Five Years Ago: Movies Meet Their Match + If I Was A Fictional Character

Hello, lovers of stories!

Well, another year of this blog has passed by, and my mind is reeling. Five years ago, on July 19th 2016, it all started. How is this possible? How have I been so blessed to have so many people who encourage me with all of their thoughts and comments? Thank you so much for being a part of my life! Lately I've felt especially free to express my thoughts through blogging and I really needed that. Thank you for listening to me!

How I feel when it is my blog's birthday! I'm so happy!

Because I love tradition, we're going to have an overview of what changed this year along with all the other fun activities that I do around that, but afterwards you'll get a treat that I've been planning for a long time!

This is completely unnecessary because I'm going to recap very quickly in a minute, but if you're interested, here is what I've done for past blogoversaries: Hello book and movie fans (Original first post), One Year Ago (2017), Two Years Ago (2018),  Three Years Ago (2019), & Four Years Ago (2020).

Stats:

Followers: 72 (thank you, you magnificent human beings!)

All time page views: 84,023

This blows my mind! I'm not sure which face represents me better.

Posts: 458 (this is the 459th!)

Top 3 most popular posts:

1. Book vs. Movie Review: Summer of the Monkeys

2. 100 Books the BBC think most people haven't read more than 6 of

3. Imaginary Review: a later Wizard Of Oz (1941),

My 5 favorite posts:

1. How I am like Luke Skywalker

2. Movie Review: The Grapes of Wrath (1940) 

3. Movie Review (& Defense Of): Little Women (2019)

4. Movie Review: Knives Out (2019)

5. Movie Review: Clue (1985)

(Most of these have been in the last year, so that's a good sign for the future!)

Don't worry, I'm thinking up more magical things.

Changes:

Each year I become a better blogger, so let's see what I've improved! I know that the colors create a garish combination so one year I will change that...but not this year.

All in bold, the original will be in black, 2016-17's changes are in green, 2017-18's changes are in blue, 2018-19's changes are in maroon/purple, 2019-20's changes will be in orange, and this year's (2020-21) will be in red.

MOVIE EXAMPLE: Everything is either 1-10. 10 is the best.

Disclaimer My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.

Some kind of movie. (The title? Is that what I mean by that?)

Based on:

(I also might have some history on the movie or book.) The movie plot. (History? What do I mean by history? If I were to put any facts about the movie it would be in the "Notes" section)

Genre:

Length:

Script: 4

Crew: Directed by: Produced by: (I added this in 2017, but took it out in 2018) Written by: (This year I condensed this. Going for simpler, ya know?)

Actors: (Starring:) 9

(Costumes: 6

Costumes by: (Only if I can find who designed them).

My favorite:) (I moved this whole section down lower to be more concise. I hope it's working...)

Cinematography:

Cinematography by:

Music:

Music by:

Notes:

(If I think there could be better actors I will put them here.) (*laughing* This never happens! I completely forgot about it)

Good Quotes: Quotability: "And I keyn't stan' 'em." (Sorry, I couldn't find any other way to get the accent right.)

Oscars won:

Storyline: Content: 2 ( I really like it to be original or if they are doing something based on a book, I will rate it on how close to the book it is.) (I gave up on that a long time ago. Did I even ever do it? If it is an adaptation of a book I will allow things to happen. This section is only for things that the rating system is based on)

Originality: (I split these categories in two do it was easier to understand).

Good For:

Age Range: (I added this because of Kara's post).

Overall Score:

Worth watching?:

Will I watch again?:

Bonus thoughts: (This is my favorite that I added in 2018, because I actually get to tell you my [spoiler free] thoughts! Can you believe that I didn't do that for so long?)

And for books pretty much the same but with:

BOOK EXAMPLE: 1-10. 10 is the best.

Disclaimer My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.

Book name. (See, I had the title here!)

Plot

Genre:

Characters: 7

(I will probably list my favorites)

Words/Writing Style: 3

(I like authors who use lots of words.) (*chokes on laughter* Since when has that been true? It's about the quality, not the quantity!)

World building/Setting:

Quotes: Quotability:

Awards:

Storyline: Content: 9

Originality:

(This is completely based on how I liked it. Tell me your opinion too!)

Notes:

Good For:

Age Range:

Overall Score:

Worth reading?:

Will I read again?:

Audiobook:

Bonus thoughts:

Pretty much the same.

I feel so content I can sip my tea in peace, but I'll get back to work in a minute.

Currently about me:

I am reading: The Count of Monte Cristo - by Alexandre Dumas.

I am (re)watching: WandaVision. Soon I will only be watching the Olympics!

