Fantastical Romantica

A Secret Love on Valentine’s Day

Love as the morning sun rises, as the dreamer flourishes, and as the mother adores the sleeping child on her chest.Love is whatever you want it to be. It can be the passionate fire between lovers, the visionary’s vigorous hope for success, and the mother’s neverending promise of endearment for her child.But let’s not forget that it can also be self-love–a love that most of us unfortunately forget…

The Lebanese-American Writer Reads “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” by Laura Numeroff

In my first video, I read one of my favorite childhood books: “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” by Laura Numeroff. 😀😀

I decided to create a video series in which I read many of our childhood favorite books to both enjoy a little bit of joyous nostalgia and to boost us all up a bit. After all, in hard times such as the ones we are currently experiencing, we ALL need a bit of cheering up. 🙂

Let me…

    With the BLM Movement sweeping America, I was hesitating whether to create a post about Lebanon’s protests or not out of respect for the United States’ current event. But then I thought that if I were to do that, “how could I have the right to call myself a proud Lebanese woman if I were to remain silent about the unbearable injustices drowning my home right now? How could I remain silent…

Check out my film review that I wrote for a movie a filmmaker personally asked me to do for him. "Dana's Film Review: What Love Looks Like (2020)"

Rom-coms are tricky. Sometimes they suck, sometimes they rock. And sometimes, their ranking merely depend on one’s expectations and standards of a film. The same applies to Alex Magana’s What Love Looks Like.

What Love Looks Likeis an independent film revolving around five parallel love. Nicole, (Kate Durocher), is a spirited young woman stuck in loveless relationship with Owen, (Josh Gilmer), a…

It's here! Dana's Spoiler-free Film Review: Sonic The Hedgehog (2020)

I don’t like video game adaption films. Why? Because they’re usually badly adapted flops; They don’t follow the source material, they fall apart around the middle of the film, they’re very cliched and boring, etc. There’s a myriad of reasons as to why I avoid them. That’s why I went into the movies with very low expectations for “Sonic The Hedgehog.”

“Why do you keep calling me Donut Lord?”

Produ…

“Do you know what a harlequin is? A harlequin’s role is to serve. It’s nothing without a master. No one gives two shits who we are, beyond that.”

Birds of Prey was initially announced in May 2016, ahead of the release of Suicide Squad, with Warner Bros stating that it was a spinoff film focusing on Harley Quinn and a couple of other female DC Comics heroes and villains, such as Batgirl and the Birds of Prey. Margot Robbie spent three years working on Birds of Prey and continued to present it to Warner Bros. until the studio felt the project was at the point it could be made. After a bunch of tugging and pulling and scrapping and editing, Warner Bros. and DC Films finalized a deal in April 2018, with Cathy Yan set to direct, making her the first female Asian director to direct a superhero film. Robbie was also confirmed to be producing the film under her LuckyChap Entertainment banner, as part of a first look deal she has with the studio. With all of that preproduction information out of the way, you may be wondering what Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey is about.

“I’m the one they should be scared of! Not you, not Mr J! Because I’m Harley Fucking Quinn!”

Directed by Cathy Yan, Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey portrays the return of Harley Quinn,

The squad.

(Margot Robbie), after her devastating breakup with the Joker. Upon the break-up, Harley is submerged in grief and struggles to move on with her life. However, the post-breakup blues are quickly subdued when Harley finds out that her breakup with the Joker places her as a red alert target for those she’s wronged during her time with Mr. J., especially narcissistic crime boss, Black Mask, (Ewan McGregor). And things only get more complicated when she crosses paths with pickpocketing kid, Cassandra Cain, (Ella Jay Basco), Huntress, (Mary-Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary, (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), and Renee Montoya, (Rosie Perez). Will Harley transcend this web of complications and prove to herself that she’s something more than just the Joker’s arm-candy? And does this cluster-bar of interesting characters coupled along with lessons learned from Suicide Squad guarantee this film being an A+ show? Dissection time!

“Here’s the deal, Quinn. You need me!”

That iconic smile.  😀

When I replay the events of the film while typing this article, the first factor that appears in my mind is story. I have mixed feelings about the story. On one hand, it’s fun, entertaining, and an action-packed frenzy, much like our lovely leading lady. But on the other, it’s just that and nothing deeper. It follows a typical action movie formula with no improvisational ingredients added to our bland elixir. There aren’t any unexpected, gruesome obstacles that raise the stakes for our main characters and causes our hearts to pound along with the raising tension of the film. And there aren’t any moments that elicit any empathy from us or leave us in awe. It’s predictable and quite linear—very A-to-B. Yan could’ve created an unpredictable storyline to match Harley’s unpredictable, quirky personality, (aside from the visually pleasing manic colors painting the film). But maybe she wanted to play it safe after Suicide Squad? So I don’t blame her. Nevertheless, this may also be a good thing for someone who knows exactly what they want. If you want to just want to kick back, relax, and have the film serve as a spoonful of entertainment rather than a syringe of seriousness—by all means, go ahead. Heck, the characters also added onto that entertainment factor.

“YOU KILLED MY SANDWICH!”

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn: flawless. Robbie is back in portraying the lovable,

Awaiting her breakfast sandwich.

makeup-caked psycho–and what a sweet goody bag treat it is. She completely satisfied my expectations in regards to how Harley would act in her own adventure, in real-life, etc. Robbie is perfect, and I hope she’ll return to whatever films Harley Quinn is needed in. Ewan McGregor as Blackface: entertaining and amusing. It was my first time seeing McGregor play a villain, and there wasn’t an awkward barrier that kept us from immersing ourselves into the film, like it sometimes happens with other actors. I’ve read from other reviews that some people considered McGregor to be too ‘cartoony,’ but I didn’t think that at all. Mary-Elizabeth Winstead was also fantabulous, (cute reference to the title. See what I did there? Har, har, har). But having said that, some of the characters could’ve still been improved. One big aspect of improvement that stuck out to me was the chemistry between the characters. Frankly, there could’ve been more of it. With Wonder Woman or Guardians of the Galaxy for example, (yes, I know I shouldn’t compare DC to Marvel), the characters were immensely entertaining by either being emotionally invested with each other and to the audience, bantering nonstop, etc. In Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, Harley’s personality obviously shines through, but a majority of the characters are just kinda there in the movie with Harley. It would’ve been nice if they had been more animated or vivacious in their personalities, (aside from McGregor and Winstead). You only feel the chemistry between the characters towards the end of the movie, leaving the viewer feel a bit cheated. And because of that, the various characters’ background stories get swept under the rug as cliched, rather than fulfilling their potential of being engrossing and enchanted with personality. But having described the areas the film could’ve improved in, it’s not that bad, especially when compared to other bombing reviews.

“Get ready, ladies.”

Move over, Lady and the Tramp. We’ve got a new pair of lovers.

I recall someone in IMDB’s reviews calling Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey “an Antifa film,” (I know—hilarious and dramatic). Another as being “a DC chick flick” and “Deadpool 2 knock-off.” But I completely disagree with those. Sure, it’s not what it could’ve been. But that doesn’t mean that it’s bad. I’m still glad that it was made. It’s fun, entertaining, and great for those looking for just that.

  Genre: Action/Crime

Rating: R.

Time: 1 Hour, 49 minutes

Final Verdict: B

PS: In case y’all were curious as to how my  “giddy six-year-old”  Harley Quinn fangirl looked like the day I went–here ya go! Enjoy the goodies, haha.

Dana’s Film Review: Doctor Sleep (2019)

*Its Origins*

    Stephen King, (author of the novel), described the idea for a sequel to his famous book, The Shining on November 19, 2009. He stated that he wrote Doctor Sleep because he wanted to explore how Danny Torrance’s trauma, father’s alcoholism, and psychic abilities impacted him later in his adulthood.

*The Plot*

    Directed by Mike Flanagan, Doctor Sleep follows Danny Torrance (…

It's finally here! Was Joker over-hyped or amazing? Read to find out! Dana’s Spoiler-Free Film Review: Joker (2019) ** #joker #jokermovie #review #film #cinema

Bada-bing! Bada-boom!

The lights dimmed, I popped some buttered popcorn into my mouth, and the screen faded to reveal a man named “Arthur Fleck,” (Joaquin Phoenix), staring at his hollow, white matte-painted face in a shabby vanity mirror. A tear rolls from one of his eyes. He sticks his fingers into the sides of his mouth and struggles to pry up a smile, only to have it collapse into a look of…

In honor of National Suicide Prevention Week that’s recently passed, this week’s topic will focus on a serious subject matter. Check out "Four Things You Should Know About Suicide." Please remember to subscribe on the right.

In honor of National Suicide Prevention Week that’s recently passed, this week’s topic will focus on a serious subject matter. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. Reader discretion is advised.

***

Suicide is frighteningly common. According to the Centers for Disease…

A Secret Better Than Anti-Aging Skincare?

I dipped the tips of my index and middle fingers into the jar of cool facial cream, scooped up a morsel, dabbed the silky elixir onto different areas of my face, and rubbed the lotion into my skin in an upwards, circular motion, ensuring that every inch of my complexion was properly hydrated. I loved the way it rejuvenated my face after, (what my laughable 17-year-old-self thought), a long, hard…

Belated Mother’s Day Poem (Arab Countries)

She’s as elegant as the royal ruby color of the rose

She’s as soft as the silk petals’ caresses

She’s as sweet as the inviting, sensitively-affectionate glow of the rose

She’s as rejuvenatingly calming as the rich, sweet aroma that refreshes your senses

She’s as innocent as the way the stem’s thorns were born to want to defend the rose

She’s as pure as the bewildering vibrancy that makes you cry…

Unite: New Zealand Mosque Attacks

Waking up to horrific news never fails to bombard and fume my head with so many thoughts and emotions.

But today has been one of the biggest personal upsets to me.

I don’t even know how to decipher and deconstruct my mind in order to figure out what I’m feeling and thinking in these very moments.

“Why?” “Why the hell did it happen?” “Why did it have to be Muslims?” “Who did it? Why? Will he get…

Why The 2019 Oscars Was A Big Night For Arabs All Around The Globe

When I first started watching the Oscars a decade ago, I did so for the same various reasons most people do: the fashion, the big-name celebrities, introducing myself to a new year’s list worth of films, etc. It was for entertainment. Nothing more, nothing less. But with every passing year, I’ve noticed that the Oscars have grown to keep you hooked, and it isn’t because of the growing list of new…

Here it is. New review for the hyped n' popular film! Check it out: Film Review: Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

Two things to know when I decided to watch Alita: Battle Angel in Imax 3D. One: I literally knew nothing about the plot. And two: After the quick reviews I breezed over, I decided that it was probably worth it.

Alita: Battle Angel was originally a nine-volume Japanese cyberpunk manga series created by Yukito Kishiro in the 1990s. The film adaption is directed by Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids, Sin…

New post is a special Valentine's Edition entry. I poured my heart, (no pun intended), into this. Love, vulnerability, dreams, sensitivity, honesty, goals--you got it. Check it out: Dreams of a Valentine.

 When I was a little girl, all I could dream about was getting married. And coming from a traditional Lebanese family, (pre-societal advancements), only bolstered such a dream of a Valentine. This caused me to place “Find Prince Charming”at the top of my priorities list.

Man, was I an idiot.

I grew up and realized what a stupid fantasy I had believed. Like many of us, a combination of indirect…

Pretend it’s me sitting in contemplation. 

It didn’t matter whether the copper-red dye in my hair had faded to a dull, brassy tone. It didn’t matter whether my hair had returned to its original brunette luster. And it didn’t matter whether my curls now cascaded and bounced just past the middle of my back. Because the split ends still remained. Those dry, whimpering ends that remained parched no…

Why is everyone in love with this certain video game? Read "The Appeal in The Magic of Kingdom Hearts" to find out. Please like and share--I'd highly appreciate it!

 January 29, 2019 came and went and you were probably hoping for an explanation for why nerds all around the world went berserk After all, what was this Kingdom Hearts (KH) that everyone was losing their marbles over? Welp, allow me to explain.

Kingdom Hearts is a video game franchise that was first released all the way back in 2002. The last true sequel, however, came out back in ’05. And just…