If Christopher Nolan plans to introduce Catwoman in the third Batman movie, then Eva Green simply must portray this character. She would be Prrrrrfect! Who else could do it? Michelle Pfeiffer was Catwoman, but a new franchise and a new generation needs a new Catwoman. Eva Green is indecently, sublimely beautiful and has such a presence that one can scarcely take one's eyes off her anytime she appears on screen. In the handful of films she has made she has played the femme fatale to great effect a couple of times (see Casino Royale). She is possibly the sexiest woman working in . . . not Hollywood, but film. And she has talent to boot. So it is my mission to somehow generate buzz for Green and start rumors so that Nolan at least gives her an audition.
Nolan apparently wanted Cher for the role, or at least that was a rumor. Cher?!? She is a hundred-years old, okay only 63, but still. And even though she won an Oscar, I don't really think film is her forte. Rachel Weisz and Angelina Jolie are rumored to be considered for the role, and they would both be fine. In fact after Green, Weisz is my go-to. Rachel's a major, beautiful actor who has an uncanny resemblance to Green (and Kate Winslet), and she also has a charismatic screen presence. And an Oscar-winning talent. She would be excellent. Catwoman is a large enough role for Jolie and being a major action film, Jolie's larger-than-life presence would fit nicely. Jolie also has a watchable quality. I would also like to consider Penelope Cruz--a dangerously beautiful woman and talented actor. Watch Vicky Christina Barcelona and then tell me Cruz shouldn't be Catwoman.
Here's a handful of other talented actresses that could possibly handle the role and then reasons why they probably shouldn't. First of all Natalie Portman who I think is great. However, she's a little too young and too nice. She played the most wholesome stripper ever in Closer. Lena Olin would be fantastic (see The Unbearable Lightness of Being), but then she's probably too old. But younger than Cher. Audrey Tautou would, like Green, bring a sexy Frenchness to the role. I believe she also did the femme fatale in Dirty Pretty Things which I haven't seen. However, for whatever reason, I don't think she's quite right. Salma Hayek is lovely and busty, but she's who I use when Cruz isn't available, and I think Penelope would be better. Rosario Dawson is beautiful and ethnic, yet she's hit and miss. She's a decent actor but perhaps not right for Catwoman. And Helena Bonham Carter--can't you just see it? It's quite fantastic! Crazy-haired period actress takes on Catwoman. I want to see that movie. However, she's probably a little too old.
So I'm really rooting for Eva Green. If not her then Rachel Weisz or Penelope Cruz. Who do you think should play Catwoman? Please leave your comment.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Twentysomethings
I just received a call from Mike, the guy who interviewed me for the SLC Public Library, and yes, the circulation people skipped past me, but they were looking for someone with more language experience. This isn't LA or NYC, this is Salt Lake people!, but I suppose speaking Spanish is helpful even when living in mayonnaise-white Utah. Of course I'd prefer to bone up on my French (semi-useful) or even learn Italian (totally useless) than Spanish. This is all part of my ivory tower syndrome or complex and whatever you want to call it. And I mean Elizabeth Gilbert decided to learn Italian just to feel sexy again after coming through a harrowing divorce and a passionate affair that ended in messy heartache. I'm reading her memoir Eat, Pray, Love which I am enjoying. I love Elizabeth Gilbert, and she has done some great work for GQ. The only thing is she can be a little glib which sometimes bothers me only because I am glib. I don't know if it's competition or self-loathing or I expect more from her. Anyway here's an example: "What I said to God through my gasping sobs was something like this: 'Hello, God. How are you? I'm Liz. It's nice to meet you.' . . . In fact, it was all I could do to stop myself from saying, 'I've always been a big fan of your work...'" It's funny and it's something I might say if I were writing about a conversation I had with God. Anyway, Mike called me and now I'm going to be a temp for the SLCPL. I will basically be on call and it will be flexible and will probably work better with my current job and life and stuff. I'm very excited!
Speaking of life, I have added a new item to my life-list: running a marathon. Let me assure you that I have not gone insane, but instead have been listening to TBTL. This is a radio show from Seattle hosted by Luke Burbank--not a relation (as far as I can tell)--that I have been podcasting since October. It's great but it's not for everyone. And recently it has overwhelmed my life a little bit. I had a dream that I was in the Kiro studio with Luke, Jen, and Sean. And today I was trying to remember which friend had said or done something when I realized it wasn't a friend at all but something that Jen had said on my iPod. Anyway, Luke ran a marathon and I decided I should run one. What gave me hope is that Luke is not a svelte runner or really very athletic at all, and I know this because he weighs himself at the beginning of every show. He may also be the only person to gain weight after running a half-marathon. Now running a marathon is not something I plan on doing within the year, but many years down the road. However, I need to start training now. My friend Kristyn is running a 5K in April and she turned me onto this running schedule titled "The Couch-to-5K Running Plan" and that seems to be something I could work with. Also, 3.2 miles or whatever it is sounds manageable, unlike say 26 miles. But after running a 5K or two, I may want to try a 10K, and then a half-marathon, and then full-fledged marathon. I feel no need to be a person who runs marathons--plural, active--just the one. In fact if I run a 5K, I may call that good and be done with it.
The reason I am discussing my marathon and life-list is that today is my half-birthday, which seems like a better time to set goals than say New Years. So here's a review of my life-list. I have indeed read an erotic romance novel that was also a gay romance novel so check! (I'm still not ready to add Finnegans Wake to my list though). I am continuing to cook--with friends and by myself--and I make awesome spaghetti carbonara. But I am not as active in this endeavor as I should be. I do enthuse about wine with the help of the Wine Library TV podcast and Gary Vaynerchuck. I have seen a few more Meryl Streep and Mike Nichols films--most recently Heartburn which wasn't great, but we can all blame Nora Ephron for that. I still need to get myself over to NYC and catch a Broadway play. Or even better something on the West End in London while I am living there. I am applying to grad school and hopefully in two years I'll have my Master's. I attended Sundance last year, but unfortunately not this year. I have a couple days left, I suppose. I have not continued with yoga and I need to get myself to a class. There's a writing contest my aunt sent me a link to and I think I'll enter that--perhaps get an essay or short story published. Continuing to study canonical literature has fallen off the path a bit. But I am running a book club which is fun and usually ends up with us getting drunk--also fun. And my friend Rae and I are trying to read all the books that appeared in The Reader. We'll see how that goes. There's a slew of other things on my life list, but these are a few I can work on this year. Along with these, I would like to join Alec Baldwin in his three hopes for 2009. 1) Slumdog Millionaire wins Best Director and Best Picture, 2) Detroit manufactures the most fuel-efficient technology ever (I personally would actually like to see major strides in an alternative fuel source that is not ethanol), and 3) there is no SAG strike. Yes, that would be a good 2009.
Of course all of this ties into the larger issue of twentysomethings. Twenty-year-olds have always been so old to me. Not in a wrinkly way, but just having their shit together and living life. As a twentysomething I know this is not true as many twenty-year-olds do not have their shit together. But sitcoms like Friends and How I Met Your Mother feature mid- to late-twentysomethings living in New York, pursuing professional careers, developing long-term relationships. And so I wonder when I'm in my mid- to late-twenties where will I be in my life? I will be twenty-four when I plan on earning my Master's which is doing better than my brother-in-law who will be twenty-five when he earns his Bachelor's. (It is rather odd to have a brother-in-law who is two years older than I am. But that's Utah for you.) So now that I'm half-way between 22 and 23 every time I encounter a twentysomething in art or life, I wonder where will I be when I'm that age. Sometimes I hope to God that I am so far beyond where certain people are, and other times it would be a fantasy to even be close to what some twenysomethings have accomplished. For now I think I will just take life as it comes--working on my life-list--and try not to be terrified of turning twenty-three this summer.
Speaking of life, I have added a new item to my life-list: running a marathon. Let me assure you that I have not gone insane, but instead have been listening to TBTL. This is a radio show from Seattle hosted by Luke Burbank--not a relation (as far as I can tell)--that I have been podcasting since October. It's great but it's not for everyone. And recently it has overwhelmed my life a little bit. I had a dream that I was in the Kiro studio with Luke, Jen, and Sean. And today I was trying to remember which friend had said or done something when I realized it wasn't a friend at all but something that Jen had said on my iPod. Anyway, Luke ran a marathon and I decided I should run one. What gave me hope is that Luke is not a svelte runner or really very athletic at all, and I know this because he weighs himself at the beginning of every show. He may also be the only person to gain weight after running a half-marathon. Now running a marathon is not something I plan on doing within the year, but many years down the road. However, I need to start training now. My friend Kristyn is running a 5K in April and she turned me onto this running schedule titled "The Couch-to-5K Running Plan" and that seems to be something I could work with. Also, 3.2 miles or whatever it is sounds manageable, unlike say 26 miles. But after running a 5K or two, I may want to try a 10K, and then a half-marathon, and then full-fledged marathon. I feel no need to be a person who runs marathons--plural, active--just the one. In fact if I run a 5K, I may call that good and be done with it.
