5 Reasons to Start Watching 'Scream Queens'

Hello readers! In an attempt to make up for my major lack of posting recently, I'm going to try and power through November. Assuming you own a television, it's only natural that you've stumbled across the new hit horror comedy 'Scream Queens'. Not gonna lie, it's pretty great. It revolves around a bunch of sorority girls who are being hunted down one by one by a serial killer in a red devil costume. Obviously, the premise sounds intriguing already, but just to win you guys over and make sure that you give it a go, I'm going to list 5 reasons why this is the next show that is sure take over your whole life. Intro complete, let's get down to business . . .

1. The Genre

It's a well known fact that everyone loves a good horror comedy, but this is so much more than that. 'Scream Queens' manages to be a parody of horror cliches, while also being a horror show itself. Super contradictory, right? Well, you'd think so, but it actually works super well. It's very self aware, and manages to succumb to horror tropes in a way that finds the midpoint between 'Scream' and 'Scary Movie'. It's not so scary that you'll be frightened away, but also not too much like a parody that it gets lame and stupid. The perfect balance between the two is already enough to lure you in, but the show also happens to be jam packed with satirical references to some young people in modern society. What more could you want?

2. The Cast

Not very often does a show become a massive hit before the first episode has aired, yet 'Scream Queens' managed to be an exception. This may be because fans have placed total trust in Ryan Murphy, which is probably a factor, but I'd say you could probably chalk most of it up to the cast. Not going to lie, it's pretty amazing. Almost everyone in the show is famous already, and even if they aren't they're relatives certainly are *cough* Billie Lourd *cough*. I'm not even kidding, the show is headlined by none other than original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts of AHS (and literally everything else ever), 'Glee' alum Lea Michele, oscar nominee Abigail Breslin of 'Little Miss Sunshine', 'Nashville's' Oliver Hudson, Keke Palmer from 'True Jackson VP', The DUFF's Skylar Samuels, Diego Boneta of 'Rock of Ages', and not to mention special guest stars Nick Jonas and Ariana Grande. It's seriously crazy how many big names Ryan was able to pull!

3. The Mystery

Even though the show mainly acts as a horror parody, the mystery is still very much alive. Despite the whole show being exaggerated and hilarious, as each episode draws to a close, the question of who the red devil is still manages to trump all. How can comedy and intrigue possibly meld together? It's all just a part of the magic of 'Scream Queens'. But of course, the mystery doesn't just stop there. I mean, who's the baby in the bathtub? What's with Nick Jonas? How are the girls' parents (apart from Grace's dad) allowing them to stay at Kappa Kappa Tau no questions asked? We're all dying to know.

4. The Deaths

I don't mean to be gruesome, but the deaths on 'Scream Queens' are truly awesome and hysterically funny. Without giving away too many of the gory details, let me just tell you that someone gets their face burnt off right from the get go, someone got their head mowed off, lots of people get stabbed and a person gets their arms sawed off. What more could you want? Plus, it's not like these deaths are few and far between, at least one person gets killed off every episode. How exciting is that? If you're not lured by that, then there's simply no hope for you. 

5. The One-Liners

I feel like one-liners are kind of a Ryan Murphy specialty, and trust me when I say that 'Scream Queens' is no different. Whether its an offhanded comment or a full-on Chanel moment, literally all of the dialogue is so on point. All of the one-liners are clever, funny and sometimes, totally unexpected. Plus, in a lot of cases, some of these lines happen to be totally offensive and wildly inappropriate. How can that not sound like fun? If you're still not convinced, a) there's something wrong with you, and b) you just have to go and check it out for yourself. 

So that's pretty much all I have in store for you. Even if my 5 reasons weren't enough to sway you (which they totally should be, but whatever), then just do me a solid and give it a shot anyway. Trust me, you won't be disappointed. Don't go in expecting full-blown horror or a classic sit-com, just expect an eclectic combination of the two and I guarantee you'll like it. So just spend the next 24 hours or so binge-watching the first 6 episodes, and then you'll be ready to watch the premiere of episode 7 tomorrow night. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

10 Struggles of an ENFP

Blogosphere, I greet you once more! Sorry for the horrendous delay, things have been a little hectic lately. Exciting news, I spent the most recent holidays in New York which was amazing (and which I totally plan on bragging all about in future posts), and now I'm back at school, I've officially started Year 12, how crazy is that? I don't even know what is happening. Anyway, to effectively push that as far out of my mind as possible, today I bring you a post based on the fairly recent '16 Personalities' test that has been flooding the internet. It's kind of scarily accurate, and after taking the test, I got ENFP. Apparently I'm called 'The Campaigner', and according to my acronym, I'm Extroverted, Intuitive, a Thinker, Prospective and Assertive. Is that good? I have no idea, but I think it pretty much sums me up. To add to the fun, based on these personality types there is a whole explanation of different traits, so inspired by a post by Thought Catalog, I've decided to list some of the struggles that I share with my fellow ENFP's. So without further ado, here they all are . . .

