movies
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts

A Dream Comes True. Meeting Viggo Mortensen.


I've been a bad blogger lately. On this blog, anyway. I've been to a handful of events these past THREE months but not a peep. I have awesome pictures too.

But I've come out of that hole to share one of the more important days of my fangirling life. If you've known me for any length of time, you would know that I LOVE The Lord of the Rings. Books, movies... everything. The movies were the first 'verse that I actively participated in and was my first serious collection. I followed most, if not all, the actors and talents that were involved in the whole adventure and never regretted one bit.

Back when I lived in the Philippines, meeting these people seemed like a dream. I would ~dream about meeting them and that's about it. All of that changed in the past few years. I met/saw in person the cast and crew, some one by one... and just December of 2013 and 2014, a lot of them in one go. When I met Orlando Bloom at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, it felt awesome. My life felt awesome lol. It only really left one more man to complete my life. Viggo Mortensen.

I looked back in some of my posts and I found this:
When asked the question, "Who is that one celebrity that will make you lose your shit?" I have two answers: Viggo Mortensen and Orlando Bloom.  And yes, you can blame Lord of the Rings.  That movie trilogy made such an impact on me that more than ten years later, I still love it as if I've just seen it for the first time.  
And I've said it time and time again... if I were to meet Viggo, I'd die. Obviously, that didn't happen but on that moment when I first saw him in the flesh, my hands started shaking so bad. I thought that my heart was going to leap out of my chest. I had my brother there to ground me. Having him there made it so special because he has been on this LOTR journey with me since day one. And oh, my mom saw him too. Not in the theater but at the curb near the cinema as she picked us up. ;-)


Guys, this was huge. I mean... I've missed the opportunity to meet him three times in the past. I pretty much gave up on it when he sort of shied away from the whole Hollywood thing and... when he said some things about LOTR. I thought the Dennis Hopper Walk of Fame ceremony was my best chance and it just wasn't in the cards. I've been a fan since G.I. Jane... almost 20 years in the making.
Read More

The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies (2014)



AKA The End of an Age.

Frodo Baggins once said, "I'm glad to be with you, Samwise Gamgee, here at the end of all things." Well, Samwise Gamgee wasn't even born yet during the events of The Hobbit. What I'm saying is that I'm glad to be on this journey since it's first steps out the door where it began. (See what I did there?) And of course, all the friends I met along the way. It's like an actual fellowship, you know. Fans of either the book and/or movie will understand the thrill of meeting another person who understands and who is as passionate as you are over something. LOTR is not for everyone (but I try to make everyone watch it anyway) and that feeling of finding someone to talk to about Thranduil, Legolas, Thorin, etc... is just priceless. 

 Now, will this be a review? Eh, like I said... I have a hard time reviewing things that I love so no, definitely not a biased review. A recap maybe? Well, I don't think you'd want to read a full on fangirling complete with Tolkien jargon and mythology. A send off? Absolutely not. It may be hashtagged #OneLastTime but it's never really "the last time" with this fandom.
Read More

Dracula Untold (2014)


It is no secret that I will watch a movie just for the actor starring in it. (In the case of Sam Worthington, I avoid that movie like a plague.)  Yes, even if it gets lackluster to bad reviews from old men critics. They might see themselves as "authority" but we don't have the same tastes and/or reasons to watch and appreciate a film. They certainly do not watch a movie just because there's a hot guy in it. XD

Well, I'm not above that and have done it before and do it again. This time, it's for Luke Evans. He's the Will Turner doppelganger also seen in The Hobbit movies and Fast & Furious 6. He's also a musical theatre guy. There's something about him that I like so much. I met him in person in the red carpet premiere of Desolation of Smaug and boy, hopefully I can meet him again, and probably ask for a photo. He seems so nice!

I also like the whole vampire topic. Not just the blood-sucking lore but also the factual part about Vlad The Impaler. And yeah, all the other "vampiric" serial killer types like Elizabeth Bathory. That's why I am drawn into historical fiction novels and movies. I'm interested in seeing how they mix historical facts with the creative liberties they take. I'm not always sold but there are times when I enjoy myself so much that I don't even nitpick... much. ;-)



Suffice to say, I was so excited for this movie. Luke Evans plays Vlad the Impaler but he is not portrayed as the worst man ever here. He's a gentle king, even though he impaled his enemies on sticks and let them bleed out on the fields. Apparently, he did that for revenge and to protect his people. He then establishes his family and kingdom until one day, his sort of childhood friend, Sultan Mehmed II (played by Dominic Cooper) decides to change the rules of the agreement. As in the old times, he required 1000 boys for his army, including Vlad's own 10-year-old son as royal hostage. Betrayed, Vlad offers his own self as hostage but was denied. He then seeks the help of an ancient power, a legend in the mountain of something unspeakable and evil.

A Master Vampire (Game of Thrones' Charles Dance) gives Vlad a taste of that power. For three days, he'll be one of the undead and if by that three days he does not consume human blood, he will go back to the land of the living. Here lies the biggest change from popular lore... Vlad does want to go back. He just needed that three days to defend his kingdom. No matter what happened, he never used that power more than he intended. I loved Luke Evans' portrayal of that confused, hesitant, but determined king who only wants the best for his people. Yes, there is implied violence and bloodshed but it falls within the PG-13 rating of the film. So yeah, for a vampire movie, it doesn't have a lot of blood on screen.

For some, it's hard to view a vampire as a good guy; that all the bloodshed is for a greater good. I can see that point. On another day, I might agree with it. But I didn't mind it that much in this movie. I genuinely enjoyed the graphics, the acting, the flow of the story, and music. I admit, I want more blood and gore but as it is, it's not a bad contribution to the vampire genre.
Read More

September Favorites!

September was a good month.  The Seoul Summer Olympics turned 26, I met a popular author, I finally got my hands on some stuff that I've been wanting for a long time, and yeah, it was generally a good month.

I liked so many things this month. I don't think I have a "dislike" even! Yay, positivity all around. But September was not so nice to my pockets. Well, that's my fault entirely but hey, these purchases happened during this month lol. It was package after package; so much that my brother began to question the amount of parcels I was getting. Some were free, from a survey service, and the rest were paid - on a discount, mind you.

It was rather easy to narrow down my favorites into 10. I mean, just look at my Instagram and you'll have a general idea. I try to mix things up but sometimes, I get into these phases. A friend commented one time that my Instagram page is rather bipolar, that she couldn't pinpoint any ONE interest to describe the whole collection. Hah!  Anyway, let's get started with the list:



1. The Outlander TV series on Starz.
I don't think I ever talked about this.  I'm relatively a new fan of the this whole 1700s Scotland and what came with it but my anticipation was just as great as the older lady fans. It is just so beautiful -- from the setting to the wonderful COSTUME (that got me inspired to crochet bigger projects) and of course, the casting.  Sam Heughan is exactly the Jamie I had in my head while Caitriona Balfe (I will steal your name!) is Claire.  SHE IS CLAIRE.  I never watched a TV show on the exact day/time of airing in quite some time and you will find me in one corner of my room, curled around my iPad as I watch the show on the Starz Plat app.  The #OutlanderWedding is EVERYTHING I could ever hope for. The TV show just went on hiatus and will be back on April 4.  (To those bitching about the 6-month wait, this is NOTHING to a Sherlock fan. And if you're worried that the show will lose its steam, you have no faith. I'm getting off my soapbox now.)

