Austenland: the funniest romantic comedy of all time

In order to get rid of my current writer’s block, I thought a nice little chat about one of my all-time favorite movies would be good. I have always been more of a TV girl to be honest, but some movies just stay with me and I can watch a hundred times without ever getting bored. That is the case with the amazing Austenland, and incredible British-American romantic comedy.

The premise of the story follows Jane, a 30-something woman who is a fan (you could say slightly obsessed) of everything Jane Austen that decides to go on holiday in an immersive Jane Austen themed resort. While the estate is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful, it is also full of charming kooky characters. The movie made me laugh like I hadn’t in a long time, it is full of funny moments and while you to get the sweet/romantic scenes, I thought it was heavier on comedy part of a rom-com.

Keri Russell, Jennifer Coolidge and Georgia King are hilarious and the supporting cast really elevates the whole movie, it’s a hoot! I don’t think there was a lot of publicity when the movie came out a few years ago, but it is so worth watching. Yes it is a bit ridiculous at times, but it is in the best way possible and really it is quite charming and heart-warming.

You can watch the trailer here! 

You can find Austenland on DVD on Amazon and it is available on iTunes. I really cannot recommend it more, I am sure you’ll have fun watching it!

Apple TV

I have always been a DVD kind of girl, I just prefer watching shows on TV. I know this seems old school now, but I like being able to physically browse through my collection. To be honest I also hate being on my laptop at night because the light keeps me from falling asleep quickly. That being said I do enjoy Netflix and I know many people like to keep their bedroom/space clutter free. This is when the Apple TV comes in, an Apple product that is not talked about much these days.

Granted this little device is not something everyone needs, if you have a smart TV or Blu-ray player, they can probably do the same thing, however there are still advantages that I love about the Apple TV. Now if your television or Blu-ray player is a bit old (I got mine right before all the “smart” ones came out) they might not have functions like access to Netflix and YouTube. That being said, that does not prevent them from being high-quality and performing well. If you don’t want to update them or they are secondary ones (like in a den or bedroom), having an Apple TV is a great way to get access to loads of fun apps and it is a lot less expensive.

The other thing that sold me on it is that you can use it to access all the content you have purchased on iTunes so you can stream your movies, music and shows on your TV. It is very quick and convenient and you can also rent movies right from your living room.

Lastly, as usual with Apple, the design is quite sleek and does not take up a lot of space. Also you only need an HDMI cable and the power cable to make it work: meaning you won’t end up with a tangle of cords.

I know Apple TVs are by no means new, but they are a great product that does not get a lot of buzz. If you are interested, you can read more about it here and it is available from the Apple website and Apple stores.

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast

We could all use a little bit more magic in our lives and I think that connecting with our child’s spirit is the best way to do that. That connection is all about remembering the excitement we felt about the little things when we were younger. For me the excitement usually comes around Christmas time and whenever I watch animated movies. Now, Christmas is still a few months away, but that also means there is no better time to be watching Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast.

I plan on talking about the whole Disney Fairies/Tinker Bell Movie franchise in a later post because it is one of my favorites, but I thought the latest installment would be a good place to start. It has quite a special story. For the first time Fawn (an animal fairy) is the main character and we follow her as she discovers a strange creature and tries to understand and befriend him. The rest of the fairies are not so sure about the beast, so as they try to capture him, Fawn and her friends come together to save him.

This is a beautiful story about learning the important of not judging others and how we should try to really get to know people before passing judgements. Personally I feel like all the Tinker Bell movies teach such great morals and are truly perfect for kids. That being said, as an adult, I really enjoy them as well because they are beautiful to watch and the stories are always very heartwarming. Also the fairy magic in them always brings me back to when I was younger, I would have loved those movies.

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast has a great message to teach us all, but that does not stop it from being very funny and cute. The ending is quite abrupt (not that it’s bad), but kids might be surprised to see it end the way it does because you expect to see more. I did shed a few tears, but I would not call it a sad movie, it is just very touching because the relationship between Fawn and the NeverBeast feels very real.

