Season 1, Episode 2 - Two Income Family

We open with Laura and Judy doing homework at the kitchen table. Judy is obnoxiously asking Laura the answers to every one of her times tables. But its the Judy we remember!

Carl comes into the room and starts paying bills and everyone scatters from the room. As an adult, I get it. That shit's annoying. In that time we learn that Rachel's kid is named Little Richie and now I totally remember him as a little kid. Can't wait for those days...

Just then Eddie comes in and complains that he needs new high top sneakers. You see, he has Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's  sneakers and he's retired so its SO freaking embarrassing to not have the new Jordan's! He asks for money to pay for them and tells Carl they're $70!! Even now that's a lot of money for sneakers, let alone 20 years ago! No, is the answer. Doesn't Eddie have a job? We see him bagging groceries in the opening credits. Get your own damn sneakers.

As if we needed more help figuring out the story line of the episode, Harriet comes in and says the car died on her while she was at the grocery store. She tried to use tune up in a can (?) but it didn't work. I swear, that's what she said...tune up in a can. Was that a real thing? Carl starts to complain about money and he suggests Harriet ask for a raise at her job as an elevator operator. Sounds like this couldn't go wrong.

The next day, while Eddie continues to beg for new shoes, Harriet comes in and tells the family that she got fired from her job. Apparently they're putting in a self-service elevator because she asked for a raise. Uhhh, yeah, I don't think it works like that. When you need a job as a elevator operator, you typically have an elevator that functions manually. To put in a self-service elevator would mean reinstalling a new type of elevator...which means it would probably be weeks before Harriet lost her job. So much for logic. Also, what a shit boss, he fires her because she asked for a raise? Whatever.

Rachel declares that she'll get part time work, stuffing envelopes (let that sink in) while Harriet is unemployed. Hey, Aunt Rachel, how about having a freaking job to contribute to you and your kid living there and Harriet wouldn't have had to give into Carl's pressure about asking for a raise! Jerk sister.

Eddie continues to beg for new sneakers because his self awareness is at an all time low. The car breaks down again as Harriet leaves for another round of interviews. I don't understand what she's doing, it doesn't seem like she has interviews lined up. Is she just walking around downtown and going into buildings that need elevator operators? As Carl and Eddie run to push the car back home, Harriet mentions the car is on fire. Nice.

I have no idea how long its supposed to have been since Harriet got fired - days, weeks, months - but she comes into the kitchen with no luck to find out Mother Winslow made dinner. At least the freeloading adults are contributing, Eddie is just walking around asking for expensive shoes. Mother Winslow says grace at dinner and takes it upon herself to insult Harriet by praying for her as shes's turned down by job after job. And in case we didn't know she was old, Mother Winslow lectures to the table about how times were tough during the depression. So she made everyone a depression dinner...mashed turnips and bacon (drippings). Harriet excused the table cause everyone's being a jerk. Carl follows her.

They sit on the back porch and the music comes on! In the middle of the episode? I thought that usually wrapped things up. Also, how come the music moments all take place on the back porch? He says she'll find something perfect for her and we learn that she graduated from the Police Academy and that she saw a security job posted at her old building while she was getting fired. Carl encourages her to set up and interview with her old boss, Mr. Seeger (why not?) and apply.

Harriet goes into her old boss at the Chicago Chronicle building for an interview. After he tells her that he should've gotten rid of her years ago, she tells him she's his next interview for the security position and gives him her resume. He looks it over and tells her that since her job at the police department was clerical and she has no management experience, she wouldn't be qualified for the job. Harriet gets all upset and tells him that since she's raised 3 kids, she could tell him a thing or two about management experience. And he can call her husband and kids for a reference. The obligatory "she just told him off" clapping sequence is played as she storms out of the office. And Mr. Seeger just sits there like this...

Back at home, Harriet tells Carl that she didn't get the job at the Chronicle but it felt good to tell her old boss off so she treated herself to a movie. Eddie comes downstairs to tell them that he saved $70 from overtime with his job. Instead of buying the shoes, though, he wants to give it to them to pay some bills AND THEY TAKE IT! Omg. I can't believe that. They're just like "thanks son!"

Rachel comes in and says shes cooking up a feast of steak and potatoes because Harriet got the job. She's too busy talking that they all have to follow into the kitchen (where the girls are peeling turnips for tonight's meal) to tell her she's wrong. Rachel asks why Mr. Seeger would've changed his mind after he called and said such great things about Harriet and we find out he called and told Rachel that Harriet got the job. Even though I highly doubt someone would just leave that message with a random person. So Harriet calls Mr. Seeger and find out she got that job!

Everyone celebrates and the music comes on AGAIN when Harriet thanks Carl for believing in her.
The episode ends with everyone helping with dinner. Now that she got that job, they better give Eddie his $70 back.

So, another happy ending and another episode without Steve Urkel. I wonder when he'll get introduced!

Til next time.
xoxox.

Season 1, Episode 1 - The Mama Who Came to Dinner

The show starts out with the classic intro that we all remember: "As Days Go By". I don't remember it being this long, though, but maybe that's because TV shows don't really have long intros with theme songs anymore. Perhaps that's whats wrong with this generation. I think its important to note that there is a different Judy in the pilot episode. This little girl is a cutie but its definitely not the one we remember. Also worth noting that Jaleel White aka Steve Urkel, does not appear on the opening credits.

Anyways, we get right into the family expecting Mother Winslow to come live with them. Carl follows Harriet around the house with a list of excuses as to why she shouldn't be moving in with them. He even lists off all of his brothers that I bet we'll never meet and says he's going to try and pawn her off on them. I don't get it, was this Harriett's idea? If she's going to be so terrible, why did he even offer to have her stay there?

In the kitchen we meet Laura and Judy as they're fighting over a random baby. Who's baby is that? I don't remember there being a younger kid, I thought Judy was the youngest? Maybe we'll never see him after this episode? My question got answered real quick about Judy, though, she's a terrible actor. It's like she can't even read the cue cards. 

We meet the oldest son, Eddie, as he bounds down the stairs to tell his mom all of the chores he is going to do for her. Like any good parent, they immediately assume there is a catch so they get him to spill it. Eddie wants to go over to his friend's house and watch a Rambo marathon until 2 a.m. but he knows his curfew is at 10 p.m. They tell him they'll think about it so that he'll continue to do more chores. We also learn that Carl is a police officer...as if his sweatshirt that says "Police Academy" wasn't enough to tip us off.

