As a kid, I grew up watching the original Titanic. I remember when I first watched this film, I begged my parents to buy me it when it came out in VHS because I was so infatuated with Leonardo DiCaprio's character, Jack Dawson. Even though I was so young and clueless with certain scenes in the movie, I understood the meaning of it at a young age. I guess, that's why the movie has been such a big part of my childhood.

Two days ago, I first heard about Titanic II from a friend. I'm not sure what rock I was living under but I definitely knew I had to check it out. To be honest, I decided to watch this film because I thought Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio would be in it but as soon as I found out they weren't, it was because of curiosity.

I have to say Titanic II wins for being THE worst movie ever. Yes, THE WORST. As horrible as this sounds, I couldn't stop laughing when the ship was sinking. Not a single tear fell down my face because everything about this movie was terribly awful.

The plot was completely different from the Original Titanic. Instead of being hit by an iceberg, they tried to escape a tsunami. The two main characters (ex couple) in this movie were ship owner Hayden and Amy, basically like Rose and Jack from the original Titanic but not really. So the movie starts off with bunch of researchers researching somewhere in the Artic and through their research, they find out a huge tsunami is coming it's way. As the captain makes the announcement , passengers are running around screaming to escape from it.

Like I said, everything about this movie was awful and stupid. Something that really annoyed me about this film was that everything was featured with special effects by the computer. I could easily tell that the fi;m was used with horrible special effects. For an example, not a single drop of snow was stuck onto the researcher during his research in the snow storm. Seriously?

Also, the tsunami and the location of the ocean looked so unreal that it was very obvious that they filmed the water scenes in a big swimming pool instead of an actual ocean. Last but not least, the ship NEVER seemed to be crowded at any point in the movie whereas the first original Titanic was always crowded with thousands of people. Also, I wish the director put more depth into the character's backgrounds like the original Titanic. As an audience, I feel like I had no idea who the two main characters were whereas in the original Titanic, Rose and Jack came from different social backgrounds.

I can definitely still keep going on about the difference from the two movies but that'll take forever. Everything about Titanic II looked so unreal that caused me not to enjoy it all. I wasn't surprised at all when I found out the film went straight to DVD due to the horrible ratings.

Overall, I definitely DO NOT recommend this movie because in my opinion, it doesn't deserve one star. NOTHING can ever come close the original Titanic.

I've never been a huge fan of action thrillers but after watching the preview for "Source Code", I'm very excited to watch it. After watching the preview many times, I couldn't stop talking about it. Even though I haven't watched it yet, I have a feeling that the movie is going to be amazing. If you have no idea what the movie's about it's about a solider who wakes up in unknown body in a train heading towards Chicago. While waking up in to an unknown body, his mission is to find the bomber of the Chicago train but throughout his mission, he finds a woman that he falls in love with which gets in his way to find out who the bomber is. The trailer sort of reminded me of the movie Avatar because Avatar also had the technology of switching people's bodies in their movie. Also the plot is a bit similar because in both movies, they have to face love and technology and choose between them.

Another movie I'm very excited to watch is "Soul Surfer". Soul Surfer is an action drama about a teenage girl Anna that gets attacked by a shark while surfing and loses her arm. Anna tries to recover but struggles to get back into surfing because of her accident. Ever since I was a little girl, I've always been into movies that were related to the ocean like the titanic, deep blue sea and open water. I realized the reason why I'm so into horror ocean movies is because the ocean scares me and it's one of my biggest fears in life. Also, knowing that Soul Surfer is a true inspiring story encourages me to watch it more.

Hopefully, I'll be able to watch these movies soon and once I do, I'll post my thoughts about it.

To be honest before watching "Marley & Me", I thought I had it all figured out about this film. I was pretty sure that this film was going to be about a happy ending movie about a dog but I was completely wrong. Let me just say, I definitely bawled to this movie like no other. Not only at the end but throughout of it. I've always been a huge fan of dogs since I had my own about ten years ago but because of my allergies, we had to give it away.

When I found out that Marley & Me was directed by David Frankel, I knew I had to check it out. One of my favorites movies by him is "Devil Wears Prada" and knowing that was an amazing movie and one of my favorites, I knew Marley & Me would be too. 

Marley & Me is a romantic comedy drama starring Jennifer Anniston and Owen Wilson. It's about a newlywed couple that grow up together along with Marley, the dog. Jennifer and Owen gets married and move to Florida to pursue in their writing career for their news article. Throughout the movie, the married couple decides to get a puppy and named it Marley but after a few months, Marley grows into a 100 pound dog that causes a lot of chaos for the couple. Since the married couple became richer and had children of their own, they were losing patience with Marley's energy. The busy family is so attached to their busy lifestyle that they forgot how old Marley has gotten. After going to the doctor's for Marley's checkup, they were informed that his time is coming up. 

While watching this movie, I realized this movie isn't about just a dog. It's about human life with a dog and how the family grew up together along with a dog. The movie was very relatable to me and probably to many viewers out there which was one of the reasons why it was such a good movie.. at least, to me.

A particular scene that really made me bawl was when the family realized that something was wrong with Marley. It was a daily routine for Marley to wait for the kids at the bus stop but the kids realized he hasn't been doing that lately because he was getting old and sick. As the family were playing outside, Marley ran away from home because he knew his time was coming up and for dogs, they like to be alone when their about to pass away.

Marley & Me has taught me that "Life happens when you're making other plans",which is so true. A quote that has been stuck into my head was when Owen Wilson said "the chaos is what made Marley worth living with" even though at the time it didn't seem like it. I realized that relates to everyone, not just dogs. Sometimes the chaos you have with a certain someone, is what makes worth living with.

Overall, I absolutely found this movie enjoyable even though I bawled through it. 

Interview

Finding Nemo is one of my favorite Pixar movies. The movie is a sweet Father-Son tale with some very scary moments. Marlin (Nemo's dad) loses his son Nemo, after he ventures out to the sea so Marlin faces many obstacles to find his one and only son. This is probably one of the few pixar movies that has brought out my sensitive side. I really enjoyed the storyline of the movie and how everything fit perfectly together. I like Dory's and Marlin's relationship throughout the movie.... how much they need and depend on each other. Overall, I definitely give it ten stars and can't wait to watch it again :-)

Interview

For my interview, I was going to interview my high school movie media teacher but I haven't had the chance to reach out to him for an interview so I decided to ask a questions to my manager from my job. My manager and I are very close when it comes to movies so we keep each other updated about what movies to watch and not to watch during our shifts. I decided to ask her a few questions relating to movies so hope you guys enjoy!


Lena: Katie, you also enjoy watching movies. Why?
Katie: Most people go on vacations to get away from stress but for me, watching movies is my getaway. Movies help me with my stress and emotions. Movies cures everything (laughs)

Lena: You mentioned to me before that James Cameron is one of your favorite movie directors. Why?
Katie: He's definitely one of my favorite's because his imagination is so different than any other director's out there. He knows how to use his imagination and direct it into a movie. James Cameron is very brilliant, creative and just amazing. He has made a significant contribution to the development of the film industry.

Lena: He's definitely my favorite movie director too. What's your favorite movie by him?
Katie: This is a hard one because I definitely loved all of his movies but If I had to choose my top favorite, it would have to be Avatar.

Lena: Why, Avatar?
Katie: Avatar was such a brilliant movie. The movie was just a fantasy and everything about it was just remarkable. Just the fact that James Cameron had the imagination to think of this wonderful film surprised me. His movie Avatar was just in a whole different level from his previous movies.

Lena: Since you enjoy movies so much, Did you ever consider about being a movie director .. or anything related to movies in general?
Katie: I definitely considered acting and being a movie writer but I just never really hard the urge to "go for it".

