On a good day you can see the end from here

track_three — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:13:02 GMT

I love film posters with bright beautiful colors, so I wanted to do a picspam showcasing that. Procrastinated like CRAZY, but finally got around to it tonight, on the last night of the challenge.

Red

Orange + Yellow

Green

Blue

Purple + Pink

picspammy challenge four and five posts

track_three — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:58:51 GMT

These are my posts for the "premieres and finales" and the "favorite person" challenges at picspammy

Friday Night Lights 1x01: Pilot | Deadwood 1x12: Sold Under Sin | Carnivale 1x12: The Day That Was The Day

Agyness Deyn | Keira Knightley

picspammy challenge three posts

track_three — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:53:26 GMT

Here are my posts from the "casting" challenge at picspammy

Cate Blanchett as Gaius Baltar and Number Six | Classic Sin City | Leon S. Kennedy | Batman Villains | The Endless

picspammy challenge two posts

track_three — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 03:24:00 GMT

Here are all of the "couples" posts I made for the second challenge at picspammy

Fry + Leela : Futurama | Deckard + Rachael : Blade Runner | Seven Television Ships I Felt Like Picspamming

Picspammy Challenge One Posts

track_three — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:39:33 GMT

Sexy List: The Women

track_three — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:00:27 GMT

Making a list. Of hot people I like. These be the ladies.

Adriana Lima

Agyness Deyn

Angelina Jolie

Cate Blanchett

Elisha Cuthbert

Eva Green

Hayden Panettiere

Kate Beckinsale

Kate Moss

Kate Winslet

Katee Sackhoff

Keira Knightley

Marilyn Monroe

Marion Cotillard

Megan Fox

Milla Jovovich

Monica Bellucci

Naomi Watts

Natalie Portman

Rachel Bilson

Rihanna

Scarlett Johansson

Sienna Miller

Sophia Bush

Tricia Helfer

Summer Movies

track_three — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:38:25 GMT

Is it me, or have the movies this summer been consistently good? Granted, I haven't seen everything, and I have a tendency to be picky and usually only see movies that are reviewing well, but I have liked, or loved, everything I have seen.

Iron Man

I loved this movie. It's big, and there are explosions, which isn't ALWAYS my cup of tea, but sometimes I do have the sensibility of an 8-year-old boy. I hadn't been a big Iron Man fan previously, but this won me over. Robert Downey Jr. is fucking amazing, with a supporting cast to match. Can't wait for more. A-

Speed Racer

This movie obviously didn't review well, but I subscribe to the geek sensibility that it is a masterpiece. It is electrifying, breathtaking, and awesome in that it literally inspires awe. This highly stylized universe cannot be compared to anything else. It is incomparable and the first of its kind. Love love love. A

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Of everything I have seen this summer, this has been my least favorite. All of the George Lucas stuff (CGI gopher reaction shots, surviving nuclear blasts, etc)is ridiculous, but I loved everything else. I missed Indiana Jones, and this movie clearly drew on that nostalgia. B

WALL-E

Another modern masterpiece. The social aspect of this movie made me cry, but the simplistic innocence of Wall-E put a smile on my face at every turn. This movie takes a big step towards the further advancement of both animation and sci-fi, so I'm on board. A

Wanted

GUNS! JAMES MCAVOY! GUNS! ANGELINA JOLIE! GUNS! INTERESTING CREATIVE EFFECTS! A-

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

I love my Guillermo. His creativity and ingenuity blows my mind anytime I watch his movies. They are his, and his alone, like a perfectly crafted clock. A very steampunk clock. A totally bad ass clock. Ron Pearlman is dead-on as Hellboy, and I loved the elf prince and princess. Can't quite put my finger on why, but I did. Plus, DOUG JONES! B+

The Dark Knight

There are no words. Of all the movies of this summer, I was most excited about this, and there is not one ounce of disappointment. Every performance was perfect. Every frame was perfect. It was dark and atmospheric, and brought dignity and depth in the comic book universe to the mainstream. Every step towards legitimizing comics is important, and this was a huge bound. A

