Seven Years Ago: Movies Meet Their Match + Meet The Book Blogger Tag

Friends! Romans! Country peeps!

"You" meaning "me".

Something crazy happened lo, over a fortnight ago, on the 19th of July. The official blogoversary of Movies Meet Their Match! All SEVEN YEARS.

I can't believe it. I know I say this every year, but this latest seemed to FLY BY. Especially because I didn't even really write that many posts. I've always been scattered but it has grown exponentially.

But do you know what else has grown? My love for all of you guys! I love that you take the time to read these crazy thoughts.

So even though we're late (which can only be expected because 7 is a weird number. Which means I love the little prime all the more, but things just get wacky, okay?), we're doing a big celebration.

And by big I mean I'm going to celebrate with the usual stats, filling out a tag, and chilling with you guys.

A trip down memory lane is falling down the rabbit hole...

If you want to see me when I'm more organized to throw a party, here are the other years: Hello book and movie fans (Original first post), One Year Ago (2017), Two Years Ago (2018),  Three Years Ago (2019), Four Years Ago (2020), Five Years Ago (+If I Was A Fictional Character) (2021), & Six Years Ago (+Behind the Blogger Tag) (2022).

Stats:

Followers: 74 

I love you guys!

All time page views: 153,156

Posts: (err, my bad) So at the time of July 19th, I had published 500 posts. But now this is the 502nd, because I had to join Western Cinema Week.

Top 3 most popular posts:

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

2. Emma Read-Along: Week 1 Discussion 

3. Tolkien Blog Party 2017 ~ The Tag!

I'm guessing it's because those are linked on other blogs (the hosts), otherwise I'm confused as to why those three...

My 5 favorite posts:

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

2. How I am like Luke Skywalker

3. Book Reviews Featuring World War II King Arthur Legends, A Boy Named Jinx, and a Skilled Dressmaker

4. My Top Ten Fictional Characters Who Need to be Protected at All Costs aka My Children, My Sons, My "Babies"

5.  The Running Wild In Impractical Outfits Tag // Seeing if I Have Any Sense of Style

Changes/YouTube videos:

Because I've been somewhat out of touch, not many changes have happened. I've only made one more YT video since my last blogoversary. And don't get me wrong, I'm pretty proud of it! I've worked on two more since then but neither is cooperating. Okay, I finished the one. I'm just running it through a few more edits (ugh, have to update all the audio files) before releasing it into the world. I'll leave a surprise to what the song and character combo it is, but just know that I was trying to have it ready for May 4th...

For quick and easy access, here are all the fan videos I've made so far:

Kylo Ren (Star Wars)

Loki Laufyson (MCU)

Rapunzel + Eugene (Tangled)

Edward + Sandra (Big Fish)

(Does anyone even know about this movie?? Because it's one of my all time favorites)

Header:

Right after my blogoversary, but darling sister FIONA spent all day making me this GOREGEOUS HEADER. I don't ever want to take it down. It's beautiful, it's fantastic (those of you who know why I'm using those adjectives, well, you know why...) and radiates the joy that comes from petals all around us. These are the benefits of having a sister who is studying graphic design.

How many of these flowered scenes do you know?

Schedule:

...I kind of forgot that I was going to have a schedule. But now that I've been reminded of that, I'm excited for it.

Look for posts on either Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays.

Currently about me:

I am reading: Fable - by Adrienne Young. I think this could be an interesting movie. Because right now as a book I am REALLY confused.

I am rereading: The Penderwicks - by Jeanne Birdsall. My life, my love.

I am watching: Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir, the TV show. I'm watching it in French and I love it way too stinking much. I CAN'T WAIT to watch the movie but I'm making myself finish the show first. And then I want to watch the movie in French so I'm kind of waiting for French subtitles to be an option.

I am rewatching: Sherlock. I originally watched it with my older sister and now I'm introducing my younger sister to it. I'm thoroughly enjoying it this time, unlike the first. And yes, this should explain half of the gifs in this post.

And it should also explain why this took me so long to get up. I got into a row with my computer about the gifs.

My Top 5 Favorite Books:

1. Anne of Green Gables - by L. M. Montgomery

2. Holes - by Louis Sachar

3. North & South - by Elisabeth Gaskell

4. Pride & Prejudice - by Jane Austen

5. Anna Karenina - by Leo Tolstoy

I don't know, y'all, I really REALLY loved All the Crooked Saints, so I may have to readjust my rankings one day...

My Top 5 Favorite Movies:

1. Singin' in the Rain (1952)

2. It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

3. STAR WARS IV: A New Hope (1977)

4. STAR WARS VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)

5. Amazing Grace (2006)

These have been pretty stationary for awhile. Though the amount of times that I watch Enola Holmes may be putting it in the running...

My Top 5 TV Shows:

Yes, new category! But it seems apt because I watch so many of them. Ooops. And because this is new and you're dying to know why, I've supplied reasons.

1. Robin Hood BBC (I've written over 40 posts about it, so...no comment)

2. Julie and the Phantoms (Again, many posts have been written, so I'm shutting up now.)

3. Once Upon a Time (...can I count it if I haven't finished watching it? I don't care. I'm counting it because I love it to Neverland and back.)

