Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- Jim Carey and Kate Winslet

The Gist

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Buy it here and support our blog

Joel and Clementine meet by chance someday and fall in love, their relationship ends up being true and real. Like every relationship though they have their issues, but in their case they can erase each other from their memories. What would you do if you could erase your memory of someone forever? Would you do it?

Real Teen Reviews
Reviewed by: Shorewhisperer
Run Time: 108 minutes
Rating: R

Before I watched this movie I was skeptical. I'm not usually a big indie fan but in this case I fell in love with the entire movie. All I knew about this movie was that the cinematography was amazing and that they had won an Oscar for an original screenplay. So I started watching it and what stood out for me is the characters. Being an actor I like to see character development and right from the start that's what I saw. Winslet is comedic and yet intimidating in the role of Clementine. We see so much of her character in her first scene that we feel that we already know her. Then Jim Carey becomes not only a comedic actor but a dramatic one who actually has some chops. I was very surprised by this. The acting and chemistry between these two characters was raw and intense, which made this movie even better.
Now, I said that I am an actor but I have learned a lot about cinematography (from north star) and I was extremely impressed with the cinematography of this movie. Every time you watch this movie you see a new thing that you didn't notice before. If you hadn't noticed before in all of Joel's dreams the faces which he hasn't seen like Patrick, or faces that are slowly being erased like the Doctor. Every scene has something new or creative, small details that create the world of the movie and helps the movie portray the meaning.
I've talked about cinematography and acting, but the movie actually won an Oscar for best screenplay, so we should probably look at that. The movie plot is very original, it isn't every day that we see a plot line that focuses on psychological question like this movie does. The plot line resembles that of a Christopher Nolan film like Inception or Memento. It takes you a minute to process the movie after it finishes and then finally the movie makes sense.
Finally, the end isn't a happy ending, this made me happy. I get so sick of happy endings where things become a fairy-tale. This movie sticks with its raw indie feel and the ending isn't happy or sad but it's hopeful and yet there is a sense that their relationship that the audience is rooting for is in a very fragile state and although we want to be hopeful for them, we can also see the discouraging side of their relationship.
To finish my review of this movie I want to share my first statement about this movie after watching this movie. "This movie is a 8." "Out of what, Shorewhisperer" "Out of 5!" , that's how much I loved this movie. I realize that this movie is not going to appeal to everyone. I know people who do not like this movie because it is a little strange and slow at parts, to me though it seems like this movie is deeper and more sophisticated than the indie film that most people see.

Real Teen Rating~ A: You MUST watch this movie!!!

Read More

Lincoln - Daniel Day Lewis, Sally Field, and Tommy Lee Jones

The Gist
Throughout the civil war, President Abraham Lincoln must deal with the immense carnage on the battlefield, the struggle for morale throughout the country, and the endeavor to emancipate the slaves.

What We Think
Reviewed by Dream Catcher
Run Time: 150 minutes
Rating: PG-13
I was really hoping to like this movie. After that whole mess of a movie Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter I wanted things to end on a high note this year for Mr. Lincoln. And everyone was talking about how amazing it was and how brilliant Daniel Day Lewis was and what-have-you. I didn't want to be the odd man out there, either. But I was a little weary. I like historical movies, sure. But how much is too much when it comes straight from the history books, you know? Turns out I had nothing to worry about.
I cannot even begin to describe how perfect Daniel Day Lewis' performance was. Nowhere on Earth or anywhere beyond that could you find a better guy to play him. I completely forgot who he was - he just became Lincoln. Whenever his character told a story, it wasn't Daniel Day Lewis talking, it was President Abraham Lincoln. When he was trying to convince his son not to join the army I was convinced that was really his son and he honestly didn't want him to leave. When he argued with his wife, it wasn't Sally Field and Daniel Day Lewis arguing. It was Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. He was so believable I can't even imagine him not getting a Golden Globe or an Academy Award for Best Actor. Similarly, Sally Field was amazing. She played the craziness of Mary Todd Lincoln perfectly, and I found her performance completely believable, though she never usurped Daniel Day Lewis as Almighty King of Lincoln Acting. To round out the Best Acting Nominees, Tommy Lee Jones was better than amazing. He had some great lines, and some great speeches and I hung on to every word of every one of them. He deserves an award for her performance as well. I can't think of a single way he could have played it better.
I'll move on to the script, which is also Golden Globe nominated. Sensing a pattern of greatness, huh? The script for Lincoln as so unbelievably good...I can't even talk about it. It was so good. So. Good. So good. I loved every second of what I was watching, what I was listening to, what I was seeing. It was so entertaining, historical, and surprisingly funny. I never knew it, but Abraham Lincoln was quite the story teller, and he told a few great stories throughout the film. All of them were written so perfectly. Gah, I don't know what else to say. The script was just awesome. And that's all there is to it.
I guess that's all, folks. I've only really talked about two things (acting and the script?) but those were the two major aspects of the movie that were beyond fantastic. There were other elements of the movie I appreciated (what comes to mind: the filter. The darkness in the shots was really beautiful and I think kind of emphasizes the darkness of the times) but the ones I just focused on were what made the movie truly great. The only slight complaint was that it did feel long. I was never bored, but the long-factor was getting to be a bit too much. Any longer and it would have been too long. But other than that the movie was magical. I felt as though I was watching Lincoln himself, confiding to his loved ones, grieving over his lost son, never crumbling under the stress of his proclamations. It was such a strong sort of film. So beautifully put together it made me wish I knew more about that time, more about that president. And despite the inevitable ending, there was a spark of hope, so I left the movie theater feeling full, instead of empty. I think that's how movie's should be.

Real Teen Rating ~ A : You MUST watch this movie!

Read More

Elementary - CBS

The Gist

Elementary
Buy it here and support our blog

Sherlock Holmes is a recovering drug addict living in New York City. He's also a consulting detective from Scotland Yard in London who's working with the NYPD while he finishes his rehab. Assigned to him by his father is a sober companion named Joan Watson, who got more than she bargained for with an overly logical, unemotional, and closed off patient who drags her to bloody crime scenes and forces her to think in new ways to help the police solve the toughest crimes.

What We Think
Reviewed by Living Destiny
Number of Seasons: 1
This show at first glance appears to be an attempt at beating out the BBC version of Sherlock Holmes, titled Sherlock. I haven't actually seen Sherlock, so I can't compare them, but as soon as I watched Elementary I was pretty sure it would be able to stand alone. First of all, Watson is a girl. And when I first saw the ads, I hated that fact. I mean, I love Lucy Liu, but John Watson was written as a man, and the character is a man, so why change that? Also, people already think Sherlock and Watson should end up together in Sherlock, where both characters are men. Turning Watson into a woman would just add fuel to those thoughts, and I don't think Sherlock and Watson should be a couple. Upon watching the show, I realized that it works. The character Joan Watson, not John Watson, needs to be a girl. It's hard to picture a sympathetic but stern sober companion as a man. She has to be a woman to balance out this version of Sherlock. And as I said, I love Lucy Liu, and she does a great job. The star of the show, however, is Jonny Lee Miller. He plays Sherlock, and he's absolutely brilliant. He's aloof, obnoxiously intelligent and self assured, breaks all the rules, and is never wrong. It's perfect. Watching him play Sherlock is the highlight of the show. The plot almost doesn't matter, although the plot is also good. Miller and Liu have great onscreen chemistry, and they play off of each other incredibly well.
It's an interesting twist to an old story that Sherlock is a recovering drug addict. In Sir Conan Doyle's books, Sherlock occasionally did cocaine to stimulate his mind. It's hinted at in the modern movies with Robert Downey Jr. But it's never addressed as a serious issue. It's sort of acknowledged that he does drugs, but never fixed. In this version, it's a Sherlock without drugs, getting over his addictions and being a detective anyway. I like the healthy him, who doesn't need to do drugs. He has a brilliant mind, and though he doesn't seem to struggle with his rehab, the threat is there in some of the episodes, and he always contains himself well. Watson, who is usually a doctor, as a sober companion makes the character more necessary to the plot. The doctor Watson can come and go as he pleases, but the sober companion Watson has to stay with Sherlock at all times, not only to keep him out of trouble, but to keep him away from relapse. It's a good creative decision for the show to make Sherlock a recovering addict, because it changes the dynamic between the characters for the better.
The story lines themselves are pretty typical. It is a cop show, after all. There are only so many crimes that can be committed. Nothing extraordinary there. It's the dialogue and characters that make this show so stellar. Sometimes it gets a little predictable, but again, it is a cop show. But it's a higher end cop show. A classy cop show, shall we say. Jonny Lee Miller really steals the show, and it's a show that has me hooked.

