2009 Cultural Resurrection (5 entries, in 1!)
I was texting one of my blockmates the other day and I told her that law school was such a cultural blackhole! Therefore, I equate summertime to re-connect with pop culture. And here are a few notes:
Films
17 Again
A very mainstream comedy that I really loved! I was never really a Zac fan-girl even if I love High School Musical, well, the first one anyway (and the second one's songs), I'm one of those few who found the third film a bust. BUT O.M.G. Zac Efron = definition of hotness in this film. And it's amazing how much versatile he is! He was able to act like a seventeen-year-old in the 80s and a modern day seventeen-year-old, with the twist the plot offered.
[SPOILER AS YOU CONTINUE!] The plot is about a man, who after making a life-changing decision senior year of high school, was stuck in a traditional marriage doomed to fail. With a chance encounter with his "spirit guide" he was given a supernatural opportunity to change his life.
I just love how the film was garnished with really interesting characters that you would think are overkill stereotypes: the jock, the dorky best friend, the head cheerleader. But this film had a charm that worked its way through it. And while the plot seems recycled from films like 13 Going on 30 or Never Been Kissed (as pointed by my sister), I still really appreciated it a LOT.
And it was really funny watching it in the cinema (after a LONG time, believe me) and these fangirls were literally squee!ing. Haha. I think at one point I was squee!ing with them, and that when the Zac Efron character's screentime ended and we were getting saggy Matthew Perry, I was chanting "Zac Efron! Zac Efron!" GAAAAAAH. Vanessa Hudgens, you lucky biatch.
He's Not Just That Into You
Can I just say? I love this film. I watched Confessions of a Shopaholic instead of this one in the cinema, and it was really regrettable because unlike the book series (of Shopaholic) which I absolutely ADORED, the first film instalment was such a disappointment with its lousy slapstick comedy and Isla Fisher not fulfilling my expectations of who Rebecca Bloomwood should be. And then everyone started raving about this film, and I knew I should have seen this instead! I love Scarlett Johansson! And this was just an adorable film, and it perfectly diagnosed complexities in relationships and dating. The "rule and exception" mantra was perfect in establishing one basic truth about love: there's no way to understand it because it functions on irrationality! It's the kind of film that has a lot of subplots that somehow intertwine, so it's easy to find one that any person could relate to. It's a bubblegum version of Closer and well, an American version of Love Actually (and one of my personal favourite romcoms that never really hit the mainstream, Love and Other Disasters). If you want to watch He's Not Just That Into You, there's a good DVD Screener floating around (not piratebay, they lost their lawsuit, *le sigh*).
TV
Chuck
OMFG, now I know why my blockmates prefer watching this over Gossip Girl! This is the more adorable Josh Schwartz series! As in! It's quirky, fun, and it really reminds me of the OC because Sarah + Chuck is really reminiscent of Summer + Seth, which everyone loved! Well, Rachel Bilson did appear in the first season, and Zachary Levi, who plays Chuck, really looks a lot like Adam Brody! But aside from the adorable main-billed couple, the periphery characters are just equally charming! There's Ellie and Awesome, another awesome couple, the crazy BFF Morgan and the rest of the Nerd Herd and Buy More-ians, and my personal favourite, Col. John Casey of the NSA! My siblings and I watched it over the Holy Week, sometimes, more than once and the premise is just awesome (yes, it also meant overusing the word "Awesome"). The story has some flaws especially with the entire thing with Fulcrum, but, WOW. Currently my favourite on TV.
It's really insulting to hear that this one might be short-lived, even Josh Schwartz does not know what will happen. It will be a big shame if the third season won't push through. This show is just pure love. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Music
Lily Allen It's Not Me, It's You (album)
I totally love this girl! Aside from the fact that she's well, British, I listened to her album for the first time... three times in a row! And I just love it! The last album that was like that was for me was One of the Boys by Katy Perry. Well, she is rather a British version of Katy Perry with really catchy tunes and feisty lyrics:
Fuck you, fuck you, very very much!
Yes, the single's title is also "Fuck you", and it has a very sunshine-upbeat tune it's AMAZING. I thought it was going to be all emo by the title, but noooo!!! It's so perky! Another one of her more popular releases "The Fear" has really meaningful lyrics as well, because it is a good social commentary on the superficiality of youth culture. Again, from the title, it sounds creepy, but it's actually a very happy sounding song!
