Brave New World

I'm so glad Brave won the Oscar for the best Animated Feature Film. This movie truly deserves it. With a spirit that cannot be tamed, Merida proves to young girls and women that they have the power to change their fate. In Brave, Merida struggles to change her fate, a fate that involves marrying a man who wins her hand in matrimony after beating his competitors in a series of games. Merida fights for her right to choose her own fate by competing in the contest and by out shooting her competitors. I nearly jumped up and yelled for joy when Merida did this. Merida is a hero for the girls who don't feel like the traditional Disney princesses, who question why they need a prince on a white horse to rescue them. Brave is for the girls who would rather be fighting with weapons while going on a quest, free to choose their own destiny.  I loved that this movie was not centered on a romance, but rather around the struggle a young girl had with connecting with her mother. This movie proves that a happy ending doesn't always have to end with a romance. Merida and her mother Elinor were able to see each other’s perspectives and motivations, which strengthened their relationship. Merida was still able to keep her wild and free spirit but she was also able to learn that every decision has consequences for others as well as herself. For Merida and her mother, this brave new world gave them a chance to change their fate for the better.

 

The Noblest of Hearts

I watched the Doctor Who episode "The Fires of Pompeii" tonight. This episode really interested me since I'm a history buff. I have always been fascinated with ancient history, especially Greek and Egyptian history. I'm very interested in the mythology of ancient history, and this episode dealt with mythology in a way. However, this episode reminded me of why I fell in love with Donna Noble's character. By far she is my favorite of the Doctor's companions. I know many fans of the show considered her to be too loud and annoying, which I'll admit her character could be at times. However, I think her name truly represented her heart and "The Fires of Pompeii" proved this. I couldn't imagine time traveling back to the day that Mount Vesuvius erupted and not trying to help the people of Pompeii. It must have taken strength and bravery to convince the Doctor to save at least one person after he explained to her that Pompeii was a fixed point in time. I think out of all the companions I can relate to Donna the most. I’m very stubborn and opinionated, but like Donna, I don't have as much confidence in myself. Despite of her lack of confidence, Donna pulled enough strength and compassion to fight for the lives of the people of Pompeii. Although the Doctor did appear to be somewhat villainous in this episode, we did get a good look into how hard his life would be. I wouldn’t be able to function if every minute I saw what could be, what might have been, and what can never be. That would be so confusing and in a way devastating, like having to make the decision between saving the people of Pompeii or the whole world. I think sometimes it is better not to know what is going to happen, because if you do, you can’t do anything to change it. I guess this goes to show you that not everyone can be a Time Lord.

 

Dead Crazy

I finally got around to watching "The Suicide King", the season premiere of The Walking Dead. Wow, that show had some crazy twists. For example, how Daryl left the group to follow his brother Merle. When I first saw Daryl I felt that he was just as spiteful as his brother, but when he was separated from Merle, I actually came to like his rough around the edges attitude. Even though it saddens me that his character is temporarily taken out of the show, I understand why. If I was given an ultimatum between a group of friends or following a family member, I would choose my family as well. However, Daryl will most likely regret his decision in the future, because let’s face it, Merle is not the most easy person to get along with. It seemed as if Merle brought out the worst aspects of Daryl, and in doing so, put Daryl in a mindset that was not good for him. Another crazy moment, of course, was when Rick saw the hallucination of his dead wife in front of the new arrivals. I can foresee that at one point in time, Rick's mental illness will cost the others a heavy price. I just wonder if Rick will try to prevent this or if he will be too stubborn to admit it. For me, I find that the explanation for his state of mind a little unbelievable. When Lori was alive Rick seemed to be so upset at times that he could not speak to her. Now, he appears so devastated about his wife's death that he suffers from insanity. This just does not add up. Another thing that does not add up is why Andrea still stays with the Governor, even after he proved to be insane and dishonest with her. In previous seasons I considered her to be a strong female character until now. Now she seems to be so dependent on the Governor's attention that she cannot see the reality of her situation. This episode just goes to show you that if there is ever a zombie apocalypse, then humanity will go crazy.

 

 



 

 

