My Dream Loot Crate: Nasty Women

Have you looked longingly at subscription boxes like I have? These have boomed in popularity in recent months, and I love looking at unboxings yet haven't been able to justify shelling out the money to subscribe to one yet. One subscription service that I've heard about, namely through Kristina Horner, is Loot Crate Loot Crate, which sounds awesome for geeks and nerds like me. So when they approached me about creating my own "dream crate" I knew I had to jump aboard.

Almost right away I knew I wanted to center my box around awesome female characters, and with the crazy election, my dream box is the NASTY WOMEN box.

Nasty Women Dream Loot Crate

My first choice is this Orphan Black t-shirt because this fabulous array of female characters were the first ones that came to mind. It was hard deciding on a product that could encompass Orphan Black (and there's surprisingly little merch), but this shirt is perfect and lists most of the major kick-ass female clones (portrayed by the equally kick-ass Tatiana Maslany), as well as a few other important characters.

My second choice was another easy one. This Rey print is stunning and also shows BB-8, another favorite. I loved Rey from the moment she appeared on screen in the new Star Wars movie. She's an amazing addition to the SW universe, and Daisy Ridley is perfection. Another easy choice.

Of course no list is complete without some Harry Potter reference. I actually have two different choices because they're possibly my two favorite HP characters, and I couldn't choose which one I wanted to feature more. This is Hermione's wand. Do I even need to explain this choice? Hermione meant so much to me when I was reading Harry Potter for the first time, and she still remains close to my heart. (Also, Emma Watson is perfection.)

The other amazing female character I love in Harry Potter is none other than Luna Lovegood! Her Spectrespecs are so unique to her and everyone who knows the movies will recognize it right away. Luna stays true to herself, regardless of what others will think. She's kind and creative.

Another easy choice is Annabeth from the Percy Jackson series. She, like Hermione, is the brains of the trio. She's such a solid heroine and similarly inspiring as Hermione. I found these books in middle school and am just now realizing how great of a transition it was to find it a few years after the last Harry Potter book. It's no wonder I loved Annabeth! This is an Annabeth Chase candle. 

This one is a less obvious choice, but this Everyone Deserves Tea mug represents the ladies of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (and of Pride and Prejudice). Not only do I love tea, but this is also a reminder of sisterly bond that is so strong in the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. And I love all three sisters, the actresses who portray them, as well as the supporting female cast (Charlotte, Gigi).

I'm not sure if the image is hard to see, but this Belle shirt caught my attention right away. Belle has long been one of my favorite Disney princesses (alongside Mulan). Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved Belle. She was one of the first females I saw on screen who loved to read and comforted the bookworm in me. 

This was a bit of a late addition, but I've included it for a few reasons. For one, while I personally don't like Katniss, many people do, and this pullover partially represents her. But the other reason I included it is that it represents the thousands/millions of female ballerinas out there. Ballet has sort of been brought back to popular culture thanks to people such as Misty Copeland. As a dancer/ballet dancer myself, I had to throw something in there. Ballerinas (and all dancers) work so hard yet also work to make what they do effortless. They're often not given nearly enough credit and aren't seen as on-par with other athletes, when in many ways, we're more athletic. So I had to include this in my dream box.

I apologize that this Captain Marvel/Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan pillow isn't included in the overall graphic, but I added this after I made it. As I wrote my honorable mentions/extras below I realized I didn't have any non-white women above, which is a huge and real problem (and also why we need more diversity in popular culture). So Kamala Khan popped into my head. I wanted to pick an item that's different from the others, and this pillow fits that bill. 

Another last minute addition not included in the graphic is this Schuyler Sisters sticker. I had them in mind since the beginning, but it slipped my mind as I was finishing up this post. This is such a given. Does it even need explaining?

Extras/Honorable Mentions

There were a few items that don't fit into the popular culture category, so I've listed them here instead.

 

I absolutely love this image and think a tote would be fabulous. If we're going to talk about feminism, it should be intersectional. Unfortunately, basically all of the women above are white women, and it's important to acknowledge all types of women.

Michelle Obama is all kinds of goals, and I've fallen in love with the recent Strand merch including this quote. This is the magnet, and after the election, this is just so inspiring and lovely. I love Michelle Obama and think she's an amazing figure for all of us to look up to.

