"No! It's too much. I'm an American, you gotta take it down a notch."
Carrie Bradshaw
Sex & the City
26.12.07
25.12.07
Christmas Haul
Paris Je T'aime DVD
City of God DVD
Sound of Music DVD
Pirates of teh Carribean: Far Side of the World DVD
Blankets by Craig Thompson
Superman Disc Shooter
Backpack
Sweater
Pewter Wall Cross
Harvey's Gift Card
Movie Reels Wall Art
Superman Wall Sign
Original Spiderman theatrical poster
Science Fiction Cinema Between Fantasy and Reality by Christine Cornea
Enchanted Soundtrack
City of God DVD
Sound of Music DVD
Pirates of teh Carribean: Far Side of the World DVD
Blankets by Craig Thompson
Superman Disc Shooter
Backpack
Sweater
Pewter Wall Cross
Harvey's Gift Card
Movie Reels Wall Art
Superman Wall Sign
Original Spiderman theatrical poster
Science Fiction Cinema Between Fantasy and Reality by Christine Cornea
Enchanted Soundtrack
21.12.07
Christmas from CA
Well, Christmas is nearly here. It's going to be an eventful one at my house. For the first time in years we are going to have a lot of family over on Christmas Day. Should be interesting.
I also get the wonderful event of working all day Christmas Eve. Aren't I lucky.
Good thing for me I'm tough, and I secretly actually kind of like working on Christmas Eve because it's usually really easy.
I also get the wonderful event of working all day Christmas Eve. Aren't I lucky.
Good thing for me I'm tough, and I secretly actually kind of like working on Christmas Eve because it's usually really easy.
5.12.07
Santa's Sleigh
So Christmas is officially 20 days away and I already feel like I'm not going to be ready in time for the holiday. Of course this may also be due to the fact that I already know that the weekend before Christmas is going to be crazy for me as I am working Christmas Eve, and my manager will be out of town that weekend and the other assistant manager and I will be picking up the slack. It should still be a good weekend, but that tends to be the time that I traditionally get all ready and prepared.
Christmas Eve is typically spent with my grandparents so I have to get eveything done (shopping, wrapping, etc.) by the 23rd.
Christmas Eve is typically spent with my grandparents so I have to get eveything done (shopping, wrapping, etc.) by the 23rd.
3.12.07
Job Hunting
Here I am, looking for a job after the holiday season is over. I've applied for the DGA training program, but it will be quite a while before I hear back from them, and I am working on getting a movie made...but at this point that does not pay.
I miss working at a movie studio. I would love to actually find a job in the industry. Suggestions?
I miss working at a movie studio. I would love to actually find a job in the industry. Suggestions?
23.11.07
The Mist aka How NOT to Make a Movie
How do you make a movie like The Mist? You think you are really smart, your audience is really dumb and you get some dry ice.
To say I hated The Mist is not true.
There are no words for the magnitude of hatred that movie has stirred up in me. I am literally physically agitated as I type this because of how bad this movie was. I don't even like to say the name of the film and I left the theatre less than an hour ago.
The last movie I violently hated was League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and praise be to God that most of that film has been extinguished from my head. I can only pray that time will do the same to the past two hours I spent in the theatre.
Going into The Mist I knew it had gotten bad reviews, but I thought there were two options: 1) the reviewers didn't get the movie and it might actually be a diamond in the rough or 2) it would at least be entertainingly bad. I was wrong on both counts.
Never before have I had to stop myself from screaming "How dumb are you people!" at the screen. And I have seen some crap not worthy to have the film stock melted down into guitar picks.
The wost part is I think everyone involved with the film thought that by comitting so wholly to the concept they were actually making something good. However, this film was so telegraphed that a blind & deaf man could have saw his way to the next plot point.
There's giant monsters outside and oh my gosh, we've baracaded ourselves inside a store that has one entire side made out of glass! What if the monsters get in! There's a religious fnantic that thinks God's wrath is upon us! Is she crazy or is she right? There's a military base in town and the rumors are that they conduct top secret research there, what if they have something to do with the mist??? Oh gee, people are dying and more are going to die if they listen to the crazy religious wacko! They're going to start turning on each other and the wacko is going to develop a god-complex.
Of the many terrible scenes in the movie a few stand out. First when a character commits suicide the "sane" characters in the film band together and paint the verbal poster of the film. They actually discuss the fact that when people are scared they do stupid things, and the religious wacko is getting more and more followers and they'll do anything she says, and we can die here or die trying to escape...on and on. They rant about the political system too and how it's created because of fear. Uh huh, that's how subtly they hint at the fact that this horror film is also a ploitical commentary.
