2013 Favorites

A roundup of some of my favorite things in 2013.

1- Books:
Favorite Stand Alone Book: Azazel by Youssef Zeidan

I started this book late in December 2012, and finished reading it two days into the next year. It is a piece of historical fiction that follows a Coptic monk named Hepa through his journey from Egypt to Syria, and then onto further lands. The plot is laced with religious thoughts and the beliefs of the early Christianity vs the beliefs of what followed 500 years later. The book has won the Arab Booker prize a couple of years back, and the reasons it won are clear. The dialogue is as heavy with provocative ideas as the narrative in this novel. The events seem very historically accurate, when reading I sometimes forgot that this is a work of fiction and not a memoir. A notable mention goes to the beautiful word choice in this book. The Arabic language is beautiful, no debate there, and the author has used it here to his advantage. Some sentences in the dialogue flowed like honey, but the narrative was the true star of this book.

Favorite Book Series: Saga by Brian K. Vaughn, artwork by Fiona Staples

Without a doubt, Saga would be on this list. It was a refreshing breath of air compared to the usual fantasy books I seem to have picked out lately. The plot was interesting and both character and event driven. The graphics were beautifully executed. More than anything I liked the dialogue in the novels, it was light, witty, and thoughtful.

Honorable books mention: The short story No Free Lunches by Jeffrey Somogyi

2- TV & Movies:
Favorite New TV Show: NBC's Hannibal

Hands down. I've made a lengthy post on TV shows I started in 2013 but haven't finished. Hannibal is one of three I actually am still interested in, and by far the most captivating. I've written a post about Hannibal here. Just go watch the show.

Favorite Season of a Returning Show: AMC's Breaking Bad

IMDB's rank of the show is 9.5, it is the most watched show on Netflix, and all for good reason. The best TV show I've ever watched, and the last season was better than anything else returning to TV this year. Season three of Game of Thrones was such a disappointment I couldn't finish my weekly recaps. Basically, no other show is even on the same level.

Favorite Movie: Pacific Rim

This was a bit of a tough one. I was hesitant as I really liked The Great Gatsby and Electrick Children, but both had some elements missing to make either of them my favorite.However, Pacific Rim was absolutely perfect. Although neither its science nor logic would hold up under close inspection, its whole is much greater than the sum of its parts, and those parts have giant robots. It's straight up good original movie that doesn't try too hard and isn't scared of making fun of itself. More of this Hollywood, less dark past prequels.

Favorite Anime: K

I haven't watched much this year, but this was REALLY good. It reminded me a lot of the Japanese shows I watched as a kid on Spacetoon, but multiplied in the quality of the graphics and the complication of the story.

Honorable TV & movie mentions: Brooklyn Nine-Nine and World War Z.

3- Internet:
Favorite Youtube Show: Bravest Warriors on CartoonHangver

I usually am not interested in these types of shows. Don't get me wrong, the graphics are cool and all, but you get nothing out of this type of show. I guess eventually that is what got me into it. You get nothing out of it. It is just a good show to watch when you are bored and are "on a break" from what you are supposed to be doing. Each episode is about 5 minutes and some of the characters -namely, catbug- are pretty cute.

Favorite Website: www.87daysbefore.com

I first discovered Rachel Whitehurst on Youtube in the summer of 2012 when I was searching for videos about what to bring to your dorm room. Ever since then I've been a faithful subscriber to her channel. She's absolutely gorgeous, smart, and funny. Her videos are personal, which is amazing because her personality is beautiful. Her website shows who she is and what she cares about very well. It it where I get news about new products and techniques. I love it.

Favorite Blog: www.dalalid.com

Dalal AlDoub is a Kuwaiti fashion and beauty blogger. I first found her on the Instagram popular page. I love her blog because her entries are short and fun. Her style is refined and classic, yet has a touch of modern styles. She recently launched a Youtube channel in which she films makeup tutorials using the same blog name.

Favorite Phone app: Cracked Lite

I only installed the Cracked app in December because I didn't know it existed, but it has quickly become my favorite app. The layout is perfect. There is a huge difference between viewing Cracked on your phone browser and viewing it on the Lite app. The content, as usual, is awesome.

Honorable internet mention: The David Pakman Show on Youtube and Cracked's After Hours on Youtube.  
 

