Let's play tag!

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!!)

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

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

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!

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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...

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!

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!!

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"

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.