tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276495569533861262024-03-04T23:43:12.072-08:00Lost in Your StoriesWe lose ourselves in fiction; we find ourselves there too.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-41549829788989775852017-09-06T05:46:00.001-07:002017-09-06T05:46:27.463-07:00I'm Moving!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Just want to let you know that I'm moving to a new blogging site and will no longer use this one. Just click the link below to go to my new blog. Hope you like the new one!</div>
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<a href="http://lostinyourstories.weebly.com/" target="_blank">lostinyourstories.weebly.com</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-11264899192534068622017-08-22T07:19:00.003-07:002017-08-22T07:19:47.304-07:00Thoughts on Broken Harbour and The Lost City of Z<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hi! I originally planned to write several posts about some books that I finished reading recently and the 2017 San Diego Comic Con event, but I had to get my laptop repaired so I couldn't use it. I could have used my phone to type my posts but I'm just not a fan of typing long posts using only your thumbs, so I didn't write anything while my laptop wasn't with me. But now it's back, so I'm back too.</div>
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During my long summer break, I spent a lot of time reading. I finished reading the second book in <i>The Hunger Games</i> trilogy, <i>Catching Fire</i>. I enjoyed reading it but I don't think I need to review it because I assume everybody knows what the book is like. After I finished that one, I immediately started reading Tana French's <i>Broken Harbour</i>, the fourth book in her <i>Dublin Murder Squad</i> series, which I'm going to review in this post. Besides the book, I also have a lot of thoughts about a movie I just saw recently entitled <i>The Lost City of Z</i>.</div>
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<b>Broken Harbour by Tana French</b><br />
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Maybe you remember that I have read the first book in the <i>Dublin Murder Squad</i> series, <i>In the Woods</i>. Technically I should have read the second and the third books in the series before I read <i>Broken Harbour</i>, but I found <i>Broken Harbour</i> when I came to Big Bad Wolf a while ago and couldn't resist the temptation to buy it. I did a research and found that it's okay not to read the series in the right order because each book is a standalone. So I happily bought and read the book.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuA17LceputWsEXt_KRpPO7SD8Ce2oA-pHPgThKLW_xtnXgSjxELWfVz09MN1b8W-qfh4Rau4qpAucitHVAomFWpL4mUABtye1pb9aV822mAsBt27urLMvi7-dQyzSPtbYsO9VC0b2Yl2/s1600/P_20170706_202350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuA17LceputWsEXt_KRpPO7SD8Ce2oA-pHPgThKLW_xtnXgSjxELWfVz09MN1b8W-qfh4Rau4qpAucitHVAomFWpL4mUABtye1pb9aV822mAsBt27urLMvi7-dQyzSPtbYsO9VC0b2Yl2/s320/P_20170706_202350.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"The ones that slice like razors forever are the ghosts of things that never got the chance to happen."</i><br />Page 187</td></tr>
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<i><br />Broken Harbour</i> has the same formula as <i>In the Woods</i>. <i>Harbour</i> involves two detectives, Scorcher and Richie, that partner up and develop a friendship that starts as something lovely but gradually turns complicated as they get more involved in the case, just like Rob and Cassie in <i>Woods</i>. One of the most memorable parts of <i>Woods</i> is the autopsy part, which is painful to read and <i>Harbour</i> has that as well. I think the ones in <i>Harbour</i> are even more brutal. Also similar to <i>Woods</i>, <i>Harbour</i> has a main character who is emotionally connected to the location of the crime, which allows us readers to see glimpses of their true self outside their work. My favorite part of the book is when the killer is finally revealed. That one chapter where the killer gets exposed is mesmerizing. When I read that part, I totally forgot everything, even the other parts of the book, and was completely hypnotized by the killer's story about what has actually happened. I could really picture everything that the killer says in my mind and even feel what she feels. Tana French is such a talented writer.<br />
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When I finished reading the book and found out who the killer was and the reason why, I thought it was crazy and didn't make any sense. But then I realized that I've actually seen something like that right before my eyes. Yes, it doesn't make any sense when you think of it, but it actually happens. Sometimes the world is crazy, right?<br />
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So I enjoyed reading this book. I still love <i>In the Woods</i> more because it feels more atmospheric to me, but this book has convinced me to read the rest of the series.<br />
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<b>Rating: 3/5</b><br />
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<b>The Lost City of Z</b><br />
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<i>The Lost City of Z</i> is a film by James Gray that is based on a true story of Percy Fawcett as told by David Grann in his book entitled <i>The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon</i>. Percy, played by Charlie Hunnam, was a British explorer who found evidences of a civilization that had never been discovered before while he was on a mission in the Amazon. Finding the lost city where the civilization used to exist soon became Percy's obsession. The film covers Percy's entire journey to find his lost city, which began with his first expedition with his loyal companion, Henry Costin (Robert Pattinson), during which he found some broken pottery which indicate the existence of an advanced civilization in the uncharted area, and ended when he and his oldest son Jack (Tom Holland) mysteriously disappeared during their final expedition.<br />
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The thing that I love about films like <i>Z</i> that follow the main protagonists for so many years in their lives is how they could make me feel so small compared to the (hopefully) many years that are coming. At 25, sometimes pride consumes me because I'm technically an adult now, not a child anymore. Sometimes I feel like I am the wisest person in the world who has experienced so much in life. But watching films that let us see someone go through their whole life, how much they change and grow throughout the many years is just humbling. Films like <i>Z </i>always succesfully slap my face and make me realize that I have so much to learn.<br />
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<i>Z </i>is based on a book that has the word "obsession" in its title. So I was quite surprised by it because I don't really get how and why Percy became so obsessed with the lost city. Percy's three expeditions that are featured in the film feel really short and, I don't know... rushed? They don't really show how difficult the obstacles were and how obsessed Percy was with his mission. It's probably because the film has to cover so many years of Percy's life yet it only has around 140 minutes to do it. It probably doesn't have enough time to go that deep with each expedition. It's a shame because the obsession is supposed to the center of the story, right?<br />
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One of this film's appeals is the actors who are involved in it. The cast includes some well-known actors like Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller and Tom Holland. The great thing about this ensemble cast is, this film is about Percy Fawcett, yet the supporting characters in it show their layers and complexity that are really enjoyable to watch. If there were spinoffs that center on the supporting characters of this film, I would like to watch them.<br />
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One of the performances in <i>Z </i>that caught my attention came from our favorite glowing vampire from <i>Twilight</i>, Robert Pattinson.<i> </i>I haven't seen Rob in any movie for a long time; the last time I saw him in a movie is probably when the final <i>Twilight </i>movie came out. So it was nice to see him in a movie again, in a role that is completely different from Edward Cullen. Rob plays Henry Costin, Fawcett's companion in his first two expeditions who also became his close and loyal friend. He has his face covered by a massive beard and mud and spectacles for most of his screen time. His voice also sounds a little different. The way he portrays Costin, who is always smoking and chill and quiet yet so loyal and brave, is unlike anything Rob has ever done in <i>Twilight</i>. There is a scene where Costin geeks out because he and his gang of explorers have just landed on a place where no man has gone before that I like very much. I also love Costin's last scene where he tells Percy that he doesn't want to join him in his next expedition and that he thinks finding Z may not be the answer that Percy seeks. I think that scene is just so intimate and shows how close Costin and Percy have become and how much Costin cares and knows Percy. The point is, I'm really happy to see Mr Pattinson in this movie and hope he would do more films that can show his great acting skills.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://img.usmagazine.com/480-width/charlie-hunnam-robert-pattinson-lost-city-of-z-5871c95f-18ad-4fa8-9756-8e33e5f4808a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Pattinson, his beard and Charlie Hunnam in <i>The Lost City of Z</i><br />
Source: <i>www.usmagazine.com</i></td></tr>
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Another scene-stealer in this movie is Sienna Miller, who plays Percy's wife Nina. Nina is such a rich and complex character. She is an incredibly loyal and supportive wife to her husband. When Percy tells her that he wants to leave her, again and again, to chase his dreams, she doesn't stop him. She even lets her son go and follow his father when the time comes. After being left like that, she always embraces her loved ones with all the love that she has when they come home to her. I think that really shows how selfless true love can be. Despite being loyal, Nina is also a feminist who demands to be seen as an equal by men, especially her husband. Oh yes, a woman can be a loving wife and mother and a fierce feminist at the same time, just like Nina. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/lost-city-of-z-image-4.jpg" height="266" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Father and son<br />
Source: <i>collider.com</i></td></tr>
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Even though he doesn't have much screen time, Tom Holland surprised me with his powerful performance as Jack Fawcett, Percy's oldest son. Tom doesn't waste any time to show that he can act. In the first scene where he interacts with his father for the first time as a teenager, he pours all of his anger to Percy, a father who leaves him and lets him grow without him. He even whispers, "I hate him," with tears running down his face after his father slaps him. That scene totally wrecked my soul. I can understand that Percy, just like every human being, has the right to pursue his dreams. Stopping him from doing that is totally unfair. However, I also know what it's like to be angry at someone who is supposed to take care of you but doesn't. And Tom's final scene! Oh my God! As I told you before, Percy and Jack never returned from their expedition. In the film's ending, we only see them being taken to a river by some people from a tribe after they're captured and are never shown what happens after that because nobody knows what actually happened to them. Seeing Percy in his final scene was kind of peaceful for me. I mean, he has lived a long full life. He has had time to be with the woman he loves, see how his children have grown, feel the glory of success and chase his dreams. So, in that last scene, I could see peace in his face. If he dies after that, at least he has had the chance to live a long full life. But things are different for Jack. He is just a boy. His life hasn't even started. If he has to die that day, that means all the dreams, the joy, the glory and everything that he could have experienced in his life die too. Seeing him sob next to his dad and say, "We're going to die here today," is unbearably painful. It's just cruel. The last look on his face still haunts me until now.</div>
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<b>Rating: 3,5/5</b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-62963913077644875282017-07-08T20:44:00.000-07:002017-07-08T20:44:30.651-07:00Say Hello (Again) to Your Friendly Neighborhood Superhero: My Review of Spider-Man: Homecoming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Another month, another superhero movie. After Wonder Woman smashed the box office with her lasso last month, now it's Spider-Man's turn to swing himself to the top of the box office charts. Yes, your friendly neighborhood hero is back with another whole new cast, another director and another story. As you all might have known, Marvel Studios managed to bring back the rights to include Spidey in their movies a few years ago and decided to end <i>The Amazing Spider-Man</i> franchise and replace Andrew Garfield (*sob*) with a much younger actor, Tom Holland. So Spider-Man now lives in the Avengers universe.</div>
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When I first heard the news, I was speechless. As you know, I'm a huge fan of Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and their work in <i>The Amazing Spider-Man </i>films. I know the second movie didn't do very well but knowing that Andrew and Emma were recast was heartbreaking. Tom Holland managed to convince me that the role of Spider-Man is in good hands when he made a special appearance in <i>Captain America: Civil War</i>, though. His Spidey is funny, charming, adorable, a little bit too chatty and so <i>young</i> and made me fall in love. As I walked out of the theater that played <i>Civil War</i>, I decided that I would go and see Tom Holland's Spider-Man movie when it comes out. The highly anticipated <i>Spider-Man: Homecoming</i> was released in Indonesia on July 5th. It is directed by Jon Watts. Tom Holland is accompanied by, the Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei, Zendaya, Michael Keaton and many more.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://media.comicbook.com/2016/12/spider-man-homecoming-stills-216842.jpg" height="348" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I always l love seeing Spider-Man sitting on the top of a building with a view of his city like this.<br />
Source: <i>comicbook.com</i></td></tr>
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Before I start writing down what I think about the movie, I want you to understand that everything you'll read below is my opinion. If you disagree with what I think, it is totally fine, but please don't attack me. And this review contains spoilers.</div>
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So yeah, I've seen <i>Spider-Man: Homecoming </i>and I have a mixed feeling about it. I don't think it's a terrible movie, but I don't think it lives up to my expectations. There are things that I really like about the film, but there are other things that I don't like too. So I'm going to list those things below because I find it difficult to cram them in paragraphs.</div>
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<b>The things I like:</b></div>
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1, Tom Holland. Tom's version of Spidey is definitely the cutest, the funniest and the most adorable version of the hero. I think he should form an Adorable Superhero Club with Grant Gustin's The Flash and Melissa Benoist's Supergirl hahaha. Tom's Spidey definitely matches his title as the friendly neighborhood superhero. I like that he's so young, so inexperienced, and so eager to prove himself. A lot of people say that this Spidey is very close to the one they remember from the comics. I never read the comics so I can't say anything about it. And Tom basically leads this mega blockbuster movie by himself as he dominates the whole movie. That is pretty impressive for me.</div>
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2. The teenagers. In the comics and the films, Peter and his gang are always seen as high schoolers, at least at the beginning. However, let's be honest, the actors who portray Peter and his friends in the previous films were way too old for the roles. Things are different in <i>Homecoming</i>. Peter and his classmates actually look like teenagers here. I don't think any of the actors who portray the teenagers are older than 25 years old (Tom Holland just turned 21 before the film was released). The film spends a lot of time following Peter at school, which allows us to really see him as a teenage boy. They even make Peter a vlogger, which is so millenial hahaha. I like this because it makes the characters more believable. It's also kind of funny to see Peter paired with Tony Stark here. He looks like a baby compared to Uncle Tony hahaha.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Related image" height="224" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/c95a5cc08463b58594ef1e12d8dc054a/tumblr_inline_ojqzo4zhqP1uoxva1_500.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aren't these teenage boys cute?<br />Source: <i>tumblr.com</i></td></tr>
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3. Vulture's backstory. At the beginning of the movie, we can see how Vulture's business is ruined by the Avengers' pride. Vulture aka Adrian Toomes has made a deal to clean up a mess caused by the Avengers' encounter with their enemies, with a lot of money and many families' financial security at stake, but a team formed by Tony comes and takes over the gig without caring about what will happen to those worker if they get unemployed. This makes Vulture hate the Avengers and swear to create weapons that can match the Avengers' weapons for their own benefit. I think it's interesting how Marvel addresses this issue about what happens after those heroes finish their big final fights against their enemies. Who cleans up the mess? How many people get hurt or even die because of that? Are you a hero if you destroy the things around you while you're fighting the bad guys? I would love to see those things get explored. Unfortunately the issue is only used as Vulture's backstory here but hopefuly it will be explored deeper in the upcoming films. Probably in <i>Infinity War</i>? They already started touching on that in <i>Civil War,</i> right? With all that superhero identification thingy?<br />
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4. The diverse cast. <i>Homecoming</i> features many people of color. They even put people of color in roles that are traditionally given to white people, like the roles of Flash Thompson the bully and Liz the popular girl. I think this is a great thing. It would be cooler if they can make people of color the leads, though. The main protagonist and the main antagonist are still white people here, right? But they're going to do that in the upcoming Black Panther movie, which is super exciting.<br />
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5. The <i>Star Wars</i> reference. You know how much I love <i>Star Wars</i>, right? I even love people who love <i>Star Wars </i>too hahaha. In <i>Homecoming</i>, Peter and his buddy Ned are seen as <i>Star Wars </i>fans who spend their afternoons building Lego Death Star together. So yeah, I love you, Peter and Ned. And I just realized that <i>Star Wars</i> and the Marvel heroes are now under the same company which is Disney. So it's like they are in the same family. Isn't that crazy?<br />
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6. The humor. <i>Spider-Man: Homecoming</i> is probably the funniest superhero movie I've ever seen. I think it can even be classified as a comedy. It is really fun and refreshing to watch.<br />
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7. Karen. She is the voice that represents Peter's sophisticated costume. Our good boy Peter is really sweet to her and treats her like a real lady, which is fun to watch. Peter's scenes with Karen reminds me of the movie <i>Her</i> hahaha. I thought it wasScarlett Johansson, aka Black Widow aka the iconic voice in <i>Her</i>, who lends her voice for this part but it turns out that the actress who voices Karen is Jennifer Connelly, aka Betty Ross in Ang Lee's <i>Hulk</i> aka the wife of Paul Bettany, who plays Vision in the Avengers films and voices Tony's computer assistant in the Iron Man films. What an Easter Egg, huh?<br />
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8. The second post-credit scene. After the film is done, you need to wait until the end credit finishes because there are two post-credit scenes. You have to wait for a pretty long time for the second one but, trust me, it's worth the wait. The second post-credit scene is a hilarious one. The way Marvel makes fun of itself using that scene is just genius.<br />
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<b>The things I don't like:</b><br />
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1. Lack of emotional connections. One of the things that make me love the previous Spider-Man films is how they allowed me to feel what Peter feels. You can call me sensitive, sentimental or whatever you want but I adore films that allow me to connect with the characters and feel what they feel, experience things from their points of view. This film is fun but it doesn't make me feel anything at all. I think the way Peter is portrayed (you know, underestimated but eager to prove himself) gives a lot of room to develop emotional scenes, but the film tries to be cheerful and funny all the time instead. In the previous films, Peter has a beautiful and close relationship with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, but I didn't see that in this film at all. Marisa Tomei's Aunt May doesn't even have much to say and contribution throughout the movie. The relationship between Peter and Tony would be interesting to watch, if they realy want to make it about the Avengers, but Tony is just being the rich and more experienced superhero who is too busy to listen to our lovely Peter most of the time. It's annoying to see Peter being ignored and underestimated by Tony, and Happy, like that. I personally think Peter should have defended himself harder when Tony scolds him after the boat incident. That will make things, you know, more emotional, which I would like haha.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="266" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjIwMTE3NzUzM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODMxMzY4MTI@._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy and Tony and Peter<br />
