Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we’re taking another ride on the nostalgia train. If you were a kid in the late 90s then I have a treat for you! After millions of book sells, countless years, and A LOT of Marvel movies, we’re finally getting a movie about a very under appreciated superhero. Yup, today we’re talking about the ‘Captain Underpants: The Epic First Movie’ trailer. Whether you loved this series, or wished everyone would shut up about it, you can’t deny the legacy and reach of this series. When the 1st trailer for the movie dropped recently, I knew that we had to talk about it, so let’s get to the trailer. Ready? Ok, lets go!!!
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we’re going to discuss an awesome new YouTube channel that every book lover will want to subscribe to right now (well finish reading this post and then go subscribe to the channel…ok? Ok). On this channel Zoe gives her viewers book recommendations, shows us book/bookmark hauls, and proves that she’s a fangirl just like the rest of us (so we can all obsess over our OTPs together yay!!!). So if you’re ready to release your inner nerd then let’s talk about some of the videos on this amazing channel. Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!
The first video that we’re going to talk about is Zoe’s ‘BOOK UNHAUL! [#1]’ video which was uploaded on June 28th, 2014 (you can check out this video below). Honestly this is one of the first book unhauls that I remember watching and I really like the concept of this type of video. Just in case you’re not familiar with this type of video, a book unhaul is when a BookTuber discusses books that they are going to get rid of because they did not enjoy the book, decided that they will probably never read the book, for various other reasons. These are really great videos to check out because you can get a person’s honest opinion about a book before spending money on it. After watching several videos on a BookTuber’s channel you usually get a good idea of what their personal tastes are, and if you have similar tastes then their opinion of a book will probably match your opinion. The next book that we’re going to talk about is Zoe’s ‘BOOKS I’M TAKING TO COLLEGE’ video, which was uploaded on August 22nd, 2014. Now as every book lover knows, if we could we would literally carry our book collections with us everywhere (and I realize that you can do that with e-books but that’s a different topic for a future blog post). If you are/will be living in an apartment or dorm room in the near future then this is an excellent video for you to check out because honestly it can be hard to leave books at home when you now you’ll be away from them for a while (ok we have to resist using #thestruggleisreal here…must resist…ok we obviously can’t because the struggle really is real).
Now we’re going to discuss Zoe’s ‘MY FICTIONAL BOYFRIENDS TAG’ video, which was uploaded on May 28th, 2015. Now we know we’re all fangirls/fanboys at heart, and because of this we honestly have a very deep emotional connection to our favorite book characters (and because of this so many ships are constantly set loose on the world). This is a really fun video that you will definitely have on replay, and a entertaining tag that you can play by yourself or with friends. The final video that we’re going to talk about is Zoe’s ‘BOOKS I WANT TO BE ADAPTED’ video, which was uploaded on December 30th, 2015 (you can check out the video below). If you love books (and you obviously really do if you’re still reading this post), then you know that you have a list of books that you think deserve a TV and/or film adaption. With the trend of so many of our fav books already getting adaptions, it is very likely that your favorite novel could get a small or big screen adaption some day. I highly recommend this video because Zoe gives a very interesting list that’s full of variety, so you’ll definitely find something you like on this list.
Keep up with everything Zoe is doing here:
YouTube: readbyzoe
Twitter: readbyzoe
Tumblr: readbyzoe
Goodreads: readbyzoe
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we’re going to talk about an amazing channel that’s a little different than what we usually discuss. I think the coolest thing about YouTube that draws us all to it is that everyone is able to find interesting, entertaining people who share our interests and obsessions. Whether you love amazing covers, unique beauty/hair tutorials, hilarious comedians, or anything in between you’ll find the perfect channel to subscribe to. Today we’re going to talk about an incredible Booktube channel called abookutopia (which features a seriously entertaining self-proclaimed book-o-holic named Sasha) so if you love books and/or anything book related then you’re going to want to keep reading. Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!
