Silence of the Lambs

"It puts the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again."

I know I'm practically the only person on the planet who hadn't seen this movie, it was on my watch list, and can now be crossed off. Starring Anthony Hopkins & Jodie Foster my friends and I watched this accompanied with a 2008 Chianti. I found the intro long and unnecessary, the only information it really told us was that the leading lady was in FBI training, she's just running and running, and then she runs some more. She is interrupted during her ridiculously long run and told that she needs to speak to her supervisor, he informs her that she'll be interviewing Hannibal Lecter. Buffalo Bill is at large, skinning women and depositing their bodies. In the background of the supervisors office is a news clipping that says BILL SKINS FIFTH, which is if you ask me a very crude news heading in regards to the family of the victim.


When the adorably twangy Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) arrives at the asylum to meet 'Hannibal the Cannibal' (Anthony Hopkins), they give her some ground rules, that you can not trust him in any circumstance, that he will literally eat you... They describe him as a monster and after the security measures she witnesses and the greeting she receives from Hannibal's neighbors, the fear is already racing through her. The asylum is a dark and eerie place, with exposed brick, it's the perfect setting for the criminally insane. He is standing in his cell like a gentleman ready to greet her, however, that image is very startling and unexpected, he appears willing to talk to her and he seems to find her charming and sweet, however vulnerable and nervous, though she is trying to appear as confident as possible. You can only imagine what she is thinking, being not only a woman but, a trainee, and speaking to an infamous killer, who is not only a killer, but a psychiatrist, and not only is he a killing psychiatrist, he is a killing psychiatrist who EATS people. You instantly see how intelligent and charming he is, not frightening at all. He is able to read Clarice like a book and makes her uncomfortable, however there is immediately a connection between the two of them.

Soon, Clarice gets involved in the Buffalo Bill investigation. You are introduced to a woman who is jamming out to a great Tom Petty classic in her car when she is driving home, she is likable enough, and then she sees a man in her parking lot struggling with an easy chair he is trying to get into the back of a van and she breaks the first rule of being a woman, helping a sketchy man near the back of a van.... You soon learn that he is abducting women who wear size 14 clothes, because he is making a coat of their skin that he can wear around for his own sick enjoyment. He kidnaps them, puts them in a deep well in his very creepy home, keeps them for 3 days making them put lotion on their skin to make it soft and then kills & skins them. This movie came out in 1991 and the subject matter is frankly pretty disturbing, even now in the era of CSI and daily hour long crime dramas. The investigators turn to a cannibalistic madman to help solve a case regarding a gender confused man that is not only killing and torturing women, he is planning to wear their skin on top of his own and the whole time is quite possibly doing serious damage to the needle on his sewing machine.

I loved this movie, and I found it annoying how everyone I spoke to about it said it was 'so scary' it dissuades people from watching it, I didn't find it frightening at all. It was well done, perfectly acted and the cinematography was brilliant. I'd suggest this for anyone, you may just not want to eat for awhile before or after watching depending on how weak your stomach is. Farewell for now & happy viewing!

The greatest show to ever be on television

You have your ticket in hand, you find your seat, you put your bag up, you smile at the person you are seated next to, maybe make some small talk, you take off, get to your destination, and that is your typical flight. However for flight Oceanic #815, it is a very different story. We all saw the previews, whether or not you watched it while it was on the air, Lost was a phenomenon. Their flight from Sydney Australia to Los Angeles, California crashes on an island in the South Pacific and the initial reaction is survival, obviously. After they realize no one is coming to rescue them people have to choose who they can trust, where their alliances lie, how to defend themselves and keep themselves alive. You find out about the characters pasts and why they were travelling to LA and the kinds of troubles they had in their lives. Soon after their plane has crashed they notice this is not any ordinary island, and the plot twists and turns and twists again and then you're thrown a curve ball. I'm only on the second season, but this is the most intriguing show, I dream about it, I think about it while I'm at work. JJ Abrams is a science fiction genius, he keeps your mouth watering with nearly every episode being a cliffhanger and with so many different characters it keeps you emotionally involved. He is responsible for this Cloverfield, Alias and the recent blockbuster, Super 8. In other words, where JJ leads I will follow... Farewell for now & happy viewing.

holy nudity batman

A pharmaceutical rep, a Parkinson's patient and lots and lots of nudity. I didn't know what to expect with this movie, Love and Other Drugs, it's somewhere between a romantic comedy and a drama. And let me say I didn't like this movie one bit. I really enjoy both of the stars but even they couldn't save it for me. I understand that relationships have their ups and downs however, I don't think that is a very good device in a film. They are fully naked for several scenes and I found it very uncomfortable, normally that would not bother me, however in this movie I think they were intended to look comfortable with each other and that is not the way I perceived it. I felt like I could see their thoughts and their thoughts were 'I'm getting paid to do this'. I also get very annoyed when a token pretty girl is cast as a weird/quirky/free spirited indivual. I don't think Anne Hathaway was a good fit in this role, I don't think she is a good actor, she looked like she was just reading lines as she thought they should be said, she was not believable and she has disgusting boobs that should not be shown on camera. Whatever. Farewell for now & better luck next time.

friends with money

Friends With Money


This is a movie about a group of wealthy women and their husbands and I have a feeling that most normal middle class people who watch this movie are thinking 'What on earth do they have to complain about??? They are married, employed women with enormous homes and well behaved children.' I, however, feel that everyone has problems and I am more than happy to watch. (and judge, silently.) These wealthy women are played by Frances McDormand, Catherine Keener and Joan Cusack, all 3 of whom I greatly admire. They all have handsome, intelligent loving husbands, which is what all women want however they still aren't content with their lives because there is a point when you achieve your goals, you are the person you want to be, you have the career you want and you still feel like there is something missing.

Frances McDormand's character is whom I identified with the most. She is in a loving relationship, she is a ridiculously successful clothing designer, she speaks her mind and is totally herself but she is very angry and is at a spot in her life where she's thinking, what's the point? Some days you wake up and don't think there is a purpose to getting out of bed and why wash your hair or change you clothes?
Especially when you live in a world like we do, where you can go out and people can get away with horrible little things like cutting you in line or stealing a parking space from you and there is a point where you just snap. You think why should they be able to do that? Sure there are no laws or rules in that plain a sense, but what happened to simple human decency?