4. Carmen Sandiego (Yes, this is an animated TV show. No, I will not be taking criticism at this time. I will also not be telling you how many times I've watched it.)

5. Merlin (I'm also rewatching this and it is PAIN.)

You guys know this is how I am when I talk about my favorite things.

Meet The Book Blogger Tag:

Because how else do you celebrate besides filling out tags?

Rules:

Nominated bloggers can nominate ten other bloggers

Use the same questions from the tag

Tag the original creator (Bibliomavens) and the blogger who tagged you (Sam) (thanks, dear!!)

Who is your all-time favourite book character?

OUCH. 

I'm trying to think of someone that I haven't talked about on this blog before. (Because otherwise it would be my beloved Levin, my Kostya, but I raved about him HERE.)

Right now I may have to say Inej Ghafa (from The Dregs duology, Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom)? Kaz has a tragic backstory of betrayal and whatnot but INEJ. She has been through things no human should ever deal with. And yet she has a hope, a faith, and a heart. She's part of one of the most ruthless gangs in Ketterdam, but she maintains a balance and a mercy. The former is necessary for her to be the Wraith, and the latter shows that the heart is like an arrow.

The casting here? PHENOMENAL. Favorite part of the show is hands down the casting.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which book would you take with you? (Survival books do not count)

For practical reasons, Wild Bird - by Wendelin Van Draanen, because it's about a girl surviving in the wilderness. And yes, she's part of a rehab camp so the counselors are going to make sure she doesn't die, but I feel like it would be comforting all the same. And educational, giving me tips on how to find water and whatnot. And yes, I know that it says "survival books do not count", but this isn't particularly in that genre. It's a certified novel. 

For unpractical reasons of I'm-just-going-to-sit-here-and-read-for-semi-eternity, it may be something like 100 Days of Sunlight. Because I would read it all the way through. Then I would read only Tessa's chapters. Then I would read only Weston's chapters. Then I would read it all the way through. So, any with a split timeline would be entertaining, I think.

What’s your most unpopular book opinion?

Right now its probably that I didn't like The Thief - by Megan Whalen Turner. *ducks*

I felt like yelling, "You want everything to be so clever!" And it really doesn't have to be. Can we get deeper with characters instead?

I couldn't find the gif I wanted, but this duo will do.

What’s your weirdest bookish habit?

Why is this question so hard? I couldn't think of anything I haven't already talked about on this blog so asked my sister.

She said that I talk while reading a lot. I laugh and explain to myself what's happening. 

And she said that something weird is that I can read with other people talking, music/radio on. 

What character would you bring to a family event as your fake partner?

I'm kind of inclined to bring the Mad Hatter just to confirm for my family that I've gone insane, too.

But they'd see right through my charade. If I actually wanted them to believe me so they'd stop pestering me with the questions, maybe I should bring someone more moody. But there should still be a level of madness.

Okay, for some reason I would want to bring Count of Monte Cristo characters? Not that I liked them? But because they have a prestige which would really impress folks. You know what, yes, the Count has nice flair. And we would come in together in style. He's much too busy with revenge to even consider it, but if I could convince him that I will do something for him if he does this for me? But then I'd probably bail because I'm not good enough at anything to negotiate for skills.

What made you decide to start a book blog?

It was more about starting a blog where I would compare movies to books, that's why the movies meet their match. After focusing on movies for a long time I've kind of begun including books, too. Just anything with a story! And the reason is because I was always telling my family facts and opinions and they thought I should channel that somewhere.

Me whenever my sisters bring up something I should write a blog post about.

What about reading and books do you love the most?

How I can flawlessly see what's happening when I'm in the moment, but it's like a cloud because the moment you try to grab it and see it when you're not reading, you can't.

What is your field of study/desired profession/current profession?

...what does this have to do with reading?

Ahem.

I guess I have to answer...

I'm a college student who's a math major with a concentration in business and possible minors in theology and Spanish. My desired profession is to run my dad's business of managing property while be an author in my free time.

What are some book recommendations that became your favourites/obsessions?

A Series of Unfortunate Events - by Lemony Snicket : recommended by my sister Em. I used to hate it. I started watching the show to mock it. I fell in love. I'm back on the books and my sister is feeling smug.

When You Reach Me - by Rebecca Stead: recommended by my sister Fiona. This is one of those simple books where it seems like nothing big is happening but EVERYTHING is. Fabulous.

The Truth About Twinkie Pie - by Kat Yeh: recommended by my sister Fiona. ACK. Two summers ago I sat crying over this book. And I still haven't recovered. But I'm starting to get the insane idea that I should reread it. Quick, someone talk me out of this before I subject myself to more crying.

Anne of Green Gables - by L. M. Montgomery: recommended by my mom. I talked about that HERE.

A Man Called Ove - by Fredrik Backman: recommended by Sam. It's her own fault because then she had to hear me talk about how much I adore it.

The Wednesday Wars and Okay For Now - by Gary D. Schmidt: This is a conglomeration of being recommended by Sam, Sarah Seele, and The Nutmeg. I now want to read Gary D. Schmidt yearly.

Speak Easy, Speak Love - by McKelle George: recommended by Hamlette. Guys, I shouldn't love this as much as I do. But I do. It was the perfect thing to read coming out of the most recent semester.

