{Movie}: Dream House

Dream House

Directed by: Jim Sheridan

Starring: Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Rated: PG- 13

Year: 2011

Thoughts: Beware! Warning! This may contain spoilers!
When I first saw the trailer for Dream House, I thought the film would be a horror thriller movie. Thing that sucks is, the trailer was very misleading. The movie ended up being more of a mysterious drama, however, it was a good film and the mysterious plot line was intriguing.

Daniel Craig does a very good job portraying a father, who loves his family. This relationship is very important because it sets the foundation for the reason why the ghosts are still there. I think the movie was kinda weird, because it tried to combine a horror aspect, with a thriller aspect, and a mysterious aspect. However, they utilize ghosts as not horror instruments, but instead as good, protecting spirits. But it takes a good chunk of the film to realize that the ghosts are ghosts, the director does a good job at misleading the audience.

After the plot line shows its twist, and reveals the ghosts and the twist about Peter Ward, the conflict turns from who is stalking the house to what is going on about Peter Ward. The most confusing part for mee was revealing who the actual killer is. When they revealed some random as the killer, I was really confused as to why. While you can deduct that he was hired by Ward's neighbor's ex- husband it still makes everything really confusing as to why. Also, why they went back to the house and decided to attempt the murder all over again.

Rating: 5/10

Any suggestions for movies to watch? Any opinions about the movie? 

Comment and please let me know what you're thinking! Thanks guys!

{Movie}: In Time

In Time

Directed by: Andrew Niccol

Starring: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy

Genre: Action, Sci- Fi

Rated: PG- 13

Year: 2011

Thoughts: Beware! Warning! This may contain spoilers!

While I admit that I didn't have high hopes for this film, since my old high school orchestra teacher didn't have much praise for this film, I did end up liking the film. I am not the biggest Justin Timberlake as an actor person, but I do enjoy his music. However, his acting in this movie was extraordinary. The idea behind the film was really neat, that instead of money we have time, and after all, we all lust for the extreme, riches or immortality. While time is the ultimate thing in this movie, I have to say that it was a bit frustrating to deal with the idea of everyone stopping at 25 years old. A really weird aspect of the film is that everybody stops aging at the age of 25, and the rest of how long you live is based on what time you earn, inherit, or win. So basically, once you hit 25 you look that way forever... and so does your mom... and your grandparents... it's weird. (And the film points this out too.)

I really like how this film is focused on the difference between the poor and rich. It is like a more futuristic Robin Hood, the idea of stealing from the rich in order to help the poor. I love fractured fairy tale ideas, and this one is really interesting. Amanda Seyfried does a wonderful job of playing the sheltered rich girl, who gets a taste for the dangerous life. Her outfits do a wonderful job of also portraying her personality change.

Also making a wonderful acting job is Cillian Murphy! I love love him! I really don't care if my friends think he looks a bit creepy... I like it. Ehh okay now I sound weird. But Murphy does a wonderful job of being the good cop and bad cop all in one. Besides being a rich boy in Inception and the Scarecrow in Batman Begins, he can now successfully add timekeeper to his resume. The plot twist in the end regarding his character is also unexpected. I wouldn't have guessed that he was from the same time zone as JT's character, and that he wouldn't have regarded his own people over justice, giving the ultimate sacrifice at the end.

Death is a bit creative in this film though. Instead of the usual "boom boom let's shoot people" style of killing, death is done by stealing time. The mob steals others' time, and victims die from a zeroed clock. I think this is more classy than having to shoot everybody in order to rid character count. The idea of a zeroed clock is interesting but a bit nerving, when you realize how easily it is to rid people. But I think this movie is really creative, and the idea behind it is futuristic and interesting. It's just a bit creepy how everybody is basically the same age... a 105 year old still looks 25, and a 25 year old may die in a few seconds from nothing at all.

Rating: 8/10

Any suggestions for movies to watch? Any opinions about the movie? 

Comment and please let me know what you're thinking! Thanks guys!

A Look Inside

This past week has been a whirlwind of... television.

My friend has introduced mee to the show Game of Thrones. Wow, I didn't think it was that addicting but since Monday we have already finished one season! I won't give my opinion on the show too much yet because we haven't finished the other seasons and caught up.

We also started watching Gossip Girl. Gossip Girl was one of my favorite tele shows when it was on, and for my birthday I got the complete collection! So, the deal was Game of Thrones for Gossip Girl.

Gossip Girl Complete Collection

I think that along with movie nights, television series nights are also fun. Series last longer than movies and keep you continuously watching together. At school my friends and I watched Big Bang Theory and Friends once a week to relieve stress and have a relaxing night. 

Weekly Playlist: Pop Concert Smosh

So since my last weekly playlist, I have been to a total of four concerts.
Yeah, I know... I am a concert whore. What's new?

Anyways, if you haven't seen (or are choosing to ignore) my concert reviews then you wouldn't know that I had the pleasure of seeing Sheryl Crow, The Script, Train, Gavin DeGraw, and OneRepublic. Basically, a smosh of all pop artists. So while I won't go into all the different concerts (now is when you can read those reviews), I have made a playlist with some of my favorite songs from the artists I saw.

Sheryl Crow:

1. Soak Up The Sun

2. Love Is Free

3. Steve McQueen

4. If It Makes You Happy

The Script:

5. If You Could See Me Now

6. Breakeven

7. Nothing

8. Before the Worst

Train:

9. Drops of Jupiter

10. Marry Me

11. Calling All Angels

12. Drive By

Gavin DeGraw:

13. Chariot

14. Not Over You

15. I Don't Wanna Be

16. In Love With a Girl

OneRepublic:

17. All the Right Moves

18. Feel Again

19. Secrets

20. Apologize

Have a great weekend everyone! Stay Happy!

Any suggestions for additional songs? Any opinions about songs on the list? 

Comment and please let me know what you're thinking! Thanks guys!

Instagram

#Summer #onerepublic concert with my #bestfriend !

{Movie}: The Other Boleyn Girl

The Other Boleyn Girl

Directed by: Justin Chadwick

Starring: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana

Genre: Drama, Biography, Time Piece

Rated: PG- 13

Year: 2008 

Thoughts: Beware! Warning! This may contain spoilers!

The Other Boleyn Girl was an interesting movie. I love time piece films, not because of their historical and biographical nature, but more for the costumes and culture. I love the idea of wearing large dresses and appearing formal and regal.

The plot of this movie was similar to the story of Henry's wives. He is dissatisfied with one wife and looks towards another woman. The one thing that is interesting about this movie is the focus on the whole Boleyn family. I took AP Euro and learned about all the European history, but I didn't remember learning anything about the other Boleyn family members... like Anne Boleyn had a sister and a brother! (Which her brother was also beheaded - ouch!)

The movie focused on how Henry fell in love with Mary Boleyn, which is really confusing because in history class all we learned about was Henry's marriage to Anne. My friend and I were constantly googling mini history lessons about the entire Boleyn family, which added to the confusion of the film.

However, the drama between the two sisters and Henry is really intriguing. You could feel the tension between them as they both struggle for power over one man. I enjoyed the acting and emotion behind the story. So while the historical plot line was slightly difficult to follow, the story, setting, and acting was enjoyable to watch.

Rating: 5/10

Any suggestions for movies to watch? Any opinions about the movie? 

Comment and please let me know what you're thinking! Thanks guys!

Concert Review: Mermaids of Alcatraz Tour

Train
The Script
Gavin DeGraw
Tinley Park
21 July 2013

Second day in a row, I find myself at Tinley Park. However, this time the event is totally different. Instead of the fun, hardcore, excitement, day packed Warped Tour, I am here for Train's Mermaids of Alcatraz Tour.

I went to this concert with some different people than I normally do, I went with Rachel, Becky, and Becky's roommate, Rachel. (Let's just say her roommate is a different kind of person...) We got to the venue pretty early, and got a really nice parking spot. Our seats were in the lawn, and just like Friday, we were hoping that it wasn't going to rain. While it didn't actually rain, falling raindrops kept threatening us.

While we were waiting in line to get into the venue, we got to hear Gavin DeGraw's soundcheck, and he played Chariot. Which is simply amazing because I love that song! However, the bummer about waiting to get into the venue was the d-bag security guy that checked our bags. The other security guards did a casual check and let everybody in, but the guy that checked our stuff was so painfully thorough. He went through our bags and removed everything and opened every little pocket, and while some people would say hey, he's just doing his job and protecting the artists, I must say that I didn't know pretzels and a plastic water bottle were so threatening. Ugh. He kinda spoiled the mood for the moment.

Anyways, we got pretty good seats near the edge of the lawn. Gavin DeGraw played first and he sounded wonderful. He sang and played the piano and guitar. His voice never fails to uplift mee, and his set was perfect. He played all his old singles, like Chariot and I Don't Wanna Be. The only bummer was that he was a bit far away to see, since we were in the lawn. It was also a bummer that not as many people knew his music, I was a bit shocked, but I guess that the majority of the people were there for Train.

