Weekly Reviews

8/9/2021

Bringing Food to Life: The Food Discussion

Food is more than fuel; it is an occupation, entertainment, inspiration, money, identity, power, history, animal treatment and more. Bringing Food to Life ties together aspects of food, from farming to restauranting to cooking to identity and food to food storytelling to the food industry today. It captures what food means to six wonderful interviewees and connects together what each individual talked about. Watch Bringing Food to Life: The Food Discussion to gain a new and broader perspective on food, the meaning of it and it's connection to our identity.

Visit the Bringing Food to Life: The Food Discussion playlist to watch the individual interviews and learn more!

8/2/2021

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain - Morgan Neville (director)

Roadrunner is able to show the side of Anthony Bourdain that many never knew. To the many who just saw him on TV, he was the guy who ate ‘exotic’ foods in foreign countries. But this documentary reveals that Bourdain had so much more going on around him. The documentary talks about the life of Anthony Bourdain from his days as a dishwasher to from his days on the popular CNN show, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. But more than just his life, Roadrunner captures Bourain’s feelings on life. “He believed life was romantic and he was never going to live up to it.” said the documentary. Through video clips, interviews, and pictures we get a taste of Bourdain’s personality. “His whole personality was a searcher and that left him in agony.” explains the documentary. But most of all, the documentary portrays the good, bad, and ugly in Bourdain’s life. From his experience of being a dad, to his marriages and divorces, all the way up until his death we realize the essence of Bourdain. We get a taste of the legacy he left behind but also the pain that his death brought so many people. Bourdain leaves us with this, “I used to think the dinner table was leveled, but in the real world, good and bad were crushed.”

7/18/2021

Street Food: Latin America - David Gelb (creator and producer)

The Street Food series on Netflix are fun and educational to watch. The Latin American version is a great cultural experience that shows off the vibrancy and aroma of street food from six different beautiful Latin American countries!

7/5/2021

Cruella - Craig Gillespie (director)

Estella is a pickpocket/thief whose mother recently died who has just got her dream job working at the fancy Liberty department store - one of her dreams - except her job isn't exactly a dream...she is left cleaning toilets! Soon, she meets the famous Baroness, a fashion designer with a high status. Her world twists as she discovers a horrible, terrifying secret. So, she becomes Cruella - the villain from 101 Dalmations that we know and love, except with a heroic-like twist to her!

6/14/2021

Don't Start Now - Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa's song are often very upbeat and exciting to listen to. Don't Start Now is no exception. With a fun piano beginning and great drum beat afterwards, this song is fun to bounce along with. The change between the verses and chorus is a great section to sing along with especially with a group of people. If you listen closely, you can hear the background voices, which add a neat layered aspect to the song!

6/7/2021

Raya and the Last Dragon - Carlos López Estrada and Don Hall (DirectoRs) and Osnat Shurer and ‎Peter Del Vecho (producers)

Raya and the Last Dragon is a GORGEOUS animated film, starring Raya, a girl from Heart, who, after a traumatic event from her past, is searching for Sisu, the last Dragon and the Gem. But she can't do this alone. Along the way, she will collect unlikely friends...until a final battle at the city of Fang, where she meets the most unlikely ally of all. Join Raya on this quest to save Kumandra, her father and her world!

5/31/2021

The Social DILEMMA - Jeff Orlowski (director) and Larissa Rhodes (producers)

The Social Dilemma is a brilliantly put together documentary/film. Tech managers, experts and more from some of the top social media networks are interviewed to discuss the danger of social media on the world today. It explores the addictive effects social media has on kids and the future and how AI has become a real thing. Lastly, it adds a great background story to help solidify the importance of this discussion.

5/24/2021

The Lion King - Jon Favreau (director) and Karen GILCHRIST and JEFFREY Silver (producers)

The live action Lion King is a beautiful film to see. For those who do not know, the plot follows a young prince-cub, Simba. Scar, his uncle was to be king when King Mufasa died, but Simba would now take on that role. Scar, eager for control, enacts a series of plays to kill Simba or chase him away. The young cub will begin a life journey on a path to discover who he is and what he is destined to do. Watch The Lion King to see what his efforts will all accumulate to.

