Not only is Fall my favorite season of the year because of how amazingly beautiful everything looks, but also because it officially marks the start of the best months when it comes to the movie industry.
Sure, year after year the Summer brings us amazing blockbusters that we love to enjoy because they keep us entertained, (honorable mention to Star Trek: Into Darkness, Despicable Me 2, World War Z, Iron Man 3, Monsters University, Man of Steel and Pacific Rim for bringing in all the big bucks earlier this Summer season!) but there's something about the dramas -and along with those new features, all the Oscar contenders for next year- that captures my attention more than anything else.
If you know me, then you are aware of how much I go to the movies and how much I enjoy watching a film that will leave me feeling chills all over even hours after I walk out of the theater. Hopefully, this Fall/Winter season will bring along many movies that will make me fall in love with cinematography all over again.
Anyways, here's a list of what films you should look forward to and why. Enjoy and hit the comments with your opinion if you feel like talking to a ranting movie nerd!
I know you must be tired of hearing people say this, but it is true. Life is also complicated, mean, rude... hell, life is a bitch. But that doesn't mean that life can't be great, either.
People will try really hard to bring you down -sometimes even without a reason- but you can't pay attention to them because, as Dr. Seuss says, those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. Don't pay attention to the negative things around you, no matter how much they might haunt you down at night. Instead, focus on your friends, on your family, on your animals. Instead, focus on anything that brings you happiness and anything that makes you smile.
But most importantly, remember that you're loved by many, even when you can't even love yourself.
Today, I received a message that wasn't very nice, and so, my friends made that heart for me hoping that it would make me smile. And yeah, it totally did. He thought that he was being silly, but I'm an artist at heart, and I can't help but let my imagination run wild from the moment I wake up and my brain starts to work.
He gave me an idea, and although it is rather silly, I'm pretty sure I don't lose anything just by trying.
A while back, I got a message from an anon telling me how I had saved their lives because I tweeted that they were unique and loved, and this person has been so incredibly sweet, that every day since that happened, they send me a "Thank you."
Spreading hate is so much easier than spreading love. One hurtful word can undo many, many positive actions; it can make you spiral back into depression or it can even turn you into someone bitter. One message, specially if it goes along the lines of "kill yourself" or "you're not worth it" can end a life quicker that it takes them to type that out.
Please, before you send hate to anyone, anonymously or not, just think of the repercussions it might have. Seriously, think about how much you would dislike having a stranger tell someone that you love to just end their lives because they annoy them. Don't be that person, be better, be great. Send them a hug or a kiss instead. Tell them they are amazing. Share all the love you can possibly feel and help humanity be better.
I know there's not really much that I can do, and I know that is not enough, but I'll keep tweeting random messages of love to complete strangers. And maybe, if everyone would just share a tiny bit of love with a strangers, things would be so much better.
Meanwhile, though, I'll try to leave my mark somewhere else.
A one dollar bill is something that basically every American has in their hands at least once in their lives, therefore, I'm just going to write that specific message whenever I get one and then I'll pass it along. Hopefully, it will reach a couple of people, and hopefully, these people will smile because some stranger cares enough about them to make them feel loved.
Please, know that you're loved, even when life is kicking your ass. Please, know that you'll be incredibly missed, even when you think that nobody cares about you. Please, hold on, be brave, dare to change the world. Please, look for help if you need it and don't give up. Never give up.
You're special. Don't forget that. And if you ever need to talk, about anything, my inbox is always open. Always.
Change is good, change is necessary and change is also extremely scary... but that doesn't mean that you'll stop welcoming new beginnings with open arms.
Cheers to finishing yet another chapter in the book of life; cheers to hoping that the plot twists in the next one are definitely better; cheers to The Beatles, too, because many decades later their amazing music still lives on and I, for my life, cannot stop singing their songs... and most importantly, cheers to making plans and looking forward to the future!
"The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you."
And because I'm crazy enough to think I'll actually have time to do it, I have decided to face a movie challenge this year.
This is pretty simple, actually. The goal is to watch 365 (new) movies in one year and since I don't have a list of everything I will watch, you are more than welcome to make suggestions!
I promise, I'll watch everything but horror movies.
Anyways, here's the list of the movies I have seen for this challenge (2013) and the ratings I have given them.
PS- I've also written a couple of reviews for some of them :)
Update: Here's the list for 2014 because I have decided to do it this year as well!
Sooooo... 2013 is almost here and as always, the new year will bring a whole lot of awesome movies with it. Anyone that knows me is aware of my love for the seventh art, therefore, it doesn't come as a surprise when I say that I'm actually really excited about many of them, I mean... I predict a GREAT year for all of us, fellows geeks!
