Hidden Figures – On Sale Review

­­What’s up guys, welcome back to another exciting episode of Money Mindedness – Movie Reviews.

So today we are talking about a movie that is really special to American history. Hidden Figures.

So Hidden Figures stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae. It also features Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, and…this guy’s name!

Hidden Figures revolves around the lives of three extraordinary African-American women that helped NASA with the amazing space race.

So let’s start with what I like. The characters! Taraji was great. She’s done a great job in Empire so far but it was nice to see her doing something outside of Cookie Lyon. She was great in Hustle and Flow. I can do bad all by myself, think like a man, the kung-fu kid, and several other black busters.

She did a great job of bringing this character to life. She did a great job of showing the shyness the someone living in that time would have. She had a good “head down” appearance. She did as she was told and that was nice to see. She did it with a smile and that’s commendable. I liked that we got to see her working. It was really convincing. There was one scene where we see her really come alive and to me that was one of the best scenes in this movie. Because she did a great job of expressing what we in the audience were all thinking.

Octavia Spencer has also been in some great inspiring movies. She is such a mom and a loving presence I love it. Her character was so inspiring. She was a great leader in this movie. She has a moment in this movie where she is given an opportunity and the way she handles it is so great. She is so smart and adaptable that you can’t not respect her. I also LOVE her shade. She and Kirsten Dunst have the tendency to but heads in this movie and you really see Spencer taking the high rode but that doesn’t mean she is going to go down without a fight. She is able to throw in a few sly comments that make us laugh but they also be the “antagonists” think.

Janelle Monae has to be my favorite character in this movie. Her character was really funny. She really brought a little but of light in this hard time for African-American woman. I like that she didn’t look like a genius but when she was working you could see that she was a really good engineer. Her story was still really developing which I liked. Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaugh were already really smart. But we also got to see Mary Jackson was smart but wanted to be the best. Her drive and desire was great.

Kevin Costner was a great addition to this movie. He was that glimmer of hope in the civil rights idea that this movie had. You could see that his mind was on getting to space but he was smart in knowing what it would take. He didn’t care what color you were, he just didn’t want to lose to Russia. His character was really great in this movie. I was glad to see him. He really cared for Taraji. He knew her worth and made sure that no one got in her way. It’s funny because his assistant said “Don’t talk to him unless he speaks for.” And “He doesn’t care who you are.” Things like that. But the fact that he not only knew her by name but he made sure that she was an active part of the team! Good for him.

Kirsten Dunst really surprised me in this movie. I heard that she was in it and that she was working a fake accent and I thought “Oh Lord”. But she really came through. She did a great job of playing a typical white woman of power. She didn’t want to see colored people taking her job. She did a good job of showing that there wasn’t slavery at this time but the way that they were treating black people made it still look like slavery. There was a scene where she made Octavia Spencer carry (well roll) like 8 boxes, by herself. And I just had to feel bad. Great job from Dunst. My favorite part about her is that she gained respect in the end. She knew that at the end of the day they all had a job to do and the only way they were going to get it done was together. Gold star to her.

Jim Parsons was also great. His character got on my nerves. Which is what he was supposed to do so I am not ever made. His character was deigned to be the character that is always saying “women don’t belong here”, “this is no place for a woman”, “I do my job perfectly because I am a man.” Like, he didn’t want to admit that it was a race thing so he made it a gender thing which made you hate him more because he was beating around the bush. But that’s what he was supposed to do. He was supposed to make Taraji’s job hard. And he did so good for him.

This movie had a good balance of NASA story and personal lives. Because each of these characters had lives and it wouldn’t have been fair to just see them working the entire time. Seeing them outside of work was really nice. Taraji’s love interest wasn’t rushed. We all knew it was going to happen. We also didn’t get a lot of detail but when you think about, we didn’t need it. This movie is about Katherine Johnson. She started the movie as Katherine Goble and then meets Jim Johnson, we as the audience can put 2 and 2 together. So good job not forcing love on us. I’m glad that we got to see these people’s families. My boy from leverage is in this movie as Mary Jackson’s husband. He’s great. I like the pacing of this movie. Everything made sense. Every scene made sense. One thing always lead to the next which is great.

I like that this movie reflected around the three characters. I think if it had just been Taraji it might not have brought the same message. But having all three allows for more learning and appreciation for these characters and what they did for this country. Each of them had something holding them back and it was great. Each of them had a character that was preventing them from doing something great. But these characters did not stop and we loved that.