And last but not least, I had to include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's We Should All Be Feminists. To me, Adichie is one of the ultimate feminists, and while there are plenty of others whom I love, she speaks so eloquently and rawly and openly about transnational and intersectional feminism. She supports other women, even if she disagrees with them (see her comments on her feminism vs. Beyonce's feminism). She has been so integral in the recent pushes/fights for feminism, and she is such an important part of educating others on inclusional feminism. I just love her, and I think this (or her TED talk) should be required reading (viewing). 

~~~

Ladies, let us continue to be "nasty women." Let's continue to fight for inclusion and diversity, for equality, for respect. Let's continue to support one another and critically discuss issues important to all of us.

Be sure to check out Loot Crate Loot Crate

if you're interested in their subscription boxes!

And let me know below or on Twitter what you would include in your dream crate!

Best of 2015

Hey, lovelies! So I'm hoping to make this blog bigger and better in the new year. I feel like I always say that, but at least for now, I'm really motivated and excited. In addition, I'm hoping to really start up my personal blog, Infinite Golden Floors. At this point, I may still end up combining these two blogs, but I'd probably have to change my blog URL again, and I'd rather not. (Regardless, I'll be changing my Twitter handle.)

But let's talk about this past year! It's definitely been a rollercoaster of ups and downs, but overall, I would say I've had a good year, at least looking back now. I'll admit that I think more in school years/semesters than calendar years, so some of the beginning of the year is fuzzy, but I'm loving where I am now in college.

And here is my Best of 2015 list! Everything is listed in no particular order. (I've reviewed many of these, some won't be reviewed at all, and others will be reviewed in early 2016, by the way.)

Top 10 Reads of 2015

Honorable Mentions: I Crawl Through It by A.S. King, Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom, Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Top 2 Graphic Novels of 2015

I decided to just pick two despite having a read a few because most of the graphic novels I read were all within the same rating range and don't particularly stick out.

Top 10 Albums of 2015

(Though most of these were released in 2015, not all were. In addition, I didn't include albums for musicals.)

Honorable Mentions: Stand By You and Fight Song by Rachel Platten, Rabbits on the Run by Vanessa Carlton

Top 3 Movies of 2015

(I'm very bad at keeping track of movies I watch, so I've only looked at those released this past year. I didn't watch very many movies (probably around 5 in theaters), so.)

Honorable Mention: Avengers: Age of Ultron

Top 6 Shows of 2015

American Ballet Theater November 1st Performance (After You, Piano Concerto #1, The Brahms-Haydn Variations)

The Royal Ballet Junes 27th Performance

Happy New Year!

And that's a wrap! I hope you've all had a good year, and I hope the next year will bring even better things. Have a happy new year, lovelies! <3

What were your 2015 favorites? Do you make resolutions; what are some of yours?

Review: Divergent Movie

"At the end of the day, I still really enjoyed the movie, both before and after reading the book. I would definitely recommend it!"

This review is going to follow a slightly different format because I watched the movie and then read the book. That being said, I'm going to state my thoughts on the movie when I originally watched it. Then I'll discuss my thoughts on the movie after reading the book and gaining more insight. I may watch the movie again, and I may post about my thoughts then (since my thoughts about the movie after reading the book are based upon what I remember of the movie the first time around).

Before the book:
Before reading the book, the movie completely blew me away. I enjoyed it SO much, and it's what actually gave me the final push to read Divergent. I feel like a movie has done a great job when it can get people to want to read the book. Though the movie felt incredibly long, I enjoyed almost every moment of it. After the initiation, events occurred at a fairly rapid pace, and it kept me at the edge of my seat for most of the movie. There was a moment when I thought, when will this movie end??? But really, I didn't mind the length, and I think it needed to be the length that it was.

What really stuck out to me was the acting and the world-building/setting. I know many people were skeptical about both Shailene and Theo, but I hadn't known enough about the book and the characters to really care. But their performances just BLEW ME AWAY. I felt that they did an amazing job with the characters, and they definitely made me care about the characters and their struggles. It brought the movie and story to life, and there was so much power, emotion, and strength in both of their performances. The rest of the cast was also really amazing. Although I constantly mixed up Al and Will because the actors look SO alike, I think this movie was incredibly well cast. I really enjoyed the performances, and each character was unique. Other examples of performances that stuck out to me were Kate Hudson as Jeanine Matthews, Ashley Judd as Natalie Prior, Maggie Q as Tori, and Zoe Kravitz as Christina.

The setting/world-building was also really impressive. From the Chicago skyline to the sections for each faction to the aptitude test, the backdrop just looked perfect. It felt real, as if such a place existed. I felt immersed in the world, and it really enhanced the story for me.

