my life in entertainment - may 2013
movies i saw
Snow White and the Huntsman - I feel kind of bad for making fun of this movie now. Kind of boring at first, but once Chris Hemsworth came on the scene it was all good. It had a little bit of everything - Charlize Theron being delightfully crazy, Kristin Stewart showing a wider range of facial expression than I ever noticed in the Twilight series, awesome costume designs, some pretty cool world-building (like a subculture in which the women purposefully scar their faces so the Queen won't want to harm them), and special effects on par with The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Hobbit. I remember thinking, "This is probably what the people who did the CGI for The Great and Powerful Oz were going for." I hope the rumored sequel ends up happening.
Iron-Man 3 - I've seen all three Iron-Man movies in the theater, and this was my favorite of the series. I feel like this movie had a really big role to play: in a post-Avengers world, could a movie with a single superhero be as exciting and intense? Well, yeah, it happens in comic books all the time. I thought the filmmakers did a nice job of acknowledging that Avengers Assemble happened and making it clear that in this situation, Tony Stark couldn't just call up Captain America or Thor for help - he was on his own against a mysterious villain and a creepy character from his past. I think the story also did a nice job of reminding the audience why Tony Stark is such a cool character to begin with - he is basically the MacGuyver of superheroes.
The Great Gatsby - My best girlfriends and I went to see this one together, and we had very high expectations because we all loved the book in high school. We were not disappointed. Y'all know I love me some Leo, and he was flawless, but it was Carey Mulligan who truly lit up the screen and embodied Daisy Buchanan. The crazy modern Jay-Z and Florence and the Machine soundtrack totally worked for me, too - even the Lana Del Rey song was perfect for the moment. I think having seen (and loved) Baz Luhrman's movies helped me "get" the over-the-top style and in-your-face imagery.
Star Trek: Into Darkness - My favorite movie of the summer so far. I loved the 2009 reboot, and this movie brought back everything I loved about J.J. Abram's first take on
Star Trek - it's all about the characterization. And this one? Totally a movie that's very much about strong male friendship, which I don't think we see enough stories about. Just the right blend of humor, action, and pathos - I felt like I'd gotten my money's worth before the opening credits even rolled.
books i read
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi - When the going gets tough, I reach for YA dystopia. Nothing in real life is ever going to be as bad as having to live in a pod because our very atmosphere has become volatile and dangerous, being double-crossed, attacked, and thrown out of said pod, and having to survive in the wilderness. That's what's happening to Aria in Under the Never Sky - and along the way, she's discovering who she really is, finding her inner strength, and learning to trust a boy she sees as a savage but who has secret abilities of his own. The details of how the Aether-infected world really works - the lucky people in Pods, living their lives in virtual realities; the poor people, "Outsiders," living in tribes with clear-cut hierarchies; the destitute living in the wilderness - were very well defined. I couldn't put the book down.
television favorites
Arrested Development - Thank you, Netflix, for making another season of one of the funniest comedies EVER possible. I'm so excited.
Sherlock - I know I'm late to the game on this one - I've seen rave reviews of the BBC show and Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of the title character online, but wasn't really interested in watching it myself until I saw Cumberbatch in Star Trek: Into Darkness. Thanks, PBS and Masterpiece Theater for airing the first episode last week - I'm sure that wasn't planned or anything.
So You Think You Can Dance - It's audition time, so I'm not even bothering to remember any of the dancers' names yet, but there have been some really strong tryouts already - the dance people bring to this show is so innovative and full of emotion, and I am loving it.
What have you been loving this month? And also...
