Category Archives: Movies

Currently

Happy Sunday! Wait. Happy Monday! Oh, how I love and hate Monday holidays. I know I should be glad that I will only have a four day work week (and I only had a four day work week last week since I took Friday off), but the weeks where we get Monday off seem so long. Anyway, here’s what’s been happening.

Turning Veganese turned celebrated its six month anniversary which also means that I’ve been on my way to being vegan for six months. I feel great and morally superior to omnivores. Just kidding about that last part. But, I do feel great. I have had to shop for new clothes to go with my slightly new body. A better diet isn’t everything, though, so…

…I’ve decided to start working out again. My reasons for wanting to exercise are mostly superficial. Like I said, I feel great, but I would like to look great. I would also like to be more physically fit. I walked up seven flights of stairs at work a couple weeks ago and sounded like I was having a panic attack afterward. A guy at work does it everyday and said he started out the same way, but now it’s pretty much effortless. That’s good motivation. We have an on-site gym at work, so all I have to do is drag my ass in there. I dusted off the old gym bag (I literally had to dust it off) and packed it for tomorrow.

Another thing I’m going to try doing is bringing my lunch to work. I spend so much money on coffee, breakfast, lunch and snacks at work. It’s icky and it’s putting me in the poor house. Anyone got any recommendations on a good French press? I have one but I’m thinking of buying a nicer one and keeping the old one at work.

As part of my lazy Memorial Day, I thought it would be nice to watch a movie while laying in bed. I guess I could have watched it while working out in front of the TV, but I didn’t, OK? I watched a modern-day classic, the 2011 version of Footloose.

Watching this movie did not change my life and I bet you are rolling your eyes or laughing at the fact that I watched it. Well, I enjoyed it! I thought Kenny Wormald was charming. Shut up.

I also watch good stuff, like Mad Men. Ohmigosh, did you see last night’s episode, “The Other Woman?” Sooo good. So disturbingly good. Quietly shocking and thought-provoking. I just love Jon Hamm. And I love Ginsberg. I think Ben Feldman is cute and I love him in Drop Dead Diva and that Hillary Duff movie he was in and I swear to you that I am an intelligent person with good taste in television and movies.

Music-wise, I’m liking the new record by The Walkmen. I also can’t get Rihanna and Carly Rae Jepsen out of my head. Why am I admitting this on my blog? That’s my cue to end this post and go to bed.

 

Happy Hunger Games

There’s a lady who sits near me at work who seems to be on personal phone calls all day. She’s kind of loud, but I’ve learned to tune her out unless I’m in the mood for some entertainment; listening to her like listening to a soap opera. Yesterday, I heard something that piqued my interest:

Did you say ‘Hunger Games?’ Wait, girl, let me rephrase that. Did YOU say ‘Hunger Games?’… Yeah, I saw it at midnight… Listen, it’s gooood, but (sigh) it’s unsettling and… No, no, girl. It’s entertaining and I loved it, but… how can I say this… it’s not a feel-good movie, okay? You won’t walk out of the movie theater feeling good. You might want to watch something else instead.

I’m a fan of the books so this was good to hear. The books can be pretty disturbing and really drained me emotionally. I tore through The Hunger Games and Catching Fire very quickly. I finished Mockingjay in a day but I had to put the book down and walk around between chapters to decompress. I read enough blurbs to know that the movie was faithful to the books–almost to a fault–so I was glad to know that it wasn’t a feel-good film.

I considered going to a midnight showing of The Hunger Games (it was released yesterday), but I needed to be 100% at work so I hit up the first show at my favorite movie theater today. The rest of the audience was mostly made up of young boys with their mothers. I opted to go alone. It was a smart move since I was a bawling mess 10 minutes into the movie and then throughout. This is NOT a date movie, people.

