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The 2010 Golden Globes, Part 2

2009-12-23T13:28:00.002-05:00

I'm back, and I will now finish up my Golden Globes predictions. I'm sorry it's taken me so long, but life has been very rough lately, and I haven't had the motivation to blog about movies. When we last left off, I was talking about Best Actor for comedy/musical. Now, it's time to start off with...

Best Director - Motion Picture

Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker

James Cameron - Avatar

Clint Eastwood - Invictus

Jason Reitman - Up in the Air

Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

As of today, the only film I have seen from this list is Avatar, which I posted about last night. It was a great film, and James Cameron has an incredible vision when it comes to directing (rumor has it he's been sitting on this movie for 10 years waiting for technology to catch up), but do I feel that he deserves the award for Best Director? Not really. One of the things that I feel makes a great director is coaxing fantastic performances out of your actors, and he didn't succeed in this film. Since I haven't seen any of the others, though, I'd just like to say that, in a way, I'd like to see Kathryn Bigelow win, just because I have rarely seen a woman win best director and it'd be nice to see a smaller director take down the towering giants that are in this category. I mean, seriously. James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino, AND Clint Eastwood are all in this category this year? All of them have won at least one Oscar before, and it would be nice to see someone who's not one of the big shots get an award. I wouldn't mind seeing Jason Reitman win, either, since I've enjoyed most of his other movies and Up in the Air is one that I'd really like to see. This isn't to say that I'll be unhappy if any of those other three win, but it's a little "Ho hum, of course they won" to me. I'd like a little bit of a surprise.

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell - District 9

Mark Boal - The Hurt Locker

Nancy Meyers - It's Complicated

Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner - Up in the Air

Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

This is one category that I can't fake my way through. Having seen none of these movies, I can't say which of them deserves the award. Sorry for my lack of insight here, folks.

Best Performance By an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Penelope Cruz - Nine

Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air

Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air

Mo'Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Julianne Moore - A Single Man

I can't say much about the performances in these movies, once again, but I love Penelope Cruz and Julianne Moor. At the same time, they're both such big name actresses that I wouldn't mind seeing an underdog top them. However, I am slightly biased against Anna Kendrick for appearing in Twilight and New Moon. I hate that franchise, and I lose respect for anyone who takes part in it. I really wish I'd seen more of these movies so I could give a more educated opinion, but life doesn't always work that way.

Best Performance By an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Matt Damon - Invictus

Woody Harrelson - The Messenger

Christopher Plummer - The Last Station

Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

I've already talked about my great admiration for Matt Damon, and I've heard amazing things about his performance in Invictus. I'm also a huge fan of Christopher Plummer. I love most of his more recent works and, of course, I will always think of him as Captain Von Trapp. Just judging from the amazing cast list, I am now dying to see The Last Station and am pretty sure that it will blow me away. So many wonderful actors! I also adore Stanley Tucci, and I've never seen him in a role like this one before. I'm sure that his character in The Lovely Bones was a huge challenge, and, knowing him, I'm sure he did a fantastic job, so I wouldn't mind seeing him win. I'm not as keen on Woody Harrelson or Christoph Waltz, but I haven't seen any of these films so I can't comment on their performances here and which of these great actors deserves the award most. I can only say that, once again, I think this list is chock full of winners, and I'm really excited to see yet another category in which I can't predict the outcome.

Best Animated Film

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Coraline

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Princess and the Frog

The only movie in this category that I did not want to see was Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. I'm sorry, but I don't understand how such a simple book can become a good film. I would love to see Coraline, but I'm not sure if I'd like it to win. I'm getting a wee bit tired of Tim Burton, since all his movies are so bizarre and kind of start running together in my mind. To me, Tim Burton is the more mainstream, slightly less wacky version of Terry Gilliam, and Gilliam is one of my favorite directors. I'm excited to see The Princess and the Frog, mostly because I've been getting so sick of all this 3D computer animation. I'm an old school Disney fan at heart. I liked the two dimensional Princess movies, you know? I'm really happy to see Disney starting to return to their roots. Despite that, I'm not sure it merits the award for Best Animated Film. Honestly, I think it's going to come down to a battle between Up and The Fantastic Mr. Fox. I have yet to see Up, but I've heard amazing things about it, and it looked really good. However, my vote goes to The Fantastic Mr. Fox. It was a brilliant movie that felt like a Roald Dahl book and was (blissfully) a change in style from all the other animated movies that have been coming out. It was cute, funny, and complex. There were so many layers to the jokes, and I'm sure I'd get so much more if I watched it a second time. Wes Anderson really outdid himself with this one, and I'm hoping to see it take home the award. Besides, we all know that Disney can make a good animated film. It would be nice to see someone beat them for once, especially if that someone isn't yet another animating mogul.

Best Foreign Language Film

Baaría

Broken Embraces/Los Abrazos Rotos

The Maid/La Nana

A Prophet/Un Prophéte

The White Ribbon/Das Weisse Band

To be honest, the only film from this list that I've even heard of is Broken Embraces, and I'd really like to see it. However, I'm always painfully ignorant in this category, since foreign films usually only come to select theaters and play for short periods of time. Just more movies to add to my list.

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

Michael Giacchino - Up

Marvin Hamlisch - The Informant

James Horner - Avatar

Abel Korzeniowski - A Single Man

Carter Burwell & Karen O. - Where the Wild Things Are

The only scores that I have any in depth knowledge about are Avatar and Where the Wild Things Are, so I'll talk about those. Avatar's score fit with the feeling of the movie, but it was a little too much like one of those generic epic scores. There were parts that sounded like they were straight out of Pirates of the Caribbean and other parts that reminded me a lot of The Lord of the Rings. Besides, other than the parts that reminded me of something else, the score didn't really stand out to me the way I find a fantastic score does. In Where the Wild Things Are, I found myself really noticing the music and loving it. I would love to see it win, because it was so fresh and original and didn't feel like, "Oh, they stole this from (Insert Movie Here)." Actually, the score that I feel is wrongfully missing from this list is from The Brothers Bloom. I realize that it wasn't a hugely popular film, but the music was amazing. I actually have the soundtrack on my ipod and love listening to it. It was original, catchy, and just fantastic, so I wish that it could have made this list.

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

"Cinema Italiano", Music & Lyrics By: Maury Yeston - Nine

"I Want to Come Home", Music & Lyrics By: Paul McCartney - Everybody's Fine

"I Will See You", Music By: James Horner & Simon Franglen, Lyrics By: James Horner, Simon Franglen & Kuk Harrell - Avatar

"The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)", Music & Lyrics By: Ryan Bingham & T Bone Burnett - Crazy Heart

"Winter", Music By: U2, Lyrics By: Bono - Brothers

I haven't heard any of these songs that stuck out to me, so I can't say which deserves to win. I'm sure it will be an interesting race, though.

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Coming Soon: My thoughts on the TV shows also nominated for this year's Golden Globes.

Movie Review: Avatar

2009-12-23T03:27:00.002-05:00

First of all, I'd like to start with a commentary on the power of great films. I have been going through a very tough time right now, and I haven't felt truly happy in at least weeks. Watching this movie was a very welcome vacation from reality during which I felt happy and unburdened for a blissful two and a half hours. I have to admit, at first I wasn't too interested in this film. It looked like it was going to be way too much CGI for my taste. Actually, the movie is 60% CGI, but it's used in a context that is breathtaking and it's done very tastefully. It has a few explosions here and there, but it doesn't feel like James Cameron inserted gratuitous amounts of unnecessary special effects into every scene, which I greatly appreciated.

When it comes down to it, this is a typical James Cameron film. It's groundbreaking, a delicious visual spectacle, and it will undoubtedly become yet another classic, but plot-wise it's not the best I've ever seen. You know what's coming. You can predict certain major plot twists, and you know how it's going to end. However, it's not a total yawn-fest where you sit there saying, "Boring. Saw that coming. That, too." It's still an engaging story, and it really wraps you up so that you actually believe in what's happening on the screen. It does feel a little bit like a lot of other movies all mashed together (a few that crossed my mind were Pocahontas, Peter Pan (the 2003 live action version), The Mission, Star Wars, and The Lord of the Rings), but it works, so I can't complain.

As for the acting, it's definitely passable. I wouldn't say that it's the best performances I've ever seen in my life (Sam Worthington's British accent is particularly noticeable at times), but the character development is good, and you really find yourself becoming emotionally involved with the characters. And there weren't any scenes where I wanted to smack myself in the face at the utter corniness or just downright bad acting, which is pretty rare for me, especially in science fiction movies (let's be real here, they can get a little over the top with the drama). Also, the characters were relatable, despite the fact that many of them were aliens.

But, honestly, the best part of this movie was the graphics. They were breathtakingly beautiful, and far more realistic than anything I've seen so far. The Na'vi actually looked like people, and you could see shadows of the actors playing them in their faces. For someone who isn't so hot on the CGI craze like I am, this was a thoroughly enjoyable use of it that I hope other directors will emulate. (Of course, you know what happens next is that everyone else rushes to copy it, and it becomes tired and overused, and we have to hold our breaths and wait for the next fresh take on it.) Seriously, though, the effects were spectacular, and the planet of Pandora was absolutely beautiful. I really enjoyed the variety in the flora and fauna as well as the Na'vi themselves. In fact, although I'm not too keen on this whole 3D craze, either, I would highly recommend it for this film. Once again, it wasn't used in a way that was over the top or too showy and fake. Nothing jumped out at you from the screen or anything; it just gave the film depth and made you feel like you were right there in it. When the characters were running through the jungle, I found myself flinching when a branch swung back towards the camera or wanting to bat away various glowing particles that floated through the air in different parts of the movie. It was incredibly entertaining. I do have to warn you, though, that it takes a good half hour for your eyes to adjust to the 3D vision. Up until then the film is annoyingly blurry and out of focus, which is a real pain. By the end, though, it's totally worth it. Also, try to get there early to make sure you get good seats. We ended up in the front row, which was not pleasant, especially since we were seeing it on the IMAX. My neck was sore by the first hour.

All in all, Avatar is a fantastic film that I highly recommend. It's cinematic history in the making, and you don't want to miss out. It will change the face of modern film. Here's to the genius of James Cameron. The man sure knows how to make a blockbuster.

Golden Globes 2010, Part 1

2009-12-19T12:57:00.005-05:00

Well, I have to say, the past two years have been great for movies. It's easy to get down when you see all the muck that Hollywood churns out, but lately there have been many films that have been a breath of fresh air. Originality seems to be making something of a comeback, and nowhere is that more apparent than in this year's Golden Globes nominations. Now, as usual, I've been a bad film buff and haven't seen a majority of these films. There's never enough time to make it to the theaters these days, and many of the nominees are just being released. Hopefully, I'll see some of these before the night of the Globes (Sunday, January 17, 8-11 PM EST), but for now I can merely speculate on who is deserving of the award and who will actually win. And, let me tell you, in most of these categories, it's a very close call. I don't think I've seen such a rich list of nominees in...well...ever. So, without further ado, I give you the nominees for the 2010 Golden Globes!

Best Motion Picture - Drama

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Up in the Air

Well...like I said, I've been a bad movie buff this year. I haven't seen any of these films. Shame on me! However, I have heard stellar reviews of every single movie on this list, and all of them are ones that I've been wanting to see. Who will go home with the award? I honestly have no idea. Normally I'd say that Precious was going to win, simply because the bleeding hearts in Hollywood lap up heartbreaking dramas (not that that's a bad thing), but when it's up against such strong competition, I begin to have my doubts.

Best Performance By an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Emily Blunt - The Young Victoria

Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side

Helen Mirren - The Last Station

Carey Mulligan - An Education

Gabourey Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Once again, I find this impossible to call. Emily Blunt's star has clearly been on the rise for some time, and I'm dying to see her in the part of Queen Victoria. Indeed, even her casting in this film seems to hint at success yet to come, as she joins the ranks of those who have played the British monarchs (including her competitor, Helen Mirren). Seeing Sandra Bullock in this category is also pleasing for me. Ever since seeing her as the racist housewife in Crash, I've been hoping to see her in more serious roles. She seems to spend most of her time in cheesy romance movies, and now that I've got a taste for her as a serious actress, I'm hankering for more. The Blind Side looked like it might be a little cheesy, but it's still made my "To See" list. As for Helen Mirren, do I really need to say anything? That woman is an acting goddess. Despite my limited knowledge of her role in this latest film, I would be neither surprised or unhappy to see her walk away with the award. Finally, we have newcomers Carey Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe. I first saw Mulligan in her debut as Kitty Bennet in 2005's Pride and Prejudice and thought she looked as much at home in front of the camera as her more seasoned costars. Her newest movie, An Education looks phenomenal and is based on a novel by Nick Hornby, one of my favorite authors. Her performance has earned her rave reviews, and her sense of poise and style on the red carpet has already earned her the title of today's Audrey Hepburn. Clearly she is a force to be reckoned with. And then you have Gabourey Sidibe, who plays the title character in Precious. It's obvious that the girl has talent, even from the brief clips of her performance that I caught in the trailer. And with such a weighty role, she's holding her own against these formidable women.

Best Performance By an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart

George Clooney - Up in the Air

Colin Firth - A Single Man

Morgan Freeman - Invictus

Tobey Maguire - Brothers

Another list full of knockout champs, and all actors whom I admire deeply (with the exception of Maguire. No offense to him, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive him for Spiderman 3). All seasoned actors with talent coming out of their ears. If I had to narrow it down to two, though, I'd say George Clooney and Morgan Freeman were the most likely to walk away with the award. Clooney is something of a darling, although not undeservedly as he tends to tackle challenging roles, and he seems to be getting a lot of nominations in recent years. As for Morgan Freeman, he's given us years of fantastic performances, and he's playing Nelson Mandela. People aren't kidding when they say that biopics are free tickets to the Oscars. And with good reason; playing a living person means going to a whole different level of acting. People have something to compare you to, so they won't believe your performance on your talent alone. You have to successfully portray the person that you're cast as, which is no easy task. As for the other nominees, I adore Jeff Bridges and Colin Firth and would love to see either of them take home the award. They are both incredibly talented actors, and I have no doubts that they gave exceptional performances in their roles. In a perfect world, the advantages that I listed above for Clooney and Freeman would have no effect here, and the actors would be awarded based on these performances alone. Time will tell just how perfect the world we live in is. As for Tobey Maguire, I couldn't get enough of a feel from the trailer for Brothers to tell you my impression of his performance. The movie didn't really grab my attention, but, then again, neither did No Country For Old Men, and look how that ended up.

Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

(500) Days of Summer

The Hangover

It's Complicated

Julie & Julia

Nine

For once, a category in which I have a clear favorite! If I controlled the Golden Globes, the award would go to (500) Days of Summer, no question about it. It's refreshingly original, funny, shamelessly steeped in pop culture, and, most importantly, relatable. It's not your average sappy love story, and the hilarious script and fantastic performances from the actors (Joseph Gordon-Levitt in particular) made it one of my favorite movies of the year. I've been waiting for it to come out on DVD since I saw it at the film festival back in April. My second choice, however, would be Nine. I have been dying to see that movie since I first saw the article on the ladies in Vogue a couple of months ago. It looks like a sensory smorgasbord. The dancing, the singing, the costumes, the lights! Completely sensational. I just hope it lives up to my expectations. Julie & Julia was a wonderful movie, but not the best comedy or musical I've seen this year. I felt that it would have been far more satisfying if they'd just left out the Julie storyline and made a movie entirely about Julia Child instead. Speaking of Meryl Streep, I haven't seen It's Complicated yet, but I have to say that, from the trailer, it didn't strike me as being an exceptional movie. Funny, perhaps, and cute, but not awards material. However, I could be totally wrong. And, finally, The Hangover. I have had countless people of all different tastes in movies tell me that this was a hilarious movie that I absolutely have to see. I still haven't seen it. Once again, it may be funny, but it didn't pique my interest when I saw the trailer, and I have a hard time stomaching crass, bawdy humor. Needless to say, if this wins over (500) DoS, I will be beyond pissed off.

Best Performance By an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Sandra Bullock - The Proposal

Marion Cotillard - Nine

Julia Roberts - Duplicity

Meryl Streep - It's Complicated

So. Sandra Bullock. While I'd love to see her win for Drama, I'm not so keen on her nomination in the comedy category. The Proposal looked like just another cheesy, gimmicky rom-com, and I wasn't driven to see it. I'm sure I'll watch it eventually, but I'm in no hurry. Same with Duplicity. Julia Roberts is a fantastic actress, but lately she's been playing a lot of the same roles. I can't say with certainty that she's not deserving of the award, but Duplicity looked like just another spy movie. Needless to say, I'm not convinced. Now, Marion Cotillard is a different story. Not only does Nine look phenomenal, but she is one of my absolute favorite actresses currently working. She's classy, she's poised, she's absolutely adorable, and she gives fantastic performances every time. I've admired her ever since she won for La Vie en Rose, and I would love to see her walk away with another award. As for Meryl Streep, she was excellent as Julia Child, and I would be tickled pink if she won the Golden Globe for that performance. Like I said, I think the movie would have been better if she'd been in more of it. She was charming, lovable, hilarious, and inspiring, and if she's going to win for either of her roles, I would much prefer that it be for this one.

Best Performance By an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Matt Damon - The Informant

Daniel Day Lewis - Nine

Robert Downey Jr. - Sherlock Holmes

Joseph Gordon Levitt - (500) Days of Summer

Michael Stuhlbarg - A Serious Man

Oh goodness, the choices. Once again, I would be pleased so see anyone from this list walk away with an award. I've always had a soft spot for Matt Damon, who tackles both drama and comedy alike with amazing talent and grace and isn't afraid to look funny or make a fool of himself (the only reason that Sarah Silverman song "I'm F*cking Matt Damon" was funny was because he was in it himself). Not to mention the fact that The Informant has been on my "To See" list for quite a while now. I feel slightly the opposite about Daniel Day Lewis, actually. I've always had a slight prejudice against him ever since I watched The Crucible, where he got so into character that he didn't brush his teeth for the entirety of the filming and they turned orange. I was too busy trying not to gag when he was onscreen to appreciate his performance. Despite that, I've begun developing an affection for him in recent years. He is an incredibly dedicated actor (as shown in that little anecdote), and it's pretty much a guarantee that any performance he gives is going to be spectacular. Needless to say, I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest to see him win. I've also been feeling slightly prejudiced against Robert Downey Jr. recently, but for different reasons (he's going to be playing Elwood P. Dowd in Steven Spielberg's remake of the classic movie Harvey, which is pretty much unforgivable in my mind. THE ROLE WAS WRITTEN FOR JAMES STEWART, THEREFOR NO ONE BUT JAMES STEWART SHOULD PLAY IT). However, he is an extraordinary actor with a biting sense of humor, and I am terribly excited to see him in Sherlock Holmes. Despite my reservations about his other career choices, I do think he's deserving of a nomination in this category. However, the nomination that I'm most excited about is Joseph Gordon Levitt, and not because I loved (500) DoS. Actually, he was the reason that I saw that movie in the first place. Joseph Gordon Levitt is my absolute favorite contemporary actor, and it's about time his talent was recognized. He picks his movies based on the quality of the script, which is why I know that any movie with him in it will probably be good (with the exception of G.I. Joe, which he picked as a break from doing serious roles. What a horrible movie). The first time I saw him in a role other than as a geeky kid (see 3rd Rock From the Sun and 10 Things I Hate About You) was in the indie film Brick, and it was so different from any other role I'd seen him in that I didn't recognize him at first. I'd never given him a second's thought before then, and suddenly I was renting every movie he'd done recently, with mindblowing results (go watch The Lookout and tell me he's not a brilliant actor). I will be sorely disappointed if he doesn't win the award, but even seeing him nominated makes me insanely happy. As for Michael Stuhlbarg and A Serious Man, I must shamefully admit that I know nothing about either of them and, therefore, have no insight into whether or not he can hold his own against such talented actors.

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That's it for Part 1 of my thoughts on the 2010 Golden Globes. I will be posting more on the rest of the nominees (best director, screenplay, song, score, foreign language film, supporting actor/actress, and animated film) later, but for now, I'm out of time. Cheers!

Movie Review: Margot at the Wedding

2009-12-15T18:18:00.002-05:00

So, I finally got around to sending back the two Netflix movies that have been sitting around my apartment for months and wasting my money. I got a fresh shipment last night. Trainspotting and Margot at the Wedding. I love Nicole Kidman (much to my mother's chagrin), so I sat down today to relax and enjoy Margot. Unfortunately, I didn't even make it an hour in. I could not stand it and had to turn it off. If there's one thing that I hate, it's independent films that feel the need to present a cold, dreary reality. I hate movies that I cannot enjoy while I'm watching them. None of the characters were likable, and, let's be honest, anyone whose "reality" is that depressing needs a change. Yes, life is not all puppies and rainbows and laughter. We all know that. But there are ways to present that in a film without making you feel like you want to slit your wrists while you watch it. I had thought I would enjoy it, considering the director, Noah Baumbach, worked with Wes Anderson on the screenplay of The Fantastic Mr. Fox, which I loved, but clearly he is a hit or miss kind of guy (similar to Anderson in that sense). And this movie was definitely a miss. I'm sending it back tomorrow, unfinished, so that I can get a more enjoyable movie and for now am happily watching Last Chance Harvey on Netflix's online viewer instead. I'm five minutes into the film and already I'm smiling. This is a good sign. I'm sure the next movie I see Nicole Kidman in (Nine, if all goes according to plan) will be a better investment.

A Sob-Inducer

2009-12-11T15:12:00.003-05:00

My best friend sent me this video today. She told me to watch it if I was in the mood to cry. I was feeling pretty content and not at all teary, so I figured I'd be fine. Oh how wrong I was. This is an example of exceptional filmmaking. With mostly images and limited words, I was reduced to tears in a matter of minutes. This is a perfect example of film as an art form rather than as a source of entertainment. It resonates deep within and connects with our own personal experiences to create an intense emotional reaction. But at the same time, its message is easily accessible. Despite being a lover of film, I'm not a huge fan of experimental films that are way off the grid and incredibly bizarre. I appreciate the value of movies like that, but I prefer to watch something that tells a story, something that I connect with. It's why I still have an appreciation for crappy, clichéd movies. They're perfect for curling up on a horrible day and just zoning out and immersing yourself in the story. Now, this clip is not that kind of movie. Not by a long shot. But it is something that I think most of us can relate to, and it's portrayed in a way that is beautiful and haunting. Think "Marley & Me" meets art cinema. So, I hope you enjoy this clip as much as I did. Make sure you have a supply of tissues close at hand. You're going to need it.

Movie Review: 2012

2009-11-24T16:27:00.004-05:00

Last night, my friends J and R invited me to see the new movie "2012" with them. To be honest, I really wasn't expecting much. J has HORRIBLE taste in movies. Every movie he's dragged me to has been completely unenjoyable ("Max Payne", "Pride and Glory", and now he wants to see "Ninja Assassin"). The one reason I figured "2012" would be different was that there would be lots of cool explosions. So I agreed to go and, surprisingly, didn't regret it afterward.

Now, let's be real here. If you're looking for quality cinema, this is not the movie for you. I'm pretty sure that any intelligent person can gather from the trailer that this is not a movie full of great dialogue and compelling stories. The characters were clichéd and underdeveloped. The filmmakers kept introducing characters who were all connected, and I'm assuming we were supposed to feel some sympathy for them when they were all killed off. However, since there were so many people dying and we never really had a chance to connect with any of them, my response was mostly, "Huh. That sucks. Can we get back to the volcanoes?" The dialogue was stilted, and, despite several talented cast members (John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, and Oliver Platt, to name a few), the acting was downright awful. It mostly consisted of people shouting and people acting sad. The plot was horribly predictable (I think we all knew from the very beginning who would die, who would survive, who would fall in love, etc.), and everything about the situation was completely unbelievable. I'm pretty sure that if you put any of the science to the test, none of the so-called facts would hold up. In addition to that, the filmmakers felt the need to throw in half-baked moral lessons that seemed pretty unnecessary, if you ask me. Yes, we get the point: family is important, the Tibetans are better people than the Chinese, care more about humanity than money, plastic surgery is bad. So many messages jumbled all together and presented so half-heartedly...the only thing this movie inspired me to do was roll my eyes. So, compelling filmmaking? Not in the slightest.

However, I highly doubt that anyone entered this movie expecting a cinematic masterpiece. We were all there to see the earth explode and watch natural disaster after natural disaster ravish the landscape and all the unfortunate people on there. And the effects were impressive, I must admit. Not only that, but the camera focused on them, so you really got the full scope of the destruction. None of that cutting away and cutting back in an attempt to build suspense. We got the full view of Yellowstone exploding, buildings crashing down, Tsunamis crashing over continents, and all the other delicious catastrophies that this movie had in store. It was one of those movies that was so bad you were able to laugh at it and enjoy it anyway. And it didn't hurt that J was sitting next to me giggling like a five year old and pretending to fly an airplane through all the clouds of smoke and collapsing buildings. Hilarious.

So, my advice? If you're looking for a great movie that's going to make you think, steer clear. This will only leave you disappointed. But if you want some good cheap laughs as the earth crumbles, this is the movie for you. Make sure to go with a group of friends who aren't afraid to make comments, laugh at all the stupid inside jokes you come up with, and just thoroughly enjoy the pandemonium. Perhaps you'll annoy a fellow patron or two, but for the most part, the rest of the audience will be doing the exact same thing as you are. After all, it's not as if you're going to miss any important dialogue. I can tell you right now, there isn't any.

EDIT: My very favorite part of the movie was when Queen Elizabeth came to get on the ships with two of her corgis. As a former corgi owner myself, I was thrilled to see that, although everyone else was dying, the corgi breed would survive. (Although I do have to admit that I was a little unhappy when I thought about how she would have had to pick those two out of all the corgis she owns. How do you pick which of your pets will live and which will die? Sad day.)

A Return and a Long-Winded Explanation

2009-11-20T15:31:00.005-05:00

Well. Here I am again. I apologize for the huge gap between posts. In fact, I highly doubt anyone is checking this blog anymore, although I'm sure that if I continue writing, my parents and their friends will flock here just as before. I have to admit that I didn't do much writing during my year and a half hiatus. I started another blog and made 4 posts before fizzling out. I don't think my heart was really in it. I do keep a journal, but I'm terrible about writing in there regularly as well. Part of what sparked my trip away from blogland, I believe, was the fact that I started a new job about a month before my last post here. When I started writing this blog, I was going to school in Pennsylvania and was living a rather isolated life. I had a handful of friends, but they were busy most of the time, and I wasn't incredibly close with the majority of them. So, I spent a lot of time in my room, watching movies, surfing the web, and, yes, writing entries to this blog.

When I returned home for the summer, I immediately got a job at a Brazilian restaurant, and my life changed drastically. I had friends, I had a social life, I had something to occupy my time. I went to parties almost every weekend, had girls' nights with my friends, and spent most evenings at the restaurant. Late at night, I'd sit at my computer and catch up with old friends or watch an episode of a TV show that I had missed, but, although I had plenty of stories to tell, it hardly crossed my mind to blog about it. And my days were spent in bed, catching up on sleep and driving my mother nuts with my refusal to emerge before noon.

At the end of the summer, my friends returned to school, and many returned to Brazil. Gone were the days of going out every night. I had decided not to return to school in Pennsylvania, as my happiness over the summer had made me realize just how miserable I'd been there. I moved out of my parents' house and into the bottom floor of a house with an old friend of mine. My nights now consisted of movie nights with my roommate and the occasional party on the weekends. I now had the time to blog, but I was missing one essential thing: an internet connection. My roommate and I never actually took the time to set one up, so I had to rely on a nearby coffee shop for my internet fix. And although I took to spending hours at a time there, surfing the web, sipping mochas, and enjoying the beautiful view of the lake through the huge bay windows at the back, once again I found it hard to motivate myself to write a blog. There was simply too much going on, both online and off.

