What movie holds a special meaning to you?

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Movies are such a fascinating form of art. They bring out emotion in all of us, and we all have at least one favorite. As a true blue movie fan, there are so many movies that I hold close to my heart, But two movies stand out.

The first is Titanic. If you were a child of the 90s, you most likely will remember when this film came out. It was the first PG-13 movie I ever saw, and I even got to go to the theater without my parents! It was just me and my friends! What independence we had! I was in 6th grade, so  It was pretty incredible.  I remembering falling in love with Leo, and desperately wishing I was Rose so I could kiss him or wear her incredible wardrobe. I remember covering my face with my hands and sobbing through the last 45 minutes. To this day, I continue to watch the movie on rainy days with a pint of ice cream in hand and a box of tissues close by.

The second movie that I hold dear is Lord of the Rings (let’s just count the trilogy as one). LOTR was the first time I had ever been fully introduced into the fantasy genre. Sure, I grew up watching Disney, but this was something new. Something incredibly exciting! An entire world came out of the mind of one incredible man! I remember going to see the movie with my dad, since he wanted to see it, and being super confused. We discussed it a lot, and he helped me work through the MASSIVE plot. The more I worked at understanding it, the more I fell in love with it. Slightly obsessively. The richness of the characters, and beauty of Middle Earth. I continue to love fantasy, and each year I read the Hobbit with my 8th grade students so they can get a taste of the incredible world Tolkien created for us!

What are some movies that you hold dear? What makes them special? 🙂

Creepy, Yet Satisfying: A Review of Netflix’s You

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Oh. My! I just finished watching You, on Netflix, and I am horrified, yet, I am left with a lingering desire for more! What a bombshell of an ending!

In short, the show is about a young man, Joe, who begins stalking a young woman, Beck, he meets in his bookstore. A significant part of his stalking “success” is made possible because of social media. I will admit, after  watching episode 1, I made sure all my accounts were set to private!

From that first episode, I knew this show was going to be binge-worthy! The show is told in the first person narrative, so we are given an intimate look into the protagonist’s (if you can call him a protagonist) thoughts. I love that the writers chose this narrative. Even though we are watching a, clearly, disturbed man go through the motions of stalking, we are given his perspective. Why he chose to do the actions he did in his quest to be close to the one he “loved”. It reminded me of Showtime’s Dexter (one of my all time favorite shows). Throughout the course of the show, I found myself struggling to hate him. I found myself actually siding with him! It was a rollercoaster of emotion.

The show did a fantastic job of showing us the dark side of social media. How it can be used for bad. In our efforts to be seen, it’s important to remember those who are seeing us aren’t always who should.

One thing I found distracting throughout the show, was how Beck did not have many redeeming qualities. I found her character to be self-absorbed and continually falling into the same negative situations again and again. Her life was pretty toxic, even before she met Joe. However, the actress did a good job playing the character.

So, If you are looking for a show to creep you out, and suck you in, this one is for you!

I give it a 4 out of 5!

Review: Fyre: Greatest Party that Never Happened

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This weekend, my husband and I were sucked into a world of beautiful people, overindulgent parties and crystal clear waters. Turns out, it was all a scam!

We have been watching a documentary called, Fyre. A Netflix Original that has only just been released. It is about a music festival that was to occur, in 2017, on a private island, supposedly previously owned by Pablo Escobar, in the Bahamas. The festival was promising super models, private jets, villas by the sea complete with gourmet food and beautiful sunsets. Everything that fulfills the average millennials’ dream.  However, it turned out to be a giant illusion. Nothing was at it appeared. The accommodations were nothing but tiny dome-shaped tents with rain soddened beds. Port-a-potties littered the grounds, and there was barely any food to fed the guests, let alone the workers.

Before watching the documentary, I actually had never heard about the event, which made me feel like I had been living under a rock. Having a toddler makes it difficult to keep up on the latest social media happenings.

I digress…

As soon as the documentary started, I was hooked. It outlined the social media influencers, rappers, musicians and investors who were behind the event. Kendall Jenner. Blink 182. Bella Hadid. HUGE NAMES! Everything sounded so exciting and extravagant. I kept asking myself how could it all go wrong with so many powerful people. How could that much money and power lead ultimately to a complete and utter catastrophe?

The documentary answered so many of my questions through in-depth interviews with ex-employees, day laborers from the Bahamas, and people from outside promotional agencies. We were really given a deep look into the months and days leading up to the festival. It was riveting.

After watching, I was left with many questions about my generation. Why would someone pay THOUSANDS of dollars to attend a weekend music festival? Money that could  get them out of debt. Pay their utilities. Given to charities desperate for contributions. That money could be used for so much more than a music festival.

What lengths will, we, millennials will go to appear to have it all? To live large. I say “appear” because we all know that so many of our social media posts only show the life we want others to see. The perfect picture of who we wish we could always be. It’s never actually who we are.

This film causes me to reflect on what lengths if I would go to if given the opportunity to take part in something grand and extravagant. Would I go for it? Would I splurge ridiculous amounts of money for a good Instagram photo? I’m not sure. I do know that I often times go out on adventures just for a good picture. Does that make me different than those who attended the festival? Hmmm…

I highly recommend this documentary! It was excellent! I love ending a film with questions to ask myself about my life. Forcing me to take a closer look at the world around me through fresh eyes. Examining how I can better myself, and Frye did just that!

I give it a 5 out of 5! Way to go, Netflix!

 

 

 

Stories are my Thing!

Elle Ward4 Comments

Hello All! Thank you for stopping by my blog! I am excited to begin this adventure with you as I further explore my favorite past times: entertainment! I love all mediums of the entertainment world – meaning film, television and novels.

I grew up with baskets of books surrounding my bed. Shelves of tapes (yes tapes) and dvds containing my most beloved films and tv shows. After a long and stressful day, I went down into the basement to visit my favorite fictional worlds. Hogwarts. Middle Earth. Seattle Grace. Narnia. And so many more. Each night, before bed, I would (and still do) read pages that transport me into someone else’s shoes. It’s an incredible experience.

Getting lost in an incredible plot, in any medium, is a unique experience. It is my aim to share my thoughts and ideas on the current, and occasionally the past, films/tv shows/ and novels that I experience.

I hope you come along with me for the journey! I can’t wait to share it with you!