Hurray! It's National Novel Writing Month!

Happy Early Halloween, everybody!

This Thursday, November 1, marks National Novel Writing Month! I'll be participating in this year's race to write a 50,000-word novel in thirty days! When December comes around, I'll be sure to give you the details of the furious writing I experienced. For now, check my upcoming story out at http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/lady-elena-dawson. 

Until next month,

Samantha

Movie Review: "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (2012)

We are infinite.

Rated PG-13

   Do you ever get that feeling that nothing in life could ever get in your way? High school freshman Charlie and his senior buddies Sam and Patrick know exactly how that feels. Based off of the bestselling novel, Stephen Chobsky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” depicts a more realistic side of adolescence that left the audience switching between laughter, tears, and confusion—which is, unsurprisingly, exactly how being a teenager should feel.

   Charlie is a wallflower, or a person who sits on the sidelines alone. His awkwardness that repels him from everyone else started when his friend committed suicide last year and his aunt was killed in a car crash almost seven years ago. Since then he’s been treated for depression. As he enters high school for the first time, it’s just like you’d expect it to be: cliques, bullies, insecurity. Eventually, though, he’s swept up by Patrick and his stepsister Sam, who lead him on an expedition that involves parties, drugs, and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

   But it’s not until after homecoming when Charlie and his new friends are driving home that he has this epiphany: Sam, while standing on the back of the truck as they drive through a tunnel, lifts her arms in the air, giving this sign of infinity. He loves her. He just doesn’t know how to show it.

   As for the book, it has received many good reviews. Publisher’s Weekly calls it “a trite, coming-of-age novel that could easily appeal to a [young adult] readership.” Similar to Charlie’s narration in the movie, it’s written in letter form with Charlie writing to an anonymous person he calls “friend.”

   However, Charlie mentions his suicidal friend Michael in the book more than he does in the film. Shouldn’t it be stressed as an important event that left Charlie alone and an outcast? The movie only brought it up once, but maybe it was because, as they say, less is more—and without that one, measly reference, Sam and Patrick probably wouldn’t have stuck by Charlie.

   On another note, every single character was played phenomenally. Logan Lerman shocked me at how well he played Charlie, and Ezra Miller is becoming a new rising star as Patrick. Now Emma Watson, who we all know as Hermione from “Harry Potter,” has taken on her new character with a surprising passion. If I could give the movie a rating, it would be five stars.

   As much as we feel alone in this world, our friends are always who we go to, even when we shove away our darkest secrets. But if we just let go of our worries for one second, then—and Charlie couldn’t have said it better—we are infinite.

   My Recommendation: ***** 5/5 Stars for The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson. IMDb Rating: 8.5/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1659337/

Watch the Trailer!

Blog Update

   I know, I know! Where have I been? With school my top priority, homework my second, extracurriculars my third, fan fictions my fourth, and books my fifth, where does my blog fit in? I tried to squeeze it next to my fan fictions, but I'm absolutely swamped with ideas, and trying to catch up every day with the five plus stories I am currently writing. So, my blog is last. Here's a list of things to look forward to:

• Movie/book reviews, as always! (P.S. I will be re-posting an edited version of my review for "The Reader" soon, along with other revised posts.) 

   And that's pretty much it...

   I'm making it a goal for New Year's to officially start my monthly posts, such as "Celebrity Spotlight of the Month" and "Then and Now." You can see the first ones I posted (Kate Winslet for April, Leo and Kate for August) on here, but I will be taking those down and re-posting them whenever I have time. But really, the New Year is when I'm gonna get serious with this thing!

   Apologies and excuses. That's all I can say. Please enjoy this picture of David Kross while I sign off!

Sigh, I love it when celebs have acne, too!

   Your movie-lovin' blogger,

   Samantha <3

Movie Review: "Revolutionary Road" (2008)

Warning: The following content might contain spoilers!

How do you break free without breaking apart?

Rated R for language and some sexual
content/nudity.

