The Circle - A few thoughts on internet privacy

I pride myself on knowing how to properly protect myself online; stalkers and people that I do not invite into my life have a hard time finding me on social media unless I specifically tell them where too find me. So, when I sat down to watch an interesting movie with my mother my mind went reeling with all the ethical dilemmas presented in the movie itself.

The Circle is a Netflix original movie based on the 2013 book by Dave Eggers, starring Emma Watson (yes, Hermione Granger/Belle herself) which focuses on the impact social media can have on privacy, and is a cautionary tale about the dangers of oversharing online.

Watson portrays a young woman called Mae who gets a job working at the Circle throughout her time there she makes certain choices that lead her to choose to become "transparent" and show the world every second of her day. She straps a camera to herself and live streams every day which leads to a few complications in her personal life.

I do recommend watching this film as it really makes you think about what you post online and how ethics can be thrown out the window for the sake of the truth. Ultimately what people choose to share online is their business,  no one can force you to share something private, and in some cases certain facts aren't yours to share.

Now I will list a few problems I have with the movie and the ethics surrounding character choices, needless to say, spoilers ahead:

• Mae is asked to drink something in a doctors office, containing nano transmitters, and at no point was she informed that was happening or that these nano transmitters would be able to keep track of her every movement until after the fact.
• Mae steals a kayak and goes into the middle of the water at night, almost dies, and her bosses use that as an excuse to convince people they should be watched at all times to be held accountable for their actions, AND SHE AGREES.
• Mae attempts to promote her friends work by posting it on her social media which backfires as his work involves collecting deer antlers and making chandeliers out of them, considered a tad controversial as the internet then calls him a deer killer
• She films people without actually asking them, just because she goes transparent doesn't mean her parents have to and as such their relationship is strained.
• The company has little to no ethics when it comes to their workers privacy, including the fact that they encourage their workers to share their lives on their own version Facebook/twitter/YouTube all rolled into one, which they can then keep track of because it scans the internet for all their other social medias and uploads them for everyone connected to see...

And that's just a few of the things that make me a bit uneasy about the whole corporation in this film, which is the whole point. The Circle is meant to make you think about your online footprint and how much you share. Its meant to make you think about how much information the world has access to and it's terrifying. The thought that everyone who has seen your profile can find your families medical history for one is an insane breach of privacy which also happens in the Circle by a few of Mae's colleagues just out of the blue. I guess we are just a little closer to this version of a dystopian world than we actually thought...

Think on it, xox

Taz

My thoughts on LeFou

While I am member of the LGBTQ+ community, I cannot speak on behalf of everyone but I do believe we all celebrated a little when we found out LeFou would be the first main gay character in a Disney film.

Growing up Disney was a massive influence on me, some my favourite movies being 'The Little Mermaid', 'Aristocats', 'The Black Cauldron' and yes 'Beauty and the beast'. 
Every child loves being able to see themselves in their favourite stories; I know that 10 year old me adored Ariel, one of the reasons being her red hair.
I was very confused about my sexuality for years and I think part of that was due to the lack of information and misrepresentation in media. 
Even now there is a lack of accurate LGBTQ+ representation, even when there is its 77% gay men, 23% lesbian women and only 9% bisexuals. Personally I have only seen two pansexual characters, that being Jack Harkness (Doctor who, Torchwood) and Deadpool, so I did a bit more research and...

...Thats not alot

Luckily every year there are more and more LGBTQ+ characters in media. The problem is that some characters come across as stereotypical and 2 dimensional. Stereotypes are there for a reason and yes they are sometimes true but after seeing the punchline 50 times???

If young people are view these 2 dimensional, stereotypical characters then they're going to be confused because they don't feel they fit into certain boxes.

Beauty and the Beast is one of the most famous fairy tales in the world, which then became one of Disney's most timeless classics. Disney fans leapt for joy when we discovered there would be a live action re-make, even more so when we discovered the incredibly talented cast, but it was the announcement that LeFou would be gay that caught the most attention.

While many leapt for joy, others immediately boycotted the film. The fact that Disney proudly released this information shows how far we've come. Sadly the movie was banned in several places or given a movie rating of 16+ or 18+ in others because of this.

