Hi Everyone! Sorry it's been almost a year since my last posting. I will be more consistent with my postings starting soon. I have a lot of movies on my list to catch up on and cannot wait to continue my reviews and also sharing other movie and TV love! Stay Tuned!

An Insurgent Review

Insurgent’s special effects overshadow a shallow plot line. For those who are fans of the books, you may be disappointed with the second film installment to Veronica Roth’s Divergent Series. I wanted so badly to like this film but the more I think about it – it was just a filler, that in-between the final chapter of the story. For those who are die-hard book fans there are details that either are forgotten or completely changed that appear on screen. My one major issue with the story line being changed (caution: spoiler alert) is there is no mention in the message to the factions about it being a distant relative of Tris Pryor. The dialogue comes across as dull and flat. The positives of the film were the scenery and the creation of the different factions we get to see on the inside. I would have liked to see a little more of Amity, personally.

On the other hand, the special effects were the focus and the story line was brushed to the wayside. Yes, the effects were visually appealing and felt very real on screen but sometimes they seemed distracting.  

I very much liked seeing Daniel Dae Kim as the Candor faction leader and felt like his role was one of the standout performances of the film. I would have liked to see a little more character development from Evelyn, played by Naomi Watts – for those who have not read the books it’s hard to grasp her story and how she became the leader of the factionless. For those who are a fan of Ansel Elgort – I couldn’t help but think back to the Fault in Our Stars and how in this movie they play brother and sister.

The beginning of the film seemed rushed – especially with Tris, Four, Caleb and Peter in Amity. The book spends quite a bit of time in Amity and there is a storyline from the books that involve Four’s Father – whom we do not see the rest of the film and the leader of Amity.

There are definitely pieces of the storyline that readers will be looking for but end up empty handed. This certainly creates an issue for those who may not even know the books. Such as the ‘peace bread’, etc. Just like with any book to movie adaptation there are some sacrifices the screenwriters have to make – I feel like they did a little too much editing and changing of the storyline to qualify this as a great adaptation. What is strange to me is that Veronica Roth was involved as a producer on the film and I can’t quite grasp how she allowed her story to be manipulated on screen.

Overall, the film was visually interesting and the scenes of fighting and interaction between the factions keeps the threads of this film together. I personally was disappointed in the second installment of this series and sets the tone for the rest of the films. We will have to see what Allegiant brings us and see if it can redeem the trilogy.

I give this a 6/10 Filmholic Rating.

New Live Action 'Cinderella' Lights Up The Screen

Disney’s new Cinderella will make any girl want to dress up and go to a ball of their own. The new live action film brings the magic and beauty from the animated film to new life. It is a much more grown up version but still sticks to the classic storyline everyone knows and loves. It is not just a retelling however, there are some subtle changes along the way that makes the film seem fresh.

Lily James brings innocence to the role as well as simple beauty. The Downton Abbey star steals the audience’s attention with her selflessness and heart. She makes us feel the pain as well as the happiness she is going through on screen.

For the Prince, Richard Madden, (Game of Thrones), it was nice to see him dressed up and tidy. In this film, the role of the prince was not like the other Disney prince’s. He seemed to be clever, heartfelt, and determined – and he remembers what Cinderella looks like!

Seeing Sophie McShera, another alum of Downton Abbey, as one of the awful stepsisters was quite a surprise and pulled off the role effortlessly. Such a different side of her, especially those who know of her as Daisy!

The casting of Helena Bonham Carter as the fairy godmother was an interesting choice and I feel she made the role a little ditsier that it needed to be. I feel as if that role in particular was the most miscast in my opinion. I do not like to typecast but Helena Bonham Carter comes across as more of a dark and villain type role in the films I have seen her perform. I also felt the same about the casting of Cate Blanchett for the stepmother – it seems that her role could have been a little more sinister than what was written.

The look of the film was beautiful from the set design to the costume design. Carefully detailed items brought richness to the on-screen look. One of my favorite costumes was of course the dress Cinderella wears to the ball. Maybe it is because my favorite color is blue but that dress will definitely be remembered even after leaving the theater.

This film overall will make you feel good and bring you back to that childhood love for Cinderella – plus I would not mind stealing her blue dress. I thoroughly enjoyed the retelling and caught myself many times laughing and smiling to myself during many scenes. The message of “Be Kind and Have Courage” is a wonderful message to all those who watch the movie. It may seem cliché, but it is something that many seem to forget today.

There are those who might turn a nose at the film due to the fact Cinderella is still passive like the original film – but this movie still wonderful and quite, if I dare say it, Magical.

For the trailer, click here.

I would give this film a 8/10 filmholic rating.

Happy Groundhog Day!

According to Punxsutawney Phil, we are to see an early spring. In my opinion, it really doesn't matter. We will either see Spring come in 6 weeks or Winter will be with us another 6 weeks...kinda silly I must say.

This holiday is one of the many holidays that people decide to make movies. For example, today, many people will probably watch the comedic Bill Murray live the same day over and over again in Groundhog Day. I do like this movie, and it is one of the better ones that revolves themselves around a specific day. There are also some other notable ones, including Gary Marshall's duo of movies Valentines Day and New Years Eve. I prefer New Years Eve over Valentines Day because I think it had better acting and a story line, but I also might prefer it because I'm not the biggest fan of Valentines Day in general. Something about too much pink and PDA, who knows. I'll let you all decide for yourselves. 

Some other notable films include the action packed Independence Day, which is one of my favorites. Will Smith definitely brings a humor factor to this film and Bill Pullman adds the drama factor with his ever famous speech before the soldiers fly out to battle. "Today We Celebrate Our Independence Day". What impressed me a lot was the special effects in this movie. I forgot that it came out in 1996, way before a lot of more CGI intense movies came out. I give them props for this movie.

Then you have the ever long list of movies that revolve around Christmas and the Holiday Season. Home for the Holidays, Die Hard, Gremlins, A Christmas Story, The Holiday, How the Grinch Stole Christmas...and the list goes on and on. Even Pokemon has a Christmas movie...what is this world coming to? I ask myself this on a daily basis...

Probably one of my favorite holidays that movies surround themselves in Halloween. Most of the time the movies are not that scary and probably more humorous than anything. But I think it is interesting that each year someone tries to come out with a new movie that is to scare the pants off of you and it never seems to happen that way. I prefer the Halloween themed ones, such as Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas which can go either for Halloween or Christmas. It's one of those special movies! But I do also like the classic scary movies like M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense, Signs, and The Village. Those are the type of scary movies I like.

There are so many others that I could have covered, but we could be here all afternoon. As always, I ask a question to get your comments flowing. What is your favorite holiday movie? What is it about it that makes it great? Are there any that shouldn't have been made? 

Let's face it, it's all about the scores...

Behind every great movie, there is fantastic and mesmerizing score. The music is what brings the entire movie together. Just imagine if movies didn't have any music in the background at all. It would be entirely depressing. The scores are usually memorable and you find yourself whistling or humming it without noticing, I know I do. The music helps portray the emotions, much more than the actors ever could. You don't even need any words, the music is that powerful. Now let's talk about some of the greats and a few of my favorites:

John Williams. What is there to say about John Williams? Genius. Master. Exquisite. He is probably one of the greatest movie composers of all time. Ranging from the theme from Star Wars to Jaws to Harry Potter, John has done some of the most outstanding movies of all time. He has a special gift with the music to know what is perfect in each scene. What I love most about him, is how he has teamed up with Steven Spielberg for numerous films, movies such as Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Jaws, and War Horse. It's great how two people can come together and make such a masterpiece.

Hans Zimmer. When I think of Hans Zimmer, I immediately think action and adventure. With films like Pirates of the Caribbean, Inception, Sherlock Holmes, and The Dark Knight, he knows how to make each scene engaging and keep you on the edge of your seat. You feel swept away into the different worlds just by the music alone. The music from Sherlock Holmes especially. There is a uniqueness to the sound and approach to each section of the score. Hans is definitely one of the more quirky composers. Also, random fact, did you know that he composed the opening music for ABC World News?

Howard Shore. Four words. Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The scores for these movies are probably my most favorite scores of all time. They are so iconic, beautiful, and bring you to the fantasy that is Middle Earth. I think that it is safe enough to say that everyone loves it. I know there might be other scores he has composed, but none of which that can compare to Lord of the Rings. If you have not seen the movie, I highly advise it. You won't regret it if you have any love for music.

Danny Elfman. Another composer that likes to team up with his favorite director. Danny Elfman and Tim Burton have worked on a plethora of films together and I have seen almost all of them. Tim and Danny have to probably be my favorite duo, with John and Steven at a close second. These two really seem to understand each other when creating a film together. From beautifully written musical-bound songs from the Nightmare Before Christmas to the dark, to the eerie scores from Sleepy Hollow, Danny has created a place for himself as one of the best composers and one of my all time favorites.

Each of these composers and their music have made their places in movie history. They really know how to make each moment just right. Now that I've shared some of my favorite composers, what are some that come to your minds?

Want more info? IMDB also has their list of The Greatest Film Composers of All Time: http://www.imdb.com/list/FoiEz6pJZ6w/

Hi My Name is Ariel and I am addicted to Movies

So recently, I got the inspiration to start writing a blog. In a career seminar, I was told "enhance your social media footprint" and make a blog that you can see yourself becoming an industry expert in. While, I'll never be an industry expert, movies are just one of my passions. No, I'm not a director or a producer, I am simply a lover of movies and enjoy the company of a great movie. Movies are full of emotions, I love to cry, laugh, and be on the edge of my seat all at the same time. Movies to me are an escape from reality, an addiction, a mental break from the chaos we call the world. So my purpose of this blog is to share my love of movies with the world. As Audrey Hepburn once said, "Everything I learned I learned from movies". So please join me if you would like as we learn together what movies do for our lives everyday.