I saw Elizabeth: The Golden Age last night with Ramiro, Jared, Nicole, Vanessa, and Raymond. Raymond and I saw the original Elizabeth together oh so many years ago, so it was quite fitting that we should see this one too!
My initial reaction. The first one was better. The Golden Age looked absolutely gorgeous, from costumes to set designs to location shots to the destruction of the Spanish Armada – absolutely visually stunning! But the story was kind of a snoozer. Who knew that palace intrigue could be boring? The entire Mary Stuart plotline needed to be better paced. We all knew where it was heading; couldn't they have resolved it more speedily and focused more on the actual war? That would have made the film ten times more exciting.
Clive Owen. Ah well I love Clive, he's super yummy, but his Sir Walter Raleigh was super cheesy. Was he trying to emulate Errol Flynn? Maybe, but he reminded me more of Kevin Kline as Errol Flynn in the movie "Chaplin." (Does anyone get what I mean by that? Yeah, I don't know if I do either but I just keep picturing Kevin Kline!) It was all I could do not to laugh out loud during his whole "this is what crossing the ocean and discovering the new world is like" speech. Gag me. The writers tried too hard to make him a strong, romantic, daring character but he came off as arrogant and a little snide. It also led them to bring on the historical inaccuracies by placing him on a lead ship during the Armada battle. Um, Sir Walter Raleigh wasn't involved in that capacity. But didn't it look cool to see Clive set his boat on fire, swing on a rope, dive into the water and swim to safety? I know we are watching the film for entertainment and not a history lesson, so this is the only historical inaccuracy I will point out.
The Guy who played King Phillip II of Spain. What the hell was up with this guy? Yes, I understand that Phillip suffered from gout and was a devout Catholic, but this (over) actor sporting those spindly little legs, shuffling around like he had shackles around his ankles, talking like a crazy person and clutching his bible was simply ridiculous! Watching him was like watching a member of Monty Python play the part.
The music. There was an overuse of score in this film. It felt like the music was on a constant swell. There was no subtlety and no quiet, which believe it or not is sometimes welcome in a film! A good script, a good director, and good actors should be able to evoke the right emotions out of an audience at the right time without using the music to dictate every little thing! A score should blend in and enhance a film, not overwhelm and beat it down.
Cate Blanchett. She may well be my favorite actress right now and owned the screen as Elizabeth. What that woman can do with just a twinkle of her eye is amazing! She saved this movie for me making it worth staying awake through my boredom and sailing the seas of cheese to watch her chew up her co-stars, the dialogue, and the scenery and spit it all back out! I just wish the writers had given her more to work with.
Ultimately I am going to blame the writers for the failure of this film. I understand that they wanted to show Queen Elizabeth as a real woman with vulnerability, fear and doubts but they went about it the wrong way. They focused too much on this silly love triangle and turned the film into a soap opera instead of showing what Elizabeth was really up against politically and emotionally as the ruler and defender of an Empire. It was called Elizabeth: The Golden Age but the film was so focused on her internal life that it didn't reveal what exactly was so golden about England during that Age. I feel like there was a missed opportunity here.
To sum up: Cate and all the visuals from costumes to cinematography - fantastic. The rest of the movie? Meh.
About Me
- Kerry
- Pop culture junkie, native of Las Vegas, not really a writer.
You can stalk me on Twitter here:
http://twitter.com/Kerry_McC
Friday, October 19, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Rilo Kiley
Phillip, Jen and I went to see Rilo Kiley on Saturday night at The Joint. The place was only half full which was nice for us because you could get a beer without waiting in line for 20 minutes and you could actually move freely and not spill said $6 beer. Those of you that know me well know about my massive girl crush on Jenny Lewis. There is just something about her! I don't know if it's a natural affinity for redheads and natives of Vegas or what but I know that if we ever met we would totally be friends. I picture the two of us drinking beers and listening to records. It would be awesome. I explained to Phillip that if it ever came up I would absolutely leave him for her. When I explained that to a friend I bumped into at the show he said, "We would all leave him for Jenny Lewis." So I guess I'm not the only one. Anyway, she was adorable as always and gave her birthplace a nod by saying, "It's good to be home!"
The set list was ok. I would have preferred more songs off "The Execution of All Things" which I think is a nearly perfect record and Rilo Kiley's best, but understand that of course they are going to play music mainly off their newest album. They did play my all time favorite song, "With Arms Outstretched," and that was where the lack of a full house really affected the performance. This is a classic sing along song, but it was obvious that the crowd was filled with mostly Johnny Come Latelies that didn't know the words to a song three albums old. When Jenny moved the mic towards the crowd and let us sing Phillip, Jen, and I belted the words out at the top of our lungs, but it was a pretty mediocre crowd performance overall. I wanted to slap the crowd around for that.
Interestingly enough the band played only one song that wasn't a Rilo Kiley song. Blake Sennet introduced it as being a cover and called it "Snowball's favorite song EVER!" (I found out later that "Snowball" is an affectionate nickname for Blake's brother who works as a roadie for the band) before they broke into "Rise Up With Fists" which is from Jenny Lewis' solo album last year. With all the press coverage of the rivalry between Jenny and Blake over her solo project being more successful than his side project (The Elected), I imagine it must be a thorn in his side that hers is the only non-Rilo Kiley song they play! I guess we ultimately know who holds the power, right?
