Leigh
Leigh McEachran is a movie-going, TV-watching, music-listening, all-around pop culture enthusiast. She eats, sleeps and breathes the entertainment industry, which is why she decided to pair her journalism studies at Ryerson University with her passion for entertainment news in a career in entertainment journalism.
Posts by Leigh
How to Attract a Vampire
Aug 8th
Based on Twilight (2008) and The Vampire Diaries.
You’ve watched the films and TV shows, and noticed that vampires are gorgeous, intelligent and romantic. So, now you want to snag yourself a vampire boyfriend. But how do you attract those elusive undead men? It’s easy, here’s how:
Edward can't resist Bella's stench.
Appearance
Long brunette (natural or dyed) hair.
Skinny.
Simple, casual clothes (jeans, camisoles and zip-ups are wardrobe staples.)
An irresistible blood scent (granted, that’s a little beyond your control.)
Bonus points if his former lover is your doppleganger. You’re a shoe-in if that’s the case!
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Personality
I never smile, because I'm never happy. Cheer me up, vampire?
Have the personality of cardboard.
Talk in a breathy voice.
Never show enthusiasm for anything.
Be an introvert. He digs that.
Act miserable. He’s looking for someone he can cheer up.
Don’t have any hobbies or interests aside from your vampire heartthrob.
Do not be ambitious. He’s not looking for a girl who wants to achieve something on her own.
Home Life
Have M.I.A. parents (Bella didn’t really know her dad when she moved in and Elena’s parents are dead.) No vampire likes an overprotective mom hanging around!
Live in a small town. Vampires are drawn to cutesy communities surrounded by forests that have a weird amount of fog.
Oops, I'm so clumsy!
Interaction
Awkwardly gaze at your vampire love interest any time you can.
Vampires like clumsy girls, so “accidentally” walk in front of a truck any time you get the opportunity. If he likes you, he’ll save you.
Don’t act all “freaked out” when he tells you his secret. It’s not a big deal.
Be open-minded about becoming a vampire yourself. If you want a long-term relationship, you really have to take the plunge.
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If you follow the criterion, you’ll snag yourself a swoonworthy vampire in no time!
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Aug 7th
I’ve been looking forward to Rise of the Planet of the Apes for quite some time. I enjoyed the 1968 flick and felt that, if any classic film needed a prequel, this was it. Planet of the Apes left viewers with so many unanswered questions that it almost demanded a starting point. I have never seen the follow-up films from 1970-1973 (Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes or Battle for the Planet of the Apes), the reason being that I did watch Tim Burton’s 2001 flick and wasn’t crazy about it- so I put the franchise on the back burner.
Fast-forward 10 years and a fresh take on Planet of the Apes surfaces. It has all the right ingredients for a great film (great plot, great writing, great cast), but does this prequel stand its ground against the original?
It certainly has a strong cast, which includes James Franco, Freida Pinto (as the love interest), John Lithgow, Andy Serkis and Tom Felton.
James Franco stars as Will Rodman, a scientist tirelessly working on a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, which his father, Charles (played by the incredible John Lithgow), suffers from. Rodman tests his creation on a female chimpanzee named Bright Eyes and the result is astonishing. But when the researchers try to remove Bright Eyes from her cage – to demonstrate her increased intelligence – the chimpanzee goes bananas (too easy?), putting humans in danger.
"I really don't know how I feel about having a pet ape, dear"/ "Well that's too bad, I'm James Franco, I do what I want."
The researchers are instructed to put Bright Eyes and the other test chimpanzees down and, after the deed is done, they learn that Bright Eyes’ rampage was a result of maternal instinct- she had given birth and was hiding her offspring. Unable to put down the little ape, Rodman takes the cuddly creature home and names him Caesar (Andy Serkis.)
Rodman quickly discovers that Caesar is unlike any natural ape, his intelligence is far superior to that of most newborns. It is obvious that the tiny ape inherited his mother’s intellect.
