I've been really into chick flicks recently. Yes, I've already had my fair share of chick flicks before, but I've started to get super crazy about them nowadays. I've been watching one chick flick every two days now. Any more than that, I get a headache, which is a shame 'cause I really would love to watch chick flicks more often. But anyway, through this recent chick flick binge, I've accumulated a list of the best chick flicks ever, AKA the chick flicks everyone should love.

So here are my top chick flick picks that you can't miss.

Mean Girls

No chick flick list is ever complete without this classic.

10 Things I Hate About You

I watched this movie just yesterday and oh. My. Gosh. Wow. This movie is the cutest and most perfect little thing ever.

She's The Man

Amanda Bynes is a genius. I'm serious. She's funny, adorbs, and totes perfect for the role as soccer-loving Viola.

Pitch Perfect

This movie just might be my favorite of this entire list. And do I even need to explain why?

Miss Congeniality

A butt-kicking Miss USA candidate? Count me in.

Legally Blonde

With its perky main character, amazing law case that can only be solved by someone like Elle Woods, and wow-some ending, if you don't like Legally Blonde, something's wrong with you.

Clueless

Clueless is called the Mean Girls of the '90s for a reason. It's 97 minutes of literal perfection.

The Devil Wears Prada

This is the movie that introduced me to the wonderful world of chick flicks. It's pure amaze-balls.

So what do you think of my list? Are there any movies that I missed out?


-Barista Mia-

Images: Mean Girls poster, 10 Things I Hate About You poster, She's The Man poster, Pitch Perfect poster, Miss Congeniality poster, Legally Blonde poster, Clueless poster, The Devil Wears Prada poster. Read more »

Remember when I wrote that post about why you should join the Divergent fandom? If I had to write that again, I would not include the movie. I hate being a hater. I seriously do, but this movie wasn’t fantastic or good. It was just okay. And I’m not saying this because I had big expectations; in fact I knew, since I had read the book, that the adaptation was going to be difficult. Then, why did I not like the movie?

In my opinion, the screenplay was terrible. Consequently, the romance between Tris and Four seemed a little bit to childish and corny. On the other hand, I did like the cast, but they couldn’t do any better with that script. Shailene as Tris was a great pick and Ashley Judd was fantastic. Their relationship was one of the best things about the movie. It was credible and sweet but it couldn’t make up for the mistakes that existed in the dialogues between Tris and Four. I actually laughed in the cinema at some lines.

As I said before, the casting choices were absolutely perfect. Many people say that Jai Courtney as Eric was a horrible choice but I honestly think that they are wrong. Jai was wonderful. He nailed his character. There are no better words to describe how I enjoyed his performance.

There’s one thing that I definitely loved about this movie: the way they captured the post-apocalyptic world.  Chicago, the hometown of the main character, Tris, looked stunning and breathtaking. Seriously, I couldn’t have asked for a better setting. The fence looked spectacular and I love the Dauntless’s headquarters. Also, I loved how we can see the differences between the five factions, especially how you immediately fall in love with the Dauntless faction and you want to become part of this wild family (even if they are completely nuts).

This movie had everything to be amazing, but the writers failed and that ruined the whole thing. I also noticed that sometimes the movie was really slow, it almost became boring. This was a serious issue because I paid more attention to their lines and I could immediately spot the mistakes on the screenplay. Nevertheless, there was a big contrast between the beginning of the movie and the end. The beginning looked like a sloth and then, bam!, the sloth turned into a cheetah. It wasn’t consistent. And by the way, the fight scenes were stunning.

Overall, in a scale of 1 to 10, I would give this movie a solid 6. The graphics looked fantastic, the casting was excellent, but the script and the lack of coherence ruined the movie. I hope they change the writers for the next movie. Oh, and they need to work out the chemistry between Four and Tris.


-Barista Alexandra-

Image: Divergent (movie) poster
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Here are some of my favourite books, movies and TV shows that I think deserve more notoriety via fandoms. Do you agree with me?

Little House on the Prairie

It's ancient- it was on TV in the '70s- but it was my all time favourite TV show growing up. (And no, I actually grew up in the '00s...) The 200+ episodes feature Laura Ingalls, a country girl with pigtails, as she grows up in eighteenth-century Minnesota. I loved this show because even though Laura had a different kind of life in a different kind of place, she was still exactly like a normal child and teenager today. She carved her crushes' name on a tree and shoved the class bully Nellie Oleson into a river!
Even now, if I'm having a bad day and need to get away from it all, I try to escape back into the past with a good old episode of LHOTP.

How I Live Now

The book is by Meg Rosoff and the film was out in October. I fell in love with them both. It's about an American teenager, Daisy, who goes to live with her cousins in England just before the outbreak of World War Three. The book is special as it's written in a really different and captivating way, and it was awesome to see it brought to life watching the movie, especially as Saoirse Ronan was in it.

