Metaphor, Simile & Onomatopoeia: |  | |
| ||
|
Wednesday, 15 October 2025
Master Watch Log (Alphabetical, Narrative Style)
Gilmore Girls – Season 1, Episode 2: “The Lorelais’ First Day at Chilton” (2000)
Watched: 2025 (assumed). Major stars include Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Kelly Bishop, and Edward Herrmann. Estimated production cost: $1–2 million per episode. Distributed by The WB. Rating: ⭐ Good. Interesting trivia: This episode establishes the fast-paced, witty dialogue and the close mother-daughter relationship central to the series. Introduces the prestigious private school Chilton, highlighting class differences that become recurring themes. Known for pop-culture references, including early nods to music, literature, and lifestyle trends of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Jack Ryan (2018)
Watched: Incomplete (2025 assumed). Major stars include John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, and Abbie Cornish. Estimated production cost: $8–10 million per season. Distributed by Amazon Prime Video. Rating: 😐 Okay (incomplete). Interesting trivia: Based on Tom Clancy’s iconic spy character, the series takes a more procedural, television-friendly approach. Considered lighter and less engaging than the Jack Ryan films, which are generally viewed as more exciting spy thrillers.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond (2020)
Watched: 2020–2021 (as released on Amazon). Major stars include Alexa Mansour, Nicolas Cantu, Aliyah Royale, and Hal Cumpston. Estimated production cost: $5–7 million per season. Distributed by AMC / Amazon streaming. Rating: 👎 Poor to 😐 Okay at times. Interesting trivia: Considered the weakest entry in The Walking Dead universe. Characters criticized as underdeveloped and lacking depth. Explored younger survivors and expanded franchise lore but struggled with pacing and narrative stakes.
The Wheel of Time (2021)
Watched: 2021 (first season, at time of release). Major stars include Rosamund Pike, Josha Stradowski, Marcus Rutherford, and Zoë Robins. Estimated production cost: $10–15 million per season. Distributed by Amazon Prime Video. Rating: 👎 Bad to Horrible. Interesting trivia: Based on Robert Jordan’s high-fantasy novels. Despite large budgets and high-profile casting, the first season was widely criticized for pacing issues, uneven performances, and confusing adaptation choices.
Upload (2020)
Watched: 2020–2025 (each season as released). Major stars include Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards, and Kevin Bigley. Estimated production cost: $6–8 million per season. Distributed by Amazon Prime Video. Rating: ⭐ Very Good. Interesting trivia: Offers a satirical take on corporate and tech culture in a futuristic afterlife. Created by Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation), praised for depth and sharp corporate satire. Each season was watched as it was released.
WPC 56 (2013)
Watched: Incomplete (2025 assumed). Major stars include Olivia Vinall, David Leon, and Janet Montgomery. Estimated production cost: £1–2 million per season. Distributed by BBC One. Rating: 😐 Okay (incomplete). Interesting trivia: Set in 1956, follows the first female police constable in a small Midlands town. Features period costumes and authentic 1950s settings, exploring gender and societal challenges.
You, Me, Her (2016–2020)
Watched: Incomplete (watched as released on Amazon). Major stars include Greg Poehler, Rachel Blanchard, and Priscilla Faia. Estimated production cost: $2–3 million per episode. Distributed by Audience Network / streaming platforms. Rating: ⭐ Good (incomplete). Interesting trivia: Explores a polyamorous relationship dynamic with humor and heart. Praised for character-driven storytelling and relatable relationship conflicts.
Younger (2015)
Watched: 2025. Major stars include Sutton Foster, Hilary Duff, Debi Mazar, Miriam Shor, and Nico Tortorella. Estimated production cost: $3–4 million per episode. Distributed by TV Land / Jax Media. Rating: ⭐ Good. Interesting trivia: Hilary Duff previously worked on a movie filmed in Toronto with the log’s contributor and had prior collaboration connections with Sutton Foster around 2004. Created by Darren Star (Sex and the City) and filmed on location in New York City.