Real Teen Rating ~ A: Definitely check it out!

Read More

Wreck-It Ralph - John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman and Jack McBrayer

The Gist

Wreck-It Ralph
Buy it here and support our blog

Litwak's Arcade is a place where kids go to play games and forget about their worries.  At the arcade there is a game called Fix it Felix Jr. and it has been one of the most popular games for 30 years.  There is just one small problem.  The villain of the game, Ralph, doesn't want to be the bad guy anymore.  He wants the people of his game to like him and appreciate who he is.  While celebrating the 30th anniversary of the game the characters don't invite him to the party and he vows to them that he will prove he is a good guy and that he will come back with a medal showing that he is a hero.  So, Ralph sets off to find the medal and prove that he is a good guy after all.  

What We Think
Reviewed by The North Star
Run Time: 108 minutes
Rating: PG
I saw this movie today after hearing that it was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature and I had wanted to see it for a long time because it looked adorable.  I was so glad that I did see this movie because it was adorable. One of the things that I really loved about it was that fact that it was completely new and never thought of before.  When I first saw the commercials I thought wow a movie that isn't based off a book and it has an original idea.  Disney always seems to amaze me with their ideas.  Who thought of to tell the story of characters in an arcade but not only that but the villains perspective.  It would have been way easier for them to tell the story through Felix's eyes but instead they decided to show it through Ralph's eyes and how he deals with the situation.  I applaud you whoever works at Disney.  
Speaking of the story, this was a really great kids movie.  If I knew someone under the age of ten and I wanted to take them to see a movie I would 1000% choose to take them to this one.  It was witty, adorable and had a very happy ending.  The perfect ingredients for a children's movie.  I love children's movies too but something seemed to be missing from this movie.  The second half of the movie at points a little too childish to me.  Almost like they spelled things out a little too much.  Granted it was made for a younger audience in mind but Disney is usually good about making movies good for the parents to watch along with their kids.  The whole movie was not this way but there were points where it felt very little kidish to me and they were parts that could have been made non-little kidish.  The one other thing that I wished for this movie was that they traveled to other games because they only really traveled to a couple.  The ones that they traveled to were fine but I wish that they added one or two more because the couple that they went to seemed like they spent to much time in the games that they went to. Other than those parts though the film was full of things that I enjoyed even as a teenager.
On a different topic the voice acting in this movie is perfect.  I applaud the casting director because they couldn't have gotten better actors to play the roles.  John C. Reilly was the voice of Ralph and I loved how innocent he made the character sound without making it seem like Ralph complained a lot or was even weak.  Sarah Silverman was the voice of a little girl that Ralph makes friends with along the way and I NEVER guessed that it was Sarah Silverman's voice.  I only found that out after the movie when I was researching who played who.  She did an amazing little kid voice and again was perfect for the role.  Jack McBrayer voiced Fix it Felix and I know him from 30 Rock because he plays the adorable page, Kenneth.  He had a very good tone to his voice to make it seem like Felix could be a kid but he could also be an adult which is very much what the character of Felix was like.  Not quite a man but also not quite a boy either.  Finally, Jane Lynch.  I was afraid when I heard about her being the voice actor because her voice is so distinctive and I didn't think that the two would be able to be distinguished.  I was so wrong.  They made the character look a lot like Jane Lynch so they didn't try to hide the fact that she was the character.  I thought this was ingenious because since she has such a distinctive voice and they worked with that so that she could still be in the movie and be amazing. 
In short, this was a fantastic children's movies and if you have kids you should take them.  I also think that it should win Best Animated Film in the Oscars because besides the parts I didn't care for I thought that it was extremely well done and there were some part that I couldn't stop laughing at. 

Real Teen Rating ~ B : Rent it to save for a rainy day.

Read More

Django Unchained - Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio

The Gist

Django Unchained
Buy it here and support our blog

Dr. King Schultz, bounty hunter, buys Django out of slavery to help him find three white men who used to work on the plantation where Django had just been sold from. When Django shows a natural talent for bounty hunting, the two men strike up a partnership, spending the winter killing criminals for money. As they get closer, they decide to go on a search for Django's wife, who was sold away from him when he was sold. Their search brings them to the plantation of Calvin Candie, where they have to pull off a crafty scheme to save Django's wife from the cruelty of the slavery system.

What We Think
Reviewed by Living Destiny
Run Time: 165 minutes
Rating: R
This movie is so long. So. Long. It's nearly three hours long. I'm having a hard time getting past the sheer length of this film. It probably doesn't help that I went to see a 9:45 showing, so I got out at almost 1 in the morning. But seriously, it's so long. And the worst part is that it feels long. A three hour film can go by in no time if it is absolutely captivating and fast paced. Django Unchained, despite all of its hype, wasn't. There were a ton of little montage shots, and even some whole scenes, that could have been cut from the movie entirely, and it wouldn't have suffered. The thought process behind a movie is that every detail has meaning. If it doesn't characterize or progress the plot, it has no purpose. And some of the shots did characterize, but still felt unnecessary. Most of them didn't do either, and that gets me neatly to my next point.
This movie is directed by Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino is very much a hit or miss director. His most famous movie is probably Pulp Fiction, which most people either love or hate. Basically, he gets strong reactions. But he's so excessive in his effects. Characteristics of his movie are lots of swearing, lots of blood, and lots of explosions. And that's usually too much, but he somehow manages to outdo himself in this movie. I'm not affected by the sight of blood in the least, and even I was cringing at this one. Gunshots that would in real life produce practically no blood, on the screen produce gushing streams that shoot five, ten feet out from a body. It's totally unrealistic, and honestly it's just gross. And some of the scenes are wicked graphic. Fights to the death, whipping, a man literally being torn apart by dogs. There's no purpose to it except to shock the audience. That's really all Tarantino can do. Flashy, shock movies that are intended to get a rise out of the viewers. This is the first movie I've seen of his that had serious potential as a script, and all he could do was drag it through the mud. Granted, it did have some redeemable qualities, even some good scenes, but I would chalk that up to a fluke, and not give credit to Tarantino. Also, there was way too much use of the 'n' word. I know it's set in 1858, and that's slavery time, but it was so much. I think any word has value, but overuse of a word devalues it, and that's what happened here. They said the 'n' word so much, it ended up doing nothing at all. Which brings up a question: is this movie supposed to be a satire?
So, is it? I couldn't tell, and that frustrated me. Sometimes it leaned that way. The excessive gore, coupled with the Mark Twain-esque use of the 'n' word, made it seem like a satire. There was even one scene involving the KKK that was actually funny, and clearly poking fun at racism as an organization. But that was the only funny part of the movie. So maybe it wasn't a satire at all, maybe it was supposed to be serious. A hard hitting drama with a powerful message. So why was that funny part in there? And what's with the grotesque amount of gore and foul language? It would appear that this movie is trying to be two totally different types of movies, and ends up being a confusing mess. 
But there's a good side to every story. The script of this movie, minus the gratuitous swearing, was actually well written. It was an interesting story, although I think realistically it should have been broken into three movies, because I think there were three distinct sections of the story. Which makes it surprising that it wasn't split into thirds, given the recent trend in Hollywood to stretch every plot line out to kingdom come. It was a good story that could have been made into a truly great movie. The acting was also, for the most part, really well done. Jamie Foxx was ok, but I'd say the stars are Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Samuel L. Jackson. Christoph Waltz, the German man, was fantastic. He was probably my favorite character, because he was cunning and he knew exactly where his morals lay, even if they weren't the typical morals of society. Leonardo DiCaprio was the perfect bad guy, which was surprising to me, because I've never seen him play the villain. He was wonderfully greasy and sleazy, and he made me hate him more than I thought I could. Samuel L. Jackson was more of a minor character, but he was powerful. He played the slave master of the house, basically the head slave, whose allegiance was in more with Candie and the white folk than his own people. He was clearly intelligent, but knew his place, and his character stole the show as the real bad guy in the story. He was incredible. The only actor I really didn't like was Kerry Washington, who played Django's wife Broomhilda. She screamed too much. And I know she was a deeply abused slave, but seriously. Every time someone looked at her funny she screamed. It got as old as all the blood. 
Overall, I'm disappointed. This could have been so good. There was so much potential just waiting for a spark. And then Quentin Tarantino threw copious amounts of blood all over it, and the spark went out. The acting was good, but that wasn't enough to redeem the movie as a whole. This movie should have stayed chained.