2. Voyager and Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon. 

I'm seriously in love and lust with the book series.  I'm trying not to turn my book blog into a Jamie Fraser quote blog.  There are just so many lovely words uttered by this man (well, from the author but hey).  I'm currently reading the 5th one in the series, The Fiery Cross.  My "least favorite" so far is Dragonfly in Amber which is the 2nd one. It wasn't as good as the first one, Outlander, while the next ones were AH-MAZING.  These two are my favorites so far.  Yes, these books are crazy long and complex but if you loved the first one, you just have to continue. It's so easy to fall for these characters, not just Jamie and Claire. Fergus and Ian share a soft spot in my heart. And wee Germain and young Jamie (when he was still a bairn) and even Jemmy are getting there also.  I just can't get enough of these books. I still have three more to go on the main series; still not sure if I'm touching the Lord John ones though. Eventually. Maybe.  I don't know.  And I have a good number of them signed. And oh yeah, multiple copies of the first book.  Och!

3. The Maze Runner movie.
As I mentioned in my full review, I met James Dashner.  And I kind of agree with what he said that the movie is going to be better than the book.  I enjoyed it so much, I watched it twice in one weekend! In fact, this was the only movie that I've seen in a cinema since Guardians of the Galaxy.

 Speaking of GOTG...



4. Lee Pace.
He plays Ronan the Accuser in Guardians of the Galaxy, Thranduil in The Hobbit films, Calpernia Addams in the beautiful movie Soldier's Girl, the adorable Ned the Piemaker in Pushing Daisies... the list goes on!  This last month has been all about him.  I've been rewatching Pushing Daisies and how come they never make these kinds of show anymore? Sure it deals with death and depression but it's not dark like Criminal Minds (which I love, don't get me wrong) or some other procedural crime show. It's quirky and sweet and everyone on that show is quirky and sweet.

But I digress. Lee Pace is a wonderful talent. I got so excited when the official cast list for The Hobbit was released and saw his name as Thranduil. He's this big tall guy with intimidating eyebrows... just perfect for the Mad King, and Legolas' dad. His body of work is well-rounded (I forgive that one venture into the Twilight 'verse; at least he was HAWT in that) and I can't stop collecting them!   The bulk of my purchases this month had been towards the completion of his filmography. Money well spent.

5. Alpacasso plushies.

I blame my brother for this. Last summer, he was watching Summer Games Done Quick online, everyday, all day. I get home and find him watching that. I watched a couple of them, especially the one for Resident Evil 2.  In that broadcast, someone had an alpaca plushie.  I wanted one.  So I looked it up online and I just couldn't agree on the size for the price.

One day, I found a Tokyo Japanese Lifestyle store that carried this cute things!  OMG, they were not cheap but at least I had them in my hands.  (Honestly, I have no idea if they're originals but what the heck. I just want one!)  Now, this pink "kiddie" alpacasso resides on the edge of my bed "guarding" my stack of Outlander books.

From the absolutely cute to the absolutely gruesome...

6. Hannibal TV series on NBC.
First of all, I don't watch it on NBC as it airs. I'm kind of late to the party. I planned to watch this when it came out but hey, two season went by and only now am I jumping aboard.  Oh man, Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy! Thank Valar for European men! Mads' accent kills me, omg. And he has the whole dapper Viggo Mortensen vibe, both being Danish. The cases are as gory as they come, if not more. At least for primetime TV. I've finished the first season and am currently waiting for my season 2 DVD.

7. signed books and my Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook.
I admit, I've been neglecting my Kindle Fire HD lately. *sadface* I still like it but I'm just so madly in LOVE with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook. I even use it to watch my shows and movies; something that I don't even like doing on the iPad. The reading experience is pretty much the same on both platforms but with the added bonus of being able to watch videos on the SGT4N as well as the freedom of the Google Play store, I currently prefer my newest baby. My two complaints are the 8gig built-in memory and the lack of cover art when the file/book is "side loaded" or uploaded to the external SD card. My Kindle Fire HD has 32 gigabytes of built-in memory and all the books have cover art whether they be mobi or pdf.

As for signed books... okay, I've been half-cheating and half- well, making an effort.  I have signed copies of Diana Gabaldon's Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, and Written in My Own Heart's Blood. I also have one of Inside the Maze Runner. Two of them, I actually met the author and had them sign and personalize it for me - Maze Runner and MOBY.  The other two... I bought them signed. And on a discount! XD  As you can see in my alpacasso picture, my Outlander books are hardcover sized. Except my Drums of Autumn copy. The listing said "paperback" instead of "mass market paperback," the smaller form, so I assumed it was the trade paperback size. Turns out, it wasn't. It was the smaller one. But signed. No complaints here.

I got spoiled by it that I got The Fiery Cross signed too. I'm looking to get the next one signed as well but looking at my options, it's too expensive. Maybe I'll just buy a trade paperback with a different cover, other than that solid colored one.  (I swear, this post is not an Outlander love letter LOL.)

For the last three, we go to food.



8. "rummy bears".
Malibu coconut rum + gummy bears = RUMmy bears.  And they are so cute when fully saturated.  I need to make a new batch. It's just my brother and I who eat them so one pack lasts us for a good while. I have a nicely sized mason jar from the 626 Night Market to put my bears into. I have a pack of gummy worms waiting in the wings and half a bottle of Malibu so we'll see how well the worms take to it. ;-)

9. Brookside Dark Chocolate, Pomegranate.
It's pricey but one large bag will last you a while. Plus, I got mine from Target using that Cartwheel app; I got 5% off or something like that. This stuff is so addictive! A co-worker brought a smaller bag to work one day and we demolished that thing in 15 minutes flat.

 10. Kit-kat Green Tea flavor.
The most sought after flavor of all. And I have 2 1/2 bags of it waiting for me.  XD  It is as amazing as a lot of people are saying. An acquired taste for some but it's still soooo good.  Different, but good.

So those are my 10 favorites for the month of September. It was a very month for food and Outlander it seems! I wonder if any of these will carry over to October. ;-)
Read More

The Maze Runner (2014)




This is one of those full circle moments where related things happen immediately right after the other.  I watched this movie for the second time - yes, twice - on Sunday the 21st with my brother and mother who were also with me during the James Dashner author signing event at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena on September 12th.  Aaaand both of them have finished the trilogy whereas I've only read the first one.  It was like with Angels and Demons; all 3 of us read the source material and were looking forward to a discussion about the movie.

During his Q&A, James Dashner joked that he thought the movie was better than the book.  I figured he was saying that in jest to sell the movie and understandably, he was excited.  I shared his excitement because I enjoyed The Maze Runner a lot.  It started off slow for me but in a genre flooded by "strong young female lead characters," we needed to hear from the boys.  Thomas, Minho, Newt, and the rest of the Gladers filled up that void.

I always thought that The Hunger Games movies were better than the books.  Shoot me, it's true.  But did I agree with Mr. Dashner?  Is the movie better than the book in this case?  Yes and no.  There were parts of the book that I felt were important that were left out.  On the other hand, I also understood why they had to take the liberties that they took with the movie.

The Maze Runner to begin with is a rather complex book.  It's not one of those "spoon-fed" YA novels where the author tells you instead of shows you.  It has a lot of words that only make sense in this particular 'verse.  It started off slow with a lot of explanations - what is what, who is who, where is where. Right off the bat, Thomas, our main character, seems different. He's not as passive as the other boys.

I like how the actors brought the characters to life.  I particularly enjoyed Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Minho (Ki Hong Lee). The screen lights up whenever either of them are on and man, they are so awesome to watch.  Kaya Scodelario who plays Teresa looks like a Bella Swan double.  She was just... there.  Much of the stuff they left out of the book had something to do with her.  Blake Cooper as Chuck was just delightful.  It's like book!Chuck jumped off the page on to the screen.  The other Gladers were like Teresa... they were just there.  There's this one kid who had lines but for the life of me, I could not remember his name.  Eh.  And as for Thomas (Dylan O'Brien), he was okay.  I never had a clear picture of Thomas in my head anyway.

What I liked the most was the editing and pacing.  For a movie with "runner" in the name, they did well on the pace of the film.  The book runs a bit slow and steady but that might not translate well on screen.  In that case, I agreed with one huge change that they did for the adaptation. The actual running sequences were great.  The maze came alive on screen very well.  Minho, oh oppa... XD  The actor portrayed that confident but not cocky demeanor so well.  I also liked their costumes.  It felt functional and every main character had a distinct look.

However, I pictured a different look for the Grievers.  In my head, it was a cross between a jelly blob and Final Fantasy VIII's monster, X-ATM092.  The ones in the movie, I thought, were too skinny and small.  They were fierce but rather smaller than what I expected.  But hey, what do I know?

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed it.  It's no Hunger Games but it is more enjoyable than Divergent.  Would I watch it again?  Absolutely!
Read More

Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

I admit, the trailers looked really awesome.  The absence of Megan Fox and Shia LaBitch were definitely welcomed.  I do like Marky Mark.  And it's been a while since I saw a Michael Bay master-tastrophe. (I totally skipped the 3rd Transformers movie because of that model lady they replaced Megan Fox with. I mean, Megan can't act for shit but that model can't even move her face.)  Taking all of that into consideration, I should enjoy this 4th one, yes?

Eh... at least it had Ken Watanabe.  It really did!

Since I have no idea what happened in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, it was like watching a whole new Transformers franchise.  I am a fan of the animated series that aired when I was a kid but not much of the live action movies because of the human cast.  The robots are great.  I even have a friend who "confessed" that she thought that Optimus Prime is "hot".  And she meant in semi-truck form.


Yeah.  I don't even know.

But Optimus Prime is pretty cool.  I've always liked him and Bumblebee and his unassuming and naughty demeanor.  Until Ken Watanabe's Drift came along.  Yes, he became my new favorite because of Watanabe-san.  And he reminded me of Tekken's Yoshimitsu.

The other bots are just fantastic.  If they can do away with the humans in these movies, I might like them more.  The problem with this installment is the romantic BS they felt they had to inject.  Mark Wahlberg plays Cade Yeager (insert all Pacific Rim jokes here) and he is a Stu Pickles-like inventor in the middle of nowhere Texas.  He has a 17-year-old brat named Tessa (Nicola Peltz).  Throughout the movie, she's this useless little bitch who cared nada for her dad and obsessed over her Liam Hemsworth look alike boyfriend, Shane (Jack Reynor).  A word of note to all females cast in any Transformers movie, throw yourself in the way of two bots next time; y'all of practically useful only to annoy the audiences.

Cade then happens to come across a rundown Mater-like truck that lay abandoned in a condemned building.  And yay, it's Optimus Prime in "disguise".  As Mater.  LOL.  He then uses that energy-sapping trick they do to transform into that sexy semi-truck again.  Calling all Autobots... Aaah, it gets me going every time!

My problem with it... or should I say, PROBLEMS, are writing, editing, and humans.  In pretty much that order.  All of the stuff they gave to the Yeager side of the story was cringe-worthy.  That made the acting not convincing and painful to watch.  The Tessa character, omg... just... I was happy when her part was reduced to almost nothing towards the end.  I didn't mind Shane because he was just... there.  And he looked like a Hemsworth brother.

What is it with these women in action movies anyway?  Their nail polish stay pristine; they don't sweat; they don't get bruises after being banged up in concrete, glass, and hard dirt.  Naomi Watts rolled around in the forest in King Kong but her dress remained relatively clean.  Tessa's hair flew this way and that but still fell nicely around her shoulders.  I'd be lucky to have my hair flat down on my head after a strong gale.

But I digress.

The editing made my head hurt.  OMG.  Maybe because it had too many fillers that scene changes seemed irrelevant to each other or done very poorly. The first part was worse than the second half.  It was choppy.  It got better towards the end because the storylines merged into one or two.

The Dinobots were... what were they for?  Optimus Prime had a ROTK!Aragorn moment while riding Grimlock.  "Fight for me, and I will hold your oaths fulfilled," type of thing.  They all came out of nowhere and yeah.  That was it.  Galvatron/Megatron is still pretty stupid, by the way.

Transformers: Age of Extinction was needlessly long.  Michael Bay got a wee bit carried away with all the Michael Bay-isms.  I felt the urge to exclaim "Michael Bay!" at every explosion... which I think I did.  If the guy is known for one thing, it's explosions.


(Yes.  That is a Miley Cyrus gif on my blog.  Feel free to take a cleansing shower afterwards.)

Anyway.  It was long.  I'm no stranger to 3-hour movies but LOTR and Marvel stuff are pretty much exceptions to every rule.  This one made me tired with all the bot fighting and destruction of China and explosions. Which would've been okay if not for the stupid breaks that had the human characters spew out some stupid "No, Daddy. I love him and I hate you" bull shit.  That got old so fast.

A 5th one is confirmed.  That means more Optimus Prime and more Bee.  But Primus forbid, more Tessa?  Please, no.  Send her off to college and may we never hear from her again.

Although, I have a sinking feeling that her college car will be Bumblebee.  DX
Read More

Movies that I've Watched Twice.

There is no secret that I love the movies.  I go to red carpet premieres, I tend to watch the next highly anticipated movie as soon as I can - often, the first weekend of release - and I try to become familiar with a certain actor's body of work.  Before, I rarely go to the cinemas.  But since having found myself residing near the entertainment capital of the world, it gave me a new sense of excitement.  To watch a movie after having seen it film, where it was filmed, and meeting the actors is quite the feeling.

With the season of summer comes the summer blockbusters.  The superhero movies, the monster flicks, the explosive action-packed franchises.  They usually start by mid-spring and one or two come out every week or so.  So many movies, so little time.

The last FOUR movies that I've seen, I've seen them twice each.  Divergent (once in the US and the other in the Philippines), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (twice in one day), Godzilla (over the course of one weekend), and X-Men: Days of Future Past (one with family and the other with friends).  Oh wait, I saw The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in between my 2nd time with Divergent and Captain America but oh, lol... you know what I mean. XD  The point is, I've made it an accidental habit to watch movies twice.

(Aaaaand... I also watched the Korean movie No Breathing on the plane to South Korea.  I put on The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug on my flight from Korea to LA but only has background noise to put me to sleep. It's quite effective.  But let's get back to topic, shall we?)

I already have reviews up on Divergent and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  I wanted to watch Godzilla because the 1997 film was one of the first ones that I remember watching in theaters.  It's definitely my brother's first one lmao.  It was rather trippy to see Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen as husband and wife in this film when they play twins in The Avengers: Age of Ultron as Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.  Sort of like Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort as Tris and Caleb Prior in Divergent - brother and sister - and as Hazel Grace and Augustus in The Fault in Our Stars - boyfriend and girlfriend.  (I read and reviewed the book on my other blog. TL;DR I'm not a fan.)

