Joseph Morgan confirmed as series regular for Season 4.

THANK GOD.

(Source: thevampirediariesfangatic, via vampdiaries)

Top Ten Films: Explained

In case you wanted to know why the ten films on my Top Ten list made it there, here are the rest of my explanations:

10. Romeo & Juliet (1996)
Baz Luhrmann created an explosive world full of passion, color and memorable music making his film a unique and modern take on this classic work of Shakespeare. Practically a musical at moments, songs like “Kissing You” by Des’ree replaced the need for words in key scenes like when Romeo (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Juliet (Claire Danes) “meet cute,” bringing new and inventive visuals to this classic film trope.

9. Father of the Bride
Father of the Bride introduced me to the world of Nancy Meyers and I never wanted to look back. Yes, Meyers creates idealized worlds that are rarely realistic, but it is escapism at its best and Father of the Bride continues to be one of my favorite Steve Martin performances. And I still want to live in that house.

8. Cruel Intentions
Everyone has a favorite movie from their teenage years and this was mine. With the cast playing devious mind games rather than just dancing to pop songs and fretting over who had a crush on who, I found this to be more my brand of “teen movie” (which probably says more about me than I care to admit), making the stakes of each character’s actions much higher and the drama nearly palpable.

7. Inception
This complicated maze of a movie captivated me from the first frame and had me rushing back to the theater for second and third viewings. I love films that push you to think outside of the box without giving you all the answers and Inception delivered on every level (and each tiered dreamscape.) Paired with captivating performances from an all-star cast and stunning visuals, I knew this was going on my all-time best list after the first camera tilt.

6. Drive
I have long championed Ryan Gosling’s acting talent and this film took that idea and set it ablaze. Equal parts quiet and terrifying, Gosling’s performance truly drives this film and causes you to both fall in love with and fear him. Nicolas Winding Refn created a stylized world scored to synthesized beats that made this film feel timeless by sounding as though it was from the 1980s, but set against a modern Los Angeles landscape.

5. Back to the Future
The definition of fun at the theater – Back to the Future delivered action and comedy as seen through the eyes of a 1980s styled Michael J. Fox. The film’s attention to detail gives you something new to spot with each viewing as Marty (Fox) and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) travel back in time. Plus a Huey Lewis cameo? Can’t really go wrong.

4. Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire proves that sometimes you need to have a total breakdown to truly figure out what you want out of life. This film resonates with me more and more with each passing year showing that sometimes passion in business (and on the field) can cloud your judgment (rather than drive you forward) and in the end, doing what is right for you is the true key to success.

3. Top Gun
1980s cheese at its best, Top Gun will always rank in my Top Ten as it was one of the first movies I remember truly loving and wanting to watch over and over again. The in-air fight scenes, the Kenny Loggins jams and the call signs, unlike most little girls, I grew up wanting to be a fighter pilot. Top Gun is still pure entertainment, even if watching it now makes me question how I was allowed to watch this (at times) racy movie when I was only five years old.

2. Empire Records
Spanning the course of a single day, Empire Records explores all the different feelings, struggles and victories of being a teenager trying to grow up, while also trying to save your town’s record store. With record stores sadly becoming a thing of the past these days, Empire Records reminds us that sometimes you just have to say, “Damn the man – save the Empire!” and stand up when something that matters to you is threatened. Plus Renee Zellweger sings at the end and it’s actually pretty kick ass.

1. Fight Club
“We are the middle children of history” – a statement that still rings true today. This brutal film did not shy away from voicing harsh statements any more than it ducked taking a punch to the face. Depending on your mood when watching, Fight Club can speak to you in different ways with each viewing (and it definitely can, and has, stood up to multiple viewings), but if you are currently craving rebellion against our Ikea consuming society, this film especially hits home.