Pilots: September 21 - 25

The end of September means pilot season! A ton of new shows are going to be released for the following weeks, and I thought I’d give a run down to what I’ve seen so far last week.

Blind Spot: Y Tu Mama Tambien

Of all my blind spot choices this year, this would have to be one of those I’m very excited to watch hence leaving it on for later when I needed the motivation to keep going through the list. I really didn’t know much about it, except it involved a road trip and it starred Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal. This movie is quite a sexual coming of age tale.

Tomorrowland

I had expectations when it came to this movie. For starters, it’s directed by Brad Bird – he worked on The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ghost Protocol. So with his attachment to a movie came the stigma that he was going to deliver something good. The case isn’t exactly the same for Tomorrowland.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Young adult movies are becoming more fluent lately; they don’t only adapt franchise starting ones, but also those that tell a story that most of us could relate with. Sadly, some of those stories always involve losing a loved one over cancer – cancer movies. Unfortunately this is one of them; but a well made, coming of age film that doesn’t have us bawling like hell, but touches on the human experience of it.

Thursday Movie Picks: Journalists/Reporters for Print/TV

Thursday Movie Picks is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. She gives out a theme each week, and we are to choose movies that correspond to the specific theme. For this week, it’s about reporters or journalists for print or television. I don’t really know much about reporters or journalists besides the usual details – fact check, report the truth, and always get where the action is. Some of these people are very good at their jobs and are recognized for their hard work in the field. Some get into scandals, which are terrible, especially if it’s directly linked to their work. Here are my picks this week:

Clouds of Sils Maria

Kristen Stewart made headlines for being the first American actress to earn a Cesar award (equivalent of an Oscar) for her supporting role in Olivier Assayas’ Clouds of Sils Maria. This just added to my excitement to finally getting around to watching the film. While the film is about an aging woman chosen to portray the older character of a play she did twenty years ago, it divulges deeper to her psyche – particularly her rejection for change and perception. Note: the review is mainly a character study, so this has spoilers.

Thursday Movie Picks: Train Movies

Besides a car, trains are the next type of land transportation that I feel comfortable taking. They’re efficient and fast, even though they get delayed sometimes. I sometimes end up comparing the train systems of different countries, and how their system works and the aesthetics of their trains. The most 'uncommon' train system I’ve ever encountered was the system in Vienna, Austria. They are quite serious with their transportation etiquette, even having random cart checking for validated tickets and IDs (it's serious work, these checkers just suddenly announce themselves in the train!). Maybe it’s because it’s the first time I’ve encountered an experience, but it was quite memorable. Totally derailing from the topic, here are my picks for this week:

Thursday Movie Picks: Teachers

I’ve sat out of months of Thursday Movie Picks, but here it is picking up again. This is hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves, with this week’s theme revolving around teachers. Teachers are part of the building blocks of society. They mold our minds and teach us to think and reason out. I’ve had my fair share of memorable teachers, so my picks are characters that had stood out for me in their profession. Here are my picks this week: