REVIEW: Underworld: Evolution

Director: Len Wiseman



Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Tony Curran and... yea, they're the only main ones really, everyone else died before you even knew who they were.



Plot: A word of advice, watch the first one before you see this film. It's not one of those sequels where it has the same characters but takes you into a different adventure. No, this film has the same characters and just ADDS to the original story, which is pretty cool actually. You don't find too many sequels like that anymore. Let me try and explain this complex story without a.) overloading non-prequel watcher's minds and b.) sounding insane. Ok, it's vampires versus werewolves (aka lykins) in the mordern world... Selene (Beckinsale) is the coolest one of them all because she wears a full body leather suit and can make a really good wide-eyed "I'm a vampire so don't mess" face. Also, her recently acquired boyfriend Micheal (Speedman), has been transformed into a "hybrid", aka half vampire half werewolf. He's got all these cool powers now like, bashing demons into walls and... jumping really far... you know all that cool stuff. Anyway, there's been some deception in the vampire clan, and Selene wants to get to the bottom of it. She kills Viktor, one of the oldest and higher ranking vampires, after finding out his betrayal. Soon she'll have others tracking her and Michael down, but she's still determined to find the truth of all the deception, and she'll go to any lengths to get to it.




Alright, I have to apologize. That is the best plot I can come up with without it being two pages long. Like I mentioned before, this was quite a complex story and would be difficult to include EVERYTHING. So, sorry to Underworld fans for only involving about 1/4 of the plot.
Now, for the critiques. Although none of the acting seemed to bother me, I've seen better. Some of these guys seemed like they belonged on a Shakespearian theather stage with the way they spoke and set their posture. Not a bad thing... but this movie definitley wasn't Shakespeare. This movie was extremely dark and evil that at times, my mind would be telling me, "What on Earth are you putting into your brain, Stephanie?" The look of some of these... villians, gave me such a creeped out feeling that it reminded me of when I saw a scene from the Exorcist andI felt my stomach do a nausiating somersault. But we'll get to that stuff in a minute. The acting... like I said, not bad. They all did their best, and I'd forget that I was watching people that knew they had a camera on them. Kate, oh Kate. You truly are smoking hot. Apparently everyone thinks so and I'm certainly not going to deny it. This role was good for her. Her character was determined, strong and ok let's face it, vampires are pretty cool sometimes, and she nailed it. I'm wondering if she knows any other emotion besides "pissed off" though. Ok, now on to Mr. Speedman. I'd hate to say it ladies, but there's really nothing special here. I'm not sure what else he's worked on but apparently he's pretty well known. Why haven't I heard of him? Regard two sentences ago, nothing special. Cute, yes. Low jeans and great abs? Check. But I can picture a hundred other guys that could've played his role just as well.
Direction, photography, art direction... all that stuff. Actually pretty well done. Altough this type of movie really wasn't my type, I found it's style very attractive. Very dark. Literally dark, I mean there were no colors other than black, blue and red. The look was very gothic. Huge chandeliers, red velvet drapes and all the leather they could find. (Most of it was worn by Ms. Beckinsale. I'm wondering though, is she really that skinny, or do you think that leather cat suit is just squeezing it all in? Oh, who am I kidding, she's really that skinny...)
Special Effects, very very good. Here's how I've come to that conclusion. There were images that made me want to hurl, like when that hideous winged-vampire came into the scene. Or everytime some creature got one of their limbs "removed" or face chewed off. Sick, graphic stuff I'm talking about here people, but these guys had no fear working on this movie. They really took the time to make these fictionous characters seem as real as possible and it shows through in their work. Although, I find it a little strange in the first place that there are people who would enjoy watching such gruesome images... but you know whatever works I guess.
Music coordination was also very well done. They chose a hard-rock approach, and it definitley fit well with the movie's theme. It really set the tone for the film, giving it the perfect distinction of evil and mischief.
Ok, next subject, cameramen or whoever was in charge of all those angles. Look, not everyone has A.D.D., so can s-l-o-w down the action a little bit here. Here, I'll give you an example of what I'm talking about. During those fighting scenes, all I could see were a bunch of elbows and feet flinging around (ahem, Bourne Supremecy). Oh, or I'll look at the screen and think, "What is that? Is that a bush? No wait... maybe it's a balloon, defnitley a balloon... ohhh hang on wait, it's just someone's shoulder..." Two words people, ZOOM OUT! I couldn't tell what was going on at times! And that's all I have to say about that.
Alright, time for the rating. Honestly, this movie didn't impress me. Although the style was exceptionally creative, there was nothing extraordinary about the actual film. Truthfully, I became bored at times. Yea, not a good sign when my mind drifts off to different things during the film like "Ooo love that lipgloss she's wearing...is that frost?" or "I bet she squeaks when she walks...". Something was missing, I'm not sure what it was. Maybe it was the so-so acting. Or perhaps the intricate plot that grew too predictable towards the end, I don't know. But for the most part, just a little too creepy for me, so I think for now, I'll just stick with Buffy for my vampire watching. (Grrr, ARG!)