This is how you guys have made me feel. The obsession is rolling off me in waves.

What is the book you shove down everyone’s throat?

I've gotten remarkably chill in my throat shoving experiences. I have reached a point of understanding how vastly different each of us are and how we have so many likes and dislikes that no one story can cover that for everyone.

Therefore these have two different categories. 

There are books that I think everyone should read regardless of whether they like it or not because it is an important portrayal of humanity. Like The Kite Runner. Ugh, that book is SO PAINFUL.

Then there are books that I enjoy SO MUCH that I want all my friends to read it so they understand my heart and soul. Which is currently All the Crooked Saints - by Maggie Stiefvater.

I tag... (I like that it's up to 10 instead of exactly 10. So we're doing 10 divided by 10)

Sarah Seele

In the nicest possible way.

Here's a clean list of the questions:

Who is your all-time favourite book character?

If you were stranded on a desert island, which book would you take with you? (Survival books do not count)

What’s your most unpopular book opinion?

What’s your weirdest bookish habit?

What character would you bring to a family event as your fake partner?

What made you decide to start a book blog?

What about reading and books do you love the most?

What is your field of study/desired profession/current profession?

What are some book recommendations that became your favourites/obsessions?

What is the book you shove down everyone’s throat?

Thank you SO MUCH for reading!! Thank you to those who have been here for all 7 years, thank you to those who have just stumbled across this blog, and thank you to all the in-between. You're comments and thoughts make my day. Scratch that, they make my week.

I think this calls for a dance party.

Now, dear readers, what have you been up to? Tell me all the things! Until next fictional rambling!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Whispering Smith (1948) vs. Poldark (2015-19) // The 'Triangle of Regret' Trope

Howdy, partners!

There’s this popular trope in stories--I’m sure you've heard of it--called ‘The Love Triangle’. There can be any combination of genders but for example let's talk about it when a woman is being pursued by two different men (This post is not a throw down--I don't know if this is a real phrase but we're going with it--of that trope. That’s for another day...which may be an appreciation post…). A lesser known trope is the sequel to 'The Love Triangle'. I don’t know if it has a name, but let’s call it the ‘Triangle of Regret’, keeping with the math themes, you know.

Using our example, 'Love Triangle' stories end when the woman chooses one of the men. The sequel is usually when we never saw the decision process, but the woman chose one of the men and is now unhappily married and that comes to the surface when the other dude comes back to town.

(The Great Gatsby is famous, y’all. That is a little bit different, but you get the point?)

Long story short, I DETEST this trope. It lacks honor and justice and dignity. It portrays women to be unable to read their own hearts. It breaks promises and puts suspicion between friends. It’s all around a gnarly thing.

Which is why we’re going to talk about it today.

As an aspiring writer, I’m always trying to figure out what makes stories lovable for me and what doesn’t. Therefore we’re doing a deep dive into some pros and cons of this trope through some examples. Because all tropes are subjective and even if I dislike it majorly, I can usually find a version that works for me.

Besides the aforementioned Fitzgerald novel, what comes to mind when I think of this trope are two very different stories. They employ the same trope but the notable difference is GENRE. Technically both are period dramas, but one is a British saga and the other is a western. We're looking at Whispering Smith (1948) vs. Poldark (2015-19). 

(A disclaimer is that I’ve only seen each story once. So pardon any errors in the plot or whatnot. It could be that I’m majorly misinterpreting this, but I don’t claim it to be accurate, only my interpretation.)

(Because I figure these stories generally draw different crowds (please correct me if I'm not the only one to have seen both), this will be mainly spoiler-free. I will talk about the progress each character makes but without the context so you don't know what happens. Not the plot but the development of the characters)

Whispering Smith (1948) vs. Poldark (2015-19):

Whispering Smith is about suspicious happenings on a railroad so a marshall/detective comes to determine the causes and soon begins to think that one of his old best friends is involved. Poldark (the part that I want to talk about) is about a man returning from the losing side of the war and trying to fix his home that's in shambles while fighting against injustices and his past feelings.

Doesn't seem that similar, right? The biggest differences are when it comes to the plot, but those dwindle away when it comes to the characters and their relationships with each other. 

Luke Smith vs. Ross Poldark:

Similarities: Titular character. Have been away for a while and return at the beginning of the story. Doesn’t ‘get "the girl"’.

That's where the similarities end.

I should state (and I probably will more than once) I do NOT like Ross. Sometimes he's tolerable but never likable to me. I do not like his decisions--and he makes a whole lot of bad ones. It's good to have flawed characters so we can see them grow, I support that 100%. But growth? Ross hasn't heard of that. Just when you think he's finally learned his lesson, the end of season 2 is a DISASTER. But we're not going to talk about that.

(But MC, why did you watch ALL 5 seasons if you didn't like the main character? One of my friends told me the whole story of seasons 1-4 so I had things I really wanted to see with certain characters. Namely: Verity, Dwight, Francis, Caroline, Drake, Sam, Morwenna, Geoffrey Charles, and Cecily. Please, if anyone loves Ross, I would love to hear all the reasons why! I'm not trying to slam a favorite character. I'm just making notes about what works for me and what doesn't.)

