I JUST FINISHED THE ORIGINAL RUN OF THE X-FILES (and now I don't know what to do with my life)

Ahh! I've been watching X-Files since this past winter and I have finally finished all 202 episodes (and one film) in the original nine seasons! The first seven seasons of this show is the best T.V. I have ever seen! I was so consumed by this show and I loved every minute of it. If you haven't watched, please, please do. This post won't contain any spoilers, but it will contain a list of reasons why you should dedicate almost two hundred hours of your life to this show.

1. Scully is my hero.

Scully is the leading lady I have been searching for all of my life. She is tough, smart, dedicated to her job (and good at it), fierce, kind, and loyal. She is a pioneer for both women in science and the FBI, both male dominate fields, and she doesn't take crap from anyone. Her relationship and chemistry with Mulder makes the show, and the two of them have become my favorite T.V. characters ever. I would follow Scully anywhere. Side not: Gillian Anderson ages so beautifully over the nine seasons. 

Despite Scully's strong, leading role, there is no denying the differences in her character and Mulder's because of gender. You see this in the lack of romance or love-life for her character, as opposed to Mulder's flirtations and flings, and it is symbolically represented by her lack of desk and office. 

2. This show is so funny and self-aware.

The satire episodes are some of my favorites. I love that this show totally creeped me out and made me crack up, sometimes all within the same episode! Most of the episodes in my favorite episodes list below are the self-aware, satirical ones! I don't think this show would be as brilliant as it is without these episodes. 

3. Mulder is beautiful. 

Enough said there.

4. The themes reach far beyond government conspiracies. 

I love that this show tackles government conspiracies in a way that only a 90s show can, but it also deals with so much more. I loved that Scully's skepticism with the supernatural was mirrored with her skepticism and acceptance of her religious faith. I loved how the show reversed Mulder and Scully within the roles of believer and skeptic, and Mulder's journey for the truth and what the concept of truth really means. 

A Sampling of my favorite episodes:

Season 1 Episode 1: The Pilot (one of the best episodes of T.V. I have ever watched)

Season 3 Episode 4: Clyde Bruckman 

Season 3 Episode 13: Syzygy (Sure. Fine. Whatever.)

Season 3 Episode 20: Jose Chung From Outer Space

Season 5 Episode 12: Bad Blood

Season 6 Episodes 4 and 5: Dreamland Part 1 and 2

Season 6 Episode 6: How the Ghost Stole Christmas 

Season 6 Episode 15 Arcadia 

Season 7 Episode 13: X-Cops 

I already have a huge craving to rewatch the first seven seasons of this show, and I'm so sad that I have watched them all! I'm cheering myself up by reminding myself I have season X to watch yet, and soon there will also be a season 11. I have lower expectations for the reboot but I still think I will enjoy it. Have you watched the reboot yet? What did you think?

I can officially say this is my all-time favorite T.V. show and I'm so glad I finally made the commitment to watch it. It's so worth the time investment! I will now be forever trying to fill the X-Files sized hole in my T.V. watching soul. 

Recently Watched: Signs, The Others, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

I've done quite a bit of movie watching lately. I've been wanting to get caught up on some thriller/supernatural movies that I haven't seen and so far, I've been really enjoying it, and of course, I love Jimmy Stewart so I am always up for watching his films.

Signs
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Released 2002

 

Signs is an alien classic, so of course I needed to watch it. I'm not sure if I have mentioned it on here, but aliens are one of my favorite supernatural elements to consume in movies, T.V., or books. I'm working my way through the classics, inspired by my love of The X-Files which I am almost done with and will be talking about soon. This movie was really enjoyable. It was a lot more than I expected it to be. It was the perfect mix of suspense, plot, and theme. I was pleasantly surprised by the strength of the religious themes and the motif of the "sign' through coincidence, symbol, or miracle.

If you are unfamiliar, Mel Gibson plays a pastor who has recently left the church after his wife was killed on a walk when she was hit by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel. He renounces religion and the idea of miracles or meaning in events, when one day he walks outside his house to see a crop circle has been left in his corn field and in other places all over the world.