I was enjoying the show to an extent but then the encore blew. I was hoping they would come back out and do at least two songs and was praying for "My Slumbering Heart" which has beautiful imagery while still rocking and is Phillip's favorite song. Instead they played only one song, "Does He Love You?" which although has a raucous ending music wise, is a cheating/broken hearted downer when it comes to the lyrics: "Let's not forget ourselves good friend, I am flawed if I'm not free and your husband will never leave you, he will never leave you for me." Not exactly the lines to instill that elated feeling every show should end with! And Jenny made a quick exit with no bow, no thank you, and no moment for the audience to applaud her. Bummer.
The set list was ok. I would have preferred more songs off "The Execution of All Things" which I think is a nearly perfect record and Rilo Kiley's best, but understand that of course they are going to play music mainly off their newest album. They did play my all time favorite song, "With Arms Outstretched," and that was where the lack of a full house really affected the performance. This is a classic sing along song, but it was obvious that the crowd was filled with mostly Johnny Come Latelies that didn't know the words to a song three albums old. When Jenny moved the mic towards the crowd and let us sing Phillip, Jen, and I belted the words out at the top of our lungs, but it was a pretty mediocre crowd performance overall. I wanted to slap the crowd around for that.
Interestingly enough the band played only one song that wasn't a Rilo Kiley song. Blake Sennet introduced it as being a cover and called it "Snowball's favorite song EVER!" (I found out later that "Snowball" is an affectionate nickname for Blake's brother who works as a roadie for the band) before they broke into "Rise Up With Fists" which is from Jenny Lewis' solo album last year. With all the press coverage of the rivalry between Jenny and Blake over her solo project being more successful than his side project (The Elected), I imagine it must be a thorn in his side that hers is the only non-Rilo Kiley song they play! I guess we ultimately know who holds the power, right?
I was enjoying the show to an extent but then the encore blew. I was hoping they would come back out and do at least two songs and was praying for "My Slumbering Heart" which has beautiful imagery while still rocking and is Phillip's favorite song. Instead they played only one song, "Does He Love You?" which although has a raucous ending music wise, is a cheating/broken hearted downer when it comes to the lyrics: "Let's not forget ourselves good friend, I am flawed if I'm not free and your husband will never leave you, he will never leave you for me." Not exactly the lines to instill that elated feeling every show should end with! And Jenny made a quick exit with no bow, no thank you, and no moment for the audience to applaud her. Bummer.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
New digs
I'm back. We've moved. It went fairly smoothly, most of our snags have come post rental truck and helping hands. Got the rental early Saturday morning, my brother-in-law, little sister's boyfriend, and our friends Tim & Meg all came and helped us load the truck at the old place and unload it at the new. The only problem we had there was getting our enormous and enormously heavy couch out of the apartment. It took some major brain power and a lot of me repeating, "If we got it in here, we have to be able to get it out." I kept thinking of that "Friends" episode where Ross and Chandler are trying to get the couch up the stairs and Ross yells, "PIVOT!" over and over. Phillip finally solved the puzzle without us having to remove the legs on the couch or the door from it's hinges. I love my family and friends and am so thankful that they volunteered to get up early on a Saturday morning and help us move.
So we are very nearly unpacked and finding little quirks about the place. There are no stoppers in any of the bathroom sinks. Our water softener had no salt in it AT ALL. At first this meant nothing to me, but after some investigation I found that it should be completely filled with salt. So I went to Home Depot and bought four bags of salt that weigh 40 lbs each! And those four bags still didn't fill it to the top! Argh. I'm not going to like dealing with that regularly. Oh and we didn't have cable all weekend because even though it was never scheduled to be cut off by the previous renters, somehow it was cut off. Not too big of deal except Phillip missed all the football on Sunday which annoyed him. Thankfully I have friends in the right places and was able to get it taken care of in time for "Heroes" on Monday night.
Anyone have any suggestions for a good place to buy light switch plates? Currently there are hideous ones in here with lighthouses on them. Oh and one in the kitchen with a rooster on it. Ew! I checked Target but their selection was rather boring.
Anyway, there is still work to be done: closets to organize, a few more boxes to unpack, DVDs and CDs to alphabetize, pictures to hang on walls, etc. but we are getting there.
I think we are going to be happy here.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Moonlight - the best new comedy on television?
So Phillip and I couldn't resist and DVR'd "Moonlight" the new vampire show on CBS. It was everything we expected it to be and more: cheesy while trying to be serious, filled with terrible puns, and horribly acted. Right from the opening shot we knew what we were in for. In a dream sequence, Mick St. John (yep that's our hero's name!) is being interviewed by someone off camera. "So how is it being an actual vampire?" she asks. Mick: "It sucks." AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Nice one. No pun intended, right? Oooh, the dialogue was so bad in this show that it actually made my stomach ache. Who writes this stuff? Who greenlights it?? I just don't get it. This show was ripe for a little MST3K treatment and that's the only way Phillip and I even made it through to the end. We've decided that Sophia Myles (that blonde vampire from the Underworld movies and Isolde in Tristan & Isolde) is a low, low, low rent version of Kate Winslet and thinks that her acting is enhanced when she uses her hands close to her face. There was one entire scene where her hands truly never left her face area. It was hysterical. The lead guy is handsome enough, but the director tried too hard by dressing him in a really thin shirt so his muscles rippled through and keeping a fan on him so that his hair blows seductively whenever possible. Oh and even the music in this show was pun-tastic. The song used for the music montage at the end that tied everything up in a neat little episodic bow was "My Immortal" by Evanescence. I'm not kidding. Although I really enjoyed watching the pilot episode because I got to make fun of it so thoroughly and laugh more than I have laughed in a long while, I don't think I'll be able to make it through a second viewing. It won't last beyond a handful of episodes anyway. Oh, wait, this is CBS and "Ghost Whisperer" is still on, so maybe it will last. Maybe I'll catch it again some Friday night when I have nothing better to do and I need a good laugh.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
2 Days in Paris
I've been a Julie Delpy fan since "Before Sunrise." I thought the screenplay she co-wrote with Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater for "Before Sunset" was a little piece of Heaven. But still, I didn't quite know what to expect from her writing/directing debut (well I think she has done some shorts before but this is her first full length). I was pleasantly surprised. Well written, touching, and laugh out loud funny (which I didn't expect), this film was a joy to watch. Delpy really captured a relationship with all its foibles; the tender moments and the moments when a pair are just plain mean to one another for no real reason. This was also the most endearing Adam Goldberg has ever been on screen. I just wanted to give him a big hug. And am I the only one who thinks Delpy is probably a complete nut in real life? How else can she write and play these neurotic characters so perfectly?
Oh and my favorite line in the movie? Well slightly paraphrased cause it's from memory:
Marion: Why do you even want to see his grave? You don't even like Jim Morrison. You don't like The Doors.
Jack: I know, but it's a famous grave. And I'm a huge Val Kilmer fan.
LOVE IT!
Oh and my favorite line in the movie? Well slightly paraphrased cause it's from memory:
Marion: Why do you even want to see his grave? You don't even like Jim Morrison. You don't like The Doors.
Jack: I know, but it's a famous grave. And I'm a huge Val Kilmer fan.
LOVE IT!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Two surprisingly enjoyable films!
The past two days I’ve watched two films that I enjoyed more than I expected to.
The first was Douglas McGrath’s "Infamous." I’ve read Capote’s "In Cold Blood" which is an amazing true crime novel (oxymoronic as that is) and enjoyed Phillip Seymour Hoffman in his Oscar winning role as Truman in 2005’s "Capote" so I didn’t really expect to like "Infamous" that much cause hell, didn’t we just see this movie??? But Toby Jones’ performance as Truman Capote was a revelation! For me he reduced Hoffman’s performance to mediocrity at best. Toby was all flamboyancy, cattiness, and wit. This time around we got to see much more of Capote’s needling influence within his high society friends which enriched the character greatly. His Capote was so ridiculous that at first you didn’t think he’d ever be able win over the town folk of Holcomb let alone the killers, but little by little he does it and wins over the audience in the process. Plus, Toby is a tiny little man, like the real Capote was which helped the believability. I know they had tried to downplay Hoffman’s size and make him seem small, but it never really worked – which I didn’t fully realize until watching "Infamous." I will give the 2005 film one advantage over this new film and that’s Catharine Keener as Nelle Harper Lee. Keener is, of course, brilliant in everything she does. "Infamous" unfortunately had Sandra Bullock in the role and gawd she was awful. Even if she had been able to keep her Southern accent consistent, it still wouldn’t have been enough to make her performance believable. Toby swallowed her up. This, now that I think of it, is rather fitting, since Capote kind of swallowed up Lee in real life too. Daniel Craig was quite good too as the killer Perry Smith. "Infamous" played the Perry/Truman relationship up to sensational glory, taking it much further than "Capote" did, but it worked. Craig really pulled the tragedy and menace of the character off. Overall I felt that "Infamous" far outshone "Capote" in revealing what kind of man, lover, friend, liar, writer, bitchy little queen he really was – and with heart! HA!
Phillip and I finally watched David Fincher’s "Zodiac." We’d had it out from Netflix for a few weeks now, but neither one of us had been in the mood to watch a two hour, forty minute long movie about a serial killer whose case to this day is unresolved. We finally popped it in last night and wowza – we were pleasantly surprised! First off the cinematography and art direction were incredible. I really hope Oscar voters remember it when the time comes. The little period details from hairstyles to music to being free to smoke at work and on airplanes to the cars people drove – it was really well done. And some of the shots were fantastic, like the overhead shot that turned the corner sharply along with the cab, and the time lapse of the construction of San Francisco’s famous Transamerica Pyramid! The cast was also impeccable from the ever brilliant Brian Cox and Robert Downey Jr., the sorely underused Elias Koteas, the perfect Boy Scout Jake Gyllenhaal, and the continual impressiveness of Mark Ruffalo there would pop up in scene after scene someone else I was thrilled to see: Anthony Edwards! Dermot Mulroney! Chloe Sevigny! Donal Logue! James LeGros! Clea Duvall! For a movie about an unsolved crime the plotting still felt like we were continually trying to get somewhere and that we eventually would. There was still drama and tension and mystery and surprise. It was a great puzzle of a movie, slowly pieces would fit in one place and then you’d realize, wait, that doesn’t actually fit there, and you’d have to move it. For a movie with a really dark storyline it was actually a lot of fun!
