"Les Miserables" movie update!!

Hey guys,
So, as you may or may not know, I am a HUGE fan of the musical stage version "Les Miserables" (also just the story in general) and a previous post (here) is stating that :).
And finally they have released a teaser for the film!!!!! Here it is!!

Oh my gosh, Annie's voice..... That's the reason I am so excited fro the film. Already the stage version is filled with emotion, but just imagine Academy Award winners as the characters.....
And the sets and costume designs... O.o
Then that's another thing : The directer, Tom Hooper-- The King's Speech -- had the cast singing live on set!  I think it will be stunning. And for you who have no clue who's who, I'll mark the minutes when they appear :
0:16- Jean Val Jean   
0:19- Inspector Javier
0:20- Fantine
0:28- Young Cosette
0:48- Cosette
0:57- Marius Pontmercy
1:11- Eponine

Haha. if that doesn't show I'm a sucker for it, I don't know what will... :D
Signing off,
Jane
Ps. Sorry for being slightly eccentric about this. I'm just rather stoked about it. :)

Sherlock Holmes : A Study in Scarlet

Hey guys!
Sorry for not posting.. I was kind of busy this last week. And this will be a very short review.
Okay, so I can't find a synopsis, so here's a short one out of my head :

Recently returned from Afghanistan, Dr. John Watson is looking for a flat to share. Then an old acquaintance tells him that he knows the very man to share a flat with : A Mr. Sherlock Holmes. A private  detective consultant. A case arises that the police come to him to solve : a man found dead in an abandoned house, presumably suicide, but for the word Rache written in blood.


This was my first Sherlock Holmes novel, which I feel rather guilty because I have seen a ton of episodes and movies (which I really liked), and I had yet to read the books. It was short (only around 130 pages) but I really enjoyed it. The plot was really easy to follow, but without being predictable. I had already seen several adaptions of this story, so I already knew what had happened. But I'm fairly sure I wouldn't have been able to guess. I started The Sign of the Four yesterday, and I will do a review on that as soon as I am done. 10/10

Guess where I went this weekend (25-27) ? I went to Philadelphia with my youth group!! We went to the Franklin Institute, where they had The Dead Sea Scrolls on display!!! It was so neat! And for those who don't know what they are, it is the Old Testament that was found in some caves by the Dead Sea. Super cool right? It was awesome. And then I had an authentic phili cheesesteak. Haha :) But it was delicious! Okay, well right now it is down pouring outside, and I'd better go :)
Signing off -
Jane

A post of various things..

Hey guys! and, er, gals ;)
Okay so first things first :
Phillip Phillips won American Idol!!! YAY!!! He deserved it. Phil's attitude was just so... humble, and he was never trying to please anyone; he was just up there because he loves music. You will be an amazing artist, Phil Phillips, and I am SO ahead of everyone else in pre-ordering your first album.
And I love you wayyyyy more than those screaming fan girls because I actually keep quiet when you begin to sing ;). And I love your impeccable sense of style.
Here's I think my favorite song he sings ( it's entitled "Home"). And does anyone else think he sounds like Mumford&Sons? I love them, by the way. This song is beautiful. I hope he sings a TON more like this.

Then second thing.... I won Sierra Abrams' ( @YearningToRead - if you haven't already checked her out, DO IT!) giveaway for Ordinary Magic by Caitlin Rubino-Bradway!!! It's so exciting, this is my first giveaway ever won. :) And plus I can't wait to read the book!!! Thanks so much, Sierra!!

Thing #3 : Have you ever watched the series Sherlock? Because if you are over 13 (or a very mature 12) you must watch them. It's a modern day twist on Sir Conan Doyle's awesome books, 21-st century style. It stares Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes) and Martin Freeman (John Watson) (who coincidentally play Smaug -- the voice of-- and Bilbo :D ) They are amazing together. Benedict is stunning and lovable in the role, and Martin is just awesome. The first season is relatively clean, sprinkled with some language and a couple references.. and the violence, while there isn't much, when there is, they make it pretty realistic looking. So he get's shot, there will be blood. The second season began with a not so positive note : Irene Adler is a sex centered character, resulting in some not so good discussions and there is a nude scene( her arms and hands cover any sensitive parts) and it only around 2 minutes long. That episode is entitled "A Scandal in Belgravia", but overall (please don't judge me) it was probably one of the best if you can look past all that junk. So yes, that one is wayyyyyy mature. Just have the remote ready. Then the rest have violence, and some mild cussing, plus some might be disturbed that the main bad guy ( Jim Moriarty) is completely mad, and it sometimes it disturbing to watch.
And, the end to Season 2. O.o It was very, very, very frustrating to know that we have to wait over a year for Season 3. Ergh. It was such a cliff hanger. But I think my wise sister figured it out. Gotta wait and see...... and while I'm on this subject, do you like???????????? It was very fun to draw :)

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH AS SHERLOCK!!!!

And, finally, Thing #4. I am going on a Youth Group trip tomorrow, and that should be a bunch of fun, but please keep us in your prayers, that we'll be safe :).
ADIEU! J.A.M.