Another aspect of this film that I really enjoyed was how engaged it made me. I was at the edge of my seat. I felt like I could understand Tris. I really felt for her struggle from the bottom to the top. I hated Peter (but he was kind of funny in a ridiculous way). I loved Four, and I really felt his pain and how torn he felt. I came to really dislike Erudite, though I understand that not all of them could possibly that bad. I really enjoyed how this movie made me think about our world, and I got pretty upset by how stupid people could be. I don't know if you'll understand what I mean, but the political undertones definitely grated at me in that I just really didn't understand Erudite, and I hated everything they were doing.

Okay, the next point is something that I didn't realize the first time I watched it, but after talking to some people about it, I definitely see the point. I think part of it also comes from my thoughts after reading the book, but it's basically about Four and Tris' relationship. When I first watched the movie, I came out of it LOVING Tris/Tobias (still do!). I thought their relationship was well-formed and presented. I liked the development of their relationship. I found it refreshing that they didn't just suddenly get together (insta-love). But after thinking about it, I'm not entirely sure. The thing is, I don't think it was TOO sudden, but I also don't know that there was the kind of development that I usually find in movies. Okay, maybe it's because I'm not used to characters getting together in the first book if it's a series. [SLIGHT SPOILERS] But when I first watched it, I loved the progression of Four being distant to him helping her out and sort of looking out for her while still trying to remain above her. He helps her out and encourages her in private, but he puts up the image of just being a harsh instructor. Then there was the ferris wheel scene and the part where he saves her from being beat up and possibly killed. There was then the tattoo scene, and then it was just like BAM. Okay, so there's a little more in between, but really, I'm not sure anymore. I think I'd have to watch it again.

*Note: So I started this review soon after watching the movie, but it is now July, and I'm trying to finish it, so I've forgotten a bunch of what I wanted to talk about. Oops!*

After the book:
(A lot of this crosses into my review of the book, which will be posted soon, but I'll try to keep this more about the movie.)

It's hard for me to write this because then this gets mixed in with how I felt about the book, as well as other aspects, such as the fact that when I read the book, I just pictured the cast (so I didn't worry about how true appearances were).

One thing I found interesting was how much more I loved Tris in the movie after reading the book. This is because there was so much from Tris' thoughts in the books that really annoyed me. On screen, Tris was awesome, and I love Shailene's portrayal of her. Maybe it's not necessarily true to the book, but I'm glad the movie made me love Tris more than the books. It reminds me of The Hunger Games but only in that I still don't really like Katniss in the movies, which still makes me feel very conflicted. But that's another story for another day.

On the other hand, book Tobias is better than movie Tobias, not that movie Tobias is bad at all. I love Theo's portrayal, but there's just something that the book gets across about Four that the movies don't do as well.

Another aspect that didn't translate very well on screen was Christina and Will's relationship. I hardly got any of that in the movie, which is really upsetting because I loved it in the book! Speaking of things I loved in the book that wasn't so great in the movie was that Uriah was missing from the movie! What a shame because I really like him in the book. (I'm just glad to hear they're bringing him in for Insurgent.)

To continue with the whole character review, I think the movie didn't really hit at Tris' fear of sexual assault and displays of affection the way the book did. I guess I can understand the sexual assault part, but I didn't feel like Tris or the rest of Abnegation really shy away from displays of affection. Peter is also less brutal in the movie than he was in the book, and Drew and Molly played bigger roles in the book.

(Well, it seems my biggest issues after reading the book is character related, so that's all I'm going to discuss for the rest of this section. Still love the action. Would've liked to see the fear sequence more like it was in the book. Otherwise, pretty spot on or at least got the same point across.)

Finally, I think that movie missed a lot of the character and situational depth in the book. My list of examples include Al, Tobias, Tris, Christina, Eric, and Tori. I don't want to spoil the book, so I won't elaborate, but there were fairly big revelations regarding the last two at the very least that I think would've slightly changed the way they're viewed or perhaps even important to the plot (I've only read Divergent so far, so I can't say much on this point). Lastly, I think Tris fit in too easily and was accepted a bit too easily in the movies. There was a glimpse of how difficult it was and of how badly she was treated, but I don't think it was as great as it was in the book. I think that the dynamic of being treated so horribly really shaped Tris as a character and person, so I'm a little disappointed, but it isn't huge, I suppose.

