September 13-19, 2009
I'm obviously still way behind but pretty unphased. I have work to do. While watching films is important, I'm graduating in May and have a demanding assistantship. Movies get pushed to the side.
515. Nothing But A Man. Awesome Motown music in this 1950s film inspired by the early Civil Rights Movement about a man tired of bowing and scraping to white men who all call him boy. It tries to tie in some fatherhood issues but misses that a bit. There was some verité-style photography as in it seemed more documentary-like. I'm very lukewarm about this film. 3 stars
516. Blue Vinyl. Documentary inspired by the filmmaker's concerns that the vinyl on her parents' house was not sustainable and might be toxic. Very annoying voice. As a result, I found it difficult to trust the things coming out of her mouth. It also didn't help that she didn't even have confidence in her own abilities to interview. Silly film with an attempt at a serious message. Needed more focus so it wouldn't feel 3 hours long. 2.4 stars
517. An Affair to Remember. Some fabulous clothes in this Cary Grant film about two people who fall in love on a ship, but both are already involved with others. Cary Grant can make a root canal look good. He's so awesome he makes medicine sick. Heeeey Cary wherever you are, heaven I'm sure. To be clear, I'm only open to an affair if it's with him. Lolol. Some of the musical breaks were way too long. Still I thoroughly enjoyed it. 4.2 stars
518. Scarred Justice: The Orangeburg Massacre 1968. Documentary had a strong start with very compelling pictures. Some great archival footage but not enough of the biggest and most dramatic events. Presented Orangeburg in a light I'd never considered: with two HBCUs, there was a highly educated black middle class which of course makes the town ripe for conflict which erupted into an incident which left with 3 dead black students and at least 25 injured in the 1960s who are rarely talked about. The re-enactments were cheesy. I know why they used them-- it's difficult to see the impact of the event with just descriptions. Claflin was introduced early on but then the film appeared to focus almost solely on SC State. Some of the best quotes were not on camera, though the ones leading up to it were. The story line felt haphazard when instead of focusing on Orangeburg, it lost focus when describing what was happening in the rest of the nation. Some of the most powerful images and words happened at the end which is unfortunate. 3.6 stars
519. Stevie. Documentary about the filmmakers little brother from the big brothers program who he came back to check on after I believe more than a decade later and found the man was accused of child m.olestation. Very engaging film. Well-edited, some nice photography. You could see, feel and hear the filmmaker's guilt about possibly exploiting the man who was once the lonely, abused 11-year-old boy he wanted to help. Nice story arc. I enjoyed the film as much as you can enjoy a film which deals with such heavy subjects with such openness from those involved. 4 stars
520. Billy Elliot. British film about a boy who decides to take up ballet instead of boxing to the chagrin of his father, a striking miner. To be a review cliché, he danced his way into my heart. Loved this movie. So cute. 4.5 stars
521. I'm No Angel. Did she just say, "Beulah, peel me a grape"? AND call her "Shadow." I can't. 1930s movies always rub me the wrong way because of the bending and scraping servant roles for blacks. "Yassum! Yassum!" I'd rather they had no roles than those demeaning ones. Mae West plays a performer in trouble with the law. She was a bad actress. You could FEEL her acting and this is the 2nd time I've seen her play essentially the same role in the exact same way: purring and moaning "kittenishly." They shouldn't even say Mae West & Cary Grant because he doesn't show up until the movie is more than halfway over. (It was early in his career.) Only mildly interesting slow-moving plot. 2.8 stars
522. 12 Angry Men. Film about a jury deciding on whether an 18-year-old accused of murder is guilty, which would send him to death but they all have other things to do than worry about a little murder. Henry Fonda bizarrely passed his looks down to his daughter. It's pretty creepy. Some very quality directing and photography. This made me again want to become a court-appointed attorney to save some of those innocent people getting horrible court-appointeds. But I have no desire to go to law school so some of you should go ahead and make that happen. I was really into this movie. Some ridiculous melodrama at the end which brought the rating down some but still 4.3 stars
523. Steal a Pencil for Me. Documentary about a Dutch man who wrote letters with his wife and girlfriend during the Holocaust, both of whom were in the same concentration camp with him. Though mostly in English, it was heavily-accented so I wish there were more subtitles. Some good archival footage. Very intriguing story because this story is rarely told from the Dutch perspective and because it's also a love story. Some really nice photography as well. The end got a bit off track because of the moving back and forth through time periods already covered but still a beautiful story. 4.4 stars
524. The Closet. French film about a man trying to connive his way into keeping his job-- by posing as a h.omosexual. "Light-hearted" music was heavy-handed in the beginning. The early plot evolutions and "twists" were way too obvious. I found the plot unbelievable though it got amusing toward the end. 3.3 stars
525. Sweet Charity. Shirley MacLaine shouldn't sing. She sounds terrible. It's not really even singing, but more like talking to music. They "Hey Big Spender" musical number (which was performed sans Shirls) was AWESOME!!! Someone also tell me the point of the audio slide moment where it was basically a picture montage of Shirls around the city. Lame. Indiscrimintate scene changes not apparently to advance the plot, but just because. I definitely see why Bob Fosse is considered such a great choreographer. But why are old school musicals so indulgently long? Sammy Davis, Jr. is hilarious. This made me want to watch everything he was ever in and that he hadn't died so early in my life. There was a scene with endless confetti... I'm gonna need that at some point in my life! I love confetti!! But let's do it at your place so I don't have to clean it up. Very unexpected ending I was shocked by and yet liked that I was shocked by it. That ending wasn't enough to make up for the length and Shirls' singing. 3.4 stars
9.20.2009
9.17.2009
I Know, I Know
You're saying to yourself, why has Jameil become a twice a week blogger? BECAUSE Y'ALL WON'T BLOG NEITHER!! AND SO WHAT!! MY TWICE A WEEK IS STILL BETTER THAN YOUR NEVER A WEEK!!
As hilarious as that statement and tirade was, that's a lie. I mean, it is better than your never a week, but school is back with a vengeance!! I come home on Tuesday and Wednesday after 5+ hours of class and Lord knows what else and have NO desire to do anything but something lazy. Ahh lazy.
This week? Monday I gave my first lecture (50 minutes) on the use of numbers and graphics in broadcast news. Sounds soooo boring but I promise I made it interesting! I included lots of examples that we discussed and I actually got a couple of good discussions going. And the professor said I did a really nice job and was a natural. Score!
Tuesday we had a 5-minute pitch for our thesis films, a presentation on a film website we liked, a presentation of a film clip similar in some way to our film and also how it was different, and a group rough draft of our proposal. MADNESS.
Wednesday we had to turn in a 2-3 minute representation of the style of our film. It is crazy how many HOURS it takes to produce a decent 2-3 minute sequence that we still want to work on. We got some really good feedback which will help for the pitch we have to give with a pitch tape to a group of filmmakers in two weeks. Which means another pitch preparation and more hours in our freezing cold editing lab. I know they have to keep it somewhat cold because of the heat generated by the equipment but Antarctica in that piece??? Geez!!! But at least John (my thesis partner) and I only have to share it with one other group in our department instead of like 40 or 50 undergrads.
I also participated in the Fastathon on campus where you pledge to not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset along with Muslims celebrating Ramadan and they will donate a meal to a homeless shelter in town on your behalf. They also give you a free meal of Indian food. I had nothing to eat or drink from 8:30 when I finally got up (not when my alarm went off) until 7:37pm!! There were bouts of it not bothering me but smelling food and coffee would set me off. Toward the end I got a little weak and very thirsty. My thirst still does not seem to have been quenched after lots of water but I feel pretty accomplished. Want to know my other temptations? My new, mostly unread, Rachael Ray magazine, one of the days I look forward to: NYT Dining section on Wednesday, a new magazine with a dining guide AND one of my professors made vegetarian, beef only, and beef and pork lasagna, chocolate chip cookies and salad. And of course this was all of an hour before the fast was supposed to end. You are all conspiring against me and I'm not gonna take it!! Lol.
In addition to accomplished I had a lot of energy once I finally ate and was crackishly energetic. It was really weird. I'm still kind of high off of it. I was chattering (talking, not shaking lolol) non-stop to the three people I talked to on the phone post-fast (my mom, Rashan and a soror in the law school I clicked with instantly in the 45 minutes we were on the phone in our initial conversation). Now that this week is "over" (no classes, but still plenty of work), I get to have a little fun!
Today I'm going to get my ticket for the Tennessee/UF game and who knows what else. How about catch up on some of those more than a dozen movies I'm behind? Interesting in theory... lolol. Tomorrow one of my classmates is having a gathering which I invited new fun soror to and she immediately accepted (down people rock! you down? Let's ride!) so that should be fun. Saturday is sorority meeting and... the game! It's my first Gators game and of course I'm worried about my outfit! Lol. I also want to get the full experience so I have to ask my classmate who I'm sitting with what I need to do to make that happen! Lolol. Sunday I think I need to RELAX!! Mellymell has not had a day of relaxation in way too long! Wow!! Let's get it!
As hilarious as that statement and tirade was, that's a lie. I mean, it is better than your never a week, but school is back with a vengeance!! I come home on Tuesday and Wednesday after 5+ hours of class and Lord knows what else and have NO desire to do anything but something lazy. Ahh lazy.
This week? Monday I gave my first lecture (50 minutes) on the use of numbers and graphics in broadcast news. Sounds soooo boring but I promise I made it interesting! I included lots of examples that we discussed and I actually got a couple of good discussions going. And the professor said I did a really nice job and was a natural. Score!
Tuesday we had a 5-minute pitch for our thesis films, a presentation on a film website we liked, a presentation of a film clip similar in some way to our film and also how it was different, and a group rough draft of our proposal. MADNESS.
Wednesday we had to turn in a 2-3 minute representation of the style of our film. It is crazy how many HOURS it takes to produce a decent 2-3 minute sequence that we still want to work on. We got some really good feedback which will help for the pitch we have to give with a pitch tape to a group of filmmakers in two weeks. Which means another pitch preparation and more hours in our freezing cold editing lab. I know they have to keep it somewhat cold because of the heat generated by the equipment but Antarctica in that piece??? Geez!!! But at least John (my thesis partner) and I only have to share it with one other group in our department instead of like 40 or 50 undergrads.
I also participated in the Fastathon on campus where you pledge to not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset along with Muslims celebrating Ramadan and they will donate a meal to a homeless shelter in town on your behalf. They also give you a free meal of Indian food. I had nothing to eat or drink from 8:30 when I finally got up (not when my alarm went off) until 7:37pm!! There were bouts of it not bothering me but smelling food and coffee would set me off. Toward the end I got a little weak and very thirsty. My thirst still does not seem to have been quenched after lots of water but I feel pretty accomplished. Want to know my other temptations? My new, mostly unread, Rachael Ray magazine, one of the days I look forward to: NYT Dining section on Wednesday, a new magazine with a dining guide AND one of my professors made vegetarian, beef only, and beef and pork lasagna, chocolate chip cookies and salad. And of course this was all of an hour before the fast was supposed to end. You are all conspiring against me and I'm not gonna take it!! Lol.
In addition to accomplished I had a lot of energy once I finally ate and was crackishly energetic. It was really weird. I'm still kind of high off of it. I was chattering (talking, not shaking lolol) non-stop to the three people I talked to on the phone post-fast (my mom, Rashan and a soror in the law school I clicked with instantly in the 45 minutes we were on the phone in our initial conversation). Now that this week is "over" (no classes, but still plenty of work), I get to have a little fun!
Today I'm going to get my ticket for the Tennessee/UF game and who knows what else. How about catch up on some of those more than a dozen movies I'm behind? Interesting in theory... lolol. Tomorrow one of my classmates is having a gathering which I invited new fun soror to and she immediately accepted (down people rock! you down? Let's ride!) so that should be fun. Saturday is sorority meeting and... the game! It's my first Gators game and of course I'm worried about my outfit! Lol. I also want to get the full experience so I have to ask my classmate who I'm sitting with what I need to do to make that happen! Lolol. Sunday I think I need to RELAX!! Mellymell has not had a day of relaxation in way too long! Wow!! Let's get it!
9.13.2009
Monday Mindspacing Vol. 16
1) I have a very specific NYT reading schedule for half of the week. Wednesday: NYT dining section, Thursday: Wife/Mother/Worker/Spy column, Friday: Social Q's column, Saturday: Modern Love column, Sunday: Vows. That doesn't mean I read nothing else, but on those days, those come FIRST!! (Barring breaking news, which goes unsaid among journos.)
2) I wish I smoked so I could blow smoke rings and have an awesome long cigarette holder. Both are great for drama which you may be surprised to know, in the non-lame ways, I love i.e. dramatic but not a drama queen.
3) Aspiring rappers over 25 are so wack. GET A REAL JOB. (Full disclosure: I've never liked aspiring rappers. Way too many guys think they are the next J.eezy when clearly they are not. You're not even destined for one-hit wonder status.)
4) I saw a woman with 2 earring holes in each ear who was about 55 and thought, "Maybe my parents were right about not wanting 2 earring holes because I wouldn't want them one day." Then I thought, "Clearly at 55 I will be way more fly than her and her whole family. And 2, why on earth would you wear teeny tiny dots of earrings in each hole?" Bor.ing. So my 4 holes are safe. I'm thinking as a documentarian I could probably carry at least one more, too. I might make that happen.
5) It's probably the hater in me but I really like when Stace deletes people who don't post enough from her blog roll.
6) De-swinify yourself. All the classrooms on campus apparently have hand sanitizer and a note on swine flu to keep you little nasties from infecting yourself and others. Amen to that!
7) I'm very territorial about journalism and now that's spread to docs. I believe in education in addition to experience and think a lack thereof is a reason why the media has such a high level of mistrust with its audience. With docs I've just seen way too many bad ones. Reality tv makes everyone think you can just pick up a camera and go.
8) I had Pollo Tropical for the first time and was utterly unimpressed by what I got for the money I paid. I've realized that the more I know what goes into cooking, the less forgiving I am when I eat out. And now there's a controversy on campus because apparently prices on campus are almost double what they are in other cities. Problem. Makes me never want to eat there again.
9) Greatest achievement is getting into UF. According to these TAs I share an office with (big mouths), they're trying to get some students to see college acceptance as a gimme, not an achievement. Even as a sophomore, there's NOTHING else????
10) Is it absolutely necessary for you to repeat yourself to me every time you see me? I get it.
11) Remember Microsoft clip art from like 1999? I've seen it at least 2xs in the last 2 months and both times I was like, "Er um a dum... what???" So bizarre.
12) I get creeped out when I see the back of my head. Like in pictures. It's really weird to me.
13) When people say they don't have time for something small, it always prompts an eye roll. You have time for whatever you want to make time for. No, you probably don't have time to build a 747 from scratch today, but I think you can watch one movie seeing as you're in college and have no kids. Know why I sometimes don't watch movies? Because I'm tired and I don't feel like it. Not because I don't have time. Semantics? Probably. Bratty? Almost certainly.
14) Watching movies is AWESOME for what it does to my class participation!!! Do you know multiple times in the last week my professors have talked about films where I was the only one or one of 2 people who had seen the film discussed? AWESOME!!! I rock so hard it hurts. Ouch.
15) Lastly, why, praytell did I come home the other day to find a dude jogging in place in the parking lot? And we live about 1/4 mile from the gym... And had the nerve to give me a look like, "Why are you driving?" IT'S A PARKING LOT!! My dude... Gone 'head and make forward motion happen. You look crazy. CUH-RAZY!!!!
2) I wish I smoked so I could blow smoke rings and have an awesome long cigarette holder. Both are great for drama which you may be surprised to know, in the non-lame ways, I love i.e. dramatic but not a drama queen.
3) Aspiring rappers over 25 are so wack. GET A REAL JOB. (Full disclosure: I've never liked aspiring rappers. Way too many guys think they are the next J.eezy when clearly they are not. You're not even destined for one-hit wonder status.)
4) I saw a woman with 2 earring holes in each ear who was about 55 and thought, "Maybe my parents were right about not wanting 2 earring holes because I wouldn't want them one day." Then I thought, "Clearly at 55 I will be way more fly than her and her whole family. And 2, why on earth would you wear teeny tiny dots of earrings in each hole?" Bor.ing. So my 4 holes are safe. I'm thinking as a documentarian I could probably carry at least one more, too. I might make that happen.
5) It's probably the hater in me but I really like when Stace deletes people who don't post enough from her blog roll.
6) De-swinify yourself. All the classrooms on campus apparently have hand sanitizer and a note on swine flu to keep you little nasties from infecting yourself and others. Amen to that!
7) I'm very territorial about journalism and now that's spread to docs. I believe in education in addition to experience and think a lack thereof is a reason why the media has such a high level of mistrust with its audience. With docs I've just seen way too many bad ones. Reality tv makes everyone think you can just pick up a camera and go.
8) I had Pollo Tropical for the first time and was utterly unimpressed by what I got for the money I paid. I've realized that the more I know what goes into cooking, the less forgiving I am when I eat out. And now there's a controversy on campus because apparently prices on campus are almost double what they are in other cities. Problem. Makes me never want to eat there again.
9) Greatest achievement is getting into UF. According to these TAs I share an office with (big mouths), they're trying to get some students to see college acceptance as a gimme, not an achievement. Even as a sophomore, there's NOTHING else????
10) Is it absolutely necessary for you to repeat yourself to me every time you see me? I get it.
11) Remember Microsoft clip art from like 1999? I've seen it at least 2xs in the last 2 months and both times I was like, "Er um a dum... what???" So bizarre.
12) I get creeped out when I see the back of my head. Like in pictures. It's really weird to me.
13) When people say they don't have time for something small, it always prompts an eye roll. You have time for whatever you want to make time for. No, you probably don't have time to build a 747 from scratch today, but I think you can watch one movie seeing as you're in college and have no kids. Know why I sometimes don't watch movies? Because I'm tired and I don't feel like it. Not because I don't have time. Semantics? Probably. Bratty? Almost certainly.
14) Watching movies is AWESOME for what it does to my class participation!!! Do you know multiple times in the last week my professors have talked about films where I was the only one or one of 2 people who had seen the film discussed? AWESOME!!! I rock so hard it hurts. Ouch.
15) Lastly, why, praytell did I come home the other day to find a dude jogging in place in the parking lot? And we live about 1/4 mile from the gym... And had the nerve to give me a look like, "Why are you driving?" IT'S A PARKING LOT!! My dude... Gone 'head and make forward motion happen. You look crazy. CUH-RAZY!!!!