One thing I love about 90s and 2000s supernatural is the lack of cgi and special effects that were available, because of this, movie makers and writers were forced to use the movie watcher's imagination and expectations to create suspense and "horror" rather than fancy cgi. This movie was funny, suspenseful, and entertaining. I highly recommend it if you have never seen it.

The Others
Directed by Alejandro Amenábar
Released 2001

The internet is telling me that this movie may or may not have been inspired by The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, but I have never read it so I'm not sure. I will have to read it to find out. 

I really, really liked this movie. I had no idea what it was about and had no expectations. My mom talked me into watching it on a whim and I'm glad she did. This one is a lot more suspenseful than Signs but still deals with some deeper themes rather than just suspense. I was pleasantly surprised with Nicole Kidman's performance. I don't want to talk too much about plot because it's really best if you don't know anything. 

What made this movie so interesting is the very small cast. There was really only four characters that carried this movie and I thought that was brilliant. I also found the lack of male presence in this movie interesting. Religion also plays an important role in this movie, and it was interesting to watch it so close to Signs and to be able to compare the two. This movie was one of the pioneer twist ending suspense and horror movies, and I think it's a super fun watch. You might be able to catch on to the end, but it doesn't take away from the watching experience if you do. 

I enjoyed this movie the most out of the three featured in this post. This is a movie that I can see myself rewatching even though I already know the ending. If you have any similar recommendations for me, let me know!

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Directed by Frank Capra

Released 1939

 I love Jimmy Stewart and Frank Capra so it's really surprising that this is my first time watching this movie. Stewart plays a young man appointed to the Senate after the sudden death of a senator. He is placed there by someone he trusts, as he is believed to be gullible and a push-over, but of course, Mr. Smith is nothing of the sort. 

Stewart is a great actor, you believe every role he plays, and his voice makes it impossible for you to focus on anyone else while he is talking. I also loved the female lead character in this movie, Miss Saunders, and thought there was a lot being said about women's role in the political sphere for a movie made in 1939 that was not specifically about women's role in the political sphere. 

This is a feel good movie, where one golden-hearted man takes on the corrupt and cold political system in order to make a positive change, but for me, Miss Saunders was the real star of the show. She coaches Mr. Smith through his over 24 hour fillibuster and knows all of the legal loop-holes and protocols. The real message for me here was that Miss Saunders should have been appointed to the U.S. Senate, not Mr. Smith.

Regardless, this movie was charming and feel-good, and an interesting watch in our current political climate. I will say, that the whole time I was watching this movie, I was just itching to put in It's a Wonderful Life as that is arguably one of the best movies ever made, and Stewart's performance here just made me think of George Bailey. If you have never seen a James Stewart movie, you should rectify that ASAP! 

Mr. Smith preparing to filibuster. 

Need Something to Watch? Try This!

I've been wanting to write up a post about what I have been watching and loving recently on Netflix, but haven't gotten around to it. In the past half-year or so, I've watched a lot of things that I want to recommend to other people, but I thought I would just highlight a couple today in this post. As always, my to-watch list is a mile long, but I'm really into supernatural T.V. shows right now (the older the better) so leave me your recommendations if you have some!

Twin Peaks

I have recently rewatched the original Twin Peaks in preparation for the reboot with my brother who had never seen the show. (I haven't started the reboot yet, so no spoilers please!) This show took over my life the first time I watched it, which was this past winter right around the end of the semester. I finished the whole series in about four days and was floored by the supernatural scenes. This show is so interesting and was groundbreaking for 1990 when it first aired. If you are unfamiliar, it is part soap-opera parody part supernatural thriller and entertaining as all get out. If you haven't watched this yet, it's a must. The juxtaposition of the soap-opera drama with David Lynch's dream-logic supernatural scenes are so jarring in the best way possible. I'll never forget the first time I watched the second episode in the series and experienced the Black Lodge; I was floored. This show really started my obsession with old supernatural T.V. shows, and now that's all I want to watch. This show is funny, over-the-top dramatic, and creepy. It's a must watch. 

The Crown

 

The Netflix original The Crown about Queen Elizabeth II took over my life last semester as well. This show had a HUGE budget, and it really shows. I loved the cast chosen for each part and the drama. I'm a history minor, so I love a good historical drama and this one delivered! I flew through this season and then immediately Googled when to expect season two. I discovered that they will cast new cast members to play the cast as they age on the show, which I think is a brilliant idea, and I'm eager to see how it turns out. I'll definitely be rewatching the first season before the second one comes out. This show left me in the mood to read all of the historical biographies and historical fiction on my shelves. 

The Keepers

*TW: SEXUAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE*

The Keepers is a multiple part true-crime documentary made for Netflix revolving around the decades old murder of a nun turned public school teacher. My mom and I have been watching a lot of true-crime documentaries lately, and when this one came out, we decided to start it on a whim. All I can say about this one is WOW. This documentary deals with a lot of very heavy and heartbreaking topics, including sexual and physical abuse within the Catholic Church. This was so heart breaking to watch, but so worth it. There are so many fearless and strong women in this series. While I didn't enjoy this in the traditional sense of a light T.V. show, it was such a powerful and engaging watch. I highly recommend this one, just be ready for some tears and anger. 

Packed in a Trunk 

This lovely documentary was discovered on a whim by my mom, and I'm so glad she discovered it. It's about a woman's search to understand the life story of her great-aunt, Edith Lake, who was an amazing artist before she was institutionalized in her early 50s. This documentary has smart and witty real-life women, amazing art, history, and the discovery of forgotten female artists; is there anything else you could ask for? This is a hidden gem that I highly recommend you check out. It will leave you feeling inspired and determined. 

What have you been watching lately? Any good old Sci-fi to recommend?  

Next Up on My Watch List: Classic Movie Haul

I have purchased quite a few new movies at great prices lately and I'm glad it's summer so I can finally watch more movies. If you have read any of my posts on movies before, than you know I love old movies and Leonardo DiCaprio and these purchases won't be surprising. Let me know if you have seen any of these and leave me your recommendations for movies you think I might like.

The Way We Were 1973

This one was mentioned on Gilmore Girls quite a few times, and I love Robert Redford so I'm really looking forward to this one. It's a love story, so I will have to wait until I'm in the mood for it.

The Maltese Falcon 1941 

I have been looking for an inexpensive copy of this one forever, so I was really happy to find it for a good price as a combo with another Humphrey Bogart movie Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Not too long ago I watched The Big Sleep and really enjoyed it so I have been wanting to watch more classic crime.  

The Barefoot Contessa 1954

Another classic Bogart mystery that I have yet to see. I know nothing about the plot of this one so it will be fun to go into it blindly. 

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 1958

I just watched Tennessee William's A Street Car Named Desire (brief thoughts here all the way at the bottom) and I enjoyed it. It was pretty thought provoking, and I'm thinking this one will be pretty similar because the main male and female characters sounds a lot like the characters in Street Car. I haven't read the original plays for either of these, but I would love to so I can compare them to the movies. 

The Beach 2000

I LOVE Leo, especially young Leo. I'm a little nervous for this one because I think it's a thriller and I don't usually go for thrillers, but I will sacrifice for the viewing pleasure that it 2000 Leo.

Recently Watched:The Bletchley Circle

Previous Recently Watched:

Tess of the D'urbervilles

Death Comes to Pemberly

Emma

Air Date: 2012

PBS

Season 1: Three forty-four minute episodes

Season 2: Four forty minute episodes 

Starring: Anna Maxwell Martin, Rachel Sterling, Julie Graham, and Sophie Rundle

The Bletchley Circle has been on my Netflix list forever and my mom and I finally got around to binge watching it last weekend. We watched season one in a day and season two the next day, because it was that good. 

The four women in this show worked together at Bletchley during WWII decoding Nazi messages for Britain. They are all incredibly smart, but now that the war is done, their intelligence is no longer required by the state, and they have had to settle into normal lives in the fifties. One day, one of the women, Susan, (Anna Maxwell Martin) believes she has noticed a pattern in a serial killers killings and goes to the police with her information. When the police don't take her seriously, she enlists the help of her friends from the war to solve the case on her own. 

