Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Category: Books

Genre: Fantasy / Fiction /

Author: C.S. Lewis


Ever since I was a child, I was a fan of his(C.S. Lewis) books, specially the most acclaimed Chronicles of Narnia. It's enchanting and very creative.

It would make you imagine a different world. Though some people may not see it, their lives (the kids in the book, and the characters too) are somewhat related to how we live today. It's a picture language... of reality, and has deeper meanings ... but i dont wanna spoil everything.. you have to find out the deeper magic(reality) within the dream.  :)

More reviews each book to come as I re-read them for this blog-review of mine.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling

Category: Books

Genre: Young Adult / Magic / Fiction

Author: J.K. Rowling

I've been re-reading the Harry Potter series, just so I can add it up here in my espresso break blog.
It took me awhile to finish this because I kept putting it off... but  one night... my boo was snoozing(quiet early).. I finished this!

It's always a pleasurable moment to be inside the world of Harry Potter. Here, you will encounter new spells and new characters.

While re-reading this, I suddenly had this A-ha moment, where... Voldemort and his cohorts.. begin to resemble the famous Hitler archetype. Who wished to eliminate the Jews because they were thought to be not "pure" which is pretty much the case of Voldemort. And I was like...woooooo. tinunini tinunini.[ insert Twilight Zone music ].

Anyway, one of the considered serial classics of all time after the Chronicles of Narnia. A Harry Potter is always a great read. 

She's All That - 1999

Category: Movie

Genre: Chick Flick

Director: Robert Iscove

Writer: R. Lee Fleming Jr.

Producer: Miramax, Tapestry Films, FilmColony

Cast: Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachel Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard, Paul Walker, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, Kevin Pollack, Anna Paquin, Kieran Culkin and more.

Tagline: These two opposites attract... but EVERYONE'S trying to keep them apart!


Zack Siler (Prinze) the high school jock was dumped by his prom-queen girlfriend Taylor Vaughan.
Zack's buddy, Dean Sampson (Paul Walker) engages him on a bet to make an ordinary girl a prom queen and picks the geeky looking Laney Boggs (Rachel Leigh Cook).

Throwback 90s! This is quiet a reminiscent of the usual chick flick from the early days... but then it reminds me of Sweet Valley High and their endless prom stories. And stories of "bet's" and all that.

But, theeeen!! I remembered.. that Freddie Prinze Jr. used to be one of those Hollywood stars that Im crushing from way back then! Haha.

I like the tall guy short girl thing here..... reminds me of my Boo and I :P

Anyhow, it has a cute ending..... and a wonderful story of "making a choice."

Also, I just noticed Paul Walker was in this fim during his early years of filming. 

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - 2009

Category: Movie

Genre: Fantasy

Writer: J. K Rowling (book), Steve Kloves

Producer: Warner Bros., Heyday Films

Director: David Yates

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Dave Legno, Jim Broadbent and more.

Tagline: Dark Secrets Revealed; Once again I must ask too much of you, Harry

This time, Harry Potter begins his sixth year at Hogwarts and discovered a book entitled " The Half Blood Prince" and begins to have an insight and learns a lot about the Lord Voldemort's past. At the same time, Lord Voldemort's is increasingly becoming active.

Moviedate with Boo! This is one of the best days with him ever!!!

This is my second time to watch the film. Just  to satiate the Harry Potter whimsical craving. (However, this time it is most sweet... because I am watching it with my boo *swoons*)

This series was filled with Love Triangles! And well, it's basically everyone.... partnering with someone. hahaha. Or maybe im just in love thats why... hahhaa. :)That's why I always tend to see the romance part these days. The characters are maturing in this film and their acting are getting better with each film. But, it's pretty much loaded for one film... I think it;s not enough and left a few pieces from the book. It could've been better.

But, either way, it's perfect for me.

Les Miserables - 2012

Category: Movie

Genre: Musical / Drama / Romance

Director: Tom Hooper

Writer: William Nicholson, Alain Boubil

Producer: Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Working Title Films

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, Daniel Huttlestone, Cavin Cornwall and more

Tagline: Fight. Dream. Hope. Love

Jean Valjean during the 19th century France was known as Prisoner 24601 and was released from prison and then breaks parole wanting to create a new life for himself while at the same time being hunted by a ruthless policeman named Javert. Jean Valjean agrees to care for Fantine's daughter, Cosette which changes their life forever.