Luke, on the other hand, is precious. You can tell he's been through a lot and you respect his gentleness all the more for that. He has an air of hardship about him but doesn't complain or let that alter his decisions.

Murray Sinclair vs. Francis Poldark:

Similarities: ‘Gets "the girl"’ but feels that "the girl" in question regrets that. Tangles with the wrong type of person.

Both of these guys are fascinating. There's a lot of struggling with insecurities. Their characters explore trying to convince themselves that it's all in their head. Should they give over to the fact that their triumph has ironically been their downfall? Is it a downward spiral of bad decisions in a negative character arc? A cautionary story? There's lots of thinking on the human condition prompted by this.

Marian Sinclair vs. Elizabeth Poldark:

Similarities: Feels that she chose the wrong man when the other love of her life returns.

I don't like either of them so there's not much to say. It's the biggest fault of this trope that gets used every time, so can writers FOR ONCE not make the gal flaky?

(Can we talk about how CONFUSING it is to have Robert Preston always be yelling "Marian!" and then Shirley Jones doesn't appear? I've probably just watched The Music Man too much...)

The relationship dynamics:

So, MC, you've talked about how you don't like the decisions Ross makes but, doesn't Francis make many of the same decisions? He's not exactly what you would call an upstanding citizen. Sure, they both make bad decisions but I have a line to cross when it comes to certain decisions (like gambling vs. adultery). But why I like one character over the other is the REASON they make those decisions. 

Ross makes his decisions because he is full of confidence that quickly turns to arrogance. He figures he knows what justice is, that he can do things by himself, that some people are too stuck up for their own good (pot calling the kettle black?). 

Whereas, Francis makes his decisions because he's lacking confidence and faith in himself. He sees himself as the second, unwanted choice. He feels that his father would've preferred Ross for a son. The poor guy is miserable and doesn't see a way out so he lets life get away from him. Because he thinks nothing he's going to do is going to make Elizabeth love him. The poor guy! My heart melts for him! I relate to him so much (Fine, you caught me, I'm biased because I relate to Francis. I have a post planned for those similarities but I want to watch the show again before I make those points. I'm trying to get my sister to watch because I know she's going to be in love with Dwight and Drake. Who isn't?) That doesn't pardon what Francis does, but it makes it more human to me (both Ross and Francis have issues with consent. Though Francis knows to back off and Ross doesn't).

(It should be noted that the 'romance' issues in Poldark do not end with the three peeps I've been talking about. It's not even a triangle as much as a star. It's really messy. So we can't really blame Francis, but we can blame Ross. Not that that's important to what I'm talking about, BUT it shows that it has more than just the 'Triangle of Regret' trope. That's only the starting position)

You see, I don't like characters who are brash and full of bravado. I like the quiet ones with deeper things going on under the surface. The ones you only see 'whispers' of their thoughts...which leads us to Whispering Smith. 

Luke is confident in his instincts--that's what has got him his job--but he's not brash about it. He is patient and kind. He shows the girl in question (Marian) that he cares but respects the decisions made. He's trying to do the right thing and make sure people don't get hurt.

Just LOOK at the posture each of these characters exhibits, as that tells a lot. I can't stand Ross's smirk, ugh.

Unlike Francis, Murray turns more to anger as opposed to sorrow. He blames Luke even though Luke has done nothing wrong. It's more of revenge instead of hopelessness. I don't really feel anything for him besides pity and regret. Francis, on the other hand, puts work in and realizes that he can't let others' opinions get the best of him. He has to be the best person he can, and the best father he can be. Humility is one of the most attractive traits to me. (Oh, when you get into the layers of bravado to hide insecurities I will also melt at that, but none of those characters have that. Sorry, tangent.)

So, who wins this face off? Which do I like better, Whispering Smith or Poldark? Well, neither. I think it would be best if elements of the two were combined. I want Luke Smith and Francis Poldark to work together. But why don't I like either? I don't like Poldark because of the aforementioned Ross problem, and I don't like Whispering Smith because I can't. stand. the. ending. ack.

Redemption is very important to me (a post on that coming soon, I hope...). Whispering Smith decides that one character can't be redeemed where I think he had a chance. Poldark decides one character is automatically redeemed (unfairly!) because he's the main character, and I don't think enough work is ever put in. And yes, I don't like how things end in Poldark, either, but it seems more like a BBC/Masterpiece shock factor thing which I am used to by now. 

Maybe each works with respect to the antagonist/rival? Maybe I wouldn’t love Francis so much if Ross was decent and I wouldn’t love Luke so much if Murray had it together?

But I think not. I think I would still love Luke and Francis more. And I think it would be cool to have them together. So if I were ever to write this trope I would do three things:

-Have the woman be confident in her decision.

-Have EVERYONE, namely the two hopefuls, be respectful of her decision.

-Reduce the amount of bluster and show a human side of everything.

You’re probably all wondering where this came from. Well, I’ve been swearing that I’ll do something fun for Legends of Western Cinema Week for YEARS and this year I finally bit the bullet. Thanks to Olivia, Hamlette, and Heidi for hosting this again!