   Being the Leo and Kate devotee like I am (though I must admit, I wish I could watch a lot more of Kate's movies; too bad I'm too young for that still!), I finally watched Revolutionary Road. If you look at my previous post, "Then and Now: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet," I mentioned that I have not seen it. Well, that has changed! Now, like I always (or, more accuartely, mostly) do... 

   A MOVIE REVIEW! 

   Of course I'll start off with a "brief" summary that might just possibly turn into a full-blown spoiler alerts page. But for those of you completely bored out of your minds or totally uninterested in this movie, I guess that is a good thing. (Or maybe you're like me, who always reads the last page of a book/reads a full synopsis of a movie online. Seriously. I'm not kidding.) 

   Revolutionary Road is, in short, a marriage-disaster film. Frank and April Wheeler portray the idealistic, impeccable couple of suburban Connecticut in the 1950s. Though they may look so flawless on the outside, their personal lives are anything but pleasant. 

The perfect couple...right?

   The movie even starts with Frank and April bickering the drive home after a play, a very intense and melancholic scene that shows April dropping her dream of becoming an actress. And even more so, the strain of their relationship is increased when Frank has an affair with his secretary. Disturbingly enough (for me), the married neighbor, Shep, is secretly in love with April. You can see where this is going already--and let me just tell you the path is not pretty.

   There are moments of passionate attachment between April and Frank, but most of the time the only words coming out of their mouths (more specifically, April's) are "I hate you"--indirectly, of course. Though the movie holds a rated-R rating, I personally feel like it was more PG-13 for older teenagers. The only bad thing was the language, and possibly the fights if you are bothered with married couples talking--or should I say yelling?--meanly towards each other. 

Not every woman with blonde hair
is gold, Leo.

   SPOILER ALERT! Oh, wait. I forgot to mention April's clandestine want for an abortion. Let me point out that there was a moment of happiness when the Wheelers decided to pack up and move to Paris, but before they could do so, April ends up pregnant with their third child. Living with the idea that you have to settle down permanently after having kids was how life rolled in those days. No matter how much April and Frank wanted to break away from that unpublished rule, in the end Frank took the job promotion he was offered before, and they ended up canceling the trip.

   Overall, Revolutionary Road was better than I thought it would be. Though it was a little hard to get through, and the ending disturbed me a little bit, I was surprised neither Leo or Kate were nominated for Best Actor/Actress at the Academy Awards. They were absolutely remarkable, and I'm not just saying that because I love their iconic characters Jack and Rose! The movie was even directed by Kate's now-ex-husband, Sam Mendes. (Does anyone else find that weird? If I was a director and the casting person hired some woman to act with my husband, and they happened to be in a very lovey-dovey movie before, I'd be like "Heck no! Get off my set!" But all is fair in films and business, I guess.) A very thought-provoking, adult-like movie that dealt with a different perspective on young relationships. 

My Recommendation: **** 4/5 Stars for Revolutionary Road (2008) starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet. IMDb rating: 7.4/10  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0959337/

Watch the Trailer!

Movie Review: "The Reader" (2008)

Warning: The following content may contain spoilers!

How far would you go to protect a secret?

Rated R for some scenes of
sexuality/nudity.

   This weekend I decided to delve into Kate Winslet's more perfected roles as former Auschwitz guard Hanna Schmitz, who holds a secret she believes is more shameful than murder. Out of Kate's six Oscar nominations, this one led her to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2008. Let's set the scene:

   Post-war Germany, 1958. The movie starts with fifteen-year-old Michael Berg on his way home from school when he becomes sick with scarlet fever, and a woman (Hanna) helps him home. What becomes of the pair after he is better? Despite the beautiful R rating, I'm going to keep this PG-13, thank you very much.

   Anyway, the two start a passionate love affair. There. I said it. Anyway, whenever Michael visits Hanna, he reads to her, hence the title. He comes to love her so much, in fact, he even sells his worshiped stamp collection just so they could spend a couple days together riding bikes in the countryside. (Remember, he has school and Hanna has work.) One day, Hanna gets a job promotion--and when Michael turns sixteen, she disappears without a trace, leaving Michael confuse and heartbroken.