DVD List

track_three — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:11:44 GMT

Movies
3:10 To Yuma
3 Extremes
10 Items Or Less
21 Grams
28 Days Later
28 Weeks Later
The 40 Year-Old Virgin
300
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Addams Family
The Addams Family Values
The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the Eighth Dimension
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane
Airheads
Aladdin
Alien
Almost Famous
Amelie
American Splendor
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Avenue Montaigne
Away From Her
Awesome…I Shot That!
Babel
Baby Geniuses
Bad Education
Bandidas
Batman Begins
Batman Forever
The Beach
Bedazzled
Beetlejuice
Beyond the Gates
Big Bang Love, Juvenile A
Big Fish
The Big Lebowski
Big Nothing
The Birds
Blade 2
Blade 3: Trinity
Blade Runner
Blood & Chocolate
Blood Diamond
Bloody Sunday
Blow-Up
Boogie Nights
Bookies
Borat
Born Into Brothels
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Braveheart
Brazil
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Breakfast on Pluto
Breaking & Entering
Brick
Bright Young Things
Bring It On
Brothers of the Head
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Bug
The ‘Burbs
Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid
Cabin Fever
Caché
Candy
Captivity
The Care Bears Movie
Carousel
Casablanca
Casino Royale
Charlie’s Angels
Cherry Rush
Chicago
Children of Men
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Citizen Kane
City of God
City of Violence
Civic Duty
Cleopatra
A Clockwork Orange
Closure
Cloverfield
Clue
Clueless
Cold Mountain
Come Early Morning
The Condemned
Confetti
Control
The Constant Gardener
Crash
Cursed
The Dark Crystal
The Darjeeling Limited
The Darwin Awards
Dawn of the Dead
Day Watch (Dnevnoi Dozor)
Days of Glory (Indigènes)
Dazed and Confused
The Dead Girl
Death of a President
The Departed
The Descent
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Disturbia
Disturbing Behavior
Doctor Strange
Dogma
Down Periscope
Dracula: Dead and Loving It
The Dreamers
Driving Lessons
Dungeons & Dragons
Eastern Promises
Easy Rider
Elizabeth
Enchanted
Enduring Love
Equilibrium
Escape From New York
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Everything is Illuminated
The Ex
Eyes Wide Shut
Factory Girl
Family Plot
Fargo
The Fearless Vampire Killers
FernGully: The Last Rainforest
Fiddler on the Roof
Fido
The Fifth Element
Fight Club
Finding Nemo
A Fish Called Wanda
The Fisher King
For Your Consideration
The Fountain
Four Rooms
French Kiss
Frenzy
Frogs
From Dusk Till Dawn
Full Metal Jacket
Funny Face
Funny Games
Fur
Galaxy Quest
Garden State
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai
Ghost Ship
The Girl Next Door
Gladiator
Golden Door
Good Night and Good Luck
A Good Year
Grease
The Great New Wonderful
Grindhouse: Death Proof
Grindhouse: Planet Terror
The Grudge 2
A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints
Guys & Dolls
Half Nelson
High Spirits
Happy, Texas
Hard Candy
Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix
Heathers
Hero
The Hidden Fortress
The Hills Have Eyes
The History Boys
History of the World, Part I
A History of Violence
The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy
Hocus Pocus
Hook
The Host
Hot Fuzz
House of Flying Daggers
House of Wax
House on Haunted Hill
Hulk
I ♥Huckabees
I Know What You Did Last Summer
I, Robot
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
Idiocracy
Imaginary Heroes
In Bruges
In The Shadow of the Moon
The Incredibles
Independence Day
Indiana Jones & the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade
Infamous
Inland Empire
Jackass
Jackie Brown
Jason & The Argonauts
Jet Lag
Jindabyne
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
John Tucker Must Die
Joshua
Jules et Jim
Juno
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World
Jurassic Park 3
Keeping Mum
Kill Bill Volume 1
The King and I
King Kong
Kingdom of Heaven
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
A Knight’s Tale
Knocked Up
L.A. Confidential
Labyrinth
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
Lars & The Real Girl
The Last King of Scotland
Last Life in the Universe
The Last Minute
Layer Cake
Legally Blonde
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
Leon the Professional
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
A Life Less Ordinary
The Little Mermaid
Little Miss Sunshine
Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Lords of Dogtown
Lost In Translation
Love Actually
Magnolia
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Marie Antoinette
Marnie
Master of the Flying Guillotine
Match Point
Mean Creek
Mean Girls
A Mighty Heart
Minority Report
Mirrormask
Monty Python & the Holy Grail
Monty Python’s Life of Brian
The Motorcycle Diaries
Moulin Rouge
Mozart and the Whale
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont
Much Ado About Nothing
The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Mystery Men
Mystic River
Naked Lunch
Napoleon Dynamite
Ned Kelly
Newsies
Night of the Living Dead
Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor)
Nothing But Trouble
The Notebook
The Notorious Bettie Page
The Nugget
Ocean’s Twelve
Office Space
The OH in Ohio
Oklahoma
Old Boy
On A Clear Day
Once
Once Upon A Time In Mexico
Once Upon A Time In The West
Open Water
The Orphanage
Pan’s Labyrinth
Paris, Je T’Aime
Paris When It Sizzles
Party Monster
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Peter Pan
The Pianist
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Point Break
Pride & Prejudice
The Princess Bride
The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair
Psycho
Pulp Fiction
Queen of the Damned
The Quiet
Quills
Quinceañera
Ratatouille
Rear Window
Red Eye
Reefer Madness
Reign of Fire
Rescue Dawn
Reservoir Fogs
Resident Evil
Returner
Robocop
Roman Holiday
Romeo + Juliet
Rope
Rosemary’s Baby
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Rules of Attraction
Saboteur
Sabrina
Samurai Fiction
The Sandlot
Sanjuro
Saraband
School of Rock
The Science of Sleep
Scoop
The Scorpion King
Scream
Scream 2
Scream 3
Serial Mom
Serenity
The Seven Samurai
The Seven Year Itch
Severance
Shadow of a Doubt
Shaolin Soccer
Shattered Glass
Shaun of the Dead
Sherry Baby
The Shining
Shoot ‘Em Up
Sideways
Sin City
The Singing Detective
The Situation
Sky High
Sleepy Hollow
Slither
The Sound of Music
South Pacific
Spider-Man 2
The Squid and the Whale
Star Wars: A New Hope
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
Stardust
Stargate
State Fair
Stephanie Daley
Stranger Than Fiction
Strangers With Candy
Suburban Girl
Sunshine
Superbad
Suspiria
Sweetland
Taxi Driver
The Ten
Thank You For Smoking
There Will Be Blood
Thirteen Ghosts
This Is Spinal Tap
Thr3e
Thumbsucker
Time
Timeline
Titanic
Topaz
Torn Curtain
Trainspotting
Transformers
The Tripper
Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story
The Trouble With Harry
True Lies
True Romance
The U.S. vs. John Lennon
Underworld
Urban Legend
The Valet
Van Helsing
Velvet Goldmine
Venus
Versus
Vertigo
A Very Long Engagement
La Vie En Rose
Waitress
Waking Ned Devine
Wassup Rockers
We Don’t Live Here Anymore
West Side Story
Whale Rider
Wet Hot American Summer
Wind Chill
The Wind That Shakes The Barley
The Wizard of Oz
Wolf Creek
Working Girl
Wrong Turn
Wrong Turn 2
X2: X-Men United
The Year Without A Santa Clause
Yojimbo
You Kill Me
Young Frankenstein
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman
Zodiac
Zoolander

