Movies for Springtime!

It's been way too long; it's almost embarrassing.  But here I am again and I am hoping to get back in the swing of things!

Now I have written about Halloween movies, summer movies, Christmas movies, and everything in between.  But I have neglected one season, one time of year.  Spring movies, you may ask, isn't that a bit of a stretch?  Yes, it is.  I'm making it up but you know what?  As much as I'm a cold weather gal, I love springtime.  Rain, flowers, pastels, Easter, all the beautiful changes in nature.  And there are some films out there that really capture the calm and pretty feeling of spring.

So here's what constitutes a springtime movie for me.  A movie set during the spring, of course, but also films that deal with nature, particularly gardens or flowers.  And colors are important!  If the "palette" of the film so to speak includes those baby blues, light yellows, and dusty pinks we all associate with spring then it's perfect for the season.  So here are just a few movies, in no particular order, that you can watch for springtime if you're really in the mood to soak up the drizzly days and golden afternoons!

The Secret Garden (1993) 

Okay, I lied about the whole no order thing.  I'm saving the best one for first.  The most perfect movie to watch during springtime is without a doubt The Secret Garden.  This is one of my personal favorite movies and books.  It's no surprise that a movie about a garden should be on this list.  And this is one heck of a garden!  The garden is found by Mary Lennox when she moves from India to England to live with her mysterious uncle after her parents die.  It's a garden that's been locked away and forgotten until Mary and her friends decide to bring it back to life.  It's more than a movie about planting flowers and pulling weeds; it's about appreciating life and finding beauty in even the most dire of situations.  A great quote from the film explains it really well and it is one I try to live by: "If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden."  The Secret Garden has great acting and beautiful music and costume design.  What makes this movie great for springtime is that it makes you want to live outside.  I don't think anybody can watch this movie and not want to start their own garden.  The Secret Garden has flowers, trees, rain, and every cute wild animal you can think of from deer to red foxes.  If you haven't seen The Secret Garden yet do it as soon as possible!  There's no better time to watch it than during spring (or any time really!)  It's just that good.

Spirited Away (2001)

Now this might seem like a weird one but hear me out.  First of all a Miyazaki movie has to be on this list because nature is often a theme in his movies, sometimes being  a main part of the plot.  So why didn't I pick My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Monoke, or Castle in the Sky?  Spirited Away arguably has the least to do with nature than Miyazaki's other movies and it's not necessarily set during spring.  This movie is on this list almost strictly for how it looks and how that makes you feel.  It's all about colors, man.  So for the few who don't know Spirited Away is about a young girl named Chihiro who suddenly finds herself in a spirit world where there are witches, talking frogs, and dragons and she must save her parents from Yubaba, the owner of a bathhouse for spirits.  The animation and color choice express the magic in the movie visually.  A few scenes really stick out to me because of how simple and yet beautiful they are.  The part shown above where Chihoro and Haku run through the flowers is so short and yet such a memorable scene in the movie.  The train ride is also one of my favorites, where we see the train travel through light blue water against a faded pink sky.  It's hard to describe colors well through writing but the palette of this film, even though its content may not, exemplifies springtime.  That's why I chose my favorite Miyazaki film over the others to put on this list although, let's be honest, everyone should watch all Miyazaki movies throughout the year forever and for always.

Big Fish (2003)

This is another film that just feels like spring.  In Big Fish, Tim Burton's visual style really shines even though it isn't at all like his other movies.  The film goes forward and back through time as a son tries to figure out if all the tall tales his dying father told him over the years are true or not.  Whenever they go back in time to the young Edward Bloom there's a haziness in the cinematography that reminds you of a film from the seventies.  This coupled with the stark scenes of Spectre, the greenest and cutest small town ever, the giant field of daffodils Edward used to woo his future wife and the dusky lights of the circus at night just gives the whole movie a very spring feel.   Big Fish makes you daydream about being a kid in the country, enjoying the happy, carefree days on the cusp of summer.

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Disney's first (and best) version of Alice in Wonderland has some of the most wonderful springtime imagery in any movie.  In the beginning of the movie Alice is making flower crowns for her kitten and laying in a field of daisies under a big blue sky.  Later she sings the song "All in the Golden Afternoon" with a group of flowers that includes roses, irises, tulips, blue bonnets, chrysanthemums, and sunflowers, just to name a few.  (And yes they mention the month of June in the song but that's just a minor detail).  I don't know why but spring means magic to me and Alice's journey through pink houses and brightly colored woods, having delicious-looking cookies and wacky tea parties all come together to make a movie that's perfect for springtime.  

