The 64th Annual Golden Globes (2012)

Note: The following has been written for my school newspaper.

    A night of lucid Hollywood glitz, the 64^th Annual Golden Globes premiered Jan. 15 with a series of phenomenal wins. British actor Ricky Gervais hosted the TV and movie event with an emphasis on festive humor and boisterous entertainment. Announcing the awards were celebrities such as Natalie Portman, Gerard Butler, and Jane Lynch. 

   The Golden Globes features categories in TV and motion pictures. This year’s winners included legends such as Kate Winslet, who received her second win out of eight nominations for her HBO show Mildred Pierce; infamous George Clooney for his role in The Descendants, taking home best actor with much swag; and Meryl Streep who, in a jolt of shock, welcomed her eighth win out of twenty-six nominations for her astounding act in The Iron Lady.

   Some other winners included The Artist for best comedy or musical, Martin Scorsese (“Hugo”) for best director, Midnight in Paris for best screenplay, and Madonna’s “Masterpiece” from W.E. for best original song. 

   During the glamorous event, a tribute was made to humble actor Morgan Freeman, who thanked his friends and family with heartfelt humor and inspiring words as they praised his movies throughout the years. When the cast of The Artist ascended the stage to congratulate themselves on their award, an adorable canine named Uggie followed in their footsteps.

   Essentially the Golden Globes were fabulous and funny with juicy fashions from Vera Wang to Prada. Along with this fresh start in entertainment, a road was paved to the upcoming 84th Academy Awards, which premieres Feb. 26.

Movie Review: "The Notebook" (2004)

Warning: The following content may contain spoilers!

Behind every great love is a great story.  

Rated PG-13 for some sexuality.

   This is especially true when it comes to the movie adaption of Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook. Through the phenomenal portrayal of young lovers Noah and Allie (played by Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams), the romantic tale of heartache and passion comes alive. 

   As I watched this infamous film for the first time, the grand story couldn't help but remind me of Titanic: the couple seem to face the strict rules of society and the frustration of social barriers that threaten to keep them apart. Being an absolute fan of this James Cameron film, the resemblance to the Titanic epic and of this southern romance made me enjoy it so much more.

   In general, the plot was intriguing and sugar-coated with sweet romance that made me wish life was more like a Sparks novel. There were, of course, moments of awkward acting, but I think Gosling and McAdams played their parts as two people living two completely different lives with great splendor. Another one of my favorite movies, also adapted by a book written by Sparks, is the 2002 film A Walk to Remember. Overall, The Notebook was definitely worth those two hours in front of the television.

My Recommendation: ***** 5/5 Stars for The Notebook (2004) starring Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams. IMDb rating: 7.9/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332280/

Watch the Trailer!

Movie Review: "The Phantom of the Opera" (2004)

Warning: The following content may contain spoilers!
   

  The classic musical comes to the big screen for the first time.

Rated PG-13 for brief violent images.

   Being a theater person myself, it's natural for me to have heard of this timeless classic. The gloomy past that formed the tragic figure of the Paris Opera House has turned French author Gaston Leroux's novel into one of the best musicals of all time, claiming second longest-running show on Broadway.

   A musician by heart, little is known of the Phantom of the Opera-- that is, until talented singer Christine Daae disappears without a trace of where she might have gone. Taken by this musical genius, Christine learns of this pitiful creature who only longs for her to be his. Through this plot full of song, it's revealed that the Phantom was shown no compassion for bearing a deformed face under an infamous mask. It's because of this he has hidden in the Opera for years, claiming it as his own.

   However, when jealousy and obsession overtake this masked man's heart, Christine learns that ingenuity has turned into madness... But how to stop an expert of illusions and trickery is the largest mystery of all.

   Starring Gerard Butler as the Phantom and Emmy Rossum as Christine, I give The Phantom of the Opera two thumbs up. The superb songs I grew up with, such as "Music of the Night" and "All I Ask of You," are still there with even more intrigue than ever before. 

   If you can't experience the magic of Phantom on the stage, the movie makes a close second if you wish to see this epic story of love, betrayal, and pure genius retold in a much larger scale. 

My Recommendation: **** 4/5 Stars for The Phantom of the Opera (2004) starring Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum. IMDb rating: 7.4/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293508/

Watch the Trailer! 

 

Madame Tussaud's Gets Some New Celebs!

   It looks as though Madame Tussaud's (a wax museum found all over the world, from the nation's capital to London and New York) has gotten some new celebrity figures in the past couple months. These life-sized look-a-likes, which take months to make, started as far back as the French Revolution in the 1700s, when the genuine Madame Tussaud made replicas of the victims of those horrific days. As the years went on, society has used her idea in a less gory fashion.

   In the picture above stands the "Hollywood Legends," as Huffington Post (an online newspaper) calls them. British actress Kate Winslet (middle) sports her natural blonde hair and gorgeous red gown she wore to the Emmys when she won that award for her HBO show "Mildred Pierce." (Can you not tell I'm a Winslet fan?) Morgan Freeman (left of Winslet), known for his calming voice, and Tom Hanks (right of Winslet), who stars in the upcoming film "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" about 9/11, look so realistic my jaw dropped in astonishment.

   Some other celebrities you can hang out with are Selena Gomez, Julia Roberts, and the amazing Johnny Depp. Below I added some pictures I took on a Washington, D.C. trip last year. 

   The next time you plan a trip, be sure to catch these new editions! You can find me standing by Leonardo DiCaprio, of course.

(Location of wax figures vary. Check out this website for more details: www.madametussauds.com)

Selena Gomez

Johnny Depp

A Small Introduction

Welcome to my blog!

  To those of you who are reading, I'm Samantha. I write for my school's newspaper and am a total drama geek! I'm talking about watching movies, participating in plays, going to the theater, and even reading books! I'm also a passionate writer whose fingers are itching to blab on and on about how much I love Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, but that's sadly not why I'm here.

   This blog is for pop culture reviews (which includes movies, books, TV shows, plays, and more) and occasional entertainment news when I have the time. These tend to be the topics I strive upon because, like I mentioned before, I'm an absolute lover of the theater. I've been going there for such a long time, and it’s something I’m passionate about. I also watch the Academy Awards (and any award show, in that matter) as though it's a sporting event, which includes a lot of girlish screaming.

   Anyway, if I'm not watching a movie, I'm reading. If I'm not reading, then I'm writing. And if I'm doing none of those things, I'm probably chilling out at the movie theater with my friends or, for special occasions, my local theater. So that's why I'm writing about this wonderful topic, to share with you guys my thoughts and opinions on the latest releases to the oldest classics!

Check Out My Monthly Posts!

Celebrity Spotlight of the Month: I pick one actor/actress and summarize them up, from their most famous movies and to their personal life, with cool fun facts sprinkled in between!
Then and Now: Sneak a peak at celebrities who've starred in two+ movies together, and watch as compare how they looked in each one!

~SamanthaRC1297

Entertainment Spotlight!