This movie wasn’t just about getting to the moon. Frankly, that was the least of the countries’ worries. You know, they said in the movie, How did Russia beat us? They aren’t smarter, they don’t have better technology, so how did they do it. And as you watch, you’ll see that it was because we were holding ourselves back. The people in this movie were more concerned about making Taraji drink from a different coffee mug than getting a man to space. We were holding ourselves back. So once we were able to live with one another and work together, it became much easier and we saw the results. We see the men get to the moon which we all knew what happen. But this movie also allows us to see the development of civil rights. And people realizing that people were people no matter what they looked like.

Guys, all in all, January movies never really leave a mark in my interests but I really enjoyed this movie. The characters were great. The plot was real and so touching. The conflict and resolution was great, made sense, and had happy endings everywhere. This was a great movie for people of all ages. It’s a great learning tool for young people and a great reminder for less young people. With Glory Road, Remember the Titans, and Pride being some of my most loved movies, this movie has to go right along with them. Historical black movies really get to me and this movie is just added to that list. This is a movie that will be remembered. And these women will be remembered.

Fifty Shades Darker – Trailer Review

What’s up Guys and a Happy Belated New Year to you all. Thanks so much for tuning in for another Money Mindedness blog. This time, doing it a little differently. A trailer review. The goal of this trailer review is to let you guys know in advance if something is worth the money.

So this Valentine’s Day, Christian Grey’s past will come back to haunt him.

So Fifty Shades stared a bunch of people that no one had heard of and Rita Ora. It’s based off of a book written by E.L. James. When these books first came out I knew they would be popular. They’re literally just books about sex. I weep for the future. Fifty Shades Darker is the sequel to Fifty Shades of Grey, and after watching the trailer, I have a little bit I’d like to say about it.

First of all, I did not see the first movie. I refuse. And I probably won’t see this trailer either. Personally, I don’t really think Dakota Johnson is very pretty. She’s not ugly but she doesn’t really have a face or figure that stands out to me. Jamie Dornan has a nice face but his voice sounds so fake. Have you ever watched an English dubbed anime? If no, great. That’s what Dornan sounds like. Like he’s a robot trying to remember his lines. There is no emotion behind his voice. He also doesn’t alter his facial features so he basically has the same face in every scene of this trailer. I don’t like it. He’s too robotic. That reason alone would make me not want to see it. You guys know that character development and chemistry is very important to me and I can already tell that this movie does not have it.

I wish Matt Bomer was in this movie.

Guys I think it’s safe to say that this Valentine’s Day I will not be seeing Fifty Shades Darker. I will be waiting for it to come on Netflix!!!

Thanks for tuning in. I am going to be doing more trailer reviews in the future so be sure to look out. Also be sure to follow me on Twitter and Like My Facebook page. NOTE: on Twitter is you want a follow back I request that you give me a shout out first. I try to mostly follow tech, music, and movie type accounts so if you’d like me to follow your personal account back, please shout me out so I know you want to be followed.

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2016 CPA

What’s up guys. Welcome to the first ever Cell Phone Awards. When reviewing tech there are certain things that I talk about; build, camera, battery, display, and more. So I am taking those aspects and determining whihc phone of this year has stood out in that area. Note: a phone can win more than one award!

Best Camera – Cameras on phone are at the highest point they have ever been at. A lot of photographers today do a lot of shooting on their phone, as they should. But the phone with the best camera is…The Google Pixel!!! This camera has the best camera I have seen. The low lighting settings look just as great as the more lit settings. The clarity of the resulted pictures is undeniable. Take a look!

Best Display – This is the phone that has the nicest looking screen. This is the phone that looks the best in any condition. This has to go to the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. The colors on this phone are vibrant and clear. The dual edge make the screen look as though the image is coming off the screen and continue forever. This is a great display.

Best Budget Phone – As a blog that is all about saving money, it’s obvious to have a category about which phone offers the most for the least. And that has to go to the OnePlus 3 T. This phone is about $450. The S7 edge, which I have, is closer o $700. Huge difference for two phones do just about the same thing.

Best Battery – This is the phone that has the best battery life. This is for those users that use their phone for everything. This is for those ho are heavy users. This award goes to the Moto Z. Though this phone isn’t the best, it has a great battery. You can use this phone all day and not worry about how much battery you have at the end of the day.

Best Body – We all know that feeling when we drop our phone and we pick it up to see if it has shattered. This award goes to the phone that has the best build quality and can hold its own on different drops and spills. Now, obviously this isn’t fair because the Active series of Samsung is designed for such an award as this. So I am excluding the Samsung Galaxy S7 active from the running. With that in mind, this award has to go toward the HTC 10! This phone is completely metal. It is thick and tough as well as looking slick. This phone is strong and looks strong.

