Swamp Con is a Success

During the weekend of January 18-19, University of Florida hosted its third-year multi-genre convention Swamp Con at the Reitz Student Union, bringing a crowd of over 2,000 people onto campus to enjoy the festivities.

The convention featured various events such as a cosplay contest for creative costume artists, a Dr. Who musical for lovers of the show and various panels where people could discuss different shows.

This year vendors, a dominant part of con life, were prohibited from the event due to a rule passed by the university against the selling of merchandise on campus grounds. Despite the setback, the convention still ran smoothly and effectively.

University of Florida senior Emily Stanton was panel coordinator for the event. “All the events had a really great audience response. We really stepped up the content this year. All of the months of planning paid off,” Stanton shared when looking back on how the weekend progressed.

Swamp Con will continue to grow in size and popularity throughout the years as it gains a reputation. It started off small, but after only three years, it has already seen remarkable progress. It is exciting to think of what events Swamp Con will host next year.

My Review of “Star Trek: Into Darkness”: Taking the Cinema by Storm

On Friday May 17^th “Star Trek: Into Darkness” opened up in theaters all over the United States. The director J.J. Abrams surpasses his previous work and continues to pay homage to the series in his new movie which kicks off where the previous one ended. After becoming captain of the USS Enterprise, Kirk (Chris Pine) continues to defy the rules of Star Trek which repeatedly gets him in trouble with the organization.

However, more momentous problems surface as a new terrorist, Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch), rises hoping to destroy the Star Trek Fleet Operations entirely.

Captain Kirk must put aside his conflicts with the Star Trek Organization and work with his ship to save the world from the terrifying, mysterious one-man terrorist group. The movie contains many exciting plot twists and betrayals. Friendships are challenged, allegiances are broken, and loyalties are questioned in the fast-paced film.

The movie already had an all-star cast inclusive of Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, but the introduction of the talented Benedict Cumberbatch known for his role as Sherlock Holmes in BBC Sherlock advances the dynamic of the film. Cumberbatch skillfully makes the villain’s character relatable and pitiable while at the same time ruthless and inhumane. Cumberbatch’s Khan is clever, calculating and calm, and his relentless perseverance and interesting character concept make him a fascinating villain. Cumberbatch’s accurate portrayal of the villain is what allows the film to surpass its predecessor.

The movie also advances the relationships between the characters on the Enterprise. “Star Trek: Into Darkness” depicts the intense emotional wiring between the characters and conveys the conflicts of the Enterprise fleet which further adding to the excitement of the movie.

The graphics within the film are also fantastic as they portray flawlessly the futuristic setting of the Star Trek world and all of the action packed within it.

All aspects of the film set it up to be a thrilling movie. “Star Trek: Into Darkness” definitely evolved from a concept into a successful film because of the truthful representation of the characters and the struggles they must encounter and overcome to achieve peace both on a universal level and within their own hearts.  

My Review of "The Great Gatsby" Soundtrack: Surpassing Greatness with Its Sound Combo

The overall texture of the new Great Gatsby movie soundtrack is a mixture between the 1920s and 2013. If one were to fuse together the two time periods’ music, it would end up being the soundtrack.

While some might think that the fusion would be a disaster, the rap music infused with the pop and jazz sounds of the 20s has a wondrous sound that allows the listener to relate to the music and yet experience a new sensation. With vocalists such as Lana Del Ray and Jay-Z (who also helped co-produce the movie), the soundtrack introduces many different variations of the sounds of the roaring 20s and 2013 and many different artists who help the listener hear how much the music of the United States has changed and how much from the past has remained an important part of today’s music.

Critiques view the incorporation of modern music into the soundtrack as untrue to the original vision of the film and book, however, as the book focuses upon achieving the American Dream and the equality of the pursuit of happiness, how better to portray the continuance of the message and the perseverance of the American Dream than through the music industry which stands to be an icon of that very dream, that with hard work and dedication, one can achieve success.