Just then a knock at the door tells us Mother Winslow is here. She says hi to everyone, tells Harriet she looks beautiful and Carl he looks fat. The beginning of the dead horse fat jokes we'll hear over the next nine seasons. Our introduction to Aunt Rachel is her coming in the house carrying all of Mother Winslow's suitcase. Boy there are a lot of people coming and going in one scene, I get they're just introducing us to everyone but dang! My head is spinning. Just then the girls come down to greet Mother Winslow and Aunt Rachel asks who is watching her baby. Oooohhhhh okay, so the baby is Aunt Rachel's. Okay okay, I kind of remember an obnoxious little boy in the later seasons so I guess that's who this baby is supposed to be. The girls tell Rachel they carelessly left him upstairs by himself so she runs to get him.

Harriet gets some tea for Mother Winslow and she tells them she doesn't drink tea anymore and they shouldn't either. In fact, she's putting Carl on a diet..just what he feared. Eddie comes downstairs to say hi to Mother Winslow and the parents tell him he can't go to his friend's house. He pouts and goes upstairs. 

In the next scene, Eddie complains to Mother Winslow that he's not allowed to go to this Rambo marathon and she tells him she'll help fight for his right to party. I'm not kidding, she says that. Also, he's 15, of course he can't stay out that late cause that means a parent would have to come get him at 2 a.m. since he can't drive yet. I know my parents wouldn't come at 2 a.m. to get me...why not just make it a sleepover? This seems like a non-issue.

Mother Winslow then takes it upon herself to complain about dinner time cause she's hungry but hates the meatloaf Harriet made..without even tasting it first. What a B. Harriet ushers her out of the kitchen and tells her to relax and dinner will be ready soon.

Upstairs Laura interrupts Aunt Rachel writing to talk. Rachel asks her to listen to a part of her story and Laura dumps on it. I guess Rachel is a writer? Does that mean she and her kid are living there rent free? Laura asks Rachel if her dad is going to kick out Mother Winslow which seems kind of presumptuous considering she hasn't even been in any of the scenes where they are complaining about her. Mother Winslowa hasn't even been there for 24 hours yet, they're really pushing the pushy mama/mother in law/grandma story. We also learn that Aunt Rachel moved in after her husband died. Oookkaaayy, so now I'm the B cause I said the comment about living there rent free. Rachel and the girls run downstairs for dinner..literally running, like its Christmas dinner or something.

At dinner, Carl complains that Mother Winslow sits in his chair and Harriet tells him to shut the eff up cause she's about strangle Mother Winslow herself. Mother Winslow tells Carl that its almost the 90s (ahem) and that he should lighten up about this 10 p.m. curfew. Carl says no again and Eddie runs upstairs like a big baby and Harriet runs after him for some reason.

Carl has a sit down talk with Mother Winslow and the music comes on! The music! I forgot about these shows ending with a tender moment, a lesson, and the music! Awww, nostalgia. They talk about how pushy she is and they both say they'll make adjustments and try a lot harder. She convinces him that Eddie is a good kid and 10 p.m. is just too early for him to be safe at home.

Carl goes upstairs to talk to Eddie and we see him, uhhhh, spying on his neighbor with binoculars. I'm assuming its suppose to be a female species. How creepy! Carl says that since Eddie has made a lot of adjustments for the family, like taking the attic room so Mother Winslow can have his room, he needs to learn to trust him more. Carl says he can go to the party, so I guess he's picking him up at 2 a.m. He then takes the binoculars in case "he gets assigned to a stake out". CREEPY!

The episode ends with the adults happily playing the piano and singing "He's Got to Whole World in His Hands". For some reason this song is adults only and the girls sit on the steps in the background.

You guys! I'm so excited to have gotten through my first episode. It was pretty funny, a lot of it didn't make a whole lotta sense but we only have 20 mins for the story to build up and magically get resolved.

If you made it through reading this whole episode recap, I love you! Did you watch the show on Hulu to follow along? Anything I missed?

Til next time.
xoxo

As Days Go By...

I know, I know! I haven't post on this blog in a long time. Honestly, I've had a lot going on in my life that took up sometime to get over and I really just haven't had much to write about. BUT! I'm ready to really get back into this because I feel so much better when I'm writing, even if its just something silly and I'm the only person that reads it. 

With that said, I always feel a little more accountable to put something together when I have a project in place, like the Star Wars reviews I did last summer. I had been mulling over a new project for the past couple of weeks, and then fate happened in the hands of Hulu...who brought back all of the BEST television had to offer when I was a kid. Including...Family Matters! That's right, Family Matters!

Can you guess what I'm going to say here? I've been a big fan of other review blogs who commit to watching and reviewing each episode throughout its seasons. It's always so entertaining to me to watch these shows that I loved as a child and point out something that either seems ridiculous now or is still lovable. So that's just what I'm going to do. I will watch all 9 seasons and commit to writing a review once a week for each episode. Yes, that seems like a lot but I know I can do it! I binge watch shows all the time, so one episode a week isn't going to be too bad. I know it seems like I have a lot of time on my hands but whatever! Leave me to my vices, please, I leave you to yours. 

Let's start out with a little background for those of you who didn't grow up in the TGIF generation. The show ran from 1989 - 1998 (!!) and was produced by Miller-Boyett Productions who churned out other notable television shows such as Full House, Step by Step, and Perfect Strangers. Speaking of Perfect Strangers, this is somehow a spin off of that show. The Family Matters mom, Harriett, appeared on a couple of episodes of Perfect Strangers and I guess the producers thought "let's make a show off of her"! So they did. Family Matters is about the Winslow Family, a middle class multi generational black family living in Chicago. Turns out it became the second longest-running US sitcom with a predominantly black cast behind The Jeffersons. 

I do know what's waiting for me, though. A show that started out about a family eventually turns into the Steve Urkel show. Again, for those who DON'T know, Steve Urkel is the Winslow's nerdy next door neighbor. I'm ready for that, and we'll see how long it takes for that transformation to happen. 

I'll be posting my reviews on Friday mornings for all those who space out at work and want something a little mindless to read. So follow along with me, or don't, whatevs. It'll be trip down memory lane. Stay tuned!

xoxo

Book Review "What Alice Forgot"

Title: What Alice Forgot

Author: Liane Moriarty

Rating: 3 of 5

Synopsis: Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child. So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over—she’s getting divorced, she has three kids, and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over...

