Assassin's Creed -- Highlights and Review (12.28.16)

Of the movies I’ve watched this season, I wanted to highlight the tastefully done love story in “Assassin’s Creed”. There is little to be said about the story and the internal twists and turns revealed slowly to the audience, and the action was very much done well, according to me, but it’s the subtle and not over-done love story that I truly felt was worth noting.

**SPOILER ALERT!!**

The story follows the bloodline of the Assassin’s Creed member named Aguilar and his bloodline, down to Callum Lynch, played by Michael Fassbender. When left to fend for himself, Cal is imprisoned for murder and sentenced to death. Once he is dead to the world, Cal is taken to the Animus, where Sophie dives into his past to find the location of the Apple.

The love story I’m referring to is between Aguilar and Maria. Though it is ambiguous, the sweetness of their emotions while getting the job done is shown tastefully without long drawn-out scenes of passion and nudity. Fully clothed and running for their lives through an enemy city, they encounter group after group of soldiers continuously, and manage to just barely get away.

Without needing to say it, the action is on par with some of the best I've ever seen. The fast cuts, agility, and precision is commendable. Better than the Bourne series, above and beyond most of The Matrix and the like, this video game's action translated well onto the big screen. The story was a bit diluted, slow at some points, boring at others, but the dispersed action and MUSIC, yes, music did a lot in making the movie exciting.

Review Score:  B+ 

Updates on Tea (10.28.16)

Of all the fun emails I've received about my current transition in life, I felt the need to address it clearly. Since people would rather check my blog as opposed to talk to me, here it is:

No, I'm NOT quitting as a writer/director in the entertainment industry. I will continue in my calling as a filmmaker and I'm happy with it. Yes, I was on hiatus this summer due to the passing of someone I deeply loved... and yes, his passing somewhat impacted me negatively... but because filmmaking was his passion, to continue living out my dreams would honor his memory. So... though I might take a more indirect approach, I will still be working hard at the craft at which I am honing my skills in, continuously and faithfully.

Yes, I am going back to school. I'm applying for my Masters in Library and Information Sciences. It was the path I was on before I discovered AiCaH and am returning to it because of my own wishes. Just think about it... I'll have the world of books at my fingertips... I can hunt down stories, origins, read the authors of our times past, ugh... how wonderful does that sound? I can research for hours and days and not come up for anything other than water. Life would definitely be different, but I see it as richer and much more lush than before. Ain't life grand?

I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE. I'm not sure how this rumor started. It's funny because the MLIS course is online and my job is still in the LA area. So, where I am now, unless I move to a more comfy place, I'm staying where I live. I do have the hopes and dreams of one day moving into my own town house where I can see green forestry, walk to the local shops, eat amongst familiar strangers, and work in my home office... we'll see if that happens any time soon?

I am single but dating. Oh, of all the tragic and fun events of these past few weeks, the most fun has been meeting new people, networking, chatting, discovering chemistry, and gaining a better sense of the world around me. I am someone who needs people from time to time, so, of course, I will go on the occasional date, but I'm hoping for a consistent lover who will hold my hand in public, kiss me in secret, hold me close whenever possible, and love me as I adore him in return. I want that final companion that will make my life complete, and until I meet him, I am on a journey to him... that's how I see it. And I'm meeting great people along the way. Some become lasting friends, others temporary lovers, but all in all, God has me and I'm good with that.

"The Collector", as great as it was, is over. I have chosen to absorb 3 inactive projects into one to make a more lush and dense, interesting, story. I'm not sure where I'm choosing to distribute it yet... but it will be set to either Hulu, Amc, Amazon, or etc. There are many outlets, just have to find our niche and stay there, I guess. You know how it is... But my cast and crew are waiting, loyal, and patiently keeping busy. I feel the "Recycled"  talent is necessary and I'm excited to see how it moves and where it goes!!