The first video that we’re going to talk about is Sasha’s ‘Divergent Book Trailer’, which was uploaded on July 11th, 2013 (you check out this video below) is a really fun skit that all Divergent fans will love! Sasha does a great job of showing that not only is she very knowledgeable about this amazing book, but she also has the ability to instantly mesmerize her audience and keep us interested throughout the video. In a world where most people have a VERY short attention span (I mean honestly why do you think we love Vine so much), it’s interesting to find someone that makes you want to watch their videos and not worry about the length of the video. The next video that we’re going to talk about is Sasha’s ‘Interview with Melissa Landers!’, which was uploaded on May 28th, 2014. This is a really fun interview to watch because it is extremely well executed, and demonstrates Sasha’s natural on-camera charisma and fun-loving nature. She has a lot of other really interesting interview with various authors on her channel so I would definitely check them all out!
The next video that we’re going to talk about is Sasha’s ‘If You Like This…| BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS!’ video, which was uploaded on February 5th, 2015. If you are a HUGE book lover (c’mon you know everyone reading this blog post should have their hand up in the air right now…yes you too), then you’ll want to watch this video on replay. In this video Sasha picks a really interesting and diverse group of books, and not only tells you which books you should check out that are similar to these books, but also why they’re similar. The final video that we’re going to talk abut is Sasha’s ‘My Playster eBook Library Tour!’ video which was uploaded on December 7th, 2015 (you can check out this video below). In the past few years everything we enjoy has gone digital and mobile, from handheld/mobile video games, to our music, movies, and even books. Unfortunately sometimes we are just so busy that we may not have time to actually pick up a physical copy of a book and let our inner bookworm go wild. Luckily, e-books solve this problem by allowing us to take digital copies of our favorite books with us anywhere through the use of a phone, tablet, and other devices. In this video Sasha tells us all about the website playster.com, and goes through her personal Playster eBook library. if you want to check out a new site where you can find e-books, movies, music, and games, or if you just want recommendations on new books to check out, then this is the video for you!
Keep up with everything Sasha is doing (and reading here):
YouTube: abookutopia
Twitter: sashaalsberg
Instagram: sashaalsberg
Blog: abookutopia.com
Goodreads: sasha alsberg
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ we’re going to discuss an event that we all experience every year. This is something that we all grow up with, and no matter how old or young you are, it still has the same affect. What am I talking about you may ask? A little movie that we all love known as ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’! In 1965 ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ first aired on CBS, and thus started a Christmas tradition that would continue to enchant families for decades. The movie was commissioned by ‘The Coca-Cola Company’, which asked ‘Peanuts’ creator Charles M. Schulz and his team to create the special in 6 months, after they viewed an unaired documentary staring Schultz called ‘A Boy Named Charlie Brown’. This year ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ turned 50 so let’s discuss why this amazing movie has become engraved as a part of our Christmas tradition. Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!
Although there are so many things about this movie that we love, I think that the 3 main things that you can pinpoint that makes ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ different than other Christmas specials is: the characters, the music, and the risks that this movie takes. One of the most important aspects of a great story is for it to have amazing, memorable characters that we can relate to. The Peanuts universe has brought us a lot of beloved characters from Lucy (the girl we all love to hate), Linus (the intelligent and practical one), Sally (the little sister we all wish we had), Snoopy (the cool one we all wish we were), and of course the wonderfully hilarious and fun Charlie Brown who we can all relate to on some level. Of course ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas wouldn’t be nearly as memorable without it’s amazing music. Whether you love more traditional sounding Christmas music such as ‘Christmas Time is Here’ and ‘Hark the Harold Angels Sing’, or music that brings a fresh feel to the season such as the unforgettable piano jazz number ‘Linus and Lucy’ (which you can check out in the video below), this movie will have you humming along to its’ diverse soundtrack long after Christmas is over. Finally, we need to discuss the incredible risks this movie takes. One of these risks is not using music in the style of what was popular at the time. A lot of times movies use catchy, modern sounds in order to easily win over an audience. ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ uses the opposite (and often risker approach) of using genres that weren’t necessarily in the forefront of the American public’s mind in the 60s, and thus makes very unique music that instantly mesmerizes you because it’s so different. Another risk that this movie takes is that it used actual child actors to voice the characters, and because of this adds a larger sense of authenticity to the roles. Shows/movies are notorious for using adults to portray teens and children, (because of legal, financial, and other reasons), so to use a cast that was primarily made up of children was very groundbreaking at the time (and is still VERY uncommon today). Using children actors also added a sincerity and innocence to the roles that really brought these characters to life on screen, and has set a bar that all Charlie Brown specials have had to try to live up to ever since. Because of all of these reasons, we can see why we love Charlie Brown so much, and why we’ll continue to sing, dance, and laugh along to ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ for the next 50 + years.
