Mom's Minute

Introduction to Breaking Rules - Frozen - A YouTube Movie Review by Ms. H

This movie is not the Disney Frozen movie you may be familiar with.  Even though the movies have the same title, this Frozen film is definitely not a Disney movie.  If you decide to watch this movie, you will probably be able to point out all the mistakes that this group made which left them in a dire predicament. That being said, even if you want to watch this movie just to wile away some time, this may be the film to check out. By the way, Frozen is rated R and should not be watched by anyone under 17 years of age without parents or guardians. 

Synopsis of Frozen YouTube Movie

The Frozen movie reminded me of the film, A Cabin in the Woods, where the story begins with a certain number of people; however, since this is a horror movie, the number of people will slowly decrease.  The biggest difference is this catastrophic event of being stranded -- happened at a ski resort in icy, freezing weather and snowy terrains.

 To make a long story short, a group of three people bribed the ski resort worker to let them go on a late night  ski lift ride.  Unfortunately, there was a mix-up and they were left suspended high up on the ski lift -- long after the resort closed.  Additionally, to add insult to injury, the ski resort was not due to open back up for at least 5 more days. This movie chronicles what happened to the once bubbly, energetic group when the change of events occurred.

Jump Scares in the Frozen YouTube Movie

As with any horror movie -- and I would describe this as a horror movie -- there are a few jump scares.   Unexpected sudden occurrences and the way they were directed, will probably cause you to jump in your seat, if not twice, at least once.

Little Known Fact: Someone commented on the movie that this [tragedy] will not happen to them because they do not ski -- however, I believe there are safety lessons learned here that go far beyond being stranded on a ski lift.

Unrealism of the Frozen YouTube Movie

There were several  unrealistic events in the Frozen movie. The major one was the absence of anyone having their cell phone which in today’s world is a required necessity. I think you will agree with me that if only one of the members of the group had brought their cell phone along, they could have called for help, instead of being stranded in dangerous freezing weather. There are many other unrealistic moments, but rather than spoil the movie, I’m sure you can point them out if you watch the film.

Inconsistencies in the Frozen Movie

There are a few gaffes in the Frozen movie such as the appearance and disappearance of frostbite on one of the character’s faces.  However, the biggest one in my opinion has to do with the wolves' attacks.  Yes, there are wolves attacks in this movie, so gruesome for the victim that I had to turn my head away from the screen. 

 For instance,  I don’t think wolves would be looking up to locate their prey, unless the group was noisy -- which they were not and two, why would they ignore the female character when these vicious wolves were a short distance away from her?  Here I think the director took “movie license” and made a decision as to who would survive -- again similar to the movie, A Cabin in the Woods.

Assessment of the Frozen Movie

I think there is value in watching this movie as lessons learned to remind you what not to do if you should ever go to a ski lodge or for that matter any other places or gatherings.  I also think it will reinforce how important it is that you have your cell phone with you at all times, and last but not least, always let someone know where you are travelling to if you can.  Of course there are many more, but these stood out for me after I watched the movie Frozen.

Rating of the Frozen Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate the Frozen Movie 3 stars.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiUNsDVjCbo

Introduction to the 61st Grammy Awards TV Show Review by Ms. H

DId you watch the 61st Grammy Awards that aired February 10, 2019?  If you didn’t -- would you like to know if you missed much? Don’t fret...I have you covered.  Here is my review of the 61st Grammy Awards TV show.

Alicia Keys as Host

I watched last year’s Grammys when James Corden hosted.  When he hosted, I recall that he seemed to be a ball of energy.  I could tell that he was excited to be hosting the Grammys. He did not host this year’s Grammys due to other commitments including his late night show according to sources.  Enter Alicia Keys as the host. I saw a youtube video when she found out she was hosting the Grammys. She looked surprised, but not overly “jumping up and down” surprised. Of course, this video could have been staged.

In my opinion, she kept the show on a low key (no pun intended).  For example, when she introduced guests - she tended to lower her voice when she said their names --  instead of raising it in excitement to get the audience excited and engaged.

She made a few mistakes which were ok since this is her first time hosting the Grammys.  One misstep that I recall was when she introduced an artist as if the person was going to perform; however, when the person appeared -- she only introduced another guest and did not perform.

Also people may have been impressed with Alicia Keys playing two pianos at once.  Even though this was a different way to play the pianos, the look of the two pianos were mismatched which was not aesthetic to me. Additionally, the smoke around the pianos did not make things look any better.

Alicia  Keys Fashion Sense

I was disappointed that Alicia Keys as the host of the Grammys wore a do-rag type headdress that seemed like she was not at music’s biggest celebration.  She changed her outfit throughout the show but I think her first outfit set the tone for the rest of her outfits. There’s a saying that you have only one chance to make a good first impression.  Unfortunately, her first impression was not her best. On a positive note, each of her outfits got more fashionable as the show went on and ended on a high note with her wearing a red flowing gown. The downside of this is that Diana Ross had already won a stunning red gown earlier during the show, so when Alicia Keys showed up in hers -- to me her outfit seemed a little understated.

Grammy Performances

I rank Cardi B’s performance towards the top and Jennifer Lopez’s towards the bottom.  The reason is that Cardi B stayed with her rap personna, while Jennifer Lopez was supposedly representing Motown artists.  Her dance skills were on point, but I could not identify her with Motown, no matter how hard I tried. I think they should have chosen a better representation for Motown music.

Another low ranking performance was Lady Gaga's rock-style-like performance of the ballad, Shallow, which has already won many awards.  Her performance seemed sporadic and did not go with the lyrics or pace of the song.

A highlight for me was the performance of Dua Lipa who, unfortunately I was not familiar with. Later after the Grammys ended, I googled Dua Lipa, watched some of her videos, and found found out that I had downloaded one of her Itunes songs (Electricity) -- without really knowing who she was at that particular time. 

There was some push back to Dua Lipa’s selection as the best new artist from some, but after checking her out more, I think she deserved to win this award. Just in case you do not know, she will be singing a song for the upcoming movie Alita called Swan Song.

The Winnerds' Speeches

You may have heard how Grammy music cut short several thank you speeches from the winners that were running long  -- namely Drake and Dua Lipa. Drake was cut off as he “insinuated” that winning the Grammy did not mean much --- even though he was grinning from ear to ear when he found out he won.  Dua Lipa’s speech was shortened by music when she mentioned that the women must have “stepped it up” this year. Her statement ties in with a comment made at last year’s Grammys that there was a noticeable decrease in the number of women on the show.

By the way, it looks like Cardi B made history by being the first female to win a Grammy for a rap album.  Of course her win started talk about how she beat out Nicki Minaj who never won a Grammy -- but to be clear - Nicki Minaj did not have a rap album nominated.  So in a way, they were not competing against each other for this particular Grammy.

Assessment of the 61st Grammy Awards

Looking back on the 61st Grammy Awards show, I cannot point out anything that stood out for me -- such as the Grammy show I watched a while back when the late Prince made a surprise appearance. The 61st Grammy TV show was mostly a throwback with music from the past -- mixed in with a few current hits. Additionally, I think the show was more serious instead of entertaining. A plus was the abundance of women on the Grammys this year which indicates that the show’s “powers that be” do pay attention to feedback.

Rating of the 61st Grammy Awards

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest,  I rate the 61st Grammy Awards TV show 3 stars.

Introduction

You may have heard about Tyler Perry’s new shows that debuted on BET recently. As expected, there were a lot of hype around these shows with Tyler Perry making numerous appearances on talk shows, etc. to promote them.  Did Tyler Perry’s The 

Oval and Sistas live up to the hype around them? Check out my TV shows review here to find out.

The Oval Plot

The plot of The Oval is pretty straightforward. There is an interracial first family entering the oval office with everyone making preparations for their arrival.  Of course, the family has problems upon problems, and there is even a fight scene between the first lady and the president at the start of the drama. However, looking back, I'm not quite sure what the fight was all about -- except that it happened. 

The first family consists of a son as well as a teenage daughter, who -- you guessed it -- is quite unruly and is outright disrespectful to her mother. However, the mother is notably disrespectful and condescending to the teenage girl. 

There are also subplots -- one involving the usual child-custody battle relative to the son of the butler. On a positive note, of the actors playing their role as the first family, the teenage girl seems to be playing her part the best and to me appears to be the most believable in her role.

The Sistas Plot

If you are familiar with any of Tyler Perry’s other shows, movies, etc. dealing with women -- it looks like he kept with his formula to have them to just go about their daily lives.  The question is are their lives interesting enough for you to devote your time watching when you probably could be doing other things. This question is up to debate, because, believe it or not, some people may find this show to be interesting.

A word of caution about the dialogue in Sistas. You probably will grow tired of hearing one word that seemed to start off just about every conversation.  That word is “Sorry,” or the phrase “I’m sorry” which is habitually spoken before the dialogue continues. My recommendation to Tyler Perry in writing these type shows is to re-read, as well as edit, and if a phrase or a word seems to be showing up a lot -- simply find another one to replace it.

Which to Watch -- The Oval or Sistas?

It’s early yet; however based on the first episodes of both shows, I’m leaning toward Sistas, versus The Oval. Reason being Sistas has a realism touch to it. Also, there is a bit of comedy added as well.  The Oval seems to be quite a stretch and Tyler Perry seems to be reaching far and wide in order to make this show one that is worth watching. A plus for The Oval is the set design which is an impressive replica of the actual White House.

Assessment of The Oval vs. Sistas

I think neither of the shows had a “Wow” factor that would cause me to wait in anticipation for the next episodes. There was a scene in Sistas where the teenage daughter blacked out after knocking her head against a table. This could have been sort of a clip hanger for the audience to wait until the next episode to see what happened to her. However, this mystery was resolved in the first episode.

All in all, I think Tyler Perry stayed true to the format of his other venues in writing The Oval and Sistas. I also feel that he missed the opportunity to bring back the character who practically made his career.  Wouldn’t it have been interesting if among the maids at the oval office, Madea would appear and just be her usual self -- not as the main character, but maybe as a cameo type one? I’m sure Madea would have added a different, and probably some comedy relief to the show.  Alas -- this didn't happen. In fact nothing really memorable happened during either of the shows in my opinion.

Rating of The Oval Vs. Sistas

Based on a rating of 1 star to  5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate The Oval 1 ¾ star and Sistas 2 stars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd1Oh1e_HEE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8criNF35Oqw

Introduction to Blindspot - Season 4, Episode 12 TV Show Review by Ms. H

Blindspot - Season 4, Episode 12 continues with the same two plots from the previous episode -- namely -- the dire medical condition of Jane Doe, and a devious person’s plan for an airplane attack.  The difference this time is there is going to be supposedly a trade-off of a “book of secrets” in exchange for stem cells that will save Jane. Also a planned airplane attack by criminals is used as a cliffhanger for this episode.

Plot of Blindspot - Season 4, Episode 12

It looks like the majority of this episode is dedicated to saving Jane.  Since she is the main star of the series, this is not a problem. However, the problem is that since Jane is hospitalized, there is no chance to see her in action fighting crime and criminals.  Instead more time is allotted to the ex-FBI agent’s story and a hacker than appearances by Jane.

Puzzles in Blindspot - Season 4, Episode 12

It seems that whatever catches one of the FBI investigator’s attention is something that will lead to the answer to a puzzle.  The huge puzzle to solve in this episode is where to find the book of secrets which is to be used as a trade for stem cells. Two FBI investigators take a trip to Peru -- of course after solving a puzzle that directed them to this location.

More puzzles to solve followed including where the actual book of secrets is located -- which was not at the initial location where they hoped to find it.  More clues follow that include an app that magically directs them directly to where the book is located. Since all this puzzle-solving is being done to save Jane, I will not mention how unbelievable their puzzle-solving skills were.

Cliff hanger in Blindspot - Season 4, Episode 12

The good news is that after an unexpected sequence of events involving the FBI investigators trying to locate the book of secrets, Jane finally got her cure.  The cliff hanger involves the ex-FBI agent and the hacker as well as a suspicious individual -- who by the way -- seemed unperturbed that it has been quite awhile since she has seen the ex-FBI agent, Zapata.

Assessment of Blindspot - Season 4, Episode 12

Even though Jaimie Alexander who plays the role of Jane Doe had little screen  time due to her condition, this episode was sort of entertaining to watch. The FBI agent that has been serving as the show’s comic relief, had a few humorous lines that may make you laugh out loud.

However, the reason I’m reviewing the Blindspot series is to see how the female action star Jaimie Alexander’s character is being treated on her own show.  Since she was incapacitated

during all of this episode -- Jane, of course,  had limited screen time. Now that she is supposedly cured, the writers need to get back to focusing the  storylines on Jaimie Alexander’s character as she recuperates from her ailment and resumes being the action star of Blindspot.

Rating of Blindspot - Season 4, Episode 12

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate Blindspot - Season 4, Episode 12  -- 2 ¼ stars.

Introduction to Celebrity Big Brother TV Show Review by Ms. H

I’m not a regular viewer of the Big Brother TV show, but decided to tune in for the celebrity edition.  I must admit, the show was rather entertaining to say the least. I think I watched just about every episode and was not really sure until the very last episode who was going to win.

Celebrities on Big Brother

To be fair, most of the celebrities to me seemed to be of the “tabloid” type where you may have heard of them through headlines.The celebrities included athletes, a comedian,a sort of a movie star, a comedian, a politician and the mother of a movie star. That being said, I enjoyed this game show mainly because it was an abbreviated edition -- lasting only a few weeks.

Game Play for Celebrity Big Brother

Just in case you do not know, the show revolves around a group of celebrities, hanging out together, secluded from the outside world, except  when the show airs at which time they talk to the host Julie Chen-Mooves. The celebrities are also always on camera in the Big Brother house.

During the show, some players formed alliances by promising to keep particular people safe from being evicted from the house.   The key here is that some alliances are not really true alliances. For example, even though at one time I thought Kandi and Tom Green were in an alliance -- Kandi turned on Tom by telling Tamar something Tom told her in private.  There also was the case where Tom Green said he would save a particular player -- and did not follow through. My point here is there are a lot of untruths going on during Celebrity Big Brother -- but this is one way to play the game. In fact, I think the motto of the show is expect the unexpected.

Twists and Turns on the Celebrity Big Brother TV Show

Towards the beginning of the show, there was a major twist where one of the house guests pretended to be a house guest -- but he was not. Looking back, the show itself could have been a big twist, because sometimes you may think you know who is  winning when actually you may not know. I think the biggest twist was when Rikki the football player selected Tamar to be his competitor during the final show.  But this time, instead of competing in a contest, there was a vote cast from jurors consisting of the previous non-winners of the game. They voted on who should win Celebrity Big Brother.

Assessment of the Celebrity Big Brother TV Show

Most of the show was entertaining to watch but there were slow moments when the person who used to be the White House press secretary spoke.  However, the positives of the entertainment value of the show far outweigh any negatives. I also enjoyed all the various head of household contests that were entertaining and some were crafted rather creatively.

Rating of the Celebrity Big Brother TV Show

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate Celebrity Big Brother 5 stars.