Lena: Why?
Katie: I mean I believe that I had the imagination to become a movie writer and If I received acting lessons, I think I would've been sent to hollywood. (laughs) No but in all seriousness, I definitely wanted to pursue in acting but I was just raised to go to college. My parents weren't really supportive of me being in an acting industry.

Lena: What's your favorite part about movies in general?
Katie: I enjoy movies because of enjoyment and relaxation. It's interesting to see characters in movies, fashion, hairstyles and etc. As I see it, while watching movies I have the ability to leave reality by enjoying it. It's my escape away from life.

500 Days of Summer

Another favorite movie of mine is "500 Days of Summer" starring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. The reason why I absolutely love this movie is because it isn't just a typical love story, it's a story about love. The movie focuses on the rise and fall of a relationship of heart, soul and a recognition that it is better have to loved and lost than never loved at all. It was also very relatable to the audience out there because it shows that not everything about love is perfect and not everything has a perfect ending when it comes to love. Overall, I thought it was one of the most funniest yet saddest romantic comedy of all time.

Inception

Inception is one of the best movies created of all time starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page and Tom Hardy. I've always been a huge fan of Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon Levitt
since their first acting in "Growing Pains" and "10 things I hate about you". So I was very excited to watch two of my favorite actors starring in a movie together. Re-watching Inception many times helped me fully understand the movie wholly. Inception is the most ambitious psychological thriller I've ever seen. I honestly can say that I can watch this movie over and over again and still be mind blown. Inception is about a team of dream professionals who enter peoples dreams and manipulate them. The movie is about a complex world and dreams. Even though the movie was a bit confusing, I loved every part of it. Not only did it have great acting, It also had an intriguing plot and brilliant visuals. Through this movie, I realized there is no "correct" ending. Many viewers from the audience are debating what happened on the final scene of the movie. Was Leonardo DiCaprio awake or dreaming? I guess you have to figure that out on your own. Overall, the movie was well acted, directed and wonderfully put together. I loved and appreciated how Nolan draws everything together like a puzzle.

http://www.screencast.com/users/Cinephilia/folders/Default/media/f8bbec57-273a-49b3-a0ad-9a179af5318b

Easy A

Since going to the movies are a bit pricey, I am very pleased to say that I finally decided to sign up for netflix! I am very happy with my decision and a bit sad that I haven't signed up sooner. Through netflix, I caught up with many movies I haven't seen and the best thing about it is that they mail recent movies to your house. I ordered "Easy A" through netflix and it was delivered to my house the next day.
"Easy A" is a romantic high school comedy starring young hollywood actors Emma Stone, Penn Badgley and Amanda Bynes. This high school comedy is about an insecure high school teen who gains popularity by exaggerating a small lie about losing her virginity to her "imaginary" boyfriend. Rumors began to spread around causing Olive (Emma Stone) to be the new gossip in her high school. After rumors were spread, Olive pretends to sleep with her gay best friend in order to help him fend off his bullies. Once she helped him out, several boys from her school find out what she has done and decides to pay her to do the same favor for them hoping to benefit from their "lost virginities". Basically, Olive realizes her life resembles Hester Prynne from "The Scarlet Letter" and decides to use the rumors to her advantage by putting a red "A" known as "adultry" onto her clothes. In the end, she realized she hurt her reputation by helping others to pretend to lose their virginity. She finally decides to stand up for herself and re fix her reputation by confronting the boys to tell the truth to the school. Once she fixed her reputation, she realized she was in love with the one guy who has always had her back and always believed the rumors about her were untrue, Todd (Penn Badgely).
Overall, "Easy A" was absolutely enjoyable. I thought the movie was one of the year's freshest, funniest and the most entertaining high school comedy since Mean Girls. Emma Stone gave a terrific performance and through her role, my respect for her has grown. Through this movie, I've learned that we shouldn't pretend someone who we're not just because of our reputation because reputation is only temporary and being yourself is not. "Easy A" was very inspiring to myself and many girls out there. The only thing I was a bit confused about was how Olive, a 17 year high school student gained attention from her entire school by losing her virginity. Nonetheless, I thought the movie was superb and I can't wait to watch it again!

