I’ve Moved: scrapshot

Hello, everyone – if you’re still there!

I’ve decided to launch a new site, one that will have more in-depth writing and looks at things with frequent posting while maintaining the same focus found here on readthiswatchthisplaythis – movies, games, and the world of arts and entertainment.

If you’re interested in joining me, check out my new site, scrapshot, here.

Hope to see you soon!

– Caitlin

watchthis: Frozen (2013)

Disney’s latest animated hit is wintery, beautiful, and totally worth seeing. Focusing on the relationship between two sisters, Anna and Elsa, the latter of whom has the ability to control and produce ice and snow, a gift which is ultimately powerful beyond her control. Accidentally, Elsa brings an unending winter upon the land, and Anna must find a way to return summer to the world with the help of a few friends along the way.

I saw Frozen a couple of weeks ago and really loved it. I’m a sucker for anything cute and animated and pretty and Disney (I’m wearing a Little Mermaid sweater as I write this, actually), and the film definitely holds up well as a Disney princess movie. I love the emphasis on the relationship between the two sisters rather than on romantic relationships – granted, there are some of those as well, but the film itself pokes fun at the typical fairytale notion of and points towards something at least slightly more realistic. The fact that Anna and Elsa reminded myself of me and my little red-headed sister really helped to pull at the heart strings, too.

The animation itself is visually stunning, as well. This rings especially true in the scenery and the background settings. They are absolutely breathtaking. Since the world of Frozen is so white – a land plunged into an everlasting snowy winter – the emphasis shifts instead to the lighting. The way each scene is illuminated is completely breathtaking, and the lighting became one of my favourite aspects of the movie as a whole.

My favourite scene is the opening scene in which a group of ice cutters chip away at the ice covering the fjord in large blocks, pulling it out of the water and hauling it away singing. This scene is absolutely beautiful – the lighting, the animation (the ice looks incredibly real, sleek, and shining) and the music all combine to form a gorgeous opening scene that hooks you right from the start and pulls you into the world of the movie.

Concept art for the opening scene

Overall, Frozen has a great message, great characters (Olaf the snowman is charmingly hilarious) and truly beautiful visuals. Definitely worth checking out. Try and see it soon while it’s still in theatres!

watchthis: The Book Thief (2013)

Okay, okay, I know. It’s been a long time since I’ve posted. A long time as in, like, three months. So a really long time.

BUT I’M BACK.

And there’s a hell of a lot of amazing books, movies, and games out right now. This is exciting stuff, guys.

I saw The Book Thief last weekend and loved it. I must admit that I’ve never read the book – though I’ve heard very good things about it – but I still managed to really enjoy the story and bawled during the film. A lot.

The Book Thief is about a German community and a girl and the people she meets during World War II. At first unable to read properly, the girl – Liesel – learns about the power of the word, and language, and stories, and books. It’s a truly beautiful story that makes for a beautiful film that, without giving away too much, will have you sobbing uncontrollably in your seat by the end. That’s a guarantee.

Filled with fantastic actors including Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, and Canadian newcomer Sophie Nélisse, the movie properly displays the strength of humanity and the horrors of war from the perspectives of German civilians at the time. Featuring also the clever narration of Death (voiced by Roger Allam), the film reveals the fear and destruction that the second world war brought on while at the same time highlighting the little things that kept people going.

Worth checking out, whether you’ve read the book or not. I really liked it.

The Book Thief was directed by Brian Percival and is currently in theatres.

If it can be wr…

If it can be written or thought, it can be filmed. – Stanley Kubrick

I met a guy at TIFF yesterday with this Kubrick quote tattooed on his arm. Inspiring stuff.

watchthis: Words and Pictures (2013)

I had the great luck of seeing this lovely film at TIFF at Roy Thomson Hall on saturday night after my volunteer shift (they had a few empty seats and let us sit in on the screening)! Also, I got to see these amazing actors, Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche, who play the main characters in the film, at the screening.

Words and Pictures is a sort of romantic comedy with more dramatic elements that was truly a delight to watch. The movie features Owen as a passionate English teacher at a prep school and Binoche as his counterpart; the school’s dedicated and talented art teacher. The film has never before been showed to an audience (either through previous testing or premieres) so director Fred Schepisi joked that he was nervous as to how people would react. Laughter, shock, and tears – throughout the course of the film, the team managed to bring it all.

I must quickly mention that I missed the first 15-20 minutes of the film while finishing my shift, so I’m not actually entirely sure of how it started. What I do know, however, is that the two teachers quickly begin a clever flirtatious game with one another in which they, with the aid of their AP classes, argue over which medium is more powerful: words or pictures.

The two may bicker and argue along the way, but it isn’t long before they find that they truly do get along and that the friendly competition urges their students to give their all while working on their artistic projects.

Although lighthearted in many respects, the film does deal with the troubled lives the two teachers lead outside of school as well – Binoche’s character suffers from rheumatoid arthritis while Owen’s battles with alcoholism and his strained reputation in the workplace. These backstories serve to strike a nice balance between the comedic moments throughout the film while still grounding them in a more dramatic reality.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, knowing nothing about it in the first place and by chance being able to catch a screening, so I was truly delighted and satisfied by the simplicity and entertainment value of the story at hand. Also, Owen and Binoche pull off their characters with easy grace, and as a student of both cinema and English, I too found myself debating about the value of words verses the value of pictures.

I don’t think I can come to a conclusion on that one, but it is certainly interesting to think about.