The first was Douglas McGrath’s "Infamous." I’ve read Capote’s "In Cold Blood" which is an amazing true crime novel (oxymoronic as that is) and enjoyed Phillip Seymour Hoffman in his Oscar winning role as Truman in 2005’s "Capote" so I didn’t really expect to like "Infamous" that much cause hell, didn’t we just see this movie??? But Toby Jones’ performance as Truman Capote was a revelation! For me he reduced Hoffman’s performance to mediocrity at best. Toby was all flamboyancy, cattiness, and wit. This time around we got to see much more of Capote’s needling influence within his high society friends which enriched the character greatly. His Capote was so ridiculous that at first you didn’t think he’d ever be able win over the town folk of Holcomb let alone the killers, but little by little he does it and wins over the audience in the process. Plus, Toby is a tiny little man, like the real Capote was which helped the believability. I know they had tried to downplay Hoffman’s size and make him seem small, but it never really worked – which I didn’t fully realize until watching "Infamous." I will give the 2005 film one advantage over this new film and that’s Catharine Keener as Nelle Harper Lee. Keener is, of course, brilliant in everything she does. "Infamous" unfortunately had Sandra Bullock in the role and gawd she was awful. Even if she had been able to keep her Southern accent consistent, it still wouldn’t have been enough to make her performance believable. Toby swallowed her up. This, now that I think of it, is rather fitting, since Capote kind of swallowed up Lee in real life too. Daniel Craig was quite good too as the killer Perry Smith. "Infamous" played the Perry/Truman relationship up to sensational glory, taking it much further than "Capote" did, but it worked. Craig really pulled the tragedy and menace of the character off. Overall I felt that "Infamous" far outshone "Capote" in revealing what kind of man, lover, friend, liar, writer, bitchy little queen he really was – and with heart! HA!
Phillip and I finally watched David Fincher’s "Zodiac." We’d had it out from Netflix for a few weeks now, but neither one of us had been in the mood to watch a two hour, forty minute long movie about a serial killer whose case to this day is unresolved. We finally popped it in last night and wowza – we were pleasantly surprised! First off the cinematography and art direction were incredible. I really hope Oscar voters remember it when the time comes. The little period details from hairstyles to music to being free to smoke at work and on airplanes to the cars people drove – it was really well done. And some of the shots were fantastic, like the overhead shot that turned the corner sharply along with the cab, and the time lapse of the construction of San Francisco’s famous Transamerica Pyramid! The cast was also impeccable from the ever brilliant Brian Cox and Robert Downey Jr., the sorely underused Elias Koteas, the perfect Boy Scout Jake Gyllenhaal, and the continual impressiveness of Mark Ruffalo there would pop up in scene after scene someone else I was thrilled to see: Anthony Edwards! Dermot Mulroney! Chloe Sevigny! Donal Logue! James LeGros! Clea Duvall! For a movie about an unsolved crime the plotting still felt like we were continually trying to get somewhere and that we eventually would. There was still drama and tension and mystery and surprise. It was a great puzzle of a movie, slowly pieces would fit in one place and then you’d realize, wait, that doesn’t actually fit there, and you’d have to move it. For a movie with a really dark storyline it was actually a lot of fun!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Randomness
-THE most random survey you'll take, ever. (I don't buy this at all)
-I doubt you've been asked these questions before. (Try me)
-Don't lie, and don't get offended. (I won't)
1. What's the color of the soap in your bathroom? white, the color of fresh and clean!
2. Do you like cola? sure
3. What's the 15th contact in your phone? Holy hell, hang on while I look it up. It's Brendan.
4. Are you on IM right now? Nope
5. What's your opinion on Alvin & the Chipmunks? Well, I loved the cartoon when I was a kid and even had their records like A Chipmunks Christmas and a Country Music one where they sang "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys (Chipmunks)" but I'm a little leery of this live action movie coming out. What the fuck has happened to Jason Lee? First "My Name is Earl" (ugh) then "Underdog" and now this???
6. Ever said the n-word to a black person? no, only to red ones
7. What are you doing tomorrow around 10:00 a.m.? Working - boo
8. Do you like writing in cursive or print, better? I'm a printer. My cursive is atrocious.
9. What are you listening to right now? Rilo Kiley's new album. I'm still trying to decide if I like it. Some of the songs are growing on me and some of them I really hate.
10. What's the most annoying noise in the world? That funky feedbacky noise my computer speakers make when my cell phone rings. I HATE THAT!
11. Do the speakers on your computer work? Yes, but sometimes they make that awful noise from above.
12. Have you ever written in wet cement? When I was a kid I did write my name in a sidewalk panel on my block.
13. Ever worn your underwear backwards? Inside out maybe, but not backwards.
15. Anyone in your family died from lung cancer? No, thank goodness.
16. Favorite Jelly Belly flavor? Cinnamon
17. Ever shopped for shoes online? Yes, I'm a girl, we shop for everything online.
18. How are your grades? This question makes me feel old.
19.What's always on your mind? Chocolate - it's a sickness seriously.
20. Don't you just HATE George Bush? Absolutely.
21. Do you follow your horoscope religiously? Not a whit.
22. How often do you go running? What is this "running" you speak of?
23. Are You Thirsty? Nah
24. Ever played Grand Theft Auto? Never, but I've watched it being played.
25. Do you like the person you copied this survey from? Yes, Ben's cool. He spins good music in bars that I like to drink in. And he always has a smile and a hug for me.