Crazy Movie Lady 33
September 6-12, 2009
I was horrible with movie watching this week because I'm busy. School is definitely back in session.
506. Dirty Pretty Things. The Oscar-nominated story of illegal immigrants taking whatever jobs they can while trying to escape the law in England. Sophie Okenedo, Audrey Tatou, Chiwetel Ejiofor in a great movie about the things immigrants do when they feel they have no other choices but in a very un-heavy-handed way. The ending left some to be desired but still 3.9 stars
507. My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Luke Wilson, Uma Thurman & Rainn Wilson about a super hero who's a nerd in life. High possibility for interesting but is kind of boring early on. Bad effects and cheesy music and in some very bad places. The story line was silly and ridiculous. 2 stars
508. The Dress Code. 3 minutes of a child reading dictionary definitions over the credits at the beginning? Boring. As are the early parts of the film. It's about a picked on little boy who wants to dress like a girl. Of course the only black person in this film is a sassy little girl. Ugh. Shirley MacLaine directs and acts. Brett Butler as a nun? Yeah right. Stupid forced racial aspects of the plot. Foul-mouthed children and a ridiculous unbelievable plot. Also far too long with stilted, manufactured drama. Nearly every scene needed a 30 seconds to a minute shaved off. 1.5 stars
509. Pillow Talk. Classic film starring Doris Day (in some fabulous outfits) is a prissy, uptight interior designer who shares a party line on the phone with a playboy (Rock Hudson) who drives her mad. When he sees her it's lust at first sight so he creates a Texas persona to lure her. Good times when she finds out the truth!! So cute. Great chemistry between Day and Hudson. 4.4 stars
510. Being Julia. Annette Bening is an actress who's tired of being the toast of the town until an affair turns her life upside down. A bit of a slow start but Bening is awesome! She makes not being young look FANTASTIC!! And got a new fan in me! The ending was marvelous. 4.7 stars
511. La Sierra. Columbian documentary about war in the town of Medillin between the paramilitary and the guerillas. I find it very difficult to watch films about violence, drugs and ruined young lives. A 22-year-old with more than a half dozen children by different women, teenage mothers, etc. I thought the beginning and the ending could have been stronger. The start could have been more dramatic with less set-up. The end should have come sooner. The scenes were stretched out too much. 3.6 stars
512. Dirty Filthy Love. British indie film about a guy with OCD and Tourette's (yeah...) who doesn't get help for his problems until he loses his job and his wife. The film follows his attempts to become normal and get back what he lost. It took an unexpected turn from funny to really sad a little more than halfway through. That seems to be a bit of a cop out when filmmakers do that. Still intriguing, though the end was just okay. Not stellar. 3.9 stars
513. Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life. Documentary about a teenager with a 100% deadly form of muscular dystrophy which has already killed his brother. He embarked on a journey from his home in GA to CA to get MTV's Pimp My Ride to pimp out his wheelchair. I understood the structural flaws and technical issues I saw that his friend was the filmmaker. It also had a very PR and home video feel to it. I enjoyed the great humor and watching this kid who had never left his county going on a cross-country trip and even got a little emotional. Rough start and finish. It was shown on campus at the largest showing the filmmaker and star had ever been to which was cool. I was impressed that the 12 "stars" of the film including the main one wasn't overwhelming. But they had too many other story lines in there. 3.5 stars
514. Only Angels Have Wings. Cary Grant plays a flight team manager who has to get things done even as people crash all around him. Just okay. Story line dragged. The end was cute. 3.3 stars
*Tried to watch "This Film is Not Yet Rated." Slanted documentary about the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system. I was immediately offended and annoyed by p.ornographic images IN THE CREDITS!!! The offense didn't stop within 2 minutes so I did.
I was horrible with movie watching this week because I'm busy. School is definitely back in session.
506. Dirty Pretty Things. The Oscar-nominated story of illegal immigrants taking whatever jobs they can while trying to escape the law in England. Sophie Okenedo, Audrey Tatou, Chiwetel Ejiofor in a great movie about the things immigrants do when they feel they have no other choices but in a very un-heavy-handed way. The ending left some to be desired but still 3.9 stars
507. My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Luke Wilson, Uma Thurman & Rainn Wilson about a super hero who's a nerd in life. High possibility for interesting but is kind of boring early on. Bad effects and cheesy music and in some very bad places. The story line was silly and ridiculous. 2 stars
508. The Dress Code. 3 minutes of a child reading dictionary definitions over the credits at the beginning? Boring. As are the early parts of the film. It's about a picked on little boy who wants to dress like a girl. Of course the only black person in this film is a sassy little girl. Ugh. Shirley MacLaine directs and acts. Brett Butler as a nun? Yeah right. Stupid forced racial aspects of the plot. Foul-mouthed children and a ridiculous unbelievable plot. Also far too long with stilted, manufactured drama. Nearly every scene needed a 30 seconds to a minute shaved off. 1.5 stars
509. Pillow Talk. Classic film starring Doris Day (in some fabulous outfits) is a prissy, uptight interior designer who shares a party line on the phone with a playboy (Rock Hudson) who drives her mad. When he sees her it's lust at first sight so he creates a Texas persona to lure her. Good times when she finds out the truth!! So cute. Great chemistry between Day and Hudson. 4.4 stars
510. Being Julia. Annette Bening is an actress who's tired of being the toast of the town until an affair turns her life upside down. A bit of a slow start but Bening is awesome! She makes not being young look FANTASTIC!! And got a new fan in me! The ending was marvelous. 4.7 stars
511. La Sierra. Columbian documentary about war in the town of Medillin between the paramilitary and the guerillas. I find it very difficult to watch films about violence, drugs and ruined young lives. A 22-year-old with more than a half dozen children by different women, teenage mothers, etc. I thought the beginning and the ending could have been stronger. The start could have been more dramatic with less set-up. The end should have come sooner. The scenes were stretched out too much. 3.6 stars
512. Dirty Filthy Love. British indie film about a guy with OCD and Tourette's (yeah...) who doesn't get help for his problems until he loses his job and his wife. The film follows his attempts to become normal and get back what he lost. It took an unexpected turn from funny to really sad a little more than halfway through. That seems to be a bit of a cop out when filmmakers do that. Still intriguing, though the end was just okay. Not stellar. 3.9 stars
513. Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life. Documentary about a teenager with a 100% deadly form of muscular dystrophy which has already killed his brother. He embarked on a journey from his home in GA to CA to get MTV's Pimp My Ride to pimp out his wheelchair. I understood the structural flaws and technical issues I saw that his friend was the filmmaker. It also had a very PR and home video feel to it. I enjoyed the great humor and watching this kid who had never left his county going on a cross-country trip and even got a little emotional. Rough start and finish. It was shown on campus at the largest showing the filmmaker and star had ever been to which was cool. I was impressed that the 12 "stars" of the film including the main one wasn't overwhelming. But they had too many other story lines in there. 3.5 stars
514. Only Angels Have Wings. Cary Grant plays a flight team manager who has to get things done even as people crash all around him. Just okay. Story line dragged. The end was cute. 3.3 stars
*Tried to watch "This Film is Not Yet Rated." Slanted documentary about the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system. I was immediately offended and annoyed by p.ornographic images IN THE CREDITS!!! The offense didn't stop within 2 minutes so I did.
9.10.2009
Age Angst
I'll admit it.
I never thought I was, but I'm an ageist.
In the weeks leading up to my birthday, I was excited, until I was just a few days away from the day. Then I started feeling really old. The first thing that happened was I was at the gym on the elliptical and it asked my age. When I put in 26 I got embarrassed because I knew the girls next to me were probably 19 or 20. I felt really old. I kind of giggled, but still typed the age in quickly, more quickly than my weight, and thought about how I'll feel REALLY old when I'm 27!! The day before my birthday was even worse. It seemed like nothing was going right. On our way out to celebrate in Orlando, we got lost twice. I hate being lost. I got this (dramatic, likely unnecessary) sense of foreboding. Like this was a harbinger of horrible things to come in my 27th year. See what I mean by dramatic?
For some reason, and I've discussed this with a few other 27-year-olds, this is the first year our age sounds ancient to us. 18 I was excited because I could finally vote, 21 I was glad to be able to drink in public because I could finally be carded (which due to this baby face I will apparently be experiencing for at least 5 more years... I got mistaken for a high schooler twice this summer and an undergrad more times than I can count in the last year). 25 sounded cool and worldly, 26 was getting up there but still pretty cool. 27? That's the year my mom completed her first year of marriage and had her first child, me. Obviously an AMAZING year for her. It must be so cool to have a child and have her to turn out to be me. Lololol.
As you can see my confidence wasn't shaken during this time of uneasiness. I go back and forth between feeling too old and knowing my face makes me look too young to get some respect on campus. Oh and don't let me ask a question! Students who have answers on campus are usually snotty about giving them. Their first taste of power. I like to flip it on them and subtly give it back and they usually back down. That's kind of funny. I felt glad to be 27 in the class I'm assisting because in the exercise we were doing the other day where they were pitching their story ideas, it was good for them to have experience to bounce them off of.
I think I'm mostly past the temporary ageism which only exists for people who are 27 (and my old boyfriend) now. Mostly because I've been 27 for more than 2 weeks and there are more pressing issues to deal with than something I can't change. I have no effect on my relentless schedule for the next few weeks, really through October, but it makes more sense for me to be concerned about that than my impending death. Lol. I promise it really had nothing to do with that. I did wonder whether I had accomplished enough so far. I also simultaneously realized how crazy that sounded to someone 34 and 55 as were the people I discussed it with. Even a few years gives you perspective. Life is long and short at the same time. What has happened to me so far may or may not effect what happens to me in the future, but as long as I don't stop trying to change the world, like I've always have, I have plenty of time.
I never thought I was, but I'm an ageist.
In the weeks leading up to my birthday, I was excited, until I was just a few days away from the day. Then I started feeling really old. The first thing that happened was I was at the gym on the elliptical and it asked my age. When I put in 26 I got embarrassed because I knew the girls next to me were probably 19 or 20. I felt really old. I kind of giggled, but still typed the age in quickly, more quickly than my weight, and thought about how I'll feel REALLY old when I'm 27!! The day before my birthday was even worse. It seemed like nothing was going right. On our way out to celebrate in Orlando, we got lost twice. I hate being lost. I got this (dramatic, likely unnecessary) sense of foreboding. Like this was a harbinger of horrible things to come in my 27th year. See what I mean by dramatic?
For some reason, and I've discussed this with a few other 27-year-olds, this is the first year our age sounds ancient to us. 18 I was excited because I could finally vote, 21 I was glad to be able to drink in public because I could finally be carded (which due to this baby face I will apparently be experiencing for at least 5 more years... I got mistaken for a high schooler twice this summer and an undergrad more times than I can count in the last year). 25 sounded cool and worldly, 26 was getting up there but still pretty cool. 27? That's the year my mom completed her first year of marriage and had her first child, me. Obviously an AMAZING year for her. It must be so cool to have a child and have her to turn out to be me. Lololol.
As you can see my confidence wasn't shaken during this time of uneasiness. I go back and forth between feeling too old and knowing my face makes me look too young to get some respect on campus. Oh and don't let me ask a question! Students who have answers on campus are usually snotty about giving them. Their first taste of power. I like to flip it on them and subtly give it back and they usually back down. That's kind of funny. I felt glad to be 27 in the class I'm assisting because in the exercise we were doing the other day where they were pitching their story ideas, it was good for them to have experience to bounce them off of.
I think I'm mostly past the temporary ageism which only exists for people who are 27 (and my old boyfriend) now. Mostly because I've been 27 for more than 2 weeks and there are more pressing issues to deal with than something I can't change. I have no effect on my relentless schedule for the next few weeks, really through October, but it makes more sense for me to be concerned about that than my impending death. Lol. I promise it really had nothing to do with that. I did wonder whether I had accomplished enough so far. I also simultaneously realized how crazy that sounded to someone 34 and 55 as were the people I discussed it with. Even a few years gives you perspective. Life is long and short at the same time. What has happened to me so far may or may not effect what happens to me in the future, but as long as I don't stop trying to change the world, like I've always have, I have plenty of time.
9.07.2009
Monday Mindspacing Vol. 15
1) It really works my nerves when people in any social networking platform (twitter, blogger, fb) post a series of youtube videos. Can you not? We see these same videos everywhere all the time. You're not breaking new ground and you're cluttering up my feed.
2) You guys have been reading my blog long enough to know I talk and think about food more than regularly. But FBers? They are all losing their minds over the amount of food talk AND TELL ME ABOUT IT IN PERSON. Wait... are you saying... that I think... about food... a lot?? Thanks for the update.
3) I read a NYT article about people leaving fb and how it seems like one day fb will be a ghost town and no one will be on it anymore and if that day comes it will be sad. Well duh fb will cease to be the center of so many universes. Ever heard of myspace? It's the nature of our society. People are always looking for the next new thing. When too many people are interested in the old thing, good-bye old thing, where is new thing.
4) Why do people follow strangers on twitter? I know I've followed some people b/c their updates are hilarious abt Top Chef and/or Project Runway but sometimes I wonder, "What is it that I've said that makes you say, I want to follow you"? Je ne comprend pas.
5) I am now PC stupid. After a year of using a mac, I now get on a PC and look like I have never seen one of them newfangled contraptions that look like big calculators. Whatever happened to the good old days of abacuses right Rashan? You old man, you.
6) On fb under mutual friends it tells you the number of friends you have in common with whoever's page your looking at. Thanks for confirming that's what mutual means! Lol. You know that's how somebody learned that word! Lol
7) It drives me BANANAS when my mom asks me continuations of a question I told her I don't have an answer for. (Fake) example: When is your film due? I don't know? I mean like what day? MOM! Okay, okay. I just wanted to know when it will be due. Well I already told you I don't know that!! Though this is a fake example, it is so close to things that have already happened it's insane! Want a real example? Right after I wrote this my mom said, "Why is your cousin moving to Atlanta?" I said, "I don't know. I haven't gotten the details." "Well did she get a transfer from her job?" "..." This time instead of getting mad I just started laughing. Only my mom. Lol. I usually get mad b/c I think she's not listening and is basically talking to herself with me happening to be on the phone. Now I think it's just how her mind works.
8) It's very hard to give film suggestions to people because of how much our personal influences, proclivities, sense of humor, personality, etc. play into how we receive a film (and most people are watching them to escape v. how I watch them: to learn and critique... which for the record I can't wait to watch a lot more escapist films). If I don't know someone very well, I really would prefer not to give them movie suggestions.
9) Just because I've watched 500+ movies this year doesn't mean I want to talk about movies with you. You probably don't want to hear me rip apart your favorite movie and I likely don't even remember if I saw it because I'VE SEEN TOO MANY!! A movie has to be really good or really memorable in some way. That doesn't mean I'll remember a decent movie that didn't really impact me. Sorry kids. After 200 they all start to run together. (Let's be real, probably after 100)
10) I am seriously irked by people who type regular things (see: fb statuses) in all caps. STOP IT!! That deserved all caps b/c you are werking my nerves so badly I had to use an e in that word.
11) It also irritates me that at restaurants and in grocery stores soda is so much cheaper than juice. They want me to be fat and unhealthy. I got really heated that my small oj cost $2.19 at cracker barrel and it was the size of a sippy cup. Let me order a small drink at any other time and I'm getting 20 oz. of soda. Dumb fat America.
12) Me and Stace are having trouble walking because of all that serious dancing we did this weekend. Had to work off that limited open bar! Empty calories for days!
2) You guys have been reading my blog long enough to know I talk and think about food more than regularly. But FBers? They are all losing their minds over the amount of food talk AND TELL ME ABOUT IT IN PERSON. Wait... are you saying... that I think... about food... a lot?? Thanks for the update.
3) I read a NYT article about people leaving fb and how it seems like one day fb will be a ghost town and no one will be on it anymore and if that day comes it will be sad. Well duh fb will cease to be the center of so many universes. Ever heard of myspace? It's the nature of our society. People are always looking for the next new thing. When too many people are interested in the old thing, good-bye old thing, where is new thing.
4) Why do people follow strangers on twitter? I know I've followed some people b/c their updates are hilarious abt Top Chef and/or Project Runway but sometimes I wonder, "What is it that I've said that makes you say, I want to follow you"? Je ne comprend pas.
5) I am now PC stupid. After a year of using a mac, I now get on a PC and look like I have never seen one of them newfangled contraptions that look like big calculators. Whatever happened to the good old days of abacuses right Rashan? You old man, you.
6) On fb under mutual friends it tells you the number of friends you have in common with whoever's page your looking at. Thanks for confirming that's what mutual means! Lol. You know that's how somebody learned that word! Lol
7) It drives me BANANAS when my mom asks me continuations of a question I told her I don't have an answer for. (Fake) example: When is your film due? I don't know? I mean like what day? MOM! Okay, okay. I just wanted to know when it will be due. Well I already told you I don't know that!! Though this is a fake example, it is so close to things that have already happened it's insane! Want a real example? Right after I wrote this my mom said, "Why is your cousin moving to Atlanta?" I said, "I don't know. I haven't gotten the details." "Well did she get a transfer from her job?" "..." This time instead of getting mad I just started laughing. Only my mom. Lol. I usually get mad b/c I think she's not listening and is basically talking to herself with me happening to be on the phone. Now I think it's just how her mind works.
8) It's very hard to give film suggestions to people because of how much our personal influences, proclivities, sense of humor, personality, etc. play into how we receive a film (and most people are watching them to escape v. how I watch them: to learn and critique... which for the record I can't wait to watch a lot more escapist films). If I don't know someone very well, I really would prefer not to give them movie suggestions.
9) Just because I've watched 500+ movies this year doesn't mean I want to talk about movies with you. You probably don't want to hear me rip apart your favorite movie and I likely don't even remember if I saw it because I'VE SEEN TOO MANY!! A movie has to be really good or really memorable in some way. That doesn't mean I'll remember a decent movie that didn't really impact me. Sorry kids. After 200 they all start to run together. (Let's be real, probably after 100)
10) I am seriously irked by people who type regular things (see: fb statuses) in all caps. STOP IT!! That deserved all caps b/c you are werking my nerves so badly I had to use an e in that word.
11) It also irritates me that at restaurants and in grocery stores soda is so much cheaper than juice. They want me to be fat and unhealthy. I got really heated that my small oj cost $2.19 at cracker barrel and it was the size of a sippy cup. Let me order a small drink at any other time and I'm getting 20 oz. of soda. Dumb fat America.