The two main Producers I'm working with are both foreign with many international and domestic connections. VM is looking to bring me on to stories based on true stories, so lots of research there. JJ is looking to fix our feature so that investors will like it and all will be made. How exciting that we are moving forward at this time!! There are others like HH and EG and GP but those are at different stages... as usual. Haha... Se la vi! But still very exciting!!

I still have many projects in the works. I've been meeting guys and girls everywhere just to listen to their stories (good and bad) about dating, life, traditions, shockers, and sex. It's always interesting gathering information and new materials but I have faith that life can keep going as it was...

Questions? Comments? You know how to reach me.

Much love ~ T.

Back To Reality (04.02.16)

A DAZZLING Reality

Why DAZZLING is so important to me:

It’s never easy for females to jump to the top of their industry. Now, to add the Asian oppressive culture on top of that, not to mention their age, school work, and physical limitations, I have come to respect those who fight to support those they love even though they may never be recognized by their idols. Personally, I’m in the same boat, thus I have more sympathy for like minds. Which is why, I think, DAZZLING is unique, special, and I’m a fan of theirs.

If you claim that you’ve never been a fan of a fan, you’re lying. Our idols today are fans of others. DAZZLING came together because they were fans of Shinee and then stayed together because they found friendship and comfort in like minded companions. Their story may be common but it is one often untold and should be. So, in a year, I’m hoping to shoot a film of their story and struggles, because I find them inspiring and, of course, because I am their fan.

***

On my recent trip to Taiwan, on the last day, I had the opportunity to meet and hang out with DAZZLING from Taiwan!! They're a group of dancers, predominantly girls, who do cover dances of popular K-pop songs they like. They got more famous because of their enthusiastic and energetically manly styled dances despite being women. As of right now, the are all female, but they do have one male member who recently moved to the LA area because of reasons. He's the one I met first and I grew the connection to their team leader. After miscommunicating a lot because her English and my Chinese was not up to par, we finally managed to meet and talk and come to a conclusion!!

Here are the DAZZLING ladies minus Rita!

It is my honor to let anyone who reads my blog know that I am going to shoot my debut feature film in Taiwan... and DAZZLING will be my actors and subject. This film explores the reality of the dance community (or the lack there of) in Taiwan. It will bring to light how different it is compared to what we, here, in America, know and understand. It will explore the  mindset and issues these young people face. And, of course, though the film will be a story, there will be a behind the scenes documentary that goes into the truth of what is going on and how things work in Taiwan. There will be interviews, footages, and the like! So, I'm very excited and starting to figure things out is all the more exciting... YAY!!

The biggest issue I have right now is getting the music licensing rights for "Danger" by BTS. So, if you have any suggestions or advice, please leave it in the comments section!! For those of you who don't know who BTS or Bangtan Boys or care about k-pop... here's their MV of the song I want to use!! And HERE it is DAZZLING dancing to it. ... Not so bad, eh??

Valentine's Day Weekend + Single's Awareness Day (02.16.16)

I wanted to write sooner about this weekend, but something felt strange about it because Monday was a holiday and so, that technically meant that the weekend wasn’t over, right? Well, I had to work Monday, so, for me, the weekend was over. But for those of you who had it off, good job. I’m happy for you! You lucky duckies!

Friday found me working hard on a manuscript and putting together materials for my voice actor. I’m working hard on ‘Motivational Marley’ because… well, once you see it, you’ll see why. I mean, HE’S ADORABLE!! I’ve never felt so much motivation when it came to editing before I edited his materials together! He’s wonderful, amazing, and very comforting. I can’t wait to share him with the world, with ALL OF YOU!! (^v^)

Anyhoo, a new friend from Japan via Montana arrived Friday night to hang out with her friend of near 15 years… Lots of drama ensued, which made me re-evaluate my friendship with said person because… I’m the type of person who can be mistreated by friends for years and never say anything about it for fear of troubling the friend. Having friends, at all, to me, is a blessing. Partially because most of the friends I grew up with are no longer in contact with me, and also because I’ve NEVER had a boyfriend, so all I’ve ever had were friends. So, in the past years, I’ve worked hard to leave a BIG community of friends for the smaller more intimate group of besties that I always see. The friend who kinda messed up this weekend was on her way to being one for me, but because of her own selfishness, she removed herself from that position, minimizing our relationship to a more professional and distant one. So, all I can do is accept it, you know? … So much drama. Glad it’s over.

I WATCHED “DEADPOOL” SATURDAY MORNING!! I love watching movies in movie theaters!! In those soft chairs filled with body odors and farts, drinking water or a fattening beverage, eating butter-drenched popcorn because I couldn’t tell how much I was squeezing in… NOTHING beats such an intimate act!! And I LOVE watching previews!! They give me something to look forward to. Something to yearn for. Something to pre-laugh at, so that my during-movie sounds are appropriate. The main friends I watch movies with are in my group of besties. To date, I’ve watched the most movies with Moon. She’s the reason I have a Stubs card at all! Second comes Ed, of course! Third is Chris, and Sarah is between first and second. Hehe! If that makes any sense… JJ and I haven’t seem movies together, but we talk about them a lot! We’ve also collaborated on ideas for some… soon to have more info on that!

Personally, it was more blood than I cared for. The character Wade Wilson was funny and some of the shots on him were truly extravagant. Like when they found out he had terminal cancer, the way he watched Vanessa handle as he zoned out was a BEAUTIFUL shot Chris and I loved. The sense of humor wasn’t EXACTLY what I enjoyed most, but I did enjoy it, nonetheless. There was a lot more killing than I expected, a bit more graphic than I thought it would be, but I liked the action, enjoyed the shots, LOVED the opening credits, and found the film quite downright clean for a Rated R feature. I can’t wait to see if the next film stays true to who Vanessa is from the comics! A definite B+ rating from me! Yum! I didn’t need popcorn or a drink during it! And though I watched it in the morning, my friends and I were surprised that the theater was more than half full! The entire upper area was filled. Our group of seven (Moon +2, Ed, Chris +1, and me) sat together in the front section back row. Still quite enjoyable! And I’d see it again. Yes!

After the movie came KBBQ at Moon #3! They actually serve milk teas and boba now, which was strange but yummy! And they have just started serving sushi!! I know!! They’re really branching out. For reals!! After the late lunch, everyone split, and Moon took her two friends away. Ed, Chris, and I also split up and let the evening pass rather uneventfully. Wait, no, that’s not true. Sarah joined us for lunch but she had things to do. Ed also went home and later hung with another friend. Chris and I bought 5 boxes of baking mix and headed over to visit the friend from Montana. We baked 1 batch of large chocolate chip cookies, 1 batch of lemon cookies, 1 loaf of blueberry bread, 1 loaf of mixed confetti bread, and 1 loaf of devil’s sinful chocolate cake. YUMMM!! We chatted, baked, and chatted a LOT. For those of you who don’t know, Chris is featured on Umbrella Thoughts! We always talk about more intellectual topics and can’t really help ranting and raving about our opinions and their relevancy in the society we live in. Close to midnight, we headed out and to bed! Yay!

Valentine’s Day came and I woke up late. In the morning, the friend from Montana was hurt and sad so she came to spend the day with me. Yay! And then she took a nap until close to 3 pm, so I simply contacted my lonely birds and we planned an early dinner at Black Angus! It was Sarah, Ed, Chris, my Montana friend and me. The talked, laughed, and ate together. And at the end of the meal, there were long lines, so we were all thankful we’d gone early! We had dessert at Menchies in Burbank. Moon +2 were busy, but se la vi! We hung at my place after but Sarah had to leave! And then my roommate returned, hailing the end of our hang out. But I had to wait for Marley’s mom to pick up the Montana friend. And when everyone was gone… it got quiet.

Quite the weekend if you ask me. I watched and then re-watched Sophina Dejesus’s floor routine a few times, skimmed through youtube videos, and, aside from the drama, it was fun and not as lonely. I could only imagine what Chris Pine did. I did unfold him a few times this weekend, the human life-sized cardboard cutout of him, that is. LOL. It’s getting closer to MARCH!! I love that month because I will be heading to Taiwan to do all this… blog and record videos… and, hopefully, blog!! So… LOOK FOR ME!

Final Comments… I really hope “Dragon Lady” gets picked up even if the networks end up changing the title. I’m pretty okay with it!! It’s the story I want to tell. When the title comes, it’ll stick! Yay! WE NEED DIVERSITY!!

Hope your weekends were greater than mine!! 

The Danish Girl and Clip!

"The Danish Girl" was AMAZING!! Eddie Redmayne was stunning and Alicia Vikander was stunning in this film!

What an amazing performance from Eddie Redmayne!! I was in love, enthralled, and invoked the entire time!! Oh, my gosh, he DESERVES that Oscar nomination, for sure!! I've never really watched him but he is positively mesmerizing! I loved it! And Alicia Vikander was stunning in this film! I watched her previous work and wasn't that into it, but she was stunning and amazing in this film! Not only did I sympathize with her, but I also wanted to say that THE GIRL CAN ACT!! I'm impressed!! Look forward to Chris and me gushing about it in our next Umbrella Thoughts segment!!

CoTangent has a new episode up!! A video is coming, soon!!!



Here's a recenter video of My peeps and I reacting!! Hope you enjoy!!

The Good Dino Vs. The Good Human (12.21.15) [SPOILERS!!]

What an interesting story. Of all the movies about dinosaurs and humans... Ok, to be honest, I've wanted to write earlier, I did. I tried and I sat down, brewed my tea and warmed my feet in cute fuzzy socks, and yet, the words never came to me. So I put something up first and waited for my words to return. A week passed and still, my comments about the 'Good Dino' seemed... very dry.

Obviously, it's a film truly about human nature and mother nature, but what else was there? And then I watched 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' and now, I feel a renewed desire to write. This... yes, THIS was my element... More so than the dinosaurs, but it will all wrap together, I promise you!

First of all, Google gives you the choice of the Light side or the Dark side. And because of who I am and what I do... Nope, I chose the dark side because the character development on that side was just so much better. Hahaha! Anyhoo, so I'm on that side now... And though I didn't much like Kylo Ren's weakness nor the lack of action from Captain Phasma, I still remain on the dark side because I feel I can improve them. :D

Heh, well, the 'Good Dinosaur' was just that to me. A good dinosaur doing good and dinosaur-ing in the world. It was cute, classy, and a bit on the boring side for a Pixar film. The short just before it held more action and content, but was very well done and I was sad it was over when it was. The story is centered around Arlo and his family before he gets lost and goes on an adventure getting home. I've heard it compared to 'The Lion King' and 'Wicked', but I think it's just a big mixture of Pixar's uncreativeness and it shows that the company is a bit more lost than we had originally though they were. Especially after reading about the history, about how they held it back from the original release date so that they could go over it again... COME ONNNNN!!! You can do better than that, Pixar!! Where is the amazing creativity that goes into bringing to life countless stories the way you did before?! What happened to making us dream and soar within the confines of walls, and cry within the confines of minutes?! ... You could do better than this half-assed piece of a film. I don't like cussing, but this time, it was necessary. Please pardon my language. I had to rate it a C. That's how sad it makes me. 

And now, as for 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' ... how could they?!?!?! Oh, well, first, as a fan, I enjoyed it immensely. To be brought back into the world of the warring stars and the light and dark force, it was a CG feast for my eyes, ears, and heart. The aching was real, there were no tears nor were there surprises. And in the end, I couldn't wait to see the next one! Yay!

