I hope no one bites me.

Tags

blue blood, breaking dawn, cameron dokey, fallen, Harry potter, hunger games, lauren kate, night world, percy jackson, random thoughts, richelle mead, rick riordan, shopaholic, sophie kinsella, suzanne collins, twilight, vampire, vampire academy, vampire diaries

Teens or young adults who have never watched or read a vampire story, raise your hands!

Had this been my thesis problem, I would have dropped it and looked for another topic. It would have taken me forever to find the right number of respondents and of course, I wanted to graduate on time (so I chose ‘Plastikan’. Ahhhh. Those were the days…).

If you haven’t noticed the trend yet, stories that target young adults, especially teens, have shifted from wizards to vampires (and werewolves). I, as a reader, have experienced the shift. One day, everyone was gushing over Harry and his friends, then came Edward and his sparkles. One day, I was trying to finish the HP books (which I haven’t finished yet. *Don’t kill me, Potterheads.*), then I discovered the Twilight Saga (which I finished. *No, I’m not a Twilighter.*).

I honestly loved the fantasy-adventure genre and these books were wonderful stories. Being a romance reader, I think that I never would have bothered with these stories had they not been popular to the point of being adapted into films.

However, I noticed something very different about the two. During the peak of the Potter fame, Harry was king. The other wizard books were either the wise old men (the classics) or the people (the not as famous books). Don’t get me wrong, I respect the other wizard books but let’s admit it, Harry Potter is a legend. The current vampire kingdom is divided into so many political factions (fandoms) that sometimes, the vampire genre annoys me. There was the Twilighters, the fans of The Vampire Diaries, the Blue Blood Series, the Night World Series, my very own Vampire Academy fandom and all the other numerous vampire books. YA shelves in bookstores are filled with so many vampire novels that they’ve become confusing and honestly, the novelty is starting to wear off.

The last time I’ve been to a bookstore to check the romance section shelf, I’ve seen that even adult fiction has started to adapt the romanticized vampire concept. My reaction? Sigh then roll the eyes. After that, I went straight to the names of my favorite romance authors to see which ones I haven’t read yet.

I don’t have anything against vampires (hey, I read about them too) but I think that people are being narrow-minded for thinking that the only books that would sell to teens and young adults are the vampire stories. This is why I applaud the efforts of such authors as Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games), Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson) and Lauren Kate (Fallen). They used different themes (powers/abilities) and although I have never read any of their works, I am quite sure that they were all something I would enjoy (I’ve been wanting to buy myself the books but my wallet and priorities have other ideas).

The writers of the real vampires (grit and morbidity included) are also very brave as they bring the vampire theme into a balance.

I read a comment in a blog (I don’t remember what. Sorry.) that some authors were even rejected because publishers wanted ‘something with vampires in it’. In my opinion, this (our) generation has had enough vampires than we can read about. Maybe it’s time to discover a new fad. Maybe it’s time we give Edward, Stefan, Damon and all those undead creatures another break (just as we did with Dracula and Lestat. I’m pretty sure they’ll resurface again anyway). Those three authors I’ve mentioned have made good starting points. How about a story about a minotaur? A unicorn who turns into a human? A different take on fairies? A dwarf? Or maybe it’s silly but how about a dog and cat (who turn into humans) love story? I have never read any story with those themes but I’d say they’re welcome into my reading list. Or maybe, YA Lit writers can popularize novels with normal characters again. Sort of like the books with similar themes as How Not to Spend Your Senior Year by Cameron Dokey or the Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella. With that I’d get some more ideas on how to go through my own writing project. Hehe.

Again, I have nothing against vampire novels but if this trend would still go on for years, I think I would end up hating vampires. Or at least, the romanticized ones. I guess for now, I’d go on to read Richelle Mead’s works, in this case, the Bloodlines Series, but that’s only because I already love the characters in it. A new vampire series would probably be met with a lot of hesitation.

Now this post just made me think why I don’t mind reading romance novels over and over again. Maybe because I do like feeling like I’m in love. Even if it’s just during my reading time.

P.S.

