A Letter to Our Parents' Generation

To Our Parents, Teachers, and everyone who was socially aware between 1965-1989,

I'm sorry that we have ruined music. I'm sorry that we made horrible "noise" that we pretend is music and have replaced singers with people who can talk really fast to a mind-numbing bass beat. I'm sorry that we think that writing the same song over and over again is acceptable and that mass producing music that all sounds the same is okay. We lack the originality and the need to have a new form of music that you enjoyed. We never had a repressive soceity for us to reject by wearing leather jackets and rolled up jeans and tube socks and mildly swaying our hips seductively. We never had a major social revolution involving free love and drugs. We never had draft cards to burn. This has left our generation in a strange place. With nothing to really rebel against, at least not a unifying and common "enemy" of our generation, and so we wallow in the success of our parents and bask in your accomplishments. We sing about money and sex and excess. You sung about love and unity and peace. We sing about how wonderful it is to be tormented. You sang about how to treat the one you love right.

We will be the first generation to not earn more than our parents.

We will be the first generation to not have a unified goal. The saying "shoot for the moon, because even if you miss, you'll land among the stars" means little to us because we've already been to the moon (and by us, I mean you).

So maybe we just need a goal. You're a hard act to follow, though, but maybe if we get together, we can have a goal.

To Gerneration I:
Let's get a goal.

Gotta Love Mother Nature

So, you know how I was telling you how much it's been raining? Well, today, there is sunshine and it is beautiful. I've spent the last 5 hours outside, which makes me very very happy. But, just so you all can see the damage from the past week or so of near constant rain...here are some before and after pictures:

Before: Looking Upstream from the new bridge.













After: Same place, zoomed in a bit to show where the water reached at it's highest. If you notice on the left hand side, the grass is all flattened and pointed down-stream. This is where the water level was. Also, though it's had a day or two (it didn't rain yesterday, but was just cloudy), the water level is still very very high.







Before: This one makes me a little sad...this is the old bridge that Dad and I built when I was about 5 or 6 (okay, Dad built it, but I got to help him carry the wood down to the creek and I held nails). This bridge has been there for 15 years old...RIP old bridge.

**Ooh, ooh! If you look and see the big flat roundish rock in the bottom right hand corner, that was on the shore when the bridge was built. At the time of this picture, there was 2-3 feet of creek that had eroded away....


After: Sigh....The creek looks a lot different now...much wider. The large log on the left that is leaning on the rock was one of the support beams of the bridge.

SHMR #9: I Walked With A Zombie

I Walked With A Zombie (1943)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
Starring James Ellison, Frances Dee and Tom Conway

So, this film came on the B-side of a "Horror Double Feature" DVD featuring this and The Body Snatchers. At first, I thought this was going to be a classic B-movie with typical "zombie" figures, but I was wrong.

In 2007, Stylus Magazine rated it one of the top 5 Zombie movies of all time, but see, there is one problem with their definition of "zombie." Their "zombie" was a woman who was driven mad and no longer spoke or did anything of her own free will. She was very much alive, but just not "here." See, I don't really consider this a zombie. A zombie, for the purposes of a zombie movie, is a resurrected corpse who roams the earth with the goal of consuming brains, right? See figures A and B for further

So, ignoring the completely misleading title, the film overall was good. I would not categorize it as a horror, more of a crime drama, really. Who drove Jessica mad? A young nurse, Betsy, comes to be a caretaker for Jessica Holland, who appears to have been struck mentally ill after a terrible fever. After Betsy arrives, it soon becomes clear, through the stories of the local people, that Jessica was actually driven mad and that the story of the fever is a cover for what really happened. Betsy really doesn't do much with this information, and focuses on trying to cure Jessica, because she loves her husband, Paul Holland, and wants him to be happy. There is a fun little rectangle of awkward relationship drama between Paul, Betsy, Jessica, and Paul's brother, Wesley. It's a fun drama to try to follow and makes the movie relatively interesting.

There is also an emphasis on the difference between the white Christians who have come to the island (St. Thomas, the setting of the movie) and the black natives who practice Voodoo. Betsy (white) gets herself involved in the voodoo practices a bit in her attempt to help Jessica, and it proves to be rather detrimental to everyone involved. Because the movie was shot in 1943, one would expect some racism, but really there wasn't much that would make a politically correct citizen of the 21st century to really squirm or be offended.

The movie goes on and you find yourself really getting into the plot, trying to figure it out and to see who "killed" Jessica, but in the end, you wind up rather disappointed- there isn't really a conclusion, more like the movie just ends, but not in a "to be continued" way. It's a bit of a let down, but not really enough to make the film not worthwhile.

Overall Rating: B+

Figure A: Zombies


Figure B: Not Zombie


...for those who would get this- May I suggest that this film be renamed "Living Dead Girl"?

Notes on the weather and other observations.

1) OMG the sun is out and it isn't raining right now!!!! Although, it will be later today. If you were to take a look at www.weather.com under the 10-day forecast for the zip code 28605, you will see one of the saddest forecasts ever. Rain everyday starting Sunday, and it's supposed to rain today, and it's rained everyday for the past week. Tomorrow is supposed to be "mostly sunny" which will be a breath of fresh air for everyone who can finally go outside!

2) My cat snores. No, really...he snores. I know this because he sleeps on the TRB fleece blanket that CR gave me at the end of the semester on the end of the bed. It's kinda cute, actually, but yes, I was unaware that cats could snore.

3) I'm going to see the Space Shuttle Endeavour launch!!!! Saturday, June 13th at approx. 3:51pm. I am really really REALLY excited about this!!!! I've never seen a shuttle launch and it's cool that I get to see Endeavour. There are going to be astronauts inside going to the Space Station!!! Whoa!!! I'm surprised that tickets are fairly reasonable for this- $38 for viewing spot + admission to the entire Kennedy Space Center, which is a pretty amazing place if you've never been there. I highly recommend for all those going to Central Florida and don't really want to run around Disney world all the time.

4) Dragoncon, please? So, I really enjoy the Cruxshadows, thanks to an amazing concert night w/ CK and MP last winter. Well, they are playing at Dragoncon Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, and I have a car, so in theory I have means of getting there. Unfortunately, I still need a hotel room, plus you apparently have to pay to prove that you have no life and enjoy going to these geek conventions. Also playing is Voltaire, a very eccentric Cuban-American goth cabaret artist who is pretty cool and was introduced to me by AD a while ago. If I could get some people to join me/ help split the cost of hotel and gas, then I would totally be up for it. I really don't care about dragons, I kinda just want to go to the shows. Let me know if you are interested, por favor.

SHMR #8: Journey to the Seventh Planet

Journey to the Seventh Planet-1962
Directed by Sid Pink
Starring John Agar, Greta Thyssen, Ann Smyrner, Mimi Heinrich

Okay, so, let me just share with you what is on the back of the box:

In futuristic 2001, the UN has sent a special team of scientists to explore Uranus. And what this interstellar crew discovers is a planet not unlike Earth- completele with a small Danish village filled with voluptuous women! But underneath the utopian veneer is a force so powerful and so heinous that it's using the crew's memories against them so it can take their spaceship back to Earth- and conquer it!

This movie is a classic B-movie....full of really poorly made special effects, strange fantasies (um...Danish village filled with voluptuous women?) and even a giant Spider. It is really bad in all the best ways, and at only an hour and 17 minutes, it makes for an excellent nap movie, unitl all the screatching and bellowing starts.

As with any movie made in the early 1960s about the future, it is interesting to see what people thougth the future would be like. Instead of individual nations, the UN has taken over the world, and it takes man 40 minutes to travel from the Moon to Mars. Also, there seems to be no understanding of the concept that oxygen is required to breath, as the astronauts seem to do quite well for themselves on the atmosphericless surface of Uranus.

So, if you are looking ofr a great poorly made B-movie filled with action, adventure, and a dramatic conclusion, pick this one up. If you are looking for something of high aestetic quality and a well-made science fiction film, pick this one up anyways. You will certainly get a laugh out of if.

B-Movie Rating:
3.5 Giant Ants of Doom

More Pictures

So, I'm totally in a "OMG! Let's go take pictures!!!" mood, thus the multiple picture blog posts, but I'm seriously in love with this camera. Here are a few more from today. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to get out and about and get some from town, not just in my backyard (yes...this is my backyard for those of you who have yet to see my house).

A Few Bits of Housekeeping

So, a few bits of housekeeping before I forget and then regret not getting them done. These basically cover how to contack me during the next few months (essentially today until July 19th). I'll have access to AIM and Facebook until the 26th of June, so that's basically the best way of getting into quick contact. If you are trying to call, my cell phone doesn't work within the house, so give me a call on the house line. Mom and I are going to Florida on the 6th of June, so after that use the cell. Gah I'm a tough one to get a hold of, sorry....

Anyways, when I'm in Greece, I will not have a cell phone or a laptop, let alone internet access. This basically means I will be completely out of contact from June 26th until July 19th. You can call the house/ cell all you want, but there's not going to be an answer. Of course, you could talk to my parents, I'm sure they'd be up for a chat ;-). But in all honesty, this shouldn't be an issue- it's just 3 1/2 weeks. If it's urgent, send and Owl.

But I'm home on the 19th and availible to be reached by all forms of communication (sine cell phone).

That's all for now! Talk to you soon!

New Camera!

So, for my birthday, I got a new camera...YAY!!! It is a wonderfully amazing Canon PowerShot SX110IS with 10x op. zoom and 9 megapixels... :D

I have spent the better part of the morning taking pictures around the house to get used to using it and to figure out all the settings. This camera is my new baby. I'll still miss my old camera just because I was used to it and it literally went everywhere with me, but I'm really excited about this new one.

ZOMG She's TWENTY (Almost!)

So, tomorrow is my birthday and mom and I are going to Hickory to go shopping and to get a new camera! I'm very excited- my old camera was tragically trampled during the festivities of the National Championship Franklin Street Rush. Anyways, I'm excited because I'm getting a way awesome Fujifilm camera that has a 12x optical zoom and 10 mega pixels. I'm very very very excited about this.

Tonight, we got a cake and watched old movies from when I was a kid. The cake was good and the movies were cute, but two points of somewhat interest: The cake read, in big pink letters "Happy Birthday Smantha" <--not a typo....it actually said "Smantha." This is a little interesting because this is similar to my 1st b-day cake, which read "Happy Birthday Sanantha." My dad has never let my mom live down the great Sanantha debacle, and took it upon himself to get all of my subsequent birthday cakes. However, this year, dad let mom get the cake, and once again, the name was misspelled. I wonder for how long he'll make fun of her for this....

Point two: while watching the old videos, there is one of me painting when I'm about 3 1/2 years old. I am painting with my right hand! I finish that painting in the coloring book, and when I start the next one, I'm painting left handed! It was so bizare! Within a minute, you saw me switch dexterities! Weird!!!!

Overall, it's been a pretty good birthday celebration....I can't believe that in less than 9 hours, I'll no longer be a teenager. How Strange..(How strange!)...

Sweet Summer Reign: Part Deux

So, it's been a few weeks of summer and I'm hitting that wall...I think a bug just flew into my eye....anyway, I've hit that wall of boredom. I miss people and there's not a whole lot to do in B-town. I have exhausted the local cinema and Blockbuster, and I have gone through the library a few times. But there is starting to be a void in my little world- something that cannot be filled by books or movies. The only thing that can fill this void is you. That's right. You. I miss you. I miss all of you. There aren't many people in B-town to hang out with. My parents have had all the conversations that I care to have (I'm sure more will come, but not of my liking). I have seen a few people from high school, but I'm realizing that as the years pass, the good friends I had in high school are becoming fewer and fewer. I guess time has begun to weed out the people I thought were friends from the people who are my friends.

But I miss you all. Can't wait until I get back to the Hill for the fall term.

I guess the point of this post is: It's 3am, I must be lonely.

SHMR #7: Zach and Miri Make a Porno

Zach and Miri Make a Porno -2008
Directed By:
Starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks

So, despite it's name, I had some hopes that this movie would be a sweet little romantic comedy. Unfortunately, I was let down big time. Yes, there is a lot of sex in this movie and yes, there are some funny moments here and there, but the movie seemed to just be another in the long line of disappointing films starring Seth Rogen focusing on an average guy who gets the hot girl. It is a cheap and sloppy follow up to the original Seth-Rogen-gets-the-hot-girl movie Knocked Up, which, for all of it's crude humor and cheap situational laughs, was rather descent.

Two roommates, Zach and Miri, are strapped for cash and SOL when their landlord turns off their electricty and water the day before Thanksgiving. They decide at that point that if they want to make some money fast, they must make a porno. It is a lame concept and I doubt poeple in the real world would jump to the "let's make a porno" option as quickly as they did, but, alas, they had a movie to make so the audience has to just go with it. The supporting cast offers some fun humor and give a nice family vibe to the whole situation. The conflicts that prevent the porno from being completed were too easy to call ten minutes in advance.

The movie is filled with unoriginal and unnatrual dialogue between the two main characters and it is easy to tell from the very beginning that they belong together. Unfortunately, from the time the audience realizes this to the time the movie ends is far too long.

The movie has a nice, sweet, cookie-cutter Romantic Comedy ending (sorry if that spoils the movie, but you see it coming from the opening credits...I'm not giving away much) which just ads to the overly cliched style of the whole predictable movie. My advice is to save your $.99 Blockbuster Rental Fee and use it to buy a goldfish. Goldfish are much more entertaining and much more intelligent.

Rating:
C-

However! I just wanted to make a note on Seth Rogen in general:

I hope that he will eventually shuffel off this "stupid movie" phase and become a more serious actor. I see a lot of similarities between him and Tom Hanks, who also started off playing the type-cast role of the everyday guy who gets the girl. Rogen has shown clear mass market appeal and could very well be on his way to major serious success if he learns to start making quality movies that have a point. I really like Seth Rogen in general- I think he has a lot of potential and if given the chance can be a really profound actor in serious movies. So, Mr. Rogen- please take a page from fellow funny-man Tom Hanks and try your luck at some roles with more depth than Zach and Miri Make a Porno.

SHMR #6: Star Trek (2009)

Star Trek (2009)
Directed by JJ Abrams
Staring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Zoe Saldana, Leonard Nemoy

This is the perfect summer movie: lots of action, explosions, and a fun, relatively easy to follow (though not simple) plot. I went to go see it with one of my friends who knows much more about the franchise than I did (this is actually my first introduction to Star Trek ever outside universal pop culture references... basically I knew there was a guy with funny ears named "Spock" and William Shatner). The movie proved to be enjoyable for both the fan and the newbie. Abrams did a good job at making the plot accessable to people who have never seen anything about Star Trek, while still staying true to the fan's expectations.

The movie has a lot of really amazing visual and special effects and for the most part, it looks very very new while still retaining the classic look (uniforms were updated and motercycles were added...) The one thing about the look of the movie that really bothered me was the clash between the Enterprise and Nero's ship. While the Enterprise looked as if it was built with all the highest standards that a summer blockbuster's budget could allow, Nero's ship looked at times like it had been pulled out of a bad Sci-Fi Channel show/ early 1990's Power Rangers. While I appreciate the attempt to show a difference between the cultures of humans and Romulans, but there seemed to be a severe lack of quality between the two ships that ended up looking like faulty production other than artistic interpretation.

The characters were, as far as I can tell (and from my fan friend's sighs of relief and smiles of delight), very very spot on. From the standpoint of a newbie, I really enjoyed just how bad-ass Kirk was and I really liked how the writers played with the fact that Spock was half human. He was emotionally detached, but found that there were two emotions he could not control: anger and love (which made him a very very attractive character). Scotty was fantastic and so was McCoy...each of these characters offered necessary comic relief (after a fight between Spock and Kirk, Scotty breaks the tension with his awesome scottish accent "I like being on this ship...it's exciting!").

But now, to the most important part of the movie:
Spock. Spcok was amazingly attractive. Not necessarily the best looking, but definately had that quailty that made him by far the sexiest and most attractive of the characters. Although, he is also very good looking...he defaults to logic when distressed, which creates something of a tortured soul aura (minor soul torture, though). Some fans might be upset with his involvement with Uhura (two scenes in particular...) but I think it is an interesting choice to show his human side and to play with the inner conflict between his Vulcan identity and his human identity. Overall, he was fantastic and one of my favortie parts of the movie. Plus, he is so attractive.

Overall Rating: A-

Dear Azazel (A Love Letter)

Dear Azazel,

Die in a fire.

Love,
Me ;-)

Essentially, Azazel, or Azzie as I sometimes call him, has returned once again to wreak havoc on my poor laptop. Sometimes, he comes in the form of broken screens, other times in system failures. This time, he has returned in the form of some gross Trojan spyware thing which changes my desktop screen saver. The program is "System Security 2009" and if it gets onto your computer, get it off, quick! It is not a real spyware program and it is really really icky.

In other news...I'm reading the Harry Potter series again. I'm about halfway done with book one (should finish tonight) and hopefully will be done with the series before my 20th Birthday (Sunday!). I want them done before then so that I can be officially done with my teenage years have have HP be in one nice neat little package (of course...I'm going to go see the movies and will still love the stuff...though I will never be as bad as Jack...gotta love that girl).

Speaking of Jack...I might be going up to NYC at the end of the summer, which would be terrific because I haven't seen her in about a year and I'm having serious withdrawal.

SHMR #5: Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire- 2008
Directed by Danny Boyle
Starring Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mital, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan.

There is no doubt that this movie fully deserved the Best Picture Academy Award. It is one of the best films I have seen in years. It is well done and the story is one that anyone can relate to. It is definitely a crowd pleaser.

Following Jamal (Patel), who has done the impossible by answering questions that no one has been able to answer on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," the audience sees how every moment of his life has led up to Jamal fulfilling his destiny. It is an amazing story of the human spirit as he battles against all the odds to win the girl of his dreams.

The opening segments of the film are disturbing and borderline unwatchable- they depict Jamal's torture after the show's producers think he has cheated- and his early days as a boy in the slums of Bombay. The movie seems to be brutally honest about the conditions of children living in poverty and some of the scenes literally made me feel ill. But the images they included all had a very powerful purpose and fit the movie's theme very well.

Overall Rating: A+
This is definitely a must-see movie for everyone.

SHMR #4: Rachel Getting Married

Rachel Getting Married- 2008
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt

I need to watch something immediately to get this movie out of my mind. I was very excited about this, but found myself rather disappointed. Despite what the title implies, the film focuses on Kym, the dysfunctional and drug-addicted younger sister of the bride. When she gets out of rehab, her family treats her (understandably) like a criminal. They do not trust her and her sister wishes she was not in the family, let alone the wedding, at all.

Essentially, the whole movie follows these two girls as they fight for attention from everyone. Kym wants acknowledgment for being out of rehab and for being clean while Rachel wants people to remember that it is her wedding. It comes to a head with a huge cat-fight in which Rachel cops out of the argument by dropping the pregnancy bomb. It is cliche and Kym calls her out on the fact and claims that Rachel planned that moment. Overall, There are a lot of scenes of unnecessary drama and most of the family tension seems forced. Many scenes ran too long (especially the toast scene) and many moments that were suppose to be funny simply fell flat.

For some strange reason, the happy couple has decided to turn their interracial marriage (Rachel is white and Sydney, her fiance is black), into an all-out cultural explosion which includes (but is not limited to) Indian sari's for the bridesmaid dresses, a Buddhist monk, and random Latin music that seems to play throughout the movie.

Overall, this movie tried too hard to be a deep and touching family movie but in the end it just didn't work. Save yourself the $20 to buy it or the $5 to rent it. If you want wedding drama, may I suggest "Bridezilla" on WE TV?

Rating: C-.

OMG This Isn't a Movie Review!

So, I'm taking a break from the Summer of 100 Movie Reviews this afternoon (don't worry, Rachel Getting Married review coming later this evening) to let you know what's been going on this summer now that I am home.

There hasn't been much going on so far, again it is just the beginning of summer...not quite a week, but I've kept busy. Basically- my dad found out that I know how to use Excel, and has essentially hired me to become his personal inventoryer. I've inventoried his records, his office, and his dead mother's stuff from Ohio. Grandma Toots' stuff is actually pretty cool...I found some great blackmail stuff such as a "book" dad wrote in the 3rd grade called "Dollie's Shoes," a charming story of a little doll who wants to be given to a little girl for Christmas because she will then have shoes for her warm feet. Also, Toots kept all the letters he sent her from college, which included some fun details, including his grades and GRE scores. Tee hee...

As you can tell, I've been watching a lot of movies so far and I've been knitting. I want to start working fairly regularly for the Linus Project, with a personal goal of 5 baby blankets by the time school starts. Also, and this is strange...I have the urge to study. And this brings me to a big point of this blog post:

I want to do better. I need to do better. Someone the other day told me that he was personally surprised that I have stuck with Catholicism as long as I did and that he noticed that I have kinda fallen off the horse of zeal and enthusiasm that I had before I became Catholic and immediately afterwards. I have become a luke-warm Catholic and that is not how I want to be. But this isn't just Catholicism...I've beomce a luke-warm everything. I'm not giving things 100% of my efforts and I know I am not trying nearly as much as I should or could be, letting myself get sidetracked and distracted. So- I am going to do better. I want to turn my life around because at this rate, I'm going to graduate with no where to go and no way to get a job, especially in this economy. I want to try again.

Anyways, I will talk to you all later tonight after I watch Rachel Getting Married.

SHMR #3- Casablanca

Casablanca- 1942
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid

So, I'm gonna go ahead and call this one: I think this is going to be a classic. I had never seen this movie before and after watching it, I understand why it makes the top slot of pretty much every movie countdown ever made. If you have not seen it, I suggest that you go and watch it right now. I am a big fan of old movies and this one pretty much blows most of them out of the water.

With the Second World War raging in Europe, Rick (Bogart) is a cynical and very neutral onlooker of the war who runs into an old flame Ilsa (Bergman) who is on the run with her current beau from the Nazis. It's a love story that has set the bar for all other love stories. Nicholas Sparks, eat your heart out- you'll never come up with something this perfect. The acting is supurb and it is beautifully shot. Again, I highly recommend this to everyone (though I am probably the last to have watched it...I'm a horrible movie-buff).

Rating: A+

**I'm sorry for the ridiculously short review- I am really tired and Idol was on. Go Adam!

See you tomorrow for the exciting (and hopefully longer) review of Rachel Getting Married.

SHMR #2: Doubt

Doubt- 2008
Written and Directed by John Patrick Shanley
Starring: Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams

Okay, first and foremost- let me just gust about Meryl Streep. I love her to no end, she can do no wrong, and this movie once again proves this point.

I first became aware of Doubt in the Spring of 2008 when MD and I went to go see the stage production from Playmakers Rep. Theatre on campus. I really liked it and the plot kept me on my feet. When I heard it was becoming a movie, I was excited but also a little apprehensive that the film version would lose some of the ambiguity of the play. Sorry if this spoils the movie for you, but it follows the play very closely, which made me extremely happy- all the way down to the last lines of the script.

The movie was excellent and really used lighting and camera angles to really play up the drama and tension between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn. There is a great deal of light and wind imagery that, while it existed in the play, the film version really brought it to life. Hey, sometimes film has its advantages over theatre.

One advantage the film did not have that the stage version had was simplicity. The stage version has only four characters ever seen onstage. This limitation really helps the play achieve all the suspense that a good gossip story presents. While it is understood that there is a congregation to which Father Flynn is giving his homilies to, seeing him alone on the stage really isolates him from the rest of the cast in a way the film cannot achieve. The addition of other characters did allow the script to break from the very conversationalist style of the stage to a more visual understanding of what was going on.

My biggest issue with the film (and this is an issue I had with the play as well) was the reaction of Dennis Miller's mother. *Dennis Miller is the supposed victim of Father Flynn's inappropriateness. When hearing that her son might be involved, she reacts in a way that is very un-motherly. It is almost unnerving that she would have so little interest in the boy's well being, insisting that the situation would only last until June when the boy left the school to go to high school. Her whole reaction just seemed unrealistic and somewhat disturbing. Who knows...maybe that is what Shanley was going for, but I could have used a little more shock or horror or something from Mrs. Miller. Another instance at the end with Sister Aloysius and Sister James. I don't want to spoil the ending for those of you who haven't seen it, but the film does an awkward jump between the angry in-your-face-I'll-stop-at-nothing Sister Aloysius and her character at the end that just didn't seem to fit.

Overall, I give the movie an A-
See this movie! But not if it's the last thing you'll do on earth.

See you tomorrow when I review Casablanca!

The Summer of 100 Movie Reviews!!!

Alright...I am going to watch 100 movies this summer and write 100 reviews for these movies. These movies will be new, old, classic, cult, documentaries, etc. Expect at least one a day...maybe two if you are lucky. Don't worry, I'll throw in some regular blogs here and there, for those of you who are interested in keeping up with my day to day life in a non-stalker-ish/ "I creep because I care" type of way.

So...first review...
Requiem for a Dream-2000
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans

This could be one of the most interesting movies I have ever watched. Certainly it scored serious cinematography points and props to Darren Aronofsky for amazing directoral work. This is one of the few films to use the Kuleshov Effect in recent memory and have it work really really well. The montage of the drugs being prepared starts off as being nice and almost fun...by the end, the same montage makes the audience almost sick because the characters have created their own prison out of cocaine and heroin.

The story follows Harry Goldfarb, his mother Sara, his girlfirend, Marion, and his best friend Ty as they all become involved in their own drug-related hell. The transitions from season to season and that representation of the character's fall into despair and addiction is a little cliche and tired (Summer was the bright and happy part where everything looked great, Fall was their "fall" and Winter is when all hell broke loose). Each of the characters have a dream (as the title imples), and each of these dreams are shattered by their addiction to different drugs. For Harry and Ty (Leto and Wayans), the dream is to strike it rich and get "a pound of pure and retire." Granted, it is a drug related dream, it is shattered none the less by the end of the film. Marion (Connelly) wants to start her own clothing botique with her own designs. This one gets smashed very quickly. Sara (Burstyn) has possibly the most tragic downfall because she doesn't know what she is getting herself into. Wanting nothing more than to be loved and to be on television and fit in the red dress her late husband Seymore loved so much, Burstyn gives one of the most heartbreaking performances I've seen in a long time. She has such a physical transformation as well...she is almost unrecognizeable by the end of the film.

Overall, this movie is terriffic. If you can get over some rather explicit scenes of sexuality, then I highly recommend this movie (however, don't watch it with your parents, wink wink).

Rating: A

Review Schedule:
Monday, May 11th- Doubt
Tuesday, May 12th- Casablanca
Wednesday, May 13th- Rachel Getting Married
Thursday, May 14th- Slumdog Millionaire
Friday, May 15h- Milk

Oh What a Circus...

Oh what a show...this year has been so crazy that I thought that a nice "year in review" would be in order.

Major Events:

Sarah Palin!
God Bless Sarah Palin. This pitbull from Alaska won the hearts of a nation and became one of the most popular impersonations in SNL history thanks to Tina Fay. I'm not saying that everyone liked her politics, but gosh, she reintroduced "Alaskan" as a recognizable American dialect and made elections sexy again. Sarah Palin, if you ever read this: will you be my co-mother???


First Voting Experience!
So, I was probably the most giddy person on campus when I went to vote with one of my good friends from work, LN. When we came back from the polls, our manager said I looked as happy as Miss America. It was a really great day in my life because I have been waiting to vote for a long long time.

Halloween!
Oooh...Halloween was fun. After much confusion and anger about the new policies concerning limiting the numbers of people attending the festivities, it ended up being really awesome. Props to the Town of Chapel Hill for making it much less crowded/ more enjoyable. A bunch of us went as Sweeney Todd Characters and had a fantastic time, later returning to Newman to play/ sing the Sweeney Todd soundtrack.

Barack Obama!
Barack Obama won the 2008 election over John McCain! This was no surprise to conservatives around the nation seeing as, in most people's opinions, McCain's campaign was poorly run. After the victory, I joined my tolken liberal friend (yes, I am officially outting myself as a conservative on this blog) to Franklin Street to celebrate, fulfilling my end of the deal (if McCain had won, she would have joined me, if Obama won, I would join her). I have never seen anything like it- people were screaming and excited, but it was a sober excitement. This was an acomplishment that they had been apart of more than just watching it happen. I had a good time and remained cautiously optimistic about the future.

Thanksgiving!
Ah...once a year we gather together to stuff our faces and pretend that gluttony isn't a sin in the name of Thanksgiving. This year, the Motown Thanksgiving celebration was great and fun was had by all (I hope). This festivity also resulted in the most amazing live action reenactment of Potter Puppet Pals' "Mysterious Ticking Noise."

Cruxshadows Concert!
So, this very well could be the best concert I have ever been to. Thanks to CK and MP for bringing me along for this incredible adventure! Opening act Ayria also was fantastic. At the end, he pulled everyone up on stage and we all started singing and dancing along to Marilyn My Bitterness. Afterwords, Rogue (the lead singer) gave everyone hugs. It was amazing. It was the perfect study break during exams.


Jesus Crab!
Ahh...Jesus Crab...rest in peace, buddy. You lived for like, two weeks. I'm sorry I wasn't a better crab mother to you, but you didn't eat anything! I kept your crabitat in the room for the remainder of the year, but then donated it to Tar Heel Treasures because I don't want to carry around a dead crab's crabitat forever.

Inaugeration!
Okay, so I'm realizing that this year has been dominated by politics, but such is life when it's an election year. It snowed in Chapel Hill and people made "Snobamas," which were really adorable. A subevent of the Inaugeration:

Aretha Franklin's Hat!
OMFG this thing was amazing and quickly captured the nation's imagination. It is now the subject of many honorary facebook pages and appreciation societies. I joined a few.



ITS!
Okay, this wasn't a one-time thing, but it has to go somewhere. In a little over a year, my laptop has been in ITS' service center 13 times for a total of 54 days. Grrr. It would be difficult to express how much I abhor ITS without using profanity. I'm currently working with Lenovo and seeing if I can get a new laptop. Wish me luck!