WWII is a really fascinating setting to me, especially in Britain as their experience was so different from America's. I also really loved the all female leads in this show and how fricking smart they were! One of the girls, Lucy the youngest, has a photographic memory and can remember everything she sees or reads and that was a really cool addition to the crime solving dynamic. The actresses are great; I'm really becoming a fan of Anna Maxwell Martin and would love to see her in more things. The mysteries and action were suspenseful and extremely clever. 

I really enjoyed this series and can even see myself rewatching it in the future. I'm pretty sure the show will not have a third season, which I'm pretty bummed about, but I highly recommend watching this series. It's so good.  

It's also made me super interested in reading some non-fiction about women in the war, so let me know if you have any recommendations. 

Which Adaptation is Right for You?-- Jane Eyre

It's always exciting to finish a book you've been meaning to read forever just so you can watch the adaptations! But sometimes the adaptation options can be overwhelming. So, with this series I'm hoping I will be able to assist in finding the right adaptation for you, whether you have read the book or not. 

Previous Posts:
Pride and Prejudice
Romeo and Juliet

Will humankind ever get an adaptation of Jane Eyre right? It's not looking that way, at least not in film form. Today I've got two film versions of Jane's story to discuss, but I'm not really happy with either honestly. Film versions tend to minimize Jane's character and resilience and focus solely on the romance between her and Mr. Rochester.

Now, there are a lot of adaptions that I have not watched yet, so please let me know which is your favorite so I can check it out. Is there any good mini-series adaptations of  Jane Eyre? Let me know!

Jane Eyre- 1996

Staring: 
William Hurt as Mr. Rochester
Charlotte Gainsbourg as Jane Eyre
Anna Paquin as child Jane Eyre
Release Date: 1996
Running Time: 112 minutes
Trailer 

This film was just okay. It has the look of a film made in the 90's, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for me, but I know some people can be bothered by it.

One thing that I did like about this film was the casting. The characters were not romanticized in this version. Jane is rather plain and timid. Mr. Rochester is obviously much older than Jane and is not what would typically be considered handsome. His ruggedness and rudeness comes across in this version more so than the next version.

Because the film is so short, a lot of Jane's life without Rochester is rushed. Her girlhood is a little rushed, but the time in between her leaving Mr. Rochester and the events at the end of the of the novel is almost non-existent. St. John Rivers and Jane Eyre are bffs when they live together after she flees Thornfield and Jane and Mr. Rochester's separation lasts about five minutes in the movie.

Jane Eyre

Mr. Rochester

Young Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre- 2011 

    

Staring: Mia Wasikowska as Jane Eyre
Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester
Judi Dench as Mrs. Fairfox
Jamie Bell as St. John Rivers
Release Date: 2011
Running Time: 2 hours and 1 minute
Trailer 

This film is very visually stunning. The scenery is very typical of a period drama, and there is a lot of wide angle shots. This one has a more modern feel in the way it is shot and looks.

The casting is romanticized. Michael Fassbender is incredibly attractive and not nearly old enough to be Mr. Rochester, but he gets away with it. Wasikowska is great as Jane, but she has a very distinct look, where Jane is meant to be more plain.

I watched this one with my mom who had not read the book, and she had some questions regarding the plot and characters because it leaves a lot out of the plot. Of course the romance is the focus again in this one. But I found this one to be my favorite of the two. Jane seems a little more like her feisty self in this one. If I were to rewatch one of the two, I would pick this one, it's not perfect, but it is quite enjoyable.

Jane and Thornfield Hall

Mr. Rochester

Jane and Mr. Rochester

Recap:

Overall, I would give both of these films a 3/5 rating, but they are still worth watching if you are in the mood for the story of Jane Eyre but don't want to commit to rereading the book.

Those who haven't read the book: Jane Eyre- 1996

Jane Eyre Pros: Jane Eyre- 2011 

And please, leave me your recommendations for adaptations of this novel in the comments so I can continue my search for a satisfying adaptation.  

