Movie Review: Django Unchained

Let's talk about Django Unchained, seen it yet? No? Go see it right now.
In case you couldn't tell, I loved it, and I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum while telling you why I loved it, to save those who haven't seen it yet and are not following my initial instructions to go see it right this second.

I'm going to start by saying that I am a huge Tarantino fan. My favorite movie of all time is Reservoir Dogs, so much to the point I have a wall sized poster of it, and watch it at least once a month.  WIth that said, everything I've seen by him I've liked. That isn't to say that I don't agree with some critics who say "bad" things about some of his movies. I can agree with the fact that Inglourious Basterds, while amazing, was a little pretentious, or Death Proof, which is actually playing on my TV right this second, is really long and a bit boring at times. That doesn't make me love either of those films any less.

Moving on, I loved Django Unchained and had few to no issues with the movie.
The first thing that really drew me to it, other than my undying love for Christoph Waltz, is that I do love a good western movie. While its set in the south in 1858, as the title card says, its filmed a lot like a western movie.
Another thing that I really loved about this movie, is the amount of blood and gore in it. Thats a warning; if you aren't a fan of blood and gore, this might not be a movie for you. It can be fairly brutal at times, the opening scene alone sets how much blood comes out of a person when they're shot. Spoilers: it erupts out of them with a bit of a "squish" noise. Gross, but adds to the humor of the movie.
Another thing that you should be prepared for in the "brutal" category, is this is a movie about bounty hunters set during the time of slavery. Keeping spoilers to a minimum, that means a lot of shooting, a lot of death, and a lot of brutality (both physical, and verbal) towards those playing slaves.

If you can get past that, the movie is actually very, very funny. It stars Christoph Waltz as an anti-slavery bounty hunter, and Jamie Foxx as a freed slave-turned-bounty hunter. The dynamic between the two is amazing, starting out with almost a baby-sitter/mentor type relationship, where Waltz teaches Foxx how to be a bounty hunter, growing into equals.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays the villan, and let me tell you he does a wonderful job. The trailer doesn't give away too much of the movie, so I wont spoil it for you, but I will say the focus is the rough and tough pair going to rescue Foxx's wife from DiCaprio's plantation.

My only problem with the movie is the run time, 2 hours and 45 minutes. Unlike Basterds, where I thought the movie with that run time was too short, Django's run time was a bit too long. The scene before the last scene, in my opinion, was too lengthy...if needed at all. The only point of that scene was to acquire something to use at the end of the movie. I don't think they needed that scene, granted if they cut it, Tarantino wouldn't have his 10 minute on screen time.

The last thing I will say, is I loved Samuel L Jackson actually playing a character in this movie. Not that he doesn't act normally, but whenever I saw him in a movie prior, it wasn't really acting for me. Rather it was "oh now Samuel L Jackson is on a plane with snakes." His character in Django Unchained was funny, and well portrayed.

I'll leave you with this, the review my lovely boyfriend made as his Facebook status; "Django Unchained was tons of fun! None of the pretentiousness from Basterds and 100% more horses!"

And if that doesn't sell you on it, I don't know what to tell you.
Loren ♥

Top 10 Teas

Hey there blog! Its been awhile, and its not that I've completely forgotten about posting, its just things have been so hectic here at school I haven't really had time to do anything except write essays. To be completely honest I'm currently taking a break from reading Pseudo-Xenophon for Greek history, so with this time I'll write a very simple blog post.

For those of you who read my blog and know me, you know that I really really really love tea. So let me tell you about my favorite kinds of tea.

      1. Matcha iri Genmaicha

This is probably my favorite tea of all time due to the fact its highly caffeinated. The color of the tea itself is a very odd shade of bright yellow-green, which is what drew me to it when I first saw it. The flavor is very nutty, and pretty strong, which puts some people off from it. But if you don't mind the flavor I'd give it two thumbs up!

I prefer my matcha, like most of my tea, without any additions; meaning don't add milk or sugar!

Just remember to brew it for 1-2 minutes to keep it light and avoid the really nutty taste.

      2. Twinings Pure White Tea

My god do I love white tea. 

I love how light and sweet it can be, and how you don't really need to add anything to it. Unlike the previous tea, its very very light and not quite as flavorful. White tea has caffeine as well, but not nearly as much as the last one.

For the perfect cup, keep it light and don't brew for more than 1 1/2 minutes! No seriously, any more than that throws off the taste, and most tea sites and experts will tell you to not brew for more than a minute. Personally, I think a minute isn't long enough and doing that you won't get as much flavor as you want.

      3. "Rory Williams"

Let's shift gears a little here, now I know I said I prefer my teas and coffees without add-ins, but this tea in particular tastes really good with a splash of milk, and a tiny bit of sugar.
The "Rory Williams" is a signature blend named after a Doctor Who character. I bought it...well mostly because Rory is my favorite character on the show, but also because the blend involves Irish Breakfast Tea, which I do really love.

This tea is very sweet, with hints of vanilla and, strangely enough, sweet potato. I had no idea that sweet potato tea would even taste good, but wow it sure does! Highly recommended by both myself and my boyfriend (I do believe its his favorite tea so far).

      4. Green Tea

Of any kind. No really, just go out to your supermarket and grab any kind of green tea. Preferably one not mixed with any other flavors, and a decaffeinated type, because with all the other teas mentioned, you'd want a minute to relax and not feel more awake.

Now why do I love green tea? Its so simple and smooth and plain. Also it has crazy antioxidants that just make you feel super! If its caffeine free, you can enjoy it whenever without the worry of staying awake all night, or being drowsy in the morning.

Plus its good for your health! Boosts metabolism, and it can go with whatever you're eating!

      5. "John Watson"

Ok, back to signature blends; this one is named for the lovable John Watson from BBC's Sherlock. This tea is a lovely mix of Irish Breakfast, Earl Grey, and cinnamon. Be warned though, the cinnamon is not terribly noticeable which is probably why I love the tea so much! I'm not big on cinnamon and was expecting a lot more, but luckily its very light.

I personally enjoy this tea both with and without milk and sugar. Its caffeinated, and I like mine brewed pretty dark so I can get the full flavor of the Earl Grey. I know that my boyfriend prefers it with some milk and sugar, but I think its because I brew it dark to begin with. If I were to brew it lighter, it would not need sugar...or milk for that matter!

But yes, definitely recommended.

Top 5 Honorable Mentions:

1. Earl Grey. Once again, any kind will do, but I prefer the Twinings kind. Its very refreshing, and I love it.
2. Irish Breakfast, of any kind. Dark, caffeinated, tastes good with a splash of milk. Need I say more? Oh yeah I do; eat with breakfast!
3. Jasmine tea. Light, flowery, look for a kind that has green tea in it!
4. Peach and Ginger black tea. That kind in specific. Very dark, but the ginger is very nice, and, once again, does not need add-ins.
5. And lastly, raspberry tea. Now I don't normally like fruit teas, but this one when iced with a dash of sugar makes the most perfect iced tea you could ask for. So it's worth a shot!

Happy brewing!

♥ Loren