Television
30 Rock (Season 1)
Alias (Complete Series)
Arrested Development (Complete Series)
Battlestar Galactica (Season 1, Season 2.5, Season 3)
Black Books (Complete Series)
Chappelle’s Show (Seasons 1 & 2)
Da Ali G Show US (Complete Series
Dead Like Me (Complete Series)
Doctor Who (Season 1)
Firefly (Complete Series)
Flight of the Conchords (Season 1)
Freaks & Geeks (Complete Series)
Friday Night Lights (Seasons 1 & 2)
Futurama (Complete Series)
Futurama: Bender’s Big Score
Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs
Gilmore Girls (Season 4)
Heroes (Season 1)
How I Met Your Mother (Seasons 1 & 2)
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (Seasons 1 & 2)
Mad Men (Season 1)
Nip/Tuck (Seasons 1-3)
The Office UK (Complete Series)
Planet Earth (Complete Series)
Rescue Me (Seasons 1 & 2)
The Riches (Season 1)
Roar (Complete Series)
Seinfeld (Seasons 1 & 2)
South Park (Season 5)
Spaced (Complete Series)
Wonderfalls (Complete Series

Other
The Work of Director Jonathan Glazer

Eeeek. I'm behind.

track_three — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:51:47 GMT

I haven't reviewed movies in a very long time. Such a long time that there are probably a few movies that aren't on this list. Oh Well.

And we're off.

27 Dresses This movie isn't good. That said, when did I start liking James Marsden? It's not like a "OMG. He's so dreamy." thing, more of a "Come on Katherine Heigl, don't be ridiculous. He is clearly more awesome than Ed Burns". After Superman Returns, I was like "Wow! He was the other man but at the same time he wasn't a whiny bitch!" and he was my favorite thing in Hairspray. And his character in Enchanted, don't get me started. I think the thing is if he's goofy and fun, it works (even in the AMAZING Sugar & Spice from way back when) but if he isn't, he's the worst (X-Men, The Notebook, Disturbing Behavior). But back to the movie. I don't as a rule like these movies, but I have a tendency to get really into them with lots of yelling at the television if I'm alone and eating pizza. A big reason I was 'excited' to watch this movie was the presence of Malin Ackerman, who plays Katherine Heigl's sister. So she's up and coming, whatever and she did an alright job, but I am not convinced at all at her casting as the second Silk Spectre in Watchmen. Yet I'm still optimistic. Much happier with the choice of Carla Gugino as her mother, Silk Spectre I. Anyway, this movie, all in all, is what it is. C

Alvin & The Chipmunks
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, everyone that has rented it, and everyone that I work with has loved it. I don't get it. It was awful. And a bastardization. I choose to forget it and actively remember this instead. D-

Awake
Tee hee. Not good. Yet I still suffered a big "OH SNAP!!!!" moment. And Lena Olin is the motherbitch. C-

Bee Movie
Not funny. The only parts that received a chuckle were in the trailer, which always hurts, especially when the trailer is rammed down my throat via trailer tape screeners at work. c-

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
I really dug this. Philip Seymour Hoffman is amazing in everything. Also, I apparently like Marisa Tomei. She's gorgeous, and I know she was overexposed in the '90s, but the first things that pop in my head when I think of her are Only You, My Cousin Vinnie, and a fantastic story arch on Rescue Me, all of which are met with happy feelings in my head. B+

Cloverfield
I absolutely fucking loved this movie. Anyone who didn't like it is just wrong. I thought it was perfect, and even though I think it would be perfect as a stand-alone movie, the fact that the screenwriter and director are tied to the sequel makes it alright for me. A

Charlie Wilson's War
My interest in this movie really waxed and waned throughout. I really didn't like Julia Roberts in it (both character and acting wise) but I liked other parts. Most notably this random guy being all attractive and smart and totally pre-indie-kid indie-kid. B

Doctor Strange
"Who Am I? I am Doctor Strange!!! Sorcerer Supreme!" That is all B

Enchanted
Just rewatched. Guh. Amazing. Hilarious. Adorable. Amy Adams is the shit. A

Futurama: Bender's Big Score
I am biased because Futurama is one of my favorite things ever. Love the movie. Sad Fry/Leela stuff that rocks my world. Plus a number of new favorite Futurama quotes such as "What'choo got there? Numbers?" and "But what does this mean for us and our many fans?" as Leela stands in front of fans after the professor tells them that Planet Express is cancelled. LOLZ A