Today is the last day! So get on over to the hosts posts (mwahaha, that rhymes) to check out the tags, games, and giveaways!

(Thanks to Hamlette again because I found a lot of the Whispering Smith photos I used on her blog!)

Thanks for reading! Yes, I compare really strange things, but is this as bizarre as my Sense and Sensibility vs. Frozen post? What do you guys think of this trope? Do you have a version you like? Do you like a louder main character or a quieter one? Has anyone else seen both Whispering Smith and Poldark? Is 'the Triangle of Regret' a good name?

Happy trails!

Chloe the MovieCritic

My 500th Post // Thoughts on + Mini Reviews of More Movies I've Seen in the Theater

Happy June! How's it going, bloggers and readers alike? I've been done with school for almost completely three weeks now, but the last two weeks have been...more school. Summer school. Which has been so fascinating, but also makes me feel like a combination of Stitch and Wanda about everything (i. e. either I'm super groggy or lack motivation).

Today is a big day because this is my 500th post! I thought I would hit that mark back in January, but...school. So, here we are! I used to do Top 10 posts to celebrate, but now that that's my common form of blogging I thought I should shake it up. Back for my 200th Post in 2018 I talked about Movies I Saw in the Theater. Because that was almost 5 years ago (how did I get to 200 posts in just over 2 years and now it's taken 5 years to get to 300 more? Life, I guess) I've seen some more in the theater, so I thought I'd talk about them!

Last time I just kind of...listed them out? All the previous 25? That's boring. Today I'm going to give a few thoughts on either the movie itself or the experience of seeing it in the theater. Some of these I actually reviewed in days gone by, so if you want those full thoughts, they will be the titles linked in blue.

These are all without spoilers for the movies. I repeat, there are no spoilers.

Robin Hood (2018)

This was the emptiest I've ever seen a theater. It was just me, my mom, and my older sister. I thought Jamie Foxx was so cool and the action was pretty epic, but the story? Meh. It was more about "look how cool we can be breaking the law" instead of talking about WHY the law was unjust? And I didn't like the forced triangle and position that Robin and Marian were put in. But it was one of the first stories one of my roommates and I bonded over, so I'm grateful for that!

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

My sisters and I went to see this on the very last day before they started showing Aquaman. It opens with an owl flying over whatever city it's supposed to be; that was magical to see in the theater. Especially the theater that I usually go to. In my home town there is only one screen so they only play one movie (usually for two weeks) but it's a BIG screen. Really cool.

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

My mom, sisters, and I went to see this before I went on a retreat. I had been sick and on top of that had gotten my wisdom teeth out a week before. This was such a balm. I had nonstop fun (okaaaaaay, not nonstop because I was crying, too) and it is to date one of my favorite sequels. I loved getting to see all the surprises with my mom.

How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World (2019)

My older sister and I had just earned money from dog sitting and went to see this. Again, any movies with flying are worth the entrance fee for movie theaters. It was EPIC. Even though this stinking movie messed with me with the score. It wouldn't play what I wanted it to play, but kept faking me out. Then it finally did it and I bawled. My sister didn't catch any of that. I just rewatched the first for the millionth time, so I should check this one out again...

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

I'm pretty sure I've told this story many times; after digging I found when and where I told the story, but apparently it's only been once? Weird. Anyway, link HERE (it's at the end of that post).

TL;DR: My Spanish teacher made this possible for me by getting me a DVD copy of Infinity War.

Let's see what new things I can add about the experience:

-This is to date the only movie that I've seen in a theater that didn't have any ads. They jumped right in, which was cool but also very shocking. Especially because it starts with my favorite character.

-My younger sister had basically NO CLUE what was going on because she had only seen: Doctor Strange, Thor: Ragnarok, and Infinity War. So I was whispering to her throughout (*gasps* Oh the horror!) things like "That's Scott Lang, he's Ant-man." She LOVED it even for not knowing anyone.

-Something really big happens in this movie (if you know you know) and for a reaction, some guy behind us said, "Well, that sucks" which nearly made me start laughing. Which is definitely not appropriate.

Aladdin (2019)

In which I was so relieved there wasn't a snake. My older sister and I went and were quoting the Genie for days. This is one of my favorite live-action remakes because it is so colorful and full of life. The direction is punchy, the costumes are to die for, and the humor is right up my alley. Mena Massoud just IS Aladdin.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

My dad came with my sisters and I for this one. Even though he hadn't seen any others, we let him. My younger sister watched Homecoming for the first time on the same day, so she was very full of Spider-man. If I remember correctly, due to when I ranked the MCU movies, it's pretty high on my list! The conflict in this movie is what solidified most teenagers in the opinion that this version of Peter was one of us.

Who knows how many times I've seen it since then? I don't think I've watched the whole thing in one sitting since then, but I've seen lots of bits and pieces.

STAR WARS IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

The only movie that I saw MORE THAN ONCE in the theater. I saw it twice. It was grand. I haven't seen it since Jan. 2020, but I now own a DVD copy mwahaha, so one of these days!

The summer before I had been working and thought of the best way this sequel trilogy could end. And then that IS how it ended. The most satisfying thing in my life. Is this movie perfect? No. There was a lot of sidetracking as people tried to "fix" what wasn't broken, but it means A LOT to me. 