TV Shows Started and Abandoned in 2013

Downton Abbey

I quite enjoyed this show. The plot itself isn't that great, but the acting, set design, costumes, and score are very impressive. The character development is actually very impressive considering the type of show.I'm not sure if this is completely abandoned or just until I'm bored out of my mind with nothing to watch again.

Witches of East End

Worst TV show of the year if not life. Very bad acting, setting, costume design, set design, and special effects. I don't know if this was picked up for another season, but I really hope it is not.

Reign

 
This show is about Mary the Queen of Scotts. CW usually make superficial entertainment, so I wasn't expecting any different. If you are looking for a show that is basically Gossip Girl set in the French court, you've found it.

Dracula


Okay, I have not read Stoker's Dracula, and my vampire knowledge is based solely on Buffy, Angel, twilight, and that stupid Van Helsing movie. I honestly did enjoy the first couple of episodes, but after that it was torture, and so I stopped. The casting for the show is really good, and the effects are very good for an NBC show, other than that, there are no redeeming points.

Hemlock Grove

Probably the worst TV recommendation and experience I've ever had. Terrible. 

The Following

 

I've wrote a whole post praising this show after its first episode and since then I have regretted that post. This is a horrible show. The violence became more frequent and less tasteful. All directorial choices are questionable, and all the writing is, for lack of a better word, stupid.


Under The Dome

 
It had so much potential. It builds up the plot and sets the scene only to crumble everything into a bad TV fiasco.

Teen Wolf Disappointments

Here's the thing, I watch Teen Wolf UNironically, so when they start messing up I turn into a sour-wolf.. Also, this will be in list form because otherwise it will be highly unorganized.

1. The mystery girl from s03e01: Tattoo 
 The entire opening sequence was based on Isaac being saved by this girl. The entire closing sequence was based on the alphas killing this girl. Continuously through the episode Isaac kept asking "Where is the girl?" This mystery girl, in my opinion, had a lot of potential to be something completely different and much much better.

In a perfect world where I make executive writing decisions in all shows I watch, the mystery girl and Cora's roles would be interchanged. I would have Isaac being saved by Cora Hale, doing something his own alpha wasn't capable off. Thus, conflicting Isaac between three wolves to feel alliance towards (Daniel Sharman pulls a great conflicted Isaac Lahey as evident by season2), further demolish Derek Hale's competence, and make a better overall reunion scene once the mystery girl is discovered. If that had been the way to go, Isaac savior wouldn't have been killed and he wouldn't have hated the VOLTRON! twins so much making their alliance further down the season more believable. 

Another thing that I didn't catch on about the girl but my sister has pointed me towards was the fact that it seems that all the emissaries (except for one) at this point have been of African descent. Borrowing from The Vampire Diaries, which let us be honest, emissaries are basically witches, doesn't help much with the whole racial cause. Using words like "I've served your family for a long time" and such statements make for offensive racist lines in my opinion.
  
2. Boyd's storyline

 I love Boyd. I absolutely whole-hearted-ly do, or did. He was built like a million bucks, to begin with, had a terrible back story to grow from either as a hero or an anti-hero in the arc. 
I thought that he should have been kept in the storyline. Losing a few characters (JACKSON, Victoria, Erica, Gerard -if only-, Matt, I think I missed someone) since the first two seasons made the transition into season three very difficult. Also, Alpha! Derek and Beta! Boyd are not even a thing anymore. I think once Boyd and Erica jumped ship back in season two the became omegas, regardless of the fact that they have been captured by the alpha pack. Whether Derek accepts that or not as an alpha, that's all in Derek's head. Killing Boyd shouldn't have been the same as the other alphas killing their betas. I know, Boyd did come back to help Derek, but I mean really now? REALLY? I think even though he went to Derek's loft with Isaac he was probably more or less the omega of the pack, much like the voltron twins. 

3. Stiles and Scott's joined storyline
Stiles and Scott haven't spoken to each other in 4 MONTHS? Stiles and Scott not even calling or skyping each other after each half of the partnership discovers something? Stiles not ever going inside the McCall house a la' seasons1&2? 