Fall also heralded another drastic change in my life: although many of my friends had returned to Brazil, we did get a "fresh shipment", you might say, of Brazilians who were looking to move out of the Wisconsin Dells (a resort town that literally ships in international students on work exchange) and into a somewhat larger city. Two of the young men who were part of that migration became very large parts of my life. I first began spending time with J. He had formed a friendship with one of the few remaining Brazilian guys that I had hung out with over the summer, and we spent many nights together trolling for parties, watching movies, etc. J is a fun loving guy who is head over heels for a different girl every week (rumor has it that he even had a crush on me when we first met) and is somewhat flaky and unreliable, although he tries to be a great friend all the time. He's easy to like and fun to hang out with, and he's become one of my closest friends. When I first met him, J lived in a two bedroom apartment with the five (yes, FIVE) other Brazilians who had moved here with him. One of his roommates was a guy named E, J's best friend and much more shy and reserved. He's also more reliable, more serious, more focused, and has an ego as big as, well, Brazil. E took longer to get to know, as it was very difficult to find time to hang out with him. He was always opting out of spending time with us (J claims it's because he was shy), but I suppose all the invitations to parties and movie nights paid off in the end. He invited me over for dinner one night, and I've spent almost every night with him since. We just celebrated our one year anniversary at the end of October.

So what brings me back here? Clearly, my life has been fun and exciting for the past year and a half. Well, kind of. There have been a lot of shifts in the status quo lately that have thrown me off balance. E is in school and working, so I see much less of him, despite the fact that we are now living together. Two of my best friends, including my former roommate, have been phased out of my life to some extent. One (my roommate), was a drastic shift. We'd been grating on each others' nerves toward the end of our cohabitation, but I'd always meant to stay friends with her once we'd moved on, albeit not as close as we had once been. Part of that had to do with my distaste for the life that she was choosing to live, and part of it was just that we were sick of each other. But upon moving out, she left me with the majority of the final housecleaning and never responded to another phone call or text. I still don't know what happened, and I'm still more than a little angry, but I also see it as a good thing. She surrounded herself with drama, and I feel that I am much healthier, emotionally, for the lack of that. My other best friend drifted away more gradually, but for similar reasons. She flunked out of school, started partying constantly and sneaking into bars, got herself a junkie boyfriend and, rumor has it, has started playing with drugs far more dangerous than alcohol and marijuana. I still answer her calls and talk to her occasionally online, but, for the most part, I'm trying to stay out of her life. I find that if I'm close to her, I care too much and worry constantly, and, as there's nothing I can do to get her out of this situation until she decides to make the change for herself, I have to focus my energy on taking care of myself rather than draining myself fighting a losing battle with her.

In addition to all of this, I've realized lately that I have spent most of the last year working and doing nothing to fulfill my own emotional and creative needs. This was less of a problem when work was still a positive place, but things have gone downhill and the management has started treating us worse and worse. In addition to making me look for another job, it has also made me reevaluate what I do with my time outside of work. I have new friends (and have reconnected with some old ones) who I spend a lot of time going out (and staying in) with and who have provided me with a fantastic support system to help me face all of life's challenges. I've also taken a more active interest in my personal style and have been channeling some of my excess creative energies into experimenting with new make up and clothing and committing myself to looking good every day. Appearances may not be the most important thing in the world, but I've found that if you put an effort into your appearance, you end up feeling better. It has less to do with impressing the outside world and more to do with giving yourself something to be proud of. If you look at yourself in the mirror and say, "Damn, I look GOOD today!" it's very gratifying to be able to say that you did that for yourself. And, obviously, I have returned here, to my blog. After struggling with writer's block on a number of projects that I have tried and failed to even start, it seemed natural to return to a place where I have already written things that I am proud of. And perhaps I needed to get this story out before I could write something else. Even if no one else reads this, it feels good to be writing it. It's really the same as personal style: in the end, it's all about how it makes you feel, not about someone else's response. Hopefully, I'll be posting here more often from now on. Cheers!

Tagged

2008-05-21T04:09:00.002-04:00

Oh dear, guys, it's been far too long since I posted. I kind of doubt that anyone's reading anymore. Haha. Sorry, I've been really busy. Anyway, I got tagged for a meme by my dad, and, although I can't think of anyone else to tag. But I thought I'd fill it out anyway.

* The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.

* Each player answers the questions about himself or herself.

* At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1. Ten years ago I was:
Living in the same house. I was 9 years old and was just finishing up 3rd grade in my favorite teacher's class. My little sister was 2, and my family was planning to go to Salt Lake City to visit my uncle that summer.

2. Five Things on Today's To Do List:

1. Go to sleep

2. Do my laundry

3. Call my friend to alleviate his boredom on his 1o hour bus ride for his school trip.

4. Go to the bank to cash/deposit my paycheck

5. Go to work

3. Things I'd do if I were a billionaire:

- Pay off all my student loans

- Pay to fix up my parents' house

- Buy some of the stuff that I've been wanting (i.e. those $150 leather boots from Urban Outfitters, an iphone, etc.)

- Buy all my favorite DVDs

- Donate to several charities

- Treat my friends and family to a ton of stuff

- Travel my heart out

- Go visit all my friends in other states/countries that I've been dying to see.

- Probably a ton of other stuff that I can't think of right now.

4. Three Bad Habits:

- I bite my nails.

- I stay up WAY too late.

- I can't motivate myself to do stuff that doesn't grab my attention.

5. Five Places I've lived:

- Willy Street area. The house I was born into and where I lived until I was 3. I don't have too many memories from there.

- Emerson neighborhood. My family moved there when I was 3 and have been living there since.

- My best friend's house. Okay, not really, but I haven't really lived in 5 places, and I spent about half my time there during junior and senior year.

- The theater of my high school. Once again, not really lived, but I certainly spent a lot of time there during my high school years.

- My college dorm room in Pennsylvania. I just moved out about a month ago, actually, but I had some fun times there.

6. Five Jobs I've had in life:

- Student

- Volunteer at a summer camp and school classroom

- Clerk at a fabric store

- Camp Counselor

- Backwaiter at a Brazilian Steakhouse (current job, and a very good one at that)

Okay, and done! Hope those still reading my blog enjoy this.

Movie Review: In the Valley of Elah

2008-04-08T00:35:00.004-04:00

I have been waiting to see "In the Valley of Elah" for over six months. When I first heard of it, I was terribly excited because it had a terrific cast (Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon) and a magnificent director (Paul Haggis, director of "Crash"). Not only that, but Paul had cast Jonathan Tucker in one of the smaller roles, an actor whose work I loved on Paul's short lived show "The Black Donnellys". Unfortunately, I never got the chance to see it when it was in theaters due to lack of time and money. This week, it finally came in at the library, and tonight I was in the mood for a drama.

Despite the fact that the mood was kind of killed by my roommate's music playing in the background (Kanye doesn't really go well with this movie), I was completely and utterly blown away. I had been worried that I had too high of expectations for "In the Valley of Elah" and would be disappointed with what I saw. This could not have been more wrong. It was a beautiful, haunting movie about what serving in Iraq is doing to the young men who join the army. There are some anti-war messages, of course, but the point of the movie isn't to make a statement for or against the army in general. Its point is to show what this specific war is doing to people. I don't really know how to describe it better without giving away the story line, but I will say that it is a beautifully crafted story that allows the viewer to see both the horrible things that our soldiers are doing as well as showing their vulnerability and humanity. Rather than painting a picture in black and white, it shows things for what they really are.

The general plot line is that Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) teams up with local detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) to investigate the disappearance of his son, Michael (Jonathan Tucker), upon the young man's return from Iraq. Although the bare bones of the story center around the crime investigation, it is the details and glimpses of humanity that make this movie the beautiful masterpiece that it is.

I apologize for this rather disjointed review. All I can say is that it is not for the faint of heart. The topics focused on in this movie are brutal and horrible, just like war really is, but there is no "good guy" or "bad guy". There are just humans. If you can stomach the content (it's not terribly visually graphic or anything, but the topics are not pleasant to think about), definitely watch this movie. It is heartbreaking and moving, and all the actors did a wonderful job. And, if you watch, make sure you watch the credits until the end of Annie Lennox's haunting song, "Lost". Not only is the song beautiful and perfect for this movie, but there is also one of the most raw, heartfelt tributes that I have ever seen included in the credits, and the movie is not complete without it, in my opinion.

Sadly, this movie was overlooked this year except for one Oscar nomination for Tommy Lee Jones (which he definitely deserved), but don't allow yourself to pass it by. It is worth the watch.

EDIT: Also, several of the actors playing soldiers were actually in the army, so the feeling in this movie...it's real. And this movie is based on a true story.

Movie Review: Labyrinth

2008-03-28T02:55:00.004-04:00

Ever since I was very young, "Labyrinth" has been one of my favorite movies. In fact, I loved it so much, that I was absolutely thrilled when my dad bought me a tape of "Peter and the Wolf" narrated by David Bowie because I loved him so much as Jareth, the king of the goblins.

For those who haven't seen it, "Labyrinth" is a darkly funny fairy tale about a spoiled teenager, Sarah, who spends all her time in a fantasy world rather than interacting with people her own age. One night, while babysitting her crying baby brother, Toby, she wishes for goblins to come and take the inconsolable infant away. At her words, Toby disappears from his room, and his sister comes face to face with the formidable Goblin King, Jareth. She begs him to return her brother, but he refuses, declaring that "What's said is said." Finally, he relents, telling her that her brother is being kept in the castle at the center of a gigantic, complex labyrinth and gives her 13 hours to solve the labyrinth and find the boy before he becomes a goblin himself. Throughout the rest of the movie, he places in front of her a number of challenges that she is forced to overcome, with the help of a cowardly dwarf named Hoggle, an adorable giant furry beast called Ludo, and Sir Didymus, the fearless, hyperactive foxlike creature who rides on a horseshoed English Sheepdog named Ambrosius.

This movie is amazing for so many reasons. For one thing, you've got a fantastic screenplay written by Monty Python's Terry Jones. For another, you've got a potentially scary story turned into a hilariously whimsical and kid-friendly story by the buffoonish antics of the hapless, muppet-like goblins. Not only that, but the creatures are designed by renowned fairy illustrator Brian Froud, and the special effects are provided by none other than George Lucas. Add to that the direction of Jim Henson (and that absolutely gorgeous cinderella-esque dress that Sarah gets to wear toward the end of the film), and you've got a fantastic movie. Sure, it's campy and VERY 80s, but that's part of its charm.

Let's be honest, though. It's David Bowie who makes the movie. From his irresistibly catchy songs to his flawless portrayal of the mysterious Goblin King, the movie wouldn't be half as good without him. There's something incredibly alluring about the character of Jareth, too, something that I've struggled to put my finger on. As a child, I was absolutely in love with him and found the ball scene to be completely enchanting. I still do, despite the slightly disturbing undertones (not least of which the huge age difference between Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, who plays Sarah). The other day, however, I was watching the movie with my friend who had never seen it, and she said decidedly, "It's because he's so tragic." The more I think about it, the more I realize that she's right. There is a melancholy air to the Goblin King that is quite appealing. However, I am surprised at how many people completely miss this aspect of the character while watching the movie. A great many people only take him at surface level and dismiss him as a jealous, vindictive creature who is in love with Sarah and is motivated by his desire to possess her. This is not what I see at all. In fact, I have never seen Jareth in this way, and I strongly believe that he is not meant to be viewed in this manner. I am undecided on whether or not he was actually in love with Sarah, but I have always seen him as a character who was trying to help Sarah grow up and embrace her life. He didn't want to see her turn into a lonely person like him, surrounded by people but never a part of the group, so he devised a plan to help her discover the values of friendship. While he may have appeared angry and threatening, it was merely because she was still so childlike and wrapped up in the fantasy world of the labyrinth. All his challenges helped her find faith in herself and discover the kind of person that she wanted to be.

If you haven't seen "Labyrinth", I strongly suggest checking it out. It is terribly entertaining and appeals to the child within us all. Even if you have seen it, watch it again. I guarantee that there's something that you missed (Pay close attention to the objects shown in Sarah's room at the beginning of the movie. You might spot some things that look familiar).

A Bittersweet Week

2008-03-18T04:44:00.004-04:00

Usually I don't write such personal posts, but this is a very emotional week for me. This post is not meant to be depressing but rather to honor some very important memories. Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, the first I've celebrated since my grandfather (pictured above with my little sister) died 6 months ago. St. Patty's Day was always one of his favorite holidays. He was very proud of his Irish heritage. Every year, he would hang the Irish flag on the garage door, and some years he would invite my family over for dinner to celebrate. Not only that, but the last time that I spoke to my grandpa on the phone before he died was when I called him from Irishfest in September. He had fallen ill and was in the hospital, so I thought a call from me would cheer him up, especially since my sister and I are the only two grandchildren who have taken any interest in Irish music and the like. That was the last time that I heard my grandpa's voice. He died the next weekend. I've been missing him a fair amount the past few months, as we were quite close (although I didn't realize how close until he was gone), but today I felt it more acutely than I have since his memorial service. St. Patrick's Day just isn't the same without him around.

The good news this week is that tomorrow is my nineteenth birthday, and my mom is coming to visit me. I haven't seen her since January, so I'm very excited to show her around the city and just spend some quality time with her. It's also my golden birthday, which I have been waiting for since I was old enough to know what a golden birthday was (although now that it's here, it seems a bit anticlimactic).

