My Top Movies: July - December 2016

I'm back and I'm glad. It's been a while I know. The job that pays the bills must take precedence over the job I'd love to have, but am doing currently as a hobby.  At the end of June, I posted my top 10 movies of the first half of the year. Now, exactly 6 months later, I'm posting "Part II". I just want to say, before I begin, how sad I am at the recent deaths of so many celebrities. I didn't know any of them personally, but this post is dedicated to all those we lost in 2016. 2016, you suck!!

Here is a link to my top 10 movies January to June. Top 10 Movies Part I January-June 

This half of the year was so much better than the first. I will add a few Honorable Mentions at the end. 

10.  The Legend of Tarzan: I really did enjoy this movie. Alexander Skarsgard is very well built and I'm not typically drawn to blondes. I kind of like Margot Robbie's acting, as she will also be in a movie higher up on my list, can you guess what that might be? I thought the cinematography was breathtaking. Who doesn't love Tarzan and Jane's love? I did like this movie a lot, but it also holds a special place in my heart, because my dad was a fan of the Tarzan films (there have been so many!!) PG-13

9.  Secret Life of Pets: I already posted a review of this movie on this blog, so here is the link Secret Life of Pets I thought this movie was stinking cute. Yes I'm a pet owner and animal lover. PG

8.  Allied: After further thought this movie made its way on my list. Originally The Secret Life of Pets was in this slot. I thought this film was beautiful. It wasn't as violent as I thought it was going to be. I'm not a huge fan of Brad Pitt (I used to be in the 90's) and some may say this is really a remake of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but I really liked it. I'm completely obsessed with World War II. Maybe I was a nurse during that time in a past life? I'm now a fan of Marion Cotillard. R

7.  Suicide Squad: I really liked it! I think it would have been better with more Jordan Catalano, I mean Jared Leto, because he is awesome sauce! I think I might even buy the DVD to get the extra features. I love Jai Courtney and Will Smith. Margot Robbie was crazy as Harley Quinn. I didn't like the witch, but without her, there would be no story.  PG-13

6.  Bridget Jones's Baby: I really did love this movie!  It was great to see Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth back together again! Patrick Dempsey just gets better with age, like a fine wine! This movie was better than Edge of Reason! I enjoyed the fact that I got to see it with my mom! R

5.   Manchester by the Sea: I know about the controversy with Casey Affleck, and I hope that isn't true. That aside, I thought the movie was stunning, Michelle Williams and Casey Affleck were amazing. I want to live in Manchester by the Sea. What can I say, I'm a sucker for the east coast, although the west coast is the best coast. R

4.  Moana: It's Disney and the Rock. I love them both. Little Moana was so adorable. I really loved this movie. I spent many summers in Hawaii, so I love the Polynesian culture. It was a great empowering story for young girls. PG

3.  Trolls:  Super cute! I love Poppy and Branch. I was invited to Comic Con to interview Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick for this film back in July. I couldn't wait to see the film in its entirety. This is another film to empower young girls, especially now when we have a president-elect who disrespects and sexually harasses women.  PG

2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: This came out on my birthday. Thanks Disney for your gift. I loved Felicity Jones and Diego Luna. Carrie Fisher, RIP you will forever be our Princess. I did miss the mythology of the Star Wars saga with the Skywalker family, but this movie didn't disappoint. It was full of action, but yes it did drag in a few spots. PG-13 

There was one movie the second half of the year that beat out Rogue One, drum roll please..........

1.  Doctor Strange: This is probably my favorite movie of the year. It was visually stunning. Interesting enough Mad Mikkelsen was in both Rogue One and Doctor Strange.  Rachel McAdams I love, Benedict Cumberbatch, I wasn't a fan of you until this movie. You can't go wrong with Marvel and Disney.  PG-13

There were a few honorable mentions, because I had so many on my list for the second half of the year. I also enjoyed: The Magnificent Seven, Sausage Party, Pete's Dragon, Passengers and Snowden, but this is only a top 10. I was reaching the first half of the year. With 2016 coming to a close, I look forward to what the studios have in store for us in 2017.

Happy New Year and Merry Watching!!! 

Foodie Con LA: A Food Lovers Paradise?

Earlier in December I had to opportunity to attend Foodie Con LA. The inaugural event took place at The Reef, in Downtown, on Saturday and Sunday. Proceeds from ticket sales went to a good cause; The Los Angeles Food Bank. I arrived around 11:00 a.m. and the first place I headed, the San Antonio Wine Booth. Just kidding, that was the second place I stopped by.  After the ride up to the second floor, my husband and I decided to take a photo at the always present "dress up" photo booth. Those are always fun. The floor had about three to four rows of exhibitors. Surprisingly, most of whom were from my neck of the woods, Orange County. Many exhibitors offered samplings  and deals on their products.

Being a wine connoisseur, I did enjoy my sample of the San Antonio Winery wines. Next to the San Antonio Winery booth was a beer booth. The beers were delicious. My husband ended up buying us beers for later., way later because after almost a month, they're still in our fridge.

Did I have a good time, yes. Did I feel that the exhibitors were a bit lean, yes. This was the first year that Foodie Con came to LA. I was a bit disappointed to see that not many local restaurants were in attendance. One in particular who was scheduled to attend, but didn't, was Vampire Wines. I became interested in them when I saw a Groupon (long before Foodie Con) featuring their tasting room in Beverly Hills. It would have been nice to sample some of their wines at Foodie Con. This is by no means Foodie Con's fault.

Zama Tea and Kombucha was a tea company that I bought from at the Anaheim Packing House. One day they disappeared. As fate would have it, they were one of the distributors at Foodie Con. I was pleased to find out that they have a tea house located in Tustin. I will definitely head out there for some tea. I found them all because of Foodie Con LA.

The best part of the day, the food trucks! We ate delicious seafood from Mess Hall Canteen, a truck I've eaten at before.

Overall we had a great time sampling food and drink. I hope that Foodie Con comes back to LA in 2017. I also hope that there will be more local exhibitors next time around, especially with so many amazing establishments in LA like those at the Grand Central Market. I'd like to see what 2017 has in store for foodies.

Sweet Desserts

Saucy Sauces

Watching a Demo.