SAG Awards

            Tonight was the night of the 21^st annual SAG Award ceremony!  SAG stands for Screen Actors Guild.  It started back in 1995 and it’s basically addressing that acting is a collaborative art and it draws attention to the chemistry you have with your costars.  The winners all did a fantastic job!  There were all sorts of celebrities there from Uzo Aduba, Jared Leto, Emma Stone, and Lupita Nyong. 

            

            One of my favorite TV shows, Modern Family, has been nominated for the past six years for the best comedy series ensemble and won the last four!  I think it’s a really funny and cute show and definitely deserved the win.  I haven’t seen Orange is the New Black, but Modern Family is a family fun show for just about everyone!  Obviously the cast isn’t an ACTUAL family, but they all seem to really get along and treat each other like a family and I find that adorable.  I see Modern Family kind of like the new Office, but in completely different ways.  The Office is a show that will last a lifetime and has been nominated 9 times and has won twice, but that’s only for the SAG’s.  They both are hilarious and can be really relatable.  The Office is more of a mature show than Modern Family.

           

            I only recently started watching the SAG awards back about 2 years ago and I always enjoy them!  I’m one of those people who love watching award shows to see my favorites win (obviously) and I love seeing what everyone’s wearing!  I do admit, sometimes I don’t understand the outfit choices for some people, but either way, I love it!  I wouldn’t say the SAG’s are one of the MAIN award shows, but I kind of like that.  They’re of course important, but I mostly hear about the Golden Globes or the Oscars.

           

            I suppose I never thought of this, but it has come to my attention that there has to be some sort of set of rules or regulations, and as it turns out, there are!  Not everyone can be nominated and there just CAN’T be a category for everyone. 

            

           You can find all sorts of facts and pictures, history about the SAG’s, and see some of the old favorites and winners.  What’s your favorite part about the SAG Awards and favorite winner? 

Pirates of the Caribbean 5

When I was younger, I watched everything from the Princesses, Barbie, Indiana Jones, and Pirates of the Caribbean.  I didn’t limit myself to the girly movies, I wanted to watch everything my brother did.  As I’ve gotten older, I’ve seen Johnny Depp in almost every role imaginable.  He can play the crazy Mad Hatter in Alice and Wonderland,  the gangster in Public Enemies, and a strange boy in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?  Since I gre up watching Pirates of the Caribbean and that’s one of my favorite Disney movie series, I really like him as the insane Captian Jack Sparrow.  The first movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, came out in 2003 and the fifth movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man Tell No Tales is coming out in 2017 and I’m excited.

I really liked the first movie when everyone is introduced in 2003.  You meet Captain Jack Sparrow and follow him as he gets in trouble and meets new people.  I liked the setting of the movie and the time it took place.  I also think its ties in adventure with humor and love.  Pretty good plot for a movie, huh?  The first movie made $305,413,918 in Domestic Total Gross and worldwide $654,264,015.

I like how they keep the same characters from the first movie to the second.  In the 2006 film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, you meet a new villain and find out more about everyone.  The same characteristic of love, action, and humor tie into this movie, much like the first.  This movie made $423,315,812 in Domestic Total Gross and worldwide $1,006,179,725.  It did even better than the first movie, which isn’t surprising. 

The third movie ends the tale for some of the characters, but the story isn’t done.  I like how they get some new people and change the love interests, otherwise the stories would get old and we wouldn’t be working to this fifth movie.  The story changes up a bit and there is some good action within the movie.  This movie made more than the first, but less than the second.  Its Domestic Total Gross was $309,420,425 and worldwide $963,420,425.  This movie was released in 2007.

The fourth movie came a bit later than expected, but I think the third movie was supposed to be the end.  The 2011 movie was a different story and a new love story and villain was introduced.  The movie did well, but less than the others with a Domestic Total Gross of $241,071,802.  The worldwide amount was $1,045,713,802.  Even then, the story doesn’t end.

I also really like the soundtracks for each movie.  The keep to a theme and when I hear a song from any of the movies, I know its Pirates.

The fifth one planned for 2017 I believe will be the final movie in the Pirates series.  The movies have done really well to make it this far.

The Season of Love

            Whether you’re single or taken, it’s that time of the year!  Yes, Valentine’s Day is approaching.  I miss the old Elementary school days when everyone was your Valentine.  You’d have parties and get a bunch of treats along with cute little Valentines from your class.  I personal loved decorating the box to put them in.  Valentine’s Day definitely has a different feeling as you get older.  If you don’t have a “significant other” it can be kind of lonely. 

           
             I have found that a lot of products do really well during this season.  The jewelry, the flowers, the chocolates, but the movies, too!  I think one of the best parts is all the romantic movies that come out around that time.  In 2014, the movie, Endless Love, came out on Valentine’s Day and it was super cute.  This year, 50 Shades of Grey will be coming out based on the book, 50 Shades of Grey by E. L. James.  Considering its rated R and I would find it really awkward to see it with my parents, I think I’ll wait to see that one.  I love watching other movies though, like the Last Song, which is one of my favorite movies.  I also love to see guys buying flowers or chocolates to make someone happy, whether it’s their mom, girlfriend, boyfriend, or whoever!  It ALMOST makes up for being single. 

            
             Let’s not forget a LOT of songs are written about love and relationships, so there’s got to be a lot of inspiration for writing songs around this time.  Of course not all songs are written in the happier “life is good” kind of light.  In all seriousness, there is a spike of breakups and divorce right around Valentine’s Day.  Weird and unexpected, right?  So who knows, Taylor Swift may have a new single or album out around the day of February 14^th.  If you are feeling the love the listen to a song like Ed Sheeran’s new single.  I really love the song, “Thinking Out Loud”.

            
             Within the past year, there has been a weird occurrence of “Valentine’s Day Cards” on twitter consisting of inappropriate but hilarious “cards” for this occasion.  Knowing the people of the internet, not all of the jokes are appropriate, but they sure can make me laugh.  I don’t really know how this got started, I just saw a BUNCH on Twitter last year and they’ve started making an appearance for this year.  There have been a bunch of accounts created full of these “cards”.

            No matter how you chose to spend your Valentine’s Day this year, make it a good one!

Unfriended

         If you like scary movies, this one might be for you.  “Unfriended” is categorized as a horror and thriller movie.  I recently saw the trailer for this movie allll over twitter.  I was freaked but I REALLY want to see it because now I’m so curious, but I mean curiosity killed the cat, so we'll see.  I think I have watched the trailer about 6 times.  The movie portrays a girl living in today’s society and the life of some teens and the pressures.  It goes into cyberbullying and suicide.  The Universal Pictures movie is to be released in the USA in April of this year and it hasn't been rated yet.

            I think making a movie like this could be a good thing to publicize more about teen suicide rates and bullying.  The suicide rate seem to be going up more and more every year and social media plays a big role in bullying to the point of hopelessness.  Not everyone understands the importance of being aware and how being supportive could save a life.  I know I’ve experienced a friend in the wrong mindset and it affected me.  This movie could provide knowledge and entertainment to today’s youth.

I am Charlie

                “Je suis Charlie” is the new slogan for freedom of speech and freedom of expression.  On January 7^th, 2015, there was a massacre in Paris, France at the offices of a newspaper called Charlie Hebdo.  Twelve people were killed in the shooting.  The website shut down after the shooting and when it went back up, “Je suis Charlie” was born.  The phrase was initially used on twitter and spread internationally as people used #jesuischarlie or #iamcharlie in recognition of what happened.  The phrase, “Je suis Charlie”, started to be used in music, cartoons, and printed internationally.  People were (and are) wearing buttons with the phrase in support of recognition. 

The newspaper, Charlie Hebdo released its new cover for January.

 The image depicts Muhammad holding a poster with the phrase “Je suis Charlie” while shedding a tear.  The print was translated in seven languages.  “TOUT EST PARDONNE” reads: “All is Forgiven”.  The French government granted around € 1 million for support of the magazine.

            

              After the shooting, there were a series of rallies in France to honor the victims of the attack.

     

              In the Unites States, we experience shootings more often than most countries and France is one of the countries that very rarely face shootings like this one.  There are negative overviews of the matter.  People are saying that “Je suis Charlie” isn’t facing political and cultural problems.  There are people criticizing George Clooney for wearing a pin with the phrase to the Golden Globes and an Iranian paper was banned from publishing pictures of Clooney with the pin on.  I think recognizing what happened and spreading awareness is perfectly fine and it isn’t questions political or cultural problems.  The people need to grieve and overcome what has happened.  “Je suis Charlie” is the most recent symbol for the freedom of speech and expression and it won’t be the last.

Bachelor

                The Bachelor has begun!  Monday January 5^th, 2015 was the premier of season 19 of the Bachelor reality show.   Being from Iowa, go Chris Soules!  For those of you who haven’t seen the show, where have you been?!  The ABC reality show started back in March of 2002 and has lasted this long to be on its 19^th season!  Even if the show has lasted this long, it doesn’t mean the couples have from the previous seasons…

          

                Not all of the couples have survived, but that being said not all of them have failed either.  The very first couple from season 1 didn’t make it long and a long line after didn’t either. 

           

                If you haven’t seen the show, then there is some background information you need to know.  The show stars one famous guy per season who will have a bunch of women who want to be with him and he can choose from to be the one he wants to spend “the rest of his life with”.  Crazy right?  That’s not the crazy part.  The women tend to make the show crazy 99% of the time.  They get jealous, act stupidly, and mess things up for everyone, including themselves.  The main man gets to go out with all of the women in order to get to know them, and then he gets to choose who moves on in the show and who has to leave.  He presents the people (and eventually person) with a rose to show they can continue on and he wants to get to know them better while leaving the other women without a rose the door to which they can (and really have to) leave and it’s the end of the line for them.  I know, ouch.

            

               If you like the shows that are entertaining and dramatic, the Bachelor welcomes you!  I personally enjoy watching it and I like that even when the guy gets to pick a favorite, you can watch YOUR favorite throughout the show and just hope that she ends up on top. You also can watch your least favorite get thrown off (or hope she does) and that’s always fun to watch. 

                                                    (Chris Soules season 19 Bachelor)