Real Teen Rating ~ C: If there's nothing else to see...

Read More

Les Misérables - Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe

The Gist

Jean Valjean has been in jail for 19 years for stealing bread.  He has finally been released but before he leaves he is informed by Javert, a policeman, that he must carry around a paper saying that he was in jail and that it would be virtually impossible to find a job.  Javert also lets him know that if he breaks any laws he will hunt him down and throw him right back in jail.  Jean Valjean leaves and soon finds out that what Javert says is true.  No one will hire him or even take him in.  One night he stumbles upon  a church and the priest lets him take shelter for the night.  During the night Jean Valjean steals silver from the priest and runs away.  As he runs away he is caught and send back to give the priest his silver.  When he goes back the priest informs the officers that he gave Jean Valjean the silver and that he did not steal it. The priest lets Jean Valjean know that this is his chance to start again.  Jean Valjean leaves the church with a purpose to his life, rips up his papers and decides to start his life as a new man with a new name.  

What We Think
Reviewed by The North Star
Run Time: 160 minutes
Rating: PG-13
I have been a fan of this musical ever since I heard "On My Own".  After listening to the song about 100 times I decided to listen to the rest of the CD and I found that I loved all of the songs and not just the one that I had listened to over and over again.  A year or so later I got to see a local production and I fell in love with the show.  As the years went by I continued listening to the soundtrack and never stopped loving it.  Then about a year ago I heard that they were finally making the musical into a movie.  I couldn't wait to see it.  For a year I patiently waited for the movie and as soon as I could I went to go see it.  I wasn't expecting for it to be just as good as any other movie-musical and that is all that it was.  I love the music and the story to this musical a lot more than other movie-musicals but it was nothing that I wasn't expecting.
First off, something that I found out a couple of weeks before seeing the movie was that all of the actors are actually singing.  On the set they were recorded singing the song and when editing the film together they used those recordings.  Nothing was mixed in the studio after the fact. It would be the same as if you saw it on a stage.  The actors are really singing and are not enhanced in any way to make themselves sound better.  The was a cool fun fact but it definitely raised the grade for me because it shows that the all-star cast could actually sing instead of just act. 
When I first heard about them making the musical into a movie I heard of who was rumored to be the leading roles and I was very disappointed because with the exception of Eponine and Marius all of the actors were household names that people knew.  I was especially upset when I heard that Fantine was going to be played by Anne Hathaway.  I don't particularly care for her as an actor and Fantine has some of the most famous songs in the show.  Going in with that mind set I walked out with the complete opposite thought in my head.  After seeing her performance I think that she deserves the Oscar.  She played Fantine to near perfection.  Her performance was so raw and real.  When she started singing "I Dreamed A Dream" I couldn't look away from the screen.  She had brought meaning to that song that I never knew existed.  She broke down crying in the middle of a line and took a second to catch her breath which is what would really happen if you were in her situation.  Most of the times that I saw someone perform that song they would break down at the end of a line which isn't necessarily realistic.  In short, Anne Hathaway was amazing and deserves to be recognized for her role.  
The other actors were actually pretty good as well.  Hugh Jackman was a great Jean Valjean but not amazing.  He had an amazing voice and was a great actor and he did better than I expected.  Russell Crowe on the other hand struggled.  His acting was stellar but his singing not so much.  It wasn't horrendous but the character of Javert has some of the greatest songs and he butchered them.  He was a better singer than I thought but I wish that it was better.  His acting and looks made up for the singing, so that was ok.  The girl that played Eponine (Samantha Barks) didn't reach the bar.  "On My Own" is one of the greatest songs from the show and it fell completely flat.  It didn't feel like she sung her heart out or put any emotion into the song for that matter.  Marius (Eddie Redmayne) was another unknown in the cast but he did really well.  Usually the character of Marius is kind of a weenie because he is so lovestruck but Eddie played him really well and made the character seem more manly which was a refreshing change.  Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter played the expert scammers and they were amazing.  Their parts were very small but they were amazing in the few parts that they were in.  They are the comic relief of the movie and I am always grateful when they come on because the show is so heavy.  Overall, the acting in the film was very strong.
While looking at the Golden Globe nominations I saw that this movie was nominated for best original song and I was confused because this show already had SO many songs.  Then I saw the film waiting for the song and it was completely unneeded.  I could tell that it was added only so that it could be nominated for that category.  Don't get me wrong, the song sounded pretty and was well-written but to me it seemed very out of place.  It made me very upset to think they had to add another song just to get nominated for another category.  The music has been known as legendary ever since the first showing of the musical, there is no need to add a new song now.  
The last thing that really bothered me about this film was the cinematography.  The cinematographer only used a couple shots.  Extreme close-ups, shots that awkwardly cut off people's boy parts like foreheads or arms and shots where the character was only in one third of the screen and the rest was all just te background.  All of these are good shots to use when making a film but they shouldn't be the only shots that you use for the entire film.  I wish that they would have broadened the horizons and done something different every once in a while but they didn't.  Although, I did appreciate the use of the long shots.  Those are very difficult to do and to do well so I applaud the cinematographer for those.
All in all, I thought this movie was very well done and will be remembered and I will probably end up buying it on DVD or even seeing it in theaters again.  It lived up to my expectations and nothing more.  At points it took my breath away but as a whole it didn't exceed what I was expecting and that is why I can't give it an A. 

Real Teen Rating ~ B+ : Worth Watching!

Read More

Anna Karenina - Keira Knightly, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson

The Gist

Anna Karenina
Buy it here and support our blog

Anna Karenina is an honorable, married woman with an important husband and a son who is dear to her. And she is, for the most part, content with her life. It doesn't matter so much to her that her husband is twenty years her senior or that he doesn't care to spend time with her and their son; he is a good man. When her brother, Stiva, writes to her for help she leaves St. Petersberg for Moscow immediately, altering her life forever. There, after convincing Dolly (Stiva's wife) to forgive him for cheating, Anna is persuaded to attend a ball. Her sister-in-law, Kitty, is certain she will be proposed to there by one handsome officer named Alexei Vronsky. Much to Kitty's displeasure, at the ball it's not her Vronsky can't take his eyes off of; it's Anna. It becomes clear to both Anna and Vronsky after only a few dances that they have a connection. Unable to shake her feelings for Vronsky, Anna faces more than just scandal in response to her ensuing love affair.