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we’re going to talk about everybody’s FAVORITE subject…food! I thought that it would be cool to mix it up today (with a channel you may or may not already be familiar with) and discuss an AMAZING YouTube channel called ‘How To Cook That’ (featuring the culinary genius Ann Reardon), where you will learn how to make the coolest desserts ever. Whether you’re a pro in the kitchen, or you burn cereal (it’s ok, you can admit it…yup you right there…moving on…), you’ll love all the recipes on this channel. So now let’s get to the deliciousness! Just a quick note, some of these desserts are easier to make than others, so if you don’t see a video in this post that grabs your interest, check out the rest of the channel, and I’m sure you’ll find something awesome. Ready? Ok, then let’s go!!!
The first video that we’re going to talk about is the ‘Easy Macaroon Recipe’ video, which was uploaded on April 24th, 2012. I thought that this was a good video for us to kick this post off with because macaroons are a really popular dessert right now, so this is a great video to watch if you want to impress all your friends with this sweet treat. The video is very easy to follow, and you even learn how to fix common mistakes that may happen when trying to make this dessert. You got love a video that this user friendly and kind to culinary newbies. Ok, next up we have the ‘Mickey Mouse Cupcakes’, which was uploaded on February 15th, 2013 (you can check out the video below). Now this recipe is a little more time consuming, but once again the video is very easy to follow. What I loved most about this video is that you not only learn how to make really cool (and edible) Mickey decorations, but you also end up with the Mickey head symbol IN the cupcake. How cool is that!!! This is the PERFECT recipe for a class party, or if you just want a really cool dessert that will make you look awesome.
Now we’re going to talk about the ‘YouTube play button cake’, which was uploaded on May 23rd, 2014. This definitely looks like a difficult dessert to make (because there are A LOT of steps), but as always the video is detailed enough so you probably won’t get lost. They also mention the services that provide free cake delivery for mothers day who helped them get the cake to the venue. I just thought that this was SUCH a cool video that is definitely worth trying out. Also, what would a ‘YouTube Wednesday’ post be if we didn’t include a YouTube themed cake. This is another dessert that is beautiful and delicious so you gotta love art that you can eat. Right? Right! Ok, the final video that we’re going to talk about is the ‘Inside Out Cake’ video, which was uploaded on August 14th, 2015 (you can check out the video below). Now don’t be intimidated by how the cake looks, because the video actually explains the process in such great detail, that it actually seems like something you can replicate. This recipe is time consuming, but if you can do it, then you will definitely be master of the birthday cake, because this cake is SO AMAZING. Also, the characters on the top of the cake are toys so you don’t have to worry about embracing your inner Picasso by trying to make the characters yourself. If you love cake, desserts with A LOT of sugar, the movie Inside Out, or all of the above, then you GOTTA try out this recipe!
Keep up with everything Ann (the mastermind behind the awesomeness you have just viewed) is doing:
YouTube: How To Cook That
Website: howtocookthat.net
Twitter: howtocookthat
Instagram: howtocookthat
Pinterest: howtocookthat
Facebook:howtocookthat
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ I am very excited to bring you an interview with voice actress Lara Jill Miller. You may know her best as ‘Kari’ on Digimon, ‘Clifford’ on Clifford’s Puppy Days, ‘Lambie’ on Doc McStuffins, and many other memorable roles. In this interview we talk about Lara’s career as a stage, on-camera, and voice actress, how she feels about reprising her Digimon Adventure Tri (let’s cross our fingers that the movies get a U.S. dub!), what to look out for from her next, and so much more! So now let’s get to the part that y’all came here for…the interview. Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!
Celinda: Hi Lara, first of all I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview.
Lara: Thank you for asking me, Celinda.
Celinda: So I want to begin by asking you about your role as Amaryllis in the Broadway production of The Music Man, which starred Dick Van Dyke. What was it like to work with such an iconic actor at such an early stage in your career, and how do you think this experience shaped you as an entertainer?
Lara: Dick Van Dyke was amazing. So funny, so talented. I was so thrilled to meet him at my audition for the show, I couldn’t believe I was actually meeting the guy from CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG and MARY POPPINS! I was really little when I met him and I remember shaking his hand and seeing his really long feet in white sneakers, and then looking all the way up to his head, WAYYY up there.
Touring in the show, and then performing on Broadway was a spectacular experience overall. Traveling all over the US for the first time was really exciting. I love performing live and had a lot of experience in the years prior at a local dinner theatre in my hometown. Dancing and singing is a great joy of mine, and that made me realize I was born to do this.
Celinda: That sounds like such a cool experience! So, you’re widely known for your role as Samantha on the 6 seasons of the television show Gimme A Break. When the show ended Samantha was beginning her new life as a college student, and you also later earned a college degree yourself, so there was a very cool life imitating art aspect there. Were there any other similarities between you and Samantha, and how do you think growing up on the set of a sitcom shaped you as a person?
Lara: Well, I’m the youngest of 3 daughters, so there’s that. And I was pretty much a tomboy, but I certainly didn’t wear overalls like my character Samantha, NOR play with WORMS! I loved Nell as much as Samantha did. And well, when I got my braces off and got my hair cut, so did my character on TV!
Growing up on a set really made me – well – grow up. I learned a lot about responsibility, being professional, a great work ethic. And also I became a better performer over the years, comic timing and such. I also learned that when you’re a celebrity, people treat you differently, but that it can all change in an instant, so one should never take anything for granted. I loved and appreciated all the years on the show. Unlike many child stars, I really loved my life and came out unscathed, no drugs, no alcohol, nothing. My parents were wonderful and supportive and not pushy. I learned a lot about ‘show business’ – both parts: the show AND the business!
Celinda: Wow that is such a profound answer, and so true, many people forget about the business part of the industry. Well, a lot of your fans (myself included) might know you best from your role as Kari on Digimon. When it was announced that Digimon was coming back to continue the story of the 8 original characters, the internet went into a frenzy. How does it feel to have fans still get really excited about a project you did 15 years ago?
Lara: Love hearing from you and all the fans! Digimon was my first animated gig. Lots of great memories. And well, yah! It feels GREAT to hear that people love the project and love Kari. If the show comes back to the US for a US dub, I’d love to be the grown up Kari.
Celinda: I think I can speak for all of your fans when I say that we would love to hear you voice adult Kari. So, another voice-over role that a lot of fans know you from is Clifford’s Puppy Days, how did this experience differ from your experiences working on Anime?
Lara: Anime is dubbed after the fact. Clifford’s Puppy Days (and some of my other shows like Juniper Lee, Wubbzy, Curious George, SciGirls, Hugglemonsters, Doc, etc…oh, and also the new Nick show I’m working on…) are original animation. We record first and then they draw the character TO US… We CREATE the roles. And for most of these shows, we record together as a cast. That’s fun.
Celinda: That does sound really fun. One of the many shows that you’re working on at the moment is Doc McStuffins on Disney Junior. This show has been widely praised for it’s educational aspects, how does it feel to know that shows you’ve worked on such as Doc McStuffins and SciGirls are influencing your audience to become more interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects?
Lara: I’m so honored and thrilled to be a part of these shows. Doc McStuffins is changing the world! Really! What a concept to be a part of such a big thing, right? I love playing Lambie. And Izzie on SciGirls – what a brilliant show! I hope that with both shows, we make a difference!
Celinda: I’m sure both shows will have a huge positive influence on your audience. So what are some of the major differences between preparing for a recording session for a voice-over project, versus an on-camera job?
Lara: Make-up…or lack thereof! And wardrobe. Although sometimes I like picking out cute outfits to record in… although they must be quiet clothes. You know, mic-worthy.
The thing with animation, we don’t have to memorize lines, but I do read the scripts, and prepare ad libs, etc, ahead of time. Also each week for Doc and Hugglemonsters we have to learn songs, harmonies. There’s a lot of preparation for that.
Celinda: Wow, I never would have thought about a lot of that, particularly the mic-worthy clothes. Lastly are there any upcoming projects that your fans should look out for, and is there anything that you would like to say to any of your fans who are reading this interview?
Lara: Oh yah! There’s a new Nickelodeon show! And… that’s about all I’m allowed to say right now! Go to my FB Page and/or follow me on Twitter for updates. I’m not THAT active on those social media pages, but I’m trying! And I love hearing from fans! The nice ones (which I’m SURE the ones reading this are!) And well, thanks for reading this. I feel very lucky that I get to do what I love to do and that so many people love what I do, too. Thank you for that.
Celinda: Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me Lara.
Lara: Thank YOU Celinda! And thanks again to all your readers for reading this!
Keep up with everything Lara is doing:
Website: larajillmiller.net
Twitter: larajillmiller
Facebook: Lara Jill Miller
Check out these clips to see a couple of the AWESOME characters Lara has voiced! (you can check out more clips on Lara’s official website, which is linked above):
‘Kari’ – Digimon (You can hear Lara’s voice beginning at 0:04)
‘Lambie’ – Doc McStuffins (You can hear Lara’s voice beginning at 1:04)
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we are going to talk about an awesome YouTuber who you just gotta check out! If you love cartoons (and I mean who doesn’t), then you’re gonna become addicted to Brizzy Voices’ amazing impressions. Brizzy (who’s real name is Anna Brisbin according to IMDB) is an extremely skilled voice actress who seems to be able to mimic the voice of just about any character you can think of. I thought that this would be a really fun YouTuber to discuss because Brizzy is not only insanely talented, but also takes the time to show her fun, bubbly personality through her videos. So if you’re already a fan of Brizzy then you know what’s coming, and if you’ve never heard of her then prepare to be amazed. Ready? Let’s go!
The first video that we’re going to talk about is Brizzy’s ‘Voice ALL the original Pokémon!!’ video, which was uploaded on June 26th, 2012 (you can check out the video below). Now if you’ve ever seen Pokémon, then you know that there are a wide variety of voices on the show, that are all very unique. The fact that nearly every 150 voices will really leave you in awe (side note remember when there were only 150 Pokémon instead of 500 thousand billion? Old school stuff right there). I think that this was an equally awesome and courageous video to upload because if you do it right (which Brizzy did) then you will gain A LOT of fans and positive exposure, but if it comes out wrong then you’ll get endlessly trolled on the Internet. This is a video you’ll gonna want to replay over and over. The next video that we’re going to discuss is ‘Disney Princess Impressions’ video, which was uploaded on September 20th, 2012. This is another video that takes a large group of characters with really distinct voices and puts them together in a very cool, very well done video. I liked that Brizzy not only showed that she can imitate lines of dialog from these movies, but also some lines from the popular songs. She is able to match every line very well, and if you close your eyes while listening, you feel like you’re listening to the original actress. I give this video 5 Mickeys (because you know the whole Disney thing….yeah).
Ok this next video is going to be a big kick in the nostalgia, so prepare. We’re going to talk about Brizzy’s ‘Tara Strong Tribute Impressions’ video, which was as uploaded on February 20th, 2015. Confused? Ok, well you may or may not exactly know who Tara Strong is, but I GUAREENTEE that if you were a kid (or a kid at heart) in the 90s and well even now, then you know Tara Strong’s work. With a wide variety of characters such as: Dill Pickles from the ‘Rugrats’, Bubbles from ‘The Powerpuff Girls’, Melody from ‘The Little Mermaid 2’, Timmy Turner & Baby Poof from ‘The Fairly Odd Parents’, Raven from ‘Teen Titans’, and well so many that we would need a few more posts in order to go through them all. Needless to say Tara Strong is a voice acting legend, and it was so cool to see Brizzy do such an amazing tribute to her. As always the voices were perfectly executed, and just further shows how insanely talented Brizzy is. Ok, the final video that we’re going to talk about is Brizzy’s ‘Cartoon Mom Impressions’ video, which was uploaded on May 8th, 2015 (which you can check out below). Although all of Brizzy’s videos are awesome, this is definitely one of her top videos, because mom voices aren’t the easiest for most people to do. Once you really get into the whole video, you see just how difficult and diverse our favorite TV mom voices are, because of the various pitches, accents, and even word phrasing that their voices have. However, Brizzy doesn’t let us down, and continues to prove that not only will she continue to release that we love, but she will also work very meticulously to make videos that are more and more awesome. Gotta love YouTubers who continue to push their boundaries.
