Who is the Suckiest?

 
I can't stand any of those crude parody movies like Scary Movie, Date Movie, etc. but recently I saw Vampires Suck which is a parody of, obviously, the Twilight films. I have a love-hate relationship with the whole Twilight ordeal because I was among the first to get into it and kept telling my friends how awful they were, but still good in a guilty pleasure sort of way - like one might feel after eating a whole sleeve of Oreos. I got as far in as buying the whole set of books, but stopped way in advance of scary looking Team Edward pillowcases. So even though I know this movie is going to, well SUCK, I had to see how bad it would be (like picking a scab).

The surprise was it wasn't THAT bad, and there were some genuinely LOL moments. For example:

Edward: "What do vampires eat?"
Bella: "Vampire cereal?" [holds up box of Count Chocula cereal]...hehe

I think it's because the actual Twilight films are so laughable in the first place with its super lame acting and cliched lines, so really, it can't get worse. I actually preferred this Bella - or in this film, Becca - because she totally perfected the Kristen Stewart lip biting and stomach pain expression and this Jacob also looks cuter than Taylor Lautner. So if you feel like indulging your inner teenage girl and having some purely brainless entertainment for an hour or so, go for it.

Note: I've noticed some trouble commenting to other people's blogs for some reason, notably the embedded style of commenting, so if anyone can give me some pointers to change browser settings or the like please let me know!

Long Live the BBC

One of the advantages of living in Canada is that we often get many good BBC programs shortly after they are broadcasted in the UK. I have to admit that the standard of their shows are quite amazing, whether they be documentaries like the Planet Earth series or their dramas. I especially like the Masterpiece Theatre dramas they are so famous for making. I mean, at least I don't feel like these shows are insulting my intelligence like some others - ahem, The Bachelor and Jersey Shore - plus, the beautiful scenery and costumes are great eye candy as well. So if you feel like having an English movie night and fill your tv screen of good looking gentleman with sexy accents and green English fields when it's pouring rain outside, here are some of my best picks for you (in random order) by the BBC or A&E

North & South
I just watched this for the first time yesterday and had low expectations due to the boring looking cover. I've never heard of this book or this drama before, but decided to give it a try. I'll admit that the story took awhile to warm up, but soon I was hooked. It has elements similar to Pride and Prejudice so this is a good option if you want a second choice. I've never heard of Richard Armitage before (who plays the Darcy-esque Mr. Thornton) but he looks a bit like Hugh Jackman, has the eyes of Gerard Butler, and the swoon-worthiness of Mr. Darcy. Let me also add that the last 5 minutes literally made my neck prickle because it was so romantic - sorry to include that bit of a spoiler but you know that it's going to end in a way to please those British homemakers. The only drawback is that it also has a lot about Victorian working conditions and unions which may bore some, and that the female lead looks a bit like Rachael Ray to me and that ruined things a bit.

Northanger Abbey
Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey is often overlooked and over criticized for being one of Austen's weaker novels so the adaptations are also less popular. I liked this one because the lead looks a bit like Jude Law, Felicity Jones is perfectly sweet and pretty as Catherine Morland and it also stars one of my favorite actresses in her early acting days, the ingenue Carey Mulligan. Enough said.

Persuasion
Persuasion is one of my favorite of Jane Austen's and I thought Sally Hawkins (who won an Academy Award a few years ago) was great as Anne Elliot. One of those great stories about second chances in life and listening to your intuitions. It has some beautiful seaside sceneries and another handsome male lead as the famous Captain Wentworth.

Jane Eyre, 1997
Jane Eyre is probably one of those books that will always have endless movie and tv adaptions. This one from 1997 was the first I'd seen and is a very faithful version of the book. The talent of the two lead actors truly demonstrate their abilities, especially Samantha Morton as Jane.

Jane Eyre, 2006
However if you prefer a more modernized version, this one from 2006 has replaced the older version as the top favorite for many Jane Eyre fans. I think it's because it's quite a sexy retelling of a classic story. I mean, how can it not with Toby Stephens, son of Maggie Smith, as Mr. Rochester? Some have even criticized him for being too good looking. As if that is a crime!

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Daniel Deronda

Daniel Deronda is about this guy who is trying to find out about his mysterious past. Hugh Dancy is stoically adorable and Romola Garai steals the show as the female lead.

Wives & Daughters
This one is quite like a modern day soap opera. Stepmother moves in between the close relationship of a daughter and her father. Throw in a frenemy stepsister, add some good looking male suitors and presto, instant addictive drama.

