Watched, Read, Loved: November and December 2017 and a (belated) happy new year!

Happy New Year dear friends! The past two months have been whirlwinds! I’ve forgotten how to even blog, and I will be super surprised if my WordPress account actually allows me to log me back in.

Needless to say, it has been hectic – when is it ever not though? I finally completed my degree. I always imagined how it would feel getting that notification, and nothing came close to it because hyperventilation was the prevalent feeling – this panicked excitement and too much happy. I’ve also subsequently been promoted, so November and December were interviews and crazed stress. January is all about settling in to my new role and getting my replacement into her new role, so I can promise some extra crazy moments around the office.

We had my sister’s babyshower, and it was a wonderful day. She’s had some scares with her pregnancy, but I am happy to report that her baby girl is now happy and on her way at the end of January. The day of the babyshower was extremely hot! (It was after all December in South-Africa). We made way too much food but had a lovely time celebrating. If I may say so myself – I can organize an event! 😀

I also managed to have some recreational fun. We went to Sun City in Rustenburg, South-Africa. It has a “sea” and it was a fun day away from Johannesburg. (Also an international five star resort, and looks like the intro to Jurassic Park) However, if I ever go again, I will stay the night. The drive back was straight from a horror movie.

We also went to The Garden of Lights, annually hosted by Emperor’s Casino. It was nothing like I imagined it would be – so charming and gorgeous. It is definitely something I will revisit in the years to come.

Another nice day was visiting the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens. They are so wonderfully green now and it was therapeutic strolling between the plants.

I went on another Tinder date. It’s actually a recurring event with this one guy. I just don’t know what to make of the situation at this stage. I’m sure he’ll make a decent boyfriend, I’m just not sure if he will make one for me. I also went to another singles event, which was really nice. However, the people that attend persistently do good in short bursts but later just fade into the background.

It seems too few paragraphs to describe the past few months. I feel like my life has expanded and grown, and you won’t hear from me that 2017 was a bad year. It was a pretty good year for me. I’m extremely grateful how much I’ve managed to achieved, and hopeful that I will reach some major milestones this year – which I’m keeping secret for now, but the moment they happen I will let you know.

I only have one “resolution” this year, and that is to use less plastic. Plastic consumption in South-Africa is pretty bad, and I am also a culprit. The government implemented costs on plastic bags a few years ago, but as it is still only about 20 cents a bag there hasn’t been a lessening in the staggering plastic consumption in South Africa. So I am planning to take a woven bag with me from now on and to pack my groceries in there when I shop, so as to help in a small way save this planet of ours.

Well, here is a rundown of my entertainment adventures below. Let me know your opinions! (Sitting on a thousand unread personal emails, so I might have missed some really important moments)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). Hmm. There are so many strong feelings about this film currently on the internet.  Let me tell you, my feelings were strong after exiting the cinema. I’ve mellowed some, but I am not a fan of this film. I need to write a proper review for it, and I will save my commentary for then.

Pitch Perfect 3 (2017): These amazing ladies have decided to exit while they are on top. I enjoyed this film so much. It is such silly humour and can be pretty darn vulgar, but at the same time it does my heart good to see female driven comedies shine on their own.

PS I Love You: Gerard Butler, my pants were on fire. I like this film, despite fully knowing so many people hate it.

Lego Batman (2017): What a smart, funny, dialogue savvy film. The best Lego movie and one of the finest DC movies.

Fifty First Dates: I remember loving this film as a child, and eagerly ordered the DVD when I stumbled upon it. It’s still good – a strange mix of Adam Sandler’s best and worst sides. I can at least let my Adam Sandler movies I actually like list grow to three – The Wedding Singer, Mona Lisa smile and Fifty First Dates. The rest remain garbage though.

Lethal Weapon 3 – I got the third and the fourth movie to watch after Zoe and I watched the first two. I had a great time with this one as well, and the three movies I’ve seen are all equally good. How looky was Mel Gibson before he became the bitter old white man?

Grease – It really seems unnatural the way John Travolta’s hips move in this film. How young was he?! How young was Olivia Newton John?! Had a lot of fun watching Grease, but it is undeniably a long film.

Sy Klink Soos Lente – I got in my Afrikaans fix twice in films the past few months. Both (the second below) made me so happy and proud of my language and what we are achieving in cinema. Sy Klink Soos Lente is funny, smart and sweet, and I have watched it once more since the first time.

Vir Die Voëls – Same as the above. The writing is significantly better than most South-African films, and there is an awareness of dialogue in both these films that impressed me. It’s not just words, it is how Afrikaans people speak. I will definitely sit down for this again!

Eat Pray Love – I grabbed this off the shelf for something to watch with my mom. I’ve always liked this film, but this time around I found myself slightly irritated with the level of first world problems the character experiences – it’s just so much easier to have a midlife tantrum when you can travel the world. Javier Bardem in this remains gorgeous.

The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King: My heart. I am so attached to these films. They are everything. I actually don’t want to review them – how to bring justice to some of the best films ever made? My heart.

