Watched, Read, Loved: April 2017

April is the best month for South-Africa. Seriously – we have so many public holidays people are actually nice to each other. I took off a chunk of time as well, and it did me the world of good. I actually got some sleep in, saw my bestie and watched some amazing films. Without further ado, here is my rundown of April 2017.

Movies:

Beauty and the Beast (2017): The painful excitement that came when I heard they were doing a live animation of my favorite Disney classic was excruciating. Would it work? Would it fail? The QUESTIONS that plagued me.Additionally, B&B was released in South-Africa later than the rest of the world because of South-Africaitis, and there were conflicting reports to be read. Anyway, grabbing popcorn and sitting down to see this was really wonderful. I liked it, and will watch it again. I had Gaston stuck in my head for a week. I better not hear that tune soon.

One Day (2011): HATED IT.

Basic Instinct(1992): This is part of my Blindspot 2017 series. This year I am doing remarkably well with it, because Zoë and I watched a bunch of them in December because #besties. Basic Instinct is next on the list and quite the shocker. OMFG my poor eyes.I might never recover.

Anywhere but home (2008): I thought this comedy was quite funny the second time around (I know I’ve seen this before but I can barely remember it). It’s also titled “Four Christmases”. I’ve never understood exactly why some movies get two titles. Anyway, if you can believe that someone like Reese Witherspoon would end up with someone like Vince Vaughn, you can get through the movie. It has some funny moments, and sure they are the typical things you’d expect, but they are funny regardless.

Twilight: New Moon (2009): I’ve been meaning to blog about Twilight as a set for ages now. I did Twilight (2008) easily, but had a couple of months delay by what succeeds it. New Moon is the most insufferable – both book and movie – but I sat through it eventually.

Twilight: Eclipse (2010): Eclipse is a strong successor and definitely superior to the ghastly New Moon. Edward is still an obsessive stalker, Bella is still pathetic, R. Patz and Kristen Stewart still can’t act. But decisively better than the infuriating New Moon.

Safe Haven (2013): The casting for Nicholas Sparks film is never specified for acting abilities. I guess the author/filmmaker knows his audience too well, and knows if he provides enough pretty people the film will be acceptable to his fans. He’s not wrong. I enjoyed Safe Haven and the acting is really better than the acting in The Lucky One. The kids were cute and the story was okay.

He’s just not that into you (2009): I always enjoy watching HJNTIY. My brother-in-law did not appreciate us making him watch it though, telling me that it is not also a guy-friendly film as I initially thought.

Warm Bodies (2013): I just love this film. Nicholas Hoult is a zombie, and when he eats the brains ofTeresa Palmer’s boyfriend, he starts seeing some memories and slowly returns to human form. The cast, led by Hoult, are all quite charming and for a story that shouldn’t work it works really well.

The DUFF (2015):yes, I watched it again. One of my favorite films at the moment. Such hilarity.

Lethal Weapon 1 (1987) & Lethal Weapon 2 (1989):
It was my first time around watching this buddy-cop series, and I really enjoyed it. The 1980’s were a glorious time to be alive obviously!

Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)

SO SLOPPY.

Chef (2014): Chef is a film about good food and happy endings, and well deserved of its’ praise. I really quite liked this film!

Arrival (2016): My review will be up next week. I loved this. Handsdown one of the finest films of 2016.

Drive (2011): I remember enjoying Drive the first time around, but I really couldn’t remember everything about it. I enjoyed it so much this time too, it is a phenomenal film and some of Gosling’s best work.

The Guest (2014): This film has a lot of science reasons it works well to the appreciative eye, but I can tell you that I would have loved it without the science too. Gorgeous directing, a solid plot and excellent score, this film is a great film to watch again and again.

Prisoners (2013): Prisoners currently ranks as my least favorite Villeneuve film. It is on no level a poor film, it was just not my favorite of his. And it is five hundred hours long. *Scientific fact*

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016):

I can watch this movie indefinitely. It is the best!

