Blythe Influx

I have to take back the compliment I gave to 500 Days of Summer on the fact that the breakup scene isn't shown. That is false. There IS a breakup scene. I didn't watch the first 10 minutes the last time and I missed it. I love the film no less, but I wanted to clarify that error.

Watched The Hangover last night. Kevin has been telling me for months that it was highly HIGHLY overrated and while I trust his movie opinions thoroughly, it seemed unlikely that it could be so poor given how much EVERYONE else liked it and it won a Golden Globe. Turns out, in my opinion, he was absolutely right. My official stance on the matter is, if you need a great slapstick, pass on The Hangover and check out Pineapple Express. That was HILARIOUS!

Recently, my name has been everywhere. My name NOT referring to me. It's HIGHLY disconcerting.

1. A woman that my manager converses with a lot and refers to a lot. I've just never had an experience in which someone was regular saying my name, but not talking to me.

2. I was reading breakdowns for upcoming movies and a lead character of a new movie is named Blythe.

3. I saw an add for Blythe dolls on TV!

4. Blythe Solar Power Project- learned from Natalya.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/25/biggest-solar-project-in-_n_773655.html

Movie I'm interested in today:

127 Hours.

Sounds gripping a la Castaway or Into the Wild. Plus, Danny Boyle is quickly becoming my favorite director with Slumdog Millionaire, (the last film I had to see in the theater twice) Trainspotting (in my top 6), and 28 Days Later (top 5 horror (although I don't really like 5 horror movies... so it's not a HUGE compliment)), and The Beach (I don't even care... I really like that movie even if it wasn't terribly well received). Also, let us not forget the miracle of James Franco.

Hesher.

It already came out, I believe, but here is the Imdb synopsis: Hesher is a loner. He hates the world and everyone in it. He has long greasy hair and homemade tattoos. He is malnourished and smokes a lot of cigarettes. He likes fire and blowing things up. He lives in his van, until he meets TJ.

Joseph Gordon Levitt, Natalie Portman, and Rainn Wilson. I'm down.

Black Swan.

Did we already talk about this? I was skeptical at first because Requiem for a Dream was a one time movie (I've seen it twice... but... I didn't need to. I'll probably only see it... twice more before I die). Didn't see The Wrestler-- too Joni Mitchell. Pi-- couldn't watch it to save my life. I tried twice and lost a battle with unconsciousness both times. The Fountain was pretty but... I couldn't understand it at ALL. HOWEVER, the Black Swan trailer is KILLER and... I don't think I can resist a scary ballet thriller with Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis.

Obama and Stewart (FINALLY, My Tastes Return)

I had one of those days yesterday when the date sticks out in your mind as important, but you have no idea why. It's a little ominous actually. HOWEVER, I was THRILLED when I got home because the day marked President Obama on The Daily Show!! Which I watched because housesitting offers me cable!

First of all, I felt an enormous wave of admiration for Jon, which always happens. I was so impressed because he got right into it, he was respectful and funny and listened more than he spoke, but when he spoke, he didn't dance around the stuff that he's disappointed about. Also, he didn't fawn over Obama, which is what I would have done (obvs).

Obama convinced me that he's doing okay, but that really only bummed me out ultimately, because the entire thing highlighted the fact that I've stopped paying attention.. I didn't even get my absentee ballot, which makes me feel terrible. TERRIBLE. More terrible because I didn't even feel terrible about it until last night when Obama asked ME to vote. Crraap!

I HAVE to start watching The Daily Show and Colbert Report daily again. Not because I should get my news from them (as they always say), but so they can get me excited about current events so I feel inclined to look things up myself. Also, I love them so much. I need to push past the slow internet situation.

Oooo... it was jizz-tastic though.

Dog Lesson

I've learned a lesson while house sitting: I am not going to be ready for dogs of my own for a while. I'm LOVE hanging out with them now, but I think by Halloween I'm going to be totally ready to sleep with a few less butts in my face. Although the dogs do regulate my sleeping. On Friday, I went to bed at midnight because Bonnie, one of the dogs (and roommie of Clyde (!)), started yawning and covering her eyes with her paws. I felt so guilty that she couldn't sleep if I wasn't sleeping. Then I woke up at 9am because after we went out to pee, I didn't really need to go back to sleep. It's crazy that my mom had a 3-year-old child (me) when she was my age. I feel like I might not succeed at keeping MYSELF alive, let alone anyone or thing else. Save my fish, hopefully...

