My Ranking for 2015 Movies Caught in Theatres

Hi everyone!

So, last year, around this time, I ranked the movies I watched in 2014 in cinemas. You can check it out here. This year I’ll be doing exactly the same thing. Last year I managed to watch twenty of them, this year, so far, I’ve watched fifteen. Personally, for me, the less movies I watch in theatres the better, especially if I avoid some really terrible ones – though that can’t be helped all the time.

Again, like last year, take note that the movies I’ve watched are up till now and not for the whole of 2015. Like last year, I’m missing out on the ones in December.

So this is how I’d rank these movies:

1. Inside Out
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. Kingsman: The Secret Service
4. Ant-Man
5. The Martian
6. The Theory of Everything
7. Avengers: Age of Ultron
8. Jurassic World
9. Paper Towns
10. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
11. Pitch Perfect 2
12. Insurgent
13. Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
14. Into the Woods
15. Fantastic Four

I have to say that this year there were a few surprisingly great movies I did not expect to love but completely did from the action genre, like Mad Max and Kingsman. And then there were some movies that were just downright disappointing like Scorch Trials and Fantastic Four.

Stay tuned for my list of movies I watched “out of theatres” next week! There’s a whole lot more this year and I’m honestly a lot more excited to share those ones with you guys, because I definitely struck off some great movies I’ve been wanting to watch in a long while.

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤

Weekly Update: Echosmith, RTX 2014, and Mockingjay

It really has been a while since I’ve written a weekly update on this blog. Since the 30 Day Movie Challenge I haven’t exactly not written here, I have a fair number of occasional posts here and there, but I really have not been keeping with this weekly update – which is funny, ’cause if there were any category I usually post, it’s this one.

It’s honestly been a very busy two weeks in – a lot of other prioritise have eclipsed others. Even this weekend feels short-lived with so many other obligations that my “to watch later” queue on Youtube seems a lot of more crowded than usual. And a project I had in mind to reveal to you guys is also on the back burner. Maybe it is for these reasons that I will be somewhat relieved to be a student once more in two week’s time.

But for now, some videos:

1. Song of the Weeks: Terminal by Echosmith

Honestly, all I’ve been listening to lately is Echosmith.

2. Videos of the Weeks: Youtube Whispers 3 by ThatcherJoe

All of these should be watched honestly, Joe comes up with some of the best game ideas.

and The Duet by Glen Keane

I was absolutely mesmerised by this Disney short. Watched it probably five times already. Agreed, it’s the most cliched thing, but the artwork and music make up for it.

and What If Google Was A Guy (Part 3) by CollegeHumor

I think this is my favourite one out of all three – it really is hilariously relatable and I’m so glad they put in that Siri joke.

3. LPs of the Weeks: DoA Xtreme 2 HELENA!!! Part 5 by Game Grumps

Okay, first don’t judge for the DoA – I understand it is all about boobs and volleyball – but hear me out. Also, yeah I should put up part one, but you can probably find that yourself. But this is my favourite ’cause of Arin. Arin is so bent on being volleyball partners with Helena that it is absolutely hilarious as he desperately tries to claim her affections – and Danny being dragged along for this madness is the icing on the cake.

and ChilledChaos’ MARIO KART RAGE

I think this is the epitome of what Mario Kart is like. So it’s here for that. Plus I love how the rest of the Derp Crew uploads all the rounds, but Chilled feels a need to summarise his emotions into one montage of absolute Kart Rage.

4. Trailer of the Weeks: Mockingjay Part One Panem Address #2

I think, if there were any Hunger Game movie I’m looking forward to, it’s this last installment(s). ‘Cause after Catching Fire I finally took the time to read the trilogy, so this is the first of the films where I’ve actually read the book before watching the movie. I’m interested to see how many of the events in the book turn out.

Last but not least, I hope you guys have been having a great weekend!

