Film review: Picnic at Hanging Rock

This past year I have grown to love movies to an extend that one of my top visited webpages is imdb, and my "to-watch" list is just too long. Watching less anime and more movies and english-language series has been a weird transition also... 

Don´t worry though! I still watch anime, and I am still interested in it all, I just feel a personal growth over the past year, stemming from moving out on my own for the first time, I am sure haha ^^

I wanted to reccomend a nice movie for all of you to check out because sometimes you just need to watch a good movie that makes you feel calm and makes you think. Being it the nice aesthetics, music, scenery or just actors that attracted me to the movie in the first place differs very much from movie to movie. This one might be old, but I would definitely reccomend giving it a watch!

 Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) 

 

I wanted to write about this movie because I am rather obsessed by the urban-legend storyline connected with it. It is about an all-girls boarding school in Victoria, Australia, called Applegate hall, and their picnic-outing on st. Valentines day in the year 1900 by the foot of a hill called Hanging Rock. The movie starts with the girls getting ready in the morning of the picnic, reading eachothers St. Valentines day letters and fawning over their muslin dresses. These scenes are truly beautiful. Once they leave the school ,in a chariot that carries all of them in one go, they chat merrily about their excursion all the way up to their destination place, which is the nearby hilled area known as Hanging Rock. There they eat cake, and toast for St. Valentine, and have a lovely time in the serene woodland scenery, with delightful classical music setting the perfect feeling. 

The teachers soon find out all their clocks have stopped, making it hard to find out when they need to go back again for the promised dinner in the evening, with the headmistress. Soon three of the senior girls decide to wander up to the hillside for some school-related research,  accompanied by one of the younger girls. They promise to only be gone for a short while. They begin feeling weird as they wander through the lower passages of the mountain side, and the youngest girl begins to feel frightend. Suddenly the three elder ones wander off into the mountain, leaving the youngest one behind, screaming. She runs away in share terror of their strange behaviour. And since then... the girls dissapear, never to be found again! 

 

 

 

 

This is a movie based on a novel that came out in 1967 (that I am currently reading!) written by the Australian author Joan Lindsay, who claims that it might either be reality or fiction. Since then there have been countless amounts of people researching the story, trying to find proof for the existence of the people involved, and the school in discussion. One thing is for certain, Hanging Rock has always been a mystical place that people seem to connect weird happenings to! 

The rest of the movie, after the dissaperance of the girls, is about the struggle of the people left behind and their suffering. The scenes are very dream-like and the music combined with the sceneries makes for a very delirious sort of feeling to it. No wonder this has been deemed perhaps the first popular cult-movie from Australia! A must see! 

I hope you enjoyed this entry,

please comment below!

♥ 5 high-school movies to see ♥

Hi ho hello!

Another year has passed and I have finished my exams (but one) and when summer comes, so does free-time! whohoo, right? hehe, well, personally I am one of those freaky people that get depressed very easily in the summer time, because of "too much free time", as I need routines in my life to function. having summer coming along, you´ll just have to create summer-routines!

Well, one good thing about being free, is that you get time to do some of the things you like.

One of the things I like, is watching movies. 

I have this list of movies that I keep adding to, there is just so many interesting-looking ones out there! At the moment, I have a crush on 80´s teenage cult-movies, particularily about high school and such. It´s fun spotting all those famous stars "entering the scene" in their first roles, and you´d be amazed at how different some of them look today! High-school movies in general tend to be entertaining. You have the really good ones that makes you think a lot, and then there´s the brainless ones that makes you roll your eyes to mars and back, and ofcourse, there is the general bad ones, that are so bad that they are good, yeah... 

So I thought, since I could probably write 110 movie-reviews, I´d do a quick little round-up of what high-school themed movies I think you ough to watch! ^^ Now that summer is coming up, and if you are a total loner (like me *cough cough*), why not watch a movie featuring how high school could have been? Or perhaps to sympathise, or see yourself in the characters? Anyway, high-school movies are cool. I hope my little list will inspire you to go look for some other high-school movies yourself, because it´s definitely worth a search, there is sooo many more than you´d believe!

 

1. The Breakfast Club (1985)

This is a classical first choice for getting into watching high-school movies, I know, but it´s still a really good movie. I didn´t watch this myself the first time until my second year of high-school, and I absolutely loved it! Directed by the amazing John Hughes, this 80´s masterpiece features 5 teenagers from different backgrounds, with different goals and prospects in life that are all tossed together in detention one morning, for various reasons, where they are asked to write a paper. Instead of doing as they are told, they start talking with eachother and we get a look into what kind of teenage-angst takes place in a young persons life. This movie has cult status, and it´s not without reason. The main characters all have distinct personalities and traits that will make you like them for different reasons as you watch the movie, and I think it´s a movie many can relate to for various reasons. So, if you are just getting into high-school movies, or have allready watched a bunch, make sure not to miss this one! Must see!

2. 10 things I hate about you (1999)

This movie features a young Heath Ledger (do you need any other reasons to watch this?) getting paid to take out "the meanest girl in school" because the guy who paid him to do so, wants to date her sister, and she can´t go out on a date unless her sister does. Allready sounding complicated right? Well, this movie has all what you´d want from a high-school movie and more! cool teachers, stupid parties and awsome main-characters. A no-brainer but still a good evening awaiting you if you choose this movie. It has long been one of my sisters favourites, so she was the one that got me to watch it in the first place. This was probably one of those movies I grew up watching, so it´s been "with me" for a long time. And hey, now that the 90´s are so "in" I bet you´d get a kick of taking a peek for that reason also. Personally can´t get enough of 90´s fashion, endless tackyness equals cool, right? Well, you´ll have a laugh, and it´ll leave you with a smile, guaranteed!

3. Heathers (1988)

When I first watched Heathers, I did so in anticipation that this would be a movie looking something like "mean girls". Well, the beginning didn´t really surprise me that much, as you enter a high-school in the mid 80´s, where three girls, all named Heather, are the "most popular girls in school", making life misserable for the nerds and haging out with the jocks. Nothing new there. However, our main character (young Winona Ryder) who is a "Heather apprentice", soon befriends a mysterious but cool outcast-guy that she´s in love with, and together they plan a revenge on "Heather nr.1". Things doesn´t exactly go as planned, and well, I don´t want to spoil anything, but let´s just say that this movie was trying to create a satirical and humouristic look upon murder and suicide. I was quite shocked when I watched it, because I didn´t at first get the humour part, and I just thought they portrayed it in a light manner for some sick, twisted reason. However, yet another cult-classic, definitely worth a watch. This movie has great aestethics and the by far the biggest shoulder-  pillows you´ll see in any
                                                                     school-cafeteria. 

4. Ferris Bueller´s day off (1986)

Another masterpiece by John Huges, featuring the ultimate "day off from school" with young Mathew Broderick. Ferris is a high-schooler that is liked by many, a cool guy that knows what he wants in life and knows how to get it. In this movie he basically tells you how to get away with truancy with style. This movie sure shows you how to make the most of a day! From "stealing" his best friends dads car, going to an art-museum, dining at a fancy resturant and somehow ending up the main-attraction on a parade-float! His principal, sensing there is something wrong, is dead set on busting him not being "sick" is after him, making this not only a race against the clock on beating his parents getting back home, but also consequences in school! What can I say, it was a pure joy watching this movie, and I don´t know WHY I haven´t done it before! Definitely an all time high-school classic that everyone should see, atleast once! It has this very typical american humour movie feel to it, making it seem more modern than it´s release date tells us it is.

5. Pretty in Pink (1986)

Ah, I guess you are by now seeing a pattern. Another John Hughes movie, and another classic featuring one of my favourite female actors from the 80´s, Molly Ringwald <3 Anyway, this movie shows a social "outcast", who´s side-job is working in a cool little record shop, suddenly becoming the love-interest of one of the "cool-guys" in school. The main character has awsome clothing-style, she makes most of her clothes on her own, or alter trifted things, so it´s great inspiration! Also, the aesthetics of this movie is gold! It also features that classical twist with the childhood friend being into the main character, but at the time this movie was made, that was perhaps not as cliche as it is now... If you want to see a movie that will leave you inspired, feeling feminine-empowerment and just plain happy, please watch this one.  I hope atleast one of you will come to enjoy Molly Ringwalds acting skills as much as I do, after seeing this pearl of a movie!

Well! That ends the selection of high-school movies I would reccomend to all of you today, even though there is SO MANY more that I could have wrote about, I decided to settle with these for now. perhaps I´ll do another high-school movie reccomendation-post later, if this one is well recieved? ;-) 

Anyway, thank you for reading, and I hope to hear back from you in the comment section below, if you ended up watching one of these movies. Let me know what you think! 

 

5 quick steps to a superb "kawaii - inning"!

 
Are you having a new friend over for the first time, and want to show off your super cute kawaii lifestyle? Or is it just a good ol´ bestie that you want to have an extra nice time with?

Well, this guide will show you in 5 easy steps how to set the mood for a great "kawaii - inning"!

What is a "kawaii - inning" you say? Nothing else than the opposite of an "outing" ;-)

If you are a student on a tight budget or just happen to don´t have too much money to spend, a night in might be a lovely alternative to frolicking around town! ^^

Well, here we go!

