Ironically, most of the movies I watched this month happened on my plane rides to and from Europe. I had trouble sleeping (I wonder why 🙂 ), so I turned to the few movies I could find.
As far as the books and comics go, I was more into easy reads because I didn’t have a lot of head space available while on my vacation (Minus one! We’ll get to it).
For those who don’t know, this is how I rate things!
- No redeeming qualities whatsoever visually, aesthetically, or as a story.
- It was so boring I could barely pay attention, or it frustrated me SO much I couldn’t finish.
- I had a headache, but I somehow made it through. This category is also for when I absolutely DESPISE something I’ve watched or read.
- I could make fun of it. . . because of how bad it is or it lacked anything of real merit of substance.
- It’s not good, it’s not bad. It’s just blah.
- There were various interesting aspects, but nothing to really gush about.
- A solid story. Good characters, plot, and visuals. However, it’s not amazing.
- I genuinely enjoyed watching/reading it. I could see/read it again with friends.
- A great experience! As a film/show, it is visually stunning and has an incredible story that I could go back to multiple times. As a book, I could do the same.
- Near Perfect (nothing is perfect.) It has become one of my favorites. I could also write entire articles on it.
Let’s get started with the fun!
Movies
Unico In the Island of Magic (1983) 6.5/10
A young unicorn named Unico must fight an evil magician and save everyone who’s trapped under his spell.
Synopsis via IMBD
I remember seeing this movie in my great-grandmother Nielson’s house. My great aunt thought that I would like it, and the rest is history! This history is basically me being confused by the flute guy turning people into Minecraft blocks for a crazy doll’s castle. I didn’t love it, but it stuck with me over the years.
This last watch was not particularly delightful, but I wasn’t insulted or bored watching the movie! I think it would be a wonderful idea to revamp this movie and franchise into an anime to give it more emotional impact.
The Secret of Kells (2009) 9/10
Young Brendan lives in a remote medieval outpost under siege from barbarian raids. But a new life of adventure beckons when a celebrated master illuminator arrives from the isle of Iona carrying an ancient but unfinished book, brimming with secret wisdom and powers. To help complete the magical book, Brendan has to overcome his deepest fears on a dangerous quest that takes him into the enchanted forest where mythical creatures hide. It is here that he meets the fairy Aisling, a mysterious young wolf-girl, who helps him along the way. But with the barbarians closing in, will Brendan’s determination and artistic vision illuminate the darkness and show that enlightenment is the best fortification against evil?—GKids
My students were silent the entire time we watched this movie! However, some of them weren’t particularly won over by the story. I think this is the weakest of the three Irish Folklore films Cartoon Saloon made, but good golly, it’s charming and beautiful anyway! I wish it was longer. . . but that’s okay.
Song of the Sea (2014) 10/10
Saoirse is a child who is the last of the selkies, women in Irish and Scottish legends who transform from seals into people. She escapes from her grandmother’s home to journey to the sea and free fairy creatures trapped in the modern world.—Anonymous
This is still one of my favorite movies! What I love is how it evolves for me as I grow older. I will understand this movie differently as a parent or when people I love die. My students, even the one addicted to her phone, watched this movie spellbound. If you haven’t seen this movie, please find it and watch it while eating biscuits and drinking tea!
Shrek 2 (2004) 8.5/10
Shrek (Mike Myers) has rescued Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), got married, and now is time to meet the parents. Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) set off to Far, Far Away to meet Fiona’s mother and father. But not everyone is happy. Shrek and King Harold (John Cleese) find it hard to get along, and there’s tension in the marriage. It’s not just the family who are unhappy. Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) returns from a failed attempt at rescuing Fiona, and works alongside his mother, the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders), to try and find a way to get Shrek away from Fiona.—Film_Fan
This is still a wonderful sequel in the Shrek franchise. My problem is most likely. . . I watched it on the plane, and I kind of went cross-eyed multiple times because I was so tired. I need to watch this movie again when I am more cognizant.
Strangers On a Train (1951) 8/10
A psychopath tries to forcibly persuade a tennis star to agree to his theory that two strangers can get away with murder by submitting to his plan to kill the other’s most-hated person.