And till next time,

cumuloq ❤

The Dystopian Trend: The Giver, The Hunger Games and More

Source: usmagazine.com

Currently reading Lois Lowry’s The Giver and, maybe it’s ’cause I’ve just been stuck reading dystopian novels, but I was wondering why the dystopian teen trope has been perpetuating a lot lately. And this has very little to do with the fame of Harry Potter and Twilight. On the contrary, I’d put The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner and The Giver in another separate category of its own.

The trope I’m talking about (and have probably already spoken of in a previous post, specifically this one) is that of a contained world, a world governed by very specific rules and one teenager who is brave (or foolish) enough to question the status quo.

Understood, The Giver was written way back in 1993 – when I probably should have read it when I was a kid but didn’t. But there must be some reason why Hollywood is so adamant in making these particular books movies now.

And, understood, Hollywood’s choice in movies may not be of particular concern to us – but it should be. I believe it’s been made aware many times that there has been a close relationship between Hollywood movies and politics and even the CIA. If you’re unsure of this situation, read this article by The Guardian here, or this article by Salon of “When the CIA infiltrated Hollywood”.

Credits: shockya.com

The question is: what is with this fascination with this particular (aforementioned) trope?

In all these movies there is a central figure to the dystopian world which you can point the blame to – in the upcoming, Mockingjay Part One, it is clearly President Snow: white, pure, sterile. His symbolism and propaganda is blatant. He stands for all colours united as one (white incorporating all colours), and at the same time he is the white out, the eraser of every thing that leaves a blemish on society, the correction pen to your mistakes. In Divergent it is Jeanine Matthews who attempts to create a serum that literally controls everyone’s movements.

There is a clear evil in all of these stories: the desire to subjugate a society into abnormally restrictive behaviour.

Is this how we’re supposed to see the world as teenagers? Is this the impression we seek to present our children? That any form of control should be rebelled against? And if we do not allow them this extreme of freedom – do they assume any action we have upon them is the exact opposite?

Back to The Giver, as I’m reading this novel I have also the tendency to read reviews at the same time, just the first few comments of them, the good and the bad. Reading these reviews I see extremes: those who praise the novel for its insightfulness and those who condemn it for its propaganda – I have yet to see what the eventual message of the novel is, but I can only assume that the debate stands thus: how much control over a nation is too much control? And are authors, and then, Hollywood, currently sending the right message to teenagers today in their interpretation of novels.

Novel interpretation is a slippery slope – a bias movie crew (screenwriter, producer, director and actors alike) can easily skew the opinions of easily impressionable masses, especially if your target audience is children and young adults.

Personally for The Hunger Games Trilogy, I felt that a weaker reader could easily misinterpret the final novel of the trilogy. Katniss could easily be a symbol of retribution, revenge and rebellion – instead of hope for negotiation and change for the better. Reading The Maze Runner, readers who are unable to discern a unreliable narrator could easily see Thomas as a role model instead of an incredibly flawed yet justifiable hero.

These books rarely make it clear to readers that the protagonist is not the hero, the dystopian society is not essentially hell, President Snow is not essentially the villain – and movies less so.

At the end of the day, I’m not condemning this genre, or the people who perpetuate this trend. But I’m just wondering what impact this trend may have on children – will they be more rebellious to controlling governments because of these movies (is this an intended influence by political figures on Hollywood? Just a thought?) or will this bring about positive change as children question more of what is good and bad in our society as a whole.

The only thing I hope for is that these movies open fruitful discussions that enable youths today to see the idea of control and propaganda and dystopia in all its nuances – and to never fall in either extreme, to never ’cause violence for peace or peacefully resign to violence.

– cumuloq ❤

30DBC Day 01: Best book you read last year

It is here! Day One of the 30 Day Book Challenge. What is this challenge, you say?

Now, the first day post is pretty easy, because I was quite a terrible reader last year. Mostly because I was on my last semester of uni, which meant that I was recovering from reader fatigue for the past four years (my degree requires that I read approximately 72 [yes, I did the math] books per year). So last year, not only was I in my final semester, which required minimal (if not repetitive) reading, the rest of the year I practically did squat but sit in front of my laptop and just watch youtube videos every other day – who am I kidding I watched it every day.