Catherine Keener and her husband are playwrights who are building an addition to their home. They have been married for a few years and have kids, but are just realizing they don't know each other. Her husband is a blunt, brutally honest guy who has no care or consideration for anyone else's feelings. He is the kind of person who would steal the parking spot or cut in line and wouldn't think twice about it. Joan Cusack and her husband are just rich and have tons of sex and they are just there to move the story along basically, not saying I didn't enjoy their parts in the movie, but it didn't move me to tears or anything.

Now on to the character I haven't mentioned yet, Jennifer Aniston plays Olivia. The one who has the 'Friends with Money' she quit her job as a teacher and is now cleaning houses. She is a strange person, a pothead, a vulnerable heartbroken woman, but she is one of the realest characters I have seen played in a movie. She has impressed me as an actor recently, I think since she's been off Friends I'm starting to take her more seriously, however I do think it's weird when she gets cast as the 'ugly' girl like in Just Go With It, she is cast as the dowdy receptionist/assistant with kids and baggage and is totally upstaged by an annoyingly curvy Brooklyn Decker.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes character driven movies where you simply observe the human condition. Farewell for now & happy viewing!

Modern Family

I have spent far too much time preoccupied by the comedy genius that is Modern Family. I just watched the entire first season on dvd and I am very impressed by the fact that this show is cast so well, executed to perfection and makes me laugh out loud. Seriously, and I don't do that when I'm by myself. Can't wait for the 2nd season to come out on dvd so I can completely waste another weekend of my life on the couch. LOVE IT!!!

Super 8

Saw this today with the boyfriend at a discounted rate ($5 for movies seen before 5pm. And there was much rejoicing...). Due to the well constructed trailer for it, you aren't too sure what this movie is about other than there is a mystery surrounding a train crash. When I saw JJ Abrams & Steven Speilberg's names attached to it, and the beloved Amblin logo (with ET in the bike basket flying in front of the moon and churning up a bunch of childhood memories) I knew this was definitely worth seeing.

Let me get this out of the way, this movie had by far the best previews I've ever seen. Transformers 3, Captain America, Harry Potter 7 Part 2, Rise of Planet of the Apes and Breaking Dawn Part 1. 2011-a great year for movies. The only trailer I'm looking just as forward to seeing as these is Sherlock Holmes 2, I am having serious RDJ withdrawals...and Iron Man 3/the Avengers won't be out till next year.



This movie immediately sucks you in, it is beautifully acted. You follow a group of junior high kids through this crazy adventure and I will be the first to admit, I hate child actors. But for these kids I definitely see a future, the main character Joe Lamb is not just a typical preteen, in the time you see him on screen he develops and grows from a kid on summer vacation to a full blown action/adventure star. He is lovable, adorable and easy to relate to. I think they did a great job of casting all the characters.


I think this is the perfect movie for this time, when so many people are dealing with the stresses of financial woes, unemployment and every day you wake up and there is a new electronic device out. This movie takes us all back to a simpler time, granted it was only the early or mid 1980's (it never says specifically), but nevertheless, kids still rode bikes, played outside and their thumbs were not constantly glued to a keyboard attached to a phone that they call a "piece of crap" if it does not load what they want in 5 seconds. This movie has charm being that it is set in a small suburban town most people can relate to, at a time people can look back and remember fondly, but it has all the special effects and amazing production value of the new millennium. There wasn't too much action, the suspense was not predictable and the story was real, as real as a sci fi summer blockbuster can.

I also saw recently 'How to lose friends and alienate people', decent movie, I love Simon Pegg and Kirsten Dunst as well as Jeff Bridges. However it confirmed my hatred of the nauseating Megan Fox, yeah she has the whole male population drooling, however to us normal women, she doesn't threaten us or make us envy her, she has us rolling our eyes saying, enough is enough. You did your "sexy girl" thing in the first Transformers movie, it established you as an icon, but now we're over it. You get cast in bad roles that make you look like a complete idiot, and yes you may have lucked out by landing a huge movie as your first major gig (in which you had about 12 lines) but since then you have done, Jonah Hex, Jennifer's Body, a movie that is simply entitled "Whore" (I swear, if you don't believe me, imdb.com) and the aforementioned one. All teeny tiny movies that as far as the average person is aware, barely exist. I don't like you and I really try to avoid your work as often as I can. Please go away or do something worth while with your new found fame. Farewell for now & happy viewing!

Activity of the Tornadic nature.

Spring in Kansas...

Just couldn't get through a work day without this.

nom nom nom Fettucini Alfredo, chicken, spinach, roma tomatoes nom nom nom What an adorable bathroom! HP <3 Just started on the last book. I have to know how it ends!!

I look focused...

Anyway, movies to watch, farewell for now & happy viewing.

Britain's Finest

*Under the words 'Britain's Finest' should probably not be a photo of Russell Brand, an ex-heroin addict who used to have sex with lots and lots of prostitutes. I don't care though, I love him!

Last weekend I watched a movie called American Dreamz, starring Dennis Quaid, Willem Dafoe and the dreadful Mandy Moore. I had this very detailed blog about my hatred of the movie which ended up not making sense, was horribly constructed (something I imagine that is very fixable) and I just deleted it because I was so frustrated, the movie ruined my life even after watching it. So to summarize, don't watch it! Other than Hugh Grant being in it, it's a total trainwreck, it's essentially a romantic comedy but it's laced with crass and unneccessary political satire. They try to cover too much material, it's the wrong genre and I have to disagree with the cover of the movie that says that the movie is 'Daring'. Although, it did get me thinking about people and their guilty pleasures. Some of mine are romantic comedies (anything with Hugh Grant, I just can't resist...), documentaries about people with weird habits, viral video shows (like the Soup or Tosh.0) and reality tv shows. Now when I say reality tv I don't mean competition shows like American Idol or Survivor, I mean shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Bridezillas, Jersey Shore, Teen Mom or Real Housewives of Orange County. I like watching the Human Condition, I like watching people in their "natural" environment, I can't explain why this is so enticing to me or why they are so popular. I can only think we like watching people live their lives out in front of us to ensure that we aren't crazy or maybe it's just pure escapism because whether their problems are worse/better than ours, they aren't our problems and it gives you a break from our lives. As much as people may speak down on reality tv, if I were given the opportunity to be paid a large amount of money to live my life in front of a camera I would absolutely do it! If the people on the shows choose to degrade or humiliate themselves that is their choice, but it's not going to keep me from watching. The next night I watched The Full Monty, one of the movies on my list, this movie was not what I expected at all, I was pleasantly surprised. I expected raunchy humor and a ton of nudity and it instead it was a sincere and heartfelt movie about a bunch of middle aged men who find themselves out of work and aspire to be male "Chippendale" strippers in order to make money. They have to hide this from their wives, learn how to dance and overcome their stagefright. "Anti wrinkle cream there may be, but anti fat bastard cream there is none." It is a great movie with an honest story and great acting and it just further confirms my love of all British entertainment. Seriously, from Harry Potter to Amy Winehouse, I love it all, I haven't ever seen or heard anything that I haven't liked.

