Category: Junior Literary

So, in keeping with this accidentally established theme of nostalgic November, I’ve watched another movie from my childhood. Like most of them, it wasn’t exactly the best in terms of actual quality, but it still holds that special place in my heart. Truthfully, I’ve never been one for the standard Disney movie writing, but for some unknown reason, Girl Vs. Monster is an exception. 

Yes, yes I know. It’s the pinnacle of cheesy Disney writing, and therefore the least likely exception to my rule, but it’s here. I truthfully could not tell you why I liked this movie, save a few guesses, but we’ll get to those later. First, a somewhat needed explanation, given that it’s not the most popular Disney production. In this tale, Skylar Lewis (Olivia Holt), known as the girl with no fear, discovers that her parents are monster hunters, and she is too by birthright. After the escape of the supreme monster Deimata, she must quickly bloom into her monster hunting abilities alongside her best friends Sadie and Henry to overcome Deimata and her evil and save her parents and a party full of innocent teenagers, typical Disney movie plot. 

Now, this 2012 gem of film might not shine the brightest, but there are some things I like about it. 

First and foremost, it’s from my childhood. That makes it a comfort movie, which means I like it no matter how bad the editing is when I go back to watch it. Granted, the acting isn’t all that either, but the memories associated with this movie are so pure. I can still feel the memory of that first day I saw it; sitting on the living room’s warm carpet, way too close to the tv as my grandmother would say, lying there and just watching this movie that, at the ripe age of seven, scared me. But it was intriguing, so I stayed, and the fondness formed. 

Another thing that makes this movie salvageable, in my opinion, is the music. Now, Disney movie music, especially this kind, is not everyone’s cup of overly autotuned bubble pop tea. I get that. But for me and my taste that’s still perfectly tuned to music from Victorious and the like, it’s perfect. The music scenes are honestly one of my favorite things about this movie, especially Myra/Deimata’s performance at the Halloween Party. I like this kind of music, because it’s upbeat, stupid fun and that’s my favorite. So, I like this movie. 

Honestly, I think another thing about this movie that draws me in is something I like to call the “comforting cringe factor”. Now, as I’ve surely discussed with some of you off the blog page, I have a severe intolerance for cringe content. Enduring it for more than thirty seconds will inevitably result in a freak out. I have no idea what it is, but if something is genuine cringe to me, I cannot watch it. Period. This film, however, has cringe that’s bearable. In fact, I can even draw comfort from some of the albeit overdone tropes in this film’s writing. It seems oxymoronic, believe me I know, and that would be because it is. However, it is my brain we’re talking about, so some counterproductivity and chaos is simply unavoidable. 

All in all, this movie is still not that great. However, it is comforting to me, in that cliche Disney writing way. Generally, I don’t enjoy such writing and I usually boycott such productions simply on principal. But there’s something about this movie that I just enjoy. So, if you ever find yourself in the mood for some simple childhood cringe comfort, or, heaven forbid you want to understand the things that make my brain work better, take a look at this little film. I think it’s worth it, even if I can’t really explain it. 

Until next time! 

Sincerely, someone who’s still conquering his own monster.

howdy! happy belated halloween and merry christmas season! i have no idea what this blog is. it came from a place of writer’s block and bone-deep tiredness. please excuse the low quality and lack of sense!

would you care to buy a dream? believe me, i’ve had more than my share, and i’m perfectly happy to distribute them fairly amongst all those who would like one. may i interest you in a gut-wrenching sequence that jolts you awake so violently you can’t remember where you are? how about a feeling of falling so realistic that you have to catch your breath and wipe your tears when you inevitably wake? not sounding appealing to you? that’s understandable. dreams like these aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. they certainly aren’t mine!

perhaps, you would prefer a dream in which the thing you want most, the thing you would die for is standing right in front of you. sounds lovely, right? it is! until you touch it, and it crumbles in your hands. but it was worth it, wasn’t it? to get to hold it, hold her or him one last time? i certainly hope so, because this dream is my most precious and expensive. only the strongest of the broken should venture to the part of themselves in which this dream can exist.

some people say that dreams are the deepest longings of our heart expressed subconsciously. personally, i hope that isn’t true. i hope that my heart isn’t so damaged as to wish for its own destruction. this actually leads me to another question! do you have any dreams you’d like to sell me? i’m always on the lookout for a new world to lose and find myself in. your dreams are surely more welcoming than mine. maybe if we trade, we can both sleep! wouldn’t that be nice!