Source: <i>imdb.com</i></td></tr>
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2. Lack of familiar characters. Peter Parker is always associated with some other iconic characters from the comics like Aunt May, Unce Ben, Mary-Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn, Green Goblin, etc. However, among those names that I mentioned, only two are featured in the movie. Peter does address Uncle Ben's death one time, but the uncle's name is not even mentioned. Instead of those characters, we get a bunch of unfamiliar characters like Liz and Ned. I know they are also from the comics and it's always nice to see some fresh faces but, man, I want Gwen and Harry and Green Goblin and all those characters! I hope they will include those characters in the upcoming sequels.<br />
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4. Peter's powers. I feel like Peter's powers that come from the spider's bite, you know, his Spidey sense that likes to tingle, are not seen much in this film. Instead we see more of what his sophisticated costume from Tony can do. I hope they will show us more of what Peter can do with his own powers in the future.<br />
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<b>Like or dislike?</b><br />
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1. Zendaya's performance. Teen idol Zendaya plays Michelle in <i>Spider-Man: Homecoming</i>, a girl who turns out be <b>SPOILER ALERT</b> our new MJ aka Mary-Jane Watson. I know she might be prepared for a much bigger role in the upcoming sequels but, man, she really does nothing in this film. What she contributes to the storyline is no bigger than what Stan Lee's cameo performance does to it. She really needs to be given more screen time in the next films. She is going to be interesting to watch because she is totally different from the Mary-Jane that we know from the Tobey Maguire version. Her physical appearance is certainly different from Kirsten Dunst's MJ, but it's not a problem for me. Her character description is the one that interests me, because here our MJ is like the female version of Jughead Jones from <i>Riverdale</i> hahaha. I hope we'll see more of her in future films. <b>SPOILER ENDS</b><br />
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So that's what I think about the second reboot of <i>Spider-Man</i>. For me it is not a perfect movie, but it is definitely fun to watch. Go swing yourself to the theaters and watcch <i>Spider-Man: Homecoming</i>!<br />
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<b>Rating: 3,5/5</b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-61002462129933813622017-06-08T02:09:00.000-07:002017-06-08T02:09:28.939-07:00The Rise of the Warrior Princess: My Review of Wonder Woman<div style="text-align: justify;">
When was the last time you saw a film that is led by a superheroine? Probably in 2005 since it is the year when <i>Elektra</i>, the last female-led superhero film, was released. Now, after nearly two decades, we're finally getting another superheroine movie. This time, our heroine is not just another comic book character. In fact, she is probably the most popular female superhero ever. Yup, she is Princess Diana of Themyscira aka the wonderful Wonder Woman.</div>
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After being introduced to the audience in <i>Batman vs Superman</i>, Wonder Woman is finally getting her own movie. This movie features Diana's origin story, which has never been explored in other films before. Set in the era of World War I, Princess Diana lives peacefully with her people (who are all women) in an uncharted island that is hidden from mankind. Young Diana grows into a warrior who has the desire to use her powers to help and save the world. When a man named Steve Trevor accidentally lands on her island and tells her about the terrible war that is going on outside her island, Diana can't resist her desire and decides to go to the war and fulfill her destiny.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonder Woman and her gang<br />
Source: <i>www.imdb.com</i></td></tr>
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<i>Wonder Woman</i> is directed by Patty Jenkins with (the insanely beautiful and gorgeous) Gal Gadot playing the titular role. Chris Pine plays Diana's love interest Steve Trevor. Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright and David Thewlis also have supporting roles in this film.</div>
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Before I start elaborating my thoughts about this movie, I would like to let you know that this review contains spoiler. There are some important revelations in the film that majorly affect my opinions about it so I just have to talk about them.</div>
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Before I saw <i>Wonder Woman</i>, I expected the film to be so focused on the fact that its lead is a woman. I thought seeing this movie would make me want to go back to my Muay Thai sessions and kick some ass. However, things turned out to be a little different. <i>Wonder Woman</i> doesn't emphasize on the fact that Diana is a female hero. Instead, it focuses more on the fact that she is a human being who has such a pure, innocent heart. Just like Patty Jenkins said, this film is a about a hero trying to be a hero. I adore this because it shows that women are just human beings who, just like men, have their own journey, can be strong, experience loss, are able to love, can be consumed by anger, etc. She is such a universal character that can make everyone, whether they are men or women, feel related to her. Her story shows that, no matter who you are, a man or a woman, you can be heroes as long as you have it in you. If you're strong, then you're strong and your gender shouldn't affect that fact. I think this is a great and important message to deliver because, based on my experience, people still tend to see other human beings based on their gender. For example, when a man has a successful career, he will be seen as someone who is admirable and desirable, especially by women. In contrast, when the one who has a successful career is a woman, she will be seen as an intimidating figure by men. I think that needs to change, and this film helps bring that change.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Related image" height="256" src="https://fsmedia.imgix.net/a1/44/75/48/993b/4ea7/bb2d/cb122a184d47/wwladdergif.gif?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=640&gifq=35" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the most badass moments from the movie<br />
Source: <i>www.inverse.com</i></td></tr>
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I spoke to some of my friends about the movie and they think it takes too much time telling Diana's backstory, which makes them feel a bit bored when watching the film. I agree that this film really takes its time to build the characters, but I disagree that it makes the film feel boring. In fact I'm happy with that. I'm glad that the story isn't rushed and that they didn't give Diana the costume and make her Wonder Woman right at the beginning of the film. Her backstory allowed me to understand her and made her debut as Wonder Woman feel monumental because, at that moment, I felt like I've known her and had a connection with her. It's also great that they don't put too many references from other superhero films in the DC Extended Universe here, like many other superhero films these days. It's her movie, so yeah, let <i>her</i> shine! Bruce Wayne and his gang from Justice League can wait until their movie comes out.</div>
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Playing such an iconic character is not an easy task, but Gal Gadot did that phenomenally in W<i>onder Woman</i>. She is the perfect person to play Diana. As her co-stars state, she is a combination of beauty, tenderness, intelligence and strength, just like Diana herself. Those qualities that she possesses shine through her performance in the movie, which makes the character even more lovable. Chris Pine, who plays Steve Trevor, also wins my heart. I was truly devastated to see his character (SPOILER ALERT) gets killed at the end. I know his death gives depth to his relationship with Diana, but seeing Chris Pine die was just painful hahaha. Gal and Chris have great chemistry as well. Seeing them learn from each other is just really sweet. However, the best thing about their relationship for me is the way Steve supports Diana embrace her powers. He surely always tries to be a gentleman, but he also lets her stop a bullet for him, go attacking their enemies before he does and save the world because he knows she is capable of doing all of that. He doesn't get intimidated by Diana's awesomeness but adores her for that instead. I just wish there are more men like Steve in real life hahaha.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for diana and steve wonder woman gif" height="192" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/55042feed835ad35c64504260c709575/tumblr_oqkqz7ws5k1r2aobgo4_500.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve' reaction when Diana asks him to stay back<br />
Source: <i>CandyMag.com</i></td></tr>
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The only thing about this film that I don't like is what they do to end the Ares story. (SPOILER ALERT) When Diana gets startled by the fact that the war doesn't stop even though she has killed Ludendorff, the man she assumed is Ares, the moment is perfect. It really sends the message that Steve also tries to tell Diana; that Ares doesn't really exist and lives in the dark parts of people's hearts instead. I think it's a really deep message. However, the embodiment of Ares suddenly appears in the form of David Thewlis after that. I love David Thewlis but I think his character really ruins the message. The great thing about the climax is that they separate Diana's battle against Ares and Steve and his gang's battle against the Germans. So Diana fights in her own battle of the Gods while Steve saves the day from human-made deadly gas.<br />
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The blog post is getting too long, so I think I'll stop here haha. The conclusion is, I think <i>Wonder Woman</i> is great. Maybe it's not for everyone, as some people find it boring and weird, but I still think it's great.<br />
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<b>Rating : 4/5</b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-79326957623482354112017-05-30T02:22:00.000-07:002017-05-30T02:22:19.938-07:00Through the Eyes of Criminals: Thoughts on The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter by Malcolm MacKay<div style="text-align: justify;">
Earlier this month, I went to the annual Big Bad Wolf Indonesia event in BSD City, Tangerang. In case you don't know, it is an annual book bazaar in Indonesia where books are sold with insanely low prices. This year's event was the second time the event was held. I went there with my friend Nofi on the first day of May. Unlike last year, I was really prepared for the book hunt this year haha. I prepared enough cash in my wallet (they only accept payment using cards issued by certain banks and my card isn't from any of those banks...) and made a list of books that I would want to buy.</div>
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As I haven't been in the mood for romantic stories, I thought it might be good for me to buy some crime or mystery books. So I did a research and came up with some titles and went on a book hunt. I ended up buying five books that day, and all of them involve murders and deaths hahaha.<br />
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One of the books that I bought at BBW is <i>The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter</i>, written by Malcolm MacKay. The book is the first installment in the Glasgow trilogy. The story takes place in Glasgow and takes its readers to the criminal world of the city. A huge criminal organization hires a freelance hitman named Calum MacLean to kill a drug dealer named Lewis Winter, who is believed to be a potential threat for the organization. While reading this book, readers will be able to see what happens before, during and after the murder through the eyes of the people involved in it, who mostly are in the criminal world.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOVhYDTdl3pTEbH0NdqkcsO9JLuZ5z4xiO9cNVy8G1akWAVln8McPTbG1JMJuLczrGslx2T1Gwh6MLfRJPdfocsoYtsADsyTCWN9EoNdV5CSTKOq0Jh1Ge9kMUmPUw0Vu0n-q6jUFEzsi/s1600/P_20170529_172219_BF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOVhYDTdl3pTEbH0NdqkcsO9JLuZ5z4xiO9cNVy8G1akWAVln8McPTbG1JMJuLczrGslx2T1Gwh6MLfRJPdfocsoYtsADsyTCWN9EoNdV5CSTKOq0Jh1Ge9kMUmPUw0Vu0n-q6jUFEzsi/s320/P_20170529_172219_BF.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The most surprising thing about the book that I found is how it could make murder feel so... casual. The main character of the story, Calum, is a hitman who sees killing as nothing but his job. In fact, he even sees it as a career path. He repeatedly admits that it still makes him feel nervous, but he doesn't feel guilty about it at all. It is just strange to see it that way because I personally see nothing justifiable about killing people. However, I find this interesting at the same time. It got me thinking, what if your talent, the thing that you were born to do, is killing other people like Calum?</div>
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Besides Calum, the book also takes readers into the lives of criminals and police officers. From this story, I learned how unsettling their lives are. The criminals like Jamieson, Young and Calum constantly feel worried about their safety because they might get caught by the police, be betrayed by their partners or get shot by a hitman sent by their rivals at anytime. Life is also frustrating for the police because it turns out to be so difficult to reveal the truth behind a crime as people can be quite manipulative. Again, I find this surprising and interesting. I feel like I went to a different life through this book.</div>
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Among the male characters that dominate this book, there is one female character that stole my attention: Zara Cope. Zara is definitely not a lovable woman. She is manipulative and opportunistic, but also beautiful, smart and fragile. She only thinks about herself; she even abandons her own daughter. She lies and constantly hides the truth to protect herself. However, she admits that she cares about Winter while nobody else does. It is also crazy to see how she gets through the brutal police investigation all by herself with no one to trust, which shows how strong she is. She is just complicated. If she returns in the next two books in the trilogy, I bet her journey would even more intriguing to follow.</div>
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So, I'm definitely going to buy the sequels of <i>Lewis Winter</i>. This book seems like the opening of a much bigger story, so I definitely must check out the rest of the series.</div>
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<b>Rating: 4/5</b><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-40483043919531833102017-04-24T05:45:00.002-07:002017-04-24T05:45:51.897-07:00My New Favorite Show: The CW's Riverdale<span style="text-align: justify;">Although a lot of people at work still call me "Miss Teenager" because I do look like a kid from high school and I am one of the youngest people at work, I'm technically not a teenager anymore. I'm turning 25 in a few weeks, which means I'm totally an adult. However, I just can't stop watching teen TV shows! Hahahaha. Now that my favorite teen shows are on hiatus, I'm desperate to find a new one to binge-watch. I've been hearing a lot about Netflix's </span><i style="text-align: justify;">13 Reasons Why</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> and The CW's </span><i style="text-align: justify;">Riverdale</i><span style="text-align: justify;">. Since I am in the mood for some murder mysteries and feel like I've been watching (and involved in hahaha) too much drama lately, I decided to watch the latter one first.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>imdb.com</i></td></tr>
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<i>Riverdale</i> is an American drama series that starts its first season earlier this year. It airs a new episode every Thursday (USA time, Friday in Indonesia) on The CW. The characters in this show are based on characters from <i>Archie Comics.</i> The story takes place in a small town called Riverdale and begins when the town gets startled by the mysterious death of its golden boy, Jason Blossom. After the news are spread, the main characters come back from their summer holiday with their own secrets and somehow get connected to Jason's death, which turns out to be a murder. The murder mystery is not the only thing that keeps the story going as some teen issues are also featured in it. So, as the creator describes it, this show is basically a mix of <i>Gossip Girl </i>and <i>Twin Peaks</i>.</div>
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So, I've seen the first two episodes of <i>Riverdale</i> and I am OBSESSED. The premise of the show is not new at all, (I personally think it's very similar to Freeform's <i>Pretty Little Liars) </i>but it is always fun to play detectives and try to find out who's the killer, right?<i> </i>Another aspect that makes <i>Riverdale</i> so addicting to me is the characters. The characters have strong personalities that are different from one another, which make each character very memorable and iconic. So, because I love the characters so much, I'm going to introduce you to my favorite ones.</div>
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<b>1. Archie Andrews</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for archie andrews riverdale" height="213" src="https://heavyeditorial.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/rvd102c_0531b1.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>Heavy.com</i></td></tr>
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Archibald "Archie" Andrews is a sophomore at Riverdale High School. At the beginning of the first season, he just comes back from his summer holiday, which is filled with construction work that he does for his dad's company. He comes back to his small town as a different person as he brings some secrets with him. The secrets include his affair with his music teacher, Miss Grundy, and some crucial information about Jason's death that he can't reveal without endangering himself. Archie is a long-time best friend of Betty Cooper, who is secretly in love with him. He also has complicated friendships with Jughead Jones and the new girl, Veronica Lodge. Archie is portrayed by KJ Apa.</div>
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Archie's status as a member of the school's football team and his physical appearance (Veronica once describes him as "the red-haired Ansel Elgort") will make you think he's the popular boy type, but based on what I've seen so far, he's so much more than that. He seems like a guy who always wants to do the right thing. I also like the fact that he struggles to express his real passion for music to other people because people don't expect that from someone like him, which makes him such a complex character. He's definitely relatable and likeable, and kind of cute as well hahaha. I feel a bit guilty for having a crush on Archie because he must be around sixteen right now and KJ, the actor, is only nineteen years old at the moment. So young! I feel old...</div>
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<b>2. Betty Cooper</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/riverdalearchie/images/e/e3/Promotional_Photo_Betty_Cooper.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/350?cb=20170106233944" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image result for betty cooper riverdale" border="0" height="320" src="https://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/riverdalearchie/images/e/e3/Promotional_Photo_Betty_Cooper.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/350?cb=20170106233944" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>riverdale.wikia.com</i></td></tr>
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Elizabeth "Betty" Cooper is also a sophomore at Riverdale High School. She has been friends with Archie for a long time and secretly loves him. She is also friends with Kevin Keller, Veronica and, later this season, has a romantic relationship with Jughead. Betty has a sister named Polly, who is Jason Blossom's ex-girlfriend and currently lives in a group home due to a mental breakdown that she experiences after a toxic relationship with Jason. With Polly staying at the group home, Betty becomes the only child in her home. Betty's mother really pushes her to be perfect at every aspect in her life, which gets Betty frustrated sometimes. Based on what I've seen in the first two episodes, Betty seems to have problems with controlling her emotions as well. Betty is played by Lili Reinhart.</div>
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When I first saw Betty, I felt instantly connected to her. I can see a bit of myself in her. A girl who always tries to please everybody and be perfect at everything? Man, that is totally me, although I fail so many times hahaha. I can totally relate to what happens with Betty and Archie's friendship as well haha. Her controlling emotions issues are quite interesting. I have a feeling that, one day, she might explode and turn evil because she has kept all her feelings for herself for too long. Let's just see...</div>
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<b>3. Veronica Lodge</b></div>
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Veronica is a new girl in town when we first meet her. She has just moved from New York to Riverdale with her mom after her rich father gets arrested for being a fraud. When she first arrives at Riverdale High School, she becomes friends with Betty, Archie and Kevin. Her relationship with Betty and Archie soon becomes complicated as Veronica and Archie seem to be attracted to one another, making Betty jealous. However, Veronica tries really hard to keep her new friendship with Betty. She tells Betty that she wants to be someone who is better than a rich bitch she used to be. Another interesting fact about Veronica is that her mom used to date Archie's dad, Fred, before she decided to "choose the rich kid", who is Veronica's dad. Camila Mendes plays Veronica in <i>Riverdale.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for veronica lodge you wanted fire" height="195" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/13ffedec3965edcb4dd7e5e9566f5b5e/tumblr_okla67zyGw1vp8sbno2_500.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"You wanted fire? Sorry, Cheryl Bombshell, my speciality is ice."</i><br />