This Year’s Most Improved – There were some pretty good and bad phones last year. This next award goes to a phone that was not good in 2015 but really turned it around this year. And that phone goes to the HTC 10 as well. This phone is based off of the HTC A9 which was an awful phone. As someone who was once an HTC user I was sad to see the turn HTC was taking. But the 10 really turned it around. With better specs, a better design, and better overall performance, this phone really makes up for what the A9 brought.

Biggest Disappointment – This one we all know what it is, the Note 7. Why would we want a phone that explodes? Exactly, we don’t s this phone has to be last on this year’s award. But hey, an award is an award. I cannot advertise for this phone because it can cause serious injury so if you have one I would recommend switching to the S7 edge.

And this year’s Overall Best Phone Of the Year – goes to….The Google Pixel

Make sure as we are approaching the new year you guys keep having some Money Mindedness! Happy New Year!!!!!!!!

Top Smartphones of 2016

2016 is coming to an end and we have talked about a lot of great movies, songs, and now it’s time to talk tech. These are my top Smartphones of 2016! Note: I only own one phone, the rest of these reviews are based on me going to stores and using the in store prop models. I had more than about 20-30 minutes with each phone. So let’s get started!

7. This phone HAS to be last because of extenuating circumstances. This is a phone I was very excited for. This is a phone that came after a long line of great phones. This one took everything great that Samsung had developed and brought it together for one great phone. But sadly that Samsung Galaxy Note 7 began having overheating batteries and exploding. This caused injuries left and right and more. Samsung issued refunds and replacements but nothing changed. So even though this is a great phone it can’t be any higher than number 7.

6. The LG V20 came after the much loved LG V10. The 20 took a huge back seat to is older brother. It had a lot of potential but did not come through. The phones looks and feel s different. The 10 was a great looking phone, the 20 does not fit that same look at all. THe V20 is still a great phone though. It has a great headphone sound system. The build quality is great. The aluminum is very sturdy and looks good. Despite the strong metal it is still very light. The V20 doesn’t have physical buttons. One thing I like is that that forehead and chin are not very big. That is something I really like. It makes the phone look very symmetrical.  This phone is shock resistant. It has a 3200mAh battery. Unlike a lot of phones, it offers expandable storage. Something that the V series kept was the secondary display. A small screen that offers short cuts for the phone. However, a negative, there is little user control. What’s there is there and you can’t really adjust. Also, the secondary screen is at the top of the screen. It can be a little hard to reach, thus some people might not use it. I would like to see it at the bottom or side of the screen or not have it at all.

5. This phone has a following like no other. People wait outside for several hours to get their hands on one of these. People love the iPhone and the iPhone 7 has really showed how far Apple has come. The new iPhone has a great sleek new look. The all black is great! It also offers a better camera. iPhones have created better and better cameras with each series. And they have done it again. The iPhone 7 is better than the camera on the 6, the 6 was better than the 5, and more. The iPhone 7 still has the best slo mo cam in all the world. The speakers have gotten a lot better which is good. And there is new waterproofing. There  are a lot of things that Apple has finally gotten right.

4. Even though I am sad my phone isn’t number one, I’m not worried. The Samsung Galaxy S7 is a great phone. With its dual edge screen, the phone looks great. The full on glass look cannot be matched in class and style. The Fingerprint scanner is really quick. The waterproofing is something that Samsung is no mystery to and they have done it again. The waterproofing is great and the phone doesn’t even look waterproof. This phones is a good continuation of the S series. The one feature I am really happy to have is the  always on display. It is so nice not to have to unlock your phone to look at the time It’s something you don’t even think about but it is the best feature.

3. OnePlus 3: This was a phone that really came out of nowhere. When we think smartphone we only really think flagship phones, Samsung and iPhone. The OnePlus really caught us by storm. It offers big specs for a low price. It offers Snapdragon 250 and 6gb of RAM 6!!! SIX!!!. It has a unibody metal. One thing that iPhone has done which I would like for my phone is an alert slider. The ability to turn alerts on and off with a simple flick. The fingerprint scanner is probably the second fastest I have seen, right after the iPhone. This is a great phone. 

2. This was a phone we all knew was going to be a shockingly good phone. I frankly wish that it was not exclusively for Verizon because I want one. The new Google Pixel (and XL) offers the best of everything. Google is one of the world’s top success stories. Everything Google touches turns to gold, just like this phone. This phone offers Andriod 7.1 right out of the box. It has on screen buttons as opposed to physical buttons. I like it. The physical button, the fingerprint scanner is on the back of the phone. Google assistant is great. it is much better than Siri. But the thing that allows this phone to stand out is the camera is. It has to be, in my opinion, the best camera of this year.