Breaking Dawn: Part 1 is set to be released on November 18, 2011 so mark your calendars. 🙂

The Vampire Diaries Season 3 is also up and currently on air so don’t forget to watch it. 🙂

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Behind the “Playgirl”: Part 3

Tags

behind the novel, drama, fiction, hellos and goodbyes, my dream, novel. book, playgirl's secret diaries, rhea lorenzo, secrets, teen romance, trivia, writing attempts

Whoa! I’m almost, almost done with half of A Playgirl’s Secret Diaries! How cool is that? Anyway, since I’ve posted chapter 15 already, that means another set of trivia.*so sorry if you thought Chapter 15 was a bit short*

Anyway, here are three more tidbits about the story I’m writing:

1. The novel is set for 33 chapters excluding the prologue. I write with a tendency to change my mind so there’s a possibility that this might not come true.

2. I’ve been thinking about the ending ever since I finished the story outline and up until now, I still can’t decide whether to put an epilogue or not. I’ll let you guys decide for me once I’ve posted the ending. 😀

3. Rachelle will be ‘attacked’ for a third time and I really hope you watch out for it since it is bound to reveal a lot. And I mean a lot. 🙂

This is supposedly Nick's car. I originally put in Audi TTS Coupe but apparently, I should have put in 'TT RS Coupe'. So sorry.

Anyway guys, I was browsing over the net and found this 10 Most Bizarrely Shaped Lakes and Rivers. So there really are some heart-shaped lakes. One’s supposedly from Korea and the other is found in India. 🙂

Title: Real Steel (2011)

Tags

atom, dakota goyo, dreamworks, hugh jackman, movie, real steel, review, richard matheson, shawn levy, steel

Synopsis:

In the near-future, where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech, Charlie Kenton is a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback. – Yahoo! Movies

Director: Shawn Levy

Production Companies: Touchstone Pictures, DreamWorks

Main Characters:

Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton
Dakota Goyo as Max Kenton
Evangeline Lilly as Bailey Tallet

Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Drama

Release Dates: 6 September 2011 (France); 12 October 2011 (Philippines)

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Thoughts:

I found out about the movie through Facebook and Twitter when my friends started gushing over how good the movie was and how they were all waiting for the sequel. Unknowingly, my entire family had already seen it (my sisters watched with their friends and my parents before they went home from work). They all agreed that it was good, my dad especially. Now that I’ve seen it, I know exactly why my dad loved it–boxing and a father-son story. I know my dad loves all of his three daughters but I’m pretty sure that just like most dads, he wanted a son. I can just imagine what he felt while watching the movie. 🙂

So my parents felt ‘guilty’ that I’m the only one who hasn’t seen the movie so they gave me money for the tickets and somewhat ‘forced’ me out of my cave the house into the cinemas. My youngest sister went with me and thank goodness that she’s not a spoiler thus, I went on to enjoy the movie.

Note that I’m not the type of person who does her research before watching a film. Mostly, I like surprising myself so the only background I had was the idea that the film has robots in it. I haven’t even seen the trailer (or if I did, I forgot about it).

Here are my thoughts before the film started/during the film’s first few minutes:

“If this is really a good film, then this could only be based on a novel.” [And I was right. Or at least almost right. It was based on a short story, “Steel” by Richard Matheson]

“Those robots looked like something out of a Transformers movie.” [c/o DreamWorks]

Anyway, this film’s sub-plot is not something so uncommon. We’ve seen the father-son story so many times that it’s a wonder why we all still love watching it. Maybe it helped that the father and son in this movie are both handsome devils. 🙂

I like the development of their relationship and the fact that it was so obvious how the two characters are so alike. It was so fun watching the two of them being stubborn and arrogant but not to the point of making me hate them or be annoyed with them. I like that line where Max told his dad, “I want you to fight for me. That’s all I ever wanted.” [awwwwww…]

What’s new (at least for me) in this film is the robot boxing plot. The futuristic thought made me think that “yeah, why don’t we just use robots for this kind of bloody (sort of) sport?” [Goodbye, famous boxers, e.g. Manny Pacquiao. I don’t hate you though. In fact, I am proud of you.] The only problem with that kind of sport would be the terrible waste of money. You see, spending $50, 000 for a robot that would be destroyed in more or less an hour is so not practical.

I may be a sucker for romantic plots but I also enjoy watching/reading about other people’s ideas about what would happen in the future. This film did not make me wish to die right this minute because the future is so depressing. I loved the action in the ring and it was obvious that the film was made to entertain.