Little Women (2019)

This movie is still as near and dear to my heart as it was that day. Maybe even more so. I should've waited to go with my younger sister, and I'm sorry about that.

This movie is part of my soul. My sister and I started off the year with watching this and the 1994 almost back to back, and guys *whispers* I like this one better. *yells* I LOVE THIS MOVIE. I also cried the whole way through. I'm not kidding. Starting when John Brooke makes some goofy joke about the "lovely greenhouses" I burst into laughter which then turned into sobbing and it. never. stopped. Good times. But I've already defended it a lot, so just go read the review.

Knives Out (2019)

In which my sister totally called what was going to happen. This was a fun one to see in the theater because I usually go for more action-oriented movies. And this one is mystery...if it must be put in one genre. I don't know another movie like it and dig it muchly. And have talked about it enough on this blog so I'm trying to hold it together like Marta is after telling lies...

Moonfall (2022)

Yes, the first after the big time gap. This started the trend of going to movies paid for by my college and I love this. It should be a tradition still. This featured one of the professors giving a talk beforehand all about astronomy and what would make the moon fall. Watching the movie we all felt so smart because we knew what all the technical terms meant. And, this was my first experience with that professor, but he is now one of my FAVORITES and I'm so stoked to be in his department because he makes life worth living.

The friend I went with couldn't believe that I cried during this movie, but yeah, I'm a crier.

Death on the Nile (2022)

I had been waiting YEARS. Years, people. So when my grandma said we should see it over my spring break I was so down.

And it shocked my system to the core.

I loved it. It took a very different perspective that the book does, meaning what it highlighted to be the message, and yet it felt so in character for Branagh's Poirot. I have read the book twice and they really kept me on my feet by changing details! Which I used to be really picky about but now I love when movies are different from books because I get two versions of something I love? 

Father Stu (2022)

I think it's a bit hyped up. So many people I know seem to think it's the best religious movie ever, and I have seen many that I personally have enjoyed much more. This one just seems very aggressive? The experience was really cool, though, because I went with the girl who would become my roommate and it was our first event together!

Mother Teresa: No Greater Love (2022)

Okay, okay, this is a documentary, but I still went to it in the theater (something I had never done before!) so it counts. I also went with the biggest group, so that was exciting? The story of Mother Teresa is so inspiring.

El buen patron (The Good Boss) (2022)

Milestone: my first foreign language film in theater! I drug my roommate to this. I wasn't completely proud of that because I was NOT fan of this movie, but oh well.

Smile (2022)

I'm still not pleased with this movie so I'm still not putting an image. No thank you. I'm just really mad at it because you can scare me all you like, but you should have a BLOOMING POINT. *sulks* This didn't. And that's a real shame if you're creating a story.

But, I guess I'm glad I went? Had free tickets. If you were ever going to watch a horror movie, I would recommend seeing it in a theater with a lot of people because the collective crowd reactions are the best part. It's really uniting? I didn't go with anyone but ended finding an acquaintance there and sitting next to her, which worked out because whenever one of us had our eyes closed, we could whisper "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?". Also, according to her, I'm not so much of a screamer (it FELT like I was screaming a lot...) but I say "Oh no, oh no, oh no" a lot.

Living (2022)

First movie in a theater in 2023! This movie is so pure. It lifts you up and inspires you. It has a kind of typical premise that is handled magnificently. Needless to say, my roommate and I both loved this! It was a nice treat after just getting back into school for the new semester. And I think it subconsciously powered me through the semester.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

(I was going to keep this short and snappy like all the other thoughts, but well, that failed.)

I went to this with my roommate, and y'all, this is probably going to be one of my favorite movies for the year. Which is strange considering I do not like Chris Pine as an actor and almost always think he's annoying. Here he didn't annoy me once! The movie was rollicking good fun. ROLLICKING. I can't stress how much I loved it. All the humor was exactly up my alley, the plot was so creative (which is hard when it comes to fantasy because most feel like they are copying something) and the character dynamics? We need to talk about the character dynamics. I don't know the last time I was so impressed with such a healthy found family. I really appreciated that there was no forced romance (just Simon trying with Doric which was more hilarious than anything, but no pressure). I mean, the friendships in this movie?? My favorite is between Edgin and Holga. It was so refreshing and now everything I want in life is a friend like they are to each other (note, with NO ROMANCE. GIVE ME MORE).

Also, I probably shouldn't like Sofina, and I didn't like her character, but can we talk about how gorgeous Daisy Head is? An absolute queen who can pull off a shaved head like no one else. Both her and Regé-Jean Page we absolutely stunning. Though, the character Xenk owned all of my heart because he is so pure, regal, and noble. Usually characters who don't get sarcasm or jokes are there for laughs in contrast (see Malvolio in Twelfth Night) but there was nothing to laugh about him. He added a great balance and was the perfect character to give Edgin a push to his arc.

The plot was so well set up, too. Man, I wish I could make a story with such good foreshadowing.

Ahem. Anyone have any questions or have I established what I can in a "mini-review"?