Justice League – Yep, seemed to have done this in November/December too! To be perfectly honest I enjoyed this more than – gasp – Star Wars. It is definitely one of the better offerings from DC.

The Italian Job (2003) – Another Blindspot off my list! This went okay, just not a favourite Blindspot this year.

Zoë got me the best Christmas gift EVER – all the way from England (I’m still naive enough to get such a massive kick from an international shipment). DOWNTON ABBEY BOXSET!!!!! I cannot describe my intense love for this show – it is simply so wonderful. I am already on to season two, and the sarcastic remarks, the amazing running commentary of the Dowager Countess, and the unbearably lovely Matthew Crawley (SOB) keeps my so entertained my pinkie is going to shoot in to the air anytime soon.

I actually have read way too much to even remember. I am still busy with Under Rose Tainted Skies – it’s good, just very angsty. I’ll finish it soon and tell you all about it, but teenagers are generally difficult to deal with and this one even more so. I am currently devouring Marian Keyes’ This Charming Man, arguably my most favourite read of hers. It’s written so well and flows through the course of the story easily. I also revisited Laurian Clemence’s Mushy Peas on Toast, one of my favourite South-African reads ever, and consumed an unhealthy amount of Nora Roberts. Nora is a spiral – I will read so much of her and then not look at another author for ages, which is lazy and unhealthy on my part. I know I read the two books in the Stanislaski brothers again – which I enjoy despite my opinion on Ukranians not quite matching Nora’s, I also read one of the MacKade books (Return of Jared MacKade), and revisited the Guardians Trilogy. I also read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them (the original book, not the play, which I avoid on principle), and this makes me in the mood for Harry Potter, a complete reread. Who knows, maybe I will even watch the movies as a series. I am also in the mood to read Eat, Pray, Love again by Elizabeth Gilbert. It’s the True North of my love of her books, and I’d like to experience it all over again.

What were you up to this festive season? Let me know!

January 16, 2018 by Natasha Categories: 2017, Books, Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: Ben Affleck, Blindspot 2017, Charlize Theron, December, Downton Abbey, Eat Pray Love, Edward Norton, Elizabeth Gilbert, Gal Gadot, Grease, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, John Travolta, JRR Tolkien, Julia Roberts, Justice League, Lego: Batman, Mark Whalberg, monthly rundowns, November, Oliviia Newton-John, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Sy Klink Soos Lente, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Italian Job, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of The King, The Two Towers, Under Rose Tainted Skies, Vir Die Voels 7 Comments

Blindspot 2017: The Italian Job (2003)

Plot: After being betrayed and left for dead in Italy, Charlie Croker and his team plan an elaborate gold heist against their former ally.

This month is running the risk of churning out very little blog posts. That’s okay. I’d rather post when I’m in the mood versus loading crap because I have some demented sense of responsibility. I sat down to get through this Blindspot entry after my emotional breakdown finishing Spartacus. I can’t even contemplate reviewing it yet, I go into a hulk smash mode whenever I think of it – just ask Zoë. So I am not committing to watching another show right now. I can’t deal with having my heart ripped out of my chest a second time.

So on to The Italian Job – it was quite okay if a bit forgettable. Mark Whalberg pretends he can act and we let him think he can. Seriously, I’ve always thought of him as Second-Tier Matt Damon. Then Donald Sutherland – what’s the word on him out there? He seems to have been 76 for 76 years; I can neither contemplate him as younger or older than he always seems to be. I’m also not really onboard with saying he’s a fantastic actor – age is not an indicator of talent. President Snow is a top tier thief in The Italian Job, recently on the run from his parole officer, when he meets up again with Charlie (Whalberg), and a Fast and the Furiousesquetype of team of thieves. There’s Jason Statham as Handsome Rob (don’t get why people think he’s handsome – he’s short, angry, and can’t act), then two other guys. Or three other guys. Not sure. They are all introduced in a typical fashion, with flashbacks and quips. Some of the dialogue is quite off, the humor doesn’t always hit the right spot, and it is very easy to forecast the resolution of this film. Homegirl Charlize Theron is the best with acting in the bunch working to find her father’s killer, and she made the movie okay for me. She’s a smart sort in this film, making sure the skills she learned from her nefarious father is turned into a legal and thriving enterprise. Also – really blonde and pretty and completely devoid of her South-African accent.

It seems like an Ocean’s Eleven, without the extreme charm of George Clooney and Brad Pitt to carry it when needs be. The acting and storyline isn’t as solid as it should be either. They rely heavily on the use of Mini Coopers to provide flash, and I guess when the car manufacturer launched again back in 2003 it was a big deal. But shoot me – I don’t see a man driving a mini as significantly manly. The car is so tiny – if you want to rob things just use a big vehicle.

The Italian job a decent enough heist/thief movie, with the characters as always trying to show you how nice thieves really are. Did I miss the part where the name of the movie links to the content of the movie? Or is it merely because their job in Rome resulted in the death of one of their team members? I can’t really tell, so let me know if you know.