My Top 5 Favorite Books:

Anne of Green Gables - by L. M. Montgomery

Holes - by Louis Sachar

North & South - by Elisabeth Gaskell

Pride & Prejudice - by Jane Austen

Anna Karenina - by Leo Tolstoy

My Top 5 Favorite Movies:

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

STAR WARS IV: A New Hope (1977)

STAR WARS VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)

Amazing Grace (2006)

(Both of these lists tend to change, so keep an eye on the My Favorites  page for all the recent updates)

Now it is time for the moment you have all been waiting for: the big surprise!

These last five years have meant more to me than I can say. I love interacting with the blogging community and have discovered so many new stories that are near and dear to my heart through all of you.

I only have one problem, I feel like my identity here isn't quite right. I remember when I came up with the idea for this blog I was so proud of the title, Movies Meet Their Match, and my own name, MovieCritic. Looking back, that is such a naive thing to call myself. Was I assuming that I was the only movie critic in the universe? It is so stiff and formal, too. As I've gotten to know you all so much better, I want to change this into something easier for everyone.

Today I'm introducing my pen name for this blog! This isn't my real name, but I'm often called this because apparently my own name is too hard to remember. If you know me by a different name, then feel free to keep using it! I love being called MC, so I hesitated on changing this for so long because of that, but I'm sure about this decision.

Call me Chloe the MovieCritic.

I'm getting ready for my close up.

Way back in January MK had this great post where she filled out questions usually asked when creating a fictional character, but answered them with what would apply to her! Since then it became a bit of a tag with other bloggers (Samantha, McKayla, and Violette) doing the same thing. I'm here to fill you in on what I'm really like now that I have a pen name!

Whenever I write characters I have to have a playlist for them. I have one with songs that I relate to that is over two hours long, so that's a little excessive to put here. Just know that it is every Twenty One Pilots song ever.

I will be answering all of this in third person because it is way more fun.

1. Share a snippet that involves description of her appearance

 

A quiet and still room is broken by one strange girl with her constant motion. We shouldn't be surprised, as this is a common occurrence. She is bopping to an unheard melody because she has headphones on whenever possible, wearing them over her blonde slightly long hair. This hair has grown darker through the years, but she is still a typical blonde---both in appearance and aptitude. Though it isn't noticeable to anyone except her and her sisters, there is a streak that is lighter than any of the others in the front. It depends on the day, but she likes to refer to it like she is either Anna from Frozen or Narsissa Malfoy.

While she types at her computer she is wearing blue light glasses. She doesn't need a pescription, but she is almost always wearing those or sunglasses. She is notorious for always having extremely dirty glasses, but when questioned she just replies like Peter Parker does in Captain America: Civil War (2016); sometimes everything is too much and she needs to block it out. Behind those crooked glasses and under almost invisible eyebrows rest blue eyes, which go with her outfit that is almost without a doubt including the same color. She has ripped jeans from working with her dad. Currently it all goes together, but it is rare that she wears something this cohesive.

She has a hard time figuring out how to describe her other features, so she wouldn't want you bored with that. Her face is constantly peppered with acne of some kind, with a face including cheeks that always makes people think she is younger than she really is. She has the dictionary definition of a baby face. That is contrasted by her favorite part about her physical description: her height. At about 5 ft. 10 inches, she has been making people think she was in college since she was a freshman in high school. She never puts on makeup simply because it would mean she had to get up earlier, which is to be avoided at all costs. As you can see, she has a touch of laziness, but admires anyone who wants to go that extra length.

2.  5 Ways To Win Her Friendship 

1. Talk to her and roll with her weird questions. She is very used to her funky questions being answered with one word, so if you elaborate and ask your own, she'll stick by you.

2. Talk about your favorite fandoms: books, movies, music, whatever! So many of her friendships start in a connection here. Different opinions are welcome as long as you don't say that her favorites are the worst things in the world.

3. Be sincere. If you are stuck with her she will probably start telling you her life story and feelings on everything, and she wants everything to be honest from you, too.

4. Show kindness to little kids or pets. She will start making up stories of how you are the sweetest person in the planet.

5. It's not that hard. Just being alive is enough.

Give her food and she'll be the Wicket to your Leia.

(It is fun to note, that she feels like Elinor Dashwood to Lucy Steele very often. She meets someone and they immediately want to tell her their deepest secrets of their life in a relationship. Then ask her advice, and she is incapable of saying anything because she has no knowledge in this area. She doesn't mind at all, she just is amused with the regularity that it happens)

3.  Favorite Type of Weather 

An absolute snow storm. Any kind of snow is greatly loved. She gets positively frisky while dancing through the flakes, but she especially loves wandering her yard, pretending she's exploring the arctic, while you can barely see more than a few feet in front of you. Yes, she knows that she is a grown person, but she doesn't care.

 

4. Food Quirks

She will eat anything because one of her mottos is, "It's food, man". She tends to stay away from foods that are normally well loved (like pizza and chocolate). She loves putting mustard and peanut butter together or using Nutella if peanut butter isn't available.