Words and Pictures was filmed in Vancouver, BC, and does not currently have a widespread release date. If you do manage to come across the film in the following months, I’d say that overall it’s a fun film that is worth a watch.

TIFF13

TIFF13 begins today! The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off today and will run from September 5 – 15. A ton of huge celebrities are confirmed to be there, including Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Daniel Radcliffe, and Meryl Streep (to name a few!), as well as many creative filmmaking teams from around the world.

This is my second year as a volunteer at TIFF and I’ll be sure to keep you updated about all of the great films and stars that I see along the way! Volunteering at TIFF is truly an amazing experience. It’s tons of fun – if you live in the TO area, I’d recommend getting involved!

On another note, I will be heading back to school in a few days. Reviews will be posted more often about a variety of things, including the films that I watch in my classes – look for a ton of artsy classics from the 60’s-now!

You can click here to visit TIFF’s official website and learn more about the films in the lineup as well as to purchase tickets!

If you’re going to Festival ’13, let me know! What are you excited to see?

Actors Pose as their Iconic Roles

This is just too cool – legendary actors photographed in homage to their legendary roles. Check it out over on GeekLeak by clicking on the link below!

Actors Pose as their Iconic Roles

And Bioshock Infinite DLC has Officially Been Announced!

I am so excited by this news! Irrational Games has announced the three new downloadable content packs that will be offered for their latest bestseller, Bioshock Infinite. Bioshock Infinite focuses on the seemingly utopian world of Columbia, a hyper-religious and hyper-American society that floats high in the sky above the United States, from which it separated in order to maintain it’s conservatism and moral ideals.

The game, originally released in March, is being expanded upon in these three segments that will be released between now and March 2014, the first of which – Clash in the Clouds – is now available. Clash in the Clouds is an action-based pack that adds new combat stages and abilities to the game and is included in the game’s Season Pass. If you do not have the season pass, the content can be downloaded for the price of $5.00.

Also announced today was the upcoming story DLC for the game, called Burial at Sea. These two packs will return the player to Rapture, the haunting city at the bottom of the sea featured in the original Bioshock game (as well as it’s sequel).

I have not actually played the original Bioshock game, but I have played most of Bioshock Infinite. I would love to finish playing it in the future, but I rented it and played it on my boyfriend’s XBox 360 and have not gotten a chance to finish it yet! I have watched entire playthroughs of both games on YouTube (I recommend ChristopherOdd’s in particular!) and am currently working my way through watching Mr. Odd’s Bioshock 2 playthrough as well. The games have held my interest ever since I saw Bioshock Infinite advertised during the VGA (Video Game Awards) earlier on this year. Something about them is so captivating to me – I love the emphasis on story, it’s like playing a movie! Each game features extensive commentary on agency, however, and for that reason I would have to argue that these stories are most effectively told through the gaming medium.

With the DLC confirmed to be featuring Booker and Elizabeth, I’m excited to see how their characters have changed from the last universe to the one depicted in Burial at Sea! As a cinema fanatic, I’m loving the film noir inspired look, as well. Definitely exciting to see where these new installations will take the lore of the fascinating lands of Columbia and Rapture next.

Are you excited for the new and upcoming Bioshock Infinite DLC? Leave a comment and let me know!

watchthis: Monster’s University

Monster’s University tells the funny and charming story of Monster’s Inc.’s beloved characters Mike and Sully during their wild years as college students. The two get off to a bumpy start as both tackle their new lives as students in completely different ways, but watching them interact as they turn from strangers to the best of friends is simply delightful. Throw in a bunch of new characters and a handful of cameos from Monster’s Inc. characters, and you get a fun flick that’s perfectly suited for all ages. Needless to say, hilarity ensues.

The movie works perfectly as a prequel to Monster’s Inc., staying true to the monster world while at the same time filling out more of the details as to what life for monsters is like!

Another thing I love about the movie is the look of the different buildings at MU as well as the memorable characters that fill the campus. These details give the world a truly realistic feel – it looks a lot like where I go to school at the St. George campus at the University of Toronto! The animated architecture is beautiful.

Monster’s University is definitely worth seeing for Disney and Pixar fans – especially for those of us who grew up watching Pixar movies and are now in university ourselves!

An additional bonus for those who go to see the film in theatres is Pixar’s latest short film, The Blue Umbrella. The short is endearing and adorable, featuring a simple love story between two umbrellas on a rainy day in the city. Notable for it’s animated photorealism, The Blue Umbrella demonstrates just why Pixar is such a groundbreaking company in the animation industry.

Have you seen Monster’s University? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

watchthis: Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Do you love camping, the 1960’s, and all things hipster-y? If your answer is yes, then Moonrise Kingdom is the film for you.

The film tells the simple story of a young boy and a girl who fall in love and run away. Both are social outcasts for different reasons – he, an orphan, she, a problem child – and two head off to spend the rest of their days in a boy scout tent. The film is highly stylized with filters that will remind you of Instagram’s finest, as well as fashion, music, and sets inspired by vintage of the 60’s.

Moonrise Kingdom is a delightful romp that is definitely worth a watch. It’s a beautiful, simple film, full of quirky humour and filmmaking that is sure to please both the cultured moviegoer and the hippest of the hip. I love the carefully staged framing and the retro props and vibes. While perhaps a tad pretentious (you know, the kind of film that is clearly shouting, “look! I’m ARTSY”), the film is enjoyable and, for lack of a better word, quite pretty.

The film features an ensemble cast including Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, and Frances McDormand. It was directed by Wes Anderson and was released in 2012.