We’ll focus on Jay-Z as he plays an important process in producing and creating the music for the film. Jay-Z was born Shawn Carter in a housing project in a neighborhood in Brookelyn. His father abandoned him, his mother, and his three siblings. Jay-Z’s story almost replicates that of Gatsby’s (without the illegal bootlegging). He got a small job which lead to more and more success until he became the success that he is today, having an estimated net worth by Forbes of $500 million.

Although, no one can really argue at the lack of depth within Jay-Z’s songs “100$ Bill” and “No Church in the Wild,” I still believe they capture the confusion of the quickly successful Gatsby as he rushes into a world that he had only heard about. The lyrics are rough and vile, but I felt that the songs fulfilled their purpose: to draw people into the raucous, roaring 20s and introduce them to the crazy old New York. “Bang Bang” by will.i.am also served the same purpose, but I felt did it better. The music was a large factor in the “over dramatization” of the film, but that didn’t change the fact that it made for a killer soundtrack. Will.i.am’s use of vocals and scatting made the song fascinating and tied back to the introduction of jazz which was taking place in the 20s.

The songs “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)” and “Young and Beautiful” stuck with me through the entire film. “Young and Beautiful” captured the love and angst between Gatsby and Daisy. Performed by Lana Del Rey who has such powerful female vocals, the song captured the yearning and immensity of the issue. “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” performed by Fergie, Q-Tip, and GoonRock, I felt best mixed modern music with music of the past. With its use of the saxophone and other jazz instrumentals as well as scatting, and the use of the modern electronica and remixing, the song combined the two different centuries quite beautifully. Fergie also belted jazz style vocals with the spirit of a flapper adding to the believability of the times of the song. The lyrics also related to the story and Gatsby’s desire for Daisy to choose him over Tom. This song, like many others on the album, plays off of famous songs from the times.

Each song on the albums contains a different album which contributes to the success of the soundtrack.  Whether modern listeners yearn for the alternative rock sound (The XX-Together, Jack White- Love is Blindness, or Florence + the Machine-Over the Love), techno songs (Nero-Into the Past), or rap songs (Jay-Z- 100$ Bill), they can probably find a song they like on the Great Gatsby soundtrack and enjoy the music they enjoy enhanced with the sound of the 20s.  

My Review of The Five-Year Engagement: The Topping on the Wedding Cake

The Five-Year Engagement. Could be a fun movie, right? i haven't seen a chick flick in such a long time. I might as well check it out...

I hadn't expected to see The Five-Year Engagement, but it happened to be playing at an inexpensive theater near my house. At first, I had trouble choosing between seeing this movie and seeing Dark Shadows, a film in which Johnny Depp plays a vampire waking up in the 70s.
You might wonder why I decided to see any movie instead of one that starred Johnny Depp, but The Five-Year Engagement was rated R, and as a 17 year old, I was excited to see a rated R movie in theaters without my parents. 
Besides, the movie seemed worth watching. Its previews were funny, and when I compared its trailer to the trailer for Dark Shadows, this movie’s trailer seemed funnier. No offence to Tim Burton and Johnny Depp (both of whom I love dearly), but I could use something different.
And so that's how I ended up watching a romantic comedy about two people who somehow managed to remain engaged for five years without either marrying or breaking up.
The movie centers on the lives of two fiancés who are madly in love with each other, but who struggle to stay together for various reasons.
This couple is played by none other than Jason Segel, famous for his role on “How I Met Your Mother” and Emily Blunt, who appears in movies such as “The Devil Wears Prada”. Both actors perform their roles adequately. I could definitely feel the chemistry between the two, which is essential for a romance movie. 

Jason Segel  (not really) working the bunny suit. 