Bambi (1942)

Bambi explores all the seasons as we watch the little deer grow up but spring is most important in the movie.  It is during spring that Bambi is born and revered by the other animals as the next Great Prince of the Forest.  The adorable young deer learns through his mother and friends Thumper and Flower about the world around him, how it can be very beautiful but also terribly cruel.  Bambi's character development is represented visually through the changing seasons.  During his first spring he is curious and innocent and then during the winter he has to mature very suddenly when his mother is killed by a hunter in one of the most traumatic scenes in any kid's movie (in fact "Man" is the number 20 villain of AFI's list of Heroes and Villains).  The next spring we find Bambi grown up, brave and strong and starting a family of his own.  Bambi teaches the circle of life for animals out in the wild long before The Lion King did and the changing of the seasons plays a huge part in this.  Plus this movie features one of the cutest spring songs in Disney, "Little April Showers."

Charlotte's Web (1973)

Yeah, we're still talking about animated movies.  I will talk about animation forever.  The 1973 Hanna-Barbera adaptation received positive reviews from many critics (except E.B. White himself) but I think it's an underrated animated musical today.  Charlotte's Web is about Wilbur, a piglet who befriends a clever and friendly spider named Charlotte.  Charlotte helps Wilbur impress his farmer and eventually the entire town so that he isn't turned into supper.  Like Bambi, Charlotte's Web showcases springtime for animals, except this time it's on a farm.  Spring plays an important role in the very beginning of the film and the very end.  Wilbur is born in the spring and because he's "a spring pig" he must be given away when he reaches a certain age.  It's sad to leave his home farm but of course he meets Charlotte and other animal friends on the Zuckerman farm.  At the end of the movie we see a grown Wilbur take care of three of Charlotte's 514 children during another eventful spring.  Bright animation and happy music also add to this springtime movie, including a beautiful song about the changing seasons called "Mother Earth and Father Time" sung by Debbie Reynolds, the voice of Charlotte.

Fairy Tale: A True Story (1997)

Like I said before, spring means magic to me and Fairy Tale: A True Story does a wonderful job of bringing magic into the real world.  This movie tells the true (?) story of the Cottingley fairies.  The Cottingley fairies were discovered by two young cousins in Cottingley, England.  They took photographs with the fairies in 1917.  The photographs gained the attention of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, who wrote an article about fairies a few years later.  They also sparked the imagination of the public: were the photographs real or fake?  Fairy Tale focuses on the two cousins, Elsie and Frances, who both believe in fairies and determine to keep believing, no matter what anyone says.  Spring is a celebration of nature and it is present in the setting of the beautiful English woods where the girls encounter the fairies.  The incredible fairy house the girls build is also one of my favorite aspects of the movie.  Fairy Tale is a really underrated movie in my opinion but it's charming, similar to films like The Indian in the Cupboard and Hook, and its enchanted elements and nature scenes make it a perfect movie for springtime.

James and the Giant Peach (1996)

James and the Giant Peach is another movie that feels like spring to me simply based on the colors.  Henry Selick masterfully directs this half live-action, half stop-motion animated movie based on one of my favorite books by Roald Dahl.  James is an orphan who lives with two abusive aunts when a giant, magical peach grows in their yard.  After taking a bite of the peach, James turns into an animated character and befriends insects living in the peach.  When the peach detaches from the tree the new friends are off on a grand adventure.  Firstly, peach flavored and/or scented things are very springy; don't tell me I'm wrong.  Secondly, the stop-motion sequences, whether the peach is sailing through the ocean or flying through the sky, are portrayed with very bright or pastel colors.  From the clearly pastel goth aunts and the sequence where the peach floats in front of a very peachy-colored sunset, James and the Giant Peach is a superbly animated movie with a palette that screams spring.

Legend (1985)

Legend is an eighties treasure that is often forgotten or overlooked.  But I refuse to forget it.  Directed by Ridley Scott, starring a young Tom Cruise and Mia Sara as well as Tim Curry dressed as a demon creature, and with music by Tangerine Dream, this movie itself is a legend.  Legend has all the elements of a fantasy story: a princess, a hero, magical creatures, a battle between good and evil.  It also has all the elements of a springtime movie: beautiful scenes of nature, a plot that focuses on the dichotomy of lightness and dark (when the world falls into evil everything turns to winter; at the end of the movie the world has turned to spring), and glitter.  So much glitter.  On everything.  This movie is in competition with another L-named eighties fantasy movie, Labyrinth, for most glitter in a film.  But, hey, princesses need that highlight for that dewy, all-natural glow.  The look of this movie as well as the music could be enough to make Legend a great watch for the season but spring also plays a pivotal role in this film, as the heroes work to change their world of a seemingly endless winter into a green and sunny spring.  

Thumbelina (1994)

Thumbelina is one of the many Don Bluth classics I grew up watching.  And with songs by Barry Manilow, you know it's a gem.  Thumbelina is a girl no bigger than your thumb, who lives with a kindly adoptive human mother and farm animals, but still feels like she doesn't fit in.  She befriends a hunky fairy lad named Cornelius (who has one of the dumbest haircuts for an animated prince in film history) and starts to fall in love.  But soon after she is kidnapped and spends the winter trying to find her way home through a series of misadventures.  Like Legend, springtime signals the happily ever after of Thumbelina.  As the world defrosts and flowers begin to bloom, Thumbelina is rescued and realizes she does belong with Cornelius and the rest of the fairies.  And did I mention that Thumbelina was born in a flower?  That's the most magical springtime thing ever. 

