Top 10 Villains

It's been a while since I've made a "Kelsi just talks about things" post. I was watching some videos on YouTube of a guy who reviews movies and makes lists of the top scariest moments, top catchiest theme songs, etc. Anyways, he had one of his top scariest performances, and it got me thinking… I want to do something similar. So here we are: My top 10 villains in cinema (and maybe literature).


#10- WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST from The Wizard of Oz
"I'll get you, my pretty. And your little dog too!"

For a lot of kids, The Wizard of Oz was one of the first movies we ever saw, so this lady was one of the first villains we were introduced to. And boy, was she quite a villain to start out with. With her green skin, long nose, and black attire. And who could ever forget her theme song? (It is now stuck in your head! You're welcome.) She's just… well, scary. The way she laughs, flies around on her broom, kidnaps girls and dogs, has an army of flying monkeys, lives in a creepy castle, throws fireballs, etc. She's the iconic witch.


#9- GEORGE WICKHAM from Pride and Prejudice
"But it is not for me to be driven away by Mr. Darcy. If he wants to avoid seeing me, he must go."

You know, sometimes when you're watching a movie and somebody walks into a scene and you're just like "oh yeah. That's the villain.". Like with Star Wars, Darth Vader walks in, helloooo villain! Big scary guy dressed in black with the heavy breathing and standing over dead bodies= villain. But with Pride and Prejudice, that's not the case. I mean, this guy, he just seems to be this nice, friendly, supremely charming guy. Handsome too. And he gives this sob story making you feel all sorry for him. And he does it in such a way that makes it seem like he doesn't want to divulge this information, which makes him seem humble too. But it's all just a facade. Underneath it all he's just a money-hungry playboy. A conman! A dirty rotten scoundrel out for revenge and to ruin anybody who gets in his way. That's why he's so horrible. He fools EVERYBODY into thinking he's such a wonderful individual until… too late.


#8- DARTH VADER from Star Wars
"I find your lack of faith disturbing."

There is a very small percentage of people in the world who doesn't know this guy. I've found there's actually a lot of villains out there who have an alter ego (and a tragic backstory). He's one of the few who redeem themselves in the end without it being super lame and cliche. But, focusing on him as a villain… I wasn't alive when he first appeared, but I can just imagine sitting in the theater and seeing him enter for the first time. That black 1/2 robot-1/2 man thing, all black attire (helmet, cape, etc) with the creepy breathing. Sooo iconic now. And that voice! James Earl Jones is legend! It's just so scary and awesome at the same time! And then all the power he has, he's got an army (even if the clones are kind of pansies), the frikin' Death Star, and not to mention the Force. And of course he holds the number one spot for the biggest plot twist in all history. All around great villain.


#7- VOLDEMORT from the Harry Potter series
"Only I can live forever."

Well of course he has to be on my list. He's like the epitome of evil. He's actually kind of lower on my list than you'd expect because honestly, I don't find him all that interesting. I mean yeah, he did scare the crap out of me and he kept things intense and he is rather creepy looking. You'd think I'd like that, since that's basically everything I like in a villain. But it's missing something. He's not very showy about it. I mean, yeah, he likes to show off and make a graphic scene of things (not as much as Bellatrix *shudders* maybe she should have been on my list), but he just kind of does it all blandly. Like "oh, OK let's go raid the Ministry. Yes, knock down all the shelves and cabinets while you're at it. Yes, yes, break all the glass. OK, kill everybody. Good." There could be a little more finesse when he talked (and I put no blame on Ralph Fiennes, well maybe a little, but I think most of the problem was in the character himself, the writing, and the directing). But anyways, other than that, Voldemort is a great villain. I mean, he's so scary, people are even afraid to say his name. I mean, there are a lot of real life serial killers, dictators, etc. in history, but we still speak their names. That's how much of an impact this guy has on our fictional characters's lives.


#6- LADY TREMAINE from Disney's Cinderella
"I said… if."

Dis lady. What a scuzzball! Like she doesn't do anything so universally horribly wrong, except for make one person's life miserable. And all because Cinderella was nicer and prettier than her own two daughters. Pfft! I mean, she doesn't even let her go to the ball, and she lets her daughters tear up the dress, and then she freakin' locks her in her room so she can't have her happily ever after, and THEN she breaks the glass slipper just as Cinderella's about to try it on! Like what the heck, lady? Just looking at her smirks all the while during that end scene while Cinderella's locked up, ooh! You just want to punch her! (And that face when she realizes Cinderella was the mystery girl from the ball and follows her upstairs to lock her in. D8 One of the freakiest villain faces ever!)


#5- DOLORES UMBRIDGE from the Harry Potter series
"Deep down you know that you deserve to be punished, don't you, Mr. Potter?"

And speaking of ultimate scuzzballs. Dis mother-hugger! Ooh, don't you just want to smack that prissy smile off her face? Practically any Harry Potter fan you talk to will tell you that they hated this son of a gun more than Voldemort, and I concur. While Voldemort was doing horrible things like massacring people, taking over the wizard and muggle world, splitting his soul so he could live forever, things like that, this lady was focused on ruining the lives of teenagers, specifically our protagonist. I mean, her detention is them writing lines, which is bad enough, but then it carves the sentences into their hand! I mean, how sadistic is that? And she just goes about with her ridiculous, strict rules, sucking all the fun and life out of everything. Even all the teachers hated her! ("Is it true you shouted at Professor Umbridge?" "Yes." "You called her a liar?" "Yes." "Have a biscuit, Potter.")  But the thing that makes her so horrible is that she does all this with a smile. Like she looks like one of those overly-sweet secretaries you'd find at a customer service desk for some fancy cruise-liner or something. And the pink and the cats! Argh! It's so horrid!


#4- MALEFICENT from Disney's Sleeping Beauty
"Oh dear, what an awkward situation."

No, not the Angelina Jolie backstory remake one. I'm talking about the original animated awesomeness! First off I just have to say that she has the most boss costume out of any of the Disney villains (or maybe any villain, IDK). Her motivation is kind of ridiculous. I mean, she could have been more lenient about it like "Fine. See if I invite you to MY birthday party!". But no she's all "What? You don't want to invite me to your party. Fine. I'll just curse your baby to die when she turns sixteen! Muahahaha!". But really, looking past the ridiculous motivation, she is such a boss! She yells, she screams, she has fire, she has minions, she lives on "the forbidden mountain" (I mean how cool is that?), she goes to extreme lengths to accomplish her goals. Like, there's a wall of thorns, there's lightning, and she flippin' turns into a dragon! I mean, she creates one of the most awesome climaxes in all Disney movies with all this.


#3- MRS. DANVERS from Rebecca
"I watched you go down, just as I watched her a year ago. Even in the same dress, you couln't compare."

Oh my word, this lady freaks me out. And I just want to punch her in the face. She's the originator of mental abuse. The ways she's just SO obsessed with the previous Mrs. DeWinter and lets the new one know at every possible moment. I mean, the new Mrs. DeWinter moves a hairbrush over like an inch and Mrs. Danvers notices. Not only does she move it back, but she lets the poor woman know like "no, Rebecca always kept the hairbrush here and you should too because she was so perfect and you aren't." I mean, literally EVERYTHING the new Mrs. DeWinter does she gets criticized by this stupid housekeeper and compared to Rebecca. Like ARGH! "Your husband doesn't love you, he still loves Rebecca, because she's perfect and you're not. How dare you try to take her place." And then when she tricks the poor girl into wearing Rebecca's dress to the party causing her husband to lash out and have a breakdown. And Mrs. Danvers KNEW that would happen! GAAAAHHHHH!!! I hate this lady so much!


#2- THE JOKER from Batman/THE MASTER from Doctor Who
"If I weren't crazy, I'd be insane."/ "The drumming. Can't you hear it? Inside my head. I thought it would stop. But it never does. It never, ever stops."

They're both number two because they're both extremely similar. I'm not exactly referring to a specific performance of the Joker, just the Joker in general. Same with the Master. I'm not referring to a specific incarnation of him (and I guess now her too), just the Master all around. With villains, I don't really have a preference per say for classy, laid back villains or psycho ones. Either one can be scary, but in different ways. Here with the Joker and the Master, we have the ultimate example of psycho. The thing with crazy villains is that they will do literally anything, even if it doesn't make sense (like in Doctor Who, one of the Master's victims plead "I'm much more valuable to you alive", which he agreed to, but then killed her anyways). And they just won't care. Plus they often do it with that crazy look in their eye and/or a crazy, psychotic laugh. They just enjoy what they do.


