Author: Sara Embrey

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Ben Mendelsohn in Star Wars Anthology Rogue One

 

Star Wars Anthology Rogue One is a storyline set in between Return of the Sith and A New Hope. The film follows an ensemble of Rebel pilots working to steal the plans of the Death Star to know the vulnerabilities of the space station. Because of the events that occurred in Return of the Sith, there are no longer any Jedi’s during this timeline of the Star Wars universe. This condition affects the film in a way that is being described as generating more moral ambiguity than other Star Wars films, as the protagonists in this story do not have the religious ethics of a Jedi master, and they are not able to use the ‘Force’ in their endeavors —putting them in a vulnerable bind.

The film is currently in production, and though the only cast member to have officially been announced is Felicity Jones, there have been rumors regarding the casting of other actors. Enough rumors, in fact, that it could be said that they’re already part of this cast (Disney has been very secretive with casting this film up to this point). Those actors include Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker, Ben Mendelsohn, and Jonathan Aris. Though not much is known about the roles the actors are playing, it has been rumored that Ben Mendelsohn, who starred in World Wide Motion Picture Corporation’s film Amy, and others like Dark Knight Rises and Bloodline, is said to be playing a Moff who is the main villain for Rogue One. His role is said to be in charge of attempting to capture the rebel pilots, by hiring a group of bounty hunters to scourge the galaxy, in order to get the Death Star’s plans back.

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National Women’s Equality Day

 

Today is the anniversary of nation women’s suffrage. During the span of 72 years, women fought hard for the same rights given to men. On August 26, 1920, U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed the amendment into law allowing women to vote.

There are many films that celebrate the roles of women in society. Here is our list of ten films to watch on National Women’s Equality Day:

North Country (2005) is a story about Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron) who endured abuse while working in the Eveleth Mines. She battles her oppressors in the first major successful sexual harassment case in the United States. The film also stars Sean Bean, Jeremy Renner, Sissy Spacek, and Woody Harrelson.

The Rosa Parks Story (2002) follows the account of Rosa Parks (Angela Bassett) whose refusal to obey racial bus segregation was just one of her acts in her fight for justice. The TV film was nominated for a Prime-Time Emmy.

Amy (1997) tells the story of a young girl (Alana De Roma) who is traumatized by her father’s death. She becomes mentally mute and deaf, and her only mode of communication is her singing voice. Her mother fights to keep custody over her daughter and deals with child protective services on the regular. The film also stars Rachel Griffiths and Ben Mendelsohn.

In Mona Lisa Smile (2003), a free-thinking art professor (Julia Roberts) teaches conservative 1950s Wellesley girls to question their traditional social roles. The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Julia Stiles, and Ginnifer Goodwin.

Makers: Women Who Make America (2003) documents stories of women's contributions to some of the most important moments in the history of America, with the thoughts of women like Meryl Streep, Gloria Steinem, and Hillary Clinton.

Iron Jawed Angels (2004) is a docudrama about activists Alice Paul (Hilary Swank) and Lucy Burns (Frances O’Connor) who struggled against conservative forces in order to pass the 19th amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Erin Brockovich (2000) is based of the true story of Brockovich (Julia Roberts) who takes on a legal battle with The Pacific Gas and Electric Company for polluting the waterways. The film also stars Albert Finney and Aaron Eckhart.

Girl Rising (2013) is a documentary tells the stories of nine girls from different parts of the world who face arranged marriages, child slavery, and other heartbreaking injustices. Despite these obstacles, the brave girls offer hope and inspiration. By getting an education, they're able to break barriers and create change. The film offers narrations from Cate Blanchett, Salma Hayek, Anne Hathaway, Alicia Keys, and Liam Neeson among others.

Joy Luck Club (1993) explores cultural conflict and turbulent relationships between four first-generation Chinese-American women in San Francisco. The film stars Ming-Na Wen, Kieu Chinh, and Tsai Chin. It is based off the book by Amy Tan.

Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony (1999) tells the story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony who fought for women everywhere, and the effects of their fight that still shine through today.

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Be an Angel Day and Inspired by Angels

 

Happy Be an Angel Day! There are many ways to celebrate this holiday from being an angel to others to watching a great film about them. This holiday was established by Jayne Howard Feldman in 1993, to promote random acts of kindness. It’s a day to put others ahead of yourself and to make the world a better place through acts of kindness. So many of us struggling through economic, emotional or physical hardships that they have no control over, and a helping hand or word can make all the difference. You don’t need to be Mother Teresa to be an angel for someone else. You can mow a neighbor's lawn, give flowers to a stranger, or even adopt a pet.  Even small tasks such as saying hello, picking up litter or planting a tree are a great way to celebrate. Just because you don’t have white wings, doesn’t mean you can’t do a world of good.

There are many films dealing with Angels, from the real to the imaginary kind. Most agree that angels can be any gender and hide their identity well. In the film, Michael, actor John Travolta plays an angels who is living on earth with an elderly woman. This is not your typical angelic angel, but one who smokes and drinks. This films shows that all angels aren’t the same, but how they still do good. Another famous film about angels is Angels in the Outfield, where actor and comedy writer Christopher Lloyd plays the boss angel Al. This is such a heartwarming film about how praying for angels actually works. While some may think that real angels only exists in our films, here is a documentary about Angels that will change your mind. Inspired by Angels, take a real look at angels, from who they are, to what they do, and how we can find them. It features interviews with spiritual healers, authors, lecturers, and other angel experts.  Another great film is What Dreams May Come, with actor Robin Williams playing a man who has passed away in a car crash. This film focuses on what happens after death and finding your loved ones in heaven. All these films have the same basic message, treat others well because you don’t know who’s an angel in disguise.  So today act like an angel, whether you think they are real or fake.

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Disney Expo 2015 Announces Star Wars Lands

 

The Disney Expo is the mini Comic Con event of the year and gives fans, families, and kids alike the chance to come out to the Anaheim Convention Center and check out what the happiest place on Earth is up to. The expo gave fans the opportunity to get a first hand look at everything Disney—from movies, to video games, this is the place to go to get your Disney fix. The convention ran from August 14th to August 16th and some of the biggest highlights came from the Star Wars segment, the Marvel segment, and the announcement of release dates of every Disney film from now until 2017. Captain America: Civil War was one of the biggest highlights, as well as the announcement of Star Wars parks at both Disneyland and Disneyworld. These will be the biggest additions to both parks in the history of Disney.

But the main story that came from D23 was the release dates for some of your favorite Disney movies. Some important dates and movies to put down in your calendar are: May 6th 2016 Captain America: Civil War, May 27th 2016 Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass, and July 2017 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Most notably is the moving of the highly anticipated live action remake Tarzan starring Margot Robbie, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz and Ways to Live Forever actress Ella Purnell, which was slated for a July 2017 release, to an unannounced date in either 2018 or 2019. This comes as a huge surprise to many as the original release date was October of next year. With Tarzan moved back, it gave way to the big announcement of a live action movie based on the classic ride The Jungle Cruise, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has already been confirmed to take on the lead role.

Overall, the Disney Expo 2015 was a great success, and although the moving of Tarzan is sad, you can get your Disney fix on many other movies including the newest movies of Alice in Wonderland and yet another Captain Jack Sparrow movie.

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National Book Day 2015

 

National Book Day is August 9th, and more than ever we as a nation should celebrate this day. With fewer and fewer people reading books (myself included), we should all take time in the day to sit down and read a few pages from our favorite novel. In an ever-growing, technological-driven world, one day out of the year to just read a book would be an important thing. Why read a book when you have Twitter, the Associated Press, and CNN all at the push of a button? And although novels continue to be released, Hollywood buys many of them instantly and turns them into movies to watch. I myself, am guilty of not reading the Hunger Games series but I find myself watching all of the movies. Below are some of the biggest movies that were based off best-selling books. Jurassic Park, The Hunger Games and the Lord of the Rings Series are a few of tons of books that can be read on National Book Day.

  1. Jurassic Park (1993) is based off of Michael Crichton’s book of the same name. The first of the the film installments takes place on an island with a billionaire philanthropist and a team of genetic scientists. They find a mosquito that contains dinosaur DNA encased in tree sap, and they use it to create a park full of dinosaurs. A theme park with dinosaurs...what could possibly go wrong?
  2. Hunger Games (2011) is based off of the trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The first book in the installment, it centers around the young female protagonist Katniss Everdeen and her efforts to survive in a dystopian society ruled by the ruthless President Snow. Katniss and Peeta Mellark are chosen to fight to the death in an arena, an annual reminder of Snow’s disdain towards the old days of Panem.
  3. Lord of the Rings (2001) is the first in the film trilogy and is based off of the beloved novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. The story follows Frodo, a hobbit who has found himself in possession of a powerful ring used by the Dark Lord Sauron. Frodo, along with eight others, must destroy the ring in the fires of Mt. Doom to prevent another war between good and evil. Now that’s what I’m Tolkien about!

August 9th, 2015 is National Book Day so don’t forget to put it down in your calendars, because you may not regret it being able to pick up your favorite book once again, or expanding your horizons and starting a new one!

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Grab A Friend! It’s National Friendship Day—August 2nd 2015

 

Friends, one of the very things that we as people can't stop thinking about. We constantly think about our friends and it's only natural. In today’s technologically-driven world, people are always in contact with their friends. Whether it is through Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, we always want to know what our friends are up to and be a part of it, even if we aren’t there. National Friendship Day which is celebrated annually on August 2nd is a great way to fix a possible broken friendship, or strengthen a healthy one with a night out with a friend. It was originally founded by Hallmark in 1919 as a day to send a friend or best friend with a loving card. Although cards aren’t used widely in today’s society, a Instagram picture showing you and your friend would most definitely suffice.

Depending on what mood you and your friend are in there are plenty of flicks that could do the job. A few of my personal favorites I would watch with my friend if we are in the mood for a tear jerker would be The Fault In Our Stars, If I Stay and Ways to Live Forever. All of these movies have one thing in common, they are about two people (friends or lovers) that have extraordinary circumstances they must overcome together. All three are very moving movies and all have a great message. If you are going toward the happier and funnier route, The Toy Story trilogy, The Hangover and The Despicable Me series are all great choices. Take time this upcoming summer to mark the date for National Friendship Day, it would truly make your friend’s day and probably make yours a little better too.