So most of my reading was accomplished during my November/December break. And I read exactly these books:

1. Hunger Games
2. Catching Fire
3. and yes … Mockingjay
4. Ender’s Game
5. Divergent

Yes. You can count it all on one hand. To sum it up, this post just required me to choose between these five books. And I have to say the one I preferred out of all of these was … *drumroll*

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

It really wasn’t a very difficult choice, to be honest. The first two books were solid reads. But having watched the movies really takes the joy out of imagining the world of Panem and its wondrous characters for the first two. Apart from the Mutts and Avoxes, I have to credit the movies for staying true to the novels. I just hope that Mockingjay follows faithfully in their footsteps.

Mockingjay for me was an emotional rollercoaster – but rollercoaster doesn’t sound like the perfect image to describe the torment it brought me. It was like an emotional .. gut wrencher. That sounds a lot more right. It was like grinding two rocks together that wouldn’t stick – in the most awesome way possible. It was exactly how I imagined a revolt to possibly end up like. And there was more than enough twists and turns along the way to make up for the absence of a reaping and a main hunger game event.

I really don’t want to give away too much, especially with such a high-stakes book. All I will say is that Collins did a great job in the character development in this final novel. I’m sure I’ll read this again closer to when part one comes out for this movie just so I can recover from the emotional shock and trauma it gave me the first time reading it – or to suffer it all over again.

So for today, for day one of the 30 Day Book Challenge, I choose Mockingjay!

Once again, be sure to check out Rhey of Sunshine for her side of the 30DBC! I’m personally interested to know which book she chose cause, unlike me, she devoured books last year – even bought herself a kobo, like her personal reading utensil, to make the feast easier – okay, I got to stop with the metaphors today.

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤

 

10 of My Favourite Unconventional Romantic Movies

Summer’s coming to an end (along with my “holiday”). Some may have spent their entire summer in another distant country (I didn’t), or playing in the sandy beaches (I didn’t), or doing internship with some potential company they hope to be a part of (I didn’t). Either way, I really hope that everyone has made some special memory of their summer.

But if you’re missing out on summer romance here is a list of romantic movies you can sit down and watch as a marathon montage. I left out the bigger blockbusters  for more quirky favourites. ‘Cause come on everyone probably knows those sappy classics like Titanic and Moulin Rouge. But I warn you, Kate Hudson appears in a lot of my favourite romantic movies – probably ’cause she is one of my favourite sassy female leads in romantic roles ever.

1. Friends with Benefits (2011)

Lead duo: Dylan (Justin Timberlake) and Jamie (Mila Kunis)

The hook: They say they want to get into a relationship with no emotional attachments, but you know it’ll end up otherwise and it’s funny how you know you’ll be a hypocrite about it, i.e. if they do end up together you’ll scorn the plot for being unoriginal and so typically a romance and if they do not end up together then you’ll be incredibly unsatisfied by the ending (so what will be your pick?); yet it’s still incredibly endearing watching the chemistry between the two heighten and Timberlake and Kunis’s quirky offbeat sense of humour just tickles you in all the right places.

2. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

 

Lead duo: Patrick (Heath Ledger) and Kat (Julia Stiles)

The hook: Honestly, if I had to immortalise the late Heath Ledger in any one of his movie roles it has to be this one, the Australian bad boy who is bribed to woo Kat so that Cameron (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) can date her sister, Bianca. This movie was probably one of my favourite teen romcoms. Oh, and a shout out definitely goes to Larry Miller for playing such an awesome dad in this film.

