Good Food, Greater Company

The last week of the holidays has been pretty eventful.

On Monday and Tuesday, there was this magazine revamp thing in school. There were a total of 19 of us who signed up. We were split into three teams. On my team, I had KX, Nica, Nadhirah, Hasinah and Rachel. The first day, we basically came up with ideas as to what we wanted our magazine to be and how to improve it. There was this whole design thinking process where we used our research too. Anyway, by the end of the day, I really liked what my team came up with but the other teams had pretty interesting ideas too. We also had a rehearsal for our presentation the next day before going home.

The A-Team (without Hasinah because she didn’t want to be in the photo)

The second day, my team met earlier to rehearse our presentation. We rehearsed it like twice and then we rushed to SPH. I swear the train moves a lot slower when you are running late. But we made it on time. So, the original creator of the magazine gave us all a briefing on what the magazine was all about and other things that we should know. He told us that the magazine should be primarily local content and that’s when Nica looked at me and I realised that our chances of winning just dropped drastically. Our whole theme for the mock-up was ‘Heroes’ based off how Big Hero 6 is popular amongst kids this month. Oh well…

Anyway fast forward three presentations and intense Q&A segments which poked holes in all three of our ideas, the original creator decided on a winning team which was not my team. Honestly, I was happy for the winners. Their pictures were going to be on Berita Harian and they received $60 Popular vouchers. I compared it to a Top Model challenge where the winners get a reward. But in this case, the rest of us got a reward too – a goodie bag and $20 Popular vouchers(which I have yet to spend). It was fun and I had no regrets!

Then came Wednesday and Thursday which were my day-offs. Well, actually I did do some work but other than that, I just caught up on my TV shows. I realised that it’s extremely hard for me to have a day-off without worrying about the assignments and long list of things to do. And on top of that, since we have our phones with us all the time these days, there is the possibility of something coming up which could ruin the day-off. Anyway, I watched the season finale of The Comeback on Wednesday and it blew my mind. I am going to write a post on why you should watch it sometime next week. I already have a couple of reasons on my mind.

Then came Friday which was closer to a day-off as compared to the previous two days. It would have been a perfect day had I not read the email in the morning about our potential documentary profiles for an assignment. However, Friday has three day’s worth of activities squeezed into one.

Anyway, today was the day that Chelsea, Jamie, Shaf and I were supposed to attempt cooking and also make our vision boards. We had been looking up recipes and decided on cheese tortellini and Cali chicken. Shaf was supposed to buy the vision boards and meet us once the rest of the three of us were done shopping for the ingredients. But I woke up late and so although I felt bad, this allowed all four of us to do the shopping together and I think that started us off on the right foot.

The shopping was fun as we searched for required ingredients while at the same time wondering if it was worth following the recipe entirely or making our own edits. And then we also spent some time searching for mascarpone cheese which was not available. So we substituted it with something else that I can’t exactly remember right now.  Once we got all our ingredients we made our way to Chelsea’s place.

I honestly thought that I would be of no help in the kitchen. After all too many cooks spoil the broth, right? But what we had was just the right amount of people since we were cooking two dishes. We split up into pairs and I actually helped. This gave me more satisfaction when we were eating lunch later since I had a part in it. YAY. We spent about two to three hours cooking our two dishes. The first hour was spent brining the chicken and boiling the tortellini and the last 30-60 minutes was spent cooking the dishes in the oven. So, I guess we didn’t take that long after all.

Anyway in-between all of this, Shaf got to meet Rainee and Eden for the first time. Jamie avoided Rainee and rolled her eyes almost every time Rainee barked. While I attempted petting Rainee (when Chelsea challenged me to) but Rainee kept putting her face in my hand. So, I gave up in the fear that she would bite me and petted Eden instead. But then later, I told Chels that I wanted to try with Rainee again. And this time, it was a SUCCESS. This was one of the little things that made my day.

Eden: “Okay, you can have ONE picture.”

Eden: “What are you STILL doing here?”

Rainee: “What is this thing that you are pointing at me?”

Rainee:”You smell better than Chelsea.”

Once the food was ready at about 3pm, we all dug in (after taking photos) and I was really proud of all of us. The food tasted really good. I definitely want to try cooking again. Perhaps, we could try something else next time?

Extremely proud of myself for taking this picture.

A selfie with our hard work a.k.a our lunch.

