2020 Memorial

Hello.

The last day of the year is the time when I usually write a memorial for any actors or authors who we lost. This year I knew that it had to be bigger than that. The whole Earth has experienced loss as deaths have been higher this year for so many reasons.

It hasn't just been actors. Sure, they've been there, but there have also been singers, writers, TV show hosts, dancers, doctors, athletes, parents, children, aunts and uncles, business workers, teachers, friends, etc. etc. etc.......creators. Young, old, and somewhere in the middle. People from all over the world. Everyone has made an impact, so everyone is a creator and source of inspiration: a spreader of joy in different formats.

So many people have died from Covid-19, but also from old age, battles with cancer, abuse. Like the first list this one also, sadly, continues into infinity.

I think that every family in the world knows someone who isn't here to brighten the world as we continue the march on.

I've spent months trying to figure out what to say at this moment. I've pondered, searching for the right words, but there are none. I keep trying to make 2020 out to not be as bad as everyone says it was. I look for all the good that has come from it, and I am truly grateful. Right at this moment, though, I am saddened. This post is me taking my time to mourn. I know that I am usually on the selfish side, but right now I just want to think of all the people who have added to this world and aren't here today to see it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

In no world could I have known all of you, but I miss you all the same.

Here's to the world and making it better in the memory of those who have gone before us...and better for those yet to come.

To all my readers, I wish all blessings to come to you and yours.

MovieCritic

Movie Review: Funny Face (1957)

Greetings, readers!

This is my last movie review for 2020. Itʼs so hard for me to believe! Even though parts of 2020 have crept along at a snailʼs pace, it seems like I just started with La Belle et La Bête (1946) a week ago. Iʼm ending with a musical that I hadnʼt see before, and in fact enjoyed quite a bit. Sit back, and enjoy my review!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!

Funny Face (1957):

The magazine Quality is the height of fashion. For a photo shoot, the company randomly chooses a bookstore and causes some havoc much to the distress of the young shop attendant, Jo Stockton. The photographer, Dick Avery, stays behind to help clean up and is surprised by this girl and her talks of philosephy, especially empathy. Later he convinces Maggie Prescott-, the head of the magazine, that this girl would be great for their new model. The only way that Dick can convince her is that in Paris she could meet famous philosephers. Once they get to France, feelings start breaking out, and in the sweep of the moment they canʼt find Jo. Will she be where they want her to be at the right time?

“Every girl on every page of Quality has grace, elegance, and pizazz. Now, what's wrong with bringing out a girl who has character, spirit, and intelligence?”

Genre: Musical, Romance.
Length: approx. 103 minutes.
Script: 10, no bad words at all.

“Anything you donʼt understand you call ʻsmall talkʼ.”

Crew: Directed by: Stanley Donen. Written by: Leonard Gershe.
Starring:
Audrey Hepburn as Jo Stockton. “I have no illusions about my face, I think itʼs funny.” 

Fred Astaire as Dick Avery.
Kay Thompson as Maggie Prescott.
Michel Auclair as Prof. Emile Flostre.
Dovima as Marion.
Robert Flemyng as Paul Duval.
Jean Del Val as Hairdresser.
Virginia Gibson as Babs.
Sue England as Laura.
Ruta Lee as Lettie.
Alex Gerry as Dovitch.
Iphigenie Castiglioni as Armande.

Costumes: 9, this movie is all about a fashion magazine, so there are lots of costumes. There arenʼt any that I dislike. There is quite a lot of pink, and I was scandelized by comments like, “Burn the blue!”, but they all are fun.
Costumes designed by: Edith Head.

Cinematography: 9, Iʼm conflicted on this. If there was a word that I would use to describe it, that word is “unique”. Iʼve never seen cinematography like this. There are so many colors and changes! My favorite scene was one in a “dark room” for developing photos. The red lighting the whole time was perfect. Another time in a “café” in Paris you could tell that it was many takes stitched together as the cinematography changed every time the angle was shifted. Overall, I enjoyed the creative take for our viewing pleasure.

“Trees have beauty, why donʼt you photograph trees?”

Cinematography by: Ray June.
Music: 8, my favorite songs were “Bonjour, Paris”, and “Funny Face”!
Music by: Ida and George Gershwin.

Notes: I caught a reference to another Audrey Hepburn movie, Roman Holiday (1953). WARNING: In this movie there are spoilers for the book Anna Karenina - by Leo Tolstoy. It is one of my favorite books, so I advise not seeing this until youʼve read it, or if you already know the plot.
Quotability: N/A, as I just watched it so recently. I do have the feeling that Iʼll be quoting this line at least, sometime in the future:

“Iʼm so tired, itʼs an effort for me to say Iʼm so tired.”

Content: 8, there is smoking and mild kissing. A character gets into an uncomfortable situation for a second, but everything is fine.
Originality: 7, does this follow the typical “romance” structure? Yes, but the setting is still fun.

Good For: Fans of the actors, musical lovers.
Age Range: This is a movie that would be fine for any age. There is nothing too scary for a little kid. There are some scenes in a “café” which is more like a saloon which has a smoky atmosphere, but thatʼs all that I can think of that would bother a kid.
Overall Score: 8.5.
Worth watching?: Oui, oui! It was cute and I had fun. I really liked the message on having empathy for other people.

Will I watch again?: Oui, again. My older sister only caught the last half, so Iʼll try to watch the beginning with her again. Then again, my dad only saw the first half and was bored, so if heʼs interested Iʼll watch the second half with him.

“This is my second and last encounter with you lunatics.”

For the blogathon:
I know that itʼs crazy that this is my fourth review of a Fred Astaire movie this year. Iʼve done: Royal Wedding (1951), Silk Stockings (1957), and Holiday Inn (1942). Itʼs not just that Iʼm on a kick, most have been for blogathons, and this one is continuing the tradition.

 This is my entry in Michaela of Love Letters to Old Hollywoodʼs The Third Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Blogathon. It is hosted with best wishes for the other intended co- host, Crystal Kalyana, as she has been through some scary health problems and is currently in the ICU in a coma. Her family would appreciate it if you kept her in your thoughts and prayers.

Surprisingly, I have contributed to this blog party each year. The first time was a review of Fredʼs Letʼs Dance (1950), and last year I talked about Gingerʼs Monkey Business (1952), so it was Fredʼs turn again. Iʼve owned this movie for a long time but never watched it, so I wrangled my sister into enjoying it with me.

It could be said to be like the movie An American in Paris (1951), but I might just be thinking that because it features Americans in Paris and has one of the same songs. Note, while it is called Funny Face, it has a different story from the 1927 musical that also starred Fred Astaire.

If I really think about it I could make some connections between this movie and the one that I didnʼt like from this same year, Silk Stockings (1957). Because they are similar, do I not like this one? No. Why not? Well, Iʼm a little confused by that myself. It could depend on my mood. I watched this movie over two (accidentally spread apart) days, and on the first day I wrote down that I was “snorting” (I know, not a ladylike thing to do) so many times in the first 10 minutes by how ridiculous it was. On the second day, there were places that if I had been in the same mood I wouldʼve kept up the same mocking stance towards it. But I wasnʼt. I thoroughly enjoyed it the whole second time. Thinking about it, there were somethings that I normally would be insulted by, but it didnʼt matter to me.

“MC,” youʼre asking, “Why? Why do you like this better than Silk Stockings (1957)?”

Was it because I like Audrey Hepburn better than Cyd Charisse? I donʼt think that was too big a factor, but I could be mistaken. No, I think that Silk Stockings (1957) takes itself too seriously. Funny Face (1957) is just carefree. It is relaxed (or “chill” as I like to say), so I didnʼt mind anything that I would otherwise not cared for. For example, in the song “On How to be Lovely”, I would usually be groaning, but Kay Thompson and Audrey Hepburn seemed to be having so much fun, that I couldnʼt help smiling. Watching this movie was almost like going on a picnic; an enjoyable way to spend a day, leaving you with memories of laughter.