Rating: 3/5

Bonjour mes amies!

So not much going on except for school... and work. Oh well. I volunteered to be a Note-Taker for a student with special needs in my math class, and I'm actually really excited about it. It just feels cool to know that I'm helping them out in some way. :-) Also, on Monday there is a little information meeting on this school club called Bacchus, and they help bring awareness and ways to prevent underage drinking. I was thinking about going just to see what it was all about. If the program doesn't take too much time out of my schedule to be a part of it, then I'd love to join. So that's another thing that's going on.
My favorite class so far is Western Civilization. I love Europe (Italy baby! ... one of these days), and the professor I have for that class shows a great knowledge for the subject. You ever have a teacher stand in front of the classroom and just read out of a textbook? Or just hand out a bunch of worksheets for you to fill out but never really go over any lecturing? I can't stand that! It's like they don't know what they're talking about or something I dont know. But this guy, my Western Civ instructor, never looks at notes. He's got all the facts in his head and includes everyone in his lectures. Very nice.
Why does work have to be so BORING! I'd hate to be so pessimistic and everything but I just DREAD work these days, and I only work on the weekends! Maybe in the summer when I don't have school to think about, I'll look for some other jobs. My mind keeps telling me to go for waitressing, but I always have this worry that the tips I make just won't be enough to pay bills. Sometimes I'd just rather have the steady paycheck I have with cashiering. But we'll see. I try to be open-minded anyway.
Tim and I had a blast tonight. We ordered a bunch of food from McDonald's, finished our James Bond/Austin Powers saga, then ate ice cream cones and played a Star Wars video game until it was time for bed. FUN! Have I ever announced to anyone yet that Obi Wan Kenobi is my boyfriend? (Well... the younger one). Yea, he and I get along great. I'm always him when I play the Star Wars trivia pursuit game and stuff. (Yes, someday this obsession will go away, don't worry...) Anyway, thanks Tim for a great night! Hopefully you and I will get to see a movie tomorrow night, your choice!
OK, It's getting late, so I'll talk to you all later. Unka Shaina, I have NO idea what your movie line is from! Give us a hint! And mom, PLEASE start your own blog, it would be so neat! Alrighty, love you guys.

Love,
Steph

REVIEW: The New World

Director: Terrence Malick

Original Music: James Horner

Art Direction: David Crank

Starring: Q'Orianka Kilcher, Colin Farrell, Christopher Plummer and Christian Bale


Plot: 1607. A new world is discovered, one full of beauty and promise... and also plenty of land for the English to take over, huh? We're guided into the story of Pocahontas, but you won't find any talking willow trees in this one. Malick takes us through a much more realistic version of the tale. Not just because this one isn't cartoon animated, but because of how we're taken back in time, and lead into a world we've only READ about: exploration, inventions, new lands, different cultures, how they find love, meet loss and learn hate. This film invites you into it's journey...