I don’t want to say much besides this: I loved the movie. It really is very faithful to the book. All the elements and feelings that needed to be conveyed or visualized were there. I’m not that nitpicky with adaptations: there is only so much that you can translate to film and even then, only so much that will translate well. In the case of The Hunger Games, I don’t think anyone who hasn’t read the book is missing anything. Gary Ross did such a great job with his direction, and Jennifer Lawrence is quickly becoming one of my favorite people. All the acting was great. I was especially pleased with Woody Harrelson’s portrayal of Haymitch. Nothing felt rushed or expositional. It was a well done movie all around.

I walked around the shopping center for a bit after the movie in an attempt to get it out of my head. Watching the movie took some energy out of me, though. Like the lady at work said, it’s really good, but it’s also unsettling (as it should be). I’m excited about the rest of the films being made, but I might need to bring a box of tissue and a blankie with me by the time Mockingjay is released. Oops. I may have said too much!

May the odds be evah in your favor!

I Love You, Internets

This weekend, I watched I Love You, Man starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segal. I didn’t think I was gonna like this movie so much, but I found myself relating to Paul Rudd’s character (minus the projectile vomiting part). I love the friendship that he ended up having with Jason Segal’s character because it reminded me of one of my friendships, specifically my friendship with someone I met on Twitter. Anyone who has a friendship like that, one that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, is super lucky.

Okay, if you haven’t watched the movie, this post is cryptic and nonsensical. So watch the damn movie. Here are some outtakes from the movie for your pleasure.

Another Note on Harry Potter Exhibit

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Fans of Robert Pattinson will also enjoy the exhibit as it features the Quidditch robes and formal wear (see above) worn by the actor in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Sorry, girls. It’s safe to say that everything’s been dry cleaned, so none of RobPatt’s essence will rub off on you. Plus, you’ll probably get kicked out if you try and touch anything. May Cedric Diggory rest in peace.

Harry Potter Exhibition

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Mi Prima and I were finally able to visit the Harry Potter Exhibit at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry.

It. Was. Awesome. We got to the museum at about 7:45pm, a little over an hour before closing. There were probably about 5 other people at the exhibit besides us, plus two families with a couple litle kids. I loved the costumes – the Weasley kids really do get a run-down wardrobe, Emma Watson is a size negative 6, and I think it’s safe to say that Voldemort is a crossdresser. My absolute favorite part was Buckbeak. The (fake) English accents that everyone had at the exhibit were a bit goofy, but actually added to the enjoyment of the exhibit.

This is a must-visit for a Harry Potter fan. Those who aren’t familiar with the books and/or movies will also appreciate the detail that went into the costumes and props and sets of the movie. For more information on the exhibit, and to find out when the exhibit will be in your city, visit http://www.harrypotterexhibition.com/. Don’t be embarrassed to wear your Harry Potter costume!

Emile Hirsch Makes Me Cry

emile.jpgOkay. So, Emile Hirsch is pretty much the only reason I’m interested in seeing Speed Racer. But I’ve read too many reviews that say that the film may induce seizures, so I’ll have to wait for the DVD to watch it. Anyway, I finally watched Into the Wild tonight. I was actually kind of turned off at first–there’s something about Sean Penn that makes me want to roll my eyes–but Emile Hirsch is one of those actors that I’m willing to watch in just about anything (except Alpha Dog in which I think he was poorly cast). I don’t know what it is about him, but I’m touched by his performances. I’m being literal when I say that he makes me cry.

Embarrassingly enough, I first took notice when I watched The Girl Next Door, something I undoubtedly stumbled upon late one Friday night that has become a guilty favorite of mine. Emile Hirsch’s Matthew Kidman was the type of guy I would’ve had a secret crush on in high school. But I first saw Emile in The Emperor’s Club and, while the impact wasn’t enough for me to go and IMDB him ASAP, it’s a movie that I’ve watched again just to see him in it. And then there’s Imaginary Heroes, another movie I happened upon on some boring weekend. His performance in that movie solidified me as a fan.

So, I don’t have a crush on Emile. If anything, I just want to be his best friend. I just think he is super talented, daring, and handsome. And I’ll keep crying for as long as he continues to act.