Ghosts of Mars
Bad movie. Bad bad bad bad bad movie. But I love it. D

The Host
Re-watched this movie after Cloverfield because I am convinced that the two monsters are BFF. But anyway, I dig this movie. B+

In The Name of the King
It's A Uwe Boll movie. What more can I say? F

Into The Wild
Good. I don't really have much to say. Good. Made me want to go camping. Emile Hirsch. Very nice face. B

Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains
Good, solid documentary. Jimmy Carter is amazing. B

Joshua
Spooky. Little boy. Scary. Dead Dog. Sad. Sam Rockwell. Yay. B-

Justice League: The New Frontier
I really enjoyed this. I love Batman, yet I have a tendency to dislike the rest of the DC universe.However I really genuinely liked this. The story was unique and the animation had a beautiful retro aesthetic. The Martian Manhunter character was fantastic and heartbreaking and I loved the treatment of the other characters that are usually more supporting in Justice League stories. Absolutely nothing like The Super Friends which is always great. Plus there are dinosaurs. B+

Lars & The Real Girl
I absolutely loved this. It had a perfect balance of drama and comedy and it was heartbreaking and touching. Utterly fantastic. A

Naked Lunch
Had seen this before, but this was my first time watching it via my gorgeous Criterion Collection copy which has a fantastic restoration. Haven't gotten to the bonus features yet, but I am sure they are fantastic. Great great movie. A

Offside
I loved this movie. It was amazing. Emotionally enthralling and fascinating, and a unique look into middle eastern culture that I have never seen before. A

The Orphanage
Ghosts scare me. Especially when there are children and masks involved. B+

P2
Not good. Completely and wholly forgettable. D

Romulus, My Father
Very sad familial drama without much of a dramatic climax. But still, Eric Bana. Also Franka Potente with her pretty face and an admirable directorial debut from Richard Roxburgh. C+

The Savages
Good. Sad. I am terrified of dementia, senility, and memory-loss so I had issues watching it at times, but the acting is fantastic and Laura Linney deserved her Oscar nomination 100%. B+

Sky High
WOOOOOO! Sky High! A

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
I enjoyed this movie. I rarely love movies like this, and I liked this one equally as much as the others if not more. Somewhere less-than 40-Year-Old Virgin but greater-than Talladega Nights. There were a number of parts that put a smile on my face thinking about them and I could watch an entire movie of Jack Black, Jason Schwartzman, Paul Rudd, and Justin Long pretending to be The Beatles. You don't want no part of this, Dewey. B+

Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
Cute monster. I'm all about monsters. B

15 More Movies I've Watched This Month

track_three — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 02:53:55 GMT

Spoiler free.

Ratings are subject to change. Such as 3:10 To Yuma getting a A-, but the more that I think about it the more its an A. These are in alphabetic order.

30 Days of Night
This movie could have been perfect. It could have been that rare horror film that reinvents and rejuvenates a stale genre and is something more than just a "horror flick". It could have been that rare horror film that takes a relatively little-known actor (or few) and transports them from under the radar to the stratosphere with both audiences and critics alike. Notice how I'm describing 28 Days Later here? CRAZY!!! Quite frankly, this movie just didn't cut it for me. I liked the Melissa George/Josh Hartnett character dynamic (even though it wasn't as fleshed out as it should have been). I LOVED Ben Foster's character (surprise surprise); how did he get so awesome?
A big issue with this movie was that there wasn't much sense of suspense OR surprise. This is especially odd (and slightly upsetting) because we know that the director is capable of creating that nervouse knot in your stomach from his work with Hard Candy. In the long run though, I think this is one of those movies that, in spite of its flaws, I'll still keep coming back for more and I'll still keep convincing myself that it's great when I've been away from it for awhile. Notice how I'm describing Underworld here? CRAZY!!! Awww. I just made myself sad. B-

SIDENOTE: What is it about Muse that gets me so excited? It's like Muse is my muse for getting pumped!!!

A Fish Called Wanda
I can't say much about this movie without it turning into "There's this one part where..." over and over again, so I'll stick with "It's awesome" and just leave it at that. It's as good, if not better than, I remember it being. I particularly love Michael Palin's character and the interaction between his character and Kevin Kline's character. Love Love Love. A

American Gangster
This was a good movie. It didn't have that je ne sais quoi that makes me fandomlove a movie, but it was good. Very well acted. Surprising supporting actors (What are you doing hanging out with the RZA, Sol Starr? ; Whatchoo got there T.I.? Acting with Denzel Washington??? NICE!!! ; CHIWETEL!!!!!!!!...etc.). Ridley Scott is an amazing director. I always enjoy his movies. Even if they aren't that good (I'm talking to you A Good Year), I still enjoy them. A few of his movies rank in my top movies ever ever (Alien, Gladiator, Blade Runner). This was a good enough story and had all the components that make up a good movie, but didn't make me explode with excitement. B+

Becoming Jane
What is it about James McAvoy that makes him so dreamy. I can't figure it out, but I adore him, so I'm just going with the flow. This movie was clearly really unrealistic and a borderline excessive hodge-podge of all her stories, but I still enjoyed it enough. It clearly took a lot of inspiration cinematically from Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice, which made it look nice, but also made me want to watch Pride & Prejudice (or Atonement if James McAvoy was in frame). Anne Hathaway played a decent enough lead. I really like her in theory, but when I watch her on screen I'm really impartial. I think that its because she's not British. She's thin and pale, so I should like her, but I think its her American citizenship that she's got going against her. I feel kind of guilty about that. But yeah. James McAvoy. Best thing about this movie. Especially THIS PART. A relatively spoiler-y scene. But just relatively. B-

Clue
When I was first making the list of movies that I had watched, I gave this an A- and then I was like "What the hell? When do I watch this movie and not love it wholeheartedly?" so I switched. Best thing about it: Madeleine Kahn, becasue she is da shit. She makes me laugh in every frame. Just watching her in the background (of any movie) is like a mastercourse in character comedy. Even the goofiest of gags in this movie makes me happy. Sometimes you just need vaudevillian slapstick, and this movie executes this flawlessly. A

Death at a Funeral
What is great about this movie is that there are so many people I love in it. That's why I love it, that is what makes it great. I sort of wished I hadn't seen the trailer before watching this movie, because some of the jokes would have had more punch, but I still really enjoyed it. B

Gone Baby Gone
One of my least favorite things someone can say about a movie is that "it really made you think". It's right up there with "the book is so much better" and "i just loved it because it was so twisted". But this movie really does. Hearing what people think about this movie is really interesting to me, and luckily I work in a place where I get to hear that. I really enjoy stories about people from Boston. Something taking place in Boston just makes me like it that much more. Casey Affleck has gotten really good. He's always been the superior Affleck, but this year he has just blown me away. The contrast between his character in this and his character in Assassination of Jesse James... is really nice to see. Amy Ryan was also greatduh. B+

Jumper
Realistically, this movie is probably worse than what I'm giving it, but I really enjoyed it. Even though Hayden Christensen has that weird voice issue that makes his acting sound stiff, he makes a really good big-budget action hero. He knows how to make his face act, but not his voice. Plus he's really good-looking. He just is. It's one of the facts of life. Rachel Bilson was ADORABLE as always. I really miss Summer. Jamie Bell was great. The action was really exciting. This movie is so funny because of the way it fits in with modern action films and the way they are edited. Most movies are fine with just quick edits to keep the audience on their toes, but this movie is like "BITCH PLEASE!!! We're gonna start a fight in the desert, and have some of it be in the Himalayas, and some in Tokyo, and we'll have people throwing busses at each other". It was awesome. I really enjoyed it. Also Teddy Dunn was there which always makes me laugh. B

No Reservations
Booooooooo. I don't like Catherine Zeta-Jones. I really don't like romantic comedies targeted at women in their late-30s/early-40s.D+

Margot at the Wedding
Good enough. I prefer Squid and the Whale. Jennifer Jason Leigh surprised me. That's about it. B

Michael Clayton
I really liked this movie. I unfortunately fell asleep for a little bit, not because it was boring or anything, but because I had just gotten back from the hospital and was crazy exhausted. Great characters, really well acted, fantastic dialogue. It is still my least favorite of the Best Picture nominees, and I think a couple of things were a bit more deserving (probably Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) but it was still an amazing movie. A-

Right At Your Door
Meh. It was alright, but could have been better. C+

Rocket Science
I really enjoyed this. It was one of those indie comedies that is really funny and unique. It was great. There were a number of really great scenes that I was in hysterics throughout, most notably the lead character drunkenly trying to throw a cello through a window and him using a Korean accent as an attempt to not stutter in a debate. Both can be seen in the trailer here. The cello part isn't as hilarious as it is in the movie. If you watch the trailer, keep an eye out for Claire's lame boyfriend from Heroes (who I really liked in this movie) and the crazyAsianfriend from Disturbia as a creepy Korean kid. I dug it. B+

We Own The Night
Meh. This movie wasn't The Departed. It was well-enough acted, but the characters weren't interesting enough to do the actors justice. My favorite part is that 2-second shot of Eva Mendes walking down a hallway that was in the trailer. It's purdy. B-

Zoolander
This movie his hilarious. It always has been hilarious and always will be hilarious. Just got a craving to watch it, and it was exactly what I needed. A

RENTED MOVIES TO WATCH/REWATCH: Darjeeling Limited, Delirious, Goya's Ghosts, Into The Wild, & Silk. Two Michael Pitt movies. Weeeeeeird.

10 Movies I've Watched This Month

track_three — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 02:08:24 GMT

I've watched ten movies so far this month.

I'm going to talk about them. They're not in order, because I'm too lazy to remember it. Spoiler free...ish.

Dedication
Mandy Moore was absolutely stunning in this movie. She had this beautiful dark hair, and isn't orange tan so the blue-ish lighting in some of the scenes made her look pale and porcelain. A tortured indie Audrey Hepburn. With curves. This movie wasn't that great, but it had its moments. Its not a perfect directorial debut, but you can see potential from the beautiful amazing Justin Theroux. The biggest problem with this movie was that it didn't really know what kind of movie it wanted to be, but it had its moments (my favorite of which was a scene in an observatory with "Bridges and Balloons" by Joanna Newsom). I loved the use of music (essential for an indie romance), most of which was by the fabulous Deerhoof. It was pretty well acted, and I even liked Billy Crudup's lead role. I basically hate him as a human being because he is a wretched homewrecker, but for some reason his character was interesting. His portrayal of his character's nervoses were over the top at times, but for the most part the character was well acted and intriguing. Great performances as well from Tom Wilkinson and Dianne Wiest. B-