Wow. From the start of the opening credits to the very end, absolutely stunning. I wanted to bring attention to the music and art directors at the top, because those two (and whoever else working alongside them) deserve JUST as much credit as the actual Director. Job well done to everyone who worked on this film, truly. Oscar-worthy stuff here.
Let me start off with the muscial score. From my knowledge, James Horner is the same man who choreographed the score for Braveheart, and who didn't love THAT music? Gorgeous, right? He doesn't slack off for The New World either. I loved his work in this movie because in no way did his music distract us from the story. It flowed with it, and added such feeling to some of these scenes we were shown. Where there was love, he gave us the the true and delicate sounds of the piano. Where there was sadness he tortured our emotions using the sounds of the strings. Battle? No problem. I could feel my heart beat with every pound of a drum. Horner's music takes your mind INTO the movie. You don't just watch it, you feel it.
Art direction. My, my, my if this film were ever to be described into one word, it's artistic. America is a beautiful country, isn't it? I mean, tall green trees, long soft grass, oh and such beautiful waters run through the creeks and rivers... I realize nowadays it's not too often we get to see such scenery, but that's why we have David Crank! Oh my gosh I got such... peace, looking at some of his 1600's versions of America. The ocean and it's colorful forests along with all it's sounds... Then we're taken to 17th Century England, TOTALLY felt like we were there. On the streets it was dirty and gray, but when we're lead to a castle's garden, Crank does well to include it's elegance. The art direction was genious, because it was as if we were there, in the 17th Century, people! I could FEEL the atmosphere. Very, very nice. Quite beautiful.
Directing, editing, camera angles... all of that stuff, fit just right. No "where are we?" or "whose arm is that?" thoughts. I knew exactly what was happening, and who we were following in the story. There were some creative shots done, where at times the film would show a scene from the past, or we'd watch a scene of a character's thoughts, and that can be difficult to get away with, don't you think? The last thing a director wants to do in an adventure, drama film is confuse people, right? Malick and his team really pulled it off! Not once was I lost, and they added such creativity and somewhat fantasy to a story so many of us already know about. Also, way to go Malick for sticking to history as much as you could. It gets a little annoying when you watch a historical film and the director tries to put his own interpretations into it. Sometimes it's nice to just... get the real thing. I remember being so disappointed when I watched the movieTroy after I read the book. (Not the Illiad, but the actual book called, Troy.) It was totally different!? Achilles was never on the Trojan Horse, was he? Oh, and Starship Troopers. Dizzy was a GUY in the book!? Come on now, don't LIE to us! hah just kidding here. But yea serisously, seemed like they really stuck to the books with this film. Isn't is amazing how one Indian girl contributed SO much to the making of this country? You'll find some really intriguing facts here in this movie.
Actors! Characters! My favorite topic... I'll start with Miss Q'Orianka Kilcher, aka Pocahontas. She was so sweet you guys. I was immediately drawn to her. Calm, very spirited. Unusually, this film actually didn't have all that much dialogue. This must have been a difficult task for the actors, because they needed to rely on their facial expressions and body movement to get their thoughts apparent. Another reason why this movie was so well done. I was serisouly convinced that these people WERE their characters... kinda scary.
Ok, every negative thought or impression you got from Colin Farrell, put it aside. Just put it ASIDE because you don't want this film to be ruined for you just because of THAT! So what... he's got a Irish potbelly, dated Britney Spears, sticks out his tongue in his photos actually thinking it's cool and has all that icky gross hair on his face. Looks like you're just gonna have to let it go because he is John freaking Smith and nothing else when you watch this movie. Alright. Now that you've got that mindset, I think you'll be ok to hear that he did quite well. Not Oscar nomination well, but decent enough to pull off his character. It may have helped that there wasn't a whole lot of talking going on. Hah, oh that's nice, to be a good actor only when you don't talk... but still, he didn't bother me one tiny bit (thank goodness).
Christopher Plummer, one of those guys you see in every movie and always does a swell job. This might sound horrible, but for some reason I always seem to find actors from Dances With Wolves whenever there's some kind of Native American movie, so I kept an eye out, just to see you know? And there was! Wind In His Hair! Cool, huh? yea... Oh!!!! HELLO!!! I had NO idea that Mr. lovely Christian Bale was starring in this movie so that was a sa-weet surprise. (I think I had stopped breathing when he did his entrance...) It's also a nice treat to see him play none other than the guy who history tells us actually ends up with Poca, John Rolfe. Ladies... get ready. If you thought Equilibrium was steamy... picture our guy with longer hair and a little dirt on his face, and he falls in love. (Nothing cuter on a guy in my opinion, sigh.) Oh oh, and yea swell acting of course. Forgot to mention that, too busy dreaming...
Alright, believe it or not I've got a couple critiques. First of all, and I really don't want to sound like a continuous whiner with this one but what is the reason for such lengthy films these days? I guess it's really not a problem, because it's good that they included as much as they could. But can we get a warning or something? "The New World: bring a butt pad." or how about "A superb movie! Pretty freaking long though..." That way I'm not sorta hoping for the end to come sooner just so I could get the blood pumping through my buns again. Second, and as much as I can be deaf sometimes, I don't think it was just me, but when there WAS dialogue, most of it was hardly comprehendable! I'd ask the person next to me, "Who is he trying to find?" or I'd just wait to see what happened, THEN guess what that person said. I wouldn't normally critique on this kind of thing, but it happened more than a few times, and unfortunately, took some of the cool movie experience away. :-(
SO, time to rate. My people, I loved it. LOVED this movie. The bum cramp, the misheard speech... didn't matter really. It was slower than most movies, but you've just got to get the right mindset. You don't listen to a piece from Mozart when you're in the mood for AC/DC, you know? It's a film with a very sweet, yet resentful, yet honorable story, and I got lost in it's journey. Watch this movie, and just soak in it.




Rating: 5/5






p.s. Mom, I'm taking you to see this one, but don't worry we're gonna bring some padding!

Hello hello,


So Mom and Tim are out of town, visiting Nathan. I hope they're having a good time and everything, but this house gets so quiet when they're gone! I stayed an extra hour at the school to do some homework just to keep myself occupied for goodness sakes! Yea so I just had my first week of school... kind of. It wasn't a full week. But it went well! I met a few new people that seem fun, including a cuuuuute guy! But don't worry, I'm eyeing him from a distance for now. Hah, let's try not to get your heart broken TWICE in one year Steph, sheesh... besides, primary focus is school anyway. I'm only working on the weekends now, which means I'll be broke. But you know, it's pretty nice! I have ALL this time to study, and it's such a relief not to have that stress. I kind of wish I had this figured out earlier, like say senior year of high school, maybe I could've gotten that C in math class boosted to an B or you know...an A. (If an A in MATH class is possible...)

Dad and I are having a swell time. He took me out to dinner tonight to a pretty cool restuarant. Serves your basic steak and ribs, you know that classic American stuff. Ooooo and they have Salmon salad, I better let Mom know... anyway, we both ended up ordering some burgers. YUM! I'm a big burger gal. I like to cut it into quaters, then dip it in some ketchup. Man I ate it ALL! Dad almost finished his, I don't think he liked his as much as I liked mine. :-)

Very fun stuff! Tomorrow Dad and I are going to a movie, so there's sure to be another review here very soon. I'm hoping we see either Match Point or The New World. The only thing is they're both about 2 and a half hours long...but we won't tell Dad that, ok? heehee. Alright, I don't know WHY Match Point is getting so many good reviews. Have you heard of it? Jeez, I realize Woody Allen directed it and everything, but the story just seems so... ordinary. What's the big deal here people!? I just saw that critics are giving it an A-. We'll see I guess. I'm just curious now. And The New World, yes yes, I know everyone is sick of Collin Farrel and everything but come on people, you can't say you're not just a LITTLE interested in this movie. I mean, it seems like a movie that'l take us through a journey. Love those. Maybe even a little romance, huh? Like Pocahontis and John Smith baby! Oooo, I hope maybe Dad will want to see that. I'll tell him that it's an action movie with explosions and race cars or something, then maybe he'll take me to that one. ;-)
Alrighty, I'm gonna leave ya with a very sweet quote I read from my neato daily calender I got for Christmas:

"Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination
nor both together go to the making of genious.
Love, love, love, that is the soul of genious."

~Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart~

REVIEW: Tristan and Isolde

Director: Kevin Reynolds



Starring: James Franco, Sophia Myles, Rufus Sewell and other unknowns (but not a bad thing.)



Plot: Two countries, not sure which ones...I think it was England and Rome. No wait! England and Ireland... oh I lost track but anyway they're at war, ok? And a noble knight, Tristan, gets injured in a battle and loses consciousness. He's not dead, but his buddies think he is. So they make one of those grave-boats with hay and send him out in the ocean. He drifts to none other than his enemy's shore, and is found by a beautiful woman, Isolde (BLOND...why do they always have to be blond!?) and she takes him in and heals his wounds with a bunch of leaves and herbs. He gets better, they fall in love, yet he goes back to his country anyway. Once home, his Lord sends Tristan out to his enemy's lands (sigh...again!?) to win a wife for him in a Gladiator-type, battle-type game. Tristan goes, wins, (YAY!) but fricken wins his true love, Isolde without even knowing it. Now he has to watch as his Lord marries HIS woman. The delicious jealousy continues....



You know, I had fun with this movie. I wasn't expecting much out of it. I went into the theater thinking it would be about sword-play and a love story 12 year olds gush about, and that's exactly what we got... but it was cool! This is the type of movie you would watch over and over again because there's no "deep" theme or anything like that. It's pretty light, a lot of eye-candy for the viewers, and easily predictable but like I said...fun.
I have never seen any of the actors in this movie before, which means there was a few "in-experienced" ones. Don't you hate it when you're watching an actor say their lines, and you can just SENSE that they know the camera is on them? It totally takes away from the story in my opinion. Despite that, I was surprised by how well the leads seemed to do. James Franco and Sophia Myles, the ones who played Tristan and Isolde, never seemed to bother me. Although the dialogue in this film was pretty dull, they were able to handle it smoothly. Mr. Franco....what a cutie, and everytime it was his cue to cry, it was my cue to gawk like a 5th grader and think, "oohhh poor baby..." heehee However he seemed to have the same face thoroughout the entire film, even when he was happy...I guess. It was like this: :- l and sometimes like this :-/ depending on who he was talking to. How about a little more emotion, huh? Man, you can get someone DOWN like that! Sophia, yes, you are an enemy to the brunettes, but you go girl, you've got the curves! THANK YOU casting director for not choosing one of those skinny chicks that make me cringe just looking at them walk! It was nice to see a real woman figure on screen, phew. She did well with her emotions. You could tell what she was feeling just by looking at her face, and that makes a swell actor. Also, in my opinion, if you're a woman, starring in a straight-up CHICK FLICK, it's important that you make a connection with all the girls watching, who may have felt that kind of pain in romance, or may long for that kind of passion.
Directing....what-the-heck-is-going-on?!? For such an elaborate story, they should have been more organized with what was happeing. The editing wasn't all that bad. It was easy to determine how much time had passed and everything. It's just that I wasn't sure who was who in this movie! Who are the enemies? Who are we supposed to root for? They should've worn different colors or something. Good guys blue, Bad guys red. That way, I could be sad when a blue guy was defeated, and relieved when a red guy was. I didn't have that, except there was some archor during the first battle scene they followed for awhile. I was enjoying his little "talent" when BOOM! He crappin' dies! That was another thing, RIGHT before you seem to make a connection with one of the characters, they're gone! They're not in the story anymore. pwshh..whatever.
The Art Direction was beautiful. This film succeded in giving a gorgeous Celtic look. This was very appealing, and it was one of the things that seemed to help carry the film, as well as the musical score. Once again, Celtic and LOVE those bagpipes!
I enjoyed this plot. It's a story about a love triangle, a very sweet one. The two men were very close and respected each other. In fact, I wasn't sure which man I wanted to end up having Isolde. Tristan found her first and they had a strong, deep connection with one another, yet Lord Markus was very gentleman-like. He wanted to make sure she was happy and was constantly asking of her feelings. Sheesh! Why not ask them BOTH to stick around? (kidding...) Yet, I'll admit that I was relieved in a "special" way when she and Tristan were able to steal a few moments together. :-*
So! What do I rate this movie.... bad directing and cheesy lines with the inablity to follow along with the plot, yet surprisingly satisfied by all the things in between. A little battle action with the big strong men, a few intimate scenes that I seem to crave the longer I am single, and a cool little love-triangle plot that included everything in a girl's chick flick fantasy: passion, jealousy, a bittersweet longing, and the fact that both men were so pleasingly attractive. Either this was a good movie, or it's time I start dating again... either way, watch it because it's fun entertainment. I gaurantee you won't be completely disappointed, because there's a little something for everyone in this film.



