns out the man who sent them on their mission is trying to steal the drugs. They have a terrible time trying to act like a family, but suddenly the bond just forms on it's own. There is a long, frustrating and en...

So it's that time of year again: the end of the year and the fall/winter season of all our favourite shows. And tonight brought us the end of one of the best new series of the year. The Flash mid-season finale came with tension, terror and tears. Feelings were shared, relationships developed, people came back from the dead, and others came out of hibernation. Iris and Eddy are moving in together, but Barry can't hide his feelings anymore. The Reverse Flash is here, and he has something to do with Dr. Wells. But what exactly? This series has been amazing for me so far. I have laughed and cried, and I feel such a strong connection to the characters. I hope it stays around for years to come. Have a theory about how exactly Dr. Wells plays into the murder of Barry's mom, and all of the action happening now? Who is the other Flash? Let me know in the comments. P.S. Barry, if Iris is too blind to see how amazing you are, I'm always here for you. ;)

So I'm going to do this quickly because I'm supposed to be studying. I was just watching an episode of Criminal Minds and this was the quote at the end: This is the perfect explanation for why we need to tell our children fairy tales. I always loved them as a kid, and have discovered over and over - especially while watching Once Upon A Time - that they still hold some sort of importance and connect with us on an emotional level. Anyways, I would love to say more, but I need to go.

I had to watch this video for a class, but it is really good. This is something that we should really think about. Plus, Sir Ken Robinson delivers his speech so well. If you have the time, check this out.

Today, a quotation from one of my favourite authors.

So it's not over yet, but I just wanted to admit that I was wring and Elsa was not locked in the urn because she accidentally hurt or killed Kristoff. As always, Eddy and Adam have managed to make the plot still make sense, but in a completely unpredictable way. I shouldn't even be on here, I have work to do. But I am human and I wanted to admit my mistake. As a side note, who noticed the toy monkey with the cymbals in Gold's shop? Who realized it as an Easter egg from Toy Story 3 ? (even ABC shows pull the Disney Easter egg trick).

I hate posting out of order (we're all a bit OCD, okay?). But I want to get this down in writing in case I need it as proof later. Take note, Internet. I am about to make a prediction about what will happen in this week's Once Upon A Time (2 hour special!!!). If you did not see the last episode, I would advise you not to carry on as this post will contain spoilers. In "The Snow Queen" we saw Ingrid's backstory and why she ended up in the urn (that Elsa later ended up in). She, like Elsa, found that she could only control her powers when she was not worrying about her sister(s). Anyways, in some parallels of the plot of Frozen, Ingrid sees her sister falling in love with a man who's intentions are not as he states (and not only is he the Duke from Frozen, but it's basically the Hans plot). She gets worried and (just like Elsa) accidentally shoots her sister in the heart with ice. Only apparently, Helga didn't have the time to have her act of true love...

That's right, I haven't died or gone missing from the face of the earth (not that anyone out there on the Internet is bound to notice). I have been waaaay too busy to be present on the world wide web. And yet the whole time, I just kept coming across more things that I wanted to write blog posts about. But do not be dismayed, come December, I should hopefully have plenty of time to catch up with my list. Anyways, to make up for my long disappearance, let me share with you some quotes from my latest movie watch, Maleficent.

I'm alive! I have been so busy, I'm sorry. I couldn't (and probably technically still can't) take the time to post much. Therefore, I will make this quick. Simple, but something I think that other people need to hear right now too.

Went to a Tim & The Glory Bots concert this weekend (and most of you probably have no idea who that is, but that's what the Internet is for, my friends) and I felt moved to share this message with all of you. Choose joy this week!

