Author: Sara Embrey

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Show your Appreciation on Be An Angel Day which is on 8/22/2016

 

Some of the key factors in our lives are the people we surround ourselves with. But it’s not everyday that we take the time to appreciate them and show them the love that they deserve. August 22nd, is Be An Angel Day, where people can show others just how much they care about them! In 1993, Jayne Howard Feldman decided to create a national day to encourage people to help those in need with random acts of kindness. Throughout your day, try to perform random acts of kindness for people around you, whether it’s volunteering in your community, helping your family around the house, or even setting up a Lure for strangers at the nearest PokeStop in the mobile app, Pokemon GO.

 
Films offer a lot of perspectives on types of angels, from spiritual or symbolic to real life physical representations. In the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), starring actor James Stewart and actress Donna Reed, tells a story of a guardian angel who shows a man the world if he had never existed. The story focuses on the meaningful and helpful things people do to affect the people around them. Another relatable film, Inspired by Angels (2014), shows real life experiences of people who have made contact or believe they have been affected by Angels in their lifetime. This film includes interviews with spiritual leaders, professors, and other Angel enthusiasts. The meaning of an Angel is different between individuals, and people can express them through various types of art. You don’t have to be an Angel from the heavens to show people that you care, so take some time today to show people just how much they mean to you.

inspired by angels

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Suicide Squad or Batman: Assault on Arkham?

 

Before there was the release of Suicide Squad, the DC animated universe released Batman: Assault on Arkham in 2014 debuting the New 52 versions of the anti-heroes. With the DC cinematic universe starting in 2013 with Superman: Man of Steel and expanding towards one of the most anticipated films of 2017, Justice League, its animated counterpart has released 9 films since Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox in 2013 with its latest project Batman and Harley Quinn recently announced with no release date, it is clear to see that the animated universe has been expanding at a faster rate than the cinematic universe.

However, which one of these two Suicide Squad films is better, Suicide Squad with Margot Robbie and Ben Affleck or Batman: Assault on Arkham with voice actors Hynden Walch and Kevin Conroy?

Time to break it down!

Let’s start with Harley Quinn, one of DC’s most complicated and beloved characters that has ever emerged, first made her appearance in Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, which is what most of us grew up with.

Assault on Arkham definitely does have a sense of nostalgia to it due to Hynden Walch reprising her role as the Queen of Laughs, along with Kevin Conroy coming back as Batman, but Suicide Squad definitely brings in a sense of freshness to new viewers who have never been introduced to this grouping of anti-heroes before.

The relationship between the Joker and Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad was definitely not what most people are familiar with. Harley and the Joker’s relationship was always seen as one-sided where Harley, completely devoted to the Joker whereas the Joker manipulated this devotion of his own gain, never giving her the love she wanted. The cinematic film showcased the beloved couple, as a caring pair that would go to the ends of the Earth for one another. That becomes one of the issues with the cinematic universe in that it displays and cuts out the scenes where the Joker abuses Harley, romanticizing their relationship to the new viewer base while betraying hardcore fans of the Suicide Squad. By romanticizing their one-sided,manipulative relationship, it takes out the version of Harley Quinn that many people love that caused her to join the Suicide Squad in the first place. Within the comics, after a fall out with the Joker, she was enlisted into the squad. Through many versions of Harley Quinn in the comics, fans have grown to love and sympathize with her as she tells her stories after ending her relationship with him.
The Joker in Assault on Arkham verbally abuses Harley, vocalizing his dominance and possessiveness over her, and here she wants to break free from the chains that latched onto her, showing its fans the Harley and Joker relationship that many people know and love. However, in the cinematic universe the Joker shows a sense of devotion to Harley, showing some type of protection and loyalty, the feeling of love mutual between the both of them, making it, in a sense, uncomfortable for many of its hardcore fans to watch.

One thing that Suicide Squad definitely missed out on was the tension between Deadshot and Captain Boomerang. The duo, even within the comics, were battling over dominance of the team, essentially who should be the leader of the squad. Suicide Squad showcased Captain Boomerang mostly as a slacker, who didn’t really showboat or attempt to impress as the better man with the better aim. Assault on Arkham definitely showcased this power struggle, making the action thriller animated film more humorous to watch.

One of the benefits of watching the animated universe to the cinematic one is that there is so much potential in the films, no limits on CGI or storylines because there is a lot of material and resources that the animation team could use. The Assault on Arkham definitely used a lot of their resources to create an interesting story that draws the audience into the film with all its action and jokes. However, it does not give a real concrete background for many of the characters, that Suicide Squad provided. Assault on Arkham services on audiences that are familiar with the squad members already, whereas Suicide Squad provided the background for all the members for an assumed audience coming to see the movie without any prior knowledge.
However, that became another flaw with the Suicide Squad. Since the cast had a bunch of characters, the background on each character took up a lot of the film’s movie, rushing the action towards the end. Along with brushing some of the characters’ background stories like Katana’s, whose story was spoken about in just a single line of the film. Arguably, most fans enjoyed the first half of the film that introduced all the members of the squad.

Ultimately in the end, both are good versions of the Suicide Squad. Suicide Squad takes a classic tale of the comics and helps introduces the DC cinematic universe. With the cinematic universe barely beginning with even more movies scheduled to be released up until with a Justice League sequel in 2020, Suicide Squad establishes some of the major villains of the DC universe. On the other end, Assault on Arkham, takes the beloved comic stories onto the bigger screens, not the big screens. With the animated series expanding even further with future films like Justice League Dark, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, and Batman and Harley Quinn, the characters tend to follow their comic versions.

Both are recommend watching!

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Happy Book Lover’s Day with a Bird Theme 08/09/2016

 

There are multiple movies across the world that are based on books that have bird motifs. Birds are seen a symbols of freedom and peace are often featured in movies and books as symbols for their characters. Here are some good movies with bird motifs:

The Scarlet Ibis

The Scarlet Ibis is a short movie based on a story by James Hurts. The story revolves around the main character and his brother, Doodle, as they grow up together. Since Doodle is disabled, and unable to participate in any normal brother duties, the main character decides Doodle should train to be more like a brother. The movie comes to the climax after the narrator’s family finds a dead scarlet ibis in their yard. The movie ends with the main character holding Doodle after a rain storm, leaving viewers with a sad, but nostalgic outlook on the story.

To Kill a Mockingbird

The classic movie To Kill a Mockingbird centers on a book written by Harper Lee. The story follows Scout and her older brother Jem as they navigate through the town of Maycomb, Alabama in their youth. The movie deals with racial tension in the 1930’s and the unfair treatment of people who are different. At one point the main character’s father states “to kill a mockingbird is a sin” because they are harmless creatures. The movie ends after giving the viewer a good point of view on how ignorance and fear cause serious and even fatal consequences.

The Nightingale

The Nightingale is a Chinese movie that follows the life of a young girl named Ren Xing. Ren Xing lives with a family who may love her but her parents are emotionally distant from one another and are too busy working to spend time with her. So, she is sent away to visit her paternal grandfather. They set off into the forest in the rural parts of China to free the bird her grandfather promised his late wife he would free. The movie ends with the nightingale, that Ren Xing adopted, who was unable to initially, singing. The bird, like her family, is made whole again.

Bird People

The movie Bird People centers around the lives of two adults who decided they are dissatisfied with the way their lives are. Main character Gary Newman is an American businessman who travels around the world but thinks his life is dull and meaningless. Maid and student Audrey has a dark, emotional past and is unhappy with the way her life is manifesting. Both characters decide to leave behind their lives and responsibilities in order to be free again like the sparrow who flies away in the movie.

The Falcon Maltese

The Falcon Maltese is a movie based on a book by Dashiell Hammett. The movie follows a private investigation agency as they begin an investigation into the disappearance of a woman's sister. The movie falls into multiple plots of murder and is overshadowed by this mysterious figure called The Falcon. The movie ends with the main character frustrated, deceived, and slightly heartbroken as he moves on from the chaos that entered his life from picking up the wrong client.

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12 Movies With Sisters Who Don’t get Along

 

August 7th, is Sister’s Day and Friendship day. Both holidays are rooted in the idea of making amends with your friend or sister, cherishing them, and celebrating your relationships. However, We here at World Wide thought we’d do something a little bit different and feature movies with sisters who were not very friendly towards one another or sisters who could even be considered mortal enemies.