Thoughts: I liked this book. It fit the need for what I was looking for which was a good easy read. Its not going to be my favorite and I'll probably never pick it up again but I would certainly recommend it to someone looking for a beach read. The story starts out right away and keeps going throughout Alice's story trying to get her memory back. It was sort of funny to pause along with her as she evaluates her life from almost an outside perspective. She's so funny in realizing she's become one of those do everything women who has a "Friday spin class" and throws PTA get togethers for other mommies at school. I even found myself wondering how my 23 year old self would look at me now. What I didn't like was the back and forth between other women in the story. I would be reading along with the story and it would just flash into her sister's story or her grandmother's story. They were set up as letters to someone else. It just messed up the flow and I almost found myself skipping these parts to get to the main story. I also thought the ending was wrapped up in a pretty little bow (as my friend Christine likes to describe things. haha). It would make a good Hallmark Channel Movie (if it stars Candace Cameron Bure, I'll watch it) and pretty much how you expect it to end...is how it ends. But summer is for light reading so pick it up! I got this for $4 on thriftbooks.com or you can borrow my copy. 

I know I've totally been neglectful of this blog lately! But I'm trying to get back in the swing of things and I do miss it. I have plenty of books to discuss so they'll be on their way!

xoxo

Gilmore Girls Reviewed!

You knew it was going to happen! I couldn't resist writing up a review of the long awaited Gilmore Girls revamp. I'm going to warn you now, if you haven't finished it, I CANNOT keep spoilers out of this review. If you have finished, grab a cup of Luke's coffee and follow along with me!

Okay, if you knew me growing up or even now, I've never hidden my love of this show. It has all of my favorite things: witty comments, cutesy townsfolk, COFFEE, books, strong women, a brooding rebel boy with gorgeous hair and a heart of gold...wait, what was I saying? Oh that's right, what's not to love? So like the rest of you, I was waiting with baited breath for this revamp to come out on Netflix. It seems like over Thanksgiving weekend, it was all I heard about on social media.

Now, I proceeded with caution here. Netflix has a way of playing with my nostalgia emotions and then falling short. Ahem, Fuller House? But, in general, it was very well done. I can absolutely tell that the original writer came back for these 4 episodes. The last two seasons of the original series without her were lacking. But it gave us what we craved, seeing our favorite characters and what they've been up to for the last couple of years. And how things all turned out for them. So let's see how they're doing.

Emily: Wahhhhhh. I guess they had no choice but to write off Richard Gilmore from the show since the actual actor, Edward Herrmann, passed away about a year ago. It is also very realistic that by the time a child is in her 40s and granddaughter is in her 30s, they should lose a grand/parent or two. Unless you're really lucky. But seeing Emily cope with her husband's death was so heartbreaking. They did it in a good way, though, it wasn't too much or over the top. It had some funny little scenes like the over the top portrait of him. But they didn't drag it out too much, it was just there. I could've done without the therapy sessions with Lorelai. Ugh, can she grow up already and bring her vendetta against her mother to an end? Which brings me to...

Lorelai: Oh, dear. I'm gonna try not to rant here. When I watched this show as a teenager, I wanted to be Lorelai. You know, without the 16 year old kid. She's so strong and funny and I just idolized her. Watching Lorelai as an adult, and seeing her in her mid-40s still questioning what she wants in life or having this vendetta against her parents while continuously asking them for help financially, just rubs me the wrong way. It seems like her character hasn't developed at all from when we left her 10 years ago! Shes still unsure about Luke, which, lets be honest would only make sense if Luke was some one dimensional character. She can't even be a normal person to her mother when her father dies! Just be there and support her and what she's going through instead of dragging up ancient history. I'm 33 years old and I've realized a long time ago that at some point, we need to just accept our parents for who they are. They're just going to make awkward or slightly rude comments about your outfit or whether you're going to have any kids - that's just them! Sorry Lorelai, you gave up the right to ever bring up old issues with your parents when you took money from them for Chilton, Europe, Yale and now the new Inn. Move on, swallow the awkward moments and just be an adult. Phew.

Rory: Rorrrry. I loved Rory so much when I was a teenager. She spoke to my soul because of her love of books and movie/pop culture knowledge. She wasn't the cool girl in school but she didn't care because she was so steadfast in who she was and what she wanted. And also we both wanted to be a journalist! Which made me love her even more. Even though I've always rooted for her, I was sort of glad that the revival didn't make things come easy for Rory. Which is the impression I always got was that they do come easy for her. So it was nice to see her sort of struggle with that a bit and find her footing because even by the time we're in our 30s, things don't just come easy. But she'll figure it out even though we won't (or will we?!?!) get to see what the next stage brings her!

What I loved:

• Luke! He's the same old lovable character that he was in the original series. Puts up with Lorelai's bullshit and just lets her figure it out, knowing she'll come back to him. He's always so confident in them, which I love. It was SO cute how proud he was of Rory and her New Yorker piece. 

• Lane and Zack are still married! And the BAND is still together. That seriously made me so happy, I felt like I was 19 years old watching them get married again. 

• Luke and Lorelai's wedding - the word that comes to mind is 'finally'.

• That moment we saw Logan without his shirt on. Y'alll know I'm #teamJess all that way and I'm not even into blondes but holy moly oly oly. 

• And of course...Jess. I love him, no really. It was so great to see him around and that he made a man out of himself. No more wishy washy kid who doesn't have it together - although that was part of his appeal. Although we did see him towards the end of the original series, having gotten it together and even wrote a book. I also love that he encourages Rory to write a book, as well. And the moment..BAH...when Luke asks if he still has feeling for Rory and he's like "oh no, we're friends" but then we see the way he looks at her. That was enough to make my heart go copper boom. 

• That moment at the town hall meeting where they tried to get Taylor to admit his true sexual preference. Haha. 

What I hated:

• The freaking musical. What WAS that?!?! It was like 15 minutes long! Whyyy, why was it that long? Why?

• On that point, I hated every scene that felt like filler and went on way too long. There were a bunch of them. I was excited to watch the show because of the nostalgia that it brought me but they didn't need to like force feed me little cutesy scenes for no reason. Like every scene by the pool and the life and death brigade. It was unnecessary. 

• Rory being a homewrecker yet again. Come on, Rory. I forgave you when you were 19 and it happened (also it gave you a bit of an edge) but now you're just better than that. 

• The story line about Luke and Lorelai needing a baby. Her mom who she never listens to anyways says one comment and all of the sudden they start talking about having a baby and even go through the process of surrogacy? And then it wasn't mentioned again beyond the one episode, except the joke about Luke not getting how it works. I don't understand.  

• SPOILER! We might never know the father of Rory's baby!!

All in all, though, it reminded me of why I love this show so much. Its so well acted and with the original writer back for the revival, I can say that its well written too! I love it. I hope you did too! Netflix has been teasing us with these episodes since the summer so its been on my anticipation list and it finally delivered!

