Quick Reviews: The Jungle Book, Zootopia, and Echo Park

The Jungle Book
This movie was amazing! I went in a little skeptical because I didn't think the original was that good, but they did a great job with this remake. I didn't see it in IMAX or 3D; I saw it in something called RPX. It was really cool because it felt like I was watching it in 3D but with out the glasses. It felt like I was actually the jungle. Special shout out to whoever was in charge of the CGI in this movie because it was amazing. Also, Neel Sethi did a fantastic job as Mowgli.


Zootopia
I can't express how great this movie is! I love how the moral of the story has layers. Kids will understand the basics but it goes deeper. This movie has so many similarities to what's going on in society today, and that message is for the adults. I wonder if they're going to make a sequel. I'm not sure if they need to but if they do, I'll go see it.


Echo Park

This is another wonderful movie brought to us by ARRAY. It's refreshing to see a movie that's about human interaction and emotions. So often we get caught up in the glitz and glam or Hollywood movies, so it was nice to see something that was stripped down. Watching this film made me realize that I like romantic dramas so much more than romcoms.
If you want to see it, it's on Netflix.

Have you seen these films? What were your thoughts?

Supergirl Finale Update

The first season of Supergirl has come to an end. I thought that this was a great start to the series, but we'll talk about that a little later. Let's talk about that finale first.
I enjoyed the finale but I did think it was a little anticlimactic. First, it seemed too easy to snap the town out of Myriad's mind control. The idea that the feeling of hope could bring them back was interesting. I guess I just wanted to see that happen in the previous episode so they could focus on destroying Non and Indigo in the finale. I also would've liked to actually see Alex save Kara with the pod then to have just seen Kara wake up at the DEO. But overall, I really liked the episode. They gave us such high stakes with the time limit and the fact that Kara might not survive. Of course I'm super happy about Kara and James finally doing the thing! Hank is back as the head of the DEO and I love that when danger strikes it's Kara and J'onn going into action. Now we have Maxwell Lord and General Lane working together and nothing good can come from that. I haven't forgotten about that mysterious pod. I haven't a clue who or what could be in it. I will be reading more about the mythology of Supergirl so I can come up with some theories during this hiatus. They did a great job setting us up for the next season.

I'm very pleased with the season as a whole. Like I said before it was a great start to the series. You can tell that they went all in and they even got a crossover episode which was one of my favorites. I love how this show is light and fun but still able to bring on the deep emotions. They were able to find a balance between the fun stuff and the dark stuff, and everything came together very nicely.

I am hoping and praying that we get a season 2 and when that happens there ware a few things that I want to see. First I want to see Papa Danvers. The president will be a woman (which is awesome) which leads me to believe that she'll be seen more. So, I want to see her working together with the DEO. Cat has to know that Kara is Supergirl. I think that's why she gave her a promotion but no title or job description. She's giving Kara the freedom to be Supergirl but also giving her the normal life she always wanted. And lastly, but certainly not least, they better show us Superman. I have a feeling that it'll be a running a joke that they'll never show his face, but they're going to have to do it eventually! I would love for him to be Tom Welling who played Superman on Smallville.
What are your thoughts? I would love to hear them!

How to Get Away with Murder Finale Update

I know the season finale was a while ago but I wasn't expecting it to come so fast. Plus, life stuff happened and I wasn't able to post. But better late than never.

I really enjoyed this season even though I didn't know what was happening half the time. I really need to start watching the episodes more than once to get all the information.
Viola Davis continued to give award winning word this season. I mean, she really brought it this season and she better get nominated and win that Emmy. I was blown away by her performance. There were so many moments that left me speechless or all I could say was "wow." My top 2 moment were the scene in the yard with Cecily Tyson and the scene where she lost her baby.

Since this show started everyone noticed the interesting relationship between Annalise and Wes. So many people wondered if it was sexual tension, a mother/son thing or both. This season we finale explored what her connection was to him. I was so intrigued by this storyline and thought it turned out to be so crazy. All of this makes me wonder if Annalise has a connection to the other students in the Keating 5 like she does with Wes. Maybe that's the reason why she chose them. 