I’ve had such a fantastic list in 2017 so The Italian Job isn’t near to the best I’ve seen, but it is quite enjoyable all the same. You don’t need to think too hard about it, so it was really quite okay to watch with my broken Spartacus and Gannicus’d heart.

Rating: 7/10

December 7, 2017December 7, 2017 by Natasha Categories: Blindspot, Movies, movies, Review, ReviewsTags: action, Blindspot, Blindspot 2017, Car, Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Edward Norton, Frankie G, Heist, Jason Statham, Mark Whalberg, Mini Cooper, Mos Def, Movies, Seth Green 8 Comments

Movie Review: The Fate of the Furious (2017)

Plot:When a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of terrorism and a betrayal of those closest to him, the crew face trials that will test them as never before.

I am quite the big fan of the Fast and Furious franchise. I reviewed the entire series a while ago, and naturally the mere mention of the return of Dominic Toretto and his family was enough to get me excited. These movies have become progressively bigger and more extreme as the series developed, and the Fate of The Furious makes no exception.

To be honest, this is the first film that I felt was overly ridiculous. It has always been very ridiculous with this franchise, but this one went very extra. The “banter” between Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham made my toes curl with embarrassment. Seriously – the testosterone these two emit in each other’s presence was nothing short of hilarious. Dwayne Johnson had some pretty funny lines as a school soccer coach, and his desperation in having his girls win the game to avoid a Tay-Tay concert was quite funny and understandable. Fast 8 tries to market Jason Statham now as one of the team, as a Shaw brother it is quite confusing as he was a main villain about fifteen seconds ago.

Dominic Toretto abandoning his family seems crazy, and that is exactly what he does. Villian Cypher (Charlize Theron) shows Dom something on a screen and it is enough to make him drop his wife Lettie (Michelle Rodriguez) and his team. What could make him do this? What does Cypher want? That’s never too clear, because I don’t think the plot is the primary point of this film, and we are left in the dark more than once.

I won’t say why Dom did what he did, but there WAS a BIG reason. Naturally Brian (Paul Walker) must be mentioned loudly at least once, and that he can’t come help because they decided he needs to be away. I don’t really agree with the decision on that, because Brian O’Connor in the Law of the Furious would never drop Dominic Toretto – however sad Paul Walker’s death may be, I think the character would have died too instead of abandoning his family.

Charlize Theron’s Cypher has a very blurry reason for the things she does. The chemistry between her and Vin Diesel is less than zero, and that kiss they share is cold and plain weird (despite Diesel’s strange comments about it). There is a lot of explosions and more bad dialogue, and when Diesel, Johnson and Statham appear together onscreen the manly manliness is almost too much to witness. The rest of the crew – Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), Megan (Nathalie Emmanuel) and  Ludacris (Tej) get laughably terrible lines. Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) is still cool AF, and he’s joined by tough guy Scott Eastwood as a new recruit. The awesome Kristofer Hiviju is Cypher’s henchman, and I still love Tormund even though he’s a baddy in here.

The last few scenes of the film is naturally very dramatic and highly unlikely, and the end is  mushy but manly-still. This formulaic fan festival of epic proportions is outrageous, crazy and very similar to the last couple of Fast films. I found it slightly less engaging with a little worse dialogue, but I’m not even fooling myself – if there is a Fast 9, I will still watch it.

Rating: 6/10

October 30, 2017October 15, 2017 by Natasha Categories: 2017, Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: Charlize Theron, Cypher, Dominic Toretto, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Kristofer Hiviju, Ludacris, Michelle Rodriguez, Movies, Nathalie Emmanuel, Paul Walker, Reviews, Roman Pearce, Tej, The Fast and the Furious, The Fate of the Furious, Tyrese Gibson, Vin Diesel 2 Comments

Movies 2016: Worst to Best

The year 2016 will be known for a number of things – an inordinate amount of celebrity deaths and an equally inordinate amount of lackluster movies. Are these two correlated? I’m not convinced its’ not. Anyway, here is my list of movies I watched this year that was released in 2016. It’s not been a good one.

Number 19: Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice 6/10

Number 18: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them 6/10

Number 17: Before You 6/10

Number 16: The Choice 6.5/10

Number 15: How to be single 6.5/10

Number 14: The 5^th Wave 7/10

Number 13: SUICIDE SQUAD 7/10

Number 12: Rogue One: 7/10

Number 11: The Huntsman: Winter’s War 7/10

Number 10: Legend of Tarzan 7.5/10

Number 9: Finding Dory 7.5/10

Number 8: Captain America: Civil War: 7.5/10

Number 7: Zootopia 8/10

Number 6: The Jungle Book 8/10

Number 5: 10 Cloverfield lane 8/10

Number 4: Dr. Strange 8/10

Number 3: Deadpool (8/10)

