Interracial love has been a topic that has garnered a lot of heat for centuries. Racism is as real an issue in today’s world as it was during the time of slavery. It might not be as prevalent and easy to see, but it manifests itself in many different ways and still has an effect on political, social, and environmental factors that majorly shape the world that we live in.
Racism is completely ridiculous. That much is certain. Obviously everybody doesn’t agree on that matter, but to take away people’s rights or to treat them differently because they’re from a particular people group is like saying that of all the different ants in the world, one species of that ant can be considered an ant at all because it’s bite hold fire. What are the characteristics of being an ant? What are the characteristics of being human? There are variations within a species and every variation holds a purpose in the the whole of the ecosystem. [Read more…]
Alvin and the Chipmunks
No, no, no, no, no.
That’s all we can say about “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.” The first movie was cute, given that it was for kids. And in a way, as annoying as that already was, it had kind of train-wreck charm about it. You had to watch it, and the hollywood numbers did show that it was successful at the box office.
But they should have quit while they were ahead.
The sequel starts after the chipmunks’ manager/guardian, Dave Seville (Jason Lee), gets into some weird accident and ends up in the hospital — where he stays for the whole movie. His assistant Toby (Zachary Levi) takes over. Or tries to. He’s just not ready to handle the rigors of raising Alvin, Simon and Theodore as they go through high school. (Most parents aren’t.)
To complicate things are the all-female singing chipmunk trio, the Chipettes. So it’s the battle of the rock rats — oh, excuse us, rock bands.
So what don’t we like about this movie? Bad acting, lame plot, no lovable character to root for (the Chipmunks have lost their novelty by now). Plus, considering the possibilities of having two chipmunk groups who can dance and sing, the movie fails at delivering catchy songs or interesting choreography. We’ve seen better sequences on Barney videos.
Of course, the kids will want to see this, and parents will dutifully take them. The movie producers are lucky that their prime audience (namely five-year-olds) are ridiculously easy to please. But to the adults who are condemned to take them, we send our condolences. Well, at least it’s fun to Munk Yourself.
Universal Studios: Closest We Can Get To Being Movie Stars?
Many a child has dreamt of being a movie star. I suppose even some adults do have these dreams. While only a very small percentage of these dreamers will ever get to live their fantasies, we can have a taste of the life behind the movies in Universal Studios theme parks!
Universal Studios Hollywood has been dubbed the “Entertainment Capital of L.A.” for good reason. Visitors can have a blast at the theme park, tour the studios where some of the greatest movies were filmed, and experience Hollywood at its best. They always have something new to offer, and since Halloween is coming up, one of the most looked forward to events is Halloween Horror Nights. Some of the most popular attractions are the mazes (all new!), the terror tram, and more scare zones.
There is also a Universal Studios site in Orlando, which also offers Halloween Horror Nights. There are two theme parks, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. They are both unique in their own and offer totally different adventures. Needless to say, you have to visit both theme parks to get the complete Universal studios experience!
Did you know that there is also Universal Studios Theme Park in Japan? Yup, for those who are in the eastern part of the world, the Universal Studios experience is within reach. This theme park has the best ride attractions: Hollywood Dream, The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, and Jurassic Park. It also has shows such as the Magical Starlight Parade, Peter Pan’s Neverland, and Wicked (Wizard of Oz). If you are planning to visit Universal Studios Japan, you do not have to worry about hotels. Just visit the comprehensive list of hotels near the park that Japanican has put together.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
“Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” is just around the corner and muggles worldwide are all breathless with expectation. I won’t be recounting any of the past Harry Potter films nor going to be giving a synopsis of what this film will be about (If you don’t know yet then just grab a copy of the book.) but will be simply blabbing about the latest in the lives of the Potter film stars.
As we all know Emma Watson had a very public fiasco when the wind conspired with her hormone ridden teenage boys fans and flicked open her dress for her to reveal nice long legs and her underwear. She showed “Hermione-like” calmness on David Letterman and good humour when she said, “At least I’m wearing underwear.” When it comes to her kissing scene with Rupert Grint (Ron Weasly) both of them agree was uncomfortable. As Rupert said, “I remember being inches away from her lips and thinking, ‘Good lord, this is going to be strange.” Emma Watson even goes as far as saying that with Rupert being “like a brother” to her kissing him “felt like incest.” A thing the little kids who will be watching (I think this one’s rated PG and not PG-13 like the last two films.) need not know. Whatever the case, you can be sure their unease won’t show on screen. Of course we’ll have to wait for “Deathly Hallows” till we see this scene.
As for their future beyond the Harry Potter films Daniel Radcliffe has expressed his desire to continue acting, Emma Watson is not yet sure though she seems to be seriously considering on going to college, and Rupert Grint is just sure that he’ll be missing the shoots and is adopting a wait and see attitude on what the future holds for him.
As for muggles worldwide all we can hope for is that wherever you are, come Wednesday, it won’t be literally raining on our parade, which is what happened in the London premiere. I guess it just goes to show that their magic wand works only in the film and not in real life.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
The Ice Age will be back tomorrow and we hope for everyone involved sakes that it will be received warmly. To be honest I am not a fan of Ice Age but since this one’s in 3D and I promised my dad just this weekend that I’ll be bringing my nephew to the next 3D movie then I just might see this (cross my fingers they don’t decide to come by and visit till Ice Age is out of the cinemas). Now that doesn’t mean that I don’t like it at all but I’d rather spend my money on other movies that would be more enjoyable for me. Of course, it’s called selfishness. Anyway here’s what the makers say you expect if you do decide to watch Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
There’ll be dinosaurs – Quite obvious from the title. This is scientifically erroneous since dinosaurs were no longer around during the real ice age so start explaining that it’s only in the cartoons that those mammals coexisted with those dinosaurs.
Better animation that the first two Ice Age movies – Again this should be pretty obvious since a 3D film would have better animation. So at least the 3D aspect will surely provide entertainment value.
The laughter meter – It might not be that funny but according to Roger Moore of Orlando Sentinel some of the jokes worked mostly thanks to Scratte (voice of Karen Disher). According to Ella Taylor of the Houston Press though, “there’s no breathing life into a formula that ought to have bowed out gracefully while the going was good.” Ouch! So don’t expect too much but try to keep it positive so you can still enjoy the movie.