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. :)  

Happy Death Day

TOPIC: Happy Death Day

FACT: Making the rounds as one of the most successful movies for the box office in October 2017, critics say Happy Death Day exibits what it would be like if Hollywood remade the 1993 film Groundhog Day into a horror movie.

Directed by Christopher D. Landon, this PG-13 mystery thriller portrays one day in the life of college student Tree Gelbman, which just so happens to be her birthday. After being brutally murdered at a night party later that same day, Tree finds herself in the same dorm room she previously woke up in, only to relive a very long birthday over again in a never-ending cycle. As she takes notice of these reoccurring events, Tree learns that in order to see tomorrow she must uncover the identity of her killer and find a way to avoid her severe murder. 

During her repetitive adventure, filled with trial and error, the college student undergoes a journey of self-discovery and life recovery after having the time to reflect on all of her bad habits. The movie itself has some laughs, with a series of jump scares and an immensely shocking plot-twist, all of which fans have said leave a strong and positive emotion on the film as whole. As for critic reviews, Jeffery M. Anderson from Common Sense Media and David Edelstein from Vulture both agree that though the new movie borrows some of its plot from Harold Ramis' Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray, Happy Death Day is certainly an appealing movie on its own. Additionally, with a budget of $4.8 million, this mysterious film has scored a 69% on Rotten Tomatoes while also pleasing 84% of Google users.

Overall, if you enjoy a good thriller and aren't annoyed by repetition, then Happy Death Day is a movie for you. WARNING: It may leave you with a grave fear of infants...       

House of Cards

TOPIC: House of Cards

(FYI: Debuting in 2013, the Netflix original series 'House of Cards' has been deemed a poltical thriller which settled well with critics and general audiences alike, earning a 9/10 on IMDb and winning the Golden Globes for Best Actor and Actress in a Television Series Drama in 2014 and 2015. The show illustrates the motives of South Carolina Congressman Francis Underwood, portrayed by Kevin Spacey, who was promised the position of Secretary of State only to have Garrett Walker, Underwood's presidental canidate, change his mind at the last minute. Aided by his wife, Claire Underwood, the congressman decides to take action by finding ways to attack his political rivals while individually gaining more political power along the way.)       

FACT: Following sexual assult allegations made about Kevin Spacey in the past few days, Netflix has revealed that House of Cards will come to an end after its upcoming season.

The critically acclaimed thriller has held onto its popularity ever since 2013, only to end after six seasons. Netflix and Media Rights Capital, which produce the original series, came together and released a confirmation statement on Tuesday which read, "MRC and Netflix have decided to suspend production on 'House of Cards' season six, until further notice, to give us time to review the current situation and to address any concerns of our cast and crew". The following Sunday, actor Anthony Rapp told BuzzFeed about an alleged encounter he had with the show's leading actor, Kevin Spacey, at a party in 1986 at the age of fourteen, where Rapp describes Spacey as having sexual assaulted him. Spacey has responded to these claims, to which the actor publicly apologized for his "inappropriate drunken behavior." 

Netflix announced that they made the decision to end House of Cards months prior to the Spacey assault claim, though fans and general audiences alike are still questioning whether these two breaking news stories have any correlation. Rapp went on to explain how he had never felt comfortable telling his story before, and only gained confidence from all the women in Hollywood who have spoken out against film producer Harvey Wenistein, who has now been dubbed a sexual "predator". With countless actors speaking out against sexual assault I wonder who will break the news next, and in that case, could it result in the termination of another beloved TV show? 

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P.S. Sorry about the lack of emails this month everyone. I have been swamped with school work lately but am back to reporting on all the latest news that the world of pop culture has to offer! :) 

Battle of the Sexes

TOPIC: Battle of the Sexes 

FACT: Battle of the Sexes is a sports and biography film that describes the perspective of former No. 1 woman tennis player Billie Jean King during the early '70s, while giving the audience a deeper understanding of the events that eventually molded her iconic win against tennis champion Bobby Riggs in 1973. This live event ended up reached over ninety million viewers worldwide and also gave rise to the women's movement and early feminism at this time. 

An insightful look at the past, this 2017 motion picture brings audiences back to the days of Billie Jean King, played by La La Land star Emma Stone, in a historical tennis match truly illustrating a "Battle of the Sexes". Regarding the unequal salaries of American men and women athletes in the early '70s, this film shines a light on a series of events which eventually led Billie King to accept a match against Steve Carell's character, Bobby Riggs, who according to the film, prefers women "in the kitchen and the bedroom". While having a few laughs and tear-jerking acting, Battle of the Sexes succeeds in capturing the state of America during this eventful time period, explaining why King saw this game as not only a tennis match, but as a fight for equality in America. 

Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' popular biography also tells the behind-the-scene battles each of the two tennis players faced during their famous rivalry, from Billie Jean King coming to terms with her own sexuality, to Bobby Riggs gambling his reputation and legacy away one night after the next.    

   

The film racked up an average score of 6.9/10 from IMDb while currently holding 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. Battle of the Sexes additionally stars the talents of Elisabeth Shue, Sarah Silverman and Alan Cumming, who all play significant characters in the story. 

In conclusion, Battle of the Sexes took one of the most publicized sporting events in history to places far beyond the tennis court, which is no wonder why the film's genuine tagline simply states, "He made a bet. She made history."

Las Vegas Shooting

TOPIC: Las Vegas

FACT: On Sunday, October 1, a sixty-four-year old retired accountant named Stephen Paddock opened fire at concertgoers in Las Vegas, NV, killing fifty-eight people and additionally injuring five hundred more. This unexpected mass-shooting has launched plenty of controversy as well, by reminding the country what a hot-button issue gun-control has become in the United States of America. 

Shortly after 10:00 PM Sunday night, at the Route 91 Harvest festival, an outside country music festival was interrupted by the sound of gunfire. Police reported that the gunman fired at a crowd of over twenty-two thousand people from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, several hundred feet from the concert grounds. Witnesses describe the publicized massacre by saying the gunfire lasted for nearly a full fifteen minutes. Once the shooting had ended police were able to explore the hotel where they found Paddock dead on the floor, leading to the conclusion the wealthy former accountant had taken his own life. Police believe that Paddock acted alone as well.

Paddock's family and former girlfriend were shocked at what he had done in Vegas. The gunman's brother, Eric Paddock, told reporters he was beyond stunned by the attack, while the his former girlfriend, Marilou Danley, described her partner as "a kind, caring, quiet man". According to forensic psychologist Reid Meloy though, Paddock may have demonstrated more than one warning behavior signaling whether someone is capable of committing a crime as severe as this. One such behavior pattern Paddock conveyed was engaging in deep, private research, which most likely turned into secretive planning and preparation for an act of violence; this observation adds up because it was later revealed that over the years Paddock had been collecting assault rifles and other semi-automatic weapons, and maybe not by coincidence, police had found a total of twenty-three guns in his hotel room the night of the attack. Even though police have thoroughly traced Paddock's steps, his motive(s) are still unknown, and so the Vegas shooting is not yet officially considered an act of terrorism.  

   

As for people's general reactions to the attack, an array of celebrities along with average citizens have expressed their concern for Vegas by spreading the trending hashtag #PrayForVegas, which has now flooded social media. In fact, country singer Jason Aldean, who performed the night of the mass-shooting, made a surprising but appreciated appearance on Saturday Night Live last weekend to pay tribute to the families affected that night by performing Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" in replace of the usual opening Trump sketch. 

Lastly, late-night television show-host Jimmy Kimmel made a controversial statement on how this tragic event reflects the state of American gun-control laws, explaining that there should not only be more secure background checks on gun-buyers, but empathizing the idea that the country would be safer if it were not as easy for people with metal illnesses to own a gun. Kimmel's statement got quite the backlash though as people called his logic "delusional", as he acknowledged the fact that the Vegas shooter didn't have any disabilities or mental illnesses, though went on to tell the live studio audience the best way to solve America's gun-control problem is to put stricter gun regulations on mentally handicapped citizens. And, according to BBC and the National Center for Health Statistics, less than 5% of US gun-related killings between 2001 and 2010 were committed by people diagnosed with a mental illness.

The Las Vegas massacre is now the deadliest mass-shooting in modern US history, which was previously held by the Orlando shooting just last year. We all know these consistent shootings must come to an end, because even though every American under the Constitution has the right of bear arms, I personally do not believe it is necessary for any one person to carry twenty assault weapons for the purpose of self-defense. 

Restaurant Dash With Gordon Ramsay

TOPIC: Restaurant Dash With Gordon Ramsay

FACT: Restaurant Dash With Gordon Ramsay is a gaming app for Androids starring British celebrity chief Gordon Ramsay. Even though the game was released over a year ago, game critics and fans of the Master Chief and Hell's Kitchen superstar are still hearing about this fan-favorite cooking adventure. With Gordon Ramsay as your personal guide throughout the game, the app let's you travel the world mastering unique cooking tips and master-chief skills to eventually build your very own restaurant empire. Additionally, you have the opportunity to show off your culinary skills by competing against other online players, and you can even show the game who's boss by putting your skills to the test to battle Gordon Ramsay face-to-face in an epic boss battle.

The gaming app was published by Glu Mobile and scored an impressive 4.4/5 on Google Play. Though the app is free to play, you may choose to spend real money on extra items to upgrade your recipes and expand your empire. As far as what the fans have to say, many reviews explain how addicting and enjoyable this reality-cooking show experience based game really is, though the downside is that the game also has trouble loading levels and may even crash in some cases. All in all, this free to play app has it all, while also managing to create a very accurate animation of Gordon Ramsay, may I add. :)