The Five-Year Engagement is a typical slice-of-life comedy. While most of the movie was fairly predictable, there were a few unique moments. For example, it was entertaining to see Jason Segel's character, Tom Solomon, don a bunny suit not once, but several times during the movie. And even I was shocked when a young girl shot an arrow into the leg of Emily Blunt’s character, Violet, and when Rhys Ilfans did super cool ninja-like jumps during a chase scene. However, my favorite part of the movie by far was when Tom's brother (played by Chris Pratt) sang a beautiful song in Spanish to his new wife (played by Alison Brie). While no other scenes stood out as particularly interesting, the movie portrayed scenarios that could occur during anyone’s life and wrapped it all up in a beautiful happy ending. *spoiler alert* They finally get married at the end. 

I want my hubby to sing me this at my wedding.

the Proposal :)

My biggest complaint about the movie is that it had too many unneeded scenes. The movie is over two hours long, so it was hard to sit through scenes that added nothing to the plot and had little comedic affect.
For example, I did not need to see Jason Segel and Dakota Johnson have sex in about six different positions for ten minutes. I'm sure this scene was supposed to be comedic, and maybe I'm just not old enough to understand the humor, but it was a very painful ten minutes. I mean they could have at least replaced Segel with a super attractive stunt double during that part... just saying.
Even though the movie had several unnecessary scenes, it did manage to fit in all of the classic elements of a romantic comedy. The girl cheats on the boy; the boy cheats on the girl; they get back together. They both have to make unfavorable sacrifices to be together. Hmm… where have I seen that before? Oh yeah, everywhere.
The movie was a standard chick-flick, but I must admit that it was adorable. I liked the moral of the story: while some believe that people only have one soul mate that they are destined to be with, this movie illustrated that people can have successful relationships with multiple people, they just have to keep their minds open and find someone who is willing to make it work. 
I would recommend this movie to people who enjoyed movies like Bridesmaids or other wedding movies.
Thank you Mirichan for the edit.

My Favorite Alternative Rock Music Videos of the NOW

Summer has started once again, and I am stuck at home waiting endless days for my volunteering job to start... It doesn't start for another month. 
I've been SO bored that I've contemplated buying a gun and shooting... my walls. 
So today, when I was in one of my lazy, bored shlumps I decided to start watching music videos On Demand. 
I automatically went to the Alternative Rock category and started watching the music videos there. I became so enthralled by some of the videos that I decided to share them. Con todo el mundo!!! Aka with the rest of the world. 
I hope you'll enjoy my favorite music videos. Some are funny. Some are catchy. Some are thought-provoking. And some are just plain weird! Please enjoy these. Whether you're sitting at home bored out of your minds. Or you're just looking for something entertaining. I invite you to take a look into these rock music videos(which happen to be in no particular order).
1. It's Nice to Be Alive- Ball Park Music

I really like this music video. The song is all about being grateful that you live in the world. And the music video reflects that. The music video shows the band members as they realize that the world is about to end. They get to work doing all the things they can manage to cram in before the world ends. It's really fun to watch and quite crazy!

2. Simple Song- The Shins

This music video is very entertaining. It's really crazy and fast-paced. It tells an interesting story in five minutes, and I really enjoy it. I couldn't draw my eyes away from the screen. It centers around three grown-up kids and their relationships with their father. It is really well done. The camera angles are perfect, and the story is enlightening. It tells of their relationship when they were younger and when they were older. And I just absolutely love it. 
3. Not Your Fault- AWOLNATION

Although I don't really like this song, the music video is really cute. It takes us on a trip through the sea, on land, and in outer-space. The video is an adorable stop motion of the band which reminds me of Chicken Run and other childhood favorites. It also vaguely reminds me of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Regardless its a cool video.
4. Paddling Out- Miike Snow

This is probably my favorite video. It goes as number four because I didn't want to scare ya'll away. This music video is insanity at its finest. And I find it to be particularly intriguing. I don't know why I enjoy it so much, but its great. It's about a guy who suddenly ends up in outer-space and meets up with aliens who change him into this "perfect human", but they changed other people into the perfect human, and it's just plain weird. 

5. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall- Coldplay

This is yet another cool stop motion. I don't really like this song, but I enjoy the magic of the video. It's fun to watch and cool to see all the work put into it. I have a soft spot for stop motions because I actually made one myself which you can check out here: Awesomeness!
6. Houdini- Foster the People

This music video is SUPER crazy. Haha. And really well acted. If Foster the People are game for it, they should make a movie and follow up this story line. It's amazing what corps will do for the money.
7. Anna Sun-Walk the Moon

This music video is really catchy and has a lot of coordinated dancing which makes me super happy. So it wins for that. It's also really colorful and "the vibrant colors give your body an experience that it will never forget".(That last part was taken as a direct quote form my sister)

Well those are the seven videos that I can think of right now which I specifically enjoyed. Until next time, have a great summer. :D

My Review of Snow White and the Huntsman: A Grimm Tale

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. We’ve all grown up accustomed to the childhood movie, Disney’s first ever full-length animated film. 

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

We watched Snow White run off into a scary forest and befriend little friendly creatures and dwarves. We watched the evil queen fall to her demise and the handsome prince rescue Snow White from a deep sleep.
This year, another Snow White film has come out, but it has taken an entirely different spin on the classical tale from that of its various predecessors. This time, Snow White is a live-action film that is meant to be taken seriously. It is probably the first Snow White film that wasn’t made for little kids.
While this version doesn’t really follow the Brothers Grimm fairy tale or the Disney movie that it was based off of, Universal Picture’s Snow White and the Huntsman has an interesting plot and an on-par cast.
In this Snow White which came out in American theaters on June 1st, director Rupert Sanders was able to add a dark twist to the classic story. One could argue that this made it more similar to the Brothers Grimm version of the tale. Regardless, this made it an interesting watch.
The story is about a girl named Snow White, the daughter of a king. When the king’s wife passes away, the king falls for a beautiful woman, Ravenna, who turns out to be an evil witch. Ravenna marries the king and then kills him. She takes over the kingdom and locks Snow White away in a tower.
On the day Snow White comes of age, the evil queen asks her magical mirror to tell her who the fairest one of all is and the mirror replies, “Snow White.” In order for Ravenna to gain immortality, she needs to consume Snow White’s heart.

Don't you wish your mirror
turned into this?

The queen fetches her brother to get Snow White so that she can take her heart immediately, but Snow White escapes. She ventures into the Dark Forest, and a huntsman is sent after Snow White to bring her back alive. Snow White eventually befriends the Huntsman, and together they meet a whole cast of magical creatures. She is also reunited with her childhood friend, William. And together they go forth to destroy the queen and once again restore the crown to its proper heir.
I liked this movie because it was always busy with new adventures cropping up around every corner. The movie moved from event to event at a breathtaking pace and kept me on the edge of my seat.
I also liked the wide range of characters introduced in the movie, ranging from the seven dwarves (who could actually be taken seriously) to the Forest Spirit (which also made an appearance in Princess Mononoke). 
The actors also for the most part did great jobs in their roles. After all, what would you expect from an award winning cast? 
Kirsten Stewart, who I despise for her role in Twilight, did not disappoint me in this movie. She sucked as much as I expected her to in her role as Snow White. Her character remained emotionless even when exacting revenge by killing off the witch who stole her father’s life, which is representative of her acting. She generally lacked emotion throughout the film. One prime example I can give of this is when she is giving a rallying speech to the town’s people to get them to rise up against the evil queen. I did not feel any emotion in it at all. She was just devoid of expression, and even made me yawn.

Charlize Theron as the Queen

However, Charlize Theron’s portrayal of Ravenna more than made up for Stewart’s disappointing performance. Theron played the most fantastic evil queen ever. Her acting was breath-taking, and I thought she performed the best out of all of the actors by far. She captured the entire essence of a faulted, power-hungry witch. I would love to see more of her acting in other movies. She actually won an Oscar for her previous performances, and I can see why. She does a great job shifting into character and making that character’s whole life believable.
Chris Hemsworth was awesome in this movie. Instead of wielding a hammer like he does in Thor, he wields an axe as the Huntsman. I really appreciate his prevalence in this movie because he is so great to look at. He is just one hot hunk of a man. 

