10 Cool Things

10 COOL THINGS

1.    LADY GAGA – Lady Gaga is my favorite artist; she has talent, and she uses it in many different ways.  She can sing pop, rock, jazz, and Broadway tunes.  Her songwriting is inspiring and somewhat ambiguous.  Her fashion is sometimes daring and sometimes classy.  Essentially, I love almost everything that she does because she is actually passionate about what she does.

2.    THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST BOOK SERIES – This series, written by Rick Yancey, is one of my favorites.  I love monsters, and these books are about a man that studies monsters for a living.  It is full of symbolism and horror, a truly thrilling ride.  It asks a serious question that I have based some of my work on: is man the biggest monster ever created?

3.    JACK AND WHITE – This indie musical duo also provides me with some great music.  Brooke White (LDS and member of the duo) has unique vocals that many may not appreciate.  Her voice is a little lower in tone and kind of has a scratch to it.  Their songs either suggest nostalgic bliss or pain, both of which I can identify with. 

4.    FRANKENSTEIN (1931) – James Whale’s film is one of my favorites due to its underlying themes.  The film’s warning of what happens when one tries to be God made a huge impact on me.  I also appreciate this film because I feel more emotionally invested in the monster than any other character.  It is so interesting to see a monster that was not only physically made by man; its behavior was the result of man as well.

5.    PETER PAN  (2003) – P.J. Hogan’s Peter Pan is my favorite adaptation.  There is so much youthful energy in the film, mixed with more adult issues.  The real world can be frightening, and every person (even a child) has to face it.  Peter Pan provides me with peace in a world that seems to be more chaotic than not.

6.    LA PLAGE – This film was made by one of my good friends in memory of his late father.  Not only is the cinematography mesmerizing, but I also enjoy the beautiful and somewhat haunting music that goes with it.  The film kind of plays like a dream, which is one of the many reasons that I enjoy it.

la plage from M.H. on Vimeo.

7.    STAR WARS: DARTH BANE TRILOGY – This trilogy of books (written by Drew Karpyshyn) is part of the Star Wars Legends.  It explores an anti-hero that has some very interesting views.  The main reason I enjoy this trilogy is that it explores a different side of the “bad guy.”  Since Darth Bane is the main character, the reader gets some new exposure to the purposes behind the Sith.  Upon reading, I realized that not everything the Sith believe is evil.  Therefore, there is usually something more to bad people.

8.    CATHERINE HARDWICKE – Catherine Hardwicke is my favorite director.  She has been an outstanding example of prominent women in film, and she has created opportunities for women to write and direct films through her collaborative project with Stephanie Meyer, Twilight Storytellers.  I think her efforts to encourage women to make films and to raise awareness of rape and other issues are inspiring.  Catherine has an eye for beauty, which I appreciate.

9.    SEVERUS SNAPE – I wanted to include Snape in this list because I truly believe he is one of the most astounding characters in fiction.  He drives the Harry Potter series through his courage.  His personal dreams and ambitions remained unfulfilled in his attempts to bring an end to the conflict of the books.  If there is something to be learned from Harry Potter, it can be learned from Snape.

10. TEEN WOLF (2011) – Created by Jeff Davis, this television series explores a lot of unique mythologies.  Again, I really love monsters, and it’s exciting to see teenagers successfully deal with such difficult problems.  The acting in the show is effective; I think the actors are believable in their roles as teenagers.