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~TV: Degrassi, Gilmore Girls, Project Runway, mtv/vh1/E! stuff
~Music: Counting Crows, Goo Goo Dolls, Hellogoodbye, Jack Johnson, Billy Joel, soooo much more :)
Reviews
She's the Man (2006)
it was OK
This is what I call a "happy" movie - the setting is bright and colorful and sunny, the music that is played is very "now", and everyone is perfectly groomed and dressed (and the guys all happen to be really good looking). Even when there is a fight or a character is unhappy, the movie turns it into a laugh, and it twists the character's problems into an entertaining mess that you watch unravel, reflecting how Shakespeare wrote his comedies. This was a clever remake, although it did not stay very true to Twelfth Night; it used some of the same names, and it used the concept of Viola dressing up as a boy, but that's basically it (in Twelfth Night, Viola dresses up as Cesario, not her brother Sebastian). Nonetheless, the changes that they made in this adaptation were affective in modernizing the story for a 21st century audience. But even though this was an enjoyable movie, it did have some flaws. First of all, who would believe that Viola dressed up as a boy is actually Sebastian? I understand that this was a tough obstacle for them to work around, but it definitely was hard for me to suspend my disbelief when none of the characters in the movie could tell that she was a girl - or even a gay guy. Also, this movie really lacks character development. In the end, the jocks are jocks, the fake girls are still fake. I just felt like this movie was sort of shallow because of that - it just stuck with some basic teen drama, and it didn't delve into any deep issues, and it barely tapped into any of my emotions. If the plot had more meaning, I would be able to take it a little more seriously and it would have been more memorable.
Overall, I did end up enjoying this movie. It definitely is not the movie of the year, and Iprobably will not remember it for long, but it is worth your time if you want to have a good laugh or you just want to have a girls night out.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
just plain weird
So many things make 2001: A Space Odyssey the weirdest movie ever made. First of all, what is with the monolith? It's significance is never really explained, which definitely leaves you hanging. Sure, for smart people it might be good that they don't tell you what it means because then you can figure it out yourself, but for high schoolers like me, it was just... queer. And what's with the music that they play when the monkeys are, like, attacking it? It sounds like a swarm of flies. And why did the monkeys attack it in the first place? Well, anyway. Another factor of this movie's weirdness was the pace of it in general. Because the majority of it takes place in outer space, all of the camera shots are very, very slow and the scenes are very, very quiet; to the point that it gives you the shivers and a tingle down your spine. Another weird thing in this movie is Hal, the droning robot that takes over and kills almost everyone. It's voice and personality are just so strange and awkward, that it's actually really funny, even though it's not supposed to be. The best part has to be when Hal starts singing "Daisy, daisy..." as he is being disassembled. Finally, the ending of the movie just freaked me out completely. What was with the guy turning into an embryo-ish bubble baby? And then there was the strange room that echos, where he ages really quickly. It gave me goosebumps because it made no sense at all and completely distorted any ideas that I have about human life and time travel. But overall, the weirdness really did end up making this movie one of a kind, in a good way. Even though it was not an accurate prediction of what the world would be like in 2001, it asked questions that no other movie would ever approach. And although this movie can really creep you it, it's in a good way. It forces you to think beyond your own life and your own theories about space, and it puts you in a weird state of mind that leaves you in a complete daze after watching it. This movie is definitely worth watching at some point, but it is not cut out for a slumber party. Prepare to be freaked out beyond belief.
The Odyssey (1997)
read the book
I am a high school freshmen and I am reading the Odyssey in school. This movie is just a shame. Homer would not be pleased to know that his great epic poem became a cheap movie with low quality acting and costumes that make Ithaka look like Halloween. The casting was horrendous: Armand Assante fails to portray the admiral stategist Odysseus, playing him like a monotonous pervert. Greta Scacchi is just not fit to depict the supposedly gorgeous Penelope, completely un-suspending my disbelief when the suitors try to pursue her. And Alan Stenson fails to show us the complexities of the character Prince Telemakhos. In the epic poem, we see him as a shy young prince who emerges as a strong leader, but in the movie he appears a shallow young man only driven by his fears. Also, this movie is a disgrace to Greek mythology as a whole. The poor special effects make the gods look like a joke, completely throwing away the Greek cultural charm that the epic poem embodies.
DON'T see this movie. If you want to really appreciate this great classic, READ THE BOOK!