You can get Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast on DVD from Amazon and other major retailers. It is also available on iTunes and Netflix is you prefer a digital format. 

How to Train Your Dragon

Yesterday was a bit odd… I mean it was nice to spend the whole day at home and relax, but it was not perfect either: humid gloomy weather, my football /soccer team lost an important game and I was not very inspired to write beauty reviews. So to cheer myself up I turn to the dream team: an animated movie and chocolate. You cannot go wrong with some Disney magic right? Well in this case it was DreamWorks, so off to the DVD player the latest How to Train Your Dragon movie went. 

           

In case you haven’t seen any movies from the franchise (where have you been) I thought mentioning it here would be a good idea because they are such fantastic films. The story is about Vikings that live on an island and experience problems with dragons. As a result they keep fighting them until our hero realises that dragons are not what they are made out to be. The relationship between Hiccup (hero) and Toothless (dragon) is super sweet and he is such a cute/endearing character (I know, weird to say about a dragon). This is such an incredibly heartwarming and funny story that I really don’t think age matters here, most would enjoy it. Also the sequel was equally as good, which let’s face it, rarely happens.

You can watch the trailer for the first movie here and the sequel here. 

I highly recommend you watch How to Train Your Dragon 1 and 2 if you are looking for some great entertainment. On a side note, if you speak French I would watch the French version, I much prefer the voices over the English ones. You can find it on DVD in stores, on Amazon and if you are a more digital kind of person, it is available on iTunes and Netflix. Now all there is left to do is wait for 2018 for the third movie to come out. 

Sources: Image 1, Image 2

My New Love Affair With Netflix

Oh Netflix what am I going to do with you. See Netflix and I haven’t always had the best relationship, when it first came to Canada I immediately subscribed, but the selection of shows and movies was not very good (especially compared to the American one). Nonetheless, over the last few years I restarted my subscription on and off for a month at a time. The service was never a fixture in my life, but last month everything changed.

While suffering from a case of “I have nothing to watch”, I decided to go back to Netflix hoping to discover something new and boy did it deliver. The number of great shows and movies that have been added is incredible! For the first time I finally get all the excitement around it and why procrastination is on the rise. Everything is just so tempting to watch, even though there are probably more productive things to do. I would say however that, if like me English is not your first language, watching programs in English is bound to improve your skills and is thus highly educational (I probably “study” a bit too much though).

In all honesty I have seen many shows on there, but I made quite a few new discoveries that were great and led to some marathon viewing. My current picks would be:

- Once Upon a Time

- The Musketeers

- The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

- White Collar

If your past experience with Netflix left you disappointed, I highly recommend you give it a chance again, it might surprise you. Also, you’ll know who to blame if my posting becomes irregular. 

The Other Woman

Who doesn’t love to spend a cozy evening at home watching a great movie? As much as I love it, I feel like most recent movies are not that funny, maybe it’s just my sense of humor but I think movies from the late 90s and early 2000s were the best. Maybe we were not trying as hard back then and I think there was a bit more magic and innocence to the stories. But worry not, if you feel like I do, I have the perfect movie to make you laugh and remind you of those classic movies: The Other Woman.

Cameron Diaz (already we’re off to a good start), Leslie Mann and Kate Upton star in this comedy that revolves around the life of a woman who finds out her boyfriend is actually married and a serial-cheater. After learning the truth, all three of them will unite to make his life miserable and take their revenge on the man who wronged them.

All the action and dialogues are super funny, I honestly hadn’t had such a good laugh in a long time from a movie. The characters put themselves in ridiculous/hilarious situations and it’s lovely to see this unlikely friendship develop between them. It reminded me a little of The First Wives Club which was a lovely surprise since that is one of my favorite movies. At the end of the day, it’s a really cute and entertaining movie that is sure to make you smile and laugh. 

You can have a look at the trailer here, I don’t think you will regret it.

If you want to watch The Other Woman, you can find it on Netflix, iTunes and on DVD.