After lunch, we all regrouped in Chelsea’s room to make our vision boards. I know I was the one that suggested us doing this but I’m not quite sure what inspired me to do so. I have been looking forward to making this board forever though so I’m glad it was finally happening. We all brought some magazines to look through and cut out the stuff that we like and want. My approach was cutting out motivational messages and pictures of celebrities that I like. And I also put a couple of polaroids with friends on the board too since they are important to me. We spent about two hours on our boards before leaving at around 6.30pm. As of right now, my board isn’t ready yet. I still have a couple of gaps to fill up.

I know it seems like that is enough fun for a day but my day was far from over. I met the dudes (Azfar and Rosydi) at Northpoint for dinner too! The plan was to try BurgerUp, this new fast food restaurant and also watch Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. BurgerUp was alright. The fries were a little too salty but the fish burger was really good. We did have to wait quite some time but I didn’t really have any problem with that since I had people to talk to and I wasn’t starving hungry after that lunch. We filled each other in on the latest happenings in our lives which wasn’t exactly that much but for some reason, we never run out of things to talk about every time we meet.

BurgerUP allows you to DIY your burger.

Much love for these two amigos.

The movie was good. I’m glad I re-watched the previous two movies last week so I was prepared. Something I thought was interesting is how they sort of implied that a character was gay. On the other hand, I think that they wrapped up the series really well. It felt as though they had everything planned out before they started on the first movie which goes to show how they had a perfect ending instead of a convenient one. I’m going to miss the series and the loveable characters, that’s for sure.

After the movie, we sat at McDonald’s talking again. We sort of already have ‘plans’ for the next long holiday. So, I am pretty excited about that.

A new school term is about to start and I guess I’m pretty prepared. Stay tuned!

PEACE OUT.

Let’s Be Cops Movie Review

This was the last movie I was going to be watching with Azfar and Rosydi for a while as Azfar has his A’ Levels coming up and so that means lesser time to spend hanging out with us. So, obviously we tried to make the most of the day. The dudes came over to my place in the evening because I had invited them over for a Deepavali dinner. Although we had planned to play Monopoly, we decided that we rather just talk as the time we had before we had to leave for the movie we wanted to watch was not enough for a game of Monopoly. And I’ve got no regrets at all as

The Story: Two best friends, Ryan (Jake Johnson) and Justin (Damon Wayans, Jr.)  dress up as cops to a costume party. They realise that their gimmick is realistic when everyone believes that they are cops and treats them differently. For example, women look at them flirtatiously and civilians listen to them when they are ordered around pointlessly on the street. These fake cops then get into real trouble when they become a hinderance in our villain, Mossi Kasic’s (James D’Arcy) secretive ‘underground’ plans. This is also where Justin’s love interest, Josie (Nina Dobrev) comes in as her family restaurant is involved in Mossi’s plans. Along the way, things get rough for our heroes as they have to deal with their real jobs, real life while at the same time maneuvering their way through the dangerous situations they get into.

The Cast: Although I’ve been walking past the movie poster every time I walked to the MRT station, I never realised who the two leads actually were. I loved that they were both from New Girl. Jake Johnson is my favourite New Girl cast member. And I strongly believe that Damon Wayans, Jr. rejoining the New Girl cast last season definitely helped the show and kept it fresh. These two clearly had chemistry and even movie critics agree with that. However, I didn’t really think Nina Dobrev added anything much other than being a pretty face and I guess increasing the number of familiar faces in the cast. For the serious villain they wanted, they definitely casted well. James D’Arcy looked really intimidating in the movie. It could be because of that scar the makeup team drew on his face but the way he talked and walked definitely suited the character.

The Characters: I loved the characters! Ryan and Justin were a great duo and I honestly hope there is a sequel so that we can follow them on another adventure. If there is a sequel though, I think that someone should be added to their team. Maybe a sassy or incompetent sidekick. Anyway, one thing I didn’t like when it comes to the characters was the main villain. His scenes were always very serious and although some might say it balanced out the comedy and action ratio, I still think that it was way too serious. I do feel conflicted though… Because the serious-ness also does show that what our two heroes are doing is no joke and that the consequences could be deadly.

The Ending: It was nicely wrapped up. There was a quote that I wish I took down but I wasn’t fast or desperate enough to do so. A part of it was relatable because of what I’m told as a aspiring writer in school.

My Rating: 8/10

I would definitely watch this movie again. And although I’m writing this review a week after I watched it, I still think it was a good movie. I really hope there is a sequel because Jake Johson and

Walk of Shame Review

And… two months later, I’m back with another Movie Review. 