A VERY SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH ANOKHI MEHTA

okja (2012) - Bong Joon-ho (Director)

★★★☆☆

Warning: The movie deals with topics such as the animal industry, the film industry and animal cruelty. For those 15+ is such an important learning opportunity. Watch with caution if you are worried about graphic details.

What was this movie about? This movie takes place when the world is going through a famine, and humans need a way to feed themselves. As a result, they create a super pig which is supposed to feed everyone. They create nine of them and place them in various parts of the world to see who can become the biggest pig. The movie centers around one of the pigs, Okja. She is put in a poor farm in Korea with a girl and her grandfather. Okja wins the biggest pig contest and is abused because of it. The movie deals with topics such as the animal industry, the film industry and animal cruelty. For those 15+ is such an important learning opportunity. Watch with caution if you are worried about graphic details.

Who did you watch this movie with? I watched the first half with my mom and the whole thing with my dad and sister.

Who introduced you or told you about the movie? My friend’s dad told my dad who wanted our family to watch it.

What was your reaction during the movie? I was crying and completely shocked by the things portrayed in the movie.

What was your reaction after the movie? I was crying and mad at my dad for making me watch the movie. It was so horrific that I had to watch My Little Pony after the movie to get over it.

How/why did it convince you to go pescatarian? I did not want to contribute to industries that were portrayed in the movie. The movie portrayed them as terrifying in an extremely graphic way.

Would you recommend this movie? No, since I had such a scarring experience with the movie, I would not recommend it. However, if you really, really want to see it, I would recommend it to 9th graders and above. If you are sensitive to topics like animal abuse and rape, I would highly advise to avoid this movie.

4/19/2021

The Lorax (2012) - Chris Renaud (Director)

The Lorax is an inspirational story filled with heartening songs that prepare you to save the world from global warming and deforestation. Our story begins when The Once-ler, an outcast young man has a dream of building a new ‘Thneed.’ But he becomes greedy and his ego takes over his honesty and promise. Deforestation is ruining homes, smog is causing air pollution and gloop dumping is causing water pollution. Years later, in a world where you must buy your air to live, a boy hears about trees and decides to embark on a journey to bring them back. Can Ted Wiggins save Thneedville (and the rest of the world) from a certain disaster?

4/5/2021

Epic - Chris Wedge (director)

This movie is a fantastical journey that viewers will thoroughly enjoy watching! When a young woman must journey back to her dad's house she will embark on a life-altering journey. Mary Katherine (or MK)'s dad is obsessed with tiny leaf people who protect and nurture the forest. But an evil civilization, known as the Boggans are threatening to turn things around. When Queen Tara dies, MK is turned into a tiny human and given a pod that literally holds the life or death of the forest within its petals. Can MK and her newfound friends save the kingdom or will the Boggans win the war..?

*Featured* Selma - Ava DuVernay (Director)

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South; however, discrimination was still very existent, making it extremely difficult for Blacks to register to vote. In 1965, an Alabama city became the battleground in the fight for suffrage. Selma, an amazing historical drama, perfectly paints out the Montgomery March that occurred March 21–25, 1965.

*Featured* Hidden Figures - Theodore Melfi (director)

Hidden Figures is a brilliant documentary about three African-American women, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, who helped the launch of John Glenn come to life. Without the help of these clever and intelligent women, who knows where we would have been left in the Space Race. Watch Hidden Figures to learn more about the hidden figures that brought astronaut dreams to life!

SOUL - Pete DOCTER (Director) and Dana Leigh Murray (producer)

Joe Gardner is a band teacher for kids who just don’t share his passion for Jazz. Living in Manhattan can be tough, but when Joe trips and falls down an open manhole, his life takes a crazy turn. The Great Beyond and Great Before are wildly new places. Joe just wants to get back to his body but several things are in his way. He must become a mentor to the unborn soul, 22, find a way to escape a cat’s body and get back to Earth in time for his new gig. Along with some great music this movie has a new interpretation of why we are here and what everything means.