Cheerio for now & happy viewing!!

I can't end a blog about British actors without a photo of Colin Firth =]

Brutality for Breakfast

First I'd like to share some new photos. I dyed my hair brown yesterday!! I'm very excited about the new color!


This morning I watched The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I actually woke up at 9am, and if you know me at all you know this does not happen, I only wake up before 11am on days that I have to work and most of the time I'm a zombie until lunchtime. So anyway, I figured I'd take advantage of being up so early and watch this movie that I borrowed from a friend of mine and I've had it so long it had been collecting dust on the shelf. I've seen people reading the series and people had told me how good this movie is so I had very high expectations. And let me say, I was not disappointed, not one bit, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this movie whatsoever. I must warn you though, this is one of the most raw and gruesome movies I've ever seen. I consider myself pretty desensitized to violence and graphic images, however this one was far beyond anything I'd ever seen. Since they are solving a murder case you expect some brutality, however they take it above and beyond, with several violent and gut wrenching rape scenes, photos of dead and mutilated bodies and a brief torture sequence it can get difficult to stomach at times.

What I like about foreign films is that the main characters are not the sheer images of perfection that Hollywood shoves down our throats. They look like normal people, not super thin with perfect breasts or men with flawless hair, skin and jawlines. The actors are not perfect and the nudity is not glamorous, but it is real. This is not for the faint of heart but if you are looking for a thriller and want to be totally vested in movie, this would be the one. Way to go Sweden, I look forward to watching the next 2 movies in the triology soon. Farewell for now & happy viewing!!

Just A Quickie

The reason I haven't blogged in awhile is because after watching The King's Speech I have been temporarily obsessed and preoccupied with Colin Firth.

This is the kind of obsession that makes you late to work everyday of the week because you've been up late watching movies at night, you don't pay attention to the posted speed limit because you are too busy thinking about the next movie you are going to watch, I've had little tastes before, I didn't mean to get hooked but now the inevitable has happened, I'm a Colin Firth addict. Immediately after watching King's Speech I put Love Actually in the dvd player, this was by sheer coincidence that it was the next movie I chose to watch was this one, since he stars in it as well. I had checked it out from the library because it's on my list of movies I haven't seen. By the end of Love Actually (which is my new favorite movie) I was totally enamoured, hanging on every word he says and then just for fun I wrapped up my Sunday on the couch by watching Bridget Jones's Diary.

I own both Bridget Jones movies and I like to watch them every now and then because I think they are delightful pick me ups and I really enjoy the humor, I've read both the books and I really identify with her as a person. (I read they're making a 3rd movie!!!!) This time however I really paid attention to his performance and I saw Mark Darcy in a whole new way. I am already a sucker for a British accent and when watching him on screen he ignites every role he plays, he can be serious or the perfect kind of quirky and funny. Bottom line he is absolutely charming and so nice to watch in any movie and not mention sexier than a shirtless neanderthal with pulsating tan and shiny muscles any day of the week. In the last week I have watched one of his movies everyday, making many many trips to the library to raid their vast selection of movies, I'm sure all the clerks in the entertainment area think I'm a little strange but I honestly couldn't care less. I congratulate him on winning the Oscar for Best Actor this year and I hope to see him in many many more movies. Farewell for now & happy viewing!!

Royally Speechless

Two Sundays ago I sat down to finally watch The King's Speech, I had been wanting to see it since I heard it was nominated for an Academy Award. When the titles of the movies that have been nominated for Best Picture get announced it is always my plan to see them before the show and it never happens. The only movie I saw beforehand was True Grit, I would like to say kudos to Matt Damon, I don't think he got enough credit for his performance in that movie. But this post is certainly not about Matt Damon. As I was saying, I sat down to watch The King's Speech on a Sunday afternoon and my anticipation to see it had grown since it won for Best Picture.

I was immediately drawn into this movie within the first few minutes, Colin Firth (<3) plays the Duke of York, son of King George, known only to his friends as "Bertie", and he is about to speak publicly. The anxiety that buzzes through this scene before he steps out in front of the crowd pulses through you and before you even hear him speak you empathize with this man you see on the screen in front of you wearing a top hat. It makes you think of the first time you were called upon to either do a presentation in grade school or of your first time of being truly bitterly embarrassed in front of total strangers. You hear him speak into the microphone and you hear his stammer, and whether or not you've known about his speech impediment before you watched the movie, you are taken aback and think, omg, how does someone who is a very public figure deal with this? And the answer you soon find out is, he doesn't. He deals with this unfortunate disability like a child throwing a temper tantrum. It is at this time that his wife (Helena Bonham Carter) takes it upon herself to hire Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) a speech therapist. He admits his methods are unorthodox and strange, Bertie and he meet and things do not go well, he is very guarded, uncomfortable and embarrassed. He does not return to see Lionel for awhile and when he does he lays down the law, however Lionel is not one to be told what to do.

Their relationship grows from that of future king and speech therapist to being great friends, Bertie had been seeing everyone to help him with his speech and with the exception of his wife, his children and of course, Lionel, they are all impatient, mean and completely unsympathetic to his condition. He gets a cold "Spit it out" or people perceive that he is unintelligent because he can not convey what he is trying to say. His temper sprouts from people's insensitivity and it is completely reasonable considering how difficult it is to express yourself through speech. Whether at an event, giving a speech or just having a conversation, nothing comes out easily, and living with this every time you open your mouth, you'd be pretty pissed off too.