Many believed LeFou would be pining for Gaston and possible resent Belle and the other girls because of his affections. In the original Gaston was not the greatest friend and LeFou was a bumbling sidekick, so it was interesting to see how this would unfold.

Thankfully LeFou didn't end up with Gaston (despite appearing to have some feeling towards him, but ultimately saw the toxicity of the relationship) and stepped out of his sidekick roll and became the sassy well rounded character we didn't realise we needed in the original. He still has that love/hate relationship with Gaston and in the end helps Mrs Potts to stop the intruders (I think we can all agree this was better than seeing him rip Babette's feathers out). The final dance brought a smile to everyones face and gave a hint to LeFou's own happily ever after.

Not only was Lefou and well executed and believable character but this means that we can expect more Disney, and it can be expected that many animation creators will follow suite.

Warner Bros & Son's 2016 movie 'Storks' showed families of every kind and Mattel have even hinted at a lesbian relationship between Darling Charming and Apple White (Ever After High) who after falling under a sleeping curse cannot be roused by Darlings brother so she steps up and tries 'mouth to mouth' aka the true loves kiss she needed.

ABC made strides with their show 'Once Upon a Time' with Mulan having feelings for Aurora and Ruby waking Dorothy with True loves kiss and expressing their love. Personally I'd love to see more of Merida and Mulan, who have great chemistry on screen as did Ruby and Dorothy.

While these are all great, they haven't had as much exposure as 'Beauty and the Beast'. 

Personally I think LeFou signified that in the past few years we have come far...buuuuut we still have a loooooong way to go. 

I know a little girl I used to look after who is going to grow up seeing all kinds of different characters represented and she will not struggle to find character she can emulate and that warms my heart. LeFou was a big step for Disney and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Catch ya later xx

Book review: Percy Jackson Series books 1-5

Recently I read the Rick Riordan series; Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I have to say it was immensely enjoyable and I would honestly recommend the series to anyone who wants an easy read... As long as you have a brief understanding of Greek Mythology and whatnot. If not you will probably either find yourself searching the web for answers or just not caring and reading the book anyway. I have a degree of fascination when it comes to mythology and ancient stories so I am not quite sure why it took me so long to read this series. 

|Spoiler Warning|

Long story short, Percy Jackson is the son of Poseidon which causes mass drama in Olympus by itself, not to mention Zeus's most powerful lightning bolt is stolen. So of course, everyone blames Percy who only finds out he is the son of a God (a demigod) after one of the Furies comes after him. It's highly convoluted but with the help of a saytr he manages to get to the relative safety of camp Half-Blood. Like I stated, unless you have a basic grasp on Greek mythology, most of the beings and creatures in the series will have you reaching for Google in no time flat. He befriends a daughter of Athena by the name of Annabeth Chase and they bicker all the time.

Side note: Annabeth's birth is touched on during the series. Given that Athena is a Maiden Goddess all her children are brought to life through thought, not the usual means if you know what I mean...

Percy seems to always be attracting the attention of the gods who tend to visit him on his quests, whether it be to aid or hinder him (Ares is a piece of work by the way). Percy himself however has one fatal flaw: he will do anything to protect the ones he loves. He would gladly sacrifice himself if it meant that others would live, that being said I personally think he made some rather idiotic decisions in the books; bathing in the river Styx, trusting Luke in book one, straight up calling the Gods and Goddesses out on their bad behaviour and almost getting blasted to smithereens because of it to name a few. Seriously, I'm not sure he ever actually held his tongue when it came to the gods and while that made me laugh it also made me frustrated because he was toeing a very fine line. The Greek Gods were not known for their tolerance of insolence after all.

Overall the books were very enjoyable, it was interesting to see how certain monsters blended into the human populace as well as lured in their prey in a modern setting. Given that the books themselves were not incredibly long (between 200 and 300 pages each) they were easy to devour, I found myself loosing hours from being so absorbed in the story. The narrative style itself was in a way, funny. You get an insight into Percy's own thoughts interspersed with the story which leads to an almost dry sense of humour with an abundance of sarcasm which had me giggling in my seat.