The Piano Teacher
I saw Funny Games on a Saturday night, put aside 3 other Michael Haneke (director) movies at work on Sunday, and rented them on Monday. It took me awhile to get to this because I knew it would be intense. Man. Intense is one word. It is a very well crafted film, FLAWLESSLY acted, but the lead character was so perverse and internally sinister and deranged that I had a hard time emotionally connecting to anything in the film which is something that is really important for me. Its sort of difficult to describe, but the Isabelle Huppert's character was really unsettling. If you were to ask me if it was a good movie, I would say yes, hands down, but I had to disconnect myself from the emotions of the characters to get through it. B

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Cate Blanchett was amazing, as always. Clive Owen was sexy, as always. Geoffrey Rush was fantastic, as always. This movie was beautiful, but the script wasn't there to support the actors, the splendor of the source material, and the flawlessness of the first Elizabeth. That's all I have to say. B-

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
When did I start loving Westerns? When did this happen? I'm pretty sure there was a spark after the second volume of Kill Bill and then after watching Firefly the first time. But then those little sparks were replaced with the full blown, unstoppable chemical fire that is Deadwood. I absolutely adored this movie. Casey Affleck was amazing. Brad Pitt was amazing. Every single supporting character was amazing. It was a beautiful and atmospheric film. Filmed in Canada. <3 Canada forever and for always. Amazing music (Nick Cave <3). There are so many little details about this movie that I loved and am far too lazy to go into. A-

Jane Austen Book Club
Yuck. This part. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. If Emily Blunt wasn't in this movie, I would hate it almost as much as I Know Who Killed Me and BloodRayne. She (and Kevin Zegerslolz) was THE ONLY good thing about it. It was so cheesy and indulgent with itself. Yuck. D+

Descent
This movie made me sad and uncomfortable on an emotional level. However, I don't really feel comfortable reviewing it because I watched the rated-R version as opposed to the NC-17. It felt butchered, and the editing pulled me out of the drama and visceral nature of the storyline. That was my biggest issue and I don't feel comfortable judging it based on the bastardized version of the film I saw. n/a

The Brave One
I didn't like this movie. I understood its attempts at depth and complexity (the heroine's empty shell of a body wandering around the city and the irony of her profession as a radio host), but it all just fell short. It was excessive in odd ways, enough so that there was a disconnect, and not in a way that worked parallel with the character's disillusionment. This movie was under the impression that female revenge was a new unexplored concept in cinema, but its not. Japanese revenge films. Kill Bill. Carrie. The presence of female heroes in horror, IN GENERAL. Her character's emotional journey with revenge via detachment wasn't realistic. Revenge is about passion. It has to be. I just didn't buy it, despite its 'illusions' of grandeur. C-

Across the Universe
I wanted to love this movie. I liked, but didn't love. There were certain sequences that I loved, but I was left wanting more. I loved Jim Sturgess. He is talented and incredibly attractive. That is something I liked about Across the Universe. Also Eddie Izzard. I liked "I've Just Seen A Face", "Across the Universe", "Hey Jude", and "Strawberry Fields Forever". Oh and did I mention I love Jim Sturgess. B

The Iron Giant
This movie was so amazing. It had a beautiful simplicity for a movie starring a 100-foot-tall robot. And I cried. If I was a parent, I would make my kids watch this movie and Ferngully as often as possible. Breeding little anti-gun environmentalist radicals. A

Kill Bill Volume 1
I love this movie. With all my heart. Every second. Every frame. It's flawless. The editing and treatment of color is among my favorite in any movie. I remember it very well. Quotes. Movements. Music. I love it. My favorite shot: The Bride opening the door to the garden ^icon. My favorite use of music: O-Ren taking off her shoes and stepping forward right as "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" starts. A+

Movie Talk and Oscar Nominations

track_three — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:21:03 GMT

The combination of watching these two movies in a row basically had me convinced for a day and a half that bad movies don't exist. So I'm writing all my thoughts down. Too bad I watched The Gameplan the day after to bring me back down.

I'm putting all spoilers in italic, if at all so that means you can read some of this MEGAN.

Funny Games (5/5)
I'm going to start by talking about Naomi Watts. She is so beautiful and flawlessly talented. I worship her. No one was at the screening, and in retrospect I'm glad. If Naomi Watts was there on Saturday, she would have been happy. And having a real-life mental image of her happy, combined with how sad I imagine her being now, would have been too much. I have a hard time even mentioning what happened by name.

So back to the movie. I was under the impression that a lot of the people in the audience didn't enjoy it. Seven people left. Fuck them. I don't know if it was too intense, or if they thought it was bad. Either way, they're fucking wrong. It is flawlessly crafted and acted, and is a refreshing movie compared to both wimpy psychological thrillers and torture-porn, for both its daring and insight into society. I know that it is a remake, and I know that America isn't the center of the universe, but I'm reluctant to watch the original because the movie, thematically, seems created for this nation. To be frank, I don't buy anything this fucked up happening anywhere but America. Because the people here are fucking nuts.

I like Michael Pitt now. At least I respect him. I still think he is a creepy fucking bastard, but my change of heart surprises myself. His role is incredibly well executed but I still rest well because I know that I'll at least never like Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. That's for damn sure.

