good times, good tunes...

remember 'Jimmy Eat World', 'Blink 182', 'Weezer', and all those good old 2000-era bands? Pandora Radio just reminded me of how much I like them!

double-feature

my brother and I hit up the Carmike for a double-feature last night. First, we saw Frost/Nixon. Langella's Nixon is more haunted than you would have expected, and so you don't have to spend the film fighting against unwelcome sympathy; instead you begin to empathize with him, despite his actions, at the realization that the last 20 years of his life must have been a lonely hell. Michael Sheen was also great as Frost - I'll admit I have been interested to see what he would do with his career after The Queen, and I think this movie will finally make a Name for him.

then we decided to go for the depression flick with Sam Mendes' Revolutionary Road, as he once again focuses on the dark side of suburban America. Kate Winslet is one of my all-time favorite actresses, and she is fantastic as always. I was surprised to find out that this movie is actually based on a book written in 1961 - it seemed to be set in the mid 50's or so, but felt much more immediate, despite the fedoras and Mad Men-esque office commute. my highest praise, though, has to be given to the final scene - a perfectly executed ending to the film.

so basically, I liked them both, but would recommend the former over the latter, given a choice between the two, just because I know most people don't love the despair-laden flicks. (although if that IS your cup of tea, then you REALLY should check out 28 Grams. depress-o-rama. it's awesome.)

the remedy

so, I have shaken off my case of the growlies, and am no longer ready to kill myself and/or everyone around me!

the perfect antidote, it turns out, is skipping Tribe and going to a movie. by myself. Gran Torino.

Clint Eastwood's growly, cranky, hate-y old man was awesome, and sad, and funny, and...did I say awesome?

together we decided that although people are irritating and frustrating and growl-inducing, that love is worth the risk of making yourself vulnerable.

Thanks, Clint - good times!

grr.

I hate everything and everyone today.

the slummionaire

I'm apparently posting this a day late as 'Slumdog Millionaire' apparently swept the Golden Globes last night, but...

you should check it out. all the critics are hyping the hell out of it, but really it's not arty or deep or life-changing, it's just a good example of why we watch movies: it's escapist (literally - the backdrop of the cities/slums of India is arresting, and I have never wanted to travel there so badly before), it's an underdog tale, AND it's a love story.

also, it ends with a Bollywood-style choreographed music number. choreography=count me in! (but don't worry, guys, if synchronized bopping bothers you, just turn it off before the credits roll.)

the list(s)

I wanted to make a list of the top 10 movies of 2008. However...here's the thing. I really didn't see many movies in 2008 apparently. So, here are 3 lists of movies I liked, movies I was disappointed with, and movies I still want to see...

2008 movies I liked:
Dark Knight
Iron Man
Hulk
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Hancock
Hellboy II (the costumes/effects, NOT the writing)
Hamlet II

2008 movies I was disappointed with:
Miracle at St Anna (good until the end, and then...not so much)
The Spirit
Wanted
Indiana Jones
The Happening
Prince Caspian
Hellboy II (the writing, ugh)
Step Brothers
X Files


2008 movies I still want to see:
Frost/Nixon
Bolt
Defiance
Slumdog Millionaire
Waltz With Bashir
In Bruges
Revolutionary Road
Synechdoche, NY
Milk
Pineapple Express
Gran Torino
Snow Angels
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Quantum of Solace

land of 10,000 lakes

"let us hope that we are all preceded in this world by a love story."

I just watched Sweet Land again this other evening. yes, it is sentimental and predictable, but I hold that this formula does not always equal boring. It is a visual poem on love, land, and heritage. (Then again, I must acknowledge that most people will find it sloooow - it may have resonated so deeply with me primarily because of the Norwegian/German farming heritage that the story draws upon.)

However, the cinematography (Minnesota farmland) was also beautiful and evocative, and Elizabeth Reaser was perfectly cast. Alan Cumming - not so much...

coffeecoffeecoffeejavajavajavajava

I drank about 50 oz of coffee at 6pm last night. I drink about 20-40 oz of various diet sodas daily, so I thought I could handle it. apparently coffee is to soda what red is to pink. (sorry about the weird analogy, I'm too wired to come up with something a little less odd.)

anyways, it was a

bad.
idea.

I am still jacked up on all the caffeine. my whole body was literally vibrating last night, and I was convinced I was going to have a stroke. we were watching Kung Fu Panda, and it was all I could do to sit on the couch and not bounce up and down on the cusion nonstop.

the power went off at 1pm. and 2pm. and I was awake and heard everything shut off both times.