And number ONE goes to a phone the is a better version of another great phone. The OnePlus 3 came out and was a great phone and then the OnePlus 3 T!!! The T is actually a bit of a troll at Apple, who’s phones have always followed the letter S! This is a great phone. The T offers a new gun metal color. It offers Snapdragon 825 and the same 6gb of RAM. The 3400mAh battery is great and can go a really long time. The OnePlus has 64gb of internal storage but the T doubles that (128gb). This phone does not offer expandable memory but 128gb is a lot. Both the front and back camera offer 16megapixels. This is also the fastest phone to charger of all time. That battery is good not great but how quickly is recharges makes up for it. This is a great phone. And with this being the cheapest smartphone on my list of favorites, it HAS to be number 1!

Top Music Videos of 2016

What’s up guys, welcome to another great review. As we are reaching the end of the year we here at Money Mindedness are looking at all the best and worst parts of 2016. Movie reviews for the year are done be sure to check those out. Now we are starting to talk music. If you haven’t checked out my top songs of the year make sure you do and do that.

Today we are talking top music videos. These are music videos that I really enjoyed. This doesn’t always mean I really liked the song, this just means that I liked the music video and what it had to offer. Whether it being the dancing, the story, the message, the acting, or what. These are music videos that I enjoyed simply for the video aspect. Note, these are in no particular order. Unlike the others that are all from least to most favorite, these videos are all great and I just couldn’t pick a favorite. So let’s get started.

Chantaje – Shakira: First, I have to say, yes to pink hair Shakira. Even though she is started to get up there in age she still has a level of youth that cannot be compared to. Her dancing ability has been breath taking from day one and she continues to show that. Two kids later she still looks great. Note: this song is in Spanish but it is clear the message that is being told. The chemistry between Shakira and Maluma is really good. The two of them work really well together. The video is well show with dark, mysterious colors to really enhance the message. Shakira has always had great music videos, here’s another perfect example.

Party – Chris Brown, Usher, & Gucci Mane: I did a review of this music video earlier this year. I really liked the dancing of this music video. Chris Brown is no rookie to great music videos. One of my favorite movies of all time is Run It. This has the same look and feel, which is really refreshing.

Used to This – Future ft. Drake: This is an example of a video I enjoy but not really the song. I love the into. I like the light show we see that introduces Future and Drake. A lot o Future’s videos consist of him rapping alone. I like that he opened up and had other extras in his video. As a big fan of soccer I like that this music video reflects around soccer. Frankly, I think this is more like a Drake ft Future song because Drake completely steals the show. The shots of Future rapping in front of the smoke are great. I think this is a well edited video as well.

Let Me Love You – DJ Snake: This was a really good video. The idea of this couple that loved each other and were committing crimes left and right together. That’s what we all want. Someone who is ride or die. And the is just what we see here. I like that we see this couple developing together. We know that what they are doing is bad but we don’t want them to get in trouble because of how deep their love is. And then in the end none of it is real. Just a young kid playing a game, wishing it were real. This is a well shot video. It almost looks like scenes right out of Grand Theft Auto.

Love Me Now – John Legend: What better than a man shooting a music video with his wife. We all love those music videos about bringing people together in love. I love that this music video digs deep into different religions, lifestyles, cultures, and more. It’s so touching. And then we see John Legend and his own wife and it hits you right in the feels. This video can’t not be on our top music video list.

All Night – Beyonce: This video is 6:22 and you must watch every second of it. Beyonce has brought messages with each of her music videos. It’s always been about more than just the song. The images of her grandmother were touching. Her family tradition. The image of her sitting with Chloe, Halle, Zendaya and others is so empowering even though none of them say a word. The cut backs to some of her times with Jay Z and Blue Ivy are some of the most heart warming scenes you will ever see. The shots of other couples; gay or straight are so moving. If you have someone special out there, this video will make you think of them.

My Way – Calvin Harris: The VR universe that this video is in a cool. As if there is somewhere Calvin Harris wants to go but there is something in his way. it’s so cool because we see that he is trying to get somewhere but we don’t know. It looks really cool. There were a few times I thought something was wrong with the computer but then I realized that’s how it was supposed to be and the concept is really cool. We see the world starting to fall apart and become more and more corrupt but there is nothing Calvin Harris can do. it’s really cool. When it gets into the light show and dancing that looks even more cool I love this music video.

Closer – The Chainsmokers: This is a brilliant music video. Everything in this video flows from beginning to end. I love how it starts with us seeing the happy couple adn then we see that they aren’t really together anymore. Here’s what’s brilliant, this is a house song. I love how the images shift when there is a strong beat. It’s something you might not notice at first but when you do it really helps the song flow. The attitude of the video and acting matches the song perfectly. During the calm of the choruses, the love interests are only singing. But then when the beat drops we see them really getting into each other (cause they love each other). But during the chorus it’s calm. The dynamic of the song and video match so well. Very well thought out.

