My Favorite Things of 2012

I blog about Supernatural and everything else relating to the show a lot! However, there are many other things that make me happy and appreciate life more. I wanted to dedicate this feature to other things I love that are not Supernatural related. I have named the year's best dress, photo, actors, person of the year etc. So, here they are, my version of something like a 'best of...' according to yours truly.

Photo of the year is...

Can you guess where this photo was taken? Don't peak!

This was taken in October this year when I was at the bottom of the staircase of Apple Store on 5th Avenue in New York. I love this shot so much because it fits the definition of a great 'Kodak moment.' This is the background of my other travel and food blog -- Sunny Tiny.

Apart from Supernatural, my second favorite TV series of the year is...

Between Arrow, A Game of Thrones, Revolution, Homeland, Once Upon A Time, New Girl, The Walking Dead.. it is a very hard decision to make, but I have decided. 

The winner is Once Upon A Time. It's just growing on me and I am really into the show and the mythology now! Arrow or Revolution could have been the winner, but I found the last few episodes of Arrow a bit repetitive, but they always reveal something in each episode and I do like what I saw in the mid-season finale. Revolution lost to OUAT by a hair. I just know OUAT a bit more than Revolution. Bottomline is, I can explain OUAT better and in great details to my brother than other shows. And that's the sign right there.

Apart from Jensen Ackles, the second best performance from an actor is...

Robert Carlyle! Surprise? Yes dearie, even I find my decision a little surprising! Carlyle's performance as Rumpledkiltskin/Mr Gold really make the show for me. His performance is.. well.. gold! Rumpledkiltskin/Mr Gold holds the key to everything that happens on the show. Mysterious Rumpledkiltskin/Mr Gold is mysterious!

I want to grow up just like her -- most inspiring female actress of the year is...

Hands down Zooey Deschanel! She is awesome as Jess in New Girl. She is a super cool chic. She is not your Miss Universe beauty, she is not the cliche Hollywood drop dead gorgeous hot chic with a hot body. This is a compliment, Zooey! Hehe. 

Zooey is quirky, funny and nerdy. She is not the sexy lady type. She is one of a kind and she makes wearing glasses hot! Zooey is inspirational! I want to grow up just like her! I love WWZDW! Check this out my fellow quirky ladies.. This is a website called What Would Zooey Deschanel Wear. This is OMG awesome! 

And I want a pair Oliver Peoples glasses! The closest I can find is one from Agnes B, which is what I am wearing now. 

Biggest disappointment of the year is...

Apart from Instagram? It's Smash.. it could've been a great show, but it just lacks a lot of things. But still, I'll tune in for season two and see how it plays out. 

The best burger of the year is...


Shake Stack from Shake Shack!! This, THIS, IS happiness! As I my teeth sank into the burger, a smile appeared from my face. OMFG... This burger is amazing!! Just amazing!! I went to New York for this!

Best dress of the year is...

Tangerine Tango is the color of the year in 2012. Emerald Green is the color of 2013, in case you ask. Anyway. This year at the Emmy Awards, Ginnifer Goodwin wore this STUNNING dress. I cannot get over how beautiful this is! OMG! Move over Miss Universe! 

Apart from Dean Winchester, my second favorite hero of the year is...

Apart from Dean Winchester, the green guy makes the list this year.

I've been Ruffalised. Hulk is misunderstood by me. I never get it. And what's with the pants? Joss Whedon's take on the Hulk in The Avengers changed the way I look at the character. And I think Mark Ruffalo is awesome. Although I still don't get the pants thing. 

  
Favorite villain of the year is...

I could make another Facebook or Instagram joke, but even I won't find it funny.

My favorite villain of the year is Loki!! Thank you Tom Hiddleston for making Loki so enjoyable to watch. I can listen to his voice all day!!

 
Movie of the year is...

Two words: The Avengers! 

Person of the year is...

Apart from Jensen Ackles, it comes down to this: between Joss Whedon and Barack Obama. 

Really? OK. It's Joss! 2012 is a payoff year for Joss. After Firefly, I don't think Joss has recovered from such stupid brutality from the MAN. Joss totally deserves the success and his works deserve to be seen as a driving force behind the cultural movement of this generation. The Avengers may not be the best thing ever for many, but it is one of the best things ever. The Avengers is the shape of things to come. Look out! Joss will be Person of the Decade!

This year's most played song according to my iTune playlist is...

No! It's not Gangnam Style!

According to my playlist, it's a race between Zooey Deschanel's Hey Girl and Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass's Spanish Flea. I don't know how it happened, but Hey Girl was played 1544 times, and Spanish Flea was played 396 times.
 
The best goodbye from a TV series is...

CHUCK! I cried from the moment Casey gave Chuck a hug! Don't judge me but I think 007 is lame. I dislike the whole "I am Bond, James Bond. I am so hot, it's your lost if you don't fall into my arms and let me kiss you right now" thing. What is he? Fabio?

Chuck changed my perception towards spy things. It rocks! And I even like Tim Dalton and the twist about his character!

Convention of the year is...

