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 Sweet Lolita things ♡ : movies

Do you find yourself stuck inside for a weekend of only homework, homework and more homework, without any chance of getting to see your frilly friends? 

Or are you perhaps planning a meeting with some of them, but need inspiration on
what to do after finishing your tea, cucumber sandwiches and cupcakes?
 Well, you need´t think of anything too fancy, I assure you... 

Weather it is so take a brake on your own and loose yourself in a fanasy world for a while,
 or to have a wonderfully good time with your friends,
putting on a good movie is never off the table! 

This is why I have decided to start my new series 

♡5 Sweet Lolita things♡

with the topic of movies!

I have dug out a few movies I like, that I think fit perfectly with the whimsically cute air of sweet lolita, so if you´d feel like a little brake, take a chance and look into one of these little treats.

1. 

Kamikaze Girls  

Perhaps the most iconic lolita movie of all time, Kamikaze Girls is suited for all styles within lolita. If you haven´t seen this one, there isn´t anything I would reccomend more! This is my personal favourite movie, that I´ve seen a countless amount of times, and it still makes my heart beat faster.

The story takes place in Japan, early 2000´s. The main character is a young girl of 17 called Momoko. She has no wish to create relations with anyone, and desires most of all to live the life of a rococco maiden. Her favourite brand is Baby, the star shines bright, which she can be seen wearing on most occations throughout the entire movie.  Though completely emersed in herself, an odd turn of events leads her to meet with Ichigo, a scooter-riding yankee girl, and her total opposite in every way! Still, it is to be proven that the two of them creates a better duo than anyone would have expected! Extremly funny, and heartful, a definate must see!

    Watch the trailer now!

(this is a really bad trailer, since the man narrating sounds extremly cheesy, but sadly the only one I could find >.<")

♡


2.
Barbie in the nutcracker

 The first and perhaps most iconic Barbie movie ever. Don´t let the childish theme and exterior put you off! Glittering pink gowns, a town made entirely of candy, pastelly animals, fairies and tons of other cavity enducing cuteness to make your sweet lolita heart go doki doki full-time! A true fairytale, packed with all things frilly.

The story is about a young girl named Clara (played by Barbie) who one christmas recieves a nutcracker in the shape of a little soldier, from her Aunt. Then, in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep, the nutcracker suddenly awakens to fight the evil Mouse king that has made his way into Claras house. Clara is awakended by all the fuss, and suddenly finds herself shrunken into the size of the nutcracker! She finds out that the nutcracker is acctually a prince, and the Mouse king his sworen enemy, having cast the magical spell upon him that turned him into a nutcracker. Now Clara must veture into their world, beond the mouse-hole to save the prince and regain her former size. And the journey turns out to be quite an adventure!

 Watch the trailer now!

(another cheesy narrator >.< sorry!)

♡


3.
Mirror Mirror

A new adaption of the ever so classical fairytale about snow white! And really, who is more pure and innocent, and overwhelmingly sweet than her? A recent discovery of mine, that I have fallen completely in love with. A new and super sweet acctress does a picture perfect copy of the famous heroin.

I think you all know the story of snow white from before, but I bet you have never seen it like this! What intrigued me about this movie, is the amazing scenery, elabroate and delicate outfits, and the wonderful humour. It is a very cosy movie, that at the same time gives you so much wonderful to look at! Every scene has a new and amazing set of costumes, and dear I say that the ballroom scene is as pleasing to the eye as the ever so famous ballroom scene from "Labyrinth" ever was! I was in awe throughout the entire movie. It is imaginative, quite original and really... Lily Collins is the fairest of them all! Discuss all the frilly fancies with your friends, or just be completely starstruck by this amazing fantasy movie all by yourself.

Watch the trailer now!

♡


4.
Sharpay´s fabulous adventure

Now, before you judge me both long and well, I just want to say that I am the first person to admit this choice of movie is rather... ehm, tacky? Well, as a modern-day fashionista and a pink obsessed freak, I will say that everyone needs a bit of braindead entertainment from time to time, and that is definitely where this movie comes in its perfect element. Guilty pleasure.

You might recognize Sharpay Evans from the (in)famous High School musical movies, where she played a rather stuck up snobby "everything is about me!" type of girl, and really, you can´t say much is changed! But that is what we love about her. Sharpay is her own kind of modern day princess, making her way to the top, reaching for the stars. Not only does everything she owns scream pink and glitter, but her room is a total pink explosion!
This movie is about her starting a life on her own, with her little dog, hopefully making them both famous superstars along the way. The perfect movie for a good laugh, even with all of its thousands of clichés.

Watch the trailer now!

♡


5.
Marie Antoinette

Another all time classic on the lolita front, Marie Antoinette is the perfect movie for a pompadour princess with a love for all things fancy and upper class. I would widely reccomend this movie if you want some eye-candy on a boring day, and feel the need to pamper yourself a little bit extra. Everyday luxury indeed!

The story evolves around the french queen Marie Antoinette and her story about becoming, and being the queen of france. It is an interesting adaption, with a modern day twist of cool punk-ish music mixed in between all the bows, frilly lace and silk trims. It lets us get a deeper look into the rich and posh life at Versailles, with its pleasures and its sorrows. For everyone that is at all interested in details, old fashioned furniture or the rococco era (did I hear a tripple yes?) this is your go-to movie. I absolutely love the mixture of amazing fashion, combined with fun music, lively characters and the most wonderful tarts, cakes, confectionary and sweets you could ever imagine. It will have your mouth running in a couple of minutes, I garantee it! Girls night in movie!

Watch the trailer now!

♡ 

Now, I hope you liked the little selection of movies I´ve picked out for you guys! ^^
Please let me know what you think of the movies if you´ve seen them, or better yet, tell me your opinion after watching a new one! I know a lot of these movies are well known and perhaps you´ve allready seen all of them far more than I have, but in my opinion these are movies to be seen over and over again.

Stay tuned for more sweet lolita tips, and perhaps more movie tips also!
Who knows what the future might bring ;-)



Until next time!