 

  • What Ever Happened to Baby Jane:  This classic 1960’s movie What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? features classic actresses Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. (Don’t know either of the actresses? Think “No more wire hangers!!!” for Crawford and the name “Oscar” which was coined by Davis when she named the statue after her husband.) The movie features both actresses who play feuding sisters who hate one another to the point of violence. The movie ends by giving the viewers as small form of closure as the sisters agree they could have been friends instead of enemies but, at that point, it’s is too late. Their feud had caused irrevocable damage to both of their lives.
  • The Other Boleyn Girl: The movie The Other Boleyn Girl features actresses Natalie Wood who plays the infamous “Anne Boleyn” and Scarlett Johansson who plays her older sister “Mary Boleyn”. The movie follows Mary’s introduction into court, her affair with King Henry, and her relationships thereafter. Before, of course, her sister is introduced to him. While the two sisters do not become violent with one another, one of them does play dirty. Wood’s character betrays her sister in pursuit of her ambitions causing her sister to be thrown out of the kingdom. In the end, this betrayal is costly but ,Johansson's character is still forgiving, putting her sisterhood before anything else. The movie ends as history says and the audience sees a final shot of Elizabeth, Boleyn's daughter being looked after by her aunt.
  • Sixteen Candles: Molly Ringwald’s character “Samantha Baker” in the movie Sixteen Candles is a classic and the perfect match to the teen stereotype. The movie features the story of an awkward, underdeveloped teenager as she navigates through life while being forgotten by her family, and being in love with one of the most popular boys in school. Samantha confides in her older sister who then implies she trivial and calls her an asshole for wanting the attention to be on her. The two sisters butt heads but in the end, they are able to apologize to one another and move on.
  • My Sister’s Keeper: The movie My Sister’s Keeper follows the life of a leukemia stricken teen and its impact on her family. Younger sister “Sara Fitzgerald” wants her older sister “Kate” to live, but, at the same time, Sara doesn’t want to give up her body and future for her sister’s medical needs. So, Sara sues her family in order to get her control of her body back. While the sisters do not exactly fight one another, they do seem to be at odds with one another.The book differs from the movie greatly, but both end tragically, leaving the Fitzgerald family reeling with the grief and loss of a loved one.
  • 10 Things I Hate About You: The movie 10 Things I Hate About You follows the story of sisters “Kat” and “Bianca Stratford” played by Julia Stiles and Larisa Oleynik as the men in the movie plot to date the younger sister by finding a date for the older one. They do, a new kid by the named Patrick Verona played by the late actor Heath Ledger. Despite Kat’s best effort she falls in love but is devastated when the truth comes to light. Throughout the movies sister Kat and Bianca  fight but, at end of the movie, the sisters unite and a few well power punches leaves the antagonist of the story in his place.
  • Alice in Wonderland: In the live action film adaptation of Alice In Wonderland, director Tim Burton and his writers creatively make the “Red Queen” Helen Carter-Burton and “White Queen” played by Anne Hathaway sisters who are feuding over the throne throughout the movie. The movie comes to a climax when the sisters bring their armies together to start an all out war for the throne. The movie ends with one sister being banished and Alice being sent home by way of a potion. The sequel Alice through the Looking Glass had left theatres and is ready to debut on redbox in late August early September of 2016.
  • Red Roses and Petrol: In the movie Red Rose and Petrol, Maeve is the younger, safe sister who may be eccentric but sticks close to home to be close to her family. Katherine is the glamorous, older sister who is seen as prettier, fashionable, morally impeccable, and as someone who is going places. Both sisters clash immediately upon seeing one another again. As the plot goes on, the movie exposes Katherine’s flaws and the cracks hidden behind the facade of the upbeat, happy Irish family. The movie ends with no real resolution of the sister’s issues but it does correct some misconceptions the audience has about the original plot of the movie.