Mississippi Burning - Alan Parker (Director), Robert F. Colesberry and Frederick M. Zollo (Producers)

Mississippi burning shows the extremely scary but true colors of the deep south in 1964. Based on the the murder of Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner and James Chaney in Philadelphia, East Mississippi, this movie will leave you with a new perception on what African-Americans went through then. Please note this movie is rated R and most likely not suitable for children under 10.

1/18/2021 - A MOVIE REVIEW SPECIAL BY LEEYA

The Wizard of Oz - Victor Fleming (Director) and Mervyn LeRoy (Producer)

Four out of five stars: ★★★★☆

I’ve just finished watching the classic film “The Wizard of Oz” for the second time now. And, despite the problems that the film encountered during the production, this movie is well ahead of its time. However, viewers will be watching this film from a modern-day perspective making the technicolor and then exciting technology, almost blunt and not exciting. I will say, this dampens the excitement and feel of the movie a little bit. Nevertheless, this fun family movie that centers around a young girls' experience in a new, magical world is perfect for kids and parents alike.

What is the movie about, you may be wondering? Well, the Wizard of Oz is about a girl named Dorothy who gets whisked away in a tornado to a land called Oz. In the world, she meets three friends: Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. They all want something: a brain, heart, and courage. Dorothy’s wish is to get back to Kansas (her home), but in order to do that, they have to get to the Wizard of Oz. So, they follow the yellow brick road. Along the way, Dorothy meets her friends but runs into some trouble with the Wicked Witch. The witch wants her ruby shoes but Dorothy manages to avoid several encounters with her. Finally, they arrive at the Wizard of Oz but he says that they have to kill the Wicked Witch before he can grant their wishes! So, they try to do that but Dorothy and her dog end up getting captured...What happens next? You have to watch the movie to find out!

Judy Garland plays Dorothy, the main character, and let me just say that this is what makes the movie so good. She is the perfect Dorothy and plays a small-town girl with a dog perfectly. Her singing and acting skills are amazing and her personality really comes through on-screen. It is heartbreaking to know what she went through during filming. Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr play Dorothy’s friends: The Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. They also do a special job and are so vibrant and friendly. Of course, you can’t ignore Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch. Even if you watch this as an adult, she will still scare you and make you feel like she is coming for you. So, “watch out my pretty!” (hahaha)

Personally, I liked this movie. I think it had a good plot and fun songs and would be suitable for every age. However, teenagers and young-adults would most likely find this boring and too kid-oriented when watching it by themselves. The actors were very good and played their parts pretty well. It is definitely a classic. Although there were many problems during production with this movie, they managed to pull it off and make the Land of Oz look magical and whimsical.

While watching this movie, I learned that things are not always as they seem and you might have something that you think you don’t have. For example: The Scarecrow (one of Dorothy’s friends) wanted a brain but he had it all along. After watching the movie, this will make more sense however kids will learn valuable things from this.

Overall, I think kids and adults who have seen this in their childhood would like this because it is a fun story with lots of colors and everything is kid-friendly. The rating of this movie is PG. I would recommend it for people 6+ because little kids might find the Wicked Witch a little bit scary. Parents: You definitely have to see this classic with your kids and it is worth watching.

A Wrinkle in Time (2018) - Ava DuVernay (Director) and James Whitaker and Catherine Hand (Producers)

Meg Murry struggles in school as the mean girls bully her and her "crazy" brother drags people's attention to the bad side of things. Her father's four-year disappearance doesn't make things any better, especially not when the world is moving at such a fast pace. Watch the A Wrinkle in Time book come to life in this heart-wrenching, thrilling movie! Meg will meet the three missus who teach to understand who see is and the evil It who will teach her the importance of love...all on a journey to save her father from a darkness spreading from other universes to our own. Watch Meg grown as a character, person and sister in this movie!