Having mentioned Tangled in my Frozen post, I decided that I needed to do an ode. I love this movie. It has the elements of a classic Disney cartoon, with the beautiful animation of Frozen, and the format of a romance and a fairy-tale and a comedy all in one. It feels so real. I don't even know what it is, but I think it is my favourite Disney movie EVER. It deserved the hype that Frozen got. First of all Flynn/Eugene...best (non)prince there ever was... I will admit that I could do without Mother Gothel's excessiveness, but she is just a glorified Disney villain I suppose... And of course, the animals are your classic Disney sidekick, made better by the realistic fact that they can't speak, and therefore funnier because they must communicate through body language... And how can I forget Rapunzel? The most beautiful and touching Disney love song ever... A hauntingly beautiful magical song... And of course the most tear-jerking scene ever... And t...

Yes, that's right...I said " Frozen ". I know some of you are screaming in glee "She's going to talk about Frozen !!! I LOVE that movie!!" while others are thinking "Oh no, not her too. Aren't we done with this movie yet?" I, myself, am probably in the second group. Nonetheless, I have committed myself to discussing everything movie that I watch (as well as every book that I read) and so I must discuss this one as well. Besides, it isn't the worst movie, in fact it is pretty good. But first, some backstory. A few years ago I saw a post from Disney on facebook saying that they were making a new movie called Frozen based on the story of The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson. Yeah, how many of you knew that? It changes things completely, doesn't it? So I saw as the sketches were released, as plots were slowly revealed, and even when the first clip of Olaf and Sven (which at the time seemed completely unrelated to the movie) was final...

Justin Timberlake. Mila Kunis. Predictable. Cute. A bit inappropriate. (That last one means R-rated) Anyways, the movie opens with two almost identical break-up scenes that at first have you convinced are the same scene since both couples are dressed almost identically, standing in similar-looking locations, and having the same conversation. As it turns out Dylan (J.T.) is in L.A. Jamie (Mila) is in N.Y.C. Jamie is a head-hunter who gets Dylan an interview with GQ. However, he'd rather stay in L.A. Than move to New York. He is willing to leave his old web design job for this one, except for the location. To convince him to change his mind, Jamie shows him around town, not looking at tourist attractions, but at local life...which apparently includes a flash mob (that will come up several times in the movie). They become friends and decide that since neither of them is ready for another relationship (and they don't seem all too keen on the idea of love, at least not between frien...

I  promise that I will try to do one post a day this week since I am so behind. In August (yes, that far behind) I watched Blended with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler. I must admit I like their movies, especially 50 First Dates. Every 10 years they make another movie together, and the third of these movies was Blended . I must admit that I was quite hesitant having seen the trailers which contained very stupid humor, besides I was afraid that the modern advertising technique of putting all the funny scenes in the commercials had been employed. Luckily, I was wrong. it was a very cute family movie (with some adult humor - after all, it is Adam Sandler). Basically, two single-parent families end up going on a vacation that belonged to some friends, but it means them sharing the room and activities. The mother of two boys, played by Drew Barrymore, and the father of three girls, played by Adam Sandler, had recently gone out on a terrible blind date and spend the time hating each...

I know it seems like forever since I've actually posted a "Sunday Sayings" on a Sunday, but I promise to try harder from now on. This time, it was I only because Sunday was a holiday. Speaking of that, happy thanksgiving to all my Canadian readers!! So today's double feature (yes ... another old movie reference; and another double-picture post) is about thankfulness.

So I've been EXTREMELY busy recently, but I'll make up for it by doing the most EPIC Sunday Sayings ever... the hump day edition! (that is not a double entendre, I just wanted to be creative...and maybe freak some people out)

In honour of the return of my favourite show, Once Upon a Time (well Sherlock is my favourite too, but it's not on right now) today's quote goes along with one of the events in the new episode.