Crazy Stupid Love (2011): I definitely need to review this film again – It has been ages since I’ve posted it on my blog. One of the most inoffensive romantic comedies produced in later years, this movie will make you laugh and relate with some character in here.

Nocturnal Animals (2016): This is my new hated film. Gosh, what a spectacular waste of my life. Pretentious bullshit.

 

Black Hills – Nora Roberts

This is a particular favorite book of mine. I enjoy Dr. Lillian Chance – she is passionate about her work in the refuge she built and is smart and cool.

The Concannon Sisters trilogy – Nora Roberts

While I do enjoy this series of books – Born in Shame, Born in Ice and Born in Fire, they certainly aren’t my favorite of the author. However, her love for Ireland does show when reading this, and I particularly enjoy the description of the scenery.

Two Broke Girls Season 4 and 5

I’m enjoying myself way too much with this comedy. It shouldn’t be as funny as it is, but I end up really laughing at it.

What did you do in April?

May 12, 2017May 9, 2017 by Natasha Categories: 2017, Blindspot, Movies, movies, Nora Roberts, novels, reading, Review, Reviews, Romance, Series, UncategorizedTags: 2017, Aaron-Taylor Johnson, Amy Adams, Anne Hathaway, April, Arrival, Basic Instinct, Beauty and the Beast, Bella Swan, Ben Affleck, Black Hils, Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Chef, Crazy Stupid Love, Dan Stevens, Donny Glover, Drew Barrymore, Drive, Eclipse, Edward Cullen, Emma Watson, Forest Whitaker, He's Just Not that Into You, Hugh Jackman, Jacob Black, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connely, Jeremy Renner, Jim Sturgess, Jon Favreau, Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough, Justin Long, Kate Beckingsale, Kristen Stewart, LEthal Weapon, Lily James, Luke Evans, Mae Whitman, Maika Monroe, Mel Gibsen, Michael Douglas, Michael Shannon, Michael Sheen, monthly rundowns, New Moon, Nicholas Hoult, Nora Roberts, One Day, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Prisoners, Robert Downey Junior, Robert Pattinson, Ryan Gosling, Safe Haven, Scarlett Johansson, Sharon Stone, Sofia Vergara, Steve Carell, Taylor Lautner, The DUFF, The Guest, Twilight, Two Broke girls, Underworld: Blood Wars, Warm Bodies 7 Comments

Friday Fun: Life Lately (what’s happening right now) and responses to two award nominations

Hello! Happy Friday! Have we all dealt with the fact that we are half way through the year (I did a mid-year review here if you want to go check!). I know I’ve only semi accepted that half of this year is gone. Sigh. But anyhow, here is a rundown of everything going down in my life right now as well as responses for two awards I was nominated for.

Life:

It is slightly better and I’ve learnt to deal with my father’s not so great health. Mostly. It is still particularly hard, but I’ve kind of desensitized and that has helped me so much.

Planning to do a 10km walk in August for Women’s month. FYI – I’m not fit enough to do a 10km walk so I better get my ass into exercise mode.

I am obsessed with crocheting. It started out mildly – my older sister, mom and my sister’s mom-in-law started crocheting and I joined because it gets rather boring when everyone crochets and you are just sitting there twiddling your thumbs. Then I got obsessed and now I can’t stop. It is insanity. I crocheted a skull on Zoë’s request (pic below). I was so damn chuffed! I’m busy with a blanket and should finish up this scarf I am nearly done with. So.much.fun.

Books:

Nothing worth mentioning on here actually. I am reading all my favorite Nora Roberts books for the umpteenth time and I love it. I still need to read most of the books I listed here. Zoë loved the Rosie Project and recommended it to me, so that is my next avenue to explore.

Movies and Series:

I got to go to the cinema twice recently, and enjoyed both Jurassic World and Inside Out. I finally chose a movie to review for my Sugar Pappy’s Shitfest. Hopefully by next week you will have it, Sugar Pappy Giuseppe!