12) Me and Stace are having trouble walking because of all that serious dancing we did this weekend. Had to work off that limited open bar! Empty calories for days!
9.06.2009
Crazy Movie Lady 32
August 30- September 5, 2009
This week will be interesting because one of my friends is getting married Saturday. The bachelorette party is Friday and it will be the first time I've seen some of my friends in years. Yeah... I seriously doubt movies will be on anyone's minds. BUT I passed 500!! So excited about that! More than 1/3 of the way to my goal!
493. Mohawk Girls. Documentary about a tribal woman and filmmaker in Canada talking to young girls in her community (the Mohawk nation) about their issues. Made in conjunction with the National Film Board of Canada. Horrible music. Filmmaker's narration to introduce the characters seemed unnecessary. At the very least ineffective in the way it was used. It was used as segues but she really could've benefitted from rudimentary assistance with her delivery. The photography needed some help, too. It seemed like a student film. There were some really good stories with these girls opening up that are buried by some of technical issues and definitely by the story line (dis)organization. Some scenes are confusingly out of sync. 2 stars
494. Persepolis. Iranian animated film (in French) about a girl who wants to be an ordinary kid but she lives in a war-torn country. Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature based on a true story about the Iranian girl who goes abroad, then returns to Tehran as an adult. It moved nicely and I stayed intrigued. It wasn't nearly as depressing as you might think and there were even some amusing parts. 4 stars
495. Nursery University. Documentary about the crazy NY private nursery school application process. An admissions consultant charges $4,000 to walk you through the process... There are lotteries. And it's 20k/year for your 3yo. Yeah. Right. I will hire a private tutor or send them to regular preschool. Look how amazing I turned out in public school. But who knows what will happen when I pop out some kids. This film includes the U.S.'s oldest mother-- twins at 57. Again, pass. I barely want to have babies at 37. As skeptical as I was I felt stressed out for some of the parents. Lol. Actually there was only one parent I didn't like because he was so overbearing. There was a tacked on 5th family that they should've just left out because their story was so poorly developed. Not bad in general. 3.5 stars
496. The Garden. Oscar-nominated documentary about the largest community garden in the nation which is in South Central L.A. and feeds mostly Hispanics. There was too much time traveling on the front end of the film-- from the present to more than a decade ago, to 2003, then 2004, when the farmers were fighting to keep from being evicted. Basically the film was following whether or not the eviction will go through. There was some good drama but it seems to be nearing its climax 25 minutes into an 80-minute film. I couldn't understand based on the information presented how the farmers had a case. Very obvious slant. Became a completely different film when the true dramatic climax happened and it was GREAT! The beginning was very shaky and should have been set up more clearly to allude something happening in the film. LAers knew but we didn't. 4 stars
497. The Game Plan. Disney movie where the Rock plays a self-centered football player whose life is turned upside down when he finds out he has an 8-year-old daughter who shows up at his door alone to live with him. Kind of boring. The premise was amusing on the surface but ridiculously carried out. I know it's a kid movie but still. Maybe I'll like it when I have kids. 3 stars
498. Titicut Follies. Controversial Fredrick Wiseman documentary about the inside of a prison for the criminally insane. Banned for decades in Massachusetts. Filled with ethical issues including the rights of those who are apparently not competent to give consent to be on film. Very disturbing. 3.5 stars
499. Witch Hunt. Documentary about people in California wrongly accused of child molestation and abuse. The dramatic arc was a bit overplayed. Too theatrical. Sean Penn narrated. Seemed like it would be more interesting that it was. The endless string of interviews with little video from the time became boring to watch. Compelling stories hurt by slow pacing and unnecessarily protracted ending. It should've ended 15 minutes before it did. MSNBC production and it shows. Seemed much more like a long news piece than a documentary. 2.3 stars
500. Libeled Lady. Classic film about a woman libeled who sues a newspaper and the scheme the newspaper men enact to get out of it. William Powell, Myrna Loy (who costarred in the Thin Man films), Spencer Tracy, Jean Harlow. Quite the cast, huh? Amusing hijinks typical of classic comedies but it started to feel a bit contrived and long after a while. 3.4 stars
501. Waking Ned Devine. Irish film about 2 friends who decide to bring their dead friend back to life to claim his lottery winnings. Hilariously awesome ending! Lol. 4 stars.
502. Match Point. Atypical Woody Allen film about a tennis pro torn between two women, one of whom is the fiancee of his friend. Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johanssen. ScarJo is so obvious in her "me so sexiness." Effortfully sexy. Predictable happenings at first which then started to take a much more interesting turn. The opera was an interesting device. I enjoyed this one more than most of his films. 4.3 stars
503. Muriel's Wedding. Australian story of a nerdy girl (Toni Collette) with horrible friends who dreams of getting married. Some continuity issues and plot holes but still amusing enough for me to watch until the end. 3.5 stars
504. Born Yesterday. Classic Judy Holliday comedy about a crooked millionaire who hires a newspaper man to make his girlfriend smarter so she doesn't embarrass him in DC. I didn't love it. It bored me. Actually I think my biggest issue was how dumb Holliday's character was and the crap she put up with. I know it was a different time but I don't live in that time. 3 stars
505. Death at a Funeral. Outrageously farcical British film about a funeral and the outrageous hijinks when a dysfunctional group of people come together for it. A hidden gay lover of the deceased shows up and his family has to keep everyone else, including his wife, from finding out. 4 stars
This week will be interesting because one of my friends is getting married Saturday. The bachelorette party is Friday and it will be the first time I've seen some of my friends in years. Yeah... I seriously doubt movies will be on anyone's minds. BUT I passed 500!! So excited about that! More than 1/3 of the way to my goal!
493. Mohawk Girls. Documentary about a tribal woman and filmmaker in Canada talking to young girls in her community (the Mohawk nation) about their issues. Made in conjunction with the National Film Board of Canada. Horrible music. Filmmaker's narration to introduce the characters seemed unnecessary. At the very least ineffective in the way it was used. It was used as segues but she really could've benefitted from rudimentary assistance with her delivery. The photography needed some help, too. It seemed like a student film. There were some really good stories with these girls opening up that are buried by some of technical issues and definitely by the story line (dis)organization. Some scenes are confusingly out of sync. 2 stars
494. Persepolis. Iranian animated film (in French) about a girl who wants to be an ordinary kid but she lives in a war-torn country. Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature based on a true story about the Iranian girl who goes abroad, then returns to Tehran as an adult. It moved nicely and I stayed intrigued. It wasn't nearly as depressing as you might think and there were even some amusing parts. 4 stars
495. Nursery University. Documentary about the crazy NY private nursery school application process. An admissions consultant charges $4,000 to walk you through the process... There are lotteries. And it's 20k/year for your 3yo. Yeah. Right. I will hire a private tutor or send them to regular preschool. Look how amazing I turned out in public school. But who knows what will happen when I pop out some kids. This film includes the U.S.'s oldest mother-- twins at 57. Again, pass. I barely want to have babies at 37. As skeptical as I was I felt stressed out for some of the parents. Lol. Actually there was only one parent I didn't like because he was so overbearing. There was a tacked on 5th family that they should've just left out because their story was so poorly developed. Not bad in general. 3.5 stars
496. The Garden. Oscar-nominated documentary about the largest community garden in the nation which is in South Central L.A. and feeds mostly Hispanics. There was too much time traveling on the front end of the film-- from the present to more than a decade ago, to 2003, then 2004, when the farmers were fighting to keep from being evicted. Basically the film was following whether or not the eviction will go through. There was some good drama but it seems to be nearing its climax 25 minutes into an 80-minute film. I couldn't understand based on the information presented how the farmers had a case. Very obvious slant. Became a completely different film when the true dramatic climax happened and it was GREAT! The beginning was very shaky and should have been set up more clearly to allude something happening in the film. LAers knew but we didn't. 4 stars
497. The Game Plan. Disney movie where the Rock plays a self-centered football player whose life is turned upside down when he finds out he has an 8-year-old daughter who shows up at his door alone to live with him. Kind of boring. The premise was amusing on the surface but ridiculously carried out. I know it's a kid movie but still. Maybe I'll like it when I have kids. 3 stars
498. Titicut Follies. Controversial Fredrick Wiseman documentary about the inside of a prison for the criminally insane. Banned for decades in Massachusetts. Filled with ethical issues including the rights of those who are apparently not competent to give consent to be on film. Very disturbing. 3.5 stars
499. Witch Hunt. Documentary about people in California wrongly accused of child molestation and abuse. The dramatic arc was a bit overplayed. Too theatrical. Sean Penn narrated. Seemed like it would be more interesting that it was. The endless string of interviews with little video from the time became boring to watch. Compelling stories hurt by slow pacing and unnecessarily protracted ending. It should've ended 15 minutes before it did. MSNBC production and it shows. Seemed much more like a long news piece than a documentary. 2.3 stars
500. Libeled Lady. Classic film about a woman libeled who sues a newspaper and the scheme the newspaper men enact to get out of it. William Powell, Myrna Loy (who costarred in the Thin Man films), Spencer Tracy, Jean Harlow. Quite the cast, huh? Amusing hijinks typical of classic comedies but it started to feel a bit contrived and long after a while. 3.4 stars
501. Waking Ned Devine. Irish film about 2 friends who decide to bring their dead friend back to life to claim his lottery winnings. Hilariously awesome ending! Lol. 4 stars.
502. Match Point. Atypical Woody Allen film about a tennis pro torn between two women, one of whom is the fiancee of his friend. Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johanssen. ScarJo is so obvious in her "me so sexiness." Effortfully sexy. Predictable happenings at first which then started to take a much more interesting turn. The opera was an interesting device. I enjoyed this one more than most of his films. 4.3 stars
503. Muriel's Wedding. Australian story of a nerdy girl (Toni Collette) with horrible friends who dreams of getting married. Some continuity issues and plot holes but still amusing enough for me to watch until the end. 3.5 stars
504. Born Yesterday. Classic Judy Holliday comedy about a crooked millionaire who hires a newspaper man to make his girlfriend smarter so she doesn't embarrass him in DC. I didn't love it. It bored me. Actually I think my biggest issue was how dumb Holliday's character was and the crap she put up with. I know it was a different time but I don't live in that time. 3 stars
505. Death at a Funeral. Outrageously farcical British film about a funeral and the outrageous hijinks when a dysfunctional group of people come together for it. A hidden gay lover of the deceased shows up and his family has to keep everyone else, including his wife, from finding out. 4 stars
9.03.2009
Pardon Me, I'm the T.A.
People kill me. They really do. So you know how I have an office that I share with 14 other graduate assistants? These two women were in there talking the other day and one says, "I hate seeing my students on the bus." Why? Riding a bus means nothing here other than a means to get to and from class. It's free and it's (mostly) reliable. Though TWICE in the last 2 weeks, I had 3 full buses pass me. Then when a campus circulator bus came around finally, the stop after mine, he stopped and PULLED OUT A NEWSPAPER!!!! Are you serious?!?! I'm about to be late to class because I've been sitting at the bus stop for 20 minutes (I could've walked at least 1/2 way there in that amt of time but I would've been a sweaty mess) and you're playin games!!?!? UGH!!!
Anyway so the chick says she tells another T.A. and he says, "You're too aware on the bus. You need a book and some headphones." LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!! Go with that. You're not that special. I can tell from looking at you that they don't want to see you either. So if you're deep in a book, they don't have to pretend to want to talk to you.
The chick she's talking to starts going off about facebook. "So these people I went to h.s. with find me and it's like I haven't talked to you in 25 years! Why would we be friends?? But we exchange like 10 emails about what have you been doing and how many kids do you have and all that and then silence. Nothing! And I'm like why did I invest all this time in you??" Bus girl eggs her on, saying, "Now I could go another 25 years without hearing from you!" Old woman, "Exactly!" Really? You didn't know that was the nature of fb when you got on? Because it's not like you joined more than 6 months ago. Do a form letter and/or delete them or not and move on! Lame.
One of my classmates asked me if there are any rules about hanging out w/students when you're a T.A. (He's about 2 years younger than me.) I'm like, "Yeah... about that. Why would I want to? I have no idea if there are rules to that end but I doubt it." We're all students. But I'm 27. I feel old enough without being around a bunch of silly binge-drinking 19 y.o.s. Though I must admit. I am VERY curious about white frats since I pass them all on one of the buses that goes right past my building. Their culture is amusing to me. And it's funny that they look like frat boys. I used to think black girls in white sororities were sad. Now I think black guys in white frats are much sadder. That's not lonely? It's not like there aren't black orgs on the yard.
Anyway I'm headed back to Brunswick tomorrow for a mini HU reunion! The first of the crew is getting married!!!! YAY!!! I'm so excited!!! We're gonna turn that mother out!!!
Anyway so the chick says she tells another T.A. and he says, "You're too aware on the bus. You need a book and some headphones." LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!! Go with that. You're not that special. I can tell from looking at you that they don't want to see you either. So if you're deep in a book, they don't have to pretend to want to talk to you.
The chick she's talking to starts going off about facebook. "So these people I went to h.s. with find me and it's like I haven't talked to you in 25 years! Why would we be friends?? But we exchange like 10 emails about what have you been doing and how many kids do you have and all that and then silence. Nothing! And I'm like why did I invest all this time in you??" Bus girl eggs her on, saying, "Now I could go another 25 years without hearing from you!" Old woman, "Exactly!" Really? You didn't know that was the nature of fb when you got on? Because it's not like you joined more than 6 months ago. Do a form letter and/or delete them or not and move on! Lame.
One of my classmates asked me if there are any rules about hanging out w/students when you're a T.A. (He's about 2 years younger than me.) I'm like, "Yeah... about that. Why would I want to? I have no idea if there are rules to that end but I doubt it." We're all students. But I'm 27. I feel old enough without being around a bunch of silly binge-drinking 19 y.o.s. Though I must admit. I am VERY curious about white frats since I pass them all on one of the buses that goes right past my building. Their culture is amusing to me. And it's funny that they look like frat boys. I used to think black girls in white sororities were sad. Now I think black guys in white frats are much sadder. That's not lonely? It's not like there aren't black orgs on the yard.
Anyway I'm headed back to Brunswick tomorrow for a mini HU reunion! The first of the crew is getting married!!!! YAY!!! I'm so excited!!! We're gonna turn that mother out!!!
9.02.2009
Birthday Fun!!
In the air on the magic carpet ride, then on the silly jungle cruise.
Us on the teacups as they were spinning!If you haven't figured it out yet or didn't know, Rashan and I went to Disney World for my birthday! AND Stace met us in Orlando with Dreezy (though I have no evidence Dreezy was there lol Not a single picture!) We had Mexican food and went to Universal City Walk and of course the mouse's house. I had guac, tilapia ceviche, enchilada, and beef tongue taco!! I was so excited to try tongue after seeing Rick cook it on Top Chef Masters. I liked it okay. The ceviche was delish but the guac left something to be desired. This birthday, the drink of choice was margarita! I drank them all night! But they were spaced out far enough that I felt fine the next day.
Me on the teacups, then us in the sky on the magic carpet ride.
Me & Rah at City Walk. Me opening my gift from Stace-- which I loved!!
The castle! It was threatening all day but except for a few sprinkles when we got there, no rain on us! Yay!!
8.31.2009
Monday Mindspacing Vol. 14
1) I'm really glad there are 2 much vainer generations ahead of mine. That means by the time I need orthopedic shoes they will look AWESOME.
2) I'm gonna need to watch at least 3 movies a day every day but Tuesday and Wednesday because my schedule is so crazy those days that it's not gonna work for me to watch anything but the back of my eyelids and Top Chef.
3) UF has gotten rid of the free NYT on campus. WHYYYYYYYY!!?!?!?!? I neeeeed NYT Dining on Wednesday!!! (And at $2 a pop, I don't want to buy it and it's not the same to read it online. I like to hold it in my hot little hands.)
4) This week I learned clams absorb all the bacteria from the water they grow in BUT they can be put in clean water after they've come to size and self-clean. So cool!
5) Dude. The newest season of Project Runway has renewed my need for a Mood bag (their fabric store). But why is this chick's name Qristal on the show?
6) This girl in the class I'm assisting said something about 1988, "The year I was born" and I couldn't hide my shocked face. WOW. Really?? I know that only makes you 6 years younger but 1988 seems so crazy young!!
7) I can't wait until I'm rich enough to have everything delivered to me. That doesn't mean I'll never leave the house, just that I'll only have to do so for things that matter or because I choose, not because no one else is going to do it.
8) What the heck do you put in a storage ottoman?
9) I wanna go to California.
10) As delicious as tapas can be, sometimes I'm gonna need some real portions. Stop teasing me.
11) I miss Rashan. It's hard to go from seeing him for weeks at a time this summer to seeing him every two weeks for a couple of days. Really hard.
12) After watching Chopped, 2 episodes of Throwdown w/Bobby Flay and Iron Chef America, my mouth is on a constant loop of salivate. It's 1 a.m.!! Make it stop!!
2) I'm gonna need to watch at least 3 movies a day every day but Tuesday and Wednesday because my schedule is so crazy those days that it's not gonna work for me to watch anything but the back of my eyelids and Top Chef.
3) UF has gotten rid of the free NYT on campus. WHYYYYYYYY!!?!?!?!? I neeeeed NYT Dining on Wednesday!!! (And at $2 a pop, I don't want to buy it and it's not the same to read it online. I like to hold it in my hot little hands.)
4) This week I learned clams absorb all the bacteria from the water they grow in BUT they can be put in clean water after they've come to size and self-clean. So cool!
5) Dude. The newest season of Project Runway has renewed my need for a Mood bag (their fabric store). But why is this chick's name Qristal on the show?
6) This girl in the class I'm assisting said something about 1988, "The year I was born" and I couldn't hide my shocked face. WOW. Really?? I know that only makes you 6 years younger but 1988 seems so crazy young!!
7) I can't wait until I'm rich enough to have everything delivered to me. That doesn't mean I'll never leave the house, just that I'll only have to do so for things that matter or because I choose, not because no one else is going to do it.
8) What the heck do you put in a storage ottoman?
9) I wanna go to California.
10) As delicious as tapas can be, sometimes I'm gonna need some real portions. Stop teasing me.
11) I miss Rashan. It's hard to go from seeing him for weeks at a time this summer to seeing him every two weeks for a couple of days. Really hard.