  • Dirty Dancing: The movie Dirty Dancing  features another classic family dynamic. The movie follows Frances "Baby" Houseman and her family as they vacation for the summer. Baby is often pitted against older sister Lisa Houseman who is seen as more conventional and proper than her sister. Baby, the free thinker and the girl with dream, is a black sheep in her family. The sisters bicker throughout the movie and Baby even resorts to blackmailing her sister at one point. However, towards the end of the movie, the two sisters are able to come to an understanding. Lisa even admits that she was jealous of Baby and all that she had accomplished.
  • Oz the Great and Powerful: The movie The Wizard of Oz is considered an American classic and is still treasured and parodied now, decades after it released 1939. The prequel Oz the Great and Powerful features actor James Franco who plays con man Oz. Mila Kunis “Theodora”, Rachel Weisz “Evanora”, and Michelle Williams “Glinda” play three witch sisters who are fighting over their father’s throne after his untimely demise. The movie ends with the sister’s fight coming to a head when Evanora and Glinda have the final fight that leads one broken and the other with the throne.
  • Parent Trap: There is the original movie Parent Trap starring Hayley Mills and the more modern one starring Lindsay Lohan both share the same plot. Two twin sisters separated at birth are reunited at a summer camp where they feud, join forces, and the decided to switch places and bring their parents back together. The first half of the movie features the sister feuding with one another over their similar appearances and competitive natures. The feud comes to a head when one sister pulls the ultimate prank that lands them in deep trouble. However, because of this, the sisters are able to bond and use their devious tricks to better their family.
  • Sisters: Tina Fey and Amy Pohler are our Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis of the 21st century. Every time this comedy duo teams up they bring America laughter and another legendary movie to archive. This happened when the movie Mean Girls came out in  2004 and again when the movie Sisters debuted in 2015. Sisters is a movie that comically explores the lives of two sisters, one who is wound up too tight and the other who lives her life just a bit too freely. At the movies, climax the sisters fight Maura and Kate fight over Kate’s daughter and over Maura keeping secrets from Kate. By the end of the movie, the house is destroyed and the sisters are able to stop fighting and come to an understanding.
  • Frozen: The popular Disney movie Frozen centers around the relationship of two sisters who, because of older sister Elsa’s magical powers, are isolated from one another as they grow up. Though the sisters are essentially strangers to one another, they eventually come together under the principle “sisters before misters” as they save themselves and their home from the clutches of an evil prince. Everyone is looking forward to the sequel of the movie which is scheduled to come out in the next few years.
  • Jacob Have I Loved: The tagline for this Jacob have I Loved is: “My beautiful and golden twin sister was adored by everyone except me- the one who should have loved her the best.” This book turned movie follows twin sisters Louise and Caroline as they grow up in a rural town during a war. Louise’s sister has taken everything from her, her friends, her family, her opportunities, even her own name. While the battle isn’t obvious, Louise is fighting her sister so she can carve out her own identity when everyone chooses her sister over her. While Louise doesn’t win her battles, she wins a war by offering a chance to another set of twins to be loved and remembered equally by their family. The story ends with Louise’s reflecting and experiencing a moment of clarity as she remembers her sister’s beautiful voice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Actors Who Share the Same Birthday and Work Together

