Anna and the Apocalypse directed by John McPhail, and written by Alan McDonald and Ryan McHenry, takes a group of soon-to-be graduating high schoolers and opens up their inner-diaries to share the woes of teenage life in the small town of Little Haven.
This zombie-comedy, affectionately coined as a “zom-com” is full of surprises and if being a teenager wasn’t hard enough, we add in a zombie infestation to shake things up a bit and get to know the characters a little more as they have to fight together to survive.
With nods to Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The Breakfast Club, Shaun of the Dead and many others, it was really creatively done.
You can’t have a good musical with sub-par choreography, and so Steph (Sarah Swire) who also stars in the movie, did an amazing job juggling both roles.
Anna, played by Ella Hunt, was perfect for her role. She was able to break away from the stereotypical female needing to be saved, while showing bravery and kicking some zombie brains.
Socially awkward best friend, John (Malcolm Cumming) is another good character. We feel his pain through song, as he deals with unrequited love for Anna but we also see him grow separate from the anguish, just like any best friend would.
Another stand out performance was the eccentric Headmaster, Arthur Savage (Paul Kaye). He took that creepiness level and cranked it all the way up in the best way possible.
There are so many wonderful songs too, written by Roddy Hart in collaboration with Tommy Reilly.
🎶Break Away had my eyes wide open because I wasn’t expecting something so emotional right off the bat. With its poignant lyrics, I was just awe-struck.
🎶Hollywood Ending. Believe me when I tell you that you will be singing this song in the shower, in the car and in your sleep! It is so ridiculously catchy. The song tells us what we already know, but are sometimes too afraid to face. While we deal with the harsh realities of life, we will still be okay without perfection.
🎶Turning My Life Around is another great song with upbeat music and some fun dance sequences. It also holds a special nod in a way to a certain Shaun of the Dead scene where we are oblivious to the chaos that is going on around us. It has a comedic yet disturbing undertone.
Overall, I think this movie is really fun to watch and holds a lot of meaning beyond what is on the surface. Sure, it’s a little gross at times (okay... a lot) but this is definitely an infectious one to add to your holiday list!
So this was me, Melfy the Elf, last night getting dressed, as I would be performing in our Virtual Santa Magic Show! I am usually behind the camera, but on Christmas Eve, Santa calls the shots!
This was one of the letters we received from a few sweet kids who watched the show.
Finally, I'd like to wish my blog followers a very Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday/or just overall good wishes if you don't celebrate at all! Please stay safe and healthy. If you must go out, wear your mask - and wear it properly! Navigating Covid-19 has been a challenge on so many levels, but by setting aside the urge to engage in defiant behaviour, this will help slow the spread down in our community and hopefully elsewhere too. As I write this, we are heading for a more serious lockdown.
With a majority of us staying in for the holidays this year, it’s a perfect time to snuggle up, grab a mug of hot cocoa (with extra mini marshmallows of course!) and enjoy some festive holiday films. We have Scrooged, Die Hard, cult favs from Gremlins to Nightmare Before Christmas, classics like A Christmas Storyand dozens of others!
In all honesty, I’m not really into Christmas entirely. Instead of feeling an abundance of joy, I often feel sadness. My heart goes out to those who are lonely or simply alone. I also don’t subscribe to the “it’s Christmas” so that gives carte blanche to be making excuses for ill behaviours (hey anti-maskers, especially talking to you schmucks – we’re in a pandemic - stop your selfishness!)
For me, Halloween trumps the holidays for many reasons that I won’t bore you with. However, this blog is all about HOLIDAY movies, so let’s get back to it, shall we? I do love a good holiday-themed flick to curl up with on a cold wintery night. The moment December hits, my husband begins mocking me, as I start seeking out all the ultra-cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies. Yes, groan if you must, as it is true.
Anyhow, I’ve listed some of my favourites below. A majority you will know well and probably watch every year, but a few I will take a gander and say that you haven’t seen and will want to.
MY TOP FAVOURITES OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - Over-the-top hilarity and yes probably a definite exaggeration of holiday hell with extended family, but probably relatable in some fashion too. The good ol’ Griswald’s family Christmas gathering is one not to be missed with blinding lights, fried cats and sh!tters that are full! I don’t think I even have to explain what a gem this movie is. If you haven’t seen it, leave this blog post right now and come back when you do!
Home Alone 2: Lost In New York - One of my favourites as nothing is more nostalgic than Christmas in New York seeing all the beautiful windows decorated, skating at Time Square and shopping at the iconic toy store, FAO Schwarz. Those Wet/Sticky Bandits are on the loose once again though and this time trying to ruin Christmas for all the good little girls and boys...but not if Kevin can help it! Once again, Kevin’s dysfunctional family has left him to fend for himself and so he is stuck in the Big Apple all alone. One of the sweetest moments in the movie is definitely the bond between Kevin and the pigeon lady, played by Brenda Fricker. All the rest is pure zany fun and games until someone gets the final bill on their credit card.
Serendipity - Do you believe in destiny or is life just a bunch of mere coincidences? I adore John Cusack as an actor. I loved the chemistry between him and Kate Beckinsale on-screen. A film for the hopeless or hopeful romantic that I love watching every year.
Love Actually - A film by Richard Curtis that will warm the hearts of everyone young and wiser. Excellent British ensemble cast with stars like Bill Nighy, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and the late, Alan Rickman. Plus some of the most adorable moments of innocence. So tell me, what can be worse than the total agony of being in love?
The Holiday - I can’t help but cry whenever I watch this movie. I relate so deeply to Kate Winslet’s character and the movie has so many sentiment moments. I loved Jack Black’s role and although some may say it’s corny, I’m looking for a little corny in my life.
Bridget Jones' Diary - An absolute favourite to watch especially during the holidays. I think in some ways we can all relate to Bridget in one way or another at some point, feeling lost in life, love, and the fear of being eaten by hungry wolves. Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth is just a posh dream boat. I also love the ever-so misogynistic Daniel, played by Hugh Grant. A wonderfully British film that let’s us all know that we don’t have to simply just settle for what is out there, we deserve something more extraordinary than that.
Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors (2007 musical version) - If you know me, I have talked about this film for years! It was one that I saw spontaneously one evening on tv and never could find again. If you have seen the original 1963 Russian fairy-tale by Alexander Row, be prepared for something fresh and unique. It was turned into a modern musical directed by Alexander Igudin that is full of colourful costumes, beautiful artistic performances and weird and wonderful characters. Sadly, I don’t have a clue as to what they are saying, since I cannot find English subtitles, but it’s a wonderful musical anyhow that I absolutely love to watch during the holiday season. I am delighted that it's currently on Youtube so you'll have to go there to watch it.
Listy Do M - Letters from Santa - If you’re familiar with “Love Actually” then you will definitely enjoy this film that has a similar feel yet with it’s own Polish charm. Set in Warsaw, Poland, we find hope from children’s ingenious methods of madness, realization over one woman’s infidelity, courage from a widowed father, acceptance from a life-changing secret, and more. Even with some of its predictability as a majority of romantic-comedies can be, this will put a little jingle in your step.
What are some of your favourites? Send me a message or leave me a comment below!
Hello my blog readers, if you are looking for an unforgettable and unique magical holiday experience, no matter where you are in the world, I have the *perfect* gift!
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🎅 Get ready for Nuvo Entertainment's 2020
Virtual Santa Magic Show! 🎅
What's it all about?
Our Santa is awesome. He is at home by his fireplace and performs a magic show (Santa is magical after all) ! This includes a big illusion where he produces his elf from a dollhouse he builds. A perfect way to interact with children and be safe through the pandemic. Magic and music!
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Who is it geared for?
Whether you are a company and are providing a virtual event for your employees, a business offering an interesting promo for clients, or want a great way to celebrate with family in a special way, we have the service for you!
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How long is the show and where do we watch it?
The show is approximately 1 hour in length (or can be customized for another time frame) and can be viewed through platforms such as: Zoom OR GoogleMeet.
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How far in advance should I book, and how do I book?
We've started to take bookings now in November, so the sooner the better to ensure we can fit you in. Booking is easy by going to the website: https://www.nuvoentertainment.com/santa
Promo video is here, just click the middle play button!
So here are some photos that I took of our fantastic outing around Windsor, Ontario!
It was Sunday evening and I was tucked warmly into my bed, watching tv, when I got a Facebook message from Bill, asking if I wanted to go out. Of course, he wouldn't tell me where we were headed, so I started to ask questions because I really hate surprises. Well, okay, I don't HATE them, but I get a little anxious not knowing what I should prepare myself for. I'm kind of a planner/let-me-write-that-on-the-calendar type of girl and so every once in a while, Bill throws me off and we do something spontaneous. Just last month, we went out for groceries, came back home, and decided to hop in the car to Kitchener to see Masters of Illusions that night.
So, getting back to Sunday, Bill surprised me with a trip out around town to see the beautiful holiday decorations and lights. He knows that I love doing this. They were so pretty and I was oooh'ing and ahhh'ing. Christmas music was playing on the radio and it was just perfect.
Heading home, we stopped off for a quick bite to eat at A&W. As we got back into the car, "Do They Know It's Christmas" was playing. Sadly, I only caught the end, but I was just saying earlier how much I wanted to hear that song on the radio. Fate? Maybe... or perhaps it is known that radio stations will play repetitive Christmas tunes all December long, so it was only a matter of time. I think that's more likely, but hey, a girl can dream, can't she? :)
I'm also including some video footage that Bil took with his cell phone. The music was from the houses we went, and if you hear some background noise, that's the cars whooshing by. Enjoy some Bright lights
Lastly, I wanted to share our tree! It is all lit up with purple glittery bat garland and decorative ornaments. Complete with our pal; Fred (with his head on and then losing it - cool Halloween prop that I was scared at first but I have grown to appreciate our sweet Dead Fred), my beauty of a gargoyle; Virtue, Rocky; peeking out of the tree, a lemur on top and a pretty changing colour snowflake.
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