Yes Man (2008)
Watched: 2025 (assumed). Major stars include Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, and Rhys Darby. Directed by Peyton Reed. Estimated production cost: $70 million. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Rating: ⭐ Good. Interesting trivia: Loosely based on Danny Wallace’s 2005 memoir of the same name. Marks a return to Jim Carrey’s comedic style while blending romantic comedy with light self-help satire. Some scenes filmed in Los Angeles landmarks, including the Hollywood Bowl and the Korean Friendship Bell.
The Happy Hooker Goes to London (1977)
Watched: Not yet (to watch). Stars include Martine Beswick, Robin Askwith, and Xaviera Hollander. Estimated production cost: Modest for 1970s sex-comedy films. Distributed by Cannon Films. Rating: TBD. Interesting trivia: Based loosely on Xaviera Hollander’s real-life exploits. Noted for campy British humor and over-the-top performances. Hollander rose to fame with her 1971 memoir The Happy Hooker, which chronicled her experiences as a call girl in New York City.
Saturday, 31 May 2025
La vérité cachée sur les enfants en difficulté
The hidden truth about struggling children
Sentence 1
French: Les enfants sont malins.
English: Children are clever.
-
malins = clever, smart (basic adjective)
-
Simple present tense.
Sentence 2
French: Pas pour faire du mal, mais pour se protéger.
English: Not to do harm, but to protect themselves.
-
faire du mal = to do harm
-
se protéger = to protect oneself (reflexive verb)
Sentence 3
French: Quand quelque chose ne va pas, ils ne disent souvent rien.
English: When something is wrong, they often say nothing.
-
quelque chose = something
-
ne va pas = is not going well
-
ils ne disent rien = they say nothing
Sentence 4
French: Ils cachent le problème.
English: They hide the problem.
-
cacher = to hide
-
Simple present tense
Sentence 5
French: Ils jouent un rôle.
English: They play a role / pretend.
-
jouer un rôle = to pretend or act
Sentence 6
French: Et parfois, les adultes ne voient rien… jusqu’à ce qu’il soit trop tard.
English: And sometimes, adults see nothing… until it’s too late.
-
parfois = sometimes
-
jusqu’à ce que = until (used with subjunctive)
-
il soit = subjunctive of "être" (to be)
-
Advanced: just note this is a complex structure; learners can understand the meaning without mastering it yet.
Sentence 7
French: Par exemple : la vue.
English: For example: vision.
-
la vue = eyesight, vision
Sentence 8
French: Beaucoup d’enfants qui ont de mauvaises notes ne sont pas paresseux.
English: Many children who have bad grades are not lazy.
-
beaucoup de = many
-
mauvaises notes = bad grades
-
paresseux = lazy
Sentence 9
French: Ils ne voient pas bien.
English: They do not see well.
-
voir = to see
-
bien = well
Sentence 10
French: Ils plissent les yeux.
English: They squint.
-
plisser les yeux = to squint
Sentence 11
French: Ils copient sur un camarade.
English: They copy from a classmate.
-
copier sur = to copy from
-
camarade = classmate
Sentence 12
French: Ils écoutent beaucoup.
English: They listen a lot.
-
écouter = to listen
-
beaucoup = a lot
Sentence 13
French: Ils devinent.
English: They guess.
-
deviner = to guess
Sentence 14
French: Et ils disent toujours : « Je vois bien. »
English: And they always say: “I see well.”
-
toujours = always
-
je vois = I see
Sentence 15
French: Pourquoi ?
English: Why?
-
Easy question word.
Sentence 16
French: Parce qu’ils mentent.
English: Because they lie.
-
mentir = to lie (irregular verb)
Sentence 17
French: Pas méchamment.
English: Not meanly.
-
pas méchamment = not in a mean way
-
méchant = mean, bad
Sentence 18
French: Souvent, ils ont peur.
English: Often, they are afraid.
-
ils ont peur = they are afraid
-
Uses avoir (to have) for expressing fear
Sentence 19
French: Ils ne veulent pas déranger.
