Category Archives: Movies & Multimedia

Avatar the Last Airbender: TV show review

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When I heard Avatar the Last Airbender (ATLA) was added to Netflix I was ecstatic. Like so many other teens, I had watched the show as a little kid and loved it. So obviously, I had to watch it again.

Watching it again as a teenager, I realized that the show was even better than I remembered. It was so original and progressive. As it well it was quite refreshing with its childish comics instead of dark humor or drama. There are so many references to issues that one would not think would be in a children’s TV show. It is these references that really make the show stand out. For example, there is the idea that the fire nation ( the big enemy in the show) is constantly making new technological advance weapons, using them for mass destruction and with them destroying nature. This sound familiar? This very idea was happening when the show created and is still a problem now. These are ideas that as a teenager, I can more fully understand and is a reason why I strongly suggest other teens to rewatch the show.

This show is centered around the idea that the fire nation is trying to take over all the other nation: Earth, Water, and Air. They had already wiped out the air nation and are trying to take over everything else. There are four characters that are trying to stop this, the Avatar Aang, the Water Bender Katara, Sokka a warrior, and the Earth Bender Toph. The avatar is supposed to be a special person who has control over all four elements, fire earth water and air. They are the one supposed to save the world. Throughout the entire show you follow these characters, watching them grow.

I loved this show and would recommend it to everyone. It is perfect for binging, watching slowly, watching with a family, or taking a break from the stress of the pandemic. As well, the nostalgia it brings might bring you makes the show better

-Ava G.

My Favorite Episodes from The Office

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The Office is one of those shows that will never die off. After being aired over 15 years ago in 2005, it is still one of the most talked-about shows. Making people wonder, what makes this show based on a boring topic so addicting. Some of these episodes are worth watching over and over for the rest of my life. Each one consists of different hilarious jokes and drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat laughing. Here is a quick rundown of my favorite episodes in the series.

To start off is probably my all-time favorite episode, “The Injury”(s. 2 e.12). It begins with a screaming Micheal on the phone. He tries to explain how he needs someone to get him to bring him into to work because he is too hurt. At first, everyone is actually worried that something had happened to him. But later on, they find out he had burned his foot. The funny part is how he had burned it. He tells the story of his love to wake up in the morning and listen to crackling bacon. Of course, he has no butler, so he explains that he leaves bacon on the grill next to his bed at night, then wakes up to plug it in and goes back to sleep. But this time he steps on this George Foreman Grill as he wakes up. Dwight is Micheal’s biggest fan, so he is very worried and rushes off to get him and crashes into a pole, but he still keeps on driving. As Micheal acts as Micheal he gets very angry that no one is treating him special, so he calls in a favor. The building owner happened to be in a wheelchair, so Micheal called him to talk to the workers about being disabled but remember Micheal had only burned his foot. After being harassed by Micheal an unexpected twist happens. Dwight ended up having concussion after crashing so he is urgently taken to the hospital. The episode ending scene is a funny moment when Micheal, who is his emergency contact goes with him and tries to stick his foot in the CT scan while Dwight is in there.

Another one of my favorites is ” The Merger”(s.3 e.8). This episode is kinda a clash of two worlds. We see the Scranton branch absorbing the Stamford branch which includes an old friend, Jim who had moved away because Pam had turned him down in the previous season. Micheal tries to impress all the new employees but fails except for one due to his different type of management. The one is Andy Bernard, who tries to be the biggest Suck up to Micheal. This in return gets Dwight real mad because he sees it as Micheal replacing him. During this episode, we see the reunion of Pam and Jim. There is so much excitement that they will finally be together. But there is a new problem, Karen Filippelli, a new love interest for Jim. Micheal uses the whole episode trying the unify the two branches but they don’t seem to click. He begins receiving major lash back for his management style and one new employee ends up quitting. In the end, this episode has ups and downs full of drama that kept everyone wondering what would happen next.

Next up is an amazing, but heartbreaking episode, “Goodbye Micheal” (s.7 e.22). Like TV shows, when they say the main character is leaving, they will most likely end up staying in the end. The first time I watched it I did not think Micheal, the star of the show, would actually leave. But he did, and I ended the episode in tears. It begins the introduction to Micheal’s replacement being shown around, but everyone knows, Micheal Scott can never truly be replaced. He spends the day trying to get a special moment with all of his workers and how are now his best friends. As time runs out we see a new side of Micheal, a soft loving friend. My favorite part of this episode, and my favorite scene in the show, is the goodbye between Micheal and Jim. Jim discovers Micheal is really leaving a day before he said he was and goes to talk to him. They have a heartfelt conversation where Micheal was in tears the whole time. He says they must save the goodbyes for tomorrow and be happy today. Another just well put together scene is the goodbye between Micheal and Dwight. The best friends sit together as Micheal hands Dwight a letter of recommendation that is the sweetest words ever spoken. On the edge of our seats, we see Micheal leave for the airport without a goodbye from Pam. But the very last scene we see with Micheal Scott is Pam running to him in her bare shoes in the airport giving him the biggest hug.

While we see how truly hilarious scenes in the show are, it is much more than that. We see real friendships developed and goodbyes that make your heart sink. I loved the contrast between funny and sad. Showing that one show can have many sides, not just one. The writers did an absolutely amazing on in taking an ordinary job and showing the beauty in it.

-Lilly G.

My Love for Spirited Away

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Spirited Away.

My favorite Studio Ghibli movie.

The first Studio Ghibli movie I’ve ever seen.

Your beautiful music, extraordinary characters, breathtaking visuals, transported me to a world that I wish I could stay in for the rest of my life. You make me cry, laugh, smile, blush, and drag my cursor across my laptop to restart the entire movie all over again. It’s a story of compassion, romance, humor, and so much more to me that just animations on a screen.

Chihiro, one of the main characters, is someone that I love dearly in this movie. To be honest, she actually sort of annoyed me when I first met her; she had an annoying voice and was a bit clumsy. But as the movie progressed, she underwent this amazing character development that warms my heart every time I see it happen. She goes through homesickness, young love with a boy named Haku (which is the CUTEST thing by the way), fear, and so many more events that shape her into the person that she becomes at the end of the movie.

Though there are quite a lot of fantastical elements to follow along (which can be confusing in many cases), it blended beautifully into an intricate storyline that was still able to appeal to my young self. There are creatures that make you wonder what it would be like to live in a world with them, from talking frogs to even a giant baby! Many have unique abilities that range from magic to being able to consume large amounts of food.

All in all, Spirited Away is a movie that I think everyone needs to see at least once in their lifetime. I, for one, have seen it at least 5 times and never get tired of it at all. It is more than just a movie, it is a lesson, an emotional rollercoaster, an immersive experience that provides you with such detailed insight into the world of Spirited Away. I envy Chihiro as much as I envy every other character who has the privilege of being able to forever live in this universe, and not a day goes by when I don’t wish I lived in such a mysterious world.

But for now, I guess watching the movie on repeat will have to do 🙂

-Juliannae T.

Spirited Away is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Film Review: The Shining

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The Shining is a horror movie about a man named Jack Torrance and his wife and son. Jack and his family stay at an isolated, massive hotel called the Overlook Hotel. Jack plans to spend his time at the hotel writing, attempting to cure his writer’s block. The Shining is based on a book written by Stephen King. The story slowly evolves as Stephen King’s character becomes an abusive and manipulative man towards his family. The audience realizes that Jack is mentally ill and his family is not safe with him staying at the hotel. Originally, it is perceived by the audience that Jack had been at the hotel before and he was not mentally ill. Jack’s son played an extremely important role in this movie because he was connected to the hotel through a concept called “shining.” He becomes apart of an alternate universe and communicates with a voice inside of his head. Originally, it was inferred that the son was the one that was mentally ill; however, the voice inside of his head was really trying to protect him and his mom from his father. The hotel was portrayed as a haunted building with no way out. Small clues such as the massive pantry and freezers with locks foreshadowed the scene when the mother locks Jack inside the pantry.

Throughout the movie, Jack plays mind games with his clearly oblivious wife and manipulates her into leaving him alone while he writes. One scene was particularly disturbing in which the wife finds Jack’s book that he had been writing while they were at the hotel. It is revealed that Jack was not actually writing a book and the papers were filled with the same sentence over and over again, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” The movie the Shining transformed from a story about a family staying at a hotel by themselves to an alarming and captivating film about Jack Torrance’s disturbing mind and past at the hotel. His wife and son no longer felt safe at the hotel anymore and ran from him and hid from him until they got away. This movie displayed the disturbing effect of mental illness and how you never know who a person really is. The way Jack chased his family around the hotel and kept drifting in and out of the alternate universe kept the audience attentive.

-Sasha B.

The Shining is available for checkout at the Mission Viejo Library.

Christmas Movies!

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Home Alone (1990) - IMDb

During the winter season, there are a plethora of different Christmas movies to choose from. Once I sit down to watch Christmas movies with my family or friends the hardest part is choosing which one to watch. There are varieties of different Christmas that appeal to different people. I will be breaking down my favorite Christmas movie of all time.