The reason I am discussing my marathon and life-list is that today is my half-birthday, which seems like a better time to set goals than say New Years. So here's a review of my life-list. I have indeed read an erotic romance novel that was also a gay romance novel so check! (I'm still not ready to add Finnegans Wake to my list though). I am continuing to cook--with friends and by myself--and I make awesome spaghetti carbonara. But I am not as active in this endeavor as I should be. I do enthuse about wine with the help of the Wine Library TV podcast and Gary Vaynerchuck. I have seen a few more Meryl Streep and Mike Nichols films--most recently Heartburn which wasn't great, but we can all blame Nora Ephron for that. I still need to get myself over to NYC and catch a Broadway play. Or even better something on the West End in London while I am living there. I am applying to grad school and hopefully in two years I'll have my Master's. I attended Sundance last year, but unfortunately not this year. I have a couple days left, I suppose. I have not continued with yoga and I need to get myself to a class. There's a writing contest my aunt sent me a link to and I think I'll enter that--perhaps get an essay or short story published. Continuing to study canonical literature has fallen off the path a bit. But I am running a book club which is fun and usually ends up with us getting drunk--also fun. And my friend Rae and I are trying to read all the books that appeared in The Reader. We'll see how that goes. There's a slew of other things on my life list, but these are a few I can work on this year. Along with these, I would like to join Alec Baldwin in his three hopes for 2009. 1) Slumdog Millionaire wins Best Director and Best Picture, 2) Detroit manufactures the most fuel-efficient technology ever (I personally would actually like to see major strides in an alternative fuel source that is not ethanol), and 3) there is no SAG strike. Yes, that would be a good 2009.
Of course all of this ties into the larger issue of twentysomethings. Twenty-year-olds have always been so old to me. Not in a wrinkly way, but just having their shit together and living life. As a twentysomething I know this is not true as many twenty-year-olds do not have their shit together. But sitcoms like Friends and How I Met Your Mother feature mid- to late-twentysomethings living in New York, pursuing professional careers, developing long-term relationships. And so I wonder when I'm in my mid- to late-twenties where will I be in my life? I will be twenty-four when I plan on earning my Master's which is doing better than my brother-in-law who will be twenty-five when he earns his Bachelor's. (It is rather odd to have a brother-in-law who is two years older than I am. But that's Utah for you.) So now that I'm half-way between 22 and 23 every time I encounter a twentysomething in art or life, I wonder where will I be when I'm that age. Sometimes I hope to God that I am so far beyond where certain people are, and other times it would be a fantasy to even be close to what some twenysomethings have accomplished. For now I think I will just take life as it comes--working on my life-list--and try not to be terrified of turning twenty-three this summer.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Nostalgic Negronis
Yesterday, alas and alack, I did not see the SAG awards as I was at a friend's apartment and they do not have cable. Of course even if I had been home it wouldn't have helped since my parents have successfully resisted cable all these years. I may have to see if I can find it on Hulu or something, but not today because grad school applications are DUE Saturday. Technically they're due on February 1st but as that's Sunday, I feel that just to be safe I need to have everything in on the day before. Though usually in such situations there's a grace period extending to the next business day. So I really shouldn't even be writing this blog but applying, applying, applying. But that's who I am--I complain and write blogs and expend all my energy avoiding anything that I must do when I should harness that energy towards productive pursuits.
As I was walking to the parking lot after work today, I saw a young woman wearing galoshes, and I wanted some. It's been rainy the last few days and then yesterday it snowed a helluva lot--accumulating by degrees. So walking is pretty treacherous and generally ends in soaking wet feet on my part. I don't have weather appropriate footwear. I keep meaning to get some boots, but really by the time I drag myself to the shoe store it will be spring. If I do end up in upstate New York next year I will need real boots and a much warmer coat and just warmer clothing in general. But it was fun to see some yellow galoshes which reminded me of "Bulbous Bouffant." If you don't know what I'm talking about it's time for a YouTube journey.
Yesterday, I made dinner with some friends which is for us an all-day affair. We get together and create a menu and grocery list. We then go shopping and start to prepare dinner playing some XBox or watching some movies along the way and getting rather drunk. For an aperitif I made myself a Negroni which I had not had for the longest time. The Negroni is one of the most delightful cocktails ever in my opinion. One cocktail enthusiast has suggested that if the Martini is the Superman of drinks and the Manhattan is the Batman then the Negroni is the Wonder Woman of cocktails. It is composed of an equal measure of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth served over the rocks in an old-fashioned glass and gently stirred. The best drinks are generally the simplest as well, and yet people tend to have a helluva hard time making these classic drinks. Anyway, the Negroni is thoroughly delightful though an affinity for gin and a taste for Campari are prerequisites of a sort. Campari is an Italian liqueur and essentially a type of bitters and is definitely an acquired taste (which I believe can be acquired relatively quickly). What makes the Negroni so great is the perfect balance of sweetness, ka-pow, and bitters. By the way, the Negroni's close cousin is the Americano which is equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth over ice in a highball glass and topped with soda water. It is exquisite on hot summer days.
The Negroni is also great in the summer as when I was first exposed to it. Yesterday when I tasted this exalted drink I was instantly taken back to the late days of June when I made myself Negronis and watched the BBC miniseries Brideshead Revisited which itself features the alcoholic Sebastian Flyte, and I was overcome with nostalgia. I forget if I've already mentioned this, but nostalgia is not simply the fond memories of the good old times; it's much darker. Nostalgia comes from the Greek nostos which means a return home (and we can never return home), or as we all learned from Mad Men "'nostalgia' literally means 'the pain from an old wound.' It's a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone." Yes, indeed. But anyway, if you've never had a Negroni, you are missing out. Make one for yourself or order one in a bar. I've never ordered one in the great State of Utah since it's really only safe to order Margaritas and beers at the restaurants and clubs here. But if you live outside of Utah and trust your bartender go for it! And if not now then definitely in the summer. It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely. Now I want to see De-Lovely again; Ashley Judd was rather good in that movie, and Kevin Kline is always fantastic. And who doesn't love gay sex? as we found out when we watched "All That Glitters" from season four of Sex and the City.
As I was walking to the parking lot after work today, I saw a young woman wearing galoshes, and I wanted some. It's been rainy the last few days and then yesterday it snowed a helluva lot--accumulating by degrees. So walking is pretty treacherous and generally ends in soaking wet feet on my part. I don't have weather appropriate footwear. I keep meaning to get some boots, but really by the time I drag myself to the shoe store it will be spring. If I do end up in upstate New York next year I will need real boots and a much warmer coat and just warmer clothing in general. But it was fun to see some yellow galoshes which reminded me of "Bulbous Bouffant." If you don't know what I'm talking about it's time for a YouTube journey.
Yesterday, I made dinner with some friends which is for us an all-day affair. We get together and create a menu and grocery list. We then go shopping and start to prepare dinner playing some XBox or watching some movies along the way and getting rather drunk. For an aperitif I made myself a Negroni which I had not had for the longest time. The Negroni is one of the most delightful cocktails ever in my opinion. One cocktail enthusiast has suggested that if the Martini is the Superman of drinks and the Manhattan is the Batman then the Negroni is the Wonder Woman of cocktails. It is composed of an equal measure of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth served over the rocks in an old-fashioned glass and gently stirred. The best drinks are generally the simplest as well, and yet people tend to have a helluva hard time making these classic drinks. Anyway, the Negroni is thoroughly delightful though an affinity for gin and a taste for Campari are prerequisites of a sort. Campari is an Italian liqueur and essentially a type of bitters and is definitely an acquired taste (which I believe can be acquired relatively quickly). What makes the Negroni so great is the perfect balance of sweetness, ka-pow, and bitters. By the way, the Negroni's close cousin is the Americano which is equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth over ice in a highball glass and topped with soda water. It is exquisite on hot summer days.
The Negroni is also great in the summer as when I was first exposed to it. Yesterday when I tasted this exalted drink I was instantly taken back to the late days of June when I made myself Negronis and watched the BBC miniseries Brideshead Revisited which itself features the alcoholic Sebastian Flyte, and I was overcome with nostalgia. I forget if I've already mentioned this, but nostalgia is not simply the fond memories of the good old times; it's much darker. Nostalgia comes from the Greek nostos which means a return home (and we can never return home), or as we all learned from Mad Men "'nostalgia' literally means 'the pain from an old wound.' It's a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone." Yes, indeed. But anyway, if you've never had a Negroni, you are missing out. Make one for yourself or order one in a bar. I've never ordered one in the great State of Utah since it's really only safe to order Margaritas and beers at the restaurants and clubs here. But if you live outside of Utah and trust your bartender go for it! And if not now then definitely in the summer. It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely. Now I want to see De-Lovely again; Ashley Judd was rather good in that movie, and Kevin Kline is always fantastic. And who doesn't love gay sex? as we found out when we watched "All That Glitters" from season four of Sex and the City.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Brave New World
I just watched Barack Obama's inauguration on the Internet since I could not watch it live being at work and all. I enjoy my job very much and it's actually a very nice environment, but there is no time for things like watching political speeches live. So while I was watching it on MSNBC a few things came to my mind that were only tangentially related to President Obama's speech. By the way, isn't it something of a miracle that a black man with the least presidential name of all time--Barack Hussein Obama--is our 44th president? I think so.
I was at Barnes & Noble on Saturday and one of my old managers--whom I liked--was there and it was lovely to see her though also a little odd, because she works (or worked) at the Sandy store and she was all the way downtown at the Gateway store when I saw her. I don't know if she was there just to train or be trained or if she transferred permanently, but it was a little odd. Anyway, I was browsing through the history section because one of my friends thought it might be nice to read a history book for our next book club selection and thus I was skimming the titles and blurbs of books. So far I have the following titles to propose: Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond, Mr. Gatling's Terrible Marvel by Julia Keller,The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (which is more of a true crime book), A Bottle of Rum by Wayne Curtis, anything by Thomas Cahill, and Salt or Cod or The Big Oyster all by Mark Kurlansky. If you have any delightful history books that you have read recently, including those mentioned above, I would love to hear from you.