26. Do you get an allowance? Yes, I'm "allowed" to waste my time doing this shit.
27. Are you a bitch? Sometimes. Everyone is a bitch sometimes.
28. 50 Cent shows up at your door, what do you do? Ask him what he wants.
29. Last time you killed a bug? Yesterday, a gnat.
31. Where is your pet? Don't have one.
32. Favorite childhood game? Freeze tag!
34. When's the last time you had a slurpee? It's been awhile. I'm more partial to Slushes from Sonic.
35. Do you look through your old yearbooks a lot? No, but now I'm thinking about it.
36. What are you dreading right now? Cleaning the bathroom.
37. Have you ever painted a room in your house? I don't have a house.
38. Keeping any secrets right now? Off the top of my head, no.
39. What CD's in your stereo right now? I'm an iPod user so there is never a CD in my stereo anymore. I mean, I still buy CDs but then I download them and they sit on my CD rack. Right now I'm listening to the new Okkervil River album (Rilo Kiley is over).
40. Who comments you the most? Dang is that a myspace related question or what??? No one really, my comments are pretty varied.
41. Is your basement dusty? HA! That's a euphemism if I ever heard one! And no, it's not.
42. Ever witnessed a hit & run? Yes, I was the hittee. I was riding in Cameron's car down Maryland Pkwy from UNLV where we had just seen a performance of "As You Like It" which coincidentally starred a boy I had crushed on majorly in high school. We were on our way to get a late night bite to eat at Denny's, it was raining slightly and this guy just totally rear ended us while we were stopped at a light, then put it in reverse and drove off! To our amazement, the jackass' front license plate was stuck to Cam's car!
43. What do you do when you're bored at school? Hmmm, another question that makes me feel old. I would daydream.
44. What's the last household object you broke? Probably a wine glass.
45. Does whatever happen in Vegas... really stay in Vegas? God, I'm so over this marketing campaign. When will it end??? NO! "WHATEVER HAPPENS" WILL FOLLOW YOU THE FUCK HOME AND RUIN YOUR LIFE!
46. Ever been to a football game? This is a dumb and boring question. Yes.
47. What's your most played band in iTunes? How the hell should I know?
48. Old ladies...? The Golden Girls.
50. When's the last time you looked in the dictionary? Aw hell. During this damn survey! I looked up leery on Dictionary.com to make sure it wasn't spelled "leary" which I totally knew was just Timothy Leary residual memory, but I had to check anyway!
-I doubt you've been asked these questions before. (Try me)
-Don't lie, and don't get offended. (I won't)
1. What's the color of the soap in your bathroom? white, the color of fresh and clean!
2. Do you like cola? sure
3. What's the 15th contact in your phone? Holy hell, hang on while I look it up. It's Brendan.
4. Are you on IM right now? Nope
5. What's your opinion on Alvin & the Chipmunks? Well, I loved the cartoon when I was a kid and even had their records like A Chipmunks Christmas and a Country Music one where they sang "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys (Chipmunks)" but I'm a little leery of this live action movie coming out. What the fuck has happened to Jason Lee? First "My Name is Earl" (ugh) then "Underdog" and now this???
6. Ever said the n-word to a black person? no, only to red ones
7. What are you doing tomorrow around 10:00 a.m.? Working - boo
8. Do you like writing in cursive or print, better? I'm a printer. My cursive is atrocious.
9. What are you listening to right now? Rilo Kiley's new album. I'm still trying to decide if I like it. Some of the songs are growing on me and some of them I really hate.
10. What's the most annoying noise in the world? That funky feedbacky noise my computer speakers make when my cell phone rings. I HATE THAT!
11. Do the speakers on your computer work? Yes, but sometimes they make that awful noise from above.
12. Have you ever written in wet cement? When I was a kid I did write my name in a sidewalk panel on my block.
13. Ever worn your underwear backwards? Inside out maybe, but not backwards.
15. Anyone in your family died from lung cancer? No, thank goodness.
16. Favorite Jelly Belly flavor? Cinnamon
17. Ever shopped for shoes online? Yes, I'm a girl, we shop for everything online.
18. How are your grades? This question makes me feel old.
19.What's always on your mind? Chocolate - it's a sickness seriously.
20. Don't you just HATE George Bush? Absolutely.
21. Do you follow your horoscope religiously? Not a whit.
22. How often do you go running? What is this "running" you speak of?
23. Are You Thirsty? Nah
24. Ever played Grand Theft Auto? Never, but I've watched it being played.
25. Do you like the person you copied this survey from? Yes, Ben's cool. He spins good music in bars that I like to drink in. And he always has a smile and a hug for me.
26. Do you get an allowance? Yes, I'm "allowed" to waste my time doing this shit.
27. Are you a bitch? Sometimes. Everyone is a bitch sometimes.
28. 50 Cent shows up at your door, what do you do? Ask him what he wants.