Keep up with Brizzy here:
YouTube: brizzyvoices
Twitter: brizzyvoices
Instagram: brizzygrams
Tumblr: teatray-inthesky
Facebook: brizzyv
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘YouTube Wednesday’ we are going to discuss the 2015 ‘MTV Movie Awards’. The show was hosted this year by comedian/actress Amy Schumer, who definitely made this year’s award show a memorable one. The show began with a hilarious series of skits which showed Amy as a character in some of the biggest movies of the year. These skits included the movies: ‘Pitch Perfect’, ‘Divergent’, ‘The Fault In Our Stars’, and ‘The Hunger Games’. There were a few more hilarious jokes about the shows on MTV, and the fact that MTV has TV shows now instead of just playing music videos all day. Amy also made some really funny jokes about actor/comedian Kevin Hart’s release of non-stop movies lately, and Hillary Clinton finally giving the announcement we’ve all been waiting for…she’s the newest member of One Direction (just kidding, but wouldn’t that be awesome?!?). So now that we’ve discussed the opening of the show, then let’s move on to the awards. Ready? Ok, let’s go!
Awards (I only choose a few awards to talk about because I didn’t want y’all to be here all day, so y’all can check out the complete list of winners here MTV Movie Award Winners):
Best Action Hero (this award was announced before the show began):
Dylan O’Brien ‘The Maze Runner’
Now even though we don’t really need to explain why ‘The Maze Runner’ deserves this award (even though the competition was VERY stiff) but one reason would definitely be that the film grossed over $340 million worldwide, since its’ release in September of 2014 (not bad for a movie that had a budget of $34 million). With the success that this film would already have because of the success of the book series (which the movies are based off of), and Dylan’s popularity because if his role on Teen Wolf, there was never a doubt that this movie would do extremely well.
Best Female Performance:
Shailene Woodley ‘The Fault in Our Stars’
Ok we all know why Shailene won this one! I mean Hazel and Gus are still playing with our emotions, and wow that movie is such so amazing and intense. This was the first in a LONG line of awards Shailene would win last night, and honestly she definitely deserved this one.
Trailblazer Award:
Shailene Woodley
Honestly right now it’s a good time to be Shailene Woodley. In the past few years she’s been an action hero in the Divergent series, a teenager who’s world gets turned upside down when her mom “leaves” her and secrets start coming out, a love struck teenager battling cancer (thanks again John Green for giving us an ending we’ll never recover from), and so many other memorable characters. It’s obvious that this is just the beginning of Shailene Woodley’s Hollywood takeover, and I don’t know about y’all, but I am SOOOO excited to see what her next project will be.
Generation Award:
Robert Downey Jr.
I think we can all agree that Robert Downey Jr. has such an interesting story due to his tremendous film success in the 80s & early 90s, followed by his comeback in 2003. Most of us probably know him for his work in Iron Man, Tropic Thunder, The Avengers, and so much more! Now of course we also know about his past with drug and alcohol addiction, but I think that the fact that he was able to bounce back and become such a respected actor (because honestly that’s not an easy task to pull off), is a real testament to his talent.
Best Kiss:
Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort ‘The Fault In Our Stars’
Ok honestly I think we would’ve all been mad if anyone else won this award because Gus and Hazel are #relationshipgoals, they just are. This couple made us laugh, cry, question our place in the universe, and learn a lot of really big words, so of course they would win best kiss. I mean they were just too cute, I just can’t y’all…you just gotta love Hazel and Gus.
Best Male Performance:
Bradley Cooper ‘American Sniper’
I think that it’s definitely so much harder for an actor when they have to portray a real person verses a fictional character, so Bradley Cooper certainly showed us his acting chops with this film. In American Sniper Bradley Cooper portrayed U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, and the fact that this film grossed over $540 million worldwide with a $58.8 million budget (which made it the highest-grossing film of 2014 in the United States), shows that audiences just fell in love with Bradley Cooper’s work in this movie. When this film came out EVERYONE wanted to see it, so I don’t think we were surprised that he walked away with this win.
Comedic Genius:
Kevin Hart
With movies like: ‘Think Like A Man’, ‘Ride Along’, ‘About Last Night’, his stand-up act (and honestly so much work that I would have y’all here all day), we are all very familiar with how funny Kevin Hart is. All amazing comics have their moments when they just rule comedy, and right now is definitely the era of Kevin Hart. So prepare because apparently “if he sees his shadow then we get 6 more months of Kevin Hart movies”, thanks for the tip Amy Schumer.