Encouraged by Caesar’s mind, Rodman gives Charles the medicine, as he can no longer watch his father’s mind deteriorate. Charles’ condition drastically improves, but, sadly, his body’s immune system fights back and the disease returns. While in a state of dementia, Charles damages a neighbour’s car and, when the neighbour yells at him, Caesar attacks the man.
Caesar is taken away and put into a cruel primate facility. Tom Felton leaves Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter) behind for a new villainous character named Dodge Landon, the guard of the facility and the owner’s son. He’s a nasty man who’s set on making the ape miserable while away from home.
Kudos to me for scoring the first, major post-Potter gig
Will Caesar get rescued from the primate facility? Will the ape fight back? Will the cure for Alzheimer’s work? You’ll have to check it out to see!
But I can answer one question: does this prequel stand its ground against the original? I do think Rise of the Planet of the Apes holds its own against the 1968 film, but I also think nothing can compare to the original.
One thing I preferred with the original is that the apes were played by humans, which made the film more realistic. In Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the apes are special effects, which made it difficult to connect with them. When the flick started, I found it so glaringly obvious that they were not real animals that it was hard to buy into the story. But it soon became apparent why Rise of the Planet of the Apes demanded special effects and, very quickly, the creatures became real in my eyes.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes puts up a good fight against the original and is definitely worth seeing. I enjoyed it and I think it is a welcome addition to the Planet of the Apes franchise. And, as a tip, don’t leave right when the credits role- there’s a clip that will explain how humans became weaker.
Are the other Apes films worth seeing? Did you enjoy Rise of the Planet of the Apes? Do you think John Lithgow is cool beans? Tweet me @LAMcEachran.
Rent it: Temple Grandin
Aug 5th
When Claire Danes accepted a Golden Globe Award earlier this year, I knew I had to see Temple Grandin. I’ve watched the real Grandin on talk shows and wondered how an actress that agreed to Shopgirl could pull off this role (I’m still mad at Steve Martin for that flick.) I was skeptical, but she did it- Clare Danes was absolutely incredible in this role.
Grandin was diagnosed with autism at an early age and doctors said she wouldn’t amount to much. This film follows Grandin’s amazing life from being a four-year-old who doesn’t speak to a compassionate friend of livestock, a boarding school student overwhelmed with socializing to a university student set on improving the cattle system. This film tackles the issues of autism, gender inequality and (unintentional) animal cruelty. But this isn’t a flick that makes you emotionally devastated by the end, because the real Temple Grandin would not want you feeling sorry for her; As her mother always said, Grandin is “different, but not less.”
The power of parenthood is exemplified by Grandin’s mother (Julia Ormond.) When Temple was four and not yet speaking, a doctor told her mother nothing could ever be done, Temple needed to be institutionalized. He also informed her mother that she was to blame for Temple’s condition, because she was cold and lacking affection during a critical early stage of Temple’s childhood (she was never cold or lacking affection.)
Temple’s mother refused to believe this and worked tirelessly to teach her daughter to speak, read and write. She sent Temple to a boarding school, where she was forced to interact with people she was not comfortable with. Her science teacher, Dr. Carlock (David Strathairn), understood Temple’s incredible intelligence and took her under his wing, encouraging Temple to further her education.
Grandin does take Dr. Carlock’s advice, and the film follows Grandin earning her master’s degree. She focuses her thesis on the flawed design used to dangerously lead cows to the slaughterhouse. Grandin’s autism makes her view things the same way cows do, and she knew how frightened the sharp turns and steep dips into water made the cattle. Grandin’s thesis changed the way cattle ranches are designed, creating a safer and more humane system to lead cows to the slaughter.
And if you’re wondering how accurate Temple Grandin is, the real Grandin told USA Today of Claire Danes’ performance, “It was like going back in a time machine to the 1960s and ’70s. She did such a great job.”