I can't remember the last time I felt so uncomfortable in a movie (perhaps the trailer scene in the Hills Have Eyes remake). Obviously I mean this in a good way. I was a nervous wreck the whole time, and I reached a point of near exhaustion. I loved the movie Cache by the same director, and I liked it at the time, but the combination of that and this has me convinced that Michael Haneke is the new master of suspense. I greet him and welcome him with open arms. I just rented two of his other movies The Piano Teacher and Code Unknown and am really looking forward to watching them.

I'm not going to go into the specifics, but bottom line is, I fucking loved it. My favorite movie I have ever seen at Sundance. It took every fiber of my being to keep myself from voting for this at polldancing because of how recently I saw it, but I think I will gladly put this on my top movies list in a few months time.

There Will Be Blood (4.7/5)
I don't have as much to say about this, but that doesn't mean I didn't love it. It was so gritty and dirty and complex. Oil is gross; people are greedy. A great, simplistic message for a film, and not carried out in a way that is pretentious or excessively post-9/11, but instead timeless. But... the most important thing:

DANIEL PLAINVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a great fucking character. I will be PISSED, like fucking ANGRY if Daniel Day-Lewis doesn't win. Especially if he loses to Johnny Depp. That would be fucking ridiculous. His character is impossible to compare to anything else I have ever seen on screen.

Oscar Nominations
Best Picture
My four favorite "oscar buzz" movies were nominated so I'm very happy. Plus no Hairspray or Sweeney Todd, so more happy. Congratulations Michael Clayton, I really want to see you, but if you beat any of my movies I will hate you forever.

Best Actor
I'm really glad Viggo was nominated, but the first thing I said after I saw There Will Be Blood was "Dream On, Johnny Depp". If DDL don't win, I'm gonna be PISSED. But that concerns who wins. Where is James McAvoy?

Best Actress
Keira Knightley. :(

Best Director
Hahaha. Fuck off Tim Burton. How about creating something original sometime this decade, then we'll talk.

Original Screenplay
Ratatouille? Awwww.........

Original Song
ONCE!!!!! HOORAY!!!!! I think it has a real chance. Because August Rush won't win, and the Enchanted vote will maybe be split. Plus 'Falling Slowly' deserves it because it's fucking beautiful and amazing.

Norbit? NORBIT? I don't care how decent the makeup is, don't justify shitty ass movies like that Academy Voters. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Year End Lists: 50 People I Love

track_three — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:28:35 GMT

I was going to make a huge, epic 'people I love' list, representing the best people ever with pictures and a paragraph, but I have decided to just post a generic list of people I love right now, at this moment in time, at the end of the year. Some may surpise you. Hell, some surprise myself. I wish there was space on the list for some, but for some reason it just didn't feel right at this point in time. Maybe next year Rafe Spall!

I forgot a lot of people. Important people. People I care a lot about. People like Doug Jones. Also Eddie Izzard. Also that Battlestar Galactica is my favorite thing ever. So alas. Fix Fix.

40 People I Love In 2007, in alphabetical order.

1. Amy Adams
2. Wes Anderson
3. Cate Blanchett
4. Michael Cera
5. Daniel Craig
6. Paul Dano
7. Zooey Deschanel
8. Pete Doherty
9. Aaron Douglas
10. Robert Downey Jr.
11. Albus Dumbledore
12. Chiwetel Ejiofor
13. Tina Fey
14. Nathan Fillion
15. Ben Foster
16. Brendan Gleeson
17. Eva Green
18. Tricia Helfer
19. Eddie Izzard
20. Hugh Jackman
21. Scarlett Johansson
22. Angelina Jolie
23. Doug Jones
24. Milla Jovovich
25. Keira Knightley
26. Shia LaBoeuf
27. Sienna Miller
28. Kate Moss
29. Cillian Murphy
30. Bill Nighy
31. Barrack Obama
32. Clive Owen
33. Lee Pace
34. Ellen Page
35. Hayden Panettiere
36. Mary-Louise Parker
37. Simon Pegg
38. Natalie Portman
39. Zachary Quinto
40. Seth Rogen
41. Paul Rudd
42. Geoffrey Rush
43. Katee Sackhoff
44. John Simm
45. David Tennant
46. Naomi Watts
47. Joss Whedon
48. Owen Wilson
49. Kate Winslet
50. Old Gregg

Apparently I like Scarlett Johansson officially now. Oh well.

Year End Lists: Top Ten Albums of 2007

track_three — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:55:11 GMT

Ryan had to make a list to put up at Slowtrain, and it got me thinking. Plus, hooray. Lists!

I was going to write a paragraph or two about all of them, but I am not smart enough. Also I'm lazy, so at most it will be a sentence. And also I use an embarrasing amount of exclamation points when talking about some of these people, so to avoid it sounds like a good idea to me. I will do it for some just to justify it.