So I was browsing the US History section and came across such titles as 48 Liberal Lies About American History, The Ten Big Lies About America, and A Patriot's History About the United States. Only the last one might actually be balanced, but of course I haven't read any of them, but they all strike me as conservative propaganda. However, as a liberal it strikes me that conservative pundits like to associate liberals as synonymous with godless, unpatriotic liars. It reminds me of the SNL skit where Tina Fey as Sarah Palin lists the blue states as unpatriotic sections of America and then lists the swing states as having the choice to be either real pro- or anti-American. And of course the whole problem is that liberals and Democrats have taken this type of xenophobic abuse lying down with their tails tucked between their legs. (Or is it laying down? Damn those transitive and intransitive verbs!) Of course the other problem is that I, personally, am a godless, elitist, European-loving liberal and so don't have a lot of room to talk.
So anyway, from what I could tell, these books seemed to believe that the only way we can be proud of these United States is if we have an untarnished history of them, which I personally believe is irresponsible. It may be true that Howard Zinn and revisionist history may have gone too far post-sixties to be as politically correct as possible. I think the way we view history is like a pendulum--it's too bad there is no adjective form for that word (i.e., pendulumistic)--we go from an idealistic, white view of American history to one that is uber-PC and champions multiculturalism. Of course the truth usually lies somewhere in between the two, assuming that truth is an absolute and not relative which I personally believe is true--and we come full circle. How ironic. Go watch Rashomon people! I just finished watching the HBO miniseries John Adams which swept the Golden Globes. Anyway, there's a scene in the final episode where John Trumbull privately unveils his painting Declaration of Independence before John Adams who then eviscerates Trumbull for his idyllic portrait of this momentous event. (You all know this picture--Google image it.) Adams, who was there (some of the time), knows that no such scene was even remotely close to any of the actual happenings at Independence Hall. (I'm sure the same is true for Howard Chandler Christy's Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States.) Adams then gives this speech, or rant, about the fiction which is just another word for so-called American history. I can't give you any of the quotes for IMDB is failing me at the moment. Anyway, I think it's dangerous to ignore the dark times of any history, but perhaps it's also time white men can again take pride for their accomplishments instead of obsequiously apologizing for all their faults--which do exist.
What I really wanted to talk about though is the problem with the Muslim world according to Gregory. In his inaugural address, Obama said, "The world has changed, and we must change with it." Just as the problem with the French is that they are all secular Catholic existentialists, so the problem with Islam is that Muhammad is the seal of the prophets and the Qur'an (or Koran if you prefer) is the final and absolute word of god, or Allah. La illaha illala: no god but God. So the problem is that Christianity modernized and only the fundamentalists believe the Bible to the be the literal word of God though perhaps not the final word. And while certainly there have been wicked Popes, there have also been those who have ushered in new ages. So sometimes it's nice to have a living spokesman for God. Of course the Pope's absolute power was lessened by the Reformation, yet he was and is still an important leader to Christians worldwide. There is no unifying leader of the Islam world. Of course there were the caliphs and Imams who succeeded Muhammad which is a bloody history and led to the bitter schism between Sunni and Shi'a Islam. The Shi'ites suffering from inferiority superiority complex because they are a minority in the Muslim world yet also zealously convinced that their version of Islam is the correct one. Anyway, so you have Muslims with only their local leaders to guide them, who are often also their political leaders--at least across much of the Middle East. I find this to be the main crisis facing Islam and the world at large--there is no unifying leader to interpret the Qur'an and the Sharia, and Islam, a religion born in the Middle Ages, is fundamentally opposed to change and modernity. Islam literally means "to surrender or submit" which directly opposes any questioning, Muhammad is the seal of the prophets, and the Qur'an is the final and absolute word of God. In fact it is so much so, that the Qur'an is only considered to be the Qur'an if it is in its original Arabic. Any translation of the word, which may be helpful as a tool to spread the message, is nevertheless not considered to be the Qur'an. The only problem is that Christianity has made enormous strides in the last six hundred years. I say six hundred because Islam is six hundred years younger than Christianity and yet we expect this younger and more inflexible religion to adapt to our same level of human rights immediately. And it's only in the past fifty years that our freedom-loving America has made real changes in regards to women's rights, civil rights, gay rights, etc. And yet we want to foist these recent changes onto their world which is not necessarily ready to accept them.
Anyway to see these changes may I recommend the music video "Let's See How Far We've Come" by Matchbox 20. I know as a band they get a lot of ribbing, yet this music video is very political and gives me chills every time I watch it. It's a new era of hope and I think we would do well to remember FDR's immortal words: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." I feel a little like watching The West Wing or V for Vendetta or even playing Zelda--anything but working on my MLIS applications. I also have too many books to read. Scribbling the Cat, The Iceman Cometh, Love in the Time of Cholera and I really should read Little Altars Everywhere and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood which my friend lent me forever ago but it's failed to catch my interest. If you've read it let me know if I should invest my time. I also need to see Frost/Nixon, Last Chance Harvey, and Gran Torino before they leave. And Revolutionary Road and The Wrestler come out this weekend. So I will soon be back at you with movie reviews and frivolous Oscar commentary. The SAGs are this weekend. Cheers!
I was at Barnes & Noble on Saturday and one of my old managers--whom I liked--was there and it was lovely to see her though also a little odd, because she works (or worked) at the Sandy store and she was all the way downtown at the Gateway store when I saw her. I don't know if she was there just to train or be trained or if she transferred permanently, but it was a little odd. Anyway, I was browsing through the history section because one of my friends thought it might be nice to read a history book for our next book club selection and thus I was skimming the titles and blurbs of books. So far I have the following titles to propose: Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond, Mr. Gatling's Terrible Marvel by Julia Keller,The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (which is more of a true crime book), A Bottle of Rum by Wayne Curtis, anything by Thomas Cahill, and Salt or Cod or The Big Oyster all by Mark Kurlansky. If you have any delightful history books that you have read recently, including those mentioned above, I would love to hear from you.
So I was browsing the US History section and came across such titles as 48 Liberal Lies About American History, The Ten Big Lies About America, and A Patriot's History About the United States. Only the last one might actually be balanced, but of course I haven't read any of them, but they all strike me as conservative propaganda. However, as a liberal it strikes me that conservative pundits like to associate liberals as synonymous with godless, unpatriotic liars. It reminds me of the SNL skit where Tina Fey as Sarah Palin lists the blue states as unpatriotic sections of America and then lists the swing states as having the choice to be either real pro- or anti-American. And of course the whole problem is that liberals and Democrats have taken this type of xenophobic abuse lying down with their tails tucked between their legs. (Or is it laying down? Damn those transitive and intransitive verbs!) Of course the other problem is that I, personally, am a godless, elitist, European-loving liberal and so don't have a lot of room to talk.
So anyway, from what I could tell, these books seemed to believe that the only way we can be proud of these United States is if we have an untarnished history of them, which I personally believe is irresponsible. It may be true that Howard Zinn and revisionist history may have gone too far post-sixties to be as politically correct as possible. I think the way we view history is like a pendulum--it's too bad there is no adjective form for that word (i.e., pendulumistic)--we go from an idealistic, white view of American history to one that is uber-PC and champions multiculturalism. Of course the truth usually lies somewhere in between the two, assuming that truth is an absolute and not relative which I personally believe is true--and we come full circle. How ironic. Go watch Rashomon people! I just finished watching the HBO miniseries John Adams which swept the Golden Globes. Anyway, there's a scene in the final episode where John Trumbull privately unveils his painting Declaration of Independence before John Adams who then eviscerates Trumbull for his idyllic portrait of this momentous event. (You all know this picture--Google image it.) Adams, who was there (some of the time), knows that no such scene was even remotely close to any of the actual happenings at Independence Hall. (I'm sure the same is true for Howard Chandler Christy's Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States.) Adams then gives this speech, or rant, about the fiction which is just another word for so-called American history. I can't give you any of the quotes for IMDB is failing me at the moment. Anyway, I think it's dangerous to ignore the dark times of any history, but perhaps it's also time white men can again take pride for their accomplishments instead of obsequiously apologizing for all their faults--which do exist.
What I really wanted to talk about though is the problem with the Muslim world according to Gregory. In his inaugural address, Obama said, "The world has changed, and we must change with it." Just as the problem with the French is that they are all secular Catholic existentialists, so the problem with Islam is that Muhammad is the seal of the prophets and the Qur'an (or Koran if you prefer) is the final and absolute word of god, or Allah. La illaha illala: no god but God. So the problem is that Christianity modernized and only the fundamentalists believe the Bible to the be the literal word of God though perhaps not the final word. And while certainly there have been wicked Popes, there have also been those who have ushered in new ages. So sometimes it's nice to have a living spokesman for God. Of course the Pope's absolute power was lessened by the Reformation, yet he was and is still an important leader to Christians worldwide. There is no unifying leader of the Islam world. Of course there were the caliphs and Imams who succeeded Muhammad which is a bloody history and led to the bitter schism between Sunni and Shi'a Islam. The Shi'ites suffering from inferiority superiority complex because they are a minority in the Muslim world yet also zealously convinced that their version of Islam is the correct one. Anyway, so you have Muslims with only their local leaders to guide them, who are often also their political leaders--at least across much of the Middle East. I find this to be the main crisis facing Islam and the world at large--there is no unifying leader to interpret the Qur'an and the Sharia, and Islam, a religion born in the Middle Ages, is fundamentally opposed to change and modernity. Islam literally means "to surrender or submit" which directly opposes any questioning, Muhammad is the seal of the prophets, and the Qur'an is the final and absolute word of God. In fact it is so much so, that the Qur'an is only considered to be the Qur'an if it is in its original Arabic. Any translation of the word, which may be helpful as a tool to spread the message, is nevertheless not considered to be the Qur'an. The only problem is that Christianity has made enormous strides in the last six hundred years. I say six hundred because Islam is six hundred years younger than Christianity and yet we expect this younger and more inflexible religion to adapt to our same level of human rights immediately. And it's only in the past fifty years that our freedom-loving America has made real changes in regards to women's rights, civil rights, gay rights, etc. And yet we want to foist these recent changes onto their world which is not necessarily ready to accept them.
Anyway to see these changes may I recommend the music video "Let's See How Far We've Come" by Matchbox 20. I know as a band they get a lot of ribbing, yet this music video is very political and gives me chills every time I watch it. It's a new era of hope and I think we would do well to remember FDR's immortal words: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." I feel a little like watching The West Wing or V for Vendetta or even playing Zelda--anything but working on my MLIS applications. I also have too many books to read. Scribbling the Cat, The Iceman Cometh, Love in the Time of Cholera and I really should read Little Altars Everywhere and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood which my friend lent me forever ago but it's failed to catch my interest. If you've read it let me know if I should invest my time. I also need to see Frost/Nixon, Last Chance Harvey, and Gran Torino before they leave. And Revolutionary Road and The Wrestler come out this weekend. So I will soon be back at you with movie reviews and frivolous Oscar commentary. The SAGs are this weekend. Cheers!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Road to the Globes
In case you're not into Hollywood navel-gazing the way I am, the Golden Globes were last night. Before I get to the main event, I need to briefly recap two other movies I saw. I have realized that I am not a fan of the Coen brothers (in my limited experience) and did not enjoy Burn After Reading in the least. I was actually very disappointed. For a comedy, I did not find it funny at all, and there was very little plot or story--it wanted to be a character study which itself worked, but it was part of this larger mess that I have absolutely no idea what to make of.
On Saturday night I saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with my dear friends Valerie and Miss Liss. It was a most excellent film! When it ended Melissa was sobbing and I even wiped away a couple of tears. Cate Blanchett continues to be fantastic and wonderful, and the actress who plays the young Daisy did a wonderful job of anticipating Cate. Brad Pitt was also rather good. It's a wonderful and tragic love story rendered beautifully on film, so that even with its 166 minute running time, it never feels slow. I would also like to give a shout-out to Tilda Swinton that wonderful and rather odd-looking woman. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and if you haven't seen it yet, you should go check it out.
My friend Elise hosted our Golden Globe party where I ended up being the only guest, but that's okay. I brought some bubbly to make champagne cocktails, but the bottle remained unopened--the same bottle I originally had for New Year's. Oh well. However, we did eat some brie which was delicious and fancy enough for us. The big winners last night were Slumdog Millionaire, Kate Winslet, 30 Rock, and John Adams. First I have to give the Golden Globes award to Salma Hayek who was very beautiful and busty--having recently given birth--and her dress was gorgeous with generous decolletage.
There weren't a lot of great dresses last night as I had hoped--the Oscars better be amazing! But there were a few. Amy Adams wore a lovely heart-shaped black dress with sequins. January Jones was in a gorgeous, single-strapped, cool blue dress. Laura Linney was lovely draped in a dusty yellow, off the shoulder number. And Susan Sarandon wore a fantastic suit. I also have to say that I quite enjoyed Mickey Rourke's ensemble including his awesome blue belt. Drew Barrymore was also fun with her crazy hair. On the worst dressed list we have Glenn Close is her crazy, gold pants. I don't even know what Renee Zellweger was wearing, but it was quite craptastic. And as much as I dearly love Emma Thompson, she's on the list too. Of course Emma is the intellectual actress not the glamorous celebrity.
Ricky Gervais gave the funniest little speech all night. Of the winners, I gravitated to the ones with more soul. Sally Hawkins, whose slim little frame was racked with sobs, did her very best to get through her speech--and Emma Thompson offered to help, which was lovely. Colin Farrell's speech was about love and curiosity--the anathema to ignorance. And Kate Winslet--who won twice--was so surprised both times it was touching. I had to laugh when she forgot Angelina Jolie though. She also wore a gorgeous dress--probably my favorite of the night.
John Adams basically swept the mini-series categories, as it should have, so I don't even need to see the other ones. Except Bernard and Doris looks like such fun! Mad Men won Best Series-Drama, but was shut out in the other categories it was nominated in. 30 Rock won three times even though I think this season isn't very good. Tina Fey beat Mary-Louise Parker which I can't really support, but at least it wasn't America Ferrera who won. And Tina gave a funny little speech, so I don't hate her.
Heath Ledger won for The Dark Knight which is as it should be. Kate Winslet first won for a supporting role, beating Amy Adams, Penelope Cruz, Viola Davis, and Marisa Tomei--which was pretty steep competition. (Except can anyone else believe Tomei won, actually won, an Oscar for My Cousin Vinny?) Mickey Rourke of course won Best Actor in a Drama, and Kate Winslet surprised everyone, including herself, by winning Best Actress in a Drama. She started her speech by apologizing to the other nominees. Clearly, the correct choice here was Meryl Streep in a tour-de-force role for Doubt. Hopefully the Academy knows better. Of course it's high time that Winslet finally won an Oscar too. I was thrilled when Vicky Christina Barcelona won Best Picture-Comedy. It was so much better than Burn After Reading, and Mamma Mia! was only okay. VCB was funny, thoughtful, interesting, offbeat, and real. If you didn't see it in theaters, don't miss it on DVD. And Slumdog Millionaire won itself Best Score, Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture-Drama which I'm happy for. It really is a great movie. It made me a little sad that one of the other great dramas couldn't have snatched one of those awards though.
All in all it was a fun night and now I'm looking forward to the Oscars! Of course in the mean-time there are still a few movies I need to see. And Sundance is coming here very soon! Now what I really need to focus on are my grad school applications. Shalom.
On Saturday night I saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with my dear friends Valerie and Miss Liss. It was a most excellent film! When it ended Melissa was sobbing and I even wiped away a couple of tears. Cate Blanchett continues to be fantastic and wonderful, and the actress who plays the young Daisy did a wonderful job of anticipating Cate. Brad Pitt was also rather good. It's a wonderful and tragic love story rendered beautifully on film, so that even with its 166 minute running time, it never feels slow. I would also like to give a shout-out to Tilda Swinton that wonderful and rather odd-looking woman. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and if you haven't seen it yet, you should go check it out.
My friend Elise hosted our Golden Globe party where I ended up being the only guest, but that's okay. I brought some bubbly to make champagne cocktails, but the bottle remained unopened--the same bottle I originally had for New Year's. Oh well. However, we did eat some brie which was delicious and fancy enough for us. The big winners last night were Slumdog Millionaire, Kate Winslet, 30 Rock, and John Adams. First I have to give the Golden Globes award to Salma Hayek who was very beautiful and busty--having recently given birth--and her dress was gorgeous with generous decolletage.
There weren't a lot of great dresses last night as I had hoped--the Oscars better be amazing! But there were a few. Amy Adams wore a lovely heart-shaped black dress with sequins. January Jones was in a gorgeous, single-strapped, cool blue dress. Laura Linney was lovely draped in a dusty yellow, off the shoulder number. And Susan Sarandon wore a fantastic suit. I also have to say that I quite enjoyed Mickey Rourke's ensemble including his awesome blue belt. Drew Barrymore was also fun with her crazy hair. On the worst dressed list we have Glenn Close is her crazy, gold pants. I don't even know what Renee Zellweger was wearing, but it was quite craptastic. And as much as I dearly love Emma Thompson, she's on the list too. Of course Emma is the intellectual actress not the glamorous celebrity.
Ricky Gervais gave the funniest little speech all night. Of the winners, I gravitated to the ones with more soul. Sally Hawkins, whose slim little frame was racked with sobs, did her very best to get through her speech--and Emma Thompson offered to help, which was lovely. Colin Farrell's speech was about love and curiosity--the anathema to ignorance. And Kate Winslet--who won twice--was so surprised both times it was touching. I had to laugh when she forgot Angelina Jolie though. She also wore a gorgeous dress--probably my favorite of the night.
John Adams basically swept the mini-series categories, as it should have, so I don't even need to see the other ones. Except Bernard and Doris looks like such fun! Mad Men won Best Series-Drama, but was shut out in the other categories it was nominated in. 30 Rock won three times even though I think this season isn't very good. Tina Fey beat Mary-Louise Parker which I can't really support, but at least it wasn't America Ferrera who won. And Tina gave a funny little speech, so I don't hate her.
