2024 Movie/TV Watch List

2024 Watch List

WandaVision S1

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S2

What Happens Later (2023)

Dumb Money (2023)

The Creator (2023)

My Journey to You (C) S1?

Titans S4

The Holdovers (2023)

Mrs. Sidhu Investigates S1

The Great American Recipe S1-2

Shortcomings (2023)

Harry Wild S2

Go On S1

The Mandalorian S1-2

Special Ops: Lioness S1

Cyrano (2021)

Interview with the Vampire S1

Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)

Hypnotic (2023)

Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar (2019)

Agatha and the Midnight Murders (2020)

Dune, Part Two (2024)

All Creatures Great and Small S4

Brexit: the Uncivil War (2018)

The Marsh King's Daughter (2023)

Little Bird (PBS 2023 miniseries)

The Kill Room (2023)

Star Wars: Clone Wars S1-5

Young Blood S2 (C)

Beyond Paradise S1

Wonka (2023)

The Snowman (2017)

Freelance (2023)

Waitress the musical (2023)

Legend of Zhuohua (C)

Family Law S1-3

Dollhouse S1-2

The Color Purple (2023)

Wish (2023)

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

I.S.S. (2023)

Midsomer Murders S24

Miss Scarlet and the Duke S4

Destined (2023) (C)

In Blossom (2024) (C)

The Love You Give Me (2023) (C)

Yongan Dream (2024) (C)

Happy Valley S3

Nolly (2024 miniseries)

Jack Ryan S4

White Cat Legend (2024) (C)

Madame Web (2024)

Funny Woman S1

Moon Knight S1

My Sailor, My Love (2024)

Falcon and the Winter Soldier S1

Andor S1

Obi-Wan Kenobi S1

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, P1-2

The Secret Agent (2016 miniseries)

Rising of the Shield Hero S1 P1

Great Performances: Purlie Victorious, Audra McDonald, Rogers & Hammerstein's 80th Anniversary

Runaways S1-3

Mean Girls (2024)

Joy Ride (2024)

American Society of Magical Negroes (2024)

Ghosts (BBC) S1-5

MaryLand (2023 miniseries)

Inside Man S1

Royal Flying Doctor Service S2

Eileen (2024)

Doctor Foster S1-2

The Princess (2022)

My Life in Ruins (2009)

The Machine (2014)

The Crime is Mine (2023)

Toast (2010)

The Last Duel (2021)

Us (2021 UK miniseries)

Ghosts (CBS) S1-3

Elsbeth S1

Alice and Jack (2024 miniseries)

The Fifth Element (1997)

Beyond the Mask (2015)

Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

Dear Prudence (2008)

Perfectly Prudence (2011)

Wicked Little Letters (2024)

Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014)

Voices from a Distant Star (2002)

Anatomy of a Fall (2024)

Which Brings Me To You (2024)

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office (2024 miniseries & documentary)

Bridesmaids (2011)

Kim's Convenience S1-5

My Adventures with Superman S1

DI Ray S2

Father Brown S11

Hotel Portofino S3

American Fiction (2023)

The Fall Guy (2024)

Beyond Paradise S2

IF (2024)

Madame Blanc S3

Silent Witness S27

Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery (2013)

The Bikeriders (2024)

Mystery Men (1999)

Sister Boniface Mysteries S3

Monkey Man (2024)

Sorry to Bother You (2018)

Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)

The Garfield Movie (2024)

Star Trek Discovery S5

Francesca Quinn, PI (2022)

Designated Survivor S1-3

Ridley S2

Van Der Valk S4

The Gilded Age S2

Resident Alien S3

Interview with the Vampire S2

Belgravia the Next Chapter S1

The Accused S1-2

Guilt S1-3

Deadpool and Wolverine (2024)

Blink Twice (2024)

Mothers' Instinct (2024)

It Ends With Us (2024)

Harry Wild S3

Moonflower Murders (Magpie Murders S2)

Marlow Murder Club S1

Twisters (2024)

Wicked, part 1 (2024)

Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim (2024)

Orphan Black: Echoes S1

House of the Dragon S2

The Critic (2024)

White Bird, a Wonder Story (2024)

The Wild Robot (2024)

2023 Movie/TV Watch List

2023 Watch List

Lost Girl S1-5

Easter Sunday

Death in Paradise S11

Magpie Murders S1

Westworld S4

Star Trek Discovery S4

Van Der Valk S1

New Life Begins (C)

The Flight Attendant S2

Annika S1

Darby and Joan S1

Recipes for Love and Murder S1

Mallorca Files S2

Banshees of Inisherin

Don't Worry Darling

Ticket to Paradise

Tar

Abbott Elementary S1

The Woman King

Sarah Brightman: A Christmas Symphony

The Lady in Butcher's House (C) (1/6)

Green Lantern: Beware My Power

A League of Nobleman (C)

Unchained/Forbidden Love (C)

Call Jane

The Fabelmans

She Said

Guardians of Time

Autumn Ballad (C)