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The last movie on this list is one that I'm sure everyone has seen.  The Wizard of Oz is based on the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.  It's got performances, writing, music, and visuals that are embedded into American pop culture.  It's one of the most popular and beloved movies of all time and it also fits all of my "categories" for a perfect springtime movie: bright color palette full of pinks and yellows, magic, and lots of nature imagery including enchanted woods and dangerous but lovely flowers.  The poppy scene alone is such a beautiful and springy part.  And Glenda the Good Witch is so happy and bright and pink she could be Mother Nature herself, helping the flowers bloom and waking up the animals for spring.  For a movie that just simply feels like springtime, The Wizard of Oz is a classic that fits the bill. 

TV Favorites: A Series of Unfortunate Events (Season One)

On January 13th, a televised adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events was released through Netflix. It was highly anticipated, a word which here means "fans of the beloved book series by Lemony Snicket have been waiting for a long time to see all 13 books brought to life onscreen."  Now I actually really liked the movie. I can forgive major differences because the filmmakers weren't trying to make a franchise; they just wanted to adapt the first three books. The music and the casting were great and the look of the film was nice as well. But I am also a fan of the books. I read them all growing up, except for the last two. (Don't judge me. It took me four years to read Deathly Hallows. I have a hard time saying goodbye.) I think everyone who loved the books were very much excited at the prospect of a television show of A Series of Unfortunate Events, a format that could go more thoroughly into the stories and include more details. This series, already a favorite of both critics and audiences, is doing just that.

For those of you who have been living under a rock, A Series of Unfortunate Events is a book series written by Lemony Snicket, the pen name for author and musician Daniel Handler. The story focuses on the Baudelaire children - Violet, Klaus, and baby Sunny - who become orphans after their parents die in a mysterious fire that also destroyed their home. In the first book, they go to live with Count Olaf, a nefarious man who is destined to steal their fortune. Each book focuses on a new guardian that cares for the Baudelaires, a new scheme hatched by Olaf to steal the fortune, and new clues as to who really started that fire.

Season One of A Series of Unfortunate Events adapts the first four books in the series. There are eight episodes, giving each book two episodes each. According to Wikipedia, Season Two will include books five through nine and the third and final season will cover books ten through thirteen. The first two episodes on The Bad Beginning introduce the Baudelaire children and Count Olaf as the children go to live with their new odious guardian after their parents die. The next two episodes cover The Reptile Room. After the Baudelaires escape the clutches of Count Olaf, they go to live with Dr. Montgomery, a herpetologist. The Wide Window is the next book explored in episodes five and six. The Baudelaires must live with their Aunt Josephine at Lake Lachrymose. The last two episodes are based on the fourth book in the series, and one that we have yet to see on screen, The Miserable Mill. The guardians of the children now are owners of the Lucky Smells Lumbermill and they force the children to work there.

Like the film, the television series has an incredible cast. I love Jim Carrey as Count Olaf in the movie so I was skeptical at first about Neil Patrick Harris taking over the role for the series. But he was excellent. He was just the right amount of slimy, hilarious, and overdramatic. I also like that the children cast as the Baudelaires are much closer to the correct ages than the teens cast for the film. I am looking forward to see how they grow throughout the series. K. Todd Freeman made a hilarious Mr. Poe and all of the side characters and guardians that we love (or hate) throughout the books are cast wonderfully as well. The biggest surprise was Patrick Warburton being cast as Lemony Snicket. I thought it would be difficult to look past Puddy or Kronk, but he kills it. It's great to have a lot of narration throughout the series because the writing style is what we love from the books. We get that with Lemony Snicket actually being in the show to tell the story.

That's another thing that A Series of Unfortunate Events has done really well. It uses a lot of the same dialogue from the book. I'm reading the books right now so the lines from them were really fresh in my mind while I watched the series. It was fun being able to recognize certain lines from the books. The hilarious writing style and absurd humor is what made the books stand out and become so popular. The television show captured that style really well through the writing. 

Now, I actually prefer the score from the film to the show, but holy wow, the songs in the series were amazing! The theme song "Look Away" is very clever and captures the spirit of the show perfectly. The last song in the series, "That's Not the How the Story Goes" was so wonderful and hilarious. I can't wait for more songs from the next seasons.

A Series of Unfortunate Events had a beautiful visual style. I love the books for their ambiguous time and setting. Are they in America or Europe? Is it Victorian times or the turn-of-the-century or present day? The costumes and set designs represented the tone of the books well. It was dark and gothic or pastel and bright at all the right moments. It was a mix of old-fashioned and totally modern. Everything was set and filmed so beautifully. It's just really nice to look at. 