For a Christian movie, wow, this was like movie magic. The acting was good, and the film quality didn't make you think of home videos. Shane Harper was awesome, first of all. I have to admit that I used to (and sometimes still do) watch Good Luck Charlie, and so I was a bit afraid that all his acting would be Family channel (Canadian version of Disney channel) acting. I am glad to say that I was wrong. He was quite good. An may i point on thy his characters name was Josh Wheaton (i ha trouble not hearing it as Joss Wheddon.) The girl playing his girlfriend on the other hand, not so much unrealistic, but mood-swingy. Although I suppose that was more the character than the actress herself. The plot was really neat. From everything I had seen and heard, I was under the impression that the whole plot was the battle between the student and the teacher. I was pleasantly surprised Rodin that there were a number of story lines that all converged near or during the Newsboys concert. My advi...

Sorry it's late, I've been so busy. So here's a quote from my latest read: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

POTENTIAL SPOILER WARNING   I finally found the time to get around to these books!!! (YAY!) The Sarantine Mosaic series by Guy Gavriel Kay has got to be the best series I have ever read! It seems odd to say, I know, especially since I have been a HUGE fan of The Chronicles of Narnia , The Lord of the Rings , and The Wheel of Time for so many years.* And all of these are such epic, amazing fantasy series from some of the greatest authors. But never has a book or a series left me feeling so complete as this when it was done. So where do I start? I guess we start with the storyline (which to prevent confusion, I will extremely simplify). The Sarantine Empire is a fantasy land based very precisely in the history of the Byzantine Empire. The Emperor and Empress are based on Justinian and Theodora. (I will not go into more detail on the history.) Caius Crispus is a mosaicist from Rhodias (the equivalent of Rome). His friend is summoned to work on the Emperor's new sanctu...

I thought this was cute so I made a little word doodle. 

First of all, do you appreciate the little joke in my title? If you were born after the age of the VHS you are likely lost, but to those of my generation (or perhaps the beginning of the DVD era) I hope you found it as witty as I did when writing it. I don't usually do this, but I wanted to put up this post for the few potential readers of this blog looking for my newest entries. I have been watching a lot of movies (and squeezing in as many books as I can) but I would like to continue the posts in the order that I have read / watched things. However, I know that the few I have coming up next (including the Sarantine Mosaic series) are ones that I want to really go into detail on and since school just started up again, it might take a while to find the chance to write it all. Also, for the series I borrowed the first book from the library, but I would love to have a copy of my own, especially for referencing while writing the blog. So stay tuned for the feature presentation (okay t...

I apologize for my lack of posts recently. I am also sad to say that as the school year begins, it is not likely to improve anytime soon. Anyways, let me get on to the next movie in the long line of features I have watched this summer: What's Your Number . This movie stars Anna Ferris as a young woman who realizes - thanks to her sister's wedding and a magazine article - that she ha slept with a whopping 19 men.  Obviously this disappoints her since statistics are that after 20, you are far less likely to find your soulmate. Besides, her friend are all have far lower numbers.  The opening scenes include her breaking off a relationship with her activist  boyfriend played by Zachary Quinto, and getting fired. The morning after her sister's bachelorette party, she wakes up in a fit after sleeping with her ex-boss (I don't know how else to refer to him) played by Joel McHale, making her number 20. Enter another celebrity: the player neighbour across the hall, Chris Evans....

SPOLIER WARNING I decided at the beginning of the summer that while on vacation I would attempt to work my way through a number of classic books that I felt might be interesting. This was inspired by my reading of A Tale of Two Cities earlier this year. Of course, I really only got this one done because it was so long, then I moved back to a few books on my shelf. Anyways, back to the book. As already stated,  The Hunchback of Notre Dame ( Notre Dame de Paris ) by Victor Hugo is fairly long. To make it worse there are two simultaneous chapters, the second about three times larger than the first, that talk extensively and exclusively about the architecture of Notre Dame and the history of Paris respectively. As if that was not frustrating enough, the last pages state that the author originally published the book without those chapters and one other that came with it. The other had plot, but was not necessary to add to or advance the story. Hugo says that when h...

In honour of my next blog, I decided to share a quote from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I would like to apologize for the quality of this image, I just googled a picture and pasted the text on it because there are apparently very few images of quotes from this book.