Itʼs not the most impressive role that Iʼm seen Fred in, but I liked it all the same. I canʼt think of anything bad to say about this movie, as Iʼm just so contented, that youʼll have to look somewhere else for a negative review. In the meantime, Iʼll be swaying along in time to the music to express myself.

Thanks to Michaela for continuing to host this! Check out all of the other entries HERE.

How are all of you doing? Are you tired of my Fred Astaire reviews? Does your mood affect your opinions when watching movies? Thanks for reading! For my next review, look in January 2021!

MovieCritic

Movie Review: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

Merry Christmas to you all!

Here we are on the fourth day of Christmas, which is ideal as and Iʼm bringing you a movie review which deals with something in fours. Instead of “calling birds” it has four “realms”: snowflakes, flowers, sweets, and entertainment. I rewatched this earlier with my sisters, and I hadnʼt seen it since two years ago when I saw it in the theater. Where does time go? What are my thought on it? Read on and all will be revealed.

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018):

Based on: The Nutcracker (short story) - by E. T. A. Hoffmann, and The Nutcracker (the ballet) - by Marius Petipa.
Clara is going to a party held at the house of her godfather, Drosselmeyer, but itʼs the first year without her mother and she hates how her father pretends that nothing has changed. Additionally she is frustrated that her motherʼs parting gift to her is locked, and all she wants is to get inside it. Her godfatherʼs present leads her to mysterious new land, where she learns that the people knew her mother. She goes on with determination to find the key that has been taken from her. Will she find everything that she needs?

“Remember, Clara, some locks are harder to pick than others.”

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure.
Length: approx. 99 minutes.
Script: 8, only one bad word, and Iʼm going to talk about this later, but the dialogue all felt forced.

ʻ“Remember your training, stay alert!”

“Iʼm not alert, Iʼm scared.”ʼ

Crew: Directed by: Lasse Hallström & Joe Johnston. Written by: Ashleigh Powell, E. T. A. Hoffmann, & Marius Petipa.
Starring:
Mackenzie Foy as Clara Stahlbaum.

Jayden Fowora-Knight as Captain Phillip.

Keira Knightley as Sugar Plum.
Eugenio Derbez as Hawthorne.
Richard E. Grant as Shiver.

Helen Mirren as Mother Ginger.

Morgan Freeman as Drosselmeyer.

Tom Sweet as Fritz Stahlbaum.
Ellie Bamber as Louise Stahlbaum.
Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Stahlbaum.
Omid Djalili as Cavalier.
Jack Whitehall as Harlequin.
Charles “Lil Buck” Riley as the Mouse King.
Anna Madeley as Marie Stahlbaum.
And featuring special performances by Misty Copeland.

Costumes: 8, nothing bad (except someone not wearing a shirt in the credits), and some are quite marvelous, but in places they feel overdone. You feel so surrounded by the visuals added by the costumes, that it is overwhelming and you arenʼt experiencing everything. When I first saw it I hated the makeup, but on the rewatch it didnʼt bother me at all. In fact, itʼs kind of fun, but I was really distracted by the costumes.

Is it any surprise that I feature a picture for the Land of Snowflakes? No? You guys know me and my obsessions too well.

Costumes designed by: Jenny Beavan.
Cinematography: 7, Iʼm kind of conflicted here because like the costumes, some were jaw-dropping, and some are too much. I canʼt complain about the opening, because even though it is all CGI, it is so cool. I absolutely love the aesthetic of Drosselmeyerʼs house. The party with the ribbons leading to gifts are genius, and my sisters and I were saying that we want to be in a house that has that. When Clara goes into the four realms, things begin to be a little overkill. Now, that might be intentional, but I found it distracting.

I LOVED this part!

Cinematography by: Linus Sandgren.
Music: 10, I love how they took so much inspiration from the ballet!
Music by: James Newton Howard.
Notes: There were references to both The Wizard of Oz and Fantasia (1940). 