Overall, A Series of Unfortunate Events achieved its goal, in my opinion. In many ways, it was so clearly made for fans of the books. It includes secrets and hidden messages that loyal readers will recognize. There's also lots of foreshadowing, moments where those who read the books can yell, "Hey, I see what you did there!" But it's also a great series for people who haven't read the books. It was already an interesting story and the television series brought it to life in a beautiful and fun way. And there are plenty of differences from the books, but it doesn't worry me too much because I know Daniel Handler was more involved in the series than the film. (He even composed the music for the theme song). Whether you've read the books or not, A Series of Unfortunate Events is a clever and gorgeous black comedy. If Beatrice were alive today, even she would appreciate it.

Now Playing: Hidden Figures (2017)

I heard about Hidden Figures months ago and I knew I would want to see it. After starting 2017 reading a collection of classic science fiction stories, a book on space, and starting Cosmos by Carl Sagan, I was definitely in the mindset to see this film. I love learning about the Cold War, the space race, Civil Rights, women's rights, and astronomy. All these subjects came together in the most beautiful way in Hidden Figures. 

Hidden Figures tells the true story of three African-American women who were working for NASA during the space race. Taraji P. Henson plays Katherine Goble, a mathematician who finds herself working with the men who are calculating trajectories, launch windows, and back-up plans for space flights. Octavia Spencer is Dorothy Vaughan, a leader and computer genius who studies the new IBM systems at NASA. Mary Jackson, portrayed by Janelle Monae, is an engineer. All three women are mothers, wives, and best friends. This film shows their journey through the ranks of NASA as they deal with sexism and racism, all the while helping put men like Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, and John Glenn into space. 

There are so many great things to talk about. First, the acting was phenomenal. Everyone did wonderfully, but the three leads really shone. Henson, Spencer, and Monae played three really different characters but they were each inspiring, funny, kind, and also relatable in their own ways. In supporting roles, Kevin Costner, Jim Parsons, and Kirsten Dunst also did really well.

This movie made me feel DUMB. I mean, I've never been great at math or science, but man! It made me want to learn though. I hope that kids can come away from this movie wanting to learn math or engineering or astronomy. That would be amazing! I also love that this movie is for the family. I think it's important for younger people to see Hidden Figures, not only to see how far we've come as a country but also to see what can be possible, even when everything is set against you.

The writing was also fantastic. I didn't realize, even through all the drama and scientific jargon, how funny this movie would be. There are so many great lines. The cinematography is also very beautiful. The outdoor scenes when we first see the friends together going to work to interior shots of the NASA buildings were all gorgeous and really got you into the time period.

Ultimately there were two huge reasons why I loved Hidden Figures so much. First, it was a historical film about a story that most people are not familiar with. I have a degree in History and I remember sitting in my Capstone class my last year of college and talking about the kinds of historical books we read. That semester we had to read a book on one of the first diaries we have written by a woman. Sarah Osborn was not famous or important in any way; she was just a regular person. And I remember many students in the class remarking that they would not have chosen to read the book themselves and didn't particularly enjoy it because she wasn't well-known and hadn't done anything real special. And I thought that was so dumb. We don't need more biographies on George Washington or Napoleon. We have plenty. If you really want to understand a certain time in history, you don't strictly learn about the leaders and "important" people of the time. You read about the regular people. And that's why I loved this movie. We've had plenty of movies about Kennedy, the leaders of NASA, and especially the astronauts. But we don't have too many films about the people behind the scenes at NASA, particularly black women. And they made such important contributions to the space program, it's high time we learned about them. I appreciate historical films that dare to tell a story that we haven't heard a million times before.

The second reason I really enjoyed this film was the overall positive message. A lot films that get recognized at the Oscars or in the film community, whether they are historical films or not, tend to be the more pessimistic ones. It was refreshing to see an inspiring film in the theaters. Again, I'm so glad that younger audiences can watch this movie. Anyone, young or old, can gain something from this film. In some ways, Hidden Figures  feels like a Right Stuff for our day. Through real change and hard work, amazing things can happen. Intelligence and talent can come from anyone. Do yourselves a favor: learn something new and feel inspired. Go watch Hidden Figures.

Resolutions for 2017

Last year I posted ten of my new year's resolutions. I think sharing goals with people is helpful for you and can maybe be inspiring to others so I'd like to do it again! Looking back at how I did on my resolutions last year, I kept up with some and did terribly with others. This year, I hope to do the best I can with all of them!

My goals for 2017 are:

1. Make grad school a reality. Research, plan, and apply.

2. Serve more and with a good attitude.

3. Dedicate more time to hobbies - writing, music, art - and less time to the Internet.

4. Spend more time outside.

5. Be nicer to people. This includes thoughts. Give more compliments rather than think about flaws.

6. Take pictures. Use a real camera.

7. Eat healthier and cook more.

8. Get better at driving.

9. Have a better work ethic.

10. Budget.

I hope by sharing my goals here I can hold myself more accountable! I really do wish everyone a happy new year. I hope that 2017 will be a great year for everyone and that you all can accomplish the things you want and have fun while doing it!