I decided since I watched these only a few days apart to group them together in one post. These movies are quite awesome, even though they are technically for children. I think that the most appealing aspect of these movies, even better than the dragons, is that Hiccup is an outsider and an underdog. I find that no matter who we are or where we've come from, the unexpected hero seems to be the most relatable and loveable character. Hiccup is a Viking, but he's not very good at Viking things. This upsets his father. However, when he attempts to do what he believes is expected of a Viking, his father gets equally, if not more, upset. His life is made worse by the fact that his mother died when he was only a child. This means that he was raised solely by his father and missed out on the experience of having his mother, but it also means that he is the only heir to the cheif. His life is stressful and all he ever wants to do is please his father. I love that Hiccup has come to re...

I apologize for my tardiness, but somehow I've managed to be extremely busy, even in the summer. Luckily, I have still had plenty of time to keep squeezing in books and movies (especially movies). Today's movie discussion is on an old Disney classic: Mary Poppins . For starters, let me warn anyone who has not watched this that it is far longer than you would expect, especially from Disney. Secondly, I find it all a little confusing. The world in which these children live seems to be somewhere between normal and magical with a hint of a nonsensical children's story setting thrown in: every day at a certain time the Banks's house shakes and the women must grab everything to stop it from moving or breaking; the grandfather lives in a house that has been altered to appear like a battleship fully equipped with a working canon. Not to mention, despite the fact that they seem to emphasize that magic is not a part of their world, Mary Poppins arrives with all of her magic, a n...

I just finished reading Guy Gavriel Kay's The Sarantine Mosaic and can I just say, "Wow." It was unbelievable! I thought that the first book had been good, despite the fact that there was no huge, single conflict to the plot. But the second book was amazing, and the ending took my breath away. Every little intricate string in the plot created this neat web that all worked out in the end, but with a conclusion I can honestly say I had never anticipated. The entire ending was amazing and it took my breath away! I wish I could write the blog post now while it is still fresh in my mind, but I need to work in order or else some things will never get done. I promise to get to it as soon as possible, and I will keep the book right here with me as I write so that I miss nothing. I feel that everyone should be able to experience this masterpiece. It truly is a must-read!

For this week's Sunday Sayings I chose my favourite quote from one of my favourite series, The Wheel of Time .

Warning: this movie is rated R for the use of certain explicit words (and content I suppose). One of the movies I went to the theatre to watch this summer was Jersey Boys. I don't know if it was the fact that all four of the guys were broadway stars rather than big-name actors, the story (and the fact that it is true, or Clint Eastwood's  ability to make crime and dark times into something artistic, or all of them together, this movie was awesome! I think it was very smart to have the same actors playing the boys the entire time, however when they showed them at the beginning I was finding it hard to believe that Franky was only 16. Yes, they definitely looked younger, but not young enough. The story was crazy. The mob connections and loans that Tommy racked up was a bit insane. They were musical stars, so why did they need all those loans? Of course, the fact that he was using the money to treat his mistresses all over the country would explain it. It is just sad to believe th...

In the spirit of last nights post, I introduce to you the first (and last) edition of Monday Movie Quotes: Avengers Edition.

This is my favourite Marvel movie yet. Honestly, Marvel is my new favourite movie company. The Avengers was awesome! I loved that as the viewer I could see not only what each of the characters was like and how they acted in certain situations, but also how they interact. Plus, I loved all the humour and witty banter that the characters had. I think it was an interesting choice to make Loki the villain, although it makes sense. Had Loki not been the villain, Thor would have had no reason to find a way back to earth and protect it. Side note: I know it probably didn't fit the plot, but I find it odd that Thor did not make more of an effort to find Jane (if he was in a chick flick, he would have...clearly I watch too many chick flicks). I was blown away by Loki's power and intelligence. I know that he double-crossed everyone in Thor , but I wasn't expecting him to be so manipulative. Yes, he had his staff and the Tesseract, but he managed to drive wedges between everyone. An s...