Thrilled that it's for real

Let's start this post off with a few points:


1. Nicky Bronner was 13 when his mission to "unjunk™" candy began.
2. Nicky's dad, Michael Bronner, is a millionaire, entrepreneur, and angel investor. 
3. Nicky has started his own line of candy that is better for you than the other major candy companies.


I know what you're thinking now. Unreal? Exactly! Nicky Bronner's argument over Halloween candy led to the creation of a candy line created without the oils and syrups that are so typical of the candy industry in general. No more colors like Red No. 5 (or 2 or whatever). Nicky's vision led him to join forces with noted gastronomers, nutritionists, celebrities, and more to create confections that are made from real ingredients. No preservatives, no "junk," just good old fashioned sweets. 


For more information about the Unreal mission and brand, visit their website. Get your fix now at CVS, Michaels, and Walgreens. If you can wait for July, Target should carry it then. I can't wait to try it and I will be posting an update once I've tasted this for myself.


(via The Wall Street Journal)

Film Review | Brave

Image via Filmofilia

If you have read any number of my posts before, you'll know that I am a sucker for animation—hand drawn in particular. However, when it comes to computer animation, I am definitely a Pixar fangirl. Ever since Toy Story, I have been smitten by the creativity and execution of the company's films. With the exception of Cars 2, I have not missed a single one of their creations. You can imagine how excited I was that Brave was in the works. I followed the teasers, trailers, and images from blog to blog until this past weekend when it finally premiered.


Needless to say, Brave does not disappoint. It strays from the traditional princess storyline by giving Merida, our fire-haired protagonist, a tough personality. The animation is phenomenal (I watched it in regular vision) and the music was so poignant and appropriate. 


To be honest, I already know that I am biased by this film, so it's unfair for me to give it a grade. Instead, I will blatantly suggest that you and your family and your neighbors' kids go see Brave. Already seen it? Let me know what you thought.

Film Review | Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

There is something undeniably clever about pitting Abraham Lincoln as a vampire hunter. Is it his honest nature, his tall hat, his impressive beard? Have those qualities always been hiding a secret greater than what Dexter has happening in Miami? Well, that's how it should have been, but this film really dumbed down the storyline of Seth Grahame-Smith's enjoyable novel of the same name. Because this review will be rife with spoilers, I would suggest steering clear of the jump if you wanted to be surprised at the theater. Otherwise, hit the jump and we can continue.


Grade: C-


Image via Screen Crush

Yo Yo A Go Go

Some of the most intriguing things are those that are the most simple. Check this little fun video out for some neat yo yo tricks.




STEADYo from Joey - 123jaera on Vimeo.

Cartoon Chatter | Sailor Moon

You can say that my introduction to anime began with Sailor Moon. I was a fan of the Sailor Senshi—or Sailor Scouts for you folks who watched this show in the US—particularly Sailor Mercury. Even though about ten minutes of the show was taken over by transformations, I watched it like a fiend. Oh, I forgot to mention that I watched this in German, not the awful American screeching that passed as a voiceover. 


You can ask me what is good about Sailor Moon. Well, to be honest, I had to do a bit of research to remind myself of what Sailor Moon was actually about, and it's not too pretty. It is a "genius" tale about the reincarnation of the moon princess into the ditzy and annoying high-schooler Usagi Tsukino (Serena in the US, Bunny in German). With the help of the talking cat Luna, Usagi has to reawaken the other Sailor Senshi so they can save the world—and then the universe. Somewhere along the way, Chibiusa (Chibi + Usagi mashup which basically means mini or little Usagi) appears—the child of the Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask from the future (confusing, I know)—and she ends later ends up being a villain during one story arc.


Somehow, you end up with all of the planets (Sailor Pluto, you can no longer exist today) and the gender bending Sailor Starlights—men at first, but women for real. Basically, this show completely messed with my mind. Maybe I subconsciously don't like it even though I really enjoyed watching good prevail over evil in true magical girl fashion (a genre that Sailor Moon revolutionized). They fought evil in killer boots/heels and wore makeup (notice the fingernail polish, the lipstick...they were so fashionable). 

But you owe it to yourself to watch a few episodes of Sailor Moon. This manga and anime seriously did open a gateway to additional magical girl shows—a few of which I will be bringing up in the coming weeks. I'm sure that the internet provides a few ways to watch some episodes free. I would suggest skipping the American dubbed version. They censor parts of the story and the voices are truly terrible.


Did you ever watch Sailor Moon? Favorite Sailor Senshi?