The delightful Guy Pearce makes a surprise appearance in this as Prince David, I am always happy to look at him in a movie. This movie was absolutely deserving of all it's nominations and wins. By the end of the movie I couldn't peel my eyes from the screen, it was that good. The cinematography and coloring are beautiful, it is so nice to see a movie that is just plain enjoyable from every single way you look at it. You see a man completely transform his life and come out the other side swinging, it was a very inspiring. If you haven't seen this I highly reccommend it. Farewell for now & happy viewing!

when your reflection turns on you...

Black Swan (2010-Nominated at the 83rd Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Cinematography, Film Editing & Winner Best Actress-Natalie Portman) Leave it to Darren Aronofsky to warp the perfect image that is a ballerina in Swan Lake. He is also the mastermind behind Pi, The Wrestler and the infamous Requiem for a Dream. I was scared to see this at first knowing his power of haunting your thoughts for hours or even days at a time after watching one of his movies. I had never really cared for Natalie Portman, in my opinion she is only tolerable to watch, I also saw the Oscars before this movie and was pretty shocked that she actually won an award for Best Actress, until I saw the movie. She did surprise me and I did enjoy her performance, she went from girl next door to a mature actor. She lost herself in the role of Nina, a young, boring, sheltered, little ballerina who spirals into self destruction, she didn't play it safe or pretty. She did deserve her award, but she hasn't won me over for good.

The lesbian sex scene between her and Mila Kunis will go down (no pun intended) in history as the best girl on girl action in a motion picture EVER. Whether gay, straight or asexual you can not watch this scene without getting all hot and bothered or squirming in your seat a bit (not recommended for watching with parents or in laws). Mila Kunis oozes sexuality throughout the entire film and this is the icing on the cake. She has come a long way from That 70's Show and I have grown to really like her as an actor. *Side note: Does anyone else think it's really strange that she is coming out with a movie that is an identical twin to Portman's "No Strings Attached"? She is doing a friends with benefits comedy (intelligently named Friends with Benefits) with Justin Timberlake, that looks a million times better than Portman's movie. Hollywood recycles romantic comedies over and over but they are usually better about disguising them as original thoughts. Essentially there are only 3 or 4 romantic comedy story lines and they switch up the actors, the plot changes a bit and the best friends get quirkier for the sake of the trailer. I'm not complaining, I enjoy the light hearted entertainment immensely, but these were released a little close to each other. Natalie Portman has starred in way too many movies as of late. She has been in Brothers, No Strings Attached, Black Swan, Your Highness and Thor. I'm getting a little tired of seeing her everytime I turn on the tv since I didn't like her in the first place.

All the relationships in the movie really interesting and clearly defined, everyone Nina interacts with has an intense part to play on her life. Her mother, whom she lives with, is psychotic and overly controlling, treating her daughter like she is still a little girl, in the most extreme way. The director of the ballet is a strong man who is controlling, demanding and sexually confusing to Nina, with him trying to make moves on her and encouraging her to embrace her sexuality. Lily and Nina's relationship is obviously the most intense, it has a Fight Club/Tyler Durden feel to it, the parallel between their characters is like looking in a warped mirror. The pressure that eventually consumes Nina makes her go slowly insane. She is constantly rehearsing to perfect her performance and the entire movie she is told to "be the black swan. be the black swan. be the black swan." It isn't until the time of the performance that she masters this, and her mind is so childlike that she is unable to separate her role in the ballet and her life and that is why she ends up picking feathers out of her skin and adopting various swan like characteristics....

This movie was perfectly constructed. The color is subtle, therefore the plot is the captivating aspect, same with hair and makeup, simple and classic so the performances are what is noticed. Dialogue isn't complex or hard to follow, direct and to the point. He got really creative with the mirrors, the way they shape the scenes, since she has an evil side of her subconscious he used the mirrors to make it look like it was two different people. It is very cut and dry with him, there isn't anything you really need to "read into". I really like that about Aronofsky, he's fearless and unapologetic with a take it or leave it attitude, he isn't afraid of pushing the envelope and it's obviously paying off, it grossed $106,954,678 at the box office. I hope he continues to make beautifully disturbing movies for many years to come. Farewell for now & happy viewing!

goodbye ruby tuesday....

To Conan's Beard, you will be missed!

P.S. One week without a cigarette! I think I'll bake myself a celebratory cake! =)

Long Live the Ginger Beard & Mr. McGregor

Went back to work today and I honestly didn't think I was going to make it the whole day, I'm still having alot of discomfort with my mouth/jaw. I also have a small bruise on either side of my face where my tooth was, since I don't wear much makeup I didn't realize this until about 2pm, so for the rest of the week I'm going to have to wear foundation and concealer. And my chin is still numb, I called the doctor today because I wasn't sure this was normal or not, I'm assuming this just lasts longer with some patients than others, he said if it is still bothering me in a week that I should go back and see him again. I am really hoping this goes away soon cause I can't take anymore mouth trauma or time off from work. For lunch I tried to eat Wendy's chili and a vanilla frosty which was kind of silly, I barely made a dent in either so that's what I'll be having for dinner, with some mac and cheese. I'm so sick of soft food so I figure it's time to get creative cause I'm soooo hungry!!!

MY SUPER SMILE =D (the night before...)





On a side note, Conan is one of my favorite shows on the planet, he is so funny and enjoyable to watch, ever since he's been on TBS I don't think I've missed more than one episode. A week or two ago there was a clip of Will Ferrell saying he will be on the show May 2nd and that he was going to shave Conan's beautiful ginger beard off. It's a pretty immaculate beard that has filled out gloriously since he's been back on the air, it looks great on him and Will Ferrell is threatening to cut it off. Well today is May 2nd, I will not be missing tonight's show, the beardpocalypse is here and I HAVE TO KNOW IF COCO WILL WAKE UP BEARDLESS TOMORROW!!!