Now is Good

Now Is Good is an internationally best-selling book and film about a girl dying of cancer. She makes a list of everything she wants to do before she dies- sex, drugs, fame, shoplifting. When she realises she only has a few weeks left to live, the list changes to things like laughter, seeing the sun come up one more time, watching her brother perform one more magic trick...
Maybe I love this book and film so much because Tessa is a bit like me in that we both love to savour each moment as it comes. Anyway, it's enchanting. Similar to The Fault in Our Stars, but... yes... even better.

Call The Midwife

This TV show is currently airing in the UK and I love it more with every episode. Okay, I admit it, the birth scenes are a little gruesome, but it's not all babies and bunting. There are great characters and some pretty inspirational stuff there too.


-Barista Sabita-

Image: via (Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls, 1975), Schu (How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff), via (still from Now Is Good), The Art of Doing Stuff Read more »

Hi there initiates! The Divergent movie is coming soon and for those who are still not sure if they want to get into this fandom, I will tell you why you should.

1.  No love triangle.

One of the things I love about Divergent is that there is no love triangle. It focuses on the action, the development of the characters and not as much as introducing silly romances. It has a love story and it’s absolutely breathtaking (*spoilers**heartbreaking in the last book*).

2. New fantastic world.

The world that Veronica Roth, the author, describes won’t disappoint you. In fact, it will (like The Hunger Games) make you think about today’s world and tomorrow’s. It will make you angry, it will make you smile but, most important of all, it will occupy your mind.

3. The love-hate relationship you will have with the main character.

Beatrice “Tris” Prior is not the typical main character. Sometimes, you will want to slap her in the face and other times you’ll want to hug her and tell her it’s alright. Also, she grows a lot over the books (and movies) so you’ll feel like you have seen her grow up like you’re friends since childhood.

4. Four

Four is the love interest of Tris. He brings the best of her and she certainly brings the best of him. They both learn from each other and that’s what makes their love so interesting. Four is the character you’ll fall in love with because he is always there to help Tris (to survive).

*spoiler*

You’ll want to hug him in the last book.

5. Veronica Roth

This young author is one of the best. Her writing will make you feel like you’re Tris and you’re jumping off a building with your heart beating like crazy. Also, she really connects with the fans so she will make your experience in the Divergent Fandom the best one ever!


-Barista Alexandra-

Image: The Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth (Harper Collins) Read more »

If you’re anything like me, you’re at least a little bit obsessed with Frozen right now. An amazing story packed with love, action, humor- plus the amazing animation, scenery and costumes- what’s not to love?

So if you’re crushing on aforementioned costumes- Elsa’s ice-dress is to die for- I have a solution for you. Well yeah, sure, as far as I know there’s no way to have an actual ice-dress, but don’t let that stop you. Here are a few tips and ideas for channeling your favorite Frozen character.

Colors

Each sister has their own color. Anna and Elsa are always in, respectively, warm green and icy blue. Kristoff and Hans have a mix but you can still find pieces in their different colors and combine them to get the right feel.

Style

For the sisters, the more feminine the better. Flowy skirts and dresses, corset-like tops or cute sweaters, hair ribbons- anything girly is great for them. If you’re trying to go for the sexier Elsa, I’d recommend dialing back the sweet a bit and adding in the spicy. If you have a skirt with a knee-slit or a gauzy top, now’s the time. You could even layer a sheer top under a sweetheart top to get the look. For the guys, well, it might be harder to get their looks, but focus on shapes. Hans has broad shoulders and snug pants. Kristoff has bulky layers- you might even add a bit of fringe.

Hair

There are several styles for the sisters you could try if you have long enough hair. Two low braids, one over-a-shoulder braid, the swirl-on-the-back-of-the head braid, the coronation crown braid. Are you getting anything here? Braiding is key. ;) For the guys, well…that’s harder to accomplish unless your hair happens to look like theirs. But for Kristoff you might add a little gel to give it a wave if your hair is straight. For Hans you can part it in the middle and smooth it into humps on either side.

Makeup

With both girls, I’d use eyeliner or something to make your eyes look as enormous as possible, like Disney animation does (it’s crazy how big their eyes are, so don’t worry if you feel like you’re ‘failing’ here; it’s just a plus if you can make your eyes look larger). I’d use heavy-ish mascara, but make sure it doesn’t get too clumpy. Both girls have rosy cheeks, so add some blush. For Anna, I’d keep it natural with nude eye shadow and natural lip-gloss. For Elsa, you can go more dramatic with her eye shadow- purple and pink shades of course- and her lip color is more obvious, so stain or lipstick would work here, in a nice medium pink that goes well with your skin tone. Lastly, you can add freckles if you’re feeling extra adventurous; Elsa’s are lighter, Anna’s more prominent. For the guys you could always add some rosy cheeks or freckles, but it’s up to you if you wanna take that route or just go natural.