  
 
1. Smell

This might sound like a strange first step, but please hear me out. Ok, so, having to spend time together with someone new, you know that every home has its own smell depending on the people that live there. So in preparation for your friend to come over, how about cleaning up real quick with some soap first of all. This sets a good base to work with. A while before you head out to meet your friend, being it picking them up at the buss-station or the like, how about spraying some nice vanilla-scented perfume on yourself? Vanilla-scented perfumes are easy to come by as it is a very common scent, so it shouldn´t be too hard to find. By doing this, your friend will think you smell like a marsmellow upon hugging you (and who doesn´t like the thought of that?), also, if you leave the heat on and close the window before you head out, when you get back in again, your room will smell like newly backed cinnamonrolls! And really, that smell is hard to beat.
(WARNING: this might settle a want for the actual thing, so beware, and perhaps prepared ;-3)

(Little twin star blanket nr. 1)                                             (Little twin star blanket nr. 2)

2. Seating

Now, your friend has arrived, and you´ve taken of your coats. Its time to have a seat!
If you live alone, you might perhaps not have enough furniture to seat everyone properly, or it might be odd positioned, so an easy option is having your bed made up to sit on. Now, I´m not going to tell you how you should make your bed, since your mom should have taught you, but I can tell you how to make it look as cute as possible and thus add to your "kawaii"– experience together! ^^

Do you have a hard time finding cute bedding in the shops? Or perhaps you´ve got a hard time finding the correct size for your bed–shape? Well, a simple solution is simply forgetting the bedding itself and focus on a nice throw or blanket! There are several online shops that sell cute sanrio–themed blankets or you could settle for a simple floral design or what about a pink one with white polkadots? This will make your bed look instantly cute no matter what your bedding looks like, and another pro is that you don´t have to remove your duvet or cushion to be seated properly, you have a nice soft place for both you and your friend to sit! Extra tip is to add some extra cushions or plushies with cute designs if you happen to have those. 

(Display from my bedroom)

3. Decorations

Once again, if you are a poor student or have a tight budget otherwise, you might find it hard to buy loads of plushies or flowers or whatever other things you could imagine it would be nice to decorate your space with. If you still want to show your friend your exellent kawaii taste, how about laying out your cutest accessories on top of a drawer or a small shelf ensemble? 

Search up some pictures on tumblr for how to stack you goods, but I am sure that if you are at all interested in kawaii fashion, you do have atleast a couple of necklaces and some rings and bracelets, perhaps a few headbows or pins even! Laying them out for display is a good tip in many ways as it instanstly makes your room cuter, but it also makes it easier for you later if you decide to keep it that way, because you can get dressed faster! This is also a tip if you want a nice conversation starter; what about describing the time you made that bracelet or what friend gave you that necklace? 

4. Music

Now, I am not going to dictate how you "run the show", but if you don´t have any particular plans with your "kawaii – inning" and just wanted to have a friend over for some chat time, or non movie–based activities, putting on some music is always nice. I could say that you should go totally out and put on the most sugary j-pop you know, but if you want to set a relaxing and comforting mood for you friend, that might acctually be a bit stressfull! Also, it might be distracting with someone singing in the background while you guys chat. So, I would suggest making a playlist with relaxing soundtracks from a cute movie you both enjoy (or introduce your friend to some new music?), or perhaps musical box music or maybe even classical music is a good way to go? Personally I think nothing sets the mood as some comfortable music. Having it be only melody–based make a good base for inspirational conversations.

(My melody soap dispenser)                          (Sanrio characters tea-mug)

5. The little things

Lastly I wanted to add a little point about details. I personally think detail is key when it comes to presentation. If you really want to go the extra mile in impressing your new friend, please consider how you present the little things as well. It doesn´t have to be elaborate or pricy, there are some simple tricks that goes a long way! You have your own bathroom space? What about getting a cute soap-cup or dispenser? having a hand–soap that smells like strawberries is lovely on its own, but if you put it in a "My Melody"–shaped bottle, your friend will get a big smile on their lips while washing their hands. It also adds to your own elation later on! Another tip is how you present the snacks for you and your friend. Tea is always a good choice, and getting a couple of cute mugs is both easy and a handy investment. If you are the classical type, simply looking around a trift-shop might give you a handy result, since there is almost always a couple of tacky flower–printed cups to be found! Otherwise, take a look online for cheap sanrio mug on ebay perhaps? Pro tip: give your friend your own personal favourite mug. It makes your friend feel very appreciated.
The same thing goes for plates. Going to a thrift shop to find a floral plate couldn´t be easier. Otherwise, I might suggest a simple white plate with a cute napkin on top, or just a nice white border along the line. A last quick tip is to lay out the snacks symetrically in two parts. You might have an idea of a cake–presentation–plate, but if you own very few pieces of tableware, just using a plate for each of you where you´ve laied out the snacks in a nice pattern might be good. 

And thats it!

What you do with the rest of the meeting is up to you :-) 

If you are the kind of friends to game super–mario all night long, marathon tacky 90´s teenage-series like "Clueless" or "Sweet Valley High", or even if you are the kind of people that love horror movies despite your cute style otherwise, I won´t stop you from doing so!

The point is that now you´ve made a magical experience for both yourself and your friend.

And the best part is that now you´ve got these things all around you at all times, making your mood better in general (it really works!) 

I hope you enjoyed this quick little guide, and I hope you enjoy some good quality time with your friends. It might sound silly, but some of the best times I´ve spent visiting others was just simply spent talking together and hanging out like we did before computers. It was almost magical. 

Let me know if you try any of these!

And good luck!

Thanks for reading