Number 2: Bridget Jones’ Baby: 8.5/10

Number 1: Pride and Prejudice vs. Zombies 8.5/10

January 4, 2017January 2, 2017 by Natasha Categories: 2016, Movies, movies, Review, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: 10 Cloverfield Lane, 2016, Alexander Skargard, Batman vs Superman, Bella Heathcoate, Ben Affleck, Ben Kingsley, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bill Murray, Bridget Jones' baby, Bridget Jones’ diary, Captain America: Civil War, Cara Develigne, Charles Dance, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Christoph Waltz, Christopher Walken, Colin Firth, Dakota Johnson, DC, Deadpool, Djimon Hounsou, Doctor Strange, Douglas Booth, Eddie Redmayne, Emily Blunt, Fantastic Beasts and where to find them, Finding Dory, Giancarlo Esposito, Henry Cavill, How To Be Single, Idris Elba, JK Rowling, Lena Headey, Lily James, Lupita Nyong'o, Margot Robbie, marvel, Movies, Nicholas Sparks, Patrick Dempsey, Pixar, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Rebel Wilson, Reviews, Robert Downey Junior, Ryan Reynolds, Sam Riley, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Suicide Squad, Teresa Palmer, The 5th Wave, The Choice, The Huntsman: Winter's War, The Jungle Book, The Legend of Tarzan, Will Smith, Zootopia 9 Comments

Happy Women’s Day South-Africa: Top 15 Favorite Kick-Ass female characters on screen

Today is Women’s Day here in South-Africa. Over here we like public holidays quite a bit (although India has TWENTY ONE), so we are all having a day off today – Whoop!

To celebrate, I made a list of strong female characters on screen. I think we can all agree that there are too few well written, complex female characters, but these ladies below are amazing and did their job extremely well in their respective films!

Fifteen: The Black Widow – Marvel movies

Female superheroes have increased marginally, and I am really happy about that. My only negative comment is that I am confused why female superheroes need to either wear skin tight leather suits or skimpy Wonder Woman outfits while their male counterparts wears aerodynamically pleasing outfits or war clothing. We have a far way to still go in this genre, but at least we can all agree that Natasha Romanoff kicks ass multiple times on screen and is a fully functional member of the squad. I really enjoy this character, and I think Scarlett Johannson has done a great job bringing her to the screen. It annoyed me a bit that her infertility was this massive discussion in one of the movies – the reproductive capability of her male teammates have never been discussed.

Fourteen: Katniss Everdeen

Katniss as a character has many flaws – she is selfish and can’t choose between two men. While that is certainly a crime, I have never been able to really judge her too harshly for it. Her world is dark and horrible, and she has nothing wonderful. Turning away from the caring of a good man? It seems nearly cruel to expect her to do that.

But despite this obvious flaw, I really thought the character was badass and capable, and honorable to take her younger sister’s place in a situation where she was guaranteed her death.

Thirteen: Hermione Granger, The Harry Potter series

If this had been a literary list, Hermoine would have been much higher. Film Hermoine is great and Emma Watson did a good job with her, but my opinion remains that the film adaptions didn’t do justice to the sheer magnificence of the novels, on any level. Anyway, this isn’t a Harry Potter discussion, so I will just mention that Hermoine Granger is the reason those two boys stayed alive. She is strong, intelligent, fiercely loyal and brave, and her contribution to the wizarding world and the feminist cause must never be forgotten.

Twelve: Elle Woods, Legally Blonde

When Legally Blonde dropped in 2001, every single person on this planet was charmed by Reese Witherspoon and the ditzy genius she created. There were tiny dogs, buckets of pink, manicures and textbooks, all in one film. I placed Elle Woods on this list because we too often forget that it is perfectly possible for a woman to love pink, to be girly and to be very determined, intelligent and capable all at one time. Another excellent thing in the film was that sisterhood won out in the end, and Warner Hungtinton the Third was booted on his ass.

Eleven: Caroline Forbes, The Vampire Diaries

As the only series character to make it on to this post, you must know that I am very much team Caroline. Another pretty blonde girl who shows determination, loyalty and passion for life! In season one, Caroline works on your nerves pretty much incessantly. She’s insecure and whiny, and seems to be shallow and petty. However, the second she becomes a vampire and she realises that she will live an eternity in her own head, she gets a grip in such a remarkable fashion that I became her biggest fan.

“I am no man”

Ten: Eowyn, Lord of The Rings

Perhaps the lady with the most iconic quote on the list, Eowyn, shield maiden of Rohan, is on first impression another lady who waits while her beloved father figure wastes away at the hand of the dastardly Wormtongue and her brother rides to war against orcs. It quickly becomes clear that this is a proud woman who was raised by warriors, and that she is simply tired of being left behind while those she loves die around her. She finds a way on to the battlefield, and if that chilling and rousing speech Theoden gives before his final ride isn’t enough, Eowyn steals everyone’s thunder by killing the leader of the Nazgul. She also gets her super happy ending at the end, which pleased me to no end.

Nine: The Bride, Kill Bill

Quentin Tarantino is a phenomenal film maker, and the roles he creates for women are legendary. The Bride is one such character, hell bent on revenge and making people pay for what was done with her. Uma Thurman brings this vengeful character to life with scary finesse, and even though this isn’t my favorite Tarantino film, the character itself is impressive as they come.