Combine these elements, a little or a lot, to tone down or shout out your look. It’s up to you whether only you knows you’re secretly sporting Elsa colors, of if you want everyone within five miles to know that you’re Kristoff. Just have fun and enjoy the fandom! And if you do this, I’d love if you tweet pictures- I am an enormous fan of both Frozen and fashion after all. ;)


-Barista Nicole-

Image: Frozen (2013) movie poster. It's awesome. Watch it. Read more »

There are many places I want to go to: Rome, Paris, New York... The usual. But on my list of go-to places before I die are some more, uh, unusual places. They're entirely fictional. Oh, only if they weren't. It would be AMAZING to visit or even live in these made up lands... Sigh. Why couldn't I just literally transport into a book or movie?

Anyway, here is my list of the top four fictional places I want to be.

Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia is the first fantasy series that I ever read. I was completely immersed into the books as they were so magical. The best part is, in Narnia, I can talk to animals! Gasp. This is something I've wanted to do for the longest time.


Neverland

I'm probably one of the few teens out there who doesn't ever want to grow up. Being 18 now, I've had a little taste of the convoluted adult world and I'm telling you, it's not pretty. In Neverland, I wouldn't EVER have to grow up. I can have fun, have adventures, and have some more fun. Also, I've always wanted to meet Peter Pan and Hook.

Camp Half-Blood

Please, please, please let me be a demigod. It would be beyond awesome to be told that I am the lost daughter of one of the Greek gods. Imagine the powers I would have, the fun adventures I would have with my friends, and the battles I would get into. Oh, the life of an adrenaline rush.


Hogwarts

Okay. Um. Can I be both a demigod and a witch? For most of the year, I could stay at Hogwarts, the bestest place on Earth ever, and in the summer holidays, when I am unceremoniously kicked out of the beautiful castle for vacation, I could head off to Camp Half-Blood. Whoop!
Hogwarts would be my number one place to visit. All those hidden passages, the magic, the dueling, the adventures, taking fun classes, meeting Harry Potter... Wow. Just thinking about all of this gives me the chills.

Of all the fictional places in the world, where do you most want to visit?


-Barista Mia-

Image: Still from Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone Read more »

I watched Ender's Game. I finally watched it. I've been waiting for this movie to arrive at my local theatre since I don't even know when. Maybe it's been around two years now. Two years of anxious waiting since I first heard the news of a movie version of the legendary sci-fi novel by Orson Scott Card. Of course, living in Korea, I had to wait an extra couple of months to watch the movie unlike my lucky American counterparts. But I watched it in the end. And it was good.

One thing that disappointed me at first was the unwelcome aging of all the characters. I mean, in the novel, Ender is only six years old! But in the movie, he looks around 13-ish? However, since it's cute Asa Butterfield, I let it go. Anyway, Asa really got into the character and seemed as though he understood him very well. On reflection, it probably would have been almost impossible for a six year old to use crazy vocabulary and to lead a fleet (not to mention, act as well as Asa did), so I guess aging the characters was a good idea. After the initial displeasure of seeing the older characters, I completely forgot about it for the remainder of the movie. Asa was, and is, the perfect Ender Wiggin. Hailee Steinfeld, Moises Arias, and the rest of the younger cast also managed the characters extremely well. It was like the characters in the original book had come to life in a slightly older version of themselves.

Every now and then, although Ender's Game is a more serious movie, humor was injected at some unexpected places. I still have a laugh with my sister whenever we talk about a certain scene where Ender acts so witty to Sergeant Dap and ends up doing around 40 (?) pushups for being a smart mouth.

If it's one fault the original novel has, it's its nonexistent descriptors. I mean, Orson does describe a few things, but not in enough detail for me to watch the scene play out in my head. While reading the novel, everything seemed so black and white and hazy, as though I was looking at things through a heavy mist. The movie, on the other hand, as a visual medium, let me FINALLY look at the setting and props in more detail. After all, Orson Scott Card himself produced the movie so the graphics must have come close to how he imagined the world of Ender's Game.

And now. The graphics. I'm usually very picky with graphics. But I barely have anything to criticize about the graphics in this movie. The Formics, or Buggers, were created tastefully. I would have said something about the aliens looking too much like the ants on our beloved Earth, but the novel describes them like that, so for now... moving on.

I know I said a little about the characters a few paragraphs ago, but I'm going to expand a little more on what I thought about them. I was extremely surprised at how every single actor managed to portray the characters so well. Asa was absolute perfection. I honestly can't imagine anyone else acting as Ender, even though I did say that Ender was supposed to be younger. Hailee was as tough as I ever imagined Petra to be. Harrison Ford as Colonel Graff was a great choice. He brought the roughness of the colonel straight into the movie. If it's one thing about the characters that I didn't like... the acting was unnatural at certain points in the movie. But oh well.

