Goodbye

I had a lot of fun blogging this year. To be honest, when I first started, I wasn't really optimistic about it, considering I didn't really consider myself a "blogger." I just thought when I got this assignment in English class, it was just an excuse for us to write while making it sound "fun."

"Oh, you're going to be doing a blog, so it's not really a writing assignment, but it IS kinda a writing assignment, but it's not, because it's blogging."

I see you Mr. Parker. I see you.

...But it kinda did turn out to be more than a writing  assignment. It did turn out to be (do I dare say it?) fun. I loved coming up with my own theme and doing something that I liked to write about, not doing something that I am told to write about. To be honest, most people don't like writing because I see them just do boring writing, like essays and informational subjects... Nothing that they want to do. Considering I'm in high school, we don't have time to write for ourselves. We have plenty of other things that we would rather be working on. So making an assignment that (I want to say "forces" but that sounds too harsh... oh well) forces kids to write something that they want to write about is a brilliant idea. It shows them that writing doesn't have to be a chore.

It was really brilliant of my teacher to make this an assignment. Showing kids that doing something that is related to school can actually be fun. But of course, we all didn't love it right off the bat, like I said earlier. We kinda... Just grew into it. Instead of being just another assignment you have to complete, it turned into something that people WANT to complete. While also learning. So it's just a win-win, for the students and the teacher.

Photo courtesy of cbclements.com

I grew a lot myself through writing blog posts. When I first started, I knew next to nothing about blogging, and it was really hard for me to think of a creative subject to blog about. I wanted to do something that people would connect to, but also care about. So I didn't want to make the blog about me, because I feel like a lot of people really wouldn't care. No offense to those blogs out there, but that's just my opinion. And that's when I realized: I should do something where I show my opinion while ALSO making it something that people would want to know so they would actually CARE about my opinion.

Movie Reviews.

Anyways, it's been a great year, but for now, my blogging run is coming to an end. But who knows? Maybe I'll find this again when I'm older and think about starting it back up. For now though, it's time to say goodbye. 9th grade has been a great experience for me, and it's only going to get better from here.

This post is dedicated to my amazing English teacher, who taught me more about the subject than anyone ever did. Thank you Mr. Parker!!

When Marnie Was There (PG)

My Rating: 98%
The Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Audience Rating: 88%

Wow. If I could sum up this movie in one word... it would be wow. This was one of the best films I've ever seen. I'm not kidding. This was so unbelievably amazing, I just can't put it into words. Before I go on, I'm actually going to give the summary right here, because it's actually really short. A tomboy by the name of Anna explores a long-forgotten mansion when she meets a mysterious blonde girl that only she can see. That's it. That's the summary. I could go into more details, but I think that would spoil the overall surprise of the movie. So if you really want to know more, my biggest suggestion would be to GO WATCH THE MOVIE BECAUSE IT'S AMAZING AND I CAN'T EVEN DESCRIBE HOW INCREDIBLE IT IS SO JUST GO WATCH IT.
...Please. :)

Photo courtesy of usatoday.com

Actually, this movie is kinda taking the world by storm. And in fact, it's not just because it's an amazingly beautiful film that I would watch a million times and then a million times again. It's because this is the last ever Studio Ghibli film to ever be made. There will be no more. Which, for a lot of people, is extremely devastating news. Their films are some of the best of all time. In case you didn't read my last blog post, which was actually a review on a different Studio Ghibli film, I'll tell you some of their work. They have made such films as Spirited Away, Ponyo, My Neighbor Totoro, and a ton of other brilliant works. I've been very addicted to watching all of the Studio Ghibli films lately, not gonna lie. Is this something I should be concerned about? 

...It's probably fine. I don't I'm freaking out or anything. *twitches*

ANYWAYS... this movie covers a ton of major issues that teens deal with today, like depression, self hate, friendship, love, and tragedies. If you cannot tell by some of the themes, yes. There were many points in this movie that I almost broke into a wave of tears. There was this one scene that I just can't get over... The chemistry that's shown between the characters just feels so unbelievably real, so beautiful, so incredible...Yeah I definitely cried at that. No shame, no shame. Just a lot of tears.

The ending of this movie was extraordinary. We were given such a twist, I wouldn't be able to see it coming from a mile away. It was so shocking. It was perfectly amazing. I always think, I would never be able to come up with such brilliant twists like that. There's just no way I could do it. That kind of thought that goes into this movie... That's just half of it. The other half is the unbelievable animation. It's so breathtakingly gorgeous, I don't even know how it's possible. Animation has come so far with Studio Ghibli... But even though they are advancing in it, they still kept their style till the end. And it couldn't have ended better than this.

My Neighbor Totoro (G)

My Rating: 95%
The Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Audience Rating: 94%

I seriously cannot believe I haven't seen this movie until now. I've heard so many things about it, so I finally started to watch it. I'm also kinda going through a Studio Ghibli phase, so expect my new blog post to be on another one of these films. I love love LOVE their animation style. It's simply breathtaking. Even if you don't care for the overall plot (which I highly doubt would happen) people would still stay just to witness how amazing the animation is. It's just so amazingly beautiful. And the funny thing is, this movie is actually pretty old. It's surprising how good they can be at editing like this in that time period. They style of animation is just so beautiful and original.

Anyways, I'm now going to be giving a brief summary of this movie. Two young girls move into a house in the countryside to be closer to their hospitalized mother. They soon discover that the forest nearby is inhabited by magical creatures called Totoros. They soon befriend these Totoros, and they all go on several magical adventures together.

Picture courtesy of geekout.blogs.cnn.com

This movie was incredible!! It was beautiful, touching, tear jerking, and overall just really well executed. Like all Studio Ghibli films, the plot was so unbelievably original. There's no way you're going to find a movie before this that was even remotely like it. I think that's so amazing to have such original ideas like that. This movie has actually been out for a while, and like I said earlier, I'm really surprised that I just saw it now. This has been out for forever, but somehow I've just never gotten around to watching it. I'm so happy I did. It ended up being very rewarding.

I hope that everyone has the chance to see this masterpiece of a movie at some point in their lives. It's just such a well-known and original movie, I feel like it's just one of those that you have to see. And also, I know I've brought up Studio Ghibli a couple times in this post. If you don't recognize them by name, they have also done amazing movies like Spirited Away, Ponyo, When Marnie Was There (which is actually the movie I will be reviewing in the next post) and many, name more brilliant films.

Although the movie may come off as very simple and quaint in the beginning, it quickly takes a turn to exciting and different, while still keeping that beautiful simplicity about it. That's what makes these films so amazing. They surround plots that aren't real in real life (like seeing Totoros) but at the same time, it just feels so unbelievably real. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to see this movie, and I definitely hope I can see it again soon.

Zootopia (PG)

My Rating: 96%
The Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Audience Rating: 94%

This movie was incredible! But can you expect anything less from Disney? This movie had it all. Great and original plot line, amazing character development, brilliant underlying themes that younger viewers won't catch on to but older viewers would, and the most amazing thing of all would be the unbelievable animation. I could go on about the animation all day. This entire blog post could be about the animation of this movie. Words cannot even describe how brilliant it was. But let me tell you this: Just for the characters, the animators would animate every single piece of fur they had, making it look unbelievably realistic. Every single animal in this movie had a different style to their fur. It was incredible to watch.

Photo courtesy of laughingplace.com

Now I will give a brief summary of the movie. From the largest elephant to the smallest shrew, the city of Zootopia is a mammal metropolis where various animals live and thrive. When Judy Hopps becomes the first rabbit to join the police force, she quickly learns how tough it is to enforce the law. Determined to prove herself, Judy jumps at the opportunity to solve a mysterious case. Unfortunately, that means working with Nick Wilde, which is a fox that makes her job even harder.

Like every Pixar and Disney film, this one's a tear jerker. The way they can always get to everyone in the audience is amazing. They had a lot of side themes in the movie that were really hilarious and very relatable. For example, Judy has to do some business at the DMV, and everybody who works there are sloths. I thought that was hilarious.

There was also something very interesting about this movie. If you look past all the cute animals and colorful main plot line, there's a deeper meaning to the whole movie. It's actually quite intriguing in my opinion, and I thought they showed this theme in a very unique way. I won't say what it is, because I think you should try to figure it out for yourself. But if you just pay attention to the overall lines the characters are given, and if you also pay attention to the roles the characters play, I'm sure you'll get it.

I would definitely go see Zootopia again. It was an amazing experience that I was very surprised to see. I can't wait to see more Disney/Pixar films in the future. 

Roman Holiday (Unrated)

My Rating: 90%
The Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Audience Rating: 94%

Yes, I am aware that this film is incredibly old. Do you have a problem with that? No? That's what I thought. xD I did say that I would be reviewing all kinds of movies, so...you should already know about this. Anyway! I love this movie so much!!! It's one of those movies that you just have to see, because it's such a classic. Not to mention that it stars the one and only Audrey Hepburn. That girl is QUEEN. Just saying. Also, in case you don't know, this movie is in black and white, which I don't mind at all, but I know it does seem to bother some people. So...you've been "warned."

Photo courtesy of parkcircus.com

I'll give a quick, spoiler free summary of the movie. Overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule, a European princess that goes by the name of Ann takes off for a night while in Rome. However, when a sedative she took from her doctor kicks in, she falls asleep on a park bench and is found by an American reporter who takes her back to his apartment for safety. At work the next morning, the reporter finds out about Ann's regal identity and bets his editor that he can get an exclusive interview with her, but romance soon gets in the way.

Like I said, this movie is a classic. If you seriously haven't seen it already (for whatever reason) I highly, HIGHLY recommend that you do. It's beautiful, it's exciting, and best of all, it has romance. Did I already mention that romance movies are like seriously my favorite movies? Yeah I know, I'm seriously living up to the typical teenage girl stereotype by saying that, but it's true. I just can't get enough of romance movies! Also, since my Dad is really into the old films, I watch them a lot with him. Which I don't mind in the slightest, I love all of them. So when he told me we were going to watch this movie, I was SO EXCITED because I've heard so many good things about it. I'm so happy I finally got to see it.

Overall, I gave this film a 90% because it's definitely one of my favorites. Why didn't I give it a higher score, you ask? Well...look, I'm not gonna lie, I love old films. But they definitely have their "quirks" so that when you see them in this day and age, it's hard to overlook some of those "quirks" that all old movies seem to have. But other then that, I love the film VERY much, and I highly recommend this to anyone that feels up to watching it. Believe me, it's worth it.

Everest (PG-13)

My Rating: 70%
The Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Audience Rating: 70%

Geez, how many movies about Mt. Everest do you need to make before you've decided that it's enough? Seriously though, there's a lot of these. Although I did like this movie. It was very realistic and engaging, and it was easy to understand and relate to most of the characters. Well...I guess "relate" is the wrong word, considering I'm a teenage girl and the people in this movie are like guys who are in their 40s. So...um...

...*forced cough*

ANYWAYS, I'll give a brief description of the movie, without spoilers, of course. Set in 1996, two climbers that were sent from different expeditions start their final ascent towards Mt. Everest, which is the highest point on Earth. Without warning, an extreme blizzard comes to the explorers, making it one of the most violent storms ever encountered by man. Challenged by these extremely harsh conditions and the high possibility of fatality, the teams of climbers must find a way to survive this epic battle given by Everest, against nearly impossible odds.

Photo courtesy of ukclimbing.com

Can you believe this movie is based on a true story? That's right. The actors in the movie are portraying the real climbers from a expedition to Mt. Everest. That is so crazy! I mean, I know people hike Mt. Everest all the time (well, not all the time), but still, it's hard to believe what's actually going on up there until you can see it yourself. This movie honestly showed you how dangerous it is to do things like this. I gotta be honest, the whole "risking your life just to go through the experience" thing isn't really for me. I'm fully aware though that a lot of people are into that stuff (like my Dad) so...I guess whatever floats your boat.

I decided to give this movie a 70% because don't get me wrong, it's a great movie and I definitely recommend that you see it, but I only gave it a 70% because it wasn't that original, and the plot definitely dragged at some points in the film. There were many moments were they waited around, talked with other people, etc. To me, it just didn't seem that necessary to add to the film. And since there was a lot of dragging...this movie ended up being SO. FREAKING. LONG. I mean, come on. It's 2hrs 30mins long!!! In my opinion, once you hit that 2 hour mark in a film, you really have to take a hint to stop. But of course...All of this is just my opinion.

The Forest (PG-13)

My Rating: 60%

The Rotten Tomatoes: 12%

Audience Rating: 30%

To be honest, I probably should have learned my lesson of watching PG-13 rated horror movies after the absolutely horrid review I gave The Visit. Wow, that movie was unbelievably bad. But actually this one... was alright. I came into the movie with extremely low expectations, because I saw the review that The Rotten Tomatoes gave it, and I just thought: If this review is even worse than the review for The Visit, this movie has to be absolutely terrible. I almost didn't go. Of course though, I was dragged by one of my friends who is a horror fanatic, and I ended up going to see it with her. We both had very low expectations, and we were both very surprised with the result. This movie wasn't half bad, even though The Rotten Tomatoes said it was terrible, and also considering the fact that this was a January release. Believe me, all January release horror movies are absolutely terrible. But I guess that isn't true for all of them, because this one was... pretty okay.

I will give a quick spoiler-free summary of the movie: When Sara's twin sister who is visiting a forest in Japan disappears, she becomes determined to travel to the forest in Japan to find her. The forest where her twin became lost in is called the Aokigahara Forest, and just in case you're curious, yes, it is a real place that people have nicknamed, "the suicide forest." Anyways, Sara enters the forest with the help of a guide named Aiden, who continuously warned her to "stay on the path." Her investigation in the forest shows her a dark world where angry and tormented souls of the dead prey on those who dare to explore the forest.

Photo courtesy of ibtimes.com

One thing I really liked about this movie was there was a twist ending, which was awesome. Other then the ending though, you could kinda expect what was going to happen next. A character would say a classic horror movie line, and then something totally expected would happen next. But once again, quite impressive for being a January release movie. One thing I should mention to those planning on seeing it. If you read my review of The Visit, you know I disliked that movie for so many reasons, but the main reason was because it wasn't scary, and that was extremely disappointing. That movie was my first PG-13 rated horror movie, and I just got the impression that they were all like that. Well... I was definitely wrong. This movie was scary. I will even go to the lengths of saying that it was REALLY scary at some points. Which for me, was awesome. If you don't like that kind of stuff though and get scared easily... DON'T watch this movie. But if you're like me, and just want a good scare without feeling it's overdone... this movie is definitely for you. I know the reviews may look bad, but I gave it a chance, and it turned out to be worth the risk.