http://www.screencast.com/users/lenachung/folders/Jing/media/c6f8fea1-4a08-4f4d-94d0-e10ae9d1d083

The Tourist

This past weekend I finally watched "The Tourist" starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. I had high expectations for this film because Johnny Depp's movies have never disappointed me. I guess you can say it is never good to go into a movie with high expectations. This movie had a very weak plot and it was not as action packed as the trailer made it seem to be. The aesthetics of the film were impressive but it was to the point where the movie seemed like an advertisement to travel in Venice. The ongoing thought in my mind was "wow everyone and everything is so beautiful in this movie, I really would like to visit there some day." Most often, the audience should be on their toes as to not knowing what to really expect in the film. From the beginning to end, the movie was very predictable. For an example,
it was very obvious that Johnny Depp and Angelina were going to fall in love. These are two Grammy award winning actors and you would expect there to be more substance in the film. An adolescent could have watched this film and know what exactly was going on. Although it is of importance for the film to be aesthetically pleasing, it is more important to keep the audience captivated in the plot. A good movie is most often described in similar adjectives. A good movie can be seen as inspirational, moving or mind blowing. These adjectives have one thing in common, which there is a deep impact on one's mind and on one's life. So unfortunately, "The Tourist" was a fool's gold for me; it was eye catching but quickly lost my interest.

The Black Swan

Being a fan of Natalie Portman and hearing good reviews, I thought I would finally watch the movie "Black Swan". The trailer was confusing and abstract but that was exactly why I wanted to watch the movie. It was also very interesting how the role of a swan, something so pure, could be in a horror related movie.
This film was about a young ballet dancer who was extremely hardworking and was striving to earn the main lead role. Something that really struck out to me was when her instructor told her that in order for her to give a successful performance, she had to just "let go." I think that's where her symptoms starting appearing such as her rashers as well as her hallucinations. She dealt with pressures from her mother, her instructor, her peers and even from herself which may have struck the other character to appear which was the black swan. The pressures of becoming perfect was hurting her both physically and emotionally. This movie is very much realistic in that we all suffer from society's desires and expectations of us.
This movie was terrifying yet so beautiful. Trying to be something perfect but turning into a disaster was the underlying theme in Black Swan. What was an interesting aspect of the film was that throughout the film, you really have no idea what is actually real and happening and what is being imagined. Therefore, it's really up to the viewer to guess or assume what is real and what is not.
Overall, I was very much impressed with this film and the aesthetics of this film was gorgeous and breathtaking. My respect for Natalie Portman has grown a great amount. She's also come out with another film called "No Strings Attached" which is a romantic comedy. This really shows how flexible she can be and how range her acting roles can be as well. I am looking forward to watching more of her films and I can't wait to share it with you all.

Introduction

My "niche" is to watch different types of movies and fully understand the meaning or the lesson through it. I'll mostly talk about romantic comedies because they're my favorite out of all them. I decided to write about movies for my blog because movies really inspire me to become a better person. They inspire me to love, find happiness, travel around the world and, most importantly, figure out who I really am. As cheesy as this sounds, my perspective on everything changes when i come out of a movie theater. Whether it's a chick flick, romantic or a horror movie, I learn something valuable from it.

Purpose

Although I wish I started sooner, I am excited to say that this is my very first Blog! The great thing about blogs is that regardless of who you are and where you're from, we get to share stories, inspirations and troubles we go through. Through this blog, I would like for people to connect with me and to be possibly inspired by me and vice versa. Inspiration is essential, in that, as we read other blogs, we become inspired by others and inspire others. I guess you can say I'm like a sponge, waiting to soak and absorb what everyone else has to say and share. So I hope that this blog will be my outlet to the daily functions I face and be as inspiring to others as it will for me.