Quotability: 5. There arenʼt many quotable parts (not that thatʼs a great crime), but I want to talk about the dialogue. The word I would use to describe it is “painful”. It is so awkward! Very forced. I just couldnʼt stop laughing by how bad it is! There were a few good lines, usually spoken by Drosselmeyer or Captain Philip, where it seemed more natural.
Content: 8, as it says, there is some “mild peril”, and some scary and/or gross things. There is fighting, and talk about bringing objects to life.
Originality: 9, very different from the ballet, and very original! The plot is extremely creative. It just gets a 9 instead of a 10 because there are some plot holes.

Good For: Fans of the ballet, fans of the actors, someone looking for impressive visuals, anyone who has lost a family member or friend.
Age Range: There are some scenes which would be very scary for little kids (and me, I mean, clowns are terrifying and there are clowns). I would say 10 and up, but it depends on the individual.
Overall Score: 7.5.
Worth watching?: Yes, there is a sweet message (ha, thatʼs a nice pun because one of the realms is the Land of Sweets) that Iʼm happy to now know. The visuals are really what I talk about frequently, and for most part I enjoy them.
Will I watch again?: Iʼve now seen it twice, and I think thatʼs good for me. As I said, there is nothing bad about the story, no problems that bother my moral, I just think that Iʼm good. Who knows, maybe in a decade Iʼll feel like this is a good way to spend two hours.

Bonus thoughts:
This is a movie that Iʼm very glad that I saw on the big screen because it was very visually impressive. I thought that it was pretty cool with some neat twists on the story. Then, it was one of those movies that during rewatches you make fun of it the whole time. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with it, just pet peeves on my part. I do enjoy parts a lot, but I want to end on a high note, so Iʼll talk about those last.

Starting off, is Clara. They were trying so hard to make her a relatable character, and I really wanted to connect with her, but I couldnʼt. I feel she is inconsistent. My sisters would probably disagree, but some of her actions contradict each other. She is constantly learning who she is, but I feel they couldʼve just added a few tiny details to make it flow better.

That being said, I think the title of the movie is misleading. It should be "Clara and the Four Realms", or "Clara, the Nutcracker, and the Four Realms". "Clara Adventures into the Four Realms". "Claraʼs Battle against the Fourth Realm". "Clara Finds the Nutcrackerʼs World". I could be here all day coming up with substitutes because anything would work better than The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.

The really best movies are the ones that shock you with plot twists, then the next time you watch the film you see how everything was pointing to that all along and you couldnʼt believe how you didnʼt see it. With this one I was surprised by the plot the first time, but rewatching it, there is literally no foreshadowing. I know, this is the picky storyteller in me coming out. I have such a problem with writing foreshadowing, that it is nonexistent, so I understand. Usually, I complain “itʼs so predictable”. But, the twists that the plot takes are almost unreasonable. Just throwing some things in through out would help connect it, or taking time to have a bigger explanation afterwards would make it more solid. I did enjoy several elements in the end, and just wanted to have it wrapped up more.

Time for the enjoyable bits! I really liked the performances of Morgan Freeman and Keira Knightley! They were both grand. My favorite character was Captain Philip, who I now keep calling “sweet captain” or “brave captain”. The music, and some of the aesthetics were spectacular. Misty Copeland had great dancing and I wanted to see more!

If I were to say there is a word to go with this movie it would be “remember”. As you may have noticed, both of the quotes from the movie that I included have that word, and many other lines had it as well. While this film doesnʼt have a lot of Christmas, it is a very fitting word for the season. We remember our family, friends, and past. We need to remember them with love, and continue to make the world a place that they would be proud of.

Oh, and as you can all see, my sister made me a Christmas header! It features the words to her favorite Christmas song, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" which comes from the movie Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), which you can see in the top left corner.

Follow that clockwise: White Christmas (1954), It's a Wonderful Life (1946) [My favorite!], Home Alone (1990), Elf (2003), and A Christmas Story (1983).

Thanks for reading! Have any of you seen this movie? I would love to talk about it to you. Have you ever seen a movie that has amazing visuals, and at the same time you think it is too much? Let me know! How was Christmas for all of you? Are you all done now, or like me and my family, are you just getting started on the celebration? Itʼs the end of the year, so Iʼll be trying to get out a lot of posts in the next few days, so keep an eye out for that!