Now on to this finale which was nothing short of crazy. Annalise got what she wanted in her case with Caleb with one shocking twist after the nest. This stuff still blows my mind.
Wes finally found out who his father was and was able to meet him. It's a shame that in that same moment he witnessed his father getting shot and killed. I think that Frank shot him. Mainly because Frank was involved in sabotaging the case that Annalise was working on in the flashbacks. He indirectly had something to do with the car accident that led to Annalise losing her baby. But knowing this show it'll be someone who no one expected like Laurel.

Like I said above, I enjoyed this season. I'm so ready for season 3 and may need to rewatch this season to prepare. One thing I want to know is where Frank went and is he coming back? One hope I have is that we see more backstory on the students and if they have a connection to Annalise like Wes did.

Pic credit

Sleepy Hollow Finale Update

First, I want to make it clear that this post will contain spoilers. So if you haven't watched the episode and don't want to be spoiled stop reading, watch it and come back. If you don't care, keep reading.

I'm going to start with the season as a whole and then move on to the finale. 

This season had it's ups and downs, but for the most part I liked it because it was an improvement from the second season. I was really excited to see the new growth in the Witnesses relationship, the mythology about them was interesting to me, and I was pleased with the new cast additions. Plus, I really loved the villain and thought that I would be a little upset to see her go. I was at a point where I was watching many of the episodes 3 times because I enjoyed them so much, especially after it came back from the mid season break. I honestly thought that the show was finally going in the direction that a mass majority of the fans (including myself) wanted it to go. I was excited about the finale, even though I didn't know how they would fit in all the loose ends they had to tie up. Which brings me to how I felt about that episode. After watching the finale I felt shocked, devastated, angry, betrayed and heart broken. It PAINS me to say these things, but I'm going to try and explain why I feel this way. 

It hurt so much that Abbie was killed off. Articles have come out saying that the actress wanted to leave the show and that is something that I 100% respect and understand. I just felt like the character didn't get the send off she deserved. First, the way they killed her off upset me. It's been Abbie's MO since season 1 to sacrifice herself for everyone else. That isn't a bad character trait. But when it becomes something that is always done and it doesn't seem like a thought in anyone's mind for the other Witness to do the same, it becomes a problem. This was the one thing that no one wanted to see her do again and it hurt to have it be her final act. 

Second, the reason for her death and the purpose of her life was ridiculous. She died because she did all that she could. Her journey was over. And what did they say her journey and purpose in life was; to help Crane move forward in life. That rubbed me the wrong way because it means that everything she went through was for nothing. And it wasn't just her, it was her whole family. Her dad left and her mom was tormented and died because of this supernatural responsibility that was placed on Abbie. She was then separated from her sister for over a decade. And her sister was tormented just like their mother. So, all of this happened to help a man move forward in his life. A life that he wasn't supposed to have because he died over 200 years before Abbie was even born! It doesn't seem worth it! All of this also erases everything that happened from the pilot to this point. It's like all of the work and the hardships were for nothing. 

I have to mention the relationship between the Witnesses. Every season they talk about this deep, unbreakable bond that they have and how whatever happens to one happens to the other. Well, all of that went out the window. And of course I wanted a romance between them. There were so many signs that led me to believe that was coming and we didn't even get a declaration of love from Crane. Sure, other characters said it, but it means something when it comes from the actual person. 

Overall, I'm very upset with how it ended. It was just one big ball of confusion. I feel like what happened in the episode didn't fit with what happened in the season. Characters weren't acting like themselves, it didn't even feel like the mythology fit with what it was. And I can't go into how I think it should've ended because it hurts too much. I want to stress again how much it pains me to be saying this. I really didn't think it would come to this. I've been so ride or die with the show from the moment it aired and to see it turn out this way is heartbreaking. It hurts to see such an amazing and inspirational character go. Abbie Mills was the African American female lead character of a genre genre show, something we don't see often, and we don't have that anymore. 

I've always said that if Abbie is no longer on the show I will no longer watch. So, if this show comes back for another season I will not be watching. I really do wish Nicole Beharie the best in her future, as well as all the other cast members of the show. 