Little Dorrit
I've heard lots of good things about this series before I finally had a chance to see it. The story is not simply a romantic drama, but as a Dickens classic it has all the elements of a wide cast of interesting characters, beautiful scenery, and plot twists and turns. It stars Matthew MacFayden (who was Mr Darcy in the Pride and Prejudice version opposite Kiera Knightley) and Claire Foy who looks a bit like Kristen Stewart.

Tess of the d'Ubervilles, 1998
Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles is one of my favorite books and I loved, and still do, this 1998 version. I think Justine Waddell is an amazing and underestimated actress as the tragic heroine and Oliver Milburn is still my favorite Angel Clare of them all. It's a bit sad, but beautiful to watch.

Tess of the d'Ubervilles, 2008
Before she was Bond, Gemma Arterton also played Tess ten years after the last version. She plays a more confident and independent version of the character so it's also enjoyable to watch, but I didn't like Eddie Redmayne as Angel in this version. The scenery in this film is really beautiful and just makes you want to run in an English field or something.

I left out all the versions of Pride & Prejudice because I am sure everyone and their dog knows about the 1995 version and Colin Firth exiting the lake. If you have any suggestions for me, please feel free to send them on!

Going Up the Hill

I recently read this article online a few months ago that men start feeling old at 58. Women, on the other hand, start feeling old at 29. That is quite an astonishing gap, but one I would readily believe. There is something intimidating about the thirties and the feeling of seeing that border approaching is stressful. I blame it on a mix of society pressures and that damn biological clock. Women are supposed to be married and have kids, establish a steady career, or all of the above by this age. The majority of women portrayed in romantic comedies and chick lit books are mostly within the 20-30 age category (or try to pass off to be, even though in reality they are not - ahem, SATC ladies). Even in the days of Jane Austen, her heroines were pretty much considered old maids after 25 (not to mention Jane Austen herself as one of the most famous spinsters of all literature). From a biological standpoint, maybe women are also deemed to be reaching towards their expiration date past 30. At that point, you'd think everything is going to sag towards the floor at the speed of light.

I have to admit being this age myself, I do feel a bit apprehensive as I have not done any of the above things. However, ignoring social age norms for the moment, I do look forward to having a better understanding of myself in my thirties since I feel my twenties were full of uncertainty about my ideal path and myself in general. Not that I feel any wiser at the end of this decade in my life, but perhaps more aware of what my weaknesses.

Yes, at times I do start feeling like an old lady when I have sudden lapses of memory (like, the other day I could barely remember the name of a colleague I used to work with). I do feel overwhelmed with technology and worried that its development will soon lapse my ability to keep up, which I never felt ten years ago. I can barely keep up with the latest Apple inventions, and define an Android. And new artists! Just the other day I asked a friend of mine who is Nicki Minaj? Good lord, I'll be my mother in no time.

Yet, I refuse to let age define me. There are tons of people who think their thirties are the best decade in their lives so far. An age of mature decisions, confidence, and life satisfaction instead of the drunken party days of the twenties. Plus, I just know that someday when I'm 70, I'm going to give anything to be 29 or 30 again so I might as well enjoy every moment and not be bound by a number that means nothing!

Just saw this movie yesterday

As you might guess from the title, it's pretty predictable being a Shakespeare classic adapted a thousand and one times but it's still quite adorable, especially with the voice talents of the sexy James McAvoy and Emily Blunt and a soundtrack full of Elton John tunes.

The First Five

Ok, I am not sure how to start off one of the first posts and I am still trying to figure out the mechanics of Blogger so perhaps it might be easier to list 5 of my favorite things or facts about myself as a brief introduction!

1. I currently live in Vancouver, Canada. It's a great city, beautiful and has almost any food imaginable. Every time I travel elsewhere I get a bit excited to be home.
2. My favorite classic authors are Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy. I also like Dickens but rather watch the BBC movies than read the actual books because they are so long
3. I'm a bit of an Anglophile and like all things British. Also I adore France and all its food and architecture. I'm also a fan of those cheesy french romantic comedies they are so good at making
4. Someday I would like to develop my photography hobby but at the moment I only have a common point and shoot digi cam
5. Pink is my favorite color

Hello Blogger

Finally a little piece of Blogger estate! This is where I hope to share a few musings on a random range of topics including books, movies, fashion, and life. A dash of this, a dollop of that...

This ought to be fun!