The best part of Godzilla was Ken Watanabe's WTF face all throughout the film.  I can't explain it but it's fcking hilarious!  Godzilla's end moves are pretty awesome as well.  All that was missing was Ultraman or one of those Japanese robots, Voltes V.  MUTO... eh, I still think it's stemmed from KUTO, Tagalog for louse.  LMAO. 

And speaking of Quicksilver, the character also shows up on X-Men, played by Evan Peters.  OMG, best part of the movie!  I will never listen to Jim Croce's Time in A Bottle the same way again.  Unfortunately, my least favorite part of the film was Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique.  It was so blank and one-dimensional; almost as if she - the actress and character - didn't want to be there.  I have yet to see her in a role that I like (apart from Katniss Everdeen).  I'm still pissed that Kitty Pryde was almost just an afterthought when in fact, she should be front and center in Future Past.  Well, I guess that's what you get when you don't have an Academy Award.  *shrugs*

I did enjoy X-Men a lot.  Especially this one.  As if X-Men 3 didn't happen!  *confetti*  It was nice to see old faces: Jean, Bobby, Scott, Peter Rasputin.  And some hottie new ones such as Warpath lol.

I should also mention this interesting thing that my brother and I found while watching Divergent in the Philippines, at SM North Edsa.  While we shy away from sitting at the front part of the cinema, that particular SM Cinema has LA-Z BOY CHAIRS instead of your typical theater chairs.  I kid you not.  OMG, it was quite awesome.  And you can use them with no extra charge!  XD

Since then, I've not seen a movie twice.  Actually, I haven't been keeping up with movies this year.  I recently discovered why Sherlock is the best thing in the world so my attention has been on that and the perfection that is Benedict Cumberbatch.  This is the first time where I get so into deep with a show/fandom after meeting it's stars: Benedict, Martin Freeman, and Amanda Abbington.  Oh well, at least I've met them, yeah?  But that's for another post.
Read More

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)


I loved it so much, I watched it twice in one day!

Well, not really.  I did love it.  But to watch it twice in a day?  Let's just say that the second one was free.  There.  I never say no to free stuff.  And if it's something that I truly like, bring it!

There is no secret that my favorite Avenger is Captain America, closely followed by Hawkeye.  It's no coincidence that these roles are played by two of the hottest beings on the planet, Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner, respectively.  All of that makes my movie-going experience all the more enjoyable.

I knew that I was going to like a Captain America movie regardless.  That's how I roll with the stuff I irrationally love.  But this went beyond my already high expectations.  It wasn't as geeky fun as The Avengers but this is by far the most story-driven superhero movie that I've ever seen.  There wasn't a dull moment or bad acting or fillers... it was an adventure from the first second to the very last.

This is honestly the first time where I liked these two main-ish characters: Nick Fury and Black Widow.  I'm not much of a Scarlett Johansson fan; I never saw the "wow" in her acting but something changed in Black Widow in this movie.  She's more snarky and witty and less out of place.  Even her one "comedy" line was great.  (The trailers of Lucy looks fcking amazing.)  Nick Fury stopped being a douchebag.  His vulnerability is a nice change and it actually made him more badass.  Maria Hill should've been this fierce in The Avengers.  They barely used her there and she's more than a glorified secretary to Fury.

Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon was great.  A deserving addition to the universe.  Maybe not for The Avengers but definitely for the subsequent Captain America sequels.  Speaking of sequels, the Winter Soldier... there's a comic storyline I want them to follow where the Winter Solider assumes the position of Captain America... actually becomes Captain America.  If I can't have my Civil War arc, I want this.  The post-credits scene opens so many possibilities for Bucky.  And really, Sebastian Stan in anything.  ANYTHING.

But the man of the (two) hour(s)... Chris Evans.  Whoo!  *fans self*  JFC, I have a selfie with this hot man.


Oh, Under Armour is the official clothing sponsor of SHIELD.  Wilson is not an agent of SHIELD therefore, he wears Nike.  XD  There's this one scene where Rogers comes out of the bathroom and... yeah, I almost had to excuse myself from the cinema.

I love how he plays Steve.  Better than when he had to portray Johnny Storm.  His earnestness and his faith in humanity punches me in the gut.  No wonder Steve can lift Thor's hammer.

Unlike other superhero movies, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is teeming with serious issues.  Politics, power struggles, espionage... it's not just a self-serving issue or crisis of a paranormal nature.  Granted, Steve would've had an easier time if The Avengers were there to help him but this is solely a Captain America struggle.  (Or at least have Hawkeye there. I mean, Natasha's great and all but gotta have my Clint Barton.)

I'm glad they included Peggy Carter.  And not just in a flashback.  Speaking of flashbacks, I loooove how they included that aspect.  It totally helped the story and again, it showed a vulnerable side to an otherwise untouchable character.

Would I watch it again?  For free, yes. ;-)


Good thing I got this at the SHIELD gift shop before… you know if you watched the movie already.

And yes, my phone case is the map of Middle-Earth.
Read More

Divergent (2014)


There's a word for people like me. I'm Divergent.

And it's not in the movie!  Oops, spoiler!  XD

I read the book when I heard that there will be a movie.  And I saw the book set on my niece's FB wall.  I don't know what it is about trilogies.  Harry Potter spoiled me, making me patient enough to wait and wait for the next installment thus making me invest time, money, effort, and... emotion to the whole damn thing.  Only to be crushed by the final book/movie.

But I digress, you can read all about the book on my book blog.  I've only read the first book for now.  I thought it was great but I'm in no rush to read the rest.  It still had the teenage whine that I dislike but with violence, suicides, and deaths.  You know, dystopian-style romance.

The movie, I liked. I admit, I wasn't super excited but I still couldn't wait to see it.  It was long and the editing was choppy but it is to be expected. The first book was one long introduction to Tris and the society and it's a lot of stuff to cram into a 2.5 hour movie.  I actually think it would be a good candidate for a CW series.  The movie definitely had an Arrow-ish feel in production and general treatment of content.  But since it was 2.5 hours long, the "cut into Tris", "close up of Tris' face", and "it's all about Tris" became old... fast.  It was all about waterproof defining mascara and brown smudged liner to me. Boy, I thought the LesMis movie had too many closeups. I was very well acquainted with Shailene Woodley's freckles by the end of the first hour.  

It was as faithful as it could, I guess.  Like I said, the book is packed with information and situations that it's not possible to be 100% faithful in a movie.  For once, I was happy with the casting.  Haha... I won't say it was "perfect" but I couldn't think of other people who can do a better job that what they had.  Theo James was solid as Four, considering he's oh, 10 years older than the Four in the book.  Shailene Woodley is... she's brilliant!  She looks so meek but, I mean, she's Tris.  OMG.  She's like the stillest of waters, she runs deep.  I loved the nuances she gave Tris -- the little smiles, giggles, and the intensity during the battle scenes. 

Comparing it to The Hunger Games is pointless.  They're very different.  I must say, THG keeps you on your feet and is definitely more tragic and gory.  But Divergent keeps you thinking.  If only they extended the training scenes to include the others... those were my favorite parts of the movie.  Both have deeper meanings, societal issues and inequality but it's easier to apply the issues in Divergent to our immediate situation.  THG looks at it at a larger scope.