#1… (drum roll please)… FROLLO from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame
"I'll find her. I'll find her if I have to burn down all of Paris!"

Where do I even begin with this guy? He kills an innocent woman, tries to drown her baby, keeps said baby in a bell tower for his whole life (all the while insulting him), burns people alive, lusts over women, offers their freedom for... well him. And all while claiming he's a good christian. This guy is in a Disney movie??!! D8 I mean, he is the ultimate creep-fest! He just gets so obsessed with Esmerelda that he literally burns Paris to the ground in attempt to find her. And that one scene where he has her in an armlock in the cathedral, threatening her, and then sniffs her hair! DD8 And then what a jerk he is to poor Quasimodo. I mean, yes some of the stuff he says is true, that he may be rejected and scorned if he went out into the world because of his looks. But I hardly think he tells him that to protect him, I think he just tells him those things because he's a flat out jerk. And then THE WHOLE TIME he claims he's a good Christian, praying and doing all this stuff in God's name! Like, UGH!!! (Also he has one of the best villain songs ever, which if it's a musical, the villain song had gosh darn better be epic and charismatic, which 'Hellfire' most definitely is).

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
CHAUVELIN from The Scarlet Pimpernel

Blood-thirsty, blackmailing, conniving. What else could you ask for in a villain?

CRUELLA DEVILLE from 101 Dalmations

Really, anyone who wants to kill a bunch of sweet innocent puppies is already soulless, but wrap that up as a psychotic fashionista and you get a fantastic villain.

THE CHILD CATCHER from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Because he's just plain creepy! He's the reason parents warn their kids not to take candy from strangers.

NORMAN BATES from Psycho

Since I haven't actually seen Psycho, I feel I can't include him on my actual list. But who doesn't know Norman Bates? I mean, I haven't even seen the movie, and he totally freaks me out.

This Is Halloween!

Coming up with a costume for Halloween is always such a difficult decision. Last year I was the Joker, which so far out of my 21 years is one of my favorite things I have ever dressed up as. So, this year whilst deciding what on earth I should be I must've subconsciously took that into account. I actually (unintentionally) got myself a Pintrest account so I could look at a bunch of costume ideas. I was fresh out out original ideas. I never like to go as something cliche like a witch or zombie or anything that there's going to be thousands of (so I most definitely wasn't going to be going as Elsa, at least not this year XD). Or if I do decide to be one of those things, I need to make it my own (aka special), so that it stands out, ya feel me?

Anyways, looking at costumes on Pintrest got me nowhere, though it was entertaining. I actually entertained the idea of going as short-haired Rapunzel for a bit (I was THIS close to doing it). Then I started looking at super-heroes. That's always tough because women+superheroes= scantily-clad nightmares (whyyyyyy can't women just have normal costumes???). I did manage to find a Spider-man/woman one that might've worked, but then I thought of last year and my costume as a villain. As great as I am, I couldn't think of every single comic villain out there, so I did a search on Spider-man, Batman, Captain America, Superman, etc. villains, looking for a unique, but recognizable villain that might be fun. I listed off a few favorites and then narrowed it down to one… and that's where the Riddler came in.

So I got to work. There weren't as many pieces as last year's costume, but it was more of a process. I found the black shirt and green jacket at Salvation Army, but then I had to use a stencil made by my mom to spray paint all the question marks all over the jacket (it took hours and near-asphyxiation to do it).
I was EXTREMELY lucky with the tie. I found it at Kohl's where ties are usually like $40, but they were having an 80% off sale on a section of the ties and they happened to have a purple one in that section. Hallelujah!
I already had purple pants from last year (though I didn't remember them being quite so tight :/ Apparently I've gotten fat XP).
I found the purple sneakers at Payless on sale.
I ordered the gold question mark cane online at the Batman Costumes Store (who knew such a thing existed?).
I also ordered a hat online at some random site, but it didn't arrive in time so my mom found an ugly blue one and spray painted it for me on Halloween while I was at work.
Then the gloves… argh! Literally EVERYWHERE had gloves of all sorts of colors, but not purple. Walmart has an entire wall of gloves of all colors and patterns… but not just plain purple (they had purple striped). I ended up finding super cheap gloves online as well. "One size fits all", yeah, if you have big hands. I ended up using rubber bands around my wrists to keep them on.
Then, lastly, I combed my hair back and used purple face paint around my eyes for the mask.

