Book Review: "Fateful" (2011)

Fateful by Claudia Gray

    You can find me snug up on my beanbag at home with my nose deep in a book, and it's no surprise that the subject of that book happens to be of the Titanic. When I searched through my library's online catalog to look through all five pages of Titanic-related books and movies they had, I was stunned and ecstatic to find that four new books had been added! I decided to pick up the YA novel Fateful by Claudia Gray first.

   Never would I have suspected what I just read.

   Werewolves? On the Titanic?! "You've got to be kidding me!" was my first reaction. Then I thought, "Is this at all disrespectful?" Let me just point out that I'm not the biggest Twilight fan, but I decided to give this Jack-and-Rose Titanic romance crossed over with Taylor Lautner-impersonating werewolves a chance.

   Of course, I loved it. The novel is about a maid, Tess Davies, who wants to leave her old life as a servant and start anew in America. Little does she know that during that ill-fated voyage she would meet supernatural beings -- werewolves -- one who will protect and the other who will harm. She never expected to be falling in love with Alec Marlowe: Her protector, a monster, a beast, the only thing her heart desires. Yet, she does -- and he does, too. 

   A very romantic plot with memorable dialogue and accurate details of the Titanic's voyage. I was surprised it was so good. I'll be rooting for a sequel! Maybe World War I drama or something? Anyway, I recommend this book as a must-read, especially if you like history and werewolves. (Can I convince you more by saying Alec is a red wolf, just like Jacob Black?)

   With the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking coming up, lots of documentaries and books are piling up with just that fascinating subject. I'll be sure to review others on this blog as well!

The 84th Annual Academy Awards

Meryl Streep

Michelle Williams

         The 84^th Annual Academy Awards premiered on Feb. 26, this year hosted by Billy Crystal. Crystal, who’s hosted the Oscars eight other times, sang a medley of songs about the Best Picture nominees to start the event. 

Once everyone had their moment on the red carpet, the winners were announced. “The Artist” became the first silent movie since 1927’s “Wings” to win Best Picture. The director, Michael Hazanavicius, won Best Director.

After seeing George Clooney’s face a numerous amount of times, the Best Actor nominee lost to his competitor Jean Dujardin from “The Artist.” Best Actress went to Meryl Streep for her act in “The Iron Lady.” 

During the event, the French circus Cirque du Soleil performed, introduced by Muppet presenters Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. 

Another presenter, actress Sandra Bullock, spoke German with a Chinese accent when she presented the winner for Best Foreign Language Film.

Previously on the red carpet, actor Sacha Baron Cohen, dressed in his costume from “The Dicatator,” spilled “ashes” from the urn he was holding on host Ryan Seacrest, who spent the rest of the evening cleaning his suit.

Regarding previous record holders, Walt Disney won the most Oscars with 26 wins; Meryl Streep receieved the most acting nominations with 17 wins; and the movies “Ben-Hur,” “Titanic,” and “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” won the most Academy Awards in history, which was 11 each. 

Overall, this year’s Academy Awards was “one of the breeziest ceremonies in decades,” said the Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

As Crystal said, “Nothing can take the sting out of the world’s economic problems like watching millionaires present each other with golden statues.”

My Movie Packed Weekend

   This weekend, a friend of mine slept over my house and we watched three movies. After she left, I watched two more. Here are a short review of what each was about.

   First, we watched Alex & Emma, starring Kate Hudson. It was about this writer, Alex, who needed to finish a novel in 30 days. He got in some gambling trouble and owed two men $100,000. They broke his computer, though, she he had to hire someone to help him write up the story. He hires Emma to type it up for him, and as the novel progresses, trouble and surprises is on the way.

   Afterwards, we watched parts of It Could Happen to You with Nicolas Cage-- but we never finished due to a tiring week at school. In the morning we turned on the TV and watched three episodes of I Love Lucy. When that was over with, we watched the ending to Can't Buy Me Love, about a high school nerd who uses a well-known girl to get him into the popular crowd. After that, we turned off the TV and finished our science project.

   Relieved that schoolwork was over, I turned on the TV for the third time that weekend and we watched the ending to Teen Witch. It was about (so I assume from the last few scenes) about a high school girl, who's actually a witch, who puts a spell on her school so everyone loves her. It becomes too fake and unreal, however, and so she puts an end to it.

   Afterwards, we watched Bewitched with Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. I always wanted to see this movie because the TV show it was based off of is what made my name (Samantha) so popular. It was definitely different from what I thought, but it was still hilarious, about an adult witch named Isabelle who gets the part of Samantha in the remake of the old TV series Bewitched.

   Done with that movie, Practical Magic was up next on ABC Family. I didn't want to watch it-- I've seen it a few times-- but we did anyway. Starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman (she must like witch movies), it's about two witch sisters who were cursed by an ancestor and can't fall in love without that man dying. When trouble arises, however, the two find they're involved with a murder case. It was almost a horror movie, in my opinion, but not that gory or violent.

   After my friend left, I watched two Julia Roberts' movies: Stepmom, which I nearly cried in, and Pretty Woman. I watched a French version of Pretty Woman (Hors de Prix, or Priceless) and I enjoyed it a lot. However, even though it was funny, I didn't like it as much as I did Hors de Prix. 

   To end this longer-than-usual blog post, I now sit in front of the television-- surprisingly-- watched 27 Dresses and parts of The Notebook. After this weekend, I don't think I want to watch another movie for a long time.

   Oh, and did I mention we watched the beginning of Miss Congeniality?

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