Gilmore Girls - The Reunion!

Did somebody say reunion???

People dream of the idea that their favourite television programme will be re-launched in later years. For me that dream has come true. The announcement of the reboot of the Gilmore Girls came a few weeks ago with people around the world joyfully celebrating their return (including me!). Small snippets of news have been revealed overtime since the announcement. 

So far we know:

•  Lauren Graham (Lorelai), Alexis Bledel (Rory) Scott Patterson (Luke) Sean Gunn (Kirk) Keiko Agena (Lane) Yanic Truesdale (Michel) Kelly Bishop (Emily) Matt Czuchry (Logan) Tanc Sade (Finn) Vanessa Marano (April) have all announced they are returning to the show
• For some reason Melissa McCarthy (Sookie) has not been invited to return to the show...
• We know that Rory will be single 
• The original creator Amy Sherman-Palladino will return to produce the show. Her husband Daniel Palladino will write and direct the episodes.
• The series will consist of 4 episodes 90 minutes each, one episode based in each season of the year. 
• Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino has managed to bring back all of Rory's men! Matt Czuchry (Logan) Milo Ventimiglia (Jess) and Jared Padalecki (Dean)
• Also a few new characters will join the old cast, Berta and Alejandro a Peruvian couple. A man who never smiles. Lane's twins Stevie and Kwan who are now 9 years old. Also joining the cast is a magazine editor named Jim. A '20-something' named Damon, a 30-something named Paul, and a blue collar called Dwayne.

While this isn't a lot to go on at the moment, at least we know it's actually happening! Photos have emerged showing the outside of Miss Patty's Dance School and The Dragonfly Inn has made a return! As well as the jacket Lauren Graham stole from the set in 2007 and Scott Paterson's 'Luke's Diner' shirt! 

         

With the excitement of the Gilmore Girls reboot, I have a strong desire to binge watch every single episode. Not that I haven't watched every single episode a million times already! With that I reckon it's important to (attempt to) pick my 5 favourite episodes of the series. With 100 episodes to chose from, it's going to be a challenge! 

1) Pilot  - Episode 1 Season 1

In this episode we are introduced to the main characters of the show, the mother and daughter duo Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. We are shown the quaint town of Stars Hollow, which is bursting with creative, quirky and unique characters. Rory is accepted into the private high school Chilton and as a result Lorelai must rekindle her relationship with her parents in order to pay for her tuition. The creation of the oh so famous 'Friday Night Dinner' is used as a compromise for the fees. There's no doubt that the sound of the song 'There She Goes' by The La's at the beginning of the programme sends my mind running through the excitement of watching the entire series. 

                                                       

                2) Season 2 Episode 10

The Bracebridge Dinner. A personal favourite of mine! As much of a fan of Dean that I am, you have to applaud the serious chase that Jess pursued in order to gain the attention of Rory. In this episode, a Chicago paper who were supposed to attend their annual medieval dinner at the Inn, are trapped in a snowstorm. So, Lorelai and Sookie decide to invite their friends to have a medieval meal in the Inn and stay the night. This episode truly demonstrates the lengths at which Jess is prepared to go to in order to fight for Rory. It also shows us the strong bond between Luke and Lorel

                                                        

                                       

                                                        

                                                             3) Season 3 Episode 22

Those are strings, Pinocchio. What an episode! An episode that truly shows us how far these two woman have come. In some ways it is a new chapter into their lives; Rory graduates from Chilton and Lorelei and Sookie buy the Dragonfly Inn. Rory takes a trip to her grandparents to ask them to pay for Yale, and once again the Friday Night Dinners resume. This episode sets a fresh palette for the Gilmore Girls, both single and at new stages in their lives.  

            4) Season 4/5 Episode 22/1

Okay, I'm sorry but these episodes basically count as the same episode. This episode is one of my favourites and one of my most hated episodes. On the BIG PLUS side - Lorelai and Luke finally get together after 4 seasons of would-you-just-kiss-already! One of the biggest STOP what you're doing moments also happens in this episode - the moment Rory and Dean end up in bed together, completely ignoring the fact that Dean is married. Why Rory?? Infuriating doesn't even begin to cover it! While some people might have been happy to see them back together, I definitely wasn't one of those people! While one Gilmore Girl is heading down a momentous road with happiness and lots more coffee, the other one is attempting to rationalise her silly actions! 

