Moonstruck

Moonstruck is an American romantic comedy, debuted in 1987, directed by  Norman Jewison, and written by John Patrick Shanley. It stars Cher, Nicolas Cage, Danny Aiello, Vincent Gardenia, and Olympia Dukakis.

The film was released into theaters on December 16, 1987 in New York City, and then nationally on December 18, 1987.  This film received many popular reviews from film critics, and went on the gross a whopping $91, 640, 528 at the North American box office, making it the fifth highest-grossing film of that year. 

Moonstruck was nominated for six Oscars at the 60th Academy Awards, winning for Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress.

Loretta Castorini, Cher, a widowed Brooklyn bookkeeper in her late 30s whose husband died several years earlier in a bus accident, decides that it's time to get married again. So she accepts the proposal of a nice, middle-aged fellow named Johnny Cammareri. Johnny Cammareri is not spoken well, quite afraid of life, and obviously not a perfect match for Loretta.  Loretta is convinced her first marriage was cursed because she and her husband had gotten married at City Hall; this time, she's determined to do things right and have a real wedding with everything (hopefully paid for by her father, as is customary for the father of the bride to do). She admits to her mother, Rose, that she's not really in love with Johnny. (To which Rose replies: "Good. When you love them, they drive you crazy, 'cause they know they can." Rose speaks from rueful experience; she suspects, with good reason, that her husband, Cosmo, is cheating on her.) Loretta is convinced that marrying Johnny is the safe and sure thing to do, she just wants a normal life. Until she meets his estranged younger brother Ronny, who tends the ovens in a neighborhood bakery. Loretta discovers that in startling contrast to the pleasant, mild-mannered Johnny, Ronny is moody and passionate; what follow are complications worthy of a comic opera.

Ronny Cammareri: I'm in love with you. 

Loretta Castorini: (slaps him twice) Snap out of it! 

This movie, to me, is a classic.  I couldn't imagine growing up without this movie!  The love story is my favorite; it is witty, hilarious, romantic, and full of relatable family scandal.  Cher and Nicolas Cage fall in love in a very passionate and very Italian inspired movie.  The movie itself is a less dramatic version of an opera, which they attend and complete the spell of their love.  They decide to get married, and it is the reality of a true love story. 

I would definitely recommend this movie to everyone and anyone. This love story is way more relatable, I think, to most people and their love stories.  Not everything works out as planned, and this story portrays that in a realistic and witty way.  There is so much scandal in love, and this movie also illustrates that fact.  Also, family is a heavy factor in your life, and if you are a certain nationality, sometimes even more so.  In conclusion, below, I have what is one of my favorite quotes of the movie: 

Ronny Cammareri: Loretta, I love you. Not like they told you love is, and I didn't know this either, but love don't make things nice - it ruins everything. It breaks your heart. It makes things a mess. We aren't here to make things perfect. The snowflakes are perfect. The stars are perfect. Not us. Not us! We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and *die*. The storybooks are *bullshit*. Now I want you to come upstairs with me and *get* in my bed!

Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin is an American serial comedy-drama television series that debuted on The CW on October 13, 2014. It is a loose adaptation of the Venezuelan telenovela Juana la Virgen created by Perla Farías.  On January 11, 2015, the show was renewed for a second season.

Set in the scandalous city of Miami, the series is about the surprising and unforeseen events that take place in the life of Jane Villanueva, a 23 year old, hard-working, religious young Latina woman whose family tradition and vow is to save her virginity until her marriage.  Jane is serious with a detective, her boyfriend of four years, Michael Cordero, Jr., who proposes to Jane. Her dreams of a simple life with her fiancé are shattered when a doctor mistakenly artificially inseminates her during a checkup. And to make matters so much worse, the biological donor is a married man, a former playboy and cancer survivor who is not only the new owner of the hotel where Jane works, but was also her former teenage crush.  This man, Rafael Solano, also happens to be the doctor's brother.  

I like this show because every episode leaves off on a major problem that needs to be resolved in the next episode (cliffhanger).  It leaves me wanting more every time.  Also there is not only the main plot with the main characters, but many sub plots with minor characters that make every minute of the show interesting.  The diversity of the characters on the show make it easy for the audience to identify with at least one character.  There are many different personalities, for example Jane, the goody- two-shoes, honest, faithful virgin, or her mother Xiomara "Xo" Gloriana Villanueva, the outgoing, sexy, singer who, as the result of a one-night stand, became the teenage mother of Jane. 

I think the show is definitely worth watching.  It is funny, romantic, and has a fun twist of both fun and scandal. I believe the show has a lot to offer, and has a plot that leaves a lot to work with.  

Scandal Season Finale

From the first day I started to watch Scandal, I was hooked. My dad would come into my room and immediately know I was watching it. I binged watched season 1 and 2 and caught up to 3. The acting is a bit overdone at times, yes; however it is one addicting show. The scandals to say the least are juicy and I always want to know what is going to happen next. Since the first season, a lot has changed. People have died, been killed, risen to power, become more evil than I didn't believe possible. The character development is what makes the show so interesting to watch. There is never a dull moment with the characters in every episode.