Lots of people kept calling me the Joker. No. I know the Riddler is not as well known as the Joker, but really you should know what the Joker looks like and I was clearly not him. Well, at least they linked me with Batman. Speaking of which, I did see several Batmans/girls and there was a bit of tension ;P

I even memorized several riddles just in case somebody asked me for one. Only one person straight out asked me, but at Trunk-or-Treat when kids were coming around to our car for seconds, thirds, and beyond, we made them answer a riddle in order to get more candy.

So here's some pictures:

And here's last year, if you were interested:

READ LAST YEAR'S POST HERE

We Should All Be "Pushing Daisies"

I don't mean it like that XD. Pushing Daisies is the title of a TV show. I'm actually surprised I haven't mentioned it yet. But better late than never, right ;)

I just started rewatching it yesterday on my day off/home alone time. I forgot how utterly fantastic it is. For how short a run it had, it really created a wonderful world.

The premise is about a a pie-maker named Ned with a mysterious power where he can touch dead things and bring them back to life. However, if he keeps the dead thing alive for more than a minute exactly, then something in close proximity has to die in its place. Also, if he touches the dead thing again, it will die permanently. He partners with a private detective to solve murder cases where Ned brings the victim back to life so they can ask who killed them.

That itself is a really good premise. When I heard it, I immediately sought out the show.

Now what makes this show unique is the atmosphere it has. With a premise like that, you'd expect it to be sort of, I don't know, maybe a little gruesome and dark. Not so in the slightest. It has this certain feel about it. Like… Tim Burton meets Dr. Seuss, sort of. Yes, dead bodies will sit up and talk, sometimes with half their face missing, or shards of glass stuck in their chest, or something, but it's kind of quirky and cheesy, sometimes almost laughable.

Then everything is brightly lit, candy-striped, outrageously colored (except for Ned, who always wears black). Seriously, it's like Whoville without the Whos (like the pie shop that Ned owns has a pie top roof, and that's not even the strangest).

The music is also sweet, quirky, and "plink-plink"-y, if you know what I mean, and also contributes to the light-hearted, zany atmosphere.

And of course, there's a narrator. He narrates the entire series as though he were reading a children's story. He always is consistent with his terms and phrases and names for characters ("the facts were these" when about to give background to a case/crime or person, "the pie maker" instead of Ned, "Chuck, who was not dead" in reference to Ned's childhood sweetheart, etc). He always gives the date/age of something right down to the minute. He often gives us insights into a character's actual inner thoughts and feelings instead of just letting us try to interpret their facial expressions, body language, and actions.

The characters are all awesome! They've all got strange quirks and habits (even the minor ones who we might just meet for a minute. The narrator will often let us know), and very unique personalities.

First there's Ned, the pie-maker who (as I said) can bring the dead back to life. He's extremely nervous, a traditionalist, and doesn't enjoy confrontations or feeling bad. But he's extremely polite, loyal, and big hearted.

Then there's Charlotte "Chuck" Charles, Ned's childhood sweetheart who was murdered while on a cruise. Ned brought her back, but cannot touch her again or else she will die permanently. She is very sweet and friendly, and enjoys beekeeping. She also knows a lot of random obscure information because of her extensive reading while growing up (including being able to speak several languages).

Next, we have Emerson Cod, the private detective and Ned's business partner. He mostly solves cases for the money (he even has a credit card machine in case his client doesn't have cash or checks). In his spare time he likes to knit and make pop-up books. He is extremely sarcastic and blunt, and can often be a little selfish.

Then there's Olive Snook, the waitress in Ned's pie shop. She's desperately in love with Ned and hopes that one day he will return her affections. She feels threatened by Chuck's presence and really doesn't like her even though she's nothing but friendly towards her. Olive was once a horse jokey before she worked for Ned. She often feels "an orchestra playing in her heart" that will sometimes burst through and she will break into song at random times.

Vivian (left) Lily (right)

Lastly there's Lily and Vivian, Chuck's "aunts" (it's too complicated to explain the relationship fully). They raised Chuck after her single father died (after Ned inadvertently killed him while bringing his own mother back to life). They both are agoraphobic and extreme recluses, especially after the "death" of Chuck. They are a former synchronized swimming duo, The Darling Mermaid Darlings.

Unfortunately, the series was cancelled after only two short seasons *cries*. I looked into it, apparently it was started around the time that there was some writers's strike or something so the first season wasn't even finished (there was supposed to be 13 episodes, not 9), and then the ratings dropped by the second season and ABC cancelled it. But that was a mistake because then all of a sudden it got a lot of positive feedback and started winning awards and stuff. And yet, they didn't bring it back *cries again*

So, I just have to be happy with what there is. And I am. It's great! Everyone should watch it. Seriously, go find it!

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Loud and Long and Clear

One of the best things about being human is being able to laugh. You know the old saying "laughter is the best medicine", well it's so true. Any time I'm feeling down, I always try to think of something funny. I have an extensive list of of videos, audio files, stories, chunks of text, pictures, etc. stored away just because they tickle my funny bone. As the song goes: "I love to laugh". Any time I hear other people laughing, my interest is immediately piqued and I need to know what is happening so that I might join in (whether to actually laugh with them or to just to chuckle to myself) because I love that feeling. Whether you're just smiling, giggling, or full on cracking up that you can't stop, it is the best feeling in the world.

I have two types of humor. One is that kind of stupid, slapstick, "pun-ny", satire-ish, quick-paced kind of humor where it's just go, go go! With lots of physical humor and dumb jokes that make you go "eeeeeehhhhhh!" Then I have another side of my humor where I really appreciate the subtle, witty side of stuff. Where the jokes are hidden in the writing and dialogue and makes you go "I see what you did there" as you sip your tea and chuckle lightly into your handkerchief.

So as a closing to this post, I've decided to included some stuff that really make me laugh (and I hope will do the same for you). Enjoy!

Driving Round Town- Pocahontas

Whose Line Is It Anyway?- Sound Effects- Pregnancy

(This show is GOLD! Seriously, you should look up more videos)

How Irish Dancing Started

Old Spice- Mom Song

Whose Line Is It Anyway?- Stand Sit Lie- Tattoo Parlor

THIS VIDEO HERE

Bad One Direction- Story of My Life

There Stooges- Beer barrels

Family Feud- Something that gets passed around

Rowan Atkinson- Welcome to Hell

JUST THIS ENTIRE PLAYLIST BECAUSE YOU SERIOUSLY CAN'T PICK JUST ONE

Understanding My Passion

You know, the majority of this blog is me talking about movies and TV shows (in case you haven't noticed). I'm going to address this point on a more personal level, to try to get you to understand my frame of mind/obsession a little more.

See, I have a deep passion for stories. Whether it be through television, a book, or just by word of mouth in a casual conversation. I know I've said on more than one occasion that the plot to any movie, TV show, book, etc. is the most important part to me. I connect more deeply than the average person to what I'm reading/watching/hearing. I always try to fully engulf myself and relish each moment (actually most of the time I don't have to try, it just automatically happens). I like to pretend I'm actually sitting in a theater watching for the first time, and I treat it like so. I turn down the lights, I sit comfortably, sometimes I get a snack, I don't get up for bathroom breaks, I turn off my phone, and I keep quiet.

Movie watching is actually a very sacred and important time for me (I'm being completely serious). I actually get almost offended when people are talking over it, or when I'm forced to pause it for reasons other than my own. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I'm watching with someone (especially when they've never seen the show before), but they're more focused on their phone rather than the movie. I honestly just sit there stewing, thinking stuff like "your phone is more important than this right now? You could miss something important. You could miss the good part coming up." Everybody seems to do this.

I've been told, and I can now clearly see, that I am a very sympathetic and empathetic person, often very considerate of other's feelings and am able to get into other people's minds and really understand how they're feeling. Even if I have not actually physically experienced what they're going through, I can feel their pain, their joy, etc. This goes for fictional people as well. I connect to the characters I read about and watch. They become my friend and I feel very deeply for them.