MovieCritic

Inklings // December 2020 + The 12 Delights of Christmas Tag

Greetings, and happy mid-December to all of you!

We are now officially winter, and approaching Christmas rapidly! Because of that, I thought that I should get into the spirit and join up with Inklings, again!

This is Heidi of Along the Brandywineʼs monthly link up to talk about favorite scenes from books and movies.
How it works:
1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt, including a link back to the original post in your post.
2. Leave a link to your post in the comments section of the monthly post and she'll post all your links with the next prompt.

I have participated in: July 2016, August 2016, September 2016, July 2020, August 2020, September 2020, October 2020, & November 2020. Check out what Heidi used for this month HERE.

December 2020ʼs prompt: A Christmas scene in book or film that makes you happy.

Time for the story of what went on in my brain when I read the prompt. Your favorite part of these posts, right?

When I saw this prompt I knew immediately that I didnʼt want to do a classic “Christmas movie” scene. Otherwise we would be here all day as I talked about Itʼs a Wonderful Life (1946). I wanted to do something surprising.

What I try to do with Inklings is alternate between a scene from a book one month, and a scene from a movie the next, and sometimes talk about both if applicable. I havenʼt done one from a book since September, so I was falling behind and considered doing something to fix that.

I originally thought of a scene that makes me tremendously happy, and would work with including a book, but then another option came into my head. Oh the suspense! Oh the decision making! What was I going to choose? I watched my second option and it filled me with joy, so I choose that one. Plus, I realized that Iʼve never used a black and white movie for this, so what kind of a classic film fan am I?

My pick for this month is from the movie The Shop Around the Corner (1940). It stars my favorite actor, Jimmy Stewart (who is also in Itʼs a Wonderful Life (1946)), but surprisingly enough, the scene that I am talking about doesnʼt include him!

SPOILER ALERT! This scene comes at the end of the movie so donʼt read any further if you havenʼt seen it! You can skip on ahead to the part where I start filling out a tag. The rest of you, letʼs enjoy this scene together!

Setting: It is Christmas Eve in Budapest. The owner of Matuschek and Company, Mr. Matuschek, has had a lot happen to him through the story, but is now alone. Being lonely, he waits outside of his store as his employees go home. He talks to both Pirovitch and Flora, but they both are spending time with their family.

He sees Pepi, and feels that he owes a lot to him, as he saved his life. His spirits lift when Pepi says that he isnʼt going to be spending Christmas Eve with his family, but Mr. Matuschekʼs luck isnʼt with him as Pepi is going out with a girl.

At this moment I get really sad because you can just feel the sadness coming from Mr. Matuschek because he is by himself.

But wait. Here comes the new worker, the delivery boy who took Pepiʼs old job. He stops to thank Mr. Matuschek for the bonus as a Christmas present. They get talking, and Mr. Matuschek learns that the boyʼs name is Rudy and heʼs seventeen. They talk about life, and with the line, “Youʼve got your whole life ahead of you! But itʼs up to you what you make of it.”, I think about how that is the same for Mr. Matuschek and how he nearly gave it all up.

Rudy is being so respectful and listening attentively. When he is told to go home safely to his family, he replies that none of them live in the city.

“You mean, youʼre all alone in Budapest on Christmas Eve?”

That makes two of them. Mr. Matuschek starts asking Rudy what he thinks of different foods, and describes a whole feast. Rudy tells him that it sounds wonderful.

“Yes? Well, youʼre going to have it, Rudy! Come on!”

This is what I love so much about this scene. Holidays are meant to be spend together, and it thrills my heart that two people who were all alone can come together, especially such a sweet pair that reminds me of father and son. If you're interested, you can watch the full scene HERE.

Okay, THE SPOILERS ARE OVER. 

In addition to this, Heidi created a tag that I am now filling out! The 12 Delights of Christmas Tag.

 

I was officially tagged by: Heidi, Hamlette, and Miss Woodhouse. Thanks to all of you!