The Little Mermaid (2023)

Is this the whole reason I started this list? Oh yeah. My mom and I went to this together and we hadn't been to a movie just the two of us since Incredibles 2! The best movies to see in a HUGE theater are those in the air or in the water. And this happily checks the last box. It's where you feel such a part of the movie with every swish of the water. So much that you get a headache but in the best way.

I am not a fan of the animated Little Mermaid, but I had so much fun with this! It fixed many of my complaints about the original 1989 film, so I applaud their good work there. The actors were all perfect for their roles and the new songs were fun (which I'll probably sing a lot in the future). I'm excited to see it again!

There you have it, the 19 movies I've seen since December 2018. I don't know how I've accomplished that AND 300 more posts in the same time? I couldn't do the posts all without the support of my readers, so thank you!!

And because it's June, I made a new header!

Which we have to throw up here just for posterity. So in the future I'll know when I switched it.

How have you guys been? What have you done the first week of June? I'm trying to make some more videos for my YouTube channel but someone *glares at reflection* can't make decisions of what to cut to make it the right length. Look for that in the future, though!

What are some of your favorite movies you've seen in theater? Craziest experience? Best? I hope the best is yet to come, so what are some upcoming movies you're looking forward to?

Chloe the MovieCritic

May the Forth 2023 // Some videos appreciating the art behind my favorite Galaxy Far Far Away

Greetings, rebels, jedi, and generals alike!

May the fourth be with you! I'm alive! I will come back more once finals are done, but yes, it's that magical day where we celebrate one of the best story universes of all times. Also known as one of my favorite days of the year. We're not getting into /stuff/ today, but I thought I'd take a math break and celebrate (Which reminds me that I need to find chocolate milk...I already had blue milk today...mwahaha hot chocolate will do). I also did my hair like Rey--this is a tradition, but I recently cut 10 inches off, so it didn't completely turn out. But it was faster than usual. Last year it took me 17 minutes (which I know because I was watching Clone Wars) and this year only about 3. I also wore my Star Wars gear, and watched some with my past+future and present roommates. We watched two Clone Wars episodes, one Droid Tales, and then the four Rebels shorts. (Y'all, I know I'm going to LOVE Rebels when I finally get there. But I'm only in season 4 of CWs).

All in all, it's been a great day. But time for a post! Last year I released my first YouTube fan video, so it's hard to top that. Over spring break I was trying to crank out another one but it didn't get done in time. Instead, I'm going to celebrate other artists and creators! Fan videos are some of my favorite things, so in no particular order I'm just going to be sharing 10 Star Wars themed ones that I like. This is going to be like when I reacted to the Rise of Skywalker trailer, with comments on why I enjoy each one.

I would love to watch more, so if you have recommendations, let me know! The thing is, I mostly focus on the movies for the fan videos I watch because I'm really far behind in the series. I'm trying to avoid spoilers. It's not really working, especially when my best friend is a huge fan and TERRIBLE when it comes to spoilers. So. Which, speaking of:

SPOILER ALERT: If you watch the following videos or read my comments there are spoilers for Star Wars episodes (films) I-IX.

I tried really hard to embed all the videos here because I think that's easier for the reader. But some--most--of them wouldn't work. But I love them, so I didn't want to just not talk about them, you know? So I linked to them. Do any of you have the searching for videos be weird here on Blogger? Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Rolling In The Deep // Padme & Anakin - by Gemma Wright (LINKED)

-Of all these videos, this is the one I've watched the most. So I have it almost memorized, yet it never fails to amaze me.

-The climax of the song?? When it's going "It all, it all, it all" with the "tears are gonna fall" in the background and the choreography of the lightsaber movement is PERFECT and with the on-beat flashbacks?? This is the fan video artistry that I strive to be.

-It tells such a full story from beginning to end. It's these videos that make me think I love this romance. The second I start watching the movies I remember that I hate it, but this turns it into something so raw and powerful and painful.

-I love the Obi-Wan arc. I will always be here for the Obi-Wan stuff.

REYLO: Rolling in the Deep (The Rise of Skywalker) 

- by LouellaWilla: xennial-sw-fan

-The drum beat with the marching?? (I'm trying not to stop the videos to make comments but I couldn't help it. (note that I will stop trying later))

-Ack, it makes me cover my mouth with my hands because I love it so much. And that's something I don't usually do.

-I think it's so cool that it is basically purely Rise of Skywalker only with flashbacks from the other movies. It's such a cool take. There's such a hard balance in creating these videos with having too much material and not enough so I admire it!

-I love having it especially with the other Rolling in the Deep video because I get COMPLETELY different vibes. Padme and Anakin had something good and then lost it in the attempts for power. Here, it's the pull away from power and towards each other--Rey and Ben--that leads to the union. With the other video it's more of a tragic story and with this one it's more of a bittersweet victory. It just flips the meaning completely and I DIG IT.

Centuries // Star Wars - by Liisakee (LINKED)

-The first "And just one mistake" is timed SO perfectly. It makes my heart ache.

-Going from "mummified my teenage dreams, no there' nothing wrong with me" to Anakin. As a teenager. Who's angry. Brilliant.

-"Broke my heart" with Qui-Gon? And the faces?? *chef's kiss*

-I'm just going to stop talking now because it's flawless. Like, "Bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints with Anakin force choking Padme? It guts me.