Today I watched the season three finale and it was very good. It was not amazing and I was not happy with some of the way things were done. I found the way how everything from that season led up to this to be a bit disappointing. I was not expecting some of the things that happened for sure, but some of the way the characters were presented seemed wrong. For example, one character who is supposed to be caring and selfless ends up almost letting a bomb kill a ton of people. Olivia Pope's father has always been evil, however we see him become more caring towards the end of the season. All of a sudden we find out that he is back to being evil. The season finale was too much of a flip flop and was a bit of a disappointment . However, I know I will still continue to watch the following seasons.

ABC's "Scandal"

After reading a previous blog post about ABC's political thriller "Scandal," I decided to check out the series for myself -- now I can't seem to get enough! I absolutely fell in love with this drama.

The show stars Kerry Washington as the famous Olivia Pope, who leaves her position in the White House after a secret affair with the President.  She starts her own crisis management firm, where Olivia and her associates work hard to protect the reputation of various public/influential figures.  Olivia's love and passion for the President seems very real, and it's clear he's her kryptonite. Olivia Pope is most famous for her sharp instincts; she's almost always able to find the truth by following her gut reaction.

Each of her employees come from somewhat broken backgrounds: Abby Whelan (Darby Stanchfield), an investigator for Olivia Pope, was hired after Olivia worked her case for domestic violence.  Abby's husband brutally beat her, and Olivia was able to get her the best divorce attorney in town.  Another character, Huck, was found homeless on the streets by Olivia.

What I love most about the show is Olivia's independence.  While she still does fall weak to her remaining strong feelings for the President, she does her best to overcome them (so far!).  She's a bit harsh at times, yet all of her employees are willing to bend over backwards for her.  This speaks volumes about Olivia, proving her a trustworthy, but strong character. However, at the same time, she's not completely solid.  Her feelings for the President do sometimes cloud her judgment as she tries to do the best thing for both her and the President.

That being said, while I am fascinated with the storyline, the acting isn't necessarily the high point of the show.  Kerry Washington almost seems like she's trying too hard to seem confident and intimidating.  In addition, some of the stories/cases seem stretched ... but that's why it's a fictional show, I suppose.  The decent acting doesn't kill the show by any means, and the many twists and turns keep me tuned in.

Scandal

     Scandal is in its third season on ABC, but I only started watching this show this week. I have seen friends post on social media about the show, particularly about the main character, Olivia Pope, and their posts and the commercials I've seem have grabbed my interest.
     I can't decide if it's the characters, the quick, witty dialogue, or the editing that draws me into the show most. The characters each have very intriguing personalities, and when they come together it makes for a very interesting character dynamic. Their relationships can be both professional and personal at the same time, and you're drawn into both stories without missing a beat of either one. The dialogue can be incredibly quick and witty, which is a characteristic I appreciate in television and film. I love the fast pace. It keeps my attention the whole way through.
     The types of shots and editing also fascinate be because editing is what interests me most about this field of work. There are a lot of really quick cuts and really mind-blowing shots. The directors, cinematographers, and editors get very creative with how they show you things, rather than just blatantly showing you the obvious. Instead of getting a shot of a security camera to let you know that a character is being watched, they show you a shot through the security camera. When a character is looking at something on a computer screen, the shot appears to be taken from behind or inside the computer, showing you what's on the screen as well as the character's face. This is not only a fascinating method, but it also allows you to see the character's reaction to what they're seeing on the screen.
     In just one episode, the show has grabbed by interest and made me want to watch more. Shonda Rhimes has definitely created a successful show. I cannot wait to see more.

ABC Guilty Pleasure

Kerry Washington is one of the most beautiful and graceful actresses in today's world of film and TV.  And she is becoming quite the powerhouse.  Her previous film credits include Ray, The Fantastic Four, and The Last King of Scotland, and most recently Django Unchained.  Washington starred in Quentin Tarantino's latest Oscar winning screenplay as Broomhilda, the wife of Jamie Foxx.  (Note: this is the 2nd time she is playing the wife of Jamie Foxx) This isn't the only big development in her career, she currently stars on the ABC drama Scandal.

Scandal stars Washington as Olivia Pope, a crisis management expert to the President of the United States, as well as other political figures.  The show, created by Shonda Rhimes, is a very popular ABC prime-time soap opera that airs on Thursday nights from 10-11pm.  Shonda Rhimes has created many other popular ABC dramas including the smash hit Grey's Anatomy and it's very popular spin off Private Practice.  The political-thriller focuses on Olivia Pope who is loosely based off Judy Smith, the former administration press aide to George Bush.  Smith also serves as a co-executive producer.

The show is a very guilty pleasure of mine, and it must be to others as well, it scores pretty well in the ratings usually gaining an audience of around 7 - 8 million viewers an episode. (Most of those viweres are not in the 18-49 demographic)  The show is critiqued for it's soapy concepts and plot twists, but it is still a fun time and Washington's performance is beautiful and won an Image award for her performance as a leading actress.  The show really heats up when Washington's characters plot develops into a love triangle with none other than the President of the United States.  Although it might not be ABC's smartest drama or have the following of Grey's Anatomy or LOST, I think this show is one to watch for as it continues it's second season.  And Kerry Washington is definitely one to watch for at the award shows.