10 Best Movies Of The First Half of 2016

We’re around halfway into the year, but what movies should be on your list to catch up on? Rather than trawling through IMDB lists yourself, we’ve got the very best right here - so take a look!

Review: Mockingjay Movie

First off, if you haven't seen the movie, I suggest you run to the nearest cinema and see it right now. I haven't seen any book adaptations that is this well translated so GO, GO, GO! I saw this on the weekend of the first week so the three cinemas Centrio allotted for it were packed. But now on its third week, I doubt it's still as packed so by all means, go see the movie!

#HIMYM: Barney & Robin's Legendary Wedding

I think I'm going to cry. Not only is How I Met Your Mother ending tomorrow, I got to see the longest pre-wedding in television culminate. My favorite couple, Robin and Barney, just got hitched and the ending to my favorite sitcom (tied with ABC's Castle) feels even more real to me. OH MY GOSH THE FEELS!

So to celebrate / eulogize, I'm going to reminisce on last Monday's episode on The Wedding and How The Mother (still no name) Met Aunt Robin. Excuse me, I have to blow my nose.

Teeth Trends Gain Popularity Thanks to TOWIE Stars

Veneers and teeth whitening are ways to get a bright smile from your dentist. These techniques have gained some popularity over the last couple of years in particular due to some celebrity recognition in England.

The actors of The Only Way Is Essex, a popular British reality soap, are known for their dedication to current health and fashion trends. When their attention turned to their teeth, co-stars Chloe Sims, Joey Essex, and wedding singer James Argent decided to meet with cosmetic dentists to discuss ways to improve the cosmetic quality of their smiles.

Dental Veneers

Also called a dental porcelain laminate, a veneer is a thin shell that has been custom-made to be bonded to the front of a tooth in order to change its length, shape, color, or size for cosmetic reasons. A veneer may be made of porcelain or a resin composite. The porcelain veneer has the advantage of looking more like a natural tooth and resisting stains better. On the other hand, a resin veneer is thinner and the dentist has to remove less of the tooth surface in order to secure it in place. Most dentist recommend only having veneers fitted to upper front teeth, since the process is more likely to disrupt tooth structure and tissue on the lower teeth.

Veneers do not last forever. They require a dentist’s care for the entirety of their life, which is usually about ten years. After this, they must be removed and replaced by a dentist. Since your teeth have to be altered in order for the veneers to be put in place, you can never go back to your original look. For this reason, many dentists recommend considering other methods of tooth correction first. Braces, aligners, or composite bonding are more effective in the long run for straightening teeth; however, from a cosmetic standpoint, veneers are the fastest and most effective way to transform your smile.

After getting veneers, it is important to continue to practice regular oral hygiene. Brush and floss twice daily and visit your dentist at least twice a year for checkups and professional cleanings. Avoid drinks that may stain your new teeth, such as coffee, tea, and wine. It is also important to keep from grinding your teeth or chewing ice or hard candies. Veneers cannot be repaired if they are cracked or chipped.

Chloe Sims and Joey Essex chose to have veneers put in place. Judging by their tweets and the brightness of their smiles, they both found the procedure to be successful. Both stars have been proudly showing off their new teeth in the months since.

Tooth Whitening

James Argent opted for a tooth whitening procedure rather than veneers, and was happy with his results. For fans, tooth whitening may be a more economical option, as it is a much less expensive process. Tooth whitening may be a satisfactory substitute for veneers, since you can do it effectively over the course of a couple of weeks with at-home treatments prepared by the dentist. Dentists also offer laser whitening, which produces results immediately and is very effective. Alternatively, you may choose over-the-counter whitener products that can diminish stains and brighten teeth.

Talk to your dentist about whether you are a good candidate for veneers or tooth whitening processes. Whichever course you choose, always keep in mind that a good oral hygiene routine is critical for maintaining the beautiful smile you and your dentist achieve.

#HIMYM: The Mother [SPOILER ALERT]

One sign that a sitcom is ending is when a long term conflict gets resolved, or in the case of Fox's How I Met Your Mother, a 9 year old question gets answered. The face of the mother has been appearing since the beginning of the ninth (and final) season but it's only in episode 16 (the sitcom's 200th episode) that we finally get to know about The Mother and her back story. WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!

Place Your Bets On American Idol S14

Okay, the title sounds weird, but I know you know what I mean! With AI entering its new season, Randy Jackson leaving the show and new judges on the hot seats, it's time to place your bets on who's winning the only singing contest that produce the future Grammy winners. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally a The Voice fan (rooting for Bladam, baby!) and the Got Talent franchise produces the coolest people, but the Grammy winners! Anyway, some people hate the new judges but I agree with the show producers that they're the best Idol has ever put together. If you need a background, I'll tell you what I know about these guys. Keith Urban is the Australian, country (I didn't know that this genre's even big in Australia) awesome guitarist/singer, J Lo has been getting it on the AI floor since S10 & S11 and I'm pretty sure almost everyone on the planet knows her, Harry Connick, Jr. I was shocked that most auditioners didn't know who he was, he's only the best crooner of our day (I'm sorry, Michael Buble)

Review: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (Movie)

This isn't really new but I just saw the movie. I haven't read the book, not if you don't count a little snippet of it when I was hanging out at the bookstore years ago. I'm still trying to improve my review style, so everybody bear with me and my sucking at this.

Synopsis

Nick is a straight bass player in an (almost) all gay band who got her oops his heart broken three weeks (and two days and 23 hours ago) by Tris who happens Norah's schoolmate. Nick is so hung up on Tris that he still makes mix tapes for her. Norah gets a hold of them after Tris dumps them in the trash and there's this instant connection even though they've never met (blech). Norah kisses Nick in a club while trying to get Tris off her back and it goes awkward to 'what in the world?!' from there.

Review: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (S1)

If you watched the Golden Globes last January 12 then you already know Jennifer Lawrence won a globe (again) for her awesome performance in American Hustle (totally envisaging because I haven't seen it yet). Before I start with the review, I  need to tell you five things about the GG 2014:

• It's the first time I watched an awards show from the start to the end (lol, I somehow manage to turn everything I talk about into something about me.  Ahem, excuse my narcissism [but not really]).
• Kudos Tina Fey and Amy Poehler for turning machines in Hollywood into interactive people (you know I'm just kidding. I'm just used to seeing A-listers through the sardonic eyes of TMZ)
• I can't believe Leonardo's accent is like that in real life Slightly Mid-Atlantic. I honestly thought he was faking that accent in Gatsby and Wolfstreet, but I guess not.
• I thought Andy Samberg looked too much like Adam Sandler to not be his son! Only, I was flipping through channels and found a movie where Andy was indeed Adam's son. Yeah, this isn't even about GG anymore, lol.
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine won! And it's their first season! WOOT!

Okay, I must admit, I was just stalling. Really, I'm going to seriously review this comedy now. (Get it? GET IT? Serious and comedy! No? Nevermind!Yes, I know that was lame) So, yeah.

Synopsis

The series is set in the fictional 99th precinct of the NYPD and tells about the reckless, immature, self-centered (I could go on and on and on...) but talented "detective/genius" (his words) and his whole department, which include their openly gay and unreadable commanding officer, Holt; the mysterious bully, Diaz; the nervous squad leader, Terry; the overachieving, competitive Cuban-American Santiago; the clumsy but hardworking Boyle; the "pretty much useless but makes good coffee" duo in the persons of Scully and Hitchcock and their civilian administrator full of sarcasm, Gina.

Movie Review: The Family

A mafia boss and his family are relocated to a sleepy town in France under the witness protection program after snitching on the mob. Despite the best efforts of Agent Stansfield to keep them in line, Fred Manzoni, his wife Maggie and their children Belle and Warren can't help but revert to old habits and blow their cover by handling their problems the "family" way, enabling their former mafia cronies to track them down. Chaos ensues as old scores are settled in the unlikeliest of settings.