Now, on to movies... Early last week John and I watched the non fictional book turned movie 'I love you Phillip Morris' starring Jim Carrey and one of my top 5 favorite actors, Ewan McGregor. I love a man who can sing, dance, weild a lightsaber and camoflague a Scottish accent with a southern accent. He's a chameleon who can play any role that's thrown at him and this movie is a perfect example of that. In this first person narrative Stephen Russell (Jim Carrey) tells the audience about his life, how he was adopted as a baby; he is a perfect member of society, a cop, and a family man. However, there is something that is a secret to everyone but him, he is gay. Gay gay gay gay gay. After a potentially life threatening car accident he decides he is going to embrace his homosexuality, stop living a lie and be himself. Since living a flamboyant lifestyle is expensive, he ends up becoming a criminal. Eventually he finds himself in jail and meets an adorable, soft, blonde haired, blue eyed Phillip Morris, no not the cigarette guy. They hit it off immediately, however Phillip is getting transferred to another block and they do what they can to keep in touch and learn things about eachother. Now Stephen knows how to get what he wants and how to make things happen and he gets his way to his new love, they end up sharing the same cell where their love blossoms into an adorable full blown relationship. The rest of the movie basically plays out like 'Catch Me if you Can' with a gay undertone. With a roller coaster of a plot, funny and tear jerking scenes this is a well rounded movie. Farewell for now & happy viewing!

what a weekend...

Brandy After Dentist Part 2

Positive I'm going stir crazy... on Friday I had my procedure and got my 2 impacted wisdom teeth pulled, I was so nervous all day on Thursday. I got there they put me under and before I knew it, I was done. My boyfriend John came and walked me out. He said I was laughing hysterically the whole way out and I kept saying "I'm Alive! I'm Alive!!". (I remember none of this) We stopped at the pharmacy and then went home, I ate, took a half hour nap, laughed at how swollen my face was and then he went to work. I spent the day in a half awake daze watching the royal wedding, eating pudding, falling asleep (without intending to) and just generally feeling weird. Later when John got home from work he showed up with our friends who brought me a care package <3 I went to bed semi early and ended up tossing and turning most of the night, I woke up a few times to take my pain pills. Saturday was pretty much the same, I took like 4 naps, watched a bunch of tv and about 8pm I finally started to feel normal. Sunday I did a whole lot of nothing, I wanted to watch a bunch of movies, but couldn't make any commitments on which ones I wanted to watch and was still pretty out of it, so basically just a day full of blah tv. I am still having some problems though, no pain really just some discomfort and I can't open my mouth very wide, so I've lost 4 lbs on my diet of soup and yogurt... Needless to say I'm ready to get back to work tomorrow. However I'm still sooooo swollen, so I'll have to figure out a way to do my hair so I don't look ridiculous.

So I watched the majority of the royal wedding, both Will and Kate looked amazing like old school fairytale characters, they seem genuinely in love. It made me so giddy in my pain pill fog. (I also watched a marathon of shows all about the lives of Will & Kate and being that they are in their late 20's they really aren't all that interesting yet, so if you watched one show you pretty much knew everything about them.) On Thursday I recorded Steve Carrell's last episode of the Office, now I haven't watched any of the new episodes because they are all horribly stupid. Without sexual tension and a real plot it really lost me, but since I'd seen so many of the early episodes I decided I should watch it since this seems like a pretty big night in television history. Michael Scott "World's Best Boss" leaves Dunder Mifflin, this is big... I think it was done very well. I love Ricky Gervais, I think he is a genius and I can't wait for the next season of An Idiot Abroad. I miss Karl... Hopefully this week I'll get back into the swing of things and have some energy and get some more movies watched. Farewell for now & happy viewing!

P.S. Haven't had a cigarette in 5 days and haven't had a Mountain Dew in 3. I'm so proud of myself!

The Lovely Disappointment of books turned into feature films

The Lovely Bones written by Alice Sebold
I read this when I was in high school and loved it, I'd always mentioned it to people in search of a book recommendation. It tells the story of Susie Salmon at age 14, she is a perfectly normal girl who gets raped and murdered by a sketchy neighbor and then she watches down on the world she left for the remainder of the novel. It's beautifully written and original, at first the idea of this is terrifying, reading this as a young girl, thinking oh my God this stuff actually happens. However, the rest of the book makes up for it, Susie's heaven is so imaginative and the story of how her family continues is so honest. Alice Sebold gives you a 'fly on the wall' perspective of how the death of a child affects a family for years to come. This is one of my favorite books and when I heard it was being made into a movie I was thrilled and when I found out Peter Jackson (also the mastermind of Lord of the Rings & King Kong) was directing it I was even more psyched to see it. It came out in 2009, it stars Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz (ugh) and Stanley Tucci. This movie was such a disappointment, it is the worst movie made from a book I've ever seen. Now, I like to give filmmakers the benefit of the doubt when it comes to turning print into picture, I think of it in the perspective that they are two completely different art forms. The movie is just the directors interpretation of the book. I understand they can't live up to every little detail and I am forgiving of that most of the time. This however I find completely inexcusable. I have always adored Peter Jackson and had much higher expectations.

The only redeeming qualities were Mark Wahlberg and Stanley Tucci, everyone else was a joke. I don't even want to mention their names, that's how disappointed I was in the casting. Now I wouldn't have chosen Mark or Stanley for the roles they were given either, but they did what they were supposed to do...act. Susie has an annoying breathy voice that is so hard to get past, Ruth & Ray Singh, the strange duo of Susie's classmates were just reading lines, grandma was overacted, the sister was boring and Susie's mother was played way too safe. Guilt, shame, sorrow, restlessness, and grief were the characteristics that made her a tormented soul and in the movie she plays a one dimensional middle aged woman who you don't identify with, such a shame to let a great role fall so flat.

The killer was spot on, not too overdone, not too camoflagued in the neighborhood, just right. He looked like he should have looked, he talked like he should have talked. He was evil and mundane at the same time, easily looked over by the rest of the neighborhood, but once looked at it was made abundantly clear he was a twisted man. The scene where he shows Susie his secret basement room he's built under the cornfield, where she is raped and murdered, is incredibly uncomfortable to watch. I think it's very weird that this is the one scene that's done well. This is also how you feel as reading this in print, you think I don't want to be here, this is out of my comfort zone, this is wrong, and you can do so by putting the book down, walking away, taking a smoke break and coming back later. Susie doesn't have this luxury though, she is helpless, harmless, innocent and naive, that is what makes this book so tragic. I think Alice Sebold is one of those authors who has to go to beat you over the head with what's going on to get her point across, now I realize authors must do this, but there's a certain way to do it. And when you're talking about rape you don't want to freak out your reader. I also think some of the parts they put in the movie were completely unneccessary. I don't think they should have gone into so much detail about how he killed the other girls, I think either just mentioning it some different way or leaving it out all together would have been more effective, they did not need to give you a visual of where these girls were killed and show you dead bodies. Not that they are mutilated or gorey or even scary but it's just disturbing that they went to lengths to plan that scene out the way it was.