I love to analyze scenarios/people, make up "what-if" scenarios, try to understand characters beyond what is in plain view (read into their backstories, understand their personalities by things they say, ways they speak, actions, etc.) This connects to my writing side, in more ways than one. When I start analyzing like this, sometimes it becomes so abundant that I just have to write it down (which is where many of my blog posts come from). The reason I have a tendency to see these things and make these connections is because of my natural habit as a storyteller. (Not that I'm a particularly gifted one, but…) I love to tell stories, therefore I love stories. Ever since I was a kid, when my dad would make up goofy bedtime stories (ask him about "The Man With No Lips" sometime) or read us Winnie the Pooh, and Fairytales, I just fell in love with storytelling. Even before I knew how to write, I would draw out my own stories on printer paper with my crayons and pencils. The earliest story I have a memory of is one about two spies (male and female), and I think they might've had a pet dog… or was it a cat… anyways they went on many crazy adventures to save the world. I can't remember any specifics, but I know I was VERY creative (I was only like five years old after all).

So, stories are very important to me. It's what everybody remembers. Like I always say, it's the plot that brings people back. While special effects, good writing, good acting, beautiful costumes, attractive actors, etc. are a definite plus (I am not disparaging any of that in any way), it is the plot that always brings me back in the end. If the story sucks, then I don't care about the rest of that stuff, I don't want to watch/read it.

Top Five

I actually made (basically) this exact post like two years ago, but I felt like doing it again because… I can.

People always ask me what my favorite movie is and it frustrates me because I don't have one. I always get on these binges where I'll be totally stuck on one movie for a day, a week, a month, or maybe several months! And I suppose you could call it my "favorite", but then it fades away after a day, a week, or whatever. Sometimes I go for long periods of time where I'm not obsessing over a movie so I don't even have a current "favorite". However, I've come up with a solution to my problem. Whenever someone asks me what my favorite movie is, I give them my top 5.

When I say my top 5, I mean the top 5 movies that are just always there. They're like the default movies that I just love no matter what. The ones that are just all around awesome and I would never say no to watching (and yes they all were my "favorite" at one point). This doesn't mean that I don't love and adore other movies, it's just that these 5 are the TOP 5, ya feel me?

The list includes (in no particular order):

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)

Actually based off of my favorite book (yes, I do in fact have a favorite book as opposed to a favorite movie). I just love the story so much with the mysterious hero, the tragic romance, the blackmailing villain *Italian accent* magnifico!  Even the cheesy 80's-syle period music and hairstyles/costumes are awesome. And the makeup is amazing! I mean, I don't even recognize *ahem* "the Scarlet Pimpernel" when he's disguised. Even though I know it's him, I have to really look hard to see him underneath it all (of course Anthony Andrews's [the actor] performance contributes to that as well. Brilliant! I have so much respect for him after all the characters he manages to pull off) But of course, the best part is Sir Percy. He is the epitome of fop and fashion and it is hysterical! "Sink meh!"

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The Mask of Zorro

Follows along the same lines as The Scarlet Pimpernel with the mysterious hero and all (in fact, Zorro was actually inspired by the Pimpernel), so you can understand why I would like it. However, if it weren't as well written, performed, filmed, etc. as it is, I would not love it as much as I do. The costumes, the action scenes (particularly the sword fighting, also that one horse riding scene with the soldiers *whistles*), the sound/music, the dialogue, the special effects (the fact that like 99% of it is real and not CGI), the STORY! Yes, yes, YES!!! And you've gotta love Antonio Banderas.

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Tangled

Surprisingly the only Disney film on my list (though there are several in my top 10). And it's funny, if you ask me what my favorite Disney movie is, it's not this one (don't try to understand my logic, I don't even understand it). I can't exactly pinpoint what it is about this particular film as opposed to all the other Disney flicks out there that I love so much about it. I guess because Rapunzel was my favorite fairytale as a kid, and that combined with Disney= a big yes from me. I just love what they did with the original story, how they gave it so much more depth. Then, of course, the music. Ah! Alan Menken. His hands are worth more than Beethoven's or Mozart's. Then, the comedy, the gorgeous animation, the frikin' adorable romance! And, of course, Zachary Levi (I'm looking at you, Mom ;D).

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While You Were Sleeping

The best rom-com ever made. Anyone who tries to argue the fact, I will fight you. I mean, it's the most outrageous situation, and yet still believable. A woman saves a man's life, he falls into a coma, and she is mistaken for his fiancee at the hospital. Like, how does that even happen? But this movie makes it happen in the best, most hilarious, heartwarming way possible. I mean, the story's amazing and sweet, but I think it's the characters that really make it it fly. Everybody's such a character, right down to the hotdog vendor and Peter's hospital roommate. And of course, the writing/dialogue. Oh my goodness, this is one of my favorite movies to quote. Every line is either hysterical, heartwarming, or heartbreaking.