1. The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
I can't describe how much The Arcade Fire means to me. I am so emotionally connected to their music when I listen to it, nothing even compares.
2. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
I worship this man. Nothing less. And this album is pure happiness in music form.
3. Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover
The track Shut Up I Am Dreaming Of Places Where Lovers Have Wings, off of the album of the same name is one of my favorite songs ever. In spite of this, that album isn't FANTASTIC. But this one is. From the first 2 and a half seconds I was enraptured. The album flows along so seamlessly, it took me four or five listens to actually realize what tracks were the ones I wanted to have babies with as opposed to the ones I just loved.
4. MIA - Kala
Arular is a flawless album that I love, so to say I had high expectations for her sophomore album is an understatement. But then I heard Kala, and I love it ten times more then Arular. <3
5. Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare
I love their sound so much. I love this album. There isn't much more to say.
6. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
I liked Of Montreal, but didn't love them until I saw them live last week. And man. Holy shit. They are so dancy and fun and glam, and this album is just great. By far my favorite of theirs.
7. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
Hooray. I love this album. That is all.
8. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup & Lon Gisland EP
I hadn't heard Beirut until I heard Lon Gisland in about February of 07. I really really liked it, but had never really listened to it in depth until this summer. And then I just ABSORBED EVERYTHING and ADORED IT. So its sort of cheating for me to put both of these in one position, but technically Lon Gisland is and EP. And also it took all of the strength I could muster not to put Gulag Orkestar on this list as well.
9. The Deadly Syndrome - The Ortolan
I love this album. I can't really describe why, but I love everything about it.
10. Feist - The Reminder
I love this girl. And she basically the greatest.

PLUS, my song of the year: Art Brut - Nag Nag Nag Nag
Because its basically about how hip I wish I was. Also about how British I wish I was. And about how much I wish I had a portable music player again.

Another list super soon.

Initiative

track_three — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:36:25 GMT

First and foremost, I have decided to post more. Especially since I'm stuck here with nothing to do. I have nothing really to talk about, so I'll probably just bitch about things that bug me (see below)

I got voted out of keiralims which is always frustrating. My icon wasn't the greatest (I by no means have delusions of grandeur), but it's very frustrating to get eliminated from a lims in the third challenge with three votes when 6 people skipped the challenge. And just having won voter's choice the round before. Oh well. It's just one more thing to not have to worry about whilst in Ohio.

I am reading Choke by Chuck Palahniuk and I am really digging it. I know that he's not really a "new thing", at all, and I have read and enjoyed Fight Club, but I am really enjoying it. Also MOVIE!!! with Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston. I have longstanding Sam Rockwell love, so I'm really excited.

That's it for now.

New Layout

track_three — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 06:22:16 GMT

track_three track_three track_three track_three track_three

Not like anyone reads my journal or that I have any friends. :(

track_three — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 18:57:24 GMT

I have a new userinfo. It looks like shit because I suck at both graphics and coding, but I don't care.

I. Meeting with my Undergraduate advisor went pretty well today. I am in a really good mood about it, and I am pumped to make the switch over to an Anthropology major, and because the major is so short, I am planning on going for a minor that I actually enjoy. Minors are fun. When I was thinking of doing Biology, the only minor I could really do was chemistry, because all I would need to do was take just one more class beyond the bio major requirements. And that's not a fun thing to do. I hate chemistry. And I think I'm going to do a B.A. instead of a B.S. because I miss taking French. Recently I have watched a stretch of movies I enjoyed that have taken place in France, or included French-speaking people (Joyeux Noel, Science of Sleep, and The Good Year) and I realized how much I missed the language, and just learning another language in general. I really want to be one of those people that speaks a lot of languages. I want to speak Portuguese. I want to speak Russian. I want to speak Japanese. I want to speak Italian. I want to speak Thai. I want to speak Polish. I want to speak EVERYTHING. Cool, random languages too. Like GAELIC. Spanish, I guess, even though it's BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING. Just kidding. But I want to speak Portuguese first. French -> Portuguese -> Spanish is a good progression I think. Alright, done with language rant.

So these are the minors I want/am considering:
-Classical Civilizations
-French
-Music
-Theatre

I'm leaning toward CLCV or French. I love the CLCV courses, and glancing through the French electives (I have to take 6 credit hours on top of all of the required grammar and whatnot) some look really fun. Like Literature and Culture in French Speaking Caribbean, or French Pop Culture. A lot of stuff looks fun.

I miss music and theatre a lot, even though there is a lot of cheese associated with the theatre program at the U.

Meeting with my advisor really took a load off my mind, because there's a possibility that I can petition to withdraw from my bad spring '06 grades, which would help me out A LOT. I feel a lot better about everything right now, and it feels really good.

So, my to-do list:
-Look at Fall Schedule and plan classes for Fall Semester
-Meet with Anthropology Advisor
-Post AP Scores (why I haven't done that yet, I don't know)
-Prepare for, and schedule French language placement. (Study vocab, conjugations, and tenses)

:D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

II. Also, David Bowie is the best ever. Like fer serious. There are parts in some of his songs that blow my mind. Like "How could a human being create this. Create something so fucking awesome.". Ex: Life on Mars, the guitar break in Starman, the "Wham! Bam! Thank you ma'am!" moment in Suffragette City, the background in Let's Dance, the guitar in Rebel Rebel, FUCKING GOLDEN YEARS, and Queen Bitch. I don't get how someone could create something so perfect. It vexes me. I am vexed.
Arcade Fire too.
And The Decemberists.
And Laura Viers.

BTW. I've been listening to David Bowie, Arcade Fire, The Decemberists, and Laura Viers a lot lately.

III. And I can't take it anymore. This is killing me.

WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!?!?!?!?!?! COME BACK TO US!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE MISS YOU!!!!!!!!!!

And Gmail isn't working right now!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY!