Funnest Films/Shows I Watched Last Year

Today, something random!

Because I haven’t posted in almost literally forever, and I found this in my drafts and thought I’d finish it and share it. (A wizard is never late — my new blogging tagline for when I vanish for months. ;))

My movie and show watching is super varied and one of the few true “hobbies” I have, meaning I don’t overanalyze it or pressure myself about it like I do about everything else. XD (*cough*Writing and reading.*cough*)

That said, because last year I actually kept track of what I watched (which I don’t always do), here are a few films and shows I enjoyed!

(Just a disclaimer that I don’t necessarily endorse all the films/shows below and their content etc.)

ALL THE SHOWS I WATCHED IN 2021

(Not pictured: The Mandalorian, Leverage: Redemption, Almost Paradise, and Over the Garden Wall)

This category isn’t so much “funnest” as “all.” XD There were several shows last year I watched a bit of here or there, but the ones I watched more than a few episodes of were:

  • Avatar: The Last Airbender – Finished Season 2 and 3 and YES, FINALLY HAVE SEEN IT! Adored this show. XD So happy I finished it. 😀 Zuko, Uncle Iroh, and Sokka are my faves.
  • The Mandalorian — Most of (but have to finish S2) – Enjoying so far, mostly! Mando himself is the absolute best and Baby Yoda is adorable.
  • Leverage — I re-watched the entire original Leverage show last year! I don’t re-watch shows, really? It takes long enough to watch one once. But it had been a long time since I’d seen it and it was a huge comfort re-watch during a stressful year last year, and was just so fun. ^_^
  • Leverage: Redemption — All of it so far – Eh. There were ups and downs; not as good as the original but I did enjoy parts of it. Mostly Eliot Spencer. XD
  • Almost Paradise — All of it so far – I needed something to try after missing Eliot and co. from those two shows, so I tried this one out and it was an enjoyable show with Christian Kane, and while it had the usual cop-show kind of stuff, I appreciated the extra humor. 🙂 I’m curious to see more.
  • Over the Garden Wall – I don’t even know why but this was so addicting and kind of amazing and I have mixed feelings about the end but otherwise it was adorable/spooky and AAHH WHAT DID I JUST WATCH? This made an impression and I’m basically Wirt. XD (And my sister and I randomly say POTATOES AND MOLASSES sometimes now.)
  • The Librarians – I watched the first couple of seasons last year, and actually finished at the beginning of this year – SO fun! As with any show there were less-favorite things, but on the whole I just really enjoyed the characters and the concept and fantasy element and it was just a crazy fun show! (Yes, I did watch a lot of Christian Kane last year. He plays a lot of fun characters. XD)

SOME MOVIES I ENJOYED IN 2021

(Not pictured: Shang Chi, A Cinderella Christmas, and The Button of Doom)
  • Studio Ghibli — I watched a few of these (still need to finish them, though) and my favorite ones overall that I watched last year were probably Ponyo, Up On Poppy Hill, and The Castle of Cagliostro. Also, the hero and music in Princess Mononoke are also MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!! (Even if the film as a whole was a bit too dark for my personal taste. O_O But I adored parts of it!)
  • Jason Bourne 3, 4, and 5 — Yeahhh, I figured out I love Jason Bourne movies. XD I just…I enjoy them? I was sad about a certain death in the final one but otherwise I had a blast watching the final three in the series.
  • The Mummy — I finally watched this series! XD I don’t love everything about them, especially the spookiness (and the change of actress for the final movie), but they were fun adventures and I enjoyed the humor and characters a lot. ^_^ Soo much fun!
  • Pride and Prejudice (1985) — I had never seen this older version! It wasn’t as gorgeously filmed as newer ones, but I found the casting to be excellent, and the adaption was great too. It was really enjoyable!
  • Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings — This was the only film I saw in theaters last year (I have since seen Dune, though!), for a sibling’s birthday, and while it wasn’t perfect it was definitely a super fun, enjoyable ride and it made me laugh and I enjoyed the characters and it was exciting and pretty and…yeah. Enjoyable. 🙂
  • A Cinderella Christmas — This was a random Christmas movie I watched and it was cute and Cinderalla-y and…I don’t know, I just enjoyed it for some reason!
  • The Button of Doom (short) — I adore the Megamind film. XD So this short in a collection of short films was so much fun! Set after Megamind. Superhero/villain fun. XD

