For some unexplainable reason, I adore Oscar night. I don't know why--almost everything about it should point to me disliking it: the spectacle, the drama, the hype. But if you look past all of this, down to it's very core, it's really a group of people gathering once a year to pay tribute to the beautiful art that is filmmaking.
At least that's how I choose to view it.
Anyway, I've been a little MIA lately, but I thought I'd still sneak in a few last-minute comments about films in 2009 and who I'd like to see win some awards tonight.
Also, for those of you wondering where the "master list" of 2009 films is, the Academy puts out a list every year of all the films eligible to be nominate for best picture.
Who I'd like to see win:
Sadly, there really aren't any movies or actors this year that I'm really rooting for. Normally there's at least one contender for Best Picture that I can really get behind and root for; this year, however, there are quite a few films and performances I like, but none that I love. Basically, as long as Avatar or The Blind Side don't win Best Picture, I'll be happy. Both were OK, but neither are Best Picture worthy.
Though I do think Christoph Waltz should win Best Supporting Actor (Inglourious Basterds). And I'm rooting for Carey Mulligan, even though I have yet to see An Education.
Worst Movie of 2009:
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (yes, even worse than The Proposal)
Biggest Disappointments:
9
Public Enemies
Top Favorites:
Where the Wild Things Are
(500) Days of Summer
Most Laughs:
I Love You, Man
Inglourious Basterds
Most Tears:
Up (those first five minutes killed me)
Where the Wild Things Are (I was a mess at the end of this movie)
Movies I was able to see from 2009:
9 (NOT to be confused with "Nine")
(500) Days of Summer
17 Again
Adventureland
All About Steve (saw half of it)
Avatar
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Coraline
District 9
Fired Up
Funny People
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
I Love You, Man
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
Julie & Julia
Moon
New in Town
Public Enemies
Sherlock Holmes
Star Trek
State of Play
The Blind Side
The Hangover
The Hurt Locker
The Invention of Lying
The Proposal
Up
Where the Wild Things Are
Whip It
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Movies I missed but still want to see:
A Serious Man
Adam
An Education
Away We Go
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Monsters vs Aliens
Precious
Sunshine Cleaning
Taken
Taking Woodstock
The Bluetooth Virgin
The Princess and the Frog
The Road
The Soloist
Up in the Air
Zombieland
That's all for now, folks. More later....? Perhaps. =) And feel free to share your picks, if you feel so inclined.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Two thousand ten
Would I come across as sounding too eccentric if I said that I am so happy to no longer be living in an odd numbered year? A sigh of relief for even numbers--even years are always better.
As a blogger, January is my favorite month of the year. Yes, I do love to make up resolutions with blind optimism and page through the best memories from the previous year. But the real treat is when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences releases the Reminder List for voting members and I can get my hands on this complete list of movies released in 2009. Nerdy as it sounds, I like to go through this quite comprehensive index and list the movies I had the chance to see as well as the movies I wish I would have made time for. So, blog fans, expect to see some more posts in the near future about the films of 2009.
And really, January wouldn't be complete without resolutions. Do I remember them by the end of the year? Heck no. But do I have fun making them? You BET I do!
Really, the only real "resolutions" I have this year are directly related to blogging. Last year, I believe I said I wanted to commit to writing an entry once a week? Well, I think that was such a good idea that I'm going to say it again this year--one entry per week, minimum.
Second, I've toyed with the idea of posting some film reviews on this blog, but I never actually got up the gumption to do it. I'd like to try to write a brief review or even a few comments about each movie I see this year (or at least the newer releases).
So there you have it. May God bless my and everyone else's resolutions.
As a blogger, January is my favorite month of the year. Yes, I do love to make up resolutions with blind optimism and page through the best memories from the previous year. But the real treat is when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences releases the Reminder List for voting members and I can get my hands on this complete list of movies released in 2009. Nerdy as it sounds, I like to go through this quite comprehensive index and list the movies I had the chance to see as well as the movies I wish I would have made time for. So, blog fans, expect to see some more posts in the near future about the films of 2009.
And really, January wouldn't be complete without resolutions. Do I remember them by the end of the year? Heck no. But do I have fun making them? You BET I do!
Really, the only real "resolutions" I have this year are directly related to blogging. Last year, I believe I said I wanted to commit to writing an entry once a week? Well, I think that was such a good idea that I'm going to say it again this year--one entry per week, minimum.
Second, I've toyed with the idea of posting some film reviews on this blog, but I never actually got up the gumption to do it. I'd like to try to write a brief review or even a few comments about each movie I see this year (or at least the newer releases).
So there you have it. May God bless my and everyone else's resolutions.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Review: 9
I was unabashadly excited for this film. In fact, I was so intrigued by the film's asthetics that in the couple of months leading up to the film's release, my desktop background feautred the movie's poster (left) and my Twitter icon was a small snapshot of the main character 9's stitched face. Unfortunately, as a busy student, the film went through theatres without me having the chance to see it. I was finally able to watch the film with Zach last night, and I have to admit--I'm glad I didn't pay to see it in theatres.
Despite the fact that 9 was less than 80 minutes long, I still found myself checking my watch. This film jumped into the plot almost immediately without giving much of an explanation for how the palm-sized sock puppet "9" was given life or how the world around him had faded to apocalyptic ash and ruin. Normally, I would commend the screenwriter for letting the audience figure things out on their own; however, in the case of 9, this rushed treatment prevented me from ever forming an attachment to the characters. I felt sympathy and curiousity for the numbered handmade inventions, yes, but never did I feel like they were in any real danger. The Beast, a mechanical villain that was so terrifying to the little inventions that they retreated into hiding, was killed early in the movie after a short skirmish that almost looked easy, begging the questions, "Why hadn't they just done that earlier?" Also, the questions raised throughout the film were either interesting queries that were never even addressed or were obvious questions that were answered with redundant spoon-fed narration.
By the end of this movie, the only emotion I felt was sadness about the opportunities that this visually intriguing film squandered. I didn't really believe in or care about the problems of the characters, and it felt like the filmmakers didn't either.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Week 2: No Shampoo
Okay, before you shrink away in disgust at the concept of my hair going without shampoo for an entire week, hear me out.
Awhile ago, I read an article on Amanda's blog about going without shampoo (sorry, can't find the entry anymore). Anyway, the simplified theory is that most shampoos contain harmful chemicals that strip your hair of its natural oils, therefore requiring your body to make much more oil to compensate. If the shampoo is removed, the body will, supposedly, adjust and produce much less oil.
At first, I scoffed. Hah.
But then, after weeks of frustration with my quite dry yet perplexingly greasy hair, I threw up my hands and cried the words I vowed I never would: "I hate my hair!"
Since then, I've done my best to read a variety of articles about this no shampoo philosophy. I found lots of articles saying the same thing--that you can use baking soda and apple cider vinegar as a replacement for shampoo--but I still had many unanswered questions. Do I still use conditioner? How often do I use this shampoo replacement? How long will it take for my hair to transition from overly greasy to oil equilibrium?
This article from wikiHow helped a bit. It basically encouraged me to use a less expensive conditioner to cleanse my hair and give my scalp a little massage, followed by leaving a moisturizing conditioner in my hair for about 5 minutes. Once or twice a week, it recommends using the baking soda shampoo substitute. Feeling I had nothing to lose, I decided to follow this strategy for a few weeks and see where it takes me. The last time I used shampoo was Monday, December 21.
So far, the difference is very slight. My hair feels a little greasier than average, but I'm hoping that my body will adjust in the predicted 2-4 weeks. I haven't even used the baking soda yet--just 1-2 rounds of conditioner with each shower. Who knows... depending on the outcome, maybe I'll even post before and after pictures.
It's definitely too early for me to have an opinion one way or another about this no shampoo business, but I do feel like my hair is happier with me--like I'm not killing it slowly with each wash. And for that, I'm grateful.
Awhile ago, I read an article on Amanda's blog about going without shampoo (sorry, can't find the entry anymore). Anyway, the simplified theory is that most shampoos contain harmful chemicals that strip your hair of its natural oils, therefore requiring your body to make much more oil to compensate. If the shampoo is removed, the body will, supposedly, adjust and produce much less oil.
At first, I scoffed. Hah.
But then, after weeks of frustration with my quite dry yet perplexingly greasy hair, I threw up my hands and cried the words I vowed I never would: "I hate my hair!"
Since then, I've done my best to read a variety of articles about this no shampoo philosophy. I found lots of articles saying the same thing--that you can use baking soda and apple cider vinegar as a replacement for shampoo--but I still had many unanswered questions. Do I still use conditioner? How often do I use this shampoo replacement? How long will it take for my hair to transition from overly greasy to oil equilibrium?
This article from wikiHow helped a bit. It basically encouraged me to use a less expensive conditioner to cleanse my hair and give my scalp a little massage, followed by leaving a moisturizing conditioner in my hair for about 5 minutes. Once or twice a week, it recommends using the baking soda shampoo substitute. Feeling I had nothing to lose, I decided to follow this strategy for a few weeks and see where it takes me. The last time I used shampoo was Monday, December 21.
So far, the difference is very slight. My hair feels a little greasier than average, but I'm hoping that my body will adjust in the predicted 2-4 weeks. I haven't even used the baking soda yet--just 1-2 rounds of conditioner with each shower. Who knows... depending on the outcome, maybe I'll even post before and after pictures.
It's definitely too early for me to have an opinion one way or another about this no shampoo business, but I do feel like my hair is happier with me--like I'm not killing it slowly with each wash. And for that, I'm grateful.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Conversations at Dove
This morning I played piano at the church service at Dove Healthcare center. I use the words "played" and "service" very liberally here. My attempts to accompany the service were limited to pounding out the melody and alto part with my right hand.The scrap of paper I wrote the hymns down on was accidentally thrown away by an innocent member of my family and I didn't realize until too late. No practice for me. Also, anyone who has attended one of these "services" knows that they are very similar to what I'd imagine holding a long chapel at a daycare would be like.
When I arrived, I sat at the piano to quickly run through the hymns for that morning. A old couple was seated almost immediately to my left. As I started to warm up, I overheard the following exchange between the husband and wife:
Woman (very loudly): Look. Look at her. She doesn't look well at all.
{and since she is three feet away, I can tell from the corner of my eye that she is pointing right at me}
Man: What?
Woman: She doesn't look well.
Man: She can hear you.
Woman: What?
Man: She can hear you what you're saying!
Woman: Really? No...
Man: Yes, I can tell.
Woman: You can tell?
Man: Yes, I can tell! I can tell just by looking at her.
(Long pause while both of them lean forward and stare at me while I stumble through the rest of the verse).
Yikes, I've never tried harder to keep a blank face. Playing for Dove is never boring.
When I arrived, I sat at the piano to quickly run through the hymns for that morning. A old couple was seated almost immediately to my left. As I started to warm up, I overheard the following exchange between the husband and wife:
Woman (very loudly): Look. Look at her. She doesn't look well at all.
{and since she is three feet away, I can tell from the corner of my eye that she is pointing right at me}
Man: What?
Woman: She doesn't look well.
Man: She can hear you.
Woman: What?
Man: She can hear you what you're saying!
Woman: Really? No...
Man: Yes, I can tell.
Woman: You can tell?
Man: Yes, I can tell! I can tell just by looking at her.
(Long pause while both of them lean forward and stare at me while I stumble through the rest of the verse).
Yikes, I've never tried harder to keep a blank face. Playing for Dove is never boring.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
OK, one more video, GO
This past Thursday I had to chance to see one of my favorite bands in concert at the UW. OK Go's next CD doesn't come until January, but they released their latest music video just a few days ago. And it is outstanding.
If the video isn't working, try this link.
Sorry about the lyrics, but you've got to check the video out... It is just fascinating.
If you like it, check out some of their other music videos (you've probably seen the treadmill one before). They are all extremely original.
If the video isn't working, try this link.
Sorry about the lyrics, but you've got to check the video out... It is just fascinating.
If you like it, check out some of their other music videos (you've probably seen the treadmill one before). They are all extremely original.
yes, i'm resorting to cute animal videos to fill my blog
Most of this grey, overcast Saturday will be spent catching up on laundry and cleaning my room, but first I just had to share this short video. This kitten should brighten up your afternoon.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
It's all Steinbeck's fault
While waiting for Janie to find the books she needed for class, I walked up and down the aisles, hoping to find something I couldn't say no to. I happened upon this novel:
I found this book in 11th grade when I was required to select from a long list a book by an American author. I can remember the exact setting in which I finished reading this book. And let me tell you, it is heartwrenching. Absolutely devastating.
I have read many books, and I have cried many times. But for some reason, this book was different. For some reason, this book hit a spot that no other book had. I must have finished it during a study hall I was spending in the Commons or a lunch period, because I remember walking from the Commons up to Reim Hall in a daze. Shannon was walking with me, and I simply recall babbling on to her about how beautifully tragic the story was... how much I loved it... how deeply it touched me... and how at this moment I knew, that whatever I did in my life, I wanted in some way to affect others. Just like that book had affected me, I wanted to affect others. I remember saying that I wanted to make others feel things. Feel emotions! Whether good or bad, I didn't even care. I just had to impact others. I knew I sounded like a complete hopeless and ridiculous mess, but I didn't care. I wasn't ashamed.
Even now, years later, I can still feel what I felt on that day with perfect clarity. And so, when I picked up an old used copy of The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by Steinbeck that Saturday morning, I knew I had to take it home with me. I felt I owed it at least that much. Every time I think about my future, about what I could possibly do in my life, I remember that book, and the way I felt when I finished it.
How's that for over-dramatic?
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