What We Think
Reviewed by Dream Catcher
Run Time: 129 minutes
Rating: R
My first reaction, directly following the credits, was That was the most depressing movie I've ever seen. And though I've amended my statement to be simply one of the most depressing movies ever, it doesn't change the fact that the movie as a whole is ridiculously sad. Very tragic, really. But I shouldn't give away the ending.
Let me first say something of the score, which is Golden Globe nominated, because I'm listening to it as I type. It is so beautiful. It just makes me want to leap up and dance some traditional Russian Waltz. Equal parts elegance and melancholy, always with a great deal of lamenting violin. I want to play them as I go to sleep so I can dream of something romantic and sad. If it doesn't win Best Original Score I'll be very upset. My favorite song might be the one to go along with the credits, Curtain, or maybe the one to start off the whole movie, Overture, of perhaps the symphony of when Vronsky and Anna fall in love, Dance With Me. I don't know. It's so hard to pick. They're all so wonderful.
Speaking of wonderful, the art direction, which I usually keep out of the review, was just amazing as well. The whole thing was made as if being performed on a stage, in an abstract way. Doors of offices would open to reveal grassy fields or ballet stages. It was crazy, entrancing, and completely unique. I'd never seen anything like it before. I thought it added something to the film, distinguishing it as something greater than just a romance movie. Though the plot may not be anything beyond that, I feel as though the art of the movie itself makes it worth seeing.
I might as well say something about the plot and script while I've brought it up. Though the book it's made from is really in-depth, the movie is not. It is, simply, a romance. A fantastical, heart-breaking romance, but nothing more. This, with critics and fans alike, left something to be desired. What is there beyond scandal? Beyond affair and forbidden love and shame? Well, there's nothing. This is a story of love, of passion, of mistakes and regret and shame. Though the book dives deeper, it has longer. Who wants to watch a four-hour long movie as the script attempts to delve into the inner mechanisms of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina? You could read a few chapters of the book every so often, finish it eventually, and think, Wow, Tolstoy really hit the nail on the head. But he didn't have two hours to do it, did he? People are searching for something that can't be there: substance beyond romance. I thought it was a superb romantic-tragedy, a tale-of-woe perhaps, but philosophy of life? Not there, my friend. And it wasn't intended to be there. The screenwriter didn't accidentally leave it out of the script, or forget to write it in. It just wasn't what everyone expected. My advice: if you want a simple, elegant romance, better than some romantic-comedy, watch it - anything beyond that...read the book. One major complaint is that it felt like Anna and Vronsky fell in love too quickly. They danced all night at a ball (oh, the scandal!) and suddenly they couldn't bear to be apart. Does love work that way? Does dancing work that way? I dunno, maybe in Imperial Russia it does.
I guess last and not least is acting. I thought Keira Knightly as Anna was great. She played all of Anna's emotions well. When she was missing her son, crazy with uncertainty, longing and in love, desperate and sad. I know a lot of people thought she was fickle, but I would describe her more as confused, innocent maybe. I thought, after what she'd been through, her emotions didn't seem so irrational, and I think Knightly's portrayed helped with that. Jude Law as her husband was really good, too. He hardly ever showed much emotion, but in that he made the character very believable. The only other I'll mention is Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the guy who played Vronsky. I thought he played the part well, too. His character was well-bred and full of pomp, giving an air of elegance himself, despite his (let's say) womanizing beginnings. This, I daresay, isn't very hard to play - nevertheless, Taylor-Johnson played him well enough, and there's really not a lot to say about it. The entire cast was decent, and even good, but none Oscar or Golden Globe worthy.
In conclusion, I think the movie should be more known for its art direction, costuming, score, and cinematography - all of which were beautifully executed. Though the script left a little something to be desired, for what it was - a romance - it was very good. I would recommend it, but not to everyone. I think it was a little long for some people; if you're one of those who notice a movie's length and are bored beyond two hours, I wouldn't say you should see it. But if you'd like to see a tragic love story with beautiful backgrounds and stunning costumes and elegant dances, give it a try. I don't think you'll be sorry.

Real Teen Rating ~ B : Rent it to save for a rainy day.

Read More

Partners - CBS

The Gist

Louis and Joe have been best friends since they were little kids. Now they own an architecture firm together, and they perfectly balance each other out. Their friendship is as close with each other as they are with their romantic partners, Ali (who is engaged to Joe), and Wyatt (who is dating Louis), which can occasionally cause problems. But nothing can come between a bromance like this, and it brings the four of them all together through all the ups and downs of life.

What We Think
Reviewed by Living Destiny
Number of Seasons: 1
First and foremost, I apologize for the gist. I've never been very good at them, and lets be honest, it's a sitcom. You try to summarize Friends as anything other than six friends who live in New York City, and you'll figure out how hard explaining a sitcom is. I'm a winner here.
Anyway. So the theme song is awesome. It's a little detail, but the theme song is "On Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons. The playful words and upbeat music fit the comedy of the sitcom, and I honestly just love the band, so anything that uses their music is already great. 
The characters are great too. Louis is my favorite. He's a loud, flamboyant gay man who has no boundaries, and thinks mostly of himself, but really cares about his friends and loved ones. It's almost how I picture myself if I were a gay man. Michael Urie (the actor playing Louis) is just adorable, and he has fantastic comedic timing. He's the funniest part of this show. He and David Krumholtz (who plays Joe) have great onscreen chemistry, and they just work well together. Joe is much more tight laced, but he's still funny in a sarcastic, almost dry sort of way. Because he and Louis are so opposite from each other, they make good foils for one another, and their scenes always had me laughing out loud, much to the chagrin of my sleepy parents. Ali and Wyatt aren't exactly smaller characters, but I thought of them that way, mostly because I liked them slightly less than Louis and Joe. Wyatt's character is funny because he's completely stoic. He hardly ever smiles, even when he thinks something is funny. If he purposely tells a joke, no one really knows until he says it's a joke. He's so deadpan all the time, it's fun to watch. He and Louis are a cute couple, and they obviously really care about each other. The same goes for Ali and Joe. The characters were written really well, so that a relationship between all of the four main characters is seen with the other three as a pair. If that makes sense. Ali was my least favorite relatively, but even she was good. She didn't make me laugh as much as the others, but it's not like she ever detracted from a scene. I think she was funny because she would question Joe's relationship with Louis, and it caused interesting conflict. 
That's it. Four main characters. There are a few bit players, sure, but there are just four main characters. I really love that. A show doesn't need lots of people or intense action to be entertaining. Look at Friends. Yes, I'm making another Friends reference, but it's been stuck in my head lately. There were six recurring characters in that show, and it was immensely popular. People still love it today, and it ended in 2004. What's necessary is lovable characters and interesting conflict, which I think Partners has. Some of the episodes have more serious issues, like financial problems, and some are completely fickle, like sleeping with a celebrity, but they're always amusing, and they always highlight the complexities of adult relationships. I can't say enough good things about this show. 
The plot lines were interesting. I know I just said that, but it's really true. They had creative ideas. The best part of the plot is definitely the conflicts caused between Joe and Louis, and their thoughts on how relationships work. Obviously, most of their differences of opinion come from the fact that they are very different people, but some of them stem from the simple fact that Louis is gay and Joe is straight. I appreciate that difference. It seems to me that there is a trend appearing in modern sitcoms where they have to add in a gay character. Whether that's for social diversity and acceptance, or because writers think gay characters can be funny in a more stereotypical-for-gays-but different-than-straight-guys way, I don't know, but I do know that it's usually done in a hit or miss way. Gay characters can work, but sometimes they're just too over the top to even be believable. And I've seen some over the top gay people, so that's legit. This show does gay well. Louis is loud and silly, but that's more of his personality, and less of his sexuality. Wyatt, however, seems much less like the basic idea of a gay man. He's quiet, reserved, doesn't flaunt his sexuality - although he is very proud of his boyfriend and loves him very much - he's even a Mennonite, which I just had to look up to get facts on, but is a religion that isn't very supportive of homosexuality. Passing him on the street you wouldn't expect him to be gay, you'd notice him because he's ripped and looks like Clark Kent. The comparison between Wyatt and Louis' relationship and Ali and Joe's relationship is a big part of the show, both in how different they are, and also how similar. Most of the contrasting elements come from the people in the relationships, not their sexualities. Some of it, as I've said, is the gay/straight difference, but it's really because they don't act the same. They're both loving, supportive, caring relationships. It's nice that the show can clearly contrast two dissimilar lifestyles, and show how similar they actually are. It seems to me to be a great way of promoting the idea of acceptance and equality by showing how totally equal Joe and Louis, and Wyatt and Ali, really are. 
There's really nothing wrong with this show. Some of the humor is brash, inappropriate, or just plain silly, but it's funny, and it has lots of affection as it demonstrates the real relationships that grow between two close friends and their romantic partners. And that is why I was so devastated and confused when it was canceled after only six episodes. I sincerely considered finding the president of CBS and shouting at him until he put the show back on the air. The ratings, apparently, just weren't up to the standards of the station, and so Partners was cut midway through the first season. It was a tragic loss to my night time television schedule, as it left me with only one show to watch, which ended its season about a month ago. I can't describe how angry I was. I became very attached to this show, and then it just disappeared. I read the story lines for the seven episodes of season one that didn't air, and I just became more upset, because they sounded hilarious. This review, it would appear, is too little, too late, but this show shouldn't have been canceled. It was one of the funniest shows I've watched in a long time. Television isn't very funny anymore, and this made me laugh out loud, which doesn't happen often. It's disappointing, and there isn't anything I can do but pout. It should still be on the air, because the characters and relationships are well developed, the conflicts are creative and interesting, and the dialogue is witty and well written. It's a loss to the entertainment world, and I wear black to mourn in its honor.