Fave movie rewatches of last year

(Not pictured: The Secret of Moonacre)
  • Howl’s Moving Castle — Because of course! I adore the book the most but the movie’s delightful. It makes me happy!
  • Mortal Engines — I don’t know why I love this movie so much but I DO; I just enjoyed it a ton. So sorry to those who dislike it. XD I’ve decided taste in films/shows is just SO individual and subjective. 🙂
  • Equilibrium — This is a dark one, so beware, but uncharacteristically I really liked this one despite its super-dystopian nature. XD Christian Bale plays a very different sort of character in this.
  • The Secret of Moonacre — Another case of loving the book and movie, despite them being SO different. This one was just…randomly whimsical and fun. 🙂 (The book is called The Little White Horse and I adore it. They’re almost unconnected though. XD)
  • Labyrinth — I had only recently discovered this one after hearing about it for YEARS and yeah, it’s kind of strange but it was just kind of a blast. So many great moments! And I finally “met” the Goblin King.

So there’s a glance at some of the funnest things I watched last year! Told you I have strange taste. XD

I’ve not been keeping close tabs on my watching habits this year, but I’ve been dipping into anime this year (give me recs if you have any!) and I saw Dune in the theaters this winter — oh my word. It was so epic!

Let me know if you like any of these, or about something fun you’ve watched recently, or if you have a favorite anime you recommend!

Thanks for reading!

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Ren: The Girl With the Mark – Season 2?

Update: February 15, 2023 — New Patreon for a new season!

This is still one of my most popular blog posts, so I figured it was worth an update here at the top. If you’re finding this post ages later, there’s good news! Despite the Kickstarter mentioned below in the original post ultimately not being funded, Neil Oseman (one of the team from the original season 1) is producing a second season at last, and fans can get in on the behind-the-scenes and funding for it over on the new Patreon page! Read all about this news here and check out the Patreon here.

Original post from June 17, 2019

Friends, I’m excited to share some news with you!

The Indie-made fantasy show Ren: The Girl with the Mark is gearing up for a second season — but we need your help!

What is Ren?

If you haven’t heard about this original fantasy TV show (which has one season so far, consisting of five 10-minute episodes), and would like to know more, you can check out the official website or my post Ten Reasons Why Ren the Series is Awesome.

I stumbled across it years ago when it first released, since it was made by the same talented filmmakers who made the Lord of the Rings fan-film Born of Hope (about Aragorn’s parents). I adored the first season of Ren, and I’m excited to share the news with other fantasy fans!

Scary things going down in the woods . . .

I absolutely love the characters (Ren! Karn! Hunter!) and the acting, as well as the setting, look, and feel of it. The story kept me holding my breath. And the music! I love it so much that I had to buy the soundtrack — it’s good for listening to while writing exciting scenes. 😉 Ren is simply an excellently-made show and I need more of it in my life. ❤

Watch it Free!

You can watch the first season of Ren the Series on the website or Youtube!

Or, if you have Amazon Prime, the first season has been re-edited and put together there in one place! Seriously, go see it. (It’s a total of 45 minutes, so you really have no excuse not to! ;))

So check it out if you love fantasy! (And join me in waiting for a continuation of that explosive cliffhanger! XD)

Karn being mysterious and epic. He’s my favorite!

How You Can Help

If the Ren team can get enough sign-ups for their new newsletter, they’ll know they have enough support to launch a crowdfunding campaign for season two, and they’re over halfway to that goal!