Oh, and another thing:I wish there were a little more scenes with Ender's brother, Peter. I believe Peter is very important in understanding Ender's dislike with himself when he turns violent, but Peter appeared for just a few seconds and didn't come onscreen ever again. Sure, he was mentioned a couple times, but other than that, it's like he didn't exist. Also, I would have been really happy to see Peter and Valentine's work on Earth, but I guess the makers couldn't fit their story into the movie. And it would have been beyond awesome to see a little more of Ben Kingsley as Mazer... it seemed almost like a waste to have him in the movie for just a few scenes, although they were vital scenes.

And now for my rating...

7/10

You're probably going "What?! You've been saying mostly good stuff about Ender's Game!" But hold on. I ain't done yet.

The reason I'm giving this movie a 7 instead of an 8.5, which I would have given if it weren't for this one big flaw, is that the movie skipped over way too many scenes and each scene itself wasn't as drawn out as they should have been. Consequently, there wasn't enough tension to keep me locked into the movie. Yes, the graphics were great, the characters were awesome... but the movie was missing something pretty big. Ender's Game didn't create enough tension by lengthening the battle scenes. For an onscreen battle to be great, there needs to be a whole heap of sweating and fighting going on, but in Ender's Game, after just a minute or two of fighting or so, the battle is won or lost.

IF ONLY there were just a couple more battle scenes. IF ONLY the battle scenes were a minute or two longer, especially the important battles... this movie had the potential to be perfect.

Ender's Game is a great movie. It's a pity it couldn't reach its full potential. BUT thanks to adorable Asa Butterfield and the great graphics, I would probably watch this movie again. I just wish it were a teensy bit better.


-Barista Mia-

Image: Ender's Game movie poster Read more »

Christmas is less than a week away y'all! I can't believe it! Christmas has been my favorite holiday for a long time and for good reason... The presents, the community-spirit, and THE MOVIES! There are so many great movies out there to watch on Christmas and I cannot wait until I pick them up to watch on Christmas. Sure, they're all good movies to watch whether it is Christmas day or not, but it doesn't feel the same. Watching Christmas movies on Christmas has some kind of magic that just makes everyone feel so happy and fuzzy inside.

So what are the best Christmas movies to watch this year?

A Christmas Story



What? Too tired of this movie being played every Christmas? Well, to be honest, me too. Moving on.

The Nightmare Before Christmas



Halloween meets Christmas. Ah. What's a better combination that that?

The Polar Express



Beautiful graphics for Christmas. What's not to like? Okay. Maybe this movie's a teensy bit boring compared to the other movies, but it's a good movie to watch.

Home Alone



Sigh. Home Alone. My entire childhood is contained in this 100 minute long movie. Who doesn't want to watch a kid beat up two burglars, huh?!

Love Actually



In you are in the mood for a more romantic movie, Love Actually is the way to go.
 
How The Grinch Stole Christmas



I don't know why, but although I barely remember the other movies, I remember this one pretty clearly. Maybe I rewatched it one too many times because it was fun?

The Santa Clause



If you haven't watched The Santa Clause yet, you have not lived. It's one of the best Christmas movies ever. In fact, if you watch this, you should also watch The Santa Clause 2 and 3!

Arthur Christmas



I believe this is the newest movie on this list. I personally have not watched it yet, but my sister swears it's the best Christmas movie ever. I'm plannning to watch it on the 25th with my family this year.

Have you chosen what to watch for Christmas yet?


-Barista Mia-

Image: Kevin Dooley Read more »

The Desolation of Smaug. I had been awaiting its release for a year or so, excited and a little bit scared. I booked my tickets in advance for Friday the 13th, which did result in some bad luck as the seats were terrible. However, that was pretty much forgotten once the film started. It launched straight into the plot, without any pointless, over-the-top scene setting. Everything included in the film was pretty much vital and I think it's unfair to say that Peter Jackson has dragged out the short book into three films because he has added so much more (the White Orc, The Necromancer, Tauriel, etc were not in the book itself.) It stays true to the plot of Tolkien's novel, as well as including additional ideas of his, and what Gandalf was occupied with whilst the quest took place. There was a lot more going on in The Desolation of Smaug as opposed to An Unexpected Journey which is understandable but some may argue that this film is better than the first because of the insane amount of action. It's difficult to compare but both films are most definitely not disappointing, possibly living up to the brilliance of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