~~~

At the end of the day, I still really enjoyed the movie, both before and after reading the book. I would definitely recommend it! Don't be put off by some of the casting decisions because the cast really was superb. It definitely got me into the fandom, and it inspired me to push through the book that I had put down a while back. It helped enhance the book for me, and that's important, in my opinion.

Divergent

Directed by: Neil Burger

Written by: Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor, based on Divergent by Veronica Roth

Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Ashley Judd, Zoe Kravitz, Jai Courtney, and more

Release Date: March 21st, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday (#10): Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour and The Fault in Our Stars Movie

This feature is hosted by Breaking the Spine!

For more info on this feature, see my features page.

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Release Date: May 15th, 2014

A wunderkind young set designer, Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world.

Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. She’s enigmatic…. She’s beautiful. And she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

Why I Want to Read This Book

Firstly, what a BEAUTIFUL cover. I know, I know. Don't judge a book by it's cover. But come on, we all do. Secondly, I kind of like reading books about famous people/movie stars/etc, so this appeals to me. Also, I'm really happy that this is a book with homosexual characters/relationships. But not just that. Based on the blurb, it's also about family and acceptance, and I'm just like "yes!"

Release Date: June 6th, 2014

Director: Josh Boone

Based On: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Why I Want to Watch This Movie

Who doesn't want to watch this?! Okay, so this movie will almost definitely make me cry, but I loved the book SO much, and I can't wait to see it on screen. 

Yes, I'm uncertain about a lot of it, namely Shailene and especially Ansel, but I hope it ends up being better than I expect. At the moment, I just can't see Ansel as Augustus. Based off of stills and the leaked trailer, I just...I don't know...I just don't feel it. He seems...off. Same with the Hazel/Augustus relationship. It looks so...fake or forced from what I've seen. Perhaps the movie itself will be different, but these are my thoughts at the moment. I'm also excited to see Nat Wolff on screen as Isaac, as well as John Green's cameo in the movie. We shall see! Either way, I look forward to watching the movie and will definitely see it in theaters...with a lot of tissues. 

Review: The Book Thief Movie

Note: I've decided not to use ratings for my movie and music reviews

(Source)

"The characters, their stories, their voices, their experiences--it's so real because it's really something that could have happened to families all over Germany at the time."

"War is brutal and unforgiving, and The Book Thief remembers that."

I must first note that I haven't finished reading the book yet, so I don't know how accurate the movie is. 

Wow. That was my first thought once the credits started rolling. This movie blew me away, and I love it. It has a subtle beauty but not in the way one might think. It is certainly not a beautiful story in that it takes place during World World II in Nazi Germany. There isn't really a happy ending because war does not have a happy ending. It is a sad, heart-wrenching story, but there's something about it that takes it beyond a war story. 

There's so much depth and emotion woven throughout this film, and it's done so incredibly well. This is partially what I mean when I say that there's a subtle beauty to The Book Thief. The characters, their stories, their voices, their experiences--it's so real because it's really something that could have happened to families all over Germany at the time. In a similar way that cancer stories can become too central on the cancer aspect, war movies tend to become too central on the war. But The Book Thief isn't one of those. It's about family, love, loss, friendship, sacrifice, passion, and above all, hope. It's a story that's loaded with so many elements, yet it works together so well. 

The cast was utterly breathtaking, particularly Sophie Nelisse, who plays Liesel. But really, the entire cast, from Hans to Rudy to Max and even the narrator, Death, just pulls off their roles so well. The movie was so incredibly emotional, and I felt everything the characters felt because of the actors and actresses. 

I loved the sub-plots, as well as the major story-arc. Liesel felt relatable in many ways, even if her experience with war is not one most of us have been through. 

Normally, I would say that the ending (or right near the end) of the movie felt incredibly sudden and out-of-nowhere, but that's the thing about war. It's unpredictable. You never know what's going to happen the next day. You can only prepare so much. War is tragedy. So no, I can't complain about the ending of the movie because it's what makes the story so real, so tangible. Because these are the experiences of so many people during the war. And it's scenes like this that make the story stick out.

The movie doesn't sugar-coat anything about the war. Yes, there are some things we don't see, but that's because we view Liesel's story. Her story is not sugar-coated. There are good days, happy days, and there are bad days, tragic days. There are experiences that she'll never want to remember but that she has to remember. There are things that she saw that no person should ever see, let alone a teenager. And it's a part of who she is, and it becomes a part of the story. War is brutal and unforgiving, and The Book Thief remembers that.

Now, my goal is to finally finish the book because I can only imagine that it's better than the movie, which already blew me away.

The Book Thief

Directed by: Brian Percival

Written by: Michael Petroni, based on The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak

Cast: Roger Allam, Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Nico Liersch, Ben Schnetzer, and more

Release Date: November 27, 2013

Dance Appreciation Week: Dance on the Big and Small Screen

POST IS BEING UPDATED. SORRY!

Welp! I'm so sorry about this post being late and about not posting at all yesterday. The past few weeks have been crazy, and then I was studying for my AP, so I couldn't get my post up yesterday. Anyway, today's post is a combination of yesterday's and today's. I'll be sharing a few movies and TV shows that feature dance!

MOVIES

(And subsequent Step Up movies)

TV SHOWS

(Dance Academy Photo Source)                    (Breaking Pointe Photo Source)

                                                             (SYTYCD Photo Source)

(Bring It! Photo Source)

So there you have it! It's a bit of everything, and I hope there's a mix of shows/movies you've heard of and a healthy dose of those that you haven't. Enjoy!