Book Report: Cosmopolis by Don Delilo

Book Title: Cosmopolis

Author: Don Delilo

Characters:
• Eric Packer ~ Eric is the main character of the book. A 28 year old “self-made” multi-billionaire, who owns Packer Capital. He considers himself as the center of the universe; every single thing must revolve around him. He’s a risk taker; he simply doesn’t passes up with whatever opportunity comes his way. Even if this opportunity might cause his downfall in the business.
• Elise Shifrin ~ Elise is Eric’s wife of twenty two days. She is in her mid-twenties, a poet on her own right and the heiress for the Shrifin banking fortune of Europe and the world.
• Torval ~ Torval is one of the bodyguards of Eric. As a bodyguard, he does every single thing that is needed to secure the safety of Eric.
• Didi Fancher and Kendra Hays ~ Didi is Eric’s longtime lover while Kendra is his bodyguard and at the same time lover.
• Michael Chin, Jane Melman and Vija Kinski ~ They are the Business Advisers of Eric. The currency analyst, chief of finance and chief of theory, respectively.
• Richard Sheets ~ The man who wants to kill him.

Setting: Set in April 2000, on the streets of Manhattan. Traffic jam was all over the place, which means loads of cars and plenty of busy and stressed out people are in the streets.

Summary: (The story covers one whole day of Eric Packer’s life.)

Eric Packer along with his bodyguards embarks on a trip to midtown Manhattan to get his haircut done. A Presidential visit to the city, a funeral procession for the rapper, Brutha Fez and a major global protest, was in its full swing; resulting to a traffic jam and delaying his visit to the barber shop. During his trip, he came across his wife, Elise Shifrin; it was while she was riding a taxi, hiding herself away in an underground bookshop and taking part in the shooting of a movie. Eric and Elise also had breakfast, lunch and dinner together. It was their first time to do things like that; they’ve never interacted with each other after they got married. For their relationship was just based on what was right.

While trapped in the limo, he was met by his doctor and his business advisers; giving him advices regarding on the bet he made regarding the rising of yen. Nobody can stop him, he follows what he thinks is right; risking everything he has. It is also known that there is a person who wants to kill him, so every single bodyguard he has are always on the move and protecting him.

He then eventually arrived at the barber shop and got a ½ haircut, for he decided he doesn’t want his haircut done. Leaving the barber shop, he joined the naked bodies on the street in the shooting of a movie along with his wife. It was then revealed that he lost all his and his wife’s money because he lost the bet. And lastly it came to part where he came face to face with Richard Sheets, the person who wants to kill him.

Book: Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

Jacob Jankowski, is what every old person is in the nursing facility, forgets his real age “ninety or ninety-three years old” as he says and other bits of his life. But one important part of his life that he doesn’t forget is when he accidentally joins a circus and makes his life out of it. He then reminisces and tells his story.

At twenty-three years old, Jacob was a veterinary student at Cornell University and has his adult life planned out. Study, graduate and be a licensed veterinarian just like his dad. But everything changes when his parents met a car accident and suddenly turning his whole world upside-down. With no home, no family, no money, he decides to leave his town and tried to never look back.

Then he basically jumps on a train and it was not just an ordinary one; but it was the train for the “Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth”. He then joins the circus as its official “veterinarian” as appointed by Uncle Al. He met August, the head trainer who mistreat the animals on the circus; Marlena, the star performer and the wife of August and Rosie, the elephant that he trains and works with most of the time. There was instant connection between the three of them, Jacob, Marlena and Rosie. So, somewhere along the way the lines went blurry, Jacob and Marlena fell in love with each other.

With August sensing of what’s happening between the two, he comes and warns Jacob. Marlena left the circus and stayed at a certain hotel. With Marlena out of the picture, Uncle Al comes forward and tells Jacob that August is mentally ill and threatens him to reunite the couple or else somebody from the workers will be red-lighted.
Uncle Al’s threat didn’t work. Jacob then visits Marlena at the hotel and slept with her. Declaration of their love for each other soon followed. Right after that, Marlena returns at the circus but doesn’t want to be near August, which makes Uncle Al angry.

Jacob planned to kill August but suddenly backs out and returns to their room, only seeing an empty one. He realizes that those workers occupying the room were red-lighted and he was supposed to be joining that bunch. Seeking revenge, those workers returns the circus. They released the animals from the cages which caused a stampede and making this the “Greatest Disaster of All Time”. August was killed during the stampede, because of Rosie, who plunges the stake that’s attached to her, and directly hitting him into his head.
With that, the circus was shut down. Jacob, Marlena and together with some of the animals from the circus began their life together.

Back to the present, Jacob is waiting for his children. They were supposed to be taking him to the circus show but it seems like there isn’t anybody coming for him. Jacob decides to go to circus alone and there he met Charlie, the manager. He begged Charlie to let him buy the ticket and watch the show. And being there and watching the show, Jacob just felt that he’s back to his home.

~ mandalovesrobsten

MOVIE PICK OF THE WEEK: TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON

Story...Check!

Casting...Check!

Special Effects...Check!

Background Music/Soundtrack...Check!

Highly Recommended!

Story

SuperB. Still asking why? It is for the fact that the story line has been obviously given so much thought. It is not everyday that we see movies that has historical events incorporated in its story line. They've crafted and woven everything like it really happened.