Source: <i>Tumblr</i></td></tr>
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Veronica seems like a very cool, badass girl. You can see how savage she is from the GIF above. That makes me like her a lot. It would be interesting to see more about her past, when she was the icy rich bitch like Cheryl Blossom (Jason's twin sister, we'll get to her soon). She is very stylish as well. She likes to wear fancy dresses, high heels and carry cute bags. Her black hair and eyebrows and her red lips make her stand out. Sometimes she reminds me of Blair Waldorf from <i>Gossip Girl.</i></div>
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<b>4. Jughead Jones</b><br />
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His real name is Forsythe Pendleton Jones III but his nickname is simply Jughead. Like all the main characters of the series, he goes to Riverdale High School as a sophomore. Jughead acts as the narrator of the series as he is also writing a novel about Jason's murder mystery. Jughead has been friends with Archie for a long time but, at the beginning of the series, their friendship seems like it's not in a good place. Probably because Archie has grown to be more like the popular boy type while Jughead is more like the loner, outsider type. I haven't seen the episode yet, but Jughead describes himself as a weirdo who doesn't fit in and doesn't want to fit in in one episode. Jughead is portrayed by Cole Sprouse. Yes, Cole Sprouse aka Cody from Disney's <i>The Suite Life of Zack and Cody</i>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for jughead jones sardonic humor is my way" src="https://media.tenor.co/images/3f0c89af3b37a681ec2e259e1c126647/tenor.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>www.hercampus.com</i></td></tr>
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Jughead is probably the most talked about character from <i>Riverdale</i>. I've been hearing and seeing a lot of articles about him lately. Jughead reminds me of Stiles Stilinski from <i>Teen Wolf.</i> Like Stiles, Jughead is not the popular boy type, sarcastic and has a unique nickname. Jughead is a bit darker and weirder than Stiles, though. His weirdness and darkness might make it easy for people to have suspicion on him. We haven't seen a lot from him in the first two episodes, but, judging from his popularity among the fans, there will be more from Jughead in the next episodes.</div>
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<b>5. Cheryl Blossom</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for cheryl blossom riverdale photoshoot" height="320" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ef/bb/22/efbb224566d1764c76ed2d3f6f979501.jpg" style="cursor: move; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="211" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>id.pinterest.com</i></td></tr>
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Cheryl Blossom is the mean girl of the series. She's beautiful, stylish, rich, the captain of the cheerleader squad and, as Blair Waldorf used to say in <i>Gossip Girl</i>, the bitch around here in Riverdale. Cheryl is also the twin sister of Jason, the murder victim. Cheryl claims that, on the 4th of July, the day Jason went missing, they both went to the Sweetwater River for a boat ride. Before the Boy Scouts found her alone on the river's edge, Cheryl states that her glove fell into the water and Jason tried to take it back for her, but fell and drowned. Her story about her brother's tragedy makes Cheryl even more popular than before, and she, weirdly, seems to be enjoying it. Cheryl has a complicated relationship with Betty and her family, as their families have a dark history. Cheryl is played by Madelaine Petsch.</div>
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When I first saw Cheryl with Jason (who, I just realized, looks like a young Eddie Redmayne hahaha) in the first scene, I immediately screamed "Lydia!" because she looks a lot like Lydia Martin from <i>Teen Wolf</i>. I instantly hated her because she is just so mean and manipulative, but characters like this are always interesting to watch, eh? To me, Cheryl is the most suspicious character. I think she might be the one who killed Jason.</div>
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So, are you already a fan of <i>Riverdale</i>? Or maybe you're interested to start watching it now? Make sure you don't miss its new episode every Thursday (or, in my case, Friday)!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-61812466640846419032017-03-24T20:40:00.000-07:002017-03-24T20:40:15.845-07:00Reliving the Tale as Old as Time: Thoughts on Beauty and the Beast<div style="text-align: justify;">
Two years ago, Disney released its first live-action version of its own classic princess film, <i>Cinderella, </i>and received great success. The film, directed by Kenneth Brannagh, is critically acclaimed and brought a lot of profit to the company. I personally love the film as well because I think it really is lovely, beautiful and somehow refreshing and traditional at the same time. My favorite part of it is the adorable chemistry between the two lead actors, Lily James and Richard Madden. It's just so amazing. So, just like every Disney princess fan in the world, I was really excited about Disney's second live-action princess movie, <i>Beauty and the Beast. </i>I had such high expectations.</div>
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In case you don't know, <i>BATB</i> is led by everyone's favorite girl Emma Watson. She, of course, plays Belle, the Beauty. She is joined by Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Emma Thompson and so many other famous actors who play the iconic characters from the original animated film. Bill Condon, whose previous projects include the final installments of <i>The Twilight Saga, </i>is the director of the film.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for beauty and the beast banner 2017" src="http://img02.deviantart.net/3feb/i/2017/018/3/2/new_beauty_and_the_beast__2017__banner_poster_by_artlover67-davww9h.jpg" height="313" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>http://artlover67.deviantart.com</i></td></tr>
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I don't mean to compare <i>BATB</i> with <i>Cinderella </i>but I have to say that I love the latter one more. However, that doesn't mean <i>BATB</i> is a bad movie. </div>
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<i>BATB</i> really stays true to the original movie, the animated one. The costumes are very similar to the ones in the 1991 film. They also use the songs that are featured in the original film. They even keep the original storyline for this film too. This is great, especially if you are one of those people who demand adaptations to stay true to the original versions, because the original story is really good. However, it makes the movie too familiar and predictable. I was hoping for something that can make the story still faithful to the original one, but deeper. Maybe they should show more interactions between Belle and the Beast, or maybe more glimpses of the Beast's life before he gets cursed. Unfortunately we didn't get that.</div>
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Some other things in the movie that annoy me are the scene where Belle takes her father's place in the Beast's castle and the <i>Be Our Guest </i>sequence. I find the first scene that I mentioned quite strange. It might work in the animated film but it doesn't really make sense when you put it in a live-action film. Meanwhile, the second scene is a bit too long and cartoonish for me. I know it's such an iconic song but that's just how I felt when I was watching.<br />
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Now let's move on to the good side!<br />
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Emma Watson is crazy beautiful as Belle in this film. From the moment she first appears on the screen until the end of the film, she always manages to stun with her beauty. Her singing voice is suprisingly good as well. Her version of Belle makes me feel related to her in the same way that Belle in the animated film did. Belle loves books, wants more that other people have got planned and can't help but adoring men who love books haha. Emma really is the perfect Belle.<br />
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I really wish I could see more of Dan Stevens in his human form in the future. He seems like a talented actor but I couldn't really "see" him here. Maybe I should start watching his new TV show <i>Legion</i>. Luke Evans successfully brings Gaston to life in this film. His Gaston is just so nasty and makes me hate that character so much (this is a compliment). Josh Gad's Lefou is hilarious and the way he acts reminds me of Olaf in <i>Frozen </i>hahaha. Maybe because Josh is the man behind those two characters.<br />
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Just like all Disney princess films, <i>BATB</i> makes me so mushy. The ballroom dance sequence makes me smile like an idiot hahaha. It just awakens every girl's fantasy to be a princess and wear a pretty gown and dance with a prince. As I grow older, I've started to become so pessimistic about love and relationships, but films like <i>BATB</i> and <i>Cinderella </i>make me believe in the beauty of love again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for beauty and the beast photos" src="http://digitalspyuk.cdnds.net/16/45/768x1023/gallery-1478512906-beauty-and-the-beast-movie.jpg" height="400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just love seeing this dreamy photo of Belle and the Beast<br />
Source: <i>http://www.digitalspy.com</i></td></tr>
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Last but not least, the songs. The song whose title is also used as the film's title is currently stuck in my head. I was surprised when I realized that I still remember the lyrics! Among the new songs that are especially written for the live-action version, my favorite is <i>How Does a Moment Last Forever? </i>Parts of it are sung in the film by the actors while Celine Dion sings the one played during the (stunning) end credit. The song is just so beautiful.<br />
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So, <i>BATB</i> is not a great, Oscar-worthy movie, but it is quite fun to watch. It will make you forget all your problems and frustration for a while, smile and sing the iconic songs over and over.<br />
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The next live-action princess films that are in the works are <i>Mulan </i>and<i> Aladdin. </i>The latter is one of my favorite Disney animated films, so I'm very excited to see it. I'll happily wait for it while playing the songs from <i>BATB </i>until the replay button breaks haha.<br />
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<b>Rating: 3/5</b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-50329688783479321822017-02-26T01:57:00.002-08:002017-02-26T01:57:51.119-08:00Following The Lion's Long Way Home: Thoughts on Lion<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Lion </i>is the fourth film from this year's Best Picture nominee list that I've seen. The great thing about these Oscar-nominated films is that they're all very good and won't disappoint you, but they will also turn your little hearts into a mess with their greatness. <i>Lion </i>is no different. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="266" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDU0MGQxNDMtNDc5ZC00OTM4LWE0ZmQtNDJmZDIwMjU1ZjEzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTExNDQ2MTI@._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the moving scenes in <i>Lion, </i>featuring Dev Patel and Priyanka Bose<br />(Source: <i>imdb.com</i>)</td></tr>
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<i>Lion </i>is based on an extraordinary true story of Saroo Brierley. When Saroo was just a little boy in India (played by the very cute and talented Sunny Pawar), he got separated from his family after accidentally taken by a train to a place that was far away from his home. The boy had to stay alive alone for a pretty long time before he got adopted by an Australian couple (played by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham). Years later, adult Saroo (Dev Patel), who had built a new life with his adoptive family, began to remember the life he had forgotten and intended to find his way home.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>www.gramunion.com</i></td></tr>
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When I first read the synopsis of this film, I wondered why it was entitled <i>Lion</i>. Now, after seeing it, I think the title is perfect for the story. It turns out that Saroo had mispelled his own name. His name is Sheru, not Saroo, and the meaning of the name is lion. Before seeing the film, I also thought that it would focus on Saroo's search for his biological family, but it turns out that it is about Saroo, the lion, himself. It is about the traumatic experience that he has had, the way it haunts him, his longing for his family, his mother... So, this film really is about a lion, and Saroo is the lion. </div>
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<i>Lion</i> feels like two different movies merged into one. The first half of the film centers on little Saroo and his long struggle to stay alive after being separated from his family while the second half follows adult Saroo and his search for home. I think it's great that they make it that way because that must be how the real Saroo feels about his life too. His childhood, his life with his family must feel like something that is separated from his new life to Saroo. </div>
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As beautifully said by Park in the novel <i>Eleanor and Park</i>, a piece of art can make you feel something. <i>Lion</i> makes me feel like a mother. Seeing little Saroo alone in unknown, and sometimes dangerous, places, feeling hungry, scared, missing his mother and brother is just unbearable. All I want to do is taking care of him, making sure he's okay and safe, like a mother. When Sue, Nicole Kidman's character, helps him clean himself in the bathroom and tells him lovingly that she will always listen to him, my heart feels warm. I think that scene really captures a mother's love for her children. I'm not a mother but the depiction of a mother's love in this film really touches me. Maybe it's because I work with children every day haha. After seeing this film, I've been thinking a lot about being a mother. I've never been sure about getting married, but now I know that I want to be a mother. And when I do, I really hope I could be a great one. Oh yeah, that's how deep this film touches me.</div>
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Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman got nominated in the Best Supporting Actor and Actress categories in so many award shows this year, and I think they both truly deserve it. Everyone knows that Nicole is a brilliant actress, so it's not a surprise. For Dev, I think it's time for him to be recognized more because he's such a fantastic actor. The scene-stealer in this film is definitely Sunny Pawar. He's just super cute and lovable and amazing. I think I could just watch him do anything all day because he's just so adorable. Rooney Mara also delivers a great performance here. She doesn't have much screen time but there's something about her character that makes me want to know more about her life, her story. She seems like a smart and interesting person. If there is a movie about Rooney's character, I would definitely watch it. Another unforgettable character is Guddu, Saroo's big brother. I feel really sorry about what has happened to him. I really wish Saroo could reunite with him.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rooney Mara's character is not based on a real person, but her scenes with Dev Patel's Saroo are always captivating<br />(Source: <i>AZCentral.com</i>)</td></tr>
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Lastly, the film is visually stunning. It features some beautiful landscapes that can be found in India and Australia, filmed from the sky. If you like to travel or see beautiful views, I'm sure you'll enjoy the views featured in this film.</div>
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So, the Oscars will be held tomorrow. I don't think <i>Lion </i>would dominate the award show, but its roar will always be heard in my heart. May the best ones win the Oscars tomorrow!</div>
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<b>Rating: 4,5/5</b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-77418477141902062182017-02-15T04:37:00.001-08:002017-02-15T04:37:49.731-08:00A War Hero and His Faith in God: Thoughts on Hacksaw Ridge<div style="text-align: justify;">
Today I have a day off because it's the election day in some cities in Indonesia, including Jakarta. If you live in Indonesia, I'm sure you're aware that the election and the candidates for the governor of Jakarta have been hot topics these days. I've tried to follow the news and conversations about the election and the candidates just to, you know, keep myself informed and updated, but I find it quite hard to do that. I'm the kind of person who avoids arguments and confrontations, while talks about the election mostly take the form of heated arguments that involve sensitive issues like religion and race. I always cringe whenever I read or see news about the election.</div>
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Last week, when people were anticipating the final debate of the candidates, I chose to watch <i>Hacksaw Ridge, </i>not the debate. I know it may seem like there is no relation between the film and the election at all, but after seeing it, I feel like this movie has a story that is very important and needs to be heard by those people who are involved in those heated arguments and fights.</div>
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<i>Hacksaw Ridge </i>is based on a true story of Desmond Doss, played by my favorite actor who is now an Oscar nominee, Andrew Garfield. As a religious man who, as his father says, needs to sit down, think and pray before doing anything, Desmond joins the army to serve his nation. However, he refuses to use any weapon and kill his enemies as his religion teaches him not to kill. This gives Desmond a rough time during his training and an even more brutal experience on the battlefield as he insists to save lives instead of taking them.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for hacksaw ridge stills" height="265" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kptKgn_go1A/WCFMKBgkUaI/AAAAAAAARg4/qZW73cTl8BUlSzyADQYmA2-dBWdfmHoUQCHM/s400/006-hacksaw-ridge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Academy Award nominee Andrew Garfield as Desmond Doss<br />
(Source: <i>www.thecoli.com)</i></td></tr>
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If you want to watch this film, you must know that this film contains very disturbing images that involve blood and body parts. Did I once say that <i>Rogue One </i>capture the harshness of wars? Well <i>Hacksaw </i>is on a higher level. The battle scenes are long and brutal. Luckily my friend Lia warned me about this before I saw this film, so I had the chance to prepare my heart and stomach first haha.</div>
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I know that some people think this films is a bit too dramatic, but I have to admit it really touches my heart. This film made me cry so much. I started crying five minutes into the film, I guess haha. There is a scene at the beginning, where deep regret slowly fills young Desmond's heart after he realizes that he almost kills his brother with a brick, that made me feel so connected to him. I could really feel him in that scene.</div>
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When Andrew Garfield takes over as adult Desmond, the connection that I felt didn't vanish. He has incredible scenes where he dramatically saves his wounded friends (75 of them) from a battlefield full of his nation's enemies alone. However, the scenes that really touched my heart are those where Desmond has these small talks with the people around him. The scene where he and Jack (Sam Worthington) talk as they're resting enables me to see Desmond from Jack's point of view. It made me think that Desmond is totally crazy and weird, but at the same time I realized that those qualities are the ones that make him different from others and admirable. The same thing happened whenever Desmond has scenes with his lady Dorothy (Teresa Palmer). Desmond's complex relationship with his dad (Hugo Weaving) is another emotional roller coaster. I couldn't hold my tears when Desmond tells the story of him holding a gun before his dad's head. He doesn't kill him but he says that he does kill him in his heart and swears that he will never use a rifle anymore after that. I cried with Hugo Weaving as he slides down the wall in front of his son in that scene. And then there is this scene where Desmond fails to save his friend Smitty (Luke Bracey) and has a breakdown. Smitty's last words ("I'm scared!") and Desmond's breakdown just gave me goosebumps. It's cool how Andrew is able to have such a strong chemistry with all his castmates. He is just amazing, like the amazing Spiderman (sorry I just can't help but adding this pathetic line hahaha).</div>
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After seeing this film, I spent some time thinking about it and realized that it is pretty relevant to the situation in my country right now. These days, a lot of people hate, fight and argue with each other when they try to defend their beliefs. There are people who hate those whose religions are different from theirs, and there are others who glorify their leader and see those who don't do the same as their enemies. It's just saddening, sickening and exhausting to see people hate and insult each other on a daily basis like that. When I saw Desmond in this film, I was stunned by how he could stay true to what he believes in without being aggresive at all. He shows me that we can fight with kindness and compassion as our weapons. He shows that strength and bravery that grow from kindness, compassion and faith in God are the greatest kinds of them. Desmond's story is a reminder that all religions teach kindness, not malice.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for hacksaw ridge gif" src="http://i.imgur.com/uUSLvkI.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"While everyone else is going to be taking life, I'm going to be saving it." - Desmond Doss<br />
