Watching professionals at the top of their game compete against one another is thrilling.
Tournament of Champions has been on the Food Network since 2020. Hosted by Guy Fieri, 16 of the best cooks in the world compete for the title of champion. Set up via a variety of challenges, they must use every tool in the figurative and literal culinary toolbox to climb to the top and claim the win for themselves.
What keeps me watching is the thrill of it all. Who will rise, who will fall, and who at the end of the season, will be able to wear the belt with pride?
Serial Killer Earth aired in 2012. This 10-part documentary series used archival footage and eyewitness interviews to compare more recent natural disasters with those of the past.
Watching this show is a reminder that the ground under our feet is not always solid. Once in a while, it needs to be pointed out that humanity is not in control.
Humans have been telling stories of miracles for many generations. The question is, is there a scientific answer, or is it beyond human understanding?
Miracles Decoded aired on the History Channel in 2014. Each episode tells the story of an unexplained phenomenon. Turning to both scientists and non-believers, each delivers an explanation that turns the supernatural into the logical.
I can’t say for sure if I agree with either the hypothesis or the final result. But it provides insight into our eternal curiosity that separates us from the other creatures we share our planet with.
I think this program is very interesting. It is also a reminder for this era that even the mightiest and most powerful of nations can disappear into the history books.
This review is based on the 2021 movie. I have not seen its predecessor.
The story of Cinderella is a universal one. Rooting for the underdog to succeed against all odds is (hopefully) human nature.
Three Wishes for Cinderella (2021) is a remake of the 1973 film of the same name. Our titular heroine, known as Askepott (Astrid Smeplass), lives in a snowy kingdom and is under the thumb of her stepmother (Ellen Dorrit Petersen). Three magical hazelnuts (given to her by the family coachman) open the door to possible freedom and an opportunity to go to the ball. She has no idea that her fate will be changed when she meets the Prince (Cengiz Al).
I like the variation in the details of the narrative. There is just enough for it to stand out from the pack while still being true to the basic tale that we all know. I also appreciated that this Cinderella is not just waiting to be rescued. She takes fate into her own hands.
Though it is a bit cartoonish at times, it is grounded in reality insofar as the Prince must grow up a little before he is worthy of his other half (a la Ever After). If nothing else, the cinematography is stunning. The scenes in the mountains with the snow sparkling in the background are breathtaking.
Do I recommend it? Yes.
Three Wishes for Cinderella is available for streaming on YouTube.
Toys are more than playthings from our childhoods. They both speak of the time in which we are young and the (hopeful) innocence and unlimited opportunities of what may come.
I enjoyed this program. When we are kids, we don’t think about the how and why behind what we are playing with. Which makes these narratives even more fascinating as an adult.
As girls, many women think and dream of what their wedding day might look like.
In the 2009 film, Bride Wars, Manhattan-based besties Liv (Kate Hudson) and Emma (Anne Hathaway) have both just gotten engaged. A lawyer and a teacher, respectively, both women are eager to say “I do” at the Plaza Hotel and hire the famous wedding planner Marion St. Claire (Candice Bergen).
When their vows are accidentally scheduled for the same day and location, it becomes an all-out war between the women. Neither is willing to concede to the other in terms of location or date.
Bride Wars is just plain bad. It reduces its leading ladies to stereotypes whose only focus is on being a bride (and nothing more). Any wants or desires they may have outside of this specific bubble (career included) are unimportant.
Interestingly, it takes a story for human beings to learn right from wrong. Specifically, fairy tales speak to us in a way that stays with us long after childhood.
Between 1987 and 1990, a then-modern adaptation was on the air. The “beauty” was Catherine Chandler (Linda Hamilton). Instead of working at her family’s white shoe law firm, she has chosen to work for the city as a district attorney. The “beast” is Vincent (Ron Perlman), a lion man who lives beneath the city streets in a series of caves. They are in love, but the worlds they live in keep them apart.
In 2012, the program was rebooted by the CW network and lasted four years. Kristin Kreuk is Catherine, now a detective instead of a lawyer. Vincent Keller (Jay Ryan) is a former soldier who the government has juiced with superpowers. They are trying to keep their romance as normal as any couple. When a powerful organization puts a target on their proverbial backs, Catherine and Vincent know that they cannot simply run.
I have recently rediscovered the 1980s program and understand why it is a cult classic. I also watched the CW version while it was on the air. While both are entertaining, I have to give the trophy to the Hamilton/Perlman pairing.
Our high school experience (depending on the person) can sometimes dictate how we live as adults.
The Carrie Diaries aired for one season on the CW network from 2013 to 2014. It is the prequel to the HBO series Sex and the City. It’s 1984. A teenage Carrie Bradshaw (AnnaSophia Robb, taking over from Sarah Jessica Parker) has a lot on her plate. Her schoolwork, her friends, her crush Sebastian Kydd (Austin Butler), and the loss of her mother. When an editor from a fashion magazine headquartered in Manhattan, Larissa Loughlin (Freema Agyeman), offers her a job, Carrie immediately accepts it.
Carrie Bradshaw is, without a doubt, an iconic character of our time. Knowing where she came from adds to a larger appreciation of who she is. I admire the creators for trying to delve into her backstory for new ideas. But not even the connection to the OG series was enough to keep The Carrie Diaries on air beyond the first season.
A good criminal has to know how to make law enforcement look the other way.
In the 2013 dark comedyWe’re the Millers, David Clark (Jason Sudeikis) is a long-time pot dealer who needs to sneak into Mexico to pick up his next shipment. To keep the authorities from getting suspicious, he convinces stripper Rose O’Reilly (Jennifer Aniston) to pose as his wife. To complete the image of a family on vacation, runaway Casey Matthis (Emma Roberts) and virgin Kenny Rossmore (Will Poulter) pretend to be their teenage children.
This movie is really funny. It is one of the comedies that is perfect after a long week. It just requires that the audience sit back, relax, laugh, and have a good time.
Do I recommend it? Yes.
We’re the Millers is available for streaming on Netflix.
Writergurlny 
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