Rating: 3/5

Hello again everyone!

Well, I've just had an amazing weekend with my best friend Leech. I had been looking forward to her visit for MONTHS, and now it's over :-( . Bittersweet, yes, but we had a blast. I got to show her around our new home and the big city. We spent almost the entire day in the city, sight seeing, shoppin' and being girls. Oh! After we had lunch, Leech had some left over food, right? And the waitress had suggested that there were a lot of hungry people without homes out there, you know in case we didn't want to carry it around or something, and we're like, "YEA! Oh what a great idea that'll be good." So after spending about20 minutes just LOOKING for a potential homeless individual, we found one sitting on the corner. We were all excited you know, because we're doing something good for another person, and I went up to this lady, kneeled down and set the doggy bag next to her, and she goes, "...I already have food." Hmmmm..... wasn't expecting that! So I said, "Oh well...it's ok I just thought...you may want it..." She says, "What is it?" What in the HEY!? I almost wanted to say nevermind! I'll go find someone who doesn't have food ALREADY! sigh.... So much for our vision of being such "good-doers". hahah yea but we had a great time. I'm SO glad that we were able to spend that time together.
School is starting the day after tomorrow, and although I'm excited to get back into the game, I'd like to try and relax as much as I can before it arrives. Leech and I rented a TON of movies while she was here so I think I'll plug in some of those. oooo that sounds so good right now actually. Watching movies with slippers and a blanky.... yea baby! I'll get to it as soon as I can but FIRST I have got a movie to review! Talk to you all later!

Love,
Steph

REVIEW: Munich

Director: Steven Spielberg



Starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Geoffrey Rush and a bunch more awesome actors



Story: 11 Isrealian hostages killed during the 1972 Olympics. Here's a film that takes us into the conspiracy of it all. Five men with Avner (Eric Bana) as their leader embark on a mission to search and kill the men that were involved in the hostage scheme, one at a time. Spielberg takes us through the journey, observing mainly Avner and his story about the amount of devotion and strength it took for these men to leave thier homes and the life they knew, and enter a whole new world filled with exhaustion and suffering.