It's actually my first time to see Les Miserables. I;ve been hearing about it and all. And then, we just had to steal a moment and rushed to meet the Last Full Show in the middle of the Liwanag World Festival preparation. And one thought that we cannot go and watch ano? But, we did.

I guess I numbed out during the whole film. I wasn't too emotional about it, knowing it should be as I heard other people gushing about it being a cryfest. Maybe because while we were watching we were hearing background noises (at our back) chatting like they were not in the cinema. That was quiet a distraction. Oh well.

In the end, I liked the whole thing. I didn't expect it to be a full-pledged musical, but it was like that the whole time.But, it was a good thing, I think even if you don't enjoy musicals, you'd enjoy this one.

Cinematography was great, all the actors did fantastic, specially Anne Hathaway although her appearance was just the first half and a little bit in the end of the film. The costume, production design, everything was just so good... the whole production was compelling because it's grounded with good performance.

Photo Source: IMP Awards

Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Super Mystery:Double Crossing - Carolyn Keene

Category: Books

Genre: Mystery / Teens

Author: Carolyn Keene


Nancy Drew is enjoying a luxury cruise aboard the ship where George (her friend) is the new social director. It sounds like a great escape from all the cases she had to leave back in the mainland when she overhears a plan to sell CIA secrets to another country. She also bumps into the Hardy Boys who are working undercover on the same cruise ship trying to track a dangerous group of thieves who prey on the rich cruise ship passengers.

It's a good mystery for kids and teenagers. :) Bought it a long time ago, just read it now. :) It was a quick read as well.

Elizabeth 4: Downstairs, Upstairs - Francine Pascal's

Category: Book

Creator: Francince Pascal's


Elizabeth is in big trouble. She might get deported back to America. Unless someone from the Pennington mansion would stand up for her. But, who would do it? Everybody seems to hate her.

Well, it's kinda off reading Book 4 without reading the first series. But, I wanted to revisit the characters I've grown to love ever since I was a kid. And this is a continuation of their ongoing journey. And this time, my very favorite... Elizabeth! :)


Anyway, it didn't come off as exciting like it did before... but still it's a good journey. :) Albeit a very short one. :) Uhmm very typical as well. Book afficionados, won't really fancy this. But, kids? They would. Oh and High School too! :)

How To Train Your Dragon - 2010

Category: Movie / Animation

Genre: Fantasy / Adventure

Writer: William Davis and Dean Deblois

Director: Dean Deblois, Chris Sanders

Producer: DreamWorks Animation, Mad Hatter Entertainment, Mad Hatter Films

Cast: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Christopher Mintz Plasse, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wig, Robin Atkin Downes, and more.

Tagline:


A young Viking, named Hiccup on the Island of Berk, wants to join the fight and hunt dragons that continually raid their town. But, being clumsy and small, he was always discouraged by his father, Stoik the Vast who is a village leader. Despite his being clumsy and small, his attribute goes to his creativity/inventiveness. While out doing his best to prove that he is worthy to be a Viking,he was set to kill, but could not bring himself to do it. Out of curiosity, he befriends the dragon whom he calls Toothless. 

Oooh yeahhh!! Dragons! and Taming them? Well you are right!!! I had a fun time watching the film. It was exciting and heart warming too! :) I enjoyed the relationship of Hiccup and Toothless, they gave enough time for the characters to develop which actually gives depth to the movie.

Great animation, but what matters a lot is the story and the journey of Hiccup and Toothless. Both, young and old would enjoy this dragon and viking tale! :)

Funny Lines:

Hiccup: And when he does, it's always with this... disappointed scowl, like someone skimped on the meat in his sandwich.
[imitating]
Hiccup: "Excuse me, barmaid! I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring! I ordered an extra-large boy with beefy arms, extra guts and glory on the side. This here, this is a talking fish-bone!"

Fishlegs: [to Tuffnut] Your mom let you get a tattoo?
Tuffnut: It's not a tattoo, it's a birth mark!
Ruffnut: Okay, I've been stuck with you since birth and that was never there before.
Tuffnut: Yes it was! You've just never seen me from the left side until now. 

Emo Lines:

Hiccup: Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods? Would've been better, for everyone...
Astrid: Yep. The rest of us would have done it. So why didn't you?  Why didn't you?
H: I don't know... I couldn't.
A: That's not an answer.
H: "Why" is this so important to you all of a sudden?
A: Because I want to remember what you say, right now.
H: Oh, for the love of... I was a coward! I was weak! I wouldn't kill a dragon!
A: You said "wouldn't", that time.
H: Agh, whatever... I "wouldn't"! Three hundred years, and I'm the first Viking who wouldn't kill a dragon!
A: First to ride one, though. So...?
Hiccup: I wouldn't kill him, because he looked as frightened as *I* was. I looked at him... and I saw myself.

Photo Source: HowtoTrainYourDragon.Blogspot

Scent of a Woman - 1992

Category: Movie

Genre: Drama


Director: Martin Breast

Writer: Giovanni Arpino, Bo Goldman

Producer: City Light Films, Universal Pictures

Cast: Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell, James Rebhorn, Gabrielle Anwar, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Richard Venture, Bradley Whitford, Rochelle Oliver, and more

Tagline: Col. Frank Slade has a very special plan for the weekend.

Charlie (Chris O'Donnell) needs money and agrees to "babysit" a blind retired Lt. Col in the US Army named Frank (Al Pacino) man who is impossible to get along with

A prep school student needing money agrees to "babysit" a blind man, but the job is not at all what he anticipated. This movie involves travel, women, good food, good life, fine wine, the tango and a loaded forty - five.

Gosh, I never thought I would cry so much while watching this. Super drama. It says it is about a woman but it was more than that. It is a film brought with frankness minus the sugar coating. I love the character development of the film, the dialogue of each actor. The film is both emotional and intellectual without lacking the moral value it gives. 

Great Lines I Like:

Lt. Col. Frank : Oh, uh, Charlie - about your little problem - there are two kinds of people in this world: those who stand up and face the music, and those who run for cover. Cover is better.

Lt. Col. Frank Slade: No, I'm just gettin' warmed up. I don't know who went to this place, William Howard Taft, William Jennings Bryan, William Tell, whoever. Their spirit is dead, if they ever had one. It's gone. You're building a rat ship here. A vessel for seagoing snitches, and if you think you're preparing these minnows for manhood, you better think again, because I say you are killing the very spirit this institution proclaims it instills. What a sham. What kind of a show you guys are putting on here today? I mean, the only class in this act is sitting next to me, and I'm here to tell ya this boy's soul is intact. It's non-negotiable. You know how I know? Someone here, and I'm gonna say who, offered to buy it. Only Charlie here wasn't selling.  

Lt. Col. Frank: Boys like these, younger than these, their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. But there isn't nothin' like the sight of an amputated spirit. There is no prosthetic for that. You think you're merely sending this splendid foot soldier back home to Oregon with his tail between his legs, but I say you are... executin' his soul! And why? Because he's not a Bairdman. Bairdmen. You hurt this boy, you're gonna be Baird bums, the lot of ya. And Harry, Jimmy, Trent, wherever you are out there, FUCK YOU TOO!

Lt. Col. Frank Slade: I'm not finished! As I came in here, I heard those words, "Cradle of Leadership". Well, when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. And it has fallen here. It has fallen. Makers of men, Creators of leaders. Be careful what kind of leaders you're producing here. I don't know if Charlie's silence here today is right or wrong. I'm not a judge or jury, but I can tell you this: He won't sell anybody out to buy his future! And that, my friends, is called integrity. That's called courage. Now that's the stuff leaders should be made of. Now I have come to the crossroads in my life. I always knew what the right path was. Without exception, I knew. But I never took it. You know why? It was too damn hard. Now here's Charlie. He's come to the crossroads. He has chosen a path. It's the right path. It's a path made of principle that leads to character. Let him continue on his journey. You hold this boy's future in your hands, committee. It's a valuable future. Believe me. Don't destroy it. Protect it. Embrace it. It's gonna make you proud one day, I promise you.