Real Teen Rating ~ A+: Most definitely should watch!!! You know...if it were still on...

Read More

Silver Linings Playbook- Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro

The Gist

Silver Linings Playbook
Buy it here and support our blog

Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) has just been released from a mental health facility after being treated for 8 months.  His mother (Jacki Weaver) made a deal with the court that he could return as long as he visited a therapist every week.  Pat has bipolar disorder and was sent to the facility after finding out his wife, Nikki, was cheating on him and nearly beat her lover to death.  Now that he is out of the hospital he is determined to win her back and prove that he has become a better man worthy of her love.  He trains day and night to show friends and family to give him a second chance and possibly lift the restraining order that Nikki had placed after the incident.
While he is training Pat reconnects with his friend who invites him over for dinner.  While at the dinner Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence). The dinner quickly takes a turn for the worse and Pat and Tiffany decide to leave.  As the days go by Pat and Tiffany grow closer, when Tiffany reveals that she may be able to give a letter to Nikki from Pat if he would like.  The only catch is that Pat must compete with Tiffany in a local dance competition.  
As all of the this goes on Pat's father (Robert De Niro) tries to connect to him through football and tells Pat that he is his good luck charm.  As long as Pat watches the game with him the Eagles will win.  This becomes more and more difficult as Pat blows off his dad for various reasons. 
Pat must now decide whether or not he can trust Tiffany with her deal and if he can please his father at the same time.  

What We Think
Reviewed by The North Star
Run Time: 122 minutes
Rating: R
Every year my family and I go see a film on Christmas Eve.  This year we looked really hard for a film to go see and I had heard so much about this film that I somehow convinced my family to go see it with me.  When we got there, there was only two other people in the theater.  As it became closer and closer to the actual time the movie was going to started large groups of people filed into the theater.  By the time the film started there were only a few seats vacant. I was completely surprised because this film had been out since before Thanksgiving and on top of that it was an independent film, indie, and most times no one goes to see indies in theaters.  They wait for them to come out on DVD.  The second that the movie started I knew that I was going to like it and that I could understand why it had been nominated for four golden globes.  
Before I go into specifics that golden globes that it has been nominated for are Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Actor - Musical or Comedy - Bradley Cooper, Best Actress - Musical or Comedy - Jennifer Lawrence and Best Screenplay - David O. Russell.  
This post is going to be broken down into the different awards because this is what the critics are giving the movie praise for.  First off, the acting.  Going into the movie I had only seen Bradley Cooper in movies like Limitless and Valentine's Day.  In both of those movies he wasn't anything special and I never really thought of him as a serious actor.  After watching this film all I can say is that he truly deserves that Golden Globe possibly the Oscar.  He played the role perfectly.  Often with movies that involve mental diseases or disorders the actor with the disorder will overplay the role and make it seem extremely unrealistic.  Bradley Cooper never came close to that.  He always played a character I could believe and made me forget that he was Bradley Cooper but instead that he was this completely new person, Pat Solitano. Then, we move on to Jennifer Lawrence.  Coming into the film I knew that she was going to be good because she is consistently good.  Even in The Hunger Games which is a big budget film where acting doesn't necessarily matter she was amazing.  This movie was no exception.  Even though she wasn't the MAIN character she still had a huge role and in my opinion she stole the show.  Her character also had a mental disorder, which is never specifically stated but I think it was some sort of anger management or fear of abandonment.  She also played this very realistically.  It was very understated and very true to what someone with that kind of disorder would act like.  Every line pulled me closer and closer to her character and by the end I felt as though I could perfectly understand her and it was as if I had known her my whole life.  Again, I forgot that she was Jennifer Lawrence and I 100% believed that she was Tiffany.  Her comedic timing in the film was perfection, same with Bradley Cooper and although there were other characters in the movie their acing didn't even compare to these two.  If they don't win some sort of high award I will be completely shocked.  
Now, onto the screenplay.  At the end of the film during the credits it said that it was based off of a book.  I didn't know that and so as soon as I got home I looked it up.  The film was adapted to a screenplay by a man by the name of David O. Russell.  After looking at the plot line of the book I found that at lot of the things didn't match up with the movie and for once I was glad that I had seen the film first.  It seems that some of the things that I really liked in the movie were different in the book.  I do not want to give away any spoilers but I think I would see the movie first.  Anyways, I thought the script was brillant.  I was never bored and I never had the urge to start staring at the ceiling or check my phone to see what time it was.  It was funny but never pushed a joke so much that it was hitting you over the head.  The jokes very subtle and clever.  The only thing that I would have changed was a part with the therapist at the Eagles game.  It seemed unrealistic and unneeded.  Other than that I thought the script was one of the best that I have seen in a LONG time and I hope that it wins but there is a lot of competition this year.
All in all I liked almost everything in this movie and I highly recommend it.  There are only tiny things that I would have changed but overall I see it winning a lot of the big awards this year.  I will definitely be one of the people rooting for it at the award shows. 

Real Teen Rating~ A- : See it with some friends!        

Read More

Janoskians

Reviewed by The North Star

In this day and age YouTube is where people spend a lot of their time watching music videos, comedy shows and sometimes even mini-series.  I spend a lot of time on YouTube looking for new videos to watch and be entertained by.  I have the regular channels that I watch when they put out new videos every week such as Jenna Marbles, Tyler Oakley and KurtHugoSchneider.  One day I saw my sister watching a video on YouTube and she was laughing her head off and so I asked her what it was and she told me that it was a group of 5 Australian boys who made comedy videos.  I went on my laptop and looked them up and then for the next 24 hours I devoted my time to watching every video they ever put up.

(From right to left) Daniel "Skip", Luke, Beau, Jai, James

The Janoskians are basically 5  attractive Australian teenage boys who decided they didn't have anything else better to do so they made comedy videos.  The five boys are Beau, Jai, Luke, Daniel "Skip" and James.  Beau, Jai and Luke are all brothers (Jai and Luke are twins) and Skip and James are just their two best friends.  In the majority of their comedy videos they pull public pranks and stunts and tape peoples reactions.  For example in one of their videos called Baby Annabelle they walk around with a fake baby in a stroller and start doing random things like dropping the baby in the trash and leaving it in the middle of the street to see how others react.  These guys have absolutely no limit to what they will and won't do.  In some of their videos they dare each other to do random things and they NEVER back down from a dare.  Daniel "Skip" actually walks around the mall in just his underwear because Beau dares him to.
The thing that I really like about the Janoskians is that they actually seem really nice.  Some people on YouTube have let their fame get to them and in their newer videos they aren't as crazy or outgoing as before.    Although the Janoskians aren't household names yet they are still extremely popular but they are still the same guys that they were in their first video.  They are also really good to the their fans in the way that they recognize them and always talk about how they love their fans just as much as the fans love them.  For example, the Janoskians are REALLY big on Twitter.  Most celebrities on Twitter only follow other celebrities or never retweet or respond to their fans.  The Janoskians are constantly retweeting their fans, replying to their questions if they tweet at them and follow a lot of their fans.  I love the fact that they do this because then the fans can feel special saying that someone they really admire has followed them and it is a way for the group to keep the fame from getting to their heads.
The other thing about them and Twitter is that the fans always tweet during and after any live event/seeing them on the street about what great people they are and how kind they are! I was not surprised to hear this but it was such a great thing to hear because nowadays celebrities seem to be really mean in person unless they are forced to be nice.  My friend met Anne Hathaway at a gathering one time and said that she was not very nice at all and she asked other people and I guess this wasn't the first time she had been rude to everyone she came in contact with.  It stinks when I hear stories like this because if I was a super fan of Anne Hathaway (which I'm not) I would be over the moon if I knew I was going to meet her.  If I met her and she was a complete jerk to me then I would be crushed that she didn't want to even waste her breath on me.  Now, I am just using Anne Hathaway as an example, there are plenty of celebrities that do this too that I just haven't named.  In short, whenever I hear someone talk, see someone tweet or tell others about how kind and sweet someone is in real life it brightens my day and makes me want to meet this person just that much more.
In conclusion, if you have not heard of the Janoskians then you should head over to their YouTube channel right now (http://www.youtube.com/user/janoskians?feature=results_main) and watch any of their videos.  I'm 99% sure that you will enjoy them as much as I did but sometimes something are just not your cup of tea which is fine too.  Personally I really like the Janoskians and every time a new video comes out I watch it right away.  They also have a second channel called DareSundays which is when they do all sorts of crazy dares (http://www.youtube.com/user/daresundays?feature=results_main) which is very entertaining as well.  Finally they have a third channel which is their blog channel and anything and everything goes on this channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/janoskiansblog?feature=results_main).  Hopefully you love these boys as much as I do and I can't wait to watch the next video!

Real Teen Rating ~ I will be a loyal fan until the very end/ Next big thing

Read More

Katy Perry- Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection

Reviewed by The North Star
Song Time: 1 hour and 17 minutes

The Complete Confection
Buy it here and support our blog

Teenage Dream- 9/10- This song is at least 2 years old but for some reason I still listen to it when it comes on the radio singing along in the car and I am not a big Katy Perry fan.  The song is weirdly catchy and I always have it stuck in my head.  It is going to go down as one of those legendary songs that when our generation is older it will be played on the "oldies" station.  This is one of those songs that it is really hard to not sing along to in the car.  If you are reading this and you haven't listened to the Glee version of this song then go look it right now.  I am not going to deny that Glee has had its problems recently but this is back when Glee was watchable and the songs were well thought out.  If you haven't heard this song, despite your feelings about Katy Perry or newer age music you should still listen to it because it will be one of the biggest songs of the decade.    


Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)- 6/10 - I am not crazy about this song but I will admit that it is catchy and I often find myself humming it wherever I go.  This song reminds me a little too much of Rebecca Black's song Friday.  Not much about this song is appealing to me.  The lyrics are not well thought out the beat/rhythm of the song sounds very similar to almost every other song on the radio.   One of the only things I like about this song happens to be the music video.  It is fun and fits the song perfectly but a separate review on that will come soon.  Back to the actual song, when it comes on in the car I almost always change the station but the second I get out of the car the song is stuck in my head so I guess the rhythm is catchy. Other than that the song doesn't have much going for it, especially the weird chanting towards the end of the song.     

California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg)- 6/10 - The original song was originally off a previous CD but for this release they redid a lot of songs with various celebrities.  When the original song came out I remember it was HUGE and you could not go ANYWHERE without hearing this song at least 6 times.  It got to the point that most people could recite the lyrics perfectly without any music playing.  I haven't heard this song in a while because newer songs have come along but I think that I can still recite the lyrics without any help.  As for my opinion of the song, I am not that crazy about it.  To me it sounds just like every other Katy Perry song with the exception of a few songs.  At first I did like the song but then it became overplayed and then I started hating it.  I don't think that it sends a good message at all, to the younger generation that is listening to the song and singing at the top of their lungs at school dances.  I wish the lyrics were more meaningful but I guess you have to have a fun meaningless song every once and a while.  Snoop Dogg also does not add much to the song and his part is kind of pointless.  In short, listen to the song if you haven't heard it (which would be nearly impossible) but don't expect genius.


Firework- 8.5/10- For some reason I really enjoy this song.  Every time I hear it I feel the urge to just starting singing as loud as I can along with the lyrics.  I'm not sure if it is the message or how it was composed but I really like it.  The message of the song is basically that you are who you are meant to be and that is all anyone can really ask for and to not worry because everyone is special at something you just have to find out what that is.  I think that is one of the most important messages to send to kids, especially ones who in this generation tend to feel less special.  Just everything about this song works and I don't think that is the greatest singer in the world but on this song she sounds really great.  When she was at a radio concert a couple of years ago this was her best song and it seemed like she really got into the emotions of the song and believed in the lyrics that she was singing.  One of the better Katy Perry songs.


Peacock- 3/10- I REALLY do not like this song.  The whole point of this song is that a girl wants to see a man's blank.  It is very inappropriate and instead of coming out and saying the actual word she says peacock but brakes it up so you definitely get the point.  The song is not funny, well produced or well written.  When I first heard this song I skipped over it after the first line because I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  Then when I finally listened to the whole song I wish that I could have unheard it because all of the lyrics are obscene and I do not want to know what drove someone to write this song, let alone record it.  If I were Katy Perry I would not have recorded it.  The only somewhat redeeming quality is that at points if you aren't listening to the lyrics the arrangement in the background is nice.  This is only though if you can get past the rest of this awful song.  It is labeled explicit for a reason.


Circle the Drain- 7/10- This is one of those songs that the second that you start listening to it you know that this is one of those songs that you would hear a club and people would love because of the hard bass and beat.  I cannot see this being one of the popular Katy Perry songs that is played on the radio 24/7.  I'm sure people love this song just for that reason alone but for me it really is not my cup of tea.  It isn't that I don't love this song but it is very high energy and in your face so unless I was at a club or going for a workout this song is kind of weird to listen to.  So if you love in your face music that gets you pumped up then I would say to check out this song because you will most likely like it. :)


The One That Got Away- 6.5/10-  When I first heard this song, I HATED it.  I remember talking to Dream and asking if she had heard the new Katy Perry song and just going on and on about how much I hated this song.  As I was forced to hear this song more and more I started to like the more and more every time that I heard it.  With most Katy Perry songs this seems to be the case.  I hate them the first time I hear it, love it after a while and then end up hating it after I have heard the song 15 million times. This song is OK.  It isn't great and it is awful.  There is nothing bad in the song which is a refreshing change and there isn't anything substantially profound.  The good thing about this song is that a lot of people can relate to it and think of that one person that they wish things had gone different with.  On that note the song is relatable but there is nothing then what you hear on the first time through. The one thing that I will say is that give it a few tries because maybe you will be like me and like a lot more the more you hear, just make sure you don't overplay it with yourself.   


