Catch Up

Happy Easter! 

It's actually only just the start of this Easter long weekend, which I am so happy about. I'm using the weekend to catch up a little on all the uni things I've sort of fallen behind on and to hopefully watch a few more movies I've been meaning to see for a while. Today my plan was to finish my essay on Egyptian shabti figures, but that didn't really work out, unless I somehow manage to write another 600 words before I go to bed and it's already midnight (read: unlikely). 

Instead, however, I've had a lovely day and I shouldn't be complaining that I didn't get my essay done. My family and I went out for lunch near the beach and I ate way too much (which is pretty much my story for the whole day). For desert my brother and I shared a Snickers cake, which the whole time I was wishing that we weren't sharing and that I had my own slice, or even my own cake of. 

When we came home I tried to work on my essay but instead I watched Moonrise Kingdom, which I will hopefully be reviewing sometime soon (let me try finish this essay first!). Then dinner, which was takeaways and I finished that off with a whole packet of Cadbury Marshmallow Eggs and a bowl of Rocky Road ice cream while watching Argo (which I will also get around to reviewing someday soon). 

This week has been pretty up and down for me. Work was absolutely shitty for a couple of days and it totally drained me. I only got to the gym once this week, but managed to get out for a run one night. I've been eating okay, thankfully, if you don't count todays overload! The gym was closed today, but open tomorrow so I might go in the morning and hopefully work off some of these marshmallow eggs. I have a hieroglyphs test on Wednesday and my essay on shabti's is due on Thursday so I doubt if I'll get back on here before then. 

That said, however, this week is the return of two of my favourite television shows in the entire world. Tomorrow is Doctor Who and Monday is Game of Thrones. So if I'm so inspired I might have to come on here and type a review straight away. To be honest with you guys though, I haven't really be excited for either of them. I know, I know, I just said they were my favourite in the world, but both shows just took away my favourites too. I loved Amelia and Rory Pond. And I loved Renly, the one and true King on the Iron Throne. I just wasn't looking forward to either of them in the same way that I usually am. I do know, however, in my heart of hearts that it's going to be okay, and that I'll watch them and wonder what the hell I was so worried about. Photos of Margaery are helping to put my heart back together after Renly broke it, and the beautiful creations like the one made by the talented oswiny are helping to heal the wounds that Amy left. 

So guys, have a happy long weekend! Enjoy watching the new shows that are coming out this week and don't forget to tell me what you think! 

Cloud Atlas-t

Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb, we are bound to others. Past and present. And by each crime, and every kindness, we birth our future.

I have been meaning to watch this for ages. I had planned to see it the day it came out but then I got a little excited for Side Effects (which I will get around to reviewing one day, I promise) and saw that first, and then Oz and poor little Cloud Atlas got pushed to last on my list. 
Which was really stupid of me because out of these three films it was by far the best. 
Ben Whishaw was in it. The End. 
Okay, no, that's not the only reason I loved it (but it is very high up there!).

I saw it about a week ago, and every time I have tried to explain it I struggle big time. So you'll have to bear with me. From what I understand, it's about one soul throughout many different lifetimes. The soul is played by a different actor in each timeline. This includes Tom Hanks on another planet in the future, Ben Whishaw in pre-WWII England and Doona Bae in neo-Seoul to name a few. The actors of the soul also play a role in the other timelines too, but not as the owner of the soul anymore (this makes no sense, I know).  
It does go for an awful long time - 163 minutes to be exact - and you should be prepared to concentrate for that amount of time. That said, I was never bored. I did check the time once and was extremely surprised to find I had only been in the cinema for an hour. I didn't mind though, I just thought it had been longer than that. 
The timelines do not go in any sort of order, and I think that may be where the film was let down a little. I would be just getting into the story of one timeline and it would change to another. The book, from what I understand, is done one at a time, and perhaps the movie should have been as well. 

There were also definitely timelines that I enjoyed more than others. Surprisingly I really enjoyed the Neo-Seoul timeline, and I thought the actual story of that one was the most interesting. My least favourite was Tom Hanks "Big Island" timeline. I thoroughly enjoyed Hugh Grant in this storyline (especially the costuming!) but that was where it ended. Why did they have to speak in that ridiculous way? It was so confusing! Sometimes I actually thought they were speaking a different language. Other times I would be just getting the hang of it and it would switch to another timeline. I found that to be very distracting, and I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more if I could just understand what they were talking about. 
The time where Ben Whishaw is the soul, and he plays Robert Frobisher in 1936 England, was my favourite out of all of them. I can't explain to you how perfect I find Ben's acting. It's flawless, he is flawless. 

The cinematography of the film was stunning, and I don't understand how they put together all those different sets and costumes, it just amazes me! The scene that always springs to mind is when Frobisher and Sixsmith are in the china shop and are throwing the plates across the room.