Susie explains her heaven very vividly, but what should have been breathtaking was so obviously computer generated, and done in such a bad way that these scenes looked like those stupid 80's posters teenage girls would hang on there walls with unicorns on them. Now some parts of her heaven didn't give me the same thoughts, some were done very well like the woods or when she's walking up to the lighthouse those were beautiful, but a few small parts of pretty film don't keep me from being so very disappointed. So in case you feel like watching a movie that had so much potential but instead you find yourself holding back vomit, this one's for you!Farewell for now & happy viewing!

Buried Treasure

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) Directed by Gore Verbinski

Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom & Keira Knightley

A few weeks ago when my boyfriend stated he had not seen the entire Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, he was lent the movies by a friend of ours. I also had not seen them since they were released in theatres so I was excited to watch them again. My favorite of the trio is "At World's End". By the time you get to the last movie there is a thick story line that you are completely enveloped in, a love story between Elizabeth and Will, a conflict between the East India Trading Co. and the pirates, and the question of whether or not Jack Sparrow is even in the movie. A pirate war ensues when Elizabeth Swan is named Pirate King, the Flying Dutchman gets a new captain, and they show you how to successfully flip a pirate ship. Several scenes stand out in my mind, the first one is when they are in the middle of a huge battle and Barbosa marrys Will and Elizabeth. Sure, some people might think it's corny but I think it's super cute they're swordfighting and yelling their vows, but it's one of those priceless Disney scenes where you can't help but smile and hope your friends aren't watching you. The other scene that I love occurs when the Flying Dutchman and the Black Pearl are on either side of the East India Trading Co. ship, the Endeavor, blowing it to bits and you see Beckett walking down the stairs while chunks of the ship are flying everywhere and he knows he has been defeated. The cinematography and beautiful scenes stand out in all the movies, the costumes are intricate, the ships are breath taking and the special effects of the crew and ship of the Flying Dutchman make you think these supernatural sea creatures/human pirates actually existed when pirates ruled the seas.

This series of blockbusters drags you in and doesn't let go, Johnny Depp was perfectly cast for the leading man. Captain Jack Sparrow is an eccentric pirate who steals the scenes he is in, it's hard to believe someone else could have played this role. Michael Keaton and Christopher Walken were both considered for this funny pirate pimp with flawless dredlocks. As much as I love Christopher Walken I'm glad they went the route they did.

The popularity of these movies was worldwide and thanks to Disney they are family films appealing to everyone and this was proved at the box office. Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) earned $305,413,918, Dead Man's Chest (2006) $423,315,812 and At World's End (2007) $309,420,425. The next installment "On Stranger Tides" comes out next month in 3D, this will star Johnny Depp of course and Penelope Cruz, and follow the story of Capt. Sparrow on his quest for the Fountain of Youth. Farewell for now & happy viewing!

Love & Distrust--- Just say no!

This movie sucks you into a false sense of interest by dangling great actors in your face. You think "Oh! Amy Adams, James Franco, Robert Pattinson hmmm....I've never heard of this before, this may be worth checking out." If you find yourself thinking this, DON'T and go watch Inception or something. This movie is far too long and is the biggest disappointment since Wicker Man. It's split up into several short films the first one starring Robert Pattinson isn't too bad, but no definite story line. This theme continues, but they get worse and worse as it goes on. I have the list of movies I've never seen and then there is another list, a much more sacred list, a list that weighs heavily on my mind until it is crossed out in full. It is a list of movies starring my favorite actor, ROBERT DOWNEY JR. I have seen 40 of his 62 movies and had to watch this one as it is on the list, I have to watch them all from start to finish or the list just wouldn't hold the same sense of accomplishment to me when complete. I've literally watched movies he's been in for a total of 5 seconds. (In Girls Just Want to Have Fun, he pops up from under a table....that's all folks) So, just my luck, he is in the last short and is in it for about 5 minutes and this particular short has a really low production value, terrible camera work, the audio sucks and all the actors just sound like they're speaking up to be picked up on the mic. I can only hope he agreed to being in this movie when he was still on drugs. And the worst part of it all is I OWN THIS MOVIE. I don't think I could pay a respectable movie fan to watch this, maybe as it sits on my movie shelf and I glance at it from time to time I'll just remember what a horrible experience this all was and shutter. It doesn't even have the Talladega Nights factor, where the more you watch it the better it gets, it just plain sucks. I don't know, nor do I care, who wrote or directed it, all I know is I want them slapped. My poor boyfriend suffered through it as I watched, he is very supportive of my obsession with Downey and for the most part enjoys the movies I force him to watch. I do not recommend this movie to anyone unless you are trying to rid yourself of a houseguest. I give this poorly constructed movie one step above a raunchy porno.

I call this photo "Brandy after dentist: Part One"


Now for a little update on my personal life. Last night I was trying to make an account on my car loan company's website and for some reason was unable to, a page popped up instructing me to call the customer service number which I did and I get greeted by a super sexy voice telling me she was hot and wet for me. Initially I am furious, this is who I've been sending my monthly payments to? After hanging up with this siren of the phone world I realize I've dialed the wrong number, one digit off. Whoopsy!!! I called it back just for a good laugh at the greeting which I needed after a long day at work, I really hope I don't get charged. This morning I am driving to work and I decided to skip my daily stop at the gas station to get my morning Mountain Dew and it's a pretty typical drive until some guy decides to pull out completely in front of me and I almost T-Bone him, I slammed on my brakes and I can only imagine my facial expression was something of sheer terror and I look up at this creep and he is there completely emotionless just stopped in front of my car, I was really shaken up and was anxious for the next hour and a half. My wisdom teeth come out Friday, I met with the oral surgeon today, which got me out of work 3 hours early (awesome). I was still nervous to drive and was being even more cautious than I usually am. It was a weird experience, it was a dark little office, I filled out the necessary forms and was taken back to the room by a nurse who didn't introduce herself, or talk much at all. She put a video on for me that outlined the procedure, which I thought was a very impersonal way of informing me of what was gonna go down, I can see why they do this though, they probably have to repeat the speech 50 times a day. (This dental video was even better than the aforementioned film) The doctor then came in, also not introducing himself to me, spoke with me for about 5 minutes and then sent me on my way. I've been pretty nervous about the whole thing but his nonchalantness of it all put me at ease. I assume I'll be pretty chipmunk like most of next weekend but should be all set to empty out my dvr with some movies I've been saving like The Untouchables, True Grit (the original with John Wayne) and Space Jam (just for old times sake). I think I may even watch Gone with the Wind with all this free time. Tomorrow to celebrate the easter holiday my boyfriend and our two best friends are watching Ten Commandments and making deviled eggs, should be a great time. Farewell for now & happy viewing!

sin city

SIN CITY

A dark place full of cigarettes, violence, sex and booze. I'd seen this movie once and I didn't really get it, I wasn't nearly as into movies then though. I decided to give it another chance since now I am alot more familiar with the cast of this violent thriller.