Recently Watched: Tess of the D'urbervilles

Previous Recently Watched: 

Death Comes to Pemberly

Emma

Produced by the BBC

Consists of four sixty minute episodes

2009

Staring Gemma Arteton, Eddie Redmayne, and, Hans Mathenson

I read Tess (review here) last month and enjoyed it. I was motivated to pick it up since I received the newest BBC mini-series adaptation for Christmas last year. I love everything the BBC puts out, and once again this BBC production was great. 

The Casting was perfect, Gemma Arteton makes such a beautiful Tess, and Eddie Redmayne was adorable as Angel. The scenery was gorgeous, and the acting was great. 

Watching the story of Tess was a different experience than reading it. Without all of the wordiness of Hardy's prose to distract from the story, the plot took center stage. I was much more infuriated with the ill-treatment that Tess receives in the mini-series than in the book because the prose was not there to soften the tragedy that befolds Tess. This story is not a happy one by any means, and what happened to Tess still happens today. This book is still bringing up the same conversations it brought up when it was first published.

The treatment that Tess receives from men in this story is shocking and repulsive; at one point in the novel she actually covers herself with dirt and cuts her eyebrows as to make men stop looking at her as she sees them all as a threat to her personal safety. I don't like anyone in this story besides Tess, and perhaps Liza Lou, and this screen adaptation really cemented just how doomed Tess was from the start. 

I recommend watching this if you have read the novel, as it might give you new thoughts on the story as it gave me, and it is a beautiful adaptation (plus, Eddie Redmanye does a couple bare butt shots. so there's that.) 

Let me know if you have any other adaptations of Tess that you have seen, or any other BBC adaptations I need to watch!          

Which Adaptation is Right for You?- Pride and Prejudice

It's always exciting to finish a book you've been meaning to read forever just so you can watch the adaptations! But sometimes the adaptation options can be overwhelming. So, with this series I'm hoping I will be able to assist in finding the right adaptation for you, whether you have read the book or not.

I thought I would start this series off with one of literature's most adaptable novels, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (you can read my review of the novel here.) This story and its characters translate to the screen so well, and many great adaptations have been made. I'm going spotlight three different versions, one movie and two mini-series, that I have watched and enjoyed.

Because P&P is so often adapted, the different adaptations are usually referred to by their release date.

BBC Pride and Prejudice (1980)
mini- series, 265 total minutes, five episodes
cast:
Elizabeth Bennet- Elizabeth Garvie
Mr. Darcy- David Rintoul

This is the oldest adaptation I have seen of P&P and my least favorite (though it is still enjoyable). This adaptation is pretty much word-for-word from the book, so it is a very faithful adaptation. The costumes are quite enjoyable, and the casting is perfectly fine, but because I did not previously know any of the actors and I am not attached to them in any way, I don't find myself too attached to this adaptation. I still recommend checking it out if you love the story, but if you have not read the book, or are looking to watch your first adaptation, I wouldn't start with this one.

Lizzie Bennet 

The brooding Mr. Darcy

Lizzie and Darcy 

BBC Pride and Prejudice (1995)

mini- series, 327 total minutes, six episodes 

cast:

Elizabeth Bennet- Jenifer Ehle

Mr. Darcy- Colin Firth (!!!!!) 

So, for obvious reasons, I really like this adaption (that obvious reason is Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy). I saw this adaptation for the first time last year and really enjoyed it. After I finished the novel, I was doing my research on adaptations, and I saw the 1995 version being praised over and over again, so I finally picked it up and can now see why this is often times referred to as the best P&P adaptation. 

The costumes and setting are great, the casting is great, and it's exploding with British-ness! This adaptation is quite lengthy (about six hours!) so it won't be one to watch in one sitting (but who am I kidding, I watched it all in one sitting the first time I saw it) but it captures the characters and the story perfectly. Lizzie and Darcy's chemistry is really great, and Firth makes such a great broody and moody Darcy. If you have been hanging around the internet and classics novels for a while, you might be aware of the infamous wet, white shirt scene, which is in this adaptation; trust me, it is worth the hype. 

The Bennet sisters

The love birds 

and what we have all been waiting for... 

