A Pinteresting Tumbl of a Day

And this girl went to the midnight showing. Oh yes. Be jealous.

Pin it here (x).

Life vs. Death

Image credit to Jesschadlys (x).

There's a trend I've noticed building over the past few years.

I don't know what it started with, but I thought that - like all other trends - it would fade away quietly.

I don't think it will.

Here's the trend: death.

I mean, I understand that people die.

Acceptance of the fact is good.

Glorification of it is not.

What is with all this glorification of death, anyway? I can't walk into a clothing store without seeing skulls on shirts, undershirts, pants, leggings, accessories, basically everything. And it's not those 'cutesty' skulls: these are freaky, grinning skeletal fragments.

That really, really unnerves me.

And that's not all.

There's a growing literary fascination with vampires, werewolves, zombies, demons, and other undead creatures.

Don't get me wrong here: I'm reading Dracula. I've seen the black and white Dracula. For the record, I don't think there's anything wrong with Dracula.

The Twilight series is another story, and not just because I'm slightly a literature snob and I think - and have heard from reliable sources, namely college professors, peers, and Tumblr - that it's shoddily written and crafted.

That's my opinion. Sorry, not sorry.

I think you're completely entitled to yours.

And please understand, I'm not pointing the finger at anyone. If I am, I'm pointing it right back at me, examining what I'm filling my own mind with.

The difference for me, though, between Dracula and Twilight, for example, is the portrayal of evil and death.

In Dracula, it's clear who is evil and who is good.

Evil comes to kill and destroy.

Good stands in the path, seeking to save and redeem.

In Twilight?

Not so much.

Everything is blurred: oh, well, he drinks blood, and he really wants to drink mine, but he'll go and drink animal blood since he doesn't want to kill me. Awh, I think I'll marry this guy, since he's totally stable and trustworthy.

Or should I marry this other guy who's a wolf and has an amazing six-pack (c'mon, we all know that's most the reason most people saw the movie)?

. . . Yeah . . . Stellar choices.

As far as I know - and please do correct me if I'm mistaken - there is no clear cut model of good in the Twilight series.

There are plenty of evil models, but the evil tendencies are airbrushed over by a six-pack.

Believe me, I've heard the arguments made for Twilight:

"Oh, it teaches abstinence!"

Not really.

Bella and Edward aren't abstinent because they choose to be per se, but because he doesn't want to kill her.

Not really admirable.

I'll be honest when I say that I almost got into Twilight. But something nudged me and said "Hey, why don't you get a second opinion on that?"

I'm so, so glad I did.

And I think it's really the whole Twilight phenomenon that awakened me to the battle that's going on not only for young girls' souls, but also for their hearts and minds.

Yeah, there was Harry Potter mania when I was like, I dunno, seven, but I didn't care to read a 3-inch thick book at that time.

This is different.

And much more dangerous.

Not only are we getting this generation desensitized to death, but also disdainful of life.

Dead and undying creatures are glorified, made popular.

TV shows and movies about those who deal directly with demons are hits.

More and more teens and young adults don't take their lives - or the lives of others - seriously.

And the thing is . . . I don't think it's going to get better.

Not unless we can show them that there is more to life than death.

So much more.

Disney's Old School Sass

Can we just have a moment to talk about how sassy some of the classic Disney movies are?

I mean, look at just Sleeping Beauty.

Those fairies got some SNARK!

Although I do find it hilarious that Merryweather doesn't realize it's pink till Flora throws the whole roll over her.

And Merryweather minces no words.

I. Love. That.

And if you don't like Merryweather, we can't be friends.

Sorry not sorry.

"You can't sew! And she's never cooked!!"

And yet she never really comes off as rude, or disrespectful, just . . . young.

They can't really do movies like that anymore.

-sigh-

Still one of my favorite Disney movies ever.

I think this calls for a Disney Princess marathon.

Who's in?

An Unexpected Passenger

So I was driving the other day and---

What?

NO! 

I wasn't carjacked!

No, but I did have an unexpected passenger.

I was driving along - and thank God I was at a stop sign because that could very well have caused an accident - I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

I thought it was somebody on the sidewalk, so I just turned to look and-----

I'll take the opportunity to say this: ever see a spider on your windshield and you have to turn on your windshield wipers to see if it's on the outside or the inside?

Well, this beauty wasn't on the windshield, it was on my window, and it wasn't a tiny spider, either.

It was this huge roach.

I screamed and probably made one of those movie-scream faces.

Probably looked a lot like this:

But I dunno; I couldn't see me.

The person pulling onto the road I was on could.

Needless to say, I got that roach out of there.

And the person let me out, because they probably thought I was cray cray.

Which I'm totally not.