29. Last time you killed a bug? Yesterday, a gnat.
31. Where is your pet? Don't have one.
32. Favorite childhood game? Freeze tag!
34. When's the last time you had a slurpee? It's been awhile. I'm more partial to Slushes from Sonic.
35. Do you look through your old yearbooks a lot? No, but now I'm thinking about it.
36. What are you dreading right now? Cleaning the bathroom.
37. Have you ever painted a room in your house? I don't have a house.
38. Keeping any secrets right now? Off the top of my head, no.
39. What CD's in your stereo right now? I'm an iPod user so there is never a CD in my stereo anymore. I mean, I still buy CDs but then I download them and they sit on my CD rack. Right now I'm listening to the new Okkervil River album (Rilo Kiley is over).
40. Who comments you the most? Dang is that a myspace related question or what??? No one really, my comments are pretty varied.
41. Is your basement dusty? HA! That's a euphemism if I ever heard one! And no, it's not.
42. Ever witnessed a hit & run? Yes, I was the hittee. I was riding in Cameron's car down Maryland Pkwy from UNLV where we had just seen a performance of "As You Like It" which coincidentally starred a boy I had crushed on majorly in high school. We were on our way to get a late night bite to eat at Denny's, it was raining slightly and this guy just totally rear ended us while we were stopped at a light, then put it in reverse and drove off! To our amazement, the jackass' front license plate was stuck to Cam's car!
43. What do you do when you're bored at school? Hmmm, another question that makes me feel old. I would daydream.
44. What's the last household object you broke? Probably a wine glass.
45. Does whatever happen in Vegas... really stay in Vegas? God, I'm so over this marketing campaign. When will it end??? NO! "WHATEVER HAPPENS" WILL FOLLOW YOU THE FUCK HOME AND RUIN YOUR LIFE!
46. Ever been to a football game? This is a dumb and boring question. Yes.
47. What's your most played band in iTunes? How the hell should I know?
48. Old ladies...? The Golden Girls.
50. When's the last time you looked in the dictionary? Aw hell. During this damn survey! I looked up leery on Dictionary.com to make sure it wasn't spelled "leary" which I totally knew was just Timothy Leary residual memory, but I had to check anyway!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Dang thunderstorms. . .
I was woken up at 4:15 this am by an enormous clap of thunder that set off about a dozen car alarms in the parking lot of my apartment complex. HA! For two seconds I almost typed "a thunderous clap of thunder" instead of enormous! That would have been pretty stupid, huh?
This storm meant business. I was sleeping with earplugs in and still woke up - it was that loud! Of course my eyes blinked awake and I wanted to just roll over and go back to sleep, but the clock on my bedside was flashing. The power had gone out at one point so now I had to reset my clock and reset my alarm for my normal 6:22 am, a mere two hours away.
Yeah, don't ask why I set it for 6:22. Seems like a pretty random number you say? Ok, fine I'll tell you my reason for it. My local Channel 3 News has "Traffic & Weather on the 3s" so I set my alarm for 6:22 so I can immediately flip on the TV and get the report at 6:23. By the time the report is over I am awake enough to get in the shower. Sufficiently oddball enough for you?
Now back to the thunderstorm. All this getting out of bed to find out the time to reset my alarm and then appeasing my curiosity by checking out the downpour by standing on our balcony and witnessing the consequential river of water running through the parking lot, all while flashes of lightning and more thunderous claps of thunder (ha!) occurred with frightening speed, meant that I had a hard time falling back to sleep.
Normally I love a good thunderstorm. But I love them in the afternoon, on a Saturday, when I can curl up on the couch with a book, The Sundays playing on the stereo (this is a rule: The Sundays must always be playing when it rains), and watch the raindrops fall outside the window. These middle of the night, wake me up, keep me up during my last two hours of sleep kind of thunderstorms just make me a sad panda and a grumpy girl all day.
This storm meant business. I was sleeping with earplugs in and still woke up - it was that loud! Of course my eyes blinked awake and I wanted to just roll over and go back to sleep, but the clock on my bedside was flashing. The power had gone out at one point so now I had to reset my clock and reset my alarm for my normal 6:22 am, a mere two hours away.
Yeah, don't ask why I set it for 6:22. Seems like a pretty random number you say? Ok, fine I'll tell you my reason for it. My local Channel 3 News has "Traffic & Weather on the 3s" so I set my alarm for 6:22 so I can immediately flip on the TV and get the report at 6:23. By the time the report is over I am awake enough to get in the shower. Sufficiently oddball enough for you?
Now back to the thunderstorm. All this getting out of bed to find out the time to reset my alarm and then appeasing my curiosity by checking out the downpour by standing on our balcony and witnessing the consequential river of water running through the parking lot, all while flashes of lightning and more thunderous claps of thunder (ha!) occurred with frightening speed, meant that I had a hard time falling back to sleep.
Normally I love a good thunderstorm. But I love them in the afternoon, on a Saturday, when I can curl up on the couch with a book, The Sundays playing on the stereo (this is a rule: The Sundays must always be playing when it rains), and watch the raindrops fall outside the window. These middle of the night, wake me up, keep me up during my last two hours of sleep kind of thunderstorms just make me a sad panda and a grumpy girl all day.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Becoming Jane - A Review
It is a truth universally (well at least within my inner circle of friends and relations) acknowledged that I was going to hate this movie. Indeed. Well, there were some things in it that I quite enjoyed. Like the cast (except for Anne Hathaway, but I'll get to her later), the cricket scene, the portrayal of Henry & Eliza, and the scenes of Cassandra's loss which did make my eyes sufficiently well up. But overall I am quite disappointed in the film. I tried my damnedest, really I did, to watch it objectively, but then the filmmakers would do something that would get my Janeite brain going and dampen my spirits. For example, early on when Jane overhears Mr. Lefroy's dismissal of her writing and proceeds to go upstairs, rip up what she had just written as an engagement present to her beloved sister, and then go through all her other writing that she has hidden away in a trunk and question them too??? Give me a freaking break! Jane Austen would not have given a whit about what a latecoming, rude, stranger thought about her writing! Even if he was as cute as James McAvoy. And then later when she excuses herself quite rudely in front of Lady Gresham and her nephew in order to plop down on a bench and quickly jot down some notes for later use?? Um, no. Jane was a private writer. She wrote at her desk in her room and left the door to said room with a squeak in it so she would know when someone was coming in and could hide her pages away! And the idea that Lefroy widens Jane's horizons by giving her Tom Jones to read? I'm sorry but if you read the letters where Jane Austen actually mentions Tom Lefroy on which supposedly this film is based she compares the color of Lefroy's coat to that of one worn by Tom Jones in the book! Which would mean she had already read the novel before she even met Lefroy, not at all suprising since her entire family were avid readers and Tom Jones was one of the most popular novels of its day.
I know, I know, here is me nitpicking right? Ok, I'll try to leave the historical inaccuracies aside. How about Anne Hathaway's acting? Does she really think a furrowed brow is all the acting necessary to get across every emotion? Oh, in this scene I'm angry, I better furrow my brow. Now I'm sad, a furrowed brow will do nicely. Oh now I'm worried, again a furrow of the brow should suffice! Her accent was perfectly fine, I just wish she had a little more depth. I did love James Cromwell and Julie Walters as Reverand and Mrs. Austen. Perfect casting. I additionally enjoyed the actress who played Cassandra although I felt her and Jane's relationship was kind of put to the side. In real life these two sisters were inseperable when together and when apart, wrote to each other constantly. The filmmakers could have made that more evident. And don't get me started on the so-called Jane is an older woman epilogue!
I've decided in this review not to go into the particulars of the Jane Austen/Tom Lefroy flirtation that suddenly became a full blown romance full of secret rendezvous and near elopments. Obviously this was the route the filmmakers decided to take in order to give us Jane's story. I don't agree with this decision, but it's understandable that they would want to give the author of some of the greatest romances of all time a romance of her very own. I just hope that those that do not know Jane's real story will go in search of it now. Because it is a story worth telling without all the filler. Maybe someday Hollywood will do it justice. Now, I know what you are all thinking: I went in already predisposed to hate the film, right? Of course I wasn't going to like it with this attitude, right? Well, yes that's true! I can't help it! Jane Austen is my favorite author and dear to my heart! I admire her as one of my ultimate heroes! To see her portrayed inaccurately and with little of the wit and vivacity she herself wrote with pains me! So sue me.
I know, I know, here is me nitpicking right? Ok, I'll try to leave the historical inaccuracies aside. How about Anne Hathaway's acting? Does she really think a furrowed brow is all the acting necessary to get across every emotion? Oh, in this scene I'm angry, I better furrow my brow. Now I'm sad, a furrowed brow will do nicely. Oh now I'm worried, again a furrow of the brow should suffice! Her accent was perfectly fine, I just wish she had a little more depth. I did love James Cromwell and Julie Walters as Reverand and Mrs. Austen. Perfect casting. I additionally enjoyed the actress who played Cassandra although I felt her and Jane's relationship was kind of put to the side. In real life these two sisters were inseperable when together and when apart, wrote to each other constantly. The filmmakers could have made that more evident. And don't get me started on the so-called Jane is an older woman epilogue!
I've decided in this review not to go into the particulars of the Jane Austen/Tom Lefroy flirtation that suddenly became a full blown romance full of secret rendezvous and near elopments. Obviously this was the route the filmmakers decided to take in order to give us Jane's story. I don't agree with this decision, but it's understandable that they would want to give the author of some of the greatest romances of all time a romance of her very own. I just hope that those that do not know Jane's real story will go in search of it now. Because it is a story worth telling without all the filler. Maybe someday Hollywood will do it justice. Now, I know what you are all thinking: I went in already predisposed to hate the film, right? Of course I wasn't going to like it with this attitude, right? Well, yes that's true! I can't help it! Jane Austen is my favorite author and dear to my heart! I admire her as one of my ultimate heroes! To see her portrayed inaccurately and with little of the wit and vivacity she herself wrote with pains me! So sue me.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Mikhail Baryshnikov
I'm not sure exactly when my obsession with Mikhail Baryshnikov started but I'm pretty sure it was sometime in high school. I took ballet classes very briefly as a small child, as most little girls do, but that was it. I was not and am not a dancer myself, but I have always loved everything about the dance world: its grace, its beauty, its strength, its magic. The classical ballets were my favorites: Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker. I fell for Baryshnikov after discovering the movie The Turning Point. He was just so gorgeous and no one danced like him: great flying leaps where he seemed to hang in the air longer then seemed natural like some freaky ballet superhero!