(Source: <i>MovieNewsPlus.com)</i></td></tr>
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Besides that, I think this story also speaks to those who have been bullied by other people. I think all of us have experienced being laughed at because we do things a bit differently, being labeled as a weirdo, being told that we are ugly, wrong, pathetic, not good enough... Desmond has to face all of them too but he doesn't let that bring him down. I know it's not easy at all but, if you get bullied for being who you are, you should stay strong like Desmond because, as Desmond says, how are you going to live with yourself if you don't stay true to what you believe in?</div>
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So, <i>Hacksaw Ridge </i>feels like a very religious film for me. However, I think the message that it carries is universal and can be applied by anyone no matter what their religions or races are.</div>
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<b>Rating :4,5/5</b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-22593201016776853312017-01-28T20:08:00.002-08:002017-01-28T20:08:59.518-08:00Learn The Power of Language in Arrival<div style="text-align: justify;">
So many great movies these days, eh? I gave 5-out-of-5 ratings in my last three film reviews and now I'm about to give the fourth one to this critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated film, <i>Arrival</i>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner in <i>Arrival</i><br />
Source: <i>wegotthiscovered.com</i></td></tr>
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To read the synopsis of this film and some information about it, please read my older post <a href="http://lostinyourstories.blogspot.co.id/2016/12/get-ready-for-awards-season.html" target="_blank">here</a>. As I wrote in that post, Amy Adams leads the cast as Louise Banks, a language expert who is hired to translate the visiting aliens' language. Jeremy Renner plays Ian Donnelly, a science expert who works alongside Louise while Forest Whitaker plays a military guy who is tasked to figure out the aliens' intentions.</div>
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Like <i>La La Land</i>, this film's conclusion completely blows my mind. After seeing this film, I had to sit down for a long time in order to process the ending and recover from it. So this post contains spoilers because I just have to talk about the ending.</div>
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The one thing about <i>Arrival </i>that made me so eager to see this movie is the fact that this sci-fi film centers on a linguistics expert. I just have never seen a sci-fi movie that involves a linguistics expert. Films from this genre usually feature military guys, science experts and sometimes teenagers who are in the wrong place and the wrong time, not language experts. So I was so intrigued by the premise because I find it rare and unique. I really wanted to know how they would present a story of a language expert in a sci-fi world.</div>
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<i>Arrival</i> can be classified as a sci-fi movie, but if you expect to see an exhibition of CGI creatures and spaceship battles here, you will be disappointed because this film doesn't have any of that. <i>Arrival</i> does have aliens and spaceships, but it is the rare kind of sci-fi movies that drains not only your brain with its science elements, but also your heart with its intimate, deep story. It's kind of similar to Christopher Nolan's <i>Interstellar</i>.</div>
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As Amy Adams states in an interview, <i>Arrival </i>is basically a story of a mother who loves her daughter; a love letter from a mom to her daughter. Throughout the movie, we are made to believe that Louise is haunted by the memories of her deceased daughter, but at the end it is revealed that she doesn't know, or maybe I should say hasn't known, who that girl in her memories is. It is because the glimpses that she sees are from her future. Yes, Louise gets the ability to see her whole life, her past, present and future, because of the aliens' language that she learns during her mission. It turns out that the aliens' intention is to deliver a gift to the humans, which is their precious, unique language that gives anyone who has mastered it the ability to perceive time as something without beginnings and endings, like a loop. So, in the present time, Louise has already got the knowledge about what the aliens' purpose is, their language, how the problems that they are facing will be solved, that she and Ian will fall in love with each other, that they will have a daughter, that Ian will leave her and, the most heartbreaking one, that an incurable disease will kill her daughter at a young age. However, with all that knowledge, Louise chooses to cherish every moment in her life as if she didn't know the future. She still chooses to be with Ian and have and love her daughter with all her heart even though she knows she will lose them. This completely blows my mind and shatters my heart.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for arrival movie gif" src="https://bradscribe.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/dyuqositrcidpdbedqwn.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>https://bradscribe.wordpress.com/2016/11/16/arrival-the-bradscribe-review/</i></td></tr>
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I think the revelation hits me so hard because it instantly changes the way I perceive the story, just like the language alters the way Louise sees her life. It connects every moment in the film, clears all the confusion, concludes the story beautifully and sends its deep, meaningful message right into my helpless heart. I almost can't contain the feeling that the revelation brings. Besides its greatness, it is also totally unexpected. I expected mind-boggling science theories but I get this emotional story that gives me all the feels. Films that can make you feel so much like this one are what we call art.</div>
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Some people say that a great movie is a movie that can make the audience feel related to its characters. <i>Arrival</i> makes me feel related to its main character, Louise Banks. Similar to Louise, language is my area as I have a degree in English literature, do translation jobs and teach English to children. I know that learning a language and teaching it to someone who is not familiar to that language at all are long processes that require patience. So I get really angry when I see how they push Louise to finish her work quickly. I can really feel her frustration in this film. I bet she is the kind of person who appreciates the process of everything, not only the final product. Louise also has scenes where she just stares at her work in front of her, thinking hard and deeply without saying a word, which looks exactly like I do right now as I am trying to find the right words to describe how I feel about this film haha. Her scenes with the aliens, Abbott and Costello, the way she takes off her suit as she says, "They need to see me," the way she touches the screen to connect with the creatures on the other side and the way she stays calm and quiet let me know that she also appreciates real interaction, intimacy and peace. Amy Adams's performance here really makes me feel close to her character. I think she deserves all the recognition she has been receiving and should be nominated for an Oscar for her role here. She has received many nominations this year but, suprisingly, is not nominated for an Oscar. Check the full list of nominees for this year's Oscars <a href="http://oscar.go.com/news/nominations/oscar-nominations-2017-view-the-complete-list-of-nominees" target="_blank">here</a><b>.</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8O4R81M65OoGozEIcYW7ssmek_kB3VZLLVZduM9BscS-gIQNO-du0LtjoJ09sbtAhZT4KqhjJ1b2c3stIUgl4gv445cEbY5xpwN-zLqwlvuaSbrqdjt_PHdSE2wDTwOdmNDuVPk2LEmNl/s1600/ARRIVAL_060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8O4R81M65OoGozEIcYW7ssmek_kB3VZLLVZduM9BscS-gIQNO-du0LtjoJ09sbtAhZT4KqhjJ1b2c3stIUgl4gv445cEbY5xpwN-zLqwlvuaSbrqdjt_PHdSE2wDTwOdmNDuVPk2LEmNl/s400/ARRIVAL_060.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Source: </span><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">wegotthiscovered.com</i></td></tr>
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<i>Arrival </i>might not lead the Oscars race this year, but I think it is one of the best, the most thought-provoking and mind-blowing films ever. Five stars for this movie!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-91845877433187638682017-01-22T05:45:00.001-08:002017-01-22T05:45:47.672-08:00Here's To The Fools Who Dream: My Review of La La Land<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sometimes I secretly wish that I could just burst into songs and dance in public places whenever I feel emotional without being labeled as a crazy person. But unfortunately that's not possible, and I'm a terrible singer and dancer anyway haha, so I will never do that. To fulfill my fantasy, I usually just watch people do that in musicals. </div>
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One of the most popular musical films this year is <i>La La Land</i>, directed by Damien Chazelle with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as the leads. Just a few days after <i>La La Land </i>was crowned as the best musical or comedy film of the year in the Golden Globe Awards, the film was released in my country. I didn't expect it to be released here that fast because they usually wait until after the Oscars to release award-winning films, but didn't complain. As I said before in one of my older posts (click <a href="http://lostinyourstories.blogspot.co.id/2016/12/get-ready-for-awards-season.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read it and see the synopsis of <i>La La Land</i>), I had been very excited to watch this movie.</div>
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Before I start, I need you to know that this review contains spoilers. I just have to talk about the ending because it's just so powerful and great.</div>
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I've never seen anything like <i>La La Land</i> before.</div>
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Visually, this film is very artistic and dramatic. Here, we can see men and women twirling and jumping around in bright-colored outfits as they sing together, a dark purple sky that is full of stars during night scenes, people vanish as the lights get focused on the main characters whenever they lose themselves in the songs... Just so dreamy. A lot of people say that <i>La La Land </i>looks like classic musical films, which I've never seen before. Surprisingly, these dreamy qualities are combined with a very realistic story. The story is very relatable, not just for people who work in the show business like Mia and Sebastian, but for anyone who is pursuing their dreams. I really love it when a film can combine these qualities. I think the credit should be given to director/screenwriter Damien Chazelle. </div>
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<i>La La Land </i>is basically carried by its two lead actors: Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. The chemistry between these two is one of the best things about this film. I really love watching the scenes where they just talk to each other because, there, you can really see the strong bond between them. Their performances also touch my heart many times. I can see myself in Sebastian when he gets frustrated as he tries to explain to Mia, who states that she doesn't like jazz, why he is so passionate about jazz. I imagine I must be just like him whenever I explain to other people why I love films and books haha. When Sebastian tells Mia to give her all if she gets a role in the film she auditions for, my heart just breaks because, at that moment, I know that he loves her and wants her to be happy even though that means she will have nothing left for him because she has given her all to her dreams. Mia's last audition before she becomes a successful actress, the one where she sings <i>Audition</i>, really destroys me because it shows a lot of emotions. Emma and Ryan totally deserve to win Oscars this year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="277" src="http://images.movieplayer.it/images/2016/11/17/lalaland-744x517.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mia and Sebastian<br />(Source:<i> http://therumpus.net/2016/12/the-rumpus-review-of-la-la-land</i>/)</td></tr>
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The most important aspect in a musical is definitely the songs. <i>La La Land </i>features seven original songs and all are very catchy and awesome. After seeing the movie, I just can't stop singing <i>City of Stars</i>, a duet performed by Emma and Ryan. I even have memorized the lyrics now. <i>Audition </i>is, as I said before<i>, </i>so beautiful and emotional. The scene where Ryan and Emma dance as they sing <i>A Lovely Night</i> is so iconic and memorable; it makes me want to learn tap dance haha. The opening scene in the middle of a terrible traffic jam, which features <i>Another Day of Sun</i>, is so epic. They even made a parody of it for the opening of this year's Golden Globes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="165" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/3oz8xwpOBlKYiq2pyg/source.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i style="font-size: 12.8px;">http://giphy.com/lalaland</i></td></tr>
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<i>La La Land </i>is amazing in every aspect, but if I have to choose my favorite part of it, I would choose the ending. [SPOILER ALERT] At the end of the film, Mia and Sebastian have made their dreams come true but live separately. When they accidentally meet again, Mia imagines what her life would be like if they decide to stay together. The life she imagines (which is presented in such a beautiful way that looks like a musical performance on a stage) is wonderful, but, in that life, Sebastian would have to sacrifice his dreams to be with her. That is why it is best for Mia and Sebastian not to be together; because none of them could sacrifice their dreams. It doesn't mean that they don't love each other; it's because, in this life, we just can't have everything. There will always be things that we must let go and it's up to us to decide which one it is that we want to keep and which one to sacrifice. Mia and Sebastian choose to let go of each other, but there are other peope who choose to give up their dreams and be with the ones they love. Some others also choose to compromise and change their dreams in order to make things work. None of the choices is better than the others because people have different ways of thinking and priorities. I think this is a very powerful message that everybody needs to understand. It gets me thinking about it for a long time, even until now. Another interesting thing about the ending is the fact that they show how Mia and Sebastian's life would be if Sebastian, the guy, sacrifices his dreams. In my country, and possibly others too, it's usually the women who are expected to give up their dreams in order to take care of their families when they marry their men. A lot of people think that it is normal for women to do that. I'm not saying that it is wrong for women to do that - it's actually very heroic, but not all women are willing to do that and that's okay too - but have you ever imagined what it would be like if a man sacrifices his dreams to be with his woman and allow her to reach her dreams? I just find it interesting.</div>
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So, does <i>La La Land</i> deserve all the buzz it has been receiving? Definitely yes! Go see <i>La La Land </i>everybody! If you're still not convinced, take a look a this clip!<br />
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<b>Rating: 5/5</b> </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-75880480930692684802016-12-25T19:41:00.001-08:002016-12-25T19:41:47.598-08:00Be One with the Force: My Review of Rogue One<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's a good time for <i>Star Wars</i> fans to be alive.</div>
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Our favorite saga that we thought had ended had been resurrected and we can expect at least one <i>Star Wars</i> film every year now! How cool is that? Last year we were introduced to the new generation of <i>Star Wars</i> in <i>The Force Awakens</i>. This year, we're getting the first standalone film in the saga entitled <i>Rogue One: A Star Wars Story</i> or simply <i>Rogue One</i>. </div>
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For the first time, we're having a <i>Star Wars </i>movie that doesn't center on the Skywalker family. <i>Rogue One</i> tells a heroic story that takes place right before the events in <i>A New Hope</i>. As we all know, Luke Skywalker and his friends from the Rebel Alliance famously destroy Death Star at the end of that movie. <i>Rogue One</i> will let us know how the Rebel Alliance gets a map of Death Star which helps them destroy the superweapon. A team that names itself Rogue One runs the highly important yet dangerous mission. The Rogue One squad consists of new characters that we've never met before such as Jyn Erso, the daughter of the architect of Death Star, and Cassian Andor, a member of the Rebel Alliance. Gareth Edwards, whose previous projects include the 2014 remake of <i>Godzilla</i>, directed this film while Academy Award nominee Felicity Jones leads an international cast which includes Diego Luna, Mads Mikkelsen, Donnie Yen, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed etc.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.magazine-hd.com/apps/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Rogue-One1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rogue One squad (Source: <i>www.magazine-hd.com</i>)</td></tr>
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Before the film was released, there were rumors that reshoots were done for the movie because Disney was not happy with it. The news made me, and lots of other fans as well, really nervous. Last minute changes and problems with the studio are never a good sign, eh? But, after seeing the movie, I realized that we shouldn't have been worried because the film is awesome!<br />
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What I love the most about the new generation of <i>Star Wars </i>films is how they trust young, talented and visionary filmmakers and let them helm the projects. J.J. Abrams has proven that he's the right man for the film when he successfully brought <i>Star Wars</i> back to life last year. Rian Johnson is currently working on <i>Episode VIII </i> and I'm very happy that they choose him as the film's director. One of his previous films, <i>Looper </i>(starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis), is one of the coolest films I've ever seen. For <i>Rogue One</i>, the studio entrusts British director Gareth Edwards, and I approve this as well. He did a remake of <i>Godzilla </i>with Aaron Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen a few years ago and I love the film very much. I think the movie makes a monster attack, which is so otherwordly, feel realistic and plausible. I can say the same thing about <i>Rogue One</i>. This film's tone is a bit different from other <i>Star Wars </i>films. As you know, the other <i>Star Wars</i> films are always kept "light" and child-friendly (but still cool and awesome, of course!), but <i>Rogue One </i>plays with a darker tone. Edwards once said that he was going to make this film a war movie because the saga has the word "war" in its title haha, and he kept his promise. I think <i>Rogue One </i>really captures the roughness of wars. It shows how a war can force good people to do bad things like killing and deceiving. It also shows that not everyone can make it out alive by surprisingly (SPOILER ALERT) killing all of the main characters. This reminds me of <i>Clone Wars</i>. Oh yes I'm still not over <i>Clone Wars</i> haha.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rogue One </i>is a war movie<br />
(Source:<i> imdb.com</i>)</td></tr>
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Introducing new characters in a saga that has such iconic and beloved characters is clearly a challenge. I was a little skeptical about this at first, but <i>Rogue One </i>is surprisingly successful with its new characters. The characters have strong personalities and are definitely memorable. My favorites are Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, Chirrut Imwe and K2SO. I'm so proud of Felicity Jones's Jyn because she's a woman and she's the leader! I'm so glad they put more women in this saga! Diego Luna has officially become my new celebrity crush and favorite actor haha. His character Cassian is so heroic. And I love his accent very much (I think I have a thing for men with accents hahaha). Donnie Yen's performance as Chirrut Imwe is just so iconic! He even gives us a new quote ("I am one with the Force, the Force is with me.") and makes sure we don't forget it haha. K2SO the droid, played by Alan Tudyk, definitely steals the show with his surprisingly sarcastic personality. Oh I have to mention Forest Whitaker's character, Saw Gerrera, as well. Saw is a character that was first introduced in <i>Clone Wars</i>, which gives me all the <i>Clone Wars </i>feels. He worked with Anakin, Obi-wan, Ahsoka (Tano, Anakin's young Padawan), Lux (Bonteri, son of a senator who used to work with the Separatists but then joined the Republic) and his own sister Steela during the Clone Wars. If Saw can have a part in this movie, can we expect to see other characters from <i>Clone Wars</i> like Ahsoka and Lux in the future films? I told you, I'm still not over <i>Clone Wars.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I am one with the Force, the Force is with me."<br />
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Similar to <i>Fantastic Beasts </i>(click <a href="http://lostinyourstories.blogspot.co.id/2016/11/going-back-to-magical-world-thoughts-on.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read my review of it), <i>Rogue One</i> relates itself to the main story of <i>Star Wars</i> without trying too hard. It features tons of easter eggs that I won't mention one by one because someone has already done that <a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/rogue-one-easter-eggs/" target="_blank">here</a>, but it has its own story and its own characters. I hope the upcoming standalone films can do the same thing. Oh yes, there will be more standalone films. I think they're working on that Han Solo film right now. I heard about a Boba Fett movie as well but I don't know whether it's confirmed or not. Those projects are exciting but I will be even more thrilled if they make an Obi-wan movie. Yes, we want Obi-wan!<br />
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So, I'm giving another five-out-of-five rating hahahaha. I just can't contain my love when it comes to <i>Star Wars </i>and <i>Harry Potter</i>, you know. Enjoy your holiday and go see <i>Rogue One</i>, everybody!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-89416494566458904292016-12-04T02:11:00.001-08:002016-12-04T02:11:10.480-08:00Get Ready for the Awards Season!<div style="text-align: justify;">
As we enter the last month of the year, discussions and predictions regarding the Oscars and other prestigious awards start to emerge. Critics' Choice Awards announced its list of nominees for this year and, from there, I think we can see which movies are likely to dominate the awards season this time. Just click <a href="http://www.ew.com/article/2016/12/01/critics-choice-awards-movie-nominees-la-la-land-moonlight-arrival" target="_blank">here</a> to see the complete list of nominees in the film categories. The list of nominees makes me really excited for the 2017 awards season. Some of my favorite actors like Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone (hmmm) are there. Some films that I really want to see are nominated too, and I'm going to write about them in this post.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_bi8o-MAbQ1CDbhFMW3F3NrZymfG2IFesGKlh2Sl3tGQFu1BB5NQdyyFt0X5ydepszfvYRJtVWyRob-2LBh86pPL828tAf-4Ou7n7sCGJ27R43wsXRllEfv6qIKLCfxhtuxDV7M87olF/s1600/20161204_124424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_bi8o-MAbQ1CDbhFMW3F3NrZymfG2IFesGKlh2Sl3tGQFu1BB5NQdyyFt0X5ydepszfvYRJtVWyRob-2LBh86pPL828tAf-4Ou7n7sCGJ27R43wsXRllEfv6qIKLCfxhtuxDV7M87olF/s400/20161204_124424.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All images are taken from each movie's official Twitter account</td></tr>
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<b>ARRIVAL</b></div>
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I first found out about this film when one of my friends told me about it. He told me the movie was about alien spaceships that have landed on Earth, which made me think of alien invasion movies where the humans fight the aliens like <i>Independence Day </i>and <i>War of the Worlds</i>. However, it all changed when I saw <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTNJtEXYsyw" target="_blank">this</a> trailer.<br />
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<i>Arrival</i> is about a linguistics expert named Louise Banks (Amy Adams) who is summoned to investigate mysterious alien spaceships that have landed on our planet. Having no idea what the aliens' intentions are, Louise must use her knowledge to understand the aliens' language in order to be able to communicate with them before a war is declared. The film is directed by Denis Villeneuve (<i>Sicario</i>) with some high profile actors like Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker in the cast.</div>
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As someone who learned linguistics at school and does translation jobs, the involvement of a linguist in an alien movie makes me somehow thrilled. I never imagined someone like me could be involved in a situation like that, so it would be interesting to see how it goes in the movie. Besides, <i>Arrival</i> receives 10 nominations in the Critics' Choice Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Amy Adams, so it must be a pretty impressive movie.<br />
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<b>HACKSAW RIDGE</b><br />
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This film has been on my list of anticipated movies even before the trailer hit the internet because one of my favorite actors (and celebrity crushes hahaha), Andrew Garfield, is in it. I became more and more curious about it when I saw <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2-1hz1juBI" target="_blank">this</a> trailer, which I think is really moving, and when I heard that it receives positive reviews and even Oscar buzz. An Oscar-worthy movie with Andrew Garfield as the lead actor? Count me in! This film has been released in my country but I haven't got the chance to see it. I hope I can see it soon.<br />
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<i>Hacksaw Ridge</i> is based on a true story of Desmond Doss, an American soldier in World War II who saved many lives in Okinawa without using any kinds of weapon. Doss refused to use weapons and kill people but insisted to join the army. He really wanted to serve his nation but believed that there are other ways besides killing to do that. The inspiring man received Congressional Medal of Honor for his merit. <i>Hacksaw Ridge </i>is directed by actor/director Mel Gibson. Andrew Garfield leads a cast full of, again, high profile actors which includes Teresa Palmer, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington and Hugo Weaving. It receives 7 nominations in the Crtitics' Choice Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor for Andrew (Woohoo!) and Best Director for Mel Gibson. I really hope Andrew wins.<br />
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<b>LA LA LAND</b><br />
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Yeah, I ship Stonefield (Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield, in case you don't know...) but the reason why Emma's latest movie <i>La La Land</i> is on my list is not because I'm obsessed with the ex-couple. It's because this movie looks soooo amazing. Take a look at the dreamy trailer below if you don't believe me. I was so moved and almost cried when I first saw it. The way Emma sings the song is the kind that makes you want to smile and weep at the same time.<br />
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<i>La La Land</i> follows the journey of two people, Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), who fall in love with each other as they struggle to pursue their dreams to reach success in the show business. As you might have guessed after seeing the trailer, it's a musical, so, yes, ladies, you can see Ryan Gosling sing and dance in it haha. It's not a full-on musical like <i>Les Miserables</i>, though. It's more like <i>Grease</i> where the characters burst into songs when they feel like talking can't express their feelings. <i>La La Land </i>is directed by Damien Chazelle, whose previous film, <i>Whiplash</i>, dominated the 2014 awards season. This film leads the Critics' Choice Awards nominees with 12 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Damien Chazelle, Best Actress for Emma Stone (Hooray!), Best Actor for Ryan Gosling and two Best Song nominations. I have a feeling this movie will win big this awards season.<br />
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<b>LION</b><br />
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<i>Lion</i> is led by another actor that I admire: Dev Patel. In this film, Dev is accompanied by Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara and directed by Garth Davis. Like <i>Hacksaw Ridge</i>, this film is based on an extraordinary true story. When he was a little boy, Saroo (played by Dev in the movie) got separated from his family when he was lost on a train. He was then adopted by an Australian family. Haunted by the memories of his biological family in India, adult Saroo used his memories and Google Earth to track his lost family. It sounds like a movie that will make me cry and want to hug my family members haha.<br />
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<i>Lion </i>is nominated in six categories in the Critics' Choice Awards, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Dev Patel (Yay!) and Best Supporting Actress for Nicole Kidman. Sia has a song called <i>Never Give Up</i> which is taken from this film's soundtrack, but unfortunately it's not nominated for Best Song in the Critics' Choice Awards.<br />
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Do you want to see those four films as much as I do? Or maybe you're more excited for the red carpets and the awards ceremonies? I just hope those films and the awards ceremonies will be played in our country haha.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-61891033836538087062016-11-21T03:00:00.001-08:002016-11-21T03:00:51.036-08:00Going Back to the Magical World: Thoughts on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them<div style="text-align: justify;">
Five years ago, I went to see <i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2</i>, the last film in the <i>Harry Potter </i>series, with my mother and left the theater with tears all over my face. My mom was very confused, just like so many other people whenever they see me fangirling over <i>Harry Potter </i>like a crazy person, but, hey, how could I not be emotional? </div>
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<i>Harry Potter</i> is a huge part of my life. The first book and its movie adaptation came out when I was in elementary school and the last ones were released at the end of my teenage years, so I practically grew up with the series. Harry Potter is my childhood hero. He shows that a hero is not someone who kills the bad guy, but someone who cares about other people. A hero is someone who is willing to sacrifice themselves for other people and not afraid to lose, like Harry. And that world of wizards and witches... Oh man, that world really helped me free my imagination. <i>Harry Potter</i> also helped me find myself. You know, I wouldn't have chosen English Literature as my major if <i>Harry Potter </i>hadn't made me realize how much I loved English and literature. <i>Harry Potter </i>also has a role in my decision to be a teacher. One day, I was thinking about what I wanted to be in the future. I knew that I liked teaching at that time, but I wasn't sure about being a teacher professionally. But then I remembered Albus Dumbledore, one of the greatest man in the <i>Harry Potter</i> universe whose passion is to teach. That was when I realized that I shouldn't be unsure about teaching just because it isn't a popular career choice. I love teaching, like Dumbledore, so who cares if it's not popular. Besides, Dumbledore is a teacher and he's awesome, so I can be a teacher and awesome too hahaha.</div>
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So, yeah, <i>Harry Potter </i>means a lot to me. Seeing the last movie was like saying goodbye to a childhood best friend to me. It was bittersweet and so emotional. </div>
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And when it was announced that there will be new films set in the <i>Harry Potter </i>universe, it felt like getting a phone call from that childhood best friend who tells you that he's coming to see you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img class="pswp__img" height="424" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTcxMzc1MTI4OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjkxMTI1MDI@._V1_SX1500_CR0,0,1500,999_AL_.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our new favourite merry band<br />
(Left to right) Jacob Kowalski, Tina Goldstein, Queenie Goldstein and Newt Scamander.<br />
(Source: <a href="http://www.threeifbyspace.net/">www.threeifbyspace.net</a>)</td></tr>
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Oh yeah, the witches and the wizards are coming back in <i>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them</i>! This film is not a sequel of <i>Deathly Hallows Part 2</i>, It is more like a spin-off of <i>Harry Potter</i>. If you're a diehard fan of the series, you must know about a textbook entitled <i>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them</i> by Newt Scamander that is used by Harry and his friends during their time as Hogwarts students. This film follows the adventures of Newt Scamander, a magizoologist who is very fond of magical creatures (Sounds like Hagrid, eh?). In this film, Young Newt arrives in the United States with his case, which is full of magical creatures. Some of the creatures escape from his case and somehow it makes Newt get linked to Gellert Grindelward, a dark wizard who has a long history with none other than Albus Dumbledore and is just as dangerous as You-Know-Who.<br />
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As a Potterhead, I am very happy with this movie. Like an old friend whom you haven't seen for a long time, this movie is different from the one that we knew and grew up with, but it still has those little things that let you know it is the same thing that you once loved as a kid. <em>Fantastic Beasts</em> features some things that are so <em>Harry Potter</em>, like the theme song, the film title that emerges in the sky, the duels with the wands, the familiar spells, the moving photographs in the newspaper, some familiar magical creatures like Bowtruckle and Niffler, etc. Those things will make any Potterhead feel nostalgic because it's been a long time since the last time we saw them on screen. Despite the traces of <em>Harry Potter</em> in it, I am happy that <em>Fantastic Beasts</em> doesn't try too much to relate itself to <em>Harry Potter</em>. It has its own story with its own characters whom we meet for the first time. This film brings something new and fresh for the audience. I particularly enjoy the story. It runs very smoothly with magical and funny moments here and there and big, shocking reveals at the end. In case you don't know, Jo Rowling herself penned the script of this movie. I think she should've written the scripts of the <em>Harry Potter</em> films too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://7f9c61237bd6e732e57e-5fa18836a2ae6b5e7c49abcc89b20237.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/12132461_meet-the-fantastic-beasts-from-the-latest_t28e0a04c.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The naughty yet cute niffler<br />
(Source: <a href="http://www.notey.com/">www.notey.com</a>)<span style="text-align: justify;"></span></td></tr>
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Just like the original <em>Potter</em> films, <em>Fantastic Beasts</em> is visually stunning. The set, the costumes and the CGI... all are a feast for the eyes. I enjoy the actors' performances too. One of my favorite Academy Award winners Eddie Redmayne delivers a great, enjoyable performance as Newt Scamander. He looks like he was born to play a role in the <em>Harry Potter</em> universe because he fits perfectly there and looks very natural as a magizoologist. Dan Fogler and Alison Sudol are so funny and likeable; I'm sure they will soon become fan favorites. And Ezra Miller! His character Credence is so dark here, darker than I expected, and I think his performance is very powerful. Oh there is one more actor that made my jaw drop at the end of the movie, but I think you should see the movie by yourself to find out who it is haha.<br />
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So I'm giving this movie a five-out-of-five rating hahaha. It might be a bit unfair because I'm a Potterhead, bit I really did enjoy this movie very much. Now I am happily waiting for the next films, just like the old times hahaha. I think the next films will have a stronger connection with Harry's story. I hope J.K. Rowling will find a way to connect the stories naturally and wonderfully.<br />
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<strong>Rating: 5/5</strong></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-75725650625892364312016-10-24T05:54:00.000-07:002016-10-24T05:54:31.352-07:00I've Finally Read The Hunger Games!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've become such a slow reader now.<br />
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Maybe you remember that I bought my copy of Suzanne Collins's best-selling book <i>The Hunger Games </i>a long time ago, in May. But, you know what, I just finished reading it last week. I spend a lot of time outside my home these days and when I reach home I usually feel too tired to read, which turns me into the slowest reader on Earth. Anyways, I've read <i>The Hunger Games</i>, and I love it more than I expected. I've always thought that the film adaptation is great, but I was surprised to find that the book is even better.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for happy hunger games .gif" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/17/fc/93/17fc93dbb1bb28f35ec7163a02a45cf6.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>id.pintterest.ccom</i></td></tr>
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The book is told from Katniss's point of view, which makes things in the book feel more intimate than what I've seen in the movie. It also makes it easier for me to relate to Kaniss and understand why she does what she does. When I watched the movie, I wondered why she is so bitter and rude. I even found her attitude a bit annoying. However, seeing things from her point of view helps me see her differently. Now I know how hard life is for her. You know, she has to live in poverty, become the head of the family because her parents are unable to do that anymore, lose her beloved father and, of course, go through the Hunger Games... Now I understand why it's so hard for her not to be cold.<br />
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Before I read the book, I could never decide which team I was on, Team Peeta or Team Gale. But now I've made my decision: Team Peeta! I have one friend who is madly in love with Peeta (yes, Lia, it's you hahahaha), but, on the other hand, a lot of people see Peeta as a weak person. I never hated Peeta but I was never deeply in love with him either, but, man, now I am. Josh Hutcherson portrayed Peeta very well and precisely in the films, but we all know that books can tell about their characters in a way that movies can never do. When I looked back at Peeta's actions in the film after reading the book (I watched the film again as soon as I finished reading), I could understand them more because they are explained more clearly in the narration. To me, Peeta shows that being strong doesn't always mean being good at fighting. He shows that strength has many forms. When you're able to sacrifice yourself to protect other people or stay true to yourself when the world forces you to be someone else or be caring to other people when they don't care at all, that means you're strong too. Maybe that's why people see him as a weak person; because people, without realizing it, tend to associate strength with only physical abilities. My friend says that it might also be caused by people's tendency to expect a man to be physically strong too. I agree with that. Sometimes the stereotypes make us forget that people have different qualities and that we can't generalize them. Peeta might not be physically strong. Unlike what people expect men to be, he is gentle and loving, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't have strength. Oh yeah, I love you, the boy with the bread! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for peeta mellark quote i'm more than just" height="320" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/6b/cf/4d/6bcf4d36a66e8cdc88c0d461c16137be.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="266" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to... to show the Capitol they don't own me. That I'm more than just a piece in their Games..." -Peeta Mellark, page 165 (Image is from <i>id.pinterest.com</i>)</td></tr>
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So, reading <i>The Hunger Games</i> after seeing the film makes the experience pretty interesting. I usually read the books before seeing the film adaptations, but this time I did the opposite. Doing it this way feels surprisingly great. It's like the film builds the foundation of the story in you while the book does tthe finishing. It makes your understanding of the story and characters richer and deeper. Maybe I should do this more often...<br />
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<b>Rating: 4,5/5</b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-27552188443760763712016-10-18T07:12:00.001-07:002016-10-18T07:12:34.865-07:00Attending "Book Lovers in Digital World" by Yes24 Indonesia<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last week I only had to go to work for two days (Monday and Tuesday) because it was the first term break of the academic year. I didn't have any plan to leave Jakarta and go on a trip on my holiday so I thought I would fill it with something good, positive and enlightening. As if God knew my intention (haha), God made my old friend contact me before the holiday and inform me about an event that was going to be held by the company where she works. The event is a mini gathering for bloggers who write about books. I thought the event was a great opportunity because it would allow me to meet new people who blog and are passionate about books, just like me. So I registered for the event and went there last weekend.</div>
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The event is called <i>Book Lovers in Digital World </i>and it was organized by a company called Yes24 Indonesia. When you hear the name of the company, you might directly associate it with Korean things. Yes, the company does sell things like cosmetics, CDs and clothes from Korea, but I found out from the event last week that Yes24 Indonesia also sells books online. I first thought that they only sell Korean books, but I checked their website (<a href="http://www.yes24.co.id/" target="_blank">http://www.yes24.co.id/</a>) and found that they have many kinds of books in their online store. They have books about religions, dictionaries, language books, children books, imported books written in English and Korean, school books and textbooks. I checked the fiction section in the English books category, typed up some book titles in the search box and found all the books that I looked for in their collection. So I think their collection is pretty complete. I'm definitely going to try buying books from them because I love buying books online; it's easier and sometimes I just don't have time to go to bookstores. I will use the vouchers they gave me last weekend too hahaha.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLofgXkga1MP_yYMoon8YusrwJZYfUDLpCL8tzcprcZjog95ZEBYWaKk7E2q-qTQ056l-6qjpqT-Any6C5zmF6ioYxF_D7SijaAN8YEdc6DnUArTwqRtbIXe1DWamFSFkainox6c2PTw-q/s1600/S__4186116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLofgXkga1MP_yYMoon8YusrwJZYfUDLpCL8tzcprcZjog95ZEBYWaKk7E2q-qTQ056l-6qjpqT-Any6C5zmF6ioYxF_D7SijaAN8YEdc6DnUArTwqRtbIXe1DWamFSFkainox6c2PTw-q/s400/S__4186116.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the other participants at Yes24 Indonesia's office. <br />
Go check their website and start shopping!</td></tr>
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At the event, I met other bloggers and we shared our thoughts and feelings about being loyal fans of printed books in the era of e-books. Even though our lives can't be separated from digital devices these days, it turns out that book lovers, including myself, still prefer reading printed books. The attendees have many different reasons why they choose printed books over e-books, but I myself like printed books more because reading them has its own sensation. Flipping the pages, folding the top right or left of a page when you find a good quote there, journeying from the first page until the very last one... There's nothing quite like it. E-books might be easier to access and more efficient, but I will always love printed books more.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61HTq5GUd_cIMfKuVIWpLkXDVVYOJBgWG-QQWEMV-0ciu8AexV8OOeaGpidAm-YzdjQrBJPrY9SB6DJTXmR8ZF18siDgecVV1amqCMOmrkoZ54QLIrKPkJFU83pacoGMZTCFBGVqFyXQ2/s1600/WhatsApp+Image+2016-10-15+at+1.43.46+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61HTq5GUd_cIMfKuVIWpLkXDVVYOJBgWG-QQWEMV-0ciu8AexV8OOeaGpidAm-YzdjQrBJPrY9SB6DJTXmR8ZF18siDgecVV1amqCMOmrkoZ54QLIrKPkJFU83pacoGMZTCFBGVqFyXQ2/s400/WhatsApp+Image+2016-10-15+at+1.43.46+PM.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our discussion</td></tr>
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The discussion got more exciting and interesting as we continued talking about our love for books. We all agreed that we have to spread our love of reading to other people because the people in our country, Indonesia, have generally low interest to read. I personally think that we should make reading a habit. How can we do it? I would suggest what my school does (I work as a teaching assistant for an international school in Jakarta). There, there is one period every week when the students can go to the library and choose some books to be taken home and read. After they finish choosing, they usually sit with the librarian and listen to a story that he reads from a book. My students really enjoy these activities. I think these activities really help growing children's love for books and turn reading into a habit for them.<br />
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So, I had so much fun attending the event last weekend. I hope there will be more events like this in the future because I would love to join more events like this. It's just really nice to meet and talk to people who have the same interest as me. Thank you, Yes24 Indonesia, for creating the event!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-87130695095126003642016-10-07T20:21:00.000-07:002016-10-08T00:09:56.028-07:00Combined Review: The Magnificent Seven & Deepwater Horizon<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sooo we have reached that time of the year when all the anticipated blockbuster movies of the summer have been released. It's October right now and there is no film this month that has much hype. I've seen a couple of movies this season. I saw Jason Statham's <i>Mechanic: Resurrection and</i> <i>The Magnificent Seven</i> in September. Earlier this week, I saw <i>Deepwater Horizon</i>. I think the first film is horrible in every aspect (sorry!), but the other two films are pretty enjoyable and I have some things to say about them. Here they are!<br />
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<b>THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN</b></div>
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<i>The Magnificent Seven</i> is a remake of a movie that has the same title that was released in 1960. The original movie itself is also a remake of a Japanese film entitled <i>Seven Samurai</i>. The 2016 version of <i>The Magnificent Seven</i> tells the story of Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett), a woman whose hometown is threatened by a greedy man named Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), who intends to take over the small town. Desperate to reclaim her town but not able to fight on her own, she seeks help from a bounty hunter named Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington). Chisolm then forms a team of seven deadly cowboys who are willing to risk their lives to help Emma and her neighbors face the evil Bogue. The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for the magnificent seven 2016 banner" height="192" src="https://moviesinthephilippines.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/the-magnificent-seven-poster-banner-artwork.jpg?w=809" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>moviesinthephilippines.com</i></td></tr>
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For me the movie is not bad, but it's definitely not as magnificent as the title.</div>
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The storyline itself is such a stereotype and, from the very beginning, I know how it's going to end. It's understandable, though, as this one is a remake of a classical movie which was probably one of the pioneers of cowboy movies. Furthermore, the plot also goes a little too slowly for me. Some scenes, like the ultimate shooting scene, are too long and slow and made me a bit bored.</div>
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<i>The Magnificent Seven </i>has a list of great actors in its cast. There are Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Haley Bennett, Peter Sarsgaard, Byung-hun Lee, etc. So before I went to see the movie, I had high hopes in terms of the acting quality. However, I must say that I was disappointed. Well, I'm not saying that these actors have bad acting quality; I just think that their talents are not supported by good writing here, so they don't really shine throughout the movie. The story doesn't give time for the characters to have bonding time and let the actors show the chemistry that they have with one another. I think the bond should have been the focus of the movie because this movie is about a squad that is so magnificent. They should have given us some squad goals moments! But, unfortunately, the movie doesn't show this bond. To be honest, I still don't understand why the other six members of the squad are willing to join Chisolm and risk their lives for the job. They all just agree to join without any strong reason. They should've shown the reasons behind the cowboys' actions; the reasons why they make such a solid team.</div>
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There are two things that I admire from the movie. The first one is Haley Bennett's character, Emma Cullen. Although she doesn't have much screen time, we can really see her as a brave and strong woman. She stands up for her town when nobody else dares to do it and even joins the bloody, deadly fight for her freedom. I find it very inspriring. Peter Sarsgaard's performance as Bogue also amazed me. He is really unrecognizable as Bogue here; I didn't even realize it was Peter Sarsgaard until I saw his name linked to Bogue's name during the end credit. You know, I always remember him as that charming man who breaks Carey Mulligan's heart in <i>An Education</i>, but he looks nothing like that man here. He transforms himself into the mean and greedy Bogue here. An actor who is able to transform himself into his character is a great actor, right?<br />
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<b>Rating: 2,5/5</b><br />
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<b>DEEPWATER HORIZON</b><br />
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<i>Deepwater Horizon </i>is a movie that is based on true events. In 2010, a drilling rig called the Deepwater Horizon exploded due to some malfunctions in its system. This movie shows the story behind the disaster; the conflicts that led to it, the people who were involved in it and the brave heroes who emerged during the disaster. The movie is directed by Peter Berg while the cast includes Mark Wahlberg, Gina Rodriguez, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Kate Hudson and Dylan O'Brien.<br />
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To be honest, the main reason why I wanted to see this movie is because one of my fictional boyfriends, Stiles Stilinski aka Dylan O'Brien, is in it hahahaha. Sadly, Dylan's pretty face is covered in mud most of the time there, but I still enjoyed the movie.<br />
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As I said before, this movie is based on true events, so the conflicts that are featured here are very realistic and relatable. The realness of the story is also supported by the actors' great performances. I love how they all look like real people here; it makes things feel even more realistic. The chemistry between Kate Hudson and Mark Wahlberg, who play a married couple, is really sweet yet so real. Kurt Russell really transforms himself into his character here. Similar to Peter Sarsgaard in <i>The Magnificent Seven</i>, I didn't realize that Kurt Russell is in this movie until his name showed up during the end credit. He looks so badass with that awesome mustache hahaha. John Malkovich successfully made me hate his character here haha. I also admire Dylan's bravery to make himself unrecognizable by letting his face, that cute face that makes girls love him hahaha, be covered in mud for the entire movie. I heard he and the film's director decided to do that to make things seem real because real people who work in rigs like Dylan's characters do have their faces covered in mud most of the time. That's what you call dedication.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="271" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZmZiYzE4NGUtNDM3ZC00N2ZmLWI1ZDgtYzk2Y2Q0MzllMTdkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjU2NjM1NDc@._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dylan an his muddy face :D (Source: <i>www.imdb.com</i>)</td></tr>
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The set that they built for the movie is pretty impressive as well. I heard they really built a huge set for the rig scenes in a water tank. The explosion and the fire scenes successfully made me scared. The explosion and the fire are so massive and crazy. When I remember that that kind of explosion and fire really happened and that people really did have to go through that, I just shiver. No wonder Mark Wahlberg's character becomes very emotional and broken at the end of the movie.<br />
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<b>Rating: 3,5/5</b> </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-49983309106773805022016-09-13T07:38:00.005-07:002016-09-13T09:10:18.605-07:00My Newest Obsession: Stranger Things<div style="text-align: justify;">
Have you heard about Netflix's <i>Stranger Things</i>? I bet you have because everyone is talking about this web series right now. I myself became aware of this series last month because there were so many articles about Eleven swimming on the internet. However, I just started watching it last week. I really want to finish the entire season in one day but I had work to do last week so I'm only on episode five right now. Hopefully I can catch up soon!</div>
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In case you don't know, <i>Stranger Things</i> is a Netflix original series whose first season, which contains eight episodes, was released last July. The story starts when a boy named Will (Noah Schnapp) goes missing in a mysterious, supernatural way. When Will's family and friends desperately try to find the boy, a girl, who is also mysterious, called Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) arrives in the small town and crosses paths with Will's best friends: Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin). As the mystery evolves, the people around Will start to realize that Will's disappearance has something to do with the government, an extra-terrestrial force and is somehow related to Eleven.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for stranger things .gif" src="https://67.media.tumblr.com/adadb6ab99533b3b179ece97f584d547/tumblr_obisi0KnlB1s2wio8o1_500.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>www.tumblr.com</i></td></tr>
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The premise of this series might not be new at all. I happen to be a fan of mystery stories that require us to play detectives in order to solve the mystery and supernatural stories which involve mythical creatures, so this one is, of course, very appealing for me. But what makes <i>Stranger Things </i>such a huge hit is, I think, because it is made and presented in a really good way. Here are some things from <i>Stranger Things</i> that forces me to sit in front of my laptop and watch.</div>
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<b>It's very well-acted</b></div>
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Winona Ryder's performance as Joyce, Will's mother, is a winning performance. She plays a single mom who seems like she has always been shaky, even before her son disappears. Will's disappearance just makes her worse; it shatters her. And Ryder portrays this very, very well. This character makes me think and reflect on my own life as well. When I see Joyce, her story, the reasons behind her behaviors and actions, on screen, it's easy for me to believe her and root for her. But when I see someone like her in real life, someone who is known to be falling apart because of their problems, it's easy for me to think that they're just weak people who can't control their emotions. Seeing Joyce reminds me that everyone has their own story, their own reasons behind their decisions. We shouldn't judge people if we don't know what they're going through. So that's how powerful her performance is; it makes me learn something!</div>
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We know Winona Ryder is a great actress even before <i>Stranger Things</i>, but we didn't know about Millie Bobby Brown's talent before. The character that she plays, Eleven, is just so iconic. Don't be surprised if you see many people sporting Eleven costumes this Halloween. Who can forget her buzz cut, her deadly stare and her mysterious silence? That little face of hers sheds the darkness from her past and the trauma that she has. I mean, how can a twelve-year-old girl portray such a dark character so well? Millie Bobby Brown is such a talented actress. I hope we'll see more of her in the future.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image result for stranger things .gif" height="200" src="https://www.frogx3.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/eleven.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>www.frogx3.com</i></td></tr>
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<b>It uniquely combines innocence and horror</b><br />
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The 1980s set, the child characters and the alien-related theme of S<i>tranger Things</i> remind me a lot of the classic movie <i>E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, </i>which, as you all probably know, is about a friendship between a boy and an alien. However, those elements from <i>E.T. </i>are combined with elements from horror and monster movies here. So, yes, you'll find an innocent friendship between two beings like the one in <i>E.T.</i>, but you'll also find scenes where people scream as their bodies get dragged by a mysterious monster that are similar to scenes from <i>Alien</i> movies. Such an odd combination, but it works for me.<br />
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<b>The complex and relatable characters</b><br />
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As we get deeper into the world of <i>Stranger Things</i>, the characters reveal themselves as complex and layered characters with so many interesting sides. I'm always fascinated by round characters like these. My favorites are Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), Mike's older sister who starts off as a girl who tries to be someone else in order to fit in but grows into a brave girl who fights for what she believes in; Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton), Will's mysteriously quiet older brother whose looks resemble young Luke Skywalker hahaha; and Hopper (David Harbour), the cop with a wounded soul who handles Will's case.<br />
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<b>The killer soundtrack</b><br />
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The original score of this series has this disco vibe that somehow captures the extra-terrestrial theme of the story. I really love the score. The theme song that is always played during the opening credit is stuck in my head. Some old songs from the 80's that are played in the episodes are pretty catchy as well. The most unforgettable one is definitely The Clash's <i>Should I Stay or Should I Go.</i><br />
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<b>Last but not least, the mystery</b><br />
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The story that this series offers is the kind that makes you question so many things at the end of every episode. What has happened to Will? Where is he? Where is Barb? Who is Eleven? What is it that they're doing with Eleven and the mysterious creature in that mysterious lab? What is that creepy creature that lurks in the woods? What is that other creepy thing that Hopper finds in the lab? The list of questions just keeps growing as you finish every episode and it makes it almost impossible for you to stop watching. For fans of this kind of story, <i>Stranger Things</i> is very, very entertaining to watch.<br />
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If you have already become a fan of this hit series, do you have other things that you like about it? If you haven't started watching, are you interested to start watching now? Not yet? Well, this trailer below should be able to convince you.<br />
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Hope you enjoy my blog post! :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-70230687375968609092016-08-09T07:20:00.000-07:002016-08-09T07:20:05.872-07:00Thoughts on Markus Zusak's The Book Thief<div style="text-align: justify;">
After an awfully long time, I finally finished reading Markus Zusak's <i>The Book Thief</i>. It took about three months, I think, for me to finish it. This is a new record haha. I don't know exactly why it took me that long to finish it, but I've just realized that it's always harder for me to finish a book that is written by a male author. I don't mean to be sexist or anything, but that is just what happens to me. Maybe it's easier for me to read female authors' writings because I am also a woman. Or maybe it's because men are hard to understand hahaha.</div>
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Anyways, <i>The Book Thief </i>by Markus Zusak is about a girl named Liesel Meminger. She lived in Germany during the Hitler era. When she started living with her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, her fondness for books started growing as well. In the midst the brutality of the war, we could see how the girl's love for the words in her books changed many things and turned them a little brighter.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0mn0MH62Cy6DmjLtDkrfQIvOl6I5mvnnIA6UgLEpXE7USoFbuvhDYpM5e6Sc0taVjokmtmRVvXQNO4CbBZQhfmAG-V1lc-T5UeU8MK_eNCTGX7KXStuLutqS87qTQbGujZpNr16iPNi0/s1600/P_20160809_184318_BF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0mn0MH62Cy6DmjLtDkrfQIvOl6I5mvnnIA6UgLEpXE7USoFbuvhDYpM5e6Sc0taVjokmtmRVvXQNO4CbBZQhfmAG-V1lc-T5UeU8MK_eNCTGX7KXStuLutqS87qTQbGujZpNr16iPNi0/s320/P_20160809_184318_BF.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my copy of <i>The Book Thief </i>and my window<i> </i>:P</td></tr>
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Even though I find the book hard to read, I still think it's a remarkable book. The story is definitely touching. It's amazing how the story shows how words, and someone's love for words, can change lives. Hans could avoid death because he was said to be good at writing and was sent to the letter-writing department instead of the war during his time as a soldier. Liesel could soothe a bunch of hysterical people in the safety basement during raids by reading them words from her novel. Their mutual love for books also united Liesel and the sad Ilsa Hermann, the mayor's wife. Liesel survived a bomb attack that (SPOILER ALERT) killed all the people she loved because of her love of writing as well. As a person who is also fond of words, books and writing, I feel very related and touched by this.</div>
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Another thing from this book that catches my attention is Liesel's anger. She was such an angry little girl. I was stunned when I read the parts where she beat her friend up when she got teased, where she channeled her anger to stealing, where she ranted in front of Ilsa Hermann after Rosa got fired, etc. It's a bit rare to find female characters in fiction who are soft and angry at the same time, so I like how this book shows that complexity. It gives me the same feeling that <i>Supergirl </i>gives. </div>
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I don't have so much to say about <i>The Book Thief </i>but I do have so many favorite quotes from the book. So, here they are.</div>
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<i>Somehow, between the sadness and loss, Max Vandenburg, who was now a teenager with hard hands, blackened eyes and a sore tooth, was also a little disappointed. Even disgruntled. As he watched his uncle sink slowly into the bed, he decided that he would never allow himself to die like that.</i></div>
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<i>The man's face was so accepting.</i></div>
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<i>So yellow and tranquil, despite the violent architecture of his skull --</i></div>
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<i>The endless jawline, stretching for miles, the pop-up cheekbones and the pot-hole eyes. So calm it made the boy want to ask something.</i></div>
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<i>Where's the fight? he wondered.</i></div>
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<i>Where's the will to hold on?</i></div>
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<b>(page 196)</b></div>
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<i>On the ration cards of Nazi Germany, there was no listing for punishment, but everyone had to take their turn.</i></div>
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<b>(page 422)</b></div>
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<i>Yes, the Fuhrer decided that he would rule the world with words. "I will never fire a gun," he said. "I will not have to." Still, he was not rash. Let's allow him at least that much. He was not a stupid man at all. His first plan of attack was to plant the words in as many areas of his homeland as possible.</i></div>
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<i>He planted them day and night, and cultivated them.</i></div>
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<i>He watched them grow, until eventually, great forests of words had risen throughout Germany. It was a nation of farmed thoughts.</i></div>
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<b>(page 451, <i>The Word Shaker</i>)</b></div>
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<i>For some reason, dying men always ask questions they know the answer to. Perhaps it's so they can die being right.</i></div>
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<b>(page 475)</b></div>
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<i>"And please," Ilsa Hermann advised her, "don't punish yourself, like you said you would. Don't be like me, Liesel."</i></div>
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<b>(page 527)</b></div>
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<i>Sometimes I think my papa is an accordion. When he looks at me and smiles and breathes, I hear the notes.</i></div>
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<b>(page 531)</b></div>
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<i>His soul sat up. It met me. Those kinds of souls always do - the best ones. The ones who rise up and say, "I know who you are and I am ready. Not that I want to go, of course, but I will come."</i></div>
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<b>(Death on Hans Hubermann's soul, page 535)</b></div>
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<b>Rating: 4/5</b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-45404791530320244102016-07-25T03:07:00.001-07:002016-07-25T03:07:43.744-07:00Be Bold and Go Beyond: My Review of Star Trek Beyond<div style="text-align: justify;">
My excitement to watch the third installment of the rebooted <i>Star Trek</i> movies turned into sadness when I read the news about Anton Yelchin's untimely death. The Russian-born actor who portrayed Pavel Chekov in the <i>Star Trek</i> films passed away on June 19th, 2016, just a few weeks before the film's release date, due to a freak accident. I was really shocked and saddened when the news broke because Anton was one of my favorite actors and he was so young, only three years older than me. I knew it was going to be hard for me to watch him in <i>Beyond</i> but, after I heard the news, I wanted to see the movie even more because I wanted to honor him. I really enjoyed his character in this movie. His character has more screen time, is more involved in the story and flirts with the girls here! Seeing him flirt with his cute accent made me giggle. They also put a writing that says "FOR ANTON" after the end credit which broke my heart into a million pieces. Oh, Anton, you are gone too soon :'(</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For Anton (Source: <i>twitter.com</i></td></tr>
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Well, enough with the sentimental part. Now let's talk about the movie! This third movie is called S<i>tar Trek Beyond</i>. This time the legendary crew of USS Enterprise must face an enemy that threatens their unity in the third year of their 5-year mission. The villain's name is Krall (Idris Elba), a ruthless, mysterious alien who destroys the Enterprise and is able to, literally, gain power from "the strength of others" (the "gaining power" scene is quite scary, you know...). The main cast from the previous two films reprise their roles here. However, the movie is not directed by J.J. Abrams, who directed the previous two. It is directed by <i>Fast and Furious 6 </i>director Justin Lin while Simon Pegg, who also plays Scotty in the movie, acts as the scriptwriter as well. Besides Idris Elba, <i>Kingsman </i>actress Sofia Boutella and Indonesian actor Joe Taslim join the returning cast members.<i> </i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the cast so much. These are great, talented actors. (Source: <i>www.comingsoon.net</i>)</td></tr>
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I think this movie is super fun and entertaining. It has more comical moments and dialogues that will surely be enjoyed by auidence. It also has more action sequences, I think. I was quite impressed by the scene where Krall attacks the Enterprise for the first time with his "bees". It was also nice to see the crew members spend some time outside the ship here; they spent most of the time inside the ship in the previous two movies. The things that I wish could be more explored in this movie are the interactions and the relationships among the crew members. When I heard that they were going to split up the crew, I thought we would be able to see how the crew members interact with other members who they don't normally interact with, which would be interesting to see. However, it turns out that this movie doesn't give much time for that. The movie focuses more on the crew's mission to defeat Krall and is so fast-paced, which doesn't give room to develop the characters' relationships. I understand that they don't want to fit too many things in one movie, though; it's never good to put too many things in a 2-hour movie. Maybe I should just watch the upcoming TV series to see more of that, or maybe the original series. TV shows have many episodes so they should have room for in-depth character explorations.<br />
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I enjoyed the new characters in <i>Beyond</i>, especially Krall and Jaylah (Boutella). I knew Idris Elba is a great actor so I wasn't surprised at all to see his powerful villainous performance. I like Jaylah because she is strong, independent and very smart (you know how I feel about this kind of female characters, right?). The main cast led by Chris Pine aka Captain Kirk is, of course, amazing. It's great to see how they have established themselves in their roles in the ship. My favorite crew member this time is Uhura, played by the gorgeous Zoe Saldana, who, like Anton's Chekov, has more screen time and is so badass here. The funniest character in the movie is definitely Leonard McCoy aka Bones (Karl Urban). His sarcasm and grumpiness never fail to make me laugh.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>startrekgifs.tumblr.com</i></td></tr>
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I've never seen the original series with William Shatner and the gang but I'm pretty sure fans of the classic series are happy with how this movie pays tribute to the original cast, especially the late Leonard Nimoy who passed away last year. Another aspect that I like is the music in the film. That loud music that is played during the final space battle scene is just rad! I rewatched the first <i>Trek </i>film after I saw <i>Beyond</i> and realized that the song is also featured in the first movie. No wonder Kirk thinks it's a good choice haha.<br />
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Although I wish this could also be more explored, as I said before, I really like the message that <i>Beyond </i>tries to deliver through Kirk's struggle. After a few years working for the Enterprise, he feels lost. He wonders why he is there and feels like maybe he doesn't belong there. I find this truly relatable and understandable. I think it is relatable for anyone who's been doing their jobs for a few years like me. But, just like the lady in Yorktown says, its very easy to feel and get lost sometimes, but that doesn't mean that you have to stop doing what you're doing. It's very normal to feel bored and tired. When you feel like that, you have to remember what made you choose to start, why you wanted it so bad at the beginning. I think that will help.<br />
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That's all from me this time. I hope you enjoy this post. I'm probably going to post something else soon. It's the Comic Con weekend and there are so many panels, announcements, trailers, news and promotional materials and I'm freakin' out and have so much to say about that haha.<br />
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Live long and prosper!<br />
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<b>Rating : 4/5</b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-41876597759547101002016-06-04T06:02:00.003-07:002016-06-05T17:31:00.184-07:00Let's Talk About Superheroes! (Part 2) <div style="text-align: justify;">
It's time for the Marvel heroes from the big screen now. Here we go.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>www.tumblr.com</i></td></tr>
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<b>CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR</b></div>
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<i>Civil War</i> opened the season of blockbuster movies this year. Technically it is the third <i>Captain America</i> movie, but it's more like the third <i>Avengers</i> movie because it features multiple Avengers team members. Similar to <i>Batman vs Superman</i>, <i>Civil War </i>is about a war between two beloved superheroes. Due to severe damages that are created by the superheroes when they try to save the world, the governments of most countries in the world demand the Avengers to work under their supervision. Tony Stark thinks it's logical for the team to accept that, but Steve Rogers thinks the opposite. The situation gets worse when Bucky aka the Winter Soldier gets involved. A conference which includes the signing of the agreement between the Avengers and the governments is ended by an explosion and Bucky gets blamed for that. Having a strong emotional connection with him, Steve decides to help Bucky, which makes him labeled as a criminal too. As the story goes, the war between Tony and Steve gets even more personal and emotional.</div>
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As you probably know, I'm not a big fan of the films that are made by Marvel Studios. But I have to admit that <i>Civil War</i> is a remarkable movie. The way it portrays the feud between the two heroes is really good. If you ask me which side I'm on, Team Cap or Team Iron Man, I wouldn't be able to choose. I can understand why Steve refuses to sign the agreement with the governments, but I think Tony's argument about why they should sign it has a point. I think it's very human for Tony to be angry when (<b>SPOILER ALERT</b>) he finds out that Bucky kills his parents, but I can't say that Steve is wrong for defending his best friend until the end. This is the kind of war between two heroes that I want to see. It really is good vs good here, even though there is still an evil third person who manipulates things. It's very interesting to watch.</div>
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The best scene-stealers in this movie for me are the new characters: Spider-Man and Black Panther. Yeah, I, surprisingly, love the new Spider-Man. I didn't expect to like him this much because I really, really love Andrew Garfield's version of Spidey in <i>The Amazing Spider-Man</i> movies. When I first heard that they were replacing Andrew with young Tom Holland, my heart broke. But Tom's portrayal of the hero in this movie just made me fall in love with Spider-Man all over again. I was just so happy to see our young, smart, excited, funny and pure-hearted hero again. Maybe it's not just Andrew that I love; it's the character itself too. And then there's Black Panther. I know nothing about this character's comic book history, but he is just so cool in this movie. The costume and the way he fights are so neat, elegant. And I find his accent quite sexy too hahaha. The female characters, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch and Sharon Carter, are pretty badass too. They should include more female characters in the <i>Avengers</i> movies. They even deserve to have their own movies!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Wp3kWi-7Zjh2L4_MGbr5HzcmXtDyET-oIkxupzhI9SEyLilA32SHAIG58Obj69RQFh7e_13I_hDQ-0VtrFEP5S8OeKfsxOWwXkRjgGW6a-jO7Mefsb-wsBH7XZH2uoAUuz7tTs5FbxQ/s1600/giphy-13.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, hey, Spidey! (Source: <i>www.dailysuperhero.com</i>)</td></tr>
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<b>Rating: 4/5</b><br />
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<b>X-MEN: APOCALYPSE</b></div>
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<i>Apocalypse</i> is the third film in the prequel trilogy of <i>X-Men</i> movies. This time, the X-Men must face a mutant who claims himself as the first and the most powerful mutant in the world: En Sabah Nur aka Apocalypse. He recruits four other mutants (Magneto, Storm, Psylocke and Angel) and plans to destroy the human race so that he can build a new world in which he is the leader, the God. Apocalypse's threats somehow bring back the disunited squad together and help them deal with their issues.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://phimhayso.com/uploads/display-image/site/8/6/b/0a3df4590f0c26cab7a2bdcbb331aa5d/slides/Slides.104.di-nhan-khai-huyen-x-men-apocalypse-2016.icrop.720x300.jpg" height="266" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <i>phimhayso.com</i></td></tr>
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I think the premise of the story has been overused in Hollywood. As for the villain, I find Apocalypse aka Mr En Sabah Nur a little too... magical. Maybe I'm so used to seeing superhero films being as realistic as possible because it seems to be a trend these days. His physical appearance, the way he talks, the way he gets resurrected (which involves a hidden cave and ruins that light up when the sunlight touches them), and his dialogues about ruling the world made me cringe. I'm so sorry but the premise and the villain are a bit cheesy for me.</div>
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However, I still find this movie quite entertaining. The iconic characters and the way the actors portray them are the ones that save this movie. Each character here has their own style and characteristics which make them all unique and so unforgettable. Professor X on his wheelchair with his calm and caring attitudes, Magneto with his burning anger and dark past, Mystique with her blue skin and mysterious personality, Quicksilver with his slow-motion scenes, Cyclops with his special glasses... They have great arcs and the actors played their characters very well too. This movie is really a treat for the characters' fans.<br />
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<b>Rating: 3,5/5</b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-72613987306932048622016-05-28T20:48:00.001-07:002016-05-29T05:13:02.318-07:00Let's Talk About Superheroes! (Part 1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">
So many superhero movies these days, eh? The heroes don't only dominate the big screen, actually; they have started taking over the small screen as well. As films like <i>Captain America: Civil War </i> and <i>X-Men: Apocalypse</i> are played in cinemas, TV shows like <i>Arrow, The Flash </i>and <i>Supergirl</i> are aired on TV every week. All of them are based on popular comic books and have so many devoted fans. No wonder they receive huge success and become more and more popular.<br />
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I saw <i>Civil War </i><i> </i>and <i>X-Men </i>earlier this month. I've been watching <i>The Flash </i>and <i>Supergirl</i> too (I'm a bit slow at catching up with these shows, though). Here are some things that I've got to say about them.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-ved="0ahUKEwjymczNg_nMAhWBLI8KHaMHBQAQjRwIBw" href="http://www.google.co.id/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjymczNg_nMAhWBLI8KHaMHBQAQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffangirlish.com%2Fa-super-crossover-cover-the-flash-and-supergirl-featured-on-variety%2F&bvm=bv.122676328,d.c2I&psig=AFQjCNHGMzkqFnz-xmXlt_lcmI945tjWhQ&ust=1464396316356478" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" src="http://fangirlish.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Flash-Supergirl-1-600x795.jpg" height="400" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="301" /></a> <a data-ved="0ahUKEwiQ6JTzhPnMAhVJuY8KHfE8BU4QjRwIBw" href="https://www.google.co.id/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiQ6JTzhPnMAhVJuY8KHfE8BU4QjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2F102537907%40N03%2F17690728440&psig=AFQjCNEhWM2AnHPgjgrZCdB5WN2mQpZkXA&ust=1464396682531153" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;"><img alt="" height="400" id="irc_mi" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7797/17690728440_351970bbce_b.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love these photos so much. They're the cutest superheroes ever. (The left picture is from <em>fangirlish.com </em>and the right one is from<em> </em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/"><em>www.flickr.com</em></a>)</td></tr>
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<strong>THE FLASH SEASON 2</strong></div>
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I really enjoyed the first season of <em>The Flash, </em>so I was really excited for the second season. The season finale of the second season has been aired but I haven't reached that episode yet. I'm on episode 18 now and so far the season has been entertaining. </div>
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The Flash's main enemy this time is Zoom, an evil speedster who comes from Earth-2. Earth-2 is an alternate universe that gets connected to Barry's universe due to the black hole that was created at the end of season 1. Zoom wants to steal The Flash's speed, so he sends a bunch of metahumans from his Earth to Barry's to hunt and kill the guy. Zoom is not the only person from the other universe who comes to Barry's universe. We are introduced to Earth-2's Flash and Harrison Wells as well. While we get the evil Dr. Wells's doppelganger who looks exactly like the Dr. Wells that we know (and hate), we get a different Flash from Earth-2. It's not Barry Allen; his name is Jay Garrick. When the two first arrive in his universe, Barry finds it difficult to trust them even though his friends, Cisco, Caitlin, Joe and Iris, want to give them a chance. Apparently, after Wells's painful betrayal, Barry now has trust issues. We also get to see some familiar faces again this season, such as Eddie Thawne, Firestorm aka Ronnie Raymond, Linda Park, The Arrow aka Oliver Queen and his Team Arrow, The Trickster, Hartley Rathaway, etc. There are some new villains besides Zoom as well. The most memorable one is probably Killer Frost, Caitlin's evil doppelganger from Earth-2 whose superpower reminds me of Elsa from Frozen hahaha.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="220" src="https://49.media.tumblr.com/4e3bfcc26e267c88d650e3e67b3fb914/tumblr_o2bahnh7As1rq49qyo7_250.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Killer Frost from Earth-2 (Source: <i>thenerdsofcolor.org</i>)</td></tr>
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The story runs very smoothly this season. There are some shocking twists that I didn't see coming at all. It's a bit similar to season 1's storyline as it also involves an evil speedster and a betrayal from someone who is close to Barry, but somehow the repetition makes the story great. Even superheroes make the same mistake twice sometimes, eh? My favorite thing from the first season is how deep and emotional the story is, so I'm glad that they keep that in the second season. This makes me feel totally connected to the characters and love them even more. I cry a lot watching this show. It's kind of surprising because it's a superhero show, but I love it.</div>
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I'm also happy to see how the characters in the show, especially Barry and Iris, develop. In the era where every film-maker tries to turn supeheroes into dark characters, the show's creators make Barry different. Barry is a ray of sunshine who is warm, kind, pure-hearted and naive. He makes me believe in humanity hahaha. I also like how we can see Barry's struggles in becoming a superhero. As a young hero who doesn't have much experience, sometimes Barry makes mistakes, rushes things, makes the wrong decisions, loses control, fails, gets angry, gets betrayed in a way that has happened before, etc. I find this realistic and relatable. Young people like us still have so much to learn, right?<br />
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I once said that I really don't like Iris in season 1, but, you know what, she is one of my favorite characters in season 2. In season 1, she was just Barry's love interest to me. But now that she knows that Barry is The Flash and is in Team Flash, she is able to give more contributions and be a hero too. Besides that, I love her own arcs too, you know, the ones with her mom, Francine, and her brother, Wally (Yup, Wally West!). And also the way she deals with losing her fiance, Eddie. Those arcs show how strong and wise she is as a woman. I love it.<br />
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<b>SUPERGIRL SEASON 1</b><br />
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I'm even slower when it comes to watching this one. The first season of this new series has been aired as well, but I'm only on episode 10 now. I really want to reach the crossover episode where The Flash visits Supergirl but it's so hard to find the time to watch. After work, all I want to do is just lay on my bed hahaha.<br />
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<i>Supergirl</i> follows the journey of Kara, Clark Kent's cousin from Krypton. When she was a teenager, Kara was sent to Earth to protect Clark, who was still a baby at that time. However, Kara arrived a few years late on Earth. When she arrived, Clark had grown up and become Superman and no longer needed her protection. So, Kara was adopted by the Danvers family and tried to live a normal life. However, as she grows older, she realizes that she has to embrace her true self and use her powers to help people.<br />
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I'm not very familiar with Supergirl or Superman history, but I think this series features some famous characters from the comic book like Maxwell Lord, James "Jimmy" Olsen and the Martian Manhunter aka J'onn J'onzz (I have no idea how to say that name correctly). It features some interesting villains like Livewire, a former radio presenter who accidentally gets the power of controlling electricity when Supergirl tries to save her. I haven't reached the episode where she first appears but there is Siobhan Smythe aka Silver Banshee in the first season, a supervillain who seems to be pretty famous among the comic book fans.<br />
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The most admirable thing from this show to me is how it depicts its female characters. All the women in this show have complex, interesting stories and characteristics. There is Kara/Supergirl, the lead of the show. I really love how she is portrayed in this show. She doesn't immediately become a great superhero like her cousin; she really starts from scratch. In this first season, we can see how Kara learns how to be great superhero, which involves making stupid mistakes, getting criticized, being underestimated, having anger management problems, etc. I especially love what they do with Kara's anger. It is rare to find a female character with this complexity. She is such a sweet and loving girl but she also contains this burning anger inside her. Yes, women are complex like that.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5604745ce4b075ee2ef85989/5609bcffe4b088743568848f/565f418fe4b0c3732f9de285/1449086761562/?format=500w" height="240" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't mess with angry Kara (Source: <i>ww.ign.com</i>)</td></tr>
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And then there are other female characters: Cat Grant, Kara's boss who is mean, wise, annoying and smart at the same time; Alex Danvers, Kara's sister (not her biological sister) who works for an institution that deals with aliens and helps Kara do her superhero works; Lucy Lane, James Olsen's girlfriend and Lois Lane's sister who works in the military; and Astra, Kara's aunt who used to be very close to Kara but has to become her enemy due to her violent ways in fighting for what she believes in. So the hero, the villain, the mentor... they all are women here. I think it is very cool. My favorite is Cat Grant; she is just awesome and delivers some great quotes!<br />
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I originally wanted to write short pieces for all the four films/tv shows that I mentioned above, but they got longer than I intended hahaha. So I think I'll split this post into two parts. Part 2 is coming soon!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-7993719862787111852016-05-09T06:49:00.001-07:002016-05-09T06:49:55.963-07:00My Visit to Big Bad Wolf Books Indonesia<div align="justify">
My first blog post as a 24-year-old woman! I suddenly feel old because 24 means you are not in the early 20s anymore; you have entered the mid 20s! You are an adult! It is still weird, you know, to see myself as the adult one, especially when I am at work. I spent years being a student but now I am not a student anymore; I am the teacher now, the adult one who leads, makes decisions, gives examples, etc. It is certainly not easy to adapt with the new situation but I am working on it. I still have much to learn.</div>
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Anyways, my birthday happens to be the last working day of last week because the following four days were public holidays. So, I had dinner with my family after work that day and went out with my friends on the next day. My friends and I went to the Big Bad Wolf Books Indonesia. It is a massive book exhibition that is held at ICE (Indonesia Convention Exhibition) in BSD City, Tangerang. There, books from various genres are sold with insanely low prices. To illustrate, imported novels normally cost Rp. 150.000,00 - Rp. 250.000,00, but during the exhibition, you can get 3-5 novels with that amount of money because one novel only costs Rp. 45.000,00 - Rp. 60.000,00. Yeah, that is a great offer. The exhibition has been going on since April 30th and was originally scheduled to close on May 8th. However, due to people's' high enthusiasm in visiting the event, the committee decided to extend it until today. You do not need to buy tickets to come to the exhibition.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYxbj914plP_tmWyq8_edRfmEgTuepuwVCjF6_ij4JWzznrCclY2UyHujbGDEz6Y4hdKfq-6n_KmVestJ7DaEZzs9OMY7Z_staI8PFej9YwdU7xhjYxXX77ceuqpYEn2AAotS7Ji59UtX/s1600/20160505_133903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYxbj914plP_tmWyq8_edRfmEgTuepuwVCjF6_ij4JWzznrCclY2UyHujbGDEz6Y4hdKfq-6n_KmVestJ7DaEZzs9OMY7Z_staI8PFej9YwdU7xhjYxXX77ceuqpYEn2AAotS7Ji59UtX/s400/20160505_133903.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Books everywhere</td></tr>
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I went there with my friends on May the 5th, the first day of the long weekend. One of my friends and I arrived there at lunch time and we were shocked by the super long queue that awaited outside the venue. It took around 30-40 minutes, I guess, before we finally got inside Hall 10, the venue. Inside the hall, all that I could see were people and books. The books were set on huge tables and were grouped into some genres (romance, fiction, cookery, music, biography, etc). It was pretty hard to find the books that you want because they do not separate them based on their authors. It was hard to move around the hall too because there were just so many people there. There were people lining up in front of the cashier, people looking for books, people looking for their friends... And then we had to wait for about an hour before we could finally pay for the books and leave the hall. So, it was pretty crazy and tiring, but, hey, we got great books with cheap prices!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7FeLHqMmKp6PoQ8uwVXIc88PeNTklb7ZMQeGjLgcMW3Oyc6uLjL6z7WHT68qmi29QYoynf0dWLrHh-xMNkAFOk5ZtkUMmavT5e8T-yK1Dt8ooZYrfQNBiFfzs2nOBZKZG3vU5G5Vqc1S/s1600/IMG-20160505-WA0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7FeLHqMmKp6PoQ8uwVXIc88PeNTklb7ZMQeGjLgcMW3Oyc6uLjL6z7WHT68qmi29QYoynf0dWLrHh-xMNkAFOk5ZtkUMmavT5e8T-yK1Dt8ooZYrfQNBiFfzs2nOBZKZG3vU5G5Vqc1S/s400/IMG-20160505-WA0001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lia, Nofi and me. After queueing, book hunting and queueing again, we could finally bring our books home!</td></tr>
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I did not plan to go crazy and spend all of my money there, so I politely bought three books. And I got one bonus book from my friends! Here are the books that I got from Big Bad Wolf Books Indonesia.<br />
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<b>1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins</b><br />
<b><br /></b>Well, you all know what this book is about, right? So I think I do not have to say anything about the story haha. I have always wanted to read this book and the rest of the series, but since I started watching the movie adaptations first, I decided to finish the movies before I start reading the books. Now that I have seen all of the movies, I think it is time for me to read the books. I found a copy of <i>The Hunger Games</i>, the first one in the series, as soon as I entered the exhibition hall. According to my friend Lia, the one that I bought has the UK cover. I really like the cover because it is so bright (the background is electric pink while the writings and the mockingjay logo are electric green). The price for this book is Rp. 60.000,00. I was tempted to buy the second and the third books as well, but decided to try one first haha.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeZRcRgnv8dOjzJMviDrJhKJObjcWoNMMp18gxXEIdTwm9C5Vh5oGmySb2SaHmo5pcAFRBb1R6bV0_toDxVHrv6FEzotCxuFkZObOBnTjFDkw_0k-mxGq41TAZijXrfdRpPei2qP3sgId/s1600/2016-05-09+07.15.06+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUeZRcRgnv8dOjzJMviDrJhKJObjcWoNMMp18gxXEIdTwm9C5Vh5oGmySb2SaHmo5pcAFRBb1R6bV0_toDxVHrv6FEzotCxuFkZObOBnTjFDkw_0k-mxGq41TAZijXrfdRpPei2qP3sgId/s320/2016-05-09+07.15.06+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>2. One Day by David Nicholls</b><br />
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I first heard about this book when the movie adaptation came out. I have not seen the full movie, but I heard it received mixed reviews. Despite the mixed reviews, I find the premise of the story interesting. The story tells what happens to two friends, Emma and Dex, on every July 15 for the twenty years that follow their first meeting. It must be interesting to check on these two characters every year and see how much things change. And they have a complicated relationship that is in between love and friendship, which I find TOTALLY relatable hahaha. So, yeah, I am excited to read this book. Like <i>The Hunger Games</i>, <i>One Day </i>costs Rp. 60.000,00.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdM4gwyU__VnYQ4kkEOWRDT6JYj_y4nKeAn94xyxuT_pwLhI7TyZl9EVqH3_QyQM0WjNaDCle97krMwOIn6L40iLgcqE0tQth5WQDSva5Z8UkhtID6nebRPC3wI9D15ha5nvuRioJ7xSDc/s1600/20160509_191014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdM4gwyU__VnYQ4kkEOWRDT6JYj_y4nKeAn94xyxuT_pwLhI7TyZl9EVqH3_QyQM0WjNaDCle97krMwOIn6L40iLgcqE0tQth5WQDSva5Z8UkhtID6nebRPC3wI9D15ha5nvuRioJ7xSDc/s320/20160509_191014.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>3. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin</b><br />
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Once in a while I like to read light, fun stories just to ease my brain. That is why I bought <i>Something Borrowed</i>. It seems like a nice rom-com story. It is about a woman who has always held herself back, which makes her miss so many opportunities in her life (ehm so relatable ehm). But everything changes when she decides to confess her feelings to the man she loves, who is her best friend's fiance. I got a copy of the book that has the movie cover (Yeah, it has been adapted into a movie. I think every book has a movie adaptation now, eh?). This one is a little cheaper than the other two books; it only costs Rp. 45.000,00.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdayrLije3ioYL6bw6Td2Muu0ggvpeEZTelH7tZgXs4uzSKlaZ9QIY1OySGI-hp-H9GAod1ZSFGx0d0N-FP9hNpbl-vjl9hYsKTcnsiyggwtjubPU6wJWvRHjJ0N3SqcOBGYbZDbtnejOU/s1600/2016-05-09+07.15.03+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdayrLije3ioYL6bw6Td2Muu0ggvpeEZTelH7tZgXs4uzSKlaZ9QIY1OySGI-hp-H9GAod1ZSFGx0d0N-FP9hNpbl-vjl9hYsKTcnsiyggwtjubPU6wJWvRHjJ0N3SqcOBGYbZDbtnejOU/s320/2016-05-09+07.15.03+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>4. Bonus: Star Wars: The Force Awakens</b><br />
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Well, I did not buy this book at the exhibition. My friends who went there with me, Nofi and Lia, gave the book to me as a birthday present. It is a perfect present because I am a huge Star Wars fan and my birthday is on Star Wars Day (May the fourth be with you!). It is a novelization of the sevent movie. Well, I have seen the movie and have known the story, but I am intrigued to find out how the movie scenes are turned into words in this book.<br />
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I am so excited to read all the books above, but I want to finish reading <i>The Book Thief </i>first. I think I would not need to go to the bookstore for the next few months because I still have four books waiting for me haha. Thank you, Big Bad Wolf Books Indonesia! I hope the event will be a annual one so I can come and buy cheap books every year haha. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-90295014347177981702016-04-08T22:17:00.001-07:002016-04-08T22:17:13.267-07:00When You Break Your Own Heart Loving Someone: My Review of The Danish Girl<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am in the mood for something tragic and heartbreaking. Oh yes, sometimes I can be a masochist haha.</div>
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So I decided to search for a book and a movie that suit my mood and found Markus Zusak's <i>The Book Thief</i>, a book, and Tom Hooper's <i>The Danish Girl</i>, a movie. I just started reading the book but I have finished watching the movie, so this post is going to be about the movie.</div>
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<i>The Danish Girl</i> is a 2015-released film that is directed by Tom Hooper. My favorite actors, Academy Award winners Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, star in this film. This movie received so many nominations and even won some during this year's awards season. It is based on the true story of Lili Elbe, the person who became the first ever patient of a gender transformation surgery. Before the surgery, Lili was a man named Einar Wegener who was married to a female painter named Gerda. This film follows Einar's and Gerda's struggles as Einar realized that he was a woman trapped in a man's body.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yes, that beautiful lady in the mirror is Eddie Redmayne as Lili in <i>The Danish Girl. </i>The one who is painting is Alicia Vikander as Gerda.</td></tr>
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I find this movie hard to watch. The way it depicts Einar's identity crisis is just so... explicit. There are scenes in this film that almost made my eyes pop out, like the scenes where Einar kisses a man (played by Ben Whishaw) as Lili for the first time, the scene where Einar is having a therapy, and the scene where Einar stares at his body in the mirror and tries to make himself look like a woman. It is not disturbing; it is just... eye-opening, I guess. I had never known how it felt like to be like Einar, you know, to feel like you are trapped in a wrong body. This movie makes me understand how complex and difficult the situation is. It makes me think a lot about transgender people. A lot of people, especially in my country, criticize and even try to punish them for what they do. It is not that I agree with their decision, but I do not think criticizing and punishing can help them.<br />
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As Einar slowly transforms himself into Lili, we can see that he is not the only one who struggles. Gerda, Einar's wife, has a hard time dealing with the situation too. Gerda loves her husband, and all she wants is for him to be happy. But what makes him happy is being a woman, which means that he cannot be Gerda's husband anymore. I can see how that crushes Gerda's heart, but she still loves him and does everything that can make Einar happy. Even when Einar is gone and replaced by Lili, Gerda still stays with her and help her. The way Gerda loves Einar/Lili is just unbelievable. She is willing to break her own heart to make the one that she loves happy. I think that is what you call true love.<br />
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The strongest part of the movie is definitely the acting. I thought Eddie Redmayne could never top his award-winning performance in <i>The Theory of Everything, </i>but his performance here as Einar/Lili proves me wrong. His performance is superb. At the beginning of the movie, he manages to make Einar look like someone who is not himself, someone who is holding himself back. As Einar realizes that his true self is Lili, we can see how Lili slowly emerges and explores the world like an innocent little girl. It is just astonishing. If Leonardo DiCaprio was not nominated in this year's Oscars, I think Eddie would have won his second Oscar.<br />
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While Eddie did not manage to get his second Oscar this year, his acting partner in <i>The Danish Girl</i>, Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, won her first trophy. I think she totally deserves it. Her performance as Gerda is so powerful. I feel so related to her character and, without realizing it, I followed the story from her point of view. I like how she shows the playful, free-spirited and idealistic side of Gerda at the beginning of the movie. It shows that she is not a flat character, not just the wife of the main character. I like how Alicia shows how Gerda can be fragile too. I can really feel how hurt her heart is as she slowly loses her husband. Whenever I saw her trembling as she struggles to stay strong in front of Einar/Lili, I could not hold back my tears. The most heartbreaking Gerda scene for me is when she comes home crying and begs Lili to hold her as Einar because she needs to hold her husband, but Lili tells her that she cannot do that. This does not mean that Gerda is weak; it shows that, sometimes, even the strongest women can break and need their men to just hold them. Gerda has proven that she will always be there for Einar/Lili, but Einar/Lili cannot do the same for her. It must really hurt. Duh.<br />
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So, this movie is a heartbreakingly beautiful one with great acting and deep messages. Some people might find it a little disturbing, but when you try to understand what is behind the shocking scenes, you will realize how inspiring the story is.<br />
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<b>Rating : 4/5</b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327649556953386126.post-38581881372051893082016-03-31T00:54:00.000-07:002016-03-31T01:39:36.712-07:00Superhero Worlds Collide in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (SPOILER ALERT)<div style="text-align: justify;">
Everyone is talking about <i>Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice</i>. </div>
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It is one of this year's most anticipated films which features more than one iconic superhero character, so no wonder people are really excited to see it. In the film's promotional materials, they ask us to "witness the battle between the Bat of Gotham and the Son of Krypton". Besides Batman and Superman, this movie also features other popular heroes from DC Comics: Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. Zack Snyder, who also directed the previous Superman movie, directs this ambitious movie. Henry Cavill and Amy Adams reprise their roles as Clark Kent aka Superman and Lois Lane and are joined by Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot and Jesse Eisenberg who play Bruce Wayne aka Batman, Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor, respectively.<br />
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When it was first announced that they were going to make this movie, I read an article that said that the feud was caused by Batman's and Superman's different views and their disagreements on certain things. I thought that would be really interesting because it would not be "good vs evil" like what we normally see in superhero films; it would be "good vs good". I was intrigued to see two different versions of "good" that are represented by Batman and Superman. I expected it to be a bit like Magneto and Professor X's <span style="background-color: white;">feud in <em>X-Men: First Class</em></span>. But it turns out that the feud that is presented in the movie is not really like that. This movie is not really about the battle between the Bat of Gotham and the Son of Krypton. I can see that the two do not like each other, but the reasons behind the dislike, the root of the rivalry, are just not strong enough. In the end, it is still a "good vs evil" story because Lex Luthor comes in and manipulates them and causes problems which force the heroes to work together and stop him. So I think the title is misleading. <span style="background-color: white;">It should be entitled <i>Batman, Superman & Wonder Woman vs Lex Luthor</i> or maybe, as my sister suggests, <em>Justice League: the Beginning? </em>Or just cut the <em>Batman vs Superman </em>part and leave it as <em>Dawn of Justice</em>? This movie does mark the beginning of the superhero team, right?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">As I stated before, <i>BvS</i> also features other Justice League members like Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. My favorite is definitely the wonderful Wonder Woman. Gal Gadot makes her look so cool, fierce, powerful and beautiful at the same time. It is so satisfying to see Wonder Woman kicking Doomsday's ass and enjoying it. The music that is played during her fight scene makes it even cooler. I am just so thrilled to see another awesome heroine. We need to see more of her. I can't wait to see her own movie.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">And then there is The Flash.... Ezra Miller's The Flash, not Grant Gustin's...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">The Flash's alter ego (I am not sure whether it is Barry Allen or Wally West or someone else) appears in a footage that Diana Prince watches on her laptop. It is not clearly stated that it is him, but the speedster also appears in between Bruce's visions and talks to him. It is exciting to see The Flash in the movie, especially because he does his time travelling thing there which is so... him hahaha. But it is still hard for me to accept that the character is not played by Grant Gustin, the star of The CW's <em>The Flash</em>. I am a huge fan of Grant's version of The Flash and the TV show itself. I have no problem with Ezra Miller, though. I know he is a great actor (he is amazing in <em>The Perks of Being a Wallflower</em>) and I am sure he is capable of being a great Flash. But the TV show is quite new and Grant has just established himself as The Flash of our generation, so it is a bit hard to see another actor portraying the character...</span></div>
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Speaking of the many DC characters who appear in the film, I think it can be quite hard for people who are not familiar with the characters' backstories to spot some Easter Eggs in the film. I have seen many Superman and Batman movies but that does not mean I know everything about them. I know a little bit about The Flash from the TV show. I know nothing about Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Doomsday, Cyborg... There are some parts, which involve details from the comic books, in the movie that I do not understand. I saw the movie with my friend who does not watch The CW's <em>The Flash </em>and she told me that she would not know that the mysterious figure who appeared in front of Batman was The Flash if I did not tell her. And the same thing happens to my little sister. I happen to be able to figure out that it was The Flash because I have seen him doing his time travelling thing in the TV show. So I think this movie is really made for DC Comics fans. It takes a fan to completely enjoy this movie.<br />
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So, I have a mixed feeling about the movie. It is not as great as I expected, but it is not all bad. It is still worth to watch and pretty entertaining.<br />
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<strong>Rating: 3/5</strong></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15666750852873141733noreply@blogger.com0