Just sayin'.

A Throwback

So last night my dad and I went to see Jurassic Park in 3D.

They did a pretty good job of it, I think.

But it was funny, because I'd forgotten just how 90's it was. 

The clothes, the hair, the giant huge loud clunky computers. 

Afterwards, we sat in the credits and tried to remember how old it was.

I thought it was a year or two older than me.

Nope.

1993.

A year younger.

Ouch.

I've just really been having throwbacks lately.

You know what I found on Youtube the other day?

Entire episodes of Legends of the Hidden Temple.

I loved that show.

Loved it.

And you know what app I got not too long ago?

A Tamagotchi app.

Oh yes.

I had one of those.

I actually still have it, but as I recall, those things were pretty needy, so I don't really have time for one right now, given all the stuff I've got going on.

After the movie last night, my dad and I went to Cheeburger Cheeburger, and they were playing 50's music.

And it was then and there I decided that I want to listen to some songs of Chubby Checker.

That'll be Summer Project #3.

Burnt Hair: It's Actually Funnier than It Looks

So, if you've seen this, you know what I'm talking about.

If you haven't, enjoy:

Now, this is the part where I say something snarky about this, but I'm actually not going to.

I will say that having a heated tool in your hair for ten seconds is a rather long time and it's not a good idea, but that's about it.

But I've actually been in her boat before.

A friend - who shall remain nameless for the sweet sake of dignity - was drying my hair once with a  hair dryer and a round brush.

She was doing everything right as far as I can tell.

Suddenly, there was this AWFUL stench, and my first thought was "Oh no, my hair's broken her hair dryer".

Nope.

She pulled the brush away, and a chunk of hair came with it.

Omigosh it STANK.

She was horrified.

Now, I've gotta say that it was from one of the bottom layers in the back.

I mean, it was really no big deal.

I think she was expecting this:

She got this:

I thought it was hysterical.

Seriously, it was so funny.

I kept telling her it was fine and that no one would be able to tell, but I couldn't get over the fact it had happened. 

I mean, that's the stuff of movies, right?

It couldn't possibly happen in real life, right?

See video above.

Though, I do have to admit . . . that's the second time a round brush has had a part in destroying my hair. . .

Christmas Shenanigans

You know what's really weird?

Me and my mom have quite different tastes.

Example: many, many moons ago, my uncle gave me the EXTENDED edition of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers for Christmas. I began to watch it as soon as I could, and my mom fell asleep on the couch next to me. She woke up during a scene with the Ents (which she now loves because they "help the short guys") and said, "What is that?"

I told her they were Ents.

Now, my mom has been in the medical field for a while, so she was probably like "ear nose and throat . . . ???"

She looked at the screen, looked at me, and back at the screen.

"I'm going back to sleep."

Now, that isn't to say we don't have anything in common, and this proves it. 

For Christmas I decided to get my mom two movies she liked when we were kids but hadn't seen in a long time, probably coinciding with the VHS to DVD transition. 

I bought her Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Now, just take a wild guess as to what was in my stocking . . . ?

Yep.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Whoever said great minds think alike was right.

And here's my favorite part of Mary Poppins (because everyone loves this part, and if you don't, go get your head checked now before healthcare prices shoot up):

And from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, because I don't think it's nearly as popular as it should be:

"Singing" versus SINGING

This may be beating a dead horse, but this occurred to me whilst in the shower, so it's automatically groundbreaking. 

Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) was a sensation when she was 16, right?

Me and a lot of my friends thought she had been pushed out onto the stage too early and didn't give her voice time to develop. That may be true, but I realized something the other day - 

Christine Daae (Emmy Rossum) was also 16 in Phantom of the Opera. And when I say Christine Daae, I don't just mean the character: I mean Emmy too. 

This brings us to an unpleasant thing to admit: I was mistaken about voice maturation. 

(That means I was . . . um . . . wrong.)

But I was right about something else: Miley never really had it. Sorry HM fans. 

Emmy was trained in some opera school, I think. That's crazy! You know how much talent you have to have to be accepted . . . ? Yeah, a LOT. 

So yeah, either you got it or you don't.

And yes, I am a music snob.

The Dark Knight Rises and Man of Steel ~ My Thoughts

Last Friday, the lastest Batman movie hit theaters.

Last Saturday, me, my brother, and my dad went to go see it.

Not in IMAX - they were sold out - but that was okay: we had a pretty big screen. Besides, maybe the Hobbit will be in IMAX . . . ?

So, first, the movie itself: EPIC.

I LOVED IT.

Definitely gonna have to have a Batman marathon someday after the DKR hits shelves.

I'd give it a 9.5/10.

(The missing .5 is for a personal preference, nothing huge.)