Silent Witness S25

Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever

Devotion

Vesper

My Life is Murder S3

Rogue Agent

Kin S1

The Whale

Traces S1-2

The Mirror Crack'd

Resident Alien S2

Taken Down S1

Women Talking

The Swearing Jar

Miss Scarlet and the Duke S2-3

A Man Called Otto

The Art of Crime S1-5

All Creatures Great and Small S3

Shakespeare and Hathaway S4

Missing

Vienna Blood S3

Moonshot

Legion of Super-Heroes

Sanditon S3

Star Trek: Strange New World S1

Ms. Chun is a Litigator S1 (C)

The Starry Love (C)

Mysterious Tales of Chang'an S1 (C)

The Suspect (2022 miniseries)

Father of the Bride (2022)

His Dark Materials S3

Batman: The Long Halloween (1&2)

Garden of Words

Magical World of Andrew Bennett

Batman: the Doom that Came to Gotham

Midsomer Murders S23

House of the Dragon S1

Great Performances: Celebrating 50 Years of Broadway's Best

Warm on a Cold Night (C)

Invitation to Murder

Marie Antoinette S1

Shazam 2: Fury of the Gods

The Magic Flute (2022)

Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

The Little Mermaid (2023)

65

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Detectorists movie special

Bloodlands S1-2

Tom Jones (2023 miniseries)

The Flash

Call the Midwife S12

Madame Blanc S2

Super Mario Bros Movie

Interface

Holding (2022 miniseries)

Death in Paradise S12

Our House (2022 miniseries)

Stargirl S3

Endeavour S9

Grantchester S8

The Last of Us S1

Butterflied Lover (C)

Ridley S1

Love Again

DI Ray S1

Insomnia (2002)

Prisoners (2013)

Sicario (2015)

Knights of the Zodiac

Jonathan Creek S3 & Specials

Walker: Independence S1

Harrow S1-3

Blue Beetle

Foyle's War S1-8

The Lost King

Guardians of the Galaxy 3

Hidden Assets S1

Dalgliesh S2

The Flash S9

Letter from the Cloud (C)

Star Trek: Picard S3

Doc Martin S1-10

Justice League: Warworld

Air 

The Outlaws S1

Arthur and George (miniseries)

Manhunt S1-2

Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Shadow in the Cloud

Seven

Elemental

Mayfair Witches S1

Professor T S2

Silent Witness S26

Poker Face S1 

Moon Haven S1

Jack Ryan S3 

The Buccaneers (1995)

Unforgotten S5 

Past Lives  (2023)

Sister Boniface S2 

The Nice Guys (2016)

Barbie (2023)

Succession S1-4 

Murdoch Mysteries S16

Father Brown S10

The Marvels 

Van der Valk S3

Abbott Elementary S2

Loki S1

Golda 

Emily in Paris S1

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

The White Lotus S2

Hotel Portofino S2

Chelsea Detective S2

The Sandman S1

Cannes Confidential S1

The Spencer Sisters S1

Annika S2

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

A Haunting in Venice

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Oppenheimer

The Miracle Club

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies S1

2022 Movie/TV Watch List

2022 Watch List

Call the Midwife S11

Grantchester S7

Doctor Strange 2: Multiverse of Madness

McDonald and Dodds S1

Silent Witness S24

Hotel Portofino S1

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Endeavour S8

The Undeclared War S1

Jurassic World: Dominion

Mr. Malcolm's List

The Resort S1

Detectorists S1-3

Ghosted S1

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts

Harry Wild S1

Six Minutes to Midnight

Lightyear

Yellowjackets S1

Blithe Spirit

Lucifer S1-6

Musketeers S1-3

London Road

Senora Volpe S1

Where the Crawdads Sing

Van der Valk S2

Legendary Life of Queen Lau

DC's League of Super-Pets

The Duke

Father Brown S9

Sister Boniface Mysteries S1

Thor 4: Love and Thunder

Picard S2

Black Adam

White Lotus S1

Justice Society: WW2

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty S1

Four Daughters of Luoyang S1

Murdoch Mysteries S15

Good Karma Hospital S4

Titans S3

Royal Flying Doctor Service S1

The Hating Game 

A Discovery of Witches S3

The Flash season 8

Sweet Tooth S1

Bullet Train

Your Christmas or Mine?

The Peripheral S1

L'Arc~en~Ciel 30th L'Anniversary Concert and Documentary

Catherine, Called Birdie

Stone of Destiny

Don't Make Me Go

Go Back to China

RedBubble Postcards

Got these for myself, my sisters, & my friends

Song Jiyang (fairy prince, Xie Lian, Xiao Xingchen, Yan Daifu) by my friend Aida

Also bought these for Sara

Fun w/ R&J

R&J & I went to watch X-Men: Dark Phoenix last Saturday. It was pretty good. Not nearly as bad as the reviews claimed. Although it had clunky writing and could have used more time with the characters, it was one of the better X-Men movies. The action sequences are unique & exciting, highlighting each mutant power, combo, & clash.