is there music in your dreams? there’s music in mine. not really the good kind, though. it’s the music that you hear at the carnival and the hospital and the car late at night. real life music. i don’t like it very much. i think it’d be neat to have jazz music in my dreams, like the red room. nobody ever gets that reference, but that’s okay! i don’t expect people to automatically know the silly, unreasonable things that float around my brain. in fact, i’m glad they don’t. it’s probably a lot easier that way. sorry, back to what i was saying- would you care to buy a dream?

once again, i apologize for… whatever this was. Lord willing n the creek don’t rise, we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming this time next week. in the meantime, enjoy these wise words from special agent dale cooper:

 

 

So recently, during one of my many MSA weekends of movie watching and socialization boycotting, I revisited one of the films that I held dear in my childhood. In all honesty, I had completely forgotten that this comfort film even existed until now, but now that I’ve remembered it, I could never hope to forget it again. Or, shall I say them, since I did watch the original and it’s sequel. The movies I’m speaking of are none other than the live action Scooby Doo movies. 

Now, I know what you’re thinking: easily some of the worst movies in cinematic history. And I’ll readily agree; if you’re looking for cinematic quality, good writing, or even an accurate adaptation of the original animated series, you won’t find anything but disappointment. However, I was looking for none of those things. I was looking for goofy, self aware comedy and pointless fun and comfort, and these movies delivered. So, now that we’ve addressed and established that these particular films are not the best made pieces in cinematic history, let’s continue to why it is that I love them so much. 

Also, side note: If you really need an explanation on what Scooby Doo and it’s signature plot are…come on. Just come on. 

First things first, the costuming. This movie may not be able to boast much in the world of professional cinema productions, but no one can rival this franchise for consistent costuming design. From perpetual color schemes, to actual outfit design, to stylistic consistency, these costumes truly have it all. I’m a particular fan of Daphne’s outfits, first and foremost, particularly the signature purple leather boots. I’m also partial to Velma’s consistent orange aesthetic, and the stylistic choices they made with that are actually very nice, too. There’s even something to be said about the consistent simplicity of Shaggy’s “green shirt brown pants” dynamic; I see it as a homage to the original series. Fred is…well, he’s dressed, I guess, but let’s face it: there never was much to say about Fred. 

Secondly, I think it’s nice that they actually held true to the mystery solving plot. Even in the first movie, when they were introducing the discord dynamic amongst the team, they held consistent to the mystery solving dynamic and the fact that it held them together, and I really appreciate that. It was nice to know that, cliche and overdone though they may be, the moral of hopefulness to the story is still there. Besides, it was nice to see them working together so well and mystery itself is a genre that never gets old. 

Last but absolutely not least, is my personal favorite thing about these entire films. Comedic animations of fleeing from Shaggy and Scooby aside, marks of intelligence from Velma noted, decent plot writing and fantastic costume work accounted for, my all time favorite part about this entire franchise is the Daphne fight scenes. It was so, so amazing to me how the writers, for whatever reason, completely subverted her “Damsel in Distress” stereotype. Not only that, they turned her into an absolute beast while they were at it. Watching the girl who just opened a fingerprint lock with blush and some tape, solved a mystery with brains rivaled only by Velma’s, and followed clues with precision that makes Fred cry absolutely beat the daylights out of a Luchador Wrestler in HEELS is something that I will never, ever get enough of. By far the best thing about these movies. 

All in all, there are definitely some nice pros to outweigh the cons of these particular gems of 2000’s cinema, if you know where to look. They may not be the best written, and watching them might make me cringe more than can be considered healthy, but I’ll definitely keep watching them because, against all odds, these movies have definitely carved out a special place in my heart. What? They prey on nostalgia; it’s everyone’s weakness, if they’ll admit it. 

Until next time, folks. 

Sincerely, someone who still wonders what in the world a Scooby Snack tastes like. 

P.S. I would literally kill for half of Daphne’s costume wardrobe 🙂 

Hello! It’s been a bit since I’ve had a blog posted. Sorry about that. Hit a really bad bit of writers block, but I think it’s cleared up now. I don’t think I’m going to have this be a long blog, in fact it could very well take the record for my shortest blog. Recently, I’ve learned the importance of finality, and moving on. It’s very important to not let things hold you back! 

I figured I shouldn’t let this blog be unimportant in any way, so I’ll put a poem that I’ve written recently here. It’s called Monologue Of A Dying Dreamer. I hope you enjoy:

I’ve seen the births

of uncountable stars

and the deaths of unfathomable gods.

Civilizations rise and fall.

Fall to dust like the rest that came before.

 

You say there is only one constant.

You say there will always be death.

If life is not constant then nobody dies.