Unfortunately, tomorrow is also the 5th anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq. I am very strongly antiwar, and I always have been, and my fourteenth birthday was very nearly ruined when Bush announced on March 17th that he was giving Hussein two days to leave Iraq. I had predicted that our illustrious president would put off attacking Iraq until my birthday, but everyone told me I was being paranoid. I just had this feeling, though. I knew it was going to happen. When we went out for my birthday dinner that night, the restaurant we were at had the TV on right above our table. Bush was on the news outlining his plan of attack, and they refused to turn it off until my mom yelled at them for ruining our celebrations (this is a bar and grill that specializes in birthdays, so I'm not really sure why anyone there would have wanted to be watching such sad news on what is supposed to be such a happy day). I was very emotional that week and prone to tears, a state that was exploited by some of my more pro-war classmates. It wasn't so much that I was upset about my birthday being tainted. It was more that I felt guilty that I was celebrating while bombs were being dropped on innocent people in Iraq. Needless to say, it was not a happy birthday.

Thursday, the 20th, is also an emotional day for me. I was named after my great grandmother, and last year she grew very sick the weekend before my birthday. I was incredibly upset. For some reason, it was very important to me that she see me, her namesake and the oldest great grandchild, turn 18. It's such a big milestone, and I really wanted her to see me reach it. A few days before she died, we went to visit her in the nursing home, and I held her hand and told her how much I loved her and how proud I was to be named after her. I told her that I was going to be an adult in a few days and that I hoped she would be around to see it. My dad told me later that he thought she was going to die on my birthday so she would be remembered (her husband died on my uncle's birthday) but that she saw how important it was to me that she make it through that day and so she waited an extra day. I found that to be a very touching thought.

The final thing that makes this week so bittersweet is that Friday, the 21st, is the 14th birthday of my little sister Sophie. She was born right after I turned five and unfortunately was only with us for ten days. I suppose it's a bit strange to miss someone that I barely knew, but around this time of year I start wondering what my baby sister would be like and wishing she were still around. She was an exceptional girl, and I loved her very deeply, even though I only knew her for a couple of days. However, two years later, I got another little sister, and I wouldn't trade her for the world. She's one of my best friends, despite the large age difference between us, and I don't know what I would do without her.

I'm sorry if I bored anyone with my ramblings. I just wanted to honor the exceptional people who make this week so memorable and the events that changed my life. All of them were very dear to me, and I hope that wherever they are, they know that I'm thinking about them.

Movie Review: Bobby

2008-02-29T23:37:00.003-05:00

It's been a very long time since I've seen a movie that has made me cry. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting too much from "Bobby." I'd heard it was good, and I was interested in seeing it, but it wasn't at the top of my list or anything. I knew that it was about Robert Kennedy and that it was directed by Emilio Estevez, who I knew as Andy Clark in "The Breakfast Club." I knew that it was an ensemble cast starring, among other people, Elijah Wood, Lindsay Lohan, Demi Moore, Anthony Hopkins, and Ashton Kutcher. I knew that it was about the lives of the people who witnessed the assassination of Bobby Kennedy rather than being about Kennedy himself. It looked interesting but didn't strike me as anything spectacular.

Being in college, I don't have money to rent movies, so I rely on the library to provide me with a constant source of films. I have a long list of movies that I want to see, so I just put everything on hold and watch them in the order that they come in rather than choosing which movies I want to watch on a given week. This week, "Bobby" was one of the arrivals, so I decided to watch it tonight, and...I was blown away. This movie gave me cold shivers, which only happens when I'm watching a movie that is REALLY good.

I didn't have high hopes for this movie. I mean, it had Lindsay Lohan and Nick Cannon in it, two actors who hail from the teeny bopper movies put out by Disney and Nickelodeon. No matter how good the other actors were, I just couldn't see these two pulling it off. Nor could I see there being any sort of chemistry between Lindsay Lohan and Elijah Wood. I was proven completely wrong. Every single actor in this movie did a phenomenal job. Not only that, but the writing and directing was brilliant. Estevez masterfully created characters that you could really care about, showing the humanity in each and every one as well as the flaws and the obstacles that they faced. Not only that, but he wove in actual footage of Bobby Kennedy. Well, that makes sense, you might say. After all, the movie is called "Bobby." But although the story centers on the day of his visit and the way he affected the lives of those who believed in him, it was so much more than that. It was a story of young love, of old love, of faded love, of love renewed. It was a story of growing old, of discovering drugs, of facing the terrifying prospect of the draft, of being young, and of having hope in a time that was so full of violence. The story was about the people, not about the politician. Yet the footage still worked to create a deep connection between the viewer and the people shown on the screen.

I don't want to give away the ending. Everyone knows that Bobby Kennedy was shot. That's not the point of the movie. The point of the movie is to show how he affected the lives of so many people and to show that their story, and the story of every single person in the world, is just as important as the story of a Senator. That final scene was so beautiful and so heartbreaking that it brought tears to my eyes. I couldn't help but feel the hope that everyone had upon seeing him speak, which made the hopelessness and the shock that they felt after he was shot seem very real to me. It was something that I could relate to, to some extent. I mean, I've never witnessed an assassination or anything of that sort, but I remember how hopeful I felt when I went to see John Kerry speak before the 2004 election, how happy I was, and how sure that things would get better. And I remember the feeling of utter despair that came when I learned that Bush had won the election. It is the mark of great filmmaking that this movie made me empathize so strongly with the characters and the situation that I was witnessing.

I would strongly recommend that everyone see this movie (if you don't mind the sight of blood, that is. It's not terribly gory, but it is about a shooting). It is beautifully crafted and well acted. Nick Cannon's performance blew me away, and I hope to see him in more serious roles in the future (not that I didn't enjoy Drumline, but he can do so much more). I am very surprised that this movie did not win the Golden Globe for best picture last year. I found it to be much more moving than "Babel". And, while I loved Emilio Estevez in "The Breakfast Club", my respect for him has greatly increased upon seeing this movie. Check it out.

Concert Review: Jack's Mannequin

2008-02-10T22:25:00.000-05:00

Last night, I was in Cleveland visiting a friend, and he invited me to see Jack's Mannequin with him. Seeing as how I love Jack's Mannequin, I was thrilled to get a chance to see them live. We managed to get pretty close to the stage, maybe about 10 ft away. There were a fair number of people in our group, and the concert was completely sold out. Some of our friends weren't able to make it, sadly. We got there early to make sure that we got good spots and ended up standing around for a while and chatting.

At 7:00, the opening band came onto the stage. They were called Wake Hollywood, and, I have to admit, I wasn't impressed with them at all. They seemed like they thought they were really good, but honestly they were not great. The singer spent most of the time dancing around the stage and making funny faces. Nothing they did was very original, and the singer didn't seem capable of carrying a tune. All of them, except for the drummer, were dressed in "emo" outfits: black, styled hair; black pants and a black or white shirt; ties or scarves; skinny jeans. It was like watching a caricature of a popular band. We amused ourselves with trying to guess if the bass player was a really androgynous woman or a really effeminate man. It was kind of hard to tell, although it turns out he was male. The other thing that we found amusing was how desperate they seemed for friends. During the 45 minute set, they mentioned several times that they wanted to be invited to a party, and when we looked at their Myspace later that night to solve the bassist gender mystery once and for all, we noticed that three out of the four members had their Instant Messenger screennames listed in the hopes that somebody would add them. It was kind of pathetic really.

Thankfully, Jack's Mannequin's performance more than made up for the terrible opening act. Despite the fact that concert conditions were not ideal, they still managed to put on a terrific show. The acoustics could have been better (we were in a gymnasium), and the crowd was too drunk and rowdy, but none of that mattered. It didn't even matter that the tallest guy in the audience was standing right in front of me, making it very difficult to see without straining. Andrew McMahon and his band made it all worthwhile.

He opened the show with "I'm Ready," to screams of delight from the audience, and continued to play favorites such as "The Mixed Tape," "Dark Blue," "Bruised," "We Were Made for Each Other/You Can Breathe," and "Rescued," as well as several songs from his new album. The crowd was wild. People were ramming into one another, and I was nearly knocked over several times. My friend was practically holding me up. I had to hold my camera above my head in order to get even a semi clear shot of the band. It was very intense. Everyone sang along to their favorite songs, and Andrew played it up, leaning toward the audience and walking around the stage when he wasn't playing piano. When he finished his water, he threw the empty bottle out across the audience, and people scrambled to grab it. He never faltered, not even when one of his microphones came loose and a techie had to come and fix it in the middle of a song. He even attempted to tighten it himself, without missing a single beat. Nor was he fazed when, in the heat of the moment, he accidentally knocked over his piano stool. He simply continued with the song.

The concert ended, and Jack's Mannequin left the stage, to the disappointment of all. Someone began chanting, "One more song! One more song!" Soon, everybody had joined in. The band seemed to be expecting it, and they returned to the stage, grinning. Andrew announced that the next song was going to be "an old one." He played a few notes on the piano, then began a song called "Me and the Moon" by his old band, Something Corporate. Fewer people seemed to know the words to this one (I was one of the few :p), but it was still met with enthusiasm. Once he finished "Me and the Moon," he surprised the audience by launching into "American Girl" by Tom Petty and jumping up on top of his grand piano. Everyone was dancing and cheering. It was an explosive finale to an absolutely amazing concert. I left the gymnasium feeling energized and very content, all thoughts of the terrible opening act forgotten (until later, of course, when I was able to think clearly again).

HAPPY ACROSS THE UNIVERSE DAY!

2008-02-04T19:37:00.000-05:00

Today is the 40th Anniversary of the song "Across the Universe." It's also the first day ever to be dedicated to the Beatles. To celebrate, NASA broadcast "Across the Universe" into space. How cool is that? Sorry for the short post, but I'll wax poetic about the Beatles later. For now, here's the site.

Oscar Nominations Announced!

2008-01-23T12:09:00.001-05:00

As I believe I've said before, I love film awards shows, and Oscar night is one of my favorite nights of the year. So, here is the list of the nominees for the 2008 Academy Awards, and here's who I'll be rooting for:

Actor in a Leading Role: Viggo Mortenson, simply because I love him. I wouldn't mind seeing George Clooney or Johnny Depp snag the Oscar either.

Actor in a Supporting Role: I've always had a soft spot for Casey Affleck. I think he's a better actor than his brother and is very underrated. I would not mind at all seeing him take home an Oscar.

Actress in a Leading Role: I'm rooting for Ellen Page, although I doubt they'll give her the Oscar. I always like seeing young folk in the list of Oscar Nominees. You know they must be good to contend with the more seasoned actors. I also like Cate Blanchett and Laura Linney, so I wouldn't mind seeing one of them with an Oscar.

Actress in a Supporting Role: It's highly likely that Cate Blanchett will leave with at least one Oscar this year. I think it's cool that she took on the challenge of playing Bob Dylan. She always picks interesting movies to star in. However, I'm rooting for Saoirse Ronan because she came out of nowhere and blew everyone away with her talent. She's also starring in the movie "The Lovely Bones" which is due to come out soon. Despite the fact that she is somewhat of a newcomer to film, she's being picked for very challenging and interesting roles, which I commend her for.

Animated Feature: As I said before, I'm cheering on "Ratatouille", and I don't think it will have too much trouble winning, although I wasn't expecting to see "Persepolis" in this category.

Art Direction: Not having seen most of these films (I'm slipping this year!), I can't make a definitive statement in this category. However I will say that I don't think "The Golden Compass" deserves to win. It was an okay movie, but I certainly didn't foresee any Oscar Nominations. I don't think it was THAT good.

I'm not going to comment on many of the other categories because I haven't seen the films and, therefore, couldn't tell you who did a better job.

Film Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum" is the only film I've seen out of this category, but I have to say that the film editing in it was spectacular. They did a great job editing to build suspense, and I definitely think it deserves the Oscar.

Makeup: Okay, seriously. "NORBIT" is nominated? Are you kidding me? That movie looked TERRIBLE. I mean, it's Eddie Murphy in a fat suit. No matter how good the makeup was, that movie does not deserve the recognition and honor of being nominated for an Academy Award. I will, of course, be rooting for "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." I'm a sucker for that trilogy.

Music (Score): Out of the films listed, I've only seen "Ratatouille", but I thought that the soundtrack was superb. I won't be broken hearted if it doesn't win, though.

Music (Song): "Falling Slowly" should win, hands down. "Once" was a fantastic movie, and that song was absolutely wonderful. I could listen to it over and over again. I'm glad that "Once" was recognized in at least one category.

Sound Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum" definitely has my vote. Just like with the film editing, the sound editing did a superb job of enhancing the tension in the movie. That entire trilogy is fantastic.

Visual Effects: I'm definitely thinking that "Pirates of the Caribbean" has this one all wrapped up. I just can't see "The Golden Compass" or "Transformers" winning an Oscar. I think that this is probably a similar case to the one we had in 2006, where "Dead Man's Chest" was up against "Poseidon" and "Superman Returns." Neither of those movies were of Oscar caliber, but there had been a lack of special effects-heavy movies that year, and they needed some fillers.

I wish I could comment on the other categories, but I haven't seen most of the movies nominated due to a lack of time and funds. However, this was a very good year for movies. A lot of interesting looking films came out, and I will catch up on them just as soon as the DVDs come in at the library.

Fond Memories of Heath

2008-01-23T09:22:00.000-05:00

Like the rest of the world, I was saddened and shocked to hear that Heath Ledger had passed away yesterday. However, I think that it is disrespectful to his family and to his memory to lament his death simply because he was a pretty face. I'm not going to pretend that I knew him personally, because I didn't, but I'd like to pay tribute to the person that I saw and the impressions that I got from him. The most important thing about him was that it was obvious that he loved his two year old daughter, Matilda Rose, more than anything else in the world. Every time he mentioned her, he spoke of her with such genuine happiness and pride. I don't think that anyone could question the fact that she meant the world to him.

Another thing that I admired about Heath Ledger was that he seemed very down to earth compared to many actors out there. He wasn't constantly engaged in scandals, nor was there a picture of him and his family on the cover of every issue of People Magazine and other celebrity gossip magazines. He actively tried to avoid the Paparazzi and to keep them away from his family. Occasionally his temper got the better of him when he was dealing with the press, but he always apologized and owned up to his mistakes later on. Besides, the entertainment media is so inconsiderate, I can't say I blame him for getting angry with their constant attempts to invade his private life.

