Still catching up from last year - Smart People

i guess i just love independent films, and i love them when they are written well.

smart people has some of the greatest, intelligent-people dialogue and it makes it so clever and witty and to be honest, one you might need to watch with subtitles to catch all the snippets of humor embedded deep. there are just some moments that are so stinkin funny...

quotable quotes:
Vanessa Wetherhold: [stressed] I'm in an after-school special.

Lawrence Wetherhold: Why would you have a baby with me?
Janet Hartigan: Because you don't know how to properly use a condom.
Lawrence Wetherhold: Point taken.

Lawrence Wetherhold: You're a giant toddler!

Vanessa Wetherhold: You should really make your bed. It sets the tone for the day.
Chuck Wetherhold: But, how do you know what tone I was trying to set?

little ellen page is a juno-wit-type character, just as snappy and fun to watch, though with an opposite set of traits: NHS, high SATs... she is a brainer, which just makes it funny. the interesting ones to watch are the Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker match up. they are so unassuming, and still when it is done you almost don't see it... but it works for what they need it too, i guess. (lets be honest though, who doesn't want to have hair just like her.. long, wavy... yummy. or like meg's in women... anyway, i digress.)

again, why i love indie films is cause they move a a closer-to-reality pace than a romantic comedy or even a drama would. they don't try to embellish more than needful. and both of these actors played roles that were uncommon to them: quaid as a pompous jerk with almost no charm, and parker as one who could melt into the film instead of bubble her way into the forefront. (not that i believe she does this on purpose, but something about her look and/or acting gives off a vibe that really pulls me out of films that she is in sometimes. she is just too jumpy or bubbly or fake or something... but i loved it. then, on the other hand, she was quirky in family stone, and i loved that one...)

anyway, that's all i had on that one.

in my humble, yet correct opinion: 3/5

don't buy it, netflicks it though- a great lazy homealoner.

another new-ish review: Ms. Pettigrew Lives for a Day

this goes to show how powerful the previews are. i saw the preview for this one whilst watching atonement and i instantly put it on my queue.

i thought i would love the movie because i adore amy adams. i thought it was going to be a kind of witty, period piece that would interesting to see. but the fairly new director gave me something i didn't expect.

amy was fun and all, but it was ms pettigrew (Francis McDormand) who shined for me. she was just a joy to watch. not to mention my new crush from pushing daisies: Lee Pace. what an adorably charming actor. he's just fresh and new and great on screen. also noteworthy are the supporting roles Ciarán Hinds & Shirley Henderson (moaning murtle), who were both fun additions to the little farse.

i love the kind of movie that throws me in media res and gives me way too much information to handle so i am just as lost as the character they want me to identify with. i love that we figure life out at the same time ms. pettrigrew does. it isn't an extrodinarily deep film, it doesn't change your life. but you will wish you lived in the forties because of the fun costumes and bars, and you will wish you had a guy like lee to be the one that knocks some sense into you. yes, it is a blatant chick flick, yes it is slightly an indulgent one, and yes, i squealed a few times... so worth it.

in my humble, yet correct opinion: 3.5/5

and yes, this is an owner for me.
can't have too many girly uppity films in your stash.
unless it is another one of those she's-from-new-york-and-a-magazine-editor-or-something-and-yadda-yadda-perfect-life films... then you don't need it. you have five of those already.

New-ish movie Review -- Atonement

stunningly beautiful

cinematically captivating

this story is so compelling that it begged to be told. the performances of Kiera Nightley and the oldest briony, played by Vanessa Redgrave were exceptional. i thought kiera's lover, played by James McAvoy was a little bland. that could be simply a director's choice, but then again, maybe not. I mean, his last noteworthy performance was as a faun.

this is one of those movies that you are not necessarily on the edge of your seat, but your insides are. it is easy to become invested in a little girl's childish lie and it is easy to take the story for face value, just as it is told. so when you find that there is no redemption, it begs the question: then why "atonement?" and it is suddenly no longer just a pretty film. it truly asks the audience to think about the stories we tell and how they affect those in our world.

noteworthy technical elements: costuming and lighting. i kept praising the use of color and fabric... and that green dress.... hello! and even though the period felt more like an interpretation than an accurate representation, i loved the womens' clothes, from the nurse's uniforms down to kiera's swimsuit. the lighting played with the concept of harsh situations vs. the innocence of a child and told the story as well. the young girl always looked like a painting, perfect and hazed, and the rest of her world that she wrote about was bright and in sharp contrasted lighting. irony in lights? loved it.

the war scenes are an interpretation of WWII that you would never have thought to imagine. the lay-out, the colors, the mood of it all, is one that I have not seen a comparison.

as far as the rating, i don't recall why it was even given a Restricted rating, unless it was to purposely grab a mature audience to handle the content. there is some war violence and mature situations is what i believe it was labeled.

in my humble, yet correct opinion: 5/5

oh. and atonement is one to own.
a possibly powerful, thought-provoker, so it might be an
only-a-few-times-a-year kind of flick,
but it should live on your shelf nonetheless.

oh. it also should have won best picture last year.
but maybe i should see the winner first prior to
making just a bold statement. ok, i will...
but i still think it.

Old School Movie Review #10 -- Baby Mama

I guess I can hardly call this one "old school" cause it still feels so recent. Maybe its just that I love Tina Fey and Amy Poehler more than I can describe. They are both so much fun in the Baby Mama, and though both of them are similar characters than we've seen, you buy em and fall in love with both of them so fast.

The plot is expected, not much of it is a surprise, but the dialogue is witty and hilarious and some of the extra characters make it a serious kick in the pants.
Tina's boss, for example, is a very granola/borderline Fabio played by a starting-to-look-sort-of-old Steve Martin.

It is the perfect example of what happens when a good writer sits down and defines characters well and then envisions only the most devastatingly hilarious things for them to say. It also has a little chick flicky/heart warming side too so it was good times all over. I recommend it to anyone.

In my humble, yet correct opinion: 4/5

This one could be a renter or an owner. maybe and owner for me.

Talladega Nights --- Old School Movie Review #9

I have things I could be doing that are far more productive. And let me tell you, if I were a real and normal individual I would not be doing what I am about to do:

I was "indoctrinated" this weekend into a slightly cultish movie of the area I am now a part of. (AKA: I would not understand half of the conversations in the air if I did not partake myself) This one is one of those movies that looks like it is so beyond retarded that there should be no room for humor in it. Honestly though: I was impressed by its shear stupidity. Stupid humor is an art form too, and they nailed it. They also nailed a white trash culture that is so fascinating to those of us in but not of their world. Loved every second, I have to admit. Sue me.

Best scene: the family sits down for prayer and he prays to baby Jesus. They all get in a fight over who to pray to and that Jesus had a beard..etc. "I am saying grace! When you are praying, you can pray to baby Jesus, or toddler Jesus, or teenage Jesus, or bearded Jesus..." The scene takes quite a long time and is horrendously irreverent. But so funny.

Best line: (a gay French car racer) "My husband Gregory and I wish for that which every other couple wish for: to tame komodo dragons in Sri Lanka and teach them to perform Hamlet." I may or may not have tinkled a few and had to rewind it thrice to be sure that is what he said.

In my humble, yet correct opinion: 4/5

Own or rent?: hmm, depends on you i suppose.

Dag- 2 in 1 day...

Too good not to. Here: I love Onion. Period. Soon I will be able to pick up my very own copy in person and read it on the way to work and laugh out loud to disturb the other public transit users.

For now, enjoy the videos...

Doogie Howser -- where have you been hiding?

uh oh... i have found a gem. a true gem.

Neil Patrick Harris, I realize this proves to all that your career is officially washed up farther on shore than an Alec Baldwin or even a Mario Lopez.... but I appreciate your dedication to geekdom and to the wide world of cheap and accessible entertainment.