Everything that has ended, all of it,

had a beginning.

Life and death.

 

Only two constants?

Life and death?

Is that all there is?

No.

With life and with death –

With life and with death comes love.

 

You say nothing matters.

If nothing matters then you are my nothing.

If you’re not important

then you’re the most special of us all.

You and I, we fade to dust

so we can live and love and feel and die

and live and love another time

 

I’ll see you again

because love never dies.

Beautiful Creatures

So originally, I watched this movie back in 2015 with my sister. I’ve always been a fan of movies about witches or anything magical since I was able to understand it all. This movie is your typical cheesy love story where the main characters have that Bella and Edward dynamic. However, the acting, and stars, and cinematography help bring the plot to life and I fell in love with it. It’s basically about a new girl that moves to the Deep South where people are quick to judge. Of course there is this one guy who thinks he’s different then the rest of the town and seeks out a friendship with the girl, which soon grows into love. I love the power-switch in this and the writer’s and directors choice to make the girl the more dominant one of the relationship. Of course there is more to this story, but I don’t want to ruin it for you. Also I read the book like 36 times, my librarian had to stop me from checking it out so much. If you get to the chance to, READ IT.

Fear Street Part Two: 1978

This three series of horror films was released recently during summer. I kind of watch them out of order, but it helped me to understand it better. This was the first one I watch and I REALLY LOVE THIS MOVIE. I’ve always been a sucker for classic summer camp horror films. I feel like you can never go wrong with it, but the plot development and twists and turns really adds so much to it. This movie is about two sisters in the late 70’s who attend a summer camp, but due to a curse, it ends very brutally. I really loved how spaced out the main murders were. I know that sounds kind of crazy, but the fact that the plot outshone the murder really makes this so enjoyable. If you plan on watching this, I recommend watching the other parts. I think you’ll be so invested in this one that you won’t be able to not watch the others.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

I think it is very important that I acknowledge Chadwick Boseman’s acting in the masterpiece. Oh my gosh, it was other worldly. I have yet to see a performance be close to this. When I first was introduced to his character, my jaw hit the floor. The best way to describe this man skills is poetic. It felt as though this character was an extension of him and I really love how he embodied him. Every movement was so deliberate. I really appreciate Denzel Washington for being one of the many people who brought this story to life. Every single actor in this movie are my top ten and I love how they were brought together for this project. There is also another recognizable face in the movie.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

I’m going to be honest. Spider-Man wasn’t even in my top twenty favorite superheroes, but after watching this movie he quickly shot his way up. Let’s get into the legendary voice acting. The fact that they casted Shameik Moore as the voice of Miles Morales is pure genius. I’ve been a fan of his since his movie DOPE, and I know this isn’t an actor to be played with. And don’t get me started with Mahershala Ali as the voice of Miles’s Uncle!!!!!! Honestly, I didn’t know what to do with myself after finding out he was in the movie. The animation in this movie is top-tier. The artists really did a great job with color and bringing this comic to life. Overall this movie is a definite 10/10. Miles is the best Spider-Man!

Hello everyone! Welcome back to some of my ranking sessions. Today we’re gonna talk about American Horror Story and I’m going to rank them in order of my least favorite to favorite. I love every single season so it was a bit hard for me to choose between them! I will also be listing my favorite character from each season!

10. Roanoke

I think that most of us AHS fans can agree that this season wasn’t the most popular. The story was good as always but it was just lacking something that I cannot put my finger on.

My favorite character from this season: Lee Harris played by Angela Bassett

 

9. Freak Show

This season is one of the most popular ones of the AHS franchise, including one of the most notable characters; Twisty the clown. Though I absolutely loved this season, I just found myself enjoying the others more than this one.

My favorite character (pls don’t bully me he’s so fun to watch):  Dandy Mott played by Finn Wittrock. 

8. Cult

Cult threw me for a loop. It was definitely not what I was expecting but I was NOT complaining. Evan peters and Sarah Paulson in this season really out-did themselves. It also came out around election time. The AHS authors took advantage of it and added a political aspect into the season as well. I enjoyed it a lot. 

Favorite Character: Ally Mayfair-Richards played by Sarah Paulson.

 

7. Double Feature (Specifically Red Tide)

You know how I mentioned Evan Peters performance earlier? OH MAN do you have a surprise now. This double feature is the newest release from the franchise and I am obsessed with it as I always tend to be after the release of a new season. 