The best things about the movie:

1. Atom. He is just the right robot for me. 🙂 No offense to other robots a.k.a the Transformers (don’t take me wrong, I love Bumblebee <3)

2. Hugh Jackman. Why is this man so hot? And I must say that I like his role as a father. Very different from the films I’ve seen him in.

3. Dakota Goyo. Good thing I’m not a full-pledged pedophile. I stop at crushes. 😛 He took over the film like the main character he should be. It was so entertaining to watch how arrogant and naive he was. Very childlike, which is just how I pictured an eleven-year-old. I also love his fanboy attitude. Reminds me so much of myself. 😛

What I didn’t like in the film was…hmmm…the first half was a bit dragged. I think it would be a lot better if Atom’s part was lengthened since he had a huge part in making the ending epic. But that’s just my opinion. 🙂

My thoughts and reviews back when I was younger

Tags

book, drama, movie, Multiply, reviews, rhea lorenzo

I just wrote a review for “Letters to Juliet” movie and I thought that maybe I should go check out my ‘brain-dead’ multiply site. I checked on the reviews I did and I was surprised that I wrote quite a lot.

My almost-dead Multiply site

My college professors and fellow UPM OrCom grads would probably kill me with the way I wrote those thoughts (code-switching, capitalization, spelling, jeje language[?], etc). But then, the last review I wrote in multiply was more than two years ago, and I’ve now learned my lesson. You can check my other reviews in this blog if you want proof. Haha!

Anyway, here’s the link to my multiply site just in case you got intrigued.

Note that there are a lot of Tagalog mixed with English in those reviews because, hey, that was a lot more convenient. At least for me. I would have done the same these days if not for my concern for the readers who wouldn’t understand my native language.

what i thought of…

Nodame Cantabile Live Action (Japanese drama)

Fated to Love You (Taiwanese drama)

The Love of Siam (Thai movie)

My Fair Lady (Audrey Hepburn movie)

Chicago Stars Series by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (books)

Lovely Complex, Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge and La Corda d’Oro (anime)

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (book)

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (book)

Prince Charming by Julie Garwood (book)

Phantom of the Opera (film)

Hana Kimi (Taiwanese and Japanese dramas)

Alvin and the Chipmunks (movie)

Coffee Prince (Korean drama)

Endless Love 4: Spring Waltz (Korean Drama)

On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn (book)

An Inconvenient Truth (documentary movie)

Spiderman 3 (movie)

Hana Yori Dango (Japanese drama)

Alice Academy (anime)

Ang Cute ng Ina Mo (movie)

Something Wonderful by Judith McNaught (book)

Click (movie)

Happy Feet (movie)

Saving Grace by Julie Garwood (book)

The Immortal Beloved (movie)

Until You by Judith McNaught (book)

Once and Always by Judith McNaught (book)

Goodness, I was either too naive or too kind back then. Haha!

Title: Letters to Juliet (2010)

Tags

Amanda Seyfried, Chris Egan, Franco Nero, Gael García Bernal, letters to juliet, review, summit entertainment, Vanessa Redgrave

Synopsis:

When a young American (Amanda Seyfried) travels to the city of Verona, home of the star-crossed lover Juliet Capulet of Romeo and Juliet fame, she joins a group of volunteers who respond to letters to Juliet seeking advice about love. After answering one letter dated 1951, she inspires its author (Vanessa Redgrave) to travel to Italy in search of her long-lost love and sets off a chain of events that will bring a love into both their lives unlike anything they ever imagined. – Movie Insider

Director: Gary Winick

Production Companies: Summit Entertainment, Applehead Pictures

Main Characters:

Amanda Seyfried as Sophie Hall
Vanessa Redgrave as Claire Smith-Wyman
Chris Egan as Charlie Wyman
Franco Nero as Lorenzo Bartolini
Gael García Bernal as Victor

Genre: Romance, Drama

Release Dates: 25 April 2010 (Tribeca Film Festival, USA); 16 June 2010 (Philippines)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Thoughts:

I watched this movie in DVD and that’s why my review came in after more than a year of its release date.

Basically, the reason I watched the film is that it’s available and because of Amanda Seyfried. She’s a pretty decent actress and I really do find her beautiful.