Starboy – The Weeknd: You guys should already know how I feel about this video. The opening where we see The Weeknd killing his old self. The sounds behind it make it look like a horror movie or something. When he takes off the mask and starts singing, it is really solid. The dark room, the all back outfit, the pillar or light as he walks. I love how the hits of the song line up with him hitting the things within the house. This video almost looks like a Batman movie or something and I really enjoy it.

Bacon – Nick Jonas: The opening scene where we see Nick and his boys is really nice to see. Seeing a celebrity being out and about. The song is about doing what you want and that’s what we see Nick doing in the diner. I love that he is literally throwing bacon. Of course, that just makes sense. Seeing Nick Jonas be open and laughing and having a good time is really refreshing. He is usually very serious and robotic but he is very open in this video. Nothing is holding him back. It seems very unscripted and I love it.

And there you have it, we have my 10 favorite music videos of this year. Be sure to keep tuning in for more end of the year reviews.

Top 25 Songs of 2016!

Welcome to Money Mindedness 2016 Billboard Awards!

These are songs that I really enjoyed this year!

25. Fresh Eyes by Andy Grammer

24. Cake By The Ocean by DNCE

23. Too Good by Rihanna and Drake

22. That’s My Girl by Fourth (fifth) Harmony

21. Mercy by Shawn Mendes

20. Can’t Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake

19. Love Me Now by John Legend

18. Victorious by Panic at the Disco

17. Don’t Let Me Down by the Chainsmokers and Daya

16. Closer by the Chainsmokers

15. 24K Magic

14. Into You by Ariana Grande

13. Cheap Thrills by Sia

12. Don’t Wanna Know by Maroon 5

11. Hallelujah by Pentatonix

10. Pillowtalk by Zayn

9. Starboy by the Weeknd

8. Send My love by Adele

7. Sit still, Look pretty by Daya

6. The Greatest by Sia

5. Up on the Housetop by Pentatonix

4. Water Under the Bridge by Adele

3. We Don’t Talk Anymore

2. One Dance by Drake

1. Scars to Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara

Thanks, as always for tuning in. Let me know in the comments what your favorite songs of this year were.

The Book of Eli – Movie Review

Welcome to another Movie Review. Also, super happy to announce that my YouTube page is up and running as well as my Twitter. Look for content on those two outlets as well. Let’s get into the review!

The Book of Eli stars Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, and Mila Kunis. The Book of Eli is a 2010 American post-apocalyptic neo-Western and action film directed by the Hughes brothers, written by Gary Whitta, and starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, and Jennifer Beals.

 

Guys, I’ll be honest, there are a lot of things that I liked so I am going to be breaking down what I like into categories. This is something I am going to try to do more often.

So let’s start with the Characters. Most of the characters were really great. Denzel Washington is such a an inspiration in this movie. His persona and his mannerisms are something to be learned from. Though he does kill people, he does so for the right reason and he is all around a good person. Denzel does such a great job. I love his mysterious attitude and his ability to kick butt in ways we haven’t seen from him. Gary Oldman, who I have always enjoyed as a bad guy was really good. The role he plays really relates to real life. His character isn’t unrealistic, which I like. Oldman does a great job of showing that sometimes villains think they are doing the right thing but they are just going about it the wrong way. Oldman’s character reminded me of so many people I know and so many beliefs that I have heard. His ideals make sense even though they are not good at all. Mila Kunis shocked me. I was recently disappointed by her when she was in the Mars movie, or was it Jupiter. But this made up for it (even though this movie came out first). Kunis made a great sidekick. I like the sense of curiosity that she had. It was great. She wanted to know more about Eli and more about the book. It was her curiosity that made her unique. I liked watching her grow. There’s one scene where she’s kicking butt and it was really nice to see. It very realistic. She’s not a fighter but she is a fast learner and I liked that we saw her learn and grow.

Next the setting. What can I say? This is not a world that you want to live in. The world is complete crap. This movie does a good job of showing how terrible their world is. Beaten up streets, fallen building, random chunks of concrete, and worse. It’s awful. I love that we never see the sun. WE know it’s there because we see the reflection in everyone’s sunglasses but we never see it. As you can see from the images, the entire world almost looks green. This is a really good effect because it creates a more unpleasant look. I like that the people reflect the setting. The way they dress is very covered. Almost everyone wears sunglasses when outdoors. There is little to n skin being shown. People are very dirty. The people reflect the setting. 

