Category Archives: Arts & Entertainment

Four Summer Blockbusters For The Whole Family

12 Apr

Four Summer Blockbusters For The Whole Family

Summer 2014 is shaping up to be the season of sequels and remakes, welcoming additions to many popular franchises, as well as some fresh takes on classic films. Take a look at some of the most anticipated films your family has to look forward to:

1. May 16 – Godzilla

Joining the ranks of Godzilla remakes, Gareth Edwards’ upcoming film looks like the most visually impressive version yet. We’ll see Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson leading an ensemble cast, and while the “M” word has not yet been mentioned, Godzilla will be facing a giant winged creature we can only assume is Mothra.

2. May 23 – X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Days of Future Past steps back into the timeline set by the 2006 film, X-Men: The Last Stand. After lines are drawn by the two sets of mutant forces led by Dr. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen), the world stands in jeopardy of being torn apart by the ensuing war between the powerful factions. According to writer-producer Simon Kinberg, the film will deviate from the comic’s original source material, sending only Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time to try to prevent the rift between Xavier and Magneto from ever occurring.

3. May 30 – Maleficent

A fresh take on the beloved fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty,” “Maleficent,” starring Angelina Jolie, tells the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain in the classic 1959 film. The movie takes a look at the events that hardened the evil fairy’s heart, leading her to curse baby Princess Aurora. Filled with action, adventure, and gorgeous costumes, this film looks perfect for the whole family to enjoy.

4. June 27 – Transformers: Age of Extinction

Although it’s the fourth installment of the Transformers franchise, Transformers: Age of Extinction is more of a reboot than a sequel, according to director Michael Bay. Shia LaBeouf is out, allowing Mark Wahlberg to take the helm as the film’s human lead. Completely breaking off from the previous series, Age of Extinction will be the beginning of a separate trilogy of its own, says Bay. Audiences will be introduced to a host of new characters as well, including transformer bounty hunters, and most excitingly, fire-breathing Dinobots.

Great Books to Read This Summer

12 Apr

The summer is a perfect time to read a great book, but with so many popular options, it can be hard to choose.

If you want to read books that can capture your attention throughout the entire summer, you should consider The

Hunger Games trilogy or the Divergent trilogy. These books are easy to read and can accompany you well for long road trips. For instance, in one week of traveling, I made it through the entire Hunger Games trilogy, including The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. It was so entertaining to read that time seemed to fly by.  The Divergent trilogy, just as engaging, is also a great option to choose as a travel read. Fortunately, both of these series have been recreated into movies. If you’ve seen the movie and loved it, you will enjoy the book even more.

The Fault In Our Stars is also a great book to consider; it will be released as a movie in theaters on June 6th, this year. From the looks of early reviews, it will be just as popular as The Hunger Games and Divergent. The only difference is that it’s not a series. So when approaching this story, it should be more manageable to read, especially if you don’t have a lot of time to spend relaxing with it.  Beware, though, this book is known as a tearjerker, so make sure you have tissues close at hand.

For something less gloomy, Confessions of a Shopaholic is a fun option. It’s an exciting story about a Manhattan shopaholic who finds love while spending huge amounts of money that she doesn’t have. Doesn’t it sound like a fabulous beach read! Get started reading one of these great books, today.