Kiwi Design Blog

Bucket List Update

2014-04-24T01:15:00.004-02:30

Its been about 2 years since the last time I posted a bucket list so I thought I'd do an update to see what things have changed and what I should add. Sadly I've only crossed off 2 since the last time but its better then nothing! 13/93

Bucket List as of April 24^th 2014

1- Watch all of IMDB's top 250 movies.

2- Graduate

~~3- Get a car~~

4- Get Married

5- Have a child (or 3)

6- Have a film in be shown in a film festival

7- Work on a feature length film

8- Work on a film with David Fincher

9- Live in a different country

10- Travel to England

11- Travel to Greece

~~12- Travel to Italy~~

~~13- Travel to France~~

~~14- Travel to Switzerland~~

15- Travel to Egypt

16- Travel to Australia

17- Travel to Ireland

18- Travel to Amsterdam

19- Travel to Scotland

20- Travel to Germany

21- Travel to Spain

22- Travel to Sweden

23- Travel to Hawaii

24- Travel to Seattle

25- Travel to Boston

26- Travel to Vancouver

27- Travel to New York City

28- Travel to New Orleans

29- Travel to California

30- Go back to Italy

31- Go back to Switzerland

32- Go back to France

33- See the Van Gogh Museum

~~34- See the Mona Lisa~~

~~35- See Notre Dame~~

~~36- Go to the Louvre~~

37- Visit the Museum of Natural History

38- Visit the Smithsonian

- See the 7 wonders of the world

39 - Great Wall of China

40 - Petra

41 - Christ the Redeemer

42 - Machu Picchu

43 - Chechen Itza

44 ~~- Colosseum~~

45 - Taj Mahal

46 - Great Pyramid of Giza

47- See the Catacombs in Paris

48- See the Hagia Sophia

49- ~~See the Leaning Tower of Pisa~~

50- See the Sphinx

~~51- See the Sistine Chapel~~

52- See the Empire State Building

53- See the Golden Gate Bridge

54- Go on the CN Tower

~~55- See the Swiss Alps~~

56- See the Great Barrier Reef

~~57- See the Eiffel Tower~~

58- See Meat Loaf live

59- See Snow Patrol live

60- See The Fray live

61- See Coldplay live

62- See Billy Joel live

63- See Elton John Live

64- See Fleetwood Mac live

65- See Mumford & Son's live

66- See Our Lady Peace live

~~65- See Matchbox Twenty live~~

66- See The Eagles live

67- See a Broadway Show

68- See a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live

69- See a taping of Jimmy Fallon

70- See taping of SNL

71- See a taping of Ellen

72- See a taping of Real Time with Bill Maher

73- See a taping of The Graham Norton Show

74- Go zip lining

75- Go Skydiving

76- See or Meet John Cussack

77- See or Meet Eddie Vedder

78- See or Meet Harrison Ford

79- See or Meet Ricky Gervis, Stephen Mercant, and/or Karl Pilkington

80- See or Meet Stephen Fry

81- Visit Angkor Wat

82- Visit The Temple of Abu Simbel

83- Visit The Leshan Giant Budda in China

84- Visit Anne Frank House Museum

85- Tour Auschwitz

86- Ride in a Hot Air Balloon

87- Visit Central Park

88- Visit Puerto Rico

89- Go Parasailing

90- Go Scuba Diving

91- Travel to Turkey

92- Travel to India

93- Travel to New Zealand

Kiwi Design Blog 2 Year Anniversary!

2014-04-19T02:10:00.003-02:30

Hard to believe its been 2 years already, time moves so quickly! Technically the anniversary was about 2 weeks ago, but I've been super busy with school so I didn't have time to post anything. Last year I had about 4, 000 views and my goal was to get around 10,000 views by this year, and I've actually exceeded it and have recieved over 12,000! I've definitely been lacking on my posts the last 5 or 6 months, but I post much more regularly on Kiwi Film Review with trailers, lists, and reviews so be sure to check that out! In celebration for the anniversary I'm going to share my most recent attempt at filmmaking. Its my first year final film called "The Robbery." Its a short comedy and is pretty ridiculous. Please enjoy and thank you for all of the support over the last 2 years!

The Robbery from Gill Dawe on Vimeo.

My First Film

2013-11-17T00:53:00.000-03:30

So as a big life change this year, I moved across the province do to a Film Production program. As part of that program, I just finished filming my first movie and I'm working on the post-production now. I still can't share too much information now but I thought I'd share a couple of pictures from the pre-production and production side of the film-making process. The film is called "Closed Doors." Check out the Instagram photos below!

From the Auditions

Shooting #1

Shooting #2

New Apartment

2013-10-15T19:35:00.000-02:30

I don't believe I've mentioned this on here before, but in September I moved from St. John's, NL to Stephenville, NL to study film and video production. I thought it was about time to share some pictures of my new digs. This is my first attempt at decorating my own space and I'm actually quite proud! Hope you guys like it!

Living Room

Entertainment Centre

Records and Stuff

Just a Few Movies...

My Eiffel Tower Tea Pot

I love these! Got them at Homesense

Entrance.

Kiwi Film Review Update

2013-09-15T18:10:00.000-02:30

I decided that this blog was being over-run by my reviews, and I didn't want it to be just about that, so I decided to make a new blog, just for film reviews. I'm pretty excited about it, and I'm hoping to do some more updates. The tab above labeled "Kiwi Film Review"will bring you to the site, but here's the link! www.kiwifilmreview.blogspot.ca. Enjoy!

Kiwi Film Review: Top 5 Tarantino Films

2013-09-08T11:34:00.001-02:30

Top 5 Quentin Tarantino Films

Tarantino is one of the most unique directors of our generation, and probably in history. His films have incredible writing, and over the top violence, and although all of his films share the same theme of revenge, they are all incredibly different films every time. He has created some of the most impressive films of the last 20 years and is therefore one of my favorite directors, and here are my pics for his top 5 films.

5.) Kill Bill Vol. 1

The thing that I love about all of Tarantino's films is that they are all so satisfying because even though we teach our children that revenge is wrong, we just love to watch it happen, especially when it is as violent as possible. I put Kill Bill Vol. 1 on here because it is a great revenge flick, but I put it so low because there were elements that just didn't cater to me, which is fine because its not my film. I'm not a huge fan of martial arts movies so I was definitely more in it for the story line, which I don't feel comfortable divulging any information about because I honestly had no idea what it was about before watching. I went in knowing only that Uma Thurman was going to be wearing a yellow jumpsuit and she would be wielding a sword. I like that Tarantino makes strong women in a lot of his movies, this one is clearly following one in particular. Definitely check out this movie, even if its just so you can get to Vol. 2, which I liked much better, but we'll get to that in a minute. This film is currently #151 on IMDB's Top 250 Films of All Time.

4.) Pulp Fiction

I am ashamed to say that I didn't fully enjoy this movie the first time I saw it, it wasn't until I saw it again about a month ago that I really fully enjoyed it. I think Tarantino is really able to showcase his witty writing in this film. There's definitely action, but most of the movie is just dialogue and most of the scenes have some great lines. I love that Quentin makes an appearance in this film, and its quite a substantial part. Lots of great actors in this one, and I gotta say, seeing John Travolta in this role was a bit of a surprise for me. I mean, I knew before watching that he was obviously IN the film, but its just weird to see him play a bit of a thug, probably because his more recent roles are more fresh in my mind. I love the way he shoots the movie, how it's broken up between story lines and it jumps all over the place time-wise so you don't really know the point of what's happening until the very end. The fantastic cast also includes Uma Thurman, Michael Madsen, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Daryl Hannah, ect. I'm probably the only person on the planet that had to watch it twice to love it, so definitely watch it, it's a classic and you don't really get Tarantino until you see this. Its #4 on IMDB's top 250 films of all-time. It was nominated for 7 Oscars, winning 1 for Best Writing for Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary.

3.) Kill Bill Vol. 2

I really loved this movie a lot more then the 1st. I almost didn't watch it because the first wasn't really my thing, but although this is technically the sequel to Vol. 1, it's more of an origin story, which I always enjoy, it is also able to fill in the rest of the gaps that Tarantino left open in the first one, anticipating a sequel. It ends up having a much better ending then I could've imagined, and the fight sequences are really impressive in this film. The scene with Michael Madsen was great, didn't see the snake coming, but my favourite was the one between Uma Thurman and Daryl Hannah. Watching her use her skills to rip out her eyeball with her hands in one quick motion was crazy. I liked all of the training sequences, which I was surprised by because like I said before, I'm not a huge fan of martial arts movies. You see a lot more of Bill in this one, and you finally fully grasp why she needs to kill him so badly. Once again, revenge is sweet.

2.) Inglourious Basterds

I believe this was the first Tarantino movie I ever saw, and after seeing his other ones I was convinced that this was his masterpiece and there was no way to make it any better than this. This film is currently #2 on my list, so obviously I was wrong, but don't let that take away from how utterly amazing this film is. I watched for probably the 7th time last night and I loved every second of it. He keeps making the revenge scenarios bigger and better. *SPOILER ALERT* I mean, how fantastic is it that you can write a movie where in the end, you kill Hitler, and all of his head guys? *spoiler over* There are so many interesting and hilarious characters in this film, but by far the best character is Col. Hans Landa, played by Christoph Waltz. He is easily the most detestable character in this movie, but you leave the film thinking "that guy I've never heard of or seen before just won an Oscar," and so he did. Brad Pitt plays Lt. Aldo Raines, also a very enthusiastic character with an incredibly thick Louisiana accent that makes the word "Bonjourno" one of the funniest lines in the film. The final scene of the movie contains Aldo and Landa and it is one of my favorites in the film, just fantastic, but any of the scenes containing these two characters is guaranteed to be golden. Tarantino has included another strong female character in this film with Schosanna played by Mélanie Laurent who is the person who truly gets to enact her revenge. Although I would have wanted a different ending for her in the film, her revenge is fully realized. Some other cast members include Michael Fassbender, Mike Myers, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, and many other impressive guys who played soldiers or other characters along the way. I adore this film, I watch it over and over again and still love it every time. It is #108 on IMDB's top 250 films of all-time list. It was nominated for 8 Oscars winning 1 for Best Supporting Actor for Christoph Waltz.

1.) Django Unchained

I absolutely adored this movie, my favorite movie of 2012 hands down. I sort of feel bad for Jamie Foxx, that even though he played the lead, and even though he was really fantastic in this, Christoph Waltz cannot help but, once again, steal the show with his unbelievable acting abilities. He is just so damn charismatic that even though you're not quite sure if he does some questionable things, you can't help but love him. His entrance is amazing and perfectly sets up his character and the rest of the film. Foxx and Waltz are not the only examples of great acting, Kerry Washington was great and plays Django's wife, and Samuel L. Jackson is also super impressive in this movie, but the other person who shared in stealing some of the spotlight in this movie was Leonardo DiCaprio. He was unreal in this character, and I think that the fact that he was not nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars is unbelievable. Christoph Waltz still should have won, but I think Leo should've gotten the recognition he deserved. Jonah Hill makes the most random cameo of all time, and Quentin Tarantino also makes an appearance having one of my favourite onscreen deaths of all time, absolutely hilarious. Like I said before, his revenge scenarios keep getting bigger and bigger, I thought the need for revenge couldn't get any bigger then the Holocaust but he managed to amp it up another level with slavery. The shoot-out scene at the end is fantastic, and there are so many other epic scenes in this film and so many fantastic lines. I don't know how many times in the last year I've heard someone say "You silver tongued devil, you." Like most of his films the violence is extreme so it's understandable that some people wouldn't enjoy it, but I was ecstatic to see Tarantino winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and that Django was nominated for Best Picture. It is #53 on IMDB's top 250 films of all-time. It was nominated for 5 Oscars winning 2, as I previously mentioned, Best Supporting Actor for Christoph Waltz, and Best Original Screenplay for Quentin Tarantino.

Kiwi Film Review: Top 5 Spielberg Films

2013-07-08T22:28:00.000-02:30

Top 5 Spielberg Films

I've decided to try and do a top 5 films from a specific director or actor maybe once a week, not sure how long it will last but we'll see how it goes. Steven Spielberg is one of the most influential and easily one of the greatest directors of all time. His films span over 5 decades, and over every genre imaginable. He is one of the best fantasy/adventure directors out there, but is equally capable to perfect period piece films, especially biographies. I would watch any of his movies, and am happy to say I've seen at least most of his hits. So here they are, the top 5 Spielberg films.

5.) Saving Private Ryan

Really great movie, definitely one of the best war movies of all time. It follows a young Private Ryan, played by Matt Damon, who is in the middle of a warzone in France during World War II. After it is discovered that all three of his brothers have been killed in action, and that Mrs. Ryan will be receiving all 3 telegrams on the same day, a group of soldiers go into France to try and bring him home to his mother so she doesn't have to suffer the loss of her final son. The members of the troop include Captain Miller(Tom Hanks), Sergeant Horvath(Tom Sizemore), Private Reiben(Edward Burns), Private Jackson(Barry Pepper), Private Mellish(Adam Goldberg) and Private Caparzo(Vin Diesel). By the time they even begin to look for Private Ryan(Damon) he is already listed as MIA(missing in action) so it is a pretty difficult task ahead of them jumping into a warzone towards the end of the war.. Other cast members include Giovanni Ribisi, Jeremy Davis, Ted Danson, and Paul Giamatti. The film is #37 on IMDB's Top 250 movies, and was nominated for 11 Oscars, winning 5 including Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Effects, Best Cinematography, and Best Director.

4.) Raiders of the Lost Ark

Indiana Jones has a very important place in my heart, my childhood was surrounded by these movies, and they inspired my love of history, and my brief stint in the Archaeology field. I really feel like this film has everything, and therefore I think just about everyone can see it. Harrison Ford is a total dreamboat, which makes it perfect for both guys and gals. Great action throughout the entire film. The opening sequence is one of the most iconic of all time; the giant rolling bolder, the golden statue/sandbag switch, the falling stone door, and the quick grab for the iconic hat. It has bit of romance with Marion Ravenwood(Karen Allen) who he has a past with, and who actually shows up again in the 4th Indiana Jones film, and actually is quite funny in some parts. Its really clear that this film is from the 80s when it gets closer to the end and you see the hilarious special effects, ie. someone's face melting. The villain in this one is Dr. René Balloq(Paul Freeman) who is quite terrifying and really does look evil. Indy and his team are on a quest to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazi's. Raiders was the first of 3 Indiana Jones movies in the 80's including Temple of Doom which was mostly meh, but still alright, and The Last Crusade which is probably just as good as Raiders and has Sean Connery playing Indy's dad. Great franchise, definitely check it out! It is #27 on IMDB's Top 250 Movies and it was nominated for 8 Oscars, winning 4 including Best Sound, Best Art & Set Direction, Best Film Editing, and Best Visual Effects.

3.) E.T the Extra-Terrestrial

I think it's safe to say that ET is Spielberg's most famous film, and probably the most famous family-adventure movie as well. It is a truly beautiful movie that deals not only with aliens, but friendship and family above all else. It is beautiful both visually and equally so emotionally which makes it an extremely enjoyable experience. It has some of the most recognizable scenes and quotes in film including the image above and the line "ET phone home." It is an enjoyable movie for children and adults alike. The film takes you on an emotional roller coaster and is quite exciting from beginning to end. All of the cast is fantastic and absolutely charming including Henry Thomas who plays Elliot, Robert MacNaughton who plays Michael, Dee Wallace who plays Mary, and of course Drew Barrymore who plays the adorable Gertie. The filme was nominated for 9 Oscars and won 4 including Best Sound, Best Original Score, Best Sound Effects and Best Visual Effects. Honestly, I'm pretty shocked it didn't win Best Picture since it is one of the most famous films of all time. If for some reason you haven't seen this yet, please do yourself a favor and watch it. It really is a fantastic film that people of all ages will enjoy.

2.) Jurassic Park

I was never allowed to watch the entirety of these films when I was younger, but I had all of the books that came out with the movie and I adored them. I has seen bits and pieces of all of them over the years, but it wasn't until this year when it came out in IMAX 3D that I saw the full thing in one sitting. What an absolutely fantastic movie. Speilberg perfectly captures the suspense in the beginning. For the first 15-20 minutes there is no mention that there are living dinosaurs on the island and right before you actually see the dinosaurs for the first time there is a 3-5 minute scene where you see Ellie (Laura Dern)'s face when she sees them, and then Alan(Sam Neill)'s face when he sees them, and you still haven't seen them, and finally after seeing the awe and wonder on their faces for a solid few minutes you finally see this big gorgeous wide-frame landscape filled with a dozen or so Brachiosaurus'. Probably one of my favourite scenes in the whole film, and I think that its a perfect example of the rest of the film. Its such a thriller and, in my opinion, actually a total masterpiece. I absolutely adored this movie, and it just expands my love of dinosaurs even more. Great cast including Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldlum, Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck. The film won 3 Oscars including Best Sound, Best Sound Effects, and Best Visual Effects. It is #226 on IMDB's Top 250.

1.) Schindler's List

I don't think there is a single thing I dislike about this film, it really is absolutely perfect. I feel like most people on earth know what this film is about, but if you are one of the 3 people on that planet that don't know, its about the Holocaust, more specifically about what it's like to live in the famously, most brutal concentration camp, Auschwitz. It follows the all true life-stories of several different people, mostly Jews imprisoned in the camps, but also Oskar Schindler who is a German businessman who owns a factory during WWII who was an unlikely hero when he turned his factory into a safe refuge for Jews by hiring over a thousand jews to work in his factory and therefor not be put to death by the Nazi's. Spielberg perfectly captures the cruelty of the Nazi Party and the Holocaust and makes the risky, but correct, decision to make the film in black and white with the acception of on little girl in a red coat. As I said before its based on the true stories of many Jews who had been interviewed for the book with the same title. The acting in this film was absolutley phenomenal Liam Neeson played Oskar Schindler, the hero, Ben Kingsley played his right-hand man, Itzhak Stern and Ralph Fiennes plays the villain Amon Goeth, the man in charge of running Auschwitz. Some of the best acting you will ever see, honestly. Definitely deserves to be in the Top 10 films of all-time, it should be nowhere else. I think this film is easily Spielberg's masterpiece and it should be seen by all. It is #8 on IMDB's Top 250 Movies and was Nominated for 12 Oscars winning 7 for Best Original Score, Best Art & Set Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Wiring, Best Director, and Best Picture.

Honourable Mentions: 6.) Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 7.) A.I. Artificial Intelligence, 8.) Lincoln, 9.) Minority Report, 10.) Jaws, The Color Purple, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, Munich, The Adventures of Tintin, War Horse.

Online Shopping Addiction: Birthday Edition

2013-06-18T16:16:00.000-02:30

Well, its getting close to that time time of year again, MY BIRTHDAY! Even though its more then a month away, I've started ordering things now so it will get here in time since I am currently living in the middle of nowhere. I'm really excited about this years haul and I wanted to share. So, here we go!

First I'll start with my Red Canvas Classic Toms which can be found HERE

The next few things I bought from Top Shop

Festival Brow Sunglasses which you can find HERE

I recently bought some really great prescription sunglasses, but I wanted some nice ones that are not prescription. Hoping these work well.

Mary ID Satchel which can be found HERE

I really like the size because I can fit a notebook or even a textbook in there for school. Sadly slightly to small for a Macbook.

Cap Sleeve Flippy Tunic can be found HERE

I loved the shape of this immediately. I find these kinds of dresses are very flattering to all figures. I didn't get much colour in this splurge, but I didn't really find many nice patterns, and I really needed a LBD.

Bardot Tunic can be found HERE

Again, really enjoy the shape, and I love the colour.

Moto Vintage Fitted Western can be found HERE

I'm learning from my mistakes this time, it always seems like Jean Jackets come back into style every few years, which I think is good because they really are super cute. Finally found one that I really like. I'm normally not a fan of light denim but I really like it in a jacket.

Hope you enjoyed my splurge as much as I did. Cannot wait until July 22nd so I can open my package and put on some new clothes!!

2013-06-18T11:43:00.001-02:30

New trailer for The Wolf of Wall Street directed by Martin Scorsese and starting Leonardo DiCaprio.

Top 10 Films of 2012 Updated

2013-06-18T02:46:00.003-02:30

Well, I did this while I was home for Christmas, but I hadn't seen a bunch of films that had come out while I was home, and I felt the definite need to update it because boy did things change. So, this week I have a bonus Top 10 list, I felt like it didn't really count as its own week since I've already done this list before. So here we go, the new and improved Top 10 Films of 2012.

10.) Zero Dark Thirty
Such a great film, so intense and although I have no idea how much of it actually happened, most of it seemed pretty realistic, and it seemed to have the general gist of what I knew to have happened. Even if 90% of it is BS its still a fantastic film, such a thriller and its definitely action-packed. Jessica Chastain was really great in this one, she's almost unrecognizable in every movie I've seen her in. Kathryn Bigelow directs the films who also directed The Hurt Locker, I think I might like this one more, but I don't really remember The Hurt Locker much despite the fact that it epically won the Oscar in 2010 against her ex-husband James Cameron who directed Avatar that year. The movie was nominated for 5 Oscars winning 1 for Best Sound Editing.
Check out my review for Zero Dark Thirty HERE

9.) Prometheus
I absolutely loved this film. The special effects were phenomenal which luckily has been recognized by the Academy as it is nominated for Special Effects. I wish it had gotten a bit more as Michael Fassbender was amazing in it. The cinematography was also beautiful, the scenes when they're flying into the planet are stunning. The storyline was fantastic, the only thing I didn't like about it was that it didn't really answer the question that was the entire point of the film. I did however like that it left it pretty open for a sequel which I will definitely be watching the moment it is released. I watched this film early last year and watched it again when I got it for Christmas, and I realized again how fantastic it was. If you like action, thrillers or Sci-fi you'll enjoy this film. Ridley Scott really got it right in this one. Prometheus was nominated for 1 Oscar for Visual effects.
Check out my review for Prometheus HERE

8.) Skyfall
I've heard many people say that this is the best Bond film yet, I haven't seen them all, so I don't feel comfortable saying so, but its definitely the best of the ones I've seen. I actually watched it a couple of times in theaters and I think I may have enjoyed it even better the second time. Javier Bardem was insane in this movie, I think he should have been nominated for an Oscar for supporting actor actually. I thought he was much more memorable then say, Alan Arkin. I loved how vulnerable you see Bond(Daniel Craig) in this one, very unlike the early ones. It was M's(Judi Dench) shining moment for sure, she was in this one a lot more then she normally is. I also liked that this time it wasn't all about the gadgets, I really like how dialed down it was and how it really came down to man to man in a lot of instances. don't get me wrong there were some really great big action sequences, the scene with the subway train crashing through the floor was really great. Definitely watch this movie, no one could possibly regret it. Nominated for 5 Oscars and won 2 for Sound Editing and Best Original Song.
Check out my review for Skyfall HERE

7.) Silver Linings Playbook
I actually loved everything about this movie. It has a lot of really great plot lines and talks a lot about mental illness. Bradley Cooper was really amazing in this one, I have to say I was fairly surprised since his biggest hit was The Hangover, and that doesn't really require the highest of acting abilities, but he showed a lot of emotion in this one and I felt like we were able to look deep into Bradley Cooper's soul. Jennifer Lawrence was even more impressive, but her performance was less surprising since she'd already had one Oscar nomination for Winter's Bone which was an amazing performance as well. Robert De Niro was absolutely heartwarming in this film, he plays a very different character then I've ever seen him play before. The film was nominated for 8 Oscars, including all 4 of the acting categories. Jennifer Lawrence won 1 of those Oscars for Best Actress. Really great inspiring movie that everyone should see.
Check out my review for Silver Linings Playbook HERE

6.) Perks of Being A Wallflower
I think this movie actually changed my life, if not it moved me deeply at the very least. The book is one of my favorites, so I was a little worried about how it would translate but the author of the novel was the writer and director of the film, so its probably the best novel to film transfer I've ever seen. There were a couple of things, mostly just character traits that I would have added, as well as what I thought was a pivotal scene between Charlie(Logan Lerman) and his sister(Nina Dobrev) that I thought really showed the strength of their relationship. I thought Emma Watson was really great as Sam, basically the complete opposite of Hermione which was refreshing. Ezra Miller was perfect as Patrick, I've seen him before in "We Need To Talk About Kevin" and I really think he's going to be an upcoming shining star. Again, enjoyed this film to the fullest. Go see it immediately.
Check out my review for Perks of Being a Wallflower HERE

5.) Cloud Atlas
I saw this movie twice while it was in theatres, it was beautiful, inspiring, funny, heartbreaking, and heart warming all at the same time. It's a science fiction, history, comedy, futuristic and a period piece film all in one. It touches on all kinds of issues including racism, homophobia, loss, corruption, and morality and spans over thousands of years while all somehow being able to be linked together. You really need to see it more then once to catch all of the little nuggets in there that connect everything. Even to see which characters all of the actors are playing in each world, you really need more then one viewing. The cast includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Keith David, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant, and Doona Bae. This film makes it clear that when you see an injustice, you cannot idly sit by, you must do something. I loved every second of this film and would recommend to anyone!
Check out my review for Cloud Atlas HERE

4.) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
This film is a prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy and part one of The Hobbit Trilogy. Martin Freeman was perfect as Bilbo in this film, absolutely loved him. The cinematography was absolutely gorgeous, and the film was surprisingly bright and colourful compared to the darker Lord of the Rings trilogy which was paralleled in the general feel of the film as well. It was quite up-beat and rather funny at times. Martin brings a really great wittiness to Bilbo and most of the Dwarf scenes are just goofy and hilarious. I think Peter Jackson took a bit of a risk with changing the general feeling of the film so drastically from the LOTR movies, but I think that it worked perfectly. Really interested in seeing what they do with the next two films. Some people might be worried that the film might be super dragged out because they're trying to stretch the small book into 3 films, but this one was jammed packed with action. I enjoyed it even more the second time. Can't wait to watch it a third.
Check out my review for The Hobbit HERE

3.) Argo
Ben Affleck had a difficult feat to overcome when making this movie, which was trying to figure out how to make this film suspenseful despite the fact that everyone already knew how it was going to end, and I have to say that I really think that he did pulled it off. Pretty much from even the first few scenes when all of the people are in the American Embassy and you don't know if the protestors outside are going to be able to break in or not, all the way to the final scenes in the airport this film has you at the edge of your seat. I always forget just how great Affleck has been at directing. This his only his 3rd feature-length film (the first two being Gone Baby Gone and The Town) and it is totally clear that he has found his calling. The cast in this film was awesome. It included Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall and Scoot McNairy. It was nominated for 7 Oscars and won 3 of those including Best Film Editing, Best Writing, and Best Picture of the Year.
Check out my review for Argo HERE

2.) The Dark Knight Rises
After seeing this movie I understand what a trilogy is supposed to be. Batman Begins and The Dark Knight were very different movies, with completely different villains so they were very separate identities, but The Dark Knight Rises manages to tie them all together so well, its almost as if it had just smashed them all together into one movie. Christopher Nolan is an absolute genius and I think that its clear that these are the greatest super hero movies of all time. I find that in these films its hard to see it, but Christian Bale is an absolutely phenominal actor and I think he brings an incredible amount of strength to the character of Bruce Wayne. In this film Alfred(Michael Caine) makes some big descions and despite the fact that he isn't really in the last half of the movie, he really plays a pivotal role. Tom Hardy plays Bane in this film, and he is the definition of a villain, perfectly terrifying. Joseph Gordon Levitt is charming as always, but he plays a much more serious character in this film then he does in others. Marion Cotillard seems to be a favorite of Nolan's and I thought she was pretty good in the film, but I wouldn't say she necessarily stood out until closer to the end of the film. Anne Hathaway I thought was fantastic as Cat Woman, which I think pleasantly surprised many people. Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman play Fox and Gordon brilliantly once again. Really fantastic characters all around. Like I said, Nolan is a genius and if you have not seen this trilogy do it immediately. All three films are fantastic, but as a unit together they are a masterpiece It is #52 on the IMDB Top 250 movies, but despite its fantastic response from the critics and audience, it wasn't nominate for a single Oscar.
Check out my review for The Dark Knight Rises HERE

1.) Django Unchained
I adored absolutely everything about this film. Quentin Tarantino is the master of revenge films, and Django is no exception. I find with a lot of his films Tarantino makes it difficult for just anyone to enjoy, they can be quite confusing and violent for most people, ie. Kill Bill, but his last two films, Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained, have been revenge on the level that we can all automatically accept, whether about the Holocaust or Slavery. His cinematography has vastly improved over the years and I truly enjoy his films. Quentin has an incredibly unusual and mostly frightening mind, but when something like this comes out its all understandable and appreciated. Despite the level of violence in this film, it isn't senseless, and you are practically wanting to cheer him on at some points. Jamie Foxx plays Django who is a slave before the civil war who is freed by Dr. King Schultz(Christoph Waltz), a German dentist turned bounty hunter, but is forced to hunt down his wife, Broomhilda(Kerry Washington), who was recently purchased by Calvin Candie(Leonardo DiCaprio). Thrust into a world of slavery and slave-on-slave fighting, Django is forced to pretend to be everything he hates to get the chance of getting his wife. Things don't necessarily go as planned and a few extra drops of blood are shed along the way. This film is not for the faint of heart, but if you can accept the level of bloodshed from white people, watch it. A very smart and witty film, but also, oh so satisfying. The cast also includes Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, James Remar, and a couple of interesting cameos. It is #51 on the IMDB Top 250 films and was nominated for 5 Oscars winning 2 for Best Supporting Actor for Christoph Waltz, and Best Original Screenplay for Quentin Tarantino. Just do yourself a favor and watch this film.
Check out my review for Django Unchained HERE

Thanks for checking out my list! Hopefully you enjoyed it, feel free to let me know if you agree or disagree, or what films you would have on your list on the comments!

Honourable Mentions: My original list included Lincoln, Looper, and Killing Them Softly which were all amazing films, and I wish desperately that I could also include Les Misérables which was also a TRULY amazing film, but I didn't realize how amazing the films that I had missed over Christmas would be. Other Honourable mentions include Ted, The Avengers, The Master, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and Pitch Perfect. I also adored seeing Titanic in 3D, but its not really a new movie at all so I didn't think I should include it.

Top 10 Non-Cartoon Kids Movies

2013-06-13T12:16:00.000-02:30

So its been more then a month since posting anything, but for me summer has come and I'm working full time. However, I got a new position this week that leave me more time on the computer so you'll probably and hopefully see more of me from now on. Most of these films I'd say are more directed towards 7-12 year olds. I'd say maybe Labyrinth, Space Jam and Matilda might be an exception for those. Its not that the rest aren't appropriate for them, but more that they might not like them as much. All of them are fantastic films but for this one I went 100% with my own personal experience and preference. Please enjoy this weeks list, Top 10 Non-Cartoon Kids Movies.

10.) The Muppets Treasure Island

I've never had a huge connection with The Muppets, but I thought a lot of people who feel this list would be unacceptable without it. I've only seen this film once or twice many, many years ago, but I remember it being enjoyable. I'm sort of using this to include all Muppets movies. Muppets A Christmas Carol is equally enjoyable. Every kid needs to know who the Muppets are, life just isn't the same without Kermit the Frog!

9.) The Princess Bride

"Inconceivable!" Such a fantastic movie! So many memorable moments, and quotable scenes. A great love story, thats equally hilarious with a fantastic cast. Robin Wright plays The Princess Bride, who is currently engaged to Prince Humperdink, but is kidnapped and held against her will in order to start a war. Cary Elwes plays Westley, her childhood sweetheart, who has returned as Dread Pirate Roberts and must save The Princess Bride. Her kidnappers are a group of very interesting characters including Vizzini played by Wallace Shawn and Fezzik played by André the Giant. Of course there is also Inigo Montoya who is played by Mandy Patinkin, who is a young man who is seeking revenge from the six fingered man who killed his father years before. Rob Reiner directed this movie, and it is just so hilarious and sweet. The film is number 194 on the IMDB Top 250 films, and was nominated for an Oscar for best original song. My favorite quote is "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die."

8.) Space Jam

Space Jam is an important one to my childhood, I mean, Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny in one movie together? In this one The Looney Tunes meet up with what start out to be tiny aliens who are interested in bringing Michael Jordan back to their planet as part of a way to make money for their theme park. Bugs Bunny challenges them to a Basket Ball game with the prize being Michael Jordan. The aliens accept, but then find a way to take the height and skill from some NBA basketball players. In order to keep his freedom Michael Jordan is forced to teach the Looney Tunes how to play Basketball. Great movie, super funny, and overall enjoyable. Also, Bill freakin Murray has a cameo in there. Fantastic.

7.) Jumanji

I've always adored this movie. Robin Williams is just golden in kids movies, his over-the-top personality is perfect. Williams plays Alan Parish, a child who mysteriously vanishes after playing a unique board game, Jumanji, that he finds on his way home from his fathers factory. Decades later two young children move into the same house, and find the same board game in their attic. They also decide to play and a serious of crazy, an exciting events occur changing all of their lives forever. Besides Robin Williams, the cast also includes Bonnie Hunt, Kirsten Dunst, David Alan Grier and Bradley Pierce. Super thrilling movie, and I can't think of a single child who would not enjoy this film!

6.) A Little Princess

This is an incredibly sad movie but I absolutely love it. Dispite the sadness, it is incredibly uplifting, and really focuses on the importance of creativity and imagination in children. It follows a young girl, Sara, who is living in India with her father but when World War I breaks out he brings her to New York to attend the boarding school that her late mother attended when she was a child. Her first few months at the school were fairly rocky with the headmistress Miss Minchin, who was attempting stomp out her creativity and her belief that every little girl is a princess. Sara also befriends a young black girl who is working as a servant and living in the attic. Her life changes dramatically when her father goes missing in action, and is presumed dead. Honestly, just watch this movie. I don't think it'll peak the interest of children under 7 or 8 very much, but you never know. Really beautiful movie.

5.) Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

I absolutely adored the Power Rangers as a child. I don't even know how many times I've seen this film. Perfect balance between action, fighting, story-line, and heart. I probably would've given anything for the chance to be a Power Ranger as a child. Ivan Ooze plays a fantastic villain who manages to brainwash all of the parents in Angel Grove leaving the children and the 6 rangers to save the day. I really liked this one because so much was left the the kids in the town to save their parents. Love this movie, I'll probably watch it another dozen times in my life for sure.

4.) Matilda

This is probably one of the sweetest movies I've ever seen. Matilda is a young girl who happens to be a genius, and possibly has some magical abilities which is good because her family is basically the worst family in history. She teaches herself to read and take care of herself and eventually goes to school where she meets some great people, and befriends her teacher, Miss Honey. Unfortunately she is unable to escape terrible people as her principle, Trunchbull, is the most terrifying woman of all time. Despite the fact that this description sounds sad, its actually a super upbeat, fun, and hilarious. Great movie for kids of all ages! Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Embeth Davidtz, Mara Wilson, and Paul Reubens make appearances in it.

3.) The NeverEnding Story

There are three of these movies, but the first is by far the best. They made the timeless mistake of recasting the main characters in both of sequels. Super uncool especially since in the first movie Bastian is such a sweet and cute kid. Bastian is a young boy who's life is grim when he is constantly bullied at school, but he finds comfort in reading. When he is stuck in the library during a thunder and lightning storm he finds The NeverEnding Story. The book takes him on a magical journey where he finds out that its up to him to save the people of Fantasia along with his friends Falkor, Atreyu, The Childlike Empress, and many others. Great fantasy movie, lots of action, and lots of heart. It is absolutely impossible not to fall in love with Bastian. If you do not give your child the gift of seeing this movie, you are an uncool person.

2.) Mighty Ducks

I love this movie. I don't think this film is for everyone, especially girls, or just people who don't like hockey in general. All of my friends when I was younger were boys so I got roped into watching films like this but boy am I glad I did. These movies are actually hilarious, and so much fun, all of the characters are great and generally there's pretty good message overall. Emilio Estevez plays Gordon Bombay, a selfish, obnoxious lawyer who is forced to coach a kids hockey team after he is sentenced to do community service for drunk-driving. He himself was once an amazing hockey player before choking on the game-winning goal of a championship game. He teaches the boys how to play hockey, and they teach him to to not be such a douche. Together they learn how to play as a team and work together to become The Mighty Ducks.

1.) Free Willy

Above all else, this is probably the most important movie to my entire childhood. I love every single second of this movie I've seen it more times then I can possibly count, probably close to 100 times at this point. Jesse is a troubled kid who has been passed around to different foster homes for most of his life after his mother left him to live on his own, subsequently he finds himself in trouble with the law, and after vandalizing the local marina, and is forced to spend his summer fixing his mistakes and working with Willy, the killer whale. When he finds out that the owners of the marina plan to kill Willy, he and his new family, Annie and Glen, and his new friends, Rae and Randolph, risk everything to try and free him. Such a fun, and exciting movie, but also an incredibly heartwarming film. The cast includes Lori Petty, Jayne Atkinson, Michael Madsen, and Michael Ironside. This film definitely started my love of animals, especially in the ocean. Killer whales are truly amazing animals, and this is a truly amazing film.

Honourable Mentions: Labyrinth, Fly Away Home, Homeward Bound, Flubber, The Borrowers, Casper, The Sandlot, Angels in the Outfield, Honey I Shrunk The Kids, A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, Warriors of Virtue, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Goonies, 101 Dalmatians, Nanny McPhee, Indian in the Cupboard, Willow, Simon Birch.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug teaser trailer

2013-06-11T14:51:00.001-02:30

New Teaser Trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. How exciting!

And here is the teaser poser that was released earlier this week!

Top 10 Non-Disney Cartoon Movies

2013-05-04T12:54:00.000-02:30

First of all, I think I've missed at least the last 2 weeks, possibly 3, so I'm just gonna have to go ahead and apologize for the 2 of you who actually care about these lists. I spent the last week with a 3 year old so I guess I can say I was inspired for this weeks list. I'm even going to attempt a second list as well so, fingers crossed on that one. So, here it is, 3 weeks late, Top 10 Non-Disney Cartoon Movies.

10.) My Neighbour Totoro

I honestly don't even know how to explain this movie but I'll try. Its a movie from Japan and its incredibly quirky. Its about two young girls who move to a new home. They go exploring in the woods near their house and discover Totoro, a monsterish thing who, with the help of his friends, bring them both on amazing adventures while they try to cope with their mother being in the hospital trying to recover from an illness. I think thats just about as best as I can figure to describe it. Its SO much fun and I always enjoyed it growing up. No worries, there are english versions, no one is expecting you to learn Japanese to enjoy this movie.

9.) All Dogs Go To Heaven

If you are over the age of 18 and have never seen this movie, shame on you. Its just so good! After a dog, Charlie, is killed, he is given a chance to return from the dead to seek revenge on his killer. He uses a young orphan girl who is able to speak to animals, and some of his friends to help him in his task. I haven't seen this movie in an incredibly long time so I honestly can't remember much more then that. Some of the actors who lend their voices to this film include Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise. Really great, enjoyable movie all-around. This is one of a long list of fabulous movies from a genius named Don Bluth.

8.) An American Tail

I really adore this movie. Its so sweet, but also a little sad for the majority of the movie. After cats take over Europe, a group of mice from Russia decide to flee to America when they hear that "there are no cats in America!" Along the journey Fievel, a young mouse, gets separated from his family. He spends the rest of the film on an adventure meeting many people along the way while he desperately searches for his family. Of course once he arrives he discovers that there are, in fact, many cats in America, and therefore many dangerous situations being a young mouse in a big country. There are some great voices lended to this film from people such as Christopher Plummer and Dom DeLuise. It was even nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song for Somewhere Out There. Great movie, I feel like all kids would enjoy this, I sure did! Another great film from Don Bluth

7.) Pebble and the Penguin

Not many movies on this list envolve much romance but this one is definitely an exception. Such a sweet film about a goofy penguin named Hubie who falls in love with the most beautiful penguin around, Marina. He decides that he needs to find a very special pebble to ask her to be his partner, unfortunately there is another larger, more handsome, and more powerful penguin named Drake who is also interested in Marina. When he discovers he might have some competition in Hubie, he decides to feed him to a killer whale, and although he believes he succeeds Hubie manages to escape, however, he gets caught on an iceberg and is brought very far away and spends the rest of the film desperately trying to get back to Marina before time runs out with the help of his new friend Rocko who he meets along the way. SUCH a great movie a definite must-see for all children. I re-watched a little while ago and still loved it. Some great voices in this one again from Martin Short, Jim Belushi, Tim Curry, and Annie Golden. Unsurprisingly Don Bluth had a hand in this one as well.