Now... onto the review the filmmaker side of me had. OOOOOOOOH MAAAAAAAAN!!! JJ Abrams was supposed to unleash his awesomeness on the franchise to open the world back up to the wonders of what 'Star Wars' was, originally, meant to be. And somehow... the film had so many holes, the characters were so under-developed, the CG was a bit over the top, and the dialogue and cheesiness oozed from every minute that passed!! WHAT HAPPENED?!?! I get that bringing back the old characters helps anchor emotional value and connections to the new characters, but that is NOT the best way to go about doing so!! Why would you waste Han Solo and let him die so weakly and predictably?! Leia is stronger but also does nothing, AGAIN. And finding Luke at the end, well, as great as that is, he's in no state to train anyone! 

My favorite character was BB-8. I mean, the little guy can travel anywhere, suspend itself in mid-air, and had an attitude like a puppy or a Black-person, as @moonlitewolf and my friend Chris, also Black, pointed out. Hahaha. Well, I see it, too, but I liked him a lot and I wish I had a friend like him to travel everywhere I went with! I rate the whole thing an overall B for solid effort and creative concept. I have SO MUCH MORE to say about this but will refrain!! 

As for those who have yet to see the film... (why are you reading this?!) here is my recommendation. For watching Star Wars, if you want to appreciate the film aesthetics and see how filmmakers have ruined it throughout time by being too liberal with the applying of CG and the over use of green screens, you would have to watch numbers four through six and then one through three before watching seven. However, if you just want to appreciate the story of the entire series then go ahead and watch one through six and then watch seven.

And first, as Tea, I'm a bit surprised by the sudden outburst of hate Rain Bridge received due to our reaction video to 'Daddy' by PSY. RIGHT?! According to Moon, RB had to stop defending us because there was too much to respond to, so I jumped in and then had to stop, too!! What a crazy world we live in!! Geez, opinions and reactions are simply just that... OPINIONS. 

And as for a recap on the rest of the world... 'Quantico' whaaaaaat?! 'Once Upon A Time' is where?!?! And... SHELDON AND AMY HAD SEX?!?! But, oh, wait, there is a new trailer out for 'Star Trek'!! If only Chris Pine could navigate his ship to me! I'd hop aboard quite happily!!


HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Eat a lot and get ready for the consequences!!

Want to meet new people online from around the world and maybe in your city or area? Check out the WireClub! I did and I've made new friends already! Stay away from the creepers, be nice, and always kind! It's up to you how it goes, so I hope it goes well. 

SOOOOOOOOO THE DRAMAS!! (SPOILERS!!!)

*Out of respect for audiences of all ages and professions, I must warn you that there are SPOILERS in this post!!!*

I don’t watch TV.

Let me rephrase that. 

I don’t own a television, nor have I cable and such. So, I don’t watch TV. Any show I watch, I watch through online streaming sites. I’m not proud of this, but the fact that most shows can be found online, I really don’t NEED a television, know what I mean? By the way... For television standard purposes, I rate on a 1-10 star scale. So… here we go!

'THE BIG BANG THEORY' Season 09 Episode 01-02 Review (8 of 10 Stars)

I love this show. I’ve watched the first until the last episode recently aired and I still love this show. It’s not an on-and-off again thing for me, but a watch over-and-over again show. Whenever a new episode is up, I hunt for it online and watch it. Otherwise, I cycle through the entire series until I need something else to drone in my ears as I type and write and work on other projects.

First of all, Amy Farrah Fowler is awesome for breaking up with Sheldon Cooper! OMG! I want him to feel the need and realize the love he has for her and a break up might just do the trick! I do wonder how their relationship will change when they get back together but I guess we'll have to wait and see about that, eh?

Secondly, I wanted Leonard Hofstadter and Penny to be married in a chapel of sorts... I wanted their family to be there and hoped to see the rest of his amazing siblings and who they would cast for them!! Also, maybe bring their group of friends to Nebraska for the wedding!! That sounds like fun and I think Sheldon could just about piss EVERYONE off, or be quite at home seeing the parallel it is with East Texas... LOL!! We all know how caffeine and alcohol affects him... that could be quite fun!