1. A favorite Christmas tradition?

 We always decorate our tree while listening to Bing Crosby Christmas, then after that we all sit with the house lights off and the tree lights on while listening to more Christmas music. It is quite delightful!

2. Say it snowed at your domicile, would you prefer to go out or stay curled up inside?

Go outside! One of my absolutely favorite things in the whole world is snow, and I love being in it. I love to roll in it, stuff it in my face, and wallow in it. It is marvelous! Of course, itʼs more fun when you have someone to throw snowballs at.

3. Tea or hot chocolate?

Does hot chocolate have sugar in it?

4. Favorite Christmas colors (i.e. white, blue, silver, red and green etc)?

Whenever a question with colors is asked, my immediate response is blue because it is the best color ever. In addition to that, I really like the gold and red decorations at my church.

5. Favorite kind of Christmas cookie?

The ones that I donʼt have to frost. I canʼt tell you how many times in my life Iʼve frosted Christmas sugar cookies, and while everyone always loves them I get tired of decorating after about 10. Good thing my sisters are always there to finish up.

But, to actually answer the question, I really like those mint ones that look like a spiral. Anyone know what Iʼm talking about?

6. How soon before Christmas do you decorate (more specifically, when does your tree go up)?

Itʼs always around December 17th, and this year we put the tree in on that day, and decorated on the 18th. On Sunday, the 20th, my sisters got all kinds of other decorations up!

7. Three favorite traditional Christmas carols?

“Angels We Have Heard On High”, “Oh Come All Ye Faithful”, and “Little Drummer Boy”.

 8. A favorite Christmas song (i.e. something you might hear on the radio)?

Because I used three for the last question, Iʼm also using three here. Haha, look at the little rule breaker that I am!: “Mary, Did You Know?”, “Do You Know What I Know?”, and “Jingle Bell Rock”.

9. A favorite Christmas movie?

Itʼs A Wonderful Life (1946)! Though itʼs not my personal favorite of all time (that honor goes to Singinʼ in the Rain (1952)), I truly believe that this is the best movie ever made. Ever. It is the BEST!

10. Have you ever gone caroling?

Yes, three times, but Iʼm one of those grouchy people who donʼt like to sing. Donʼt get me wrong, I LOVE music, but I would much rather be serenaded to, than have to do all the singing.

But, I guess, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”

If you ever wondered how I sound when I sing, just know that I sound like Buddy the Elf.

11. Ice skating, sledding, skiing, or snow boarding?

Downhill skiing! It is one of the most fun things that Iʼve done. I only learned how to do it in...2014? Iʼve gone at least once ever year since. It was sad last year because my dad had hurt himself previously and didnʼt come with us any times that we did. And, it wonʼt be happening this year, but donʼt feel too sorry for me, I have plans to learn to snow board whenever I get back into it. My sister loves it!

12. Favorite Christmas feast dish?

We eat different things each year, so thereʼs not something that is specifically “Christmas”. Maybe sparking apple juice? Thatʼs not a dish, but itʼs the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of “Christmas” and “food”.

I don't know who hasn't done this, so I'm just tagging whoever wants to do this! Or, if your favorite Christmas movie is It's a Wonderful Life (1946), then you're definitely tagged.

Thanks to Heidi for hosting this link-up again, and creating the tag!

I'm the next few days I'll put up a more fitting header for Christmas, so check for that. You wonʼt be seeing me until after the 25th, so Merry Christmas to all of you! And happy holidays, too!

MovieCritic

Answers to the Guess the Drawing of the Actor Game!

Hello, everyone!

It's time for the answers to my Guess the Drawing of the Actor Game!

First off, I want to thank everyone who guessed! Whenever I'd see that a new comment was up I would read through it ten times before reading it out to my sister. Such a good time! We loved absolutely all of your guesses, so thank you all so much!

Now, the time to acknowledge that in my rush to show these all to you, I made two mistakes. I either said "modern" which was a little misleading, or I just said "actor" and forgot to include "singer". Thanks to Emily Grant for pointing one of them out to me! I'll mention which ones I did that on when we come to them, but I wanted to say sorry for unintentionally misleading you guys in any way.