I want to be rich and I want lots of money
I don’t care about clever I don’t care about funny
xxx xxx xxx
I don’t know what’s right and what’s real anymore
I don’t know how I’m meant to feel anymore
When we think it will all become clear
‘Cuz I’m being taken over by The Fear
xxx xxx xxx
And I am a weapon of massive consumption
and its not my fault it’s how I’m program to function
xxx xxx xxx
Now I’m not a saint but I’m not a sinner
Now everything is cool as long as I’m getting thinner
Other Lily Songs I Super Love: "Never Gonna Happen", "I Could Say" (some chords are exactly the same as "The Fear"! But fantastic lyrics) and "22"
Add the great music to Lily's overall wicked style = Ahlaffeeet! ^__~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Lady GaGa LoveGame (single)
Well, Lady GaGa is just insane. Some say she's the modern day Madonna, I think she looks like Gwen Stefani from outer space! But that's beside the point. While people love her for Just Dance-ing and her Poker Face (the piano version from the CherryTree concert is just so wicked, I just don't like listening to the song because my brother pokes my face because he thinks the lyrics says "P-p-p-poke your face" just like how he thought smiley faces were "smile your faces" x___X), my personal favourite is LoveGame because uh... well, it was the soundtrack for Capt. Awesome's bachelor party that featured Agent Forrest (played by Tricia Hefler, a.k.a. the Cylon-agent-in-the-red-dress in Battlestar Galactica).
That was totally unrelated (I just really ♥ Chuck so much!!!), anyway, beyond her insane façade, Lady GaGa is just MY AGE!!! As in she was also born 1986! Well, Lily Allen is one year older (born 1985) and Jake Cuenca (sorry, totally unrelated!) is one year YOUNGER than me! As in (and I had to find out through facebook)! With all the chismis I hear about this pretend soldier with a lot of family issues in Tayong Dalawa, and his undeniable hotness, I really thought he was older. Anyway, that's it for my pop culture commentary for now. Oh, and if you don't mind, please give me gifts in Pet Society. =P
Films
17 Again
A very mainstream comedy that I really loved! I was never really a Zac fan-girl even if I love High School Musical, well, the first one anyway (and the second one's songs), I'm one of those few who found the third film a bust. BUT O.M.G. Zac Efron = definition of hotness in this film. And it's amazing how much versatile he is! He was able to act like a seventeen-year-old in the 80s and a modern day seventeen-year-old, with the twist the plot offered.
[SPOILER AS YOU CONTINUE!] The plot is about a man, who after making a life-changing decision senior year of high school, was stuck in a traditional marriage doomed to fail. With a chance encounter with his "spirit guide" he was given a supernatural opportunity to change his life.
I just love how the film was garnished with really interesting characters that you would think are overkill stereotypes: the jock, the dorky best friend, the head cheerleader. But this film had a charm that worked its way through it. And while the plot seems recycled from films like 13 Going on 30 or Never Been Kissed (as pointed by my sister), I still really appreciated it a LOT.
And it was really funny watching it in the cinema (after a LONG time, believe me) and these fangirls were literally squee!ing. Haha. I think at one point I was squee!ing with them, and that when the Zac Efron character's screentime ended and we were getting saggy Matthew Perry, I was chanting "Zac Efron! Zac Efron!" GAAAAAAH. Vanessa Hudgens, you lucky biatch.
He's Not Just That Into You
Can I just say? I love this film. I watched Confessions of a Shopaholic instead of this one in the cinema, and it was really regrettable because unlike the book series (of Shopaholic) which I absolutely ADORED, the first film instalment was such a disappointment with its lousy slapstick comedy and Isla Fisher not fulfilling my expectations of who Rebecca Bloomwood should be. And then everyone started raving about this film, and I knew I should have seen this instead! I love Scarlett Johansson! And this was just an adorable film, and it perfectly diagnosed complexities in relationships and dating. The "rule and exception" mantra was perfect in establishing one basic truth about love: there's no way to understand it because it functions on irrationality! It's the kind of film that has a lot of subplots that somehow intertwine, so it's easy to find one that any person could relate to. It's a bubblegum version of Closer and well, an American version of Love Actually (and one of my personal favourite romcoms that never really hit the mainstream, Love and Other Disasters). If you want to watch He's Not Just That Into You, there's a good DVD Screener floating around (not piratebay, they lost their lawsuit, *le sigh*).