Eight: Hit Girl, Kick-Ass

She’s super tiny, she swears like a sailor, she wears a bright purple wig and her father is Nicolas Cage. Who doesn’t love her? I was a major fan of both movies, and it would be amazing if they could make a third. Hit Girl is the best part of this franchise, showing that gender and size is insignificant when it comes to being a bad ass.

Seven: Rey, Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The horror when Disney bought Star Wars was paramount. Everyone was sure it would be a disaster, and no one could even get a moment of sleep due to the inordinate amounts of stress this franchise was causing in their adult lives. LUCKILY, Disney actually ended up doing a great job, and introduced a bunch of new characters that were able to flow nicely with how things had been done in the past. One of the best new additions was Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, a survivor and a strong female character who can do things for herself. I really enjoyed this character – she is a fantastic blend of purity and strength and was wonderful and empowering to watch.

Six: Rita Vrataski, The Edge of Tomorrow

A nice little situation of role reversal, Emily Blunt was a hardened war veteran who saved Tom Cruise’s ass REPEATEDLY from aliens. I loved the character – she was sassy, strong, smart and the heroine of the day.

Five: Vesper Lynd, Casino Royale

Did you also just rub your heart because of the pain that shot through it when Vesper was mentioned? It HURTS. Vesper is hands down the best Bond girl that has ever been onscreen. Her sharp brain kept her well equipped to banter with Bond, and her eventual control over Bond ripped out my heart. The fact that Casino Royale is the best Bond film out there certainly helps, but this character in herself is powerful and strong and determined, attributes that were completely left out during the writing process for the other female characters over this incredibly long franchise.

Four: Dr. Ellie Sattler, Jurassic Park

I mentioned in my review of Jurassic World that it felt awful to realize that Dr. Ellie Sattler, who was in the very original Jurassic Park in NINETEEN NINETY THREE was a better, well written and strong female character than the running-in-heels-Bryce-Dallas-Howard. Dr. Ellie Sattler, played by Laura Dern, is super smart, professional, excels in her field and gets to see Dinosaurs in JP. I have loved and admired this character from my childhood till now, and I am eternally grateful to the writers that they allowed this strong character to see the light.

Three: M, The Bond Franchise

Dame Judi Dench is literal life goals. She is classy, successful and revered, and a girl can just dream to be her when she grows up. M is Bond’s boss, the only person who can try to control him, and their relationship is amazing and complex. I love the power of M, and Judi Dench is incredible to behold as this woman who puts her country above everything in her life.

Two: Furiousa, Mad Max

Homegirl Charlize Theron teamed up with Tom Hardy in the return of Mad Max, and what a job she did. Furiousa is powerful and intense, and her survival skills in the mad world she finds herself in is incredible. The film should have been titled Furiousa, as it is about her and how she helped the wives escape from that dreadful man. The entire film is one big celebration of sisterhood and sticking together, and I could only cheer on the women as they battled for their freedom.

One: Shoshanna Dreyfus, Inglorious Basterds

The final accolade was difficult to award, because all of the ladies on here are amazing. However, I do think that Shoshanna is worthy, and that her role in Inglorious Basterds is incredibly important. I loved her – her courage and determination, her absolute hatred of anything Nazi, and her eventual success at revenge.

Well, there you have it. There are hopefully a million other female characters that can be mentioned by you below, and I look forward to seeing your opinions!

August 9, 2016August 6, 2016 by Natasha Categories: 2016, lists, UncategorizedTags: Candice Accola, Caroline Forbes, Casino Royale, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Daisy Ridley, Dr. Ellie Sattler, Elle Woods, Emily Blunt, Emma Watson, Eowyn, Eva Green, feminism, Harry Potter, Hermoine Granger, Hit-Girl, Imperator Furiousa, Inglorious Basterds, James Bond, Jennifer Lawrence, Judi Dench, Jurassic Park, Katniss Everdeen, Kick Ass, Kill Bill, Laura Dern, Legally Blonde, M, Mad Max: Fury Road, Marie Laurent, Miranda Otto, Natasha Romanoff, Quentin Tarantino, Reese Witherspoon, Rey, Rita Vrataski, Scarlett Johannson, Shoshanna Dreyfus, South-Africa, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Black Widow, The Edge of Tomorrow, The Hunger Games, The Lord of the Rings, The Vampire Diaries, Tom Cruise, Uma Thurman, Vesper Lynd, Women's Day 14 Comments

March to May: Watched, Read, Loved

I was all over the place with this post , claiming that I would do some monthly rundowns. I was planning to, I really was, but as you know life is a busy little bastard and all you can do sometimes is hold on for dear life and hope not to fall off the wagon.

In Cinema:

I’ve been to cinema quite a lot the last couple of months. There were a few films I wanted to watch before the internet spoiled everything, and for the most part I walked out relatively pleased.

1. Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice

The biggest problem with Batman vs. Superman? It lacked heart. Not all films should be lighthearted, but BvS had no comic relief and no passion – you need either of the two. I didn’t hate it though, but I do think that DC should have worked a little harder if they really plan to have a fighting chance in an environment so dominated by their biggest rivals.