Sam Claflin. Snow White's "Prince"

Sam Claflin plays the handsome prince. While he isn’t as awesome as Chris Hemsworth, he does an alright job in his role as the worried childhood friend of Snow White, William. Claflin is new to film, and is best known for his role as a missionary in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Strangers Tide. Claflin is a budding actor, and still needs to work on becoming a memorable character, but I’m sure he’ll get there eventually. He has potential.
Now that I think about it, I feel that this movie was cast based off of the actors’ looks. The huntsman needs to be really brawny, strong, and brazen so why not hire Hemsworth? And of course, whenever a pale white girl is needed, it’s Kirsten Stewart to the rescue. Haha. 
The dwarves were the only exception to this casting trend. They were played by normal sized people whose appearance was digitally altered to look shorter. These actors include Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone and more. 

The Huntsman and a few of the dwarves

Many “little people” are in a frenzy about this because they don’t get many opportunities for big roles, and this one was taken away from them. It’s tough being a little actor in the big world. 
Still, I really enjoyed the performances of the dwarves even if their size was all a lie!
The CGI in this movie was magnificent. I loved how all of the fairy tale creatures were brought to life. That was definitely my favorite part of the film. I loved seeing the sprites come alive in the friendly forest, and the majestic beauty of the dark creatures in the Dark Forest. It was all so beautiful and surreal.

This captures the beauty of the scenery and the
horror of the outfit. Oh my!

The scenery was also very beautiful throughout the movie. Much of it was filmed at Marloes Island, a tropical island that is bountiful with natural beauty.
The costuming, however, was disappointing. Snow White wore pants underneath her dress. I didn’t think that girls wore pants underneath their dresses during the middle ages. Also, the costumes did not match time period that the movie was set in. Everything about the costuming was incorrect. I was especially annoyed at the ease with which Snow White was able to do things in her armor. Armor is supposed to be big and bulky(aka Hemsworthy), the opposite of what Snow White was wearing.
The movie was interesting for the most part, even though some of the scenes were unnecessary. I loved how Universal Pictures took the fairytale and turned it into something to be to be taken seriously. For the most part, the actors played their parts well, and the CGI and scenery were both breath-taking. I am quite pleased by this take on Snow White. It has its fair share of adventure, action, magical creatures, and kissing but no real romance, and I would mostly recommend it to preteens.

My Review of BBC's Sherlock: The Show of the Century

On May 25th at 11:30 pm I embarked on a four day, 8 hours and 40 minute long journey into the world of Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective extraordinaire. I had heard about the show from various people, some of whom happened to be obsessed with the very show, and had decided that I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Only a few seconds into it, and I was completely drawn in. Only a few seconds into the show, and I had become “sherlocked.”

He only wears this twice for a few seconds.

Everything about this show (or series of films as the producers prefer to think of them) is stunning, from the famed series that started it to the costuming like the famed cap Sherlock is often caught wearing. This show, in only those first few seconds, became my favorite show ever. 
The first season of Sherlock aired on British television in July and August of 2010. It comprised of three magnificent 88-minute episodes, each playing out an intricate mystery that Sherlock had to solve. 
The season ended in a cliffhanger with Sherlock’s life in danger. Fortunately, the next season was already out when I began to watch, so I could bypass the wait and see what happened to this ever in-trouble protagonist. The second series broadcasted in Britain in January 2012. This was also only three episodes long and also ended in a nail-biting cliffhanger. Unfortunately for me, I need to wait until 2013 to find out WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. An almost impossible task. Without Sherlock life is… boring. 
So, as I noted before  the series Sherlock is quite accurately based off of the book series, Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The interesting thing about it is that it is a modernized version of the series. Aka Sherlock and his friends companions use cellphones, cameras, advanced microscopes, etc. Every “ancient” thing in the book is modernized. For example, nicotine patches instead of a pipe and a blog instead of a journal. “The whole soul of it is the same and true to the original Sherlock stories. It just has this modern twist with taxis and London busses and this huge expense. The more modern things around the more it works, really,” stated Sue Vertue, the producer.