-"I never meant for you to fix yourself" with Obi-Wan just looking away from Anakin's burning body? It probably is not helping that I LOVE this song and have it memorized.

-"Scream forever" is making me scream because I love it so much.

-My one complaint is that it's too short. They cut down the song and I want the whole song. 

Star Wars - Whatever it takes - by RiskyUmbrella (LINKED)

-I'm trying to hold it back on comments but I can't. "Vulturous" with the fighters??

-"Prodigal son" with Luke is such a cool choice because I've been trained to think of Anakin with those words, but YES, Luke!

-The adrenaline is surely in my veins because it's so fast paced. Because of that, it's kind of hard to find a focus, but I like it. And I didn't realize I was such a fan of Rogue One until it made me ridiculously happy to see it included, too.

Star Wars || Demons - by CaptainCaplax (LINKED)

-14 seconds into this video and I'm already almost crying with "and your dreams all fail" just being of tears falling out of Anakin's eyes.

-How it's all about the mentor, the saints we see, being Palpatine and falling away. "And the ones we hail are the worst of all". Even when it's obvious to everyone else, we've built up a level of trust that cannot be breached.

-"I want to hide the truth I want to shelter you." describes Anakin to a T. Again, this makes me go, "aww!" when it shouldn't.

-"Look into my eyes" is so important here with Anakin because his eyes change color. Which explains why I was so confused watching Clone Wars today because I didn't think his eyes were blue.

-"Don't wanna let you down, but I am hell bound" is basically the motto of anyone who thinks they can't be saved from the dark side.

-This is the level of phenomenal that I'm speechless. I love how the first verse is the prequels, the second is the originals, and the last is uniting the two.

-Luke lying on the ground with Anakin's flashback to Padme on the ground? I hadn't made that connection but I'm probably going to cry the next time I watch the movies. (I'm usually crying there already, but, you know. More so. And for new reasons! Yay!)

-This is the problem of having to go back to link them all because I start watching them all again...

Star Wars || Radioactive - by CaptainCaplax (LINKED)

-SHUT UP THE BUILD UP. That is all, folks.

-"Revolution I suppose" with the rebels, as you do.

Rey and Kylo Ren // Lovely - by RiskyUmbrella (LINKED)

-This one is so short. I want more. 

-I love how the lyrics match so perfectly to both. And especially because it's the duet you feel like they are both singing.

Rey and Kylo Ren // Bury a Friend - by RiskyUmbrella (LINKED)

-I had to watch this one twice because it's so cool. This style of "edit" is fantastic and I eat it up like candy. It's an absolute vibe.

-...I'm a Billie fan if you can't tell. So of course I like it.

-Lining the first "when we all fall asleep where do we go" with Ben waking up is a great play on words.

-"Why aren't you scared of me? Why do you care for me?": The questions Rey and Ben are asking the whole trilogy.

-Keywords like glass and drown with corresponding visuals and sounds? It is the details like this that truly make a video shine.

 

Kylo Ren // Fairly Local - by RiskyUmbrella (LINKED)

-This cannot end like that!! Ah!! My heart is not prepared.

-But, talking about the other end, I love the beginning. I've been working a lot with sound overlays for the music and this is so well done for the intro.

-I'm a Twenty One Pilots fan all the way (If you couldn't tell from my Star Wars fan video using one of their songs...plugging myself...). I LOVE this song because it represents so many stories. Especially of morally grey characters or redemption arcs. It's the belief that you can't do anything else but be the person people have made you to to be, and then changed to realizing you create who you are.

star wars || enemy - by ms.mxrvelle

-The beats? This is the kind of fan video that resonates with my soul. Especially with the cloak shrugs. And with the light saber ignition.

-How it looks like Anakin's fighting himself with Vader? Dope.

-I think this song was my introduction to the other version of Enemy of just Imagine Dragons? Both are some of my favorite songs. Actually, so many of my favorite songs were introduced to me through fan videos...

I also want to throw a HUGE shout out to one of my favorite YouTube channels: Cinema Therapy. I have been wanting to talk about them here for SO LONG because their videos make my week. Alan and Jono are fabulous. Star Wars means the world to me, and I have opinions on it that are not shared with most of the world.  This is no surprise, because I've talked about how I relate to Luke Skywalker. It can be really depressing (guys, it put me into a spiral for a while) when people say my favorites are horrible and bad and all that jazz. So it has been so affirming and amazing to find Alan and Jono, because they appreciate it the way I do!

Especially, because they just released a video on Luke! Watch that HERE. That lines up so much with my post! It made me so happy and fulfilled and seen that I cried while watching it today. So thank you, my Cinema Therapy dads.

I also love their episode on Anakin Skywalker (I think this was the second video I watched on their channel? It was early on) and this is making me realize that I haven't finished the Leia one. It says I started it, but I don't really remember? That was at the end of last spring semester. Like, one of their first videos was about Rise of Skywalker. You don't know how happy that makes me.

They have the two on Kylo Ren, then.

Just check out all of their Star Wars videos HERE.

I made this for my friend today....

Okay, I'm done. What did you do to celebrate? What are some of your favorite Star Wars media? Art appreciation, you know?

God speed, rebels.

Chloe the MovieCritic