                     5) Season 7 Episode 22

Bon Voyage. While it is the episode I spend most of my time crying throughout, it is definitely one of my all time favourite episodes. While it frustrated me that Rory turned down Logan's marriage proposal, it also showed me her strong character and proved to many teenage girls that they didn't need a man at their side to be successful. Rory accepts a job following Barak Obama's campaign trail (it'll be interesting to see how she developed in that job taking into account he's the current president... *Press secretary?*) As a result Lorelai is forced to cancel her 'Bon Voyage' party. Little does she know, Luke stays up all night sewing together rain coats and surprises the girls by pulling off the perfect party. At this point I'm sitting in a puddle of my own tears, which are only made worse by the speeches made by her family at the end, and worse again when Lorelai and Luke reunite. I tell you, don't watch the last episode unless you're prepared to sob like a baby.

My excitement to see the new episodes is indescribable! Ordering too much food and watching them with my mam in true Gilmore Girl style! 

Until then, always remember, you can never have too much coffee!

Old Movies Are The Best Kind Of Movies

Old Movies Are The Best Kind Of Movies

Old movies, what is it that makes them so appealing? In saying that, it's not merely movies which draw many back to their childhood or teenage years, television shows and music also have this strong pull. A television series you watched through your childhood almost becomes a comfort in later years. I read somewhere once, that re-watching your favourite TV show repeatedly can have a calming effect on you, as you know the outcome of the story. 

The development of film over the years since it's creation is a phenomenal one. Actors and actresses from their own era have individually changed the face of film through the centuries. Throughout this time various individuals stood out in their own individual way. From Charlie Chaplin who's considered one of the most important figures in film history to Leonardo de Caprio of the current era. In terms of actresses, these women have fought for the recognition of the female role in the film industry since the start of cinema. Ladies like Audrey Hepurn, Marilyn Monroe, Meryl Streep and Helena Bohen Carter have all empowered women throughout time. Hepburn and Monroe became iconic symbols for women around the world during their era, inspiring women through their glamour and sophistication. However, society chose to concentrate on their image rather than the inspirational words they had to share.

Getting back to the topic of old movies... (let's not turn this into a post about empowering women) Movies draw individuals into a new world in unique ways. Our generation is repeatedly drawn back to movies from the 80's and 90's. While our parent's generation is generally drawn back to movies from the 50's and 60's. Why is this? Is it a nostalgia for the past? Or is it curiosity towards times gone by? 

The youth of the current generation are drawn to the 'high-concept' films of the 80's. These films can be explained by one or two sentences and as a result it was easily marketable and understandable as a result. Although less experimental and original as films from the 70's, films from the 80's were more formulaic and explored new special effects newly available to them. 80's teen movies held definitive scenes; (1) a cool kid gives a geek advice (2) a moment of bottled rebellion (3) at least one surreal WTF moment (4) the ultimate happy ending (10 scenes that define 80's teen movies) These films include:

  

Looking at this short list of movies (all of which I love) they each fit into the short description of 80's movies. While the story lines were simple to each of these movies, they each managed to capture their audience. Despite the many love films that followed, Dirty Dancing will undoubtedly remain my favourite. There's something about a dance film that makes you want to get up and 'attempt' to copy their moves. 

Jumping foreward to the 90's (you know that period only 90's kids remember...) and cinema attendance had largely increased and with that the cost of film production increased significantly. At this time there was an increase of high-cost demanding actors and the introduction of home viewing allowed the audience to expand. Independent film productions were introduced which expanded the scale of film production. In reality, our generation is strongly drawn to these films due to the fact that we were born in that era. A few of these films include 

                          

Comparing the two short lists of films, it is obvious that in the 90s a stronger diversity of genres emerged. As well as this, Disney films exploded during this era establishing a strong place in the lives of children (and of course 19 year old girls of 2016). Actors and actresses gained a prominent role in society, idolised and worshipped by many, as they are today.  

Movies have captured audiences since the beginning of their creation. Old movies draw in a new audience through each generation. There's no denying my love for old movies. They allow us to compare and contrast to current films, taking both the strong and weak elements of each era. The appeal of a movie created before I was born tends to draw me in, and gives me a snapshot of times gone by. So while the movies of today will eventually become 'old movies', they will not have the same appeal as the 80s and 90s movies do for our generation. Movies transport us into a new world, allowing us to expand our knowledge and explore a new universe. Movies are and will always be an escape from reality, but also shows us the beauty of our own reality.