THE COLIN FIRTH AS MR. DARCY GIFS

Pride and Prejudice (2005)

movie, 129 total minutes, 

Cast:

Elizabeth Bennet- Keira Knightly 

Mr. Darcy-  Matthew Macfayden 

Mr. Bennet- Donald Sutherland

Kitty Bennet- Carey Mulligan 

Jane Bennet- Rosamund Pike

Lydia Bennet- Jena Malone 

This is the only movie adaptation of P&P that I have seen, and it was also the first adaptation I watched after finishing the book (and I have probably watched it at least six times since then.) Everything about this movie is perfect, and this is one of my all-time favorite movies. The setting, music, costumes, and cinematography are all beautiful. I love the casting, and how well Mr. Bennet and Lizzie's relationship comes across in this film, as that is one of my favorite parts about the novel. Kiera Knightly is gorgeous in this film, Lydia and Kitty and Mrs. Bennet ridiculous, and Mr. Darcy grumpy and then helplessly romantic. The script is so well done, and the characters are true to the novel. I highly recommend starting with this movie as your first P&P adaptation. I love that this movie allows me to get the entire story in one sitting unlike the mini-series, and I often listen to the score while I am doing homework! Oh! and P.S. Mr. Bingley is a red-head! 

 The Bennet Sisters

Lizzie and Darcy

Darcy and Bingley 

RECAP: 

First Time Watchers: Pride and Prejudice 2005

Veteran Watchers: Pride and Prejudice 1980

Everyone in the Universe: Pride and Prejudice 1995 

Bonus: check out my thoughts on Death Comes to Pemberly 

Let me know what your favorite P&P adaptation is, or your favorite adaptation of any classic book! Now I'm off to rewatch all of these! 

Recently Watched: Death Comes to Pemberly

Based on the novel Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

Produced by the BBC 

Released in 2013

Consists of three sixty minute episodes

Staring: Matthew Rhys, Anna Maxwell Martin, and Jenna Coleman

So in between writing papers last weekend, I watched the BBC's Death Comes to Pemberly. I have not read the book, I know, I know, I've committed a book lover's sin, but I've been wanting to watch this mini-series since it came out so I went for it. 

I'll skip the part where I talk about how much I love everything the BBC puts out, because you guys have heard it a million times, but I really enjoyed this series! I was fully entertained. At first I was a little unsure of the casting, (I'm still a little annoyed by the obvious incorrect age gap between Lizzie and Darcy, but then adaptions rarely portray ages correctly so I 'll let it slide,) and I thought that Jenna Coleman might be too beautiful for her role as Lydia, but all those doubts faded away during the first episode. The acting was great and I thought the characters were very believable and accurate to Austen's original characters. 

And ladies, there are some very handsome men in this one. I loved hearing what happened to the characters of P&P and thought that everything was believable and perfect for the characters. I would still be willing to pick up the novel sometime in the future even though I already know what happens because I enjoyed this series that much. 

If you have read the book and seen this, tell me what you think? Did it stay pretty true to the book? What did you think of the casting? 

Recently Watched: Emma

Produced by the BBC and released in 2010

Staring: Romola Garai, Jonny Lee Miller, and Micheal Gambon

Four episodes that are fifty-six minutes each

As you may or may not know, I just finished Emma by Jane Austen and enjoyed it thoroughly. I got the newest BBC mini-series adaptation for Christmas this past year and I been eagerly waiting until I read the novel to watch it, and when I finally started it, I watched it in two sittings because it was so enjoyable. 

I thought the casting was great. Emma looks like a young Reese Witherspoon, and is great as the slightly vain and spoiled Emma, Johnny Lee Miller, who you may know from Elementary, plays Mr. Knightly and I loved him in that role. In fact, I'm starting to think that Mr. Knightly has passed Mr. Darcy for the number one Austen love interest out of the novels I have read so far. Oh and P.S. Dumbledore plays the over-protective and very funny Mr. Woodhouse.  