This is seriously one of the funniest movies I have seen this month. Okay, maybe it's the only comedy I've watched so far this month but it's hilarious anyway! Mind you, it's not quite like Mr. Bean (the in-your-face funny type), I found it amusing because seriously, can you imagine a mob family trying to be normal anything but?

Anyway, what I didn't like about the movie is Diana Agron's bad acting. She looks bored all the time (I think its the eyes) and it's not giving her character any plus points. The kid and Robert are my favorite. Michelle Pfeiffer's accent was terrible but I enjoyed mimicking her anyway (so I didn't completely hate her lol)

This isnt really a review (as you might have guessed) but I really recommend you guys watch this movie! For fans of The Godfather like myself, don't expect too much mafia business, it's a family movie afterall. Do expect anger management issues, guns and a terrific climax by the end.

I give it an eight out of ten!

Donuts, Books and #CatchingFire

Okay, I know I implied I would be updating more often and I intended too but as always, (brace yourselves, you're going to hear my most frequently used alibi yet) I was too caught up with RL (real life, cutie pies). Last week was a very busy week for my city, thus my Cagayan de Oro-niche blog, CDOSocial. I attended two Pre-Openings and a Presscon thing. Okay, that doesn't seem that much, but those filled my afternoons while school filled my mornings and Church, my evenings. But I'm glad I have something to do, beats being bored any day!

Review: Suburgatory S1 & 2

It's late at night / early in the morning and I just finished watching two whole seasons of what has grown to be my favorite American sitcom (rivaled only by Friends and How I Met Your Mother). Suburgatory narrates the story of George and Tessa Altman, a father-daughter pair from the jungles of New York, New York as they transition to suburban living in the fictional town of Chatswin. I guess my partiality to this sitcom started with the name (as you may recall, I'm quite amused by portmanteaus), Tessa's intoxicating copper hair, and of course, Ryan's body (you need to be able to get to Season 1 Episode 14 in order to understand this joke). But as I continued to watch each 20 minute episode, I craved for the laughs, story progression and ridiculous dialogues.

Movie: The Godfather

Who hasn't seen the movie featuring the most infamous [fictional] mafia leader of all time? I saw this movie only a couple of years back and woah! I watched all three movies and have been wanting to read the book for a long time. But now even though I hardly remember the plot at all, I still have strong memories of Don Vito's partagas(or whatever them mafia bosses liked to cough out), the battered sister, the dead brother-in-law, the dead wife, and Al P's and Marlon Brando’s accents to complete the mafia Don-dom.

Movie: Silver Lining Playbook

My mom and sisters decided to watch Silver Linings Playbook last week while I was editing our NCP on my/Deb's laptop. I thought they were going to watch 'Mama' so I didn't bother joining in (officially sworn off horror movies - 2013 resolution) but then I heard Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro talking and I immediately marooned myself over the carpet and the NCP was remembered no more (until very much later).

I start the movie with Pat (Cooper) getting out of mental rehab, he and his OCD father (DeNiro) were discussing Brad's peculiar fashion choices. I seriously cannot imagine having an OCD husband and a bipolar son. I would be mad to tears. Anyway, Pat got in for murdering his colleague after catching him cheating with his wife. Months after, Pat gets invited by his friend to dinner where he meets nymphomaniac Tiffany (Lawrence). Their characters develop as they learn more about each other, all the while learning to let go and accept new things easing their way in in their lives.

This is so amazing. A hilarious romantic comedy priding itself with slightly disturbed leads, trashbin jogging attires, football superstitions and dancing second only to Dancing With The Stars. It's sure to give you a good laugh. The characters were played well and critically thought of. The dialogues witty and en point (although all the football superstition jargon got me scratching my belly-I must interrogate dad about what it all means) and the pacing, the climax, the ending couldn't have been better. Would recommend you to watch it with your families. I did and it lead to sporadic LOLing around the house for at least another day. Warning for language though. Gah, really one of the best RomComs I've wasted time on. And I can't believe some people haven't seen this yet! JLaw even got an Oscar for it!

Check out the trailer!

The Fault In Our Stars THE MOVIE

Ohmygosh please start defibrillating me 'cause my heart is suffering a cardiac arrest! OHMYGOSH MOM! I saw it on a blog and couldn't believe it, I had to go on Green's twitter to verify. I HAD TO. For the life of me, I didn't expect it (I did really, but not like this.)  Someone please pinch me! Pinch me now!

It's making me look like

Although what I'm really feeling is more like this

Read his twitter, along with tons of other articles on who's directing, possible actors, and stopped by his youtube. Anyway, since everybody's doing it (so much for the girl who doesn't succumb to peer pressure), Imma do my own Who should they cast to play who? thing. Yeah, let's go right at it because it's impossible for me to be thinking clearly in about 12 minutes (hopefully by then, this entry would have been signed, sealed and posted)

     While I was reading TFOIS...

I was imagining my friend (but had to break his leg and amputate him in order to achieve the real thing) as Gus and myself as Hazel (wut? A girl can dream right?) but since the proximity of Hollywood to my house is like Ulaanbaatar to Halley the comet, I suppose I can think of someone else promising enough for the role.. So voila! Here is my cast:

Andrew Garfield as Augustus Waters.

(Peter Parker in Spiderman)

or let's young it up with Grant Gustin

(Sebastian from Glee; Campbell from 90210)

and Sami Gayle should be Hazel Grace Lancaster, hands down!

(Alison from Stolen)

I'm really hoping it's not going to be Emma Watson AGAIN (reason as capitalized). Many young celebrities show great potential, I hope the producers, the casting people give them equal consideration. Anyway, I'm always inclined to ask for your opinion. Who would you cast? Have you read the book in the first place? If not, why haven't you? LOL

Top 5 Movies You Dare Not Miss in 2013!

I should upload pics from Abe and my date. It was her payday (she works for my mom) and, as generous as she is, blew it off by feeding her youngerling. While waiting for those and the pics of my mom's wedding, why don't we enjoy ourselves by watching oh-some trailers. Yay, more waiting for us. Great titles these year. There are lots of remakes, remastering, and sequels nowadays. Can you imagine watching something that makes you wait 'til it's available in cinemas earthwide while waiting for me to upload photos? Well, we're about to do just that. Be excited. I found cool trailers trailers this week:

Okay, roll 'em!

1. Iron Man 3 - I could hardly believe they have the trailer already! I'm so excited for the movie. It's got a more serious theme compared to the previous Iron Man movies and I'm guessing definitely more action-packed. And a surprise! (which isn't really that surprising anymore) two Iron Mans! Did somebody say 'Spiderman'? But regardless, I'm excited and definitely waiting for the movie to come out May of 2013.


2. Warm Bodies - Definitely waiting for this! February, why can't you come already?! Deb was actually the one who showed this to me. It has Nicholas Hoult (he played the hot guy who died in the temple of Athena in Clash of the Titans) in it and Number Six from I am Number Four. Anyway, I hated zombies before I saw this but really, I'd pick zombies over vampires any day. Sorry Edwardians!


3. Despicable Me 2 - More minions, and it can only get despicabler this time around.


4. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters - after H & G finally finishes off the witch that tried to eat them, they go hunting for more. Action packed complete with the cliched, corny lines that trailers are dominated by nowadays. Anyway, hopefully great action scenes, sibling love and witch killing. Expected January 2013.


5. World War Z - After a kazillion of years, Brad Pitt's finally returning to the big screen as this military (or ex-military) dad whose world just got zombiefied (not liking zombie that much, but they seem to be the new vamps/lycans). Everybody's giving off so much hype about it. Maybe for the fact that it's been a while since we last saw Brad Pitt. I hope the hype's worth it though. Releasing on June 2013.