The Future Looks… Funny

This weekend I started watching the show Futurama and it made me laugh so much. I should have known since the show was created by Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons. I'm a big fan of The Simpsons and Futurama has the same witty but silly humor that I have grown to love. I enjoy the concept of the show; a lazy pizza boy frozen in a cryogenic sleep wakes up a century later. It's ironic how his new job as a package delivery boy in the future is extremely dangerous, since he is usually sent on insanely treacherous yet comical missions. I love how whenever Professor Farnsworth says "good news everyone", this phrase leads to a risky mission where the chances of survival are very slim. I’m also secretly amused when there are quick references to characters from The Simpsons such as when the robot Bender ate a pair of underwear off a Bart Simpson doll. This is not the only concept that I have seen both on Futurama and on another show. I was saddened to see that an idea from Doctor Who appears to actually originate from Futurama's episode "A Flight to Remember". Philip J. Fry, Leela, Bender, and the rest of the gang take a vacation trip on the Spaceship Titanic. In Doctor Who's episode "Voyage of the Damned" the Doctor boards a starship that is a replica of the Titanic. Both Titanic starships are leisure ships and both come to a tragic end, of course. And since Futurama's episode aired in 1999 and Doctor Who's episode aired in 2008, it breaks my heart to say that it appears as if Doctor Who plagiarized a bit. I am sure it was unintentional, but it just proves that great writers think alike.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Well, Baelfire's identity was finally revealed on Once Upon a Time tonight. Emma's past love and Henry's father, Neal Cassady, is Rumplestiltskin's son. I can't say that I'm really surprised, since rumors spread throughout the internet that Neal could be Rumplestiltskin’s lost son. And to be honest, there really weren’t a lot of other candidates. Whether this news was shocking to audiences or not, the revelation of Baelfire's identity sparked consequences that will shake the show to its core. Henry has now found his father and his grandfather, which may result in conflict when Hook finally catches up to his crocodile, as the previews suggest. Will Baelfire and Rumplestiltskin make amends? To be honest I don't blame Baelfire for not wanting to have anything to do with his father. Rumplestiltskin gave up his right to be a father when he abandoned Baelfire in order to save his own magic. His cowardice and selfishness left his son fatherless. Will Emma and Baelfire resume their relationship? If Henry and his father become close, will Henry want to live with Neal? And if so, will Henry leave Storybrooke and Emma? So many questions arose from this episode. Other revelations were revealed, such as Cora's plans. She hopes to get hold of Rumplestiltskin’s dagger in order to manipulate him into murdering Snow White, Prince Charming, and Emma. The question is will she really keep the promise of helping Regina take back Henry, or is she only using her daughter to become the Dark One? Most likely, the answer is the latter. And of course, in the background of this complicated plot lurks Greg Mendell, the stranger who now has undeniable proof that there is magic in Storybrooke. He recorded on his phone Regina floating objects out of Belle's purse, which he then proceeded to send to his contact outside of Storybrooke. There is no doubt that this will come back to haunt the town.

 

 

Survival of the Fittest Has Begun

Well today the new season of Survivor aired. This season the location of Survivor is in the Caramoan Islands in the Philippines. The two tribes facing off against each other are Fans vs Favorite. Some of the Favorites who have made a splash in previous seasons are Brandon Hantz, Erik Reichenbach, Phillip Sheppard, and Malcolm Freberg. Despite the Favorites taking an early lead in the Reward Challenge, the Fans won the Immunity challenge, proving that determination can beat experience. After the Immunity Challenge, it fell upon the Favorites to choose who they wanted to vote off their tribe. At first, Phillip's name was on the chopping block, since most people felt he was the least stable of the group. However, when paranoia spread in the camp, Francesca Hogi and her alliance felt they had to split their vote, since they felt that Phillip may have the hidden immunity idol. Andrea Boehlke’s name was then whispered around, with many people saying they didn't trust her because she was too strategic. When it finally came to the voting in tribal council, it came to a very close tie between Francesca and Andrea. Francesca was ultimately the one to go home, which was devastating since this was the second time she was the first of her season to be voted out. Although I like seeing how experience from the favorites clash with determination from the fans, I feel like more attention will be placed on the favorites, since so many love the spotlight. I personally like to see new people at the beginning of the season and to grow acquainted with them as the show progresses. That way I have a concrete favorite that I want to see win Survivor. Tonight's episode proved that there will definitely be clashes of egos and drama in the future.

The Turning Tide

In Once Upon A Time’s episode “Tiny” I was still holding out hope that Regina would not team up with her mother Cora. However, now that Cora has her grasp on Regina, it seems impossible that Regina will be anything other than the Evil Queen. It was so unique that Once Upon a Time gave a chance for the Evil Queen to become more than just the villain. I really was excited when Regina tried to become a better person than her mother. Sadly, she reverted back to her usual self, and it seems to me that she will never stop trying to get revenge. And since Henry is on a mission with Rumplestiltskin and Emma, it seems like he won't be able to stop his adopted mother from doing something regrettable. Maybe future episodes will reveal that Regina is just pretending to go along with her mother's plan in order to plot a way to stop her, although it seems very unlikely. Speaking of a tide turning, Rumplestiltskin appears to be losing his power, a concept that must be very foreign and upsetting to him. Plus this begs the question of whether Hook will get his revenge on a powerless Rumplestiltskin. And of course, there are the every present questions of who is Rumplestiltskin's son, what plans does Cora have for Storybrooke, and will the stranger reveal that there is magic in the town? I am, as always, excited to see what happens on next week's episode.