One of the main things I was concerned about was the animation and voicing of Smaug. It was something that would either make or break the film. However, he couldn't have been more glorious or terrifying. And he was portrayed pretty much perfectly by Benedict Cumberbach. His lair was equally impressive, in fact, it required all of the gold paint in New Zealand (plus more) to paint every gold coin on the set. This is actually believable when you see it for yourself, it's hard to take in. Anyway, unsurprisingly, the settings throughout the movie were beautiful. I can't cover everything in the film and comment on it as I cant stress this enough- SO MUCH HAPPENS. SO MUCH. Missing even two minutes of the film makes a huge difference. If you felt there was a lack of females in the previous film and the book, you will feel better after seeing this one. Not only are there more women, but there was more romance and the suggestion of a little love triangle (personally, I wasn't too bothered about this but I realize it might excite a lot of people). We also get do know the Dwarves a little bit better, Thorin and Kili in particular. Thorin's brave, stubborn and withdrawn character is captured well, and he barely differs from how he is described by Tolkien in the book. As for Kili, well i'm sure I speak for most people when I say he is my favourite dwarf. It's just impossible not to love him! Also, not forgetting Bilbo. Of course. In the book, he was shown as a fairly simple hobbit, whose adventurous side is brought to light as he is snatched out of his comfort zone. In the  movie, both movies in fact, Martin Freeman gives him something a little bit extra, an amusing awkward element which makes him arguably more interesting. There are no characters who could be faulted, we even got to see a different side to Legolas too (and it was damn good to see Orlando Bloom again). His character has always been a little bit of a mystery, even in LOTR, and in The Desolation of Smaug he is even more of a question mark. We are also introduced to Bard, an interesting, heroic bargeman. Again, there is much more focus on his actual character than there is in the book.

There are tonnes of scenes in this film that stand out. You are bound to be left with your mouth gaping at one point at least, or even a tear in your eye. Fights, romance, orcs, elves, surprises and witty remarks are all plentiful throughout the whole thing. And it ends perfectly, leaving you wanting more, I simply cannot wait to see what the next movie has in store for us. Peter Jackson is truly a genius and has managed to capture Tolkien's world flawlessly. My only concern with the film is the length (I reaaaally don't wanna fault it because it's a masterpiece). In all honesty, I think you'd have to already be a fan of LOTR or have at least seen the first movie in order to last through the whole two hours and forty minutes. But because I am horrendously in love with the whole franchise and the book, I freaking adored the whole thing. All of it. I was left speechless after experiencing a rainbow of emotions.


-Barista Ria-

Image: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug theatrical release poster (Warner Bros.) Read more »

Yes, yes, I am a Twilight fan. Or, more to the point, I'm not one in the countless seas of people who follow the "I hate Twilight" trend. I'll stand up for it, partly because I don't like it when people go hater on fandoms, (as books and movies are always good, even if not in a way some of us are able to enjoy), partly because I did really enjoy it, and partly because, well, it is a good series and I believe it should be enjoyed for what it is- a cracking good saga.

The world has got it all wrong!

Here are some things in popular belief that...sorry...just aren't strictly that true.

• "Twilight is cheesy."

The broadest assault on Twilight. I'm not going to deny that there's kissing and pining away for your spouse and typical, maybe predictable main plots. This is true. It has a sincere and beautiful heart, though, that's quite the opposite, if you can look past the style and enjoy the lovey-dovey-ness. Maybe this is why most Twihards these days are either twelve year-old girls or young to middle-aged single American women- they're apparently somehow able to do this.

• "It isn't even written professionally."

Myth. This is a myth! Outrageous myth! Treason! Blasphemy! The books are written cleverly- it does a good job of you in, is interesting, and uses all the "professional" techniques, i.e. metaphors and similes. There are some brilliant symbolic little details along the way. Stephenie tells the story pretty well.

The Twilight Saga (Little, Brown) by Stephanie Meyer. Annafur

• "Kristen Stewart is the worst actor in the world."

You know, I get why a lot of people don't like K-Stew's acting. She's jerky and awkward and if she were in real life it would feel as if she had a chronic shyness disorder or something and couldn't form her words properly. Compare her with Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games" series, though, and you see the same strange, almost uncertain portrayals in places. Apparently it's the way famous protagonists are these days. Bella Swan is quite an uncertain character, and unsure of herself and whatever's going on; "Oh, and by the way, Bella, I'm a vampire. Sorry, maybe you should have been aware of that before I got you pregnant." And obviously many, including professionals, think Kristen's good- she must have been chosen for the role over thousand of other auditionees for a reason.

Still from Twilight (Summit Entertainment)

-Barista Sabita-

Images: Gaston from Beauty and the Beast LivingShadowDarkMark, The Twilight Saga (Little, Brown) by Stephanie Meyer. Annafur, Still from Twilight (Summit Entertainment)

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By now most of you Hunger Games fans will have seen Catching Fire, and the hype is beginning to settle down into a pile of fangirling over memes on the Internet. As it's all so exciting, I've decided to make a list of some of the best things about "The Hunger Games" as a series.

• The characters are really interesting ones and you can get attached to the them easily. (Whether or not it's advisable to become one of those girls who sobs over Peeta every day is up to you!)  Katniss manages to heroically survive the emotional washing machine she's put into by the Evil President Snow (helped by the amazing luck that you only ever find in stories, of course). Peeta, Gale and Finnick are three very hawt and yet different guys in the story. Haymitch is a wine barrel full of blood-red sarcasm. Prim is, in my eyes, the one we readers and watchers are all most like- we're still children at heart and we'd never stand a chance in the Hunger Games.

