I've decided to do this year's installment of "What I've Learned" (an idea ripped from the pages of Esquire) by quoting past posts on Terra Incognita. You can read previous editions of What I've Learned here and here.
Man I miss Show and Tell. 01.02.07
It's hard to read subtitles when you're giggling. 02.19.07
To these children [in the movie Jesus Camp] faith and fear are interchangeable. Their faith in God is one that is born out of fear. And that saddens me, because the God I know and the God I trust does not rely on fear. While fear is great motivation, it tends to breed further fear. 04.16.07
If you bring the tuna down [into the Grand Canyon], eat it all, otherwise you'll smell it all the way up and the scent infuses into your backpack so much that even 5 days later you find the dog deliriously licking the inside of your pack. 06.26.07
From now on, I know to carry everything that documents my travel plans when passing through Customs. I'm just thankful that I learned this when entering a country I'm familiar with, and not, say, Vietnam. 07.07.07
It's utterly fantastic to enter a city knowing not a single soul, only to be pubbing a day later with what feels like a contingent from the U.N. 07.20.07
Americans are not the only "ugly" tourists. We get a bad rap, and some tourists give good reason for that reputation, but I've seen just as many "ugly" tourists from all sorts of countries. 08.06.07
I travel quite differently while in a group. It's nice to not have to worry about the details like where I'm staying for the night or how to navigate my way to the train station, but I've found I've become less aware of my surroundings. 08.16.07
It's strange, this feeling of great wealth -- empowering and yet burdensome. I know that my patronage of someone's shop or cafe really makes a difference, which makes me feel good -- I like knowing that what I spend helps feed a family. But it becomes a weighty decision to choose a restaurant for dinner or a stall to buy a souvenir from. 09.13.07
While standing next to an American bunker on top of a hill over looking the Perfume River on the outskirts of Hue, I realized why the Americans lost the Vietnam War: There is no way Americans are suited for the heat and humidity of Vietnam without the luxury of being able to duck into some air con. 09.13.07
I believe it's my inherited responsibility to foster good relations with our former enemies. 09.13.07
I love Vietnam for its unapologetic differences. 09.13.07
I have nearly mastered another art: that of using the squat toilet. Mostly I have learned to carry TP and hand sanitizer in my bag at all times. 09.18.07
Call me weird, but I started missing the chore of lugging my backpack through subways and side streets. It made the arrival at the hotel seem a little less like a major success when I didn't have to exert much effort. 11.16.07
One of the big lessons for me was to see how important culture was to religious experiences. How can I chastise or challenge someone on their belief structure if that's the cultural structure they know and trust? 11.26.07
I've found that I pack way more for a week of domestic travel – or even a week of house-sitting in my own town – than I packed for 3 months of trekking around the globe. 12.19.07
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
1.06.2008
6.03.2007
All in the Family
A couple weeks ago I got to catch a screening of Mr. Brooks, the new Kevin Costner movie. It was a great thriller, surprisingly hilarious. But I never could accept Kostner or the actors playing his wife and daughter as members of the Brooks family. I know what a Brooks family looks like and a murderous father and college drop-out daughter just doesn't fit the profile. Mearly hearing Kostner called "Mr. Brooks" throughout the film kept reminding me that he was an actor playing a role, and I was never really able to suspend my disbelief. No matter, I still had a lot of fun at the movie, especially because the audience was so reactive. I love it when my fellow movie-goers become an entity that laughs and cringes with the lines and action in a movie. It was one of those audiences where the theater experience far out-weighs the DVD experience and one where I think the actors would have loved to have been present. I haven't kept track of what critics have been saying about it, but I certainly recommend it.
A couple weeks ago I got to catch a screening of Mr. Brooks, the new Kevin Costner movie. It was a great thriller, surprisingly hilarious. But I never could accept Kostner or the actors playing his wife and daughter as members of the Brooks family. I know what a Brooks family looks like and a murderous father and college drop-out daughter just doesn't fit the profile. Mearly hearing Kostner called "Mr. Brooks" throughout the film kept reminding me that he was an actor playing a role, and I was never really able to suspend my disbelief. No matter, I still had a lot of fun at the movie, especially because the audience was so reactive. I love it when my fellow movie-goers become an entity that laughs and cringes with the lines and action in a movie. It was one of those audiences where the theater experience far out-weighs the DVD experience and one where I think the actors would have loved to have been present. I haven't kept track of what critics have been saying about it, but I certainly recommend it.
4.16.2007
Fear itself
I've been meaning to post for months about my reaction to the movie Jesus Camp. I have many thoughts that have become a bit muddled as the weeks since viewing it have passsed. But there's one image that sticks out in my mind. It is of one of the kids attending the camp dressed in a t-shirt displaying a rip-off of the the Fear Factor logo. The manipulated logo reads "Faith Factor." To me, this symbolizes the crux of the film: To these children faith and fear are interchangeable. Their faith in God is one that is born out of fear. And that saddens me, because the God I know and the God I trust does not rely on fear. While fear is great motivation, it tends to breed further fear. Watch both these clips:
JFK's famous line, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" is true, and even more so when considering the results of actions of fear-based faith.
2.19.2007
Tap-tap-tap. Is this thing still on?
Hi. My name is Erica, and this is my blog. I feel like we need to get re-aquainted. Sorry for the absence.
A Noble Quest
My friend Lisa and I try every year to see all the Acadamy Awards Best Picture Nominees (and as much within the other major categories) before the Oscars are announced. In light of that great quest, one night a week ago we headed over to her brother's house to watch...wait for it...Jackass II. I'm not doing so well in making the deadline this year, and this following last year's acheivement of seeing all I really needed/wanted to see before awards night. It's sad. However, I do want to give a few thoughts on the films I have seen so far. And the nominees are...
Babel // Actress in a Supporting Role (Adriana Barraza), Actress in a Supporting Role (Rinko Kikuchi), Directing, Editing, Original Score, Best Picture, Original Screenplay
This was a unique, thought-provoking and captivating story wonderfully acted, and yet it just didn't do it for me. I didn't really connect with or feel for any of the characters except Barraza's, so while I enjoyed the concept of the story and found the execution entertaining, I didn't walk away thinking that it was the best movie of the year.
Borat // Adapted Screenplay
Sacha Baron Cohen really should have been nominated for this role. Seriously. No one could have pulled that off the way Baron Cohen did; I don't think any actor could make something so comedically tragic. Comedy is hard, but the Academy doesn't like to reward it.
Cars // Animated Feature Film, Original Song
Cute. And they made Nascar-type racing interesting. That deserves an award of some kind, right?
Children of Men // Cinematography, Film Editing, Adapted Screenplay
That scene where Clive Owen is running through the street during the fighting and the tank driving and the shooting and the war stuff? All in one take? Woah. I don't know if that's because of the cinematographers' work or the editors', but that was impressive, and someone should be rewarded for it.
The Devil Wears Prada // Actress in a Leading Role (Meryl Streep), Achievement in Costume Design
I love Meryl Streep. I love her deep, silky voice. But somehow I just don't buy this as the best performance by an actress this year. Maybe it's just because I didn't buy Anne Hathaway as a journalist. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the peek into the workings of a high-powered NYC fashion mag. And let me tell you, from my experience working at a (not really) high-powered London (bridal) fashion mag, that's totally what it's like.
An Inconvenient Truth // Documentary, Original Song
If awards are based on the most influential film of the year, I'd have to say this one takes it, hands down. And it deserves it, too. I'll admit that I started falling alseep toward the end, though; I can only handle watching Al Gore for so long. I'm just glad it wasn't Bush giving a slideshow documentary. I wouldn't have lasted 20 minutes.
Jesus Camp // Documentary
I watched this film just days after An Inconvenient Truth, and there couldn't have been a more stark contrast. In one scene, the mother of one of the kids is teaching a science lesson during a home schooling session. She asks a question about what's wrong with global warming and the kid responds, "It's only gone up 0.6˚" Mom: "Yeah, it's not really a big problem, is it?"
Some day I'll get around to a more thorough commentary about this movie. In the meantime, you should watch it. The filmmakers really do a good job of impartiality. I think people from either side (religious right and progressive liberals) would watch the movie and feel like their side was supported.
Little Miss Sunshine // Actor in a Supporting Role (Alan Arkin), Actress in a Supporting Role (Abigail Breslin), Best Picture, Original Screenplay
This one gets my vote for Best Picture, and I think that for once, a comedy actually has a chance in a community that usually only rewards high-brow dramas. Maybe I'm partial because some of the scenes were filmed around Phoenix.
Marie Antoinette // Costume Design
Um. Blah. Except for the fun costumes, I was not a fan. It was too long and the music selection pissed me off.
Notes on a Scandal // Actress in a Leading Role (Judi Dench), Actress in a Supporting Role (Cate Blanchet), Original Score, Adapted Screenplay
Lisa and I just saw this one last night. I loved it. Loved it. Judi Dench is marvelous; Cate Blanchet is scrumptious (which I was much relieved to see after her insulting role as an unsympathetic American tourist in Morrocco in Babel); and the story is fascinating. I've got to read the book now.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest // Art Direction, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects
I'm a huge fan of the first Pirates, and this one didn't do much for me. It took the magic out of Johnny Depp's portrayal.