1/4/2021

Back to the Future - Robert Zemeckis (Director) and Bob Gale and Neil Canton (Producers)

One small-town California kid and his mad scientist friend are ready to test a machine that will send them through time! Has Doc Brown connected and built everything correctly..? You will soon find out! Marty arrives in the past, only to meet his teenage parents through a series of crazy events, including a fight and a speeding car. He ends up messing up his whole future by making his mother fall in love with him. Marty must set everything back in order and find the right amount of power to ride back home! Watch the movie to see what happens when he arrives back! How will his actions have changed the world and his family?

12/28/2020

Home Alone - Chris Columbus (director) and John Hughes, MArk Levinson and Tarquin Gotch (Producers)

Kevin isn't the sweetest little kid, but he learns how to be over one thrilling, wild journey on a crazy Christmas time. His family is getting ready for a trip to Paris the very next morning, when Kevin loses his temper of a cheese pizza. The next day, Kevin's family leaves on the trip, without him!! What will Kevin do in his time alone? candy, a scary movie and a trip to the store. That night, two men come to raid the houses in Kevin's neighborhood. Kevin recognizes one of the men: the homeland security officer, visiting the day before...but is that who he really is... Watch Home Alone to see what Kevin will do to protect himself and learn what family really means!

12/21/2020

Klaus - Sergio pablos (director)

Klaus is a heart-wrenching movie about the story of giving gifts. It begins with a pompous kid, whose father is the head of the mail service. As punishment for being so lazy, Jesper is sent off to set up a post office...but not exactly in the nicest town. In fact, in Smeerensburg, two families, Ellingboe and Krum, have such a deep rivalry they are ready to get rid of the other family in whatever way possible...And unfortunately for Jesper, they hate mailmen. But it turns out not everyone is happy with the way things are going in the town. One day on his mail collection walk, Jesper finds his first piece of mail...a drawing of a sad little boy. When he heads to the other side of the island, he drops it in a hurry to escape a huge man...But is he really a bad person? The man comes back with a gift for the child! Soon more and more children are begging for gifts from the mysterious Klaus. What will this one act of kindness do to the world? Who will it touch and change forever?

12/14/2020

Circles - Post Malone

Though a very sad song, 'Circles' has a story to tell. It speaks of people in a conundrum that is twisting their life into pieces until there is nothing to fix the situation. Things are getting worse over time until they realize that letting go might be the solution. Maybe things do not make sense but "running in circles" is NOT going to fix anything! The song repeats the word circles so you understand the theme and the guitar pattern in the song repeats itself as well to keep the song anchored. This song is a simple calming down song and great to listen to when you feel stuck with a problem!

12/7/2020

The Two Princes - Kevin Christopher Snipes and Mimi O'Donnell (director)

The Two Princes is a tale of love, friendship and growth. Prince Rupert is oblivious to why the forest is growing and taking over his country until he meets Prince Amir, who has been trained his whole life to defeat Prince Rupert in the Hollow of the Kings on his eighteenth birthday and finish what the princes' two fathers had started. As they encounter venomous plants, giant spiders and a dragon, named Porridge, the two princes can't help but like one another. Meanwhile, the two princes' mothers are growing worried over the disappearance of their sons and agree to form an alliance. They call on Sir Joan, a female soldier, to rally up an army. The suitors of Prince Rupert are all eager to save their prince. Listen to the podcast to find out how the battle at the Hollow of the Kings will end!

11/30/2020

A Series of Unfortunate Events - BRad Silberling (Director)

This movie is quite good. The acting is actually pretty good with the smart and thoughtful Violet being played by Emily Browning, smart Claus played by Liam Aiken, funny and sassy Sunny played by Shelby Hoffman, and of course the evil Count Olaf played by well-known Jim Carrey. A Series of Unfortunate Events is about the Baudelaire orphans whose parents perish in a terrible fire. They receive a huge fortune however cannot use it until Violet, the oldest Baudelaire orphan, comes of age. So, they go to their first caretaker's house who is actually the evil Count Olaf and wants to steal their fortune. Throughout the movie, the Baudelaire orphans stay with many different relatives to try to escape Count Olaf but the question is, will it work? Watch the movie to find out!