The thing that always stuck out to me about Heath Ledger, though, was his dedication to his acting and his resolve not to get type cast as a Hollywood Heartthrob. He never played the same role twice, and he actively sought out characters that were complex and difficult to play, even if it meant pissing off producers in the process. Each character that he played was so different that sometimes I forgot that it was the same actor. Not only that, but his performances in his various roles were superb. He made me laugh in "Brothers Grimm" and cry in "Brokeback Mountain." At the 2006 Oscars, I cheered him on from my living room and was very disappointed when Phillip Seymour Hoffman took home the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role instead of him. I was looking forward to watching his career progress and seeing him win an Oscar sometime in the near future, and I am very sad that this will not be the case.

Finally, I would like to extend my sympathies to Heath Ledger's family, although I doubt that they will ever read this. I can't imagine how hard it must be for them to not only deal with the death of their beloved son/brother but also to have to deal with all the media attention. I am thoroughly disgusted with the coverage of this incident and wish that the media would respect the family's wishes to be left alone and to not speculate about the cause of his death. It's bad enough that the family found out about his death on the news. Spreading rumors about him is only adding insult to injury and is incredibly callous of the entertainment industry. I also am disgusted with the way that TMZ cornered Lindsay Lohan to try and get her to comment. Whether or not rumors are true and she and Heath Ledger were romantically involved, it was obvious that she was very distraught over his death. I don't particularly like Lindsay Lohan, but I think that she deserves more respect from bottom feeding celebrity gossip sites like TMZ especially in such difficult times. Whether she and Heath were mere acquaintances, good friends, or something more, she deserves time to process this event and grieve without having a camera shoved in her face.

Rest in Peace, Heath Ledger. You were an inspirational actor, and you will be missed greatly.

Oh God, I'm turning into my mother!!

2008-01-21T18:44:00.000-05:00

Since this weekend was Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, a lot of people went home to visit their families. My group of friends consists of me and two other girls and about ten guys. Both the girls went home for the weekend, so I was left all by my lonesome with the boys. It wasn't so bad, although I wouldn't necessarily call it exciting. My weekend consisted of watching Star Wars, watching the boys play Halo, and watching the boys compete in a Guitar Hero tournament. Since there were less people around, I ended up getting a lot closer with the boys who were still in the dorm. I also realized that my mothering instinct is starting to show. One of the guys has a really bad cold. He didn't have any cough drops, and he was drinking hot water to try and soothe his throat. I, of course, have a full supply of tea, honey, kleenex, and cough drops in my room, which I readily offered up to him. At least he made the tea himself. It makes me feel somewhat less motherly. Also, this weekend the guys learned that I make a lot of jewelry, and one of them asked me to make him a watch. (For those who don't understand, you buy a watch face and then make a band to match) I told him I would be happy to. Today, I thought of how my mom is always making things for people. The only difference is, she knits and I make jewelry and do metalwork. The only conclusion I can draw from this is that I'm turning into the "mother" of my friends. I don't mind so much. I like taking care of people. I just think it's funny how these things turn out.

"The Lord of the Rings" = Frankenstein's monster

2008-01-19T15:57:00.000-05:00

I have come to realize, upon rereading Tolkien's masterpiece, that the film trilogy of "The Lord of the Rings" is a little bit like Frankenstein's monster. You see, it's made up of bits and pieces taken from different parts of the books and sewn together in a different order. Don't get me wrong, I think it works very well. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Phillipa Boyens did a fantastic job with these scripts, much better than most screenwriters working on an adapted film. However, I find it very funny when I discover that well known lines from the movies are actually taken from very different parts of the books. As I'm only eight chapters into "The Fellowship of the Ring" currently, I haven't discovered all that there is to find. However, I've found many already, and I will share my findings with you.

"So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." - In the movie, Gandalf says this line when Frodo has fallen into despair in the Mines of Moria. However, the actual line is taken from Chapter II of "The Fellowship of the Ring", when Gandalf is explaining the history of the One Ring to Frodo.

"Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement." - Another movie scene from Moria, when Frodo notices that Gollum is following them and expresses his disappointment that Bilbo did not kill him when he had the chance. In the book, this speech is also taken from Chapter II, "A Shadow of the Past", set in the kitchen of Bag End. Somehow, it's less inspirational when heard in a warm kitchen, isn't it?

"Hey ho, to the bottle I go
To heal my heart and drown my woe
Rain may fall and wind may blow
But many miles be still to go

Sweet is the sound of the falling rain
And the stream that runs from hill to plain
But better than rain or rippling brook
Is a mug of beer inside this Took" - Merry and Pippin sing this song in the Green Dragon in the extended version of "The Fellowship of the Ring." The first verse is pretty much correct, although it starts with "Ho ho ho" instead of "Hey ho." It is a drinking song that Sam and Pippin sing in Chapter IV, "A Shortcut to Mushrooms," that attracts the attention of one of the Black Riders. The second verse, however, is taken from the Bath Song that Pippin sings when they are in Frodo's new home in Crickhollow (not pictured in the movie). The verse actually goes, "O! Sweet is the sound of the falling rain, / And the brook that leaps from hill to plain, / But better than rain or rippling streams / Is Water Hot that smokes and steams."

"...turn the veil all to glass and silver, until at last it was rolled back, and a far green country opened before him under a swift sunrise." - This is perhaps my favorite. It's taken from Chapter VIII, "Fog on the Barrow-Downs," and is actually a description of Frodo looking across the downs. Unlike the other three examples, whose meaning stayed the same even if the lines were in different places, this line is found in "The Return of the King," when Gandalf is describing death to Pippin. It is also found in the Annie Lennox song "Into the West" that plays during the credits. I find it hilarious that the beautiful, peaceful description that Gandalf gives to Pippin actually has nothing to do with death or the Undying Lands but is actually a description of a rather sinister place, the Barrow-Downs.

Yes, I know I'm a geek. So are all my friends, though. We were discussing this very subject last night, along with goofs from the movie, and cool camera tricks that were used in the films. What a fun Friday night. :-P

Movie Review: Ratatouille

2008-01-19T01:17:00.000-05:00

What can I say? "Ratatouille" definitely deserved the Best Animated Picture in the Golden Globes. At my friend Jack's urging, a group of us got together to watch the adorable, hilarious movie today. Jack had been raving about it for months, telling us repeatedly that he had gone to see it twice in the theaters, it was that good. Naturally, I was a bit skeptical. I have lost all trust in Disney movies. Occasionally they come out with something good, but most of their recent movies have been, let's face it, pretty trashy. I like most of their collaborations with Pixar, but I am getting sick of the CG animation. It's good in small amounts, but almost every animated movie uses this style, unless it's an anime, and it's getting fairly old.

"Ratatouille", however, was a fantastic movie. The story followed the predictable Disney curve. An outcast finds a place that he fits in but must hide his identity in order to remain there. Everything is going well until someone discovers his secret. There is an argument with his one ally and everything falls apart. Just when things hit rock bottom, the main character finds a way to fix the situation and everything turns out okay in the end. As I said, it's classic Disney. It is not the plot that makes it a great movie, though.

The movie is full of jokes that, surprisingly, had me laughing out loud. I would have been surprised at the content of some of the jokes had I not become accustomed to Disney's habit of sneaking somewhat mature material into their children's movies. They always seem to pull it off, though, and rather than roll my eyes, I actually chuckled a bit. Also, the graphics were fantastic. While the characters were very cartoony, some of the settings could have been mistaken for photographs. Not only that, but the soundtrack was incredibly enjoyable as well. All in all, it was a great movie and I would highly recommend it, even to those who don't enjoy animated movies (coughMOMcough). I will be entirely unsurprised when it wins the Oscar for Best Animated Picture in February.

Nobody's Funnier Than the Marx Brothers!

2008-01-16T16:43:00.000-05:00

How true, how true. Originally, I was going to do a review of the movie I watched in my Billy Wilder class, "Ninotchka," but it reminded me of the Marx Brothers, which caused me to crave their humor. So, an hour before the library closed, I took the shuttle down and rented two Marx Brothers movies. No matter how many times I watch them, the jokes never get old, and I've been watching them since I was about five years old. I loved the Marx Brothers when I was little, especially Harpo. His unique form of comedy, a blend of charades and slapstick (with a lot of wordplay thrown in), mixed with the fact that he was always the underdog made me grow to love him, so much that for a while I had an invisible friend named "Harpo."

The reason Harpo appealed to me as a child was that he was funny but intelligent. I never watched the Three Stooges, and once I finally saw one of their movies, I found them to be dull and repetitive. They were nothing compared to the Marx Brothers. The reason I compare them to Harpo is that out of the three brothers, his humor was the most stoogelike. There was slapstick and people getting hit over the head with hammers and all of that, but it was used in moderation and was mixed with a highly intelligent miming act that involved a lot of wordplay (example: he mimed the words "Bee" and "Twist" to communicate the name "Beatrice" to his brother, Chico). This was appealing to the my younger self because I could understand it. Most of Groucho's jokes went over my head, and Chico mostly interacts with the other two. His comedy comes from his interaction with other people rather than a solo act like his brothers. Granted, none of them would be as funny without the other two, but since Chico is a fast talker, he needs someone to play off of.

I think it is sad how few people these days have even heard of the Marx Brothers, specifically people in my generation. They were comic geniuses. They had trademark gags that were used in every movie, but their jokes were fresh and never got old. It wasn't like they did the same thing over and over again. Sure, the storylines of their movies were pretty formulaic, but the story wasn't the part that mattered. What mattered was the humor that the brothers brought to the film. So much in our culture has been affected by the Marx Brothers, and very few youngsters know the origins. For example, those plastic Groucho glasses, with the giant nose and the thick black eyebrows and moustache. Every child and young adult has seen them used somewhere, but none of them know who Groucho is. Or how about some of those famous Groucho quotes? "Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana." "One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know." Classics! Many people know these quotes, but a lot of them couldn't tell you where they're from. Or what about that classic scene from "A Night at the Opera"? You know the one I'm talking about. Chico, Harpo, and Allan Jones have stowed away in Groucho's suitcase, and his tiny room is very crowded. Suddenly, there's a knock on the door. The engineer comes in. More and more people knock on the door, and the tiny room is soon full of crew members, manicure ladies, waiters bearing food, housekeepers, etc. The boat is rocking back and forth, and everyone is being thrown from side to side. Harpo is, of course, managing to use this to climb all over the women. This scene has been imitated in many other films and tv shows. One day I was watching "The Disney Channel" and saw a parody of it on "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." How much would you bet that none of the young actors had any idea what they were imitating?

One of the wonderful things about the Marx Brothers is that they are timeless. Very few of their jokes are dated. Audiences today find them just as funny as audiences in the 1930s (if they're actually taking the time to watch their movies). Although we've heard similar humor in other things, it's never quite the same. After all, to quote the Aaron Sorkin show "Studio 60", "Nobody's funnier than the Marx Brothers." It's true. No matter how much people try, they cannot capture the quirky charm that those men had. You can repeat their jokes, but they're not quite as funny without the personalities, are they?

The other thing that I love about Marx Brothers movies is that they truly are great family films. My parents were very wise in showing those films to me as I was growing up. Now, when I say that they're family films, I'm not referring to the bright, sugar-coated "family films" that you see today. Those are children's films, and are very rarely engaging to the parents. No, the Marx Brothers are true family films, meaning they appeal to people of all ages. Adults can enjoy Groucho's wit, sarcasm, and innuendo while their children laugh at the antics of Harpo and Chico. The best part is that Groucho's jokes, while adult, are subtle enough to go right over the children's heads. So while the meaning of the joke may be inappropriate for young people, it is so veiled in innuendo that there is no way that they will figure it out. This way, parents can enjoy side splitting adult humor without having to struggle to find a time when the kids are in bed. How often do you find a movie like that?

I'm almost done, but I'd just like to mention something about the music. As I said, Marx Brothers movies are intelligent. They always involve some sort of musical number, often sung by the male romantic lead, but there is always that part of the movie where Chico plays the piano and Harpo plays the harp. Now, when Chico plays, it is fun and energetic. He never took piano lessons seriously, so while he is incredibly talented, playing piano is something of a joke to him. His form is terrible but very fun to watch, and it is more of a spectacle than a showcase of an amazing piano piece. My favorite part, though, is when Harpo sits down to play the harp. Even as a child, I loved this part. I think it's because Harpo is such a clownish character that it's nice to see him being serious for a few minutes. It grounds him in reality and shows the viewers his humanity. You see, Harpo was always the music lover of the family, but Chico was the one who got to take piano lessons. So Harpo taught himself to play the harp and became incredibly good at it. Whereas Chico's piano playing is sort of a continuation of the humor in the film, Harpo's harp solos are beautiful and moving. He is concentrating intently, and you can see in his face how much he loves playing. It's enough to bring tears to your eyes, and it's a nice little break from laughing so much. A Marx Brothers movie without Harpo playing the harp is no good. (As a side note, never watch "Room Service." I thought it would be good because it was a Marx Brothers movie with Lucille Ball, but it was terrible. She wasn't given any funny lines, and none of the Marx Brothers' regular gags were used in the movie. They didn't even play any music!!)

So if you want a good, family friendly laugh, go rent a Marx Brothers' movie. I would especially recommend "A Night at the Opera", "A Day at the Races", and "Horse Feathers." Also, if you want a really funny one with almost no plot but a lot of great jokes, watch "Monkey Business." It'll crack you up.