The Pursuit of Happyness // Actor in a Leading Role (Will Smith)
This was a nice, uplifting movie and Will Smith did a great job. Did you know he learned how to solve the rubik's cube for this role? I know, not as impressive of all the Forrest Whitaker went through to play Idi Amin, but I was somewhat impressed. The movie got a bit long for me, but overall I enjoyed it.
The Queen // Actress in a Leading Role (Helen Miren), Costume Design, Directing, Original Score, Best Picture, Original Screenplay
I love a movie that teaches you something about recent history that you never knew. I remember Diana dying. I remember the processional toward Westminster Abbey. I remember The Queen — I mean Elton — singing his new version of "Candle in the Wind". But I never knew much about the backstory and how bad the blood was between the Royals and the ex-Royal. So I found it fascinating. I thought Helen Miren did a wonderful and convincing job of playing Elizabeth II. Unfortunately, the actors who played Tony Blair and Prince Charles were total caricatures, and I felt that detracted from spot-on performance.
Volver // Actress in a Leading Role (Penélope Cruz)
I found this movie hilarious. It's hard to read subtitles when you're giggling. Penélope Cruz was lucious in this movie, though I'm not sure if it was enough to get her a Best Actress Oscar. Her tushy though, I think it was vying for Best Supporting Actress all on its own.
Hi. My name is Erica, and this is my blog. I feel like we need to get re-aquainted. Sorry for the absence.
A Noble Quest
My friend Lisa and I try every year to see all the Acadamy Awards Best Picture Nominees (and as much within the other major categories) before the Oscars are announced. In light of that great quest, one night a week ago we headed over to her brother's house to watch...wait for it...Jackass II. I'm not doing so well in making the deadline this year, and this following last year's acheivement of seeing all I really needed/wanted to see before awards night. It's sad. However, I do want to give a few thoughts on the films I have seen so far. And the nominees are...
Babel // Actress in a Supporting Role (Adriana Barraza), Actress in a Supporting Role (Rinko Kikuchi), Directing, Editing, Original Score, Best Picture, Original Screenplay
This was a unique, thought-provoking and captivating story wonderfully acted, and yet it just didn't do it for me. I didn't really connect with or feel for any of the characters except Barraza's, so while I enjoyed the concept of the story and found the execution entertaining, I didn't walk away thinking that it was the best movie of the year.
Borat // Adapted Screenplay
Sacha Baron Cohen really should have been nominated for this role. Seriously. No one could have pulled that off the way Baron Cohen did; I don't think any actor could make something so comedically tragic. Comedy is hard, but the Academy doesn't like to reward it.
Cars // Animated Feature Film, Original Song
Cute. And they made Nascar-type racing interesting. That deserves an award of some kind, right?
Children of Men // Cinematography, Film Editing, Adapted Screenplay
That scene where Clive Owen is running through the street during the fighting and the tank driving and the shooting and the war stuff? All in one take? Woah. I don't know if that's because of the cinematographers' work or the editors', but that was impressive, and someone should be rewarded for it.
The Devil Wears Prada // Actress in a Leading Role (Meryl Streep), Achievement in Costume Design
I love Meryl Streep. I love her deep, silky voice. But somehow I just don't buy this as the best performance by an actress this year. Maybe it's just because I didn't buy Anne Hathaway as a journalist. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the peek into the workings of a high-powered NYC fashion mag. And let me tell you, from my experience working at a (not really) high-powered London (bridal) fashion mag, that's totally what it's like.
An Inconvenient Truth // Documentary, Original Song
If awards are based on the most influential film of the year, I'd have to say this one takes it, hands down. And it deserves it, too. I'll admit that I started falling alseep toward the end, though; I can only handle watching Al Gore for so long. I'm just glad it wasn't Bush giving a slideshow documentary. I wouldn't have lasted 20 minutes.
Jesus Camp // Documentary
I watched this film just days after An Inconvenient Truth, and there couldn't have been a more stark contrast. In one scene, the mother of one of the kids is teaching a science lesson during a home schooling session. She asks a question about what's wrong with global warming and the kid responds, "It's only gone up 0.6˚" Mom: "Yeah, it's not really a big problem, is it?"
Some day I'll get around to a more thorough commentary about this movie. In the meantime, you should watch it. The filmmakers really do a good job of impartiality. I think people from either side (religious right and progressive liberals) would watch the movie and feel like their side was supported.
Little Miss Sunshine // Actor in a Supporting Role (Alan Arkin), Actress in a Supporting Role (Abigail Breslin), Best Picture, Original Screenplay
This one gets my vote for Best Picture, and I think that for once, a comedy actually has a chance in a community that usually only rewards high-brow dramas. Maybe I'm partial because some of the scenes were filmed around Phoenix.
Marie Antoinette // Costume Design
Um. Blah. Except for the fun costumes, I was not a fan. It was too long and the music selection pissed me off.
Notes on a Scandal // Actress in a Leading Role (Judi Dench), Actress in a Supporting Role (Cate Blanchet), Original Score, Adapted Screenplay
Lisa and I just saw this one last night. I loved it. Loved it. Judi Dench is marvelous; Cate Blanchet is scrumptious (which I was much relieved to see after her insulting role as an unsympathetic American tourist in Morrocco in Babel); and the story is fascinating. I've got to read the book now.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest // Art Direction, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects
I'm a huge fan of the first Pirates, and this one didn't do much for me. It took the magic out of Johnny Depp's portrayal.
The Pursuit of Happyness // Actor in a Leading Role (Will Smith)
This was a nice, uplifting movie and Will Smith did a great job. Did you know he learned how to solve the rubik's cube for this role? I know, not as impressive of all the Forrest Whitaker went through to play Idi Amin, but I was somewhat impressed. The movie got a bit long for me, but overall I enjoyed it.
The Queen // Actress in a Leading Role (Helen Miren), Costume Design, Directing, Original Score, Best Picture, Original Screenplay
I love a movie that teaches you something about recent history that you never knew. I remember Diana dying. I remember the processional toward Westminster Abbey. I remember The Queen — I mean Elton — singing his new version of "Candle in the Wind". But I never knew much about the backstory and how bad the blood was between the Royals and the ex-Royal. So I found it fascinating. I thought Helen Miren did a wonderful and convincing job of playing Elizabeth II. Unfortunately, the actors who played Tony Blair and Prince Charles were total caricatures, and I felt that detracted from spot-on performance.
Volver // Actress in a Leading Role (Penélope Cruz)
I found this movie hilarious. It's hard to read subtitles when you're giggling. Penélope Cruz was lucious in this movie, though I'm not sure if it was enough to get her a Best Actress Oscar. Her tushy though, I think it was vying for Best Supporting Actress all on its own.
3.08.2006
A Day (or three) Late
Nicely done, folks. The outcome of my (very scientific) blog poll came close to mirroring the results of the Oscars. The Oscar winners are in bold below, compared with the winners from this blog.
BEST PICTURE
Crash: 43.48%
BEST ACTRESS
Felicity Huffman: 38.89%
Reese Witherspoon: 27.78%
BEST ACTOR
Philip Seymor Hoffman: 35%
Heath Ledger: 35%
Home, Sweet What?
I'm heading back to the Little Apple for a long weekend in a couple days. Ally's Alpha Chi chapter is having siblings' weekend, so I'll be crashing my old stomping grounds for a few days, probably running into more people I know in four days than I have all month here in the Valley of the Sun. Oh, good ol' Manhattan.
Nicely done, folks. The outcome of my (very scientific) blog poll came close to mirroring the results of the Oscars. The Oscar winners are in bold below, compared with the winners from this blog.
BEST PICTURE
Crash: 43.48%
BEST ACTRESS
Felicity Huffman: 38.89%
Reese Witherspoon: 27.78%
BEST ACTOR
Philip Seymor Hoffman: 35%
Heath Ledger: 35%
Home, Sweet What?
I'm heading back to the Little Apple for a long weekend in a couple days. Ally's Alpha Chi chapter is having siblings' weekend, so I'll be crashing my old stomping grounds for a few days, probably running into more people I know in four days than I have all month here in the Valley of the Sun. Oh, good ol' Manhattan.
2.25.2006
Get out your No. 2 pencils!
A Leaky Cauldron, of Sorts brings you another poll. Another three polls, actually! The Oscars are just a week away, and yet again the Academy has forgotten to mail my ballot. I'm guessing they forgot yours, too. No worries! We'll let the movie-going community know what we think with the polls below. AND! Until Wednesday, I'll be accepting write-ins that I'll add to the poll, just in case your favorite movie of 2005 got overlooked by the snobby film community.
Did you catch that, Dubya?
What you would have heard, had you been listening in on my phone calls last week.
"You know what I've learned? Poop is proportional."
-Me to my mom while house-sitting for my friend Jill, whose BIG black lab leaves larger calling cards that wee little Bandit.
"It's not like you're socially impotent or anything."
-Sarah, to me
"If you're not going to connect me to someone who can solve my problem, you can at least get me a cup of coffee. Or maybe a margarita."
-Me, after wasting an hour on the phone with HP tech support, being transfered from one department to the next. No worries! Now I have the direct number to the Executive Complaint Line. (I can hook you up if you need it, but it might cost you a cup of coffee. Or maybe a margarita.)
A Leaky Cauldron, of Sorts brings you another poll. Another three polls, actually! The Oscars are just a week away, and yet again the Academy has forgotten to mail my ballot. I'm guessing they forgot yours, too. No worries! We'll let the movie-going community know what we think with the polls below. AND! Until Wednesday, I'll be accepting write-ins that I'll add to the poll, just in case your favorite movie of 2005 got overlooked by the snobby film community.
Did you catch that, Dubya?
What you would have heard, had you been listening in on my phone calls last week.
"You know what I've learned? Poop is proportional."
-Me to my mom while house-sitting for my friend Jill, whose BIG black lab leaves larger calling cards that wee little Bandit.
"It's not like you're socially impotent or anything."
-Sarah, to me
"If you're not going to connect me to someone who can solve my problem, you can at least get me a cup of coffee. Or maybe a margarita."
-Me, after wasting an hour on the phone with HP tech support, being transfered from one department to the next. No worries! Now I have the direct number to the Executive Complaint Line. (I can hook you up if you need it, but it might cost you a cup of coffee. Or maybe a margarita.)
1.22.2006
A grab-bag of random thoughts
Our neighborhood smells like burnt popcorn right now.
I am super-excited that Google Earth has now been launched for Macs. I am not excited that Jack the Mac is too old to support the beta-version.
My feet feel claustrophobic in shoes.
I think I'm stuck-up. Either that or introverted. I'm still trying to figure out which.
I watched a documentary about a transvestite seminarian for the Phoenix Film Festival this week. I'm now obsessed with trying to spot transvestites on the street.
I'll admit it, I award myself a heap of cool points for being a Phoenix Film Festival Viewing Committee member. (Is this a revealing factor of my stuck-uppityness?)
I can't figure out how to get the creepy old man next door at work to stop bringing me cookies and offering to buy me a pizza and "watch you work" when I stay late during deadline week. Maybe a restraining order would work.
Despite the many permutations my faith has gone through in the past decade or so, one thing remains: I just can't give up on God.
I really like the cute green sock cover I got for my iPod.
I feel a connection to Lynne Truss, author of Eats, Shoots and Leaves because in her introduction, she talks about picketing in front of a Leicester Square theater, protesting the absence of an apostrophe in the movie title, Two Weeks['] Notice, which was showing when I was in London. I imagine her standing just feet away from me outside the movie's premier, she with her grammatically correct placard, me with my camera, whose film I wasted while waiting for Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock to appear.
I really miss my dog. He's been frollicking with his "cousin" at my grandparents' in Berkeley for the past week.
There are four books that I've started but have yet to finish sitting on my bookshelf. Each still has a bookmark saving my place. I'm starting to run out of bookmarks.
I really would not like to be a punter on a football team. That looks like the most vulnerable position on the team.
Bobby Darrin's "Beyond the Sea" came on the radio this afternoon. I don't really know why, but this put me in a really good mood.
Our neighborhood smells like burnt popcorn right now.
I am super-excited that Google Earth has now been launched for Macs. I am not excited that Jack the Mac is too old to support the beta-version.
My feet feel claustrophobic in shoes.
I think I'm stuck-up. Either that or introverted. I'm still trying to figure out which.
I watched a documentary about a transvestite seminarian for the Phoenix Film Festival this week. I'm now obsessed with trying to spot transvestites on the street.
I'll admit it, I award myself a heap of cool points for being a Phoenix Film Festival Viewing Committee member. (Is this a revealing factor of my stuck-uppityness?)
I can't figure out how to get the creepy old man next door at work to stop bringing me cookies and offering to buy me a pizza and "watch you work" when I stay late during deadline week. Maybe a restraining order would work.
Despite the many permutations my faith has gone through in the past decade or so, one thing remains: I just can't give up on God.
I really like the cute green sock cover I got for my iPod.
I feel a connection to Lynne Truss, author of Eats, Shoots and Leaves because in her introduction, she talks about picketing in front of a Leicester Square theater, protesting the absence of an apostrophe in the movie title, Two Weeks['] Notice, which was showing when I was in London. I imagine her standing just feet away from me outside the movie's premier, she with her grammatically correct placard, me with my camera, whose film I wasted while waiting for Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock to appear.
I really miss my dog. He's been frollicking with his "cousin" at my grandparents' in Berkeley for the past week.
There are four books that I've started but have yet to finish sitting on my bookshelf. Each still has a bookmark saving my place. I'm starting to run out of bookmarks.
I really would not like to be a punter on a football team. That looks like the most vulnerable position on the team.
Bobby Darrin's "Beyond the Sea" came on the radio this afternoon. I don't really know why, but this put me in a really good mood.
1.05.2006
Vignettes of the Weekend with Sarah
Scene: SARAH and ERICA are sitting at the bar at Amsterdam with their martinis in front of them. Madonna comes on for the second time during their 10 minutes of being there.
SARAH Madonna again? What is this? A gay bar?
The girls switch on their gaydar and scan the room.
SARAH Whispering. Um, my gaydar is totally going off on the bartender. And those two guys just left with their arms around each other.
ERICA Dude, we have to call Pat right now.
-----
About 45 minutes later at the same bar after it has filled up with more and more gays and lesbians. SARAH and ERICA are deep in conversation (you know, the usual: politics, religion, boys) as OLD GAY BARTENDER comes over and scoots SARAH's chair closer to ERICA.
OGB You know, she's not going to bite.
OGB Goes back to business behind the bar.
ERICA He totally thinks we're a lesbian couple. Hee hee.
-----
Still at Amsterdam, SARAH and ERICA are now getting their nails done for $5 by two stylists—one male, one female—who work at the bar every Monday night.
GAY MANICURIST With a lilt in his voice. You know, girl, I'm not sure if I wanna drink tonight. I mean, half of me does, but the other half doesn't.
ERICA Well, then you should only drink with your left hand, not your right.
GM Ooh, girl! I like the way you think! We're totally going to be friends.
ERICA But I'm only going to be friends with the half of you that's drinking.
GM Laughs. Alright, babycakes, what color are we doing tonight?
-----
It's after midnight in ERICA's room and the two girls are in their respective beds.
ERICA Sneezing and blowing her nose. Blech.
SARAH Coughing. Uggh.
ERICA What the dynamic duo the two of us make this weekend.
-----
The same night, while discussing the finer points of Saved! before drifting off to sleep.
ERICA You know, I've decided I want a guy who is a combination of Patrick Fugit's characters in Saved! and Almost Famous. But out of high school, of course.
SARAH Oooh, yeah. Hip, but caring.
ERICA Totally hip. Knows what he believes in, but appreciates others' beliefs, too. That scene where he asks Mary out...
SARAH Oh yeah..."You're, like, totally adorable." What a cutie. But he'd definitely need to be out of high school. We'll go for the future Fugit.
-----
Walking along Mill Avenue near the ASU campus
ERICA Ahhh!!! No! Make it stop!
SARAH What?!
ERICA Points. That sign is all in Comic Sans!
ERICA pulls out camera to yet again document the travesty that is the misuse of Comic Sans font.
SARAH You know, you should start a blog like Fiscus's Learn to Spell, America and post pictures of ugly Comic Sans.
-----
SARAH and ERICA have met SARAH's cousin JODI and JODI's friend MICKEY at Casey Moore's near campus so that SARAH can play with JODI's baby PHOENIX. SARAH coos and giggles at PHOENIX.
ERICA I think between Viviane, Bandit and Phoenix, you're going to have used up your Cute Thing quotient for January, Sarah.
-----
At a gas station after leaving Casey Moore's. The girls receive a text message from PAT: "Yall driiiiinkin?"
SARAH What? Does he think we're just a pair of lushes?
She texts him back to say they're going to see Brokeback Mountain. A minute later, they receive a text from PAT in return: "You two are really gaying it up, aren't you?"
-----
At the Jade Bar in the swanky elements (too hip to capitalize) restaurant on Camelback Mountain. CUTE BARTENDER (who is definitely not gay in the girls' minds) has just filled ERICA and SARAH's martinis to the brim. CUTE BARTENDER rings up their bill while ERICA sets out the cash to pay for the martinis and reaches for her drink, which she subsequently spills on the bills. She tries to clean it up without CB noticing, but to no avail.
ERICA Hands soggy bills smelling of eggnog martini to CB Sorry about that.
CB Don't worry about it.
SARAH Fortunately, I've heard that eggnog money is still accepted in 40 states.
-----
Later that night, SARAH and ERICA are sitting on the couches at elements, half-drained martinis in hand, looking out over the dark city while trying to figure out where Jennifer Anniston and Vince Vaughn had sat when they dined there Thanksgiving weekend.
SARAH See, this is why I need to move to Denver.
ERICA To be in a big city?
SARAH So I can spend the morning shopping at TJ MAXX and my evening drinking $14 martinis. I love it that you don't have to be dressed up or super casual all the time here.
-----
There, wasn't that just like you were there with us?
Scene: SARAH and ERICA are sitting at the bar at Amsterdam with their martinis in front of them. Madonna comes on for the second time during their 10 minutes of being there.
SARAH Madonna again? What is this? A gay bar?