I'll go to my grave hoping for a Gilmore Girls: The Rory Years but I won't hold my breath. haha

xoxo. 

The Pump is Back!

Well, its back. Vanderpump Rules made its 5th season debut with as much drama packed into one episode as we could handle...seriously, though, I almost couldn't handle it. There are few shows that suck me in quite like this one, and it makes my life complete when its around.

I see our normal cast is back with an official Stassi addition from last year. I guess Bravo's forced apology tour that she did last year worked. We also see Brittany, Jax's girlfriend, now working at SUR and Jax stressing to Tom Sandoval about how they work, play, and live together and its just TOO MUCH. I guess he should've encouraged her to keep her job at Hooters, then. Lala and James are still on the show and Tom Sandoval and Ariana are still going strong as the world's "coolest couple." Katie and Tom Schwartz are still engaged and Katie is SO BUSY planning her wedding she barely has time for Lala and her drama. Right... Kristen is dating a guy for solid 10 months now! Wow, shes only 33, I think she's at that age where 10 months sounds like a really long time. Non crazy people her age may even be married by then. Although she admits to having a "fake engagement ring". Ugh...

Anyways, here are my thoughts on the Vanderpump premiere!

• Within minutes of the episode starting, we hear Jax tell Tom Sandoval that he caught Kristen going down on his girlfriend Brittany one drunken night. He continues to repeat this throughout the entire episode and I have a feeling we're going to drag this out the entire season as well. It's not even that interesting, but its just a tad gross - mainly because its Kristen. As Ariana put it "You just can't go to sleep when Kristen is around". Brittany adamantly denies it, she even seems real pissed at Jax for bringing it up and ya know, telling everyone about it. Kristen didn't fully deny that it happened. We'll see how this unfolds.

• I'm pretty sure that all of the SURvers don't even really work there anymore. They've sold their souls to Bravo and just get filmed to be in their uniforms and stand behind the bar or at the server station and gossip. There's no way they are turning around 200 tables a night because we see them basically doing nothing. On that note, I'm also convinced that the only time Lisa even walks into her restaurants is when Bravo is following her around with a crew. I ain't mad at cha, Lisa. 

• In support of my last thought, we see that Brittany & Jax and Schwartz & Katie have both updated their apartments. I believe they have been brought through Bravo blood diamond money. 

• At the Ok! Magazine party, the crew all settle into their reserved spot and they all go crazy when James and Lala enter the party. James goes insane and Lala calls the girls fat. We then hear that Stassi knows some people, that know some people, who know that Lala is FOR SURE a sugar baby and her sugar daddy has a wife and kids. Katie sees red and won't stop talking shit about Lala the whole night. She also jumps down Tom & Ariana's throats when they come to the table and say they didn't know what happened. Is she still mad at Lala for going topless around Schwartz in Hawaii last year? My God... I hope the girls (Kristen, Stassi, Scheana, and Katie) saw how they looked like a bunch of rabid hyenas while trash talking Lala. It's really sad that their so insecure about her. 

• Did anyone else want to call bullshit on this party? Why did it seem like the cast were the ONLY people in that room? Even when James & Lala leave and go to the other couch, we see the camera span out to watch them walk away and no on else is in that room. SO WEIRD. I hate being a traitor to my Bravo-fandom but...staged much?

• I also love how Katie tells Lisa that Lala body shamed her as if she hasn't said MUCH worse about Lala and pretty much every girl she is threatened by at the moment. She throws around the word "whore" like no other. Also, Katie - you are boring and just grumpy. Have you slept with your fiance yet?

• Sandoval and Ariana are friends with James and Lala? I can see the Ariana & Lala connection since it seems like Ariana isn't quick to judge but the Sandoval and James big brother moment was odd. 

• We learn that James's excuse for being ridiculous is because his parents are getting divorced. I'm sorry, what? How old are you? Time to live your life and accept that your parents have their own lives as well. Baby. 

• Oh, don't worry. It wasn't lost on me that the girls are all sitting around best friends with Scheana and judging Lala for supposedly sleeping with a married man when they did the exact same thing with Scheana when she first started. I guess since Scheana Marie is married now she's perfect, huh?

• Best quote of the night " You've ruined my Yeezy" - James. I hate you. 

So there we have it. I honestly forgot that Katie and Schwartz aren't already married. BORING. If I have to watch one more Vanderpump Rules season where its all about someone getting married, I'll claw my Scheana Marie fake colored contacts outs. 

Til next time.

xoxo. 

What's Your Favorite Scary Movie?

Happy Halloween, ya'll! I know! It's been awhile, life got a little busy there for a minute. However, things are starting to slow down juuuust in time for my favorite time of year - FALL. The air gets chilly, the nights get darker, and you have to cuddle up to your favorite person (or puppy) and...watch a good scary movie! Ever since we moved in together,  my husband and I watch an assortment of scary movies during the month of October - some are classics, some are 90s hits, and some are just so bad you have to watch. Anybody ever see Zombeavers? Netflix it.

But we save our favorites for the end of October as we get closer and closer to Halloween. So since we're in the Halloween spirit, I thought I would share with you my top 10 favorite scary movies of all time.

Top 10 Favorite Scary Movies

10. Scream

Who DOESN'T love this movie? It came when there was a need for good scary movies again and it kicked off a series of 90s scary movies that everyone (maybe it was just me?) got into. Its also really smart in sort of being a tongue in cheek plot about other scary movies.

9. The Birds

My mom is so into Alfred Hitchcock so I remember watching these movies as a kid. We mainly made fun of how fake the birds look and how the actresses from that time period over acted. But as an adult I can really appreciate the genius of Hitchcock, and I don't mean to sound like a film snob or anything cause I'm not but if you've never seen a Hitchcock film, you're missing out. I'm not kidding, evertime I see a big mess of birds just hanging out, I panic that they're waiting to fly into my car and beak me to death!

8. Carrie

"They're all gonna laugh at you!" Stephen King, another horror genius. My mom and I use to trade his books back and forth (okay, my mom isn't a weirdo - we just share a macabre side) and I thoroughly enjoyed Carrie. However, when I first watched this movie it scared the shit out of me! Its so weird and dark and amazing. I torture myself with it every year.

7. Amityville Horror (the original)

Ummm, maybe we shouldn't talk about this one? Talk about scary - this one actually happened! I'm sure there are some naysayers out there but who's to judge the family that says these things happened? I don't think they wanted to be driven out of their home in the middle of the night, never to return. If you haven't seen this one - the ORIGINAL one made in 1979, you're missing out on a good scare.