Movie Review: The Core

2008-01-11T01:27:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure the only thing that I can say about this movie is "WTF?!" It's a sci-fi movie about a fictional scenario where the outer core of the earth stops spinning threatening our very existence and a team of scientists and astronauts has to build a ship to go in and restart the core. All the science in it is completely faked and there are so many errors that it's not even funny. Well, actually, it's completely and utterly hilarious. The movie stars Hilary Swank and Aaron Eckhart, and the acting is absolutely horrendous. You could basically boil it down to people looking serious and occasionally screaming, "I'M IN EMOTIONAL PAIN!" Well, not really, but that's how it comes across. Also, the errors are just hilarious because they're really basic things that could be fixed simply by looking the information up on Google, such as listing incorrect latitude and longitude coordinates for the United Nations, placing it in Belize City, Belize, or informing the audience that the Marianas Trench is located in the South Pacific rather than the North Pacific. I have to say, though, my favorite goof is this:

"At about 9 minutes into the film, when the pigeons are all dying, the people run from Trafalgar Square into a building with large windows at the front. Moments later, we see several birds striking and breaking the windows. If you watch carefully, you will see that at least two of the birds that hit the window are, in fact, fish."

That's right, folks. They threw fish at the window and tried to pass them off as birds. I mean, HONESTLY. This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen, but it's worth watching if you want some good laughs.

For more goofs, check out imdb. They're pretty funny.

Golden Globes Cancelled!!!

2008-01-10T01:23:00.001-05:00

That's right, the Golden Globes have been cancelled. Rather than having a huge banquet and ceremony, they will be announcing the winners at a press conference on January 13th. I believe that this has something to do with the writer's strike, although I will have to do more research to confirm that. I only just read it on their site a few minutes ago. I have to say that I am very disappointed. I'm one of those weirdoes who actually enjoys watching awards shows and will sit down and watch them straight through. I was really looking forward to the Golden Globes, and it was a blow when I found out that they had been cancelled. I still support the writers, though, and feel that my disappointment is a small price to pay for their cause. However, I am really hoping that the Oscars will not be affected. I wait all year for them and will be incredibly unhappy if they are cancelled as well.

For more information, check out the official Golden Globes website.

Movie Review: I Am Legend

2008-01-10T01:10:00.000-05:00

I'm not a huge fan of the zombie movie genre, but I watched "I Am Legend" tonight, and I have to say that I was impressed. It wasn't so much a movie about zombies as a movie about the survival of Dr. Robert Neville and his struggle to find a cure to the terrible disease that caused people to begin behaving that way. Zombies isn't even the right term for them, actually. Rather than being the living dead, they are people who have been infected by a mutated measles virus and turned into vicious creatures who can only come out at night. Despite the fact that this premise comes across as a horror movie, it was a very emotional film. It was engaging and suspenseful, and there were several times that it nearly brought tears to my eyes. Overall, I thought it was a fantastic movie. I would not recommend it for children or people who are easily disturbed, however. It contains some fairly horrific themes and parts that are difficult to watch. Still, I enjoyed it immensely.

Billy Wilder

2008-01-08T19:46:00.000-05:00

So one of the classes that I'm taking this semester is a class examining the works of film director Billy Wilder. Now, when I signed up for the class, I had no idea who Billy Wilder was. It just sounded like an interesting class. When I told my mom, though, she said, "Isn't he the guy who directed Some Like It Hot?" THAT got me even more excited. I watched Some Like It Hot with my best friend several years ago because I'm a Jack Lemmon fan, and I thought it was hilarious. In fact, according to the American Film Institute, it's the #1 comedy of all time. Billy Wilder is incredibly good at writing witty dialogue.

Not only is his writing funny, though, he himself was very funny in person. We watched a film called "Billy Wilder Speaks," where his friend and fellow director Volker Schlöndorff set up a camera and interviewed him at his office for two weeks. It's not a very professional interview, which in a way is good because it gives you an idea of what he was really like. In the video, he was very honest and relaxed, never too insulting about the actors he worked with, but also never patronizing. I wish I'd had the sense to copy down some of the things he said, because he made me laugh pretty hard. However, I do have some quotes from imdb, so here they are. Enjoy! (and check out his movies).

"Anyone who doesn't believe in miracles isn't a realist."

"It was a very tiny little thing. All of his theories were based on the analysis of very short people!" (Upon seeing Sigmund Freud's therapy couch)

"They say Wilder is out of touch with his times. Frankly, I regard it as a compliment. Who the hell wants to be in touch with these times?"

"A director must be a policeman, a midwife, a psychoanalyst, a sycophant, and a bastard."

"Breasts like granite and a brain like swiss cheese." (On Marilyn Monroe)

"Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else's."

"France is the only country where the money falls apart and you can't tear the toilet paper."

Hooray for Viggo Mortenson!

2008-01-07T17:39:00.000-05:00

Being a huge Lord of the Rings geek, I have had a soft spot for Viggo Mortenson since the movies came out. He's a fantastic actor who completely dedicated himself to the role of Aragorn. Talent aside, I often find myself disappointed in actors. They have so much money and influence in this country, yet so few of them use it well. In my mind, actors have an obligation to use the resources that the rest of us lack to really make a change. Rather than simply donating to charities or saying that, yes, this is an issue that needs to be dealt with, why don't they step up and take some more action? It's not like they lack the funds. However, from the very beginning of his stardom, Viggo Mortenson has been the exception. When the U.S. went into Iraq, he was one of the most vocal celebrities, using his Lord of the Rings press conferences to express his views on the situation and signing the Not In Our Name petition. A couple of years later, he joined Cindy Sheehan in Texas as she camped outside Bush's ranch for a month in protest of the war. Now, he is fighting the corruption and injustice in our election system, protesting the fact that Dennis Kucinich was kept out of the last democratic debate, and throwing his weight behind the movement to impeach Dick Cheney. He gained my respect years ago, but it has increased immensely with this latest act. He is a truly inspirational person, and I hope I get the chance to meet him and tell him so someday. I also hope that other actors follow his lead and begin fighting for what they believe in.

Here is the article on his latest activism, if you have any interest in reading it.

I'm Back!

2008-01-01T16:15:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't written in a while. Things have been very busy. They're still busy, in fact, so to tide people over, I'd like to post another review of "The Golden Compass," which I saw again last night. I got many positive comments in response to my review, so I'd like to direct people to another review that I found to be spot on. This is a review from a paper in Madison, WI, that I found online. It pretty much captures how I felt about the movie and does it very eloquently. Enjoy!

Let's play tag!

2007-12-17T01:15:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged for a meme by my dad, so here are 5 Little Known Facts About Me.

1. Strangely, like my dad, I ALSO have a group of freckles shaped like the Big Dipper (missing 1 or 2 of the stars). Mine is on my left shoulder, though.

2. I have a massive scar on my stomach from spilling boiling water down my front last year. It was the last day of winter break, and I was stressing out about calculus. As a result, I wasn't paying as much attention I should have, and the pot that I was pouring the water out of slipped and splashed the water all down my front. I got my shirt up off my stomach, so the burn wasn't as bad as it could've been, but the waistband of my jeans got completely soaked and my stomach was burned pretty badly. It's not really noticeable now, but I still think it looks horrible.

3. I am a jigsaw puzzle master.

4. I played Princesses in my neighbors' backyards until I was 13. We still have lots of inside jokes from back then.

5. I played Templeton the rat in my high school's play of Charlotte's Web last spring. It was really fun.

I tag Crayons and PoodleDoc.

Movie Review: The Golden Compass (SPOILER ALERT!!)

2007-12-07T22:51:00.000-05:00

Sorry, but I can't write this review without some spoilers. Stop reading now if you don't want to know anything about the movie. So, first of all, I have to say that I had very low expectations for this movie. I love love love the book, and what with all the disappointing movie adaptations that I've seen over the years, I didn't expect this one to be any good. Not only that, but the trailers made it seem like they had completely changed the theme of the story, which really bugged me.

That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. It followed the plot of the book pretty well, and Dakota Blue Richards was a much better Lyra than I expected. Also, the clips of the scenery that they showed in the trailers were somewhat misleading. For the most part, I really enjoyed this movie, and I think that everyone should go see it (ignore the reviews, they're never right about movies anyway).

There were a couple things that bugged me. For one thing, the movie seemed a little rushed. Not just to me, but to my friends as well. I think this was because they were trying to fit as much into the movie as possible. I think I'll have to see it a second time to see how it sits with me, but I did like that they didn't cut out too much from the books. Another thing that bugged me was that they changed a couple of the characters around. It's not that big of a deal, and I can't say who it was without giving away the movie, but let's just say that in the book, Billy Costa's daemon isn't named Ratter. Ratter meets the same fate in the book and the movie, but he has no relation to Billy Costa at all. The third thing that bugged me was that everything seemed a little...cartoonish. It was too bright of a movie for my liking, and I felt that it should have been darker and dirtier, especially in the city. Also, they changed Iofur Raknison's name to Ragnar Sturlusson, but I think that was so people who hadn't read the book didn't confuse him with Iorek Byrnison.

The cast, I thought, was phenomenal. It included a lot of very well known people, such as Ian McKellan, Christopher Lee, Nicole Kidman, and Daniel Craig, as well as newcomer Dakota Blue Richards who, as I mentioned before, did a really good job. However, I didn't feel like there was enough character development in the movie. Because they didn't cut much out, everything went so fast that there wasn't really time for the audience to develop an emotional connection with the characters. Also, everything was told rather than shown, which is something that really shouldn't be done in filmmaking or writing. The dialogue is important, but if they tell you everything, it just doesn't work out. As a result, I felt like a non-reader wouldn't quite grasp the concept of things like daemons and Dust. I mean, they tell you what it is, but you don't really GET it, if you know what I mean.

Now, I know I said they followed the book faithfully. This is true up to a point. However, the entire ending was cut off, which really pissed me off. I've been reading reviews on imdb, and other fans, it seems, feel exactly the same way. It would appear that the common audience reaction is, "WHAT THE HELL?! THEY CAN'T END IT THERE!" According to interviews with both Philip Pullman (the author), and Chris Weitz (the director), they changed the ending because they felt that it would make more sense if they put that part at the beginning of the second movie (if they make a sequel. It all depends on how much money this one makes). I disagree, however. I think that ending the movie where the book ends is crucial to the development of the characters of Lyra, Ms. Coulter, and Lord Asriel. I also think that if they're trying to follow the books as precisely as they did in the first movie, they're going to run out of time because now they are going to have to put in this huge, important event from the first movie as well as the entire second book. It's just very very frustrating. Also, it makes the ending of the movie all sugary sweet and happy, which really doesn't fit with the books at all. The books are super dark, and the movie was pretty bright and cheery.

All in all, the movie was better than I expected, but I wish that they had taken their time more. I feel like if they had cut out some less important stuff and taken their time with the more important stuff. Show, don't tell, would have been a good rule for them to follow. I also wish the movie were darker. Since I went with low expectations, I liked the movie more than I expected. However, it seemed kind of like they were trying to recreate the feel of LOTR, even to the point of having similar cinematography. Too bad Chris Weitz couldn't recreate Peter Jackson's understanding of good storytelling. "The Golden Compass" was better than most movie adaptations, but it could have been a lot better. I still recommend that you see it, though, if only so they have enough money to make a sequel. If I don't get to see Will and the Mulefa and the end of this trilogy, I will be very upset.

Oh, I forgot to mention, they handled the problem of the Church and the supposed "anti-Christian" messages really well. Philip Pullman isn't anti-religion, he's just against the problems caused by organized religion. We all know the church has gotten away with some pretty brutal stuff in the past. As for the movie, they just called the Church "the Magesterium" for the entire movie and referred to Adam and Eve as "Our Ancestors." It was a very masterful manipulation of language, although I wonder if the non-readers have any idea what is going on.
Anyway, check out "The Golden Compass." Okay, I'm done now.

Movie Review: Meet the Robinsons

2007-11-28T01:31:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know what you're thinking. "Not another cutsie animated movie." I have to admit, I didn't expect much from this movie. I mean, I ENJOY cutsie animated movies, but the plot lines and gags get a bit old after a while. However, this movie was much better than I expected. The jokes were fresh, and the message was very sweet. I mean, yeah, it was kind of predictable, but it was also sweet and highly entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now, if you're a die-hard animated movie hater (like certain PARENTS I could mention), you probably won't like it, but if you occasionally enjoy a cute, animated film, I would strongly recommend this one.

Back to Work

2007-11-27T17:35:00.001-05:00

So Thanksgiving is over, and now it's back to school for me. Not much has changed in the past week. My roommate downloaded new music but since she only listens to R&B, it all basically sounds exactly the same as the music that she listened to before. Luckily I got a new pair of headphones which are louder than my old pair, so I am successfully drowning out her music with my own. I got new music as well, NOT in the same genre that I had before...er...well, since I listen to many genres of music, that's not exactly true. Let's just say that it doesn't all sound the same. I got some new Enter the Haggis (or older ETH, I should say), which is exciting. They are definitely one of my favorite bands of all time. I also followed Brian's advice and downloaded some Radiohead and Leonard Cohen. Can you tell I'm a fan? :-P Other than that, my week at home was pretty uneventful. We have a new dog, Molly, and she's a sweetheart, if a little high strung. It's nice to be back at school in my regular routine, but I'm not looking forward to the school work. It was nice to have a break.

Home for the Holidays!

2007-11-19T18:15:00.000-05:00

Tonight I'm going to get on a train, and I will get home tomorrow afternoon. Yay! I am looking forward to eating a home cooked meal (mac & cheese, mommy?), seeing my friends and family, getting my Enter the Haggis tshirt from my dad (signed by the band!), and, most of all, NOT HAVING TO LISTEN TO MY ROOMMATE'S MUSIC FOR A WEEK! I am so sick of R&B, it's not even funny. Finally, some music variation (you see, even if I put on my headphones and listen to my music, I can still hear hers, and it ruins it). Other than that, we get along quite well, but I'm seriously hoping that she's going to get some new music over break. If I have to hear her 20 favorite songs ever again, I'm going to go crazy. Okay, my rant is done now.

Pushing Daisies

2007-11-17T03:17:00.000-05:00

Possibly the cutest, wittiest show on television right now, "Pushing Daisies" is a must see. It's playing on ABC and stars Lee Pace, Anna Friel ("Goal!"), Kristin Chenowith ("Wicked"), and Ellen Greene ("Little Shop of Horrors"). The basic idea is that Ned can touch dead people and bring them back to life, but if he leaves them alive for more than a minute something else has to die to take their place. Also, if he touches them again, they are dead forever and nothing can bring them back. Ned works with Private Investigator Emerson Cod to solve murders (by asking the victims who killed them) and collect the reward. One of the murders Ned has to solve is the murder of his childhood sweetheart, but once he wakes her up, he can't bring himself to make her dead again. Although they are in love, he is unable to touch her or she will be dead forever, which causes some complications in their relationship. This may sound lame or somewhat morbid, but it is actually a very clever show. The dialogue is made up of silly and witty banter, and there are many little digs at society (such as the designer of a new, eco-friendly car who drives a Hummer). Not only that, but the ridiculous coincidences, bright colors, and clever jokes keep the show from turning into a morbid and horrifying crime show. I would strongly recommend checking it out, even if you think that you won't like it. One of my friends was skeptical, but now she's hooked. Go figure. It's even child friendly.

It's all about me

2007-11-11T19:00:00.001-05:00

So my mommy tagged me for a Meme. I guess I'm supposed to tell you 10 Random Things About Me. And, honestly, who WOULDN'T want to know more about me? :-P So, here goes:

1. My favorite animal is a raccoon. There was a family living under the deck at my grandparents' old house, and I used to watch them for hours. My grandma fed them, and they would come right up to the glass doors if they didn't know you were watching them. It was so cool.

2. I used to be a huge Lord of the Rings geek (and still am, secretly). I can tell you just about anything about the movies and the books. So, if you have a question about LOTR, you know who to ask. :-)

3. My two favorite places to be are doing theater or at a Quaker Teen Retreat (which I am, sadly, too old for now).

4. I have a major fear of sharks. Seriously, I can't even watch kids movies with underwater attacks without freaking out.

5. I HATE eggs. I think they're the most disgusting food on the planet. I don't mind them as ingredients in cakes and stuff, but any kind of eggy food (scrambled eggs, omelets, quiche, etc.) makes me feel sick. Even the smell of them makes me sick.

6. My guilty pleasure is chick lit/flicks. I love sappy, romantic movies and books, no matter how awful they are. Well... there is such a thing as too awful to stand, but very rarely do I find something like that.

7. I love to sing.

8. I used to want to be a Marine Biologist (what happened, you ask? Well, the shark phobia didn't help. Plus I hated science in high school and realized that the only reason I wanted to be a Marine Biologist was so I could play with dolphins. I'm more of an English/Arts person than a science/math person anyway)

9. I listen to all kinds of music, but I especially like soft rock. You know, stuff I can sing along with.

10. I know just about everything about movies, and if I don't know something, I will be on imdb within 5 minutes to look it up.

Um... I tag... crayons and Dr. Monkey von Monkerstein

Boo sundays!

2007-11-11T18:43:00.000-05:00

It's cold, it's rainy, I'm sick, and I have two exams tomorrow. Seriously, Sundays suck. (Alliteration. Go me! :-P) It's probably the most depressing day of the week. I mean, the weekend's over, and it's usually gray come winter time. I don't like Sundays. Nope. Not at all. Especially not when I have a cold. And two tests the next day. :-(

Movie Review: Half Nelson

2007-11-11T18:20:00.000-05:00

First off, let me say that THIS IS NOT YOUR ORDINARY TEACHER MOVIE. (You hear that, Mom? :-P) It is not, I repeat, NOT, about a rich white teacher whose revolutionary and controversial teaching style changes the lives of his poor, inner city students. If you want to see a movie like that, go watch "Freedom Writers" or something.
However, if you are looking for a bittersweet movie about real people with real problems and the connections that they develop, then this movie is for you. It's about the relationship that cocaine addict teacher Dan Dunn develops with one of his students and how they take care of one another. It's an amazing movie, and Ryan Gosling definitely deserved the Oscar nomination (although I still maintain that the award was rightfully awarded to Forrest Whittaker). Anyway, this movie is fantastic. The storyline is very realistic and easy to relate to (on some level), and the camera work is PHENOMENAL. I really enjoyed watching it. Plus it has a lot of good political comments in it. Apart from the drug addiction, Ryan Gosling's character reminds me of some of the teachers that I had growing up. My mom has a problem with movies that show how one teacher is going against the grain and teaching students who otherwise didn't want to learn because she says that there are tons of teachers doing that every day. This movie doesn't do that. It's more about how everyone has problems and we need to reach out to one another or we won't survive. I don't want to give anything else away, but you should really go out and rent this movie. Note: It's not appropriate for children.

Movie Review: The Shawshank Redemption

2007-11-07T23:36:00.000-05:00

So, it turns out that a couple of my friends have never seen "The Shawshank Redemption." The rest of us were shocked, so we all watched it together last night. What a great movie. This was my second time seeing it, and it was just as good as, if not better than, the first time. Seriously, that movie is made of amazing quotes and wonderful acting. As my friend Zack said, "Morgan Freeman is God." (Get it? :-P) But seriously, he's an amazing actor, as is Tim Robbins. They both did a fantastic job in this movie, and the story itself is just phenomenal. (Why does Stephen King waste his time writing horror stories when he could be writing more stuff like this?) It's a heartbreaking movie, especially the whole thing with Tommy Williams. It makes me want to cry every time. And Brooks? (On a random side note, does anyone else think that Brooks looks a little like Hoggle from "Labyrinth", or is it just me?) Anyway, this is probably one of the best movies I've ever seen, and if you haven't seen it, you are seriously missing out. So go out and rent "The Shawshank Redemption." ...Only maybe don't watch it if you're just in the mood for something light and entertaining. This is for one of those times when you want to see something incredible.

Movie Review: The Usual Suspects

2007-11-06T01:38:00.000-05:00

Today in my film analysis class, we watched "The Usual Suspects." It's a 1995 crime drama with a twist, starring Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, and Benicio Del Toro. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was hilarious and engaging. The banter and one liners were very witty. I have to say, I was slightly disappointed with the twist, because I called it. Although it made me feel great about myself that I had figured out this supposedly impossibly surprising twist, I felt a little let down. I mean, it's supposed to catch you completely unawares, but I figured it out pretty early on. I won't give anything away, but it's something to keep your eyes open for should you choose to watch it. All in all, it was a great movie. A little bloody, but very entertaining. I highly recommend checking it out.

Whale Rider

2007-11-04T15:46:00.001-05:00

Last night I had the sudden urge to watch the movie "Whale Rider" because I hadn't seen it in over a year. It's such a beautiful movie, and I highly recommend that anyone who hasn't seen it go out and rent it. It's worth it. However, I think it's even more important that everyone read the book. It is so much more detailed and beautiful than the movie. That's the nature of these things. You can't fit everything into a movie, so some important things get cut. In this case, it is Kahu's uncle Rawiri's trip to Australia and Papua New Guinea, which opens his eyes to racism and shows him what the world is really like. (For those who have seen the movie, in the book the main character, Paikea, is actually named Kahu. Both Paikea and Kahutia Te Rangi were names for the ancient Whale Rider). The characters are very different in the movie, too. In the book, Nanny Flowers, Kahu's grandmother, is more of a comical character, and Rawiri is the leader of a biker gang. As for Kahu's grandfather, Koro, he is much more indifferent to her in the book. In the movie they excuse his behavior a little bit, but in the book he shows almost no affection to Kahu despite all her efforts to get his attention. It is very sad. All in all, both the book and the movie are very good but, as is often the case, the book is much better. In fact, ever since they made the movie, the book has been permanently added to the curriculum for New Zealand schools. How cool is that? I really want to read the book, but sadly, I don't have a copy here. My mom's best friend's copy is sitting on my bookshelf at home (you should probably give that back to her, mom), and I don't want to bring it here. I found a copy online for $5 which I am considering ordering, but I want to think it over before I buy anything. Money is tight in college, after all. Still, I can spare $5, right? Haha. Now go and read! I command you!

Movie Review: The Hills Have Eyes

2007-11-01T02:18:00.000-04:00

So, in the spirit of Halloween, a bunch of people on my floor got together to watch scary movies tonight. Now, I hate scary movies. I've never liked them. I'm a bit of a wimp. Anyway, they told me that they were watching "The Hills Have Eyes" and that I should come and join them. I went with some trepidation (I do not want to have nightmares for the next month), but it turns out they were watching the ORIGINAL movie from 1977. So I decided to sit it out, figuring it couldn't be THAT bad. I was completely right. It was one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. The blood was literally red paint, and the mutant people or whatever they were looked like poor representations of Native Americans. It was quite racist, in fact. Here were these tribal type cannibal crazy people attacking a cute little white family where the children have blond hair and blue eyes. It was pretty ridiculous. Not only that, but the family was soooo dumb. Seriously, they just kept doing one stupid thing after another, and the girl would not shut up. She just screamed and screamed and whimpered and screamed even when she wasn't getting attacked. I mean, okay, yeah, that's pretty emotionally scarring, but do you have to be so loud about it? I'm pretty sure I would just curl up in a corner or something, not scream my lungs out. Especially when there are these mutant people roaming around. I mean, you don't want to give away your location, do you? As I said, the people were really stupid. It was great because the smartest being in the movie was the dog. Seriously, that dog was amazing. It would sneak up behind the mutant people and push them off cliffs and stuff. It even was smart enough to steal one of their massive walkie talkies (yes, the mutants had walkie talkies), and bring it back to the family so they could spy on the mutants. I'm telling you, that was one smart dog. Watching that movie, though, was like watching an episode of Mystery Science Theater or something. It was pretty amazing. The dialog was terrible and the acting was even worse. So, if you want a good laugh, go out and rent this movie. It won't let you down (although it's probably funnier if you watch it with a big group of friends).

I hate rain

2007-10-26T13:50:00.000-04:00

It's rainy and cold. I was packing my backpack for school today and thought, "I don't need my umbrella." On my way to class, it started pouring. Go figure. Gray weather makes me tired and unmotivated. All I want to do is curl up in my bed and watch a movie. Luckily, it's a Friday, so I don't have to worry about homework until tomorrow. Right now, I am listening to "Northampton," the newest Enter the Haggis CD. It is cheering me up immensely. They are all so ridiculously talented. I can't wait to see them live!

Midterms are over!

2007-10-25T12:51:00.000-04:00

I am finally done with all my midterms. What a relief! I was pretty stressed there for a while. Seriously, if I have to write another essay about why Hamlet isn't a tragic hero or something along those lines, I am going to cry. Besides, Kenneth Branagh has ruined Hamlet for me. I don't even like THINKING about that play anymore. The best way to ruin Shakespeare is to see a terrible performance. Just ask anyone who saw my high school's production of "Romeo & Juliet." Anyway, I'm rambling now, but just be thankful that you don't have to take midterms (if you're out of school). They ruin your life.

Some advertising

2007-10-24T12:50:00.000-04:00

This is Enter the Haggis. They are one of my favorite bands of all time. Go out and listen to their music. Also, check out their new blogs! Each member started a blog this year, and they're worth checking out. Here's Brian's blog. You can find all the others on his side bar. Check them out! :-)

I'm Keanu Reeves...

2007-10-23T19:13:00.000-04:00

Last night I watched "The Matrix Revolutions" with the people who live on my floor, and we had a good laugh at Keanu Reeves' lack of talent. He has one expression that conveys all his emotions, except the only thing it really conveys is, "I'm Keanu Reeves..." And (spoiler) we decided that the real reason that they decided to burn out Neo's eyes was to avoid having to try and make Keanu look sad when Trinity died. I mean, he looked exactly the same with the blindfold on as with it off. Blank. So it was easier to cover his eyes than try and get him to show some real emotion. Haha.

Omigod!

2007-10-13T17:12:00.000-04:00

Today I watched, "Legally Blonde: The Musical" on MTV. It was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. But totally wonderful. To give you an idea of how ridiculous it was, the songs are named things like "Omigod You Guys", "Bend and Snap", and "Whipped into Shape". It's halfway making fun of the movie "Legally Blonde" and musicals in general and halfway serious. If you like musicals, it's pretty great. And the best part? Emmett, the Luke Wilson character (if you've seen the movie) is played by Christian Borle, who played Herbert in the original cast of "Spamalot". Basically, I love him just for that. I couldn't watch him in "Legally Blonde" without imagining him singing "Where Are You?" in that ridiculous Herbert voice. It was amazing. So, if you like musicals and don't mind when things are corny and silly, definitely watch "Legally Blonde: The Musical". It's on again tomorrow night...hint hint.

Warning: DO NOT see this movie!!

2007-10-09T18:49:00.001-04:00

Okay, I will admit that I have not actually SEEN the movie "The Seeker" nor do I intend to. I have, however, seen the trailer (it made me cry), and I LOVE the book "The Dark is Rising" on which the movie was based. When I first discovered that they were making a movie of it, I screamed. Literally. Ask my parents. You see, "The Dark is Rising" was one of the books on my list of movies that I would like to make. It would make a FANTASTIC movie if done well. It is a marvelous story. So, although I was upset that someone else had beat me to it, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. I mean, sure, it looked like yet another stale, packaged Hollywood fantasy movie, but I could be wrong.

Unfortunately, I was right. The trailer made me cry, as I mentioned before. I mean, they made Will Stanton AMERICAN! When the whole story is based on Welsh mythology! The outcries of angry fans resounded across the IMDB message boards. Also (spoiler alert) his brothers are terribly mean to him. Not the case in the book. Will's family is supposed to be loving and supportive. Now, normally I don't put much stock in movie reviews, but when 82% of reviewers say this movie sucked and the average movie goers (from die-hard "Dark is Rising" fans to those who have never even heard of the books) agree...well, the information is in front of you, folks.