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Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

"What?" I bet you're all thinking, "why?". I adored this book with all my soul when I was a kid. Seriously, it was my absolute favorite, favorite, FAVORITE! And when I found out it was being made into a movie (back in high school), I just about exploded. I don't know, originally I just fell in love with the idea of food falling from the sky (plus I loved the illustrations). Then the movie totally captured that completely. Even though there wasn't much of an actual plot in the book, the movie included practically every single illustration and description, and it made me so happy (the macaroni on the guy's head, the pancake on the school, the drinking orange juice from the umbrella, being chased by giant donuts, the sandwich boats, etc). Plus the writing is gold! It's so fast paced and there's a lot you can miss your first time around, but I love it so much! Now, if you were ever wondering, you really get a sense of my type of humor: lots of slapstick, quick-paced, puns, sort of dumb, and satire-ish.

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NMTD

Otherwise known as my latest obsession, 'Nothing Much to Do'. I've really been into literary web series adaptions (which have been a huge thing since the major success of 'The Lizzie Bennet Diaries'), and there are loads to pick from. 'Emma', 'Frankenstein', 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Peter Pan', 'Sense and Sensibility', 'The Taming of the Shrew', 'Jane Eyre', 'Anne of Green Gables', I mean the list is endless! Some are better than others (and some just suck all together). I've checked out several adaptions ever since 'Emma Approved' ended in hopes of finding something to fill the hole... And wouldn't you know it, I found something.

Actually, I found a couple I thought had potential, but this one definitely takes the cake for the best one: 'Nothing Much to Do', a modern web adaption of Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing'.

For the ignorant few out there, Much Ado About Nothing briefly is about a couple, Beatrice and Benedick respectively. They hate each other and are constantly at odds with one another, until one day their friends decide to get them together. It's pretty funny how it all goes down. Meanwhile Beatrice's cousin is framed for adultery just before her wedding to Benedick's good friend. It's all very dramatic, witty, and of course funny as heck!

I've always loved this play ever since I first read it back in high school. It's hilarious! I know lots of people are like "ew, Shakespeare? Why do you like him? He's too complicated. Ew." But really, if you can get past all the flowery words, it's really pretty straightforward and not that hard, and his plots are ingenious and there's some great dialogue. (Though, honestly I do prefer his comedies to his tragedies, but that's because I'm a happy person. Not that his tragedies aren't good, of course). Anyways, I love this play, and a modern adaption with web video is perfect! There's three different YouTube channels to give us three different POVs (points of view). It can get a little confusing, but they provide us with a full PLAYLIST.

Now the thing with web videos is that they're "in-verse", meaning that they're not just up for all of us viewers to see, but also for all the other characters to see as well. So if a character were to put up a video of them plotting something evil, or a secret love confession, or something of the like, it wouldn't be only us who would be able to see it. All the characters in their universe could see it too. So they can't just post something like that willy-nilly. We have to find out about stuff like that in alternative ways. And the way they manage to have us find out about some of that stuff is INGENIOUS! Like the way we get to see the friends plotting to get Beatrice and Ben together without them knowing... ha! Brilliant!

"If I could, I'd go rip out his stupid heart
and... eat it or something

And they really stick to the original source material. I mean, some literary web adaptions just kind of follow the general plot, changing a few things here and there to make it fit modern times or the situation, and throw in an occasional reference to the book if we're lucky. However, 'Nothing Much to Do' does a screaming job at following the source material. Sure, it's all set in modern high school and whatever, but seriously, they don't waver far. For example, in the play when Benedick is wondering if he could really fall in love after he's made so many declarations in the past that he would not, but then decides: "Doth not the appetite alter?". The same exact thing happens in the show to Ben, except he compares girlfriends to olives by saying he used to hate olives, but now he absolutely loves them. See, they easily could've just left it with Ben rambling on about how confused he was about falling in love and it would've been fine and it would have stuck to the plot perfectly. But they took a step further and included a food analogy in reference to the original source and it made it all the more flawless. Or also in the play when Hero and Margaret are teasing Beatrice with subtle references to Benedick, like making claims that the only cure to her supposed "sickness" is something called "carduus benedictus". The same thing happens in the show when Beatrice is acting out of sorts and they start teasing her with subtle references to Ben(edick) like what they should have for breakfast... "eggs benedick" ("I'm pretty sure it's eggs benedicT" "no, no. You're definitely wrong."). They do their best to bend to the story's will and not the other way around. They even include a lot of the actual original lines (e.g. "Fair Beatrice, I thank you for your pains". Yes, that was actually in there XD)