This evening we went to the 90s-themed downtown street party. I had planned to do the scheduled walk and stop by the local businesses to get popular 90s snacks (Fruit Roll-Ups, Hawaiian Punch, Ring Pops, Tootsie Rolls, Whoopie Pies, Rice Crispy Treats, Bagel Bites, Cosmic Brownies, pigs-in-a-blanket, Hi-C, Pizza Rolls, cheese balls, Kool-Aid, Bugles, root beer float, Cow Tales, & Cracker Jacks). Unfortunately, R&J weren't feeling up to it, and we couldn't even find parking, so we decided to forgo the scheduled program. 

Instead, we just went straight to Main St. Philly for dinner (sans ring pop). I had a coupon and got 2 philly cheesesteaks w/ onions & provolone, 2 sides, & 2 fountain drinks for $20. The cheesesteaks were pretty big & tasty, though the flavor was basic-good, not special-good. The fries & onion rings were special-good, fried to a perfect "crisp on the outside, tender on the inside" texture w/ good seasoning. I'd order them again.

 

After that, R wanted dessert, so we headed to MacSweets. First, we found parking at the Welcome Center, where I got the sample of Hawaiian Punch & Fruit Roll-Ups. What a throwback, like the 90s hits we listened to all night. We walked to MacSweets. I got the tiny sample of Whoopie Pie lol. R ordered a slice of cheesecake and almond cupcake for $7. Both were delicious, so moist, rich, & flavorful. Too sweet after a few bites, so it's good to share, but they're so good!

 

 

Despite some drama at the start, it turned out to be a fun night. :)

Wonder Woman!

Life-size cardboard stand-up of Wondy :D

Christmas Festivities

Sun., Dec. 23: M&M arrived, then R&J. Menu: Sam's rotisserie chicken, chicken pot pie w/ flaky jumbo biscuits, R's pecan pie, Erica's cake balls.

Mon., Dec. 24: Did Xmas trivia research. Watched Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Justice League w/ M. Went to Xmas-themed Trivia Night at Playalinda Brewing Co. (Downtown) w/ M&M (5th place). Ate a soft pretzel (yum) w/ ale cheese sauce (too much beer :P) & honey mustard. Ran into Lorna's parents.

Xmas Trivia

Round 1: Xmas (General)

1. Supposed German traditional ornament, hidden in the Xmas tree? - Pickle.
2. New Xmas character that watches kids being naughty or nice? - Elf on a Shelf.
3. European folklore's half-goat Xmas demon that punishes bad kids? - Krampus.
4. Much-reviled Xmas food known for its long shelf life? - Fruitcake.
5. Santa Claus in France? - Pere Noel.
6. Decade when NORAD started tracking Santa? - 1950s.
7. 3 names for Santa? - Father Christmas, Kris Kingle, Saint Nicholas.
8. Xmas symbol that originated as a pagan virility symbol? - Mistletoe.
9. Country w/ the 1st Xmas tree? - Germany.
10. Estimated cost of the gifts from "12 Days of Christmas"? - $1.3 million

Round 2: Xmas Movies & TV Specials

1. Name of Rudolph's elf friend & his dream job? - Hermey; dentist.
2. Frosty's 1st words? - Happy birthday!
3. Last song sung in Charlie Brown Christmas? - "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (hummed & sung)
4. Names of the boy, brother, & friends in A Christmas Story? - Ralphie, Randy, Flick, Schwartz.
5. Names & criminal name of the burglars in Home Alone? - Harry & Marv, the Wet Bandits.
6. Popular toy in Jingle All the Way? - Turbo Man.
7. What action movie am I thinking of? - Die Hard.
8. What cousin Eddie says is full in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? - The shitter.
9. Actor who played Papa Elf in Elf? - Bob Newhart.
10. CD that Alan Rickman gives to Emma Thompson in Love Actually? - Joni Mitchell.

Round 3: Xmas Songs

1. What Grandma drank too much of &what she forgot in "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer"? - Egg nog, medication.
2. "I don't know if there'll be snow, but have a cup of cheer" - "Holly Jolly Christmas"
3. "Run Run Rudolph" reelin' like a what? - Merry-go-round.
4. "Do They Know It's Christmas" benefited what country under famine? - Ethiopia.
5. Dinner in Run-DMC's "Christmas in Hollis"? - Chicken, collard greens, rice, stuffing, mac & cheese.
6. "Snowin' and blowin' up bushels of fun" - "Jingle Bell Rock"
7. Next adjectives after "O Come All Ye Faithful"? - Joyful & triumphant.
8. Bing Crosby's best-selling song? - "White Christmas"
9. The "prettiest sight to see"? - "the holly that will be on your own front door" ("It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas")

Tues., Dec. 25: Xmas feast w/ the whole family (slightly awkward). Spiral-cut honey ham w/ cranberry sauce, roast beef w/ mushroom gravy, sauteed shrimp, veggie medley, whole wheat stuffing, Sister Schubert dinner rolls, Claxton fruit cake (from R), Aldi tiramisu & apple pie, R's pecan pie, my pumpkin pie, Mom's strawberry cream cheese pie, whipped cream. YUM.