If you have 40 minutes, and I know you do, please just enjoy this piece of randomness and joy.

he IS bigger than his body gives him credit for...

john mayer


Set list:
Belief
Vultures
Crossroads
Daughters '74
Neon
Free Falling <~~~ gonna need to buy this one.
Another You
Stitched Up
Waiting on the World to Change
Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do
Good Love is On the Way
No Such Thing
Gravity
Say

Encore:
My Sweet Lord
Bigger Than My Body

words are sorely inadequate to describe the joy that is the JM concert. he is so fun... and if he wasn't so skinny i would want him all over. wait no, i still do. cough.

total chills count: perhaps 7
times i caught myself with my jaw on the floor: 10
the number of people that i had to call and gloat to: 3
the number of entire-song music messages I left: like 4.

some of his dialogue "between the lines" just got us all laughing at is stupid humor and lovable personality. he really loves what he does and happens to be brilliant at it. 20x better live than in studio- and who is surprised by that?! (the answer: no one.)

"man, it's a good feeling when after the first song in the set you can already feel the show is going to be a knockout..."

"when you don't like a song one way you just change it... fix it until you like it again. ya know- like Body is a Wonderland... you squeeze everything out of it that you can until it is a disgusting mess of pulp and skin... and rind..."

"it is amazing the power that comes with a microphone and speakers. i can say anything that it will get a rise out of you. here, let's try: i am almost out of clean socks!" (Audience erupts...)

"right here is why i shouldn't shop at GAP. (points at pants) these are great for working out in cause they make you go (makes a 'stuff getting sucked in' noise) and if you don't have pants that go (makes a 'stuff getting sucked in' noise) it is going to be a short workout!" (then he re-tied his drawstring)

"this is a fun show. i am really having a good time!"

...and yes, he skipped off stage. apparently he DID have a great time. john, i am glad you enjoyed yourself in the exclamatory state of utah... cause we sure did...

Colbie Caillat...

was stunning. another great artist that is fun to hear live cause she makes it new and present. i she is so cute i just sat and beamed for a good solid hour and loved every moment. she also loved her job and gave us a lot of behind-the-scenes info into some of the songs... i love that. she isn't much of a mover though, so when she asked us to "get up and dance with her" we all started tapping our thigh and looking at each other, "...like this?..."

Brett Dennen

the perfect opener. i wish his set could have been longer so more could see and enjoy the greatness that is brett- in live form. he kind of mumbles more when he's live, but his music is crisp and fun and created a great atmosphere we decided. i new i liked him before... and that will only grow...

oh- and i am going to be in california next week... and so is john. i think i might see him again... that's all i'm sayin...

I am Jo March... there, I've said it.

I hate to post so soon after Dark Knight because it would appear that there is a lack of respect there, but alas.
Must take time out for all forms of media-- that would include theatre.

Last night I saw Little Women at the Hale and I was very pleased. Why does this show always induce tears? I think it is partially because of how indulgently female the story is: family of girls live in a time where being outspoken or un-feminine in any way is abhorred, female writers are much harder to get published, and sibling issues/events with an already emotional/hormonal family of females can get pretty insane. I also just feel like I am Jo March at times. I have too many dreams at times about just publishing something great or feeling "Astonishing" in the world... or at anything. And I would just love to play that part. I sing those songs in my car at the top of my lungs and it reminds we why theatre is so great.

I also love the love stories that evolve in the show. They are so subtle, and my favorite song is at the end as the professor (whom she has a very platonic relationship with at the time) says, Hey we are two different people, but you make me laugh and smile and I feel pain when you aren't there...etc. So sweet and real. And yes, were it not a live, theatre piece, it would be a cheesy girlish movie that you might sit and mock because it couldn't be more cheddar. But this one will always be a favorite. I loved BYU's production of it when they did it this past year, but I think I even liked this one more because of the ability to attend to detail and reality emotion wise. Plus, the other show was far too long and had random dancers in it because they are political BYU and had to give people something to do so they can feel important about themselves. Whatevs.

adrenaline in pure form------ New Movie Review #5

Without allowing any previous knowledge from any outside source I scurried into my assigned seat at the 12:15am show. (Yes, we anxiously sat in out seats, with giddy fingers rocking back and forth with childish excitement)

I had heard things like, "his performance is Oscar-worthy" and "best work either of them (& Bale) have done..."

I caught myself with my jaw dropped on more than one occasion. Why?
1) I honestly had to remind myself that the man behind that brilliant make-up job really was Heath Ledger. It has been a long while since I have fallen in love with a villain because he is simply so brilliant at being one. But he is. I am convinced that his ratio of brilliant moments that were directed vs the moments that he invented on intuition were 90:10. What a loveable hated man. And it is such a contrast to his previous work that it does in fact stand out. I honestly believe that were he to live longer, he would've had been able to show us more of this side of him. The side that can morph into unsuspecting characters in the way that only Johnny Depp has been able to.


2) The FX in this film laugh at the first, less because they are finely crafted and real-looking CGI and more because they are just so unexpected. My small bladder could honestly barely take it.

3) Christian Bale, I think it goes without saying: you ARE Batman. The reality of all of the facets of his life unfold and the character is so much deeper now. Also a favorite is Commissioner Gordon whom you will eat up from the start. Maggie Gyllenhaal on the other hand, is a sketchy cast for me, (what with the saggy cheeks and awkward mouth movements and all) but she serves her purpose well enough so as not to distract from the angry men that we are so invested in. I mean, better than Katie Holmes, but this ain't no Star Wars III- no excuses for under-par performance.

My hands were tightly secured in my armpits for most of the duration of the film and when they weren't there, they were checking the underside of my seat-- I was sure it was hydraulicized. Honestly it was a ride, a never-ending-and-wished-it-wouldn't ride that was beautifully underscored by a sub woofer embedded in my seat. Lets put it this way: do not bring your 12-year-old boy to see Dark Knight unless you want to hear girlish squealing... it is called "dark" for a reason. You find yourself giddy and squirmy at every explosion and every bad guy that gets blown up... sure it's real good for teenagers. Here's me-- not caring.

My commitment I made this morning at 3:00am: I will see this film 3 more times in theaters, and any time following will be in an equally stunning, sound-infused/large screen environment... or forget it. It just wouldn't be fair-- even to the key grip.

In my humble, yet correct opinion: 5/5

Raising Arizona ----- Old School Movie Review #8

i love movies. there-- said it.


i can't help myself when they tell me that they are going to show fun movies-- outdoors-- at sundance-- for free.


thanks- i will be there.


last night i went and saw "Raising Arizona" and i have to say that the Coen brothers continue to entertain me. i love the humor in the over-dramatic stereotype of southwestern hicks. cage is so brilliantly white trash and the dialogue could be comprable at times to my Diablo Cody's wit. i enjoyed it thoroughly and will be attending many more of these films.

i thank you.

[Evelle is buying diapers]
Evelle: You know how to put these things on?
Grocer: Well, around the butt and up over the groin area.
Evelle: I know WHERE they go, old timer. I just want to know if I need pins or fasteners.
Grocer: Well, no, they got them tape-ettes already on there. It's self-contained and fairly explanatory.

Policeman: Do you have any disgruntled employees?
Nathan Arizona Sr: Hell, they're all disgruntled. I ain't running no damn daisy farm. My motto is "Do it my way or watch your butt!"
Policeman: Well, do you think any of them could've done it?
Nathan Arizona Sr: Oh, don't make me laugh. Without my say-so they wouldn't piss with their pants on fire.

Prison Counsellor: Why do you say you feel "trapped" in a man's body?
"Trapped" Convict: Well, sometimes I get them menstrual cramps real hard.

the last line of the film (as he is dreaming about tons of kids and grandkids all around)
H.I: [thinking] If not Arizona, then a land not too far away. Where all parents are strong and wise and capable. And all children are happy and beloved. I don't know. Maybe it was Utah.

...for an audience of Utans (this one raised in AZ)... brilliant.

the greatest thing to happen to me

i sometimes have a bit of a problem at work.
it is known as inevitable boredom/ lack of motivation.
i wont lie, having one month left at an already
uneventful get-by campus job is finally catching up to me.

between answering entertaining phone calls from
incompetent mothers of incompetent children generally
of the area of georgia with thick fast southern drawls
and strings of awkward endearments,
i sit and attempt to be productive at life.

things i should be doing:
-reading one of the books on my "currently reading list"
so i can actually move on to the 25ish on my "want-to-read-right-now-but-can't-yet-because-i-have-3-i-am-currently-reading" list...
-working on my 2 Independent Study classes so i can
be an official graduate instead of a fake one.

what am i doing?

hulu.com

watching all of the seasons of LOST that i have missed...
even though i know the show is a never-ending string of
loose ends and character development rather than a plot driven drama,


i can't help myself...
but i take breaks to watch all of Arrested Development (Season 3- cause I don't know it as well) and other awesome shows that i have missed because i have been a lame college student for the past few years...

...perfect anecdote to a work-induced boredom disease...

music connoisseur of sorts

ya know when you are on a first date and the guy says, "so uh... what kind of music do you like to listen to?" i usually freeze. not because i am not a music person but because i know that means that they probably have more music that i will eventually need in my life.

well, date, it's going to be hard to narrow... and i hope it doesn't make you think less of me that i am 90% acoustic/mellow/soul and love mostly male musicians that can write lyrics...

i have a need in my life to always acquire new, good music. i like most genres, save maybe thrashing crap metal or most rap. or like opera... bloody q-tips... but i am not entirely against rap though... i just think most of it is crap-- like bad hip hop. looking at this list of music that i have fallen in love with this year makes me wish i understood how all of the millions of random subgenres work so i could tell you what "kind" of music happens around here... all i know is if i can sing to it (which usually requires a talented vocalist) or if it rocks just a bit, or both, or if it involves black artists- which probably does have both of these things... then i generally like it.

that makes it sound like i am easy to please- alas, i am not.

artists i have growing music crushes on as of this past year (not comprehensive, but close):

Joshua Radin

Brett Dennen
Eric Hutchinson

Sara Bareillas

Death Cab for Cutie

Colbie Caillat

Joshua James

Flight of the Conchords

Regina Spektor

All American Rejects

Amy Winehouse

Raul Midon

Billy Porter

Secondhand Serenade

Ingrid Michaelson

Ferras

Amos Lee

and those that i had but continue to love, especially as they have released (or i have discovered) new awesome things:

Damien Rice (live stuff is pretty bril... and this video is captivating)

Coldplay (Viva la Vida is the best)

John Mayer (live stuff is best...) speaking of... JULY 21st, 2008 SLC baby!!!!

Rascal Flatts (all of it. and i may or may not want to tear one away from his wife...)

Foo Fighters (why am i just discovering how great they are? don't answer that)

Celine Dion (new cd is actually kinda fun)

Gavin Degraw (his new album is killer- a car staple)

Lifehouse (who were they before this one? really...)

Jason Mraz (always love you, always will...)

8 up from the average illiterate... good to know...

Here's how it works:

The Big Read says that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Make the ones you loved obnoxiously larger than life
4) Reprint this list so we can try and track down these people who've read only 6 or less and make them read.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now..... THE BIG READ TOP 100

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. The Harry Potter Series JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller (I own this but have yet to read it)
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh .
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen .
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan .
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry .
87. Charlotte's Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Read : 14

Want to read: 13

(truth be told my list of to-read grows as I hear more... some of these are on my current one, and some of them are on the "in my lifetime" list... so...)

I want to be an adapter... -(Semi) Old School Movie Review #7

That is really what this one boils down to: I want to be the one that takes an existing piece of brilliant literature (The Kite Runner)and just smashes down until it is barely recognizable as the story once told.

Ok not. I loved the book, and I guess the film was just a bit rushed for me. Not awful. I would give it one more chance just to be sure, but it wasn't shattering or anything. And I will admit, I had hoped it would be. They missed out on the part of the book that is so meaningful and relatable I thought. Sure, the essence was there. The setting was well communicated and a few of the characters I actually liked. Most of them I didn't though.

The biggest downfall of any adaptation is what you will find here: editing. When adapting, you cannot-- I will repeat-- cannot cram the entire story in. Duh. That's a no-brainer. (I thought so too) but apparently the makers of this one thought it was still a good idea so they picked the kites themselves as the theme, crammed all the footage they could into 2 hours, and left out most of the harshly redeeming and sincere moments.

Possible ways the film could have been done (obviously without ruining it for you):

Maybe narrating it would have helped. So much of the book is told from one perspective and most of which comes straight out of his head. We only learn through about the other characters because of how we understand his heart. His guilt is what drives the piece. It is also what most can't handle as they read because it does tend to leave a very negative and depressing stroke on the reader.

Maybe pick only a few of the plot lines to tell. Truth be told, the movie was going to be great, but they couldn't really spend the time on the good parts, so it just... wasn't. Don't brush over the whole thing and give me a shallow film experience. Give me one to the point deep and moving one. Maybe then I would have sobbed at the end like I did reading the book. just an idea.

In my humble, yet correct opinion: 2/5
(for forgetability, less-than-par casting, and poor editing)

(as a brief adendum... if you haven't read the book, the film perhaps could have been more like a 3/5. My criticism is more in the adaption than the film itself. Which I understand isn't the most fair.)

Scrictly a renter. But do, because it is entertaining.

The movie website
Go buy the book

between daylight and darkness...

Caved. That's my only excuse. I caved. I didn't really want to read it, and I knew it wasn't going to be all that great, but I read the whole thing anyways. Well, this one. I don't know that I have the stomach for the next two.

Disclaimer: I am going to teach English and/or literature at some point in my life. A professor that I respect says that it made a lot of his students into readers-- so I digress. I borrowed--not purchased-- this novelty item and found myself reading it much later than twilight.

Admittedly, for a young writer, I have to say I give her credit for her zeal to tell an unfamiliar story though so familiar in a lot of ways too. I hate to say it, but from the Mormon girl perspective I couldn't help but see all of the ties of vampire thirsting after human as an uncanny parallel to the chastity lines...etc. I loved the way the story moved for the most part, in that it was engaging and left me wanting to read more. On the other hand, not a lot happens in this book... in fact, it takes a few hundred pages before you forget your reading. Until then, my eyes are sore from reading the same phrases, "he was a marble Greek pagan god..." and "i could not make out his expression..." All I have to say is, if you don't know his expression- then don't be a writer... or at least don't worry about trying to describe it over and over if you have run our of your black piggy bank of midget words.

In her defense, because I do want to write something that people like to read as well, I have to say she has done just that: provided a fun topic of conversation. I have heard a handful of people say the words: "I am not really a reader. In fact I don't usually read at all... but for some reason (probably peer pressure or your mom) I have picked it up and found myself flipping..." that is a good sign. Making readers out of not-readers is a good business too. I believe in that at least. I spent a lot of time at the high school recently, and seen lots of these books... so I guess that professor was right- at least they are reading. And if they get through these books, who's to say they wont stop to pick up another one? And then another? Reading Epidemic! (But don't take MY word for it... da na na!)

Not my favorite, not the best writing by any means, but fun. I personally am not allowed to read the other two because I fear it might cause me to have some sort of spazm in the brain.

My humble yet correct opinion: 3/5

A borrower.

lets talk about it

...the media.

Wow- How many did they say had called in to vote for American Idol?
Oh I will tell you: 97.5 million audience votes cast by phone and text.
Last year’s total vote count was 74 million.

I wish I knew how many votes were cast in the last political election. Or the ratio of Americans that even know what is going on with that political thing anyway. Last I heard we are getting a black man not a woman. Whatever. I guess I am a bit indifferent when it comes to that. What? I am? I am more interested in which kid can sing more entertainingly on national television than who will run my country? Yeah- I guess in some ways I am? Wow. talk about naive and shallow to the world! But lets talk: 97.5 million people care about it—not just me.

Not that I am saying that the race to the oval office should be as popularity based as said vocal contest. But it is a vocal contest. A contest of performance. Who will out perform? And are we even watching? Not really- because "So you think you can dance?" is starting tomorrow!

We are so preoccupied with these reality shows because they are centered around us. Our lives. People just like you and me can get on a show like that and make it somewhere in their life. Like Ali in Biggest Loser, David Archuleta of American Idol...

I just thought it was interesting is all.

i MARVEL... -New Movie Review #4

I have to say that I don't often get overly excited about the script of an action movie, and usually not of a superhero one either, but I guess there is always an exception to the rule.

Iron Man was a 2-hour ride. Who is to blame for this exhilaration? That would be the brilliant casting director. Robert Downy Jr. is so unassuming and down to earth on screen, and as the superhero that comes unexpected, he was just what we needed. Every line is a throw away line- so natural and sarcastic. I don't know wether to attribute this to the writing or to Downy himself, but the combination is uncanny. The way that he communicates with the other characters is just choice. Gwyneth was also a fun choice because she is so non-typical of the hot assistance/damsel-in-distress/falls in love with the shallow hunk. She has a certain depth that was fun to watch and certainly fun to watch her as such a selfless actor- letting Downy take lead.

FX- it wouldn't be an action movie without them and these ones were great. The brilliantly crafted CGI for the hilariously unreal technology was enjoyable and captivating. The intelligence robots were almost human with personality and served as sidekicks to Downy's little comedy ride.

Storywise/editing was on top because the pacing was so great- every scene was vital and it never dragged. I felt like an enpowered male at the end because I got that rush. Down to the last few minutes- that still frustrate me a bit- I was a giddy, wide-eyed mess.

Word of the wise- not a waste of cash. In fact- probably a much needed shelve necessesity.

Father to Son & Son to Father...

I happened upon this as I was looking for an article and stopped to watch it. I couldn't stop it in the middle though—had to finish it. At first it looked like it was going to be a cheesy little video about a father and son and I thought that mostly because of the music choice, but it moved me by the time it was over. The choice of music followed the images so well that it was almost manipulatingly emotional to watch. I thought about the relationships I have with the members of my family, or the relationships that I have had with those who are disabled, and I felt a twinge of guilt for not having the faith that this father has had. With only the video to watch, there seems to be so much of the story missing. So much we have yet to know about the boy and his father and what all they have done together and for each other. I found the article first, but I didn't read it until after the video. The article is what put me to tears. I was impressed of course at the writing of this simple story, being the graceful words of one of my favorites: Rick Reilly. He beautifully crafts an image of the two men and how normal and simple their lives are. But yet they are anything but ordinary.

In a classroom, this would be an interesting lesson about how we understand stories and what we do as creators of media to initiate understanding in our audience. In this case, the use of music and a wonderful editing job is what communicated the theme of the story. The actual story, was written by a clever writer who obviously admired the men in the story. I wonder how it might have turned out if the story were written by a long-time neighbor of Rick and Dick who was indifferent. What if Rick could make the video? What would he have wanted us to see about his story? Interesting to think about.

Freedom Writers -(Semi) Old School Movie Review #6

So- I will be honest, I was a little wary of watching this movie, only because I knew it was a difficult subject to swallow for some. Admittedly, it was a bit of a discouraging view of what teaching could be like at first, especially in an inner city school. I loved the story and I loved the performances-- something about it felt so honest to me. I loved also how well set up each character was in the story-- every student had a voice, even in the movie. The screen writer used their words and let the characters speak for themselves and that to me stood as a remarkable story of speaking out.

I thought the story had a more practical and personal use for me as a teacher because it made me think of specific classroom management techniques and how to create a democratic classroom. One of the most important things I believe teachers have the power to do is to create an environment where the students feel as one and can be themselves. It can be a powerful learning experience for them if they care about what they are teaching. Mrs. G. really tailored the lessons and projects to the students to make that possible.