The conflict is one of the things that makes a movie great. And this movie has a great plot. I don’t want to spoil anything but this movie has a very deep meaning for me. This isn’t just a movie with Denzel Washington shooting people. It has a very real purpose and message behind it. The conflict makes sense. As the movie continues you can see Eli’s journey getting harder and harder. As he and Gary Oldman go head to head we continue to understand why. I love what Eli is fighting for. I don’t like what Oldman is fighting for but it makes sense. I don’t think the main conflict of this movie gets all the justice it deserves. For some it’s a tough topic to talk about but it is something that needs to be discussed. 

And with every good conflict there has to be a good resolution. The resolution of this movie might have caught a lot of people by surprise. I know for me it did. I did not see the ending coming. There was a moment where I thought hope was lost but then we get the final reveal and all is well. The ending of this movie really shows that faith goes a long way and nothing can stop you when you have it.  

There were little things I didn’t like. Originally I thought Mila Kunis’ character was a bit of a waste. She kind of got in the way and made things worse. She’s that character that a lot of movie have when we all know the movie wouldn’t have had any problems if not for her. Gary Oldman never would have gone after Washington if not for her. So that was a little upsetting to see but Kunis made up for herself. While I understood where Gary Oldman’s point of view was coming from I must say I did not like it. His motivation really hurt my soul. And with the election going to the way it did, Oldman’s character really scares me for what might happen in the future. Other than those two things this was really a great movie. 

Guys, all-in-all the Book of Eli isn’t a story about Denzel killing people left and right. It’s about a man with a mission for the good of the world. It’s about a man who won’t let anyone stop him from doing what the Voice in his head is telling him to do. This is a movie about believing in something and following it until the end. This is about faith and hope. The message alone is worth the money. Denzel, Oldman, and Kunis are worth the money.

You can watch The Book of Eli on YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Video, and Google Play Videos for $2.99. Target and Walmart are selling The Book of Eli for $4.99 or $9.88 for the Blu-Ray. This is a great movie that anyone can watch multiple times and enjoy each time. This is a movie you can learn from each time you see it. SO I am going to say that The Book of Eli is amazing and you all should definitely See It Now (blu-ray)!!!

Guys, as always, thanks so much for tuning in. Money Mindedness is on YouTube now so be sure to check that out. I’m aiming to have my first video up before the new year so make sure you are tuning out. Be sure to also check me out on Twitter. And as always be sure to have a little Money Mindedness!

Best Seasons of 2016

What’s up guys. Welcome to another great review. Today we are talking best TV Seasons of 2016. This means shows that have been around for however long but the season that came out this year were the best. So let’s get started!

10. Viking Season 4: Well we all knew that Vikings was going to be a show that easily held up with Game of Thrones, Spartacus, and more. And is has. Season 1 was great and 2 and 3 were not as good but still good. But Season 4 really turned the show around for the better. I love where it went and where it can go. This show is going to continue to do well in my opinion.

9. Scream Queens Season 2: I won’t lie, I thought Screen Queens was going to be the worst show since Victorious. The first season I thought was ok. It surprised me for the better but I didn’t think it as amazing. The second season however really turned out good. I love how it is kind of along the lines of American Horror Story but could be more set for teenagers. I love the cast. Taylor Lautner surprised me. So I’m excited to see where this show goes.

8. Game of Thrones: Not even a question of why. Moving on…

7. Orange is the New Black: This show has captured America’s hearts for a long time. It has continued. We keep falling in love with these characters over and over and we want to keep seeing them.

6. The Flash: The Flash has been a very good interpretation of a superhero that we all know and love. The multi-universes, time travel, and more have created story lines that none of us have seen coming. We are constantly getting new material that we love. Keep it coming.

5. Arrow: When Arrow first came out I love it. As I got into season 2 I stopped loving it and started liking it. There were certain characters that really got on my nerves and bad characters are usually the reason I stop watching a show. But this year they really turned everything around. I am happy to see where they go.

4. The Good Wife: None of us wanted to see this show go but we all knew it was time. This show has been good to us for years and it’s final season reminded us of why we loved it to begin with. We fell in love with a family and one of the best TV lawyers of our time.

3. Black-ish: Even though Black-ish is still airing each episode has kept me laughing. This show is a true testament to how a lot of people of color act and think. it is something that everyone can relate to.

2. The Blacklist: The Blacklist was something I had been looking forward to since the first trailer I saw. It’s not something we haven’t seen before. A bad guy working with good guys to catch even worse guys. This show has kept me wanting more with every episode. I never wanted to stop watching. And with each episode I can’t stop watching.