Wed. Dec. 26: Early morning Wal-Mart run w/ Mom for discount Xmas decor. Bought pretty ornaments: glitter (maple?) leaves, pack of assorted red-green-gold mini balls/stars/bells, star w/ jingle bells, & mini gas lamp. Cracker Barrel breakfast w/ M&M & Dad. Ate country-fried chicken w/ scrambled eggs, hashbrown casserole, grits (gave to M&M), & biscuits w/ country sausage gravy (mm). Watched Searching: excellent movie, so innovative, really good mystery w/ great writing, directing, & acting (John Cho <3). After M finished her paper wreath (& met up w/ an old classmate), we watched Ant-Man.

Thurs., Dec. 27: M&M returned home.

Thanksgiving

Wed: Mom & I went to the 1st showing of Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald. It was really good! Although there were many plot threads, and the writing/editing didn't seem as tight as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, this chapter of the 5-part series was very exciting & emotional, w/ some great light moments w/in the darker story. I love the characters & creatures, and I can't wait for more! (That cliffhanger!!)

Thurs: Since R & M are coming for Xmas instead of Thanksgiving, we didn't do anything special for Thanksgiving this year. Just went to the Chinese buffet w/ Dad for lunch. They served turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, & yams, but no stuffing. Pretty good food; improved w/ new ownership.

 Love this lit peacock holiday decor!

 

Before 4pm, Mom and I went to Wal-Mart to wait for their "Black Friday" event. They served Keurig coffee or hot cocoa & Xmas sugar cookies. We browsed and found some really pretty, sparkly champagne flats on sale for $5! We read some celeb magazines. Then at around 5:15pm, we went to the DVD section (dairy) to wait and found out that the line already went all along the refrigerated section! Around 5:45pm, they started letting groups of shoppers into the DVD section. Thankfully they hadn't run out of Wonder Woman and Justice League Blu-rays by the time we got there ($5 & $6 each). But then we had to get into the check-out line, and it was soo long, like more than halfway across the store, past the shoe section. The cashiers had to wait for 6pm to start checking out people's items at the Black Friday sale prices. After 6, we waited another 20 min. or so and checked out.

When we got home, I found out that Amazon had the WW Blu-ray on sale for just $4! So I ordered that for M's Xmas present (will return the Wal-Mart one later). JL was the same price, so I kept that one as my Xmas present from Mom. ^^

DC Universe FREE Subscription!

Being a WB A-List community member has its perks! I just answer weekly entertainment surveys about new releases and WB properties (HP/FB, DC, etc.). As thanks, they sometimes gift me w/ special offers. 

In March, they gave me a free movie code, which I used to digitally own Wonder Woman, and it came w/ the Wonder Woman soundtrack, The Lego Movie, Jason Bourne, Big Hero 6, Ghostbusters (2016), & Ice Age!

Then in Oct., for a survey on special features, they sent me a code for Logan, which includes all the making-of and character featurettes, plus a black-and-white "noir" version of the movie. Sweet!\

Now, b/c I'm such a huge DC nerd, they've selected me to receive a free one-year subscription to DC Universe! All I have to do is answer a few surveys about the online service and its movie, TV, comics, fan community, & store features. I can't believe I'm getting access to DCU for a year, for free (worth $75/year)! I'm really looking forward to watching the DCU original series Titans, plus Doom Patrol, Swamp Thing, Stargirl, & Harley Quinn (animated) series coming next year!

Squee! Can't wait!

A Few of My Favorite Things

FILM

Animated

1. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
2. Mulan
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. Robin Hood
5. The Little Mermaid
6. Anastasia
7. The Lion King
8. Sleeping Beauty
9. Cinderella
10. Toy Story (Series)
11. Batman: Under the Red Hood
12. Wonder Woman

Comedy

1. Ever After
2. Bend It Like Beckham
3. Penelope
4. Emma
5. Casanova
6. Stranger Than Fiction
7. 10 Things I Hate About You
8. Austenland
9. (500) Days of Summer

Drama

1. Amazing Grace
2. Forrest Gump
3. A Walk to Remember
4. Romeo and Juliet (1968)
5. Belle (2014)

Musicals

1. The Sound of Music
2. The Phantom of the Opera
3. Les Miserables
4. Grease
5. Evita
6. Cats
7. Oklahoma
8. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
9. Mamma Mia!
10. Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
11. Love's Labour's Lost

Science Fiction/Fantasy

1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
2. The Star Wars Saga, Episodes IV-VII
3. Harry Potter Series
4. DC Extended Universe (esp. BvS & WW)
5. Indiana Jones Series
6. The Dark Knight Trilogy
7. Batman/Batman Returns/Batman Forever/Batman & Robin
8. Serenity
9. Inception
10. Pacific Rim