I want to leave you with the memory of the sweetest moment of the episode for me. The part of the porch scene when Abbie holds out her fist for one final fist bump. Instead Crane takes her hand and kisses it. Then she says "be still me beating heart." 

And now my heart can be still. 

Pic credit

Why I Love this Show: Orphan Black

Orphan Black is a show about a woman named Sarah Manning. In the first episode we see Sarah on a train heading, somewhere. When she arrives, she's standing on the train platform where she witnesses a woman kill herself. The kicker is that the woman looks exactly like her! Sarah ends up finding out she's a clone and this is the beginning of her journey to find out who that woman was, and why she killed herself. There are so many reasons why this show is great and why I think you should give it a chance. 

The first is Tatiana Maslany. She is the woman behind each clone on the show. Yup, that's right. She plays EVERY clone and sometimes there are multiple in one scene. I know we've all seen shows that have episodes where a character's evil twin or long lost twin comes to town and that actor has to be in the same room with him/herself. Well this show is like that, but multiply it by 2. Sometimes there are scenes where there are 4 clones! It's insane to see and I know I've never seen anything like it. The thing that really gets me is that I always think there's more than one person playing these clones when there's really only one. Every episode I watch I have to remind myself that it's just one person doing all this. That is real talent right there. 

Another thing I really love is that there's an aspect of each clone that I can find in myself. Sarah is hard on the outside but soft on the inside. Allison has a love for the theater. Helena is weird but also caring and loving. She also really loves food. And Cosima is a big nerd. There are many other clones and I'm sure there's something about them that I find in myself. And I'm sure you can find something in these clones that's similar to you as well.

I also love the mystery aspect of the show. There are just so many wonderful layers to it! I know a lot of mystery shows fall into is having too many questions and not enough answers. I don't feel like we get that with this show. Questions get answered. It's like each season gives new pieces to the puzzle. We don't get all the pieces in one season, but we get enough to get closure. The fact that we don't get all the pieces is reason enough for one to keep coming back to watch.

So these are just some of the reasons why I love this show. If any of the above intrigue you, I urge you to watch. All of the episodes can be found on the BBC America website. The great this is that there are only 10 episodes per season so there's only 30 episodes. The 4th season premieres on Thursday April 14th at 10pm.

Pic credit

Let's Play!: How It Should've Ended

Ever watch a movie and love everything up until the last 10 minutes? Then you come up with all these ideas on how it those minutes should've went? Every spend hours and hours watching/binging a TV series and the series finale is the most cringe worthy hour of television you've ever watched and leaves you screaming at the TV "that's not how that should've gone!" Welp, I've felt that way on many occasions and have chosen a few of those shows and movies to tell how I think they should've ended.

Why Did I Get Married Too?

How it ended
Pat caused her husband to get in a car crash and he died. Pat moved on a year later and was hooked up with some man by a colleague.

How it should've ended
In the end there were 2 people who could've died; Mike and Gavin. After everything that happened in the hospital scene, I think Mike should've been the one to die. It was pretty obvious that they would let Gavin die with the way they set it up. It would've given more of a shock factor if it was Mike, to me. I also would've loved for Pat to realize that she needed help, whether she went through with the divorce or not. She never really dealt with the death of her son. Being a therapist, she thought that she had everything under control, but she really didn't. It would've been great to see her realize this and get the help she needed. Not knowing whether or not she got help makes me think that she would carry that baggage with her in any new relationship she gets into. Knowing that she got help makes it easier for me to see her move on.


X-Files S10

How it ended
CSM was fulfilling his plan of getting rid of everyone on Earth but the "chosen ones". Scully realized that she's the cure and needed to get to Mulder who was about to die. He was doing so bad that she figured he needed help from their son, William. Then a UFO was seen overhead and it was over.