So if you are an old or new fan of Ren, or just want to help out, be sure to spread the word and sign up to renew Ren for a second season!

Ren and Hunter, my other favorites!

Check out the latest update on Youtube!


Here’s some more information, taken from the official press release:

SECOND SEASON OF REN: THE GIRL WITH THE MARK IN THE WORKS

The team behind Ren: The Girl with the Mark, the ambitious short-form fantasy series about a young woman marked by an ancient spirit, is asking fans to support a second season.

The premiere episode has had over two million views to date, while the season as a whole has received over 40 award nominations from festivals around the world, and a dozen actual award wins.

Gongs collected include the Grand Jury Award at Melbourne International WebFest in Australia, and Best Series awards at GenCon and FilmQuest in the US and at Bilbao WebFest in Spain. Skelton’s performance was honoured at Hyperdrive Sci-Fi & Fantasy Festival in the UK, while director and co-creator Kate Madison took home a Best Director award from South Korea’s Seoul WebFest.

Fans will be delighted to hear that a second season is in the works. “I’ve just finished writing the last episode,” Madison reveals. “I won’t give you any spoilers, but you can expect a much bigger scope and scale to this season, as Ren and Hunter journey across Alathia to try to find the answers to some of Ren’s many questions.”

The first season was crewed by an army of volunteers – some from as far afield as Germany, the Netherlands and even the US – who descended on the small English village of Caxton, Cambridgeshire to help build the set, make the costumes and appear as extras. Madison notes that “it was their talent and enthusiasm that allowed us to make an independent series of such a high quality that many viewers thought they were watching something from a major TV
studio.”

The community ethos is something she is keen to continue. Before launching a crowdfunding campaign, Madison and her team have challenged themselves to get 5,000 fans signed up to their new mailing list. “Social media is great,” says Madison, “but with the wealth of information out there things can be missed, and nothing beats getting something straight into your inbox.”

You can show your support for further adventures of Ren: The Girl with the Mark by heading to rentheseries.com/renew and signing up to the mailing list.


Have you seen Ren the Series yet? And what do you think? If you’re a fellow fan, are you just as ready for the next season as I am? Aaahh! I’m so excited to continue this journey! 😀

All images belong to Mythica Entertainment.

18 Books I Want Made Into Movies/TV Shows (Bookwyrm Confessions)

Following up on my Bookwyrm Confessions post from a couple weeks back, Movies I Liked Better Than the Book (and Other Confessions), I’m here with a list of some books I’d love to see made into movies. *gasp* The shock! … Continue reading

Sweater Weather Fall Tag

sweaterweathertag

Since tomorrow’s the first day of Fall, I thought I’d do an Autumnal sort of tag today! And how fortunate that Aspen @ Texas Rebel Girl tagged me (awhile back) for the Sweater Weather Tag — thank you, deary!

Sweater Weather Tag

fallphoto

1. Favorite candle scent?

All of them!

2. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?

Hot chocolate, always! 🙂

3. What’s the best Fall memory you have?

Visiting relatives for Thanksgiving during NaNo that one year.

4. Best fragrance for Fall?

Ummm… the smell of cinnamon maybe? I have no idea. XD

5. Favorite Thanksgiving food?

All of it. (Okay, okay, I’m partial to stuffing and corn and cranberry sauce and those little dinner roll things. And pie, of course.)

6. What is Autumn weather like where you live?

Usually… hot. 😛 It’ll cool off eventually, but it tends to be kinda warm most of the time. Oh well…

7. Most worn sweater?

My NaNo hoodie! *hugs it*

nanohoodie

8. Football games or jumping in leaf piles?

LEAVES ALL THE WAY. I do not understand football at all. *shakes head*

9. Skinny jeans or leggings?

Leggings I guess? You can wear them with skirts too. Jeans are kinda cold to wear in the Fall…

10. Combat boots or Uggs?

I had to look up Uggs. XD Um… combat boots if I actually had them? I like laced-up boots and it’s normally not cold enough for warm boots… and you can always wear extra socks if it is.

11. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?

It depends. If it’s in pumpkin bread, then…

athousandtimesyes

Otherwise… Eh, not sure.

12. Favorite fall TV show?

I… don’t watch many TV shows, and then always from the library on DVD so… I don’t know? So I’ll just use this to say my favorite TV shows instead. 😉

  • Firefly (it looks Fall-ish!)
  • Sherlock
  • Hustle
  • Leverage

shows

13. What song really gets you into the Fall spirit?

So Ghostly Then the Girl Came In by Kate Price… simply because I heard it first in Fall, and it’s eerie and makes me think of NaNoWriMo because of my NaNo poem.

14. What do you want to be for Halloween?

I don’t really do Halloween so… I dunno. I’ve always thought it would be fun to dress up like an elf though. *shrug*

15. Hats or Scarves?

Um. Since I don’t really have a hat (how did this happen?), scarves I guess. I tend to use a soft neckwarmer instead actually. I even actually use one for a hat-ish thing too sometimes, because that way it holds my hair back. I’m eccentric. XD

16. What’s your #1 favorite thing about Fall?

The feel in the air of adventure, the cooling weather, and NaNo probably.

blogoversary3

How about you? Do you enjoy Fall? Anything favorite about this Autumnal time of year? Feel free to snag the tag if you’re feeling Fall-ish!

(Also, FYI: if I don’t reply to comments for awhile, it’s merely because I will be internetless for a week. But I shall return! 🙂 )

10 Reasons Why Ren the Series is Awesome

IPHONE_REN

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) prompt was is Ten Reasons I Love X — which I’m turning into Ten Reasons Why Ren the Series (a.k.a. Ren: The Girl with the Mark) is Awesome and Why You Should Watch It.

I’ve mentioned it before, but it deserves its own post.

Let’s get to it!

(Warning: If you’re allergic to fangirling, this post is not for you. There will be a lot…)

TopTenTues

Ten Reasons Ren the Series is Awesome

1. It’s an original, indie-made fantasy adventure webseries available to watch online.

Okay, so if that’s not reason enough…? Well read on. But really! It’s basically the best indie-made film-ish thing I’ve seen, tying with Beyond the Mask, I’d say (even though they’re both quite different). And it’s fantasy and online and indie authors and film-makers are awesome, don’t you agree?? Speaking of which…

Ren1

2. It’s made by the talented Kate Madison (and Christopher Dane) and their crew, who made Born of Hope.

These people are AWESOME I tell you. In case anyone doesn’t know (where have you been? Goodness. XD) Born of Hope is a fabulous fan-film that’s a sort of prequel to The Lord of the Rings, about Aragorn’s parents and the Dunedain. (It also features the sons of Elrond, who are EPIC, by the way, but I’m getting sidetracked.) I loved Born of Hope back in the day, so I’m so incredibly excited about the Ren series, which is even better than BoH (if possible) and is an entirely NEW story. It would be like if a favorite author of mine wrote wonderful fanfiction I loved… and then came out with an original novel so that even the people I know who don’t know the fandom can enjoy it because it’s ORIGINAL. EXCITEMENT.

3. The CHARACTERS

So… characters tend to be one of my favorite things about books/film. This show has so many fascinating and cool characters!

Ren, Hunter, and Karn are my favorites so far… Ren herself is a really likeable heroine. Hunter, the rogue-for-hire, is awesome. And my favorite of all, the mysterious Karn… YES. 😀 But I love all of the characters (except creepy villains. EEK). They’re all fantastic and real and loveable. ❤

SCREENSAVE_KARN

4. The Visuals/Scenery/Sets/Costumes

The awesome forest (can I live there please and thank you) and real-feeling medieval-esque village are just so amazing. And don’t get me started on the costumes because I could be there all day. XD This thing just looks so REAL. I’m so impressed at what this small group of filmmakers was able to accomplish. It feels like a large-budget movie/show and it’s just fantabulous, I tell you.