TV
Chuck
OMFG, now I know why my blockmates prefer watching this over Gossip Girl! This is the more adorable Josh Schwartz series! As in! It's quirky, fun, and it really reminds me of the OC because Sarah + Chuck is really reminiscent of Summer + Seth, which everyone loved! Well, Rachel Bilson did appear in the first season, and Zachary Levi, who plays Chuck, really looks a lot like Adam Brody! But aside from the adorable main-billed couple, the periphery characters are just equally charming! There's Ellie and Awesome, another awesome couple, the crazy BFF Morgan and the rest of the Nerd Herd and Buy More-ians, and my personal favourite, Col. John Casey of the NSA! My siblings and I watched it over the Holy Week, sometimes, more than once and the premise is just awesome (yes, it also meant overusing the word "Awesome"). The story has some flaws especially with the entire thing with Fulcrum, but, WOW. Currently my favourite on TV.
It's really insulting to hear that this one might be short-lived, even Josh Schwartz does not know what will happen. It will be a big shame if the third season won't push through. This show is just pure love. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Music
Lily Allen It's Not Me, It's You (album)
I totally love this girl! Aside from the fact that she's well, British, I listened to her album for the first time... three times in a row! And I just love it! The last album that was like that was for me was One of the Boys by Katy Perry. Well, she is rather a British version of Katy Perry with really catchy tunes and feisty lyrics:
Fuck you, fuck you, very very much!
Yes, the single's title is also "Fuck you", and it has a very sunshine-upbeat tune it's AMAZING. I thought it was going to be all emo by the title, but noooo!!! It's so perky! Another one of her more popular releases "The Fear" has really meaningful lyrics as well, because it is a good social commentary on the superficiality of youth culture. Again, from the title, it sounds creepy, but it's actually a very happy sounding song!
I want to be rich and I want lots of money
I don’t care about clever I don’t care about funny
xxx xxx xxx
I don’t know what’s right and what’s real anymore
I don’t know how I’m meant to feel anymore
When we think it will all become clear
‘Cuz I’m being taken over by The Fear
xxx xxx xxx
And I am a weapon of massive consumption
and its not my fault it’s how I’m program to function
xxx xxx xxx
Now I’m not a saint but I’m not a sinner
Now everything is cool as long as I’m getting thinner
Click to viewOther Lily Songs I Super Love: "Never Gonna Happen", "I Could Say" (some chords are exactly the same as "The Fear"! But fantastic lyrics) and "22"
Add the great music to Lily's overall wicked style = Ahlaffeeet! ^__~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Lady GaGa LoveGame (single)
Well, Lady GaGa is just insane. Some say she's the modern day Madonna, I think she looks like Gwen Stefani from outer space! But that's beside the point. While people love her for Just Dance-ing and her Poker Face (the piano version from the CherryTree concert is just so wicked, I just don't like listening to the song because my brother pokes my face because he thinks the lyrics says "P-p-p-poke your face" just like how he thought smiley faces were "smile your faces" x___X), my personal favourite is LoveGame because uh... well, it was the soundtrack for Capt. Awesome's bachelor party that featured Agent Forrest (played by Tricia Hefler, a.k.a. the Cylon-agent-in-the-red-dress in Battlestar Galactica).
That was totally unrelated (I just really ♥ Chuck so much!!!), anyway, beyond her insane façade, Lady GaGa is just MY AGE!!! As in she was also born 1986! Well, Lily Allen is one year older (born 1985) and Jake Cuenca (sorry, totally unrelated!) is one year YOUNGER than me! As in (and I had to find out through facebook)! With all the chismis I hear about this pretend soldier with a lot of family issues in Tayong Dalawa, and his undeniable hotness, I really thought he was older. Anyway, that's it for my pop culture commentary for now. Oh, and if you don't mind, please give me gifts in Pet Society. =P