1. A show that I have been in love with for about 2 years now. A show I have watched live religiously. How To Get Away With Murder. My review will say it all. This show…I’ve used the term on the edge of my seat, exhilarating, always wanting more, and more. Words cannot describe how exciting this show is. This is a serious mystery the likes of which I haven’t seen in a while. With each episode I had no idea who the person under the sheet was. I thought I knew what was going on but in reality I had no idea. This has to be my favorite show of this year because of how much it made me want to keep watching. I am a very busy person so when TV shows come out I rarely stop to watch. But over the years I have made sure I have kept up with this show. I love that I can watch this show and still not see the results coming. I love surprises and this show is full of them.

Guys let me know in the comments what your favorite shows of this year were!

Best TV Shows of 2016

What’s up. Welcome to another good end of the year review. Today Im talking about the best shows of 2016. Now, these are new shows, that just came out this year. New shows that aired in 2016. Be sure to check out my review tomorrow of Best Seasons of 2016, meaning best shows that have been around for years but the season that aired this year was the best.

10. American Crime Story: I was very excited to watch this TV Show. And it held up. Each episode was great. I wanted to watch this show over and over again. The acting was as good as it gets. The story it told was one we all knew but it really brought it to life in a way we had never seen. I feel in love with this show.

9. Stranger Things: This show took us all by storm. Netflix has been making great TV shows for a few years now. Netflix has been making great shows for years. I love this show. This is something that everyone is watching and talking about. The mystery it brought it was outstanding. We all wanted to know what happened in the end. Netflix has a way of making us want to binge watch and they have done it again.

8. The Crown: When I first started watching this I was concerned that there wasn’t a lot happening. It was tough to catch the plot. But the show really opened up. With a little patience you can really start to like this show. It’s new and brings a moment of history to real life.

7. Atlanta: When we heard Childish Gambino was making a TV Show we were so excited. And he has delivered of course. In addition to a great album, he has released a great TV show. I would like to see another season very soon.

6. Westworld: I have not finished this show yet but it is on my list for a reason. it is great. Everyone I know watches it and loves it. I foresee a long future with this show. If they stay on the right track this can be a multi generational show.

5. The Catch: We all knew when Shonda Rhimes was making another show that it was going to be great. We love her woman-empowered TV shows. This was an exhilarating TV show that left you wanting more all the time. The casting was great and the acting was a result of it. Rhimes has done it again.

4. Timeless: Another show that I have not completed. When I saw the trailer I was excited. Time travel shows are usually very entertaining. This concept of returning to the past in order to keep the present was great. Usually it’s the good guy that wants to change the past but I like that the team is trying to keep it the same. Im excited to continue watching this show.

3. Legends of Tomorrow: I was shocked at how good this show was. There was a time where I had lost faith in the CW. But since Arrow and the Flash have been out they have been on top of their game. I m very proud of the CW. I like Legends of Tomorrow because it sticks with the good things that CW has been delivering. I hope they can stick to what they have and keep making good episodes.

2. Luke Cage: After enjoying Daredevil and Jessica Jones I was very intrigued to see what this show would offer. And I love it. The world needs a strong black man that is bullet proof. This show expands beyond just TV. It can act as an allegory for real life. I am exicted to see a Luke Cage/Daredevil dual. I can’t wait. Great job Netflix.

And Number 1. Probably one of the best shows I have seen in a long time. This is Us!!! This show hits you in the feels more times than any of us can count. It teaches so many life lessons and makes you really understand some of the important things in life. We love each of these characters like they are our own family. This show doesn’t feel like a drama to me. It feels like reality TV. It feels like I am living these lives and getting to watch first hand. If you haven’t checked out this show yet, please do. it is great. You will not be the same afterwards.

Thanks again for tuning in Guys and Gals.

Sense8 – TV Review

Welcome to another TV Review! Merry Christmas to you all. I hope everyone had a great day with fun, family, food, and festivities.

The announcement of the return of Sense 8 was a great gift. Being able to watch it yesterday was a treat as well. This is a show I really enjoyed and had waited a long time for so I am glad that it was able to continue. 

Now please note, this is going to be a Spoiler review. There is just too much that I like and I really want to be able to go into detail about it. If you haven’t checked out my review of season 1, be sure to do that. Let’s get started. 

I think it’s safe to say from the beginning that I really enjoyed this episode. I am really happy that it was a 2-hour special because 1 hour would not have been enough. I’ve seen the episode twice now so all of my thoughts and opinions are clear. For this review, I am kind of going to start at the beginning and go scene by scene, likes and dislikes.

The opening scene (after the 2 minute Sense8 intro) was a good refresher to bring me back into the show. Kala swimming and then slowly the other sensates joining is really nice to see. I love that we see Kala and Wolfgang right off the bat. That is a relationship that everyone has been shipping and we really want to see it. i love seeing the whole crew together and it’s really nice to be able to see it from the get go. The image does this really cool thing where we see Kala swimming from under water, and then we are watching from overhead, and then back and forth. it’s a really coll effect that you don’t really notice at first. Very cool. 

I think it was smart to show us right away that we have a new member of the team, well not really. Capheus, our beloved bus driver from Kenya is still with us being he is being played by a new actor. I’m actually not upset about this. The new Capheus looks older, I personally felt in Season 1 he looked about 21-22 when in actually he was about 33-35. The new Capheus looks much older, a little more mature. I highly respect that the production kind of led us into the new actor. Our first scene with Capheus, Jela, his best friend is speaking to him but when we see Capheus, there is a sun behind or so we can’t see his face. And then we see the back of his head. And then Jela asks if he’s ok cause he looks different, and then we see his face. At the same time, they are talking about how what’s on the face does not matter but more so what is in the heart. So they are really leading us into the face that this is a new guy. I really like that. It wasn’t a shock. Just something new.

Hernando’s classrooms scene adds on to how much I love his character. His ability to play with words and take a bad moment and turn it around is really nice to see. We see the images taken of he and Lito having sex and any normal people I think would have gotten angry but he is able to turn it into art, which is what he does and we love it. 

I like that we saw Will and Riley in the first few scenes. The two of them had a big impact on the plot of the last season and I think they are going to have a big effect on this season as well. It is nice to see their relationship forming. After last season we were all curious what Will was going to do now that Riley was in his head. And seeing Riley have his back is really great. The two of them clearly love each other and  I love seeing them together. I also like that we don’t really know what is happening to Will. all we know is that Whispers is going to come after him. 

After that we see Sun. it is sad that she is still in prison of course. It doesn’t look like she is getting out any time soon. Even though her life is tough it is nice to see that she is still willing to help the rest of the team. I like how she is using the others to really remain calm as well as remain part of the world. 

We see early on the Sun isn’t the only one who’s in political trouble. Nomi is also being hunted. After season 1 I don’t really understand why she is being hunted. She escaped a hospital which last I checked, there are much worse things.There is a scene where Amanita even says that. But it is great to see that Nomi and Neetes are still deeply in love. I really admire Amanita for standing by Nomi’s side. It really shows how strong their love is.

There are so many really toughing scenes in this show. Some good some bad. One of the first ones that really stood out to me was the (I call it the) camera flashing scene. There is a scene where Lito is in his car with Hernando and Daniella. There are several photographers around him. Cameras are flashing left and right and it is also raining really bad. With each flash, we see a different sensate. There are offense words that relate to each of them which I won’t go into because it’s offensive and not something I would ever say. We see Kala and Lito screaming; Kala ar Rajan and Lito at Hernando. And it’s clear that neither of them want to be yelling but their anger is heightened because of the other sensates. This was a really powerful scene because we have seen a lot of positives so far but this reminds us that not everything is good in their worlds. 

A small scene that really made me smile was when we see Wolfgang leaving his apartment and Sun stretching in her cell. This was actually the first time that we see the two of them interact. The two of them have never had a 1-on-1 before. The two baddest of the bad in the group just chatting is really fun to see. We usually see Kala and Wolf, or Lito and Nomi, or Capheus and Sun. But this is the first time we see Wolfgang and Sun. It really enjoyed this scene. I would like to see them just chat more often. 

I read somewhere that this season is going to be about how Will tries to stop Whispers. I read that his goal might be to find Whispers’ cluster in order to get to him. And we kind of got a taste of that today. Just as Whispers can see Will, Will can also see Whispers. So we see Will spying on Whispers with the help of Jonas. This is the first time we see Will starting to want to fight back, which is a good lead up to the rest of the season. The conversations between Will and Jonas are always nice. Jonas is that character that helps the characters learn what’s going on but also helps us (the audience) know what’s going on. So it’s always nice to see them interacting because we learn more about their world. 

Side note, not going to lie but I heart sank when the Van Damme exploded.

The birthday scene was the best! With each of them going through a tough time, it is really nice to see them having a good time with good people as well as each other. Seeing them all together really brought a smile to my face. Honestly, if this were a 10 minute episode that consist just of this scene I would have been happy. And Jela is the best. He’s a great comedic relief. This scene brought smiles, tears, laughs and more. I was so happy for all of them. I love how with each location the mood changed as well. The scene where they are all meditating with Sun in her cell is great. And then they’re in Africa dancing their butts off. This was such a great scene. 

Felix Lives! New Van Damme! This was a great day!

Guys, I have to say that this episode was worth the wait. I love every second of this episode and couldn’t have asked for a better holiday special. Let me know in the comments what you guys thought. Have a happy holidays!