6. Halloween H20

The Halloween franchise has a string of remakes and prequels, and whatever else to its name. And besides the first one, this one is the only other one worth watching. Its just so well done. This is also the only other one besides the first two that Jamie Lee Curtis is in so it just makes it that much better. 

5. It

Another Stephen King favorite of mine. A creepy clown terrorizing little kids actually sounds like recent news except PLOT TWIST, they are the only ones that can see him! I've never been afraid of clowns but they're not my favorite and this movie chills me to the bone.

4. Psycho

"We all go a little mad sometimes". To me, this movie is just more interesting and suspenseful than scary. We see a woman who steals money from her boss and leaves town only to end up at the Bates Motel and meet an odd man with a strange relationship with his mother. Another Hitchcock movie to add to your queue.

3. The Conjuring

This is one of the "newer" movies I've seen that quickly made its way to the top of my list. Its another true haunting story but its good and suspenseful without being gory which newer movies tend to go too hard on. If you haven't seen it, do so, its a must. 

2. The Shining

I don't even think I should have to explain this one. The Shining! Jack Nicholson was perfect for this role of the psychotic father. Read the book or what the movie, either way, prepare to be scared!

1. Halloween (the original 1978)

They call it a classic for a reason. And it can ONLY be this version. I'm not down with the Rob Zombie remakes in the 2000s because they just go completely over the top. The reason that Mike Meyers is so scary is because he doesn't die, he walks confidently and creepily the whole time he's chasing some screaming girl, and in the original we didn't know he was there to kill off his little sister (spoiler alert). We just thought he stalked babysitters. But its great, it leaves us in suspense and shock when we find out the truth. I usually only watch this one and Halloween H20...the others are kind of silly. 

Other favorites that didn't quite make the Top Ten are Urban Legends, Hocus Pocus, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Those are my favorites, what are yours? Which movie will you be watching tonight? Happy Halloween, everyone!

xoxo. 

Mastering the Art of Irrational Fears

I just finished reading Julie and Julia, a book about Julie Powell, a secretary in NYC who decides to shake up her life by cooking all 524 recipes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child in one year. I'm sure you've seen the movie by now, it was released in 2009 starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep. It was a good movie, and as always, the book is so much better.

We were at a book sale this summer when my husband came across volumes 1 & 2 of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. He really wanted to buy them and other than cool looking old books (our favorite), I really didn't see a point. First of all, I've never really eaten french food; secondly, anything made by Julia Child intimidates the crap out of me. Don't get me wrong, I can cook and I love following new recipes but all I could think of was the part in the movie where Julie has to de-bone a duck and kill a live lobster and that was NOT for me. As fate would have it, at the same book sale, I saw a copy of Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously and thought "now that's a coincidence" and grabbed a copy.  I'm so glad I did. Not only is Julie Powell a hilarious writer but she also inspired me to break out MAoFC and face one of my major cooking fears.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have an irrational fear of raw meat. I hate it. HATE. I've actually gone through various years of my life being a vegetarian simply because I'll eat chewy piece of beef fat, bite into a hard part in a hamburger, or see a vein-y piece of chicken. (gag) On top of that, when I see the meat in unflattering phases before its cooked, I'll have trouble eating it. My poor husband always has to do the meat part of meals because I just simply can't touch a piece of meat when its raw or I won't eat it.

I know its all in my head and makes no sense and can't even really be explained...which is why I decided to dive right into a meal that seems so simple but to me was a mountain to climb...roasted chicken. I mean, roasting a chicken. I put on my pearls (ala Julia) and made a martini (ala Julie) and washed the chicken, took out the giblets, and stuffed that thing's cavity with bread crumbs! Chopped up the heart, lungs, and whatever else and cooked them to make a stuffing. I tied its little wings and legs together like a hostage and checked on it every 10 mins to sear it with hot basting juices for almost 2 hours. Julia is not messing around when she roasts a chicken. Here's her recipe:

Poulet Roti [ Roast Chicken]

You can always judge the quality of a cook or a restaurant by roast chicken. While it does not require years of training to produce a juicy, brown, buttery, crisp-skinned, heavenly bird, it does entail such a greed for perfection that one is under compulsion to hover over the bird, listen to it, above all see that it is continually basted, and that it is done just to the proper turn. 

Wine Suggestion: Bordeaux-Medoc or Rose

3 lb, ready to cook roasting or frying chicken

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tb soften butter

A shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold the chicken easily

To flavor the sauce: a small sliced carrot and onion

For basting: a small sauce pan containing 2 Tb melted butter, 1 Tb good cooking oil; a basting brush (I just used a spoon)

1/2 Tb minced shallot

1 Cup brown chicken stock, broth, or bouillon

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle the inside of the chicken with salt, and smear in half the butter. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the stuffing (optional). Truss the chicken (meaning tie the legs and wings to the body). Place chicken breast up in the roasting pan. Strew the vegetables around it, and set it on a rack in the middle of the preheated oven.  Allow the chicken to brown lightly for 15 minutes, turning it on the left side after 5 mins, on the right side for the last 5 mins and basting it in butter and oil after each turn. Baste rapidly so oven does not cool off. 

Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Leave the chicken on its side and baste every 8 to 10 mins, using the fat in the roasting pan when the butter and oil are exhausted. Regulate oven heat so chicken is making cooking noised but fat is not burning. 

Halfway through estimated roasting time, salt the chicken and turn on its side. Continue basting.

Fifteen minutes before end of estimated roasting time, salt again and turn the chicken breast up. 

Indications that the chicken is almost done are: a sudden rain splutters in the oven, a swelling of the breast and slight puff of the skin. 

When chicken is done, discard trussing strings and set the chicken on a platter. Let it sit a room temperature for 5 to 10 mins before carving.
Bring the juices from the chicken to a rapid boil and add in the chicken stock until it thickens. If you need help making it thick, add in 1 Tb of flour. This is your gravy.

For Stuffing: 

3/4 lb. finely chopped mushrooms

1 Tb butter

1 Tb oil

1 1/2 Tb minced shallots

Chicken gizzard, chopped

chicken liver, chopped

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup of dry white crumbs

3 Tb cream cheese

1/2 tsp of dried tarragon

1/4 tsp of salt

Big pinch of pepper. 

Saute mushrooms in hot butter and oil with shallots for 5 to 8 mins, until pieces begin to separate from each other. Place them in mixing bowl. Saute gizzard for 2 mins in hot butter. Add the liver and saute 2 mins more. Add to mixing bowl. 