6.) Thumbelina

Thumbelina is a story of a tiny girl who appears after a lonely woman prays for a child. She ends up meeting a fairy prince whom she falls in love with almost instantly. She finds some troubles when she's kidnapped by multiple animals and people after they discover she could be used as a bargaining chip against the fairy king. Tons of great characters and more importantly a bunch of great songs. Really enjoyable film overall. Great for all kids but I think little girls especially will love this one. Who doesn't love some fairies? I didn't know this until now, but its actually originally a story by famous storyteller Hans Christian Andersen and then adapted by the incredibly talented Don Bluth.

5.) Fern Gully

I've loved this movie since the first time I saw it, but I watched it more recently and enjoyed it even more. Its a great movie to plant the seed of being environmentally friendly for kids at an early age. Its all about deforestation and polution and the effects it has on the forrest. Obviously its more then that, and I promise kids will adore it. It follows a man named Zak who's job it is to mark the trees that will be cut down, one day he is accidentally shrunk and is found by Crysta a fairy. There are a bunch of fun characters including Batty, voiced by Robin Williams, and Pips voiced by Christian Slater, and of course a great villain Hexxus, who is voiced by the always amazingly terrifying Tim Curry. Its a great movie for any kid, but if you're interested in getting your kids thinking about the environment, this one is fantastic!

4.) The Chipmunk Adventure

Although I enjoy many of them, this one is by far my favorite Chipmunk movie. The newest animated ones don't hold a candle to this one in my opinion. Without going into too much detail, the Chipmunks and the Chipettes compete in a race around the world in hot air balloons collecting dolls and are promised a big prize to whoever wins. They travel all over the world experiencing new cultures and meeting friends, enemies, and penguins along the way. Of course, a chipmunk movie would be nothing without a little music, and this one does not disappoint. I absolutely adore this movie. Its so much fun!

3.) Anastasia

Before I realized that this was not a Disney movie I always called Anastasia my favorite Disney Princess. I think that its so interesting how they decided to turn this story into a kids movie. Obviously looking back there are some pretty big discrepancies, and it is definitely historically accurate, but for kids its totally fine. If you don't know the story, it follows a young princess, Anastasia, voiced by Meg Ryan, who's family is run out one night during a siege on their palace, she is saved by a young boy working in the palace, Dimitri, voiced by John Cusack. We next see her when she is a fully grown 18 year old girl who doesn't remember who she is. The rest of the story is them trying to get her memory back and prove that it really is her. Obviously there are some people who do not want this to happen Such as Rasputin, voiced by Christopher Lloyd, and Bartok and bat, voiced by Hank Azaria. We hear a few other famous voices including Kelsey Grammer, Kirsten Dunst, Bernadette Peters, and Angela Lansbury. It was nominated for 2 oscars for Best Music and Best Original Song for Journey To The Past.

2.) A Troll in Central Park

I've heard of a few people lately not liking this movie and that makes me completely flabbergasted because I LOVE THIS MOVIE. I could watch it right now and still adore it, its just so good! I guess the basic plot line is that in general, Trolls are bad, with the exception of Stanley, who literally has a green thumb and absolutely loves flowers, however, Queen Gnorga does not enjoy them and kicks him out of the Troll kingdom and is exiled to the world of concrete, Manhattan. However, he actually lands in Central Park and feels right at home. While there he meets a bratty kid Gus, and his little sister Rosie who are at the park on their own because their parents are too busy to take them. Stanley shows the the magic and beauty of flowers, and plants but ends up having to protect them from Gnorga who comes to end Stanley once and for all with her purple thumb which turns everything to stone. Some great songs in this one, including my absolute favorite, Absolutely Green. Another great one for an environmentally conscious kid. Some great voices in this one as well including Dom DeLuise and Cloris Leachman. Don Bluth does it again with this gem.

1.) The Land Before Time

This list would be absolutely bare without my favorite kids movie of all time, The Land Before Time. It is just 100% perfect. It follows a young Long-neck named Littlefoot and his family who must travel to the "Great Valley" where they have heard there is plenty of vegetation and water because there is neither where they currently reside. Granted, there is a briefly incredibly sad scene where Littlefoot's Mom dies, but it does get better. Littlefoot picks up a bunch of other orphaned dinosaurs along his way including a Three-horn, Cera, a Big Mouth, Ducky, a Flyer, Petrie, and a Spiketail, Spike. They run into a T-Rex along the way and have many other adventures along their journey. Such a heartwarming, fun, and exciting movie for kids. I watched it a few weeks ago for the 100th time and its still magical. Don Bluth's finest achievement I'd say.

Honourable Mentions: Fievel Goes West, The Secret of NIMH, Rock-A-Doodle, Kiki's Delivery Service, Balto, The Last Unicorn, The Road to El Dorado, The Swan Princess, The Pagemaster, The Prince of Egypt, Charlotte's Web.

My Top 10 Movie Musicals

2013-04-17T14:36:00.001-02:30

First off, I think just about anyone who knows anything about Musicals is going to completely disagree with 90% of my choices on this list, but I don't care. I don't have a music theatre background, so I think that when its in a movie, and not on Broadway or in an Opera, its more important to have great acting then perfect singing. Either way, please enjoy this weeks list; Top 10 Movie Musicals.

10.) Mamma Mia

Against all of my best judgement I love this movie. I don't know if its simply my love of ABBA or not, but the first time I saw this I spent the whole movie laughing. Is this a great movie? Absolutely not, but is it some of the most fun you will ever have watching a movie? Hell yes. The cast is incredibly impressive but Pierce Brosnan is absolutely embarrassing in this movie. I'm sure he's an ok actor in general, but I was really almost unable to watch him in this one. However the rest of the cast, including Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, and Dominic Cooper, were really great. I thought the singing was also fantastic, Amanda Seyfried actually shocked me with her songs. Meryl and the rest of them were mostly just "alright" but none of them really sang any challenging songs so I think they had just enough singing abilities to pull it off. All of this exclude Pierce Brosnan who, again, was terrible in this movie. I love that it takes place in Greece, which is such a beautiful setting for the movie. This movie is so much fun, its super cheesy and hilarious. Caution, you may lose your ability to control yourself from singing ABBA songs.

9.) Moulin Rouge

I've only seen this movie a couple of times, but I think everyone knows the story. The first time I saw it I really didn't like that 85% of the songs are not written for the movie, and are already famous songs, but I soon decided that it was ok, and actually kind of smart of them because unlike other movie musicals that are based off of actual broadway musicals, no one going into the movie was going to know any of the songs that were written for the musical. The fantastic cast included Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Richard Roxburgh, and a random cameo from Kylie Minogue. McGregor does charming so well, I love him in really sweet, especially romantic, roles. Its impossible to not love him in this one, and I think both he and Nicole Kidman did a surprisingly amazing job at singing. A really classic love story that really anyone can enjoy. Its really fun and exciting, and heartbreaking at the same time. Plenty of drama to keep it interesting, not that it it could possibly get boring, there is so much going on in every scene. Baz Lurman does unbelievable job at directing this one. The film was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 2 for Best Costume Design, and Best Art Direction-Set Direction. So good.

8.) Les Miserables

Not sure how its possible but I've heard that a lot of people didn't like this movie. Those people are insane. It is incredibly long, but the story is sort of told in two halves, separated by about 10 years. There are also so many different story-lines that its really almost impossible to get bored along the way. The amount of action, war and slavery in this movie really makes me think that most guys will enjoy it, my brother did. The acting was absolutely unbelievable. Both Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman were devestating in this movie. I cannot listen to Anne's version of "I Dreamed A Dream" without tearing up, and having to watch her in the movie singing it left me actually sobbing. I've heard Russell Crowe's singing being criticized and I have to say that even though Russell is a good singer, his voice just wasn't strong enough to go up against Jackman's. However, I do not understand at all the criticism on Hugh Jackman's voice being criticized, I thought he did an amazing job, especially in his scenes in the beginning when he's crying and broken. Unreal. The rest of the cast included Amada Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Banks, and Daniel Huttlestone. All of their singing and acting was completely amazing, I actually didn't know that Sacha Baron Cohen or Helena Bonham Carter were in this movie until I saw it. I thought they brought the element of humour, and just general oddness that really lightened up the clearly dark movie. It was nominated for 8 Oscars at this years Academy Awards and won 3 of them for Best Hair and Makeup, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Supporting Actress for Anne Hataway.

7.) Grease

Grease is the word. I think what makes Grease stand out from most other movie musicals is the number of subjects that it touches, it touches on teen love, heartbreak, growing up, learning who you are and not being afraid to show everyone, and even touches on teen pregnancy. I think just about everyone on earth has seen this movie, and if you are one of the 3 people who haven't you should change that immediately and get with the rest of us here on earth. The movie was released in 1978, but takes place in 1959 in California. It follows the lives of a greaser, Danny Zuko(John Travolta), and an Australian good girl, Sandy Olsson(Olivia Newton-John), who just spent the summer together in a sun-soaked romance. After separating for what they think is for good, they both find out that they are attending Rydell High. The story takes place over the course of the school year showing the ups and downs for teens in the 50s and follows the T-Birds which Danny is the leader of, and the Pink Ladies led by Rizzo(Stockard Channing). This movie showcases the best of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John and is definitely the most famous musical in history. Everyone knows the words to "You're the One That I Want", "Grease Lightnin" and "Summer Nights". The movie was nominated for 1 Osar for Best Original Song for "Hopelessly Devoted to You"

6.) Chicago

Going into watching this movie for the first time I had no idea what it was about, so you can imagine my surprise when I realized I was watching a movie about a bunch of women in prison singing about why/how they killed their husbands. I really enjoy period pieces, so when singing is added to the 1920s I can't help but thoroughly enjoy it. The musical numbers are just so fantastic, between the singing and the dancing, you can't help but love this movie. The acting and singing is just so fantastic in this movie, which isn't overly surprising when you look at the cast; Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Taye Diggs, Dominic West, John C. Reilly, and Colm Feore. I guess the main premise of this movie is that when on trial for the murders, their lawyer is trying desperately to get them off, they find themselves with a surprising amount of fame from the acts, which is what they've always wanted. The musical numbers are fantastic especially "He Had It Comin'" and "All That Jazz". It was nominated for 13 Oscars and won 6 for Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Deisign, Best Art Direction-Set Direction, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Best Picture.

5.) Once

Once is a film about a busker and an immigrant sharing an eventful week in Dublin as they write, rehearse and record songs that tell their story. They get to know each other and eachothers families over the course of the week. The story is sweet and the music is absolutely beautiful, bot the guy(Glen Hansard) and the girl (Markéta Irglová) are talented musicians in real life as well, so they worked very well together in the film. The movie only takes place over the span of a week, but I think they do a pretty good job at character development. You get to meet their friends and families, and learn about their dreams and passions. It has a really great soundtrack, and even won the Oscar for Best Original Song for Falling Slowly. Really lovely story, still haven't decided if I appreciate the ending or not, but the rest of the movie is worth it.

4.) Sweeney Todd
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

This movie is so good. Its classic Tim Burton, but wit the twist of it being a musical. Johnny Depp plays Sweeney Todd, a character first developed in a book series called "The String of Pearls" in 1846. Some people believe that the character is based on a real person, but that is highly debated among historians. Depp plays him masterfully and despite the fact that he's clearly evil, and a serial killer, you really can't help but feel bad for him and almost be on his side the whole time. I think that Tim Burton did a great job at making sure that the movie was gory with lots of blood, BUT the blood is a weird bright red-orangey colour so it keeps if from being too disgusting, I'm not a lover of gore, so it made it easy to watch. Helena Bonham Carter was perfect, and the longer she and Depp work together, the more chemistry they have. They really work perfectly together. Despite the fact that Sweeney Todd is a murderer, he actually is not the villain in this movie, that role is left to Judge Turpin who is played by Alan Rickman who plays the part absolutely perfectly. We also get great performances from Sacha Baron Cohen, Jamie Campbell Bower, Timothy Spall, Jayne Wisner, and of course Ed Sanders who plays Toby. They did a perfect job of making London in the 1800s as gloomy as possible, making the film almost black and white, leaving colour for only the most opportune moments. The movie was nominated for 3 Oscars and won 1 of those for Best Achievement in Art Direction.

3.) The Rocky Horror Picture Show

I have to say, the first time I saw this I didn't understand all of the hype around it at all, I left the film confused, but the one thing I knew for sure was that Tim Curry is absolutely amazing, and has the voice of the sexiest angel possible. After the first time watching, I downloaded the soundtrack and a few months later, I ent back and tried it again. This time, I finally got it. One of my favorite artists of all time, Meat Loaf, even makes an appearance in this one. Susan Sarandon is also randomly in this movie. The soundtrack is absolutely amazing with songs like Time Warp, Sweet Transvestite, etc. its impossible to not love this movie. I feel like this film is basically the epitome of the 70s. Full of sex and the most random storyline I've ever seen in a movie, but my god is it fun. I've never watched it with a group of people before, but I'm definitely trying to make that happen this summer and I'm going to find out the audience participation parts of it that happens in theaters and make those happen as well. I adore this movie, watching it is so much fun.

2.) Phantom Of The Opera

Anyone who knows anything about musical theater or musicals in general are going to disagree with me 100% on this one, and I accept that and I also don't care at all. I LOVE this movie, and I honestly don't understand why anyone could not love it. First of all, Emmy Rossum is top-notch in this one. I have no idea if she has any opera training, but she must have because her voice is amazing, and I really think she is the perfect Christine. I have to say that Gerard Butler was probably a rather random choice as I would have assumed that they would use a more well-known actor, or a famous broadway performer since at the time he was almost entirely unknown, but I'm so glad they did use him because despite what other people think, I think he kicks-ass at this role. Music of the Night gives me cold-shivers every time I hear it. Minnie Driver is also AMAZING in this movie. I didn't even recognize her the first time I watched it, so unlike her other roles, but her voice is fantastic. We also see Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, and Ciarán Hinds. The movie was Nominated for 3 Oscars.

1.) The Sound Of Music

Not sure if its even debatable for this one to be #1. The Sound of Music is definitely the most famous musical of all time, literally everyone knows the words to My Favorite Things and Do-Re-Mi. The soundtrack also holds some classics like Sixteen Going on Seventeen, The Sound of Music, and my personal favorite, Edelweiss. This is my mom's favorite movie, and I remember her forcing me to watch it when I was younger, and trying to watch a 3 hour movie as a 7 year old is just not going to happen, so I actually hated it growing up. I decided to watch it a couple of years ago and give it a chance and my god am I glad I did. I honestly had no idea it had Nazi's in it, totally missed that entire point of it. Julie Andrews as Maria is absolutely perfect in this movie. At no point is there a chance of you not absolutely loving her. Christopher Plummer's character, Captain Von Trapp starts off as a bit of an asshole, but Maria softens his heart with music, obviously, and after that its pretty impossible to not adore him. I had no idea that Christopher Plummer was such a hunk, his 1965 self is now one of my all-time crushes for sure. The cinematography for this movie is unbelievable. The opening scene coming through the mountains is absolutely breath-taking, actually, pretty much any scene where you can see the Swiss Alps is unbelievably beautiful. The film was nominated for 10 Oscars and won 5 of those for Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Music, Best Director for Robert Wise, and Best Picture. If for some reason you have not seen this movie, stop whatever you're doing right now (presumably reading this list) and go watch it immediately. The list is done now, so I won't be offended. The coolest thing about this movie is that its totally based on a true story!

Honourable Mentions: Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Pocahontas, The Wizard Of Oz, Hairspray, Dream Girls, West Side Story, Mary Poppins, Funny Girl, My Fair Lady.

Top 10 Romantic Films

2013-04-08T16:21:00.001-02:30

So I took a bit of a break last week, terribly sorry for the inconvenience, This week's list is Top 10 Romanic Films. Did not have an easy time with this one. There are some really fantastic romance films, and I really wanted to get a wide range of them in there. I changed the list about 15 times before I finished, and chances are I'll change it another 5 before I post it. I think I've made the correct choices.

10.) Sleepless In Seattle

Meg Ryan has a knack for being in some seriously romantic films, especially the ones that also have Tom Hanks in them. Some people think that this film is creepy, and I can definitely understand, but I think its one of those things where when someone does something and you're interested in them, it comes off as sweet, but if you're not, it comes off as creepy. Personally, I think its romantic and that kid is just too damn cute. Personally, Tom Hanks isn't the one who comes to mind when I think of heartthrobs, but in these movies, he really is the perfect guy. Tom Hanks really seems to be one of the nicest people on earth. Meg Ryan is just so sweet in this film, I really love her, she always seems to find herself in really loveable roles, although it could be because she's a loveable person herself. Great cast outside of Hanks and Ryan as well, Rosie O'Donnell, Rita Wilson, Victor Garber, and Bill Pullman. The film was nominated for 2 Oscars for Best Writing and Best Original Song. Great story, and I was so happy to witness their chemistry again in You've Got Mail, another great romance movie. It was nominated for 2 Oscars for Best Writing and Best Original Score.

9.) Brokeback Mountain

This film is certainly the most famous movie about gay men, and definitely one of my famous. There's obviously been a lot of controversy around this movie, but I think this movie actually fully solidified my feelings about equal rights for gay people. Honestly, if all of the people who bitched and complained about this movie had actually seen it I think it could have changed the world view. I don't think I'm ruining anything by saying that this is a super tragic love story. You really can't help but feel bad for pretty much everyone involved including their wives played by Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway, who both did a fantastic job I might add.. Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger are absolutely convincing as a couple who are forbidden to be together, and they play their characters perfectly. I think a lot of people missed out on this because they didn't want to see two men kissing, but if you're one of those people, look past your judgements and witness this beautifully tragic story. It was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 3 for Best Writing, Best Writing, and Best Directing for Ang Lee. It was definitely robbed of best picture by "Crash", whoever was in charge of that decision was definitely having some kind of mental break at that moment.

8.) Pride & Prejudice

Pride & Prejudice is one of the most well known romance stories of the past few centuries. Jane Austen first published the story it 1813, so it was officially 200 years old in January. Its definitely my favorite period piece and the characters are wonderful. Elizabeth Bennet(Keira Knightly) is a strong independent women in a time where those aren't acceptable characteristics. She has 4 love-crazed sisters, a pushy mother, and an understanding father. She meets, grows to hate, and then ends up falling in love with the logical, rich and proud Mr. Darcy(Matthew Macfadyen). A beautiful story that everyone needs to read and watch at least once. The acting was superb and the costumes and sets were perfect for the time period. Austen's characters are deep and complicated and some of the best in literature. The cast is top-notch includeing Keira Knightly, Matthew Macfadyen, Rosamund Park, Jena Malone, Carey Mulligan, Judi Dench, and Donald Sutherland. The film was nominated for 4 Oscars for Art Direction, Costume Design, Original Score, and Best Actress.

7.) Love Actually

This is a Christmas movie, and actually one of my favorites, but its such a great romantic movie. The cast is absolutely mind-blowing and can do nothing but convince you. Its the perfect example of how to make an ensemble cast to work properly. There are a bunch of different storylines of different lives, but all of the lives link together somehow. The cast of this film is mind-blowing; Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Martin Freeman, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Rowan Atkinson, Billy Bob Thorton, Andrew Lincoln, Chiqetel Ejiofor, Laura Linney, Thomas Brodie- Sangster, Elisha Cuthbert, and January Jones. No Joke, amazing. Its really just such a sweet, up-beat, heartwarming, funny, lovely, Christmas movie. I mean, there are some conflicts, and sadness but every movie needs some drama to keep it interesting. There is no reason for you to not have seen this movie yet. If you want to wait until Christmas, thats fair, but everyone needs to see this one.

6.) Dirty Dancing

There are few things that I don't love about this movie. The soundtrack is perfect. I think going into it you have to be aware that its not the best written, or even the best acted movie but there's something thats just so damn charming about it. Johnny Castle is played by Patrick Swayze who is absolutely oozing with charisma, charm, and badassness in this movie. The dancing is incredibly impressive, and they definitely made the correct choice with Swayze because he is actually a trained dancer. Baby Houseman is played by Jennifer Grey, and although she'll never win an Oscar, she plays her very well I think. Cute and naive, but slowly finding herself as a women with her first taste of love and lust. Its a romantic and sexy movie, but sexy for women, I think most men won't enjoy it, but all women do. The soundtrack is great, very fitting for the 60s, but also with the now classic "Time of My Life." I absolutely adore this movie.

5.) Casablanca

This is a classic story of love, loss, nazi's, and war. This film was my first introduction to both Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman and I dont think it can get any better then that. Bogart's character Rick Blaine is a real 1940's man who owns a bar in Casablanca, even his name makes him sound like the manliest name in the world. He's surprised when his one time love Ilsa Lund who had left him in Paris the last time he saw her. This is one of those classics you always hear about but haven't seen yet. They were so different back then, those close-up glamour shots of the faces are priceless. They're all hazy to give them the dreamy look everyone wants. There are some really epic lines in this film, that everyone has heard, and I had no idea where they came from ie; "Here's looking at you kid", "Of all the Gin Joins, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine" , and of course the most famous line from the movie "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Just because of the true classic that it is, I think everyone needs to watch it once. Its good for men and women, I think a great date movie if you're trying to broaden your horizons. The film was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 3 for Writing, Directing, and Best Picture.

4.) When Harry Met Sally

I really hate how long I waited to see this movie, its now made its way into some of my all-time favorite movies. The story is a story of friendship, but ends up having one of the most romantic scenes in film history I think. The writing and directing team of Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron is unstoppable The script is witty, hilarious, and just generally charming. The characters are relatable, and loveable because of each of their obvious flaws. All of the characters are so deep that even the ones you don't like are impressive, and with a cast like this I don't think the film could have possibly gone wrong. The cast includes Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, Carrie Fisher, and Bruno Kirby. I think the most impressive thing about the acting, especially from Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal is that their story spans over literally decades from the time they meet until the end, and you believe them as their ages for the entire film. Its mind boggling that they can both be believable as a 20 year old and also as someone in their late 30s in the same 2 hour movie. It also has one of the most hilarious films in movie history; the orgasm in the restaurant scene. Absolutely priceless. Again, another great example for a perfect date movie, I think men and women will both enjoy this movie because the story is told from both sides. The film was nominated for 1 Oscar for Writing.

3.) Ghost

I think everyone is going to think that my top 3 are pretty cliche, but please, if you think any other movies could have possibly been top 3 let me know. I think they get to us so much because they really are all about loss, for some reason for at least part of each movie the two lovers are separated for some reason. In this movie, and I don't think this is a spoiler considering the title, the thing that separates them is the death of Patrick Swayze's character Sam Wheat. Sam spends the rest the rest of the movie desperately trying to make contact with his partner Molly, played by Demi Moore, who is being comforted by their best friend Carl(Tony Goldwyn). When he discovers that his death might not have been an accident, but that it might have been a staged murder he recruits Oda Mae Brown(Whoopi Goldberg), a fake medium, who turns out not to be such a fake after all. The story is great, and pretty hilarious actually. Obviously its a little harder to watch now, especially the ending, since Patrick Swayze is dead, and the soundtrack doesn't help, I cannot listen to the song "Unchained Melody" without tearing up. The movie was nominated for 5 Oscars winning 2 for Best Supporting Actress for Whoopi Goldberg, and for Writing.

2.) The Notebook

This film really helped put Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams on the map. Both have made great careers out of their success, which is always good. The success of this film made Nicholas Sparks novels a pretty hot commodity in the film industry, it seems like every year theres another one or two being released in theaters, unfortunately none of them have turned out as well as this one. The chemistry between Gosling and McAdams is undeniable, and I think thats what made the movie work so well, the scene pictured above was just so full of passion that it felt like it was exploding off of the screen. The story was great, and heartbreaking. I also always enjoy a good period piece. The characters of Noah(Gosling) and Allie(McAdams) are just so loveable, they're both just so charming and naive that you just want them to stay like that forever, obviously thats not how life works, and one day life tears them apart. Honestly, I don't know if guys will enjoy this or not, but I don't think its one of those bad romance movies, I think the combination of the writing and acting makes it just explode with passion. I also can't watch it without a box of tissues next to me, so don't say I didn't warn you.

1.) Titanic

I have an unbreakable and unforgiving love for this movie. I'm going to start off right away with acknowledging that the writing in this movie is not the greatest, thats one of James Cameron's flaws, and I accept that, but he makes up for it with literally EVERYTHING else in this movie. I think a lot of movies that get as popular as this one for some reason end up getting blown off as "oh it wasn't that great", please, tell that to the 11 Oscars this film won. I think this was the perfect way to tell the story of the Titanic without having to use real people. The story was that classic "Romeo and Juliet", "forbidden love" story which is what really drags us in. The movie cost two hundred million dollars to make, which is actually so much money that its hard to wrap your head around, luckily its turned out to be literally the highest grossing film of all time, so no worries. All of that money went into actually building half of a life-sized Titanic to film on, and they even ended up creating new techniques in special effects in order to get the visuals they wanted/needed. Honestly, I went to see this movie last year when it was released in IMAX and I had actually forgotten just how unbelievably amazing it was. You're really on the edge of your seat for the entire last half of the movie, even though you know whats going to happen. The acting in this movie was absolutely top-notch with a really incredible cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Bill Paxton, Gloria Stuart, Bernard Hill, and Victor Garber. I think the thing that they did that was just so important was them showing present-day and them showing us what the ship looks like now at the bottom of the ocean. I think those scenes was what made the story so human, and relatable. James Cameron was the best possible person to make this movie, he's been down, at the bottom of the ocean over 20 times looking at the Titanic, so I think he was really able to understand that factor. The film was nominated for 14 Oscars of which, I previously mentioned, it won 11 of for Best Sound, Best Original Song, Best Score, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Costume Design, Best Art & Set Direction, Best Director, and Best Picture.This film started my life-long fascination with both the Titanic, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Watch it again, I promise you its so much more then you remember, or were told it is.

Honourable Mentions: A Walk To Remember, P.S I Love You, 10 Things I Hate About You, Atonement, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Pretty Woman, Forrest Gump, Annie Hall, Say Anything, Sixteen Candles, Pretty In Pink, Australia, Bridget Jones Diary, The Princess Bride, As Good As It Gets, You've Got Mail, Edward Scissorhands, Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Grilled Steak Recipe

2013-04-08T01:03:00.000-02:30

Grilled Steak

I originally got the idea for this recipe from Jamie Oliver and this is my version of it. I probably make it every week or two, and is pretty much one of my favorite meal, It's my go-to for special occasions. And its seriously absolutely delicious. Hope the recipe works out for you! Enjoy!

Ingredients

Sirloin Grilling Steak

Salt & Pepper

Bertolli ClassicoOlive Oil

1 Clove Garlic

Fresh or dried Rosemary

Directions

1.) Season the steak with a healthy amount of salt and pepper. Preferably sea salt and black pepper, give better flavour.

Rub it in nicely so it doesn't come off.

2.) Put a pan on medium heat while you're getting the rest of the steak ready. It should be well heated before you put anything in the pan. Coat both sides of the steak with olive oil, about a tablespoon on either side. Also, do not put olive oil in the pan. It needs to be dry and heated up when you finally put the steak on.

3.) Put the steak in the pan and keep in on medium heat. Change sides at around 1 minute intervals. It should start looking like this and should start getting darker, and more delicious.

4.) When its almost cooked to your liking (ie rare, medium, well-done, etc.) Take the clove of garlic and rub it over the steak a couple of times. I know it seems weird, but it really does make a difference. If you don't have any garlic cloves (which is dumb because you always should) a bit of garlic powder is fine as well. Then take some fresh sprigs of rosemary and brush them over the steak. I don't have fresh rosemary, so dried rosemary leaves are fine. I just sprinkle them over. Do this on both sides, and make sure you put each side back on the pan one more time.
Overall the steak should be cooking for about a total of 15ish minutes depending on how you like it.

My favorite side for this dish is my roasted red potatoes (pictured below). You can find the recipe for those Here:

Enjoy!

Roasted Potatoes

2013-04-08T00:55:00.002-02:30

Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

1 Clove Garlic

Chopped Onion

Baby Red Potatoes

Rosemary

Basil

Parsley
Salt & Pepper
Broccoli (optional)

(Serves 2)

Directions

1.) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2.) Take the clove of garlic and chop finely (if you don't have cloves wait until the end when you're adding the seasoning and add garlic powder instead). Then take about half of a small onion and chop it into fairly small chunks. If you have large onions like myself, chop about handfull maybe, or a little less. Put both into a casserole dish (about 9X9), or any other pan or something that can be covered.

3.) Clean the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized chunks. I normally use around 10-12 potatoes depending on how much I want to eat. I at least use enough to fully cover the bottom of the dish.

4.)(Optional) I like having a little green in there, so my normal go-to is Broccoli, but Asparagus is also a good alternative. Even green pepper is pretty delicious in there, but thats definitely my 3rd option.

5.) Put a generous amount of salt and pepper on there, I normally go for sea salt and black pepper, I just find the bigger chunks give it a little most flavour. Also, go ahead and add a sprinkle of the rosemary, basil and parsley on there.

6.) Add some olive oil, I honestly don't know how much, a couple of tablespoons I suppose. Enough that its all covered. Mix it all up with your hands, make sure they're clean. You need to make sure that they're all covered because if not the potatoes will get dry, and they're nowhere near delicious enough. Cover the the dish.

7.) Put the dish in the oven. Keep it at 450 degree for about 30 minutes. Less then that and the potatoes will still be hard, but if you have plenty of time 40-45 minutes is prime.

They're absolutely delicious.

This is a perfect side dish for my Grilled Steak recipe which can be found HERE and my Roasted Chicken recipe which can be found HERE.

Kiwi Film Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

2013-03-28T17:12:00.001-02:30

IMDB: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 65% (critics) 84%(audience)
Roger Ebert: (currently none, I'll check again in a few days and add then)

Stars: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Andy Serkis.
Written By: J.R.R. Tolkien(novel), Fran Walsh(screenplay), Philippa Boyens(screenplay), Guillermo del Toro(screenplay), Peter Jackson(screenplay)
Directed By: Peter Jackson

Release Date: 14 December 2012
Described by IMDB as: "Bilbo Baggins is swept into a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever ... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's 'precious' ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities..."

This film is definitely an epic one. I've heard some people criticizing that the film is stretched thin because they've pulled 3 movies out of a relatively small book, but I don't think thats what happened at all. I actually felt like pretty much every moment was jammed full of action. I don't really know how they could possibly could have enough plot-line left for the next 2 films. I think its great that Peter Jackson decided to add the couple of books that took place at the same time as the Hobbit. I think it will add a lot of interesting back story, and its a great chance to really meat up the run-time.

The other unique thing about this film the frame rate. Most films are filmed in 24fps(frames per second) but The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was actually filmed with double the frame rate using 48fps. Its supposed to make it seem more like real life, but it has a pretty similar look to low budget TV shows like Coronation Street to me, but I guess thats sort of the points, its supposed to look like real life, not a glammed up move. I keep hearing that its something that you will get used to over time, and apparently we will be left with no choice because in the next few years this is where we're headed. Despite everything I just said, I actually didn't mind it too much. I heard that in some parts of the film it looked like they were in fast forward, but the only time I noticed it was at the very beginning when Old Bilbo(Ian Holm) was hiding his treasures from his thieving family while talking to Frodo(Elija Wood). I noticed it especially when he was opening his family chest and putting some stuff in it. Besides that it actually didn't look that bad.

The first of the two times I saw it was in IMAX and it looked gorgeous. They've really perfected their special effects this time. Gollum(Andy Serkis) looked absolutely beautiful(well, as beautiful as Gollum could possibly be.) All of the goblins were fantastic, the Goblin King had so much detail, it was really amazing. The landscapes were equally as beautiful, I wish so deeply that Rivendell was a real location because there really is no place on earth quite as beautiful.

I've heard a lot of people saying that they hated how long the Dwarves and Gandalf(Ian McKellen) spent at Bilbo's(Martin Freeman) house in the Shire, but I thought it was such a fun scene, and an important one. Thats where we were a lot of their history, where they tell us about the mission and why they've chosen Bilbo. It also really sets up their characters, and allows us to see them briefly as separate characters, rather then the unit that we see them in for the rest of the film. I also loved that haunting song Thorin sings.

Martin Freeman was the perfect choice for Bilbo. His witty, dry humor really added to his role and he was just brilliant. His reaction to the dwarves hosting a party, uninvited, in his home, was completely hilarious. I watched "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Sneak Peek" hosted by Peter Jackson last night and one of the things that impressed me the most was how impressed he was by Freeman's performance. He showed us several takes of the same scene to show us how Martin would deliver the lines completely differently each time. It was actually very interesting to see. I've loved Martin for quite a while now so I was very excited to see he had been signed onto the role.

I absolutely loved this film. The first time I spent the whole time waiting for different things from the book to happen, and I wanted to know at what point in the story this film would end, so I have to say that the second time I watched it, it was far more enjoyable, which actually pretty surprising because of the length of the movie, I would have thought it would be less entertaining.

So, final thoughts? If you enjoyed The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, you will definitely enjoy the first instalment in the new Hobbit trilogy. I'm giving it a 8.8/10. If you haven't seen it yet, its now on DVD and Blu Ray so get on it asap. I enjoyed every minute of it!

1 Year Anniversary

2013-03-28T17:08:00.000-02:30

So, today is the official 1 year Anniversary of my Kiwi Design Blog! How exciting! To celebrate today I plan on posting my review of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, also, I'm updating my Top 10 Films of 2012 list because I was slightly premature and missed 3 of the films nominated for Best Picture, big mistake. I might even be able to pump out a review of Oz: The Great and Powerful. I can't promise the last one but I'm going to make a sincere effort. Thanks to everyone who supported me and checked out my posts this year. Hope to make the next year even more successful!

Top 10 Comedies

2013-03-24T17:19:00.004-02:30

Since last week's list was full of tears, I thought it would be appropriate to change it up a bit and make this list full of laughter. Here's the list, I found this one pretty hard because I think that people's sense of humour are pretty different, so I think a lot of people will probably disagree with me on a lot of these, but this is my list and my blog so I don't care.

10.) Easy A

I honestly don't know if this film is genuinely funny, or if the 80s bratpack movie references just took over the nostalgia part of me, but I really love this movie. Emma Stone is fantastic as always in this film, so many great moments. Really shows what high school is like, and how quickly rumours are started and how quickly you can go from unknown to the most popular name in school overnight. Genuinely hilarious. Apart from Stone, the cast also includes Amanda Bynes, Penn Badgley, Patricia Clarkson, Stanley Tucci, Dan Byrd, Malcolm McDowell, Thomas Hayden Church, Cam Gigandet, Lisa Kudrow, Fred Armisen, and Aly Michalka. This film also made me not hate the song "Pocket Full of Sunshine."

9.) Dazed and Confused

This film has the epic combination of having a cast of excellent stars from the 90s and the fact that it takes place in 1976. Obviously that means that there is a mass amount of partying and marijuana, but its a really great story of what high school is like for kids from all walks of life, and from all points of view. Whether its the mostly geeky soon-to-be freshmen finding out how their summer is going to be filled with hazing and general torture from the seniors about to graduate high school, or as teen finding himself not interested in the things he once was, and now finding himself interesting in things and people that others think he shouldn't be. Love is found, friends are made, all the teens have the best night of their lives. Most importantly though, Wooderson is in this movie. If you do not know who David Wooderson(McConaughey) is, you need to watch this movie. The cast includes; Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, and Jason London. "Alright, Alright, Alright."

8.) Superbad

The fact that Seth Rogan wrote this film as a teen is both unsurprising, and mindblowing. The level of hilarity that comes out of this film is only equalled by the fact that it was clearly written by/for a teenage boy. However, this does not take away from the level of pure hilariousness that this is, really great writing. Even though Jonah Hill and Michael Cera had been in a few other successful films/TV shows before, this is their first real big break as leading men and they absolutely kill it, making them household names overnight. Who doesn't love the classic tale of some high school kids desperately trying to get to a party with alcohol to be the heros so they can finally get some action. Absolutely hilarious. I will never be able to listen to "These Eyes" without thinking about this movie, and especially Michael Cera, ever again.

7.) Kick Ass

I think this movie works so well because its something all of us (or maybe just us superhero nerds?) have thought about. What if one day you decided yo wanted to make the world a better place by being a superhero? Batman doesn't have any powers right? The greatest part of this movie is definitely Hit-Girl(Chloë Grace Mortez). You just never know whats going to come out of her mouth next, and boy can she handle a knife. Even Nicholas Cage is awesome in this movie. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kick-Ass and I think he plays the nerdy kid pretty well considering how attractive he is. Great movie, so fun and just absolutely hilarious. Can't wait for the sequel to come out later this year!

6.) Monty Python and the Holy Grail

I think its safe today that Monty Python is the most successful comedy group in history. They are absolutely hilarious, and this movie is a prime example of that. I mean, just the concept of the Knights of the Round Table searching for the Holy Grail, with random scenes of singing and dancing, getting directions from God, and meeting random hilarious characters along the way. I think everyone on earth has heard about them pretending to ride horses and using coconuts to make the hoof sounds. Come on, just so good. If you've never seen this film, please re-evaluate your life and watch it immediately. The cast list includes the comedies geniuses; Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Giliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. Its also #86 on IMDB's Top 250 movies of all time! "We are the Knights who say 'Ni!'"

5.) Zombieland

What's not to love about this movie? Zombies, Woody Harrelson hell-bent on destroying zombies. Jesse Eisenberg being a socially awkward college student finding himself alone once again. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin as sister zombie slayers hoping to find refuge in an amusement park. Although undoubtably the best part is an epic cameo from Bill Murray as himself. There are so many epic moments in this movie, and I loved all of them. This movie is disgusting at times, but absolutely hilarious. Hell yes to Zombie movies.

4.) The Hangover

Despite that the sequel was a pretty epic fail, the original is still one of my favorite comedies. The first time I watched it I cried I was laughing to hard. Zach Galifinakis is possibly one of the most hilarious people on earth. If you haven't seen "Between Two Ferns" yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. Even though I'd seen other movies with Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms this was the first time I'd actually known or cared who they were after watching. I could've lived with a little more Justin Bartha in the film, but the parts he is in are good. Some great cameos from Ken Jeong, Jeffery Tambour, and Heather Graham. There are some really fantastic moments, I mean whats more hilarious then the guys stealing Mike Tyson's tiger? Although my favorite moment I think is "Stu's Song." So good.

3.) Little Miss Sunshine

I absolutely love this movie, its the perfect combination of hilariousness and heartfelt, meaningful moments. This film manages to have a really important lesson, and at the same time make you laugh out loud constantly. Very impressive cast, Abigail Breslin(who so far has made me cry in almost every movie I've ever seen her in, including this one), Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Paul Dano, Toni Collette, and Steve Carrell. This film was even nominated for 4 Oscars and won for 2 of those, Supporting Actor for Alan Arkin, and for Writing. You cannot help but fall absolutely in love with Olive(Breslin) and her quirky family. So hilarious, and also sweet.

2.) Anchorman

I watched this movie when it first came out so I would only have been about 13 so I really didn't appreciate the pure genius of the humor that was in this film. I watched it again a few weeks ago and I am now fully aware of what I was missing. The cast is stacked full of the most absolutely hilarious people in the business My feelings on Will Ferrell are pretty hit or miss, but I love him in this one. We also have Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carrell, David Koechner, Fred Willard, Seth Rogan, and Chris Parnell. Plenty of cameos as well including Luke Wilson, Judd Apatow, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Vince Vaughn, Tim Robbins, Jerry Stiller, and many, many more. If you've seen this movie and didn't enjoy every minute of it, you need to watch it again immediately so you don't waste 7 years of your life, like I did, not watching this movie. Can't wait for the sequel, looks like another fantastic cast!

1.) Clerks II

This movie is definitely not for everyone, and its not for the faint of heart. Kevin Smith is known for very crude humor, and this film is full of that, but man is it absolutely hilarious. I'm actually trying to think of something to quote that I'd feel comfortable with writing and I can't think of anything. Theres an epic Lord of the Rings vs Star Wars fight? Just trust me, its absolutely hilarious, and it kills me every time I watch it. Kevin Smith is an absolute genius. Great cast in this film, Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson are back to reprise their roles as Dante and Randal, of course Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith are back as Jay and Silent Bob, because what would a Kevin Smith movie be without them? Probably bad. Amazingly Rosario Dawson is a main character in this film, which is pretty impressive cause she's a really great actress. Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, and Wanda Sykes are some of the hilarious cameos in this movie. So good all around, but again don't say I didn't warn you, I don't want to be sending good people into this movie to have to witness the insanity that it truly is. But if you're a bad person like myself, you'll be fine.

Honorable Mentions: Bridesmaids, The Truman Show, Liar Liar, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, This Is 40, Dogma, Mall Rats, Old School Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Ghostbusters, Hot Fuzz, 50/50, Ferris Bueller, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, 21 Jump Street, John Tucker Must Die, Clerks, Shaun of the Dead, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Annie Hall, Meet The Parents, I Love You Man, Forgetting Sarah Marshal, This Is Spinal Tap, Home Alone, Jackass, Knocked Up, 40 Year Old Virgin, Waynes World, Wedding Crashers, Meet The Fockers, Dodgeball, A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas.

Slow Cooker Zesty BBQ Chicken

2013-03-22T15:43:00.003-02:30

Slow Cooker Zesty BBQ Chicken

Ingredients:

6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cut in half (I only used 4, judge by the number of servings you need, but if you're going to use more definitely add extra sauce!)
1 Regular Bottle of BBQ Sauce (I used Kraft Chicken & Rib and it turned out perfectly)
1/2 Cup of Italian salad dressing (I used Kraft's Italian dressing)
1/4 Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Place chicken in a slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.
Place the cover, and cook on Medium-High for 3 to 5 hours. Any more then that will dry the chicken out.
(Optional) I've seen on other similar recipes that some people will take out the chicken after 3 hours and shred it, and then put them back in for another couple of hours. Below I have a picture where someone actually put it on a bun for a delicious sandwhich, but I didn't do that, I just left the chicken in halves and I definitely didn't have any complaints!

Kiwi Film Review: Top 10 Tearjerkers

2013-03-18T23:24:00.000-02:30

So, this is obviously not a Sunday, so I'm a few days late this week, but its been a busy week. I'm a girl so I really do enjoy a good tearjerker. However, most of these are not chick-flicks so I think its important that that is clear so that males will not be afraid to also look at this. All of these are fantastic movies, but I'm not raking them by how good the films are themselves, but by how the number of tears they managed to wrangle out of me. All but 2 of these films one Oscars, so I can assure you they really are all fantastic films. Here is this weeks (late) Top 10 list: Top 10 Tearjerkers.

10.) Finding Neverland
This is a film about the family who inspired J.M. Barrie to write the famous story of Peter Pan. A very sweet story with a lot of drama and tragedy surrounding it. The film is directed by the ever talented Marc Foster, and has a very impressive cast including Johnny Depp as JM Barrie, Kate Winslet, Dustin Hoffman, and Freddie Highmore. I think that their casting was really perfect, and the acting was really fantastic, which can really come as no surprise from the names I just listed. A really interesting way to come up with the infamous story of children not wanting and choosing not to grow up. Sylvia Davies(Winslet) and her four young children change something inside of the playwright who at the time of meeting them has just had another one of his plays flop and is desperately searching for something new, and thats exactly what he finds. It was nominated 7 Oscars and won for best score.

9.) Atonement
Based on the novel by Ian McEwan, Atonement is a film about forbidden love from the point of view of Briony Tallis(Saoirse Ronan), a 13 year old girl from a well-off family who's older sister, Cecilia(Keira Knightly) falls in love with a friend, Robbie Turner(James McAvoy) from a lower class who they've grown up with all of their lives. The films takes place during World War I and things become complicated and spiral downwards for the pair after Briony accuses Robbie(McAvoy) of something he did not do. She spends the rest of her life trying to make up for the mistake. The story takes a surprising turn of events which ends with Briony making another surprising confession. Absolutely fantastic acting all around, Saoirse Ronan was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress, and the film was nominated for 6 other Oscars as well, winning Best Original Score in the end.

8.) I Am Sam
Despite the fact that I only watched this film sometime last year, if you haven't heard about this film, or somehow don't know what this film is about, you should probably crawl out from whatever rock you've been living under. I Am Sam is the heartbreaking story of a man who has some type of mental illness who is fighting to keep custody of his 7 year old daughter. Sam Dawson is played by Sean Penn in a truly mind-blowing performance on his part, his daughter is played by the talented Dakota Fanning. The story is also focused around Rita Williams(Michelle Pfeiffer) who plays a cold-hearted lawyer, who's life is changed by this custody case. Sean Penn was nominated for an Oscar for his performance, but somehow this film wasn't nominated for anything? Definite fail by the Academy. Great film all around, and pretty much the whole film is filled with tears. Enjoy.

7.) Ghost
This movie was always sad but since Patrick Swayze (aka the love of my life) is actually dead in real life now, it adds about 50 extra pounds of sadness to it. Again, if for some reason you've been living somewhere without electricity for the last 23 years, Ghost is a story about a couple, Sam Wheat(Patrick Swayze) and Molly Jensen(Demi Moore) who are living life happily together with their best friend Carl(Tony Goldwyn) when Sam(Swayze) is suddenly murdered. Sam discovers that his ghost is stuck in our world and soon finds that Molly might be in trouble. He recruits the help of Oda Mae Brown(Whoopie Goldberg), a medium to help warn her. Fantastic movie, it was nominated for 5 Oscars and won 2, Best Supporting Actress for Whoopi Goldberg, and best writing. The last scene is absolutely heartbreaking. I cannot listen to the song Unchained Melody without bawling. "Its amazing Molly, the love inside, you take it with you."

6.) Forrest Gump
I really think that Forrest Gump is one of the greatest films of all time. Its such an epic film that covers so much time. Its a comedy, a drama, and a tragedy and every moment of it is filled with memorable moments. This is a film about a man named Forrest Gump(Tom Hanks) starting in childhood and going all the way into adulthood. Somehow he has the most interesting man on earth and despite his mental challenges, he manages to accomplish 10 times more then any other person on earth. Ping-Pong champion, war hero, shrimp king, etc. There are few things in life that Forrest Gump is not capable of, but the thing that really keeps him going throughout his entire life is his love for his childhood friend Jenny(Robin Wright). The films was nominated for a mind-blowing 13 Oscars of which it won 6 including Best Picture, Best Actor for Tom Hanks and Best Director. Other cast members include Sally Field, and Gary Sinise. This film had so many epic quotes including "Run Forrest Run!", "I love you Jennay", "Hello Mr. GUMP", and, of course, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."

5.) Terms of Endearment
This is actually the movie that made me want to make this list, I watched it last week and adored it. I really like how it not only showed such a time frame, but showed so much of the time in between. They never really spent more then 5 minutes in a specific place in time and normally there were a year or so between them. Debra Winger really did a great job playing Emma Horton not only as a fully grown women, wife, and mother, but also as a young teen, and was believable as both, very impressive. I loved Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, Jeff Daniels, Danny DeVito and John Lithgow as well, so weird to see them all so young, but I think we can all agree that it was Huckleberry Fox who stole the show as Teddy Horton. I don't want to give anything away, but lets just say that I was totally fine with everything that was happening until little Teddy gave the most heart-wrenching performance from a child, or possibly anyone in the history of cinema. He absolutely destroyed me and in just those few moments in that devastating scene I fell in love with this movie. It was nominated for 11 Oscars and won 5 of those including Best Picture, Best Director for James L. Brooks, Best Writing, Best Supporting Actor for Jack Nicholson, and Best Supporting Actress for Shirley MacLaine.

4.) Seven Pounds
There really isn't much I can say about this film. I can't explain to you why its so good, or why Will Smith is so amazing in this film. I can't tell you why the performances by amazing actors such as Rosario Dawson and Woody Harleson were just so fantastic. I really can't tell you anything else about this film without the fear of giving something away, so I will show you the IMDB description because I think that its safe. "An aerospace engineer with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers."
I really wish I could tell you more, but I think its really important that if you do see this film, that you go into it knowing as little about it as you can. I will say that its an amazing story about trying to redeem yourself, and the struggles that come with that. Please watch and enjoy this film.

3.)Dear Zachary
I probably could have put this film at #1 and been okay with it, but I think #3 is a worthy position. I watched this documentary the first time because I saw that part of it took place here in St. John's, but I really could never know how fantastic of a movie it really was. Its basically story about a really great guy and medical student, Andrew Bagby, who is murdered not long after breaking up with his girlfriend, Shirley Turner. His life story is then told through the eyes of all of his friends and family spread out all over the globe from across America, to Newfoundland where he went to Medical School, to the UK where his mother is originally from. His family soon finds out that his ex-girlfriend and suspected murderer is pregnant with his child and is now living back to Newfoundland where she has escaped to. Andrews parents Kathleen and David, find new reason to live and spend their days fighting to spend time with their new grandson while having to face their sons ex-girlfriend who they strongly suspect is their sons murderer. Absolutely fantastic film, but there are a few turns in the movie that are just too much for most people to handle without hardcore sobbing. I urge you to bring a full box of kleenex with you while watching this film. Even men will have a difficult time keeping it in while watching this one. Its very clear how much Andrew Bagby was loved by his friends, family and colleagues and how painful it is to have to go on without him. I hope that when I die I leave a quarter of the impact on my friends and family's lives as this man clearly had. I really urge everyone out there to watch this film. Its on Netflix, even the Canadian one! Don't hesitate!

2.) Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Somehow its probably not super surprising that the top two films are about the holocaust. However, I feel like most people near my age have definitely not seen my #1, and for some reason many people have not seen this film either. The best part of this movie is how much a different perspective this is when it comes to Holocaust movies/books. This is definitely the first I've heard of from a child of a high ranking Nazi commander. There are definitely a few from a child of the holocaust's point of view, but not from the other side. Asa Butterfield plays Bruno, an eight year old boy who doesn't understand why he is forbidden from playing with the people next door in the funny looking, striped pajamas. Its really quite difficult to see him slowly try and put together whats happening, and the fact that his father is really the bad-guy in this scenario and not the hero soldier he once believed in. I'd like to say this film has a happy ending, but its clearly a holocaust movie so its pretty much impossible but this film left me in puddles of tears by the end. Great movie that really shows that putting yourself in someone else's shoes just might make you change your mind, hopefully before its too late.

1.) Sophie's Choice
I watched this film for the first time last month, and oh my god I wish I had been warned. The film is pretty heart breaking even from the beginning, but its not until the end that the true tearjerkerness is revealed. The main premise of the film is that Meryl Streep plays a survivor of the Holocaust and is currently living in New York City with her boyfriend played by Kevin Kline. The two have a pretty tumultuous relationship which is documented from the point of view of Stingo(Peter MacNicol), a country boy in the big city. Meryl Streep's performance is absolutely breathtaking, and the academy recognized this by giving her an Oscar for Best Actress, the film was also nominated in 4 other categories. The performances from Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol were also fantastic. This is an amazing movie that everyone should see at least once in their lives, I'm sorry I waited as long as I did. Although Sophie's(Streep) devastating life story brought tears for me throughout the movie, its not until the very end that you realize how truly horrifying her life really has been, and the awful choices she's had to make, hence the title. Bring a box of tissues, don't say I didn't warn you.

Honourable Mentions: Million Dollar Baby, The Notebook, Philadelphia, Pay It Forward, Bicentennial Man, Schindler's List, Perks of being a w A.I: Artificial Intelligence Steel Magnolias, Brokeback Mountain, Titanic, Ordinary People, Dead Poets Society, The Green Mile, Nights in Rodanthe, Saving Private Ryan, PS I Love You, The Last Song, Step Mom. Bonus: Old Yeller (for Joshy Josh)

Kiwi Film Review: Top 10 Thrillers

2013-03-10T12:28:00.001-02:30

This week's list is Top 10 Thrillers. I think a lot of people think that Thriller and Horror are the same things, and it is a pretty thin line between then, and the fact that Horror films are my least favorite genre, and Thrillers are my very favorite genre is also sort of confusing to most people. My definition of Thrillers are films that normally have a great storyline, are very suspenseful, but don't use cheap tricks to get cheap scares out of you by something jumping out in front of you. The most fun ones are normally psychological thrillers, but basically any thriller is fine with me. Here are my Top 10 Thrillers, the list, so far, closest to my heart.

10.) Insomnia
Its actually been a little while since I saw this film, but I absolutely adored it. SUCH a great murder mystery, and definitely a thriller. Between the brilliant actors(Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank) and having Christopher Nolan as the director I'm not sure how it really could have gone wrong. Another clear example that Robin Williams is more then a great comedian, he's also a very capable serious actor. I'm not sure if most people are aware of that, if you are one of those people watch this film immediately.

9.) The Shining
I only watched this film for the first time at Halloween last year, and I can definitely see why it was a classic. I actually hate scary movies, but this one wasn't too bad as long as you aren't too afraid of creepy twins or rivers of blood. Jack Nicholson shines in this movie, I'd pretty much only ever seen him more recent comedies, which are good, but definitely don't show his acting abilities. He's absolutely terrifying, and the story is so interesting because you don't really know whats going to happen, and the scenario of being completely isolated set up the perfect setting for a thriller. The more Stanley Kubrick films I watch, the more I enjoy him.
Check out my review HERE

8.) Psycho
Obviously another classic, I don't think it would be a legit list of Thrillers without this 1960 Alfred Hitchcock classic. I think most people who see this movie for the first time don't expect the epic twist at the end, which is always important. Its also pretty bizzar that *SPOILER ALERT* they kill off the leading lady halfway through the film, but I really think that it was a brave and peculiar decision that only Alfred Hitchcock could pull off, especially at the time. The characters are fantastic, interesting, and terrifying, I had heard the name Norman Bates, but I had no idea who it was or where it was from, but its a name that is clearly associated with villains in thrillers and horror films. The film starts off with one story and then randomly twists so much that you really almost forget what the film was about in the beginning, but its just so good that you don't even mind. I need to watch some more Hitchcock films ASAP.