On a side note, I AM ready for cable (I know, I know. I'm not going to spend my money on TV. Pipe dreams....)

I had the following non-subtle dream the other day:

I was in my apartment and my roommate Davida had set up a desk and chair set up in my shower. Then her son came over and told me I was ruining the shower with the desk set-up and asked why would I want to do that in the first place. I don't think I explained. Then I had a pretty large, white pet mouse and it chewed through the lock on it's cage. For a minute, I thought it reproduced because there was an orange and black one a little later, but my dream-self determined that it was a dream that the mouse had reproduced (which I enjoyed in retrospect because it felt like my dream was initially going to take it there and then thought it was stacking on the problems a little too fast).

So I get in the car to go to the hardware store to get a lock. It's night time and as I'm driving, I'm swerving everywhere. I evaluate why I can't drive, thinking that I would know if I was drunk. When I get to the parking lot, I realize that I couldn't drive because my brakes weren't working. I also recalled that my bike brakes weren't working (in real life I don't have a bike).

The hardware store is closed and I start to cry. I go in the store through a window on the second floor. As I come down the stairs, I see a person that I know and love and I start to cry again, looking for some sympathy. I told him about my car and my bike and my mouse and my car registration (which is an actual, real-life problem) and I assume I told him about my office-shower. He kindly listens to my grievances but looks at me a little strangely. Then I look around the room and see that I'm not in a public store. I'm in someone's living room and he obviously is wondering why I just burst into a house I'd never been to. Uninvited. At night. And I just started crying at him.

I don't remember the rest clearly, but I stayed at the place and the guy became interchangeable with my dad.

The point is, I have anxiety. I have anxiety about my roommate and the brakes on my car and my registration. Also, my dream went from point A to point B with surprisingly clarity. I think it was more reasonable because it was nap dream, not a night dream.

MOVIE SECTION:

Jennifer's Body. I can't say I really enjoyed it too much. I CAN say that I LOVED Adam Brody in it. The part in which he was killing Jennifer was HILARIOUS! I think the problem was that until Brody showed up, I wasn't sure if the movie was trying to be scary or fun. After I learned that it was obviously not intended for horrifying, I understood the movie better, but then I just lamented Megan Fox's poor acting and the writing that clearly didn't serve it's purpose. Brody hasn't had his big role yet, as far as I know. I've loved him in a BUNCH of stuff that I've hated. In the Land of Women, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, can we assume I hated The O.C. even though I've never seen it? I guess we won't.... I don't want to be rude.

Watched the first half of The Lovely Bones, but I got bored and didn't finish it, which is VERY unlike me. I think what bored me was all the heaven parts. I was trying to understand what I was supposed to gain from it. In the book, it's really just her observing and not letting go, but in the movie she was much more aggressive. Plus, the movie made her heaven very scary and unpredictable, whereas in the book it NEVER scared her or did anything uncomfortable. Part of it could have been visual magnificent, but the CGI was pretty poor and all I could see was the green screen. I think if it was JUST the earth scenes, I would have at least waited it out.

Also, I thought I was going to be sick over Stanley Tucci being a killer, but it didn't bother me that much. I think I would have been more upset by it if you actually saw him rape the girl (which... MAY have happened in the last 45 minutes... hard to say). Mostly he kind of reminded me of one of my grandpas. Also, I have to say that while it wasn't really his fault at all, I giggled every time Mark Wahlberg cried. He did a fine job, but I couldn't keep it together. Rachel Weisz did a VERY annoying cry, but... I love her and she looked very nice in 70s clothes. Mostly that book should not be a movie.

Rewatched 500 Days of Summer. Miraculous! I will own that movie someday! I love that it can be so stylistic without being off putting. I think it's because the fantasy parts were varied, clarified how he was feeling, and were FUNNY. Also, I love that they didn't show the actual break up because I think the audience could get bogged down in the semantics of the break up and find someone to blame, and that's not what it's about. Whoever said it is the Annie Hall of our generation couldn't be more right... in my opinion.

That's all.

Eggplant Miracle

Job situation is even better. I am regularly employed 4 days a week, but am often working at least partially through the fifth day.