 

In celebration of our actors Emilia Clarke and Ben Chaplin, stars in our film Ways to Live Forever, birthday’s we decided to research celebrities who have collaborated with one another and also have the same birth-date.

  • Orange is the New Black: It’s bacckkk and it’s badder than ever. Season 4 of Orange is the New Black has just been released and we are super excited. This season has been one of most enthralling, saddest seasons of the series and viewer are anxious to see what happens next in series. We wonder if the creators will bring back  Lorraine Toussaint who plays villain “Vee Parker” from season 2. We are also curious about the fate of regular Natasha Lyonne who plays lovable drug addict “Nicky Nichols”. We can’t tell you what happens next but we can tell you that both actresses share the  same birthday of April 4th. We’re sure both birthdays breed room for a nice prison frenemy party, shives included.
  • Harry Potter: Even though the original Harry Potter movie series has ended, and a new one is beginning, we are still happy to mention the cast of Harry Potter not only had actors who shared the same birthday but also the same name. Actresses Emma Watson who played brainiac “Hermione Granger” and Emma Thompson who played “Professor Sybill Trelawney” both shared the same birthday of April 15th in addition to having the same name as well. While we know Watson's role in the Rowling's series has ended we are curious to see if there will be any familiar faces in the new series such as Thompson.
  • The Big Bang Theory: The show The Big Bang Theory is known for its wit, and being one of the few shows that feature geeky main characters in a positive light. Perhaps the biggest overlaps is the birthdays of main characters Johnny Galecki who plays “Leonard Hofstadter” and Kunal Nayyar who plays “Rajesh Koothrappali”. Both men were born on April 30th with a six year separation between the two. Maybe the cast celebrates with  dairy-free, cinnamon favored cakes in honor of the two cast members.
  • Superbad: The movie Superbad is one of the funniest movies ever debuted in the U.S.. It features famous comedy actors Michael Sera, Jonah Hill, and “Christopher Mintz-Plasse” as high school seniors who quest to drink alcohol and pick up girls to before high school ends. Something highly coincidental about the movie is Michael Sera who plays “Evan”  and Bill Hader who plays “Officer Slater”  share the same birthday of June 7th. We’re pretty sure that if the cast celebrated their birthdays together no fake Ids were need. Sidenote: Shout out to Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Dave Franco who were both in the movie and both born in June as well.
  • What I Like About You: The show What I Like About You features sisters “Holly” and “Valerie Tyler” played by Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth. Bynes and Garth not only shared a set and a fictional sisterhood, they also share a birthday. Both actresses were born on April 3rd. This must have made for a bunch of fun, quirky birthday parties on set. Unfortunately, What I Like About You ended in 2006 and both actresses have moved on but there are still reruns and memories for the fans to live off of.
  • Old Dogs: Old Dogs is a movie starring John Travolta and the late Robin Williams who play marketing executives who have to balance the success of their company and their children. The movie is a comedy, showing of Williams and Travolta’s comedy skills and end on a good note. Interestingly enough, supporting actor Matt Dillon and main actor John Travolta, who were both popular actors in the 80’s but managed to not work together until the mid 2000s, both share the same birthday of February 18th.
  • The Aviator: The movie The Aviator follows the life of pilot, “Howard Hughes”, played by Leonardo Dicaprio, his ambitions, his obsession with Aviation, his paranoia, and his mental breakdown. This movie is considered poignant and is one of Dicaprio’s best movies. Supporting actors Alec Baldwin who plays Juan Trippe and funnyman turned drama actor Adam Scott plays “Johnny Meyer. Both actors not only share the spotlight in the movie they also celebrate the same birthday of April 3rd as well.
  • The Godfather: The original Godfather movie is described as one of best films in America’s film history. The movie centers around an a crime family, violence, and the feud between five crime families. Unsurprisingly, the movie is a bloody one ending in the death of most of its characters. However, we were surprised to find Diane Keaton who plays “Kay Adams- Corleone” and Robert Duvall who plays “Tom Hagen” both share the same birthday January 5th.  Perhaps they offer parties their guests can’t refuse.
  • Ways to Live Forever: The movie Ways to Live Forever centers around the story of a young boy who has to come to grips with his mortality as he begins losing  his battle with cancer. It star British actors Robbie Kay, Ben Chaplin, and  Emilia Fox. Both Chaplin and Fox were born on July 31st with a five years difference between the two. All the actors have since moved on from the set with main character Robbie Kay starring as Peter Pan in the hit show Once Upon a Time, Ella Purnell starring in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ben Chaplin was in Cinderella, and Emilia Fox appearing in films and television shows.
  • 20,000 years in Sing Sing: 20,000 years in Sing Sing follows the story of a criminal who gets sent to jail for assault and battery. While there his girlfriend visits him in jail but stops coming when she was in a near fatal accident. The main character goes on furlough in order to take care of his girlfriend but ends up killing someone. He goes to jail and is sent to death row for his crimes. The movie stars old Hollywood actors Spencer Tracey and Bette Davis who both share the same birthdate of April 5th. Unsurprisingly, all both actors have appeared in movies  and other projects with one another so we’re sure they celebrated their birthdays together at least once.

 

 

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An Ode to Parenthood on Parent’s Day 07/24/2016: A Modern Family

 

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By definition, a parent is a person that brings up and cares for a child. Parenting a child comes with ups and downs and is never easy. Every day, parents push themselves in order to protect and provide for their family. It is a very crucial role that takes a lot of discipline and compassion to assure the proper development of their child. It is not a temporary job. From the birth of the child, taking his first breaths of the real world until the end, parents will be there. This Parent's Day, we recognize that being a parent can be very stressful at times, but it can also be something very beautiful.

Where would people be without parents? Without any guidance, children run the risk of becoming delinquents and unaware of what is virtuous and moral. Some parents have it easier than others.  Often, people think that once they are ready to have children, everything will be perfect. In regards to parents who have a child with special needs, it wasn’t what they expected. They are placed in a position of constantly having to care for another person powered by their endless love; it’s a characteristic that every parent seems to hold.

As shown in the movie Ways to Live Forever, being the parent of a child with an illness/disability can be an emotional roller coaster. In the movie, the main character named Sam, portrayed by Robbie Kay, is diagnosed with leukemia. As the movie goes on, it shows him and his newly made best friend, also terminal, attempting to complete things on a bucket list and trying to “live forever” through the artwork of video recording and writing a book. It also depicts how the parents of these children go through this way of life providing a better existence for their children who are ill.

Kudos to all the parents out there who have children with disabilities and illnesses. Parents Day is a day to celebrate and thank all parents for their hard work and unfailing support for their kids. To the parents whose kids aren’t disabled or have an illness, take this moment to be grateful and realize what others are going through. Parenting children with special needs may apply to everyone including celebrities. Here is a list of celebrities that have children who have special needs.