This is based on Frank Miller's graphic novels, he is also known for Watchmen & 300. It stars Mickey Rourke, Benicio Del Toro, Clive Owen and Elijah Wood. Directed by Robert Rodriguez who has also directed Planet Terror, Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn and surprisingly...Spy Kids...

I am a fan of graphic novels and this star studded cast and fast paced thriller makes you feel like you are turning the pages of a comic book. I like that they stayed true to that with the cinematography and color choice. It is a book and they wanted it to look like you were a part of the story, not just an observer.

You follow the stories of Marv & Goldie, Hartigan & Nancy Callahan, Dwight & Jackie Boy.

Frank Miller has a gift for words and Robert Rodriguez has a gift for film and together they create cinema history. Movies like this, the Matrix, What Dreams May Come, A Scanner Darkly & Inception all have thought provoking stories and make your eyeballs orgasm.

When I was in college I was asked to write a paper about a romantic hero and I chose Rocky Balboa from the Rocky series. Looking back I should have chosen Marv, he is a large simple man who is not to be reckoned with, seriously he will blow your freaking head off. He has a remarkable one night stand with a hooker named Goldie, when he wakes up he finds her dead. The rest of his part in the story is finding her killer to butcher him. He eventually finds his loves killer in the form of a creepy cannibalistic pipsqueak called Kevin (Elijah Wood) if you haven't seen this just think of Kevin as Harry Potter's super creepy twin brother wearing Chuck Taylor's and a Charlie Brown sweater. Marv finally gets his revenge but not without a price. He is a brilliant, beautiful character who has some of the best lines in this movie, my favorite being "Hell's waking up everyday and not even knowing why you're here." Thank you Mickey Rourke, thank you. Keep up the good work, loved you in the Wrestler by the way.

To wrap up I really appreciated this movie, except for a few very small aspects (prime example Rosario Dawson's weird hair) I hope film makers continue to create movies like this, do we really need Scream 4 AND Fast and Furious 5? Farewell for now & happy viewing!

Superman

Superman: The Movie (1978) Directed by Richard Donner

Starring Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman & Margot Kidder

At the beginning of this classic we are on Krypton. It seems like a nice enough place to live, the locals, friendly but strict. The exterior of the planet is covered in ice and crystal, they hold a trial for 3 individuals they do not introduce or state (in layman's terms) what they are being tried for. They are dressed differently than the rest of the residents in all black rather than the popular shiny white suits I can only assume were washed in some form of Space Tide with bleach to give them that glittery blinding look. Suddenly, Krypton is collapsing and Superman's father Jor-El (Marlon Brando) and his wife put their newborn baby in a crystal encased coccoon-like object that they set floating out into space and for like 3 years. He eventually lands in Smallville, Kansas and gets brought up in a loving home and lives a somewhat normal life although he knows he is different. The first hour and a half of this movie just about killed me, it's not even really exposition in my opinion, it's just long drawn out scenes. I didn't even think it was remotely interesting until he got the job at the Daily Planet. Since I had never watched this before, I was anxious to see him saving the day and experience the quotes that I've heard my entire life. Well, an hour and 32 minutes into this movie Mr. Kent dons his famous unitard and cape and begins his life as a virtually indestructable superhero. He gets everyone's attention right away by saving Lois Lane from a wayward helicopter and keeping it from plummeting into a crowd of innocent bystanders, she eventually gets an interview with him, however she does not know that he is her admirer Clark Kent, yadda yadda ya, everyone knows the story.....

Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) is a real estate villain this is my favorite role I've ever seen him play, he is deliciously evil and brilliant. "The greatest criminal mind of our time". He with the "help" of dim witted side kick Otis create an earthquake down the San Andres fault that will wipe out the western portion of California so he can create "Casa del Lex" in the eastern area of California, which he owns. In doing this he kills Lois Lane as she gets sucked into a crack that the earthquake has created, Superman gets there too late, and is so upset he spins the earth backwards and she is brought back to life. Obviously there is a happy ending and he brings the criminals to jail so they can be given a fair trial. However, there was no "It's a bird, it's a plane"... What the heck, should've recorded Superman 2...

I really enjoy Superhero movies, one of my favorite genres, I must admit though I've always preferred Marvel to DC. I love how even though they have all these powers and are constantly plagued by villains and unrequited love they manage to figure it all out and keep us on the edge of our seats. The leading ladies are always real women who are independent and strong, and they're always in love with the celebrity counterpart and not the real man.

My favorite power of Superman's? His politeness and charming nature, it just goes to show that people from Kansas are better =). Christopher Reeve makes this character come to life and jump off the comic book page. I know people ask, how people did not know Superman and Clark Kent were the same person? And I think it's quite possible that people didn't know, I mean he has glasses and his hair is parted on the opposite side. Farewell for now & happy viewing and don't forget what Superman stands for: Truth, Justice and the American Way!

Ghostbusters/ Blues Brothers

Let me preface this entry by saying I love Dan Aykroyd. He first captured my interest when I saw him in My Girl (1991) as the lovable funeral home director and father to Vada. In Tommy Boy (1995) he plays Zalinsky the owner of a chain of auto parts stores with a hilarious midwestern accent and hair as big as his ego.

