The Greatest Showman

TOPIC: The Greatest Showman

FACT: Michael Gracey’s popular drama The Greatest Showman, released on December 8, 2017, is the perfect musical escape for family and friends.

Making over $200 million at the box office, this biographical film depicts the life of American showman P.T. Barnum, founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus, and a man who faced many hardships while striving to become an international success. Starring Hugh Jackman as Barnum, (the role that ultimately earned him a Golden Globe this year) The Greatest Showman tells the story of the “Greatest Show on Earth”, which began to gain immense popularity in the late 1800s, after Barnum began his world tour.

Additionally, the film stresses that a key factor to the circus’ success was exploiting societal “outcasts” for the purpose of entertainment, which in this case included a bearded lady who sang about simply being yourself in the anthem “This Is Me”.

Gracey’s film also features beloved actors Zac Efron and Zendaya, who share a love song while prepping for their show; a moment that definitely satisfies the longingly craved scene fans have been dreaming of surrounding these two superstars. Seeing the sing-along version of the film with friends, I can truthfully say that this movie is filled with strong acting and a very catchy soundtrack. To quote Owen Gleiberman from Variety magazine, “The numbers in ‘The Greatest Showman’ have a dance-pop fire that keeps you hooked.”  

In conclusion, The Greatest Showman has proven to be a well-rounded musical that will have you humming the tracks for as long as you remember the name P.T Barnum.

Minnesota Vikings

TOPIC: Minnesota Vikings

(FYI: The Minnesota Vikings are an American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, who joined the National Football League (NFL) in the 1960 season. The team’s head coach is Mike Zimmer.)    

FACT: Last Sunday, the Vikings beat the New Orlean Saints by the skin of their teeth.

During an NFL divisional playoff game in Minneapolis, the Vikings scarcely won against the Saints by a score of 29 to 24. Though the ending of the game was the biggest highlight of the event, the game was filled with other small memorable moments as well. Firstly, Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen hauled in his first reception (caught the ball) on a 15-yard pass over the middle from quarterback Case Keenum, where Keenum successfully scored a first down.

Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon then ran a 14-yard touchdown, only to be followed by one of the most shocking touchdowns of the entire season. During the final play of the game, Case Keenum passed the ball to wide receiver Stefon Diggs, where Diggs caught the ball as he hauled in a 61-yard game-winning touchdown.

Following the Vikings’ remarkable win, it was reported that Saints’ head coach Sean Payton mocked their celebratory ‘Skol’ chant, to which Payton later commented, “It was good playoff fun.”

Unfortunately, yesterday, January 21, the Minnesota Vikings faced off against their next competitor in the NFC Championship, the Philadelphia Eagles, and lost terribly with the final score being 7 to 38. Not a great way to follow such a monumental win!   

   

P.S. A couple weeks ago I recorded a video with my good friend Raven Point where we debated which movie was better between the old and the new Beauty and the Beast. Watch to find out who won, and please also subscribe to Raven’s channel! She is a brand new artist on YouTube who strives to create enjoyable content for others. Don’t forget to like and share our video. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b-k19DR9tE&feature=em-share_video_user

The Handmaid's Tale

TOPIC: The Handmaid’s Tale

(FYI: The Emmy winning drama series ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is based on the best-selling Margaret Atwood novel with the same title. Now a Hulu original series, ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ has been critically acclaimed because of Elisabeth Moss’ portrayal of Offred, a handmaid, living in a post-American society, called the Republic of Gilead, where women are viewed as objects whose only job is to bare children to their commander and his barren wife.)       

FACT: On Sunday, January 14, Hulu released a first-look trailer for season two of The Handmaid’s Tale, set to come out this April.

The trailer was released by Hulu’s official YouTube channel, which shows a glimpse of what awaits Offred next in this oppressive authoritarian state through serval flashbacks and fast forwards from her life. The new trailer is set to a downbeat cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”, which notably compliments the message of the series after the track was deemed a counterculture anthem in its own right. The trailer has generated almost two million views in under a day, and fans are beyond thrilled about the show’s return, commenting that Gilead looks as “bleak” as ever.  

According to CNN, the Emmy and Golden Globe winning show will return April 25 with two brand new episodes, and debut subsequent episodes on Wednesdays. The second season of the hit series is also said to follow the next chapter of pregnant Offred’s life as she fights to secure a better life for her and her baby.    

Other new-outlets are calling The Handmaid’s Tale the first major Hulu original, which means the bar is quite high for the show’s sophomore season. Though I have not yet seen the show, this trailer looks simply too good to miss, and I'm sure that you’ll agree. :)    

SEASON TWO FIRST-LOOK TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxQhWrAcQnE

Happy Belated 2018 Everyone

Firstly, I apologize for the lack of Fun Fact of the Day emails lately, which has been delayed primarily due to my school work. But in light of the new year, I thought I would share a recent morning announcement I wrote and presented at my own school, Ithaca High School, which recaps 2017 in a 1-2 minute timeframe. Enjoy! :) 

With its memorable movies including Beauty and the Beast, It, Get Out, Hidden Figures, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Wonder Woman, Spider Man: Homecoming, and of course, The Emoji Movie, 2017 was an eventful year to say the least.

When it came to music Bruno and Ed dominated the charts, though people are calling Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” song of year. And did you forget, this was the year Queen Bee gave birth to twins, while Katy Perry sang about eating other people’s skin. As for Taylor and Avril though, they’ve been rumored dead.

As for TV, Netflix's 13 Reasons Why and Stranger Things have people talking, while Game of Thrones, SNL, and America’s Got Talent have had more viewers than ever before. Speaking of television, did you watch the Oscars? Moonlight won Best Picture, or wait, was it La La Land?

As far as food goes, did you get the chance to taste the colorful Unicorn Frappuccino? I personally didn’t but instead dined at Burger King eating some renewed mac & cheese cheetos.

This year’s Internet trends were also diverse, have you seen the shooting star meme on your iPhone X? You probably did, after playing with a fidget spinner and pretending like the floor is lava. Personally, I was more focused on viewing the solar eclipse.

2017 was also flooded with many natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and protests around the world, which can be overwhelming to think about. Now that this year has come to a close, what change do you want to see take place in the world? What needs to be different?

Well we ARE the future. Be the difference you want to see in the world. And on that note, I cannot wait to see what happens in 2018, IHS!

75th Golden Globe Awards

TOPIC: 75th Golden Globe Awards

(FYI: The Golden Globes in an annual award ceremony which honors excellence in film and American television.)

Hosted by Late Show host Seth Meyers, the 2018 Golden Globes was broadcast live on NBC from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 7, 2018. With emotional speeches from celebrity guests including Nicole Kidman, Saoirse Ronan and Oprah Winfrey, this award show started the year off on a very progressive note.    

During the red carpet coverage, which showed celebrities arriving before the ceremony began, there was a clear trend among the crowd: wearing black clothing in support of the #MeToo movement for gender equality following recent Hollywood sexual assault allegations. Examples of celebrities who were apart of this trend included Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown who decided to wear all black, showing off a winged LBD with a deep V in the back, with winged eyeliner, diamond cuff earrings, and braided top knot. Baby Driver star Ansel Elgort also looked his best with slicked black hair and an all black suit complete with a black bowtie. And lastly, 13 Reasons Why’s Australian lead actress Katherine Langford wore a bejeweled Prada gown with a plunging neckline, while her mermaid hair was styled to one side in order to show off her diamond earrings.

Moving along to the award show, comedian and political commentator Seth Meyers took to the stage to present his opening monologue as the night’s awaited host. Addressing the absence of Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, two men who have been publicly accused of sexual misconduct, Meyers focused on the topic of harassment towards women in Hollywood, saying that a woman host would have been a more appropriate choice for the Golden Globes this year. Additionally, Meyers introduced a segment from his show called “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell”, where he creates a set-up for a joke but has someone else deliver the punchline because it would sound funnier coming from someone who is not a straight, white male. Meyers notably asked for Amy Poehler's cooperation, where she had the whole room in laughter while telling the host to stop “mansplaining” the directions to her.

As for the awards themselves, Gal Gadot and Dwayne Johnson presented the award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture, which was given to none other than Nicole Kidman. The actress was very sincere in her acceptance speech where she thanked her husband, Keith Urban, and encouraged the conversation on gender equality to continue. Viewers were also thrilled to see Roseanne’s very own Roseanne Barr and John Goodman present the award for Best Drama TV Series and given to the Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale, which was nominated alongside Stranger Things, This Is Us, The Crown, and even Game Of Thrones. As far as Best Actor goes, Emma Stone announced James Franco as the winner for the category of a musical or comedy, beating Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya, Battle of the Sexes’ Steve Carell, and even The Greatest Showman’s Hugh Jackman.

 

Other presenters throughout the night included names such as Viola Davis, Zac Efron, Jennifer Aniston, Carol Burnett, Mariah Carey, Seth Rogen, Octavia Spencer, Sarah Jessica Parker, Emma Watson, Dakota Johnson, Natalie Portman and even 10-time Golden Globe winner Barbra Streisand. But the biggest name that came out of Golden Globes night was Oprah. Introduced by Reese Witherspoon who described the former talk-show host as giving the most elegant hugs and wisdom, Oprah Winfrey walked out on stage to accept the Cecil B. DeMille Award, an honor given to an individual who’s had a resounding influence the world of entertainment. A woman who now has an entire television network named after herself, Oprah received a standing ovation for her speech at the Golden Globes after addressing racial discrimination and sexual assault in society. Using the passionate #MeToo movement and the trending #TimesUp initiative in her speech, Oprah directed her message to all the little girls watching her by stressing the importance of “speaking your truth”. Oprah also acknowledged that she is the first black woman to have ever received this award.           

Lastly, the lead actress of 3 Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Frances McDormand, won Best Actress in Drama Motion Picture with the other nominees including Hollywood legends such as Meryl Streep and Michelle Williams. As for Best Motion Picture, Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird won Best Musical or Comedy, while 3 Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri won Best Drama. Other films nominated for Best Picture were Steven Spielberg's The Post, Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water, and the critically acclaimed Calle Me By Your Name.  

In conclusion, the 2018 Golden Globes was a night filled with emotional speeches, exciting presenters, and, for the guests, lots and lots of wine. :)

Thor: Ragnarok

TOPIC: Thor: Ragnarok

FACT: Applauded by critics and fans worldwide, Taika Waititi's newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe has not come to disappoint.

Earning over $700 million at the box office, this two hour science fiction film stars Australian actor Chris Hemsworth as Thor, the mighty hero of Asgard, English actor Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Thor’s untrusting brother, and Australian actress Cate Blanchett as Hela, the Asgardian goddess of death who just so happens to be Thor’s older sister. After slaying the beast known as Surtur thus believing to have stopped Ragnarok for good, Thor must now save the people of Asgard by escaping from a secure planet on the other side of the universe. Spending most the movie attempting to return home, Thor gets help from the Hulk, He who likes to smash, and a surviving Valkyrie creating an unlikely yet perfect team. In the end, the “Revengers” must fight Hela’s undead army to save Asgard once and for all, but can they do so without fulfilling the prophecy of Ragnarok: the endless cycle of life and death in which complete destruction may pave a way for a renewed future?

Having a current score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, Thor: Ragnarok succeeds in portraying an originally grim and gruesome story in a hilarious, light-hearted manner. Though Waititi’s story deviates from the original tragic comic, ending with Ragnarok killing everyone and destroying Asgardian civilization as a whole, the new film justifies its actions by having by far the most epic ending battle scene of any Marvel movie I have ever seen. With an outstanding performance from Hemsworth as the god of thunder, I was frozen in my seat for every second Thor was surrounded by the intense blue lighting, illustrating the power and fury one can posses if you dare to threaten one’s home or discourage what makes someone unique from the rest of the universe.

In conclusion, Thor: Ragnarok is one Marvel fans must see and a movie I recommend for general audiences alike. In the words of Michael Ordona from Common Sense Media, “Thor’s third stand-alone movie goes there with wild, bold choices -- and it succeeds, especially, on many levels.”

EMA Awards 2017

TOPIC: EMA Awards 2017

(FYI: The 2017 MTV Europe Music Awards is an annual award ceremony that honors popular music from across the world, including in the U.S., different parts of Europe and specific countries in Aisa.) 

FACT: This year's EMAs were held on Sunday, November 12, at the SSE Arena in Wembley, London, where the unstoppable singer Rita Ora had the honor of hosting this special night. 

Eminem, the rapper who recently attacked President Trump in a free-style diss-track rap video played at another award show earlier this year, opened the show by performing his brand new song "Walk on Water". His energetic stage presence hyped up the live audience along with inspiring viewers at home with a subtle yet powerful performance. This may be why the EMAs awarded Eminem the Best Hip Hop Artist award, despite the fact that the rapper hasn't released much new content this year. 

Moving right along, two artists that definitely stole the show were "Stitches" singer Shawn Mendes and former Disney star Demi Lovato. Shawn was more than weclomed to the EMA stage where he performed his fan-favorite hit "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" with his acoustic guitar. The beloved singer pleased his worldwide audience and even walked away with the Best Artist award. As for Demi's performance, the star had the whole audience singing along while belting out the emotional piece "Tell Me You Love Me", proving that Demi Lovato is a true powerhouse. Other notable artists of the night include Dua Lipa, who won Best New Act, U2, who won the Global Icon Award, The Chainsmokers, who won Best World Stage Performance, and Kendrick Lamar, who won Best Video.

Additionally, former Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello blew the roof with a stunning performance of her most recent pop sensation "Havana", featuring Young Thug. Mixed with perfectly synchronized dancers, appealing visual designs, and of course, Camila Cabello, this performance was one for the books. Camila also took home the Best Pop Artist award showing that she's doing just fine as a solo singer. 

Awards were also given out to performers from Russia, India, Japan, Latin America, Australia, and Brazil, though these winners were not nearly as recognized as the American and European singers. All in all, this was one enjoyable night filled with fun, dancing, and lots and lots of Rita Ora. :)