Funny Lines:

Lt. Col. Frank Slade: Thank you Randy. You still with Snowqueen Sugar?  
Randy: Snowflake. How come you always get that wrong?
Lt. Col. Frank Slade: Because it's not important for me to get it right.

Beastly - 2011

Category: Movie

Genre: Chick Flick

Director: Daniel Barnz

Writer: Daniel Barnz, Alex Flinn

Producer: CBS Films, Storefront Films

Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen, Justin Bradley, Dakota Johnson, Erik Knudsen, Karl Graboshas, Peter Krause and more.

Tagline: Love is never ugly. It's what's underneath.


Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) is a vain, obnoxious, rich guy who always gets what he wants and often plays like he owns everything and can do anything. He plays a prank on a fellow high student, Kendra (Mary-Kate Olsen), not knowing she is a witch who wants to teach him a lesson by putting a curse on him. Making him as beastly on the outside as he is on the inside. He was given a year to find someone to fall in love with him or forever look like a beast.


This is a modern take of Beauty and the Beast.  I haven't read the book so, I cant say if it really did justice to the book. However i can hear a lot of reports that it was quite disappointing. But, to those who did not get to read the book, it's not really that bad. Although, you know where the story is heading that one day the heroine will fall in love with him even though he looks beastly. Overall I recommend it for light entertainment. And in the category of chick flicks. :)

X-Men 2: X-Men United - 2003

Category: Movie

Genre: Action / Sci-Fi

Director: Bryan Singer

Writer: Zak Penn, David Hayter

Producer: Marvel Enterprises, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Rebecca Romijin, Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Bruce Davison, Aaron Stanford, Shawn Ashmore.

Tagline: In this world wide conspiracy the only thing you can count on... Is the X factor.


It has been months when the X-Men helped to have Magneto imprisoned in a plastic chamber from the previous movie X-Men. Now another danger is looming as a mutant who goes by the name "Nightcrawler" got into the White House and tried to assassinate The President. So, once again the mutants band together by looking for Nightcrawler.


Once again this movie never failed to amaze me. It is really living up to par with it's first film that went out and is about to satisfy the die-hard fan of the said comics. The actors really did a great job. I like this part because the X-Men are finally getting united to fight one battle. :) I like nightcrawler's views. :)

Although Magneto and Professor X has different views they still kept their love for each other. It's really kind of wonderful how they cannot kill one another. They'd fight for their own causes but never losing what they had in the past - friendship. :)


QUOTES I LIKE:

Professor X: Mutants. Since the discovery of their existence they have been regarded with fear, suspicion, often hatred. Across the planet, debate rages. Are mutants the next link in the evolutionary chain or simply a new species of humanity fighting for their share of the world? Either way it is a historical fact: Sharing the world has never been humanity's defining attribute.


Nightcrawler: You know, outside the circus, most people were afraid of me. But I didn't hate them. I pitied them. Do you know why? Because most people will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes.
Storm: Well, I gave up on pity a long time ago.
Nightcrawler: Someone so beautiful should not be so angry.
Storm: Sometimes anger can help you survive.
Nightcrawler: So can faith.


Storm: [about Nightcrawler's markings] So... What are they?
Nightcrawler: They're angelic symbols, passed on to mankind by the archangel Gabriel.
Storm: They're beautiful. How many do you have?
Nightcrawler: One for every sin. So quite a few.

Wolverine: I need you to read my mind again.
Professor X: Logan, the mind isn't just a box that can be unlocked and opened, it's a beehive with many...
Wolverine: Spare me the lecture.


FUNNY

Policeman: Put the knives down!
Wolverine: I can't.


Professor X: Logan, my tolerance for your smoking in the mansion notwithstanding, continue smoking that in here, and you'll spend the rest of your days under the belief that you're a six-year-old girl.
Wolverine: You'd do that?
Professor X: I'd have Jean braid your hair.