5. How often does she smile? Would she smile at a stranger?

One time there was some debate in her dance class. During every dance they had done they had been told to smile, but some people wanted this to be a fierce dance and have no smiles at all. One girl was saying right before the show how they had to all be agreed on this because there was always one person who was smiling and threw the whole thing off...then that girl stopped in front of Chloe the MovieCritic.

"It's you! You're always smiling! You're always so happy!"

To which Chloe replied:

And everyone else is always like this:

She obsessively smiles and waves at everyone she ever sees. It's a good thing she lives in a small town because if she were in a city she would probably wear herself out within five minutes of walking out the door.

6. If she could travel anywhere in the world, where would she go? 

She is a strange one and doesn't love to travel. All the same, she wants to go to Spain, Italy, Jerusalem, South Korea, and Rio de Janero.

7. What’s her favorite food? 

She loves chili (the soup/stew, not just the straight powder), limes, corn, carrots, and sloppy joes, but not all together. She would also get along with Lemony Snicket because she thinks the best drink is root beer.

8. What is the most humiliating event of her life?

 

She has a good memory for the weirdest things, but has repressed any information regarding this.

9. What habits, speech patterns, etc. are unique to her?

(If I'm being completely honest, I wanted to do this tag solely for this question.)

She has quite a bizarre lingo that she uses everyday but never types, so it is never seen on this blog. It's also for the best that you can't hear her speaking because you are saved from her constant stuttering and slurring of words. When she gets excited she talks really quickly and no one can understand what she is saying.

She calls people: Dude, dudette, peeps, honey, and hun. This doesn't just apply to people, though. It was quite amusing when once she said, "Work with me, hun!" when she realized that she was talking to a ladder that she was trying to put in her dad's truck.

She also frequently says: yo, man, wowza, totally, nifty, neat, and sweet (that last one is a point of contention. She says "sweet" about a million times a day. Even if it's like, "Hey, MC, I'm going on a walk." "Sweet!" Anything really.)

When she feels things strongly she will start talking in Spanish because the way she learned to speak it was very rooted in emotions. Whenever she feels those emotions her mind automatically switches over. There is a lot of "¡Me encanta!" "¡Me gusta!" "¡No me gusta!" and sometimes even "Odio...".

She never noticed it until her sister pointed it out, but if she's talking to you she will probably say, "yeah?" a lot. She uses it like Canadians say "eh?".

10. Is she a night owl or morning person?

She is naturally a night owl and always has been. Right now, though, she's a bit of both, which really isn't copacetic. She gets up early for work or writing and she forgot how awesome mornings are! People are so friendly! They will return (or sometimes even initiate!) her waving and smiling. She should probably pick one, though, and stop trying to do both.

 

11. Describe your character’s personality first in one word, and then elaborate with a few sentences.

 

(I thought of way too many TOP songs that are a one word title and describe me perfectly, but decided to try to be creative)

Clear-as-mud (yes, it is one word.). She has a great memory for the smallest details yet doesn't remember anything important and will forget to do something that you told her to do three seconds ago. She loves music but doesn't want anything to do with creating it. She is completely wacky and silly on the outside and just tries to be blind to all problems on the inside. Completely chill because she is disconnected from reality, but is very sensitive to everything. As a typical Hufflepuff she doesn't care what others think too much, but will fiercely defend others besides herself.

12. What sights, sounds, and smells are reminders of this character?

Snow. Work gloves. Books. Piles of DVDs. Headphones. Laughter for no reason.

She needs a dictionary, because she needs to find more words. Because she is incapable of thinking of anything else.

13. If she was an element (fire, water, earth, air), which one would she be?

Water. For no other reason than the fact that she really loves it. Maybe because it is just about the weirdest substance in existence? It is usually cool and refreshing, a pretty blue, and cold. Very cold. She is delirious now and should drink some water...

14. Quirks:

She likes/doesn't mind a lot of things that bother other people: doing the dishes, heights, getting shots, or doing math.

If she wasn't listening to a song properly and fully appreciating it, she will restart it. Then almost immediately zone out and have to do it again.

She always has to be doing something with her hands. She can't wear bracelets in public because she will take them off and leave them places. While sitting at her computer she will squeeze anything she can see. Whether it is wax, plush hearts, rocks, paper clips, you name it!

From my perspective, she is absolutely loony. Some may dispute that, but they don't have to live with her. When she told her sister that she was "positively loony" her sister replied, "At least you're positive about it."

Ta na!
Sure, some say it's "ta-da", but I've always said it this way.

There you have it! If you want to know more about the new me, then you can check out my page "The Critic".

Thank you for supporting me all these years! Thank you to those who have been around since the beginning and thank you to those who just started following me recently. Every comment that you make improves my day so much. While I might not be on my computer all the time in the next few months, I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. 

I hope you didn't fall asleep through this huge post like I did...

Here's to five more years!

Chloe the MovieCritic