Favorite Dan Aykroyd quotes:

"We're on a mission from God" -Blues Brothers

"Went a little heavy on the pine tree perfume there, kid?"-Tommy Boy

"You're not gonna lose the house, everybody has three mortgages nowadays" -Ghostbusters

Blues Brothers (1980) Directed by John Landis

This is the story of 2 simple guys, Jake & Elwood Blues. This classic was at the top of my list, I have only seen small parts of Animal House so I was not very familiar with John Belushi. These musical misfits lead you on a hilarious mission, a mission from God. It's full of mega famous stars including Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. They encounter everything from Illinois nazis to a bazooka toting Carrie Fischer trying to end them. Amazing car chases and catchy tunes make this movie a hilarious classic.

Ghostbusters (1984) Directed by Ivan Reitman

When Halloween rolls around you hear the classics on the radio, Monster Mash, Purple People Eater, Thriller and the theme to Ghostbusters. This movie really never appealed to me but I knew it had to go on my list as I am a fan of sci fi and 80's comedians. Every now and then when someone got stung by a bee in my childhood I'd hear my mom say they were going to swell up like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and occasionally when channel surfing you see Sigourney Weaver's bathtub taken over by pink slime.

Thanks to Nick at Nite this was on, I dvr'ed it and decided to relax and watch it on a Sunday night before bed. Starting out with a sweet little librarian having books mysteriously flying off the shelf and a generally spookytime. Three scientists show up in the form of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis soon after they come upon the paranormal infestation they decide to start Ghostbusters, buy a warehouse, a car, hire a receptionist and a fellow ghostbuster. There are plenty of great quotes and Rick Moranis rounds out the all star cast. There isn't much I can say about this movie as it is a classic and everyone has seen it. If you haven't seen it do and if you have seen it, watch it again. That night I was having nightmares about ghosts and Spongebob Squarepants as a pirate.... As much as I love thought provoking films, I am a sucker for a lighthearted romp in a semi sci fi world or singing Raw Hide in a country western bar. Farewell for now & happy viewing!

extract/ode to Clifton

Extract (2009) Directed by Mike Judge (who is also credited for Beavis & Butthead, King of the Hill & the classic 9-5 nightmare Office Space.) Starring Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig & Ben Affleck.

This movie wasn't on my list but I was thinking about Mila Kunis (after watching Black Swan... more on that later...) and I totally forgot that she was in this movie. My expectations weren't too high with this one, but the main reason I wanted to see it was because Clifton Collins Jr was in it, whom I love, his performaces in Capote & Traffic were outstanding. He initially caught my attention in Rules of Attraction as the paranoid coke dealer, ever since then I've always loved watching him, he is so diverse he's played everything from a cold blooded, yet poetic murderer (Capote) to a charming one armed shop owner who sells cleaning products (Sunshine Cleaning).

As I stated my expectations weren't too high, but I was pleasantly surprised at this comedy. I enjoy Jason Bateman as the owner of an extract plant, he is so passionate about food flavoring, it's adorable. This warehouse has a lovable cast of characters including TJ Miller & JK Simmons all with their own quirks and idiosyncrasies then a super sexy con artist/kleptomaniac (Mila Kunis) gets hired as a temp and shakes things up. Clifton Collins Jr plays a simple worker who due to an unfortunate but hilarious accident loses a testicle.... Mila Kunis's character convinces him to file a lawsuit from his work related injury, and hires an eccentric lawyer played by none other than master of rock, the tongue flailing... Gene Simmons. So while Jason Bateman is dealing with running an extract company and the stress of a lawsuit, he has suspicions that his wife (Kristen Wiig) is having an affair with their dim witted pool guy, his best friend (Ben Affleck) is trying to convince him to be unfaithful to his wife with the new sexy temp and to experiment with many many different kinds of pills, and deal with the most obnoxious neighbor of all time. And Mike Judge does not disappoint. This is a hilarious, heart warming and feel good movie for the working class. Farewell for now & happy viewing!

The Graduate

The Graduate (1967) Directed by Mike Nichols Starring Dusting Hoffman & Anne Bancroft This movie was so much more than I expected, I love old movies like this about teenage/young adult angst, like this one and Rebel Without A Cause (1955), at this day in age watching movies like this are so cute and innocent, although in this movie the idea of a young, confused twenty something having an affair with a rich married housewife is something that is still frowned upon. I'm used to older Dustin Hoffman from Meet the Fockers and Stranger than Fiction, but he is so perfect in this movie and I find Anne Bancroft terrifying, if this is what guys think is sexy I think just comes off as confident skanky-ness. The affair doesn't even start off in a super romantic or exciting way, it starts out with boredom. I honestly don't think either of the main characters finds eachother very outstanding or special, it's obvious they are both bored with life and see this as something to excite their lives. One of the aspects of older movies like this that I love is how the man can know after spending one night with a moderately attractive girl and know that he is destined to marry her and become completely obsessed with being with her, which is pretty difficult when you just told her that you have been having an affair with her mother. When they do eventually end up together and they are on the bus together the look on their faces is the most honest display of human emotion I have ever seen. They are scared, vulnerable and disappointed with a 'now what' expression after their adrenaline wears off. If their relationship does last all I can think is what are Christmas mornings going to be like at the ol' Robinson house? I do have to compliment Wayne's World 2 for perfectly capturing the last couple of scenes, in the most hilarious way possible, having Charlton Heston give directions is the most amazing 45 seconds of film ever. Simon and Garfunkel are one of my favorite bands, which is another reason why I wanted to see this movie, when I started listening to their music I listened to it for a week straight, afterwards nothing measured up, so then I moved on to solo Paul Simon. I really enjoyed the soundtrack, HOWEVER, hearing the same song play over and over and over again got a little monotonous to me and in my opinion the connection with the song to the moment was lost when that particular song was being associated with so many other parts of the movie. But maybe their mission was just for people to leave there with the words to all their songs memorized. In conclusion, I loved this movie so much I was very glad to cross it off my list, to have seen it and to ponder it. Farewell for now and happy viewing!

bloggy blog blog

I've decided to start a blog about movies...

Recently my friends helped me make a list of all the movies I haven't seen, most of them are older movies, some are the ones you would see your dad watch and fall asleep to, some superhero ones, and others just classics...

I consider myself a huge movie buff but I didn't realize how many movies I hadn't seen. So with the help of my friends & my DVR, I began my journey into cinema and I haven't even made a dent in my list, I've watched about 10 of the 127 titles (and growing) on my list. Farewell for now & happy viewing!