My dream of seeing Baryshnikov dance live came true when I was nineteen. He was peforming with his White Oak Dance Project at UNLV's Ham Hall. The day before the show I got horribly sick with a virus, and ended up at the performance with a high fever. My boyfriend at the time went with me to the show and he was actually very sweet and took care of me during the performance, making sure I was awake whenever Misha was on stage, because I was so sick with fever I would kind of doze off in my seat. Suffice to say, I don't remember that much about it. I do remember Misha doing this little like golf routine, very cute and quite funny.
Anyway, I was so excited when I saw that Baryshnikov's new Hell's Kitchen Dance Project would be performing in Reno as part of their month long arts festival Artown. My dear friend Amy, who lives in Reno, was a ballet dancer when she was young and I knew she'd be thrilled if I came up so we could go to the show together. It was incredible. The Pioneer Center in downtown Reno is quite small, and we had amazing seats about 10 rows back from the stage so could see everything perfectly. The minute Baryshnikov walked out on stage the entire room kind of gasped and then held it's breath in anticipatory unison. The first dance was called “Years Later” and on a huge screen at the back of the stage they showed footage of a very young dancing Baryshnikov and then our present day live Baryshnikov danced along with the footage. There was a light in the very front of the stage so that it projected his shadow on the screen, and he could move up or downstage to make the shadow bigger or smaller so that there were sometimes three Baryshnikovs dancing: the young one onscreen, the 59 year old live one, and his shadow. It was quite touching, and even a little bit sad. The onscreen Baryshnikov was the young strong dancer, doing all his great jumps and leaps that the now older Baryshnikov has a hard time doing. He would even make fun of himself and laugh along with the audience as he bent over holding his back like an old man, throwing his hands up in the air like he won’t even try to keep up with his young self anymore. Baryshnikov is so humorous and down to Earth - it's really refreshing and interesting considering how superhuman he truly is. The final dance featured Baryshnikov again along with the dozen or so young dancers in his hand picked company. It was wonderful but again quite touching and sad, a passing of the torch kind of thing. He would dance with them, but also watch them in amazement and with a bit of nostalgia and regret in his posture and demeanor. You knew he was envying their youth. And then it's not like Baryshnikov blends in with these dancers. It's very obvious: there's freaking Mikhail Baryshnikov dancing onstage, 30 years older than all of the other dancers, and although some of them are excellent, they will never be as good as he was and still is. But this dance titled “Come In” was like Baryshnikov inviting them to give it a damn good try. All in all, it was a great experience getting to see him before he stops dancing altogether, something I will always cherish. Clumsy old desert rat me got to experience the greatest dancer that ever lived, Mikhail Baryshnikov, live in person, not once, but twice.
My dream of seeing Baryshnikov dance live came true when I was nineteen. He was peforming with his White Oak Dance Project at UNLV's Ham Hall. The day before the show I got horribly sick with a virus, and ended up at the performance with a high fever. My boyfriend at the time went with me to the show and he was actually very sweet and took care of me during the performance, making sure I was awake whenever Misha was on stage, because I was so sick with fever I would kind of doze off in my seat. Suffice to say, I don't remember that much about it. I do remember Misha doing this little like golf routine, very cute and quite funny.
Anyway, I was so excited when I saw that Baryshnikov's new Hell's Kitchen Dance Project would be performing in Reno as part of their month long arts festival Artown. My dear friend Amy, who lives in Reno, was a ballet dancer when she was young and I knew she'd be thrilled if I came up so we could go to the show together. It was incredible. The Pioneer Center in downtown Reno is quite small, and we had amazing seats about 10 rows back from the stage so could see everything perfectly. The minute Baryshnikov walked out on stage the entire room kind of gasped and then held it's breath in anticipatory unison. The first dance was called “Years Later” and on a huge screen at the back of the stage they showed footage of a very young dancing Baryshnikov and then our present day live Baryshnikov danced along with the footage. There was a light in the very front of the stage so that it projected his shadow on the screen, and he could move up or downstage to make the shadow bigger or smaller so that there were sometimes three Baryshnikovs dancing: the young one onscreen, the 59 year old live one, and his shadow. It was quite touching, and even a little bit sad. The onscreen Baryshnikov was the young strong dancer, doing all his great jumps and leaps that the now older Baryshnikov has a hard time doing. He would even make fun of himself and laugh along with the audience as he bent over holding his back like an old man, throwing his hands up in the air like he won’t even try to keep up with his young self anymore. Baryshnikov is so humorous and down to Earth - it's really refreshing and interesting considering how superhuman he truly is. The final dance featured Baryshnikov again along with the dozen or so young dancers in his hand picked company. It was wonderful but again quite touching and sad, a passing of the torch kind of thing. He would dance with them, but also watch them in amazement and with a bit of nostalgia and regret in his posture and demeanor. You knew he was envying their youth. And then it's not like Baryshnikov blends in with these dancers. It's very obvious: there's freaking Mikhail Baryshnikov dancing onstage, 30 years older than all of the other dancers, and although some of them are excellent, they will never be as good as he was and still is. But this dance titled “Come In” was like Baryshnikov inviting them to give it a damn good try. All in all, it was a great experience getting to see him before he stops dancing altogether, something I will always cherish. Clumsy old desert rat me got to experience the greatest dancer that ever lived, Mikhail Baryshnikov, live in person, not once, but twice.
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