• The films are stunning. They bring the books to life so well and it's amazing to see the whole dystopia thing in detail. Plus, Effie has hairstyles like glittering fairy cakes with buttercream icing, and who doesn't love buttercream icing...? You can tell me off later.

• Jennifer Lawrence is a huge character in herself, and very relatable to many of us. She's even dubbed a "derp" online. When asked how she was recently, she replied, "I'm great- I just found two Mentos in my pocket!" The similarity between this and the kind of thing I would say is pretty startling.

• The books actually uses good writing. Unlike quite a lot of teen fiction these days, there is plenty of nice, creative language used. I'm one of those people who notices every detail in the way a book is written, keeping a lookout for good metaphors and what-have-you. Suzanne Collins uses words that stay implanted in your mind in a variety of gross, terrifying or cutesy images. So it's possible that if you're the kind of person who is either very squeamish or can get sucked into book-worlds easily, or both, that this series isn't really a good idea for you... Having said that, who doesn't love to escape for a bit of excitement now and then?

-Barista Sabita-

Images: Still from Catching Fire, Theatrical poster for The Hunger Games, Mingle MediaTV, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic) Carissa Rogers Read more »

I'm the biggest fairy tale fan. And do you know what's as wonderful as a long beloved fairy tale? Fairy tale retellings! Yeah. The stories are predictable as I know how they end in the original tales, but OMG. I don't know why, but my skin gets covered in goosebumps every time I think of fairy tale retellings! I guess it's because I'm excited to see what kind of twists would be implemented into these retellings.

Anyway, the reason I'm talking about fairy tale retellings is that the Maleficent teaser trailer has been officially released! Here, take a look.



DOESN'T IT LOOK SO FREAKING AMAZING?! Ugh. I'm tearing up just thinking about the amazing-ness of how awesome this movie would be (did that even make sense?)! And Angelina Jolie as Maleficent? Perfection.

But Maleficent isn't the only retelling that'll be released very, very soon... Take a look at Frozen.



Yeah. That looks pretty awesome as well, doesn't it? Do you see how my fairy tale retelling fan girl-ing makes logical sense?!

I can't wait for these two movies to be released. I've been keeping tabs on them for a while. Just waiting and wanting to watch them like crazy...

So! In honor of these two movies, I guess it's time for me to rewind time and take a look back at some of my favorite fairy tale retellings in movie-style.

Snow White and the Huntsman

Charlize Theron was pure perfection in this movie. And it's not only Charlize that caught my attention, but also the awesome-ness of this movie as a whole. It is a much darker version of the Snow White than I am used to (yay!) and I really loved the new role Snow took as a soldier rather than a defenseless princess.

Jack the Giant Slayer

This movie is FILLED with charismatic actors. I hated that the princess was such a (mostly) helpless girl, but the men were sensational characters. I fell in love with every single one of them (minus the bad dudes). The fighting, the courage, the wit and humor. Can someone please transport me to this movie, so I can marry one of those medieval British dudes?

Alice in Wonderland

To be honest, it's not one of my favorite movies, but due to the deficit of fairy tale retellings, I guess this movie deserves a place here. Although Alice didn't really live up to my expectations (Johnny Depp, anyone?), I did love the idea of a grown up Alice. Besides, the graphics were gorgeous.

Mirror Mirror

Snow White and the Huntsman's bitter rival (I'm serious. They are both Snow White retellings and they were both released around the same time.) and, unfortunately, ultimate loser, Mirror Mirror is actually a fun movie to watch. It's hilarious and makes for a good family movie time.

Enchanted

Yeah, I guess Enchanted doesn't really qualify as a retelling, but it is a type of fairy tale. I don't even know how many times I watched this movie. The songs are cute, the characters are funny, and the story is amazing. This movie's definitely a must-watch on anybody's movie bucket list.

Hoodwinked!

The sole animation in my list of favorite fairy tale retellings, Hoodwinked! is genius. After I finished watching the movie, I could only marvel at whoever created the idea of this version of a Red Riding Hood retelling. It's just such a fresh, original and awesome idea. I can't believe someone actually managed to think of something like this.

Hook

Being years younger than the movie, I only watched Hook because my dad swore that it was a good movie. And it turns out, it's one of the best movies I've ever watched. Legendary actors star in this movie, and the story of a grown up Peter Pan going back to Neverland and meeting his old nemesis, Hook, again is just, oh my gosh. To all those who haven't watched Hook yet, go watch it right now. You won't regret it. Promise.

So now that you've seen my list of the best fairy tale retellings out there, what are your favorites?