Cinderella Man and The Muppets : A movie review

I'm going to review 2 very different movies in this post; hope you like them.
Out of desperation for a movie to watch last night, we got "The Muppets" from Redbox.
Here's the synopsis from imdb :

When 3 Muppet fans learn that Tex Richman wants to drill under the Muppet Theater for oil, Gary, Mary and Walter set out to find the Muppets who have been split up for years so that they can put on one last show and save the Muppet Theater. Kermit the Frog now lives in his own mansion depressed in Hollywood, The Great Gonzo is a high class plumber at Gonzo's Royal Flush, Fozzie Bear performs with a tribute band called The Moopets, Miss Piggy is the plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, and Animal is at a celebrity anger management rehab center in Santa Barbara.

Let's settle one thing first : I am a Muppets Fan. Call me what you will. I love them, especially the great Christmas classic at our house : The Muppet's Christmas Carol (one of the best!).
I'll admit, I was worried to watch this, because, if you've seen the trailers, it looked pretty cheesy; and the singing definitely caught me off guard. I was not expecting that. But, I liked it a lot. It was super fun, very clean, and had sooo many cameos I was cracking up. Especially Jack Black and Emily Blunt's ones (Jack Black as himself and Emily Blunt as Miss Piggy's secretary); then I thought it was so funny because here are some of the best actors (Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Jason Segel, and, sure Jack Black) and haha, they weren't even trying. But in a good way. It was very good. 7.5/10 stars.

Now for my second review, Cinderella Man (synopsis from imdb ) :

During the Great Depression, a common-man hero, James J. Braddock--a.k.a. the Cinderella Man--was to become one of the most surprising sports legends in history. By the early 1930s, the impoverished ex-prizefighter was seemingly as broken-down, beaten-up and out-of-luck as much of the rest of the American populace who had hit rock bottom. His career appeared to be finished, he was unable to pay the bills, the only thing that mattered to him--his family--was in danger, and he was even forced to go on Public Relief. But deep inside, Jim Braddock never relinquished his determination. Driven by love, honor and an incredible dose of grit, he willed an impossible dream to come true. In a last-chance bid to help his family, Braddock returned to the ring. No one thought he had a shot. However Braddock, fueled by something beyond mere competition, kept winning. Suddenly, the ordinary working man became the mythic athlete...

Starring Russell Crowe and Renèe Zellweger, this is an Oscar worthy film.
I was seriously tempted to jump up in the air and scream when I was watching this, but being 11:30 at night, my mom would have probably killed me ;) the fights were very intense, and bloody, but if you've ever watched some of the better UFC (Ultimate Fighter Championship), it's not that bad.
The swearing was pretty bad. A lot of s-words, a**, uses of God's name in vain (and of Jesus Christ).
Sexual content?? Some kissing, but between Jimmy (James) and his wife, Mae.
And the thematic elements were intense, because it was in the Great Depression.
I love this so much. It was the very meaning of inspirational without being all goody goody, "I know it's going to be okay" type thing that seems to be in everything. Russell Crowe was outstanding as James Braddock, I mean, amazing. He is one of the best actors of the this time, honestly.
And Renèe Zellwegger will never cease to crack me up. She is awesome.
And their 3 kids were precious. So overall rating, 9/10 (1 star less because of the swearing), but I guess age would be 13 and up!! You should definitely watch it!
J.A.M.

Divergent, book 1, by Veronica Roth

You're probably thinking, finally! a book review! and, let me tell you, I am just as excited as you are.
The book is Divergent, by Veronica Roth. So here's the synopsis (from Amazon) :

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

I read Divergent off of the recommendation list for The Hunger Games. I am so glad I did. This is a new, total favorite. Veronica Roth's writing style is very gripping and enjoyable. Beatrice starts out insecure, but by the end, she is so darn strong, I loved reading her progress throughout the book. And then, bless my soul, Four. I think it's is 99.9% impossible NOT to fall in love with him ( and if you don't,well, you must a pretty weird person- no offense) . He is soooo........ incredible? intricate? I doubt there are any words that could fairly describe him. He is right up there with Peeta and Finnick, to be honest. And practically nobody passes Peeta and Finnick. And then there are the characters that I absolutely despise. I'm mostly looking at Peter and Eric. Ooohhhh.... Anyways, before anything bad happens, I'm going to move on to the content :
Violence : yuck. Someone -- I will not say who-- gets his eye stabbed with a fork. I have to say, I nearly lost my dinner at that point. Then a lot of gun fighting, and basically beating each others up. 7/10
Cussing : several uses of hell and For God's sake, and oh my God's. 4/10
Sex : There is one kind of awkward part, when Tris is groped, and some jerk! remarks about the size of her chest. Then there are 2 mentions of sex and several long kisses. 4/10
Another somewhat questionable subject, the Dauntless Faction has a lot of tattoos, piercings, getting drunk, and etc.. so that might be a big stopper for some of you..
--
Oh I love this book. I love it. I need to buy it. Okay, sure, it's not as good as The Hunger Games, but honestly, what is? So what I say : get this from the library, and read :)
9/10

And then summer!!!!!! I simply cannot wait for this last week .5. I can't wait to swim, read to my heart's content (any must reads??), and watch movies :) Oh, and of course, sketch.
I'm going to Texas later in the summer, and I am so excited!! There's a salt water pool (it's really neat) that we always get a membership to every year, so that is going to be a TON of fun. Do you have any plans??? Okay, well I need to go (finish up some school).
ADIEU!!