I've only been to one convention this year but the winner is Salute to Supernatural, Chicago
How bias is that? I've had a stressful year, this is hands down the best weekend of the year. I wish I could stop time and never leave Chicago.

Project of the year

You have your mining booms and dooms, and I got my LEGO project!

Best people I met this year is...

Taxi drivers. I know! I know cabbies are not loved by many, especially my mother. But when you are engaged in a conversation with them, you will discover stories of the city. Only by engaging in a conversation with people, you will find out more about a culture. It's an enriching experience.

 Best city of the year is...

New York! This city really inspires me and I would do anything to go there again! New Yorkers want you to love their city. It has a rich culture, it inspires you to do better things. It's great for walking, eating, shopping, reading, writing and taking photos. I return home with new attitude and new ideas. LOVE!

 Jensen's best look of the year is...

You know I can't help it! Jensen's appearance at the CW Up-Front in NYC this year is epic! He looks like the man in charge! Give him the Godfather role and he can nail it! HOT HOT HOT HOT! 

This is hands down the hottest look of Jensen in a public appearance.

Don Jensen.

So, there you do. What are your favorite things in 2012? What makes you happy? 

Release Dates for Phase II Marvel Movies

So, here are the release dates of the up-coming Marvel movies.. I like!

Iron Man 3 -- May 3, 2013
Thor: The Dark World -- November 8, 2013
Captain America: The Winter Soldier -- April 4, 2014
Guardians of the Galaxy -- August 1, 2014
Untitled Avengers Sequel -- May 1, 2015

For more details, check out the Examiner.

More movies, means more LEGO games. Oh yay.

On the Set of The Nanny Diaries Sequel -- Oh Wait.. It's the Avangers in New York!

I know right?! Scarlett Johannson and Chris Evans were in The Nanny Diaries together, that was shot in New York. And now they are filming together for the Avengers in New York. I know! What a weird introduction! But I can't help it!!

Annie?

Harvest hottie?

Dude, I am confused.. I went to sleep and woke up and actually thought I was on the wrong set.

Have we met before?

So you are a nanny by day, a black widow by night?

???

Good times!

 Good times!!

The cast of The Avengers including Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) were seen in full uniform filming. I am trying to hard not to look at them, but I cannot help it!!! Dang you spoilers!!!

Source: The Avengers set photo WorstPreview & DigitalSpy

The Avengers - Sighting of Joss Whedon directing Chris Evans

Am I the only one who is excited to see Joss Whedon on the set of The Avengers directing Chris Evans (aka Capt America)?

Source: Spoiler TV

I still think Jensen Ackles should've been Capt America.

Captain America -- A review from a new fan

Long time visitors of the Impala's Trunk know that I am not a comic book fan. I don't read them, I don't know how to read them. Everything I know about a comic story or a hero is through movies and TV shows.

I was really looking forward to Captain America. I didn't know too much about the story and the characters, so I actually borrowed my friend's The Avengers the animation movie and see what's the fuss is about. I got the feel about what The Avengers is like as a team and it helps me to see how everyone fits into the story.  

Captain America has always been about the journey of Steve Rogers, a physically weak young man with a pure good heart, who wanted to save lives and serve his country. Steve Rogers volunteered for a research project and was chosen as the first human test subject for the super-soldier serum developed by the scientist Dr Abraham Erskine. The serum worked. But Captain America was like a poster boy for the army, an icon for hope. Some soldiers didn't see him as a real solider, but when it was his time to shine, he shined. Captain America was lost to the world after WWII when he hurled into the freezing waters of the North Atlantic. His body was recovered from the ice 70 years later (aka present time). Now he is a member of The Avengers with Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Haweye, Hulk and Nick Fury.

The movie, Captain America did not disappoint. If you don't know the story of Steve Rogers and The Avengers, it's ok but you will miss details you don't even know they are awesome. Having watched the animation to get myself up to speed for the backstory, the first time viewing of the movie was still a bit too much. But I really really enjoyed it. The thing about this movie is that it had such great material (the story and the characters), it was packed with information and they tried to tell you everything about Steve Rogers. The downside is some scenes happened too quickly (and therefore perhaps forgettable), I had to watch it again. The movie made more sense the second time I watched it.

Contain spoilers

I guess what I am trying to say is that the pace of the story could be better and the story could be a bit more tighten. Like some scenes deserve a better explanation, if you know what I mean? Two scenes came to mind and I thought they were supposed to be significant -- the choosing of the shield and the ending.

I assume the shield of Captain America is very significant yes? So in that scene, when Howard Stark was introducing different types of shields for Steve Rogers to choose from, it was too convenient for Steve Rogers to catch the shield that was dumped on the floor and went "oh look what's that... humm.. that's the shield I am destined to wield."

The other scene that could've been explained better is the ending. Not everyone knew Captain America survived the fall and the ice, I feel that the writers kinda assumed everyone knew that or perhaps it was their intention. I don't know for sure. For the ending, I would've connected it back to the first scene of the movie, revealed the frozen shield and Captain America and leave it there. Nick Fury (aka Samuel L Jackson) could be in the teaser and the trailer after credit. It was almost too spoilery to see Steve Rogers waking up in bed, ran out to Broadway and stopped by Nick Fury where he told Rogers he had been asleep for 70 years.