That Awkward Moment: The Perfect Date Night/Need a Good Laugh Movie

That Awkward Moment is funny romantic comedy (heavy on the comedy) starring Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan and Imogen Poots. This is one of those rare movies that I think can appeal to both guys and girls. The whole story is told from three guys point of view and brings a whole lot of hilarity. The Story is sweet and funny (sometimes a bit stupide-funny) and I think this is the kind of combination that can make guys and girls laugh, making it a great date night movie.

Honestly it’s also really good to just watch with your girlfriends, watching what goes on when guys are left on their own and the kind of relationship advice they come up with is hilarious. To know more about the story, you can watch the trailer here!

You can find That Awkward Moment on Amazon, iTunes and other DVD retailers for about 15$.

My Top Romantic Movies and Comedies for Valentine's Day

With Valentine’s Day coming up I decided to share with you all my top romantic movies/comedies. They're obviously great to watch all year round, but they seemed particularly appropriate for the month of February. You can find the list below and I have also included links to all the trailers.

                                                                                     Source

- Valentine’s Day: link

- Austenland: link

- About Time: link

- Bridget Jones’s Diary 1 and 2: link 1, link 2

- America’s Sweetheart: link

- Head Over Heels: link

- Romeo + Juliet: link

What are your favorite romantic movies?

Holiday Movies

Christmas might be gone for this year, but that doesn't mean I’m ready to let go of my holiday spirit just yet. So, to stay festive, there is nothing better than spending a cozy day in, watching Christmas/holiday movies whilst everyone is braving the crowds on Boxing Day.

Source

Below you can find my list of favorite holiday movies along with links to all the trailers. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that you will get the chance to unwind and recharge your batteries before the New Year.

- Love Actually: link

- The Holiday: link

- Arthur Christmas: link

- Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury: link

- Harry Potter: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7(1)-7(2)

- Frozen: link

- Tinkerbell: Secret of the Wings: link

- The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: link

What are your favorite holiday movies?

Despicable Me

Today is an animated movie kind of day, so I thought I’d talk to you about Despicable Me, on the off chance you’ve never seen it. This is probably one of the funniest movies I’ve watched in years and it’s something both kids and grown-ups can enjoy.

To be honest, I was a bit skeptical at first and assumed it’d be boring, but no! I was great fun and the second one, Despicable Me 2, was actually as good if not better than the first one (when does that actually happen!?).

I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a way to unwind after your exams or if you are just looking for a nice cozy weekend in activity.  

You can find them on iTunes, Amazon (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2) as well as in any other store that sells DVDs. I’ve also included the trailers of both movies below so you can have a look.

- Despicable Me: trailer

- Despicable Me 2: trailer

 P.S. I can’t wait for the Minions movie: trailer

I Love Star Trek?

I’ll be honest and say that I haven’t seen the original Star Trek, not the TV show or the movies. I just assumed they wouldn’t appeal me, maybe because they’re a bit old, I don’t know, but boy am I glad I discovered this universe.

All I knew about Star Trek were tidbits of information I gathered from watching The Big Bang Theory. I could not tell you what pushed me to watch it, but one day I decided to rent the 2 most recent Star Trek movies: Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, both directed by the amazing J. J. Abrams. The movies don’t feature the Original cast, instead they star Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana who all do a fantastic job at capturing the essence of these iconic characters.

I won’t go into detail of the plots, but know that each movie is fun, witty, full of action and will keep you on your toes. They are some of the best movies I have seen in a long time, they are visually STUNNING and you can expect quite a few good laughs. It’s something I believe both guys and girls would enjoy and, if your parents were fans of the original series, it makes a great family night movie. I re-watched it with my mom and it was amazing to connect over something of her past we could both enjoy.

In case you want to have a look at them, I’ll leave the links to the trailers below:

- Star Trek

- Star Trek Into Darkness

If you decide to purchase them I urge you to get the Blu-Ray version, it really does the special effects justice. You can find Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness on Amazon, they're also available in stores for about the same price (15 to 20$). 

2016 cannot come fast enough with the next installment of this series.