5. The Music

THE MUSIC. I love love love the music so much. Here, give it a listen in the credits. It has a sort of Celtic-esque, thoroughly fantasy feel that I love. It’s so wild and beautiful and free and it just makes my heart soar and my feet want to leap in a dance and go off on an adventure through the forests and mountains with Ren and her friends. ❤ I need a soundtrack for this thing, SO MUCH. ❤

(I was in fact assured that there will be one forthcoming, since I managed to get in on a live-stream chat thing Kate Madison and company held after the final episode aired. You know, one of those things where fans type questions and they answer them. They answered my question about a soundtrack and mentioned my name when they did, and later moved the camera over to show off Ren’s costume since I asked to see it up closer. Excuse me while I fangirl, but THAT WAS KIND OF AMAZING OKAY SORRY BUT NOT SORRY.)

6. The Accents

Okay, so call me shallow. But I adore accents. And all of these characters have absolutely fabulous British accents (some Scottish perhaps thrown in there) and I’m assuming they’re real too because the actors are British and it was I believe filmed in England… Like how cool is that? (I particularly love Ren’s father’s voice… the accent and growly quality. He just has a really cool voice. *thumbs up*) (Aaand you all probably think I’m crazy. Oh well. :P)

SCREENSAVE_REN1

7. The Story

It’s exciting, action-y, mysterious and thrilling. You’ve got the scary uptight “officials” who are basically out to terrorize everyone (apparently. I mean, what else would scary guys in ninja-esque outfits who march grimly around be doing). You’ve got the secret fugitives on a mission… Mysterious backstory that’s only hinted at… Family troubles… Mixed in is some humor… (particularly from Baynan. XD) And I don’t want to give all the story away but I’ve really enjoyed it so far and I have so many questions and just yes.

8. The Worldbuilding

I should have put this one up front because IT’S ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THIS SHOW. Don’t you love that feeling when you read a really good fantasy book and are swept away in the world? This is like that. You can tell this one’s really well put together and that we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. It makes me really really excited for more! (And also it’s fun to rewatch and discover stuff I missed and make theories…)

9. Because it’s awesome and I love it and I need another season, so it needs to go viral so that we’ll get one soon!

I… don’t really think this point needs further elaboration. XD

SCREENSAVE_HUNTER

10. It’s free on YouTube and short enough it won’t become a black hole that eats your time.

So you don’t have to worry things like: “Oh, well, it sounds kinda cool, but I don’t have TIME because I’m in the middle of 10904930 shows already and I need a time machine to keep up with them all already,” and/or “Oh noooo not another show — it will suck away all my time faster than pinterest!” (Or am I the only one who thinks that last thing? *cough*) The point is (much as I would love to watch hours of this thing) the first season consists of 5 ten-minute episodes, so it’s less than an hour to watch, and we all probably spend at least that much time obsessively reloading our inboxes waiting for a particular email (oh, just me again? >.>) — so why not go watch an awesome thing instead?? 😀 (And did I mention FREE?)

Ren the Series Website

Watch Ren

On Youtube

So shoo, why are you still here, you lovely blog-readers? Go watch it! (And if you have already, well then you obviously know what’s up. ;)) Did you enjoy Ren? Do you need the second season as badly as I do? BECAUSE I NEED IT LIKE I NEED AIR. *flails*

This has been an almost-belated (but not quite! It’s still Tuesday, I promise!) Top Ten Tuesday post from a vaguely sleep-deprived writer who should be asleep (which may or may not account for the flailyness of this post).

Thank you and good night. *exits stage left*

(*whatever on earth that means because I fail at theatre references*)

(*Ahem*)