Doesn't it just look magical?

Sherlock lives in modern day London, England, at 221B Baker Street (to be exact). And if you haven’t been to England this show gives you a taste of what it’s like to be there. Apparently, they wanted to “fetishize” modern London. You get to look at the Crowned Jewels and China Town and the underground. All the while investigating murders with Mr. Holmes and his faithful companion John Watson.
Sherlock Holmes is played by Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumbertach. Now that name’s a mouthful. Benedict(for short) brings character to the cold Sherlock Holmes. He gives a cold, lifeless man emotions. His acting is fluid. Now, Holmes is famous for his ability to solve mysteries using logical deduction, forensic science, and disguise. He is also partly famous for making enemies because he generally lacks feelings for others. He doesn’t really understand empathy and isn’t very good at getting along well with people because of his general disregard for their feelings and because of his egotistical views of them. 
“It’s a wonderful combination of playing a hero who is a faulted being. There’s an awful lot of him that’s dangerous and perverse and interesting and just great stuff to get your teeth into as an actor. But he’s also an A-class hero.”-Benedict Cumbertach, Sherlock's actor.

Sherlock in the Palace dressed only in a sheet because he didn't feel like changing.

But Sherlock is still human, and Benedict brings the human-like qualities out of him. He brings out both the chilling detective and the human in a very complex character. He also happens to make Sherlock very adorable and lovable despite his cold demeanor. His use of gestures, movement, and facial expressions brings out what really goes on behind the cold façade Sherlock wears. Also, Benedict creates the character through the use of his voice. Sherlock has much to say on everything, and it would be boring if it came off as a lecture, *yawn*, or as a wondering squabble of words. Benedict’s voice adds an intimidating urgency to everything Sherlock says, captivating the audience with every word, and fascinating the listener every time he speaks. He creates the excitement of Sherlock like many other great actors couldn’t.

Sherlock’s sidekick and London’s confirmed bachelor is none other than Dr. John Watson. John Watson, through a series of events ends up sharing a “flat” or apartment with Sherlock and ends up becoming Sherlock’s investigative partner and best friend. Sherlock and Watson’s relationship is often mistaken as romantic. And is often shipped by the many fan girls of the show, myself included, as a romance. In the end Watson gives up trying to explain they aren’t “together together” because he gets tired of it. Watson loves Holmes, sadly unromantically, and looks out for him whenever he gets into trouble. 
“They are a perfect foil for each other. In a way John is like Sherlock’s moral compass. Because Sherlock’s mind is so genuinely brilliant he doesn’t stop to consider the whys and wherefores or the rights and wrongs of what is. John is kind of like his moral barometer, and he’s a more decent person than Sherlock because he’s more normal. You know, Sherlock is generally extraordinary.”-Martin Freeman, the actor who plays John Watson.

Martin Freeman as Bilbo. :)

Martin Freeman will also be playing Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit later on this year. He actually was nominated for a BAFTA(British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Award for his role as Watson on the show. He takes the ordinary man and makes him extraordinary. He plays the man alongside Holmes who is supposedly “normal” and uses this to convey just how special a normal man is and just what a normal man has the capacity to do. To that I say, “Well done, Freeman, well done.”
“I think there’s a friendship instantly between Martin and Benedict, and they’re not at all like the characters the play at all really but the relationship between them really informs a much pricklier on screen relationship, because obviously Sherlock’s a quite cruel man at time, and John’s got to put up upon that at times. You won’t buy that and enjoy that unless you feel it in every scene and every heartbeat, that there is that proper underlying warmth, that real proper solid friendship, and that friendship really has happened between Benedict and Martin, and the value of that you get on screen.” – Steven Moffat, executive producer.

Moriarty is the most boss villain ever.