E.T.- 2/10- I cannot stand this song.  At the concert where we saw Katy Perry she was trying out the song on our audience to see if we liked it before she released it.  When she started singing I became confused because it was SO different from everything else that she sings.  I remember thinking to myself that there was NO way that this song was going to become popular.  A couple of months later I was in the car and I heard this song and could not believe it! No matter how much I hear this song I will never ever like it.  There is absolutely no point and I really don't why people like listening to it....I really really don't.  I could go on for ages about my hatred for this song but I am going to leave it with never look up this song and listen to it you will want the 3 minutes of your laugh back.


Who Am I Living For?- 10/10- I had never heard of this song before I bought the decided to listen to the entire CD.  When I saw the title I was expecting to hate the song because I was expecting it to be really cheesy but it is the exact opposite.  It is more about someone's inner battle with themselves to define who they are.  Although this premise of a song also sounds cheesy it is not at all.  The song is all synthesizers, which in some cases works, but it is all very electronic and really like how it is strong it comes across.  This different approach to a very common song topic made me really have a new respect for Katy Perry but also gave me a song that I really ended up liking.  Even the lyrics to the song are great. I can feel a phoenix inside of me; As I march alone to a different beat; Slowly swallowing down my fear.  Those are the opening lyrics to this song and it really creates the whole feel of the entire song. I would highly recommend buying this song and just appreciating a really good song.  


Pearl- 6/10- This is one of Katy Perry's slower songs.  I have mixed emotions about this song.  At points I really like this song and then at other points I could really care less about it and would rather turn it off.  One bad thing about this song is that her vocals on this song don't sound the greatest.  It always seems like she is a little off.  Another thing is that the chorus is completely awful.  It is one of those parts that I just keep wishing was over.  It feels as if it doesn't know whether it wants to be a ballad or a techno song.  The versus' are really what carry this song all the way through.  If the whole song was like the versus' then this would be a great song but unfortunately the song wasn't written that way and that stinks.  Another good thing about this song is the message.  This song is basically about a girl that was pure and sheltered but then she meets someone who completely messes her up and tears her down but how she rises up from that and she realizes that she is worth more than he made her feel.  I think that is a great message to send especially for people that went through something like that or for any friend who knows someone going through something like that.  I just wish actually listening to the recording of the song was as strong as the lyrics.        


Hummingbird Heartbeat- 7.5/10- This the perfect example to show where sometimes I think Katy Perry needs to hire a new lyricist.  "Let's pollinate to create a family tree; This evolution with you comes naturally; Some call it science, we call it chemistry; This is the story of the birds and the bees."  I think when people read the title to this song they realize that it is going to be about birds, the lyrics do not need to be so literal.  Lyrics aside though, this song is catchy.  After reviewing this song I'm sure I will have the chorus stuck in my head for a good hour.  I would not be surprised in the least bit if this is the next single off of her album.  I can just picture everyone singing this song while walking down the hallways and in the car.  It is only a matter of time until this song is everywhere.        



Not Like the Movies- 7/10- This is probably the slowest song of Katy Perry's next to Thinking of You. When I first listened to this song I was very surprised that it hadn't already been on the radio.  This is exactly the song that teenagers love and love to relate to.  It is all about how relationships should be like all the romantic movies because romantic movies always have the perfect relationships.  If this song was on the radio I know that it would be extremely popular and every teenage girl would download it and have it on their iPod for when they encounter a break-up.  To me, this song is just OK.  The lyrics are average and same with the tune and composition of the song.  As I said above if you are a teenage girl then download this song because I'm sure that it will come in handy one day.  :)


The One That Got Away (Acoustic)- 7.5/10- This is the same song as above but instead of all the synthesizers in the background it is just Katy Perry and a guitar singing the song.  I like this version so much more because it is a stripped down version of the song which is really nice and it just sounds so much better.  Although this song isn't very deep for some reason the acoustic version makes the song sound really meaningful.  If you were looking at buying the CD and didn't know which version to pick, I would say to pick this version because it is so much more heartfelt and connects more to something that isn't quite there.  I often listen to this version and I don't often listen to the other version.  This one is definitely worth the $1.29.


Part of Me- 6/10- I don't really care for this song.  I am in the third stage of popular Katy Perry songs which is that now I am just sick of it and how overplayed it is.  This song is about not letting anyone bring you down and that you need to always stick up for yourself.  This is a great thing to sing about because it is an important thing for people to realize about themselves and to apply to every day life.  Again though, this song sounds like every other popular Katy Perry song.  If you try and dig deep and look for meaning in the lyrics then you probably won't find anything there.  One of the Katy Perry classics but not necessarily a great song that is to be remembered.


Wide Awake- 9.5/10-  This is Katy Perry's newest single that is played all over the radio.  Just like the One That Got Away when I first heard this song I did not like it at all.  Again, I heard it more and more and now I am in the middle stage of really liking the song.  Every time I hear it I turn up the volume and start singing my heart out.  I believe that this song is about someone coming off of a high of some kind and explaining what it feels like coming off of that high.  It is never really established completely what the high comes from which I really like.  This way if you listen to this song you could take it to mean whatever is more personal for you.  For whatever reason I really really like this song and so if you are buying the album, don't forget to buy this one.  It is a really good song.

Dressin' Up- 5/10- It seems like this whole album is divided into two very separate parts. One half is the club songs that are very electronic and the other is the popular pop stuff that gets played on the radio.  Then there are the couple random songs that don't seem to fit in either category.  This song falls in the very electronic group.  Since this song was probably expected to play in clubs they didn't really focus on lyrics so they are really silly and pointless.  In a club or at a party everyone would be so busy with their own stuff that they wouldn't even notice the lyrics so they don't need to be great.  For a party this would be a great song but just for listening when you are trying to do your homework or read it probably isn't the greatest.


E.T. (feat. Kanye West)-1/10- Read review above of the original song.  The only difference is that this version is worse because it envolves unnecessary rapping.


Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) [feat. Missy Elliott]- 3/10- I think this song is a lot worse than the original and I wasn't even that crazy about the original.  It is basically the same song except for every time there is a versus then Missy Elliott takes over and does her little rap and then when it gets to the chorus Katy Perry takes back over.  Also at random points in the song Missy Elliott will add a word or phrase.  To me it doesn't seem like they should have wasted the time rereleasing the song for just adding a few lines that actually make the song worse.  Not worth ANY of your time or money.


Tommie Sunshine's Megasix Smash-up- 8.5/10-  To start off this song is 7 minutes long.  A DJ basically took his favorite six Katy Perry songs and made a great track for a party.  I almost never like remixes of songs just for whatever reason but I really like this mash-up.  If I were ever to have a party this would be the number one song on the playlist because the way that Tommie Sunshine mixed the songs made everything sounds really great together.  Even the Katy Perry songs that I don't like sound really good in this song (like E.T).  If you are looking for a song with a great beat then this is definitely one to check out.

