My favorite character...

Choosing my favorite TV character is such a difficult task for me. I feel like I emotionally connect with the characters on my favorite shows and I usually have a feeling of friendship with them if I really think that they are a good character. This past summer though, I was fortunate enough to have the time to watch all three seasons of Game of Thrones. While thinking about who my favorite TV character was, Daenerys Targaryen stood out from the other TV characters. I’d have to say that she is my favorite out of all of the TV characters that I have had the pleasure of being acquainted with.

One of the major reasons why Daenerys is my favorite characters is that I admire her. Her character has transformed from a small, obedient girl to a strong, self-sufficient woman. She has been through many traumatic events in the show and she always learns from her mistakes and always grows stronger and more confident. I really enjoy her character because you don’t see many female characters that are as poised and resilient as Daenerys. She plays a character that is honest in her intentions of wanting to reclaim Westeros as her own and rule the iron throne, but she has an undying compassion for the wellbeing of the innocent. She frees slaves and punishes (quite harshly, I must say) the people who do her or other people wrong. That amount of compassion for those who are innocent is very admirable. It is unlike a conqueror to have that compassion for people that they have conquered, but she manages to do so, and thus only receiving more support.

She is also my favorite character because she is just plain awesome. She has three dragons and she has the admiration of all of her followers. She also has a huge army and she has beauty and brains. I always want to see more of what she does in the episodes because her wit and her strength always manage to surprise me. Daenerys Targaryen is just undeniably a fantastic character.

You do remind me a little of Hooch...

So, if I had to pick a favorite TV show of all time, it'd have to be Castle on ABC.  It's finished its fourth season and has already been picked up for syndication, much to my enjoyment, and will soon be airing its first episode of season five.  I don't know what exactly  about it draws me in so much, but there are plenty of things that I can point out in a heartbeat.

First, the plot.  Every TV viewer focuses first on the storyline first off, and this is no exception, despite the fact that being a TVR major should probably change that (old habits die hard, I guess).  Basically, a NYPD cop is followed by an award-winning novelist, and the typical shenanigans ensue as they follow criminals and a book series is born.  There's the will-they-or-won't-they-get-together aspect of it (spoiler alert: they do), but it isn't something overly romantic; the two are constantly back and forth at one another's throats.  It's part police procedural, part drama, part comedy, with a dash of romance tossed in.  I love it; the storylines vary between episodes, everything from serious murders to what appear to be alien abductions.  You can't get bored with that kind of surprise waiting every Monday night.

Then, there's the specifics of it.  The lighting is phenomenally done, and following one of the gaffers for the show on Instagram definitely adds to my appreciation of what they do.  It's filmed with some superb shots, always a variety used well, and they go the extra mile to make sure that everything looks authentic.  For example, after watching an interview with some crew members, I learned that they actually scuffed up the floor of the set, burned holes in it, and more, just to give it a real, aged police precinct look.

On top of that, the cast is an amazingly cohesive group, working well off of one another and truly convincing the viewers that they're the characters they portray.  Having gone on for five seasons now without losing the interest of their audience, I'd say that's not too shabby.  Now, there are the questions of whether or not the show will fall apart with the two main characters, Richard Castle and Kate Beckett, are together, but I have high hopes that it won't kill the series as it has in some other instances on television.  Any of the previews I've caught all look fantastic, so I'm very excited to start a new season.

Moulin Rouge!

Moulin Rouge has been a favorite movie of mine since the sixth grade... but WHY?

It is one of those movies that people either love and highly recommend, or it is a movie that people strongly dislike.

Using aesthetic analysis, I will see why this movie has drawn me in.

First off, the lighting and colors, for example are beautiful. The lighting is eclectic ranging from natural lighting to chiaroscuro lighting, depending on how dramatic or comedic the scene is. The colors are highly saturated, and combined with the light, make the colors of the costumes and set accentuated so that they pop out and look rich and absolutely stunning.

The shots in general are beautifully composed. There is a wide range of shots from aerial shots to close ups, but a commonality of the shots are that they are all very smooth, almost like a dream. This could be because the majority of the movie is a flashback. I do not think there is actually a single shot in the movie that is handheld. Also, even if there is a close up on an actor, there is something visually stunning happening in the background as well. There is a lot of depth to the shots and each time I watch the film, there is something new that I notice every time, and I have literally seen this movie close to a hundred times...

What makes these already incredible looking shots look better yet is the editing. It is a different and distinct editing style that messes frequently with time and motion. There are a lot of fast zooms and quick cuts that capture the frantic and energetic essence of the Moulin Rouge. The characters are shown   speeding up their movements to make a task such as turning a well-furnished bedroom into a mini-theater happen within seconds, and then in another scene, there is a transition from flashback to the present by way of slowing down a windmill's spinning to show the passage of time.

And then there's the music... This is a point where a few people might lose interest in Moulin Rouge. The music consists almost entirely of covers sung by the lead actor and actress. I believe there is actually only one song in the entire movie that was made exclusively for the film called 'Come What May.' The movie is a series of covered love songs, but I think if there only was original music, I would most likely have liked the film a bit less.

Finally, there's the story. It is an incredible story about 'Freedom, Beauty, Truth, and Love.' It is about a young English writer who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, Satine. However, they have to hide their love because she has to make the Duke, the financier, believe she is in love with him in order for her dreams to be realized so that she can become a 'real' actress. Nonetheless, the movie's most famous quote is "the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return" and by the end this is fully realized.

It is a movie that I recommend watching at least once.