1. Getting really Pumped from Socialising but Hating Superficial Conversations

Don't get me wrong, I seriously love social interaction the majority of the time, but sometimes I just can't be bothered. Talking to people gets me super hyped up and energised, but when conversations turn meaningless and superficial, it just takes so much effort to be apart of them. I mean, why can't I talk about the meaning of life and express my philosophical musings while doing some hardcore karaoke?

2. Being Motivated to Do Things but Also Wanting to Stay Home and Do Nothing

Like seriously, there are times when I get ridiculously psyched to go out and do stuff with my life and ponder becoming Prime Minister or something, but then there's Netflix. Enough said. 

3. Having so many Amazing Ideas that will Forever Remain Half Finished

I have written half a musical, 75% of 3 novels, started to create 4 of my own businesses, and planned about 15 extravagant events that have never come to be. Why? Because I need to let my creativity out in some way, otherwise it gets weird in here. 

4. Contradicting Yourself because you legit see Different Sides of the Same Situation

I have so many conflicting ideas, because truth be told, I can see most situations from lots of different people's perspectives and don't know which one is most correct or which one to adopt for myself. So basically there's just a constant internal debate going on inside my mind, and believe me when I say it gets strange in here. 

5. Being Super Creative and Productive the Day Something is Due

The prospect of work is never fun, however ENFP's will often find something to get excited about and start freaking out over it. However, this spark of creativity is most likely to hit you the day your assessment is due, which means you have at least a good hour of solid, productive work before you have to hand it in. 

6. Having People Think You're Stupid Because You're Super Optimistic and Upbeat

For some reason, being happy and excited leads people to think that you were born without an inch of intelligence, which I can say first hand is pretty annoying. But never fear, just wait for your exam results and all will be revealed. 

7. Taking on More Than you Can Probably Handle and Then Making Sure you Can out of Stubbornness

I don't know about you, but I know that I constantly take on heaps of responsibilities, and then when people say that perhaps it's a bit much, I get super stubborn and determined to prove them wrong, which I inevitably do. Is this a good quality? Honestly, no idea. 

8. Needing to Spend Way More Time Alone Than other Extroverts

People and socialisation is great and everything, but I really do need time to just go home, hide in my own personal cave, do some blogging, watch some Netflix, and hide myself from the world. Maybe it's because I'm an only child, maybe it's just a me thing, but in the words of that wise, young Mexican girl, por que no los dos? 

9. Seeming Shallow Because You Change Topics at Lightening Speed

I'm not even going to begin to understand the inner workings of my mind, but I do know it gets a little hectic in there. I have so many different ideas happening at once, and when I'm in a conversation, I feel the need to get through as many of them as I can, especially if I'm confined to a 45 minute lunch break. But really, I promise you I'm not shallow, in fact I care about everything way more than I probably should. I'm just trying to burn through as many topics as I can in record speed. 

10. Being a Total Contradiction 100% of the Time

As I say, I have a bunch of conflicting views which definitely spill over into the way I act. I'm an extrovert but love some alone time, I'm lazy in theory but hella motivated in practice and I'm bubbly and excitable but still not a total idiot. Honestly, I don't even know, but I enjoy being me.

So there you have it, a list of all the strange little idiosyncrasies us ENFP's share. If you have to endure any of these struggles, welcome to the club, and if you don't, well I'm sure you have some (lamer) struggles of your own. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I suggest you go and take the test for yourself, because it's pretty spot on. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

Teen Choice Awards 2015: Best and Worst Dressed

Hello again readers! I'm back, which is sure to excite many of you, and am ready to supply you with some pretty harsh critique. Yes, you know what's coming. Today, I'm going to unleash my inner fashion guru and be ruthless in my judgement of some of the best and worst outfits at this year's Teen Choice Awards. So get pumped and be prepared for some vaguely offensive comments. Intro complete, here are my choices . . .

Best Dressed

Lea Michele

Believe it or not, this is a totally bias free zone. I don't even have to play favourites, because Lea Michele looked super amazing at the awards this year. Her dress was pretty and young, and her hair was definitely on point. I honestly can't fault the look, she really went all out. 

Lucy Hale

I seriously love this ensemble, and for totally different reasons than the dress above. Lucy took a bit of a fashion risk, but it definitely payed off. Her dress is edgy and super fashion forward, and I just love the cool, harsher vibe it gives off. Also, her eye make-up was seriously amazing if you take a closer look. All in all, Lucy definitely brought it. 