I tried watching Pretty Little Liars Season 5… Let’s just say NOPE. It’s cheesy and lame and every time I think the season is improving it slips again.

Have you seen the new Sherlock posters doing the rounds? I am so excited. Right now I will take any morsel they throw my way. I want to do a complete run of the show before they start again. #cantwait #sherlocked

Also – the new Hunger Games posters! ERMAGHERD If you haven’t read the book, or know what happens in the last section of the books, good luck. That is all I’m going to say.

Some moral questions:

Can we for a second ponder the incredulous world we live in? Where ratbags like Ariana Grande and Donald Trump gets more attention than Greece defaulting on its debt – or the war in Syria – or the AIDS pandemic?

Really world, get your priorities in order. FFS

1^st Award Answers

Thanks to Christina from My Tiny Obsessions for nominating me for the Sisterhood of the World blogger’s Award.

The Rules:

Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.

Put the award logo on your blog.

Answer the questions the tagger has given you.

Nominate ten other bloggers

Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.

Questions (lets go with a theme, shall we?! Quick and easy!):

1. Favorite book?

It changes from time to time – I fall in love with good books the way a teenage girl falls in love with boys – all the time. My most recent favorite book was Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. The Classics – Emma by Jane Austen. Epic Fantasy – Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince – JK Rowling.

 

2. Favorite TV show?

Downton Abbey

 

3. Favorite Movie?

Crazy, Stupid Love

4. Favorite Book-Movie/TV adaptation?

The Lord of The Rings – JRR Tolkien

 

5. Favorite Actor?

On looks – Chris Hemsworth

On talent – James McAvoy (and his looks are gorgeous too!)

 

6. Favorite Actress?

Emma Stone

7. Favorite Author?

Nora Roberts

8. Favorite Book ship?

Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter – Harry Potter

Eleanor and Park – Eleanor and Park

Gus and Hazel –The Fault in Our Stars

 

9. Favorite TV Show ship?

Michael and Mary Crawley

10. Favorite Movie ship?

Alley and Noah – The Notebook

As for nominating, I’m just listing some awesome blogs – go check them out (the blogs are listed below the last nomination)(. If you want to answer these extremely random questions I chose as a separate post or just in the comment section of my blog, feel free 😀

Questions:

Favorite Superhero

Most Hated Actor

Most Hated Actress

Favorite Animation

If you had to be stuck with Joffrey Baratheon or Justin Bieber, who would you choose?

What is your favorite car make?

Do you like chocolate?

Would you wear Crocs?

When you are in traffic and people are being dumbasses, are you the person who gives the death stare or are you the person looking like you are going to explode, get out of the car and go Hulk Smash on them all?

If you had to change your nationality, to which country would you move?

Then Drew from Drew’s movie reviews nominated me for a Liebster award. Thanks Drew!

The Rules:

Thank the blog who nominated you and link back to them.

Nominate up to 11 other bloggers to receive the coveted award.

Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.

Tell your readers 11 random facts about yourself.

Give the nominees 11 questions to answer on their blog when they post their nomination.

Can you wiggle your ears?

No haha. I really admire people who do!

Do you watch any web series? If so, what’s your favorite one?

I have no idea what that is. So I guess not 🙂 or I probably do, I’m just not aware of it haha.

What is the first movie you remember watching in the theaters?

Liar Liar.

Do you prefer 3D or 2D movies or are you indifferent?

2D. I think 3D is a waste of money and it is often not even that effective.

Do/Did you play any sports? Which ones?

I used to play Hockey. It is the best game ever

What is your favorite card game?

I am a master in Rummy

What is your favorite board game?

30 Seconds, teamed up with my sisters

What is your favorite video game?

If I play, Super Mario.

If you had a time machine and could go back in time without consequence of messing up the future, where and when would you visit and why?

I would love to travel back to see the discovery of major things – Fire, the wheel, electricity, etc. I would like to see the wonder and triumph on the faces of people who couldn’t even begin to realize that they had changed humanity for always.