Real Teen Rating~ D+: Only a handful of songs worth listening to


Real Teen Download: Wide Awake, Teenage Dream & Tommie Sunshine's Megasix Smash-up

Read More

Olympics

Reviewed by Living Destiny
It's kind of the biggest deal in the world right now. I had to talk about it.
This year, the 2012 Olympics in London, marks the 30th Olympics of the world. That's pretty cool if you ask me. It's kind of a magical experience. Call me a sentimentalist, but I really do think it's the best thing we accomplish as a civilization. That we can put aside all our differences and quarrels and just exist together, competing and enjoying each others company. Honestly, it's the closest to world peace we'll ever come, so it's something we all have to appreciate.
I briefly entertained the idea that I would go through and find all the teenage athletes to celebrate their successes. Then I realized how long that would take and I just gave up, so here are some highlights.
A 15 year old girl from Lithuania won gold in a swimming event, making her the second woman ever from Lithuania to get a gold medal. Ever. And she's 15.
Basically the entire USA girl's gymnastics team. And half of the USA men's gymnastics team. Gabby Douglas winning the all around? Way to go! Aly Raismann won a couple too, bronze on beam and gold on floor.
Missy Franklin, only 17, winning five Olympic medals in swimming in her first ever Olympics. She's the same age as me, and what have I done as a 17 year old? I write a blog. Do community theatre. She's in London right now celebrating her medals and hanging out with her team. I'm camping. What she's doing is incredible.
Those are the ones that stick out in my head, things I've watched over the past couple of weeks, but there are tons more stories and athletes that should be celebrated. There are some countries where women are just now being allowed to compete in the Olympics. That deserves applause, not that it took so long, but that they're finally here. People came as wild cards, with little training, as amputees. It doesn't matter that they didn't win. It matters that they were a part of it, they finished their races and got the loudest cheers of all.
Yes, it is a competition. People win and people lose. Yes, they keep track of the medal count. Some countries have way more than others. But at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. We're all represented there, at this big, global stage. That's what really matters, the fact that win or lose, we're unified for a couple weeks. Winning just makes it a little sweeter.
Real Teen Rating ~ The best thing we've got going for us
P.S. My favorite event is volleyball. Love it!

Read More

Fan Fiction

Reviewed by Living Destiny

Alright, whose bad idea was it to start this? Seriously. Fan fiction? Have you no respect for the sanctity of stories?
Maybe I should explain. One day a long while ago, North, Dream and I were hanging around, and I was looking for a picture of a certain scene from Teen Wolf on google. The scene has Stiles and Derek in it (for any of you Teen Wolf fans, which I hope is all of you, it was the cousin Miguel scene), so I figured I would just type Stiles and Derek into the search bar. And you know how when you start typing in the google search bar it comes up with suggestions of what you might be searching for? Well, I typed in Stiles and Derek, and the first suggestion that came up was "Stiles and Derek fan fiction". So I told North and Dream, and we were all a little curious. None of us really knew what it was, so I searched it and we clicked on one story and started reading. And then we died inside.
That's a small exaggeration. But it's pretty close. These people who write fan fiction basically get this idea in their heads that two characters should be together, and since the writers of the show/movie/book/members of a band don't agree, these people take it upon themselves to do it. So we ended up stumbling upon a cult following of fans who write fiction where Derek and Stiles are gay together. Honestly. That's not a thing! No!
First of all, if the writers didn't put that into their scripts when they were creating these characters, then obviously these characters should not be together. Ever. At all. And it amazes me, because some of these fans can make relationships out of thin air. These two characters glanced at each other briefly, they must be madly in love! No, they aren't. They just happened to glance at each other. Get over it. I mean, it isn't your story to write! Did you create the characters? No, you did not. So you have no right to try to change the story just because you think that two people should date. And then people try to change the laws of nature in their stories. If they're writing about two guys getting together (which I think 98% of all fan fiction is about), and these two characters will never ever ever get together, then hey, why not just go whole hog and make one of them pregnant too? Yeah, pregnant men. Sounds legit. And if it's something supernatural, all the better. Men pregnant with little vampires and werewolf pups. Because that's logical. But from my research into this cult of crazy writers, it seems that logic isn't something that anyone listens to. Ugh.
And these stories aren't just cutesy, they-kiss-and-fall-in-love-the-end sort of stories. That would be bad enough, but of course it can't stop there. Oh no. The majority of these fan fiction stories are XXX rated, could never be shown on tv or sold to anyone under the age of 21, oh my god my eyes are bleeding from even clicking on this link stories. They couldn't be more dirty if they tried - and these people really try. It's disturbing for so many reasons. Seriously, the actors that play these characters could read these. That's so uncomfortable. And even worse, there's fan fiction about real people. I don't care how well you've deluded yourself into thinking that Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are secretly dating, don't write it down. Don't try to describe in writing their nonexistent first date, or their nonexistent secret meetings, or, please god, their nonexistent sex life. Don't do it. What if they read that? Huh? Casually going through google one day, and they stumble upon a story some 17 year old girl wrote about them sneaking off to a hotel room somewhere and declaring their everlasting love in extreme detail. Why would anyone do that? What if people started writing fan fiction about you and someone you know? Started 'shipping' you? Ooooh, Jason and Molly should be a thing! We'll call them Jolly! Let me go write gratuitous sex scenes with the two of them because I think they should be together even though the two of them have no intention of ever dating ever! EW. It's their personal lives, and their personal decisions who they date. I sincerely doubt that "Larry Stylinson" will become an item because thousands of silly fan girls have decided it would be cute. Which reminds me, exactly why are so many fan fiction stories centered around fake gay relationships? Not that there's a problem with gay people, because there isn't, but it really makes me wonder. Most fan fiction is written by girls - which is a sad representation of our gender - so why make all the attractive guys gay? I don't get it. And I also don't get why all fan fiction is so poorly written. Focusing only on the writing, not the content or story, it's awful. Grammatical errors, spelling errors, punctuation errors, capitalization errors. It's ridiculous! It's like all of these people skip English class to write this lousy stuff. If you're going to write a story, even if it has to be something like fan fiction, can you please at least write it well? Or is that one of the sacred rules of fan fiction? All fan fiction stories must be written poorly, so as to distract the reader from how creepy this is. So creepy. It's so creepy. And that reminds me of another reason I dislike this whole idea. Crossovers. What is that? Let's just combine two shows that have nothing to do with one another at all so that two characters who have never met and can't possibly meet can be lovers. You can't do that! But I forgot, the whole logic out the window thing. And sometimes, the characters these stories try to portray don't even act like the characters from the original story. It's like the only thing that was actually used was the names. Which is pretty stupid. But of course, this whole concept is pretty stupid. A story is made to be enjoyed, not to be reworked. Unless you are a professional editor, don't try to mess around with what others have created. It's rude, when you think about it. It says you have no respect for the writer, and you think you can do it better. And trust me, you can't. That's why these authors and screenplay writers are paid the big bucks. Oh, and another thing I hate! When people write in "original characters". As if it isn't bad enough that they totally mess up the characters of the story, they have to create their own characters. Manipulating the original content to fit their twisted fantasies. I do not approve. And then they abandon the charade entirely and plug themselves into the love story, so they can be in an imaginary relationship with Cody Simpson or whoever it is. Trust me, I understand the idea of a celebrity crush. I have a pretty serious one myself. And yes, I understand how one would dream about meeting your celebrity crush and being in a relationship with them and living happily ever after. But. Don't write it down. No one else ever needs to read it or hear about it. Mental images never really go away, you know. Like I need to be scarred by your weird dreams.
And speaking of weird. Now we get to the good stuff. And by good, of course I mean more terrifying than before. I discovered recently that someone wrote a story about Zayn from One Direction and a baby. A BABY. Do you understand how wrong that is? It's a baby. So wrong. Who thought that was a good idea? Why would you ever? I just can't find the words to describe how awful that is. Icky. There are stories with three or four characters all getting together. No thank you! People write about inanimate objects. Again with the logic thing. I'm sorry, but Hogwarts Castle cannot be "shipped" with anyone or anything. It's a building. It can't reciprocate feelings. And then there are stories about animated movies and Disney movies. Do you realize that you are ruining childhoods with every word you type? You are. It isn't pretty.
I could write more on this topic. Trust me, I could. I've already been writing this for a month, constantly thinking of more things to say. I actually had to download the blogger app so I could work on it on the car this morning after a flash of inspiration. And now I'm finishing it while watching the Olympics, because it's just gone on too long. Now, I do realize that everyone has the right to say or write anything they want. Freedom of speech and all that. But does it have to be pushed at the world too? Just stop. Please, I'm begging you. Let the fan fiction end.
Real Teen Rating ~ Spare me. Please.

Read More