Look, I need to say this: Steven Speilberg...genious. I mean the guy knows what he's doing. I went into this film not really knowing what it was entirely about, nor if it was going to be another "over-rated blockbuster". But walking out all I remember thinking was, "That'll win a few awards..."!
This movie is very much rated R. It's full of realistic violence. Don't go to watch this film thinking it's going to be "light" or "entertaining". This movie is DEEP and extremely REAL. In my opinion, a great movie is one that will suck you into it's story and make you feel as if you were experiencing it as you're watching. No fluffy music, or hip dialect, and THAT is why I enjoyed this film so much. On this subject here, I've observed that a good way for a director to get a point across (especially in serious films), is to make the audience feel strange, and you know... awkward. Here's an example, (WARNING: graphic language) In the movie Amistad, there is a scene on the ship where Spielberg doesn't hold anything back about the truth of how the African-American slaves were treated. They're stripped naked and chained together on an anchor, then thrown into the ocean. Now, after watching that, I don't remember thinking, "Oh wow, that would've been horrible." I think it was something more like, "What an ugly, sick, inhumane way to treat another Being on this Earth." Hey Steve, was THAT what you were trying to persuade? Ok, check. Same sort of thing in Munich, when it was portraying the story's truthful and hideous violence.
OK, let's talk a little bit about the actors. Eric Bana, you made Brad Pitt look like an amatuer in Troy, but I didn't think that that was hard to do quite honestly, so I wasn't really expecting much from you. However, the main character that was played here, Avner, was in my opinion THE role that was MADE for you. In fact, ALL the actors in this film was superb, and I don't use that word very often, people. Not once did I think, "Phhtb, how fake." Every emotion and action was not once over or under-done. In fact, each character was different and done so well that it was fun to watch the different dynamics. These did not seem to be easy roles, so well done all, I will not be surprised to see all those names on the Academy Award nominations in all honesty.
As far as critique, it was a little L-O-N-G. I didn't know it was going to be running over 2 and a half hours. The editing towards the end seemed to flutter, if you know what I mean. ( ex: Wait, are we going back in time here... or is this the present?) Not that this made it unenjoyable, but after awhile, when you could kind of tell that it was nearing toward the end, it just.... seemed to keep going and going and I wondered if it was EVER going to end.
Not much critique, and I know I'm leaving out SO much more credit toward the film, but I think it's obvious that I've made this movie out to be... pretty good, right? hahah phenemonal really. Watch this one in theaters with extra popcorn and a blanket because you'll need to get comfortable, but the $8.00 and the butt-cramp is worth it. Get ready for a realistic view about a whoooole other way of life.



Rating: 5/5

I have to tell you I am so excited about things that are coming up! I've got my best friend, Leech flying over to visit next weeked. She's staying for four days and lately we've been figuring out everything that we're going to do while she's here. Before I moved away, she and I spent every Tuesday night together. (Now that we can't do THAT, we make sure that we e-mail each other every Tuesday, and so far we've really kept it up! I'm so proud of us.) Anyway, a lot of times we'd cook velveeta macaroni and cheese and drink sparkling cider! I know that sounds kinda funky, but it's one of those silly traditions you'd have with a friend and I defenitley am going to make sure we do some of those things while she's in town. :-)

Also, believe it or not, I am so excited about school starting on the 17th. Its been awhile since I've been in a classroom and I'm so ready to get back into the books! Ever since I graduated from high school, I was kind of givin' an awakening if you know what I mean. See I did pretty well in high school I guess you can say. I graduated with a 3.2 GPA, but I only tried to do well because my goal was basically to just be able to graduate. Now that I've done that, it's like, "Ok, my goal isn't to just simply graduate anymore. My goal is more like, getting a career for the rest of my life...." hahah so my point in all of this is that I've come to the fact that I need to just buckle down and do my best, because I want to acheive BIG! You know?? heehee this sounds all cheesy and eveything I know, and I'm sure some of you are thinking, "um, why didn't this come across to you in high school?" Well, my answer to that is, "Because...it's high school." hahah

So I work as a part-time cashier. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to quit and get a more "presentable" job like you know waitrassing, but I'm fine with the hours and the pay for now. I'll worry until my bills can't get paid or something. Anyway, working as a cashier, I come across many different customers, PLUS living next to such a big city in this nation, I come across many different kinds of people. (1/2 the people I ring up aren't even able to speak english. Don't get me wrong, that's awesome that there's so much diversity, however there are so many ways you can sign language, "Can I have your phone number?") No seriously though, it can be so frustrating! It once took me 10 minutes to figure out a man with a strooong Indian accent that he needed to use my pen.... so I guess you can say that I've kind of become... a little impatient at times. Today, there was a women with a strong accent, and I could barely understand what she saying. About 20 times of me going, "Could you say that one more time?" and "Repeat that, please?" all I kept hearing was, "On left!", which made absolutely no sense at all. I finally said, "LOOK. I can't understand a WORD you are saying. I'm sorry.... I'm just gonna ring up your things, ok!?" she looks at me all confused and I'm thinking, seriously learn english lady... then she pulls out a pad of paper from her purse and writes, "I'm deaf." WHOOPS!! I felt awful of course. I apologized and was like, "ooohhhhh was THAT what you were tring to say!?" gosh... someone punch me in the face, quick. That gave me such an awareness, I did my best to stay patient and courteous to the rest of my customers.

Ok, on a much more serious note. I'd like to acknowledge that just a few days ago, my Great Grandma passed away from cancer. The thing is I can only remember meeting her once in my life, and I was too young to really know what was going on at the time. However I know how special she was to Grandma and my mom and her siblings, and for that reason, she was special to me. Years ago, my mom told me how a spirit will live on, just as long as people will remember them, and I will remember. :-)

Talk to you soon!

REVIEW: Rumor Has It

Director: Rob Reiner
Starring: Jennifer Anniston, Kevin Costner, Mark Ruffalo and Shirley MacLaine

Story: Sarah Huttinger (Jen Anniston) has never felt like she belonged in her family, and it's not until her fiance (Mark Ruffalo) points out the suspicious math behind her birthdate, and the date of which her parents got married. Seems like she was conceived a WEEK before the marriage, the SAME week her mother "mysteriously" ran off to Mexico with some man. (The same man that supposedly had a fling with her grandmother.) Now, all of a sudden everything clicks for Sarah! Now she knows why she doesn't act the same as her family that she grew up with! Why she doesn't have the same hair color or drive like her father does! Yea, totally makes sense now, she's not even their daughter! So, Sarah thinks she might just feel so much happier, if only she can meet this mysterious man, who may in fact be her REAL father! The story pursues...




...actually, it doesn't. The six sentences you've just read is the entire movie. How they managed to stretch it out for an hour and a half, beats me. Oh wait, maybe the 45 minutes of awkward, "is this supposed to be hot?" fling with Jennifer and Kevin Costner did it. Look, Kevin, you did great in the 90's. We all loved you and your sexy monotone voice. However, seeing you make-out with Jennifer Aniston gave me the same weirded out feeling I got while watching a Roger Moore bed-scene in Moonraker. Come on Reiner, you could have done better than that. If you wanted an older, "experienced", Prince Charming why not cast somebody like Rupert Everett or Durmot Mulroney?
Rachel Gree... I mean, Jennifer Aniston is pretty funny. I wish that she had more characters though. I'd really like to see her branch out from her "spazzy", funny mode and try something way more dramatic. Somebody cast her as a bounty hunter or give her a tragic Shakepearian death or something. Just don't give us the usual ditz, anyone can play that.
OK, I'll stop with the critique for now. The first half hour of this film was actually quite good. It kept me giggling with it's witty jokes and I loved how they included some realistically awkward scenes. At times it'd feel like I was in the same room with them, experiencing it at the same time. (Wow, anyone who has attempted the Mile-High Club must certainly have talent!)
Mark Ruffalo, as Sarah's fiance, gives me hope in men. No seriously! If there are men that are as cute, sweet, understanding, and forgiving as he was, put my name down on the "available list". He made Jennifer look like a complete idiot for going after the boring, supposed player, Kevin Costner. Also, Shirley MacLaine put in her hilarious bit. After the movie lost it's intrigue, she became the only hope to keep the film a comedy. I looked forward to her scenes just as much as a looked forward to the credits.
This would be a movie to rent. Oh, and while you're at it, rent The Graduate. I've never seen it, but this movie keeps bringing it up. If you like the character Jennifer Aniston always plays, or if you don't mind watching so-so romantic-comedies with a cheesy, unrealistic ending, then definitley go for this flick.


Rating: 2/5