Movie of The Year:
‘The Fault In Our Stars’
Ok if Hazel and Gus are #relationshipgoals, then ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ is definitely #moviegoals, because this film is just so utterly perfect. I mean like I said before, this movie made us feel all of our emotions at once, and then made us question everything about life. I mean I read the book so I knew what was going to happen and this movie still made me cry at the end (I’m still not ready to talk about that ending y’all, it’s just too soon). I think that this movie is definitely the movie of the year, and now we just have to wait and see how John Green’s latest book turned film ‘Paper Towns’ does (I know, I know, we’re all super excited!).
Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ we are going to talk about the young adult fiction novel turned film ‘If I Stay’. The book was written by Gayle Forman (who also served as an executive producer, and extra in the film), and the film stars Chloё Grace Moretz, Jamie Blackley, Mireille Enos, Joshua Leonard, Liana Liberato, and many other talented actors. Personally I am a HUGE fan of the book, so I recently saw the film to see how the story was translated onto the big screen. I know that a lot of people, who become fans of certain books, may often be nervous and/or hesitant about seeing a film adaption of that book. Because of this, I decided to see the film, and let y’all know what I thought of the movie in comparison to the book. Please read on to see what I thought, and whether or not I think that you should see the movie, if you are a fan of the book (or even if you’ve never heard of the book). Ready? Ok, let’s get started!
If I stay is about a teenager named Mia, who is extremely musical gifted. The story begins with Mia’s family taking a trip to visit family and friends because of a snow day that shuts down the local schools for the day (Mia’s father is a high school teacher, and her mother calls work and says that she’s sick). As they are traveling, the family is involved in a car accident, and Mia wakes up in the snowy ground. She tries to find her family, but then hears ambulances approaching. She jumps in one, and soon arrives at the hospital. The whole movie transitions between Mia in the hospital (where she has an out of body experience with her comatose body), and flashbacks about what lead her to this point. I’m going to write the rest of the story in chronological order so y’all don’t get confused, but I promise I won’t say how it ends, or spoil the really important stuff. Ok, at a young age, Mia began to play the cello, despite the fact that her father was a hometown rock star. Mia is very close to her laid-back parents (who tend to treat her more as a friend than a child), and her spunky, outgoing brother Teddy. Because of her love for classic music, and quiet, shy personality, Mia often feels out of place in her family. She also tends to try to not talk too many of her classmates, and instead focuses all of her energy on her cello. Mia does have one best friend named Kim, who she is really close to, and is able to be herself around. Mia’s world is turned upside down when Adam (a popular guy and local rock star) asks her out. Although Mia is very hesitant to become close to Adam, he pursues a relationship with her. Her parents are very supportive of her and Adam’s relationship, because Adam and his friends remind her parents of themselves when they were young. At first Mia is very uncomfortable with Adam’s world, however eventually she finally allows herself to fall in love with him. One day Mia’s family tells her that she should think about applying to Juilliard to pursue her music. Although it takes a lot of convincing, Mia sends in a demo of her playing (even though she is very insecure if her ability to play). Mia then relieves an audition, but when she tells Adam, he is very angry. They make up before Mia’s audition, and she leaves the audition feeling very hopeful. When Mia ends up in the hospital after the accident, a nurse informs her that it is up to her whether she lives or dies. So now, Mia is left with the choice of what she is willing to give up, and what she can’t be without. With her immediate family, Kim, Adam, her friends/other family members, and her dreams on the line, Mia has to make the ultimate choice. Ok, that’s where I’m going to leave y’all, because you really don’t want me to ruin it for you.
So as y’all can see, this movie is AMAZING. I definitely give this film 5 smiley faces (because smiley faces are more fun than stars). This film honestly has something for everyone; it has suspense for everyone, characters that are able to evoke deep emotion, friendship, and romance. I also really find Mia’s predicament to be interesting, because who can really say what they would chose when either way they will win and lose. Lastly, I personally love that the film is not only about Mia and Adam’s romance, but also about Mia’s journey towards independence, self-reliance, and the ability to make important decisions on her own (whatever the consequences of these choices might be). I highly suggest that y’all see the movie and read the book, because you will definitely love them both. As I mentioned earlier, I was a HUGE fan of this book before I saw the movie, and I can honestly say that I did not leave the theater disappointed.