Third, I wonder when Emily Sweeney and Rajesh Koothrappali will jump onto the more officially together band wagon or will Raj drift away because Emily and Penny don't like each other? Maybe instead of this, the writers will make Bernadette pregnant?! Holy COW, that would be something, eh??

Lastly, I wonder what will happen to Stuart Bloom?? Will he finally find someone to connect with? Will he marry and open a cafe in his comic book store? Maybe have an open mic area for interviews with Will Wheaton and, maybe even, Stan Lee?? I think that would be a cool idea, and I think Stuart deserves love. HAHAHAH!! I once wrote a spec script with such a storyline, I guess it never reached them. LOL. It's okay, if they accept me, they'll have to start accepting other Asians into the mix and... we all know TV doesn't feel like changing all that much.

I'm a bit annoyed because the Asian population keeps growing and yet... no worthwhile representation on television. All we have are random techie and nerdie roles on sci-fi shows, or "Fresh Off the Boat", which is neither complimenting nor encouragement. *sigh* Wish I could break that glass ceiling... I wish... wish... 

'QUANTICO' Season 01 Episode 01 Review (7 of 10 Stars)

It’s not as bad as I thought it would be. Very much with the feel of “Burn Notice” mixed with “How to Get Away With Murder”, this show is quite heavily influenced by “Alias” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” without the supernatural element. I was interested because of the trailer and because I was such an on-and-off again fan of “Alias”, but I found Alex Parrish so much more likeable and real than most of the doe-eyed strong young women in the shows up until now. Piyanka Chopra is strong, independent, honest, and quite a model citizen, just like Jennifer Garner in “Alias”. These two shows are quite similar, but the non-verbal “burn Notice” feel is also present.

Because this is a review, there will be SPOILERS!!! So, stop reading if you don’t want to hear about the spoilers.

The moment we “met” Alex, I liked her. She seemed so much a bad-butted female who took what she wanted and did as she pleased, all the while trying to do and say the right things. From lying to her mother about where she was going to the sexy encounter in the car with undercover Agent Ryan Booth,  to befriending Shelby Wyatt and comforting Eric Packer, the kid who shoots himself due to the instability of his own mind. (I TOLD YOU THERE WERE SPOILERS!!)

The scene I liked best was the interrogation/interview scene, when Nimah/Raina Amin questioned Simon Asher. The way she delivered it was so wonderful, the acting and blocking of the scenes was quite intense altogether. I enjoyed it and was pulled into the world much faster than I had thought I would be. The cutting, lighting, and overall tone of the episode was so attractive and well done from where I sat staring at the screen.

What I hated most from this first episode was when it was revealed that Agent Booth is on the other side that is framing Alex!! OMG!! NOO!!! I wish they held that information back a bit so that I would keep guessing about him. Somehow, from the trailer, I predicted that he would start on the odd end of things and then be turned onto her side. But to have it seem to be most likely to happen, I hated that it was revealed so soon. Why can’t they keep us guessing more? Oh, the sadness. And, thought I appreciate the jumping around of the editing because it keeps me on my toes, I DIDN’T like it too much because it made me dizzy to some degree.

Overall, I look forward to finding out about the nine months before the major explosion and about those who were involved in it. I have a sneaking suspicion that it might by Wyatt or the Amin sisters being blackmailed into such an act, but I guess I’ll just have to wait and see about how Joshua Safran writes and Marc Munden directs it.

It can only go up from here!!

***

Jumping back to my “The Intern” love, I actually really connected with Becky (Christina Scherer) because I’ve been there and done that. So, I tweeted her a question and she actually answered it! I was floored and so, I wanted to share it with all of you!!

I can't wait to see what movie she's in next!! She's so cute of an actor!!

HERE IS COTANGENT EPISODE 31