4. Gerard Argent being alive
Seriously? SERIOUSLY? I hate this guy's guts. He came back basically just to deliver visionary, which was a horrendous thing on its own, but that's it isn't it? Paige died of a rejected bite and spat black goo. Gerard's body did reject a bite, he is spitting and spouting black goo out of every cavity, the next logical step is death.

5. Lack of exploration on the Victoria Argent ghost front
So Allison sees her DEAD mom three times and she does nothing? She doesn't even ask anyone what's going on? And then everything about that whole thing is swept under Allison's mind rug? I know the not saying anything to anyone about it makes sense in Allison's arc this season, BUT at least she would have searched for answers on her own. What the heck? Allison is not stupid.

6. s03e08: Visionary 
 This is the worst thing on TV since one episode in charmed there was a demon who lived in ice-cream trucks. No, I actually take take that back, that crap was awesome. This is the worst thing on TV since someone paid money to produce Sh*t My Dad Says. This was supposed to connect everything together and yet it just ripped at the seam of this whole season's ripped fabric. Ennis's involvement made zero sense, Talia Hale was a shape shifter? A SHAPE SHIFTER? (bound to be another plotline dangled in front of the audience then never discussed)

I thought we left everything about that in cartoon! Peter Hale back in season 1. EVERYONE'S parents is connected to everything in this freaking tiny teeny town. The only good out of that episode was we actually found out about the colors of the werewolves' eyes meanings and we got to see more of TEENAGE! Peter Hale and grown up Peter tbh and got introduced to the adorableness that is Ian Nelson. *whispers* and Cora/Stiles.

7. The villain and anti-hero situations
Let me list male villains:
1- Peter Hale (alive)
2- Deucalian (alive)
3- the Kanima (dead because Peter and Derek killed the kainma?)
4- Gerard Argent (alive) not only that but

5- Matt whatshisname (dead)
6- Ennis (dead)
7- alpha voltron twins (alive×2)

Let me list female villains:
1- Kate Argent (dead)
2- Jennifer/ the darach (dead)\
3- Kali (dead)

Let me list male anti-heroes:
1- Jackson Wittemore (alive)
2- Derek Hale? (alive)
I am guessing Scott's dad will be added to this list after 3b.

Let me list female anti-heroes:
1- Victoria Argent (dead)
2- Erica (dead)

This just speaks for itself. Jeff Davis claims to have created a world free of racism, sexism, and homophobia. On how many of these fronts do you think he's succeeded?

On the plus side Kate Argent is coming back in 3b as Allison's heart of immense darkness.

My Mad Fat Diary

So my sister and I have this weird thing in which we have to be obsessed with something at any given period of time. As this season of Game of Thrones is coming to an untimely end like a certain warden of the north turned hand, we decided it was time to start watching something new.

I've been seeing a lot of posts about My Mad Fat Diary and finally decided to watch it. Apparently the show is based on the real story of a real Rae Earl. Basically, there is this 16? year old who had a self-harming "accident" and had to spend a few months in a psychiatric ward without anyone knowing about it. In the beginning of the first episode she explores her first week back in the real world where she tries to meet people, become better, and recover from her setback.

On her way home for the first time in month she runs into her best friend since ever, Chloe. Chloe then invites her out to meet her new made friends, "the gang" in "the pub".


Meet Rachael 'Rae' Earl:

Meet "the gang":

Meet Rae's mom and Karim:

Meet Tix & Danny:

Meet Kester:

This show is weirdly funny. I mean okay, it is a tad weird and inappropriate, I'll give you that, but what British show isn't? *cough*Misfits*cough*


Things I like about the show:

a. The characters. They are all individually exactly the same, which most people are. I feel the direction captures that human trait perfectly.

b. The soundtrack is perfect. You know when you watch a very nice scene in TV or in the cinema but the music playing ruins everything? not once has this happened in this show. 

c. The graphics and special effects. I could just write a love letter to graphic effects designed of this show.

d. The show has a very Mean Girls-y vibe, which I obviously am a huge fan of because MEAN GIRLS.

e. I like the fact that even though the show starts with Rae judging everyone to be awesome based on how they look, after the first episode she kind of realized that looks aren't the most important thing and maybe it's what is on the inside that counts. This is a lesson as old as time itself, taught by parents from generation to generation for eternity, and it is cool how the show doesn't just let Rae narrate that, " looks don't matter... being a nice person does." She just changes the way she acts around others and that is completely fine.