The humor of the novel came through very well, and the costumes and scenery were beautiful. It's possible that the love between Mr. Knightly and Emma was a little too obvious in the first few episodes, as in the book, both characters have an epiphany moment, but Emma's epiphany moment was well-done I thought. And did I mention that Mr. Knightly is very, very handsome? 

There's something so entertaining and serene about watching Austen adaptations, and I'm always on the look out for great ones, so let me know which ones are your favorite.   

Why I Still Love the Hunger Games

I've been doing a lot of thinking about The Hunger Games Trilogy lately. I re-watched the first movie on t.v. while doing homework the other day, and then I saw Mockingjay Part 1 over the weekend. I thought I would share some of my thoughts on this trilogy in general and the new movie. I read this trilogy while I was in High School, I read all three books in four days. I read Mockingjay in one sitting and I didn't move from my bed until I finished it.

Why I Love The Hunger Games:

Katniss is an amazing protagonist. She is brave, bad-ass, independent, caring, fierce, strong, loyal, and every other positive adjective you can think of. She always follows her heart and thinks of others first. She is such a strong female character and this book should be placed in the hands of every young girl; she is only a teenager but she inspires and leads a revolution! The fact that a young woman can be that important, active, and powerful is something that every young girl should see. I also love the fact that Katniss is always saving Peta's butt. She is the one doing the saving, she doesn't need anyone to save her.

I know a lot of people who have never read the books complain about the violence, but it is an absolutely necessary part of the book. Look at history, should we leave out WWII from history lessons because of the violence? Absolutely not- what came out of that violence and horror is more powerful and more moving than the violence itself, and that is why the violence must be left in. Out of the violence of this book comes hope and change. 

Hope is such an important part of this novel and it is so abundant, even more so than the violence. The hope overshadows and defeats the violence. Katniss gives an entire country hope, but Cinna gives her hope, and Katniss gives Haymitch hope. These little acts of hope start adding up to become a revolution. This book proves the power and necessity of hope and illustrates what humanity is able to endure and overcome with the power of hope. In the first movie President Snow says this about hope, "Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. A spark is fine, as long as it's contained." I think that quote is so poignant to understanding how Panem got to be the way it is and how the revolution started.  

Every character in the first novel serves a purpose, and they do it beautifully. Seneca Crane shows the reader that no one is safe in a world with no democracy or compassion. Effie shows us that people can change and shouldn't be judged by where they come from. Gale represents sacrifice and unconditional love. Peeta represents gentle and affectionate love. Haymitch and Cinna illustrate the power of faith and being in someone's corner. Etc.  

These books comment on so many aspects of our world, Not only do they comment on violence and political issues, but they also comment on extravagance, entertainment. and oppression.

The films capture all of these aspects of the novel so well. To watch one of these movies is so emotionally exhausting but in the best way. The power of Katniss as a person and a symbol really comes through in the movies. Jenifer Lawrence is the perfect Katniss and I was so impressed with her in Mockingjay Part 1. Her emotional range was brilliant and I had tears in my eyes for most of the movie. When she made the first Mockingjay commercial in district eight was such a powerful moment. Even though I knew what was going to happen, well roughly knew it has been a really long time since I've read the book, I was on the edge of my seat for majority of the movie because of the way the suspense was built. I really love all of these movies and think they are great adaptations. To me, one of the most important aspects of an adaptation is that it communicates the tone and themes of the original book to the movie audience, and these movies definitely do that.       

This post turned out to be longer, and less organized than I originally planned, but once I started typing the thoughts just kept coming, What do you think? Are you still loving this series? What about the movies?  

Currently Watching: Monarch of the Glen

I always scroll through all of the BBC shows on Netflix and long to watch them all and curse the fact that I live in America! I've been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I'm currently on season five of seven) but found that I needed a break. I've always eyed the tv show Monarch of the Glen while scrolling through Netflix so I decided I would finally start it!

The show centers around the MacDonald Family who owns the Glenbogle estate in Scotland. Archie, the son, is called back home from London because the family is having financial problems with the house and he finds out that he has been made Lard of the estate, which comes with a whole set up problems. Archie must decide if he wants to stay in Scotland and help his family run the estate, or if he wants to return to London and to his girlfriend. 