Synopsis via IMBD
I know many people adore this movie and think it is one of Hitchcock’s best films. I like it fine, but I think it feels a bit empty. The stakes don’t feel strong enough, especially considering how brilliantly written this book is. I also didn’t think many of the characters were fleshed out enough.
Pillow Talk (1959) 7/10
In New York, the interior decorator Jan Morrow and the wolfish composer Brad Allen share a party line, but Brad keeps it busy most of the time flirting with his girlfriends. They do not know each other but Jan hates Brads since she needs the telephone for her business and can not use it. Coincidently Jan’s wealthy client Jonathan Forbes that woos her is the best friend of Brad and he comments with him that he feels an unrequited love for Jan, who is a gorgeous woman. When Brad meets Jan by chance in a restaurant, he poses as a naive tourist from Texas named Rex Stetson and seduces her. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
I don’t think Jan should have forgiven Mr. Allen for what he did to her. He was so manipulative, and he never really CHANGED for the better. There was never any evidence that he even WAS changing. Overall, I think that culturally, this film is a bit offensive at times as well. I still think it is worth watching, but be aware of its backwards views on how men and women should treat each other.
Notorious (1946) 7.5/10
Following the conviction of her German father for treason against the U.S., Alicia Huberman takes to drink and men. She is approached by a government agent (T.R. Devlin) who asks her to spy on a group of her father’s Nazi friends operating out of Rio de Janeiro. A romance develops between Alicia and Devlin, but she starts to get too involved in her work.—Col Needham <col@imdb.com>
Gosh, I wanted to love this movie. It has Cary Grant, who I love, and Ingrid Bergman, who I also love! (Yes, I used love three, now four, times within two sentences). This movie suffers from disjointed pacing. The ending comes too fast, and it’s too ambiguous. Plus, Grant and Bergman fall in love WAY TOO FAST.
The Count of Monte Cristo (2024) 9/10
Edmond Dantes becomes the target of a sinister plot and is arrested on his wedding day for a crime he did not commit. After 14 years in the island prison of Château d’If, he manages a daring escape. Now rich beyond his dreams, he assumes the identity of the Count of Monte-Cristo and exacts his revenge on the men who betrayed him.
Synopsis via IMBD
I am going to wait another few months before I watch this movie again. I realized three or so hours before landing back in the U.S. that I could watch this on the plane! Wow. It is an amazing movie! The costume design is immaculate, the acting superb, and the pacing pitch-perfect! I liked this film MUCH better than the 2000 version. Plus, the main actor who played Edmond Dantes, Pierre Niney, was super handsome. This is good for me, because I need more handsome men in the movies I like. (Sorry, I am weak.)
The Iron Giant (1999) 7.5/10
This is the story of a nine-year-old boy named Hogarth Hughes who makes friends with an innocent alien giant robot that came from outer space. Meanwhile, a paranoid U.S. Government agent named Kent Mansley arrives in town, determined to destroy the giant at all costs. It’s up to Hogarth to protect him by keeping him at Dean McCoppin’s place in the junkyard.—Anthony Pereyra <hypersonic91@yahoo.com>
Ho hum. I remember how many times Cartoon Network played this movie after it came out. I came to hate it for this reason and ignored it for almost 20 years. I rewatched this on the plane and thought it was pretty good. Overall, though, it isn’t my type of movie. (Shrug) I’m not into robots, Cold War military movies, aliens, or whatnot. I DID like its message on how we can CHOOSE to be who we want to be.
Shows
Adventure Time (2010) 8/10
Adventure Time is set in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, which was ravaged by a cataclysmic event known as the “Mushroom War”; a nuclear war that destroyed civilization a thousand years before the series’ events. It follows the story of Finn Mertens; a young heroic boy, and his best friend and adoptive older brother Jake; a talking yellow dog that has the ability to stretch into any shape he desires. Together, they go on many adventures together; slaying evil creatures and hanging out with friends, such as Princess Bubblegum (who is the ruler of a kingdom she created from scratch known as The Candy Kingdom) and Marceline, The Vampire Queen.