~ 9/10 would recommend ~

Stay safe! xox

Taz

Film Review: Assassin's Creed

Image taken from Google

First things first, I was so excited to see this movie. I've been fascinated with the concept of the Assassin's vs the Templars ever since I was introduced to the game series (that being said, I still have not completed the game as I do not own a console on which to play it). Assassin's working in the shadows to ensure the free will of mankind; plus their parkour and free-running skills are so awesome it motivates me to get fit and learn some of that cause wow. I took my younger brother to see the movie with me and he loved it too.

Without any major spoilers I can tell you that the movie itself is about an assassin that has only been introduced in the recently released movie, his name? Callum Lynch and his direct ancestor Aguilar de Nerha, a spanish assassin during the Spanish Inquisition. Of course we are introduced to the Animus in a much more visual way, namely we get to see how being plugged into the Animus is viewed externally, what the person in the Animus physically does when inside the memory. As a science fiction and movie fan, this was fascinating, but you have to see it to know why.

Visually I truly loved this film, the fast paced scenes where assassins are fighting or running for their lives, I believe they brought the series to life in a different way than what I have witnessed in game. Michael Fassbender did an amazing job as Callum Lynch and I would have expected nothing less honestly, I think he is an awe inspiring actor with incredible screen presence as seen in his portrayal of Magneto in X-men: First Class and subsequent movies since. Honestly if given the chance, I would definitely go see the movie again... and again, and again...

8.5/10 would recommend but I know there's going to be people who did not like the movie at all so it is sure to get some bad reviews from hardcore gamers.

Another review for you! xox

Taz

Film Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

As Starkid productions on YouTube stated - "Hufflepuff's are particularly good finders"

With the release of FBAWTFT, Hufflepuffs are getting a lot of attention, and rightly so. Despite being a proud Gryffindor myself, I have always considered Hufflepuff's to be an amazing and diverse house. After all, every single one stayed at the battle of Hogwarts AND have been shown to be the most loyal and friendly house, not just to their peers, but also to their "rival" houses.

~ Spoilers ahead ~

Fantastic beasts and where to find them features the Hufflepuff Newt Scamander in New York 1926. With him he brings a very special suitcase filled with magical beasts and creatures. There is a prominent Muggle by the name of Jacob who gets pulled into the whirlwind of chaos that arises once the suitcase is opened. The released creatures are not the problem however. In the series there is a magic called an obscurial; this is where a young witch or wizard represses their magic completely until the magic reaches a point where it explodes violently out of the child, usually killing them. Reveal Credence Barebone, that poor boy, adopted into an abusive home of magic hating muggles, beaten and repressed, he develops an obscurus.

The creatures themselves were amazing, visually and despite being computer generated, each one had its own unique personality, I think the animators for this film did an AMAZING job and deserve all the recognition. One of my favourite things they did was produce the obscurus itself. It was fascinating to watch the magic rip out of Credence and lash out at those who "threatened" him (be it he was just scared, angry or just trying to get away), it was flawless how they managed to include Credence himself inside the obscurus in what was obviously a very traumatic experience for him. He deserved a better ending.

Now to talk about the cinnamon roll himself: Newt Scamander. EDDIE FREAKING REDMAYNE did a fantastic job portraying this character, gentle and ultimately kind. My friends and I have dubbed Newt the "Steve Irwin of the Wizarding World". The way he genuinely cares for his creatures was beautiful to witness and calling himself "mummy" to some occamy's almost made me cry. The majority of the audience has agreed that Newt shows clear signs of Autism, at first this did not occur to me. I merely thought that Newt behaves like this to beings who don't quite trust or understand him; he is perfectly capable to look his creatures in the eye despite some being potentially dangerous to the outside world. Overall, Newt Scamander is an incredibly interesting character and is probably one of the most genuinely caring characters I've ever had the fortune to witness.

Now, to vaguely sum up, even though I could probably keep writing but then this post might get a bit long... The movie itself was entirely new, new content for the wizarding world, new characters and references to ones we know. However, this wasn't some action packed, or intense mystery type of film; this film made me feel ultimately nostalgic. Despite being a completely new story (based off a textbook no less), the way it was produced felt wonderful, almost like coming home. Which I suppose is the point, I grew up with the wizarding world and Harry Potter, and while this film had a distinct difference of tone, the overall theme and Newt particularly made me smile and genuinely feel happy.

9.5/10 - Taking off half a point cause Johnny Depp was so out of place in that film. Seriously.

Catch you later! xox
Taz