Beauty and the Beast: Totally Worth the Hype

It's a tale as old as time, and one that has warmed the hearts of all ages for over 20 years. Beauty and the Beast is one of those staple Disney classics that will never grow old despite the dozens of times we've popped open the VHS as a kid. But could Disney successfully translate this magic and wonder into a live action remake?

Definitely.

First and foremost, the casting is perfect. Emma Watson stars as Belle, and is simply adorable in the role. She is everything we loved about her Harry Potter persona, Hermione - she's independent, intellectual, and unconcerned about fitting the status quo. Emma's new role comes with a twist that never graced the Hogwarts halls...she can sing, and really well too!

Dan Stevens plays the fearsome yet loveable softy that is the Beast, and the two radiate chemistry on screen, despite his paws, fur and horns. The ballroom dance scene is simply perfect as the two sway to Mrs. Potts singing "Beauty and the Beast." This is the moment that everyone associates with the original, and it is surreal to see the golden dress and blossoming love between the two come to life.

Despite Emma and Dan's outstanding performances, the enchanted objects steal the show. Lumiére (voiced by Ewan McGregor) and Cogsworth (Ian McKellen) are like a minuscule married couple, and I never thought it possible to feel so strongly towards a friendship between a candelabra and clock. Lumiére is the unsung hero of this tale, who sets off from the start to unite Belle and the Beast to break the curse.

As soon as the movie ended, I already wanted to see it again. From the flashy "Be Our Guest" number to the epic ending fight scene, every second of the movie is captivating. This live version brings a whole new life to the animated classic, with little twists for the modern era (LeFou gets a dude!).

Beauty and the Beast shows us that beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder, and is never just skin-deep. Belle also teaches us that there is always something new out there to learn and explore, and we should never settle for a "provincial" commoner's life, pining after jerks like Gaston.

Survivor: Game Changers - Who will outwit, outplay, and outlast?

We're only one week in to the new season of Survivor, and I have heart palpitations already.

The show is in its 34th season and features all former players who made some sort of impact that changed the tone of the game. In an intense two hour premiere, we already said goodbye to *SPOILER ALERT* Sierra and sadly, Tony, one of the best players and biggest goofballs on the island. He should've waited until at least day two to start hunting idols and spying on his tribe mates.

It's super early in the season and alliances will change hundreds of times over the coming episodes, but I'm already set on who I think deserves to be sitting in that final three at the live finale in May...

Caleb Reynolds

This guy got completely robbed the first time he attempted to play. After going too hard in one of the challenges, he was medically evacuated and was unable to return to the game. Caleb will be a dark horse this season because no one really knows his playing style. We could have the next Russell on our hands for all we know. Fingers are crossed that this southern boy makes it far and his tattoos grace our televisions for many weeks to come.

Tai Trang

Everything this little man does just makes me smile. He always forms a deep and meaningful bond with the tribe's chickens, and shies away (for the most part) from any sort of backstabbing and confrontation. Even though I could probably pick Tai up with one arm, he kicks a** in challenges, outlasting men twice his size by sheer inner strength and will. Tai came SO close the last time he played, coming in second on season 32, which will give him all the more drive to get the title of sole survivor this time around.




Ozzy Lusth

Don't let the pigtail braids fool you. Ozzy was born to battle the elements on Survivor, climbing trees, diving off ships for tools, all the while being extremely humble about his awesomeness. I was pretty young when Ozzy appeared for the first time on Survivor: Cook Islands, and took the liberty of drawing one of my first TV crushes, which can be appreciated below....not too shabby for a kid, right? If Ozzy can make the merge and still has a bit of jungle boy left in him to win immunity challenges, his fourth time around might be the charm.

Survivor: Game Changers airs every Wednesday on CBS at 8pm EST, which is when you can find me casually shouting at the television while stress eating ice cream.