Bridesmaids and Miss Congeniality are both funny female-dominated films but even more hilarious and insanely funny is The Heat. This brilliantly hilarious and completely outrageous buddy-cop comedy has Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy breaking female stereotypes, which is still scarce to the film industry.

Sandra Bullock. Melissa McCarthy. The Heat. Dir. Paul Feig. 20th Century Fox. 2013.

Melissa McCarthy. Sandra Bullock. The Heat. Dir. Paul Feig. 20th Century Fox. 2013.

Melissa McCarthy is the tough and outrageous local Boston city cop while Bullock portrays the uptight, always correct and labeled "arrogant" FBI agent who have to learn how to work together in order to solve an important case. Bullock and McCarthy are absolutely hilarious leads in this action-comedy as they bring something new to the film industry one joke at a time. This something that audiences don't really get to see enough is women at the focus of the film, not as mere accessories in the background told to do "pretty", but as talented and hilarious women in the forefront who work hard and are the best at their jobs.

Despite the fact that there are many, usually dramatic, films with leading actresses depicting strong and powerful women, the majority of people these days seem to go more for light comedies and action as opposed to intense, powerful dramas (depending on the names of the leading actresses/actors). And this film is exactly that; it is both an action and comedy genre. The only difference between this and the majority of action-comedy films is that the main characters are female.

Sandra Bullock said, "I’ve always wanted to do a female buddy film, the kind the guys get to do. This didn’t have anything to do with getting a guy, and it didn’t involve shoe shopping. It was about two human beings who are great at what they do..." Director of The Heat, Paul Feig has said, ''I would love to erase the term 'chick flick." While on late-show Jimmy Kimmel Live, Feig exclaimed that The Heat is a "female buddy-cop comedy with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, which you can't go wrong with!" 

This film is honestly the funniest movie or show I have seen in a long time and really does give headway to doing away with the overused and sexist term "chick flick." It has the action, comedy, a great leading cast of two hilarious women, and cannot be underestimated as that terrible sexist term "chick flick." There really should be, just as there is a need, for more films like this.


REDBAND TRAILER



I don't think the those super-short trailers on television give the film real kudos and show how funny it really is. The Heat was so good and entertaining, I can't wait to see it again.

A couple months ago, I might have had fewer postings on television series and films due to the school-and-work juggle. Another reason for my slight lack of film-going and movie-watching was a result of a trial that had me glued to a few of the news stations that were covering the story.


It was in early February that I was flipping channels and landed on Court TV's IN Session, I noticed Jodi Arias on the stand and thought to myself, "Who is this innocent girl? And why is she on trial?" This thought alone led me to continue watching and I soon found out that the girl was not really as pristine as I had assumed.

Jodi Arias. 2013. Arizona Court. Found at USA Today.

Arias was on trial for the "brutal" murder of her ex-boyfriend and was later found guilty for murder of the first degree in June. The trial might not seem so captivating but it was widely publicized with the focus on a few of the several bizarre sequence of events and subject-matter that was discussed in the courtroom. I was surprised at some of the really strange recounts of past events and almost shocking topics that were even brought into the courtroom. The jury was not able to come to a unanimous decision regarding the sentencing of Arias, which led to the decision of a retrial to be scheduled for the sentencing later in July.

About a month after the majority of the trial, Lifetime premiered a movie based on the events prior to the trial, Dirty Little Secret. The film starred Tania Raymonde, known for her role in the Lost series, as Jodi Arias. Raymonde's performance was great, almost spot-on as the love-torn Jodi. Dirty Little Secret smoothly visualizes the relationship between Jodi and Travis, emphasizing her strange behavior and his unkind, callous treatment towards her. Watching it, I felt as though I had already seen the film, since I had followed the trial so Lifetime did a pretty good job- considering the fact that it was even difficult to imagine the events that took place so many years ago.

Jodi Arias. 2013. Arizona Court. Found at USA Today.

Note: To go off on a tangent- I know the Trayvon Martin case has just concluded with the worst outcome, but I knew I could not handle watching/following the trial so I didn't do a review either. We all know and all should acknowledge how disgustingly awful racist and sexist crimes are especially those with the intersection of race and gender.

But it is quite shocking how a small girl like Arias who could have been abused by their significant other gets convicted with murder of the first degree -and possibly even the death penalty- while someone else like Zimmerman who hunts a young, dark-skin, innocent boy, gets convicted of nothing. There is something severely wrong with that.  The Jodi Arias case was criticized biasely, in that we knew she committed the crime, but no one bothered to ask why. And everyone favored the guy (who might not have been the best guy as he was described), without even knowing how he really treated her. The fact is no one outside of a relationship really knows exactly what happens except for those involved through it all. So I don't know.

The fact is racism and sexism, inequalities and discrimination of all types is still very much existent in today's society. So anyone who thinks/says it doesn't, either just doesn't care (because they are not of discriminated group) or use the term "post-racial" to justify discriminatory actions in order to continue the oppression. It is the clear existence of racism and sexism exists, which makes me afraid to go outside at all, being a female with dark skin.

In a Capitalist nation, equality is nonexistent.

After investing in a blender, I have been experimenting with several fruit combinations to find amazing and healthy smoothie drinks. This topical smoothie is a very easy mixture that is both incredibly healthy and provides a great topical feel for any day. This smoothie is filled with fruits that all contain B Vitamins, Vitamin C, Potassium, and are abundant in several other nutrients.




Ingredients*

Most: Oranges
Medium: Strawberries
Least: Banana
(Optional) least: Spinach or Kale

* The majority of the smoothie should be of oranges to create that tropical taste
- Any other sweet fruits or low amount of greens may also be incorporated into this



Although I may post a lot of vegan desert recipes and other sweet treats, it is definitely not the majority of my diet. I make sure to get my proper and needed nutrition by eating mostly whole plant foods. So here's a great smoothie filled with nutrients and refreshing goodness.

• Oranges are known mainly for containing high levels of Vitamin C, but also consist of Vitamin B1, Vitamin A, Potassium, and Calcium. 

• Strawberries are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Strawberries are not only high in Vitamin C, but they also contain Vitamins A, D, E, K, along with several other B-complex vitamins.

• Bananas are one of the best and super affordable fruits- one of which, I manage to eat on a daily basis. Every time I go grocery shopping, I get about 2-5 bunches of (usually organic) bananas depending on the amount I already have. Bananas are also high in Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Manganese, and Potassium. Bananas provide an abundance of benefits.

Each fruit in this smoothie contains plentiful amounts of very important nutrients and that is without listing all of them. So those non-veg people who claim vegans/vegetarians are either low in B-vitamins or have a deficiency, should know that B-vitamins have several sources most of which are from fruits/vegetables. Here's a list of vegetables that are great sources of B-vitamins, most of which I eat on a daily basis. And with the inclusion of kale or spinach, nutrients will just continue to skyrocket for better health.








Sources
WHFoods
Livestrong