Although I had some problems with the film, they were minor compared to how much I really loved it. I have recommended it to everyone. I give it 9 out of 10. 

Community & Confessions

Community - what a dean-lightful show! I've always been a big fan of it. I love it's take no prisoners attitude, meta humour and pop culture references. It's fresh and new. There is no predictability here. 

Sadly, there was a little lapse in my viewing. It wasn't like I had decided I now hated the show and couldn't stand it's characters or anything like that. I just felt that somewhere in season two they lost their mojo a little. I'm sure some of you will not what I mean - that claymation Christmas episode and the bottle episode they acknowledged was bad. It just wasn't doing it quite as much for me anymore. 
There were other factors too: I had new shows to watch, I remember starting Game of Thrones about that time too. The other problem is a little illness of mine I have: I like to save episodes. 
It's a strange disorder where the sufferer falls madly in love with a show and when it's close to ending (it can be either a season, a storyline or the end of the whole show) they will stop watching it. 
I'll hoard episodes until I feel as though it's the right time to continue. 
At the moment I'm hoarding: 

• The last two episodes of The Hour Season 2 (don't even talk about it, it's a very sensitive topic for me at the moment). 
• The last three seasons of Breaking Bad (I heard season three was the best, so I don't want to rush it)
• The final two episodes of the British classical The Bill (I never want it to end!)

I admit I have a problem, and I suppose that's the first step to recovery. 

Anyway, that's my long winded explanation as to why I stopped watching Community for a very long time. 

You might have guessed from this post, that I have finally watched the end of season two and the rest of season three. I loved it, I loved every minute of it. Some minutes more than others, of course. However, it made me wonder why I had ever stopped watching it. All my little annoyances with characters had gone too. I used to have a small problem with Britta, and now she's one of my favourite characters. Pierce was starting to get on my nerves too, but no longer bothers me. The dean is now officially my favourite character. 

Pop pop!

I will forever ship Jeff and Britta - but only how they are now. I don't think I want to see them actually date. As much as I love Jeff and Britta, I have a weird thing for Annie and Jeff too. But I definitely would not want to see them date. I just like seeing what the show does with them because it's always hilarious. Britta and Troy too. But I could never properly ship either of those. That'd just be weird. 

So although I've admitted my problem. I've stopped watching Community again (I know, I'm sorry!). I still have the last episode of season three left, and whatever they're currently up to in season four at the moment. 

So do you guys watch Community too? Save shows like I do? Or are you a little more sane? 

Catching Fire News

Oh, and one more thing. This:

What the hell is this? 
Give me a few days to think about what I actually want to say about this. I'm so mixed about it at the moment. My love for Finnick soared to new heights (that I did not know were possible) when the picture below came out a couple of months ago, but I have no idea where to even start with the above one. I'm just . . . shocked, is maybe the word? 

still cannot get over how perfect this picture is. 

 On another note though, Johanna's portrait is kind of cool. I think it shows a lot of her personality. I love, love, love, who they cast for her to. I've kept a close eye on Jena Malone after her role as my (very unpopular choice of a) favourite character in Joe Wright's 2005 Pride & Prejudice, Lydia Bennet.

The (not so) Great and Powerful

So I've just come back from seeing Oz. 
I wasn't too keen on seeing it, to be honest. I had started out excited, when I had originally heard that they were making the movie and who had been cast (James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz). However, my hopes were dashed when the trailer came out. It could have been so much more. 
I had low expectations, and they were met. The visual effects were really beautiful and quite stunning, but not when it came to the Wicked Witch, I thought something was a little messed up there. She just didn't look quite right. I'm happy I saw it in 3D though, and I hardly ever say that! 

Mila Kunis was great in some parts but then over acted in others, and her whole story line was quite predictable. Michelle Williams was far better than I thought she was going to be, because I usually can't stand those goody goody characters. However, Williams acting was superb and so she ended up being one of my favourite characters in the movie. James Franco, well, continues to disappoint. He frustrates me so much lately, I just know he could be doing so much more and be so much better. Where is the guy from Howl and from Milk? Bring him back. However, that said, I think anyone who had played the role of Oz would have annoyed me. 80% of the problem I have with the movie was the script. Why do they have to be so predictably boring? Have the same stupid lines that is just so cliche? Do people still fall for those lines anymore? Argh!
Rachel Weisz was the best part of the movie (apart from the bit with the monkey who "moos" - it was the most stupid bit, and sadly, the funniest). Like Williams, her acting was so superb you almost forget the terrible lines that she had to work with. 
Both Weisz and Williams were above this movie, it amazes me that they accepted the parts. 
The rating I give it is my own personal opinion, but I'm sure that if I was rating it for a lower age group, then it would have been a higher rating. I'm sure younger audiences would get a thrill out of it. 

I give it 5 and a half (maybe a six) out of ten.