The premise for Walk of Shame seemed interesting and I was hoping it would be a movie where the main character learns more about herself through all her adversities but that didn’t exactly happen. Well, I hadn’t seen the trailer before watching the movie anyway so that’s probably why my expectations were a bit off. Regardless, I had fun watching the movie. So, let’s get to the review, shall we?

So here is my review with NO SPOILERS.

The Story: Meghan Miles(Elizabeth Banks) is a local news reporter and she is presented with the chance of becoming a national news reporter. However, when she finds out one night that she hasn’t been chosen for the job, her girlfriends decide to bring her out to a club to cheer her up. She gets drunk and has a one night stand with Gordon (James Marsden), the bartender from the club. The next day, she finds herself at Gordon’s apartment and tries to make an escape (thus why it’s called the walk of shame). However, she can’t find her purse and her car has been towed as well. Furthermore, when she uses Gordon’s phone to access her voicemail, she realised that the company has changed their mind and that they want to give her a shot at the job instead.

How is she supposed to make it to work in eight hours without her car, ID and any money at all? Well it’s going to involve her committing or getting involved in a lot of crimes and getting into more trouble as a result.

The Cast: Like always, I don’t have an issue with this area. I had to do some research to find out that Elizabeth Banks is actually the actress that plays Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games series. And one of the main reasons why I didn’t bother watching the trailer is because I knew James Marsden was starring in it. If you don’t know who he is, he is Cyclops from the X-Men series. He was also in Enchanted. So, I guess the casting was all perfect. I can’t see anyone else playing any of the characters. That’s a good thing, right?

The Characters: Firstly, Meghan Miles is a news reporter/anchor/journalist and since it’s relevant to my course of study, it was relatable in a way. However like I mentioned above, she gets into a lot of trouble and it just makes her look extremely irresponsible. And also since she is shown getting into all this trouble, we don’t really get to see her at work.

Next, I felt that a couple of characters definitely required more screen time or at least more character development. I’m referring to her love interest Gordon and her two girlfriends, Rose and Denise. Gordon, simply because he’s played by James Marsden and so obviously I think he should have had a bigger role. As for the two besties, Rose is the bitchy one and I wish they would have shown that more while Denise is the ditzy one with funny lines. So, seeing that it’s a comedy, I think they should have used her more as well. The two cops annoyed me. I didn’t like their characters. Not sure if that’s a good thing because they are supposedly the ‘bad guys’ in Meghan’s situation.

As for the Crackhouse Trio, they NEED their own movie. I’m not going to say they deserved more screen time in this movie because they appeared a sufficient and reasonable amount for their part of the story. However, I would love to see a spin-off movie focusing on them and I don’t think it’s impossible. The characters are already pretty well established and if you watch the movie, you would know that a possible premise could come from a rivalry between two crack houses. Yes, it might be a trashy movie but it could work and I strongly believe that.

The End: You actually feel for Meghan at the end and although the message I think the writers were going for was stated, it wasn’t well shown. I wasn’t satisfied by the ending because I hate when movies make a huge mess and don’t show the repercussions.

My Rating: 6.5/10

The movie really gave me The Hangover vibe just that instead of a group of guys it’s a woman on her own. Although the friends I watched the movie with stated that it was draggy at times, I really didn’t feel that at all. The obstacles thrown in her way seemed fresh to me and they made sense; it wasn’t too forced. Would I recommend you watch it? Well, it was a funny movie and I guess I would say, yes after a lot of thinking.

That’s all I have to say,

PEACE OUT.

 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Review

It’s been almost three months since I last wrote a movie review. I just haven’t been watching too many movies lately. Oh well, I’m back to review the Captain America sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

I must say I was skeptical because I hadn’t watched the second Thor movie and I was worried I might have missed something. To add to that, I don’t clearly remember what happened in The Avengers and the first Captain America movie. However, it was either this or Non-Stop and I was in the mood for a superhero movie. Having watched the movie, I believe it was pretty good.

So, here’s my review explaining why with NO SPOILERS.

The Story: If you hadn’t watched the first movie which was set in the 1940s, Captain America was frozen and asleep for 70 years and found himself awaken in modern day New York City. In this sequel, we see how he adapts to the modern setting while still working for S.H.I.E.L.D. He works alongside Agent Natasha Romanoff a.k.a Black Widow. During one of his missions, he begins to question whether he can actually trust S.H.I.E.LD. And when Nick Fury introduces Captain America to Operation: Insight where spy satellites are used to detect and eliminate potential threats, things only get worse. With access to the information on the operation being restricted and a mysterious assassin called, ‘The Winter Soldier’ on the loose, Captain America has to find a way to save the world before his allies are wiped out and the world goes into the hands of the wrong people.

But who can he really trust? Who exactly is this mysterious ‘Winter Soldier’? And how do you shut the operation down without having access to the information in the first place?

The Cast: Loved the casting. I mean everyone obviously fit their roles perfectly. ScarJo(Scarlett Johansson) who plays Black Widow, is so beautiful and I loved her acting. Yes, she was great in The Avengers but I think we get to see more of her in this movie. I might just be becoming a fan. As for Chris Evans as Captain America, he’s just perfect. I also recognise Emily VanCamp who plays S.H.I.E.L.D agent Sharon Carter, from Revenge. Although she has a minor role in this movie, I think they’re just setting her up for the third movie which I’m also pretty excited about. Like I really have nothing bad to say for the casting.

The Characters: If you haven’t figured from above, I LOVE Black Widow. I really liked how she was featured in this movie and I’m glad they didn’t go with the Captain America’s love interest route. The dynamic between Captain America and Black Widow is also pretty interesting. I love how they are almost like siblings. I’m looking forward to seeing how they relate to each other in the Avengers sequel. Now as for Captain America, I never really was a fan of his backstory but he’s definitely cool. I also like how they followed up with certain things revolving around him from the prequel in this movie. As for Captain America’s new sidekick, Sam Wilson, I think there was just sufficient character development. Lastly, The Winter Soldier is just amazing. I like his style and everything about him. I was hoping for more character development because they only revealed the identity quite late in the movie. But it all makes sense when you actually find out the identity of this mysterious assassin. Revealing the identity much earlier wouldn’t have made that big of a difference. I also looked up S.H.I.E.L.D Agent Sharon Carter’s identity on Wikipedia, and I must say I think she’ll definitely be featured more in the third movie. But I don’t want to spoil anything so, if you’re interested click here.

The End: The ending was pretty draggy and there seemed to be a lot going on. It might just be me but it seemed pretty easy too. I did like how to wrap things up, there were scenes of the aftermath. I mean there isn’t much I can say without ruining it for you so I shall just say that when watching it, I thought it was pretty satisfying but thinking back now, I think it could have been better.

My Rating: 7.5/10

I had a hard time choosing the rating because I felt conflicted. I couldn’t even decide if this or first one was better. The story might not be the easiest to understand from the get-go but it makes more sense halfway through the movie. The characters were really loveable and for me, that’s what makes me want to give the movie a high rating. Especially the duo of Captain America and Black Widow. They’re so cute together without being a couple! However, the ending was average. I definitely think you should watch the movie because almost every superhero movie is worth watching.

Until next time,

PEACE OUT.

Identity Thief Review

When I first heard of this movie I thought it was Jason Bateman dressing up as a woman and stealing someone else’s identity but after watching the trailer I figured that I was way off.

So here’s my review of the movie after watching it. There will be NO SPOILERS so not to worry.

The Plot: Basically Sandy Patterson(Jason Bateman) has his identity stolen by a woman(Melissa McCarthy) and this woman is basically able to charge payments to his credit card and when he realises this, he decides to hunt her down. His job was at stake as some drugs were purchased with his card and he’s told that he missed a court date as well. All this thanks to the woman who stole his identity. So the movie is about how he catches her and brings her back to his town to clear his name and their adventures along the way.

The Cast: The two main characters fit their role as always. Jason Bateman especially. But I feel like Melissa McCarthy’s role as Diana, could have been played by someone else. Not that she didn’t fit the part but I think someone like Rebel Wilson could have replaced her and done either an equally good or better job. As for the rest of the cast, I guess they fit their roles but I can’t be too sure cause we didn’t get to see much of them.

The Characters: I loved the characters! The story made me care for them both at different points. Diana with her past & Sandy with his family and job at stake. But when it comes to the villains, I didn’t really like how they came out of nowhere and every now and then. They seemed out of place if you ask me. It’s like these two are working for someone else to catch Diana and there’s another person trying to hunt down Diana as well. It was messy. In a way it was like Rat Race.(Which is an amazing movie) But it didn’t work well for this movie.

The End: I believe that they wrapped up the story well. It was simple & sweet. Don’t think they can have a sequel though. But I wouldn’t be upset if they don’t cause it ended well and adding anything else might just ruin it. So, I sure am glad with where they ended it.

My Rating: 7/10

Bonus Question: Would I watch the movie again?

YES! Definitely. I actually feel like watching it again right now. But it’s too soon. Maybe in a few months.

So do you feel like watching the movie? If you do, you should.

PEACE OUT.