2. The Huntsman: Winter’s War 

I will definitely watch this again – it is easy, comfortable watching, not necessarily great but it was quite fun. It also contains my husband, and that can’t be ignored!

3. The Jungle Book

Beautiful and charming, it impressed me with its gorgeous CGI and traditional storyline. Not my favorite Disney live action film, but it was good nonetheless. I am still the most excited for Beauty and the Beast next year. I CAN’T WAIT.

4. Captain America: Civil War

Woohoo!! This was so great! It probably deserves a higher score from me, because on reflection I had a blast with it.

At Home:

Blindspot:

March: Love Actually – it was OKAY. Not really my favourite romantic comedy and I won’t be watching it again.

April: Home Alone – not gonna lie, I hated this. I am way too old for this shit

May: Warrior Sooo good, but not something I’d recommend as a pick me up.

Other films:

Begin Again (2013) – I really enjoyed it! It is surprising and not really as close to a romcom as it might sound, and I especially enjoyed the track.

The Fast and The Furious (2001) – This way Throw Back was the best and entertaining. I had the best time even though it is as ridiculous, gawdy, a murky story line and terrible acting. It’s all about investing in the future films, you see.

Wild Child (2008) – Wild Child is a favorite movie of 2008 for me. It has everything – the teenage drama, the love story, the gorgeous hero, friendship, everything! I had to force myself not watching it again right after!

Series:

I’m rewatching The Vampire Diaries at the moment and having a complete and utter blast.  I stopped half way into Season two to focus on exams, but I am so onboard getting my ass to season 7 eventually! Can we just say #teamDamon all the way?!

Reading:

Last Chance Salloon (Marian Keyes) – hmmm, not my favorite Marian Keyes. It was good in some places but it took me ages to get through it – long, laborious reading.

Me Before You (JoJo Moyes) – surprising and good, well thought out, not overly sloppy.

The Welcoming (Nora Roberts) – for the life of me I can’t write a review on this for some reason. It is very bland, definitely some of Nora’s most basic work. It isn’t bad or offensive, just pretty tame and nearly put me to sleep in some places.

I finally finished Big Magic after months of searching for it! I’d love to read it again, with a highlighter and a note pad.

Currently also reading:

Evening Class by Maeve Binchy. – this book is a real drag, to be honest. I don’t get why the author is compared to the likes of Marian Keyes – Binchy writes books that make me fall fast asleep. I thought perhaps this book was different from the other one I read by her, but it is shockingly the same – the exact same format and story if you take away all the frills.

Collaboration:

I reviewed over on T9M’s site The Help (2011) – such an awesome flick!

I also reviewed for Kim and Drew‘s 80’s blogathon – When Harry Met Sally – what a great film, definitely worthy of a classic status.

What have you been up to?

May 20, 2016May 19, 2016 by Natasha Categories: 2016, Life, Life Lately, UncategorizedTags: Alan Rickman, Alex Pettyfer, Anthony Mackie, Batman, Batman vs Superman, Begin Again, Ben Affleck, Bill Nighy, Billy Joel, Blindspot 2016, Books, Captain America: Civil War, Charlize Theron, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Colin Firth, Damon Salvatore, Don Cheadle, Emilia Clarke, Emma Roberts, Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Evening Class, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavil, Home Alone, Hugh Grant, Ian Somerhalder, Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, JoJo Moyes, Keira Knightley, Last Chance Saloon, Liam Neesn, Liam Neeson, Life, Life Lately, Love Actually, Maeve Binchy, Marian Keyes, Mark Ruffalo, Martin Freeman, Martine McCutcheon, Me Before You, Meg Ryan, Michelle Rodriguez, monthly rundown, Nick Nolte, Paul Walker, Robert Downey Jnr, Rowan Atkinson, Sam Claflin, Sebastian Stan, The Fast and the Furious, The Help, The Huntsman: Winter's War, The Jungle Book, The Vampire Diaries, Tom Hardy, Viola Davis, Warrior, When Harry Met Sally, Wild Child 2 Comments

Movie Review: The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016)

Plot: As a war between rival queen sisters Ravenna and Freya escalates, Eric and fellow warrior Sara, members of the Huntsmen army raised to protect Freya, try to conceal their forbidden love as they combat Ravenna’s wicked intentions

Rating: 7/10

I’m probably being very lenient with the rating, because this movie has quite a bit of flaws. For all its’ flaws it is an entertaining watch. I didn’t expect a second movie after Snow White and the Huntsman, but how could I not? Hollywood will milk a success till it lies twitching feebly on the ground, milked of everything that made it so good to start with.

The Huntsman is back, sans Snow White. She’s busy being haunted by the Mirror and is not Kristen Stewart anymore (I think Stewart was not interested in showing her face again lest we remember her shenanigans with the previous director).