Entertainment in 2016: My Favorites and Least Favorites

It's the last day of 2016! It was a weird year for everyone. For me personally and I think for a lot of us, it was a particularly difficult year. But this isn't a post to talk about all that. This is a post to talk about some of the things that made this year bearable: the movies, the music, and the books. And although I don't normally post negative things on here, I will also be sharing some of the films and books I didn't love from this year.

I saw nearly one hundred new movies in 2016, which is the most I think I've ever seen in one year. Obviously I can't talk about them all but if you've followed my blog for the last year I've written about some of my favorites. Down below I will talk about the movies I saw from 2016, from my least favorite to my most.

There were a few films I saw that I really didn't care for this year. This will probably surprise everyone but I think the worst movies (in my opinion) that I saw this year were Zootopia and Lights Out. These two movies got very positive reviews and everyone loved them, but I just didn't get on board. I found Zootopia so try-hard and preachy, and it wasn't very funny. Compared to other Disney movies that come out recently like Big Hero 6, it didn't hold up for me. Lights Out was a movie that I was pretty excited for based on the trailers but I was thoroughly disappointed. It wasn't scary at all, it didn't make a whole lot of sense, and the message seemed pretty terrible. Another film that, again, got really good reviews but didn't compare to other installments in the franchise was the Netflix original Pee-Wee's Big Holiday. It just wasn't that funny. I think that 30-year-old Pee-Wee Herman works but 60-year-old Pee-Wee Herman just doesn't. Three films that were okay for me were Mascots, The Boy, and Shut In. Mascots wasn't as good as other Christopher Guest films but it had some funny and heartwarming moments. The Boy and Shut In received scathing reviews but I found them enjoyable enough. They weren't particularly smart or entirely original, but they were fun enough. (Apparently my tastes are the complete opposite of reviews!) Below are the movies I loved from 2016, all of which I have written individual posts on. From least to best here are my favorite movies of 2016:

6. Hail, Caesar!
5. 10 Cloverfield Lane
4. Kubo and the Two Strings
3. The BFG
2. Rogue One
1. Captain America: Civil War

I had the most fun with Captain America: Civil War. I never thought a Marvel movie would be my favorite anything but it was so good. I saw it twice in theaters and bought it as soon as it came out. I think a lot of people will actually agree with me on this one - Civil War was freakin' amazing. It was everything a summer blockbuster should be.

Of course, I also saw tons of movies that didn't come out in 2016, many that I loved. Here are ten of my favorite new-to-me movies I saw this year:

Moonrise Kingdom (2014)                  
Secrets of War (2014)                            
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
American Graffiti (1973)
Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)
The Right Stuff (1983)
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Jaws (1975)
FairyTale: A True Story (1997)
The Man Who Laughs (1928)

I have to mention the best thing that happened to TV in 2016 and that is Stranger Things. The whole world fell in love with this show and for good reason. I've watched it several times since it came out last summer and I still can't get over how wonderfully perfect that show is for me. I am so ready for season two.

I also want to share other things I loved from this year, things I don't normally talk about on my blog. Let's start with music. I discovered lots of new music and expanded my horizons. Some great albums I bought this year are This is Acting by Sia and Volume One of the Stranger Things soundtrack. I haven't been super into K-Pop for a couple of years but I will always love Bigbang. One of the most wonderful things to happen in music was Bigbang's release of the full MADE album, which fans have been anticipating for about a year. Three new songs and two new music videos accompanied the awesome songs that came out last year. It was a great send-off for T.O.P before he leaves for the military.

I'm pretty proud that I read over 100 books this year, most of them new ones. I spent the last four years only able to read books for school. This was the first year I could read books I actually wanted to read. It's hard to whittle down my faves from such a large number but I'm going to attempt it! First I will list my five least favorite books I read this year:

5. Tim Burton: A Child's Garden of Nightmares (Honestly it's more the genre I didn't like; instead of discussing how they made each film of Burton's, it was just a collection of reviews, which are not super enjoyable to read.)

4. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (I disliked almost every character and the ending wasn't too exciting or shocking.)

3. King Dork by Frank Portman (I'm just kind of over these young adult novels with "misunderstood, nerdy" dude protagonists who are actually really douchey and attend just as much parties and have as much sex as the popular kids)

2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (I have tried so much to like this book. I've read it several times and I just can't get into it! I love the twenties and all, but I just don't like the characters and that's really important for me)

1. The Dramatic Imagination by Robert Edmond Jones (This was a book I had saved from back when I was an Acting Major for a hot second. I finally got around to reading it and, holy crap, it was so pretentious. And, dare I say, dramatic.)

Okay, now let's talk about my favorite books, which is a lot more fun. Here are the best new books I read this year (this was so hard to do):

~honorable mention goes to Apostles of Disunion by Charles B. Dew~

5. A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd (The original stories behind one of my favorite Christmas movies. Someone wrote that Shepherd's writing are like the stories behind a Norman Rockwell painting. It's a perfect description.)

4. Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge (Hard to believe this is a young adult novel! The best new horror/fantasy novel I've read since Miss Peregrine. It might even be better.)

3. Believing Christ by Stephen E, Robinson (Such an inspiring and happy book. Really made me see things differently.)

2. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (The 1990's film version of this book is one of my favorite movies. This book was just as wonderful. "The whole world is a garden.")

1. Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl (I cried the entirety of reading this book and begged my family members to read after I had finished it. I underlined so many passages. This book was a really important read for my life in 2016 and I hope to revisit it in 2017.)

So there you have it! Some of my faves and not-so-faves from 2016. One good thing from this year was how much better my blog has become, I think. I've had it for a year now and I've changed and developed lots of it. I have really enjoyed writing and I hope to write more in 2017. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next year! xx

9 Original Songs from Christmas Movies

We're all familiar with the Christmas standards, the ones that get played on the radio all December. These include songs like "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer," "Jingle Bells," and "Let it Snow." Movies have also given us some great Christmas songs. Some songs are so popular and ingrained into our culture that we may not even be aware that they came from a movie. This post will include nine original and beautiful Christmas songs that first appeared in films.

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" from Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

I actually only learned recently that one of my favorite Christmas songs, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," came from a musical. Now known as one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time, it originated from a 1940's film. I finally saw the Judy Garland classic Meet Me in St. Louis last week and I quite enjoyed it. The original lyrics for the Christmas tune were much darker and Garland as well as other cast members and the director asked for the lyrics to be changed into something more uplifting. The lyrics were adjusted again for Frank Sinatra when he recorded it later. The song became a hit and it was very popular among the troops during World War II; it's understandable with touching lyrics such as "Here we are as in olden days/Happy golden days of yore." I love this song because it does make one feel very nostalgic and happy during the holidays. In Meet Me in St. Louis, Garland's character Esther is moving with her family and she and her sisters are very sad about it. To try to cheer her little sister up, Esther sings "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." It's a really nice moment in the film and it makes you realize that what's really important during the holiday season is spending time with those you love. 

"One More Sleep 'til Christmas" from The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

In all honesty, I could write an entire post on The Muppet Christmas Carol soundtrack. It not only has some of the best original Christmas songs, it's one of the greatest musical scores of all time. Penned by Paul Williams, who wrote many other Muppets songs, The Muppet Christmas Carol soundtrack has many great songs that could have made this list. One of the songs I want to include is "One More Sleep 'til Christmas." It's sung by Kermit the Frog (as Bob Cratchit) as he closes up Scrooge's counting house and heads home on Christmas Eve. The lyrics so perfectly describe how it feels to go to bed on Christmas Eve when you're a kid, as well as portray the true meaning of Christmas in a way that's also relatable to adults. "There's magic in the air this evening," "The promise of excitement is one the night will keep, "There's something in the wind today that's good for everyone" - just a sampling of some of the beautiful lyrics in this song. No song will lift up your spirits and bring a happy tear to your eye like "One More Sleep 'til Christmas."

"Where Are You Christmas?" from How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

A live action, feature length version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas could have gone horribly wrong but it turned out to be a fun, entertaining movie. Jim Carrey makes a wonderful Grinch and young Taylor Momsen (now the lead singer of the rock band The Pretty Reckless) plays an adorable and intelligent Cindy Lou Who. The Ron Howard film includes some songs from the original television special but one was added that was new. "Where Are You Christmas?" is sung by Cindy Lou Who, who is facing a Charlie Brown-esque crisis when she feels she doesn't understand what Christmas means anymore. It's sad to think that a child can feel so despondent about Christmas but that's what makes this song so good. It's beautifully sung and the lyrics can apply to anyone of any age who may be feeling like they've lost the magical feeling of Christmas. While the song is quite sad, we can be happy to know that Cindy Lou Who realizes that while Christmas may seem commercial and fake at times, its true meaning can lie within us all year round.

"Somewhere in My Memory" from Home Alone (1990)

There is nothing John Williams can't do. When Home Alone was released in 1990, it soon became the third highest grossing film of all time, right after E.T., the Extra-terrestrial and Star Wars - two films that were also scored by Williams. The music for Home Alone is great. It's merry, it's mischievous, and it puts spins on Christmas classics. The score was nominated for an Academy Award and the theme from the film "Somewhere in My Memory" was also nominated for Best Song. Williams wrote the music for the song and Leslie Bricusse wrote the lyrics. It's a very short song - only fourteen lines long - but it's a lovely number. The lyrics portray the remembrances of Christmases past: family gathered round, candles in the window, the magical feeling that comes with holiday nostalgia. When you put those lyrics as the backdrop for Kevin realizing how alone and sad he is on Christmas Eve, it turns Home Alone into a more touching film that one could have thought. That's the power of "Somewhere in My Memory." 