Pour wine into the mushroom cooking skillet and boil it down rapidly until it has reduced to a spoonful. Scrape into the mixing bowl. 

Blend the rest of the ingredients into the mixing bowl and season carefully to taste. Let the stuffing cool. Pack it loosely into the chicken. 

I was so freaking beside myself after chopping up the organs and you know, touching a baby chicken, that I completely forgot two key ingredients in the stuffing, the red wine and the mushrooms! When I remembered, it was too late, the stuffing was already inside this little baby and it was tied up to be
cooked. I really thought the basting every 10 mins seemed a little unnecessary and maybe it was, but I was trying to follow exactly as Julia instructed and in the end I came out with a perfectly cooked chicken and even made up my own gravy from the juices and some chicken stock. And when I say it was perfect, I mean perfect. It was golden on the outside and nice and juicy on the inside, just like you want in a bird. My husband and I were so hungry after smelling it cooking for 2 hours that we just dove right into everything and it was like a mini Thanksgiving dinner.

I found it very satisfying to cook a meal where everything was made from scratch which I can't say that I always do. It definitely wasn't the healthiest of meals, what with the constant butter slathering, but it was comfort food at its greatest. I was satisfied and proud of myself but thoroughly exhausted. I don't like cooking like that, to me the beauty of roasting something is that you sprinkle it with olive oil and salt and forget about it for 25 mins. Not obsessively opening the oven to make sure the juices are clear and the butter is getting everywhere. I now know what its like to be a helicopter parent. "How's it doing?" "Are you okay in there?" "It needs more butter! Get it more butter!"

I don't know how Julie Powell did a recipe a night for an entire year and all I did was roast a chicken! I can't imagine an entire duck or Beef Bourguignon that has a freaking laundry list of ingredients. If you read the book and try a recipe, you'll understand why she has consistent emotional breakdowns. (Full book review to come)

So all in all, great book, great recipe...and I'll never eat chicken again.

xoxo.

A Star Wars Rookie: My Theory Revealed!

Okay, I'm all caught up. I'm officially not a Star Wars virgin anymore. Do I look any different? Perhaps, older and more mature? I feel a bit wiser as I've expanded my pop culture knowledge and no longer have to pretend that I understand references.

I just finished re-watching The Force Awakens and I've come up with my theory of who Rey is and what her connect is with the force. If you'll remember from a couple weeks ago when I declared this a challenge accepted, my hope was to find out all I know about these movies and chime in with my theory of her origins.

Before we get into that I need to say how much I like this movie. Now, I saw it when it first came out, and while my husband promised me that I didn't need to know the other movies to get into this one, it was so great to have the insider knowledge! This has to be my second favorite of all the movies I watched (#1 has to be Return of the Jedi). It's just done so well. This movie some how manages to be self aware of itself as an anticipated Star Wars movie. Example, Finn and Rey are in the same boat as me when they realize they're on the Millennium Falcon and hey wait, they're talking to Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker they thought was a myth. I almost expected one of them to say "Wait, Am I in a Star Wars movie?" Unlike the prequel trilogy JJ Abrams and co. realize that they are not only making a new Star Wars movie for the die hard fans who grew up with the originals, but also to a new group of people who are experiencing these stories for the first time.

This movie also knows how to do the "comedic relief" very well. After having just watched the prequel trilogy and thinking I would be scarred for life from Jar Jar Binks, this was much appreciated.
Finn offered some funny lines "we'll just use the force!" and of course Chewie and Han Solo are always funny... "did you just call me Solo?" And you know I love a kick ass heroine and the originals delivered Princess Leia so of course I love Rey, too.

That brings us to Rey, who is she? Drumroll please...

Rey is Han Solo & Leia's Daughter!

Okay, okay, hear me out! There really is a lot of hidden evidence to support this. When you know what you're looking for you can find it. 

• She grew up right near the Millennium Falcon, which has been in a junkyard for years but she almost instinctively knows how to fly it even though its suppose to be a heap of junk.

• When Rey meets Chewie and Han Solo on board, they almost fall right into this sort of Father-Daughter team of being in charge of the Falcon...even saying things at the exact same time. 

• Han gives Rey a sad look when she says she "didn't know so much green existed in the universe". At this point, she never mentioned where she comes from or her story. You would think if they were perfect strangers that he would give her more of a puzzled look. He definitely already knows about her being stranded on Jakku for many years. 

• Kylo Ren has a pretty strong reaction when he finds out about "a girl from Jakku". We seem him lose his cool a couple of times when people mention Rey as if he already knows who she is..because why would a total stranger have such an effect on him? And we have all seen how Kylo Ren reacts to his family. 

• During Kylo Ren's interrogation of Rey he mentions that she feels "Han Solo is the father she never had". Why would she really have those feelings about him unless she feels a deeper connection? I think this was a big hint that is impossible to miss. 

• Leia gives Rey a pretty strong hug when she returns...maybe she's just being sentimental because she knows Han Solo died (spoiler alert) but for just meeting Rey for the first time, its a pretty long hug. I think there's a connection there. 

• When Kylo Ren reads Rey's thoughts he said she dreams of an ocean and a green island, or something like that. Which we find out at the end of the movie that is it the location of the Jedi temple where Luke is hidden. 

• Why would Leia just send Rey off to find Luke on her own at the end of the movie? You would think that Leia would be like "I'm going to get my brother not sending some strange girl." There's a connection there, which I'm aware is good support evidence for the popular theory of Rey being Luke's daughter. 

via GIPHY

My husband thinks that Rey is just Han Solo's daughter and not Leia's...but I had to debunk this because she has the force and Luke's lightSABER called to her. She must be connected to the Skywalker family. What I'm thinking is, that Rey is Han & Leia's daughter but was a former padawan of her Uncle Luke at his school. When Kylo Ren came back and destroyed the Jedi school and the padawans, I think Rey survived. Then, Leia and Han decided to put their child on Jakku for her own safety and wipe her memory of the event since it was so tragic. This would sort of be a similar situation that Luke was in when we first met him in A New Hope, except he was a baby. The story line connections are just so similar and I know that is happening on purpose. I predict that maybe Rey is going to be integral in turning Kylo Ren back to the light since Leia hints she feels "there is still light in him". I think that a brother and sister dynamic would have a bigger impact on this rather than a first cousin (if she were Luke's daughter).

So there you have it, my theory of Rey's origins. Like I said before, I really liked this movie. I think it was great in keeping the original generation of Star Wars characters and story lines while also getting us excited for a new generation of characters to see what happens with Rey, Finn, Poe, and even BB8. I'm so excited to watch the next couple of movies and see what we find out!