Jesus Christ Superstar!
So, after a rather hellish midterm week, RT, CR and I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley. I know I blogged obsessively about this, and I'm so happy we went because it really was rather fantastic! I love JCS. It is really my favorite musical of all time. Thank you, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice for givng this to the world.

Ted Neeley

Amanda Palmer Concert!
Oh, AP- you are pretty fantastic. Amanda Palmer gave a very interesting concert in Carrboro that CK and I went to see. It wasn't like a normal concert with people dancing around, but we all kinda sat there and just absorbed it all. It was pretty cool. After the concert, I got my face painted by a cray-cray and Amanda Palmer signed my t-shirt and talked to AD for his birthday. It was so super wonderful. Thank you so much for that, Amanda!

Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

National Championship!
TARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
(Heels!)
We won the national championship! This led to mass hysteria and the frantic need to light things on fire and jump over them. The chaos was so astounding on Franklin Street that several members of the crowd, in order to confuse the masses, removed the street sign in an attempt to disorrient the mob and make them think that they were not, in fact, on Franklin Street. This attempt was to no avail. Our great victory was followed by a work shift from hell. I clocked in over 9 hours at student stores, starting at 5 am and interspersed between classes and meetings. They pay me so I can't complain too much.


This has been an exciting year for sure. I'm not sure how next year is going to compete...it surely cannot be as crazy as this, but we'll see. Have a great summer to everyone I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to yesterday and Wednesday!

Sometimes People Suck.

But of course you know this. Everyone knows this. Sometimes your friends do stupid things and make you wonder why you have even been their friend all this time. Sometimes people who claim to be honest really aren't. A lot of times it's them, but sometimes it's you. Sometimes it's you because sometimes, you just stop trying to make friendships work because sometimes you have to come to the realization that it is simply not worth the effort. But this is only sometimes.

Other times, you just have to say "Okay, the ball is in your court. Its your move," because in reality, there is only so much you can do to make something work. Friendship is not a one way street and the people who act like it are fools. I cannot keep trying to be your friend if you continue to make it so difficult. I will be the first to admit that I've made mistakes, but so have you and we seem to be at a crossroads. Ironically, I think we were at this same place a year ago and I don't know if we really moved out of it at all. Have we really spent an entire year in this deadlock? Did we move towards something better for a time only to find ourselves in the exact same place? The last time we were here, you said you would try. I don't know if you ever tried; maybe you did and failed. Maybe this wasn't meant to work out. Some people are just not meant to be friends...maybe we just need to realize this and move on with our lives. Either way, I'm done putting out a lot of effort to make a friendship work with someone who does not seem to want to meet me halfway.

So, are you going to meet me halfway? The ball is in your court. Its your move.

Sweet Summer Reign!

Hello all!  So, as many of you have been made aware, either by my calls or screams or facebook status, I have slain the Latin Beast once and for all.  Granted, it did leave me quite injured and my left shoulder may never recover fully, but the Latin Beast has indeed been slain.  

In other news, this weekend was my dad's 60th Birthday!  So, Mom and I decided that it would be nice if I would come home and surprise him.  We got him a cake and everything.  He was so surprised when I showed up and rang the door bell.  He cried, and I think it's because he was happy, but I wasn't going to press the issue....no, I kid.  He said it was the best surprise he's ever had.  Luckily, I had already told him of my great last battle and victory over the Latin, despite suffering many many injuries.  But this whole experience taught me something, something about cake ordering.  When you order a cake to say "Happy 60th Birthday Dad" and ask for a basketball, the lady working at the Food Lion deli might get creative and think that balloons are necessary.  Unfortunately, while her mental creativity abounds, she might not possess the artistic skills to achieve her dream design.  Valiant effort for trying to change our cake order (remember- we did NOT ask for balloons...), but I'll let you decide what these "balloons" actually are. 

 

I'm very excited about summer to be here for the sole reason that classes and exams will be over, but oh my goodness how am I going to miss all of you!  Expect frequent and unnecessary blog posts starting Friday or Saturday. 

Speaking of movin' out, will anyone still be in town Thursday night in a state that ya'll want to hang out?  I'm super not wanting to leave Thursday after exams and if someone wants to hang out, please let me know and we can gather for one last shenanigan of the year.  See the facebook video section for examples of last year's final shenanigan adventure.  It's the one with RT and SMS at Steak 'n' Shake.  Clearly, nothing will be that epic, but we can try.  ;-)