My favorite character: Austin Sommers played by Evan Peters

6. Asylum

~The name gameeee~! No I’m just kidding, but that is one of many AHS fan’s favorite scenes. Asylum is the second season in the series and it definitely didn’t disappoint either, especially with our main protagonist, Lana Winters, played by the famous Sarah Paulson. 

My favorite Character: Kit Walker played by Evan Peters

5. Coven 

Coven was the third season of AHS. In this season we are following a coven of witches who have found their home in a large house in New Orleans. The building they stay in is used as a school for young witches who need a place to go. I thought that the setting being in new Orleans was super cool since it’s so close! They really embodied the culture there, which made it so much more enjoyable.

Favorite Character: Misty Day played by Lily Rabe

4. 1984 

As an avid horror movie slasher fan, 1984 was easily one of my favorite seasons just based on the tropes that they embodied and the real life people they portrayed. They had the Friday the 13th camp counsler-80s-slasher trope, and also added in a REAL serial killer. No not a real serial killer. An actor to play the famous serial killer, Richard Ramirez. He was amazing.

My Favorite Character: Xavier Plympton played by Cody Fern

3. Apocalypse

Apocalypse was by far the COOLEST season. It made connections between all the different characters between past seasons and added a lot more lore to the universe including a new timeline. It had me on my seats edge for every single episode.

Favorite Character: Michael Langdon played by Cody Fern

 

2. Murder House 

FINALLY!! Gosh I love this season so much. This was the first season of AHS and it definitely set the stage for further seasons. This season created such an amazing fandom and community for all lovers of AHS. Even the font from the show originated from this season.

My Favorite Character(s): Tate Langdon and Violent Harmon played by Evan Peters and Taissa Farmiga.

 

1. Hotel

I love this season so so so so much. This season takes place in Hotel Cortez. It’s sort of a haunted hotel full of different types of people and creatures? We’re not gonna talk about what happen to Sally… Anyways, this season is just so special to me because of the story, the character portrayals, the plot twists, and the diversity shown. Oh, yeah and LADY GAGA is in it as one of my favorite characters of all time, the Countess.

Favorite Character: The Countess played by Lady Gaga

 

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Keep an eye out for next week’s blog!

Ok. So this may be a little bit of a cheesy post but it is something I felt the need to do. Recently I have bee struggling with topics to blog about, but then I realized I could literally write about anything. Whatever makes me happy. Whatever makes me sad. Moments in life.

I just think that it is so cool that we are given a space here to completely nerd out over our interests, hobbies, friends, or practically anything else. We are given a place to basically rant to a friend that never gets tired of hearing the same things over and over. 

So, I guess this week’s blog is just… a blog appreciation. I am so thankful for this place where I can tell you all about what I love, what I don’t, and everything in between.

So yeah, thank you fellow blogspacers (and my parents lol) for listening to me. 🙂

-Adele 

    Melanie Martinez is one of my favorite musical artists. She has been recognized for her unique style and overall aesthetic which she also incorporates into her music. She was a contestant on The Voice, but she did not end up winning the show. Despite this she has been able to have an extremely successful music career, and has made her own movie named K-12 which featured her album, and also brought attention to numerous social issues. Her first album was named Crybaby and it made its debut on August,14th 2015. Crybaby is by far my favorite album of Melanie’s. All this being said, here are my top 5 Melanie Martinez songs.

 

1.Play date (Crybaby)

2. Mad Hatter (Crybaby)

3.Crybaby (Crybaby)

4.Dollhouse (Crybaby)

This was the first Melanie Martinez song that I ever listened to!!!

5.Detention (K-12)

   One common theme that can be seen through out all of Melanie’s is her capability to write about dark subject matters. When you listen to her music sometimes its straight to the point and other times it can take a bit of analyzing. Her dark lyrics contrast to her aesthetic, which is something that definitely makes her stand out as an artist. She is currently working on producing another movie, which I am very excited for. If you take the time to look through all of Melanie’s work, I’m sure that it won’t take you long to become a fan… if you aren’t already.

Tyler, The Creator

 

This has to be one of my all time favorite performances. It’s one thing to listen to this beautiful album on your phone, but to see it live is so crazy. The background vocals were the absolute highlight of this show. What stuck out to me the most was, that fact that you could see Tyler’s artistic expertise throughout the entire show. It was like witnessing a genius at work. He improvised on most of the songs entrapping the crowd and creating a good time not only for himself, but others around him. I love to see a sort of different version of the songs performed live and he really brought his alternative element to this performance. All of the songs performed were from my favorite album Flower Boy and honestly if you haven’t listened to it yet, go listen to it. Right now.