I might be able to cut the movie some slack if the filmmakers even cared a TINY BIT about the story. However, the director, David L. Cunningham, has said that he doesn't even think the books provide good movie material and that he doesn't, in fact, even like fantasy movies OR movies for children. So why on Earth did he decide to turn this wonderful, classic story into one of the worst examples of children's fantasy film? Not only that but Ian McShane who played Merriman Lyon, the mentor character, didn't even WANT the role. Please explain to me why a director who doesn't like the material and an actor who dislikes his character decided to go ahead and make this movie anyway. It all translates into money, and it is disgusting.

So, let's recap. Unenthusiastic crew and cast. Doesn't follow the story remotely (not only are important characters changed. Some very important characters are reportedly missing from the movie entirely). Lots of plot holes (according to just about every review I've read). This movie makes the 4th Harry Potter movie look good, and that's pretty hard to do.

Movie Review: "Mon Oncle"

2007-10-01T23:44:00.001-04:00

For my film analysis class, we watched "Mon Oncle" as an example of a movie where the plot is pretty much superfluous and the setting is the most important part. It was made in 1958 by Jacques Tati, and it's a wonderful movie. It was very funny, but not necessarily in the laugh out loud way that we're used to today. "Mon Oncle" contrasts modern and old Paris in the 1950s and gently pokes fun at both lifestyles. I have to say, though, the old fashioned life style is a lot more appealing. I absolutely LOVE Mr. Hulot's house. If you watch the movie, you will understand. Since it's neither plot or character oriented, there's not much to say about it. Or, rather, there's not much to say that can fully describe the movie. It's kind of...Charlie Chaplinesque in a way, but Mr. Hulot isn't as overly comic as Chaplin is. The best thing I can think to say about the movie is this: Imagine you (the viewer) are a character in the movie. Or, better yet, imagine the characters are real people. When you walk down the street and pass people, you don't know anything about them outside of that singular experience. You don't know what's going on in their head or if they have some deep inner turmoil. The characters in "Mon Oncle" are the same way. There's no big character development or even much of a story line. It's simply a slice of life from Paris in the late 1950s. It's very beautiful, and if you don't mind slower movies, I would highly recommend it.

Quote of the Day

2007-09-20T12:59:00.000-04:00

"Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing." - Man Without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut

My friend Jack loaned me this book to read, and it's hilarious. He also loaned me about 3000 pages worth of French classics. My "homework" is to read "Le Miserables", "The Count of Monte Cristo", and "The Man in the Iron Mask." That's in addition to my REAL homework. Thank you, Jack. I'm glad you're looking out for my intellectual well being. Not. :-P

Why I Hate Hamlet and Kenneth Branagh

2007-09-19T23:53:00.001-04:00

So last year for our last project in English we had to read the play "Hamlet", watch two movie interpretations, and write an analytic essay about the movies in comparison to the play and one another. Now, the essay part didn't bug me at all. I love film analysis essays. The problem was, we had to watch this god-awful 5 hour movie directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh. All the actors were good actors, but the movie was just put together and directed horribly. The actors were either screaming or whispering, the lighting was almost fluorescent, the soundtrack didn't fit the action at all, and Kenneth Branagh was far too charismatic to play Hamlet. Ever since then, I've held a grudge against Kenneth Branagh (despite the fact that I enjoyed "Dead Again"), and even the mention of the play "Hamlet" has made me frustrated. Cut to this year. We were assigned "Hamlet" for my Intro to Drama class. I skimmed it to refresh my memory and turned in the summary that we were assigned. I didn't bother reading the entire thing because I'd already read it twice and watched three film interpretations of it. I got full credit on my summary, and we were going over the play in class when our professor announced that we were going to watch the "closet scene" from three different films. I thought, "Hmm, I'm guessing Mel Gibson, Kenneth Branagh, and Ethan Hawke." I was right. As soon as Branagh's name was announced I started getting frustrated. And when we watched it I wanted to scream. HE'S SO OVERDRAMATIC! It drives me nuts! He's too forceful for Hamlet! Hamlet is supposed to be emo and sulky and indecisive! Grr. So now all of you guys get to hear my angry rant. Lucky you.

Quote of the Day

2007-09-12T15:02:00.001-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Things have been crazy. Here's today's quote.

"Stop displacing your thingy stuff!" - Nel

I believe the word you're searching for is "anger", my dear. Tempers run high and vocabulary goes down the drain when you're up until all hours making papier mâché eggs for "Charlotte's Web". Luckily, nothing diffuses a tense situation like your best friend saying something ridiculous.

Quote of the Day #2

2007-09-09T23:42:00.000-04:00

This is Sunday's official quote.

"I'll draw a smiley face on your forehead, bitch!" - Laurel

My friend Laurel gets crazy during English class. Haha.

Quote of the Day #1

2007-09-09T02:42:00.000-04:00

Even though it's REALLY early on Sunday morning, let's just pretend it's still Saturday.

"Only boys who wear their wellies have a chance with me." - Gaelic Storm, "Kelly's Wellies"

"Kelly's Wellies" is a song about a boy who can't afford shoes so he has to wear Wellington boots all year round. All the other boys make fun of them, but Kevin Kelly gets his payback when they get to high school and all of the girls like him as opposed to the other boys.

I met Gaelic Storm!

2007-09-09T02:10:00.000-04:00

So today I went to Irish Fest because my favorite band, Gaelic Storm, was playing there. My friend Chloë went with me. She'd never heard Gaelic Storm before but thought it sounded really fun. When we got to the fairgrounds, Gaelic Storm was finishing their 4:30 show. We listened until they stopped playing, then went over and got in line for autographs. This was my 4th GS show, and I've already gotten their autographs 2 times before, so I decided to get my picture taken as well. I managed to get pictures with 3 of the members, (in order) Patrick Murphy, Pete Purvis, and Ryan Lacey. They're my favorite members, although I have a soft spot for Ryan because 2 years ago I went to one of their concerts at a bar back home, and my little sister really wanted to go but it was too late for her. I'd promised her that I'd get her their autographs, so I bought her a $2 bumber sticker and gotten the band to sign it. Everyone just signed their name when I told them who it was for, except for Ryan who wrote something along the lines of, "Grace, I'm sorry you couldn't be here. Ryan Lacey." It was really sweet. Anyway, back to today's show. So, after I got my picture taken with the band, Chloë and I walked around the fair grounds for a while. Then, at about 8:00, we went and stood at the front of the stage. Gaelic Storm wasn't playing until 9:30, and there was another band before them, but we knew that if we didn't get up there early, we weren't going to be able to get that close. The band who played first wasn't that good, and it was pretty uncomfortable because we were squished up against the barrier at the front and surrounded by drunk people. One guy spilled his beer on the back of Chloë's leg. It was gross. All that was worth it, though, because we had a great view of Gaelic Storm. For those who don't know, Gaelic Storm was the Irish band who played in the movie "Titanic." The members have changed a lot over the years, but the band currently consists of Patrick Murphy (Vocals, accordion, harmonica, spoons, bodhran), Steve Twigger (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Jesse Burns (fiddle), Pete Purvis (bagpipes, uilleann pipes, penny whistle, backup vocals), and Ryan Lacey (percussion, backup vocals). They're great on cd, but SO much fun to see live because they obviously really enjoy playing together and, also, Patrick is really really funny (as you can see by the picture he's quite the clown). The concert was, of course, amazing, but the coolest part was that Pat saw me and Chloë standing at the front of the stage and, recognizing us from earlier that afternoon, waved at us. Later, when the drunks were getting really rowdy, he looked at me again, winked, and crossed himself as if to say, "God help you." Haha. Finally, when they were singing the song "Drink the Night Away", they started throwing plastic Gaelic Storm shot glasses out to the crowd. Patrick grabbed one, pointed at me and tossed it to me, but, unfortunately, the guy next to me reached over and grabbed it out of the air. I was disappointed because that one was given to me specifically by Pat. There was nothing I could do, though, so I let it go. All in all, the concert was really fun and worth the $8 that I payed to get in. Plus, I was really thrilled by the whole "meet the band" and "Patrick recognizing Anna" things. Sometimes it pays to be one of the only sober people in the audience. I find that the band likes you more and is more interactive with you, if only because it means they can avoid interacting with the drunk people around you who are all striving to get their attention. Yay for being short, blond, and sober! :-P

Detroit, here I come?

2007-09-07T18:35:00.000-04:00

So, I've been invited to serve on the high school subcommittee for the 2008 FGC (Friends General Conference) Gathering in Johnstown, PA. The only problem is, the first meeting is held in Detroit, MI, in two weeks, while I'm going to school in PA, and the Johnstown meeting is going to be held in May, when I'm back home in the midwest, so the timing really sucks (That's right, mom, it SUCKS). However, it sounds like they're offering me full financial aid on my travel expenses (I'm making sure to clarify it before buying my plane tickets), so I may be able to serve after all. Yay! I'm excited, because I get to plan things like business meeting and the out-trip, even though I'm not in the high school group anymore. So, it looks like I'll be getting to do some free traveling. :-)

Quote of the Day

2007-09-07T11:57:00.001-04:00

"Shouldn't you be off spreading religiosity to the fuzzy wuzzies?" - Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds, "Firefly"

Mal doesn't take to kindly to religion, not since the rebels were defeated by the Alliance in the Battle of Serenity Valley despite his many prayers. He counters any of Shepherd Book's attempts to enlighten him with sarcasm and wit. Sigh. I love him.

Class cancelled?

2007-09-07T11:51:00.001-04:00

So, I went to my Astronomy lecture today, and there was nobody there. That's extremely odd, considering I was running a bit late and there are at least 300 people in my class. Usually by the time I get there, most of the seats are filled and the professor is up on the stage setting up his power point presentation and getting ready to begin the day's lecture. So, you can imagine how walking into an empty lecture hall threw me a little bit. There was no note on the door or anything, and I don't remember Professor Stein mentioning that class was either a) cancelled or b) being held in a different place. Well, what's a girl to do? I decided not to worry about it and instead went to the bank to clear up a money issue and got some lunch. I mean, it's not like they take attendance or anything, and the notes are always posted online. As long as I read the chapter in my textbook and do well on the tests, I'll be fine. Yay for more free time today! :-P

Music and Lyrics

2007-09-06T20:15:00.000-04:00

So, I just finished watching "Music and Lyrics" starring Drew Barrymore, Hugh Grant, and Brad Garrett. In general, I quite enjoyed it. It was a little cliché, as most romantic comedies are, but it was sweet and less formulaic than most. Hugh Grant was, well, Hugh Grant. Minus the jerk persona that he usually has in movies, though. His character, Alex Fletcher, a has been 80s pop artist, was very sweet and charming and not smarmy in the least. Drew Barrymore's character was neurotic but lovable. The music was very enjoyable, although by the time I finally saw the movie, the 80s pop (or should I say Pop!) video was a bit old. You see, my sister saw this movie several months ago and watched the music video nonstop on YouTube for a couple of weeks, so I'd already seen it, oh, about 10 times. Still, it was silly, and I quite enjoyed watching Hugh Grand prancing around with 80s hair. Anyway, back to the movie. The plot, as I said, was a little generic, but entertaining nonetheless. I'm a sucker for romance movies, anyway. :-P The dialogue was actually surprisingly good. There were some pretty witty lines in there. I did feel, however, that Drew Barrymore's inner conflict was a bit unresolved. They just kind of brushed over the subject. In fact, her whole storyline, her past, felt a bit forced. Other than that, though, it was a pretty good movie.

Quote of the Day

2007-09-06T16:13:00.000-04:00

"You can't stand on a wall! You'd get footprints all over the wallpaper!" - Big Bird, "Big Bird in China"

This is Big Bird's response to being informed that he is actually standing on the Great Wall. What a great guy. Smart, too.

The Band Downstairs

2007-09-06T16:09:00.000-04:00

So there is, apparently, a band living underneath me. I heard them practicing this weekend and was very confused as to where the music was coming from, but it soon became apparent that 1. it was live music, and 2. it was coming from the 9th floor. They're actually pretty decent. Anyway, I met one of the band members in the elevator today, and he very graciously asked me if we could hear them and if it was bothering us. He was wondering how much of the dorm they were annoying. :-P Well, it seems like it's only my room and maybe the rooms on either side of us that can hear them, so I told him it wasn't that bad. He said if they ever start annoying us, we should just go downstairs and knock on the door and tell them. The only problem is, he didn't know exactly which room they're in. Haha. Oh well. I'm sure we can figure it out, and they don't practice at unreasonable hours or anything. So, from now on, I will have the pleasure of hearing live music without having to even leave my dorm room or pay a single dollar. Well, other than the $5,000 or so that I'm spending on my dorm itself.

Quote of the Day

2007-09-05T12:48:00.000-04:00

Before I post my first "Quote of the Day", I'd like to explain where these quotes come from. I keep a small journal where I write down quotes that strike me. They can be funny or inspirational and come from many sources: movies, books, tv shows, my friends, myself. I'll also offer a short explanation if needed. So, on to the first quote!

"I like airplanes. I want ice cream!" - Nel Bailey

Nel is my best friend back home. This is an example of how her mind somehow jumps from one thing to another. Even I can't explain it, and I practically live with the girl. Haha.

First Post on My New Blog

2007-09-05T12:40:00.000-04:00

So this is the first post on my blog. I'm afraid it won't be very interesting. I don't have much to say. This week has been fairly uneventful, apart from the drunken football players wandering in and out of my room at random hours like 3 a.m. this weekend. (Not to worry, they're friends of my roommate and are very polite. Just drunk. :-P) Also, my friend Chloë and I have developed an addiction to the TV show "Firefly." Well, SHE'S developed an addiction. I've been addicted to it for quite a while and own all the DVDs. Unfortunately, Fox sucks and canceled it after only 12 episodes, so I've seen them all several times, and I'll have to wait until 2012 for the rights to expire and Sci-Fi to buy them and restart the show. Oh well. Such is life.