Next, The Script performed, and wow they were really impressive! Danny did a wonderful job getting the crowd excited and performing. He ran into the audience, and even ended up running into the lawn. So I got a pretty neat experience, being about 10 feet away from him. Their music was even better live, and the bands opening comments about each song gave so much meaning behind the words. They played my favorite two songs, If You Could See Me Now and The Man Who Can't Be Moved. They even sang a cover of Can't Hold Us by Macklemore. Their music was so moving, I got goosebumps during If You Could See Me Now. I'd say it was really enjoyable except for the fact that Rachel (the roommate) kept "showing off" by asking us all these questions and saying random comments to make herself see all knowing about the band. This would've been cool if I hadn't known they existed about 3 years before she had known they existed. Annoying.

After The Script performed, Becky and her roommate wanted to see if we could find the tour buses and meet the band. So we spent the intermission by the entrance to the back of the stage waiting. However, we waited forever and they still didn't come out. Because they were so insistent on waiting, we missed Train's opening song. Which kinda ticked mee off, because I was really really excited to see Train perform. And their opening song was my favorite song that they sang, Calling All You Angels. I was even more annoyed because I had mentioned this to everyone, and Becky said she knew the set list, and she could've just told mee when they were going to sing that... but ugh whatever, 'tis in the past. Train did a wonderful job though, simply because they sound amazing! Pat's vocals are bliss, and he has so much energy while performing. His emotions poured through the song, and everyone was moved by it. Everyone around us was swaying, dancing, or singing along to the songs. Even Rachel (not the roommate- confusing, I know) was surprised by how many songs she knew. At one point during their set, Train even brought up all these girls and a few guys who were dressed like mermaids. It was really cool, since he made them do a special "mermaid dance" to the song Mermaid, all in spirit with the name of the tour. But my favorite part of the concert was when they played Drops of Jupiter. It was so powerful, I got goosebumps for the second time that night. For their final song, Train had all the bands and Ashley Monroe, who was featured in their song Bruises, come onstage and they all sang a medley song together. It was really cool to have all 4 groups together, united was the word they used.

At the end of the concert, Becky and her roommate wanted to see if they could meet the bands again, despite what I said (since bands usually never come out at super large venues, like Tinley). And to my non- surprise, I was right. The bands never came out, and we were ushered out with all the other crazy fangirls. Despite my utter annoyance with the way people acted, the music was simply perfection. The night was amazing, and none of the artists disappointed.

All the pictures were taken on my phone, since the security told us no cameras...

My friends and I

Gavin DeGraw

The Script

Danny O'Donoghue (The Script) in the Lawn

Train's Mermaids of Alcatraz

Train, Ashley Monroe, The Script, and Gavin DeGraw

For more videos, check out my youtube channel !

Concert Review: Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow

Kristen Kelly

Ravinia Festival

19 July 2013

So, I am by no means a country music fan, but I do like Sheryl Crow's more pop sounding songs. However, since she is considered a country singer, I do believe this counts as attending my first country concert. Well... first scheduled attended country concert since I saw Lady Antebellum at the beginning of the summer. 

I love outdoor concerts, which is why I love Ravinia! It was so hot though! This past week we have had 90˚+ weather and it was no different Friday night. My friend and I had to walk about 2 blocks in the warmth because we decided to go for free parking instead. Upon getting to the concert we set up our blankets and chilled outside. Well more like died, since it was so hot we just talked while lying down. And we waited for 2.5 hours, since the gates opened so much earlier than when the concert started.

Kristen Kelly was the opening act, and she had a really strong voice. However, I didn't care much for her music since it sounds more country than Sheryl Crow. She also sang songs that seemed almost very angsty. She opened her first song saying, this is a song I wrote about my ex- husband... and my ex- best friend. Then she also opened another song going this is for all of you guys listening who are in love... I hope you stay in love. Depressing? Yea...

Sheryl Crow sounded amazing though! I love her songs and she didn't disappoint. She was very uplifting and comfortable playing on stage. However, the danger with outdoor concerts is always the weather. This concert was no difference, as it started to downpour right before Crow's set. So, my friend and I created a little towel tent, and we listened to as much music as we could handle. But dancing in the rain and hearing music can only last so long, we tired of it and decided to call it quits early. With that in mind, we left the lawn, ventured up to the ampitheatre for a good look, then headed home.

Since we were in the lawn though, I don't really have any pictures or videos to share with you guys! Sorry!

Instagram

So beautiful, wish it was #summer forever.

A Look Inside: Girls Night

So after receiving tons of new nail decor for my birthday (birthday haul), it was time for a girl's night!

My friends and I spent the day together, in a typical movie- like girl's night. We played games, watched movies, ate pizza, gossiped, talked about guys, school and life, and did our nails.

It was really fun, and for awhile it was nice to not have to think about anything. We were able to have fun in our own way, without having to pay for anything or any of that stuff. Remember, broke college kids here... It was fun to catch up with friends, even if for a couple hours. Watching our favorite movies were fun, and we were all able to quote them and insert our own favorite moments.

In the case that you want to have your own girl's night too...

Here's a list of movies we recommend:
- Mean Girls
- John Tucker Must Die
- LOL
- Enchanted
- Fired Up!
- Ever After
- What A Girl Wants
- Killers

Also, here's some pictures of some our nails!

DK's Rilakkuma Nails

RC's Modern Color Block Nails

My Dotted Black and White Nails

Concert Review: Summer Fest Tour 2013

We the Kings
Breathe Carolina
(T.Mills)*
The Ready Set
Keep It Cute

The Rave

16 July 2013

* Due to health reasons, T.Mills did not perform at the concert. My friend and I believe it was because of a recent foot injury.

This past Tuesday, one of my best friends and I drove an hour and a half across the Illinois border to attend a concert in Wisconsin.

I have to say I had high expectations for this venue, considering every tour that goes through Milwaukee seems to be held at The Rave. The venue was interesting to say the least. The section that the concert was held in was huge, and there was lots of space for tons of people. There were little corridors off of the main stage, where merch and drinks were sold. However, the stage was barricaded by a metal fence, and security roamed between that area. Also, there was no fans or any form of air conditioning, making it quite miserable (it was 93˚F). The venue's solution to that problem was to squirt us with water guns, which as much as it sounds cool... was downright flipping annoying.

The lineup was spectacular though! This lineup had some of my favorite alt-pop bands. The only band I didn't know was Keep It Cute. But they didn't disappoint, their music was really good, although similar to other bands in this genre. The band was full of energy, and they seemed genuinely excited to be touring. We were pleased with their excitement, but one of the guitarists annoyed mee a bit because he kept walking up around a mic stand to be center stage, clearly displaying that he wanted to be the center of attention. Annoying, but passable. And yes, for the namesake of the band, they were very attractive. We even ran into the drummer on our way out, unfortunately, I looked like a mess with my keys in my mouth and my makeup schmeared from sweat and the water being sprayed on us by the venue staff.

The Ready Set did not disappoint either! Jordan is always full of energy, and he always puts on a good show. He sang his new single, Give Me Your Hand (Best Song Ever), and some of his old hits too. I always love watching him because he is able to jump around, run around, and basically be pretty ADD looking, while still singing perfectly (unlike current pop singers who lip sync or use backup tracks).  One of my absolute favorite bands is Breathe Carolina, and this show reinforced why I love them so much. They have so much energy, and like The Ready Set they love dancing around and such while they perform. I love that in between songs, they also had dub-dance mixes play, so the crowd just gets to chill and dance with the band. It was also fun to hear them sing their new songs, which you can download for free here. (I quite like their song "Riot" right now.) In case you click the link and see the band... yes Kyle does have hair that looks like that - and I like it. His hair fits his personality, and he was just as crazy at the concert. He even ended up ripping his shirt off at one point, but you could tell he wasn't pleased that happened and he ended up putting another shirt on. And speaking of clothes, David was wearing a Ready Set shirt with Jordan's face on it! It was neat how they all support each other. The thing that sucked about Breathe Carolina's set was that a) they had tech difficulty at the beginning and had to cut their set short (which sucks cuz the sets were super short to begin with) and b) for some reason we weren't allowed to record them singing, which I was alerted of with a face full of water when a security guard decided to shoot mee with his super soaker, in order to notify me.

While We The Kings was the headliner, we didn't stay to watch because we have both seen them so many times before, it didn't feel necessary since we don't like them that much. Also, considering the length of the drive, we decided it was a better idea to head home.


Tips for future shows at The Rave:
- Don't buy parking online, I was charged $20, then found out upon arriving at the lot that it was only $10.
- Don't wear jeans (unless it's winter) because it's so flipping hot!
- Bathrooms are singles, pee before hand y'all.

