Silver Screen

As I sit here nomming my delicious Present Day feast (full Ukrainian spread; cue jealously), there will inevitably be a movie playing in the background. It’s just how it’s done at my house. Since I already watched all the Harry Potter movies this holiday season, this year’s marathon choice will be Lord of the Rings! Yayyyyy Hobbits and elves and Gollum and Aragorn! But there were plenty of other good movies out this year, and here are my top five!

Skyfall

Thusfar Daniel Craig is my favourite James Bond, and I think this is my top pick of all the Bond films. It’s kind of sad that it’s Dame Judy Dench’s last one in the franchise, but at least she goes out with a bang! New life goal: buy a Scotch manorhouse on the Highland moors. Quote: "Where the hell have you been?" "Enjoying death. 007 reporting for duty."

Avengers

I hated (or barely tolerated) all the previous Marvel-based films, but for some reason the combination of all the characters worked better. Though I’m pretty sure it was all just because of Loki. Mmm Tom Hiddleston. Never stop being pretty. Quote: "I don't play well with others."

Rock of Ages

I’ve talked about this film far too much already this year, since I’ve covered it in fashion and in music, but seriously the actual film is pretty magical. I know it got panned by the critics, but it’s really entertaining so they can just shut it! Quote: "I know me better than anyone... because I live in here... and no one else can."

The Lorax

I’ve always had a soft spot for Dr. Seuss, so it’s no wonder that I loved the latest version of this story. The songs are a little bit corny, but the graphics are stunning and the green-earth message is more relevant today than ever. I wish real trees looked like the ones in the movie though… Quote: "On behalf of the trees: get out!"

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Normally I find teen-angst driven movies to be extremely annoying, but this one was actually extremely well done. It’s sad and funny and sarcastic and real all at the same time, and I really really need to read the novel. Quote: "We accept the love we think we deserve."

Jukebox Hero

I stopped listening to the radio a long time ago, but somehow I still managed to (kind of) keep abreast of the albums released in 2012. Ironically, I spent more time listening to albums from years past (like Rizzle Kicks’ Stereotypical and The Rolling Stones’ Rarities), but I still picked my 5 top albums that were released this year to share with you all.

Rock of Ages soundtrack

Okay, so it’s a movie derivative, but this soundtrack is actually surprisingly good. If you like 80s hair metal, Tom Cruise, and mashups. I spent most of the summer listening to this album on repeat, to the point where if I heard the actual Bon Jovi version of “Wanted Dead or Alive” I would do a double take. If there’s one track that I can’t get enough of is the remake of “Here I go Again” because it’s a little bit more up-tempo than the Whitesnake original and it always seems to describe my life…

Example Evolution of Man

This album is one that I’ve only gotten recently, but I’ve spent so long listening to the singles that it definitely deserves to make the list even though I don’t know all of the tracks. So far I’m still really into “We’ll be Coming Back,” but I’m confident that Example’s blend of Brit-rap (seriously it’s a genre of it’s own) and dance pop will win me over.

Tiësto Club Life vol. 2: Miami

The first volume of Club Life (Las Vegas) made the list last year, so it’s only fitting that volume 2 makes it this year, since Tiësto just keeps getting better. I’m less fond of his solo tracks this time around, but I found that the remixes were so excellent that I didn’t really care. “Can’t Stop Me” and “Somebody that I used to Know” were my top tracks from the album, since they made awesome songs even better.

Dragonette Bodyparts

My most listened to song of 2012 is by far “Let it Go,” and the rest of the album is equally as delightful. It’s still electro-pop (my main genre of music besides rock), but it’s got a more “girly” playful sound than Tiësto and Example, so I don’t feel at all bad about over-dosing you guys on dance music. Plus, who can stop from being amused by Dragonette’s crazy dancing in the “Let it Go” music video?

Green Day Uno/Dos/Tré

To round out the selection of 2012 albums I give you the latest from Green Day, a trio of albums full of sarcastic lyrics, classic punk-rock melodies, and the temptation to wear too much black eyeliner (though when is there ever too much black eyeliner)? Green Day seems to have gone back to their roots with this album, as the sound is much simpler than American Idiot or 21^st Century Breakdown and more reminiscent of the Dookie stylings. I’m loving “Oh Love” and “Sex, Drugs, & Violence.”

Rock of Ages: the Jeffrey Campbell edition!

You all know that I got a bit gushy after I saw Rock of Ages a while back. The whole fur coat, leather pants, wild hair, animal print thing has always been my favourite look (though I rarely wear it for some reason), and I noticed something a little strange about the latest from shoe-creators-of-awesomeness Jeffrey Campbell: they're all perfect to be decked out for that rock-chic look. Whether you're channelling Guns n' Roses, or just playing pretend rock star like Tom Cruise, fabuous kicks from JC should definitely be your starting point! And just to clear things up: Tom Cruise only wears assless chaps in one (slightly traumatic) scene, so I'm not counting that as a future fashion trend!

Rock Chic by riella03 featuring a tiered skirt

Rock Of Ages by riella03 featuring highwaist shorts

Disco Chick - Jeffrey Campbell by riella03 featuring studded handbags