English: They don’t want to bother.
-
vouloir = to want
-
déranger = to disturb, bother
Sentence 20
French: Ils pensent que c’est normal de voir flou.
English: They think it’s normal to see blurry.
-
penser que = to think that
-
flou = blurry
Sentence 21
French: Ils font tout pour paraître normaux.
English: They do everything to seem normal.
-
faire tout = to do everything
-
paraître = to seem
-
normaux = plural of "normal"
Sentence 22
French: Et vous leur faites confiance.
English: And you trust them.
-
faire confiance à quelqu’un = to trust someone
-
leur = to them
Sentence 23
French: Alors vous les croyez.
English: So you believe them.
-
croire = to believe
-
les = them (object pronoun)
Sentence 24
French: Mais le problème reste.
English: But the problem stays.
-
rester = to remain, to stay
Sentence 25
French: Ce n’est pas juste pour les yeux.
English: It’s not just about the eyes.
-
ce n’est pas juste = it’s not just
-
pour les yeux = about the eyes
Sentence 26
French: Un enfant peut être harcelé et rester silencieux.
English: A child can be bullied and stay silent.
-
harcelé = bullied
-
rester silencieux = stay quiet
Sentence 27
French: Un autre peut avoir mal ou être très fatigué.
English: Another may be in pain or very tired.
-
avoir mal = to hurt
-
fatigué = tired
Sentence 28
French: Un autre peut avoir des troubles et les cacher.
English: Another may have problems and hide them.
-
avoir des troubles = to have difficulties
-
les cacher = to hide them
Sentence 29
French: Les enfants s’adaptent.
English: Children adapt.
-
s’adapter = to adapt (reflexive verb)
Sentence 30
French: Ils apprennent à faire semblant.
English: They learn to pretend.
-
faire semblant = to pretend
Sentence 31
French: Ils sont très bons pour cacher ce qu’ils ressentent.
English: They are very good at hiding what they feel.
-
cacher = to hide
-
ressentir = to feel
Sentence 32
French: Les adultes doivent faire attention.
English: Adults must pay attention.
-
devoir = must
-
faire attention = pay attention
Sentence 33
French: Regardez si l’enfant change.
English: Watch if the child changes.
-
regarder = to watch
-
changer = to change
Sentence 34
French: Si les notes baissent.
English: If grades go down.
-
baisser = to go down, drop
Sentence 35
French: S’il devient triste ou silencieux.
English: If he becomes sad or quiet.
-
devenir = to become
-
triste = sad
-
silencieux = quiet
Sentence 36
French: S’il donne de drôles d’excuses.
English: If he gives strange excuses.
-
drôle = funny / strange
-
excuses = excuses
Sentence 37
French: L’amour est important.
English: Love is important.
-
Very basic sentence
Sentence 38
French: Mais il faut aussi agir.
English: But we must also act.
-
il faut = one must / we must
-
agir = to act, to do something
Sentence 39
French: Poser des questions.
English: Ask questions.
-
poser une question = to ask a question
Sentence 40
French: Faire un test de vue.
English: Do a vision test.
-
faire un test = to do a test
Sentence 41
French: Parler à un médecin ou à un professeur.
English: Talk to a doctor or a teacher.
-
parler à = to talk to
Sentence 42
French: Parfois, une simple paire de lunettes peut tout changer.
English: Sometimes, a simple pair of glasses can change everything.
-
parfois = sometimes
-
tout changer = change everything
Sentence 43
French: L’enfant voit mieux.
English: The child sees better.
-
voir mieux = to see better
Sentence 44
French: Il apprend mieux.
English: He learns better.
-
apprendre mieux = to learn better
Sentence 45
French: Il est heureux.
English: He is happy.
-
heureux = happy
Sentence 46
French: Mais il ne vous le dira pas.
English: But he won’t tell you.
-
dire = to tell
-
vous le dira = will tell it to you
Sentence 47
French: C’est à vous de le voir.
Saturday, 18 January 2025
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)