The Chosen: Season 3

 

As The Chosen has progressed you begin to notice that each season has a certain theme. Season 1 was finding the Messiah, Season 2 was teaching the Good News. Season 3 can be condensed in one word. Healing. Healing of heart, body, mind, soul and spirit. Healing from our past, healing from our fears and anxieties. Amidst the pain and sorrow that this world holds for us, there is healing to be found in hope. Small as hope might be it can be the difference between life and death.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

- Matthew 11:28-30

The Hunger Games: The Balled of Songbirds and Snakes

 Two things I never thought I would say about Coriolanus Snow:

1. He’s absolutely gorgeous (which has been well and truly established since the film came out) 

2. He cries all the time.

Over a decade since the release of The Hunger Games, the audience is transported back to Panem, 64 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteered as a tribute. This time the story is told from POV of Coriolanus Snow; and the first steps he took as a ambitious college student to becoming Panem's most notorious blood thirsty president. The book was published in 2020 and it's excellent. Needless to say I knew a film was going to be coming up in the near future and it did not disappoint.  

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

 

 

Even with the popularity of Bridgerton and the anticipation for season 3, I don't think anyone could have expected the absolute success of the prequel series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story which centers on the young Queen Charlotte and her early marriage to King George III. When the show premiered on Netflix in early May it literally took the world by the storm. After viewing a few clips from the show, my mind was made up and I finally sat down and binge watched season one and season two of Bridgerton in one week!

Bridgerton: Season Two

 

Season Two has the audience returning to the London season for more romance, scandal and adventure in the lives of the Bridgerton family and the residents of the ton. This time the head of the Bridgerton family, Anthony, takes center stage as he fulfills his role as the Viscount. In order to do so Anthony believes he must find himself the most perfect woman to be his match. Meanwhile, Lady Whistledown continues with her gossip and intrigue, much to the dismay of Queen Charlotte, while both the Bridgerton and Featherington families course through their own private and public controversies.

Bridgerton: Season One

 

After a year of debating of whether or not I should finally watch the Netflix series (that is loosely based on the book series from that came out in 2000), I finally decided to give the show a chance. Of course my hesitation came from the reviews of what a sexed up Regency Romp it was and I think someone almost likened it to Game of Thrones. So naturally I was cautious; however when I saw some scenes from the spin off prequel series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, I was very interested, but I thought it would be best to get caught up with the prior seasons first. 

Lord of the Dance/ Feet of Flames

When I was a child I grew up with an appreciation of all things Irish due to my family's Irish history primarily on my mother's side. For years (well centuries really) Irish culture was despised and look down on. While under English subjugation, the Irish were made to believe that their way of life was inferior and that it should be wiped out especially their dancing. However, the Irish continued to hold tight to their culture and traditions which eventually made across the ocean to America.

In 1994, the world was blown away by the "new" dance phenomenon of Irish step dancing when Michael Flatley and his small troupe performed at Eurovision. Michael's interval act has made the way for multiple shows over the decades. However, none have had the full lasting impact as his fantasy spectacle Lord of the Dance and its extended version, Feet of Flames. 

Moulin Rouge!

 

Beauty

Truth

Freedom

Love

The Bohemian ideals of the turn of the century. However how can anyone understand these ideals if they have never actually experienced them? And when they finally do, will they ever be the same person afterwards? Those are the primary questions in Baz Lurhmann's historical-with-a-modern-slant musical about two star crossed lovers surviving within the confines of the degenerate and sinful dance hall, the famed Moulin Rouge. Two very different people, one who believes in love, yet has never known its happiness or its pain. The other who has been forced to sell herself to satisfy the lust of men; and by doing so believes that she is unworthy of any real love. Can there beauty in truth and freedom in love? And if so, what are we willing to sacrifice to make such ideals known and real?

Newsies (Film & Stage)

Historical events and social change have always been excellent musical inspiration. Musicals such as Les Miserables, Hairspray, The Sound of Music and West Side Story were at the heart stories of the tide of social change. Les Miserables and The Sound of Music are about the moral decisions that govern every part of our lives (Jean Val Jean vs Javert // Captain Von Trapp vs the Nazi Party). Hairspray and West Side Story manage to take hard issues such as racism and prejudice by telling them through the eyes of young people who question the beliefs of previous generations. 

Newsies manages to tell all that and more. When the lively musical - starring an up and coming 18 year old Christian Bale as the lead hero, Jack Kelly - premiered in 1992, it didn't make a stir at first. However, over the years Newsies has become a much loved classic through its memorable songs and extraordinary choreography. 20 years after the film, Newsies was finally brought to the stage where it became an instant success.

Devotion

The Korean War in a nutshell is considered an extension of WWII. After a five year peace period that started when WWII ended in August of 1955, the Chinese Communist Party had begun to infiltrate other Asian countries. America was in a floundering state with the U.S.S.R. and the cold war that had been created between the two polar opposite societies. However, the Communist threat spread rapidly and America (for all its good intentions to remain neutral) knew it couldn't remain silent for long. 

 

No war should be forgotten or even called forgotten, because to do so would simply be disregarding the duty and sacrifice of the men who were there. Men like Ensign Jesse Brown and Lieutenant Tom Hudner.

Joan of Arc (1999 mini-series)

 

I know I haven't mentioned it a great deal here, but I've always loved Saint Joan of Arc. I mean what girl wouldn't admire her! For centuries Joan of Arc has been immortalized through every possible art medium, from 15th century drawings to feature length films. She is often portrayed as either an ethereal saint or as a noble warrior. This 1999 mini-series is one of the most beautiful and thought provoking movies that tells the full life story of the beloved Saint Joan of Arc.

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973/2000)

This wacky, but ultimately loveable musical is considered one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most controversial productions and understandably so. When JCSS first hit record stands in 1970 and then in less than 3 years became a full scale stage show, which led to a feature film in 1973, audiences really didn't know how to respond. For a time, in film and media, it was considered disrespectful to even show Jesus' face on film (Ben-Hur for example). How could you turn the life of the most honored and beloved of all historical figures into a musical and still maintain a sense of respect and decorum? 

Obi-Wan Kenobi

After years of waiting and speculation, one of Star Wars most beloved characters has finally received his own screen story. I was excited for this and certainly wasn't disappointed. Given the way that Star Wars has definitely declined in proper storytelling in the last few years, Obi-Wan Kenobi had a mighty task to complete. And who better to accomplish that task than the man who always believed in hope?

Stranger Things 4

Wow! This was one hell of an intense emotional and psychological ride...and it's not even done yet!!! Season 4 started out a little unsure; as if the story didn't really know where it was going. However, by about the fourth episode (and possibly the best episode in the whole show at this point!) it really began to find its footing and all the puzzle pieces were stating to take shape.

Top Gun: Maverick

 

I had grown up knowing about the 80s cult classic film, Top Gun, but never actually watched it till 2015. Afterwards it became my favorite film of the year; I must have watched it five times! So naturally when I found out that they were making a sequel, I wasn't holding out a lot of hope. I mean, Top Gun is a good film, but it's like Dirty Dancing in many ways; it's more of the nostalgia of when the film was made that is one of the reasons why it's considered a classic. However, after reading some great reviews, I decided to give it a shot. Could this sequel live up to its towering predecessor?

Yes. It did. Above and beyond anyone's expectations.

Stranger Things 3

July, 1985. Hawkins, Indiana. The summer is full of sunshine, young love, an exciting 4th of July celebration and the growing success of the Starcourt Mall. However, there is still room for the strange and unexplained that threatens the lives of the citizens of Hawkins and this time the rest of humanity. Yes, just a typical summer in Hawkins, Indiana and the small groups of teens and their parents who must fight between their world and the ever evolving world of the Upside Down.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

     It was high time for me to return to the Wizarding World if only for a few hours. I've always had such an admiration for Newt Scamander and how his life is dedicated to his passion and not to what people think about him. From his devotion to his few friends, his growing friendship with his (over) protective older brother and of course his love for Tina. Newt may not have the appearance of a novel hero, but then again neither did scrawny, bespectacled Harry Potter. However, Secrets of Dumbledore is exactly what the title indicates and Newt plays a more secondary but important role in a bigger story.

Daredevil: Season 1

There's Marvel superheroes and then there is Matthew Murdock, a soft spoken, blind lawyer by day and the notorious Daredevil at night; both alter egos fighting the corruption of Hell's Kitchen. All three seasons of Daredevil had been on my Netflix queue for ages and after seeing Matt Murdock's hysterical cameo appearance in Spiderman: No Way Home, it was incentive enough to watch the series. Of all the Marvel films and shows that I've watched nothing could have prepared me for a story about a disabled man whose is a devoted Catholic and understands the true value of all life. 

West Side Story (2021)

I saw the original West Side Story from 1961 back in 2015 for my college music class and found it to be full of youth, energy and vibrancy, but also tangled with war, sadness and suffering. As you would  expect from a story that's inspired from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. However most of Shakespeare's plays are completely universal and stand the test of time. You can take any of his works and set them in any time period and in any culture and his moral thought still rings true. I had some high hopes for this new remake and as usual Spielberg did not disappoint.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

The 3rd movie in a trilogy usually wraps up our protagonist's story. However, in the case of Peter Parker, the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Avenger and former protégé of Tony Stark, the trials and triumphs of his life are never really over. The sad thing about Peter is because he's so young and so hopeful and just given his genuine personality, he has never really been tempted to engage with the darker and evil aspects of human nature. Peter doesn't have a malicious bone in his body. His heart and mind are completely giving toward others. And that is where Peter's demise comes in. He never sets out on the path of evil, but his frequent desire to do the good thing regardless of the cost will always be Peter's primary flaw. 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

It all ends. The conclusion of Harry Potter's journey from a lonely orphan to a fully trained wizard comes full circle as he finally faces off with his life long nemeses Voldemort. Seeing this series come to an end was bittersweet. To be honest I really don't remember a lot about either films or even seeing them theaters! By the time The Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 was released I was 20 or 21 and had somewhat grown out of Hogwarts and the Wizarding World. However, my love for the series always remains and I've always been proud that I've been on the journey with the Harry Potter kids from day 1.