Keep It Cute:

 

Ryan Alexander- Keep It Cute Vocals

The Ready Set:

Travis Rountree- The Ready Set Drums

Jordan Witzigreuter- TRS Vocals

 

 

Breathe Carolina:

 

 

Kyle Even- Breathe Carolina

David Schmitt- Breathe Carolina

For more videos, check out my youtube channel !

{Movie}: Temptation

Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor

Directed by: Tyler Perry

Starring: Jurnee Smollett- Bell, Lance Gross, Robbie Jones

Genre: Drama, 

Rated: PG- 13

Year: 2013

Thoughts: Beware! Warning! This may contain spoilers!

This movie was... different, than what I usually watch. I initally wanted to see this movie because it reminded mee of the film Obsessed (2009) and because Robbie Jones was in it, and I loved his acting in the TV Series Hellcats (2010). 

I must admit, that this is the first Tyler Perry movie I've seen. I don't know if there is some sort of following on these types of movies or something.. but I have to say that I wasn't really impressed. The plot was initially intriguing, setting up a window story. However, eventually as the plot progressed it was becoming easier to predicate what would happen. The beginning of the window story was slow, starting with background and history of the characters. Then it lead into introductions and the rise of conflict. And the conflict part of the movie was extremely quick. The disappointing part about the peak of the conflict is that it was super fast, predictable, and the exciting part wasn't even shown, just the aftermath. The film didn't really hold my interest, and I ended up surfing the web during it.

Another interesting aspect of the film was the cast. Most of the cast I recognized, even if I couldn't tell you where I've seen them. The one really interesting cast member is Kim Kardashian, she plays Eva, one of Judith's fellow co-workers. I don't personally know how Kim Kardashian acts, but this film didn't sway my opinion of her. Her acting was pretty decent, but the role seemed too perfectly like her (or what I've thought of her). Although, I read later and learned that Tyler Perry wrote the role specifically for her.

I do give credit to the film for making mee forget it was a window story. When the "story" reached the end, it took mee a few seconds to remember that everything was just a story. However, after hearing the whole story and realizing what was taking place, it was easy to predicate that Judith was telling the story and what happened afterwards.

Rating: 4/10

Any suggestions for movies to watch? Any opinions about the movie? 

Comment and please let me know what you're thinking! Thanks guys!

Weekly Playlist: Summer Fest 2013

Photo: wethekings.com

So this past Tuesday I had the pleasure of seeing a bunch of my favorite musicians all in one concert!

This concert tour is called Summer Fest (not to be confused with Milwaukee's Summerfest), and it features We The Kings, Breathe Carolina, T.Mills, and The Ready Set. I have seen these musicians separately quite a few times, but this is the best line up ever because they are all performing together!!

Because of this amazingness, this week's weekly playlist will be dedicated to the musicians performing on this tour. 

Even though they are touring together, each band has a little different style...

-We The Kings has a jumpy, summery feel. All their music is cute and light hearted, and their music has a nice powerpop feel.

-Breathe Carolina (one of my favorite bands!) has an awesome electric pop sound. They combine some hardcore vocals with electric beats, which make for some really nice dance beats.

- T.Mills is a one man act. He has a nice alternative rap sound, but it's not your typical rap. He utilizes some good dance beats and alternative styles to create a unique hip hop sound.

-The Ready Set is another amazing one man band. Jordan Wietzger can sing, play guitar, drums, and the piano. All his songs have that fun garage alternative sound, which is attributed to new artists, who are untainted by auto tune and record companies. 

If these bands sound good to you, then you'll really enjoy the playlist! I'd suggest giving them all a listen, and if you really really enjoy these songs you can find tickets for the remaining concert dates here.

We The Kings: 

1. Party, Love, Fun, and Radio

2. Say You Like Me

3. Heaven Can Wait

4. Skyway Avenue

5. Check Yes Juliet

Breathe Carolina:

6. I.D.G.A.F.

7. Hello Fascination

8. Reaching for the Floor

9. Classified

10. Last Night (Vegas)

T.Mills:

11. Loud

12. Vans On

13. Me First

14. I Live High

15. Stupid Boy

The Ready Set:

16. Soular Flares

17. Hollywood Dream

18. Back in Town

19. Limits

20. Give Me Your Hand (Best Song Ever)

Have a great weekend everyone! Stay Happy!

Any suggestions for additional songs? Any opinions about songs on the list? 

Comment and please let me know what you're thinking! Thanks guys!