-Barista Mia-

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Hunger Games fans! Tributes! Citizens! It's nearly upon us! Just two weeks till the premiere of Catching Fire, the second movie in the series, and everyone's getting ready- in Katniss' case this involves having twenty enormous designer dresses made complete with real fire. We have to be content with copying the Capitol looks though- there is such a thing as health and safety, after all. And how funky these are!

•Eyes

I am in love with the Capitol eyes. Big liner. Big shadow. Bright shadow. Wide shadow. Stripy shadow. Beautiful shadow. And as long as you don't twitch (easier said than done, I know), it's easy, too.

• Hair

  

Even more outrageous than some of our own world's people are, the Panem fashion-plates like bight pinks, purples and oranges in puffy bobs. (Game: what fruit does each citizen resemble?) If you don't want to take risk and do this to your hair, you can curl it, sprinkle in a generous amount of glitter, and tie it up with a big fat coloured ribbon- viola!

• Dresses

Simple dresses- you probably already have ones like these in your wardrobe- can be turned into a Capitol outfit when you add the makeup, hair and accessories.

•Handbag makeover

Take 1 plain handbag, apply approx. a doz. sparkly bits of ribbon, beads, etc. Sit back and enjoy the frilly, frizzy result! If you have Effie Trinket in mind while making it, you'll get just the right look.

•Shoes

Funky, chunky heels. 'Nuff said.

•Nails

The Capitol people really love their bright, unusual colours. If you're being really adventurous, try these! I'm going to.

• Dress up as a character

Or why not dress up as Katniss herself? Her District 12/hunting outfit is quite simple to copy- just add your leather jacket and long lace-up boots to a plain shirt and trousers. Instead of putting glitter on your frizzy hair, put it into a lose French plait that moves down toward one side. You could even add a bow and arrows; though be careful not to get chucked out of the cinema for use of dangerous weaponry...

So what wacky looks are you guys planning for Catching Fire? Tell us in the comments below!


-Barista Sabita-

Images:  Courtney Rhodes, Leonid Mamchenkov, K.oa, danielle_blue, Tomasz Stasiuk, Courtney Rhodes, GabboT Read more »

Ever since I first heard that a movie version of Ender's Game was in the works. I've been going absolutely CRAZY trying to track down all the deets. I'm not a big sci-fi fan, but Ender's Game... OMG. Ender's Game was beyond amazing. Especially that twist at the very end. Omgomgomgomg. I won't give out any spoilers, but lemme say this. IT'S SO COOL!

And when the casting came out. I got even more excited. You won't believe what kind of AMAZING actors we're going to see on the big screen. The actors make me want to scream even more. It's just, ugh. I can't handle this. ENDER'S GAME, COME OUT ALREADY!

Asa Butterfield

Ender

First of all, huge fan. Ever since I first saw Nanny McPhee 2, he's been on my to-watch list. He's adorable and has the most beautiful eyes ever! And his voice! HIS VOICE IS SO DEEP. (sorry for all the extra caps. I'm just so freaking excited!)

Hailee Steinfeld

Petra

You might remember her from my previous blog post about the Romeo and Juliet remake and here she is again. Hailee's been working like crazy recently. She's an absolutely phenomenal actress and I cannot wait to see her as the amazing Petra!

Harrison Ford

Colonel Graff

Yup. You heard it right. The King of Sci-Fi stars in Ender's Game! Whooop! Talk about the best cast ever!

Viola Davis

Major Gwen

She was just incredible in the Help and no doubt she'll be amazing in Ender's Game too!

Abigail Breslin

Valentine

I personally haven't seen any of Abigail's movies since she was a little girl, so I'm really looking forward to see how much she and her acting's grown.

Ben Kingsley

Mazer

When I first heard that Ben will be playing the uh-mazing Mazer Rackham, I literally screamed. HE LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE I PICTURED MAZER WHEN READING THE BOOK!

Ugh. The cast really makes me want to cry. It's so perf.



Do you see why I'm so hecka excited?!

-Barista Mia-

Images:  Asa Butterfield's Twitter, Hailee Steinfeld's Twitter, Steve Jurvetson, JoellaMarano, -nickon-, sbclick

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Brilliant, outstanding, witty, clever, memorable, whatever. Here are three characters from books, movies and TV that I personally think deserve the Novel Prize for Fictional Charisma (no, there is no such thing... Is there? There needs to be.) What do you think about these characters? What are your favourites? Let us know in the comments!

Jace from "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones"

I've just finished reading City of Bones, or COB as I like to call it, and have been marvelling at what a brilliant character Jace is. His sarcasm and wit really do sparkle as brightly as he imagines them to; he pokes fun at anything and everything, and gets a huge kick out of being irritating. He is a deep character, but he also sent me to bed shrieking.

Bella from the "Twilight" series

You're thinking: Bella's a boring pig-arse and Kristen Stewart can't act. I'm thinking: she may seem boring, but in fact she's a very unusual girl. She reads Jane Austen novels "for the fun of it" and doesn't want to check her emails for days. I bet she doesn't even have a Facebook account... She's self-contained and intelligent. And she must be pretty depressed to choose to study maths when she could be gossiping. But then Bella simply doesn't do gossip- she's in a world apart, quite literally.

 Arthur from "Merlin"

This is just an old TV show, but I had to include this blast of mighty self-centred Princeness. Arthur is like an older sister- he verbally (and physically) bullies his servant Merlin and episodes end with a stream of bossy orders- "Merlin, you're such a girl's petticoat!" "And now, my room needs cleaning, my horses need exercising, my stables need to be mucked out, my clothes need ironing, my armour needs polishing, and when you've done all that, you can be a dummy for my wrestling practise." Wouldn't you just love to have Arthur as a sister? Yes, I'm sure you would.

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I'm a movie freak. I check the theaters for new movies that are coming out daily and watch every single trailer that pops up anywhere. And as for IMDB, I check it almost five times a day, no joke. It's not like the site updates that often, but I like movies and I like to stay on top of things THAT much. Anyway, while I was browsing IMDB almost a year ago (I think), I discovered that a remake was on the works. And not any old remake, a Romeo and Juliet remake. Cue excited screams here.

Okay, okay. To be honest, I'm not the biggest RJ fan. I feel like Romeo and Juliet are two stupid young people who are just so stupid that I can't even handle life right now. BUT! I really do love watching the movies. Don't ask me why. Maybe it's the kissing, the romance, or the sheer handsomeness of Romeo and the gorgeousness of Juliet (who doesn't like watching good-looking people, huh?). One thing's for sure, though, I cannot wait for RJ to hit theaters in Korea.

I've been keeping tabs on this remake for a while now and it's just DAYS away from releasing in America, so I thought it would be time for me to introduce you guys to the stars of this new RJ remake. Eek! I seriously cannot wait to watch this movie! The actors are too awesome and ugh.

Anyway....

ROMEO!!!!!!!!!!

Douglas Booth

Isn't he the perfect Romeo? Those cheekbones and jawline of his are going to kill me. Definitely someone to go all "Romeo, Romeo. My true love." over. Oh, and by the way, he's British. *squeals*

And Juliet <3

Hailee Steinfeld

Hailee's someone I've been keeping an eye on for a long time. Since her debut alongside Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges in True Grit, it's been hard to not notice her. And what's more? Her long, brown hair is perfect for Juliet.

Friar Lawrence

Paul Giamatti

That beard! If that's not Friar Lawrence-y enough, I don't know what is!

Tybalt

Ed Westwick

CHUUUUUUCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKK!

Lord Capulet

Damian Lewis

I have a love-hate relationship with Lord Capulet. Let's see how Damian pulls this character off. I reckon he's one of the most difficult to play.

Benvolio

Kodi Smit-Mcphee

I still remember him as the little kid in Let Me In. He's grown so much!

Ugh. I can see the movie already! I can't freaking wait! For now, nobody touch me or I will explode of anticipation. I have high expectations, people. HIGH EXPECTATIONS.

Oh, and to close, here's the trailer to the new Romeo and Juliet adaptation:

There are shivers down my spine.

-Barista Mia-

Images:  Walking With The Wounded, Hailee Steinfeld's Twitter, Justin Hoch, Greg Hernandez, Damian Lewis's Twitter, Kodi Smit-Mchphee's Twitter

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Either Hollywood is out of creative gas or the producers are trying to make some easy money, but whatever. I don’t care. What I do care is: MOVIE REMAKES ARE ON THEIR WAY, BABY! There’s something about movie remakes that make me want to cuddle and love them. And just when I’m starting to get over the amazing Man of Steel, Hollywood decides to hit me with more awesome movie remakes coming up. I. Can’t. Freaking. Wait.

Batman

Sadly, no more Mr. Christian Grey. Uh, I mean, Christian Bale. Don’t you disappoint me, Mr. Affleck. I have high expectations.

Carrie

Ah. The classic Halloween flick is coming back with better graphics.

Fantastic Four

Last time, I had Chris Evans. Who will I be able to drool over this time? I can’t wait for the casting to be announced!

Jumanji

I have mixed feelings about this one. Jumanji is one of my all-time favorite movies. Hollywood had better not tamper with it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I see Megan Fox all over the news almost everyday wearing a yellow jacket. With the amount of news coverage this is getting, I feel like I’ve already watched half the movie. Stop motion style.

Terminator

Well, Arnold Schwarzenegger did say that he'll be back. So I’m just going to sit here in front of the computer and wait for the trailer that’s coming out in 35498435 minutes...

Maybe it’s the nostalgia, maybe it’s the fact that I already know the stories. Whatever it is, I’m pretty dang excited for these new movie remakes that are coming up. Which ones are you most excited for?


-Barista Mia-

Image: M4D GROUP

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