Now in every series there must be a villain. And the main villain in this show is played by the one and only Andrew Scott. Jim Moriarty is an insane genius. He is the same as Holmes in most every way except for the fact that Holmes “plays on the side of the angels” while Moriarty gets to enjoy hanging out with the devil. Andrew Scott captures the whole psychopath feel and look. Everything from the way he speaks (definitely the super weird way he talks) to the look in his eyes echoes the crazy that must be going on inside of Moriarty’s head. He gives the insane man a frightening brilliance. I would be scared to meet him in real life even knowing that he was only acting. He actually won a BAFTA beating out his friend Martin Freeman.
“Moriarty in a way is what comes to define Sherlock as a hero.” –Steven Moffat, executive producer.

Ms. Adler

Also, I’d like to make note of Sherlock’s only possible love interest, Irene Adler. She plays a villain as well. Although not a raging psychopath like Moriarty. She is played by Lara Pulver. I’d like to share one of my favorite quotes by her. “I would have you right here on this desk until you begged for mercy twice,” Irene told Sherlock. xD
“They’re clearly made for each other, and that’s an interesting thing to play with.”- Mark Gatiss, actor and writer, referring to the relationship between Irene and Sherlock.
And those are really all of the characters that I wanted to talk about. Una Stubbs adds much of the comedy relief to the show through her portrayal of the feisty, old Mrs. Hudson. And did you know that the co-writers Mark Gatiss and Lisa McAllister play Mycroft Holmes and Mycroft’s assistant Anthea, respectively? Interesting fun fact.

From left to right: Watson, Sherlock, and Mycroft.

FrAside from their stellar acting, Gatiss and McAllister did amazing jobs at screen writing the show. They made it funny, serious, sad, frightening, and bold. Never have I watched a detective show that so related to the viewer and tugged on all of their emotions. I even cried at one point because this show really lets you get attached to the characters, like no other detective show really does. It’s a show about a person, about his life. This is all about Sherlock. Which is why it had such a fitting name. It’s a show that investigates facts in cases, but it also builds up a story line revolving around one man’s life and his struggles within. It’s captivating because of the man the story centers around. Never will there be another man like Sherlock Holmes. Everything from the way he thinks to the way he acts has never been seen before.

And that’s what makes this show so interesting. It creates characters that have never been seen before. These characters are realistic and believable. Sherlock, for all we know could have existed in the world. But there would never be anyone else like him. He is a captivating man, and the writers make sure that there is this connection between him and the audience. He is able to draw everyone in. And the casting, the writing, and even the music and film score created by David Arnold and Michael Price  create a depth to all of the characters that us viewers can immediately latch onto and relate to.

Sherlock going to his "mind palace."

The camera work helps in this too. Switching form third person to first person, and taking us inside of Sherlock’s fast paced mind.
“You show the scene at the dead’s body line and then you can do it form another point of view, from several points of view, and you can dissect that. You dissect that visually and you let the audience see how Sherlock thinks. And then we can look at how Sherlock sees things. So we use the 5D with the stills images to go closer to things. Then we shoot the same seen from a different point of view for Sherlock, so if he walks into the room we shoot it from his point of view. So that, the first time you see the scene you don’t notice Sherlock’s actually scanning the whole place or looking… We just wanted it to feel very natural and explain a little bit about how he does it.”- Paul McGuigan, the director.

Sherlock's Deductions.

So, if you haven’t seen this show yet, I suggest you put it on your bucket list. It will be one of the best shows you have ever seen and well worth your time. Because when you watch this show, you are leaping into the world of the most interesting man alive (even though he most often claims that his life is boring, like right after he harpooned a pig). 
With just the right amount of comedy, character, and drama, everything about this show puts it on the top of my list. It’s a unique new take on an old favorite. And gives us all the reasons to celebrate in our “normal” lives.
Here you can watch the episodes of the show online for free: Sherlock Episodes
Here you can buy the DVDs with the episodes on them: Season One and Season Two
If you are interested in buying the soundtrack, here it is: Sherlock Soundtrack

Here you can look at information about the show: http://www.sherlockology.com/

And a special thanks to Rachel  for the edit.