Heath Ledger won for The Dark Knight which is as it should be. Kate Winslet first won for a supporting role, beating Amy Adams, Penelope Cruz, Viola Davis, and Marisa Tomei--which was pretty steep competition. (Except can anyone else believe Tomei won, actually won, an Oscar for My Cousin Vinny?) Mickey Rourke of course won Best Actor in a Drama, and Kate Winslet surprised everyone, including herself, by winning Best Actress in a Drama. She started her speech by apologizing to the other nominees. Clearly, the correct choice here was Meryl Streep in a tour-de-force role for Doubt. Hopefully the Academy knows better. Of course it's high time that Winslet finally won an Oscar too. I was thrilled when Vicky Christina Barcelona won Best Picture-Comedy. It was so much better than Burn After Reading, and Mamma Mia! was only okay. VCB was funny, thoughtful, interesting, offbeat, and real. If you didn't see it in theaters, don't miss it on DVD. And Slumdog Millionaire won itself Best Score, Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture-Drama which I'm happy for. It really is a great movie. It made me a little sad that one of the other great dramas couldn't have snatched one of those awards though.
All in all it was a fun night and now I'm looking forward to the Oscars! Of course in the mean-time there are still a few movies I need to see. And Sundance is coming here very soon! Now what I really need to focus on are my grad school applications. Shalom.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Delirium
I'm pretty sure I have strep through. Currently I have a fever of 103.3 which is up from 102.8 of two hours ago--during which time I slept--except I couldn't actually fall asleep, I just lay there with my eyes closed listening to music. And is 103 degrees a dangerous temperature? Should I be driving to the ER? By the way I finally figured out what the "sleep" function is on alarm clocks, DVD players, and my iHome after twenty-two years of life. If like me you're totally ignorant about this awesome feature, let me enlighten you. You can choose for the electronic device you're using to go quiet and eventually turn off after x amount of minutes. So if you need to fall asleep listening to music or watching TV but you don't want it to play all night, use the sleep function. I used it during my nap, except I never fell asleep. Anyway, while I was not sleeping I had a little delirium probably from my extreme fever. My hands felt impossibly large and heavy like they were going to crush my body with an inexorable force, yet they didn't because in reality my hands were lightly resting wherever I had put them. So they felt extraordinarily heavy and also light since they were in fact not crushing me. It was a cool sensation which reminded my of my childhood and my grandma's house though I have no idea why. Eventually the sensation started to worry me, for everywhere I put my hands there was this great weight, but after a very long time it gradually went away. Delirium reminded of my the youngest of the Endless from Neil Gaiman's Sandman. There's Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire and Despair (who are twins), and Delirium--who is actually based in part on Tori Amos and whose music I was listening to as I tried to sleep. Anyway, I would love to get on some antibiotics and get rid of this horrible feeling. I was sick just a few weeks ago--I thought I had a better immune system than this! I blame Airborne: "and I swear you're just like a pill / instead of making me better, you're making me ill." Whitney was always taking different immune-boosting supplements and yet was always sick. And pretty much when my mom bough Airborne that's when we all started to get sick. I'm not really sure what to do now. I've already tried sleeping and that didn't work so well. My family's going to Texas Roadhouse since it's my dad's birthday, but I don't feel like going at all. Kristyn's probably going to Australia tonight--again I don't really want to go out in public and it would be lame to go to movie with friends on my dad's b-day. I'm sort of excited for a new The Office and 30 Rock tonight. And I probably have a new Netflix in the mailbox today. So I guess I will watch TV. Hope you're feeling better than I am right now. Shalom.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Blah
So I had my interview today at the Salt Lake Public Library and it went really well. The man I interviewed with was obviously gay which only helped me. Can I just say that every gay man (and woman) that I've ever met have been some of the greatest people I know--and yet I'm terrified of large groups of them: all those gay eyes on me--judging me; undressing me; then dressing me up again in a different outfit. Anyway, it went well and I largely avoided filler words if I recall correctly. My favorite is "well, um, you know..." you know? We bonded over Michael Cunningham, and he's looking for a position that will be the best fit for me, and I should get a call for the second interview sometime next week. I have great hopes.
My brother and sister are sick and I better not get sick too. I was sick right before the holidays, and I refuse to get sick again. So I've taken some Airborne and I will kill my brother and/or sister if I get sick. Seriously. I also feel, well . . . I don't know. A thousand different things. I believe Jack Black once stated that the three best feelings in the world (for guys anyway) are eating, shitting, and having sex. (By the way I learned the difference between profanities and obscenities today.) He then said the best feeling of all would have to be all three simultaneously. That's sort of how I feel right now--I want to eat (but I'm trying to lose weight), poop (but I haven't eaten), have sex (but I have no boyfriend), and sleep (but I'm not sleepy), and drive (but I have no destination), and watch T.V. (but it's boring) and read (also boring), and I don't even know. I thought about going to movie, maybe The Curious Case of Benjamin Button but I don't really have the commitment--it's like three hours long. I also want to talk to a friend I guess, but . . . I have nothing to say, well . . . that's not entirely true, now is it? Anyway
It started as a joke
Just one of my larks to see
if somehow I could reach you so
I swam into your shores
Through an open window
Only to find you all alone
My brother and sister are sick and I better not get sick too. I was sick right before the holidays, and I refuse to get sick again. So I've taken some Airborne and I will kill my brother and/or sister if I get sick. Seriously. I also feel, well . . . I don't know. A thousand different things. I believe Jack Black once stated that the three best feelings in the world (for guys anyway) are eating, shitting, and having sex. (By the way I learned the difference between profanities and obscenities today.) He then said the best feeling of all would have to be all three simultaneously. That's sort of how I feel right now--I want to eat (but I'm trying to lose weight), poop (but I haven't eaten), have sex (but I have no boyfriend), and sleep (but I'm not sleepy), and drive (but I have no destination), and watch T.V. (but it's boring) and read (also boring), and I don't even know. I thought about going to movie, maybe The Curious Case of Benjamin Button but I don't really have the commitment--it's like three hours long. I also want to talk to a friend I guess, but . . . I have nothing to say, well . . . that's not entirely true, now is it? Anyway
It started as a joke
Just one of my larks to see
if somehow I could reach you so
I swam into your shores
Through an open window
Only to find you all alone
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Not Another Movie Post
So today I saw Changeling and it is one of the best films I've seen this year (or rather last year?), and so I'm a little sad that it is not nominated for Best Picture. I've noticed a theme this year in that most of the movies out now are about hope, except for Doubt which is well about doubt, and that perhaps is why it was not nominated for Best Picture. I wonder if the message of hope has anything to do with Barack Obama's campaign. Angelina Jolie gives a great performance and if anyone doubts her talent then go see this movie. Go see it anyway because it's fantastic! Of course she already one an Oscar for Girl, Interrupted, and Jolie finds herself in a psych ward once again. If you think the film is simply about a mother who loses her son, think again--that only provides the framework for this film.
When the LAPD finds her son after he's been missing for five months, she knows he isn't her child. Enter a corrupt city and police department, a reverend on the radio, the sorry situation of mental health care, a serial killer, and a time when everyone wore hats. When Jolie finds herself wrongly incarcerated in a state asylum, I wanted to see One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Iron Jawed Angels, and Girl, Interrupted. again. I would also be interested in reading Ten Days in a Mad-House by Nellie Bly or Norah Vincent's Voluntary Madness. It's shocking how few rights women had as recently as the 1920s and how mental health was treated. I thought Dale Dickey's character was going to get a lobotomy à la McMurphy. Speaking of crazy people and memoirs, I am reading The Glass Castle which so far is quite good. Jeannette Walls tells the story of her wandering childhood--her charismatic but destructively alcoholic father, her free spirited mother, and how her siblings banded together to survive it all. It's quite interesting. Noticing my slightly British affect for "quite" and "rather" I would quite rather like to read The Anglo Files: A Field Guide to the British by Sarah Lyall. It looks hilarious.
I have to breifly mention that I just saw Mamma Mia! which didn't have nearly as many Greek boys in speedos as Ellen had promised. Meryl Streep looks impossibly young but is incredible as always even in something as silly as an ABBA musical--and earned herself her second Golden Globe nomination this year. By the way, Dominic Cooper pulls of boardshorts much better than period costume. And are we quite sure that Colin Firth is not actually gay? Anyway, it was a fun little movie but I don't think it will go on my top ten movies of 2008. I was at B&N today, said a little hello to Jenny, and I saw a new book--1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die--which I must have as a cineast (or cine*ass as I sometimes like to say).
Instead of writing this blog, I really should be preparing for my job interview tomorrow. I really hope I will be hired. I also look rather sexy at the moment, if I do say so myself, which can only be good. Nuts and salmon are quite good for the complexion if you didn't know. So goodnight children, I must go ponder why I want to be a library boy and make up hypothetical questions and real answers.
When the LAPD finds her son after he's been missing for five months, she knows he isn't her child. Enter a corrupt city and police department, a reverend on the radio, the sorry situation of mental health care, a serial killer, and a time when everyone wore hats. When Jolie finds herself wrongly incarcerated in a state asylum, I wanted to see One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Iron Jawed Angels, and Girl, Interrupted. again. I would also be interested in reading Ten Days in a Mad-House by Nellie Bly or Norah Vincent's Voluntary Madness. It's shocking how few rights women had as recently as the 1920s and how mental health was treated. I thought Dale Dickey's character was going to get a lobotomy à la McMurphy. Speaking of crazy people and memoirs, I am reading The Glass Castle which so far is quite good. Jeannette Walls tells the story of her wandering childhood--her charismatic but destructively alcoholic father, her free spirited mother, and how her siblings banded together to survive it all. It's quite interesting. Noticing my slightly British affect for "quite" and "rather" I would quite rather like to read The Anglo Files: A Field Guide to the British by Sarah Lyall. It looks hilarious.
I have to breifly mention that I just saw Mamma Mia! which didn't have nearly as many Greek boys in speedos as Ellen had promised. Meryl Streep looks impossibly young but is incredible as always even in something as silly as an ABBA musical--and earned herself her second Golden Globe nomination this year. By the way, Dominic Cooper pulls of boardshorts much better than period costume. And are we quite sure that Colin Firth is not actually gay? Anyway, it was a fun little movie but I don't think it will go on my top ten movies of 2008. I was at B&N today, said a little hello to Jenny, and I saw a new book--1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die--which I must have as a cineast (or cine*ass as I sometimes like to say).
Instead of writing this blog, I really should be preparing for my job interview tomorrow. I really hope I will be hired. I also look rather sexy at the moment, if I do say so myself, which can only be good. Nuts and salmon are quite good for the complexion if you didn't know. So goodnight children, I must go ponder why I want to be a library boy and make up hypothetical questions and real answers.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Doubt
So yesterday being Sunday, I decided to go see Doubt. I didn't see it on Saturday as I had planned because Brunch at Dain's turned into an all-day affair. Brunch was delicious--I consumed far too many buttermilk pancakes and Italian mimosas. We made them "Italian" by adding limoncello and I brought some Prosecco to use instead of Champagne. They were amazing! Later that day we made zenzerino which is a liqueur made with ginger, oranges, and spice. The name comes from the Italian word for ginger, zenzero. So a good portion of the afternoon was spent grating ginger and zesting oranges. Now we'll have to wait about three months for the infusion to to come to fruition. That night my uncle's family from Boston caught a red-eye home and with that, all the family that had assembled here for the holidays was gone, and I finally got my room back. Glory, hallelujah!
So on Sunday I saw Doubt and it was rather good. Of course I love nearly everything with Meryl Streep. I would dare say she is the most talented movie actress of all time. She heads the extraordinary cast that includes Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. In fact, I think Adams is quite excellent in her best performance to date. Viola Davis also gives a remarkable, even devastating, turn as Mrs. Miller. The plot ostensibly focuses on whether or not Father Flynn (Hoffman) has sexually abused one of the students at St. Nicholas School and Sister Beauvier (Streep) heads the attack against Father Flynn though she has no proof or evidence. It is a quality adaptation based on the Pulitzer-prize winning play. Some of the shots were quite excellent. The cast is phenomenal and they all deserve Oscar nomination. However, I had a few problems with Doubt. Thematically the play means to tackle larger issues of religion, morality, and authority and yet by the end I'm not really sure where it stands on any of the issues (I would instead recommend Angels in America for that). Why this doesn't work for me is because everything is talked around, very little is actually direct, which leaves some items rather vague. Furthermore, it is never really clear what motivates Sister Beauvier in her attack. (And what is the meaning of the brief mention of her doomed marriage before she took her vows?) Her naturally unpleasant character is firmly established from the beginning, and she clearly disapproves of Father Flynn's indulgences for he does not live as ascetically as she does. The only cause I can see for the Sister's supposed certainty is as a defensive mechanism to Father Flynn's sermon on doubt which begins the film. I think the film works best as a character study and it is exhilarating to watch Streep, Adams, Davis, and Hoffman at work. Doubt wasn't as hopeful as Slumdog Millionaire or Milk but then it's not supposed to be, yet I think that will count against it in the final analysis.
Yesterday I finished the novel The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich. Another work about religion. The LA Times writes that it is "Messy, ribald, deeply tragic, preposterous, and heartfelt." Which I think is true, especially in regards to messy. This is not a tightly plotted novel in any regards, and there were times I had trouble recalling a character who had not appeared for several chapters. (If you are greatly concerned with plot, I would heartily recommend The Secret History by Donna Tartt.) Nor is much time spent on the the so-called, eponymous miracles or of Sister Leopolda, the miracle-worker. Nevertheless, Erdrich has a lovely, eloquent voice and the novel is well worth reading. It explores gender, religion, culture, and grief--but then all Erdrich novels deal in grief.
Speaking of grief, today I saw The Reader a movie I had heard almost nothing about until I saw its trailer at Milk. Director Stephen Daldry and screenwriter David Hare, the team behind The Hours, collaborate again on The Reader. Kate Winslet shows off her body, which is still rocking, as is her wont, and I'm sure she'll earn an Oscar nom since the Academy loves it whenever she performs nude. And I suppose it's great that she is so comfortable with her body. Of course her overall performance is terrific as an illiterate German woman who ends up imprisoned for her work as an SS guard at Auschwitz. The story begins with her affair with fifteen-year-old Michael Berg played by David Kross (who goes full frontal) a young German actor who rather resembles William Moseley. Berg is a law student present at Hanna's trial when she's condemned. They don't meet again for another twenty years or so where Berg is played by Ralph Fiennes who gives an excellent performance in a somewhat underwhelming role. Fiennes really needs to find a larger, meatier, Oscar-winning role. And Kate deserves an Oscar too, though she has no chance against Meryl Streep this year. But I'm okay with Streep getting her third Oscar--she hasn't won one since Sophie's Choice.
Tomorrow I have plans to see Changeling at the dollar theater and I'm quite excited. Of course I still need to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon and others that haven't as yet come to SLC yet--Revolutionary Road, The Wrestler. I just got an exciting call from the SLC Public Library setting up a job interview on Wednesday! This is the third time I've applied but the only time they've called. I certainly hope to land a part-time gig there, because twenty-hours a week right now isn't cutting it. Wish me luck!
So on Sunday I saw Doubt and it was rather good. Of course I love nearly everything with Meryl Streep. I would dare say she is the most talented movie actress of all time. She heads the extraordinary cast that includes Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. In fact, I think Adams is quite excellent in her best performance to date. Viola Davis also gives a remarkable, even devastating, turn as Mrs. Miller. The plot ostensibly focuses on whether or not Father Flynn (Hoffman) has sexually abused one of the students at St. Nicholas School and Sister Beauvier (Streep) heads the attack against Father Flynn though she has no proof or evidence. It is a quality adaptation based on the Pulitzer-prize winning play. Some of the shots were quite excellent. The cast is phenomenal and they all deserve Oscar nomination. However, I had a few problems with Doubt. Thematically the play means to tackle larger issues of religion, morality, and authority and yet by the end I'm not really sure where it stands on any of the issues (I would instead recommend Angels in America for that). Why this doesn't work for me is because everything is talked around, very little is actually direct, which leaves some items rather vague. Furthermore, it is never really clear what motivates Sister Beauvier in her attack. (And what is the meaning of the brief mention of her doomed marriage before she took her vows?) Her naturally unpleasant character is firmly established from the beginning, and she clearly disapproves of Father Flynn's indulgences for he does not live as ascetically as she does. The only cause I can see for the Sister's supposed certainty is as a defensive mechanism to Father Flynn's sermon on doubt which begins the film. I think the film works best as a character study and it is exhilarating to watch Streep, Adams, Davis, and Hoffman at work. Doubt wasn't as hopeful as Slumdog Millionaire or Milk but then it's not supposed to be, yet I think that will count against it in the final analysis.
Yesterday I finished the novel The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich. Another work about religion. The LA Times writes that it is "Messy, ribald, deeply tragic, preposterous, and heartfelt." Which I think is true, especially in regards to messy. This is not a tightly plotted novel in any regards, and there were times I had trouble recalling a character who had not appeared for several chapters. (If you are greatly concerned with plot, I would heartily recommend The Secret History by Donna Tartt.) Nor is much time spent on the the so-called, eponymous miracles or of Sister Leopolda, the miracle-worker. Nevertheless, Erdrich has a lovely, eloquent voice and the novel is well worth reading. It explores gender, religion, culture, and grief--but then all Erdrich novels deal in grief.
Speaking of grief, today I saw The Reader a movie I had heard almost nothing about until I saw its trailer at Milk. Director Stephen Daldry and screenwriter David Hare, the team behind The Hours, collaborate again on The Reader. Kate Winslet shows off her body, which is still rocking, as is her wont, and I'm sure she'll earn an Oscar nom since the Academy loves it whenever she performs nude. And I suppose it's great that she is so comfortable with her body. Of course her overall performance is terrific as an illiterate German woman who ends up imprisoned for her work as an SS guard at Auschwitz. The story begins with her affair with fifteen-year-old Michael Berg played by David Kross (who goes full frontal) a young German actor who rather resembles William Moseley. Berg is a law student present at Hanna's trial when she's condemned. They don't meet again for another twenty years or so where Berg is played by Ralph Fiennes who gives an excellent performance in a somewhat underwhelming role. Fiennes really needs to find a larger, meatier, Oscar-winning role. And Kate deserves an Oscar too, though she has no chance against Meryl Streep this year. But I'm okay with Streep getting her third Oscar--she hasn't won one since Sophie's Choice.