More importantly, my friends at Present Pictures asked me to dog-sit/house-sit!! HURRAH! I can talk on the phone in my house! I can cook without fear! I made eggplant parmesan!! PLUS, I get to hang with dogs all day! AAAAAND it's WAY closer to work. It took me like... 20 minutes to get to work today, rather than the hour and 15 it usually takes. HUGE.

Let's return to the meal. Kevin gave me detailed instructions, although I added pasta on my own accord. The real miracle was that I was certain I was undercooking the eggplant, but the miracle was that I always forget that you barely have to cook vegetables at all. The eggplant was delicious after only 2 minutes in the frying pan. Plus, after it went in the oven, it tasted the way eggplant usually tastes! Miracle. Also, the eggplants were fresh from the garden!! How glorious!

NOTE: don't just go and fry eggplants right now! You have to prepare them first by drying them out-ish. Look it up!

Tonight I'm making guacamole!

The movies I'm excited about today: All Good Things (Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Kristen Wiig, Frank Langella). Looks scary. Also, Gosling looks incredibly youthful. He's not aging as fast as everyone else. He's got Elizabeth Harnois syndrome (but obviously not quite since she is a vampire).

Also, MORE excited for Restless with Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper (never heard of him, but I'm on board. Mia Wasikowska is in everything now. I'm for it. I didn't see Alice in Wonderland and I thought she was absolutely regular in The Kids Are Alright, but I have so much faith in her future.

Maybe I'll do a regular "movies I'm excited about now" section. I think I shall. The miracle is that sometimes I read my old blogs and I see the jillions of movies I've listed that I wanted to see. Miraculously, I see MOST of these movies at some point. I guess I live in perpetual movie-watching self-doubt, but I'm surprised to know my rate of success is pretty high.

ummmm Movies...

The good news is, I am now officially employed 2 days a week as an OFFICIAL manager's assistant. The bad news is, I absolutely can't even KIND OF live off of that money. But the OTHER good news is that I've been working about 5 days a week anyway, due to weird odd jobs that have been coming my way. So... we're doing okay.

Moving on...

MOVIE SECTION:

I've been pumped about Blue Valentine (Gosling, Williams) for... months and months now. I got EXTRA pumped when I learned it was going to have a wide release. AND NOW, to make me even MORE excited, I just learned of an NC-17 rating. Judge me if you will, but this thrills the crap out of me!

Also, I feel like Love and Other Drugs (Hathaway, Gyllenhaal) is the romantic comedy for which I've been waiting. Cute and great and NO SLAPSTICK! Hurrah!

Got a free screening to Easy A, which I adored! Emma Stone was really really great and I'm very pleased that she's getting a whole bunch of roles now. I think she is filling in the gap that Lohan left when she went crazy (still hoping for a comeback though...). More importantly, Stanley Tucci was BRILLIANT! Bynes was ... well I don't feel great about being mean towards her, but she was pretty poor and I blame a) the makeup job and b) the fact that she just shouldn't be a secondary character. She's the Man was hilarious and The Amanda Show was a wonderful come down when All That got crappy. But Hairspray... weakest link. Easy A... 2nd weakest link, semi-tied with Lisa Kudrow, who I also usually love but was dead in the eyes and played an evil Phoebe, which I think we can agree is not a compliment. Lastly, Penn Badgley was super cute, although despite the numerous moments with him, I still felt I could have used a little more. Probs biased because of aforementioned super-cuteness. Also, I super appreciated the heavily referenced John Hughes films because I just went through a bit of a spree in that department (Pretty in Pink, Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, St. Elmo's Fire (not technically Hughes... but in a much more real way, it is).

On a related note, I've always disliked Breakfast Club the most out of the 80s movies and I think it's because while it's well done, I can't relate to that film at ALL. It just has almost NOTHING to do with high school as I ever knew it. I can relate to a distant fairytale crush when I'm 16 and I don't need to relate to Pretty in Pink because it's so damn fun (although now when I watch it, all I can think about is how much better it would have been if they used Robert Downey Jr. as Duckie and made him and Ringwald get together... all of which was considered... oh God how I pine...) and I can REALLY feel for the characters of St. Elmo's Fire. I just can't suspend for Breakfast Club. None of us had trouble being friends with whomever we wanted.

Ok gotta go-- Hereafter free screening!! DAMON!!