Captain America was not as perfect of Thor. I was totally satisfied after Thor, there was not a single thing I would change. But with Captain America, I actually expected much more, because it was the first avenger, and there were a few scenes I could see changing. But again, I really enjoyed it. I would seriously watch it again.

Characters

I am impressed with the cast. I thought each character were well written. Chris Evans exceeded my expectation, he did a really really good job. Although I am sure Jensen Ackles would've been so much more awesome! Anyway.. I thought Chris Evans was really good at playing a pure heart innocent 'won't even kill a fly' soldier. I thought his intention was good, he never gives up even when he was tinier than me. In fact, that was one of my favorite parts of the movie, seeing Steve Rogers got bullied but he never ever gave up. There is almost nothing special about Steve Rogers, he was just a young man with a good heart. He was selfless. Steve Rogers was nothing like Tony Stark who was show-y and he was nothing like Thor who was a bad-tempted god. The team of Avengers has different personalities and egos, I guess that's why it will be so important for Steve Rogers to lead.

Other characters I like:

Surprise #1: Peggy Carter (played by Hayley Atwell). I thought her character was very well written. I really like the chemistry between her and Captain America. She was a strong female character and she looked really classy. One thing I am very impressed with female characters in comic books are their strong presence. They kick ass and they don't need a hero to rescue them, in fact, it's often the other way around. Although Peggy wasn't a superhero but her character was strong and at times, she reminded me of Smallville's Lois Lane.

Surprise #2: Dr. Abraham Erskine (played by Stanley Tucci). Stanley Tucci was fantastic at fixing people! LOL.... From The Devil Wears Prada to Captain America. He was perfect for the role. I love his mentoring role and I love the compassion he brought to the role.

Surprise #3: Col. Chester Phillips (played by Tommy Lee Jones). Who doesn't love this guy? I mean, it's probably the first and only time I declare my love for Tommy Lee Jones. I love him in this movie! Col Phillips was awesome! He was almost too cute to be a Colonial!

Surprise #4: Howard Stark (played by Dominic Cooper). I didn't expect Howard Stark (Tony Stark's father) to be heavily featured in this film. I mean, Howard Stark was quite a prominent figure in Captain America. He was a contributing engineer for the super-soldier serum project, he went to the war with them, he invented the shield and uniform for Captain America, he flew the jet to the enemy line, he was helpful, he went looking for the body of Captain America after the war... The guy was everywhere!

Easter Eggs

- Cosmic cube -- That's the glowing blue thing in Thor, right?

- Bucky -- Is he dead? He didn't die in the animation.

- Howard Stark & The Stark Expo -- I love the Stark Expo reference and Howard Stark was involved since WWII.

- This is probably nothing.. but Redskull asked Captain America: "Tell me, why are you so special?" If Jensen Ackles played Captain America, I swear he could've replied, "Because of my perky nipples."

The Avengers

So, I stuck around and watch the stuff after the trailer, it was worth it. If you haven't watched the leaked Avengers trailer, you must watch until the curtain draws.

To wrap up, I really really like Captain America, I can't wait for the DVD... And I can't wait to watch The Avengers. It is an ambitious movie and it is Joss Whedon's first major motion picture. I am just dying to see more Joss's stuff!!

Did you like Captain America? What do you think?

Thor; The Avengers; Firefly Rewatch

Comic books are not my forte but I do enjoy a good superhero story or two sometimes. And Thor is a winner! I tell ya, I thought it was going to be so-so. But it surprised me. I love it. I love the look, the story, the cast and all the references. And I love the cameo appearance from Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye. I thought Kenneth Branagh was definitely the best choice of director for this movie. Chris Hemsworth surprised me, I thought he was really good, I've never seen his stuff, except Star Trek. My original reason for watching this movie was Natalie Portman, she was so cute! She has such a great range and she was fantastic as Jane Foster. Great soundtrack, great SFX, great humor, great fight scenes. It was awesome!

Joss Whedon has revealed to fans on Whedonesque that the shooting of The Avengers has commenced. I think The Avengers is going to be one of the biggest and most ambitious films ever made. I think Joss is the best choice as the writer and director for the movie, because he has a huge following, he respects his work and he respects the fans. I was reading one of his interviews and he was giving writing tips, they were truly inspirational. I have no doubt The Avengers will be one of his best. With the cast this big and fans are already going nuts since the casting of Thor and Captain America (still wish Jensen is the Cap), I think this movie is going to be more epic than LOTF and it should be at least 3 hours long!

EW has an awesome report about the above photo from the set and also some minor (cough cough) information about the cast and storyline. Full story here.

May 4, 2012 is the release date for The Avengers. The madness! THE MADNESS is going to blow DC off this planet!

Last but not least, I started my Firefly rewatch. The second time is more enjoyable, I don't know why, but I guess I am paying more attention to stuff I didn't pay attention to the first time.. I also watched the first episode with the commentary from Joss and Nathan. Awesome stuff! Firefly is way better than the Royal Wedding stuff on TV this week.