The girls switch on their gaydar and scan the room.
SARAH Whispering. Um, my gaydar is totally going off on the bartender. And those two guys just left with their arms around each other.
ERICA Dude, we have to call Pat right now.
-----
About 45 minutes later at the same bar after it has filled up with more and more gays and lesbians. SARAH and ERICA are deep in conversation (you know, the usual: politics, religion, boys) as OLD GAY BARTENDER comes over and scoots SARAH's chair closer to ERICA.
OGB You know, she's not going to bite.
OGB Goes back to business behind the bar.
ERICA He totally thinks we're a lesbian couple. Hee hee.
-----
Still at Amsterdam, SARAH and ERICA are now getting their nails done for $5 by two stylists—one male, one female—who work at the bar every Monday night.
GAY MANICURIST With a lilt in his voice. You know, girl, I'm not sure if I wanna drink tonight. I mean, half of me does, but the other half doesn't.
ERICA Well, then you should only drink with your left hand, not your right.
GM Ooh, girl! I like the way you think! We're totally going to be friends.
ERICA But I'm only going to be friends with the half of you that's drinking.
GM Laughs. Alright, babycakes, what color are we doing tonight?
-----
It's after midnight in ERICA's room and the two girls are in their respective beds.
ERICA Sneezing and blowing her nose. Blech.
SARAH Coughing. Uggh.
ERICA What the dynamic duo the two of us make this weekend.
-----
The same night, while discussing the finer points of Saved! before drifting off to sleep.
ERICA You know, I've decided I want a guy who is a combination of Patrick Fugit's characters in Saved! and Almost Famous. But out of high school, of course.
SARAH Oooh, yeah. Hip, but caring.
ERICA Totally hip. Knows what he believes in, but appreciates others' beliefs, too. That scene where he asks Mary out...
SARAH Oh yeah..."You're, like, totally adorable." What a cutie. But he'd definitely need to be out of high school. We'll go for the future Fugit.
-----
Walking along Mill Avenue near the ASU campus
ERICA Ahhh!!! No! Make it stop!
SARAH What?!
ERICA Points. That sign is all in Comic Sans!
ERICA pulls out camera to yet again document the travesty that is the misuse of Comic Sans font.
SARAH You know, you should start a blog like Fiscus's Learn to Spell, America and post pictures of ugly Comic Sans.
-----
SARAH and ERICA have met SARAH's cousin JODI and JODI's friend MICKEY at Casey Moore's near campus so that SARAH can play with JODI's baby PHOENIX. SARAH coos and giggles at PHOENIX.
ERICA I think between Viviane, Bandit and Phoenix, you're going to have used up your Cute Thing quotient for January, Sarah.
-----
At a gas station after leaving Casey Moore's. The girls receive a text message from PAT: "Yall driiiiinkin?"
SARAH What? Does he think we're just a pair of lushes?
She texts him back to say they're going to see Brokeback Mountain. A minute later, they receive a text from PAT in return: "You two are really gaying it up, aren't you?"
-----
At the Jade Bar in the swanky elements (too hip to capitalize) restaurant on Camelback Mountain. CUTE BARTENDER (who is definitely not gay in the girls' minds) has just filled ERICA and SARAH's martinis to the brim. CUTE BARTENDER rings up their bill while ERICA sets out the cash to pay for the martinis and reaches for her drink, which she subsequently spills on the bills. She tries to clean it up without CB noticing, but to no avail.
ERICA Hands soggy bills smelling of eggnog martini to CB Sorry about that.
CB Don't worry about it.
SARAH Fortunately, I've heard that eggnog money is still accepted in 40 states.
-----
Later that night, SARAH and ERICA are sitting on the couches at elements, half-drained martinis in hand, looking out over the dark city while trying to figure out where Jennifer Anniston and Vince Vaughn had sat when they dined there Thanksgiving weekend.
SARAH See, this is why I need to move to Denver.
ERICA To be in a big city?
SARAH So I can spend the morning shopping at TJ MAXX and my evening drinking $14 martinis. I love it that you don't have to be dressed up or super casual all the time here.
-----
There, wasn't that just like you were there with us?
10.13.2005
posting just to post
I got a new belt yesterday that makes me look like Xena Warrior Princess, but it keeps falling off. I bet Xena never had a problem with her belt.
It's been fanfrickintastic outside recently. Know what this means? Picnics in the park during my lunch break!
Phoenix Film Festival judging has begun. This means watching a whole bunch of crappy movies while hoping I stumble upon the hidden indie film gem of the year. Actually, most of the films in this first box of entries are pretty good. Watched the short The Fix last night. Remember the name Travis Aaron Wade; I think we'll be seeing more of him.
I got a new belt yesterday that makes me look like Xena Warrior Princess, but it keeps falling off. I bet Xena never had a problem with her belt.
It's been fanfrickintastic outside recently. Know what this means? Picnics in the park during my lunch break!
Phoenix Film Festival judging has begun. This means watching a whole bunch of crappy movies while hoping I stumble upon the hidden indie film gem of the year. Actually, most of the films in this first box of entries are pretty good. Watched the short The Fix last night. Remember the name Travis Aaron Wade; I think we'll be seeing more of him.
10.02.2005
instant gratification
There are moments while I am enjoying a book, movie or song when it strikes me, this one sentence/scene/line is worth the entire book/movie/album. This author would deserve my $14 if the entire book had been one page with this scene printed on it. Or, that musician could forever be listed in my hall of fame because of those notes alone. Nearly every one of my favorite books/movies/songs has a moment like that. Here are a few that earned the distinction of Favorite in the past year or so.
books
• "I was born twice; first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974." Opening sentence of Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
• "Mr. Jeavons said that I liked maths because it was safe. He said I liked maths because it meant solving problems and these problems were difficult and interesting but there was always a straightforward answer at the end [...] maths wasn't like life because in life there are no straightforward answers at the end." Plus the rest of chapter 101 of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
• "'Well,' [Hassan] said, 'if I may ask, why did the man kill his wife? In fact, why did he ever have to feel sad to shed tears? Couldn't he have just smelled an onion?' ¶ [...] Taught by Hassan of all people. Hassan who couldn't read and had never written a single word in his entire life. A voice, cold and dark, suddenly whispered in my ear, What does he know, that illiterate Hazara? He'll never be anything but a cook. How dare he criticize you?" The end of chapter 4 of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
• "'You see, the prophecy does not mean you have to do anything! But the prophecy caused Lord Voldemort to mark you as his equal. ... In other words, you are free to choose your way, quite free to turn your back on the prophecy! But Voldemort continues to set store by the prophecy. He will continue to hunt you ... which makes it certain, really, that --' ¶'That one of us is going to end up killing the other,' said Harry." The end of chapter 23 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling.
• "CREAM RINSE Cream rinse always gets stuck in the upper rim of my right ear. [...] i will be driving and glance at myself in the rearview mirror and spot white goo hanging out in there. I'm always like, Again! The cream rinse! What's up with this?! as I wipe it off." Page 81 of Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.
movie scenes
• Before Sunrise When Celine and Jesse are in the listening booth at a record store and try to avoid making eye-contact with each other. It's all done in one shot and I don't know how they did it without cracking up.
• Saved! When Mary confronts a cross at a church right after she's found out she's pregnant; she curses God and you know that that moment is the first time she's ever said a swear word in her life. It is the moment she begins to really examine her faith for the first time, too.
• Après Vous The entire job interview scene, especially the part where Antoine tries to mime "lobster" for Louis to guess.
• Garden State The scene in Sam's bedroom where she tells Largeman to create a unique moment, which will be unique because no one in all of history will have ever done that precise thing in that precise place and no one ever will.
• Be Cool Toward the end of the movie, the moment where Andre 3000 sips tea out of a dainty teacup, raising it to his mouth with the aide of his handgun.
music
• "I was waiting for a cross-town train on the London Underground when it struck me
I've been waiting since birth to find a love that would look and sound like a movie"
Clark Gable by The Postal Service
• "I'll tap the break while you crack the window
The smell of smoke is making my lungs explode
The 51 is backed up and too slow
Let's tune out by turning on the radio"
Tune Out by The Format
• The two chords after "I thought you could read my mind"
Trusted by Ben Folds
• The way Jen Wood says "lure" in "You've got a lure I can't deny"
Nothing Better by The Postal Service (OK, so The Postal Service makes the list twice...gotta problem with that?)
• "When I awoke I was on the highway
Highway
Highway
Highway"
A Movie Script Ending by Death Cab for Cutie
--
Will someone please call the surgeon
Who can crack my ribs and repair this broken heart
I recently found out a crush from my past is getting married soon. This affects me more than you know and more than I would have ever expected.
There are moments while I am enjoying a book, movie or song when it strikes me, this one sentence/scene/line is worth the entire book/movie/album. This author would deserve my $14 if the entire book had been one page with this scene printed on it. Or, that musician could forever be listed in my hall of fame because of those notes alone. Nearly every one of my favorite books/movies/songs has a moment like that. Here are a few that earned the distinction of Favorite in the past year or so.
books
• "I was born twice; first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974." Opening sentence of Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
• "Mr. Jeavons said that I liked maths because it was safe. He said I liked maths because it meant solving problems and these problems were difficult and interesting but there was always a straightforward answer at the end [...] maths wasn't like life because in life there are no straightforward answers at the end." Plus the rest of chapter 101 of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
• "'Well,' [Hassan] said, 'if I may ask, why did the man kill his wife? In fact, why did he ever have to feel sad to shed tears? Couldn't he have just smelled an onion?' ¶ [...] Taught by Hassan of all people. Hassan who couldn't read and had never written a single word in his entire life. A voice, cold and dark, suddenly whispered in my ear, What does he know, that illiterate Hazara? He'll never be anything but a cook. How dare he criticize you?" The end of chapter 4 of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
• "'You see, the prophecy does not mean you have to do anything! But the prophecy caused Lord Voldemort to mark you as his equal. ... In other words, you are free to choose your way, quite free to turn your back on the prophecy! But Voldemort continues to set store by the prophecy. He will continue to hunt you ... which makes it certain, really, that --' ¶'That one of us is going to end up killing the other,' said Harry." The end of chapter 23 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling.
• "CREAM RINSE Cream rinse always gets stuck in the upper rim of my right ear. [...] i will be driving and glance at myself in the rearview mirror and spot white goo hanging out in there. I'm always like, Again! The cream rinse! What's up with this?! as I wipe it off." Page 81 of Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal.
movie scenes
• Before Sunrise When Celine and Jesse are in the listening booth at a record store and try to avoid making eye-contact with each other. It's all done in one shot and I don't know how they did it without cracking up.
• Saved! When Mary confronts a cross at a church right after she's found out she's pregnant; she curses God and you know that that moment is the first time she's ever said a swear word in her life. It is the moment she begins to really examine her faith for the first time, too.
• Après Vous The entire job interview scene, especially the part where Antoine tries to mime "lobster" for Louis to guess.
• Garden State The scene in Sam's bedroom where she tells Largeman to create a unique moment, which will be unique because no one in all of history will have ever done that precise thing in that precise place and no one ever will.
• Be Cool Toward the end of the movie, the moment where Andre 3000 sips tea out of a dainty teacup, raising it to his mouth with the aide of his handgun.
music
• "I was waiting for a cross-town train on the London Underground when it struck me
I've been waiting since birth to find a love that would look and sound like a movie"
Clark Gable by The Postal Service
• "I'll tap the break while you crack the window
The smell of smoke is making my lungs explode
The 51 is backed up and too slow
Let's tune out by turning on the radio"
Tune Out by The Format
• The two chords after "I thought you could read my mind"
Trusted by Ben Folds
• The way Jen Wood says "lure" in "You've got a lure I can't deny"
Nothing Better by The Postal Service (OK, so The Postal Service makes the list twice...gotta problem with that?)
• "When I awoke I was on the highway
Highway
Highway
Highway"
A Movie Script Ending by Death Cab for Cutie
--
Will someone please call the surgeon
Who can crack my ribs and repair this broken heart
I recently found out a crush from my past is getting married soon. This affects me more than you know and more than I would have ever expected.
8.12.2005
see this movie
One average guy, Brian. $1,100. And 30 days for him to get a date with the crush of his lifetime. No problem, except that she's Drew Barrymore. For anyone who's ever had a crush on a star, or even anyone totally out of your league, My Date with Drew is your story. Just came back from the film's opening night in Phoenix, where I got to meet one of the producers/co-conspirators/best buds from the movie. The movie was conceived by three buddies on a Friday night as they're just shootin' the shit. Monday morning they head to Circuit City to buy the store's most expensive camera. Brian's flat-broke, but Circuit City has a 30-day return policy. So these guys figure they have 30 days to make their movie, then they'll return the camera. That's 30 days for Brian to figure out a way to meet Drew and convince her to go on a date with him. Fantastic movie. Go see it.
One average guy, Brian. $1,100. And 30 days for him to get a date with the crush of his lifetime. No problem, except that she's Drew Barrymore. For anyone who's ever had a crush on a star, or even anyone totally out of your league, My Date with Drew is your story. Just came back from the film's opening night in Phoenix, where I got to meet one of the producers/co-conspirators/best buds from the movie. The movie was conceived by three buddies on a Friday night as they're just shootin' the shit. Monday morning they head to Circuit City to buy the store's most expensive camera. Brian's flat-broke, but Circuit City has a 30-day return policy. So these guys figure they have 30 days to make their movie, then they'll return the camera. That's 30 days for Brian to figure out a way to meet Drew and convince her to go on a date with him. Fantastic movie. Go see it.
8.08.2005
do you want a chance to win $50 every week between 9/12 and Dec. 26?
Do you want to support future MU Tigers?*
Do you want a(nother) reason to tune in to Monday Night Football this fall?
Yes? Well, have I got a deal for you! For just $20, you can participate in the MUAA Valley of the Sun Monday Night Football Scholarship (This is Totally Not Gambling) Fundraiser. Email me and I'll explain the setup in more detail. The basics that you need to know: pay 20 bucks and you have a chance at $50 every week of the regular NFL season. If you win once, you can still win again. And the best part of it (for all you who have never tuned in for a Monday Night Football game in your life) is that you don't have to keep track of the games at all. You win, we mail you a check for $50. Do it!
*Full disclosure: Future MU Tigers from Arizona.
the taste of yum
Bailey's Irish Cream: YUM
Häagen•Dazs Bailey's Irish Cream Ice Cream: YUM without the alcohol
Crême Brulée: YUM (one of my "kicks" I left off the list last week)
Häagen•Dazs Créme Brulèe Ice Cream: not so yum
providing there are no hanging chads
Polls will close at noon (Arizona-time) on Wednesday, Aug. 10. As per Dan's request, if no license plate has a 50 percent majority, a runoff election between the top two vote-getters will ensue.
you rock, rock
Back to watching I [Heart] Huckabees and eating crême brulée.
Do you want to support future MU Tigers?*
Do you want a(nother) reason to tune in to Monday Night Football this fall?
Yes? Well, have I got a deal for you! For just $20, you can participate in the MUAA Valley of the Sun Monday Night Football Scholarship (This is Totally Not Gambling) Fundraiser. Email me and I'll explain the setup in more detail. The basics that you need to know: pay 20 bucks and you have a chance at $50 every week of the regular NFL season. If you win once, you can still win again. And the best part of it (for all you who have never tuned in for a Monday Night Football game in your life) is that you don't have to keep track of the games at all. You win, we mail you a check for $50. Do it!
*Full disclosure: Future MU Tigers from Arizona.
the taste of yum
Bailey's Irish Cream: YUM
Häagen•Dazs Bailey's Irish Cream Ice Cream: YUM without the alcohol
Crême Brulée: YUM (one of my "kicks" I left off the list last week)
Häagen•Dazs Créme Brulèe Ice Cream: not so yum
providing there are no hanging chads
Polls will close at noon (Arizona-time) on Wednesday, Aug. 10. As per Dan's request, if no license plate has a 50 percent majority, a runoff election between the top two vote-getters will ensue.
you rock, rock
Back to watching I [Heart] Huckabees and eating crême brulée.
5.26.2005
the day steve nash came to my work
Or, things that make Erica freak out unnecessarily, part one.
There I was, chatting away with a coworker, when a slice of the Western Conference Finals walked right past her window. Mr. greesey-haired NBA MVP himself, just five feet and a pane of glass away from me. And boy am I glad that one-way, (relatively) sound-proof pane of glass was there. Otherwise I could have really embarassed myself with my octave-above-speaking-level screeches of, "Hey! That's Steve Nash! Steve Nash is walking by our window!" as I pressed my face up against the glass to try to get a better view. Our attempt (disguised as a bathroom run) to intercept him in the corridor was necessary, but alas, we missed him. Sigh. I recently moved my computer across the room so I could have a window seat and a view of the mountains, and now I wonder how many times I missed the visit of Phoenix's favorite Canadian. My eyes will be glued to that window from now on. Well...maybe not tomorrow, as the Suns will be in San Antonio, hopefully pulling out a win on the road.
things that make erica freak out unnecessarily, part two
The highlight of last night's screening of The Longest Yard came when Adam Sandler and Chris Rock were holding tryouts for the prison football team.
SANDLER: Has anyone here ever played football?
MAN W/ GINORMOUS BELLY: I have.
SANDLER: Where did you play?
MAN W/ GINORMOUS BELLY: Kansas State. [See Erica look wildly from side to side to see if anyone else noticed the reference to her original home team.]
SANDLER: Really? With Coach Snyder? [See Erica nearly jump out of her chair and cover her mouth with her hands to keep from exclaiming, "I know Bill Snyder! He used to sit across the aisle from me in church!"]
MAN W/ GINORMOUS BELLY: No. Kansas State Prison. [See Erica think of funny comeback: "There's no such thing as the Kansas State Prison! Just kU."]
more granola, please!
Tomorrow we're off to the Grand Canyon. I'm totally psyched for some hiking of the Big Ditch.
Or, things that make Erica freak out unnecessarily, part one.
There I was, chatting away with a coworker, when a slice of the Western Conference Finals walked right past her window. Mr. greesey-haired NBA MVP himself, just five feet and a pane of glass away from me. And boy am I glad that one-way, (relatively) sound-proof pane of glass was there. Otherwise I could have really embarassed myself with my octave-above-speaking-level screeches of, "Hey! That's Steve Nash! Steve Nash is walking by our window!" as I pressed my face up against the glass to try to get a better view. Our attempt (disguised as a bathroom run) to intercept him in the corridor was necessary, but alas, we missed him. Sigh. I recently moved my computer across the room so I could have a window seat and a view of the mountains, and now I wonder how many times I missed the visit of Phoenix's favorite Canadian. My eyes will be glued to that window from now on. Well...maybe not tomorrow, as the Suns will be in San Antonio, hopefully pulling out a win on the road.
things that make erica freak out unnecessarily, part two
The highlight of last night's screening of The Longest Yard came when Adam Sandler and Chris Rock were holding tryouts for the prison football team.
SANDLER: Has anyone here ever played football?
MAN W/ GINORMOUS BELLY: I have.
SANDLER: Where did you play?
MAN W/ GINORMOUS BELLY: Kansas State. [See Erica look wildly from side to side to see if anyone else noticed the reference to her original home team.]
SANDLER: Really? With Coach Snyder? [See Erica nearly jump out of her chair and cover her mouth with her hands to keep from exclaiming, "I know Bill Snyder! He used to sit across the aisle from me in church!"]
MAN W/ GINORMOUS BELLY: No. Kansas State Prison. [See Erica think of funny comeback: "There's no such thing as the Kansas State Prison! Just kU."]
more granola, please!
Tomorrow we're off to the Grand Canyon. I'm totally psyched for some hiking of the Big Ditch.
4.12.2005
festival reflection
It was fun.
you want more?
It was so amazing to be a part of the independent film scene for a weekend, to experience the results of the passionate labors of (mostly) young filmmakers. To see that after I previewed nearly 28 hours of (mostly) crap entries last fall, there were some real gems that made it to the big screen at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 cinema. The beauty of the film festival was the opportunity to interact with the filmmakers, producers and actors themselves. I came away from the weekend with movies with whom I feel personally involved. Thus, I am compeled to insist that you see them when they (hopefully) make it to a theater near you.
Checking Out
With Peter Falk as the "force of nature" that is Morris Applebaum at the head of this cast, Checking Out is a hilarious jaunt through one Jewish family's reconciliation caused by Morris's announcement to his grown children that in one week he will be throwing a huge party, and then he will kill himself. I can't believe that no studio wanted to take this film on. Fortunately, the producer and director have a meeting with the woman who helped propel My Big Fat Greek Wedding into theaters across the country. This movie has the potential to be My Big Fat Jewish Suicide. I had the chance to talk with both the director (Jeff Hare) and the producer (Mark Lane) after the movie. This was Hare's first big film; he had done comercials before, and before that, he was a reporter for a news station in Kearney, Neb. When he said he went to journalism school rather than film school, I knew I had to introduce myself. Alas, he attended Penn State; props to him, though, for his impressed reaction when I said I attended Missouri.
Après Vous
This jokes in this French film transcend cultures and language. Even though it lacks Audrey Tautou, I think this movie could actually make it in the U.S. I knew from the opening credits and song that it was going to be a good movie and it was. Antoine stumbles across Louis in a Paris park and saves him from killing himself, ultimately invloving himself in a complicated love affair. Funny funny funny. Sidenote: The actor who plays Antoine looks so much like Paul McCatney I kept expecting him to doff his French for a British accent and burst into "Hey Jude."
Happy Endings
Lisa Kudrow. Maggie Gyllenhaal. Tom Arnold. I don't know how to describe this movie. I guess it's a humorous look at hard topics such as abortion and homosexuality. But it's better than that description. This was the opening night film at the festival and it was a very surreal experience to watch the movie, knowing that the director (Don Roos), the producer (and president of Lions Gate Films, Tom Ortenberg) and an actor (Tom Arnold) were in the theater. It was kind of like watching a sex scene with your mom. Rather than "Oh look. The actors are getting naked. Oh look. My mother is sitting next to me." it was "Oh look. Tom Arnold's getting naked. Oh look. He's sitting five rows in front of me in a pink shirt with a pink scarf/tie-thing." I was conscious of my every reaction. Was I not laughing enough? Did my laughter sound forced or fake? Should I laugh louder? Sidenote: Maggie Gyllenhaal's haircut is super, super-sexy.
Never Been Thawed
I didn't find this movie as compelling as the ones above, but it's worth mentioning. It was a locally produced film by a director and actors who had never done movies before. I think the director said the whole thing was shot with one $400 camera from Best Buy. NBT is a mockumentary about a guy who is the founder of the Frozen Food Entre Club of Mesa, Ariz. (that's right, they collect t.v. dinners) and also the lead singer in a Christian rock band. The Christers isn't your typical Christian rock band; they "converted" from hard rock, but they haven't left the hard rock lifestyle behind. Upon deciding that it'd be esier to make it in the Christian rock business, they changed all the lyrics of their songs. "I Love to F***" became "I Love to Pray." Totally blasphemous, the movie is like a coarser Saved! in both plot and production. It was ok.
in other movie news
My mother just told me that she went to see Sin City today because she heard it was based on a comic strip. Her reaction: "Those people are sick." I just shook my head. Comic book ? comic strip.
It was fun.
you want more?
It was so amazing to be a part of the independent film scene for a weekend, to experience the results of the passionate labors of (mostly) young filmmakers. To see that after I previewed nearly 28 hours of (mostly) crap entries last fall, there were some real gems that made it to the big screen at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 cinema. The beauty of the film festival was the opportunity to interact with the filmmakers, producers and actors themselves. I came away from the weekend with movies with whom I feel personally involved. Thus, I am compeled to insist that you see them when they (hopefully) make it to a theater near you.
Checking Out
With Peter Falk as the "force of nature" that is Morris Applebaum at the head of this cast, Checking Out is a hilarious jaunt through one Jewish family's reconciliation caused by Morris's announcement to his grown children that in one week he will be throwing a huge party, and then he will kill himself. I can't believe that no studio wanted to take this film on. Fortunately, the producer and director have a meeting with the woman who helped propel My Big Fat Greek Wedding into theaters across the country. This movie has the potential to be My Big Fat Jewish Suicide. I had the chance to talk with both the director (Jeff Hare) and the producer (Mark Lane) after the movie. This was Hare's first big film; he had done comercials before, and before that, he was a reporter for a news station in Kearney, Neb. When he said he went to journalism school rather than film school, I knew I had to introduce myself. Alas, he attended Penn State; props to him, though, for his impressed reaction when I said I attended Missouri.
Après Vous
This jokes in this French film transcend cultures and language. Even though it lacks Audrey Tautou, I think this movie could actually make it in the U.S. I knew from the opening credits and song that it was going to be a good movie and it was. Antoine stumbles across Louis in a Paris park and saves him from killing himself, ultimately invloving himself in a complicated love affair. Funny funny funny. Sidenote: The actor who plays Antoine looks so much like Paul McCatney I kept expecting him to doff his French for a British accent and burst into "Hey Jude."
Happy Endings
Lisa Kudrow. Maggie Gyllenhaal. Tom Arnold. I don't know how to describe this movie. I guess it's a humorous look at hard topics such as abortion and homosexuality. But it's better than that description. This was the opening night film at the festival and it was a very surreal experience to watch the movie, knowing that the director (Don Roos), the producer (and president of Lions Gate Films, Tom Ortenberg) and an actor (Tom Arnold) were in the theater. It was kind of like watching a sex scene with your mom. Rather than "Oh look. The actors are getting naked. Oh look. My mother is sitting next to me." it was "Oh look. Tom Arnold's getting naked. Oh look. He's sitting five rows in front of me in a pink shirt with a pink scarf/tie-thing." I was conscious of my every reaction. Was I not laughing enough? Did my laughter sound forced or fake? Should I laugh louder? Sidenote: Maggie Gyllenhaal's haircut is super, super-sexy.
Never Been Thawed
I didn't find this movie as compelling as the ones above, but it's worth mentioning. It was a locally produced film by a director and actors who had never done movies before. I think the director said the whole thing was shot with one $400 camera from Best Buy. NBT is a mockumentary about a guy who is the founder of the Frozen Food Entre Club of Mesa, Ariz. (that's right, they collect t.v. dinners) and also the lead singer in a Christian rock band. The Christers isn't your typical Christian rock band; they "converted" from hard rock, but they haven't left the hard rock lifestyle behind. Upon deciding that it'd be esier to make it in the Christian rock business, they changed all the lyrics of their songs. "I Love to F***" became "I Love to Pray." Totally blasphemous, the movie is like a coarser Saved! in both plot and production. It was ok.
in other movie news
My mother just told me that she went to see Sin City today because she heard it was based on a comic strip. Her reaction: "Those people are sick." I just shook my head. Comic book ? comic strip.
4.07.2005
let's hold class on the quad today
It is absolutely gorgeous outside right now, but by the afternoon, it's supposed to get up to the 90s. It's going to be pool season soon!
biggest pet peeve of the moment
When people don't hold up their part of a bargain. Uggh.
film fête*
I scored a free all-access, 4-day pass to the Phoenix Film Festival in return for being one of the volunteers on the film selection committee. I had to watch a ton of crappy movies and will now be rewarded by the opportunity to schmooze with Kevin Bacon, Tom Arnold and Kyra Sedgwick, starting today. Well, maybe not so much schmoozing with as looking at from across a cinema.
fyi
Arizona doesn't do Daylight Savings. So I am now on Pacific Time. Just thought I'd share, in case any of you were wanting to call.
*Circumflex accent for Dan's enjoyment.
It is absolutely gorgeous outside right now, but by the afternoon, it's supposed to get up to the 90s. It's going to be pool season soon!
biggest pet peeve of the moment
When people don't hold up their part of a bargain. Uggh.
film fête*
I scored a free all-access, 4-day pass to the Phoenix Film Festival in return for being one of the volunteers on the film selection committee. I had to watch a ton of crappy movies and will now be rewarded by the opportunity to schmooze with Kevin Bacon, Tom Arnold and Kyra Sedgwick, starting today. Well, maybe not so much schmoozing with as looking at from across a cinema.
fyi
Arizona doesn't do Daylight Savings. So I am now on Pacific Time. Just thought I'd share, in case any of you were wanting to call.
*Circumflex accent for Dan's enjoyment.
3.20.2005
back inaction
...at least for the moment. The first magazine issue designed and assembled entirely by me was finished this Friday. Whew. Sorry to disappear without warning. I'll give notice next time.
notice
I have three weeks to design a 132-page travel magazine and one week of editing/production on said magazine before I leave the country. I might mention that my editor/publisher will be out for two of those weeks. Plus, our travel editor is moving to Orlando April 1 and will be working from the other side of the country. If the book actually gets finished on April 15 like it's supposed to, that will be the greatest birthday present. Ever.
red, white and tempe
I realized this morning why the choir director/organist at our church looks so familiar. He reminds me of Corky St. Clair. How fantastic is that?! Who wouldn't want Christopher Guest performing every Sunday?
...at least for the moment. The first magazine issue designed and assembled entirely by me was finished this Friday. Whew. Sorry to disappear without warning. I'll give notice next time.
notice
I have three weeks to design a 132-page travel magazine and one week of editing/production on said magazine before I leave the country. I might mention that my editor/publisher will be out for two of those weeks. Plus, our travel editor is moving to Orlando April 1 and will be working from the other side of the country. If the book actually gets finished on April 15 like it's supposed to, that will be the greatest birthday present. Ever.
red, white and tempe
I realized this morning why the choir director/organist at our church looks so familiar. He reminds me of Corky St. Clair. How fantastic is that?! Who wouldn't want Christopher Guest performing every Sunday?
3.11.2005
heat wave
I think summer has arrived.
Last night I saw Ray at the $2 theater. As I was driving home, I got off the 101 at my exit, Ray Rd., and thought, "Well, isn't that appropriate?"
I have the feeling I'll be coming back in to work this weekend. I could totally use an intern right now.
I've stopped listening to all the songs I downloaded onto my Mac at work, preferring to flip through the eclectic stations on iTunes. Right now I'm listening to Radio Paradise: "DJ-mixed modern and classic rock, world beat and more." I've totally been diggin ragae lately.
I think summer has arrived.
Last night I saw Ray at the $2 theater. As I was driving home, I got off the 101 at my exit, Ray Rd., and thought, "Well, isn't that appropriate?"
I have the feeling I'll be coming back in to work this weekend. I could totally use an intern right now.
I've stopped listening to all the songs I downloaded onto my Mac at work, preferring to flip through the eclectic stations on iTunes. Right now I'm listening to Radio Paradise: "DJ-mixed modern and classic rock, world beat and more." I've totally been diggin ragae lately.
10.07.2004
everyone a critic
I hearted I [heart] Huckabees. I think I was the only one in the audience. Despite the laughs and the couple of bursts of applause during the movie, every comment I heard as I left the theater was negative. "Well that sucked." "There was nothing funny about that but the bits of slapstick humor." "It was kinda like The Big Labowski but without the depth." "Maybe I'm just an old woman, but when it started out with that long slew of curse words, I was turned off immediately." Me? I'd see it again. Sure, the plot had some gaps, and I didn't really get Naomi Watts' character, overall though, your humble movie critic gives her approval. But maybe that's just because I love Dustin Hoffman's voice and Jude Law's face.
the zinger
If I were composing the questions for tomorrow night's debate, there is one that I would definitely not leave off the list. Invoking the question Reagan posed to the American public in 1980, I would ask our two presidential candidates:
Is America safer than it was four years ago? Is the world safer than it was four years ago?
One's initial reaction might be, "But hey! Four years ago was pre-Sept. 11." Sure, but Sept. 11 was very much in the works. Enough news outlets have agreed that America's "approval rating" soaring immediately after 9-11 but has sunk lower than a shit-filled sink hole since our nation - our president - led this preemptive war against Iraq. Disapproval leads to contempt, which leads to outrage, which leads to violence and further insurgency and further wars. We have angered countries who were once our allies and have ignored other areas of the world that are breeding grounds for nuclear weapons and terrorism (ahem North Korea and Iran).
If this question were posed to Kerry and Bush tomorrow, it would be a lose-lose situation for our president. If he were to answer "no," he would have to admit that his actions and policies have not made our country a safer place to live than it was in 2000. If he were to answer "yes," he would in essence negate his entire campaign of fear.
I pose the question to you, dear readers. Is America safer? You have thirty seconds.
side note
Ally comes tomorrow to spend her fall break in our new house, which she has yet to see.
I hearted I [heart] Huckabees. I think I was the only one in the audience. Despite the laughs and the couple of bursts of applause during the movie, every comment I heard as I left the theater was negative. "Well that sucked." "There was nothing funny about that but the bits of slapstick humor." "It was kinda like The Big Labowski but without the depth." "Maybe I'm just an old woman, but when it started out with that long slew of curse words, I was turned off immediately." Me? I'd see it again. Sure, the plot had some gaps, and I didn't really get Naomi Watts' character, overall though, your humble movie critic gives her approval. But maybe that's just because I love Dustin Hoffman's voice and Jude Law's face.
the zinger
If I were composing the questions for tomorrow night's debate, there is one that I would definitely not leave off the list. Invoking the question Reagan posed to the American public in 1980, I would ask our two presidential candidates:
Is America safer than it was four years ago? Is the world safer than it was four years ago?
One's initial reaction might be, "But hey! Four years ago was pre-Sept. 11." Sure, but Sept. 11 was very much in the works. Enough news outlets have agreed that America's "approval rating" soaring immediately after 9-11 but has sunk lower than a shit-filled sink hole since our nation - our president - led this preemptive war against Iraq. Disapproval leads to contempt, which leads to outrage, which leads to violence and further insurgency and further wars. We have angered countries who were once our allies and have ignored other areas of the world that are breeding grounds for nuclear weapons and terrorism (ahem North Korea and Iran).
If this question were posed to Kerry and Bush tomorrow, it would be a lose-lose situation for our president. If he were to answer "no," he would have to admit that his actions and policies have not made our country a safer place to live than it was in 2000. If he were to answer "yes," he would in essence negate his entire campaign of fear.
I pose the question to you, dear readers. Is America safer? You have thirty seconds.
side note
Ally comes tomorrow to spend her fall break in our new house, which she has yet to see.
9.06.2004
they grow up so fast
My sister has started a blog.
i won't be able to walk right for weeks
I joined a gym last week. Believe me, it was a big deal. It took me three weeks to get to the point I was ready to make a commitment. I miss the Rec where I didn't feel bad for not going because I wasn't paying for it. Actually, this will be good. They set you up with a trainer once a month to help you keep track of your fitness goals (and to make sure you don't leave them). Chris, or C-Mac as he said I could call him, was one hard-ass trainer. He put me through only four exercises for legs and by the end of the half-hour, my muscles were spazing like a mother. Sheesh I'm out of shape. And now, I'm still sore; I start down the stairs and just keep on going, with no muscle control whatsoever. C-Mac was pretty cool. Turns out that he grew up with Wesley Stokes and Travon Bryant. Therefore, I am cool (and a fantastic baller, too) by association.
i think i am in love with peter o'toole, circa 1966
I watched How To Steal A Million, the old Audrey Hepburn flick, last night. It was quite enjoyable.
observations*
+Phoenix has no nightlife. The downtown was dead after 10 pm Friday. Of course, it was the holiday weekend; but I've seen the roads just as barren other weekends. Everyone goes to the suburbs after sundown.
+People call the highways and interstates "The 101" or "The 60." I don't think I ever heard anyone say they were taking The 70 from Columbia to KC/StL.
+There is a grocery store every square mile.
*a limited-time feature, brought back from the old days in England
My sister has started a blog.
i won't be able to walk right for weeks
I joined a gym last week. Believe me, it was a big deal. It took me three weeks to get to the point I was ready to make a commitment. I miss the Rec where I didn't feel bad for not going because I wasn't paying for it. Actually, this will be good. They set you up with a trainer once a month to help you keep track of your fitness goals (and to make sure you don't leave them). Chris, or C-Mac as he said I could call him, was one hard-ass trainer. He put me through only four exercises for legs and by the end of the half-hour, my muscles were spazing like a mother. Sheesh I'm out of shape. And now, I'm still sore; I start down the stairs and just keep on going, with no muscle control whatsoever. C-Mac was pretty cool. Turns out that he grew up with Wesley Stokes and Travon Bryant. Therefore, I am cool (and a fantastic baller, too) by association.
i think i am in love with peter o'toole, circa 1966
I watched How To Steal A Million, the old Audrey Hepburn flick, last night. It was quite enjoyable.
observations*
+Phoenix has no nightlife. The downtown was dead after 10 pm Friday. Of course, it was the holiday weekend; but I've seen the roads just as barren other weekends. Everyone goes to the suburbs after sundown.
+People call the highways and interstates "The 101" or "The 60." I don't think I ever heard anyone say they were taking The 70 from Columbia to KC/StL.
+There is a grocery store every square mile.
*a limited-time feature, brought back from the old days in England
6.06.2004
harry potter report
The third HP story is the best book in the series and I’d have to say the best movie so far. Cuaron definitely brought the film to a new level and Daniel Radcliffe finally convinced me he was Harry. My prediction: Emma Watson will be the one of the trio to really make it, post-Potter. (P.S. She has a very fantastic birthday.)
i mentioned to my mom that i’d like to try sky-diving sometime
She said only once I had plenty of health insurance, had written up my will and had enough life insurance to pay for my sister’s grief counseling. Don’t know why I shared that. Guess I just felt like sharing.
i’m a commitment-phobe
You know that conversation-starter question, “If your life were a TV show or movie, what tune would play every time you entered the room?” I’ve never been able to select a theme song. It always seemed too much of a burden to choose just one song to embody my philosophy or personality. That, and every year I latch onto a different band who I claim to be my favorite band ever. But about a week ago, Sarah posted a different approach to this question. So here it is: my life, the soundtrack to the screenplay.
Opening credits “In My Life,” The Beatles. However, Sarah already claimed this song, so I’ll settle for “That’s Life,” Frank Sinatra.
Waking up “Rise and Shine,” traditional. My dad woke me up singing this song every morning, elementary through middle school. I grew to despise it.
First date “Moon River,” Frank Sinatra. No reason in particular, other than I really love the line, “Two drifters, off to see the world. There’s such a lot of world to see. We’re after the same rainbow’s end…” (notice the reference at the top of this blog…)
Love scene “Hand’s Down,” Dashboard Confessional. Ibid. “My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me. So won’t you kill me? So I die happy.” Now that I type that out, it seems quite morbid. Really, there’s no need to run to the suicide hotline.
Fight scene “Break Stuff,” Limp Bizkit. Back when I danced for Alpha Chi, we did a dance to this song, choreographed to look like a battle. I want to throw stuff against the wall and yell obscenities when I listen to this song.
Breaking up “Shot Through the Heart,” Bon Jovi. “…and you’re to blame. You give love a bad name.” Nothing’s ever my fault, really.
Life's OK “Mr. Blue Sky,” ELO. I don’t see how anyone cannot bob their head and smile while listening to this song.
Driving “Yellow Submarine,” The Beatles & “Why Georgia,” John Mayer. I’m cheating; I couldn’t pick just one. But really, they’re totally different driving songs. When on family road trips, we would sing “Yellow Submarine,” but change the chorus to, “We all live in a green minivan, green minivan, green minivan,” because it sure felt like we were living in the van on our summer treks across the western half of the continent to California. “Why Georgia” kicked off every one of my trips home sophomore and junior year.
Deep thought “The Scientist,” Coldplay & “New Deep,” John Mayer. Cheating. Again. That’s because both have lines that really seem to echo lines that run in my own thoughts and embody how I’ve changed since before college. “The Scientist”: “I was just guessing at numbers and figures. Pulling the puzzles apart. Questions of science, science and progress do not speak as loud as my heart.” “New Deep”: “Ever since I tried trying not to find every little meaning in my life, it’s been fine, I’ve been cool with my new golden rule.”
Flashback “Come Downstairs and Say Hello,” Guster. If I’ve ever had a theme song for a period of time, this would have been one for the past nine months. Check out the lyrics: “Dorothy moves to click her ruby shoes right in tune to Dark Side of the Moon. Someone, someone could tell me where I belong. Be calm, be brave, it’ll be ok. No more messing around, living underground, or new year’s resolutions. By this time next year, I won’t be here…I look straight at what’s coming ahead and soon it’s gonna change in a new direction.”
Partying “Dirrty,” Christina Aguilera. One of what Sarah would call my guilty pleasure songs. I love it.
Happy Dance “Mundian To Bach Ke,” Panjabi MC. A London favorite. I have no clue what the words are saying, so it means I can really loose myself in the beat.
A long night alone “Mad World,” Gary Jules. I like it and it just fits.
Death scene “Table for Two,” Caedmon’s Call. This song doesn’t really fit here, but it fits less everywhere else, and it had to be included. I guess it kinda fits, if this scene were to be more of a reflection of life. Kinda. Maybe “Last Goodbye” by Jeff Buckley would be better suited.
Closing credits “Every Picture Tells a Story,” Rod Stewart. It captures so much.
The third HP story is the best book in the series and I’d have to say the best movie so far. Cuaron definitely brought the film to a new level and Daniel Radcliffe finally convinced me he was Harry. My prediction: Emma Watson will be the one of the trio to really make it, post-Potter. (P.S. She has a very fantastic birthday.)
i mentioned to my mom that i’d like to try sky-diving sometime
She said only once I had plenty of health insurance, had written up my will and had enough life insurance to pay for my sister’s grief counseling. Don’t know why I shared that. Guess I just felt like sharing.
i’m a commitment-phobe
You know that conversation-starter question, “If your life were a TV show or movie, what tune would play every time you entered the room?” I’ve never been able to select a theme song. It always seemed too much of a burden to choose just one song to embody my philosophy or personality. That, and every year I latch onto a different band who I claim to be my favorite band ever. But about a week ago, Sarah posted a different approach to this question. So here it is: my life, the soundtrack to the screenplay.
Opening credits “In My Life,” The Beatles. However, Sarah already claimed this song, so I’ll settle for “That’s Life,” Frank Sinatra.
Waking up “Rise and Shine,” traditional. My dad woke me up singing this song every morning, elementary through middle school. I grew to despise it.
First date “Moon River,” Frank Sinatra. No reason in particular, other than I really love the line, “Two drifters, off to see the world. There’s such a lot of world to see. We’re after the same rainbow’s end…” (notice the reference at the top of this blog…)
Love scene “Hand’s Down,” Dashboard Confessional. Ibid. “My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me. So won’t you kill me? So I die happy.” Now that I type that out, it seems quite morbid. Really, there’s no need to run to the suicide hotline.
Fight scene “Break Stuff,” Limp Bizkit. Back when I danced for Alpha Chi, we did a dance to this song, choreographed to look like a battle. I want to throw stuff against the wall and yell obscenities when I listen to this song.
Breaking up “Shot Through the Heart,” Bon Jovi. “…and you’re to blame. You give love a bad name.” Nothing’s ever my fault, really.
Life's OK “Mr. Blue Sky,” ELO. I don’t see how anyone cannot bob their head and smile while listening to this song.
Driving “Yellow Submarine,” The Beatles & “Why Georgia,” John Mayer. I’m cheating; I couldn’t pick just one. But really, they’re totally different driving songs. When on family road trips, we would sing “Yellow Submarine,” but change the chorus to, “We all live in a green minivan, green minivan, green minivan,” because it sure felt like we were living in the van on our summer treks across the western half of the continent to California. “Why Georgia” kicked off every one of my trips home sophomore and junior year.
Deep thought “The Scientist,” Coldplay & “New Deep,” John Mayer. Cheating. Again. That’s because both have lines that really seem to echo lines that run in my own thoughts and embody how I’ve changed since before college. “The Scientist”: “I was just guessing at numbers and figures. Pulling the puzzles apart. Questions of science, science and progress do not speak as loud as my heart.” “New Deep”: “Ever since I tried trying not to find every little meaning in my life, it’s been fine, I’ve been cool with my new golden rule.”
Flashback “Come Downstairs and Say Hello,” Guster. If I’ve ever had a theme song for a period of time, this would have been one for the past nine months. Check out the lyrics: “Dorothy moves to click her ruby shoes right in tune to Dark Side of the Moon. Someone, someone could tell me where I belong. Be calm, be brave, it’ll be ok. No more messing around, living underground, or new year’s resolutions. By this time next year, I won’t be here…I look straight at what’s coming ahead and soon it’s gonna change in a new direction.”
Partying “Dirrty,” Christina Aguilera. One of what Sarah would call my guilty pleasure songs. I love it.
Happy Dance “Mundian To Bach Ke,” Panjabi MC. A London favorite. I have no clue what the words are saying, so it means I can really loose myself in the beat.
A long night alone “Mad World,” Gary Jules. I like it and it just fits.
Death scene “Table for Two,” Caedmon’s Call. This song doesn’t really fit here, but it fits less everywhere else, and it had to be included. I guess it kinda fits, if this scene were to be more of a reflection of life. Kinda. Maybe “Last Goodbye” by Jeff Buckley would be better suited.
Closing credits “Every Picture Tells a Story,” Rod Stewart. It captures so much.
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