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Not So Tiny Anymore

I’m so happy that "Once Upon a Time" returned last night. I've been waiting two weeks for this show to come back on. So far the episode has given me a great deal to think about. The gender bending of Jack proved very interesting. I’m always excited when traditional fairytales have a woman stepping out of the roles of wife and mother. However, I was a little disappointed to have this Jack betray Anton, the giant who just wanted to make connections with humans. Jorge Garcia did such a good job playing the gentle giant. The fact that the giants were a hardworking and peaceful race and that the humans were deceitful and greedy was a nice twist. In most fairytales the giants are a malicious and greedy race that lord over their treasures. It was refreshing to have a new perspective on the giants, who valued a good day’s work over the benefits of their crops. I'm also a big fan of underdogs and I think that Anton really embodied an underdog. Not only was he the "dwarf" of his family but he was willing to give humans a chance, even if they didn't deserve it. I’m glad that Anton was accepted by the people of Storybrooke, even after he caused so much damage. And the cutting of the beanstalk that he provided for the town may prove very interesting for future episodes.

 

This Girl is On Fire

After watching the film "Hunger Games" I decided to read the book series. After finishing the first book of the series, I started reading "Catching Fire". For the first few chapters, I wasn't interested in the book, since to me, it seemed mainly to be Katniss Everdeen’s thoughts on whom she should have a relationship with; Peeta or Gale. I'm really not a big fan of romance, so I was starting to get bored. Thankfully, the book took an interesting turn of events when revolution in the districts seemed to be a possibility. However, when I found out Katniss was going to be returning to the arena, I was a tad hesitant to read. I was afraid it would just be a repeat of what was written in the first book. However, Suzanne Collins did not allow this to happen. With a new location for the arena, new characters with new fighting styles, and a surprising twist on the capabilities of the arena, I've found that I can hardly put the book down. Even though I haven't finished "Catching Fire" yet I am super excited about how this book will be portrayed in film.

 



 

American Idol Hollywood week

As usually American Idol's group auditions during Hollywood week did not disappoint in terms of dramatic, shocking, and inspiring moments. I was really shocked when it was announced that the groups were all males and the contestants would be assigned their group members. I personally felt that this was a recipe for disaster, since these auditions are hard enough when the contestants have a choice in who their group members are. I know if I was a contestant, I would be completely devastated if I was sent home because my group was not able to practice and perform together. I was also disappointed to see that the groups were not a combination of males and females. I was very upset about this, especially since some contestants spoke about how there would be no drama since the groups did not have any females. However, as the show progressed, the men proved themselves to be just as emotional and dramatic as women. There were definitely ego clashes, disastrous performances, and dramatic exists, but even through all of this drama, there were still inspiring moments. To hear Micah Johnson singing after damage to his vocal cords and to watch Lazaro Arbos break out in song after struggling with a stutter is truly miraculous. I cannot describe how inspirational it was hear the positivity of Kayden Stephenson, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, or to see the joy on Matheus Fernandes's face as he was hoisted onto his group member's shoulders. These moments made watching American Idol worth it.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Excitement

For my feature writing class I'm writing a timely story about the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. With all this research about the show, I am dying to see what the Anniversary episode will have in store. I am really excited to see which companions will return to the show. My fingers are crossed for Donna, Captain Jack Harkness, and River Song because I absolutely love them. I've read rumors online that Stephen Moffat plans to include appearances from all eleven actors who have played the Doctor. The first three, who are deceased, will be added in using special effects. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for my favorite Doctor, Christopher Eccleston. I wished he could have played the Doctor for more than one season. Anyway, I am excited to find out the explanation of who Clara Oswin Oswald really is. I think I found a photo on Facebook that suggested that Clara was really the daughter of Rose and the meta-crisis Doctor. That would be an awesome explanation for me personally, but who knows if that is the real reason behind her two deaths. No matter who or what is in store for the anniversary episode, I will definitely be tuning in. I just wish it was on sooner than November. 

 

 

 

Warm Bodies

When I first entered the theater last night to watch Warm Bodies, I was a little apprehensive of watching a romantic comedy about zombies. With me being such a huge fan of traditional zombies’ scenes that include lots of gore and action, I was afraid that this film would lack those qualities.  The show did not have as much blood and guts as most zombie films, the effects were sometimes too computerized, and there were more running scenes than fighting scenes, but I still enjoyed the movie. Warm Bodies offered such an ingenious new take on the classic genre. For starters, instead of concentrating solely on a group of humans struggling to survive in a world overrun by mindless corpses, we hear the narration of a contemplative zombie called R, a living corpse who wants more out of his bumbling afterlife. Another concept that I truly enjoyed was how the zombies still had automatic human habits they performed, such as a zombie security guard scanning a metal detector at anyone who passed him. Unlike so many other zombie movies, Warm Bodies encouraged more hope for humanity. The movie made a real effort to show that human emotions, feelings, and memories are stronger than we give them credit.  To have the oddball relationship of R and his human love interest Julie become the cure for the zombie virus added to the quality of the film. Especially since this impossible relationship cured other zombies who witnessed it. With such innovative and humorous concepts in this movie, I am looking forward to a sequel and to read the novel this film was based on.