TELEVISION

Animated

1. Batman: The Animated Series
2. Justice League/Justice League Unlimited
3. Rurouni Kenshin
4. Teen Titans
5. Avatar: The Last Airbender
6. Ouran High School Host Club
7. Animaniacs
8. X-Men
9. The Legend of Korra

Action/Adventure

1. Nikita
2. The Musketeers

Comedy

1. Parks and Recreation
2. Superstore
3. Friends

Drama

1. The West Wing
2. General Hospital (Scrubs)
3. Reign
4. Victoria
5. Poldark (2015)

Dramedy

1. You're Beautiful (Korean)
2. Jane the Virgin
3. My Mad Fat Diary
4. My Girl (Korean)
5. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Mystery

1. Murdoch Mysteries
2. Midsomer Murders
3. Endeavour
4. Elementary
5. Inspector Lewis

Science Fiction/Fantasy

1. Firefly
2. Charmed
3. Orphan Black
4. The 100
5. Pushing Daises
6. Game of Thrones
7. Stargate: SG-1
8. Merlin
9. Forever
10. The Librarians
11. Star Trek: The Next Generation

Superhero/Comic Book

1. The Flash
2. iZombie
3. Supergirl
4. Legends of Tomorrow
5. Black Lightning
6. Gotham (BabyBatCat)
7. Smallville
8. Daredevil

TV Movie/Mini-Series

1. Pride & Prejudice (BBC 1995)
2. The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
3. Ivanhoe (1982)
4. North and South (BBC 2004)
5. Planet Earth (BBC)

MUSIC

Band

1. L'Arc~en~Ciel
2. Travis
3. Savage Garden
4. ABBA
5. Boyzone
6. SS501
7. M2M
8. Keane
9. Loveholic(s)
10. KARA
11. Epik High
12. The Piano Guys

Solo

1. Sarah Brightman
2. Josh Groban
3. Younha
4. John Denver
5. Jason Mraz
6. Enya
7. Celine Dion
8. Hayley Westenra

BOOKS

1. The Harry Potter Series
2. Ella Enchanted
3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
4. A Song of Ice and Fire Series
5. The Night Circus
6. The Griffin & Sabine Series
7. The Sunset Rising Series
8. Me Talk Pretty One Day

COMICS (Characters)

1. Batman
2. Batfamily
3. Wonder Woman
4. Superman
5. Justice League
6. Blue Beetle III / Jaime Reyes
7. DC Comics Bombshells
8. Teen Titans
9. X-Men
10. Y: The Last Man

Philippines Trip, Week 4

June 15: quick browse of Lucky Chinatown Mall w/ cute shops like Korean Mumuso...

Ironically, we ate at Pancake House (marinated beef/pork w/ egg, rice, & salsa was meh). Got Daiso keychain souvenirs for R & M. ^^ Also bought hopia! :D

 

June 17: Father's Day lunch at Summer Palace, then shopping at Chinatown market/mall.

Bought hair accessories & electronic accessories. These flip-flops tickled me. XD

June 18-19: Ate ube, mung bean, custard, & buko pandan hopia. ^^

 

 Filipino siobao (jumbo!) & more hopia.

 

June 20: Dinner at... I forgot the name of the restaurant. >_>;

Mushroom & radish soup. Sweet & sour pork (like take-out), lechon (disappointing), tofu.

 

 Ox tail stew (so rich & flavorful)

 

 Mango sago (tapioca). Mochi (super soft).

 

June 21: Day out w/ Ger & A. :) Got a ride to Bonifacio Global City & met at Central Square(?) mall cinema to watch Ocean's 8. Very funny & exciting heist movie w/ a great female cast. Really liked it. Browsed a Charming Charlie that was closing, but the remaining items still weren't discounted enough for me. Then we went to dinner at trendy Mendokoro Ramenba. Small & crowded but worth the wait.

Gyoza, aji tamago. TanTanMen ramen. Very tasty!

 

Short walk to St Louis House of Fine Ice Cream & Desserts (taro ice cream)

 

"Thor: Ragnarok" Review

I finally watched Thor: Ragnarok. It's kinda all over the place--a weird mix of loud, Marvel-quippy, neon-colored Guardians of the Galaxy sci-fi, mythological fantasy, and family drama. It's still good, overall, despite the disjointed "apocalyptic but FUN" plot, but mostly because of the collection of enjoyable moments and characters (similar to Justice League being a huge mess redeemed only by the characters and their individual moments).

Hulk/Banner are used to great effect, Valkyrie lives up to the hype, space Jeff Goldblum is Jeff Goldblum in space, and the villain Hela had the potential to be so much more because Cate Blanchett is great in all her scenes but underutilized since much of the movie is focused elsewhere or played for laughs. I don't think it's necessary to watch Thor 3 before Avengers: Infinity War, but I still recommend it for fun.