f. Kester's character is very interesting. He isn't perfection in the form of a psychiatrist, he's just a regular guy with a messed up life of his own which he doesn't let effect his job.

g. Rae always tells it like it is

Things I don't like about the show:

a. some of the graphics are very well, graphic. I don't know any other way to put it.

b. I don't know about others, but as for myself I don't  usually become close friends with people I've just met over night. I mean, especially if you struggled in making friends all through your life. It just doesn't make sense to me.

c. The fact that Chloe is essentially always mean and cruel to Rae. I mean, she's always putting Rae down because of her weight and personality, and sometimes she's right, but others she's just unfriendly.

d. Smoking and drinking are REALLY big parts of this show. I recognize the necessity of those two elements to the "troubled youth" story, but I don't understand why they need to make smoking look so appealing and sexual. 
 
Overall rating: 3.5/5

New TV Show Review: NBC's Hannibal

I watched the first episode of NBC's Hannibal. I'm going to quickly explain the plot, then do a quick review through screencaps.

The show -or at least the first episode- is about special agent Will Graham. Except he isn't really an agent because he has a mild case of autism, they don't state exactly how severe his autism is, they just slightly mention that he has it. Graham's character doesn't show any development from the flashback at the beginning of the episode and the present day after the intro. He just kind of slides out of and into place again in the FBI without any change. He even wears the same jacket.

The role of Hannibal is iconic enough that it reached a point where it is completely fine for me to see someone other than Anthony Hopkins play him, anyone but Gaspard Ulliel. Gaspard Ulliel is the worst.

As for the show it self, the cinematography is great, and you can see that every frame is thought out and executed well. There is room for improvement in some scenes but I'm optimistic that it will get better as the season progresses.

A couple of the good frames

The special effects in this show are beyond any crime-drama on TV right now, as far as I can tell. The way Graham's beautiful mind sees things in reverse in the crime scene and his terrifyingly vivid dreams are very well made and are beautiful in color and contrast.

crime scene blood "unsplattering" the walls.

Slightly unsettling but very beautifully executed

As far as the other characters go, there are two female characters which are your typical police dramas female characters. One is strong, and bad-ass, and doesn't even care about anything.The other is a soft-spoken academic who may or may not be in love with the lead character.

Can you guess which is which?

There were a couple of scenes that were really good and others that didn't make much sense or fit with the story, but I'm pretty sure this will get better as the series goes on, as do all series.

Also, can I just throw in a pitch here, NBC?
I think it would be really awesome if the transition frames from scene to scene were actually Hannibal cooking or eating. It's creepy and cool. It's perfect.

I thought lungs were more sponge-like

Lecter's basic food groups: tomatoes, lettuce, and human kidneys.

As for some of the scenes I'm dying to comment on, here:

a) this gem of a scene. I think this might be my favorite scene of the entire episode. Graham suspects the girl is dead inside her room and tries to stop the dad from entering. When the dad refuses and enters behind him, he collapses onto himself. Graham holds him up with his arms and continues to stare blankly just behind the man's head. It shows that while he is close and distant from the people's emotions around him, he is willing to be in an uncomfortable position to help others.

b) The scene in the men's room where Graham is like, "waaa I quit" and then the FBI guy comes in and the FBI boss is like "you can't sit with us". I liked i.

c) The fact that Graham rescues stray dogs and keeps them in his house and feeds them and takes care of them. I almost cried. It is so touching.

d) You're swapping evidence for DNA. why isn't your hair covered? I'm sick of this recurring mistake in police dramas.

e) There was this one scene in the autopsy room where the dead girl is lying on a table and Graham concludes from the lab staff's comments that the killer of these girls doesn't keep body parts as trophies, he keeps them as lunch. I bet this was a plot twist for all those 13 year olds who randomly watched this show.

I will not look at this naked dead girl. no sirree.

f) There was this one VERY stupid and unnecessary scene where they call up a technician of some sort to like at the phone wires of a neighborhood and tell them if it was tapped. He flashes his light on the wire, turns around, yells "It's tapped!", and SCENE!

Fun game to play while watching, count how many times Graham pulls this face during an episode.

final rating: 4/5