I know you can't call no spoilers on movies that are over 20 years old, but, thanks for going on this journey with me and for all the people who chimed in with their comments (mainly my husband and brother in law) without any spoilers. It's been fun and if any of you get into Harry Potter and have questions just holla at me, I owe you some answers.

Look, mom, I'm a Star Wars fan!
xoxo.

A Star Wars Virgin: My Questions Have Answers!

Yesterday, I posted Round 2 of my Star Wars challenge after I finished watching the prequel trilogy and I had some lingering questions and I wasn't sure if I would ever get answers (because I was NOT going on a Star Wars fan discussion board again).

This is where my brother in law, Rocco, is vital to my sanity. He has proven to be my own personal Yoda in this journey and I'm young and naive Luke. He's very wise and has a lot of insight into things I didn't even know were there. He has thorough knowledge of the characters, scenes, and facts about George Lucas and filming. It's been great to have an expert in my corner since I find these movies to have a lot of different parts and characters!

I think its worth stating that Rocco has been in my life for about 15 years. He is the husband of my older sister, Yana, and I've literally known him since I was 17 years old. And I have never, ever, gotten as many texts from him in those 15 years than I have in the past two or three weeks of me watching these Star Wars movies. But that's sort of the great thing about Rocco. He's not in anyway an overbearing person but when he's passionate about something...he's passionate. He always has insights into how movies were made and directed and unknown facts or has seen deleted footage...so I shouldn't have been at all surprised that he would text me after every one of my posts to drop some knowledge.

So after finishing six of these movies, I had a bunch of questions which I thought did not make any sense, some of which I would say could be considered plot holes. However, like the good Yoda that he is, Rocco sent me some answers to my questions and I couldn't help but share them with you.

Question 1. Why doesn't Obi-Wan recognize R2D2 in A New Hope? 

Rocco: Technically the appliance reference makes sense. R2 droids are extremely common and though droids become characters with us in the movies they are just tools. There is actually a very cool droid side story about how C3PO ends up with an orange arm in The Force Awakens. 

Question 2: How did the Jedi just end up using the storm troopers as an army?

Rocco: The Jedi investigate the planet that was removed from the maps (the scene with Yoda and the kids) and they discover a defect Jedi (later found to be Count Dooku...worst name ever) went there and had the clone people clone Jango Fett (Boba Fett's dad) into a clone army. The clone people were told by Dooku that this army is for the Jedi they will need in an upcoming battle. That battle is orchestrated from Palpatine with the trade federation as the "false threat". So the Jedi use the clones but they are also programmed to double cross the Jedi. They are also clones which is why they are so dumb later in episode 4...the gene pool is diluted. 

Question 3: What happens in between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope? How come it seems like Leia grows up to already be involved with the Rebel Alliance? How did the Death Star get created? 

Rocco: Almost all of these questions will be answered in Rouge One coming in Dec. except Leia. They tried to shoe horn Jimmy Smits as her stepdad/rebel leader so she is essentially born into the rebellion but never told she has the force

Question 4: Yoda tells Obi-Wan that he should learn to commune with Qui-Gon (his former master) while on Tatoonie...what? That doesn't make any sense? Why would they put that in there if it never gets mentioned in the next one?

Rocco: Yoda telling Obi-Wan to communicate to Qui-Gon is Lucas's half- assed effort to explain the ability to talk to the dead via the force as Obi-Wan does to Luke later. There is actually a deleted scene where Qui-Gon talks to Obi-Wan from the dead but its stupid and rightfully deleted. The force can allow communication with the dead but its never really explained and this was a bad attempt. 

Question 5: How did Princess Leia get her message for Obi-Wan to R2D2 if they were suppose to be randomly sold at the end of Revenge of the Sith? 

Rocco: Its said that the droids are like ever present beings throughout the saga. Somehow, someway, they end up in all the crucial moments. So short answer...fate or the force.

Question 6: Why does Darth Vader interact with Leia so nonchalantly throughout the first trilogy but immediately knows something is amiss when Luke is present? Does she not have "the force"? Or if so, shouldn't he be able to sense something with her too? When Luke and company arrive on the Death Star to save Leia, Vader says "I sense a something, a presence I haven't felt since...". Is he talking about Luke?

Rocco: Leia had the force but doesn't get in touch with it. It can be said that she didn't ignite the flame before she met Luke. I have always felt that the quote you're referring to is for Obi-Wan not Luke because later Vader senses Luke when they are flying around the Death Star.

Question 7:  In the first trilogy...Palpatine tells Vader "We have reason to believe that the pilot who destroyed the Death Star is Luke Skywalker, son of Anakin Skywalker." Doesn't Palpatine know that's Vader? 

Rocco: Like Obi-Wan telling Luke your father died, technically he did and Vader is not his father. So Palpatine is continuing the long con that you are now Vader and there never was Anakin Skywalker. The dude is evil. 

He also imparted his wisdom on what I SHOULD be asking:

• Would an Ewok make a good pet?

• Why is Lando randomly wearing Han Solo's clothes when flying the Millennium Falcon?

• Why couldn't Kylo Ren kill two people who never picked up a lightSABER after he showed that he can literally stop a laser in mid air while talking to someone and giving orders to kill. 

While I still maintain my point that Obi-Wan should have recognized R2D2, it relaxes me to have explanations for my other questions. There is a lot to focus on and keep track of in these movies and it was tough to keep everything straight. Now I feel that I can fully move on and towards The Force Awakens with full knowledge on everything that happened.

So thank you, Rocco! You're going to be a great help for your sons if they ever grow up to love Star Wars...or...maybe they don't have a choice. :)

xoxo. 

A Star Wars Virgin: Round 2

Okay, we need to talk. Although I was thoroughly warned, I was not prepared for how much I would dislike the Phantom Menace. I won't say hate, I'll say dislike. There were two major factors in this for me: Jar Jar Binks and little kid Anakin Skywalker. You guys, Jar Jar Binks is the worst. He's so horrible I couldn't stand any scene that he was in. I really don't even know what to say about him except that I'm so glad he wasn't a large role in the other movies. My husband said he thinks that is due to the fact that fans revolted after they first saw Binks. The whole movie was pretty odd. The little kid was horrible, the worst actor, and then some of the cheesy lines were annoying too.

As you can gather, I finished watching Phantom Menance, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. After watching these movies I can say that I'm so glad I started with the original three because I don't think I would've made it if I started with these three. They're pretty good, some of the lightSABER fights were awesome and it was nice to get most of my questions answered but overall I wasn't as into these as I was the originals. I had to kind of make myself watch them and I admit that I fell asleep a couple of times during Attack of the Clones and we needed to keep pausing and going back into it.

