Netflix Must See: Nature: Animal Odd Couples

At first I thought this movie was a bit cheesy. As I watched it though I found it very moving and inspiring. I always see photos online of animals that are a bit "odd" together. Yet I've never seen actually video footage of it. The film shares remarkable stories about animals that have built friendships outside their own species. It proves that animals do have emotions and do seek similar things that humans do, such as friendship, companionship and love.


The story in the film that made me shed some tears, was a story about a blind horse and an old goat. The goat somehow learned that the horse was blind and started leading the horse everywhere for 16 years. The goat would never leave his side. It was such a heart touching story.


There was also a cute story about a male lion and a female coyote that had been raised together at an animal sanctuary. Neither animal shows any signs of knowing they are different. They live and play together daily as if it's "normal".



This movie left me feeling like there is hope in the world for peace. If animals that are natural born predictors can be raised together and live peacefully, people should be able to do the same. We as a species could learn so much from wildlife if we would just learn to pay attention. The main lesson that we could learn is compassion.

If you don't have Netflix it's okay, here is the full episode....


This is a scheduled post while I am on vacation in California! Be back soon! :)

Netflix Must See: Into The Wild

Into The Wild is based on a true story about a young man named Christopher McCandless who leaves everything behind to find himself in nature. He wanted to get away from the typical life that most of us live. A job that we hate, worries about money, debt and just "stuff" in general. The story is very inspiring and makes you think. Chris hitch hikes his way across the country until he reaches Alaska. It was his dream to live in the wild in complete solitude. Truly become one with nature.


The last few years of my life I have realized how important it is to get outside and be close to nature. Sometimes my feelings about nature are hard to put into words. I felt like I could really relate to a lot of things that Chris did. I understood why he chose to live in the wild. How he was able to learn so much about himself by "getting away". This movie really shows the importance of nature in a persons life.


He learned a lot about himself and life in general. He became the person he was truly meant to be.
Watch the trailer below to get a really good look at the film. I really loved it!



You can visit the Chris McCandless website HERE.

Netflix Must See: Ryan Gosling Movies

Recently I have gotten away from only watching documentaries and TV series on Netflix. Last week I watched two movies both featuring Ryan Gosling in the leading role. Anytime I have watched a movie with him in it I am always impressed with his acting. Whatever role he plays I find him very convicting. Here are the two films I just watched with Ryan in them...

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL

First I have to say, I didn't read what this movie was about before starting it. I simply picked it because Ryan was the head role in the film. This movie was very awkward to watch. It was almost like watching a train wreck and I couldn't turn away. Ryan's character in the movie (Lars) had some childhood issues causing him to be unable to make normal relationships with people. He even struggled with his close family.


Lars (Ryan) ends up ordering a sex doll to have as a companion. The twist is that he believes that she is actually a real live woman. His family and all the people in the town love Lars so much that they all go along with it. Everyone pretends she is real also. The beauty of it is that Lars ends up healing some of his childhood issues by having the doll in his life. The movie is funny, emotional and heartwarming. Not what you would expect at all!

Here is the trailer for Lars and The Real Girl


BLUE VALENTINE

Oh what to say about this movie!? I kinda felt emotional drained after watching it. Again Ryan was awesome. I loved his character in the film. Blue Valentine is a love story about a couple who basically feel in love at first sight. As the years go by and they are together they have their problems and struggles. I guess you could say this movie was a lot like real life. I felt uncomfortable watching it at moments because the scenes felt so real to me. As if I was actually watching these people have sex and arguments. (There is a lot of nudity in the film, I figure I should warn you.)


For the most part I enjoyed this film. Ryan's role I liked a lot. Michelle Williams is his co-star. She was very good in the film as well, but I found myself so angry at her character. I guess that means she did a good job? I did not like how it ended at all. Of course I'm not going to say anymore because I don't want to ruin it for anybody. Is this a Netflix Must See then? Yes if you like Ryan Gosling. If you don't, then no.
Here is the trailer for Blue Valentine


There are two other Ryan Gosling films on Netflix that I have watched and loved:

All Good Things

All Good Things is a great movie to watch to see Ryan actually play an evil character. He might be pretty to look at, but man he's a convincing psycho! It's starts out as a love story and changes into much more. He also dresses in drag in this film.

DRIVE

Ryan plays as a stuntman that ends up getting himself mixed up with the wrong kind of people. It's a very "at the edge of your seat" kinda of movie.

Have you seen any of these movies?
Do you like Ryan Gosling?

Netflix Must See: If A Tree Falls

I've actually wanted to share this film on my blog for awhile now. I first watched it months ago and today I watched it again for thd second time. The film is called If A Tree Falls. It's a documentary about an "eco terrorist" group that protested by burning buildings down. Sound insane? I was shocked at how many emotions this film evoked in me.


I laughed, cried, cheered and felt my heart break for these supposed eco terrorist. I hate that term so much. To some their acts were acts of terrorism, to others they were heroes. They never actually physically hurt anyone. They did however leave businesses shut down and some peoples lives ripped apart emotionally. The film mainly talks about Daniel McGowan who was on of the main people connected to the fires that were set against companies that did logging and other harmful things to the environment. The acts were extreme but these individuals knew it would send a strong message.


Something I really enjoyed about this film is that they showed both sides of the story. Yes, it mainly was Daniel and others talking about the things that they had done, but he wasn't looking for pity. It's a nice insight into the mind of a very passionate environmentalist. Even if you don't agree with some of the actions that he and others did, you get a chance to really understand it.


The film isn't just about fires by the way. It shows all kinds of peaceful protests that built up the anger that lead to the fires being set. Things like women being peppered sprayed in their eyes while they literally sat there helpless. The girl is screaming, "Please don't do this! I just want to save some trees!". This movie shock me to my core. I could really relate to a lot of the things they were saying and feeling. It's ashame that things turn out this way in our world. I don't want to tell you what happens to Daniel and the other group members. You should watch it yourself to see. Here is the official trailer for the film....

Netflix Must See: The Lorax

Yes, this movie has been out awhile but Cody and I just now watched it. When they added it to Netflix recently I was super excited. Most of my Netflix Must See posts are about documentaries so I wanted to share The Lorax today instead. I have never been into Dr. Seuss and had never even heard of The Lorax. I remember when the previews for the movie were on TV and I thought it looked really funny. Not only was it funny, it was really cute and had a GREAT MESSAGE!


When I watched this movie for the first time I cried my eyes out. Yes a children's movie made me cry A LOT. The message was so strong and the topic was something I care about a lot. Even though this movie is geared towards children it had so much truth in it. The cartoon people in the movie are so worried about having "stuff" that they forget about the importance of nature and trees. All they care about is money and possessions. A lot like real life. The movie warmed my heart. I fell in love with all the animals, especially the bears!!! Adorable.


I highly recommend this movie because the level of cuteness is off the charts. It has a great message, story and was done very well. Instead of putting a preview video of the movie on my blog, I found a clip of one of my favorite scenes...



Have you seen The Lorax? Do kids movies ever make you cry??
The official Lorax movie website HERE.

Netflix Must See: Beyond The Myth

How would you feel if animal control knocked on your door and took your pet? Your pet that you view as a family member in your home. A pet that had never harmed another animal or person it's entire life. The movie Beyond The Myth is a film about Pit bulls. The city of Denver has had a ban on Pit bull ownership for years. (or even dogs that were mixed or appeared to look like a Pit bull) If your family dog happens to be one, it will be taken from you and killed.



I used to be uneasy around the breed until I gained my own personal experiences with them. When I worked at the animal shelter I had to work one on one with many different Pits daily. In a 3 month time period I went from fearing them, to having them sit on my lap, to now wishing that I could own one of my own.

The film is educational. It's not just about Pit bulls, it's eye opening to other issues as well. I am from Cincinnati, OH and didn't even know that there was a Pit bull ban there. This film was shocking, informative and heartwarming. People share their stories about how they have fought to keep their family pets and others tell their story of how they lost them.



Michigan has a ban on multiply breeds, including Great Danes. WHAT? I grew up with Great Danes. They are such gentle giants!! The film is eye opening and if you are an animal owner/lover you should watch it. Plus I think it's good to educate yourself on such a "hated" breed. Pit bulls honestly just want to lick you death and sit on your couch like other dogs.

It's sad that Pit's are given such horrible reputations. I understand why it's happened. The media always makes sure to let us know when a Pit bull has bitten someone or sadly killed a person. There are many dog attacks and bites by other breeds that aren't reported though, because the media doesn't show interest in those stories.

Ironically I now have a Pit bull living next door to me. I was excited at first because I have become so attached to the breed after working at the shelter. I realized pretty fast though that THIS Pit didn't seem to have the same warm fuzzy feelings about me. He tends to rush the fence while barking viciously at us. He will however wag his entire butt if I am outside with food. I just ignore him because I know it's just THAT dog. It's him. Plus, if his owner is outside sometime when I am, I plan to just ask about him. See if maybe they can introduce me to him. That way the dog knows that I am no longer a threat. If not, I just don't show fear. It's just another example of how ANY animal can be mean. We have to break stereotypes, because they don't do us any good!

Here is a quick trailer of the film...

Netflix Must See: Vegucated

Cody and I watched an amazing film on Netflix last night. I had been meaning to do a Netflix Must See post for awhile now, so I am very excited to share this film with you today. It was also great for me to watch since I have been criticized a lot lately in my real life for being Vegan. The film is called Vegucated. The whole point of the film is to answer a lot of questions people may have about being Vegan. It also breaks a lot of the stereotypes that come along with it!


The film educates and informs you in so many ways. As I watched the film I felt my heart fill up with hope. The main storyline in the documentary is three people switch to a Vegan diet and lifestyle for 6 weeks. The movie is filmed in New York city and the three "test subjects" are meat eaters,...more like meat LOVERS and eat meat everyday. They were perfect volunteers!


The best part of this movie for me, since I am Vegan, was watching these people transform right before my eyes. Go through everything I went through in the beginning. I watched the light bulbs go off over their heads as things just started to make sense to them. When they understood that Vegan wasn't so "crazy" or hard after all.

The film gave me so much hope for the future. Not only for myself, but the world. I saw such compassion in these 3 human beings and it made me realize there are so many other people out there like me. :) Also, I should mention that going Vegan was different for me. I didn't do it at first for animal rights, that came later for me. These people pretty much jumped straight into that and it was amazing to watch. I strongly urge you to watch this film. It's also VERY FUNNY. The movie was done so well that it's not offensive or pushy. It's just facts. It will give you the knowledge and information that everyone should have anyways. It's simply inspiring.

So did they stay Vegan????
You will have to watch the film to find out! You can however watch this very well done movie trailer below!
Let me know what you think or if you have seen this film!

VEGUCATED trailer from Marisa Miller Wolfson on Vimeo.

I've also came to the realization that people are so scared of CHANGE. After my post last week about Facebook and all the comments I got, it just clicked in my brain. I can't reach people because they are scared of CHANGE. I get it, because I used to be that way. Over the last few years I have been forced to change. So now I embrace change in my life. I get excited about it. What's life without change or fear? We can't all stay the same our whole life and never grow. That would defeat the whole purpose of life really. :)
Visit the Vegucated website HERE.
This post is part of my MAKE A DIFFERENCE series. View more posts like this one HERE.

Netflix Must See: Yellowstone - Battle For Life

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite nature documentaries on Netflix. It's a documentary about Yellowstone National Park. WARNING: It may make you want to go! Which really is a good thing anyways. It's such a beautiful place and I hope to visit it next year. Being that close to nature is what life is REALLY about if you ask me!


The documentary is visually striking and you learn so much about nature. It's 3 different episodes each featuring a different season. It shows you how the animals struggle to survive in mother nature and against each other. This series really changed me and opened my eyes. I didn't feel as strongly about environmental issues until I watched this documentary.


It really made me realize how important it is to leave nature alone and protect our planet. It really proves that nature is a circle of life and every animal is an important part of the ecosystem. I highly recommend this film! Here is a 10 minute clip of the beginning of one of the episodes. Enjoy :)



If you don't have Netflix, there are many clips of the film on YouTube.

Netflix Must See: BAG IT

Taking a break from Fashion Friday! Today I wanted to talk about something important to me.

I watch so many great films on Netflix. I always joke that Netflix has changed my life! I can laugh about it, but it's so true. It allows me to watch things that I would have never had the chance to without it. There are so many things I want to share with you. The first one being a documentary about plastic bags and plastic in general.

Did you know that plastic is made from crude oil? I didn't. Not to mention all kinds of chemicals that if you knew what they were, you would probably never even touch plastic again. I learned so much from watching the film BAG IT.


It was eye opening for me. I realized that recycling isn't enough for me and that I need to also cut down the amount of plastic I buy. I urge you to watch this film. If you don't have Netflix I am sure you can find great clips of the film online. The guy in the movie is really funny also!

Here is a great preview video of the movie!

Bag It Intro from Suzan Beraza on Vimeo.

Have you heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? I hadn't! I love the ocean and all the creatures in it, so this was heartbreaking news for me. It's a place in the ocean where all the trash ends up that doesn't make it to the landfills, litter etc.. Of course it's killing our marine life. They eat it or get straggled by it.

Image by Flickr User: Steveorama
“In the United States alone, an estimated 12 million barrels of oil is used annually to make the plastic bags that Americans consume. The United States International Trade Commission reported that 102 billion plastic bags were used in the U.S. in 2009. These bags often wind up in waterways or on the landscape, becoming eyesores and degrading water and soil as they break down into toxic bits. Their manufacture, transportation and disposal use large quantities of non-renewable resources and release equally large amounts of global-warming gases. Ecologically, hundreds of thousands of marine animals die every year when they eat plastic bags mistaken for food.” – Bag It website

Time to say NO to useless bags and buy some reusable ones!!!!
I already use reusable grocery bags, but not for other shopping.
That changes TODAY!
I don't need a bag for one tiny little item, my hands work fine. Thanks.
The other thing I loved about this film is it's all such common sense stuff. Like, why does Starbucks and other places give me "to go" cups that I use for about 10 minutes, but takes 100 years to bio-degrade??? Does that make any sense? Also, none of these places have recycling bins! I am going to see if I can buy a "Starbucks" travel mug for them to put my coffee in from now on. I am over it.

When I met Peter Hammarstedt last month, he said that everyone can make a difference. You just have to use whatever your "talent is" or whatever you are good at. I have this blog. I have a voice and I want it to be heard. :)

Have a GREAT weekend!
This post is part of my MAKE A DIFFERENCE series. View more posts like this one HERE.