Now I just need to see Black Panther! 

"Justice League" doesn't do Justice to the League

Marvel Movies & Mexican Meals

Sara took a week-long holiday, so we got to hang out with her several times.

Sara came over to watch Avengers 2: Age of Ultron. It's always fun and funny to watch movies with friends' running commentary. ;) She shared my opinion that AoU had some fun moments, but it wasn't as good as the first Avengers because of silly plot holes, the comedic villain you can't take seriously, and the Hulk/Black Widow romance that came out of nowhere ("What about her and Hawkeye? Wait, he has a secret family? Wouldn't Captain America/Black Widow make more sense?" Same.) I also recapped Ant Man for her, but we skipped Deadpool.

Later, we went out to watch Captain America 3: Civil War. It was really good. Cap's movies continue to be the best of the Marvels. Like CA2: The Winter Soldier, CA3 had a good mix of character and team dynamic moments, spy games and superhero fights, drama and humor, plot and heart. Some of the CW felt contrived (like Iron Man secretly recruiting Spider-Man, a literal teenager, to fight superhumans for his belief that they should have more oversight and accountability??), but I think the writing was good at showing both sides, albeit briefly, before the real threat took over. I greatly enjoyed the introduction of Black Panther, who was appropriately regal, graceful, and ferocious (and okay, Spider-Man was cute and fun). I still have a problem with Black Widow being the token female character who has to be the comforting woman to all the male characters, but she's still badass. (I hope they're setting up the Black Widow/Winter Soldier storyline.) Sara was weirded out by Vision/Scarlet Witch, even when I told her it was canon in comics (and pointed out that he looks older but is technically younger than her), but I like them together. (We both agree that Paul Bettany is great though.)

Finally, R and I met with Sara for Mexican/Cuban food (even though I had just gone with Mom a few days before ;P). We celebrated both R's and Sara's birthdays which are just 1 day apart. =)

I had a steak fajita, which was yummy, and I also decided to try their Fried Ice Cream dessert! It had cookie dough ice cream fried in a shell of corn flakes(?), topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup, surrounded by caramel fried bananas. Super sweet but so satisfying. ;)

 

Holy Trinity, Batman!

It's heeerrreee! Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice came out today, and I saw it tonight! It's a dream come true for me, to be honest. We finally have a World's Finest movie (with Wonder Woman!), and it was awesome!! Grade: A-!

Actually, BvS was like a Man of Steel sequel for Superman, a Batman movie with backstory (and obligatory origin story), a short Trinity movie, and the beginning of a Justice League movie, all in one 2.5-hour film! It's just mind-blowing how much story they fit into it and executed well. Multiple plotlines with real emotions for all the characters, woven together for one big, complicated, poignant conflict and resolution. It felt like it gave proper screen time, attention, and depth to every major character, and there were many. And it was so much more than just a superhero smackdown or comic book movie. It was a film about humanity and all its strengths, flaws, complexity, and weight. It was also a political thriller, psychological drama, heist movie, action flick. So many layers!

I know a lot of critics call it messy, but it's barely jarring. Sure, there were a couple of awkward missteps from having so many characters, flashbacks, and set-ups for future DC Films, but as ambitious and jam-packed as it is, I followed the plot developments easily enough and with rapt attention.

Honestly, I'm genuinely puzzled as to why so many critics disliked it. The positives far, far outweigh the negatives. And I'm not just loving BvS because I'm a huge DC geek. I don't automatically approve of everything they make. In fact, like most fans, I'm actually harder on them. These are my favorite characters, and I want the best versions of them to be adapted well. Like, I really like MoS, but I do agree with the criticisms that it was too somber and the action scenes gave me CGI battle fatigue.

So walking into BvS, rather than high expectations, I had high hopes but mostly deep fears. I was really worried about BvS (not least of all because Snyder and Affleck cited Frank Miller (ew) as a big inspiration). I dreaded the possibility that it would be a 2-hour wrestling match for some contrived plot point and that they'd ruin Wonder Woman. As it turns out, BvS was the complete opposite. The BvS conflict actually made sense, not just plot-wise, but character-wise. The writing does a great job of framing both Bruce and Clark's states-of-mind and explaining how they end up on opposite sides for legitimate reasons (not mind-control). The CGI was not that bad or overwhelming, and the fight scenes were brutal but not too long. All the ladies were real and fantastic in different ways, Lois Lane, Senator Finch, Martha Kent, etc. And omg, did they do Wonder Woman justice. I think almost everyone agrees that Diana was the best part of BvS. She was badass, smart, beautiful, and compassionate. Just right. I can't wait for the Wonder Woman movie next year!