Then there's a scene where a few brave souls venture into the pharmacy next door. As they enter they realize the door was unlocked and phew no giant man-eating bugs got in here, we're just going to pretend the enormous spider webs covering everything are left over Halloween decorations or something. And oh, they also meet a nearly-dead MP who is alive enough to tell them that he's sorry and this is all their fault right before he dies of spider-related causes.
Technically, I couldn't even enjoy Frank Darabont, the way the film was shot or even the score.
The direction was horifically poor, Darabont was trying to be "gritty" and raw but he obviously sucks at it and thought that framing his shots dirtily would help that feeling. Not to mention the script. This is the kind of script you expect if you hand a short story to a bunch of tenth grade english students. Then finally, the film was nearly devoid of music until the las act when our "heroes" escape and suddenly this Enya-esque music kicks in for the remainder of the film.
By the way, I truly laughed a loud when five minutes before the movie ended the car they were escaping in ran out of gas - the movie ran out of gas a long time ago.
To say I hated The Mist is not true.
There are no words for the magnitude of hatred that movie has stirred up in me. I am literally physically agitated as I type this because of how bad this movie was. I don't even like to say the name of the film and I left the theatre less than an hour ago.
The last movie I violently hated was League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and praise be to God that most of that film has been extinguished from my head. I can only pray that time will do the same to the past two hours I spent in the theatre.
Going into The Mist I knew it had gotten bad reviews, but I thought there were two options: 1) the reviewers didn't get the movie and it might actually be a diamond in the rough or 2) it would at least be entertainingly bad. I was wrong on both counts.
Never before have I had to stop myself from screaming "How dumb are you people!" at the screen. And I have seen some crap not worthy to have the film stock melted down into guitar picks.
The wost part is I think everyone involved with the film thought that by comitting so wholly to the concept they were actually making something good. However, this film was so telegraphed that a blind & deaf man could have saw his way to the next plot point.
There's giant monsters outside and oh my gosh, we've baracaded ourselves inside a store that has one entire side made out of glass! What if the monsters get in! There's a religious fnantic that thinks God's wrath is upon us! Is she crazy or is she right? There's a military base in town and the rumors are that they conduct top secret research there, what if they have something to do with the mist??? Oh gee, people are dying and more are going to die if they listen to the crazy religious wacko! They're going to start turning on each other and the wacko is going to develop a god-complex.
Of the many terrible scenes in the movie a few stand out. First when a character commits suicide the "sane" characters in the film band together and paint the verbal poster of the film. They actually discuss the fact that when people are scared they do stupid things, and the religious wacko is getting more and more followers and they'll do anything she says, and we can die here or die trying to escape...on and on. They rant about the political system too and how it's created because of fear. Uh huh, that's how subtly they hint at the fact that this horror film is also a ploitical commentary.
Then there's a scene where a few brave souls venture into the pharmacy next door. As they enter they realize the door was unlocked and phew no giant man-eating bugs got in here, we're just going to pretend the enormous spider webs covering everything are left over Halloween decorations or something. And oh, they also meet a nearly-dead MP who is alive enough to tell them that he's sorry and this is all their fault right before he dies of spider-related causes.
Technically, I couldn't even enjoy Frank Darabont, the way the film was shot or even the score.
The direction was horifically poor, Darabont was trying to be "gritty" and raw but he obviously sucks at it and thought that framing his shots dirtily would help that feeling. Not to mention the script. This is the kind of script you expect if you hand a short story to a bunch of tenth grade english students. Then finally, the film was nearly devoid of music until the las act when our "heroes" escape and suddenly this Enya-esque music kicks in for the remainder of the film.
By the way, I truly laughed a loud when five minutes before the movie ended the car they were escaping in ran out of gas - the movie ran out of gas a long time ago.
Deck the Halls
It's the day after Thanksgiving and it is now oficially okay to deck the halls with baughs of holly and all the rest of the trimmings. My family goes a little nuts...our tiny condo ends up glitzed to the hilt and I'm pretty sure you could see the lights on our garage alone from space. Of course in true southern California tradition the day we put our outdoor decorations up the santa ana winds kick in.
Want to see lots of holiday glitz with no effort? Check out Disneyland (the image of the tree is their tree on Main Street USA).
Want to see lots of holiday glitz with no effort? Check out Disneyland (the image of the tree is their tree on Main Street USA).