11/16/2020

Monsters, Inc. - Pete Docter (director) and Darla k. Anderson (producer)

This movie really strikes the heart of all those who watch it. Watch as we learn why monsters come out at night to scare children, what is at stake in the monster world and just how monstrous some of some monsters can get. One day things go utterly wrong when a human toddler enters the monster world. The Child Detection Agency (CDA) is ready to catch the culprit, the CEO of Monsters, Inc. is ready to do anything for his company and reputation and two unlikely monsters learn that maybe being monstrous isn't all they know how to do. Maybe it doesn't have to be this way...One little, slip of a girl, a huge, furry "kitty" and a little, green, uni-eyed monster may end up changing the monster, and, by result, the human world forever!

10/26/2020

Spooky Scary Skeletons - Andrew Gold

*We have a whole playlist of Halloween songs!*

However, we couldn’t review all of them so we picked our favorite: Spooky Scary Skeletons by Andrew Gold. The song starts out with a catchy tune that sounds like bones moving. The song is unforgettable and you will find yourself singing this all through the spooky season. It is also a great tune to dance to because of its Halloween-y and fun feel. The lyrics say, “spooky scary skeletons are shivering down your spine.” Although, the lyrics are spooky and meaningless, they are still very eerie and amusing.

10/19/2020

High Hopes - Panic At tHe Disco

This song begins with a very upbeat beat that gets you ready to move. In this song, Panic! At the Disco sings about keeping up hope even when things are going the way we want them to. Similar to Believer, this song relates to our situation today with coronavirus and if we stay hopeful, this doesn't have to turn into a depressing time. One verse says, "rewrite your history, light up your wildest dreams," and goes on to tell the listener "Don't give up, it's a little complicated." Make sure to shake your booty a little while listening 'cause dancing to this song is the best thing to do!!

10/5/2020

Believer - Imagine Dragons

The drum in the beginning and motivational message of the song helps keep a solid beat. Imagine Dragons is a great artist but this song shows that we all have struggles in life. However, if you believe, then we can get through them! This song talks about changing bad circumstances to making them better and the steady percussion in the background drives this point forward. In the second verse, Imagine Dragons sings about mastering your own life and taking control of what is rightfully yours. The music almost seems to sing along with the lyrics, telling the listener a story of believing in making it through hard times.

9/21/2020

ABOMINABLE - Suzanne Buirgy (Producer) and Jill Culton (Director)

This movie is a tale of friendship and music. It begins when Yi, a young teen who has lost her father, but wants to travel the world to the places of his imagination, finds a Yeti on her roof. Everest has lost his Yeti family and longs to return to the mountain where he grew up. Together they will visit the places of Yi's dreams and bring Everest home, but only if they can escape a rare animal collector and an evil zoologist. Yi's violin and Everest's humming go together perfectly. Can this magic and music be enough to stop the wrong-doers?

9/7/2020

Meant to Be - Bebe Rexha (ft. Florida Georgia Line)

This is a great song to sing along with! It is easy to get to know the words after listening a few times and the combination of Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line’s voices harmonizes perfectly. The passion in both of their voices only adds to the fun. The beat stays smooth for most of the song which makes it easy to listen to as well. The words of this song might help us realize that what happens will always come to pass.

8/31/2020

Thunder - Imagine Dragons

We often think of rainy days as boring and cold but Thunder by Imagine Dragons puts that into a whole new perspective. The snapping beat at the beginning gives it a great feel and solid beat. The change of voices also makes the song very unique! The lyrics help to describe thunder as a thing. Imagine Dragons singers show their amazing talent of connecting random things to personalities and more in this piece!

8/17/2020

Wake Me Up - Avicii

This song has a fun chorus that is perfect to sing along too. The mellow strum of the guitar in the intro and the singer’s passionate voice makes the song all the better. Wake Me Up lyrics represent that being a dreamer isn’t a waste of time but an escape from the reality of life. There are parts of musical interlude, where the singer is not singing, and that is my favorite part. This is simply just a part to dance along too and makes the song more cheerful.