Now . . . onto the more important topic . . .

The Man of Steel . . .

Meh.

I'm not a Superman kind of gal.

Sorry Caroline.

Haha, nope!

I love Batman.

I love Young Justice.

I love Thor (and Loki.)

I love Captain America.

I love Iron Man.

I love the Avengers (read: Coulson).

But I just really can't get into Supes, even though I did watch the entire Animated Series last year.

What really got me, though, was the music they used for the trailer.

Oh. My. Gosh.

This is where I have to interject something about myself.

I am a complete soundtrack nerd. 

I have over a hundred of them, and I can generally identify the movie they came from within the first thirty seconds.

So, picture this.

I'm sitting the theater, yeah?

Watching previews, right?

All of a sudden, I hear really, really familiar music . . .

And some mournful woman singing (or maybe a choir boy).

I say to myself, "I've heard this before".

Not FIVE seconds later, it hits me: it's from Lord of the Rings.

Lord of the Rings.

DID YOU HEAR ME?!

I SAID LORD OF THE RINGS!

WHO ON EARTH USES MUSIC FROM LORD OF THE RINGS FOR A SUPERMAN TRAILER?!

You know what I think?

I think the person responsible for finding music for that trailer totally dropped the ball and picked the first thing he could find!

I mean . . . really?

*sigh.*

Sounds cool, BUT . . .

So, I'm in English class, and our professor is telling us how when he taught English as a second language in Spain, he didn't speak Spanish. He said that all you do is talk English to them the whole time.
Oh. My. Gosh.
I would feel so bad if I taught English abroad and totally confused some kids or some adult trying to learn English! Everyone hates it when you walk into Spanish class and the teacher starts talking at you in Spanish.
We hate that.
I would not want to do that . . .
But at the same time, it would be an excuse to watch American movies in class. You know, so they could learn English and all.
Hahahahaha, yeah, right!
I'd just bring a list of movies to class and have them vote on one every single week.

Not the brightest bulb in the box, am I now?

So.
I keep getting movies from the library.
They almost never work well.
They either require a darn good cleaning, skipping rather important chapters, and skipping in general.
I keep telling myself I will stop getting library movies.
But I always go back.
Why?
. . .
Because they're FREE, duh!

Things I will (eventually) Re-create . . .

I've decided to make a list of all the things that I will eventually rewrite and gift to the world . . .
. . . for a small fee . . .
(By the way, this list is actually more for my benefit than yours, simply because I may 1. forget, 2. become distracted, and / or any combination of the two. But if you like what you see, shoot me an electronic smoke signal if there's something you really want in the story. Who knows? Might just end up there.)

- Romeo and Juliet
- Beauty and the Beast
- Lady and the Tramp
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
- Sleeping Beauty
- The Little Mermaid
- (a twist on) Peter Pan
and, of course, my personal pet:
- Phantom of the Opera

(Do I have an obsession with Disney? . . . Nope.)

My Valentine's Day . . . Thing

I'm calling this "From Paris, with Love"
(Yes, I have an obsession with 'Romeo and Juliet'. And no, Romeo is not the ultimate guy. That other guy is. And if you want to see the Paris I'm talking about, watch the 1936 version of "Romeo and Juliet". Much less awkward than the newer ones.)

The Capulet Mausoleum.
Near mid-night.

His footsteps were of an unsteady tempo, but they matched the beat that made sore his ribs, that throbbed in his skull. The darkness of the moonless night was compounded by his moist blindness. He fell, tasted blood, spat behind him.
His pain, his frenzy, the blood: they all reminded him he was alive.
He didn't desire to be alive.
He desired Juliet, the innocent, glowing flower he'd danced with at the masquerade.
And Juliet lie dead, just beyond the cold, stone door before him.
He held the torch before him, the flame bouncing wildly, and - as he heaved the door open - it cast unnatural shadows within the crypt.
The flame was reflected by the silk that his bride had been cocooned in.
His fingers numbed and he heard the torch fall.
He collapsed at her side, gathering her into his arms.
"Juliet . . ."
His tears splattered on the girl's face. It looked as if they were her own.
"If I could give my life for thine, I would fain commence the exchange," he whispered, stroking her hair.
He imagined a waking sigh, and buried his face in her chocolate locks, drinking in the scent of lavender and vanilla.
"I know I had not your love. I know the young Montague has stolen your heart."
He forced down the bile that choked him, his face stinging with passion.
"But . . . if your heart desired him . . . I would . . . gladly . . . yielded."
A small void cooled his cheek. His numb hand registered movement within her, and he watched - stupefied - as Juliet's eyelids opened, revealing crystalline azure eyes.

. . . TO BE CONTINUED.

Why knowing how much time is left in a movie should not be allowed

So today I was watching "Bride of Frankenstein".
The old one.
It was made in nineteen thirty . . . . something.
Anyhoo, I knew how long the movie was.
And it seemed to be taking FOREVER to get to the point: they only made the bride in the last 20 minutes,
I call that a rip-off.
But!
I was just thinking . . . which can be dangerous, but whatever.
I could sort of tell how the movie was going to end.
Why?
Because you can't do something complex in 20 minutes.
Unless it's "Inception", which it most certainly wasn't.
I could tell it was going to be a sort of sad ending, because how are you going to make, marry, and maroon (alliteration, sorry, I couldn't help it) a she-monster in 20 minutes? Especially when you spend about half that time going on and on about the storm?
(On that subject: why can't monsters ever be made on nice, sunny days? Maybe the atmosphere they were 'born' into had something to do with their later behavior?)
I digress.
I guess what I'm trying to get at is this: you shouldn't know how much time is left in a movie, because too many things are no longer mysterious or surprising because you can figure out what they do with X amount of time.
Unless it's "Inception".
Duh.

Random English-y Thought . . .

So, in Old and Middle English, "knight" was pronounced "ki-nig-it".
Yes, like in the Monty Python and the Holy Grail French Taunting Scene.
True story.
The pronunciation, not the . . . well, you know that . . . right?
Anyhoo, I was just letting my mind wander off because I get tired of holding onto that leash with white knuckles, and I wound up thinking about that new Batman movie coming out this year, "The Dark Knight Rises".
. . .
How awkward would that be if we still said it that way?!
I mean, we wouldn't really think twice about it, I suppose, if everyone said it like that.
But still, "ki-nig-it" and Bale's Batman voice (which sounds like he's gargling marbles, apparently) is . . . um . . . pretty stark contrast.
Just sayin'.
Although, it would be pretty awesome to hear the Joker say it that way.

My Fantastic(al) Christmas List

After much deliberation, I have finally settled on what I want for Christmas.
It's really not that big of a list.
I want . . .
. . . an ELF.
Either one (or both!) of these would be perfectly acceptable:

However, one of these will be promptly returned / exchanged / exiled:

Please and thank you.

(^-^)

Dad-isms

Okay, I love my dad.
I am my father's daughter in more ways than one.
HOWEVER!
We don't always quite agree on what constitutes a good movie.
Example:
I'm watching Pride and Prejudice with my mom, and my brother had some friends over.
One of his friends - who shall for our purposes be called 'John' - came in from playing outside and just stared at the TV.
The following conversation ensued:
John: What is this?
Me: Pride and Prejudice.
Enter the Dadster. (That's not what we call him, but I'm fairly sure he won't object to that title.)
John: >defuddled face<
Dad: You know those movies they make you watch in Hell? That's one of 'em.
John: . . . Oh.
Yeah.
True story.

This is what dorks do in Target

So Friday, me and Caroline saw the "Three Musketeers" in 3D. 
It.

Was.
Awesome.

But before that, we went to Target and we couldn't resist the toys.
Did you know that you can SWAP THE HEADS ON BARBIE DOLLS NOW?
Gospel truth:

Is that not freaky or what?
Me and Caroline also don't appreciate male "Fashionista" Barbie dolls. (Yeah, Ken, I'm talkin' to you!)

Just sayin'.
It's kind of awkward when the male doll's clothes co-ordinate better than the female doll's clothes. I mean, that's just messed up . . .
Anyhoo, I sense a "Movies that are Better than the Book" post coming up.
Stay tuned!

And THIS is why I love OPERA . . .

^-^

Yay!

Really makes you want to go see Lucia di Lammermoor, doesn't it?

Spring Break

>Sigh.<

Alas, all good things must come to an end.

Oh, well. Life goes on. >Sniffle.<

Spring. Break. Was. An. Epic. Win.

I drove four hours north (all by me onesie!) to visit my best friend at her university. It was a BLAST! I stayed in the dorm with her and her two roommates (who rock!) and it was just great. However, my bestie neglected to inform me that the weekend I was coming was the weekend they had to clean . . . everything. Haha, it was hilarious, watching them run around like that, but I must say, they inspired me to clean. So, I cleaned out the only thing I had brought with me: my purse. Yeah. It was pretty bad.

But the stay was awesome!

But now, Spring Break is over. I have literally 24 hours left before I return to the halls of . . . >cue dramatic music< SCHOOL. (Or, as Megamind would say it, "shuul".)

But I shall persevere!

My freshman year is almost OVER!

(Thank GOD for that!)

So, I shall end with a quote from one of my new favorite movies:

"See this face? It's a happy gnome face."

^-^