3. She’s Out of My League (2010)

Lead duo: Kirk (Jay Baruchel) and Molly (Alice Eve)

The hook: The message of this film is really awesome, in my opinion. ‘Cause we’re always surrounded by this kind of scenario in our day-to-day lives: how can that girl like that guy, he’s not even good looking, or vice versa. And the problem is that a lot of movies will perpetuate that stereotype ’cause there will always be equally good looking couples. In Hollywood’s superficial minds, that is what equates perfect chemistry, i.e. you need to be of the same ‘number’ so perfect tens can only date perfect tens. But I love this movie ’cause it teaches you that beauty is subjective/in the eye of the beholder. Oh, plus it has some really awesome and quirky actors like Krysten Ritter (in my opinion, she’s just awesome).

4. It’s a Boy Girl Thing (2006)

Lead duo: Woody (Kevin Zegers) and Nell (Samaire Armstrong)

The hook: Woody and Nell are very different people, i.e. (sorry, using i.e. too much in this post – I notice, I can self-reflect on these things and yet never change my initial wordings) Woody is the jock and Nell is the smart and brainy ivy-league hopeful. One day they wake up and they’re in each other’s bodies. Like many other body switching movies like Freaky Friday, this one may sounds like such a terribly cheesy romcom and set-up, but I have to defend it for how well it turned out. Zegers and Armstrong play each other so well that at some points I actually forget that they are not actually in each other’s bodies. Plus, the O.C. girl, come on.

5. I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009)

Lead duo: Denis (Paul Rust) and Beth (Hayden Panettiere)

The hook: Similar to She’s Out of Your League, but with a more younger premise to it. Plus it’s all worth it for that moment in the end when Beth finally opens up to him and says, “Thank you for loving me.”

6. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

Lead duo: Ben (Matthew McConaughey) and Andie (Kate Hudson)

The hook: Both Ben and Andie work in companies which give them a specific task that requires each other to succeed. Ben must prove that he can make any girl fall in love with him in 10 days and Andie is writing an article on how she can lose a guy in 10 days. Obviously this kind of situation will never happen in real life – and that’s what makes it so much more hilarious and exciting. I think I’ve watched this movie far too many times for me to count. I loved McConaughey and Hudson in their roles. They were perfect for them.

7. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008)

Lead duo: Nick (Michael Cera)  and Norah (Kat Dennings)

The hook: Norah makes Nick pose as her boyfriend for a few minutes without knowing that her classmate, Tris, had recently broken up with him and he was still in love with her. To be honest when I first watched this movie I wasn’t in love with it. But after watching it four more times in a row (’cause the plane had no other good movies on it) I was absolutely hooked on Nick and Norah together.

8. Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998)

 

Lead duo: Prince Henry (Dougray Scott) and Danielle (Drew Barrymore)

The hook: Definitely different from the others on this list, but don’t be fooled there is a lot of bite to this movie. Danielle always stood out to me as a very strong character. I always loved it when the main female character had a more independent streak to her and I think Barrymore did a really good job in making her shine.

9. Little Manhattan (2005)

Lead duo: Gabe (Josh Hutcherson) and Rosemary (Charlie Ray)

The hook: These children will put any adult relationship to shame with its surprising maturity and yet incredible innocence and sweet-nature.

Suddenly, I knew what I had to do. Love isn’t about ridiculous little words. Love is about grand gestures. Love is about airplanes pulling banners over stadiums, proposals on jumbo-trons, giant words in sky writing. Love is about going that extra mile even if it hurts, letting it all hang out there. Love is about finding courage inside of you that you didn’t even know was there. – Gabe

 

Plus, come on, Josh Hutcherson (Peeta in The Hunger Games) as a ten-year-old in this movie is too adorable. If anything, watch it as an entree before the main course, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

10. Alex & Emma (2003)

Lead duo: Alex (Luke Wilson) and Emma (Kate Hudson)

The hook: Alex is required to write a novel pronto and seeks assistance for a stenographer in Emma. I don’t know why, but this movie somehow stood out to me as a possible candidate to this list. Probably ’cause I only watched it once in my life and yet I still remember how I found Alex and Emma’s relationship just adorable. Or maybe ’cause I just loved Kate Hudson in every romance she’s played in.

I hope this list has given you guys at least one movie to check out and watch on one of those lazy afternoons or nights this summer.

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