Do you have a motto or mantra?

Everything becomes nothing. Depressing, I know, but it is the truest thing.

What is your favorite thing about blogging or being a blogger?

The first would be getting my opinion on things out there – it doesn’t feel that I’m just shouting my opinions into a void. The second would be is coming into contact with people I would never have met in my life without the blogging platform.

11 Random facts about myself?

Sheesh. I am not that random. I will try though.

I have a “Keep Calm and Carry On” mug in my office. I always look at it before I answer stupid questions. I think the mug has saved many lives as well as my job.

I love stationery. Papers, pens, books, sticky notes. I get so excited about it.

I want the word “insultment” to be added to the dictionary. It is beyond me that it hasn’t been added yet!

I’m a pretty aggressive driver.

I’m very open to people’s choices in life. I really don’t care what you prefer, as long as it brings no harm to other people. I can’t stand people who think they can tell other people who to love or what to believe.

I have a very bad habit of hiding someone’s feed on Facebook and then going back to their page and still looking at the annoying things they say. I don’t even know what is wrong with me.

I work in the third largest hospital in the world. It is… interesting to say the least.

If I only visit one other country in my life, I would choose France. I desperately want to see the Eiffel Tower. After that, I would head to Germany to go visit my ancestral homeland.

I used to really hate ginger cookies but now I love them.

I try to visit a new place in South-Africa each year. I live in this really picturesque country with such vastly different scenery. It is gorgeous and breathtaking here.

I am ridiculously amped to finish my pretty blanket

Tranquil Dreams

The Sporadic Chronicles of a Beginner Blogger

Emmakwall (Explains it all)

Film Grimoire 

Cinema Parrot Disco

Justine’s Movie Reviews

Movie Rob

The IPC

Alex Raphael

July 17, 2015July 12, 2015 by Natasha Categories: UncategorizedTags: Chris Hemsworth, Crazy Stupid Love, Downton Abbey, Eleanor and Park, Emma Stone, Friday, fun, Harry Potter, James McAvoy, Liebster Award, Nora Roberts, The Fault in Our Stars 5 Comments

Movie review: Crazy, Stupid Love (2011)

Directed by: Glen Ficarra and John Requa

Cal Weaver (Steve Carell), a middle aged man with a fondness for ugly jeans, gets the shock of his life when he hears that his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) is leaving him and that she slept with a co-worker, David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon). Devastated, he moves out to his own apartment. Soon he is going to a bar every night, where he complains loudly to his sad life.

That is where he meets Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). Good looking, womanizing and charming, Jacob decides to take Cal under his wing and save him from eternal loneliness. Soon, Cal becomes well dressed, well-spoken and charming as well. His wife is shocked with his sudden change, and she has already started to doubt her decision to leave him. Cal and Emily see each other at a parent-teacher conference and things go great until he realises that his son’s teacher is Kate (Marisa Tomei), the first woman he seduced in the bar. Kate does not take rejection well and starts yelling at him in front of everyone, embarrassing them all.

Jacob is exceptional in the art of seducing woman, but he isn’t able to seduce Hannah (Emma Stone). His advances make no impression on her, and she rebuffs him even though her friend tells her she is crazy for doing it. Emma, a recent law school graduate, is dating Richard (Josh Groban), who is very pompous. When she passes the bar exam, she thinks he wants to propose but he just offers her a partnership in the firm, telling her that he isn’t on the marriage level. It makes her realize what a douchebag he is and she breaks up with him in spectacular fashion. She heads over to the bar she met Jacob, kisses him, and he takes her to his place. Not for lack of trying, they don’t sleep together, but spend the night talking and laughing. They start dating, and Cal and Jacob’s relationship drifts apart.