"Christmas Vacation" from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

Lindsey Buckingham's "Holiday Road" has been in every National Lampoon Vacation film since the first one was released in 1983. It's a great song, but it didn't fit with the third installment in the series. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation isn't about a road trip; it's about a fun old-fashioned family Christmas at home. The film opens up with another song instead: the upbeat tune of Mavis Staples' "Christmas Vacation." It's a fun song that sounds like it could fit in with any of the Christmas music playing on the radio. The lyrics discuss Santa, snowmen, and lights - all the things that make you excited for Christmas. And one particularly clever lyric - "Gonna make this holiday as perfect as can be" - really lines up with the plot of this movie. A lot of the songs I have included on this list are more somber or thoughtful. This is a Christmas song that will you make you want to dance and add some fun to your Christmas vacation.

"I Believe in Santa Claus" from The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

This is the one song on this list that I feel like most people won't know but they really should. When people think about this Rankin/Bass TV special, they mostly remember the Snow Miser and Heat Miser numbers. My favorite song occurs when Santa Claus arrives to Southtown in disguise and tries to convince young Ignatius Thistlewhite (some name, huh?) that Santa Claus is real. You wouldn't think a song from some silly Rankin/Bass production could make you cry but this song makes me cry almost every time I hear it. One of the reasons I love it is that it gives more depth to Santa Claus. Whenever I hear a kid today say they don't believe in Santa, it makes my heart ache. It's sad to think that a lot of people think of Santa as the epitome of the commercialization of Christmas, the thing that takes away from the religious or deeper meaning of the holiday. I see Santa as a metaphor for the true meaning of Christmas and if you listen to the lyrics of "I Believe in Santa Claus," it's very easy to see the similarities between what Santa represents and what we learn about during Christmas church services. The last line, "Just like love, I know he's there waiting to be missed" sums it up very nicely while tugging at your heartstrings like there's no tomorrow.

"What's This?" from The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

No song could more perfectly sum up the collision between the dark village of Halloweentown and the bright and colorful winter wonderland of Christmastown than "What's This?" Jack Skellington has just discovered the Christmas land and is very excited. He sees snow for the first time, marvels at children sleeping soundly with no nightmares, and watches the town prepare for Christmas. You wouldn't think a Christmas song should include lines such as "There are children throwing snowballs instead of throwing heads" or "The children are asleep/But look, there's nothing underneath."  But Danny Elfman can make it work. This song has the dark imagery and macabre humor of Halloween as well as the whimsical and happy feeling of Christmas. If you're wanting to listen to something a little more twisted this season, you should listen to "What's This?" and also the entire soundtrack of The Nightmare Before Christmas because it's so good. And if you really want to get Hot Topic about it, Fall Out Boy has recorded a cover of this song.

"White Christmas" from Holiday Inn (1942) and White Christmas (1954)

Guinness World Records states that Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" is the best-selling single of all time. Before selling over 100 million copies, this song was included in two different films. "White Christmas" was written by Irving Berlin and debuted in the 1942 musical Holiday Inn starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. Initially the song wasn't as popular as other songs from the film. But by the end of 1942, the song was a success. Like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," the song was extremely popular with troops serving during World War II. "White Christmas" won the Academy Award for Best Song and twelve years later became the main theme for another musical film. Named after the popular song, White Christmas was the highest grossing film of 1954 and is now considered a holiday classic. It's easy to see why this song resonated with the troops and why it remains a classic. "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas/Just like the ones I used to know" are the lyrics that allow the happy memories of past Christmases to come flooding in. "White Christmas" reminds us of how magical Christmas was when we were young and helps keep the magic of Christmas alive as we grow older.

"It Feels Like Christmas" from The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Yes, I added another song from The Muppet Christmas Carol. How could I not include this one? Several of the songs I have listed here have lyrics that sum up what we love about the Christmas season. No song does this better than "It Feels Like Christmas." The song is so good that it was powerful enough to uplift Ebenezer Scrooge and melt his icy heart. The Spirit of Christmas Present takes Scrooge throughout the town on Christmas Day and shows how happy everyone is, even the poor and unfortunate. Scrooge learns through this song that Christmas is about love, peace, and friendship and that all the money in the world could never bring true happiness. "It Feels Like Christmas" has a merry tune and touching lyrics. It can make you laugh and cry. It's a perfect song for the holiday season, one that will remind you what's most important in life. These lyrics say it best - "A part of childhood we'll always remember/It is the summer of the soul in December/Yes, when you do your best for love it feels like Christmas."

Rogue One: The Surprise of 2016

I love Star Wars more than most things. Surprisingly, I didn't write on The Force Awakens. But I wanted to write on Rogue One because it was so much better than I thought it would be and it has opened up some new exciting possibilities for the the Star Wars universe.

After I saw the first trailer for it, I was pumped for The Force Awakens. I knew it was going to be amazing and it was. I was more skeptical about Rogue One. It is the first film in the Star Wars franchise that isn't apart of the main Star Wars story. I remember watching the first trailer and just thinking, "Huh, this could be really good or really bad." And then the big news hit six months ago or so regarding the major re-shoots for the movie and I thought, "Man, they have to change that much? Or some studio guys are really screwing with it?" So I went to into Rogue One with as open of a mind as possible, without too much expectation. It wasn't a perfect movie (neither was The Force Awakens, mind you) and it has been getting some mixed reviews, but it definitely blew me away and, for me, was one of the biggest surprises of the year.