I didn't like the over usage of CGI but I know when these movies came out this was a new tool to use so I can sort of understand being overly excited about it. I definitely preferred puppet Yoda over CGI Yoda, something in his character just got lost there. And was anything on the set real or were they all just standing in front of green screens?

Let's talk characters.

Anakin Skywalker is of course the main character of the movies. The whole point of the series (for me) was to find out who he was and how he became Darth Vader. The writing in combination with the acting was distracting me from Anakin's character. The little kid in Phantom Menance and then Hayden Christiansen really fell flat for me. *deep breath* I didn't think the puppy love for Padme was cute at all. I feel like they tried to write him similar to Luke but he came off annoying instead of lovable. I was so excited to finally see how Anakin became Darth Vader but by the time Obi-Wan left him to die in the lava of Mustafar, he was so annoying I couldn't have cared less what happened to him. I was unconvinced that his anger towards what happened to his mother would harden him and make him weary to "the dark side".

Obi-Wan was another character I was interested in getting to know more about. In the second movie, Attack of the Clones, I was afraid we were going to get another stupid love triangle with him, Padme, and Anakin so I can be grateful they didn't go that route. I thought his character would be more integral for me...bringing up Anakin as a young Padewan and showing him the ways of the Jedi. The delivery of cheesy one liners, I could've lived without but overall his character wasn't too bad. He had some good lightSABER fights but I didn't really root for him...I guess I was suppose to feel for him when he was so disheartened by Anakin turning to the dark side but I was kind of just like "shut up".

I guess Padme is another main character. Going into these I wanted to find out about Luke and Leia's mom but I was ill prepared for the long drawn out love story. In the first movie I loved Queen Amidala. She was reminiscent of Leia by wiedling weapons and leading her troops. She had strategies and was really intent on making sure her people were safe. I really loved how they bait and switched me with her bodyguard, that was pretty cool. Then she falls in love and she goes totally pathetic on me. Like I said before, I was glad there wasn't a love triangle I would have to sit through. What was with that scene where Anakin is watching her brush out her enormous perm in the moonlight. Really? Who WROTE that scene? First, you don't brush OUT curls ever and second, no. And in Revenge of the Sith shes pregnant and just running around worried about Anakin and she dies from "a broken heart" and "lost the will to live"...even for your two babies? Whatever.

What I Learned:

• Palpatine! He is sinister to the bone. He ended up being my main source of curiosity throughout the films. His character is what makes me think there was some sort of talented writers on these movies because he is what you want in a villain. I learned how he manipulates Anakin into thinking that the Jedi are bad. Although Anakin spent his whole damn life with the Jedi and Palpatine says this to him once and now he's convinced of it too? Wait a minute! Maybe Anakin was suppose to be written as a big dumb kid?!?! 

• If you are a Star Wars virgin, like me, don't make the mistake I made by asking a question on a Star Wars fan discussion board. All I did was point out what I thought was a tiny plot hole. I said "How come Obi-Wan doesn't recognize R2D2 in A New Hope when we see him spending all this time fighting along side R2 in the prequel movies?" Well, that upset the nerds. Within minutes...no SECONDs...I received answers like "Anakin owned R2D2 not Obi-Wan" and "R2D2 isn't a person, he's more like an appliance...do you remember the blender that you owned 20 years ago??!?!?!" to which I replied "Yes, I freaking loved that blender". 

• The Jedi Order is all wiped out by a single order to the storm troopers to kill them. Although, I really didn't care too much about the Jedi for this moment to make a large impact. Sam L Jackson's character seemed like he was suppose to be a main character but I don't even remember his name, to be honest. 

• The twins get separated as babies because of the order that killed all the Jedi. They move the twins to where Anakin/Darth Vader won't know how to get to them. Leia ends up on Alderaan and Luke goes to Tatoonie. 

• The meaning of the different colored lightSABERs is all in my head.

• Some battle scenes and lightSABER fights go on for 20 mins and then the really cool one with Darth Maul gets cut way way too short. 

Lingering Questions: 

• Why doesn't Obi-Wan recognize R2D2 in A New Hope? He even freaking says "I don't remember owning a droid before". And yes, even though he technically didn't own him, you would think he would still remember him! R2 is fighting along side of them throughout the other prequels. It doesn't add up.

• How did the Jedi just end up using the storm troopers as an army? Were they just hanging out and waiting for someone to tell them what to do? Because then Palpatine shows up and tells them to kill all the Jedi and they're like "oh okay." And then as we know they become Darth Vader's army...I missed something with that one. Like I said, I kept falling asleep. 

• What happens in between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope? How come it seems like Leia grows up to already be involved with the Rebel Alliance? How did the Death Star get created? 

• Yoda tells Obi-Wan that he should learn to commune with Qui-Gon (his former master) while on Tatoonie...what? That doesn't make any sense? Why would they put that in there if it never gets mentioned in the next one?

• How did Princess Leia get her message for Obi-Wan to R2D2 if they were suppose to be randomly sold at the end of Revenge of the Sith? 

• Why does Darth Vader interact with Leia so nonchalantly throughout the first trilogy but immediately knows something is amiss when Luke is present? Does she not have "the force"? Or if so, shouldn't he be able to sense something with her too? When Luke and company arrive on the Death Star to save Leia, Vader says "I sense a something, a presence I haven't felt since...". Is he talking about Luke? Or maybe he's talking about Obi-Wan!

• And in the first trilogy...Palpatine tells Vader "We have reason to believe that the pilot who destroyed the Death Star is Luke Skywalker, son of Anakin Skywalker." Doesn't Palpatine know that's Vader? Why doesn't he say "Oh snap, we think you're son is alive!"

Overall, I think I can say all these movies were good for was to answer a lot of the questions that I had lingering since the first trilogy. They weren't bad but they definitely weren't good and they were no where near the first trilogy. At points in this movie I felt like they just threw in some old characters to be involved in the action for nostalgia? I'm not sure. Like Chewbacca? Why was he there? I understand there is a whole Wookie species but throwing in Chewbacca was just like, yeah okay. You're trying to make me excited to see a loved character. 

Anyways, I could talk about these movies for days. haha. I am glad I watched them! But I'm not quite finished. I'm going to re-watch The Force Awakens and see if there is anything I missed. I started this whole series-watching to figure out my own theory on Rey's origins so that's what I'll be stewing up next. 

Until next time, may the force be with you.

xoxo