Tomorrow I have plans to see Changeling at the dollar theater and I'm quite excited. Of course I still need to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon and others that haven't as yet come to SLC yet--Revolutionary Road, The Wrestler. I just got an exciting call from the SLC Public Library setting up a job interview on Wednesday! This is the third time I've applied but the only time they've called. I certainly hope to land a part-time gig there, because twenty-hours a week right now isn't cutting it. Wish me luck!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Road to the Golden Globes
I'm not a fan of winter, but I love Oscar season! I have seen so many movies in theaters lately it's starting to get exhausting--but in a fun way. But first--last night I went dancing and it was . . . all right. As most of you know, the club scene isn't really my scene. As I've mentioned before you should all watch "Okay, Awesome!" from How I Met Your Mother which largely explains why clubs are, in fact, not fun. We went to the Sky Bar in SLC which has, as many clubs do, a dance floor. But unlike many other clubs in the area, people actually dance there--and I mean dance, not just bump and grind it. Nevertheless, clubs are so loud, so much so that we listened to classical music very quietly on the drive home hoping not to incur tinnitus. I am also not the world's greatest dancer. I am competent at the waltz--not great, but surprisingly decent--and that's it. However, did they play some lovely waltzing music, no. This was not Vienna--it was Havana: salsa, salsa, salsa. All they played was salsa music and it all sounded the same and it was overly loud. We also didn't drink as we were there to dance, besides we weren't really in the drinking mood and I didn't have any cash. However, a little tipple helps me put up the whole scene. Yet clubs are not really good places to get cocktails simply because they don't know how to make them properly. I fell in love with the Seelbach bar in Louisville--it was dark, quiet, atmospheric, and they made damn good drinks--and nothing will ever compare. When I want to drink I want to go to bars like that, and when I want to dance I want to go to hotel ballrooms. By the by, the Rose Wagner Center is hosting the Repertory Dance Theatre's dance all day class tomorrow. I thought about going, but brunch is tomorrow and then I want to go see Doubt.
Speaking of movies, I already I mentioned I have seen several lately. I recently caught Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and The Duchess at the dollar theater. I enjoyed both movies. N&N was delightful and awkward, and if you enjoyed Juno then I highly recommend it. The only real connecting factor is Michael Cera, but it has similar offbeat and quirky humor. And of course I enjoyed the gay band Cera's character plays in--he's the only straight member. The Duchess was a great period piece featuring period favorites Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper, and Hayley Atwell. By the way, I have a little something for Simon McBurney who was also in Body of Lies (more on that later). Fiennes did fine but his portrayal was a little underwhelming, and I'm a little surprised he earned himself a Golden Globe nom. Though to be fare, he has to play a rather dull person. Knightley and Atwell were both superb. Cooper was not so attractive in period costume but very sexy once undressed. Anyway, Georgiana's life was quite interesting but also sad. I would rather like to read the biography Georgiana by Amanda Foreman that the movie was based on. The Duchess isn't getting the accolades that say or Atonement or Pride & Prejudice earned, but it was still very good.
In my prep for the Golden Globes--I plan on having a fabulous GG party complete with champagne cocktails and perhaps crackers with brie--I caught Slumdog Millionaire at my favorite little art house theater, the Broadway Cinema. I had no idea what it was about except that it was set in India. I imagined a harrowing drama about a man in desperate poverty who realizes his life is rich à la It's a Wonderful Life. (By the way did you see this article about that movie in the NY Times?) And in a way it was. However, the plot is actually about an impoverished young man who competes on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and when he wins, he is suspected of cheating--how could a poor, uneducated young man go this far in the game when doctors, lawyers, professors, etc. drop out much sooner? Meanwhile, the story of his life--which is how he knows the answers--is revealed in backflashes. But most of all it's a love story and a crowd pleaser. If you're looking for a good movie with a happy ending that's not saccharine, I highly recommend it. And who can miss the Bollywood-style grand dance number during the closing credits? It also has Rubiana Ali who is one of those impossibly adorable kids and when she wears this dirty, but cute, yellow dress, my heart just breaks. Apparently SLC has Bollywood film screenings that are just crazy--I need to find out more about that. Oh, and I'm excited for Sundance!
I also saw Body of Lies at the dollar theater. I was so sad when I missed its first run and then so happy when I saw it was playing again--and for cheap! However, I didn't like it very much. If you remember the previews it was marketed as a film about a disgruntled CIA agent (DiCaprio) who goes AWOL and then is hunted down by his own agency. That movie was called Rendition not Body of Lies. In fact, I think I preferred Rendition with its great performances and a more cohesive message. This movie has strong performances too. Crowe was a major asshole and DiCaprio was great too. I'm not really sure what is message was except for Auden's poem which served as the epigraph: "I and the public know / What all school children learn / Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return." That was the best part of the movie, but then I adore Auden. I also have a little crush on Simon McBurney. He is not hot; in fact he is rather odd looking. But he's British and he has a certain something which I find sexy. Anyway, DiCaprio finds himself trying to run an operation to bring down a terrorist organization but is constantly undermined by Crowe who is running everything from Langley. He is a fat, Machiavellian bureaucrat who is smug in his American superiority. However, the film's commentary didn't say anything new about the situation in the Middle East, and I thought it was a little disjointed. I kept checking my watch, but that was more because I was worried about my car which I had parked illegally. But glory hallelujah--I got out of the movie and my car had not been towed away or ticketed. The reason I parked illegally was because HSM3 has just opened at the dollar theater, schools weren't in session, and it was Monday family special. So every soccer mom had brought her snot-nosed brats, and while Sugarhouse is always a mess, but it was even more so that day. I really can't wait till the holidays are over! I have been dispossed of my room while my family is here.
Yesterday, I went and saw Milk which I rather enjoyed. If you haven't heard of it, it's a biopic of Harvey Milk--the first openly gay man elected to public office in the U.S. He also gave voice and leadership to the gay rights movement in the 70s. It was immensely watchable and great performances were given all around. James Franco was great, and is relationship with Harvey was wonderful and sad and real. One thing that struck me was how inconceivable it is that only 30 years ago it was legal to discriminate against gays in regards to jobs and housing. Furthermore, some of these anti-gay statues were still on the books as little as ten years ago. I cannot believe that any such law would still be upheld by any court in America. But perhaps I am wrong. It was also clear that Proposition 6 in the movie was a forerunner of Prop 8 from last November. Prop 6 in the 70s aimed to remove school teachers who were gay as well as any other teacher who supported gay rights. Fortunately, the initiative failed. Unfortunately Prop 8 passed. Harvey Milk's catchphrase was "I'm here to recruit you!" In order to defeat Prop 6, Milk asked every gay person to come out of the closet--to friends, family, employers, etc. And clearly Milk wanted to recruit today's generation to do the same in order to defeat anti-gay marriage initiatives. Which concerned me of course, since I'm still half-in the closet. There was one scene where one of Milk's friends and supporters has to call his family to tell them he's gay. It was a little hard to watch. However, as my cousin James, who is also gay, and I discussed, gay activism isn't really our scene. It's a certain kind of gay person who is attracted to that movement, and we are not that person. I'm also wary of art that is political--sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In the end, Harvey Milk was "assassinated" though I believe that's the wrong term. He received many death threats for his activism, but in the end he and San Fran's mayor were both murdered by a rankled, former city supervisor. The killings may have had a political element, but I think they were far more personal. There's a lovely scene at the end where 30,000 people gather for a candlelight vigil at the double funeral. I got a little teary as I do almost anytime there's a candlelight vigil--because vigils are so infused with emotion and beauty and they're very cinematic. At the end of the day, I think Milk is a great movie and if you're interested in gay rights at all, you should go see it.
I still have several movies to see before the Golden Globes next Sunday. There's Doubt which I am very excited for--two words: Meryl Streep! Two Kate Winslet films--The Reader and Revolutionary Road. I cannot miss Cate Blanchett in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. And many more. It's a great time to go to the movies. Wish me luck!
Speaking of movies, I already I mentioned I have seen several lately. I recently caught Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and The Duchess at the dollar theater. I enjoyed both movies. N&N was delightful and awkward, and if you enjoyed Juno then I highly recommend it. The only real connecting factor is Michael Cera, but it has similar offbeat and quirky humor. And of course I enjoyed the gay band Cera's character plays in--he's the only straight member. The Duchess was a great period piece featuring period favorites Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper, and Hayley Atwell. By the way, I have a little something for Simon McBurney who was also in Body of Lies (more on that later). Fiennes did fine but his portrayal was a little underwhelming, and I'm a little surprised he earned himself a Golden Globe nom. Though to be fare, he has to play a rather dull person. Knightley and Atwell were both superb. Cooper was not so attractive in period costume but very sexy once undressed. Anyway, Georgiana's life was quite interesting but also sad. I would rather like to read the biography Georgiana by Amanda Foreman that the movie was based on. The Duchess isn't getting the accolades that say or Atonement or Pride & Prejudice earned, but it was still very good.
In my prep for the Golden Globes--I plan on having a fabulous GG party complete with champagne cocktails and perhaps crackers with brie--I caught Slumdog Millionaire at my favorite little art house theater, the Broadway Cinema. I had no idea what it was about except that it was set in India. I imagined a harrowing drama about a man in desperate poverty who realizes his life is rich à la It's a Wonderful Life. (By the way did you see this article about that movie in the NY Times?) And in a way it was. However, the plot is actually about an impoverished young man who competes on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and when he wins, he is suspected of cheating--how could a poor, uneducated young man go this far in the game when doctors, lawyers, professors, etc. drop out much sooner? Meanwhile, the story of his life--which is how he knows the answers--is revealed in backflashes. But most of all it's a love story and a crowd pleaser. If you're looking for a good movie with a happy ending that's not saccharine, I highly recommend it. And who can miss the Bollywood-style grand dance number during the closing credits? It also has Rubiana Ali who is one of those impossibly adorable kids and when she wears this dirty, but cute, yellow dress, my heart just breaks. Apparently SLC has Bollywood film screenings that are just crazy--I need to find out more about that. Oh, and I'm excited for Sundance!
I also saw Body of Lies at the dollar theater. I was so sad when I missed its first run and then so happy when I saw it was playing again--and for cheap! However, I didn't like it very much. If you remember the previews it was marketed as a film about a disgruntled CIA agent (DiCaprio) who goes AWOL and then is hunted down by his own agency. That movie was called Rendition not Body of Lies. In fact, I think I preferred Rendition with its great performances and a more cohesive message. This movie has strong performances too. Crowe was a major asshole and DiCaprio was great too. I'm not really sure what is message was except for Auden's poem which served as the epigraph: "I and the public know / What all school children learn / Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return." That was the best part of the movie, but then I adore Auden. I also have a little crush on Simon McBurney. He is not hot; in fact he is rather odd looking. But he's British and he has a certain something which I find sexy. Anyway, DiCaprio finds himself trying to run an operation to bring down a terrorist organization but is constantly undermined by Crowe who is running everything from Langley. He is a fat, Machiavellian bureaucrat who is smug in his American superiority. However, the film's commentary didn't say anything new about the situation in the Middle East, and I thought it was a little disjointed. I kept checking my watch, but that was more because I was worried about my car which I had parked illegally. But glory hallelujah--I got out of the movie and my car had not been towed away or ticketed. The reason I parked illegally was because HSM3 has just opened at the dollar theater, schools weren't in session, and it was Monday family special. So every soccer mom had brought her snot-nosed brats, and while Sugarhouse is always a mess, but it was even more so that day. I really can't wait till the holidays are over! I have been dispossed of my room while my family is here.
Yesterday, I went and saw Milk which I rather enjoyed. If you haven't heard of it, it's a biopic of Harvey Milk--the first openly gay man elected to public office in the U.S. He also gave voice and leadership to the gay rights movement in the 70s. It was immensely watchable and great performances were given all around. James Franco was great, and is relationship with Harvey was wonderful and sad and real. One thing that struck me was how inconceivable it is that only 30 years ago it was legal to discriminate against gays in regards to jobs and housing. Furthermore, some of these anti-gay statues were still on the books as little as ten years ago. I cannot believe that any such law would still be upheld by any court in America. But perhaps I am wrong. It was also clear that Proposition 6 in the movie was a forerunner of Prop 8 from last November. Prop 6 in the 70s aimed to remove school teachers who were gay as well as any other teacher who supported gay rights. Fortunately, the initiative failed. Unfortunately Prop 8 passed. Harvey Milk's catchphrase was "I'm here to recruit you!" In order to defeat Prop 6, Milk asked every gay person to come out of the closet--to friends, family, employers, etc. And clearly Milk wanted to recruit today's generation to do the same in order to defeat anti-gay marriage initiatives. Which concerned me of course, since I'm still half-in the closet. There was one scene where one of Milk's friends and supporters has to call his family to tell them he's gay. It was a little hard to watch. However, as my cousin James, who is also gay, and I discussed, gay activism isn't really our scene. It's a certain kind of gay person who is attracted to that movement, and we are not that person. I'm also wary of art that is political--sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In the end, Harvey Milk was "assassinated" though I believe that's the wrong term. He received many death threats for his activism, but in the end he and San Fran's mayor were both murdered by a rankled, former city supervisor. The killings may have had a political element, but I think they were far more personal. There's a lovely scene at the end where 30,000 people gather for a candlelight vigil at the double funeral. I got a little teary as I do almost anytime there's a candlelight vigil--because vigils are so infused with emotion and beauty and they're very cinematic. At the end of the day, I think Milk is a great movie and if you're interested in gay rights at all, you should go see it.
I still have several movies to see before the Golden Globes next Sunday. There's Doubt which I am very excited for--two words: Meryl Streep! Two Kate Winslet films--The Reader and Revolutionary Road. I cannot miss Cate Blanchett in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. And many more. It's a great time to go to the movies. Wish me luck!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
And Days of Auld Lang Syne
So today is New Year's. It's a little hard to believe it's 2009. I was driving home today from a movie (more on that later) and it struck me that I haven't made any New Year's Resolutions. Immediately, of course, I want to lose weight. Living at home is not good for the scale. So I would like to regain my slimmer, junior-year figure. Second, I need to obtain a second job. It's not so much a goal as a necessity, but there it is. I applied for the third time to the SLC Public Library--I haven't heard anything yet, but I'll give it a few more days. My third goal is to go to graduate school in the fall. So I need to get cracking on the applications. One of them is due on January 9th! So it's crunch time. The rest are due a little bit later, but it's game time. Then I'll have to wait and hopefully at least one school will accept me. Then I need to choose a school--I'm leaning towards Syracuse University at this point. And then of course move there in the fall. I loathe moving with every fiber of my being. Looking for a job is a close second but just slightly less horrific. However, I hope once I'm there, wherever there is, I won't be able to buy food, and that will help with my first resolution. Anyway, those are my only three goals. In the best of all possible worlds, I will accomplish all three.
So last night was New Year's Eve and as per tradition, I rang in the new year at Megan's house. Also, as per tradition I arrived a good hour before anyone else. I wasn't even early, though it's true that punctuality runs in my blood. I'm always early or at least on time. When I try to be fashionably late it always worries me. Though usually I need not worry, since even if I am late, I'm still there before anyone else. I'm usually a pretty laid-back sort of guy, but I like t start on time and therefore I'm usually early. Anyway, the party was pretty fun. I don't remember much of last year except that we watched Casino Royale after midnight, which of course made for a very long night. I also remember just not having very much fun. Last night was different. Megan's friend Lindsey was there (and I hope I'm spelling her name right), and Megan, Lindsey, and I played the movie game which was great because we're all cineasts, except what didn't work is that Megan knows her old films, Lindsey was the 80s queen, and I'm much more educated about current film. But we quite enjoyed ourselves and freaked out everyone else just a little bit. We also played Catch Phrase which we've been playing since high school. We also played Curses and Truth or Dare Jenga. Unfortunately, I didn't get out of Curses but I refused to play Jenga. I thoroughly HATE games that involve any modicum of humiliation. I don't find it fun. at all. no. hate in my heart. I also ate too much which was bad for my weight, but also something didn't agree with me and so I suffered some indigestion throughout the movie. The night went by real quick like and we didn't realize it was midnight till 11:59:30. We cheered and then took some pics and then hung out late into the night, eventually leaving at three or so in the morning. It was a fun, sexy time.
Unfortunately, there was no boozing happening. Elise and I had made tentative plans to drink some bubbly with our friends Whitney and Alex. However, that plan fell through. So Elise and I thought we might find somewhere to drink, but by three o'clock I was so ready for bed. But we have made some lovely Golden Globe night plans, and I'm quite excited. I have seen a few movies already in preparation and am going to see several more in the next week. I was going to write about what I've already seen, but now my friends are going dancing and so I must go dress. Another night of fun, sexy plans! I hope you all had a lovely New Year's and I'm quite excited for 2009. '08 was sort of a crap-fest and I'm quite ready to just forget all about it. Shalom everyone!
So last night was New Year's Eve and as per tradition, I rang in the new year at Megan's house. Also, as per tradition I arrived a good hour before anyone else. I wasn't even early, though it's true that punctuality runs in my blood. I'm always early or at least on time. When I try to be fashionably late it always worries me. Though usually I need not worry, since even if I am late, I'm still there before anyone else. I'm usually a pretty laid-back sort of guy, but I like t start on time and therefore I'm usually early. Anyway, the party was pretty fun. I don't remember much of last year except that we watched Casino Royale after midnight, which of course made for a very long night. I also remember just not having very much fun. Last night was different. Megan's friend Lindsey was there (and I hope I'm spelling her name right), and Megan, Lindsey, and I played the movie game which was great because we're all cineasts, except what didn't work is that Megan knows her old films, Lindsey was the 80s queen, and I'm much more educated about current film. But we quite enjoyed ourselves and freaked out everyone else just a little bit. We also played Catch Phrase which we've been playing since high school. We also played Curses and Truth or Dare Jenga. Unfortunately, I didn't get out of Curses but I refused to play Jenga. I thoroughly HATE games that involve any modicum of humiliation. I don't find it fun. at all. no. hate in my heart. I also ate too much which was bad for my weight, but also something didn't agree with me and so I suffered some indigestion throughout the movie. The night went by real quick like and we didn't realize it was midnight till 11:59:30. We cheered and then took some pics and then hung out late into the night, eventually leaving at three or so in the morning. It was a fun, sexy time.
Unfortunately, there was no boozing happening. Elise and I had made tentative plans to drink some bubbly with our friends Whitney and Alex. However, that plan fell through. So Elise and I thought we might find somewhere to drink, but by three o'clock I was so ready for bed. But we have made some lovely Golden Globe night plans, and I'm quite excited. I have seen a few movies already in preparation and am going to see several more in the next week. I was going to write about what I've already seen, but now my friends are going dancing and so I must go dress. Another night of fun, sexy plans! I hope you all had a lovely New Year's and I'm quite excited for 2009. '08 was sort of a crap-fest and I'm quite ready to just forget all about it. Shalom everyone!
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