My personal favorite Christmas movie of all time has to be Home Alone. I have watched it over and over again since I was a kid. Starring Kevin McCallister played by Macaulay Culkin this movie is a comedy that will never grow old. Beginning with young Kevin who got in trouble and was sent to sleep in his family’s attic.

The following day Kevin’s family was going on their holiday trip, but they forget Kevin at home. Kevin thought his wish to have no family, since they were mean to him, had come true. Living up his solo life until 2 thugs come to try and rob the McCallister’s house. Kevin then sets up bobby traps and tricks to try and protect his house from the robbers. Kevin successfully fights them off multiple times, but the robber’s Harry and Marv will not quit. After many battle rounds Kevin was finally able to fight the burglars off permanently. Later on, Kevin befriends an elderly man, who was known to be a criminal, but finds out he is just a man who lost his connection to his son and feels lonely. After Kevin encourages him to make up with his son, he realizes that family is important along with the impact children have on their parents. During all these events Kevin’s mother was finding the fastest way home from Paris to make sure Kevin was safe at home. Once his whole family returns they get to spend the Christmas holiday together and realize the importance of family.

Though it may be a little cheesy, this movie remains one of the best Christmas movies. Not only is it a classic, but it is also a rollercoaster ride. The character development from a bratty kid to one that is able to spread joy and love. The action scenes are also a great laugh. We get to see a little boy beating up two full-grown men with his mischievous little tricks up his sleeve.

-Lilly G.

Home Alone is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Film Review: A Christmas Catch

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When December hits around, everyone’s got that holiday spirit and I always find myself binge-watching 100 different holiday movies. Out of the ones I’ve seen so far, A Christmas Catch has been my absolute favorite. It combines my crime, romance, and the holidays perfectly. This combination makes it stand out from the rest and every time I rewatch it, the movie gets better and better

Detective Mackenzie Bennett meets a guy, Carson, who’s perfect for her. Unfortunately the next day she finds out that she’s supposed to be going undercover to investigate Carson. Could the man of her dreams be a thief? She goes on all of these dates and reports back to uncover all of Carson’s past and his secrets. Things about his ex-wife and his childhood. Will this push them apart or bring them closer? Will he ever figure out that she’s an investigator? As they fall head over heels for each other, this movie covers all of their ups and downs and even has a holiday theme. 

One of my favorite things to watch includes crime and if that’s your thing as well as holiday movies, I highly recommend this movie for the holiday season. The ending blew my mind, and I hope it leaves you speechless too.

-Kaitlyn Y.

Movies During Break

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During this break, I have found myself with nothing to do and lots of free time. With it, I decided to watch a whole bunch of movies from “before my time.” I found that even after my family decided to let me watch the movie alone, I would find them coming in to watch with me, then asking me to wait until they had free time to finish it with me. 

My friends also decided they wanted to watch movies with me and kept recommending more and more movies that we could eventually watch together. Then we could talk about them later and watch other movies based on the ones we liked. 

I have found that there are many benefits to watching these movies. Though it may seem to some like you are just sitting around on a couch, I have found that with finals coming up for many teens, it has been a way to destress. Often with current movies, they are all the same and watching one is like watching them all. When watching older movies, they’re often much more interesting and I pay a lot more attention to them.

Another benefit of these movies is that I have been spending a lot less time on my phone. Watching a movie is still watching a screen, but I think it’s been a lot less harmful to watch a movie from farther away than being on my phone close to my face 24/7. 

As for recommendations, if you’re into classic movies from the 80s or 90s, I recommend Dirty Dancing, Dave, and The American President. As for movies from earlier years, Singin’ in the Rain and The Aristocats as well as Breakfast at Tiffany’s are all amazing movies. I do have to warn that some of them carry a PG-13 rating, so check with a guardian before watching. 

Watching movies is something that can be done year round and every day of the week, but especially on breaks when all you want to do is get away from the modern world and all of the issues going on right now. Watching them from past years, rather than one that came out three months ago can be therapeutic in that you can look back on what was good then and what you wish you had now and vice versa. 

So next time you have a long weekend off of school, or a week-long break, take some time to make a list of movies to watch and sit down with some popcorn. You might surprise yourself with what you end up loving.

-Danielle B.

TV Series Review: White Collar

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Clever criminal Neil Caffrey has finally been caught after years of Agent Peter Burke chasing him, yet manages to escape jail only to be caught once again. While other agents would immediately put him into a different jail facility, Peter Burke sees an opportunity in Neil. They work out a deal where Neil can’t go outside his two-mile radius and is tracked at all times by his anklet and he stays out of jail by helping Peter catch other criminals. Neil had skill as he was one of the top criminals and Peter saw that as an advantage because who else would know how someone committed a crime better than a former criminal! The show, White Collar, follows Neil and Peter’s journey. It’s one of those shows with the perfect balance of new mysteries every episode and ongoing mysteries.