17.11.07
'Tis the Season - Almost
My father nearly gave me a heart attack today when he called and told me that he and my mother had put up the Christmas tree already. Take that moment. That's right, it's only November 17. Thanksgiving is not until this Thursday.
Thankfully it is not decorated, but the dang thing is up and ready for deorating. My parents bought a new tree this year and decided they might as well put it up.
As someone currently in retail, please be nice to your sales clerks this year. We're already getting abused enough and have been listening to the music a lot longer than you have.
Thankfully it is not decorated, but the dang thing is up and ready for deorating. My parents bought a new tree this year and decided they might as well put it up.
As someone currently in retail, please be nice to your sales clerks this year. We're already getting abused enough and have been listening to the music a lot longer than you have.
11.11.07
Random Quote #2 of many...
"It's Disney, the mouse doesn't have genitals remember!"
Robin Williams
Inside the Actor's Studio
8.11.07
WGA Continues
Day 4 of the strike. The studios are not yet ready to work with the writers. The sad part for all is that some wonderful TV shows are shutting their doors, possibly forever. Please studios, work it out.
5.11.07
WGA Strike
The studios didn't listen and it has begun. The WGA has begun their strike today and I think I'd join the picket line if I could even through I'm not in the industry yet.
Have fun not getting your live late night shows tonight, and if things aren't resolved in a few weeks we're all going to remember why the networks started bringing back scripted shows after the reality TV boom a few years ago.
Have fun not getting your live late night shows tonight, and if things aren't resolved in a few weeks we're all going to remember why the networks started bringing back scripted shows after the reality TV boom a few years ago.
4.11.07
Random Quote # 1 of Many
"Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die."
Hagrid
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
1.11.07
Nightmare Before Christmas
For the second year in a row Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas has come back to theatre's in 3D. And yes, for the second year in a row I have gone and partaken in the studio's ploy to milk that film for money without ever having to put much money back into it.
What can I say? Every time the chorus of This is Halloween begins to swell I feel as giddy as the teen I was when I first saw Nightmare (when it was frowned upon by my parents).
The sad part is what fascinates me most is an unfinished theory about the subtext of the film that I develop more and more every time I watch the movie.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is about Jack's mid-life crisis and his search for God/faith - something more to believe. He becomes the instant convert who thinks works are what he needs and when that fails he finally realizes that he's been trying to do too much instead of letting the faith lead him. In the end the mid-life crisis is solved, Jack has his faith and vigor renewed and he's even better than before.
Film school did a number on me. But I love it.
30.10.07
Halloween Message
Tomorrow is Halloween, and while I am not crazy about Halloween I am also not opposed to Halloween. I don't claim that my Christian faith makes me cringe when Halloween comes about every year, it's mainly people's behavior that makes me dislike to Halloween.
Halloween is the day that girls decide it is socially acceptable to be slutty. Dresses get even shorter and more low cut. Hooker heels become acceptable.
Why?
Would you normally be brazen enough to wear any of this? No. But for some reason the calendar flicking over to October 31 makes it acceptable. A night without repercussions.
The thing is there are actually consequences. The wild parties lead to drunken debauchery and hangovers. And that's just the tip of my unimaginative nightmare.
What am I going to be tomorrow? Boring.
I plan on staying home, ordering a pizza and watching a horror movie. That is my ideal Halloween. Pay homage to sugar, carbs and the horror film gods named Craven, Carpenter & Hitchcock. With a little It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown thrown in.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I don't always plan to blog around people's flickr photos but this was too amazing to pass up. Check out her pavement set, she's amazing.
Halloween is the day that girls decide it is socially acceptable to be slutty. Dresses get even shorter and more low cut. Hooker heels become acceptable.
Why?
Would you normally be brazen enough to wear any of this? No. But for some reason the calendar flicking over to October 31 makes it acceptable. A night without repercussions.
The thing is there are actually consequences. The wild parties lead to drunken debauchery and hangovers. And that's just the tip of my unimaginative nightmare.
What am I going to be tomorrow? Boring.
I plan on staying home, ordering a pizza and watching a horror movie. That is my ideal Halloween. Pay homage to sugar, carbs and the horror film gods named Craven, Carpenter & Hitchcock. With a little It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown thrown in.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I don't always plan to blog around people's flickr photos but this was too amazing to pass up. Check out her pavement set, she's amazing.
27.10.07
Zombies!
Evidently Toronto has a Zombie Walk.
How frickin' cool is that?
It involves groups of people dressing in their best zombie garb and parading around the streets of Torono as zombies, culminating in a movie screening.
California contains the movie epicenter - why do we not have something as cool as this?
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