My Favorite Things: January
My Favorite Things is a monthly segment where I share my personal and current favorites in seasonal products, health & beauty, food, decor, movies, TV, and more. I hope you enjoy these personal picks!
Movies
Mean Girls
New student Cady Heron gets welcomed into the top of the social food chain by an elite group of popular girls called the Plastics, ruled by the conniving queen bee Regina George. However, when Cady makes the major misstep of falling for Regina’s ex-boyfriend, she soon finds herself caught in their crosshairs.
I didn’t know this was going to be a musical going into this adaptation of the stage musical, but I’m glad it wasn’t a remake of the 2004 original film. I wasn’t too familiar with the material with the stage show, but after watching this movie I want to see the Broadway musical. As a Broadway fan, I wasn’t as upset as others that this was a musical. It was entertaining and funny, and the songs were a lot of fun too. Some of the songs felt like a dud, but, maybe because most of this movie’s songs had a pop feel and were changed from the original material they lacked some feeling. Renee Rapp was the star of this adaptation and her performance made me want to check out her solo works. I think they managed to keep the spirit of the original film while giving it a fresh new look and iconic lines too.
Society of the Snow
The flight of a rugby team crashes on a glacier in the Andes. The few passengers who survive the crash find themselves in one of the world’s toughest environments to survive.
The cinematography of this film was so breathtaking and the story was incredibly heartbreaking and tragic. This story is told with authenticity and a very keen Director’s eye which you can tell by the attention to the smallest details. It was an intense movie and at times very hard to watch. The film immersive the viewer into the events of this real-life disaster. The film gives a message of hope at times when we are facing terrible challenges ahead of us.
A Nashville Legacy
When Naima meets Damian after she moves to Nashville to uncover secrets about an undiscovered music group, they begin sharing their love for music and their desire to leave their respective marks on the world.
I’m always in the mood for a cute Hallmark movie and this one stars an actress from Degrassi (one of my favorite TV series) as a graduate student pursuing her love of music and restoring her family’s legacy. This movie was full of heart and soul especially as it showcases some of the musicality and rich history the city has to offer. The film has its moments of cheesiness (as all Hallmark movies do), but the romance felt genuine in this movie, and thought the plot was intriguing. The chemistry of the leading actors is what makes this movie so engrossing to watch.
TV
Law School
When a grim incident occurs at their prestigious school, justice through law is put to a test by a tough law professor and his ambitious students.
Usually, I’m more invested in Romance K-dramas but now and then I love to watch a good thriller. Law School appeals to fans of mystery shows as it weaves through the dark secrets hidden within the school’s walls. It gives off a sinister whodunnit vibe as a murder happens on campus and the students as well as the professors themselves are under suspicion. You aren’t sure who to trust and being that the people involved know the law like the back of their hand gives them an advantage against the police who are investigating the case.
Morning Show Mysteries
The theme for the Morning Show Mysteries series centers around a Seattle-based, TV chef Billie Blessings as she becomes involved in various murder criminal investigations, and her relationship with police detective Ian Jackson who is in charge of the homicide unit.
I love a good mystery show, especially ones involving amateur-sleuthing detectives. This is a great miniseries for those who love cozy mysteries. The show is suspenseful without being too intense and each new mystery thrown Billie’s way is full of twists and turns. I think what makes this show so entertaining is the characters who have such good chemistry and banter with each other in each episode. It’s thrilling while also being comedic and even has a bit of romance thrown in.
YouTube
The ‘Girl Crush’ Problem
As a K-pop fan and music fan in general this video was interesting because it discusses the Girl Crush concept and how it’s evolved over the years. Like the content creator states I also feel it has fallen into a creative slump and it feels like companies/producers are pushing a sound and image that doesn’t feel genuine and fits the said artist.
Anime Events in Japan Are VERY Different From America
As a person who loves to attend conventions, it was interesting to hear a Westerner’s view on the differences between American and Japanese anime conventions. I had no idea that they would be so starkly different. It seems like the US cons have a more fan focus whereas Japan’s is more industry-focused.
This Anime exposed a $28,000,000,000 Sweatshop
Something long-time fans of Anime know is that the industry has a dark side and is a business where animators earn pennies per hour while working in an industry valued at $25 Billion. This video seeks to go to the roots of animation to find out how animation got to this point and how this problem needs to be tackled in the future. I was aware of the issues in Anime, but this video got me thinking a little deeper and how we as fans need to help be a solution to the problem as well.
What are some of your favorite things from January? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