The Huntsman, or Eric, is living a holistic life after defeating Ravenna, and is not impressed with the charm or charisma when the handsome Prince pitches and requests that he hunt down the Mirror and prevent evil to rise again. He takes along his two dwarf friends, who are really against female dwarves for some reason.

And for no further plot reasons than to bring romance into the story, two female dwarves join the hunting party. Soon another lady arrives – Eric’s long dead ex, Sarah, played by Jessica Chastain. Naturally questions arise and we, and Eric and Sara, see what happened that fateful day when he thought he saw her murdered.

There is also another Queen in the mix – Queen Freya (Emily Blunt), who lost all her niceness when her child was burned in her crib by her lover (I really don’t blame her for losing her niceness). As she’s Ravenna’s sister, there is plotsies afoot, and she sets out with her newly acquired power to take a lot of land by icy force and force children to love her – I mean who wouldn’t when the choice is between love and being murdered? Love comes easily then.

Winter’s War takes a lot of stories and tries to combine them. Some is really unnecessary and a lot of the time Winter’s War looks like a really pretty perfume ad, but it really isn’t bad. The cast is stellar and Emily Blunt is particularly enjoyable (though please don’t think for a second I didn’t enjoy my husband CH as well!). There is a lot of sadness, something Blunt does really well, and Charlize Theron is disgusting, frightening, beautiful and evil as her return as Ravenna. The mirror also stays amazing – how they brought that concept to the screen looks ridiculously cool.

I love love love Chris Hemsworth. I thought I would always choose him as Thor, but this roughly hewn and really charming Eric works so well. And, accents. GAWSH. I think this role suits Hemsworth well because it firstly gives him something to be other than Thor Odinson and secondly it is written in a way, and especially in the second movie, to highlight his natural charm and that gorgeous smile. I am obviously a massive fan and will gladly pitch whenever he is onscreen, but it isn’t only for the looks – he is a decent actor and although I am a bit sad to say this and it is because he hasn’t really had time to prove himself in very serious movies, he is an excellent popcorn entertainment actor.

If you want to enjoy Winter’s War, it really is possible, because it isn’t bad. I think we should all just sometimes remind ourselves that it is okay to enjoy a movie because it is fun and sweet and looks pretty – not all things need to be dark and intelligent and serious!

Some more, ehm, shots of the movie:

May 5, 2016May 3, 2016 by Natasha Categories: 2016, Movies, movies, Reviews, UncategorizedTags: Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Dwarves, Emily Blunt, Fairytales, Ice, Jessica Chastain, Magic, Movies, Reviews, Sam Claflin, Snow White and the Huntsman, The Huntsman: Winter's War 14 Comments

Movie Review: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Plot: A woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in post apocalyptic Australia in search for her homeland with the help of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper, and a drifter named Max

Rating: 8.5/10

YASSSS. I finally got around to watching it, and let me tell you, it was so worth the watch. 2015 has not been the most cinematically pleasing year, but Mad Max: Fury Road was one of the movies that worked.

Fury Road is just an insane car chase across the desert but it works really well. Tom Hardy as titular Max and Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiousa and their plight to save the Wives from Immortan Joe keeps you nailed to whichever seat you are sitting on for two hours straight.

What worked the best? Is it the absolutely brilliant soundtrack? Is it the fantastic warfare depiction? The desert that has become the world? The Pro-Feminist movement with Furiousa and the Wives with their “We are not things!” ? Perhaps it is Tom Hardy as Max – the guttural grunting, the short sentences, the craziness. It might be Nux, whose fanaticism manages to be both scary and hilarious.

Mad Max starts with breakneck speed and never slows down. It rushes from insanity to insanity, never stopping to draw a breath. The costume and set design is fantastic and furthers the insanity – the only remotely soft thing in here are the wives and they are so determined to escape or die trying that it is only their appearances that are soft.

The villain, Immortal Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) is disgusting and terrifying – I did not blame his wives in the least for escaping. He is cruel, he is malicious, he enjoys keeping water from his desperate little city. His lieutenants and cronies are as disgusting as he is and it completely crushes the popular trend that villains should at least be pleasing to the eye in some way.

Then, and you all knew I would get to this – Imperator Furiousa is the QUEEN OF EVERYTHING. She is the most resilient, kick-ass action character that has graced the screen in years, she fearless leads the show and she is the one true main character. Tom Hardy does a fantastic job, but despite having his character as the “main” character, Max is continuously outshone by Furiousa – and it is justifiable.  The Wives, lead notably by  The Splendid Angharad (Rosie Hungtinton-Whitley) are being saved, but they aren’t the expected damsels in distress. They are just as fearless in their pursuit to survive and willing to do what is needed to escape Joe.

Mad Max: Fury Road, is certainly one of the best movies of 2015 and one of the most outstanding action films in recent years. It’s grown-up, it doesn’t follow Hollywood’s usual movie development and never stops with its insanity. It was a thrilling joy to watch and I will definitely do it again – if you haven’t, I suggest you give it a try!

PS: THIS MANNNNN ❤

October 8, 2015October 4, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Movies, ReviewsTags: 2015, Charlize Theron, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Immortan Joe, Imperator Furious, Mad Max, Mad Max: Fury Road, Movies, Nicholas Hoult, Reviews, Rosie Hungtinton Whitley, Tom Hardy, Zoe Kravitz 14 Comments

Movie Review: Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

The beautiful and peaceful Kingdom of Tabor is ruled by King Magnus (Noah Huntley) and his Queen Eleanor (Liberty Ross). Queen Eleanor gives birth to their daughter Snow White and she is loved by the entire kingdom – for her beauty and kindness. The Queen dies when Snow White is a little girl.

The King rescues a woman from the Dark Army – Ravenna (Charlize Theron). He falls in love and marries her quickly. On her wedding night, Ravenna kills the King and seizes control over the Tabor. Snow White’s childhood friend William tries to save her but it is too late – she is taken captive and he and his father are barely able to escape.

*Ravenna

Ravenna, a powerful sorceress now rules the Kingdom with her brother Finn (Sam Spruell) as her righthand man. Snow White is locked away for many years, until the Queen’s Magic Mirror tells her that if she takes Snow White’s soul she will become immortal and Ravenna decides to kill her. Snow White breaks away from Finn and escapes into the Dark Forest, and Ravenna is furious with Finn and orders him to find her immediately. Because Ravenna has no power in the Dark Forest, they need the help of someone else and they decide on Eric the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), a drunkard who is still grieving the death of his wife. Ravenna promises to bring his wife back from the dead and only then he agrees.

Meanwhile, news that Snow White is alive reaches the Duke and his son William (Sam Claflin), and William immediately leaves on his own to go search for her.

Eric catches Snow but quickly starts to question why the Queen wants her so bad. He and Snow flee into the forest to escape Finn and find a fishing village where the women disfigure themselves to not be hunted by Ravenna. Eric realises who Snow White really is and decides to leave. The village is attacked by Finn and his soldiers and Eric returns and saves her. they flee firther into the forest. William, who infiltrated Finn’s army in the hope of saving Snow White, sees them dissapear.

In the forest they meet the Dwarves, who ties them up. One of the Dwarves, the ancient Muir, senses that Snow White is the daughter of king Magnus and that she can defeat Ravenna, and they head into a fairy sanctuary.

In the fairy Sanctuary one of the dwarves is killed when he jumps in front of an arrow to save Snow White. William finally joins the party and they head to Duke Hammond’s castle. On the way there, Ravenna disguises herself as William and tricks Snow into eating a poisoned apple. Desperately, William kisses Snow in the hopes of awakening her but it doesn’t work, and they take her to the Castle where she lies in sleep. Heartbroken Eric tells her his story and finally kisses her, and she awakens. Snow rallies the Duke’s Army and they head to fight Ravenna.

Will the army be able to kill Ravenna? Will the Kingdom become whole again?

Rating: 6.5/10

I enjoyed the new take on the classic fairytale. It is a lot more girl power than the Disney version, and both female leads were strongly written.

I’m sure that there were loads of better actresses that could have portrayed Snow White better than Kristen Stewart. In Snow White and the Huntsman her acting is remarkably better than in all the Twilight movies, but she still leaves me unmoved. The speech after Snow White wakes up is very uninspiring. I would not be motivated by the screeching sound that emits from Kristen Stewart when she needs to make an impassioned speech. Once again she only manages to look constipated.

*Snow White

Ravenna is a fantastic character with intense issues with men. Charlize Theron was well cast for this – she does the icy beauty to perfection. Her anger and madness makes you sense the deep rooted hate Ravenna has for anything male. I am not sure how they plan to justify Snow White being more beautiful than the Queen – Charlize is simply stunning even in her 40s (I hope I’m right with the age!)

Now, my bestie is likely to tell you that I have a tendency to gush about Chris Hemsworth – no idea WHAT she is talking about – but OMFG he is damn hot. In Snow White and the Huntsman it was pretty much the voice above all else – not discounting how he rocks the dirty man look – but suddenly I am really appreciating the generally annoying Aussie accent. Back to his acting: I thought it was decent. As mentioned before, he delivers better acting than what would be his typecast performances. Let’s take another Twilight alumni for example – Kellan Lutz, who is fine to look at and good at throwing things around but not much else.  I also thought Sam Claflin fits perfectly into the fairytale prince. I felt genuinely sorry that he didn’t get the girl, but Eric was a much better match for Snow.

*Huntsman Eric

The storyline did seem a bit unclear at times, and does drag some. It is filmed in the dark fairy-tale mood that is so popular right now and works relatively well. I liked the how disgusting the dark forest was and also how beautiful the Fairy sanctuary (or whatever) was. The dwarves were cute. The furry apple still makes me feel slightly sick. It still does. I really liked how the mirror was portrayed.

What did you think?

February 12, 2014 by Natasha Categories: Movies, ReviewsTags: Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Eric the Huntsman, Huntsman Eric, King Magnus, Kristen Stewart, Movies, Queen Eleanor, Ravenna, Reviews, Sam Claflin, Snow White and the Huntsman 5 Comments