Beatrice and Ben's arguments are hilarious. One of my favorite episodes is the one where it shows a "typical conversation" between all the friends and OMG it is the best! Because Bea and Ben... I cannot! XD ("That was a terrible comeback." "Yeah, well your face is stupid.") You can see why the others decide that they are perfect for each other, because under all that banter they are basically the same.

My other favorite (because I just have to mention it) is the one where Ben decides he is in fact in love with Beatrice and she comes to tell him to come for down for pizza, but he's so far gone that he doesn't catch on to any of her sarcasm and realize that she doesn't actually mean anything she's saying ("she'd rather spend more time with me than eat pizza. That settles it. She loves me."). That's also my favorite part of the play (""against my will, I am sent to bid you come into dinner." There's a double meaning in that." XDD). And they adapt it SO well! :D.

I love all the characters and how they've been adapted. They all stay true to their original sources (of course! How many times have I said that?), and yet they all are quirky, opinionated, sweet, odd, temperamental, grumpy, or whatever high school students just trying to go about their lives.

Ben in the "bathtub of emotions"

Oh my goodness, Ben is probably my favorite. They've just made him so quirky on top of his opinionated, carefree original character. Like, he likes to sit in an empty bathtub while recording his videos (which he refers to as the "bathtub of emotions")... whyyy? Like seriously, why? IDK! But it's hilariously random.

"No selfies in my interrogation room!"

Then there's The Watch, Dogberry and Verges. You know, the sort of incompetent security guys/policemen from the play? In the videos, they are the ULTIMATE quirks! Like the definition of weirdos ("My mom has me wear these suspenders to keep the devil from infiltrating me"). But they're a crack up. I love them so much! (My other favorite video(s) are when they're interrogating the "auspicious persons" that they basically kidnap and take to their secret "clubhouse" XD.) They're just a couple of students who have started like their own private detective agency or something, and go around "spying" on people and stuff. The best part is that their "theme song" is the BBC 'Sherlock' theme played on the kazoo over random shots of the high school and stuff ('Sherlock' opening style).

"We are an extensively knowledgeable mystery solving team."

It doesn't only post "plot" videos, but sometimes there's other stuff like cooking videos, or Balthazar's (the musician from the play) song cover videos, etc. Stuff normal teenagers would post. That's what I like about it. They make it seem so realistic and natural. Like you know when you watch LBD or Emma Approved or something and you kind of get the feeling that it's scripted, and yet… not, like the actors are good, but… too good. Like it's too polished? Well, this feels more real. If I didn't know the original material and just happened upon it, I would probably be convinced that it was a real thing that some kids were just posting.

Although the "pointless" videos do kind of have a point sometimes. They often set the stage for something plot-heavy that's coming (like I said before, with the friends plotting to get Bea and Ben together, it gives one of the previously thought "pointless" videos a point XD) and/or they give you a sense of "this is too happy, something's going to happen. I can feel it". There are moments like that in the original play too, so kudos to them if they did that on purpose. So, you should know, this show is not all happiness and rainbows. There is some drama included (which you should already know if you've read/seen the play).

So basically, I love this show. I can't wait to see how everything turns out. There is one downside that I have to criticize though. There is sometimes kind of heavy language, which I suppose I have to contribute to their trying to make it real (that they're high schoolers and high schoolers swear a lot. I would know, I remember it well). So if you're offended by that, I would not recommend this to you. It's not too bad at all at first, but once the Hero/Claudio drama hits, it really starts to crank up. I'm actually considering downloading it and compiling all the episodes into one thing when it's all over, so I can clean it up a bit (so if anyone's interested, let me know).
EDIT: I have begun the downloading and editing process. I will have finished it by the time the show ends.

Anyways, here's a trailer for it, and I'll end on that: