Les Miserables UPDATE!

So the amazing concert in being, as I type, transformed from stage to film!
I am so thrilled, being a ENORMOUS fan of the 10th anniversary production. I posted awhile back about some of the cast. Well, while the casting is not done, all the main characters are cast, and here
they are:
~

Sorry I would have labeled all of them, but Picnik was acting up.

Hugh Jackman - Jean Valjean
Russell Crowe - Inspector Javier
 Anne Hathaway - Fantine
Sacha Baron Cohen - Thènadier
Helena Bonham Carter - The Thènadieress
Amanda Seyfreid - Cosette
Eddie Redmayne - Marius Pontmercy
Samantha Barks* - Eponine
Aaron Tveit - Enjolras
George Blagden - Grantaire
Colm Wilkinson - Bishop of Digne
Frances Ruffelle 
~
So, you may be thinking, they can SING?! But be assured, most all the cast can (I am not sure about Sacha Cohen or Russell Crowe - at least, worthy Les Mis style), and I will post videos with their performances.
* Well Sam Barks. It is a great relief she was cast. It had been rumored and practically confirmed that Taylor Swift had snagged Eponine for herself. But when I was googling it, believe me, I shrieked with joy that Sam had been cast. Sam was Eponine in the 25th Anniversary Concert, along with Nick Jonas and Alfie Boe.
Then Colm Wilkinson. Never have been so excited for the first 5 minutes of a movie my entire life. Colm was the 10th Anniversary Jean Valjean, and he is AMAZING.
Frances Ruffelle, for those who do not know, was the original Eponine ever. She was the one who created the part, in fact. I am not a fan of her voice, though, so Lea Salonga and Sam are good for me.
I am personally very excited about this production, and just praying it's not somehow brought up to an R rating. Which is possible, depending on that 3 minute song, how far they decide to go.
Well ADIEU! and here are the videos.

There are a few. Though, in the Anne Hathaway clip, she says a swear word. Sorry.

White Collar

White Collar is a USA network show, starring Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay, and Tiffani Thiessen.
I am on the 11th episode, so my review will be on the Pilot of Season 1.
~~
Neal Caffrey, convicted con-man and thief, serving a four-year sentence at a maximum security prison, escapes to find his ex-girlfriend Kate. He crosses paths with the FBI agent who arrested him three years back, Peter Burke, after a dead-end at Kate's apartment. Neal makes a deal with Peter: he will help find and arrest criminals, if Peter agrees to let him be released to his custody.
Thus begins this unlikely partnership between criminal and law.
~~

The GOOD:
Well. You can't help but like Neal(Matt Bomer). He is funny, always has witty remarks.
And his commitment to Kate(referred to as "the girlfriend") is really sweet.The mystery of Kate is also really neat.
Peter(Tim DeKay) is awesome, always good, and also pretty funny.
In the Pilot, Neal is helping Peter with his anniversary plans, which Peter had completely forgotten about.
Elizabeth(Tiffani Thiessen) is a wonderful character. She's always very loving to Peter (being his wife) and she is such a nice addition, not really having to do with the crimes(with solving), but just very dependent.There really isn't very much violence, the most seeing a man being murdered with a needle injected in his neck. That part is slightly intense.
The BAD:
Neal is a convict. Forgery, and also many things in that area.
Peter swears a few times (S.o.b.'s, and d**m, and 1 uses of the other B-word).
No sexual stuff.
The most intense scenes are closer to the end, I won't tell you what they are, but they aren't violent, besides gun pointing(all FBI stuff)
~~
My THOUGHTS :
I LOVE this show. I am so hooked. It makes me laugh, not cry, and want to watch another. Also, Neal hates guns. :)
My sister told us about it when we were up in NY, and unfortunately, she told us there was a LOT of stuff in the 3rd season. Not so much in the 1st and 2nd, though. My 11 year old brother is watching the show (which is on Instant Watch on Netflix) but I think the age appropriate-ness is around 12-13.
Rating : TVPG for language. Stars: 10/10
ADIEU!
~~
Favorite QUOTES:
Peter: There's more to this -- more to this than some lost love. Some side-angle he's playing.
Elizabeth: So you're suggesting he escapes a maximum-security prison, knowing full well that you'd catch him, just so he could trick you into letting him out again?
Peter: It's a working theory.
Elizabeth: Yeah, keep working.

Neal: Did you really put Elizabeth under surveillance before you asked her out? Peter, I underestimated you.
Peter: You told him?
Elizabeth: He said he wanted to make sure that I wasn't seeing anybody else. Honey, I think it's cute.
Neal: I think it's adorable.
Peter: I'm putting you back in prison.

Neal: Okay, Romeo. Let’s problem-solve.What makes her feel alive?
Peter: I'm drawing a blank.
Neal: How could you not know? When you were chasing me, you knew my shoe size, what time I woke up in the morning.
Peter: That's the job. Very different.
Neal: So, a relationship isn't work?
Peter: Oh, no, no. You don't get to lecture me on relationships. My wife didn't change her identity and flee the country to get away from me. 
Peter: What am I gonna do?
Neal: Nope, no more relationship advice from this side of the car. Call Dr. Phil.

Peter: [Peter runs down the stairs, after getting a call that Neal's GPS anklet was set off, only to find Neal chatting with his wife on the couch] You're on my couch.
Neal: Yeah, I came to talk to you. And Peter, I have to say, you have such an amazing wife.
Peter:Yeah, I like her. Get off my couch.

Dragon Slippers. By Jessica Day-George

"It was my aunt who decided to give me to the dragon.
Not that she was evil, or didn't care for me. It's just that we were very poor, and she was, as we said in those parts, dumber than two turnips in a rain barrel."

Many stories tell of damsels in distress who are rescued from the clutches of fire-breathing dragons by knights in shining armor and swept off to live happily ever after. Unfortunately, this is not one of those stories. 
True, when Creel's aunt suggests sacrificing her to the local dragon, it is in hopes that a knight will marry Creel and that everyone (aunt and family included) will benefit handsomely. Yet it's Creel who talks her way out of the dragon's clutches. And it's Creel who walks for days on end to seek her fortune in the king's city with only a bit of embroidery thread and a strange pair of slippers in her possession. But even Creel could not have guessed the outcome of this  tale. For in a country on the verge of war, Creel unknowingly possesses not just any pair of shoes, but a tool that could be used to save her kingdom.... or destroy it.
-------------------
Recommended Age: 11+
Length: 352 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children
Author: Jessica Day-George

The NEGATIVE:
Let's see....
Besides violence, there's no swearing that I can recall, and only 2 kisses. 
The bad people are cruel, but, seriously, what can you expect?

 The POSITIVE 
Creel is very feisty and likable, very independent, and strong.
Luka rescues Creel from the guards, and Creel wants to protect the dragons at almost all costs.
 ~~
Um, as you can see, I'm not very good at this.
(If you have any tips, leave them as a comment)(Please!)
Dragon Slippers is an exciting, sweet page-turner, fairly easy read, and some very funny moments, as well as intense ones. It reminded me of Cornelia Funke, and her YA books.
I enjoyed it, but it wasn't the best or my favorite. Overall I think I'll give it around 7 out of 10, but it is still worth a read, because if you like brave heroines and human-like dragons (not to mention cute princes) then this is the book for you!
ADIEU!

Teenage Writer : The War Horn Pre-read

I discovered Teenage Writer through my bestest blog followings, Farrah's Flavor.
Now Jake(the writer/blogger) is having a draw so 5 lucky people can pre-read his book, The War Horn.
Here is the link, if you wish to enter : http://teenagewritingrocks.blogspot.com/2012/01/want-to-pre-read-war-horn-read-this.html
ADIEU!

Rochester and reviews

*WARNING: this is going to be a longggg post!*
Hey guys!
So on Monday, the 16, my older sister had her third baby! It's a girl, and her name is Margaret Elizabeth!
She is precious. We (my mom, younger brother, and me) drove up to Rochester(New York) on Tuesday, so we could see Laura and Margaret! It was a pretty long drive.... about 10 hours, I think ?
But yes, I am on my sister's computer, listening to John and Irene playing, and Tim(little bro) and Nathan (bro-in-law) playing '5-card draw' with hard candies. It is fun. My mom made banana walnut muffins this morning, and I made a deliciously warming cup of vanilla-chai tea. And then, yes, it snowed! Last night, my mom and I went to the library for a movie, one or two flurries coming down, we went in... 15 minutes later, the car was completely covered, the ground, which had been completely clear, was coated in at least 3/4" of snow! It was rather fluffy, though.
Anywho, here's the movie and the book I will be reviewing...

1. The Terminal. a film by Steven Spielberg.
2. Maximum Ride: The angel experiment. by James Patterson.

The Terminal is a comedy by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Stanley Tucci. It is about...

Viktor Navorski, a man from an Eastern European country arrives in New York. However after he left his country war broke out. Suddenly Navorski is a man without a country - or one that the U.S. cannot recognize, thus he is denied entrance to the U.S. However, he also can't be deported so he is told by the Security Manager that he has to remain in the airport until his status can be fixed. And also Navorski doesn't speak English very well, so he cannot talk to or understand anyone. But he somehow adapts and sets up residence in the airport, which makes the man who placed him there unhappy, as it seems he is in line for a promotion but Navroski's presence might complicate that. So he tries to get Navorski to leave but Navorski remains where he is. Navorski makes friends with some of the people who work in the airport and is attracted to a flight attendant he runs into whenever she comes in...
I really enjoy Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg ( and nooo this has nothing to do with aliens!)
so this was a hit. I am going to try a new review system :) and here it is:
The NEGATIVE-
While the story line is completely family-friendly, it is rated PG-13 for brief language, and drug references. The language is cut down to the S-word, and the use of a**. But it's only used very briefly (thus the rating). There is also brief inappropriate dialogue, and one of the character's is having a relationship with another woman's husband(also briefly mentioned)
Now that that's down, let's move on:
The POSITIVE-
Victor is extremely kind(the main reason for his coming to the US- to fufill his father's last wish), and he stands up to the international dude for a Russian man. That is a lot of it. Just his always positive attitude. :)
My Thoughts-
It is a comedy/drama, and it really doesn't have very much intrigue, but if you want a funny, heartwarming movie, it's right down the aisle!
Overall I give this a 8/10


Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment is the first book to James Patterson's series, Maximum Ride.
I am not sure, though, how many more books there are.... at least 6, I think. Here's the plot:

Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare--this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she?   

The NEGATIVE-
Even though Max is a girl, that doesn't mean she can't swear. And she does. It's all the mild stuff, but there is a rather lot of it(several uses of God's name). And they are all pretty rebellious. Especially Fang and Max.
The violence isn't all that strong, and it's a little repetitive. Also, at one point, they steal a van, and a visa card(Iggy, even though he is blind, has sharp, sharp hearing).Not exactly role models, eh?
The POSITIVE-
Max is dead-set on protecting the others. Even if it means stealing. She is responsible.
Spoiler!When Max gets shot protecting a human, the human girl, Ella, takes her home, and her and her mom take care of Max for awhile.
Gassy loves his little sister, Angel. They all love each other. Together, they are a pack.
My Thoughts-
I think Mr. Patterson definitely has enough of an interesting storyline to keep you reading until the end. And he also ends the book very suddenly, thus making you want to sprint to the library, and plunk down regardless where you are, and read. I liked Max; She's very feisty, and very independent. Fang was... interesting. There really wasn't really enough character development in my opinion for you to get truly involved with the others(it being first-person-Max most of the time). But, on the whole, it was very good.
I'll be generous, and give it... a 7.5 out of 10 stars, for a good plot.


Well, there, I have fufilled what I said I was to do! I hope everyone has a good weekend, and a good school week. And please pray for precious baby Margaret! And also Laura!
Love Jane <3
ADIEU!