How it should've ended
I understand they did what they did in order for people to want another season, but we all thought this would be a one shot revival. There was no closure on any fronts! We don't know what happened to CSM. We don't know what happened with William. I'm not even sure what the exact nature of Scully and Mulder's romantic relationship is! I think they could've kept the storyline if the just let everything happen sooner. Scully should've found out she was the cure sooner. She should've gotten to Mulder sooner and figured out they needed William sooner. They should've found William and saved Mulder and let that be the end. Then we could be left with the question of "what now?" Now they've found their son, who probably has tons of questions for them, and now they have to deal with him knowing who they are. With that ending, us fan would've gotten our shippy, emotional Mulder/Scully moments and wouldn't have been left screaming "Oh come on!" at the TV. And we would still want to know what happens next.


Girlfriends

How it ended
An engaged Joan finds out that her fiance, Aaron, was coming home from fighting in Iraq war. Also, William was about to have a baby, Maya was thinking about adopting and Lynn had her music.

How it should've ended
When I think about this show I always think that they should've gotten a few more episodes to complete the series. Here's how I think it should go. First Aaron comes home and he and Joan have this epic reunion. Then they go full on into the wedding planning. I mean, trying on dresses, picking out flowers and cakes and all that stuff. I also think it would be interesting if they showed how different Aaron and Joan's relationship would be now that he's gone through war. One thing I really would've loved to see was for Toni and Joan to reconcile their friendship. Then the wedding would happen and all 4 girlfriends would be together, on last time. Obviously you would throw in what happens with Maya and her family, and Lynn and her music.


Whew! That was fun and cathartic. Let's do it again sometime. How about you put a show or movie in the comments and if I've seen it, I'll do another post like this.

Black women are EVERYTHING!

"Strong Back woman! Rhino skin!"

I know what you're thinking: "What did she just say?! Rhino skin?!" Let me explain myself. My sister told me story about someone she's knows actually being told this by a white woman. Ridiculous right? Something else that's ridiculous is that this is a trope that's seen far too often in the movie/TV industry. The trope that Black women are these super strong people who can take anything that life throws at them and are put through some of the worst of the worst situations only to brush it off like it has no effect on them. And this is something that's seen as a positive. Now, I'm not saying that Black women can't be strong. The problem is that's all we're allowed to be. (I'm using 'we' because even though I'm talking about black women characters, these shows and movies influence people's opinions on us.) We are the strong, finger waging, neck rolling best friend. Awful, traumatic things may happen to us but we just let it roll off our rhino skin backs and everything is alright.

This is a problem because black women are more than this but we're rarely allowed to be the opposite of strong. We are rarely allowed to be vulnerable. This is really problematic on many fronts.
Before we go into it I want us to first accept the fact that TV shows and movies have an influence on us whether we're in it for just the entertainment or are seeking something more. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let me move onto these fronts.

We ARE human
Seeing us black women as one thing and one thing only dehumanizes us. I mean, the phrase "rhino skin" equates us to an animal. Black people's history includes our ancestors being treated and sold like property. It includes an actual law that stated that we were considered 3/5 of a human being. We weren't considered fully human and now we have these characters that aren't allowed to express the full spectrum of human emotions. When you create these characters that are only allowed to be one thing you're enabling those who still think that we aren't fully human. You're also planting that seed into the minds of people who may not have an opinion formed yet. Which brings me to my next point.

How you see us on screen is how you think we are in real life
If you live in an area with little to no black woman or people, what you see on TV or in the movies is what you're going to think we are like in real life. You may not think this but it goes back to what I said about the influence of TV and movies. Just sit and think for a minute about what you think about black woman, or any type of person for that matter, and why. You may be surprised.
How you think about a group of people determines how you treat them.

How we see us on screen is how we see ourselves
I'm going to get a little personal here. I'm one who bottles up my feelings. I also am the type of person that when things happen to me, I let it roll off my back and move on with my life. Anyone out there knows how important and necessary it is to express your feelings and emotions.
So, when  I see a character on TV or in a movie who looks like me and expresses her feelings I think "Well if she can cry her eyes out about xyz and it's okay, I can cry my eyes out about abc and it's okay." We don't have to feel ashamed, embarrassed or think that something is wrong with us when we express these feelings and emotions. It's okay.

So, Black women are everything. We are strong. We are vulnerable. We complex, multi-dimensional people. We are human.
Let's celebrate these types of characters by leaving your favorites in the comments.