If you're a bookworm, you'll love to know that many famous sequels and book adaptations are hitting the big screen sometime in the next twelve months. Same goes for comic lovers, with at least five renowned and extremely admired superheroes making a comeback for a second/third time... or maybe trying to start all over again. Besides that, we'll also be getting our fair quota of animation; and I think many Sci-fi aficionados will be pleased to know that the USS Enterprise will flying across the galaxy once again.
All of the above doesn't mean, of course, that we won't get to see dramas that will makes us cry or comedies that will also makes us cry, but because of how hard we'll be laughing.
Without further ado, and below the cut, there's a list of the of movies I can't wait to watch in 2013! (Only 25, though, because the list would be endless if it isn't restricted).
He's a writer for many networks including CNN, A&E and CBS and he loves movies.
Moloney's hobby -to track down the actual locations of famous movie scenes- started back in June. He prints out a picture for each scene and then goes to the actual location, mostly in New York City, superimposing the print where it took place.
I find it incredibly awesome and I'm actually kind of jealous because I would love to do what he does. Anyways, here's a couple of my favorite pics!
2012: The Dark Knight Rises
1977: Annie Hall
1999: Cruel Intentions
2012: Scott Pilgrim vs The World
2005: Little Manhattan
2004: The Day After Tomorrow
2011: Captain America-The First Avenger
1961: Breakfast at Tiffany's
Fell free to follow Christopher Moloney's tumblr or twitter for more updates!
So, fall is finally here and it comes bringing to us some serious awesome movies this year! Movies that I have been dying to see since the trailers came out and movies that I know will be amazing.
Les Miserables
Release Date:December, 25. Director:Tom Hooper. Cast:Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Helena Bonham Carter, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen and others. Plot Summary:Prisoner 24601, known as Jean Valjean, is released from prison and breaks parole to create a new life for himself while evading the grip of the persistent Inspector Javert. Set in early revolutionary France, the story reaches resolution against the background of the June Rebellion.
Seven Psychopaths
Release Date:October, 12. Director:Martin McDonagh Cast:Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Michael Stuhlbarg, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Michael Pitt, Abbie Cornish and others. Plot Summary:The comedy Seven Psychopaths follows a struggling screenwriter ('Colin Farrell' ) who inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends (Christopher WalkenandSam Rockwell) kidnap a gangster's (Woody Harrelson) beloved Shih Tzu.
Anna Karenina
Release Date: November, 16. Director: Joe Wright Cast: Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Kelly Macdonald, Aaron Johnson, Michelle Dockery, Matthew Macfadyen, Emily Watson, Domhnall Gleeson, Bill Skarsgard and others. Plot Summary: Set in late-19th-century Russia high-society, the aristocrat Anna Karenina enters into a life-changing affair with the affluent Count Vronsky.
Wreck-it Ralph
Release Date: November, 2. Director: Rich Moore Cast: Sarah Silverman, John C. Reilly, Ed O'Neill, Jane Lynch, Jack McBrayer, Mindy Kaling and others. Plot Summary: Wreck-It Ralph (voice of Reilly) longs to be as beloved as his game's perfect Good Guy, Fix-It Felix (voice of McBrayer). Problem is, nobody loves a Bad Guy. But they do love heroes... so when a modern, first-person shooter game arrives featuring tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Lynch), Ralph sees it as his ticket to heroism and happiness. He sneaks into the game with a simple plan -- win a medal -- but soon wrecks everything, and accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens every game in the arcade. Ralph's only hope? Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Silverman), a young troublemaking "glitch" from a candy-coated cart racing game who might just be the one to teach Ralph what it means to be a Good Guy. But will he realize he is good enough to become a hero before it's "Game Over" for the entire arcade?
Cloud Atlas
Release Date: October, 26. Directors: Lana Wachowski, Andy Wachowski & Tom Tykwer Cast: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Jim Sturgess, Susan Sarandom, Ben Whishaw, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving and others. Plot Summary: Everything is connected: an 1849 diary of an ocean voyage across the Pacific; letters from a composer to his friend; a thriller about a murder at a nuclear power plant; a farce about a publisher in a nursing home; a rebellious clone in futuristic Korea; and the tale of a tribe living in post-apocalyptic Hawaii, far in the future.
Skyfall
Release Date: November, 9.
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: Daniel Craig, Helen McCrory, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw and others.
Plot Summary: Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Release Date: December, 14. Director: Peter Jackson Cast: Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Martin Freeman, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Orlando Bloom and others. Plot Summary: Bilbo Baggins is swept into a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever ... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities...
Lincoln
Release Date: November, 16.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sally Field, Lee Pace, Adam Driver, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael Stuhlbarg, Julie White and others.
Plot Summary: As the Civil War continues to rage, America's president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield and as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves.
Silver Linings Playbook
Release Date: November, 21. Director: David O. Russell Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Julia Stiles, Chris Tucker, Dash Mihok and others. Plot Summary: Life doesn't always go according to plan. Pat Solatano has lost everything - his house, his job, and his wife. He now finds himself living back with his mother and father after spending eight months in a state institution on a plea bargain. Pat is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife, despite the challenging circumstances of their separation. All Pat's parents want is for him to get back on his feet - and to share their family's obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles football team. When Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own, things get complicated. Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but only if he'll do something very important for her in return. As their deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and silver linings appear in both of their lives.
Argo
Release Date: October, 12. Director: Ben Affleck Cast: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Clea DuVall, Alan Arkin, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina, Zeljko Ivanek, Scoot McNairy and others. Plot Summary: As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA 'exfiltration' specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.
'Already out' movies that deserve a special mention: Pitch Perfect and The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.
What can I say? I am a big movie junkie and I can't ever get enough of the big screen, so I would say that yes, the Oscars will be great next year!
Bonus movie: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. 2
Because yes, I couldn't finish this post without including this movie... I like them, after all!
I have been wanting to go to New York since forever (well, not really forever, because I didn't even know the correct name of that city when I was in Cuba. Then again, living there was like living in a completely different planet, so it was understandable). Anyways, ever since I started to watch TV series, movies and musicals... the magic that the city that never sleeps holds captivated me and made me fall in love, naturally, with everything that it can offer you when you know how to look for them in the right places.
And hopefully, it won't be long before I'm walking down Broadway and taking pictures of the Wicked banner and maybe, if I'm lucky enough, I'll stumble upon a celebrity or two ;)
Meanwhile, though, here's a list of things I want to do once I get there:
I want to do every single thing that a tourist would do on their first visit... like have breakfast at Tiffany's.
Eat a bagel every single morning I'm there.
Spend a whole afternoon lying down (it doesn't really matter if it is in grass, a bench, the floor or a fountain) just watching people walk by while I make up stories about them. It has to be somewhere in Central Park, though.
Watch all the Broadway shows! (but having in mind that I'm not rich, one or two should be just fine.)
Go to as many museums as possible.
Give money to an amazing street performer.
Visit Soho and believe for a second that I live there.
Fall asleep on the subway.
Go ice skating, just to fall on my butt, at the Rockefeller Center.
Try to get some tickets for an SNL show.
Eat in Chinatown and then buy a branded item at a ridiculous low price.
See one of my favorite bands in concert.
And see something (movie or TV show) being filmed on the streets.
For now, that's all I can come up at the top of my head... although I'm sure that much more ideas will come up the day I actually get there. Because no matter how long it takes, I will make it to New York one day.
One of the reasons why I love last.fm so much is because they are always recommending me awesome artists. And one of those recommendations led me to find this amazing band called Walk The Moon.
The indie rock band based in Ohio started in 2008, and released their first independent album in november of 2010. These guys are upbeat, fun, inspirational and down right awesome... so, I'm going to stop talking now and just let you listen to them.
Their most known song is called "Anna Sun" and although the video is pretty great, I have to admit that this live cover of the song is, by far, one of my favorite things ever. Therefore, instead of getting to see the generic music video, you get to experience the band just having fun while doing what they love: create music.
And finally, my favorite song of them so far. "Next in Line" is absolutely delightful and rich, in my opinion. It's a song about young love and freedom. It's a song about just letting go of everything else and only focusing on enjoying life while we can. And it is definitely a song that always lift my spirits!
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed Walk The Moon at least almost as much and I do. Be sure to check out more of their music in their web-site. Until the next artist/band!
Bonus: Check out this awesome fan art about them that I found and absolutely loved!
Okay, let's be real, if you love Glee as much as I do, your excitement about this upcoming movie should be HUGE!
Based on Mickey Rapkin's original novel Pitch Perfect, Kay Cannon (writer for 30 Rock) wrote the screenplay for the soon-to-be-out movie with the same name.
Directed by Jason Moore (Tony Award as Best Director nominee in 2004 for Avenue Q), Pitch Perfect tells the story of an all-women a cappella group that rebuilds themselves and strives to beat their rivals -an all boys singing group- and win the championship.
Here's the official Pitch Perfect trailer:
Cast includes Anna Kendrick known for Up In The Air, 50/50 and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids, Struck By Lightning); Brittany Snow (Hairspray); Skylar Astin (Spring Awakening); Freddie Stroma (Harry Potter 6, 7 & 7.2) and Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games).
And here's a sneak peek of the movie!
After seeing the Riff Off, I totally cannot wait to see the rest of the movie because I'm pretty sure it will be super awesome.
I mean, comedy and singing is, after all, the best recipe for perfection!
So, I guess this is me starting a new tag about music.
Ha! This should be fun... Anyways, everyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I don't go a day without listening to music. It is as simple as that, really. So, what I want to do is share with anyone I can all the incredible music that I hear, because every amazing artist out there deserves to be heard of!
First up, it's the very talented band called Imagine Dragons.
"It's Time" is the name of their single, and it is also a song that I have been obsessed with ever since I heard their EP, Continued Silence. Honestly, I believe their beat is incredible, the lyrics are beautiful and overall, I just adore them. My favorite song, though, has to be "On Top Of The World" because it makes my heart happy, and somehow, I always end up smiling when I listen to it.
So, what do you think? Are they amazing or what? I cannot wait for their first CD -it's going to be out in September- because I'm pretty sure it's going to be absolutely awesome!
If you love them as much as I do, please show them some love and support by buying their songs, sending them nice tweets to their account AND voting for the band to win at the MTV's Video Music Awards (they're nominated for Best Rock Video of 2012!!)
Sometimes I go to really awesome and stunningly beautiful beaches, and I take pictures of them. Here's a couple of my favorites.
Hilton Hotel- Barbados
Cayo Coco, Ciego de Avila- Cuba
Montones, Isabela- Puerto Rico
Miami Beach, St. Church, Barbados
Flamenco, Culebra- Puerto Rico
Mar Azul, Habana- Cuba
Palominito Island, Fajardo- Puerto Rico
Varadero, Matanzas- Cuba
East Coast, Barbados
Found this frame in the wall of the building of my aunt's apartment, and I love it because I totally agree with it.
Nothing like the caribbean, right? Seriously, you should all visit Cuba, Puerto Rico and Barbados at least once in your life. Those islands are AMAZING, and I guarantee you'll have a great time!
Bonus: Montones, again, because my family actually has an apartment there so I'm always going and it's one of my favorites :)
Coffee has been on my life since I was very little.
Back in Cuba, where I grew up, my grandmother had lots and lots of coffee plants on her backyard. I remember that I would usually just sit and watch her go through the whole process of making coffee -which is kind of amazing, by the way- until one day, she told me to join her.
We would get up early, recollect every mature coffee cherrie at our sight, take the seeds out, put them to dry under the sun and once they were ready, roast them on a huge and hand made charcoal oven. Then, we would take the roasted seeds and grind them -using a hand mill- until the only thing left was coffee powder. After that, my gram would make coffee for everyone in the family -I gotta say, her coffee was the absolute best- and sometimes, even our neighbors would stop by and ask for a small cup of the greatest nectar on earth.
Sadly for me, I stopped helping my abuela do the whole coffee thing the moment a frog jumped on me from one of the plants one afternoon. Honestly, I'm so terrified of those animals that I think it was because of that incident that I also stopped drinking coffee for a while. That didn't last long, though, because I couldn't stay away from it and now I drink coffee everyday and in every variation possible.
My absolute favorite is the mocha frappuccino, although the latte is just as amazing. What's your kind of coffee?
Last night, I went to see a local revival of the Broadway musical: Hair.
The program.
And I have to say, the show was pretty amazing! The lights were spot on. The wardrobe was really cool and fun and colorful. The ensemble did a tremendous job. The band -with their long hair and all- was incredibly good. The choreography was complex and delightful (I mean, the kids danced really great). The acting was super amazing, and I laughed my butt off whenever Woof, Hud or Berger had a line. And the songs were just so, so, so good! Especially "Hair", "White Boys" and "Aquarius".
One of the members of the Tribe gave me a flier! And I have to say, the Hare Krishna was dope!
I can genuinely say that Hair was a great experience for me. I haven't really get used to seeing musicals live yet, in fact, I don't think I ever will. I'm always in awe of the talent I see in front of me and I honestly hope that's something that never changes, because I love the feeling of being amazed.
Anyways, my favorite part of the musical was when they sang "Let The Sunshine In", I could feel that song in my bones! Oh, and true to the broadway fashion, the cast invited the audience to sing and dance with them in the stage after the show was done.
That's the band!
Of course, lucky me (even though I'm kind of socially awkward and I don't dance, I am seriously not saying this in a sarcastic way) they pulled me onto the stage. And I say lucky, because I got to take a couple of pics with my favorites of the night!
Woof was definitely my favorite.
And Berger was pretty awesome too!
The peace sign was a must, it seems! No, but really, I had a tremendous time and I hope I get to see them again in another production in the future.
Now, since I couldn't film anything because it wasn't allowed, I shall end this post with a video featuring the original Broadway cast of Hair singing my two favorite songs from the musical "Aquarius" and "Let The Sunshine In"