Synopsis via IMBD
You’ll hear from me again about this show. My brother and I are watching EVERY episode ever made. We’ve made it through season 5 and are chipping our way through it every day. Some episodes are fantastic, funny, and profound. Other episodes made me want to crawl into a hole and escape. I did admire the multitude of risks this show took. It wasn’t afraid to be bad, and it was bold enough to be brilliant in its own way, too.
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale (2023) 9/10
In the kingdom of Highland, fairies lived freely until humans betrayed them. Once a fairy has been stripped of a wing, whoever possesses it holds the fairy’s life in their hands. Taking advantage of this, humans enslaved fairies, but 15-year-old Ann Halford longs to see the day when fairies and humans are treated as equals.
The aspiring confectioner dreams of becoming a Silver Sugar Master just like her late mother. In order to achieve this lofty goal, Ann sets out for the capital of Lewiston, home to the annual Royal Candy Fair. However, to be bestowed the elusive title, Ann’s confection crafted from silver sugar must be recognized with a royal medal at the event.
Ann hires a sharp-tongued warrior fairy, Shall Fen Shall, to be her bodyguard for the perilous journey ahead. After saving him from his cruel fairy trader, she promises to return Shall’s wing to him once they reach the capital, much to his confusion. But as the pair travel further along, the time they spend together grows, and they learn more about each other and their true desires.
This has such a low rating on MyAnimeList. I don’t understand. I like simple, beautiful love stories and especially enjoy fairytale settings. The animation has CGI, but it’s tactfully done, and the character movement feels organic and not stiff. I look forward to future seasons of this show!
Kitchen Nightmares (2007) 7/10
Gordon Ramsay visits struggling restaurants across America and spends one week trying to help them become successful.
Synopsis via IMBD
I can only take so much of Gordon Ramsay yelling at people for being dumb before I need a breather. My brother loves watching his shows, and it makes me anxious. I do like this show a bit better than the others because he does legitimately care about the people he helps.
Hell’s Kitchen (2005) 6/10
World renowned chef Gordon Ramsay puts aspiring young chefs through rigorous cooking challenges and dinner services at his restaurant, “Hell’s Kitchen”.
Synopsis via IMBD
This show is not something I go out of my way to watch. I don’t like how he treats his contestants. I don’t think the atmosphere TRULY builds great chefs. It forces people to push themselves through abusive situations to curry favor with the said abuser. Some of the contestants deserve it. Others, not so much. I know people watch this show because they like the drama. I’m not so sure it is GOOD drama.
Books
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale (2010) 9/10
Anne Halford is a candy crafter determined to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a Silver Sugar Master, a title bestowed only by royalty. In order to travel to the capital and realize her dream, she purchases Challe, a handsome but foul-mouthed fairy, as her bodyguard. Anne wishes to befriend her new companion, but in this kingdom where fairies are treated as property, Challe wants nothing to do with humans. Will this journey with Anne change his mind…?
Synopsis via Goodreads
Yep, after watching the show, I bought the light novel series! I’m almost through volume six. The one criticism I would give the author is that her dialogue is stilted at times. Maybe this is a translation problem. . . But I don’t care that much. I still love it.
Abarat: Absolute Midnight (2011) 10/10
Abarat: Absolute Midnight continues the thrilling adventures of Candy Quackenbush in the Abarat, a vast archipelago where every island is a different hour of the day—from The Great Head that sits in the mysterious twilight waters of Eight in the Evening to the sunlit wonders of Three in the Afternoon, where dragons roam, to the dark terrors of Gorgossium, the island of Midnight, ruled over by the evil Mater Motley. With villains resurrected and morphed and the Old Mother of darkness herself, Mater Motley, at the heart of a ruthless scheme, Abarat is in danger of being destroyed forever.
Synopsis via Goodreads
I can’t say enough how much I love this series! I could probably read it every year until I die and not get tired of it. If you like movies or stories like Beetlejuice or Nightmare Before Christmas, this book series would appeal to you.
Piranesi (2020) 9/10
Piranesi’s house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house.
There is one other person in the house—a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.