I'll have each of our pictures next to the reference photo that we used for you to see how close we were. On some of these we will be listing our favorite guesses that you guys made, "honorary mentions" if you will. Please tell us your favorites and what you think of the honorary mentions!

If you enjoyed our art and what to see more of what Fiona does, check out her Instagram art account, @FionaCateCreates.

It is the moment that you've been waiting for. Who were we actually intending to draw?

1. Tom Hanks.

(1) Art by Fiona.

Modern Actor. Time to draw: approx. 20 minutes.

2. Emma Thompson.

(2) Art by MC.

Can you see what I was going for?

(2) Art by Fiona.

Modern Actress. Time to draw: 7 minutes.

You can all see how much better Fiona's is than mine. This was her right after we finished:

Just joking! She doesn't think it's that bad, just hilarious that I didn't do any eyes. We think that mine looks like Benedict's mask in Much Ado About Nothing (1993), so that's something!

 3. Sofia Carson.

(3) Art by Fiona.

Modern Actress. Time to draw: 7 minutes.

This is Fiona's favorite that she did, so she was very happy when Emily Grant guessed it! I had no clue who it was, so I'm in the same boat as the rest of you. And I even got five guesses.

Honorary Mention: I like Rachel's guess for Mila Kunis.

4. Frank Sinatra.

(4) Art by MC.

Older Actor/Singer (hence the musical note). Time to draw: 7 minutes.

Honorary Mention: Anna (from Pages to Remember) guessed Donald O'Connor from his role in Singin' in the Rain (1952), and as that is my favorite movie of all time, it is guarenteed to be mentioned. Plus, Fiona guessed that's who it was, too, when I first showed her.

5. Mark Hamill.

(5) Art by Fiona.

Modern Actor. Time to draw: 8 minutes.

This is the one that I messed up on. As Emily pointed out to me, Mark Hamill started his career in 1977, which would qualify him as an "older actor" based on the years that I put. My bad, because I was thinking that since The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were in the 80s, I could just round. But, the picture Fiona used for reference is from A New Hope. Sorry if that confused anyone!

Honorary Mention: When we showed this to our dad, he said, "It's your man from Harry Potter!" He meant Rupert Grint, and since Livia Rachelle guessed the same, it gets a mention! Now that it is pointed out to us, they do look similar.

6. Cate Blanchett

(6) Art by MC.

Modern Actress. Time to draw: 8 minutes.

This is my personal favorite of all the ones that I did! And quite a few of you guessed it, so it must not be half bad (Don't ask me what I even do when it comes to hair. I have no clue).

7. Bette Davis.

(7) Art by Fiona.

Older Actress. Time to draw: 6 minutes.

"She's got Bette Davis eyes..."

Honorary Mention: This goes to Sam's guess of Katharine Hepburn, because I can totally see that!

8. Lin-Manuel Miranda.

(8) Art by MC.

Modern Actor. Time to draw: 6 minutes.

I'm so sorry to lead you all on with the "actor", because he is a composer and so much more. I should've put "singer" as well. My bad! The thing is, I am currently watching him the the series His Dark Materials, so I thought "he's and actor in that!" and kind of forgot everything else.

This is a horrible drawing, but at the same time, it kind of looks like him. I think that my drawing looks like the Phantom of the Opera. Anyone else see that?

 9. Ben Platt.

(9) Art by Fiona.

Modern Actor/Singer. Time to draw: 6 minutes.

Fiona hates this one and it took me awhile to convince her to put it as part of the game. I think it's great!

Honorary Mention: Fiona says that Finneas is a pretty good guess from Skye!

10. Julie Andrews.

(10) Art by MC.

Older and Modern Actress (sheʼs so well-known in both that if I donʼt tell you one Iʼm not giving you enough information.) Time to draw: 6 minutes.

I thought that this was one of my worst, but so many of you guys guessed it! Way to go! As you can see, my reference picture was one of her recently taken, but strangely enough my picture looks like her in her early days.

Honorary Mention: I agree with Anna Black and think that this picture looks more like Drew Barrymore.