Emma Roberts

I don't know why I like this so much, but I really do love Emma's look at the awards. She just looks really pretty, and even though the dresses' patterns are a bit left of centre, I think it totally works. The colours give off a real summer vibe, and she manages to look conservative but still in a fun way (which is definitely a difficult feat). Overall, Emma looked fabulous. 

Nina Dobrev

Again, it seems that fashion risks were taken, but boy were they successful. Nina looks so good, and I absolutely love her dress, even though I didn't really expect that I would. Of course, it's pink, which is always a bonus, but it's not your usual pretty, girly dress. She brings an edgy glamour vibe to the carpet, and looks super amazing. Basically, she killed it.

Ashley Benson

I'm actually so depressed because the continuity has been destroyed, but I just had to include Ashley, because her look at the awards was definitely on point. Apparently she didn't pose individually on the carpet, but nevertheless, she looked fabulous. Her dress is super glamorous, and fun fact, it is actually made from blue velvet. How cool is that? Plus, her hair and make up happened to compliement the ensemble perfectly.

Worst Dressed

Willow Shields

I don't know. Just, can someone tell me why? This girl is literally only 15 years old, yet somehow she's dressing like a conservative, elderly circus performer. The top and skirt do not by any stretch of the imagination go together, and even on their own, they still remain to be super gross. There's literally nothing nice about this at all, this ensemble is actually horrible. Sorry Willow, but ew, no.

Janel Parish

I'm sorry Janel, but I just don't like this look. Don't get me wrong, it's not totally hideous, but it's just not nice in any way. The dress's shape is super odd, and I don't really know why it has weird, baggy sleeves that look like a cape they'd slap on you at the hairdressers. I also feel like it should just be a red carpet rule that all fashion must be devoid of skeletons (unless of course you're Avril Lavigne, in which case go right ahead). So all in all, a bit of a disappointment. 

Chelsea Kane

Again, this isn't exactly an eye-sore, but it's really not even close to being a passable red carpet look. Before we even get to the outfit, her hair is super messy and she seems to have a random dog collar on. But oh no, there's more. For some reason, Chelsea decided to rock up in a towel and leggings. Why? That will continue to remain a mystery. But Chelsea, if I were you, I would definitely fire my stylist. 

Bella Thorne

Once again, this isn't terrible, but Bella was definitely one of the worst dressed there. Orange is at least a nice colour for her, but the style and pattern of the dress kind of looks like the carpet someone would have at an aquarium. Plus, the shape of the dress is all wrong. It's just tight and shapeless, and is a super awkward length. Like seriously, where's the rest of it? I'm sorry Bella, but no. 

Zendaya

Apparently this was a red carpet hit and made it onto everyone's best dressed lists, but sorry, for me, this was not a winner. Zendaya always takes fashion risks, which I can certainly respect, but unfortunately this case I don't think it payed off. The top is weirdly puffy and just juxtaposes too much with the super tight skirt she's wearing. The whole ensemble also looks as if she's going to fly out to a business meeting any second. Plus, her hair is really hard and severe, which because she's so slender, doesn't work at all. Better luck next time Zendaya!

Anyway, there you have it, my top 5 best and worst dressed at the 2015 Teen Choice Awards. Do you agree with my picks, or  do you think that I have no taste whatsoever and don't know what I'm talking about? Either way, hopefully the post was entertaining. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

'Paper Towns' Review (with GIF's!)

Readers, welcome back to Teenage Fanatic! Today, I will once again be getting in touch with my inner film critic (who, let's be honest, isn't so inner), and giving you the low down of the new young adult book-to-movie adaptation 'Paper Towns'. Was it any good? Did the John Green novel translate well into film? All will be revealed shortly.

I may as well put you out of your misery now, I did indeed really enjoy the movie. Was I expecting to? I hadn't decided yet. But I'm pleased to say I was pleasantly surprised. The trailer didn't really let on whether the film was going to be overly cliche and angsty, or, you know, actually decent, so it really could've gone either way. However, I am obviously grateful that it didn't make me want to claw my eyes out or vomit everything I'd eaten in the past week. I don't know about you, but that's always a bonus for me.

The story begins as protagonist Quentin "Q" Jacobsen (Nat Wolff) introduces us to the enigma that is Margot Roth Spiegelman (Cara Delevingne) whom he lives across the road from.

The two were super close when they were young, however as time went on, Margot's sense of adventure proved to be too far from Quentin's comfort zone, and they eventually grew apart. Margot managed to work her way up the high school hierarchy, while Quentin chose to remain closer to the bottom, content to hang with his two closest friends Ben (Austin Abrams) and Marcus (Justice Smith).

All of this changed however when one night, Margot climbed into Q's window and asked for his assistance in a revenge plot against her cheating ex-boyfriend and the friends who helped in covering it up.

They then went out on the town and did just that, getting up to all sorts of mischief including wrapping a girl's car in cling wrap, exposing her cheating boyfriend and removing a boy's eyebrow.

The next day however, Margot had vanished. Where to? No one knew. But Q put it upon himself to find out, enlisting the help of Ben and Marcus, Marcus' girlfriend Angela (Jaz Sinclair) and Margot's best friend Lacey (Halston Sage).

How does it all end? Do they ever find her? I'm afraid you'll have to buy yourself a movie ticket and discover the answers for yourself.

As I've already disclosed to you, I was indeed pleasantly surprised with 'Paper Towns'. To be honest, not much happens, but that's a nice change from the mindless, action-packed films that seem to be taking over cinemas as of late. It actually made you think, and considering that the characters in the film were grappling with the prospect of graduating from high school, something that will be happening to me in just over a year, I could definitely relate. I actually can't even define what genre the film slots into. There was drama, sure, but it wasn't angsty or annoying, and everyone managed to survive, and although it had comedic elements, it definitely wasn't just a straight-up comedy. So honestly, I don't even know what it is, but I just know I enjoyed it.

Acting wise, the film was pretty solid also. Nat Wolff as Q did an excellent job, fitting into the role really easily and managing to be natural the whole time. Honestly, I can't really imagine anyone else doing a better job. Cara Delevingne as Margot I feel was also super fab. I didn't know what to expect considering she's only just transitioned from modelling to acting, but she really nailed it. It would be hard having to play a character who's super mysterious and randomly runs off all the time, but she did it really well, so we didn't ever totally hate her or anything, but at the same time we had no idea what she was going to do next.

I have to say, my favourite part was that there was no cliche ending. Without giving anything away, I have to tell you now, it's pretty cool. You rarely ever find a teen movie that could actually emulate life, but low and behold, this delivers just that. I have to admit, a part of me wanted a fairytale ending and for everything to be perfect, but the bigger, more logical part was really glad that art was finally able to realistically imitate life.

All in all, I highly suggest that you guys check out this flick when you have the chance. It really is super good, and manages to break the mould and appeal to the masses at the same time. How? I do not know, but I'm pretty sure John Green is some kind of magical creature.

That's pretty much all I have in store for you. Now please, do yourself a favour and check out this film as soon as possible in a cinema near you. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx

The Most Awesome TV Show and Movie References in TV Shows and Movies

Blogosphere, I have returned once more! Today, because I'm strangely nerdy and find joy in dissecting every single detail of anything even vaguely related to on-screen popular culture, I've decided to take a closer look at some of everyone's favourite movies and TV shows. To share my findings with you all, I have decided to bring to you a list of some of the best references you will find within this fictional multimedia. Why? I don't even know, I just want to, so go with it. Relatively short intro complete, here they all are . . .

'Wicked' in 'Descendants'

End of Act 1. Elphaba in Defying Gravity. Need I say more? (BONUS: Watch the whole performance of 'Evil Like Me' here because it's actually amazing). 

'Juno' in 'How I Met Your Mother'

It would've been an amazing Halloween, that's for sure.

'Carrie' in 'Glee'

Oh well, at least everyone survived at this prom. 

'Dora the Explorer' in '22 Jump Street'

This whole scene though. 

'The Breakfast Club' in 'Pitch Perfect'

The fist pump literally makes the movie (also Skylar Astin is the bomb).

'Glee' in 'The Office'

I love it. I love it so much.

'Dirty Dancing' in 'Crazy, Stupid, Love'

This GIF doesn't really give you much because the internet seems to be against me, but if you haven't already guessed it, they do the iconic lift. So just watch the whole scene and experience the full awesomeness.

'Back to the Future' in 'A Million Ways to Die in the West'

Again, this picture in now way does justice to the epicness of this scene. 

'Meet the Parents' in 'Bad Neighbours' 

I know they reference a whole lot of Robert De Niro movies, but the 'Meet the Parents' reference was my fav. Pretty much purely because of the jinxy cat.  

'To Kill A Mockingbird' in 'Pretty Little Liars'

Boo Radley anyone?

'Les Misérables' in 'Orange is the New Black'

This made me so happy.

'Family Ties' in 'Arrested Development'

This one actually took me a while to get. If you're a fan of the show you would know it's jam packed full of references, but this would probably have to be one of my favourites (once I actually got it). In my youth, my mum exposed me to the 80's show 'Family Ties', so much so that I've pretty much seen every single episode. Anyway, turns out the actress who played Malory is actually Jason Bateman (aka Michael Bluth)'s sister in real life, so they made a little homage to the hit show in the title of the episode.

So that's pretty much all I've got for you. Hopefully I've totally enlightened you, and have inspired you all to go out and take a look at some of these TV shows and movies more closely. Til' next time . . .

Annabel xx