Rogue One takes place right before A New Hope. It tells the story of the ragtag group of rebels led by Jyn Erso and their mission to obtain the secret plans for the Death Star. I want to get right into talking about all that I loved about this movie. Warning: this will be filled to the brim with spoilers!

I was really curious to see how close Rogue One would be to the other Star Wars films. Would there be a scroll? The same closing credits? Would they use swipes? I was pretty pleased with the direction they went with this film. It had some similarities to the main Star Wars movies but it definitely proved itself as a stand-alone movie. The cinematography and editing was different and the score was by Michael Giacchino and not John Williams. The score wasn't as good as Williams', which isn't surprising, but I liked that it was different. It was also a completely different Star Wars film because it wasn't revolved around Jedis or the Force. It was more about the rebellion and the political and military leaders of the Empire more than Jedi vs Sith, which I thought was very interesting.

One of the criticisms I have heard about Rogue One is that the characterization isn't great; the characters aren't as likable as those in the original trilogy and The Force Awakens. I will agree that we didn't get to learn enough about the main characters to be truly invested in them but I will argue that it made sense not to share everyone's full backstory. Every main character dies; there is no Rogue One sequel that we should be expecting. And it made sense to kill the main characters off because none of them are in A New Hope. Even though we didn't get to learn a ton about these characters, I still loved them. Ragtag groups on missions is one of my favorite movie tropes. It's why Guardians of the Galaxy, The Breakfast Club, and The Goonies, just to name a few examples, are some of the best films. I loved the rebels. I actually really liked Jyn Erso. Compared to Rey, she was more flawed and seemed a bit more real. I still love Rey but Jyn is a good character and I hope she gets her own fanbase like Rey. K-2SO was easily one of the best parts of the film; he was so sassy. Cassian, Bodhi, Chirrut, and Baze were all interesting in their own ways. I came away from Rogue One loving all the characters.

There were some good additions of classic Star Wars characters in Rogue One. Darth Vader had some awesome scenes. He was kickin' the crap out of rebel soldiers at the end of the film looking for the plans. But the most amazing part was when Darth Vader said "I hope you choke on your aspirations" while choking Krennic. He made an actual pun while choking somebody. Incredible. Another critique I heard regarded the CGI versions of Tarkin and Leia. Some people saw the CGI as distracting and that it may not hold up thirty years from now. I say you could say that about any movie that uses special effects. Technology changes and I don't know how they would have made Rogue One without Tarkin somewhere. The motion capture was actually quite impressive. Obviously at times you could really tell it was CGI but I thought it looked pretty good and it didn't take away from the overall movie for me. They also used stock footage of the rebel pilots in A New Hope, which was pretty awesome as well. And, of course, R2-D2 and C-3PO had to make a short appearance.

The finale was the most amazing part. I can't get over it. It gets you so amped to watch A New Hope. In fact, I saw Rogue One last night and I'm watching A New Hope now because I couldn't wait any longer to watch it. The ending flows perfectly into the beginning of Episode IV. And the scene where Jyn and Cassian are hugging and the light is overtaking them is a beautiful shot.

Rogue One does have some flaws. Most of us are aware of the old news of the Rogue One re-shoots, some people claiming that over 80% of the movie was re-shot. I think it shows, in some good ways and some bad. I'm really glad they didn't include the "I rebel" line from the trailer, 'cause man, that was just some bad writing. But the beginning of the movie did feel pretty rushed. They jump from planet to planet and character to character so fast, you have to wonder if that wasn't effected by the re-shoots. I also think the transition from Bodhi getting tortured to losing his mind and then being alright really quickly was, again, all very rushed. But I do think that the later three-fourths or so of the movie really makes up for the shaky beginning.

I just love the explanation for the flaw in the Death Star. It makes so much more sense that somebody who hated the Empire was the main architect of the Death Star; he would include a flaw that could so easily destroy it. I also love the feel that you get from the old Star Wars films. George Lucas was heavily inspired by World War II when making Star Wars and you can see so much of it in both the original trilogy and the prequels. We had a lot of political meetings and speech-making in the prequels and in Rogue One we get a gritty, realistic battle scene. (And it took place on a beach - reference to D-Day perhaps?)

Overall, there was a lot I really liked about Rogue One. I just love the idea of a ragtag group of rebels stealing the plans to the Death Star. It's such a great concept and they executed it well. People might be asking now, "Did we need Rogue One? Does it add to the Star Wars universe in a good way?" I would say yes. It changed the way we looked at the Death Star and the Rebel Alliance, adding new layers to what we already know or thought we knew, which enhances the Star Wars universe in a very good way. My skepticism is gone. I had a great time with Rogue One and I can't wait to see it again.