11. Ariana Grande.

(11) Art by Fiona.

Modern female Singer. Time to draw: 6 minutes.

GUYS. This is one of my favorites of Fionaʼs! Can you believe that she did this in 6 minutes?? It is even better in real life. We don't think this is the exact photo that she used for reference, but it is pretty close.

12. Paul Rudd.

(12) Art by MC.

Modern Actor. Time to draw: 6 minutes.

This is my second favorite of mine because even though it is so weird I think itʼs pretty good.

How I was feeling after this one:

Then I thought:

Guess what I did. 

I got cocky. I never did a really great one after that.

13. Peter Lorre.

(13) Art by Fiona.

Older Actor. Time to draw: 6 minutes.

Honorarly Mention: We are calling him William Shatner because both our older sister and Rachel and guessed that!

It was a bit of a funny mix up with me and my dad guessing, because we both guessed Peter Lawford, and were telling Fiona, "It doesn't look like him..." And she answered us, "That's because it's not!"

14. Gal Gadot.

(14) Art by MC.

Modern Actress. Time to draw: 7 minutes.

Everyone thinks that this looks nothing like her. Eh. What can I say? I thought she was going to be so easy to draw, and then she wasn't. I was cocky.

Honorary Mention: Skye's guess of Anne Hathaway. Excellent guess!

15. Mickey Rooney

(15) Art by Fiona.

Older Actor. Time to draw: 6 minutes.

16. Elizabeth Taylor

(16) Art by MC.

Older Actress. Time to draw: 6 minutes.

17. Julia Roberts

(17) Art by Fiona.

Modern Actress. Time to draw: 6 minutes.

18. Oscar Isaac

(18) Art by MC.

Modern Actor. Time to draw: 6 minutes.

I told you, #17 and #18 look nothing like the people who they are supposed to. I actually like to call #18 Zac Efron because I think it looks more like him, but Fiona doesn't think so. Our older sister highly agrees with all of you who guessed Tom Hiddleston.

19. Timothée Chalamet

(19) Art by Fiona.

Modern Actor. Time to draw: 6 minutes.

Also known as "That guy from Little Women who looks like a pointy Italian shoe". Rachel, I don't know why, but my older sister and I love that guess so much.

This is my second favorite of Fiona's because once again I am stunned by her ability to draw like that in 6 minutes. How in the world did she do that??

I also think that he kind of looks like Josh Bryant, that Backstreet Boy clone from The Princess Diaries (2001).

20. Skai Jackson

(20) Art by MC.

Modern Actress. Time to draw: 6 minutes.

The quality of the picture of my drawing is really bad. It looks way more like her in real life. Sorry about that!

21. Rihanna

(21) Art by Fiona.

Modern Singer and sometimes Actress. Time to draw: 6 minutes.

22. Danny Kaye

(22) Art by MC.

Older Actor. Time to draw: 6 minutes.

I forgot to draw lines to make sure that his eyes were even, so it came out really weird. You'd think that by the end of all of this practice, I'd have a good one, but not really.

Scores:

Livia Rachelle: 7

Rachel: 7

Skye: 7

Emily Grant: 6

Anna Black: 3

Anna (Pages to Remember): 3

Samatha: 2

If you're curious about who everyone guessed, I've published all of their comments on the original post HERE, so check that out and congratulate them!

As you can see, we have a three way tie going for the top! Because of that, Livia Rachelle, Rachel, and Skye, you each get to choose someone for Fiona and I to draw! Leave me a comment on this post or email me here: queen13movies(at)gmail(dot)com

We'll feature the drawings in January! Probably January 19th just to be organized.

I think Blogger hasn't been giving me comments lately, so I'm sorry if it "ate" someone's guess! Let me know who you would've guessed, or if you think there is someone else who likes like any of these people.

Thank you so much to all of you for participating! We hope that you had fun. Now that you see the pictures, do our drawings look any better? Were you going to guess one of them? Tell me all of your thoughts!

Plus, would anyone be interested in anything like this again at a latter date? Have a good night!

MovieCritic