BTS

 

The timing of this performance was very well needed. This performance was made in the height of the pandemic, just as they released their Grammy nominated song, Dynamite. They performed some of my favorite songs in this, some I consider classics. Their energy could be felt through the screen, which instantly lifted my spirits. The vocals in songs like Save Me, and Spring Day is what really stood out to me the most. I can never get over hearing them perform live, and I really enjoyed this.

Erykah Badu

Who doesn’t love hearing Erykah Badu? I was introduced to her music at a young age, and I’ve learn to appreciate her vocals and style through out my life. I really love the urbanisms of her voice and how abstract it is. You can really differ her from other Neo-Soul and R&B artists. I really loved her performance of Green Eyes. There was something about that song that really made me appreciate her as an artist even more.

Khalid

I’ve been a fan of Khalid since his soundcloud days. So when I saw his face pop up on my home page on YouTube I clicked it without hesitation. Little did I know that he would be the one to introduce me to Tiny Desk and their wonderful videos. I watched this video so many times. I would play it when I had to clean, when I was babysitting, or when I was just bored. I will always love the beautiful sounds this man can create. I can’t describe the artistry in words so I suggest just watching it yourself.

August Greene (Common, Robert Glasper, Karriem Riggins)

When I first watch this video, I played it again, and again, and again. Then, I downloaded the entire album. Let me put this into perspective. Some of the features are Brandy, Maimouna Youssef, and Andra Day. One of their main messages for this album was highlighting women, specifically black women. This is the type of performance you can just put on and do whatever. It’s a vibe start to finish.

this week’s blog is one that i’ve been excited about for a while! i’m an absolute fanatic for movies of practically any kind, but today i’ll be discussing one of my favorite genres- romantic comedy! this is a genre that often gets a bad rep for being cheesy and unrealistic, but guess what?! it is cheesy and unrealistic, and that’s the beauty of it! a film doesn’t have to be groundbreaking or brilliant to be good. truly appreciating cinema, to me, is about watching what makes you feel something. even if that something is just butterflies and desperation. with all my needless introduction established, i give to you three of my favorite rom-coms (in no particular order, as i am to indecisive for all that) <3

PRETTY WOMAN written by j.f. lawton

i honestly don’t know how to describe what this movie means to me and how it has been there for me. when i’m sad for no good reason, i turn on pretty woman. when i’m angry at the world, i turn on pretty woman. when my standards aren’t feeling quite as high as usual, i turn on pretty woman, and i’m instantly reminded that my richard gere will come along someday. to me, this movie is a classic and one of the most beautiful love stories told in recent history. from the very first time i watched this movie, i knew i would never forget the joy and comfort it brought me, and that beautiful, nostalgic feeling returns each time i watch it. also, don’t even get me started on julia roberts and richard gere- gotta be two of the most gorgeous people on planet earth, particularly in this movie. the fashion, dialogue, and impossibly lovable characters make this a solid classic that stands the test of time. oh, and the soundtrack- 10/10. it must have been love will be stuck in your head for the next three to five business days after you watch this film!

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY written by nora ephron

this is a movie that i actually discovered during quarantine, after years of hearing that i would love it, and well… i absolutely did. this is one of the most realistic, endearing films i have ever seen, and it speaks to me in a way that no other film can. the story is simple- man meets woman, man irritates woman, man loves woman, man would die without woman, and woman feels the same. sounds pretty straightforward, but this movie is so much more than its romanticism would lead you to believe. when harry met sally is a story of love in every sense- friendship, the kindness of strangers, and the sort of love you wait a lifetime for before realizing it’s been right in front of you. the whole aesthetic of this film is so comforting. the outfits in this movie are absolutely incredible, and the music is spot-on. the casting of this movie could not be any more perfect- meg ryan’s warmth and wisdom paired with billy crystal’s wit and charm make for a match you can’t help but root for.

 

BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY written by richard curtis, andrew davies, and helen fielding

this is one of my childhood favorites! looking back, is it a little sad that my 11- year-old self related so strongly to bridget jones? sure, it is! does that change the fact that it’s true? no, it does not! this movie is unreasonably relatable and funny (to me at least). no matter how many times i watch this, i will always feel the same sense of peace and laughter that i felt as a kid, watching it when i had nothing else to do (which was a lot of the time). renee zellweger and colin firth contrast each other perfectly in this film, and as always, hugh grant makes a gorgeous but detestable half-antagonist. once again, the music used in this movie- goodies from start to finish. the older i get, the more of myself i see in this film- all i’m missing is my mark darcy, but then again, aren’t we all? i leave you to ponder this all-important inquiry ’til next week, dear reader.