But my one biggest complaint (not counting my fangirly issue that Maggie Q was underused) is with a Lionsgate budget, they can't make the tattoos a least bit realistic?  I said it when the trailer first came out, Four and his huge back piece looks like it's been sponsored by Sharpie.  The fake tattoos that are applied with water look better than those.  Are they henna'd on the actors?  If so, it wasn't very good.

One treat for a movie buff like me comes in the casting.  There was this one scene were Tris is running down a corridor with Peter played by Miles Teller, Four, and Caleb played by Ansel Elgort.  Miles was in The Spectacular Now with Shailene.  Caleb is Tris' older brother.  Ansel will be Shailene's love interest in The Fault in Our Stars.  Yay.

So how about you?  Have you taken your test?  I have… and about 10 others.  All of them point to the same result: “You are #Divergent- But Closest to Erudite.”  I would agree.
Read More

The Star Spangled Man with a Plan!


Who's strong and brave, here to save the American way?

It's been a while since I went solo on a red carpet premiere.  But if there's anything I've learned from attending these kinds of events, it's that there is no shortage of like-minded individuals around you.  Yes, even those who attend for "business purposes".  This had been far from my first rodeo and the number of familiar faces had piled up over the years.  While I still sometimes feel bad for the "real fans" when I see some "autograph hounds" around, I realized that not all of them are bad.  Actually, some of them are kind of fun to be with.  :)

Anyway, if you've been around me long enough, you would know that my favorite Avenger is Captain America.  Not just because of Chris Evans, mind you.  It's his shield.  For the last The Avengers premiere, I spent three days making Cap's shield from yarn.  It's not perfect but I'm fcking proud of it.  Some of the crew guys took photos of it.  And same this time around.  I haven't seen the streaming yet but the camera guy went over to me twice to film my shield.  What became of that, I know not.  But one of the will call guests commented on it too as she passed by our area going in the theater.  And Agents of SHIELD's Brett Dalton took it from my hands to look at it.  He said, "Did you knit this yourself? Man, that is awesome!"  Crochet, actually, but thank you.  (Why do I feel obligated to watch that show now? #guiltyfeels LOL.)

I got there at around 10AM which, in premiere times, is not early.  I was concerned because El Capitan premieres have shorter fanlines than those done across the street.  By the time I got there, the second row was filling up.  But thanks to familiar faces from various True Blood premieres, I scored a good spot... ending up against the barricades.


I finished the book that I was reading, Flowers in the Attic, while waiting for the event to start.  I swear, if I had $5 every time people asked me what was going on, I'd have enough to watch this movie in the theaters 5 times.  And maybe an extra $5 whenever said tourist takes a picture of the TCL Chinese Theater thinking that that's where the premiere was held.  A handful of people couldn't believe that the crowd across the street was different from us waiting at El Capitan.

Speaking of tourists, it was so easy to spot them.  Apart from the fanny packs and large cameras and occasional cries of, "OMG the Harlem Globetrotters star," which was located behind my seat, the tourists were dressed for the beach.  It was a crisp 72 degrees that day.  The locals, those of us waiting on the sidewalk, were bundled up in hoodies and jackets.  That's California for ya.

As usual, I wasn't there for autographs.  I could but it's too much work for me to hold my stuff and take a picture of and with the celebrity.  I tried that for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and I got crushed.  No bueno.  And I value my pictures more anyway.  And this is a better time for premieres than the one for Thor: The Dark World.  It started at around 6PM and it still was light as day.  I definitely took better pictures.

The whole main cast of Agents of SHIELD was there.  Surprisingly, I managed to get photos with most of them.  And I don't even watch the show anymore!  True Blood parallels, anyone?  XD  Dang, and they were so nice too... I feel kinda guilty about not being a fan of their show.  Oh well.  To strike up a conversation with Chloe Benett, I asked her about Big Bang's Tonight MV.  She smiled and said they were nice guys.

I didn't get a lot of pictures with the actors but I did get one with the one I was most excited for... Hayley Atwell.  I loved her as Peggy Carter but I have to thank Pillars of the Earth for introducing me to her, as well as Eddie Redmayne and Sam Claflin.  Now, I am a part of that six-degrees chain too.  XD  She took her dad with her at the event.  And really, I've never met a prouder parent.

 As Hayley was making her way down the fan line, someone was taking video of her signing stuff and interacting with fans.  I was scared that she might head to the carpet without getting to us so I said out loud, "Hayley! I've been a fan since Pillars of the Earth!"  The man taking video heard it and headed over to us.  The lady beside me asked, "Is that for Hayley?"  He said yes and I repeated what I said about Pillars.  She was getting close to us and I was visibly vibrating in excitement.  Then the man said, "Actually, I'm her dad."  She gave him the biggest smile.  And we were all, "Awww..." Daddy taking video of his little girl's time in the spotlight. 

After I took my photo with Hayley, Mr. Atwell was still filming and I just had to say it.  "You must be so proud, sir," I said.  He gave me the warmest smile and said, "It's more joy than pride, you know.  Joy, you can share.  You guys," pointing to us fans, "make it all worth it.  So thank you."  It just made my night.  I love meeting celebrity parents.  They either act as haughty as their progeny or so very humbled, it's touching.

Sebastian Stan was making his way down to us also but stopped juuuuust before he got to our area.  Bummer, I wanted a photo but at least I saw him.  :)  Other actors in attendance were Samuel L. Jackson, JEREMY RENNER (you bet your ass that I screamed my head all the way off again), Dominic Monaghan (a pleasant surprise), Claudia Kim Soohyun (I wanted to call out 언니 but I was struck dumb... she's so pretty), the guys from Baby Daddy, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker reunion, anyone?), Michael Rooker aka Merle Dixon of The Walking Dead, George St. Pierre, Teen Wolf's Tyler Posey, and of course, Scarlett Johansson.

 At The Avengers premiere, Chris Evans didn't even sign all the way to our spot. This time around, he did.  And look at us being such dorks!

I was so stunned that all I did was smile like a loon while waving my crocheted shield at him.  OMG, I couldn't find the words apart from "thank you".  His voice rumbling by my ear... oh dear lord, yes.  

 The rest of the premiere went by without a hitch.  Our spot was okay but I think we got the least number of people to sign and take pics.  But hey, at least we got Chris.

 More photos after the cut....
Read More

RoboCop (2014)


I'm always skeptical when it comes to remakes.  Those kinds of movies don't have the best track records and frankly, why mess with a good thing?  Oooorrr... if the original sucked, why makes you think a remake will make it any better?  But my hunger for hero movies and bias for certain European men clouded my judgment.

And my bias was right.  I enjoyed this RoboCop remake more than anything in the franchise.  I remember watching the original movie and the series with my grandfather.  He would call me in front of the TV and we'd watch it.  I remember it vaguely but I'm sure it was RoboCop and I would ask my grandfather if Alex Murphy is a man pretending to be a robot and they call him RoboCop because he's in that suit.  I think I did like the show and would've watched it even if my grandfather didn't ask me.

I heard about this remake in early 2013, maybe?  I admit, I laughed.  I mean... 90s RoboCop being remade?  I couldn't get my brain around the possibility of an updated suit; I was stuck in that fake-looking prop thing.  I wasn't going to give it a time of day but when they confirmed that Joel Kinnaman was cast as Alex Murphy, that turned my head.