7.) The Sixth Sense
Sadly, the epic Lonely Island song Jizz in my Pants actually ruined this film for me because I didn't watch it until 2010ish because I thought it was going to be terrifying. There are only 1 or 2 really horribly scary parts of this film, the rest are mostly just interesting/cool. This is hands down my favorite M. Night Shyamalan film thanks to Bruce Willis and the once talented Haley Joel Osment, the greatest child actor of all time. This film is a classic, and you owe it to yourself to watch it.

6.) Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The second I finished watching this I immediately regretted not getting around to reading the book. SUCH a fantastic, like I said I never read the book so I can't comment on how well it translated, but the film definitely stands on its own. The acting in this film is amazing especially from Rooney Mara who is absolutely unrecognizable. I don't think many people could have handled this role so well, and I urge you to check it out and see the sheer brilliance of her acting. Huge round of applause for David Fincher for another mind-blowingly directed film.

5.) Memento
Yet another Christopher Nolan film on this list. Although it only cost a shocking $9 million dollars to make, and didn't do super fantastic at the box office, I think its really become a bit of a cult classic, and for good reason. The total mind-twist that this film is is absolutely unbelievable, whats most impressive is how well the film flows, despite the direction which it is flowing in. Its fairly easy to follow along, as long as your paying attention. If you enjoy Thrillers, you will definitely enjoy this film. One of the greatest Psychological Thrillers for sure. Mind-melting.

4.) Mystic River
This masterpiece by Clint Eastwood, I feel is somehow actually pretty unknown. I hadn't heard of it until I found it in the $5 bin in Walmart a couple of years ago despite the fact that it was nominated for 6 Oscars, of which it won 2 for Sean Penn and Tim Robbins. Such a fantastic film with a truly fantastic cast including Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney, Laurence Fishburne, and Emmy Rossum.
Check out my review HERE.

3.) American Psycho
Although Christian Bale is definitely best known for his role as Bruce Wayne(aka Batman), but this is a perfect example of his true acting abilities. Its such a strange film, but its just so darn entertaining that you can't help but go alone for the ride. There are tons of twists and turns and you really never know whats going to happen next, or how its going to end for Patrick Bateman. This one is definitely a little more gorey but not too bad. Check it out!

2.) Se7en
Another David Fincher film on the list, he's definitely the most recent of my favorite directors. With a cast like Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey and Gwyneth Paltrow, I don't think its physically possibly to mess up this film. Such an interesting premiss and fantastic writing. Cinematography is great all around, it feels creepy from beginning to end. Tons of twists and turns, the first time I saw this film its amazingness basically blew my mind, so let it do the same for you!

1.) The Silence of the Lambs

Finally, my number one is none other then The Silence of the Lambs, I think that Hannibal Lector might be the greatest vilain of all time, and even though he only had 16 minutes of screentime Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor at the 1992 Oscars. The film also won Best Picture, Best Actress(Jodie Foster), Best Director and Best Writing and was nominated for 2 other Oscars as well. I waited a long time to see this film because I thought it was going to be way too scary, but its really not that bad, you just desperately want to know whats going to happen next and if Hannibal Lector can be outsmarted. Fava Beans have never sounded so terrifying.

Honourable Mentions: Black Swan, Signs, The The Machinist, Shutter Island, Cape Fear, The Usual Suspects, Misery, Taxi Driver, The Departed, Lucky Number Slevin.

Kiwi Film Review: Top 10 Disney Movies

2013-03-03T01:52:00.000-03:30

This weeks Top 10 list is definitely one of the most important lists to me, it holds a lot of nostalgia, and pretty much defines my childhood. Definitely a list that is important to share with the future generations. All of the honourably mentions are very good as well, but these were definitely my top 10.

10.) The Rescuers &
The Rescuers Down Under
A movie about two mice and their friends who rescue children? Who wouldn't enjoy that kind of movie? I think that movies about mice are always funny/interesting because they normally involve making functioning objects out of tiny(to us) household items, such as the sardine can in the photo on the left. They really are both fantastic children's films, full of adventure, mystery and suspense.

9.) Tarzan
Tarzan has an awesome soundtrack thanks to Phil Collins, all of the songs are great, but also songs that kids would love. I love the scenes with him as a kid with his friends finding adventure and danger at every turn, but it definitely picks up the best when Jane and her professor father show up and try and change everything, but in the end they find their way to being the good guys. I guess deep down its sort of a story about accepting people who are different, and not trying to force someone to be who they aren't. Also, sliding down trees with your bare feet always ends ok.

8.) Hercules
I love that there is a Disney movie about ancient Greece. Such a cool and original premise for a Disney movie, there really isn't anything else like it. This movie is actually pretty funny, with lots of quirky, funny and rather bizzar characters. Between Zeus, Hades, and all of the other Gods it is a seriously good time. The three witches who share one eyeball? amazing. Its not so creepy that its scary, but it really shows the difference between good and evil, but even Hades isn't a hateable character for some reason, maybe its just because he's not scary enough. Watch this movie.

7.) Aladdin
I absolutely adored this film as a child, and has a great message, where you were born, or how much money or power you have doesn't define the kind of person you are, or how "important" of a person you are. Its your character, and Aladdin sure has a lot of it. This movie is actually pretty hilarious, mostly because of the Genie(thanks Robin Williams!), but also a pretty thrilling adventure from beginning to end. There were a couple of other movies after this including "Aladdin and the King of Thieves" which I also super enjoyed. I feel like this one had a very different setting the most other disney films which made it quite interesting and allowed it to have the extra enchantment about it I think. Lots of literal magic in this one which is always fun!

6.) Up
Definitely the saddest Disney movie ever, but also one of the most impressive. Such a sweet movie, they were able to tell one of the most heart-warming/breaking love stories of all time, without speaking, in the first 10 minutes of the film. The animation is really beautiful in this one. A great adventure story, lots of fun, but also a great message. If you have not yet seen this movie, do it immediately. I think even more adults like this film the kids!

5.) Toy Story Trilogy
Pretty sure these movie are every kids dream. Your toys coming to life? Come on! How amazing would that be? The first one was always one of my personal favorites, the second not so much, but the 3rd came out the year in my first year of university, so perfect timing for me and it totally broke my heart! I felt like the worst person on earth for leaving all of my toys behind haha. This movie has my favorite disney song of all time "You've Got a Friend in Me", which I absolutely love. These are stories about adventure, change, and above all, friendship. I dare you to watch Toy Story 3 without crying.

4.) Pocahontas
I think this movie probably would not break the top 5 on most people's Disney movie list, but I adore it. The animation in this one is just beautiful, the "Colours of the Wind" scene is just gorgeous with all of the colours. It also has an incredibly important message of the lack of respect that the Native peoples of North America received but also the lack of respect the earth receives. I got it for Christmas this year, so my 19 year old brother and I watched it because he couldn't remember what happened, and surprise, surprise he LOVED it. How could you not really?

3.) The Little Mermaid
Great story of adventure and love. Although Ariel is clearly naive, she isn't afraid to fight for what she wants, whether that is exploring, or chasing the love of her life. Like most of my favorites on this list, The Little Mermaid is nothing without its up-beat, fun, and hilarious soundtrack. It has some very interesting and great characters, along with one of my favorite movie villans, Ursula. Plus, this movie has my favorite Disney Prince, Prince Eric. Dayyuummm.

2.) Beauty and the Beast
A great love story about loving whats on the inside, not the outside. Such a sweet, hilarious story with wonderfully fun musical scenes that just make you want to get up and dance and sing along. Great story that shows the jerk doesn't always win the girl, and that anyone, even a small town girl who doesn't fit in, can find somewhere perfect for her where she, herself can be accepted. Belle is definitely my favorite Disney Princess, and I think its pretty clear why. She's a strong independent woman, not afraid to let her brain show, a great example to and young girl.

1. The Lion King
I don't know if anyone can deny the fact that this is the greatest Disney movie ever. The heartbreaking story, the amazing musical numbers, the funny characters. I mean, come on, nothing can beat this. Its a great story about growing up, and accepting the responsibilities life gives you. There is all kinds of intense drama in this movie as well, people of all ages love it, I can't wait to share it with my future children! Probably my favorite movie soundtrack ever (thanks Elton John!)

Honourable Mentions: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Fox and the Hound, The Jungle Book, A Bugs Life, Cinderella, The Sword in the Stone, The Aristocats, Dinosaurs, Peter Pan, 101 Dalmatians, Bambi, Sleeping Beauty, Dumbo, Pinocchio, WALL-E, Monsters, Inc, Finding Nemo. Ratatouille, Snow White, Robin Hood, Mulan, , A Goofy Movie, Alice In Wonderland. Mighty Ducks, Oliver & Company.

Oscars 2013 Nominees and Winners

2013-02-25T16:34:00.000-03:30

I really enjoyed this years Oscars I was a little unsure on how Seth Macfarlane would do, but I do think he didn't do too bad. I laughed a lot actualy. I thought the random Shatner bit was a little weird, and not funny, but I liked the general gist of the skit. I thought his other jokes throughout the night were pretty hilarious, and his musical numbers were great. I really liked that this year had a theme of appreciating the music. There were some really great performances, and surprise guests to remind us how much the music really matters. Here are my thoughts on the big winners last night;

Best Picture

Amour
Argo
Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Misérables
Life Of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

I was so excited that Argo won! Such a great film. Honestly, I think my vote would have been for Django Unchained, definitely my favorite of the choices, but Argo definitely deserved it as well!

Actor In A Leading Role

- Bradley Cooper
"Silver Linings Playbook"

- Daniel Day-Lewis
"Lincoln"
- Hugh Jackman
"Les Misérables"
- Joaquin Phoenix
"The Master"
- Denzel Washington
"Flight"

Definitely 100% deserved. I think everyone would have died of shock if Daniel hadn't have won.

Actress In A Leading Role

- Jessica Chastain
"Zero Dark Thirty"
- Jennifer Lawrence
"Silver Linings Playbook"
- Emmanuelle Riva
"Amour"
- Quvenzhané Wallis
"Beasts Of The Southern Wild"
- Naomi Watts
"The Impossible"

I think this was the category that I was most unsure about. Although, not overly surprising, and Jennifer Lawrence definitely deserved it, I really wasn't sure if it would go to JLaw or Jessica Chastain. I'm happy it went to Jennifer though, I really like how she doesn't take herself too seriously.

Actor In A Supporting Role

-Alan Arkin

"Argo"
- Robert De Niro

"Silver Linings Playbook"
- Philip Seymour Hoffman

"The Master"
- Lee Jones

"Lincoln"
- Christoph Waltz

"Django Unchained"

So happy about this one. Lots of great performances this year, but Christoph was my fave.

Actress In A Supporting Role:

- Amy Adams

"The Master"
- Sally Field

"Lincoln"
- Anne Hathaway

"Les Misérables"
- Helen Hunt

"The Sessions"
- Jacki Weaver

"Silver Linings Playbook"

A well-deserved win for Anne, despite some oddly bad reviews of her performance, she really made the film. Loved every minute of it.

Animated Feature Film

Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNorman
The Pirates! Band Of Misfits

Wreck-It Ralph

I've only seen 2 of these, Brave and Wreck-It Ralph, but Brave really is such a sweet inspiring story for young girls. It was also gorgeous, so I think I did deserve the Oscar.

Directing

- Michael Haneke

"Amour"
- Benh Zeitlin

"Beasts Of The Southern Wild"
- Ang Lee

"Life Of Pi"
- Steven Spielberg

"Lincoln"
- David O. Russell

"Silver Linings Playbook"

I actually haven't seen Life of Pi yet, but its obviously getting big awards, so I guess I should get on that. Ang Lee is a great director, so bravo to him.

Documentary (Feature)

5 Broken Cameras

The Gatekeepers
How To Survive A Plague

The Invisible War
Searching For Sugar Man

I've only seen "How To Survive A Plague" and "The Invisible War", so I have no idea how good this film is. What I can say is that the two films that I just mentioned were absolutely amazing documentaries, focusing on very important issues that needed to be recognized so if this films beat it, it must be a seriously fantastic documentary.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

- Chris Terrio

"Argo"
- Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin

"Beasts Of The Southern Wild"
- David Magee

"Life Of Pi"
- Tony Kushner

"Lincoln"
- David O. Russell

"Silver Linings Playbook"

Writing isn't one of the awards that most people think about, and the writers aren't normally known names unless they are also directors. Chris Terrio did a great job on this screenplay and his speech is really nice as well.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

- Michael Haneke

"Amour"
- Quentin Tarantino

"Django Unchained"
- John Gatins

"Flight"
- Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola

"Moonrise Kingdom"
- Mark Boal

"Zero Dark Thirty"

I think of all of the categories and winners last night, this one I was most excited about. I absolutely loved this film, and I'm so glad the genius of Quentin Tarantino was recognized. I adored this movie beyond words. Such great writing.

Music (Original Song)

-"Before My Time" From "Chasing Ice"
(Music and Lyrics: J. Ralph)
-"Everybody Needs A Best Friend" From "Ted"
(Music: Walter Murphy; Lyrics: Seth Macfarlane)
-"Pi's Lullaby" From "Life Of Pi"
(Music: Mychael Danna; Lyrics: Bombay Jayashri)
-"Skyfall" From "Skyfall"
(Music and Lyrics: Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth)
-"Suddenly" From "Les Misérables"
(Music: Claude-Michel Schönberg; Lyrics: Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil)

I'm so happy for Adele, at this point she's won almost every award possible. She's so talented and this has been such a great year for her and she looks great after having her baby.