Now, I'm gonna stop. So, that I'm not gonna spoil anything to those people who haven't watched the movie yet.

By the way, KUDOS to the Scriptwriters of the movie!


Casting

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, the one who replaced Megan Fox, LOVE HER! Rosie did a great job in introducing her character, Carly. I love her especially on the parts of the movie wherein she is screaming and it's like people will follow through and scream too. It adds effects on the scenes. Well done, Rosie!

Special Effects

Well, duh? This is TRANSFORMERS we're talking about. No doubt on the GREAT SPECIAL EFFECTS. The effects are basically all through out the movie.
But, sad to say, I didn't watched it in 3d because I'm a "red-eyed monster" (sore eyes..huhu)That's okay, I enjoyed the movie and that's it.

Background Music/Soundtrack

I'm a MUSIC addict. Well, what can I say Transformers also did great in this department! Love the songs from Paramore, Linkin Park, Goo Goo Dolls, everybody on the soundtrack.

I'm a very happy autobot! :)

And now leaving you with the movie trailer!

~mandalovesrobsten

NOTE: If you haven't watched the movie, then go now to the theaters near you. It's a must to watch this movie!

Post some comments or tweet me up @AmandaNicolette regarding Transformers!

SOUNDTRACK PICK OF THE WEEK: TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON

Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Goo Goo Dolls and Paramore, Hell Yes!
Thumbs Up!

I love how this soundtrack has been compiled and put up, with songs having different genres. Just like the songs of Linkin Park and Paramore.

Linkin Park has mellowed it down for this installment, with their song Iridescent.

Who says Paramore is OVER?! Well, you guys are totally wrong. Even with three members left, Paramore is still alive and rocking it out. They've even managed to covet a spot on the third installment of Transformers. They've got an original song on the soundtrack, entitled "Monster". Honestly speaking, this single gives a different vibe (not a bad one...) from the other songs that they did in the past. It sounds and seems like that they've used advanced instruments and stuffs, that's why it sounded that way. Lyric wise, love it, it totally gets the story line of the movie.

"I'll stop the whole world, I'll stop the whole world

From turning into a monster and eating us alive

Don't you ever wonder how we survive?

Well now that your gone, the world is ours..."

Tracklist:

01. Linkin Park - Iridescent
02. Paramore - Monster
03. My Chemical Romance - The Only Hope For Me Is You
04. Taking Back Sunday - Faith
05. Staind - The Bottom
06. Art Of Dying - Get Thru This
07. Goo Goo Dolls - All That you Are
08. Theory Of A Deadman - Head Above Water
09. Black Veil Brides - Set The World On Fire
10. Skillet - Alive & Awake (Remix)
11. Mastodon - Just Got Paid [ZZ Top cover]

~mandalovesrobsten

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK: SEE NO MORE

Music Video: See No More
Artist: Joe Jonas

WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

JB Fans should watch this.

This music video and song is a totally different side of Joe Jonas, the grown up side of him. Hope he grows up and gets tried of breaking girl's hearts.

~mandaloverobsten

What can you say about this? 

Post some comments below or tweet me up @AmandaNicolette. :)

ALBUM PICK OF THE WEEK: WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN

Album Title: WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN
Artist: SELENA GOMEZ & THE SCENE

Upbeat. Party-like songs. Those are just some of the words that can describe Selena’s 3rd studio album. She has really come a long way since her first album, in terms of her style and her vocals. It seems like the songs that were picked for this album has a certain beat that is common to all of them and it is very noticeable once you hear it. And it feels like the songs can be woven into one, which is a really great thing considering it is an album. And also a great plus for this album are the composers that are in it. Big names like Britney Spears (When the Sun Goes Down), Katy Perry (That’s more like it) and Pixie Lott (We Own the Night) are just some of the names that are tied up with this album.
Great job, TEAM SELENA!

Tracklisting:

1. Love You Like A Love Song

2. Bang Bang Bang

3. Who Says

4. We Own The Night

5. Hit The Lights

6. Whiplash

7. When The Sun Goes Down

8. My Dilemma

9. That's More Like It

10. Outlaw

11. Middle Of Nowhere

12. Dices (Who Says Spanish Version)

MUSIC VIDEOS:

WHO SAYS

This song is also used in Selena's movie, Monte Carlo which opened on July 1st.

Attention: Change in Blog Title!

With the course I’m taking up, AB Journalism, fourth year students are required by their professor in Electronic Newsroom to put up their own blogs. So I’ve decided that as early as now, being a third year student, who already owns a blog, I’m going take blogging seriously this time. For me this blog is not just for requirements sake, but this blog is where I can really post and say what’s really boiling up inside me.

That’s why I decided to change my blog title and url (formerly know as www.mandalovesrobsten.blogspot.com) to www.reviewsramblingsrobsten.blogspot.com. By the name itself, I’m gonna be posting movie, book, album, soundtrack, song reviews every week or every other week. Ramblings, anything that enters my mind, I’m going to post it here and share with all of you. And lastly ROBSTEN, my blog won’t be complete without me talking about them. They’re my idols and I adore them so much.

So, that’s it. Hope you still visit my blog!
Thanks!

~mandalovesrobsten

Note: What can you say about the title of the blog? Post your comments below or tweet me up @AmandaNicolette, so that I will know what you think about it. :)