What intrigued me the most is  seeing Verona, Italy (even if it’s just in the movie) and the idea of writing letters to Shakespeare’s fictional character, Juliet. It was something I’ve never heard of before and I wanted to know more about it. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the secretaries of Juliet are real and I think that it was really passionate and considerate of them to write back to those letter-senders. The film made me want to go to Verona and write to Juliet myself. 🙂

Contrary to what it may seem in the posters, I think that this movie is not Sophie’s (at least not completely) but Claire’s. Sophie is an important instrument to Claire’s happy ending but I really can say that between the two, Claire is the movie’s main heroine.

There is also something so heart-warming when I watch or read love stories that lasted for so many years. These are proofs that love encompasses all-young or old. I felt the strength of that feeling as I watch Claire on her journey to find her Lorenzo. As was pointed out in the movie, when it comes to love, it’s never too late.

Sophie and Charlie’s story was something I’ve seen before–still quite unbelievable at some points, cliche even, but it still made my heart skip with excitement. To be honest, even though I’ve predicted the ending to their story the moment they met, I still felt as if it’s the first time I’ve seen such a love story. 😛 I may have known what will happen with Victor but then, every break-up scene has a way of twisting one’s heart. I hope he finds his happy ending. 🙂

The best parts of this movie had something to do with the picturesque Italian background and the music that accompanied every scene. Sophie’s reply letter to Claire was also very touching and true which made it one of the most memorable things about the film. These made the film easy to watch despite some overused themes about love.

On a not-so-unrelated note:

As I’ve said, I like Amanda Seyfried and I know of Gael García Bernal. My Philo professor once made us watch the movie, “El Crimen del Padre Amaro” (The Crime of Father Amaro). I am still not used to seeing him in what I consider chick-flicks since I first admired him as an actor in that movie which is somehow controversial. Same with Amanda; the movie where I first saw her was “Chloe” and it has themes as scandalous (?) as El Crimen. I’m not complaining though. Just pointing out some things. Watch these two fairly serious films so you’d know just how good these two are as actors. 🙂

Title: Ikemen desu ne (Overall Review)

Tags

an jell, dramacrazy, fujigaya taisuke, ikemen desu ne, review, takimoto miori, tamamori yuta, tbs, yaotome hikaru, you're beautiful

Ikemen desu ne Review Part 1 <—Check this out first, yeah?

Okay, since I already posted a review for the first episode, I’d say this is just going to be a continuation of my thoughts for the rest of Ikemen desu ne–particularly the last episode.

Kill me because I couldn’t seem to remember how You’re Beautiful (the Korean drama that had the original plot) ended. All I remembered was that it ended when TaeKyung gave MiNyeo the necklace. Hehe. So I watched some MVs to remember some scenes. 🙂

Anyway, I preferred IDN’s ending over YB–not only because of the huge venue for that last concert scene but also because it felt more of an ending. I still want more but it didn’t leave me hanging. There’s also something about the way jdoramas end that could make a viewer feel all good and satisfied. (See? I did my best not to put in any spoilers even if you’ve watched YB already)

I liked Fujushiro Shu here than Kang Shin Woo. I think it’s because Fujigaya Taisuke was more convincing. 😛

Now the main characters, Katsuragi Ren and Sakuraba Miko. I love them both and their chemistry was all over the place. I think they gave justice to Hwang TaeKyung and Go MiNyeo’s characters. 🙂

The only scene I felt was lacking in this drama was Yuuki’s bus scene. I would have wanted that scene to be longer and more heartbreaking. I feel that it’s a waste of Yaotome Hikaru’s acting skills.

I must say that I liked Mio and Miko’s aunt here than in YB. The Korean aunt was annoying. Ren’s mom too. She felt more likeable in IDN than in YB. Still a crazy mom but better.

This is the last concert scene I'm talking about.

Overall, I still couldn’t decide which one I like more. It was mostly because the things that lacked in You’re Beautiful was made up for by Ikemen desu ne and vice versa. I would, however, want to re-watch both versions though–this time, I want to do a marathon. Hihi.

P.S.

Goodness, I want to have Ikemen desu ne’s OST. I really do love the instrumental OSTs of Japanese dramas. 🙂

Oh and yeah! Hurray for Jang Geun Suk’s cameo appearance!!!

*Thanks to Ikemen desu ne tumblr for pics*