Many of you might've heard of Joel Kinnaman from The Killing as Stephen Holder.  And Snabba Cash, for those of you, like me, who like watching foreign language/European movies.  He's a fine Swedish actor and like his compatriot, Alexander Skarsgard, Joel is soooo easy on the eyes.  And I love listening to him talk.  You know, in that adorable Swedish English, lots of fillers, kind of way.  Adorbs!


But anyway, I loved the action sequences of the movie.  Shaky cam was a bitch but unlike with The Hunger Games, it made sense.  RoboCop was in pursuit, weaving in and out of traffic on his BADASS motorcycle.  Man, that bike was sexy.  I was concerned that we won't see Joel much because of the visor but even with that, he delivered nicely.  His performance out of costume definitely reminded me of Holder though.

I was surprised that Nick Fury, I mean... Samuel L. Jackson was there.  Heh, shows you how much I truly paid attention to the weeks leading up to the movie's release.  He's more Capitol One commercial than Nick Fury but then again, that style is what makes Samuel L. Jackson.

There is a Batman connection beyond the metal suit. Michael Keaton was Batman.  Gary Oldman was in the Bale!Batman films.  I loved both of their performances here.  My favorite Elizabeth Bennet, Jennifer Ehle is there to provide the mandatory corporate woman.  She did that very well also.

What I didn't like was the token Asian lady with a clipboard.  On this case, a tablet.  You know, the genius-level stuck up bitchy labrat that never smiles and every word she says sounds like she's a know-it-all.  And I'm sorry, why is it that every movie has ONE actor/actress who couldn't act?  In this case, Murphy's wife.  Abbie Cornish is a pretty girl but she has one expression, that of pain that comes across as an awkward frown... as if she's trying to cry but can't do it.  I mean, she wasn't all that distracting - I can take her over the know-it-all lady - but there are other actresses who could've done a better job at emotions.

But Joel... yes, I am biased and I felt so proud seeing him on the big screen in a Hollywood action movie.  And I loved listening to him talk about his journey as RoboCop, the way he explains what Alex Murphy went through.  He was just so badass.  My favorite scene would probably be the one where they're testing RoboCop, neutralizing threats in that warehouse-y place.  I also like the part where they reveal "what is left" of him but that was more shock value for me.

Speaking of that, it was easy for me to suspend disbelief for this film.  Maybe because I watched RoboCop in the past, it wasn't too hard for me to digest that they can put a guy in a metal suit and have him save the city.  (Uh... Iron Man much?)  It was shocking to see what was left of him and then somehow, he could still function.  But hey, it's a sci-fi movie for a reason.  It's just amusing to me that they let him keep one hand.  But how about... never mind. ;-)

I never thought I'd like it as much as I did.  In fact, in the days after watch it, I couldn't keep it out of my mind.  I kinda wanna watch it again.  And since yesterday, I've watched every single interview Joel made about the movie.  I wish I caught him on Kimmel but alas, work overruns everything.

I cannot wait for the DVD release.  This is definitely going to be watched over and over again!
Read More

Leonardo diCaprio

I'm not going to beat around the bush.  Just give the guy an Academy Award. 

Lord knows he deserves one.  Or more!


I met him in 2010 at the Inception red carpet premiere at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre.  It was my first movie premiere and I didn't know what to expect.  I didn't know half of the cast (I honestly did not know who Joseph Gordon-Levitt) was at the time.  Apart from Leo, the only cast members I recognized were Ken Watanabe and Ellen Page.  Actually, up to this day, there are still people in my pictures of that event that are unknown to me.

I was in 3rd-4th grade when Titanic came out.  Try to be named CATE during that time.  Every girl in my class had a drop dead crush on him.  I was one of them - but hated the fact that they teased me for sharing the same nickname as Kate Winslet.  Looking back now, I'm so embarrassed at the childhood fantasy BS that we made up about him.  So much so that I want the ground to swallow me up!

[Please note that webcams were new around that time.  I had a rich kid classmate who had one before anyone else.  And she also wore this toy plastic ring with a huge light up "gem" in the center.  It's blue... a la The Heart of the Ocean.  My classmate claimed that HE gave it to her.  Yeah.  Right.]

Never in my wildest imagination - my 9-year-old self - would I even consider that I will see Leonardo diCaprio in person.  It took 13 years, longer than my wait for LOTR come to think of it.  My hands never shook harder as I saw him making his way down the fan line when the other didn't.  I was at a total loss for words.  I watched him come closer; I was right up against the railing... with only that railing and air separating us.  My heart felt like it was going to pump out of my chest.

So what brought this random fangirling post on?  Well, when the Academy Awards nominations were released by the very dapper Chris Hemsworth, Leo's name is on it again, as expected.  In the previous years, he was against powerhouse runaway winners.  Not to say that he's a pushover, hell no.  But even I have to raise my glass for Daniel Day Lewis.  This year... let it be Leo's year.  Please.  If the Jennifer Hudsons and the Jennifer Lawrences get awards from pretty much being obscure newbies and indie sweethearts, why can't Leo?  He's come a long way from that Marvin's Room cutie to Jack Dawson into making insane mindfuck movies such as Shutter Island.  How many more Scorsese masterpieces does he have to do?

If he doesn't win, then I call BS.  And he's free to do whatever psychological movie needed to finally score that coveted award.
Read More

End of 2013 Survey

I could not find an "End of 2014" survey that is not about books.  So I might as well use the one I filled up last year.  It should be interesting to compare answers.

What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?
Dyed my hair! And I'm keeping it red.  And KCON! 


Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I made good with one: to start formally learning a foreign language.  I did that for roughly six months then I plan to continue on my own.  I've acquired a couple of books.  Especially next year... we're going to South Korea!
 
Did anyone close to you give birth?
I won't say "close" but some school friends had babies this year.

Did anyone close to you die?
Again, not close but some people that I knew.

What countries did you visit?
None.  I will remedy that in 2014.

What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
A better-paying job.  Again.  But to be fair, my job in 2013 paid better than the one I had in 2012.  If it follows the pattern, I hope to get a better job in 2014 with all the benefits.

What date from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
December 2, 2013.  Not just because it's my brother's birthday.  It was the red carpet premiere of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.  I cannot gush about that event enough.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Hmm... being able to have short but straight conversations in Korean. :)  It was a once-a-week, two hours per day class in a span of six months but I did okay in that short amount of time.

What was your biggest failure?
I try not to think of those.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
It seems that my voice is not going with me in 2014.  At least, it's going to be late.

What was the best thing you bought?
 The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey 5-disc extended DVD set.  This brings me so much joy.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
Pope Francis, I guess.

Whose behavior made you appalled?
If I answer this truthfully, I'll get a lot of hate.  It's not a fandom thing... it's a real life thing for a change.  I guess I'll just keep that to myself.

Where did most of your money go?
DVDs.  Bath and Body Works.  Hot Topic.  Especially around the Black Friday weekend. And yeah, KCON.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug premiere.  I never saw this coming.  LOTR events were always either NYC or NZ.  Finally they have something for LA and I dropped everything just to be a part of it.  Twelve years is a long time to wait.  No more.

What song will always remind you of 2013?
2013 is more about movies for me.  I listened to the same bunch of songs and even the 2013 releases didn't stand out to me that much.

Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder? Happier.
b) Thinner or fatter? About the same.
c) Richer or poorer? Richer.

What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I wrote more.  Even fan fiction.  Especially fan fiction. ;-)  And crochet.  My stash of yarn is growing faster than I can stitch.  The season for crocheted goods isn't that long.  And oh yeah, watch more movies.