12) After watching Chopped, 2 episodes of Throwdown w/Bobby Flay and Iron Chef America, my mouth is on a constant loop of salivate. It's 1 a.m.!! Make it stop!!
8.30.2009
Nitpicking the News Vol. 1: Southern Summers
Anyone who knows me in life knows how I am when I watch the news. Some people (like my mother and sister) are irritated by it, others (like Stace and Rashan) are intrigued by it. I have a critique for everything because I used to do it. I know how it's supposed to be and point out when they should've done it different. Sometimes I'm admiring if the newscast is deserving, but sometimes not. But I notice it all the time. I had to stop watching the news for a while because it was too stressful. Actually frustrating is the more appropriate word. Anyway, I've decided to occasionally go beyond just posting the news links on the side of my blog and talk about my issues with an article.
Today's beef is with this New York Times article about the thousands of black children from the city who go South for the summer. She provides no statistical basis for this "fact." I do, indeed, know people who visit their southern relatives during the summer, but is this only a black phenomenon? That's a real question. Do white people not visit their relatives in the summer? Then the line, "No official program coordinates them, just parents seeking for relief, relatives ready for company and children looking to escape the city swelter." Who are these stupid people who don't know there's no official program? I know for some this has to be an unusual event, but really? Like there would be one that would reunite people with relatives. Though, I'm sure someone got a light bulb of a business idea from that. But what bothered me most of all is that there was only one family's perspective. If there's such a grand exodus, a yearly migration south for the summer, why do we only hear from one family? It caricatures their experiences and makes it seem like, "This is how they all do." "Watch the natives in their natural habitats." Thoughts?
*If you're looking for the movies I watched last week, just scroll down. It's the post below.
Today's beef is with this New York Times article about the thousands of black children from the city who go South for the summer. She provides no statistical basis for this "fact." I do, indeed, know people who visit their southern relatives during the summer, but is this only a black phenomenon? That's a real question. Do white people not visit their relatives in the summer? Then the line, "No official program coordinates them, just parents seeking for relief, relatives ready for company and children looking to escape the city swelter." Who are these stupid people who don't know there's no official program? I know for some this has to be an unusual event, but really? Like there would be one that would reunite people with relatives. Though, I'm sure someone got a light bulb of a business idea from that. But what bothered me most of all is that there was only one family's perspective. If there's such a grand exodus, a yearly migration south for the summer, why do we only hear from one family? It caricatures their experiences and makes it seem like, "This is how they all do." "Watch the natives in their natural habitats." Thoughts?
*If you're looking for the movies I watched last week, just scroll down. It's the post below.
Crazy Movie Lady 31
August 23 (MY BIRTHDAY!!)- 29, 2009
480. Miss Evers' Boys. Film based on a true story about the Tuskegee study where more than 400 black men with syphilis were used as guinea pigs. The film was loosely based around a nurse (Alfre Woodard) who was the only person to work with the participants the entire 40 years they were studied and denied medical care. It focused more on her personal life than I would've preferred. I know the filmmakers wanted to put a human face on it but I did not necessarily empathize with her most of the time. After reading more about the history, I feel the film was way too kind to some of the main perpetrators. The pacing felt off-- start and stop at some points. 3.3 stars
481. The Yes Man. Jim Carrey and Zoey Deschanel (love her) in a film about a guy who never does anything but sees the light and becomes a man who says yes to everything. I didn't really believe his conversion but was amused by what happened once he said yes. Some good singing in this movie. I was also inspired to do some of this stuff like go to the airport with Rashan and pick the next outgoing (cheap) flight to wherever, go and figure out the rest later. Hilarious. Cute movie. A little long but still cute. 3.8 stars
482. The Nanny Diaries. Silly ScarJo (Scarlett Johanssen) movie about a woman who graduates from college, can't find a job so she becomes a nanny. The whimsy in this film was unnecessary. I liked the book this was based much more. I usually separate the two if the film is worthy but this doesn't fall into that category. Why would Alicia Keys' character say to a white girl, "My grandmother worked as a domestic so we wouldn't have to." Really? Face. It was also really boring. The pacing was very off. I didn't care about any of the characters. Then it tried to get deep in the end. Foolish. 2.3 stars.
483. Gotham Fish Tales. Documentary is kind of year in the life of a NYC/NJ urban fisherman, It's strange that people fish and throw them back, even the ones that seem up to size. Even stranger is the people who eat them. Even as they're talking about the bodies and seeing the c.ondoms in the river. YUM. Chronology issue when they move from summer to winter abruptly. I lost what order. Around 26 minutes it seemed like the end and there were still about 40 minutes left. I got the feeling this film would've been better as a short. Particularly because there was only sporadic following of specific characters, just a hodge podge. That's not to say the movie was bad, it just could've benefited from being a lot shorter and focusing on fewer issues. You don't need multiple people to say the same thing though out the film. Very non-sensical organization-- doesn't seem topical or chronological or anything else. There was a quote which seemed to sum up why people become urban fisherman that was buried deep at 35 minutes in that could've been more interesting earlier. I really want some CLEAN seafood, though after watching this. 3.2 stars.
484. Last of the Mississippi Jukes. Documentary about exactly what you think it's about. The overview of the history of juke joints for blues became boring because there wasn't really enough archival material to support it. I was very annoyed by the filmmaker's insertion of himself into the interviews and shots. It added nothing. The film seemed to focus around Morgan Freeman's club in Clarksdale then switched directions to focus on the SubwayLounge in Jackson which has since been demolished. Confusing beginning led to the misinterpretation. Too much of the film had nothing to do with the juke joints but was just music, which has a place, but does hearing several whole songs advance the plot? No. If the filmmaker wanted this to be the movie it is-- with lots of music and not much story-- he should've called it something else. It also should have been much shorter than 1hr26m. 2.2 stars
485. The Bridge. Documentary about people who commit suicide by jumping off of the Golden Gate bridge (most popular suicide site) which includes people actually jumping, witnesses and friends and family members of the deceased, and even a jumper who survived. There were some strange segues that didn't make any sense. Scenes that were put there just to move from one part of the story to the next. It was disturbing but mostly not because of the people jumping, but mostly the story of the guy who tried. Started to get redundant and kind of boring toward the end as strange and heartless as it sounds but it was almost gimmicky. This is one of the films for our doc issues class. I thought I might but I don't really have any ethical quandaries about watching this. I don't know that I could've or would've wanted to make this film, but I didn't feel ethically torn. there was some beautiful photography of course as the bridge absolutely lends itself to that. Huge build up to the final jump they showed which worked in some ways but not in others. 3 stars
486. She Done Him Wrong. Completely pointless early Cary Grant movie with Mae West about a popular lounge singer who finds protection from a criminal ex-lover. It wasn't bad, but wasn't good. It was just there. 2.8 stars
487. Shopgirl. Claire Danes stars in this Steve Martin film where she plays a shop girl wooed by two men. Overly whimsical and dramatic music in the first 5 minutes set the wrong tone. Another Jason Schwartzman movie. This has to be a record. 3 in less than a week. And why me? I don't even like him. He seems to not really be weird, just trying to be weird. Steve v. Jason. Who's the spaz? Toss up, right? It's also strange to have Martin's character narrate a story not his own. It implies maybe his character wins. Though either way it's bizarre. About halfway through I really, really stopped caring about either story line. 2.4 stars
488. A Farewell to Arms. Really boring movie about an ambulance man in Italy during WWII who falls in love with a nurse. As their love story unfolded, I cared less and less. 2 stars
489. Black Snake Moan. Very very early obvious reason why people didn't like this movie with Christina Ricci, Justin Timberlake and Samuel L. Jackson. CR plays a s.ex addict SLJ tries to save. The opening scene was completely non-sensical and related not at all to the film only to be followed w/a s.ex scene by Ricci & JT (the latter should stick to comedy, by the way). Nearly 2 hours for this film? TORTURE!! I don't understand why CR wasn't allowed to wear clothes more than half of this movie. Ridiculous. There were some interesting enough things to move the film along but so much of it was ridiculously contrived and there were continuity issues, too. Then there was one scene with particularly bad camera work. Use of lightning was so cliche. Ever since Wednesday Adams, CR hasn't been able to get away from the creepy and/or "troubled" roles. Fantastic titular song. Still just 2.4 stars
490. P.S. I Love You. Hilary Swank plays a widow whose husband is sending her letters to help her get over his death. Harry Connick, Jr. is one of th epeople who helps her along. (For the record, he could also help me through any tragedy.) Silly actions with Lisa Kudrow's character. I only watched it because Netflix kept suggesting it. I was surprised to actually like it. Another nice titular song. More than 2 hours is too long for an alternately depressing and amusing movie that you already know the plot thrust of. 3.5 stars
491. Caramel. Lebanese film about a salon in Beirut and the women who work there. Strange song sequence with nothing happening. Some fantastic makeup, particularly on the primary female character. Not terribly interesting but interesting enough to keep me mildly engaged. 3.3 stars
492. Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist. Documentary about black people blacklisted during McCarthyism. Boring Morgan Freeman intro in that it attempted to be conversational but would have likely been more engaging had it been scripted. He's an excellent actor so he could've made even a scripted piece seem conversational. But this slowed it down considerably. The film needed more action in the pictures and it would've been really nice if there were some moving images earlier to break up the constant stream of sit-down interviews. The filmmakers have some interesting ideas, but they don't necessarily relate to the topic of blacklisting. I loved the topic and was interested in everything those included had to say, but the presentation left something lacking which was very disappointing. 2.8 stars
480. Miss Evers' Boys. Film based on a true story about the Tuskegee study where more than 400 black men with syphilis were used as guinea pigs. The film was loosely based around a nurse (Alfre Woodard) who was the only person to work with the participants the entire 40 years they were studied and denied medical care. It focused more on her personal life than I would've preferred. I know the filmmakers wanted to put a human face on it but I did not necessarily empathize with her most of the time. After reading more about the history, I feel the film was way too kind to some of the main perpetrators. The pacing felt off-- start and stop at some points. 3.3 stars
481. The Yes Man. Jim Carrey and Zoey Deschanel (love her) in a film about a guy who never does anything but sees the light and becomes a man who says yes to everything. I didn't really believe his conversion but was amused by what happened once he said yes. Some good singing in this movie. I was also inspired to do some of this stuff like go to the airport with Rashan and pick the next outgoing (cheap) flight to wherever, go and figure out the rest later. Hilarious. Cute movie. A little long but still cute. 3.8 stars
482. The Nanny Diaries. Silly ScarJo (Scarlett Johanssen) movie about a woman who graduates from college, can't find a job so she becomes a nanny. The whimsy in this film was unnecessary. I liked the book this was based much more. I usually separate the two if the film is worthy but this doesn't fall into that category. Why would Alicia Keys' character say to a white girl, "My grandmother worked as a domestic so we wouldn't have to." Really? Face. It was also really boring. The pacing was very off. I didn't care about any of the characters. Then it tried to get deep in the end. Foolish. 2.3 stars.
483. Gotham Fish Tales. Documentary is kind of year in the life of a NYC/NJ urban fisherman, It's strange that people fish and throw them back, even the ones that seem up to size. Even stranger is the people who eat them. Even as they're talking about the bodies and seeing the c.ondoms in the river. YUM. Chronology issue when they move from summer to winter abruptly. I lost what order. Around 26 minutes it seemed like the end and there were still about 40 minutes left. I got the feeling this film would've been better as a short. Particularly because there was only sporadic following of specific characters, just a hodge podge. That's not to say the movie was bad, it just could've benefited from being a lot shorter and focusing on fewer issues. You don't need multiple people to say the same thing though out the film. Very non-sensical organization-- doesn't seem topical or chronological or anything else. There was a quote which seemed to sum up why people become urban fisherman that was buried deep at 35 minutes in that could've been more interesting earlier. I really want some CLEAN seafood, though after watching this. 3.2 stars.
484. Last of the Mississippi Jukes. Documentary about exactly what you think it's about. The overview of the history of juke joints for blues became boring because there wasn't really enough archival material to support it. I was very annoyed by the filmmaker's insertion of himself into the interviews and shots. It added nothing. The film seemed to focus around Morgan Freeman's club in Clarksdale then switched directions to focus on the SubwayLounge in Jackson which has since been demolished. Confusing beginning led to the misinterpretation. Too much of the film had nothing to do with the juke joints but was just music, which has a place, but does hearing several whole songs advance the plot? No. If the filmmaker wanted this to be the movie it is-- with lots of music and not much story-- he should've called it something else. It also should have been much shorter than 1hr26m. 2.2 stars
485. The Bridge. Documentary about people who commit suicide by jumping off of the Golden Gate bridge (most popular suicide site) which includes people actually jumping, witnesses and friends and family members of the deceased, and even a jumper who survived. There were some strange segues that didn't make any sense. Scenes that were put there just to move from one part of the story to the next. It was disturbing but mostly not because of the people jumping, but mostly the story of the guy who tried. Started to get redundant and kind of boring toward the end as strange and heartless as it sounds but it was almost gimmicky. This is one of the films for our doc issues class. I thought I might but I don't really have any ethical quandaries about watching this. I don't know that I could've or would've wanted to make this film, but I didn't feel ethically torn. there was some beautiful photography of course as the bridge absolutely lends itself to that. Huge build up to the final jump they showed which worked in some ways but not in others. 3 stars
486. She Done Him Wrong. Completely pointless early Cary Grant movie with Mae West about a popular lounge singer who finds protection from a criminal ex-lover. It wasn't bad, but wasn't good. It was just there. 2.8 stars
487. Shopgirl. Claire Danes stars in this Steve Martin film where she plays a shop girl wooed by two men. Overly whimsical and dramatic music in the first 5 minutes set the wrong tone. Another Jason Schwartzman movie. This has to be a record. 3 in less than a week. And why me? I don't even like him. He seems to not really be weird, just trying to be weird. Steve v. Jason. Who's the spaz? Toss up, right? It's also strange to have Martin's character narrate a story not his own. It implies maybe his character wins. Though either way it's bizarre. About halfway through I really, really stopped caring about either story line. 2.4 stars
488. A Farewell to Arms. Really boring movie about an ambulance man in Italy during WWII who falls in love with a nurse. As their love story unfolded, I cared less and less. 2 stars
489. Black Snake Moan. Very very early obvious reason why people didn't like this movie with Christina Ricci, Justin Timberlake and Samuel L. Jackson. CR plays a s.ex addict SLJ tries to save. The opening scene was completely non-sensical and related not at all to the film only to be followed w/a s.ex scene by Ricci & JT (the latter should stick to comedy, by the way). Nearly 2 hours for this film? TORTURE!! I don't understand why CR wasn't allowed to wear clothes more than half of this movie. Ridiculous. There were some interesting enough things to move the film along but so much of it was ridiculously contrived and there were continuity issues, too. Then there was one scene with particularly bad camera work. Use of lightning was so cliche. Ever since Wednesday Adams, CR hasn't been able to get away from the creepy and/or "troubled" roles. Fantastic titular song. Still just 2.4 stars
490. P.S. I Love You. Hilary Swank plays a widow whose husband is sending her letters to help her get over his death. Harry Connick, Jr. is one of th epeople who helps her along. (For the record, he could also help me through any tragedy.) Silly actions with Lisa Kudrow's character. I only watched it because Netflix kept suggesting it. I was surprised to actually like it. Another nice titular song. More than 2 hours is too long for an alternately depressing and amusing movie that you already know the plot thrust of. 3.5 stars
491. Caramel. Lebanese film about a salon in Beirut and the women who work there. Strange song sequence with nothing happening. Some fantastic makeup, particularly on the primary female character. Not terribly interesting but interesting enough to keep me mildly engaged. 3.3 stars
492. Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist. Documentary about black people blacklisted during McCarthyism. Boring Morgan Freeman intro in that it attempted to be conversational but would have likely been more engaging had it been scripted. He's an excellent actor so he could've made even a scripted piece seem conversational. But this slowed it down considerably. The film needed more action in the pictures and it would've been really nice if there were some moving images earlier to break up the constant stream of sit-down interviews. The filmmakers have some interesting ideas, but they don't necessarily relate to the topic of blacklisting. I loved the topic and was interested in everything those included had to say, but the presentation left something lacking which was very disappointing. 2.8 stars
8.26.2009
Stop Talking
Remember how I tried to get a rise out of the librarian in Charlotte? By selecting a bunch of crazy books? (Last paragraph.) The last two times I've been in the library the same guy has checked out my dvds for me and spoken unnecessarily. I don't want to have an overly long conversation about the title of a movie I haven't even seen. 2 minutes falls into that category. Stop talking.
Monday was the best. He's asking a guy about honey at the farmer's market, then says to me, "Some people like tea, some people like coffee, I like honey." Of course my first thought is, "Do you drink it?" How does that relate??? Lol. So it popped out to ask. IMMEDIATELY I recognize I shouldn't have but it's too late. Jameil! What is your problem!?!?! STOP TALKING! I blame my parents for that one. Not only did they teach me not to be rude, they also have those faces that beg people to converse about nothing. I don't like small talk. I can do it but I think it's stupid. Too late for this one, though. He's already going. 5 minutes of my life gone over honey. He even busted out recipes!! (Nothing you want, I think-- mix blueberries, water and honey in a blender for blueberry juice. Yuck. I don't like blueberries.) Thanks. Thanks a lot. But more importantly, what? Stop talking.
Monday was the best. He's asking a guy about honey at the farmer's market, then says to me, "Some people like tea, some people like coffee, I like honey." Of course my first thought is, "Do you drink it?" How does that relate??? Lol. So it popped out to ask. IMMEDIATELY I recognize I shouldn't have but it's too late. Jameil! What is your problem!?!?! STOP TALKING! I blame my parents for that one. Not only did they teach me not to be rude, they also have those faces that beg people to converse about nothing. I don't like small talk. I can do it but I think it's stupid. Too late for this one, though. He's already going. 5 minutes of my life gone over honey. He even busted out recipes!! (Nothing you want, I think-- mix blueberries, water and honey in a blender for blueberry juice. Yuck. I don't like blueberries.) Thanks. Thanks a lot. But more importantly, what? Stop talking.
8.24.2009
Monday Mindspacing Vol. 13
1) When I told someone I'm in school for doc filmmaking she said, "Well if you ever need a singer or actress, remember me!" ... That's not really what i do... I just said, "Umm... okay." Faster than explaining.
2) I like having cable when I want to watch tv but it really doesn't add that much to my life except on Wednesday: this week Top Chef AND Top Chef Masters!!!!! and Thursday: Project Runway. SCORE!!!!!!!! I rarely turn on the tv in the first few hours I'm awake. This stems from my never having a tv in my room until I went to college. I'm not used to it and therefore don't like it.