Hanna and Michael take the day off with a peaceful bike ride.

   Skip forward to 1966. Michael's in law school when he has to attend a trial for his class. To his surprise and horror, Hanna is one of the defendants in the case. She's accused of sending women to their deaths in Auschwitz as a guard, along with six other women. Though she's completely honest, the other women use that to their advantage and point her out as the ringleader of a certain event that involved a burning church and the lives of three hundred women; and in a torturous five seconds, she admits that she was, even though she wasn't, thus receiving a life sentence. Why did she let herself get locked up in jail--for decades? You see, my fellow readers, that is the mystery. Delve into it, feel the power and emotion; I'm not telling you, so get over it.

   It just so happens, though, that heart-torn Michael had an epiphany, something that could have saved Hanna from her loneliness. But because he never shared it in court--take this as a lesson, children--the rest of the movie is about him trying to deal with his growing plate of guilt. He doesn't visit Hanna in jail, even after she tries to re-establish contact with him. The only thing he does is sit back and read a book.

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink.

   Oh, you thought I just meant read a book? Well, yes, he read it. But he also recorded it--and sent the tapes to Hanna. I guess, in a bitter way, he'll always be her reader.

   My review in one word: Tears. This is a heart-wrenching film of (in another word) guilt, guilt, guilt. As Hanna Schmitz, I could see how Kate Winslet won her first Oscar (though she's always been amazing and inspirational). Also starring Ralph Fiennes (also known as, in one word for the third time, Voldemort) and David Kross (who didn't know any English before making the film), the cast was very well-picked...and German. Did I mention that? How awesome would it be to be crowded by German people? Just awesome, I say.

   All in all, I was very pleased with it. Absolutely phenomenal, and a movie to remember for its many life lessons and historical outlook of Germany.

    *However*: the movie lives up to its R rating--as in, it is NOT for anyone under the age of eighteen. (Fine, a mature sixteen-year-old at the youngest.) 

   My Recommendation: **** 4/5 Stars for The Reader (2008), starring Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes. IMDb Rating: 7.6/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0976051/

Watch the Trailer!

Then and Now: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet

I barely recognized Kate when I first saw this picture!

   I've decided to start a monthly "Then and Now" article that will basically compare two celebrities who've starred in two plus movies and how they looked in their first film together and then their most recent one. (Wow, that was a mouthful.) So, for August I chose Leo and Kate 'cause they're my favorite actors in the whole wide world of the U.S. and Britain (I really wish I could watch more foreign films). But honestly, I love French actress Audrey Tautou in Hors de Prix! In short, I'm a female of varietal taste. 

   Anyway, back to who we're going to focus on: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Some background information first -- Leo was born in 1974 and Kate was born in 1975. Obviously, he's American, she's British, et cetera. On to the facts.

Mhmm. Yum.

Girls, make sure you don't date a
psychopath unless you want to be one.

   In 1996, both Leo and Kate starred in a Shakespearean drama. He was the dashing Romeo Montague and she was the maniacal Ophelia, boyfriend to Kenneth Branagh -- ahem, I mean Hamlet. Seems like destiny, right? I would say so, because they would be launched into stardom as they started filming their next movie, Titanic. Fast forward a year, and on December 19, 1997, Kate and Leo's first ever movie together premiered  in the United States of America. (Condolences to Kate, who couldn't make the premiere due to the death of a dear friend.) Little did they know after all the crazy rumors of Titanic being a flop that they would go on to make movie history.

   After that, they remained good friends. Gossipers like me would say they had a fling but, being the smart people (I think) they were, they kept it a very well-kept secret. And to this day, they are still "platonic friends." They won't see much of each other until after Kate's first marriage fails and she strikes up a new one with director Sam Mendes -- and the stars are reunited once again.

    Let's give a warm welcome to the rated-R marriage disaster film of awesomeness only because Leo and Kate are in it. (Honestly, I've never seen this movie, but apparently it's good. Like, The Reader good.) It's called...hold the silence...Revolutionary Road! And yes, it came out in 2008, ten whole years of dealing with the bumpy road of Leo aging and Kate looking even better!

    Now, let's compare. If you would please take a look at the picture above. As you can see, it's pretty obvious to tell which one is older and which one is younger. Leo has that rounder face and older appearance while rocking out some facial hair. Kate's heart-shaped face has turned around for the better, and her looks have skyrocketed. (In fact, some critics say she's aged a million times better than Leo.) But I'm not here to judge. I love them both!

Frank and April. How could this marriage fail?!

   You don't need me to tell you that the Kate and Leo we love and remember as star-crossed Jack and Rose in Titanic have changed. It's there in the pictures. After doing Revolutionary Road together, Leo gave Kate a ring; but what about the engraving? She keeps that a secret -- for there are many questions about the adorable couple that we will never have answers to. Unless one of them states it in their will, that is. I'll be elderly by then, and my kids will be saying "Ew, you liked that guy?! He's so old!"

Adorable! I fell in love
with this pic when I first saw it.

    Last, but not least, Leo's character (SPOILER ALERTS UP AHEAD!) died in Titanic. I say it's only fair that Kate die in Revolutionary Road. (Which, unsurprisingly, did happen!) But I don't think it serves justice that Jack perished from hypothermia and April died from an abortion gone wrong. I mean, that's grisly, right? Right?? (Though the drama and guilt are fantastic!)

   Leo and Kate. You gotta love them! Do you have a certain celebrity couple you want deciphered? Like Johnny Depp and Helena Bonhman Carter, perhaps? That will be coming up soon! 

Watch the Trailers!

Before There Was "The Notebook"...

Copyright: I saved these pictures on my computer using Google Search, so sadly, I don't have the links with me. But I'll be honest and proclaim I do not own these images!

Entertainment Spotlight Now Brings You the Featured Presentation!

The Notebook, 2004. But Titanic...1997!

   It started in 2004. One of the greatest love stories of all times hit the big screen and starred the coveted Ryan Gosling and darling Rachel McAdams. Yet, when I think about it, it reminds me of a movie I love just as much, maybe even more...

   That's right, kids. Before there was The Notebook, there was Titanic. And what was before Titanic? Romeo and Juliet. But we're not here for that! Read on to learn the similarities between two very famous love stories.

   Just where did I get the idea for this article? Well, the whole forbidden love due to social differences -- and they look the same, too! -- got me thinking... Can Noah and Allie's romance really resemble that of Jack and Rose's? Here are some pictures to summarize that comparison up.

1.) Rich Girl, Poor Boy

It's true: I'm a sucker for these movies. But think about it: Allie is rich, Noah is poor. Rose comes from a rich family, Jack is poor also! Just what is going on here?! Can they be...the same?? And, oh my, they're all so gorgeous! (Thank goodness for stage makeup! But where, oh where, is the symbolic I-love-you-even-if-you're-ugly-and-even-though-I'm-pretty message? Legally Blonde exactly.)

2.) Dinner With the Family

Huh. It looks like Noah was invited to dinner...by Allie's family. And hey, it looks like Jack was invited, too. Coincidence? I don't think so.

3.) Dancing Till We Drop

Do these poses look similar to you, or is it just me? Allie's in Noah's arms as they dance, Rose is in Jack's arms after she falls from her painful ballet pose... Aw, so romantic!

4.) I Now Present...the Fiance!

Cal and Lon look similar, don't they? Hmm, and they have interesting names, too. And look, they're engaged to the rich gals! But poor little Allie and Rose ditch them for their much better-looking counterparts. Sorry, guys. Seems like you've got some work ahead of you.

5.) It's a Bird!

This is probably my favorite scene from The Notebook. Not necessarily for Titanic, but I can't help but notice how familiar Allie's pose is when I really look at it...