What do you wish you’d done less of?
As always, spend.  But no regrets!
crocheted good season is not very long. 

How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it up at the Hollywood sign!

What was your favorite TV program?
Storage Wars.  I'm not even kidding. XD  I could watch HOURS of this show.  The original one, not the Texas spinoff.
 
Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I actually scratched a name or two off that list this year.  Improvement!

What was the best book you read?
Enders Game by Orson Scott Card.  And I have to say, The Maze Runner by James Dashner.  Serena by Ron Rash is a contender but I didn't breeze through that as easily as the other two.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
I'm still very much in my K-pop bubble but I'm slowly coming back to indie, folk-y music, thanks to Spotify.  Sophie Madeleine is one of those finds. 

What did you want and get?
An Amazon Kindle Fire HD!  Don't get me wrong, I love real books and my nook isn't bad.  But I really wanted a Kindle for the longest time.  I have Kindle apps on my phone and iPad but being the dedicated tech person that I am, I needed a separate Kindle.  And I fulfilled last year's answer to the next question, a new MacBook Pro!

What did you want and not get?
A new iPod.  Still debating whether to get the Touch with the camera on the back or the Classic.  Leaning more towards the Touch though.  It's an extra camera for events and whatnot.

What was your favourite film of this year?
I have a list.  In no particular order:
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
  • Pacific Rim
  • Catching Fire
  •  Thor: The Dark World
  • Gravity
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 25 and I was at work. I planned to go to NYC and watch Orlando Bloom in Romeo and Juliet but no dice.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
Sweaters and boots.  I finally got one of those Converse boots.  And some very cute white Doc Marten-looking pair from Forever 21.

What kept you sane?
Fandom.  Lately, I cannot stop talking about either The Hunger Games and/or The Hobbit/LOTR.  And good books.  I've been using the hell out of my Kindle Fire HD since I got it and I'm lucky that my picks have been good ones.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Josh Hutcherson.  Shoot me.  He's younger than me but hot DAMN, when he's in Peeta mode.... he's hot as hell.  He's cute as himself too but add my automatic sympathy for Peeta, I can't handle it.  And yes, I have a pillowcase with his face on it.  Two of them.

What political issue stirred you the most?
That Napoles debacle in the Philippines.  Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago PWNED!

Who did you miss?
My dad.  And my brother.  It's times like this when I need someone to geek out with.

Who was the best new person you met?
Our red carpet premiere group is growing.  :)

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013:
Just have fun.  And acknowledge the signs.  -- ditto!

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Read More

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

I'm bad at reviewing my favorite things.  I can't stop myself from being so biased and gushy and I tend to praise whatever it is to the high heavens.  In this case, to the Valar.  When it is anything about Lord of the Rings - books, films, actors - anything that resembles an unbiased opinion goes out the window.  The only way that I would "hate" this is when they put Channing Tatum anywhere near it.  Hopefully, that will never EVER happen.

Hanging off my purse right now
So I watched The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.  It was incredible.  As expected.  I liked it more than the first one.  It was long but unlike Unexpected Journey, it didn't feel long.  Thorin was more likeable in this and I absolutely love that, even in a very short scene, they explored the relationship between Thorin and Fili. We see this group of heroes and it is easy to forget that they are their own person.  We see Thorin's struggles but how about the others?

I was skeptical when it came to the addition of Tauriel.  I believe that I was the only one who saw Legolas' relevance to the scheme of things.  Whatever, guys.  I can even put Aragorn in the picture had Peter Jackson employed my services.  But Tauriel was completely new and I didn't know how to feel about her.  Weeeeell, her scenes were pretty bad ass and refreshing but looking closely, she's there for eye candy and nothing more.  I still liked her though.  Her interaction with Kili was cute.  Kili is cute. (Aidan Turner can pass for a younger Aragorn.  Aragorn, not Viggo.)  Tauriel gave Legolas a personality.  And gave fan fiction fodder to hardcore Aragon/Legolas shippers.  Legolas - Orlando Bloom, really - is the Most Improved.  Still awesome fight sequences and his Elvish sounded more natural.  However.  Is it just me or are the fight sequences a tad bit slower?  Like it's overly choreographed (of course it is lol) and either they were moving slower or the footage was slowed down.  Idek.

Thranduil was a HIGH point.  But I wanted MORE!  He was there for a good 5-10 minutes... not nearly enough to bask in his amazingness.  When he sassy'd his son... it was like Tumblr fan art coming to life!  Lee Pace is Thranduil.  Can you imagine him hosting his own TV show?  XD

Luke Evans is some kind of awesome.  I don't know what it is about him.  It's the Welsh accent, I think.  Bard was great.  I never cared much for him in the book but I was all over him in the movie.  I cannot wait for the 3rd movie!  But then again... ;___;

Beorn though.  WTF?  The dwarves' entrance to his hall is one of the highlight of the book.  Especially Bombur... at your service.  They decided to make him scary and bitter and not the Beorn in the books at all.  At least they let the ponies go back home.  It's the little things.

Honestly, I felt that Desolation was one huge Easter egg for the fans of LOTR films.  If you love those movies as much as I do, you'd know what I mean.  Athelas?  It's a weed.  And the national plant of Middle-Earth.  

The day before I watched Desolation, this arrived:


If it's on DVD, I probably own it.  I was sooooo close to buying a blu-ray player just so I can enjoy the extended version and appendices of The Hobbit but it turned out, I didn't need to.  I wanted my hands on it as soon as possible so I skipped hunting for it in stores and bought it off Amazon.  I literally paid for it on the 11th and got it the very next day.  Good thing I didn't splurge for next day shipping.  This DVD set will occupy me for the next week or so.

And if that wasn't enough Hobbit-ness for you, I got this today:

I have the first two for Unexpected Journey.  Man, that one even has a spoiler for the Legolas-Gloin interaction in Desolation.  And it did happen!  So many possibilities for the 3rd movie.  XD

And oh yeah... can you guess which one I picked?
Read More

December 2...

... is not just my brother's birthday.  It's also Britney Spears'!

But no.  Kidding aside, 2 December 2013 will be like a culmination of almost more than 10 years of being a fan.  Yes, it was of The Lord of the Rings movies but The Hobbit is part of that family.  Peter Jackson is the mastermind of this whole entire masterpiece.

December 2, 2013... the Los Angeles red carpet premiere of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.


I thought that it would never happen.  Everything LOTR happens in New Zealand.  I would've loved to be at the premiere of Return of the King... that looked awesome.  This one will be a good one too.  The Avengers is still my #1 experience but this holds more weight.  I've been a fan of this movie franchise for almost half my life.  Just a glimpse of Peter Jackson will be absolutely worth it.

Yes, it won't be the whole Fellowship at the premiere on Monday but that's perfectly fine.  Who knows, Viggo might do a surprise appearance lol.  I'm especially excited to hopefully - finally - see Orlando Bloom in person.  I planned to make a trip to NYC for my birthday to see Romeo and Juliet but it wasn't meant to be.  Looks like he's coming to me instead.  ;-)

It's been a while since I went to a Grauman's premiere.  I hope I get good pictures though.  I might have something for Orli to sign if he goes but you know me, I love my photos.

And December 2 is my brother's birthday.  I guess that's a sign.  That day will be an extra special one.
Read More

I get to my Marvel phases.

Nothing else exists for now.

I recently watched Thor: The Dark World over the weekend.  TWICE.  I ended up watching it on the Friday release date after all.  And then Sunday with my mom, the Thor fan.


The last movie that I watched twice in a span of a week was The Avengers.  I gotta say, Thor 2 almost rivals how much I enjoyed that one.  I wasn't 100% sold on the first Thor movie.  To me, it was one long live action cartoon where I wasn't supposed to take anything seriously.  Chris Hemsworth spent half the movie in street clothes; Natalie Portman had no comedic timing; it was unclear whether SHIELD is serious or a comic relief; and there's a little issue named Kat Dennings.  But at least there was Hawkeye and PappaSkars.

This time around, OMG -- I loved it all.  Even Darcy.  She was relevant!  And not unfunny.  Sure, Portman still has no comedic timing but I didn't mind that as much as the first film.  PappaSkars did what I expected of any Skarsgard and loved it.  I imagine a flashback scene of Erik Selvig played by any of Stellan's actual sons.  XD  I even loved Thor.  Loki is a given but the more I see Thor (and Hemsworth), the more I like him.  Like, I'm actually a fan now!  He's not your typical strong muscled guy with blonde hair who can't do shit - for the actor, can't act - and just stand there delivering lines.  No.  He's a legit hero.  And I gotta give it to Chris Hemsworth.  He's so likeable and now, I can't imagine anyone as Thor.  I admit that Loki (and Tom Hiddleston) did overshadow Thor (and Chris) a bit but that came with the audience's expectation going in.  Plus, he is the sassier Asgardian.  Tom Hiddleston played Loki like it was his second nature.  It's his voice, methinks.

I wish there were more Lady Sif and The Warriors Three.  Especially Hogun.  He had one line.  One line.  Sif is so bad ass, she deserves a mini-spinoff.  A+ on Zachary Levi being Fandral.  I wish he had solo scenes.  The Warriors Three are pretty amazing themselves.

It won't be a Marvel movie without cameos.  Stan Lee is still a sore thumb, unfortunately.  Even if you don't know who he is, you'll be able to spot him.  But Thor 2 boasts THE BEST-est cameo so far.  And the story behind it is pretty priceless too.  Of course, I may be biased but both audiences cheered the loudest during that moment.  So loud, in fact, that I didn't hear what was said during my first time watching it. My heart was pounding with excitement over those ten seconds.

I don't have the first Thor movie on DVD.  Surprise!  But I cannot wait to own this on video so I can watch this again and again... just like what I'm doing now with The Avengers.
Read More

Happy THORsday!

I don't get why this movie is not yet released in the US.  My lovely friends from the Philippines have already seen it before we even got a red carpet premiere.  What gives, Marvel?  The Internet exists all over the world - in varying speeds - therefore, spoilers are bound to pop up.  A fan can only control herself long enough!  Especially when it comes to cameos.  It's the post-The Avengers universe we're talking about here. (Actually, I don't mind spoilers lmao.  It makes me look forward to stuff more.)

Until Thor 2 is released in US cinemas, I think going to the premiere is enough to tide me over?  y/y?


I'm no stranger to red carpet premieres.  In fact, I seek them out and take out time from my work week to come to these events.  Why?  Because like some sad tourist, I love seeing these actors in real life.  Certain actors more than others but if I end up seeing a random celebrity that I didn't know I liked, that's an awesome extra.

I have to say, this isn't one of the better ones.  It sucks because I'm with my mom (she's a Thor fan for real) and I wanted her to have a good time.  In the end, she did - as did I - but my mistake was looking forward to the same experience as I had during The Avengers premiere.  Yes, that premiere ruined everything for me.  It got dark early and fast.  Hardcore fans plus the usual autograph hounds aren't the most cooperative types.  Put them together and you'll definitely have drama.  It's funny... everyone is starting to look familiar, from the autograph hounds to the red carpet regulars such as myself.  It doesn't matter what film or show it's for... faces do start to look familiar.

I met up with my red carpet ladies (and met a few more) at around 10AM.  Can you imagine that it's been 2-3 years since we first met at the True Blood premiere?  That's half the fun... meeting like-minded people while waiting in line.  We would go on and wait for 6-7 hours before the celebs started to arrive.  By then, it was already full dark.  Either they did not account for the shifting of times or they did arrivals late on purpose.  Either way, we didn't see much, considering this is a "major" premiere.

It wasn't too exciting compared to the others I've attended.  Although, I got super excited when I saw Nathan Fillion.  That was unexpected.  I thought I'd see him at The Avengers premiere because of Joss Whedon.  I don't watch Castle much anymore but I still like Nathan (and the rest of the cast; it's the writing that I have big problems with) and even if my mom and I had seen him before, I still got excited.

The director, Alan Taylor, was the first one to do the fan line.  Then Zachary Levi who took over the role of Fandral.  Clark Gregg and Tom Hiddleston did too but they didn't begin at one end of the fanline.  Therefore, I didn't see Tom at all.  Sure, I saw the top of his head at press line but not up close.  (I wanted my mom to see him so I got a bit miffed when he didn't come to us.)  Jaimie Alexander almost got to us but she didn't.  Upon seeing her dress, I kinda give her a pass lol.  Tom though... :(

I felt bad for this one girl in line.  She was flat out CRYING when Tom went away.  He wasn't coming back, we all knew it.  It sucks for the Loki fans who were there dead early to get good spots to see him.  Some went there just to see him, I'm pretty sure.  I'm sure he had his reasons.

To make up for that and Stellan Skarsgard's no-show... JEREMY RENNER.  The love that I have for this man... oooh, no words.  I lost my shit then, I lost my shit there also.  Now, both my brother and mother had seen how I freak out over this guy.  I have no shame.  Hell, even my mother sort of freaked out when he passed by our area!  XD  Yes, we both love him.

I love that he showed up.  As far as I know, he's not in the movie but he's definitely friends with Chris Hemsworth and Tom.  Actually, after he did the fan and press lines, he left.  Heh.  But I saw him again and that's enough for me!  <3

I realize that I got more excited over those who are not in the movie vs the cast members themselves.  Well, it was awesome seeing Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.  I still don't know how to properly say his name so I call him either Mr. Eko or Adebisi, depending on who I'm talking to haha, Oz fan or Lost fan.  Sir Anthony Hopkins was there too.  It would've been awesome to shake his hand.
And how's this for brotherly love?  Gale!  Uh, I mean, Liam Hemsworth!  You decide who's the hotter Hemsworth, okay?  Can you imagine if Liam was still dating Miley Cyrus and he brought her there?  Hahahahaa... ohgod. 

 The Agents of SHIELD cast was there too.  Eh.  Okay.  Not too excited about that.  I watched the Pilot and tried to watch the following episodes but... no amount of easter eggs could warm me up to it.  It's boring and disappointing.  I'm sorry if you like the show.  I gave it a chance, I really did.  (But that's for another post.)  I saw the actors who play Skye, Fitz, and Simmons.  Sadly, I didn't see Ming Na Wen.  She's awesome.  I'm not sure if I like her character in the show, still Mary-Sue and cliche-ish, but she's more bearable than the others.

My mom freaked out when she saw Chris Hemsworth up close.  Haha!  OMG, she's a fan of Thor.  If I managed to get that reaction from her, mission: accomplished!

I won't be doing the midnight screening tonight.  I'm too ADD to watch 2-3 movies in one go.  I can wait.  A fan girl's job is 70% waiting after all. 



Read More
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)