3) Instead of saying wonderful, I used to say wunderbar (the German version of the word-- pronounced voon-der-bar). I don't know when or why I stopped but maybe I should start again.
4) Guys are beyond not sexy with nose rings. *shudder* So fey.
5) Come September I'm going to use the things I don't get for my birthday on my Target list as a shopping list. Oh. yeah. Can't wait.
6) I hate that all the power drains from my ipod when I don't use it for a while even if I don't use it at all between charges. So annoying.
7) I unintentionally pick very stupid things to get all freaked out about. Like having fewer movies on my netflix queue. Not freaked out like I'm losing it but freaked out like I need it to happen. What is the point of that? But it's like when I reach one goal or come close to reaching one I become intent of finding a new one, no matter how silly.
8) I'm in horrible shape after a month of inactivity and sparse activity for the last year. Nerd Girl posted Self's workout which I'm going to begin and I'm getting back to thrice weekly workouts starting last Monday.
9) The best toast ever is the color of my mother's skin as Stace and I discovered in MS. Lol.
10) I need a name for my inner fat girl... suggestions?
11) On why he did Top Chef Masters, Rick Bayless (the winner and Mexican food man and therefore keeper of part of my heart) said, "Every year for the last seven or eight years I’ve tried to do something completely out of my comfort zone. Something to keep me on my toes, to keep me alive." AWESOME. I need that.
12) I had issues the night before and morning of my birthday. Details to come this week. I recovered nicely at Disney World, though so the birthday was by no means a bust!
2) I like having cable when I want to watch tv but it really doesn't add that much to my life except on Wednesday: this week Top Chef AND Top Chef Masters!!!!! and Thursday: Project Runway. SCORE!!!!!!!! I rarely turn on the tv in the first few hours I'm awake. This stems from my never having a tv in my room until I went to college. I'm not used to it and therefore don't like it.
3) Instead of saying wonderful, I used to say wunderbar (the German version of the word-- pronounced voon-der-bar). I don't know when or why I stopped but maybe I should start again.
4) Guys are beyond not sexy with nose rings. *shudder* So fey.
5) Come September I'm going to use the things I don't get for my birthday on my Target list as a shopping list. Oh. yeah. Can't wait.
6) I hate that all the power drains from my ipod when I don't use it for a while even if I don't use it at all between charges. So annoying.
7) I unintentionally pick very stupid things to get all freaked out about. Like having fewer movies on my netflix queue. Not freaked out like I'm losing it but freaked out like I need it to happen. What is the point of that? But it's like when I reach one goal or come close to reaching one I become intent of finding a new one, no matter how silly.
8) I'm in horrible shape after a month of inactivity and sparse activity for the last year. Nerd Girl posted Self's workout which I'm going to begin and I'm getting back to thrice weekly workouts starting last Monday.
9) The best toast ever is the color of my mother's skin as Stace and I discovered in MS. Lol.
10) I need a name for my inner fat girl... suggestions?
11) On why he did Top Chef Masters, Rick Bayless (the winner and Mexican food man and therefore keeper of part of my heart) said, "Every year for the last seven or eight years I’ve tried to do something completely out of my comfort zone. Something to keep me on my toes, to keep me alive." AWESOME. I need that.
12) I had issues the night before and morning of my birthday. Details to come this week. I recovered nicely at Disney World, though so the birthday was by no means a bust!
8.23.2009
Crazy Movie Lady 30
In the midst of celebrating my birthday I still managed to stay on target! Score!! (My birthday is today... recap to come.)
August 16-22, 2009
462. Big Fish. Tim Burton film about a man who tells this fantastical stories about his life and the skeptical son who at the end tries to find out who his father really is. Very interesting. 4 stars
463. Been Rich All My Life. Documentary about 1920s Apollo dancers who reunited 60 years later (at ages 84 to 96) to dance again for another 20 years. I loved the personalities and there was some great archival footage. I think the direction of the story line could have been tweaked for greater dramatic potential as far as introducing the characters more fully earlier on and showing fewer of their performances at the beginning . I also would have liked a foot note at the end of the film. The best section was undoubtedly the one surrounding the 1940s-- full of archival and great storytelling. 3.5 stars
464. Stolen. Documentary about the largest art heist in U.S. history: 13 paintings stolen from a Boston museum. Intrusive music overtook the dialogue at times. Extreme over-reliance on art historians and experts who don't translate interestingly. As interesting as the idea of the hunt for this film is, it becomes boring very quickly. The filmmaker tried unsuccessfully to draw us into the story of the (long dead) museum benefactor's life. I never felt the parallel between her story and the heist and why her story mattered other than it happened at her museum. Unnecessarily long at 85 minutes. 2.4 stars
465. But I'm A C.heerleader. Satire about a girl whose friends and family think she's gay so they send her to camp to make her straight. Funny at first then it became an excuse for girls to m.ake out. Boring. 2 stars
466. Shades of Ray. Romantic comedy about a half-Pakistani guy whose father insists on setting him up with Pakistani girls. Very cute and very funny. I enjoyed it. 4.4 stars
467. London to Brighton. British movie starts with a girl and a woman battered and bruised and a mystery as to how they got that way. In some ways the non-linear story line was confusing at the beginning just because you had no clue what was happening and sometimes when it happened if the bruised girls weren't in it. Still very thrilling and frightening. It would've helped to have subtitles for some of these really thick British accents. 4.2 stars
468. The Lady Eve. Classic film about a scam artist father and daughter who try to dupe a rich man who turns out to not be so easily conned. Revenge on all sides leads them down various roads in this comedy. Very funny and cute. 4 stars
469. Margot at the Wedding. Strange movie full of inappropriate over shares with children. I never like Jack Black in even semi-serious roles. Unstable creatures. What is the point of this movie? Too many indie scripts wander bizarrely. 2 stars
470. The Darjeeling Limited. Strange movie about three brothers (including Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman & Adrien Brody) on a trip across India on a spiritual mission only one of them is aware of the true destination. Interesting and at times amusing but toward the one hour mark I started to wonder when it would end. I liked the ending, though. 3.8 stars
471. A Certain Kind of Death. Documentary about people who die without next of kin in LA County and how they investigate to try to find descendants. Super annoying black slates between shots and not necessarily between scenes, just to avoid jump cuts which was actually more irritating. Some really graphic shots of dead and decomposing bodies. Makes you thoughtful about life by the nature of the topic. However, it was technically (shots, editing, etc.) lacking. I liked the long silences, allowing for thought. But it made the later bad music choices that much more obvious. The long shots for interviews were particularly strange. 2.9 stars
472. The Take. Canadian documentary about Argentinean factory workers who repossess a shut down factory. Some really great opening shots. Creative and engaging which continued through much of the film. It got lost in boring, redundant, overly explanatory narration which reminded me of a D.iscoveryChannel doc. It also seemed very slanted with too much background. The people's stories were the most interesting. The filmmakers are also showing themselves on television arguing as what they call "activist journalists." (A term I have huge issues with. A journalist is supposed to be impartial.) Great music in the first half. This might have been interesting if there was less heavy handed "teaching" and more emphasis on the people's stories. There were all these unanswered questions implied by gaps in the story line. They tried to draw a parallel between the factory takeovers and the political elections that was boring, non-existent and completely irrelevant to the plot. 2 stars
473. Cinema Paradiso. Outrageously long 3-hour Italian film about a film producer who goes back to his hometown for the first time in decades, why he stayed away so long but finally chose to come back home. Really good movie, but it took me 4 days to watch it because of the length. 3.9 stars
474. Melvin Goes to Dinner. Some really bad cinematography in another non-linear film. It was all about this group of people who get together and start sharing too much information with strangers. 2 stars
475. Prison Town. Documentary about the impact of the prison industry on rural towns, one California town in particular where in many cases the prison is the largest employer. Too many prison stats. They all start to run together toward the end. Really nicely told stories from several different types of people in the town. 4.2 stars
476. Suspicion. A woman begins to suspect her charming but cad-like husband (Cary Grant) married her for her money and may even be a murderer in this Hitchcock thriller. The end was a bit trite and boring for me which took the fun out of the rest of it. 3.4 stars
477. I Heart Huckabees. Strange film about an environmentalist (Jason Schwartzman-- how is this my 2nd film with him this week?) who hires existentialist detectives (Dustin Hoffman & Lily Tomlin) to figure out three coincidences. So strange and sometimes (but not enough) funny at the same. Useless profanity at times like right at the beginning of the film. Movies that are about everything and nothing at the same time, even cheekily are ridiculous to me. 2.9 stars
478. U.nited 93. Film about the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania on Sept11 mostly from the perspective of the flight crew and hijackers. The opening seems leading and like something that will encourage people to profile M,uslims even more than they do now. The setup also seems overly long. I realized I don't really like watching films where I know the outcome sucks because it's based on history I'm aware of. It makes me antsy. I really like that they didn't use any well-known faces. Much less distracting than watching someone you recognize trying to act like a hero. Sometimes the shaky camera shots were distracting. Very difficult to watch the closer the film came to ending. Brought back all of the feelings I had that day. 3.9 stars
479. M.eet Dave. Really bad E.ddie Murphy movie where he's a ship disguised as a human come to earth to save their planet from destruction. Very silly and pointless but Eddie played an excellent alien. He was quite amusing. It was the supporting cast that was a mess. 2 stars
August 16-22, 2009
462. Big Fish. Tim Burton film about a man who tells this fantastical stories about his life and the skeptical son who at the end tries to find out who his father really is. Very interesting. 4 stars
463. Been Rich All My Life. Documentary about 1920s Apollo dancers who reunited 60 years later (at ages 84 to 96) to dance again for another 20 years. I loved the personalities and there was some great archival footage. I think the direction of the story line could have been tweaked for greater dramatic potential as far as introducing the characters more fully earlier on and showing fewer of their performances at the beginning . I also would have liked a foot note at the end of the film. The best section was undoubtedly the one surrounding the 1940s-- full of archival and great storytelling. 3.5 stars
464. Stolen. Documentary about the largest art heist in U.S. history: 13 paintings stolen from a Boston museum. Intrusive music overtook the dialogue at times. Extreme over-reliance on art historians and experts who don't translate interestingly. As interesting as the idea of the hunt for this film is, it becomes boring very quickly. The filmmaker tried unsuccessfully to draw us into the story of the (long dead) museum benefactor's life. I never felt the parallel between her story and the heist and why her story mattered other than it happened at her museum. Unnecessarily long at 85 minutes. 2.4 stars
465. But I'm A C.heerleader. Satire about a girl whose friends and family think she's gay so they send her to camp to make her straight. Funny at first then it became an excuse for girls to m.ake out. Boring. 2 stars
466. Shades of Ray. Romantic comedy about a half-Pakistani guy whose father insists on setting him up with Pakistani girls. Very cute and very funny. I enjoyed it. 4.4 stars
467. London to Brighton. British movie starts with a girl and a woman battered and bruised and a mystery as to how they got that way. In some ways the non-linear story line was confusing at the beginning just because you had no clue what was happening and sometimes when it happened if the bruised girls weren't in it. Still very thrilling and frightening. It would've helped to have subtitles for some of these really thick British accents. 4.2 stars
468. The Lady Eve. Classic film about a scam artist father and daughter who try to dupe a rich man who turns out to not be so easily conned. Revenge on all sides leads them down various roads in this comedy. Very funny and cute. 4 stars
469. Margot at the Wedding. Strange movie full of inappropriate over shares with children. I never like Jack Black in even semi-serious roles. Unstable creatures. What is the point of this movie? Too many indie scripts wander bizarrely. 2 stars
470. The Darjeeling Limited. Strange movie about three brothers (including Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman & Adrien Brody) on a trip across India on a spiritual mission only one of them is aware of the true destination. Interesting and at times amusing but toward the one hour mark I started to wonder when it would end. I liked the ending, though. 3.8 stars
471. A Certain Kind of Death. Documentary about people who die without next of kin in LA County and how they investigate to try to find descendants. Super annoying black slates between shots and not necessarily between scenes, just to avoid jump cuts which was actually more irritating. Some really graphic shots of dead and decomposing bodies. Makes you thoughtful about life by the nature of the topic. However, it was technically (shots, editing, etc.) lacking. I liked the long silences, allowing for thought. But it made the later bad music choices that much more obvious. The long shots for interviews were particularly strange. 2.9 stars
472. The Take. Canadian documentary about Argentinean factory workers who repossess a shut down factory. Some really great opening shots. Creative and engaging which continued through much of the film. It got lost in boring, redundant, overly explanatory narration which reminded me of a D.iscoveryChannel doc. It also seemed very slanted with too much background. The people's stories were the most interesting. The filmmakers are also showing themselves on television arguing as what they call "activist journalists." (A term I have huge issues with. A journalist is supposed to be impartial.) Great music in the first half. This might have been interesting if there was less heavy handed "teaching" and more emphasis on the people's stories. There were all these unanswered questions implied by gaps in the story line. They tried to draw a parallel between the factory takeovers and the political elections that was boring, non-existent and completely irrelevant to the plot. 2 stars
473. Cinema Paradiso. Outrageously long 3-hour Italian film about a film producer who goes back to his hometown for the first time in decades, why he stayed away so long but finally chose to come back home. Really good movie, but it took me 4 days to watch it because of the length. 3.9 stars
474. Melvin Goes to Dinner. Some really bad cinematography in another non-linear film. It was all about this group of people who get together and start sharing too much information with strangers. 2 stars
475. Prison Town. Documentary about the impact of the prison industry on rural towns, one California town in particular where in many cases the prison is the largest employer. Too many prison stats. They all start to run together toward the end. Really nicely told stories from several different types of people in the town. 4.2 stars
476. Suspicion. A woman begins to suspect her charming but cad-like husband (Cary Grant) married her for her money and may even be a murderer in this Hitchcock thriller. The end was a bit trite and boring for me which took the fun out of the rest of it. 3.4 stars
477. I Heart Huckabees. Strange film about an environmentalist (Jason Schwartzman-- how is this my 2nd film with him this week?) who hires existentialist detectives (Dustin Hoffman & Lily Tomlin) to figure out three coincidences. So strange and sometimes (but not enough) funny at the same. Useless profanity at times like right at the beginning of the film. Movies that are about everything and nothing at the same time, even cheekily are ridiculous to me. 2.9 stars
478. U.nited 93. Film about the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania on Sept11 mostly from the perspective of the flight crew and hijackers. The opening seems leading and like something that will encourage people to profile M,uslims even more than they do now. The setup also seems overly long. I realized I don't really like watching films where I know the outcome sucks because it's based on history I'm aware of. It makes me antsy. I really like that they didn't use any well-known faces. Much less distracting than watching someone you recognize trying to act like a hero. Sometimes the shaky camera shots were distracting. Very difficult to watch the closer the film came to ending. Brought back all of the feelings I had that day. 3.9 stars
479. M.eet Dave. Really bad E.ddie Murphy movie where he's a ship disguised as a human come to earth to save their planet from destruction. Very silly and pointless but Eddie played an excellent alien. He was quite amusing. It was the supporting cast that was a mess. 2 stars
8.19.2009
Whirlwind Week!
I have quite the week ahead of me starting tonight. Don't look for me from 9-11 because I will be watching TOP CHEF season premiere and the TOP CHEF MASTERS season finale. I soooo hope it's just the season finale. It's such a different dynamic from Top Chef! Last night I watched Chopped and was diggin that, too. Loves it! But if you're lookin for me? Don't.
I also need to continue unpacking. It was like when I got my bathroom & kitchen squared away and cooked three consecutive nights, then unpacked all my books and dvds and realized I didn't really have anywhere to put a lot of stuff I just stopped. So today I really, really should for real this time tackle the closet! Some stuff is put away but not enough. All of my closet space is too high-- shelving and bars. Hello 5'1"!!! I'm reaching my arms out of sockets on super tip toe. It's ridiculous.
This semester I'm a graduate assistant for an undergraduate investigative reporting course. I'm very excited about that because I get to utilize my journalistic strengths. Last semester I was teaching more technical things which is so not up my alley. I was a producer, not an editor and photog. I was teaching things I hadn't used in years. That's not to say I did a bad job, never that, but I was out of my comfort zone. But this year? Blowing it out of the water! I'm guest lecturing on two topics, the first of which arrives on September 14th. I'm excited but I need to work more on it. I'm in the brainstorming phase. Tomorrow I'm going with my sorority sisters to deliver school supplies then I have my first meeting with the professor I'm assisting.
Tomorrow night? PROJECT RUNWAY SEASON PREMIERE!!! AHHHHHHH!!! WHO CAN TAKE ALL THE GOOD TV AT ONCE!?!?
Friday I have no plans. Phew! But Rashan will be here around 330 Saturday morning!!! He's driving down after work for MY BIRTHDAY SUNDAY!! We're driving down to Orlando sometime Saturday, the on MY BIRTHDAY SUNDAY, we're going to Disney World!!! YAY!!!!!!! I'm soooooooooooooooo excited!! SO excited!!
Then Monday is the first day of class and my life will be off to another crazy start for the final year of my master's degree!!
I also need to continue unpacking. It was like when I got my bathroom & kitchen squared away and cooked three consecutive nights, then unpacked all my books and dvds and realized I didn't really have anywhere to put a lot of stuff I just stopped. So today I really, really should for real this time tackle the closet! Some stuff is put away but not enough. All of my closet space is too high-- shelving and bars. Hello 5'1"!!! I'm reaching my arms out of sockets on super tip toe. It's ridiculous.
This semester I'm a graduate assistant for an undergraduate investigative reporting course. I'm very excited about that because I get to utilize my journalistic strengths. Last semester I was teaching more technical things which is so not up my alley. I was a producer, not an editor and photog. I was teaching things I hadn't used in years. That's not to say I did a bad job, never that, but I was out of my comfort zone. But this year? Blowing it out of the water! I'm guest lecturing on two topics, the first of which arrives on September 14th. I'm excited but I need to work more on it. I'm in the brainstorming phase. Tomorrow I'm going with my sorority sisters to deliver school supplies then I have my first meeting with the professor I'm assisting.
Tomorrow night? PROJECT RUNWAY SEASON PREMIERE!!! AHHHHHHH!!! WHO CAN TAKE ALL THE GOOD TV AT ONCE!?!?
Friday I have no plans. Phew! But Rashan will be here around 330 Saturday morning!!! He's driving down after work for MY BIRTHDAY SUNDAY!! We're driving down to Orlando sometime Saturday, the on MY BIRTHDAY SUNDAY, we're going to Disney World!!! YAY!!!!!!! I'm soooooooooooooooo excited!! SO excited!!
Then Monday is the first day of class and my life will be off to another crazy start for the final year of my master's degree!!
8.17.2009
Monday Mindspacing Vol. 12
1) Why are white grapes green and red onions purple? Was there a color blind person giving fruits and vegetables their conventional names?
2) Let's make a pact. You know how before guys propose, they tell people they're going to? So the next person who gets engaged should have the guy call all the people he told and tell them she said no. It'll be hilarious!! Hahahahahaha!!
3) UF is mad late on the fitness trends for this one: stripperobics... really UF? And still I know that class will be extra full. One you have to get there an hour early to snag a spot for.
4) Summer in the south makes you think it will never be below 85 during the day again. I was putting my sweaters away during the move like "I can't believe I'll ever need those again"
5) My birthday is in 6 days!! How exciting!!!! I LOVE MY BIRTHDAY!!! I made a Target list of things I want because my place is the emptiest in America right now! Mostly I need something to sit on (I find Target's prices for chairs to be outrageous, though so I didn't register for any of those), some tables and some LIGHTING!! There is no on board lighting in my bedroom or living room. Fix needed ASAP. I also want a plain black bikini top to go with the bottoms I have (the top that matched was too small and they didn't have a replacement when I sent it back) and Vickie's Secret's HU line and a couple more Gator shirts since I'm a season ticket holder! Ow! I'm going to need something to wear to those games!
6) I've cooked dinner for myself the last two days and I think that's a great and delicious start to my new school year. Mmmm!
7) I'm getting behind on my movies again and... not caring. Yep. I said it. Not. Caring. Know why? Because I'm busy enjoying my life in ways that have nothing to do with watching movies.
8) I am a Danity Kane song: sucker for love. I LOVE RASHAN!! :)
9) I gave up on him blogging, though. I deleted him from my blog roll a couple of weeks ago. That was weird. But a bit freeing because it was really vexing me that he wasn't blogging. IT'S HOW WE MET!! But it obviously doesn't define us. Boo on him.
10) Chopped went to a whole new level of crazy by putting celery for dessert AND something no one's ever heard of and calling it jaggery. Umm... okay. It looks like caramel and is apparently some sort of palm sugar product. What in the world? 11) But I'm in love with the fact that I have Food Network in my home again. Ahhhh. Free cable and internet rock my world!!
2) Let's make a pact. You know how before guys propose, they tell people they're going to? So the next person who gets engaged should have the guy call all the people he told and tell them she said no. It'll be hilarious!! Hahahahahaha!!
3) UF is mad late on the fitness trends for this one: stripperobics... really UF? And still I know that class will be extra full. One you have to get there an hour early to snag a spot for.
4) Summer in the south makes you think it will never be below 85 during the day again. I was putting my sweaters away during the move like "I can't believe I'll ever need those again"
5) My birthday is in 6 days!! How exciting!!!! I LOVE MY BIRTHDAY!!! I made a Target list of things I want because my place is the emptiest in America right now! Mostly I need something to sit on (I find Target's prices for chairs to be outrageous, though so I didn't register for any of those), some tables and some LIGHTING!! There is no on board lighting in my bedroom or living room. Fix needed ASAP. I also want a plain black bikini top to go with the bottoms I have (the top that matched was too small and they didn't have a replacement when I sent it back) and Vickie's Secret's HU line and a couple more Gator shirts since I'm a season ticket holder! Ow! I'm going to need something to wear to those games!
6) I've cooked dinner for myself the last two days and I think that's a great and delicious start to my new school year. Mmmm!
7) I'm getting behind on my movies again and... not caring. Yep. I said it. Not. Caring. Know why? Because I'm busy enjoying my life in ways that have nothing to do with watching movies.
8) I am a Danity Kane song: sucker for love. I LOVE RASHAN!! :)
9) I gave up on him blogging, though. I deleted him from my blog roll a couple of weeks ago. That was weird. But a bit freeing because it was really vexing me that he wasn't blogging. IT'S HOW WE MET!! But it obviously doesn't define us. Boo on him.
10) Chopped went to a whole new level of crazy by putting celery for dessert AND something no one's ever heard of and calling it jaggery. Umm... okay. It looks like caramel and is apparently some sort of palm sugar product. What in the world? 11) But I'm in love with the fact that I have Food Network in my home again. Ahhhh. Free cable and internet rock my world!!
8.16.2009
Crazy Movie Lady 29
August 9-15, 2009
Stayed a little behind with the move this week but I'm not worried about it.
449. Switch. Film about a chauvinist who gets reincarnated as a woman so he can find a single woman who liked him when he was a man. I liked the concept and was intrigued and actually delighted for at least 20 minutes, which was enough to get me through another hour or so. But after an hour and 15 minutes, the movie devolved ridiculously and the characters did all these things that made no sense for them to do based on their previous development. In other words, this film jumped the shark. I did not like this movie because of the absolutely unbelievable ending. I believe the words I said were, "f you don't know how to end it, don't make the movie." 2 stars
450. Julie and Julia. Meryl Streep and Amy Adams in the film about a woman who decides to cook her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year- all 500+ recipes- and blog about it. Of course the idea to cook my way through one of my many Rach cookbooks popped into my head. Maybe later. Anyway the movie. Not quite deft juggling of the two story lines. At times I forgot the other half of the movie existed. Heavy focus on the Julie part which is one of many reviewers' criticism of the film-- too little Meryl. I just wanted this film to be shorter. I got it after an hour and a half. 2 hours? Yikes. 3 stars
451. Boy Interrupted. Emotional documentary by the mother of a bipolar teenager who committed suicide. It delved into his uncle's suicide decades earlier probably a bit too in depth as this story was about the boy. Though I definitely felt sorry for the kid's family, I wasn't particularly drawn in by the plot of the film. It was very nice, though, not to have the usual horrid voice overs of personal docs. 2.5 stars
452. Step Brothers. Silly Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly comedy where they become step brothers at 40 and hate then grow to love each other. They're both jobless mental children and yet this movie was funny. 3.9 stars
453. Citizen Ruth. Laura Dern plays a ridiculously good huffer who happens to be pregnant much to her surprise. I even felt high watching her get high. I did not like it. Swoosie Kurtz? Love her! But her talents weren't really on display. Burt Reynolds played a crazy pro-l.ifer. Dern gets caught between pro-c.hoice and pro-l.ifers. Pretty boring movie. I didn't really care what happened to her. That quite probably has a lot to do with her addiction. 2.2 stars
454. The Apartment. 5-time Oscar winner with Jack Lemmon & Shirley MacLaine. SO weird to see them so young! Wow! Adultery, old boys club, the only black people are janitors and shoe shine boys with 10 seconds of screen time total. A guy loans his apartment to his bosses for philandering but gets a shock when he finds out a secret about the girl he loves. I was really into the story line even though I didn't like things about it. It moved nicely. 3 stars mostly because I didn't personally like it, but I can recognize a well-crafted script.
455. A Night to Remember. Classic 1958 film about the sinking of the Titanic. For me this film was just as powerful as James Cameron's famous one made in the last 15 years. I actually liked this one more because it was shorter and I didn't go in with all the hype. I was just as horrified by the same things I was the first time around. I appreciated that there was no competing story line. (In Titanic there was the search for the rich woman's lost at sea jewels.) As with all good biopics I was compelled to find out more about what really happened. 4 stars
456. I Love You Man. This is a silly silly movie and Paul Rudd is hilariously awkward. It made me want to learn how to fence. It's about a guy who gets engaged and realizes he has no friends so he decides to find some. I really liked it. 4.5 stars. Lolol!
457. 17 Again. Matthew Perry only wishes he looked like Zac Efron when he was 17. ZE is HAWT!! MP? Not so much. But ZE's hair was a hot mess in the first several scenes of this movie. Why? Know what I loved? That they played that horrid Ed Hardy line. Hilarious. And ZE plays a really good old man now in a young man's body again. Very funny but got kind of corny at the very end. 3.5 stars
458. M. German classic from 1931 (by famous director Fritz Lang) about a serial killer gets off to an awesome start with kids singing a serial killer song for their serial killer game. The criminals are pissed because the cops are looking for the kid killer amongst them. A bit slow-moving like most old-school flicks but not too slow. Quite interesting. 4.3 stars
459. Life is Beautiful. 3-time Oscar winning Italian film about a cheerful Jewish Italian waiter who gets the girl of his dreams and a son. He must do what he can to help his family survive the concentration camp when WWII comes. Beautiful movie. 5 stars
460. Secrets and Lies. British film about an adopted woman who decides to find her birth mother but they both get a shock because neither knew the other was of a different race-- black daughter, white mother. I was enjoying it until they revealed who the daughter's father was. WACK!!! So so WACK!! 3 stars
461. People Will Talk. A conservative doctor tries to bring down a well-liked medical professor (Cary Grant) who falls in love with an unmarried pregnant woman with her own set of issues. Strange 1951 film. It was interesting enough but still boring in a way with its meandering story line. 3.3 stars
Stayed a little behind with the move this week but I'm not worried about it.
449. Switch. Film about a chauvinist who gets reincarnated as a woman so he can find a single woman who liked him when he was a man. I liked the concept and was intrigued and actually delighted for at least 20 minutes, which was enough to get me through another hour or so. But after an hour and 15 minutes, the movie devolved ridiculously and the characters did all these things that made no sense for them to do based on their previous development. In other words, this film jumped the shark. I did not like this movie because of the absolutely unbelievable ending. I believe the words I said were, "f you don't know how to end it, don't make the movie." 2 stars
450. Julie and Julia. Meryl Streep and Amy Adams in the film about a woman who decides to cook her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year- all 500+ recipes- and blog about it. Of course the idea to cook my way through one of my many Rach cookbooks popped into my head. Maybe later. Anyway the movie. Not quite deft juggling of the two story lines. At times I forgot the other half of the movie existed. Heavy focus on the Julie part which is one of many reviewers' criticism of the film-- too little Meryl. I just wanted this film to be shorter. I got it after an hour and a half. 2 hours? Yikes. 3 stars
451. Boy Interrupted. Emotional documentary by the mother of a bipolar teenager who committed suicide. It delved into his uncle's suicide decades earlier probably a bit too in depth as this story was about the boy. Though I definitely felt sorry for the kid's family, I wasn't particularly drawn in by the plot of the film. It was very nice, though, not to have the usual horrid voice overs of personal docs. 2.5 stars
452. Step Brothers. Silly Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly comedy where they become step brothers at 40 and hate then grow to love each other. They're both jobless mental children and yet this movie was funny. 3.9 stars
453. Citizen Ruth. Laura Dern plays a ridiculously good huffer who happens to be pregnant much to her surprise. I even felt high watching her get high. I did not like it. Swoosie Kurtz? Love her! But her talents weren't really on display. Burt Reynolds played a crazy pro-l.ifer. Dern gets caught between pro-c.hoice and pro-l.ifers. Pretty boring movie. I didn't really care what happened to her. That quite probably has a lot to do with her addiction. 2.2 stars
454. The Apartment. 5-time Oscar winner with Jack Lemmon & Shirley MacLaine. SO weird to see them so young! Wow! Adultery, old boys club, the only black people are janitors and shoe shine boys with 10 seconds of screen time total. A guy loans his apartment to his bosses for philandering but gets a shock when he finds out a secret about the girl he loves. I was really into the story line even though I didn't like things about it. It moved nicely. 3 stars mostly because I didn't personally like it, but I can recognize a well-crafted script.
455. A Night to Remember. Classic 1958 film about the sinking of the Titanic. For me this film was just as powerful as James Cameron's famous one made in the last 15 years. I actually liked this one more because it was shorter and I didn't go in with all the hype. I was just as horrified by the same things I was the first time around. I appreciated that there was no competing story line. (In Titanic there was the search for the rich woman's lost at sea jewels.) As with all good biopics I was compelled to find out more about what really happened. 4 stars
456. I Love You Man. This is a silly silly movie and Paul Rudd is hilariously awkward. It made me want to learn how to fence. It's about a guy who gets engaged and realizes he has no friends so he decides to find some. I really liked it. 4.5 stars. Lolol!
457. 17 Again. Matthew Perry only wishes he looked like Zac Efron when he was 17. ZE is HAWT!! MP? Not so much. But ZE's hair was a hot mess in the first several scenes of this movie. Why? Know what I loved? That they played that horrid Ed Hardy line. Hilarious. And ZE plays a really good old man now in a young man's body again. Very funny but got kind of corny at the very end. 3.5 stars
458. M. German classic from 1931 (by famous director Fritz Lang) about a serial killer gets off to an awesome start with kids singing a serial killer song for their serial killer game. The criminals are pissed because the cops are looking for the kid killer amongst them. A bit slow-moving like most old-school flicks but not too slow. Quite interesting. 4.3 stars
459. Life is Beautiful. 3-time Oscar winning Italian film about a cheerful Jewish Italian waiter who gets the girl of his dreams and a son. He must do what he can to help his family survive the concentration camp when WWII comes. Beautiful movie. 5 stars
460. Secrets and Lies. British film about an adopted woman who decides to find her birth mother but they both get a shock because neither knew the other was of a different race-- black daughter, white mother. I was enjoying it until they revealed who the daughter's father was. WACK!!! So so WACK!! 3 stars
461. People Will Talk. A conservative doctor tries to bring down a well-liked medical professor (Cary Grant) who falls in love with an unmarried pregnant woman with her own set of issues. Strange 1951 film. It was interesting enough but still boring in a way with its meandering story line. 3.3 stars
8.13.2009
Moving On
It's that time again. Time to move on. Not from blogging. I'm too stubborn to stop. I figure if everyone is going to give it up, I'm going to stick around until they come back or the blog world evolves again and there's a new crowd. There's only so much you can say in twitter and facebook statuses. And with the plethora of recent twitter outages I'm getting to that "I'm over it" phase with twitter. I've been regularly deleting people who post too many updates or whose updates consistently irk me. I know, I'm a twitter brat. I used to be the blog bully. On twitter I let people be themselves, minus me as a follower.
That is so not the point of this post. Wow traditional meaning of mindspacing, it's been a while, how are you? ANYWAY. As you know this summer I've been on the road quite a bit. Between West Palm Beach, Charlotte, Atlanta (about 5-6 weeks total), Mississippi, and Brunswick, GA I feel like I've been in a near constant state of packing and unpacking-- some major, some minor but always a hassle. I don't like packing!!!! It was really horrid back in college when I was going home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break & Summer. I would take most or all of my wardrobe sometimes. Outrageous. And yet nothing compared to this summer! I packed all of that packing into 3 months! And now I'm moving.
But guess what? I'm moving into grad housing that will cost me $1 more for almost 3xs the space (from a 280sqft studio to a 708sqft 1 bedroom) and include water, sewer, CABLE AND INTERNET!! My current apartment includes none of that! So I'm really excited. But I have/had no one to keep me company while I pack (I'm mostly done now) or move. Most of my classmates are out of town until the weekend and I'll be done moving by Saturday morning at the latest. I'm most excited about (other than FREE CABLE AND INTERNET!!!) more counter space in the kitchen, more cabinet space in the bathroom, a reasonable place to put all my clothes, a place to entertain!!! and just generally space to spread out. If you have some low-cost decorating tips, leave them in the comments!
Josh Ozersky (whoever that is) once said, “When I was born, I was anonymous, and I aim not to die in that position.” Ditto, dude. And so I have resigned myself to dealing with the small annoyances of the day because I know they're only for the moment. I also know the quicker I accomplish something, the quicker I can move on to the things I really want to do. (Sometimes that's still not enough to get me motivated.) Just know this for certain: when I finally make that move out of anonymity, even if just partially, I won't be doing this packing crap for myself anymore!!!
***10 DAYS UNTIL MY BIRTHDAY!!!***
That is so not the point of this post. Wow traditional meaning of mindspacing, it's been a while, how are you? ANYWAY. As you know this summer I've been on the road quite a bit. Between West Palm Beach, Charlotte, Atlanta (about 5-6 weeks total), Mississippi, and Brunswick, GA I feel like I've been in a near constant state of packing and unpacking-- some major, some minor but always a hassle. I don't like packing!!!! It was really horrid back in college when I was going home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break & Summer. I would take most or all of my wardrobe sometimes. Outrageous. And yet nothing compared to this summer! I packed all of that packing into 3 months! And now I'm moving.
But guess what? I'm moving into grad housing that will cost me $1 more for almost 3xs the space (from a 280sqft studio to a 708sqft 1 bedroom) and include water, sewer, CABLE AND INTERNET!! My current apartment includes none of that! So I'm really excited. But I have/had no one to keep me company while I pack (I'm mostly done now) or move. Most of my classmates are out of town until the weekend and I'll be done moving by Saturday morning at the latest. I'm most excited about (other than FREE CABLE AND INTERNET!!!) more counter space in the kitchen, more cabinet space in the bathroom, a reasonable place to put all my clothes, a place to entertain!!! and just generally space to spread out. If you have some low-cost decorating tips, leave them in the comments!
Josh Ozersky (whoever that is) once said, “When I was born, I was anonymous, and I aim not to die in that position.” Ditto, dude. And so I have resigned myself to dealing with the small annoyances of the day because I know they're only for the moment. I also know the quicker I accomplish something, the quicker I can move on to the things I really want to do. (Sometimes that's still not enough to get me motivated.) Just know this for certain: when I finally make that move out of anonymity, even if just partially, I won't be doing this packing crap for myself anymore!!!
***10 DAYS UNTIL MY BIRTHDAY!!!***
8.10.2009
Monday Mindspacing Vol. 11
1) My mom also loves the word cacophonous. We're both word nuts.
2) While in Mississippi I realized I'm maybe a little too plugged in. I was in the car with my mom and grandma and the radio was too loud. I wanted to turn grandma up, got annoyed at myself and requested a turn down of the actual piece of machinery.
3) After working out I almost always want junk food.
4) I hate the smell of vanilla. The fake vanilla. I like the flavor of vanilla but vanilla lotions, etc.? Makes me want to vomit. My mom doesn't like it either. I also don't like the smell of cocoa butter.
5) I learned how to swaddle a baby and Rashan learned how to change a diaper (years apart so NO we don't have ANY sort of announcement looming) ... by watching youtube. Lol! That is funny!
6) OMG my mother gets on my nerves after several days. I need away from her!!!! Don't ask me in that tone, "Who used all the washing powder and didn't say anything!?" I don't live here and haven't even been in the basement for any reason let alone to "use all the washing powder and not say anything"!!! Crazy lady!!
7) Did you really call me high maintenance like it was a revelation, mother? I know even as a baby I never seemed like I wasn't so what would be your point?
8) I like peanut butter and jelly but not together. I like cheese and toast, but not together. I don't like grilled cheese either unless there's ham on it.
9) It is so uncomfortable when I go somewhere and someone offers me one of the many foods I don't like and I politely decline and they press me. AHHH! If I say, "Oh no thank you" that likely means I don't like something you've offered me. Take that so I don't have to elaborate and say "I don't like..." Thanks.
10) I'm back in Florida and I have mixed feelings about it.
2) While in Mississippi I realized I'm maybe a little too plugged in. I was in the car with my mom and grandma and the radio was too loud. I wanted to turn grandma up, got annoyed at myself and requested a turn down of the actual piece of machinery.
3) After working out I almost always want junk food.
4) I hate the smell of vanilla. The fake vanilla. I like the flavor of vanilla but vanilla lotions, etc.? Makes me want to vomit. My mom doesn't like it either. I also don't like the smell of cocoa butter.
5) I learned how to swaddle a baby and Rashan learned how to change a diaper (years apart so NO we don't have ANY sort of announcement looming) ... by watching youtube. Lol! That is funny!
6) OMG my mother gets on my nerves after several days. I need away from her!!!! Don't ask me in that tone, "Who used all the washing powder and didn't say anything!?" I don't live here and haven't even been in the basement for any reason let alone to "use all the washing powder and not say anything"!!! Crazy lady!!
7) Did you really call me high maintenance like it was a revelation, mother? I know even as a baby I never seemed like I wasn't so what would be your point?
8) I like peanut butter and jelly but not together. I like cheese and toast, but not together. I don't like grilled cheese either unless there's ham on it.
9) It is so uncomfortable when I go somewhere and someone offers me one of the many foods I don't like and I politely decline and they press me. AHHH! If I say, "Oh no thank you" that likely means I don't like something you've offered me. Take that so I don't have to elaborate and say "I don't like..." Thanks.
10) I'm back in Florida and I have mixed feelings about it.
8.09.2009
Crazy Movie Lady 28
August 2-8, 2009
I had actually caught up this week but got behind again (only by 3) mostly from laziness, but also partly from wanting to spend time with my family and Jojo (lol) before I left Charlotte for the summer.
432. Top Hat. Musical featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. A misunderstanding between the two sends slaps and black eyes to many of the main male cast members. Cute film but of course the dancing was the best part. Loved it! I definitely want to dance like that one day! 3.7 stars
433. Thank You for Smoking. Tobacco spin doctor tries to suppress any negativity about cigarettes, promote cigarettes all while trying to be a good role model for his son. Yeah. Lol. The music supervisor is very funny and accurate in choosing songs. Very funny. The end of this movie seemed long in coming and not because the movie was so long, but perhaps the script could have used a bit of tightening. 3.7 stars.
434. Danielson: A Family Movie (or Make a Joyful Nose HERE). Personal documentary about a family of singers who do weird indie Christian music. It's narrated by the family members & friends in an annoying way-- very amateur. My background in news writing makes me even more of a stickler for good narration than the average person because I know what it should sound like. It didn't help that I didn't like the music at all. Overly long interviews which slow down the film. I can understand why their fans, friends and family would want to see this. I don't fit in those categories and was therefore mostly baffled/disinterested. The group's one-time (? maybe still) member Sufjan is the most interesting and has the best music in the film. Indulgently, unnecessarily long at an hour 45. 1.2 stars
435. Wheel of Time. Werner Herzog documentary about the largest Buddhist ritual in part of India complete with his trademark bizarre score. He only ever uses world music. It makes sense in this movie but a lot of times it is off-putting/confusing. Long periods of music and video. I get the impression that Herzog doesn't particularly care whether you like his films as long as he likes his films. There are several strange staring contests between worshippers or monks and the camera. As one reviewer notes, Herzog is a very unobtrusive narrator in this film allowing the devotion to speak for itself. This made for times of intense boredom. 3 stars
436. Tuck Everlasting. Disney movie about a girl who runs away from home and is taken in by the Tuck family, a family who drank from the fountain of eternal youth. When she falls in love with a son in the family she has to decide whether to join him in never dying. Interesting ending but en route was at times corny and boring. 3.3 stars
437. Space Cowboys. A team that was kept out of space 40 years ago is now being summoned to go into space on a mission as geriatrics if they can pass the tests. Amusing film though the music was more than a little over the top. 3.5 stars
438. Chariots of Fire. 1981 Best Picture Oscar winner about two runners from Britain competing against each other in the 1924 Olympics to be the fastest. Boring. 2.4 stars
439. The Ritchie Boys. Documentary about German immigrants to America who were fighting for America against the Nazis as intelligence workers during WWII. Very interesting stories and some great interviewees. The narration was obtrusive and mostly unnecessary even in its sparseness toward the end. Still I enjoyed this documentary 4.2 stars
440. Labor Pains. Lindsay Lohan movie about a girl who hates her job but needs it and pretends to be pregnant to keep from getting fired
441. Jezebel. Bette Davis won Best Actress for her role in this William Wyler film. She made it when the studio wouldn't loan her out to a rival to play Scarlett in Gone with the Wind. So she got her own movie full of slaves stepping and fetching. Davis plays an arrogant New Orleans socialite who tries to make her fiance (Henry Fonda) jealous but things go awry. I know despite the Oscar she was still heated about GWTW. Clearly that's on the list of classics and I'd never heard of this one and it's not as good. 3 stars
442. Rope. Alfred Hitchcock film about two men who commit the perfect murder until they hold a dinner party and their plan begins to unravel. James Stewart has a great monologue. Hitchcock's trademark photography was not there in this film. The story line was interesting enough but the hysterics of some of the actors was at times off putting. 3.5 stars
443. I'm Reed Fish. Alexis Bleidel stars in this movie, too. I can honestly say from the beginning I didn't care much about the main characters. Then a very blah twist. At the end instead of saying "ahhh" you said, "What?" 2.4 stars
444. Guide for the Married Man. Old film with Walter Mathau as a man devoted to his wife getting coached into cheating on her by his philandering best friend. Throughout this sexist film the women were one dimensional: vapid, whores or half-naked (by 1960s standards, not 2009 standards). Butt close-ups? Really? Being a combination of one of the three doesn't add a dimension. Random familiar to semi-familiar names and faces throughout. Boring repetitive style to deliver the ways to cheat. Not a fan. I would never see this movie again. Ever. 1.7 stars
445. My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Geeky unattractive 30-year-old woman transforms herself and catches the man of her dreams (Aidan from SexAndTheCity)... unfortunately he's not Greek so there's a culture clash. And yet it works (of course). Kind of corny but it was cute. With 20 minutes left I was ready for it to end so the script dragged a little toward the end of act II. Still a cute movie. 3.7 stars
446. Forgiving Dr. Mengele. Documentary about a woman who survived experiments on twins in Auschwitz by Dr. Mengele. She's a woman who controversially forgave, in her name only, the N.azis and German people. This film went wildly off course after about an hour going into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The filmmakers also touched on her effort to find Dr. Mengele's files but not in depth which to me was one of the most interesting parts of the film. I wanted the whole film to be more engaging than it was. Thought-provoking, yes. Engaging, not really.
447. In Bruges. Two British hit men are sent to Belgium after a botched job to hide out and await their next instructions. Colin Farrell plays one of the hit men. Really interesting movie as you learn the real reason they're in Bruges. 4.3 stars
448. Sabrina. A tycoon (Humphrey Bogart) takes it upon himself to break up a romance between his playboy brother and their chauffeur's daughter (Audrey Hepburn). Interesting enough film and amusing at times. 3.2 stars
*Tried to watch "M.utual Appreciation" but it was too boring and felt like a poorly made student film. This is at most the third film I've lost patience with that early on that I wouldn't finish it even to watch 750 movies this year.
I had actually caught up this week but got behind again (only by 3) mostly from laziness, but also partly from wanting to spend time with my family and Jojo (lol) before I left Charlotte for the summer.
432. Top Hat. Musical featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. A misunderstanding between the two sends slaps and black eyes to many of the main male cast members. Cute film but of course the dancing was the best part. Loved it! I definitely want to dance like that one day! 3.7 stars
433. Thank You for Smoking. Tobacco spin doctor tries to suppress any negativity about cigarettes, promote cigarettes all while trying to be a good role model for his son. Yeah. Lol. The music supervisor is very funny and accurate in choosing songs. Very funny. The end of this movie seemed long in coming and not because the movie was so long, but perhaps the script could have used a bit of tightening. 3.7 stars.
434. Danielson: A Family Movie (or Make a Joyful Nose HERE). Personal documentary about a family of singers who do weird indie Christian music. It's narrated by the family members & friends in an annoying way-- very amateur. My background in news writing makes me even more of a stickler for good narration than the average person because I know what it should sound like. It didn't help that I didn't like the music at all. Overly long interviews which slow down the film. I can understand why their fans, friends and family would want to see this. I don't fit in those categories and was therefore mostly baffled/disinterested. The group's one-time (? maybe still) member Sufjan is the most interesting and has the best music in the film. Indulgently, unnecessarily long at an hour 45. 1.2 stars
435. Wheel of Time. Werner Herzog documentary about the largest Buddhist ritual in part of India complete with his trademark bizarre score. He only ever uses world music. It makes sense in this movie but a lot of times it is off-putting/confusing. Long periods of music and video. I get the impression that Herzog doesn't particularly care whether you like his films as long as he likes his films. There are several strange staring contests between worshippers or monks and the camera. As one reviewer notes, Herzog is a very unobtrusive narrator in this film allowing the devotion to speak for itself. This made for times of intense boredom. 3 stars
436. Tuck Everlasting. Disney movie about a girl who runs away from home and is taken in by the Tuck family, a family who drank from the fountain of eternal youth. When she falls in love with a son in the family she has to decide whether to join him in never dying. Interesting ending but en route was at times corny and boring. 3.3 stars
437. Space Cowboys. A team that was kept out of space 40 years ago is now being summoned to go into space on a mission as geriatrics if they can pass the tests. Amusing film though the music was more than a little over the top. 3.5 stars
438. Chariots of Fire. 1981 Best Picture Oscar winner about two runners from Britain competing against each other in the 1924 Olympics to be the fastest. Boring. 2.4 stars
439. The Ritchie Boys. Documentary about German immigrants to America who were fighting for America against the Nazis as intelligence workers during WWII. Very interesting stories and some great interviewees. The narration was obtrusive and mostly unnecessary even in its sparseness toward the end. Still I enjoyed this documentary 4.2 stars
440. Labor Pains. Lindsay Lohan movie about a girl who hates her job but needs it and pretends to be pregnant to keep from getting fired
441. Jezebel. Bette Davis won Best Actress for her role in this William Wyler film. She made it when the studio wouldn't loan her out to a rival to play Scarlett in Gone with the Wind. So she got her own movie full of slaves stepping and fetching. Davis plays an arrogant New Orleans socialite who tries to make her fiance (Henry Fonda) jealous but things go awry. I know despite the Oscar she was still heated about GWTW. Clearly that's on the list of classics and I'd never heard of this one and it's not as good. 3 stars
442. Rope. Alfred Hitchcock film about two men who commit the perfect murder until they hold a dinner party and their plan begins to unravel. James Stewart has a great monologue. Hitchcock's trademark photography was not there in this film. The story line was interesting enough but the hysterics of some of the actors was at times off putting. 3.5 stars
443. I'm Reed Fish. Alexis Bleidel stars in this movie, too. I can honestly say from the beginning I didn't care much about the main characters. Then a very blah twist. At the end instead of saying "ahhh" you said, "What?" 2.4 stars
444. Guide for the Married Man. Old film with Walter Mathau as a man devoted to his wife getting coached into cheating on her by his philandering best friend. Throughout this sexist film the women were one dimensional: vapid, whores or half-naked (by 1960s standards, not 2009 standards). Butt close-ups? Really? Being a combination of one of the three doesn't add a dimension. Random familiar to semi-familiar names and faces throughout. Boring repetitive style to deliver the ways to cheat. Not a fan. I would never see this movie again. Ever. 1.7 stars
445. My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Geeky unattractive 30-year-old woman transforms herself and catches the man of her dreams (Aidan from SexAndTheCity)... unfortunately he's not Greek so there's a culture clash. And yet it works (of course). Kind of corny but it was cute. With 20 minutes left I was ready for it to end so the script dragged a little toward the end of act II. Still a cute movie. 3.7 stars
446. Forgiving Dr. Mengele. Documentary about a woman who survived experiments on twins in Auschwitz by Dr. Mengele. She's a woman who controversially forgave, in her name only, the N.azis and German people. This film went wildly off course after about an hour going into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The filmmakers also touched on her effort to find Dr. Mengele's files but not in depth which to me was one of the most interesting parts of the film. I wanted the whole film to be more engaging than it was. Thought-provoking, yes. Engaging, not really.
447. In Bruges. Two British hit men are sent to Belgium after a botched job to hide out and await their next instructions. Colin Farrell plays one of the hit men. Really interesting movie as you learn the real reason they're in Bruges. 4.3 stars
448. Sabrina. A tycoon (Humphrey Bogart) takes it upon himself to break up a romance between his playboy brother and their chauffeur's daughter (Audrey Hepburn). Interesting enough film and amusing at times. 3.2 stars
*Tried to watch "M.utual Appreciation" but it was too boring and felt like a poorly made student film. This is at most the third film I've lost patience with that early on that I wouldn't finish it even to watch 750 movies this year.
8.07.2009
Why I Love Urban Dictionary
Birther
n. a racist sore loser who can't deal with having a black president so they make up absurd conspiracy theories about Barack Obama's birth certificate.
HILARITY!!!!!!!
In other news, Twitter completely and gratuitously ruined my life for an entire day yesterday. Why can I tell no one nothing quick fast and in a hurry!?!? FB doesn't count!! I have FB for some things, blog for others, twitter for still others. YOU FAILED ME. I blame all of the people who joined in the last 6 months. Every single one of you. You killed twitter. Yes you. In the green shirt. But most of all despite my one time crazy love for her, I blame Oprah. You know what your show does!! You and Oprah!! The two of you are on my list.
n. a racist sore loser who can't deal with having a black president so they make up absurd conspiracy theories about Barack Obama's birth certificate.
HILARITY!!!!!!!
In other news, Twitter completely and gratuitously ruined my life for an entire day yesterday. Why can I tell no one nothing quick fast and in a hurry!?!? FB doesn't count!! I have FB for some things, blog for others, twitter for still others. YOU FAILED ME. I blame all of the people who joined in the last 6 months. Every single one of you. You killed twitter. Yes you. In the green shirt. But most of all despite my one time crazy love for her, I blame Oprah. You know what your show does!! You and Oprah!! The two of you are on my list.
8.05.2009
Encouragement
I like to do things that are slightly mischievous but essentially harmless. For example, the other day Classy Jojo and I went to the club. THERE WERE SO MANY HOT MESSES!! I was so heated they didn't allow cameras. What kind of bootleg atmosphere? I wanted to bring back photographic evidence of the girl who had on a red and white striped tank top, jeans and black loafers; the girl carrying a red, white and gold pleather briefcase... why???; the guy in 89 degree weather 100% humidity wearing a button down, tie, SWEATER VEST and blazer (dude... all that) and jeans and tennis shoes... how do you go SO dressed up top and so casual on the bottom?; a tpain look alike complete with white sunglasses, red polo and shoulder-length locks; a girl with a huge pink Coach monogram tote to match her bandage-style dress... why is your purse so huge?; the girl with pink leggings, a gray t-shirt and a black vest; a girl with a yellow t-shirt and some jeans. Sigh. I could go on for days.
They were stopping guys wearing baseball caps but not chicks walking in from the picnic??? You have NO dress code for women??? Come as you are??? Roll out of bed?? Don't try to tell me this is an upscale club. I've been there before when it wasn't so questionable but now? Club 9.35 never again. I told Jojo no after parties for the huge local concert with multiple acts and this is why. Horrid clientele. AND no cameras? Wack. But that night for entertainment all we did was touch buttons on guys' phones as they walked by. Lol.
With encouragement, though, I could really do some silly things. Last week I said on fb I'm sure the librarians are appalled I only check out DVDs, never any books so one of the alum of my program suggested going in and only checking out a bunch of strange self-help books. I LOVED this idea so I checked out Do Cats H.ear with Their Feet, The S.OS f.or P.MS, Son of S.titch n B.itch, and E.motional Rooms (which I was trying to check out while crying but couldn't manage to summon tears). I wanted to get a book on guns, too because I figured it would round out the crazy and make me a true Southerner but it was taking too long to find. I was CRACKING UP as I was picking out these books!! Hilariaous! Of coure being a librarian, the woman barely blinked. In it's own way even funnier than a reaction. Lol.
They were stopping guys wearing baseball caps but not chicks walking in from the picnic??? You have NO dress code for women??? Come as you are??? Roll out of bed?? Don't try to tell me this is an upscale club. I've been there before when it wasn't so questionable but now? Club 9.35 never again. I told Jojo no after parties for the huge local concert with multiple acts and this is why. Horrid clientele. AND no cameras? Wack. But that night for entertainment all we did was touch buttons on guys' phones as they walked by. Lol.
With encouragement, though, I could really do some silly things. Last week I said on fb I'm sure the librarians are appalled I only check out DVDs, never any books so one of the alum of my program suggested going in and only checking out a bunch of strange self-help books. I LOVED this idea so I checked out Do Cats H.ear with Their Feet, The S.OS f.or P.MS, Son of S.titch n B.itch, and E.motional Rooms (which I was trying to check out while crying but couldn't manage to summon tears). I wanted to get a book on guns, too because I figured it would round out the crazy and make me a true Southerner but it was taking too long to find. I was CRACKING UP as I was picking out these books!! Hilariaous! Of coure being a librarian, the woman barely blinked. In it's own way even funnier than a reaction. Lol.
8.03.2009
Monday Mindspacing Vol. 10
1) Why if so many people are right-handed are toilet flushers on the left?
2) I want to win this contest to go to the Rachael Ray show all-expense paid. Rashan said, "I think you better let Stace enter for you." Lololol. I entered, now Stace, here is your reminder.
3) Sony is too free with the label, "Sony Pictures Classics." Everything can't be a classic just because it will one day be old. Stop tarnishing the term classic.
4) Some filmmakers ought not to think so highly of themselves that they are deserving of someone spending 2 hours of their life watching their films. I know I have a way to go and need to pay my dues before I can really think people will do that (I will be amazed the day I decide to make a 2 hour film, I will also laugh). I don't think everyone has that idea.
5) Watching this film set in the 1920s makes me know overalls should NEVER come back in fashion. Ew. But I have a feeling they will.
6) I hate watching video on print (i.e. mags & newspapers) sites. They're offensive to my broadcast journalism teaching. Plus though I love some parts of convergence (blurring of the lines b/t print & broadcast, news sharing), there is no match in print. If I want to see video, I'm not going to the NYT, likewise if I want to read a good article, I'm not going to CNN. They get the job done and I have enough details. I go to them when I want it quick and fast (yes both).
7) I'm remembering a downside to sharing a bathroom with my sister: soggy bath mats. Ugh. Can't stand it.
8) Sometimes when Rashan and I are fighting (or I'm fussing about something he's nearly invariably baffled about) I get this overwhelming urge to giggle. So I (usually) give in and giggle. Fighting is such a strong word for any sort of spat we have. He's so gentle with me whenever he has to say something he thinks/knows I won't like. It's really cute. We generally get along quite nicely. Always a plus.
9) The first time I heard of the red hat society I wanted to join one. You know I love hats. I think I have to wait about 40 years to be eligible. So maybe I'll start a rival hat color society. AND WHAT!!!
10) It irritates me that I always want Chickfila on Sunday. So cliche.
11) Night gowns are awful contraptions. They're usually ugly AND talk about uncomfortable. Who would want to fall asleep in a dress unless on accident. You wake up because you're lying on a pile of fabric and it's uncomfortable.
12) I like internet smiley faces without noses. The noses look stupid to me. :) is much better than :-). I like the angry face and that needs a nose unfortunately. >-\ is hilarious.
13) Me, my mom and sister have similar cheese preferences. We hate Kraft singles and American cheese. Give us cheddar or give us death. Cheddar is my most normal request. I love cheese so I'm more than willing to try a lot of them.
14) What's the magic number for these mindspacing posts? I feel like 13 is max and I went over it only for this question.
2) I want to win this contest to go to the Rachael Ray show all-expense paid. Rashan said, "I think you better let Stace enter for you." Lololol. I entered, now Stace, here is your reminder.
3) Sony is too free with the label, "Sony Pictures Classics." Everything can't be a classic just because it will one day be old. Stop tarnishing the term classic.
4) Some filmmakers ought not to think so highly of themselves that they are deserving of someone spending 2 hours of their life watching their films. I know I have a way to go and need to pay my dues before I can really think people will do that (I will be amazed the day I decide to make a 2 hour film, I will also laugh). I don't think everyone has that idea.
5) Watching this film set in the 1920s makes me know overalls should NEVER come back in fashion. Ew. But I have a feeling they will.
6) I hate watching video on print (i.e. mags & newspapers) sites. They're offensive to my broadcast journalism teaching. Plus though I love some parts of convergence (blurring of the lines b/t print & broadcast, news sharing), there is no match in print. If I want to see video, I'm not going to the NYT, likewise if I want to read a good article, I'm not going to CNN. They get the job done and I have enough details. I go to them when I want it quick and fast (yes both).
7) I'm remembering a downside to sharing a bathroom with my sister: soggy bath mats. Ugh. Can't stand it.
8) Sometimes when Rashan and I are fighting (or I'm fussing about something he's nearly invariably baffled about) I get this overwhelming urge to giggle. So I (usually) give in and giggle. Fighting is such a strong word for any sort of spat we have. He's so gentle with me whenever he has to say something he thinks/knows I won't like. It's really cute. We generally get along quite nicely. Always a plus.
9) The first time I heard of the red hat society I wanted to join one. You know I love hats. I think I have to wait about 40 years to be eligible. So maybe I'll start a rival hat color society. AND WHAT!!!
10) It irritates me that I always want Chickfila on Sunday. So cliche.
11) Night gowns are awful contraptions. They're usually ugly AND talk about uncomfortable. Who would want to fall asleep in a dress unless on accident. You wake up because you're lying on a pile of fabric and it's uncomfortable.
12) I like internet smiley faces without noses. The noses look stupid to me. :) is much better than :-). I like the angry face and that needs a nose unfortunately. >-\ is hilarious.
13) Me, my mom and sister have similar cheese preferences. We hate Kraft singles and American cheese. Give us cheddar or give us death. Cheddar is my most normal request. I love cheese so I'm more than willing to try a lot of them.
14) What's the magic number for these mindspacing posts? I feel like 13 is max and I went over it only for this question.
8.02.2009
Crazy Movie Lady 27
July 26- August 1, 2009
I got very close to being caught up this week but got sidetracked by pesky little things. Like spending time with people I like and love. Geez friends and family. 4 movies behind target. I'll wipe that out this week.
414. Grand Hotel. Classic with Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford. The premise of this 1931 winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture is the comings and goings of Berlin's finest hotel. It includes a dancer, a ruined aristocrat and a dying man spending his life savings among others. This movie was neither here nor there for me. It was interesting enough but at the same time rather boring. I think my biggest issue is I don't like to follow a lot of characters. Someone always gets short shrift and I feel cheated. 2.9 stars
415. Pan's Labyrinth. Spanish fantasy film which won 3 Academy Awards (Art Direction, Cinematography & Makeup), all deserving, about a girl who believes in fairy tales and finds herself in the midst of one during World War II. Quite gory at times which is unfortunate as otherwise it would be a kid's movie. I guess an adult version of a kid's movie. It's been likened to Lord of the Rings. I wouldn't know as I haven't seen any of the Lord of the Rings. I definitely liked this film, though. 4.3/5 stars
416. Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson. Documentary about the author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. For about 30 seconds I wanted to try watching that movie again but yeah no. It's basically about a drug binge. I definitely think I would understand it more now but I'm straight. It was amazing how many people from various ways of life he knew. Very strange to see President Carter talking about this odd guy in the same glowing ways as Pat Buchanan. There were some really great things done by the filmmaker of Gonzo but I must say I couldn't stand the subject. He's the antithesis of just about everything I believe in. Plus this doc was 2 hours. I absolutely understand that the filmmaker had an outrageous amount of material but... wow. Parts of it were extraordinarily beyond me. Sometimes the filmmaker went overly long on parts of history that while incredibly interesting, don't have a whole lot to do with Thompson's life. 3 stars
417. The Notebook. I dragged my feet watching this movie because I found the book horribly sappy, but I really liked the movie. Odd and unbelievable interaction between black and white people for the period in which this film was set, starting with the 1930s but that was a minor distraction. 4.3 stars
418. Alex & Emma. Predictable Rob Reiner romantic comedy. Of course I had high hopes because he did one of my all time faves, When Harry Met Sally, that I still think about multiple times a week. This, however, with Luke Wilson & Kate Hudson? As a man trying to write a novel in 30 days (with the help of a stenographer) so he doesn't get killed by the Cuban men he owes money to for gambling? No ma'am. Boring. 2.5 stars
419. Woman is the Future of Man. South Korean film which was highly sexualized. At first I had a hard time keeping the characters straight, then once I had the characters I couldn't figure out if there was some time-traveling happening and we were seeing multiple periods in the characters' lives. From reading the back I see I'm right and it's about the 2 friends who both had relations with the same woman and them remembering it. Interesting-ish. 2.7 stars
420. Color Me Kubrick. Outrageous film based on a true story about a Stanley Kubrick impersonator (played by the hilarious John Malkovitch) who bamboozled people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. It cracked me up but I did want him to get caught earlier and the movie to end sooner. I didn't need to see SO many people he cheated. 3.7 stars
421. The Producers. Mel Brooks version of the story of two men who set out to make a flop when they realize flops could make them more money than a hit. They lose it when 'Springtime for Hitler' becomes a hit. Funny at times especially with Mel Brooks but at other times it was just there. 3.3 stars
422. I Loved You So Long. French movie with Kristen Scott Thomas. All of her French movies make it over here it seems. I like her a lot. In this film she plays a woman getting out of prison after a 15-year sentence for murder. You find out who she murdered, how she's now coping and watch as she tries to fix her relationship with the estranged sister she's now living with. Excellent film. A bit slow-moving at first, then it picks up. Worth the effort. 4.8/5 stars
423. Safe. Really? A sex scene after one line of dialogue? Less than 30 seconds after the credits disappear? Julianne Moore film about a wife in the affluent suburbs who becomes environmentally sensitive and has to seclude herself to be able to breathe. Boring 2 hour movie. Hated it. I don't believe a single word written positively about it ever. 1 star
424. Umbrellas of Cherbourg. French classic by Jacques Demy where every word is sung about a doomed love. Pretty engaging script but the end was not quite satisfactory. Still a great effort in this 5-time Oscar nominated film. 4/5 stars
425. O Brother Where Art Thou. Funny George Clooney movie (with 2 Oscar nods) where he is an outlaw who escapes to go find a treasure but has to take along the two men chained to him. For certain predictability I'll go 4 stars.
426. The Ugly Truth. Katherine Heigl film about a morning news producer who is forced to work with a misogynist who in turn helps her catch a man. Predictability of some sort ensues. Still, not the worst romantic comedy I've seen this week. 3.3 stars
427. Stray Dog. Legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's 1949 film about a detective on the hunt for his stolen gun and his escapades to stop the man who has it from committing crimes. Beautifully shot. Pretty nice script though it could've used a little tightening toward the front end. The lead is a man I imagine to be the Cary Grant of Japan because he was pretty hot. Captivating toward the end despite some platitudes at the very end. 4 stars
428. 2001: A Space Odyssey. Stanley Kubrick film. Really? A 16-minute ape sequence and an additional 5-10 minutes, all without dialogue? Outrageous. This is why the film is 2 AND A HALF HOURS. No mas. During the Jupiter approach scene, Jameil: "Was Kubrick on acid?" Rashan: "I think so." WEIRD. I feel like 70% of this movie was dialogue-free. I know at least half. The music was good but I really think I only enjoyed and understood 20 minutes of this film. I was impressed by the special effects for the time. A NYT reviewer, "Somewhere between hypnotic and immensely boring." Perfect. A generous 2 stars
429. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. French film based on a true story about a man who dictated a book by only blinking after developing locked-in syndrome after a stroke. He was paralyzed and couldn't speak but could think. His only means of communication was through blinking. I wanted the story to progress a little more quickly but I was still captivated by it. 4 stars
430. Stranger Than Paradise. Jim Jarmusch film from the 1980s. If I hadn't just seen 2001, I would've said I don't know if anything can be stranger than this movie. But that would be an exaggeration. I just didn't understand the point. A man meets his Hungarian cousin for the first time, plans to hate her, the broker a truce, she leaves, then with his friend in tow, the 3 go on a road trip to Florida. 1.9 stars
431. A Man Named Pearl. Documentary about a man who taught himself horticulture and topiaries and became the first black person to win yard of the month in his small poor SC town. Nice unasuming opening. Loved the opening. There was some really great photography. The music didn't seem to fit, though and there were multiple repetitive quotes which was the beginning of it becoming boring. It took more than 20 minutes to get to the controversy which inspired him-- racist comments about black people not keeping up their yards. This would've made an awesome short. I'm just not sure there's enough archival pictures and video to support a feature-length doc. This feeling was advanced by the music giving it a "this is almost over" feel. The Chamber of Commerce director was hilariously SC in a good way. I want to see the garden now. 3 stars
I got very close to being caught up this week but got sidetracked by pesky little things. Like spending time with people I like and love. Geez friends and family. 4 movies behind target. I'll wipe that out this week.
414. Grand Hotel. Classic with Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford. The premise of this 1931 winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture is the comings and goings of Berlin's finest hotel. It includes a dancer, a ruined aristocrat and a dying man spending his life savings among others. This movie was neither here nor there for me. It was interesting enough but at the same time rather boring. I think my biggest issue is I don't like to follow a lot of characters. Someone always gets short shrift and I feel cheated. 2.9 stars
415. Pan's Labyrinth. Spanish fantasy film which won 3 Academy Awards (Art Direction, Cinematography & Makeup), all deserving, about a girl who believes in fairy tales and finds herself in the midst of one during World War II. Quite gory at times which is unfortunate as otherwise it would be a kid's movie. I guess an adult version of a kid's movie. It's been likened to Lord of the Rings. I wouldn't know as I haven't seen any of the Lord of the Rings. I definitely liked this film, though. 4.3/5 stars
416. Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson. Documentary about the author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. For about 30 seconds I wanted to try watching that movie again but yeah no. It's basically about a drug binge. I definitely think I would understand it more now but I'm straight. It was amazing how many people from various ways of life he knew. Very strange to see President Carter talking about this odd guy in the same glowing ways as Pat Buchanan. There were some really great things done by the filmmaker of Gonzo but I must say I couldn't stand the subject. He's the antithesis of just about everything I believe in. Plus this doc was 2 hours. I absolutely understand that the filmmaker had an outrageous amount of material but... wow. Parts of it were extraordinarily beyond me. Sometimes the filmmaker went overly long on parts of history that while incredibly interesting, don't have a whole lot to do with Thompson's life. 3 stars
417. The Notebook. I dragged my feet watching this movie because I found the book horribly sappy, but I really liked the movie. Odd and unbelievable interaction between black and white people for the period in which this film was set, starting with the 1930s but that was a minor distraction. 4.3 stars
418. Alex & Emma. Predictable Rob Reiner romantic comedy. Of course I had high hopes because he did one of my all time faves, When Harry Met Sally, that I still think about multiple times a week. This, however, with Luke Wilson & Kate Hudson? As a man trying to write a novel in 30 days (with the help of a stenographer) so he doesn't get killed by the Cuban men he owes money to for gambling? No ma'am. Boring. 2.5 stars
419. Woman is the Future of Man. South Korean film which was highly sexualized. At first I had a hard time keeping the characters straight, then once I had the characters I couldn't figure out if there was some time-traveling happening and we were seeing multiple periods in the characters' lives. From reading the back I see I'm right and it's about the 2 friends who both had relations with the same woman and them remembering it. Interesting-ish. 2.7 stars
420. Color Me Kubrick. Outrageous film based on a true story about a Stanley Kubrick impersonator (played by the hilarious John Malkovitch) who bamboozled people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. It cracked me up but I did want him to get caught earlier and the movie to end sooner. I didn't need to see SO many people he cheated. 3.7 stars
421. The Producers. Mel Brooks version of the story of two men who set out to make a flop when they realize flops could make them more money than a hit. They lose it when 'Springtime for Hitler' becomes a hit. Funny at times especially with Mel Brooks but at other times it was just there. 3.3 stars
422. I Loved You So Long. French movie with Kristen Scott Thomas. All of her French movies make it over here it seems. I like her a lot. In this film she plays a woman getting out of prison after a 15-year sentence for murder. You find out who she murdered, how she's now coping and watch as she tries to fix her relationship with the estranged sister she's now living with. Excellent film. A bit slow-moving at first, then it picks up. Worth the effort. 4.8/5 stars
423. Safe. Really? A sex scene after one line of dialogue? Less than 30 seconds after the credits disappear? Julianne Moore film about a wife in the affluent suburbs who becomes environmentally sensitive and has to seclude herself to be able to breathe. Boring 2 hour movie. Hated it. I don't believe a single word written positively about it ever. 1 star
424. Umbrellas of Cherbourg. French classic by Jacques Demy where every word is sung about a doomed love. Pretty engaging script but the end was not quite satisfactory. Still a great effort in this 5-time Oscar nominated film. 4/5 stars
425. O Brother Where Art Thou. Funny George Clooney movie (with 2 Oscar nods) where he is an outlaw who escapes to go find a treasure but has to take along the two men chained to him. For certain predictability I'll go 4 stars.
426. The Ugly Truth. Katherine Heigl film about a morning news producer who is forced to work with a misogynist who in turn helps her catch a man. Predictability of some sort ensues. Still, not the worst romantic comedy I've seen this week. 3.3 stars
427. Stray Dog. Legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's 1949 film about a detective on the hunt for his stolen gun and his escapades to stop the man who has it from committing crimes. Beautifully shot. Pretty nice script though it could've used a little tightening toward the front end. The lead is a man I imagine to be the Cary Grant of Japan because he was pretty hot. Captivating toward the end despite some platitudes at the very end. 4 stars
428. 2001: A Space Odyssey. Stanley Kubrick film. Really? A 16-minute ape sequence and an additional 5-10 minutes, all without dialogue? Outrageous. This is why the film is 2 AND A HALF HOURS. No mas. During the Jupiter approach scene, Jameil: "Was Kubrick on acid?" Rashan: "I think so." WEIRD. I feel like 70% of this movie was dialogue-free. I know at least half. The music was good but I really think I only enjoyed and understood 20 minutes of this film. I was impressed by the special effects for the time. A NYT reviewer, "Somewhere between hypnotic and immensely boring." Perfect. A generous 2 stars
429. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. French film based on a true story about a man who dictated a book by only blinking after developing locked-in syndrome after a stroke. He was paralyzed and couldn't speak but could think. His only means of communication was through blinking. I wanted the story to progress a little more quickly but I was still captivated by it. 4 stars
430. Stranger Than Paradise. Jim Jarmusch film from the 1980s. If I hadn't just seen 2001, I would've said I don't know if anything can be stranger than this movie. But that would be an exaggeration. I just didn't understand the point. A man meets his Hungarian cousin for the first time, plans to hate her, the broker a truce, she leaves, then with his friend in tow, the 3 go on a road trip to Florida. 1.9 stars
431. A Man Named Pearl. Documentary about a man who taught himself horticulture and topiaries and became the first black person to win yard of the month in his small poor SC town. Nice unasuming opening. Loved the opening. There was some really great photography. The music didn't seem to fit, though and there were multiple repetitive quotes which was the beginning of it becoming boring. It took more than 20 minutes to get to the controversy which inspired him-- racist comments about black people not keeping up their yards. This would've made an awesome short. I'm just not sure there's enough archival pictures and video to support a feature-length doc. This feeling was advanced by the music giving it a "this is almost over" feel. The Chamber of Commerce director was hilariously SC in a good way. I want to see the garden now. 3 stars
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