Meanwhile, Cal’s son Robbie (Jonah Bobo) is in love with an older teenager – the girl who babysits him Jessica (Analeigh Tipton). Nothing she does will make him understand that she isn’t interested. Robbie has absolutely no chance because Jessica has a crush on Cal – to which he is completely oblivious to – but it is very strong. She takes matters into her own hands by taking naked pictures of herself with the intent to send it to Cal, but her parents catches her and all hell breaks loose. Her father is justifiably enraged and unfortunately thinks that Cal is a pedophile, and he heads over to the Weaver house to sort him out.

Cal realizes that the demise of his marriage is not only Emily’s fault, but that he also had a part in it. He makes a mini golf set in his garden and gets his children to help him out fix his marriage. All is going well until their eldest daughter – Hannah – shows up with her new boyfriend Jacob. Cal tells her that Jacob is scum, and she does what all daughters do – and ignores her father. To make matters worse, David Lindhagen and Jessica’s dad shows up and a massive fight breaks loose.

The exasperated cops eventually sort everything out and reprimand all of them, but Cal’s life is once again in pieces. Will he and Emily ever reconcile? Can Jacob convince Cal that Hannah made him change?

Rating: 8/10

Miracles can happen – as proven in SCL. It is romantic, it is a comedy, so it is worthy of being called a romantic-comedy. Most movies only manage one of the two – and most often it ends up as a mushy romantic movie with lame attempts at jokes.

Steve Carell as Cal Weaver:

I was pleasantly surprised at Steve Carell’s performance. I am usually not a fan – I don’t watch the stuff he acts in (stupid comedy) but as Cal Weaver he managed to convince me that he has some credibility as an actor. Cal begins as this sad, generic home dad who has forgotten why he loves his wife and who he is. Through the help of Jacob, he lives to his true potential – attractive enough to get girls and kind enough to keep them.

Ryan Gosling as Jacob Palmer:

Deliciously good. He is already a good actor, but he was such a good choice for Jacob. He is sarcastic, funny, charming and intelligent in here. He shows that falling in love can change a man and make him become a real man. There is some real chemistry between him and Emma Stone, and that certainly contributed towards the success of the film.

Julianne Moore as Emily Weaver:

As the lady who is going through a midlife crisis, who went and watched a Twilight movie on her own and who managed to get through a teenage pregnancy, Emily is a funny and yet inspiring lady. I’ve always enjoyed watching Julianne Moore in movies – she is very graceful and seems to live scandal free. She and Cal shows that even the greatest love goes through a bad crisis and with the right attitude can survive.

Emma Stone as Hannah Weaver:

Her relation to the Weavers was excellently concealed until the right time and was brilliant to have been done so. I think she is amazingly funny and talented, equipped with hilarious facial expressions and attitude. Her break-up with Richard – done by the surprisingly hilarious Josh Groban – was very funny and he deserved what he got. Her initial dismissal of Jacob was awesome – it cut him down to size, established her dignity and set a standard where she could date him with confidence later.

Overall, it is a great movie that will also be enjoyable to people who don’t enjoy rom-coms. For one, there are no silly romantic gestures that will never happen in real life. Secondly, it is ridiculously funny. Thirdly, the cast is solid and able to act.

The only things I didn’t like were Analeigh Tipton as Jessica Riley. I seriously am disliking her right now –that ridiculous mouth and bad acting abilities tells me the new Michelle Trachtenberg has arrived, and Marisa Tomei, who I’ve never understood what the hype is about.

The ridiculous debate about the pronunciation of David Lindhagen was hilarious, Jacob’s fantastic reaction to meeting him even when he himself was fighting with Cal, how David was a relatively innocent person in the events (even though he slept with another man’s wife) and how he was involved in the fight in Emily’s poor garden.

Finally, it is one of my favorite movies in the genre. As I am writing this I can’t really recall a movie I like more in the dodgy rom-com area.

Go give it a try!

January 29, 2014 by Natasha Categories: Movies, ReviewsTags: Crazy Stupid Love, Emma Stone, Julianne Moore, Movies, Reviews, Rom-coms, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell 8 Comments