Gal Gadot was definitely the breakout star. Bravo to her for embodying such an iconic character and symbol of feminine (inner+outer) strength+beauty! Henry Cavill continues to bring such humanity (empathy, love, doubt, etc.) to Clark, Amy Adams has the wits and warmth of Lois down pat, and Jeremy Irons is the perfect wise and snarky Alfred. I was on the fence about Jesse Eisenberg, and he still has that signature nervous energy in his performance, but I think it works with this younger, unstable Lex, and he was a great villain with realistic motives and diabolical plans. And as for Batfleck, well, I was full-on "NOOOOO" when he was cast, but I will happily admit that I was wrong. Affleck was actually a really good Batman and Bruce, dare I say, the best live-action one so far? He expressed Bruce's brooding weariness, trauma, paranoia, sorrow, rage, and righteousness, and his Batman was smart, threatening, and kick-ass, straight out of the Arkham video games. With Affleck co-writing/producing/directing/starring, I am definitely optimistic for the solo Batman movie (hopefully an adaptation of Under the Red Hood).

The reveal of the Justice League members' origins was kind of a detour and could have been cut down and saved for the next DC Film, but I really liked what I saw of The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg so far. Can't believe Justice League is finally happening! *flail* (But first, Suicide Squad in August!)

I enjoyed almost every part of BvS. I was never bored, confused, or thinking about plot holes. Besides older Batman easing up on his strict No-Kill Rule (recently, apparently), I was not disappointed but quite pleased with the characterizations. I rooted for both Batman and Superman, I fell in love with Wonder Woman, I sat on the edge of my seat during dialogue and action alike, I gasped and cheered, and I laughed and cried.

Is BvS perfect? No. Is it epic, amazing, beautiful, heart-pounding, heart-wrenching, filled to the brim with both story and spectacle, with great characters, writing, acting, directing? YES. It's as close to my dream Batman/Superman/WorldsFinest/Trinity movie as I could ever hope for, and I can't wait to see it again.

in all honesty, if you love the dc universe - you will enjoy batman vs superman. it was a love letter to the characters. ben was bruce, gal was diana, henry was clark. everyone shone and even non powered characters like lois had hero moments and fantastic character building. the reviews can say what they like. i’ve spent ten years with dc. this was amazing pay off. ~~@reyesrobbies

Netflix

When we weren't touring and eating, we took advantage of M's Netflix subscription. We watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2: Sword of Destiny. I was surprised to learn it was filmed in English and dubbed over with Mandarin, rather than the other way around. Guess it's because it was a Weinstein Co./Netflix production aimed at American viewers over Chinese. It was more of a traditional kung fu action/fantasy adventure, which I liked, though not as beautiful and emotional (and tragic) as Ang Lee's CTHD. It's a sequel in that it continues the Green Destiny's story but not quite a sequel in spirit. I would watch CTHD2 again though. I like the characters, the actors (hey, it's Magnus Bane from Shadowhunters lol), and the fight sequences. It may be a "blatant money-grab," but at least it's good entertainment, even if it's not as artistic and dramatic. I do hope they make more out of the Iron-Crane Pentalogy.

I caught a few minutes of Finding Vivian Maier, a documentary about the posthumously celebrated photographer. She was a nanny who took hundreds of thousands of photos during her lifetime but never showed them to anyone, and it was only after her death and the accidental discovery of her negatives at an auction that she got the recognition her great work of street photography deserved. From what I saw, it was fascinating, and I must make a mental note to find it and finish it someday.

We also started watching Daredevil Season 2! Alas, we didn't have time to finish the whole season, but we watched the first five episodes, and they're just as compelling and well-written as Season 1. Still don't like the violence and gore, but the intense character studies, development, and monologue/dialogues are excellent, not to mention the fight scenes. I'm not feeling the Matt/Karen ship though. I kind of liked it when it was Karen subtly crushing and Matt being a sweet friend but not romantically reciprocal (much like I preferred Arrow when Felicity was adorkably crushing on and being supportive of (but awesomely no-nonsense to) Oliver, while he treated her as a respected colleague and cute close friend). Matt/Elektra is very interesting and tensiony so far, but she seems kinda crazy. I'd like more Claire (with or without Matt). I love Foggy.

While enjoying DD2, I noticed so many parallels to Batman. Not only is DD a well-known Batman-for-Marvel, but Elektra is DD's Talia (femme fatale love interest who seems perfect for the hero except for shadier morals), and Punisher is Red Hood (vigilante who "crosses the line/does what the hero won't" and kills criminals with guns). Even Punisher's ultimatum to DD ("shoot me or I'll shoot this murderer") is the same as Red Hood's (I know Punisher came before Red Hood, so it's possible that moral confrontation was in Marvel before DC, idk). Anyway, the show and characters are written and acted so well, I don't even care. No, actually, I'm a little "jealous" at how good DD is and how DC can't adapt things as well, but there's hope yet!

Only THREE MORE DAYS until BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE!

DC Films Previews!

omg can't wait for these DC movies!!

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - March 25, 2016

Suicide Squad - August 5, 2016

Wonder Woman (!!!!!) - June 23, 2017

2016 Movies List

Must-Watch-ASAP (in theater)

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - 3/25
World's Finest and Wonder Woman on the silver screen for the first time!! More excited for this than any other movie this year. I'm kinda wary of Snyder taking notes from Frank Miller and the continuously grim Superman set up in Man of Steel, but still hopeful for a great Trinity team-up movie!

Captain America: Civil War - 5/6
CapAm has had the best Marvel movies so far, and I'm looking forward to more Cap, Bucky, Black Widow, and Falcon (plus Black Panther's cool). Hope it's as good as CA2:TWS.

X-Men: Apocalypse - 5/27
Always have a soft spot for X-Men. The preboot films have been excellent, and this one looks great, too. Storm, Psylocke, Nightcrawler, even Jubilee. ^^;

Suicide Squad - 8/5
Looks badass and very entertaining (ooh, humor in DCU). Harley Quinn (Mad Love), Katana, and Amanda Waller for the big screen.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - 11/18
Ah, finally returning to the magical world of Harry Potter. <3 But in 1920s New York? Fun!

Star Wars: Rogue One - 12/16
I'll watch anything SW, but since Ep VII The Force Awakens turned out to be glorious, I'm more excited than ever. And with this one being about Rogue Squadron and a female lead pilot, I'm all in. (Now if SW would just add Tatiana Maslany and Gina Rodriguez in another movie...)

To-Watch-Later (on DVD, from library)

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - 2/5
This just looks like a lot of campy fun with kickass ladies and feminist romance. Win.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny - 2/26
CTHD is a beautiful martial arts movie. Hope this will be, too. Might go see it in theater with Dad, show some support.

Finding Dory - 6/17
Love Finding Nemo. Love Dory. It's about time they made a sequel!

STAR WARS 7!!!

It's heeerrreee! STAR WARS: EPISODE VII - THE FORCE AWAKENS premiered tonight, and I saw it, and it was glorious! ♥o♥



It opens everywhere tomorrow, Dec. 18th, but some theaters, including (surprisingly) our small local cinema, had early showings starting around 8 PM. Luckily, Sara had time to go with me tonight. =)

I loved it. It was just as epic & exciting, emotional & enthralling, fun/funny, nostalgic yet refreshing, and awesome as I'd hoped. T_T It did a great job of capturing the wonder and fateful adventure of the Original Trilogy. The plot (and shots) may have mirrored Ep. IV in many scenes, but I like to think it was more an homage to the cyclical nature of these heroic fables, than a nerdy need to call-back to everything OT. The new Trio and new droid companion are delightful and added a breath of fresh air to the classic story. The humor feels a bit more modern now, too, as does the emo villain. Overall, I feel like it brought back the magic of Star Wars that was shrouded in the Prequel Trilogy by poor writing/directing/acting. In fact, I commented to Sara that I wish they would remake the PT, because it has all the makings of another great story of love, faith, power, and politics, but it was just badly executed. But I think JJ Abrams and the new creators, cast, and crew did right by Ep. VII, and I can't wait to see TFA again!

After the movie, Sara and I went to Village Inn to discuss the movie and catch up. She's so busy, it's hard for her to find time to hang out, so it was lovely just to sit and chat. She told me to join the online game Star Wars: The Old Republic, which she and Amanda and their friends play a lot of. It sounds fun, and it's free, so why not (even though I already gave up on Game of Thrones: Ascension).

Man, I'm so buzzed. STAR WARS!!

Update: I created my own lightsaber online. Isn't it beautiful?

Kiwis in OC / Disney Springs - Part 4

Oct. 22

Rainforest Cafe

 

 We were going to eat here, but it was already an hour-long wait at 5 PM. =/

 

So we walked around looking for a restaurant without a line and ended up at....

 

Fulton's Crab House

 

 ironic, but at least they asked if anyone had allergies, didn't balk when i said i was allergic to all seafood, and promised they would be extra careful not to mix the food.

 

 crazy expensive.

 

 my chicken w/ gnocchi was really good though. ribs were above average.

 

lovely murals all around

 

Goofy's Candy Company

 

Disney's Days of Christmas

 

 

 

 

 The Art of Disney

 

 

 beautiful artwork

 

 

 

 finally reached the end.

 

 

 going back to the parking garage...

 

 

Disney Springs has several live shows at night, and they're all great. We passed by a classical-pop instrumental group, a rock band, and a jazz band. My favorite was the "modern classical" group Nova Era.

 

 i'd love to watch them perform again.

 

too bad they weren't wearing their 18th Century costumes

 

Lots of fun visiting Disney Springs. If it weren't such a pain to drive to and in Orlando, especially Disney/Universal/International Drive, then I'd go there more often, if only to watch more live performances.

Oct. 23

We woke up well before dawn to get ready and drive uncle, aunt, and cousin to the airport. Sad to see them go since we we had fun together but didn't have enough time to do everything we planned, but it was just nice to finally meet them and catch up after 30+ years. :)