I watched this show at a friends house, but we watched something from season 5 out of the 6 seasons and I believe that’s why I was so drawn in. Personally, I have trouble committing to shows which is why I stick to movies, but seeing all the action made me want to continue watching it from the beginning. If I had watched the first episode, I probably wouldn’t have been motivated enough. Now I’m not saying to randomly watch an episode from the middle, but I am encouraging you to watch a couple of them in order to fully get an idea of your preference on the show. All the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat and I continuously admired how clever Neal truly was. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone who likes crime and adventure. It has some hints of romance in there as well. This show will always be my favorite!

-Kaitlyn Y

TV Review: Criminal Minds

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If you enjoy crime shows like NCIS, then you will also enjoy Criminal Minds.

The show is about a group of FBI agents with the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Every episode there is a new crime to solve. Whether it is a murder on the loose or a crazy person reeking havoc. The agents try to get into the unsubs’ (unknown criminal) mind by traveling to the crime scenes and talking to witnesses as well as locals. Garcia is the girl behind the magic. She is the one to call when you need police reports, hospital records, and other important documents. With her help the agents are able to find out more about the unsubs’ criminal record as well as the back story so they know what caused the crime.

Criminal Minds does a great job of allowing you to also pick up clues, this makes you feel like you are apart of the crime scene and the FBI. You will never be bored with this show. It walks you through what the FBI does and introduces you to criminal psychology.

I am still relatively new to this show but I am now binging it when I have the time. Just a warning, I do not recommend this show if you are iffy with blood or death in general.

– Giovanna S.

Why Avatar: The Last Airbender Deserves All the Hype it Gets

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February 21, 2005.

The day that the legendary TV show Avatar:The Last Airbender (A:TLA) debuted on Nickelodeon. Now, you might be thinking, what’s so cool about a kid’s cartoon show? But, from it’s beautiful cultural representation to how it introduces mature themes in a lighthearted way, I can say with 100% certainty that A:TLA has forever made its mark as one of the greatest TV shows of all time.

I’m sure that all of us have heard the iconic intro of A:TLA one way or another:

“Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.

Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.

A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang, and although his airbending skills are great, he still has a lot to learn before he’s ready to save anyone.

But I believe Aang can save the world.”

To provide a brief summary, this TV show takes place in a world divided into four different nations that are based on elements of the world: Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. In this universe, there are people who are called Benders, who are able to control and manipulate the element of their respective nation. And as you probably read from the opening, the Avatar is a person who is able to control all 4 elements. Aang, who is an airbender and happens to be the last one of his kind, is discovered in an iceberg (along with his amazing sky bison, Appa) by Katara, a waterbender, and her brother Sokka, who are members of the Southern Water Tribe. The Water Tribes take inspiration from Inuit, Yupik, and Sirenik Eskimos (which can be seen in their attire and their living conditions), and waterbending is a clear parallel to the Chinese martial art Tai Chi!

Because Aang was discovered to be alive, since it was widely believed that the Avatar had died (because Aang was trapped in that iceberg for 100 years), Zuko, the prince of the Fire Nation, along with his wise Uncle Iroh are on the hunt to find the Avatar and reclaim Zuko’s honor. To provide some background, during the time when Aang was in the iceberg, the Hundred-Year War raged on, allowing the Fire Nation to take over many parts of the world. The Fire Nation is a very well done portrayal of real-life imperialism, and firebending takes inspiration from the Northern Shaolin martial art.

Along the way, they encounter many different types of people, including a talented earthbender named Toph, a skilled warrior named Suki, and Azula, Zuko’s younger sister who is a firebending prodigy and a manipulative mastermind, along with her two friends, Mai and Ty Lee.

Of course, the things that I have described in this review is only a brief summary of this show and only scratches the surface of what this show has to offer. It explores how to live with the loss of loved ones, with Katara losing her mother to the Fire Nation, understanding inner turmoils when deciding your identity, which is shown in Zuko’s beautiful character arc, and even dealing with other historical events, such as underground brainwashing and corrupt governments. Yet, despite the various themes and dark occurrences that this show goes in-depth about, A:TLA still manages to capture the attention of viewers from all ages, while still having a detailed, well-written plot intertwined with the illustration of various cultures. I really cannot stress enough how much I love this show, and being able to rewatch it on Netflix after years and years of not remembering it was an amazing experience for me. So please, if you haven’t seen this show, I am urging you to watch it, and I hope that you too can embark on this journey as Team Avatar works together to save the world!!

Yip yip!

-Juianne T.