Synopsis via Goodreads
I’ve changed my mind about this book. When I read it before, I think I gave it a 5 or 6. The main narrator didn’t feel real to me, and the world was so vague that I wasn’t sure how I felt. However, I reread this book after going to Greece and LOVED it. The endless rooms with marble statues, the ever-present sea, the narrator’s tragic realization near the end of the story, and the ending hit home for me this time. I’ll read this book again and do a more in-depth analysis when I have the brain space for it.
True Irish Ghost Stories (1926) 8/10
“This book had its origin on this wise. In my Irish Witchcraft and Demonology, published in October 1913, I inserted a couple of famous 17th century ghost stories which described how lawsuits were set on foot at the instigation of most importunate spirits. It then occurred to me that as far as I knew there was no such thing in existence as a book of Irish ghost stories. Books on Irish fairy and folk-lore there were in abundance-some of which could easily be spared-but there was no book of ghosts. And so I determined to supply this sad omission. “
Synopsis via Goodreads
Surprisingly, I grew to enjoy this book! It is pretty old, as it was written in the 1920s, and has strange transitions between the stories. But the stories feel genuine, and that made all the difference for me! I’m glad I found it in Barnes and Noble.
Comics
Miss Not-So-Side-Kicked (2022) 7/10
Hyejung loved to read to escape her daily stress. But that’s before she woke up inside the bizarre world of her favorite novel! Instead of the main heroine who courts three eligible men, she is now Latte Ectrie – a minor villain that everyone hates?! One way or another, it’s a chance to live out her most beloved storyline, with popcorn in hand to watch all the drama! Taking charge of the narrative takes on a whole new meaning! Based on the hit novel.
Synopsis via Tappytoon
This series is pretty funny, and I read through it twice, mostly because I liked the romance. I didn’t like how casually the main character writes boy love porn, but I could ignore it easily and move on without too much trouble.
The best part of this series is this: for once, the girl gets with the crazy yandere character and not the broody knight or prince! I know this is weird, but third love interests are ignored QUITE a bit in romances.
He Can’t Be This Dumb (2021) 9/10
Renowned for its exclusivity, only the children of Korea’s elite can attend International Island High. But when Kang Doha, an ordinary girl from an average family, is given a lucky chance to enroll, she’s thrust into an unfamiliar world of money and power. Despite trying to fly under the radar, she somehow ends up in the same dorm as Rowoon, the most popular guy in school! He seems to have it all, but when it comes to girls, he’s completely clueless. Can Doha teach him how to win a girl’s heart?
Synopsis via Tapas
I mostly just read this while traveling in Europe. It helped pass the time while traveling when I couldn’t get hold of my physical books.
Miss Overprotected (2023) 6.5/10
After experiencing trauma at a young age, Iselle Blisha is constantly overprotected by her father and older brother. She spends most of her days confined to the Blisha Estate, only finding freedom during her secret visits to her sculpting master to pass on her blessed works of art. As if her ventures outside aren’t worrying enough for her family, Iselle runs into a bit of trouble one day and gets saved by the bloodthirsty grand duke, Lahan El Canox. And what’s more, Lahan soon visits the estate to ask for Iselle’s hand in marriage! Thankfully, the scary rumors surrounding the grand duke aren’t entirely true, and Lahan just might become the greatest shield of all for the always overprotected Iselle…
Synopsis via Tappytoon
This is the other series I read on my trip just for fun! I don’t know why I like it. The story is clunky, the art is bland, and the characters are clique beyond belief. Oh well. Sometimes, I like cotton candy reading like this when I’m having a hard time.
The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting (2018) 7/10
Tooru Kirishima is 28 years old and the wakagashira of the Sakuragi Group. He’s known as “The Demon of the Sakuragi Group” because he uses his position as a yakuza as an excuse to do whatever he wants. But one day, he ends up in charge of his boss’s daughter?! An independent young lady and good-looking yakuza brute’s heartwarming(?) comedy!Synopsis via Myanimelist
After seeing the anime, I wondered if the manga handled the story and characters better. Well, not really. The anime actually tried to flesh the story out MORE. I’ll keep following the manga, but I don’t think I’ll ever buy it.
And there you have it! This was an interesting month for me, and I hope I can watch and read more new things in April that you can find and enjoy as well.
From the Perspective of an Old Soul 