The scenery in this show is so beautiful! The estate is gorgeous, the castle is gorgeous, the landscape is gorgeous... are you getting the picture here? 

This show is so funny! The characters are so crazy and so lovable. Archie's father cracks me up with all of the trouble he gets into. The house has its own small staff with huge personalities, and Archie is a hot commodity around town. I have watched the first season and first few episodes of the second season and there has been love triangles galore! 

The show first came out in 2000. There's six seasons on Netflix currently which comes out to fifty-seven episodes. It's very possible there is a seventh season, but I'm too afraid to look it up because I don't want to get spoiled! 

If you're looking for a cute and funny show where everyone has a beautiful Scottish accent (think of it like a whole cast of David Tennants!) I highly recommend you check this one out. The BBC can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. 

P.S. The show is based on a book series by Compton Mackenzie. The first book, The Monarch of the Glen was published in 1941. The series is titled The Highland Series. 

August Wrap-Up

August was a busy month for me. I moved, started school, and had a quarter life crisis (no really, I did.) I feel like reading took a little bit of a back seat this month, but I still managed to read some really great things in August. I'm hoping to read lots in September, but that depends on my school schedule.

Reviews:
On the Road, Jack Kerouac
Losing It, Cora Carmack
If I Stay, Gayle Forman
The Summer Trilogy, Jenny Han
Grasshopper Jungle, Andrew Smith
Boxers, Gene Luen Yang
Saints, Gene Luen Yang

Other Posts:
Stacking the Shelves: A Mishmash
TTT: Classics for non-classic readers
TTT: Books I'm on the fence about
The Power of the First Line
Recently Watched: The Grand Budapest Hotel
TTT:Books I've Been Recommended
Hot Authors
Stacking the Shelves: You guessed it, more used books
TTT: Books I want to read but don't own yet

In exciting news, my Hot Authors post was featured as the most clicked on link on The Steadfast Reader's Spread the Love Link up. You should go check out her blog and her link up, both are great!

Recently Watched: The Grand Budapest Hotel

I'm just going to start this post off with a warning. I am in no way a person who possess knowledge about the film making process or the art of film making, so what follows is going to be a jumbled ball of my opinions, and will probably repeat the same thing over and over! But nevertheless, I wanted to share some of my thoughts on this movie.

I recently watched Wes Anderson's latest film, The Grand Budapest Hotel which was released earlier this year. I have heard of Wes Anderson and his reputation of course, and have seen his Fantastic Mr. Fox but other wise I was not that familiar with Anderson's movies. The trailer for this caught my eye, and I decided to give it a shot. 

The plot of this movie is a little hard to example. This movie is basically the story of Monsieur Gustave who is the manager of the Grand Budapest Hotel, and Zero who is a young lobby boy for the hotel. The two form an unlikely friendship and go on an unlikely adventure in order to secure Monsieur Gustave his priceless painting he has inherited. But the movies is so much more than that and is so quirky and beautiful cinematic wise.

 I really enjoyed this movie. If I had to describe this movie in one word, I would use the word unexpected. The characters are quirky and the action takes the movie in unexpected directions. The opening scene with the statue of the author won me over right away. I'm interested in checking out the writings that inspired this movie, which you can read more about here if you would like.

 

This movie is so beautiful. The colors are absolutely amazing! While watching this movie I was constantly in awe of how amazing it looked. The hotel is amazing, and the landscape is just as beautiful. Every scene from this movie could be printed as a still and hung on the hall, I'm not kidding. The colors in every scene coordinated perfectly, and the thought that was put into each shot was evident. I love the way the purple of their uniforms contrasts with the orange of the elevator in the picture above, as well as the combination of blue and pink in the picture below. Every scene from the movie was like that!   

I'm sure this movie has so many things going on that I don't have the vocabulary or film knowledge to describe, but those things aren't needed to enjoy this movie or appreciate its beauty. I found myself smiling at the witty dialogue and wishing I could have a shot of the hotel to hang in my house! I really recommend checking this movie out. Even if you know nothing about film or Wes Anderson, this movie is still funny and heartfelt and quite enjoyable.