Hey all. So, I made it through the first week of my new schedule. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, it was a kind of stressful week. It's weird to have two extra days of not going to work--it kind of makes you feel a little bit useless. Especially as I am a single adult without very many responsibilities besides going to work.

To make myself feel a bit more useful, I've decided to organize! It wasn't really a conscious decision, more like I started cleaning the kitchen last Monday and then felt that I just couldn't do it until I organized! I spent the afternoon trying to find shelves for our pantry, and then putting those shelves together, putting things on those shelves in some kind of orderly fashion, and then I could clean the kitchen. I am now looking into a spice turntable to organize our spices, then I'll clean out my closet. Exciting times.

I think M might have wondered if I'd gone a little crazy, since we'd gone over a year without an organized pantry or spice shelf. But now I have the time, and it's something to do other than sitting around and pinning things on Pinterest all day.

The week was stressful for a mix of reasons. The change in my routine, then I was "exiled" to a cubicle on the opposite end of the floor from the rest of the staff. And with only three days of work, I feel like I won't be able to get as much done, since I'm trying to put five days of work into three now. I had a talk with my manager and we discussed how I should go about doing my work. It involves me having to let some things go before they are complete, in order to get a larger quantity done in the next six months. That's hard for me, because I want to see everything through, but I understand why it has to be so.

I also came to the conclusion this last week that it really is time for me to move on from the project. I've kept trying to get a full-time job there, and I've just realized that one of the reasons I'm not getting them is because it's not right for me. Coming to this conclusion doesn't not mean I have accepted it yet, though! It's hard to not have any idea what's going to be happening in the next few months. Especially when I felt so good about being at the project when I first started, and then a year and a half ago when I got my part-time position. I was talking to my bishop this week, and we were talking about paths and that sometimes we are lead down a certain path just to come to a dead end, but that doesn't mean that you weren't supposed to walk it in the first place. It's just hard to have all these paths in front of you, but you aren't able to see them. Then yesterday in church, I felt like all the talks were about kind of the same thing. And then the hymn was "Lead Kindly Light." Weird how everything just kind of fits together like that.

On Friday, to "celebrate my first Friday off" my parents took me to see Frozen. I'm not sure, but I kind of feel like my mom knew that I was going to have kind of a hard time last week when she suggested it.  That was a fun movie to do have. I also got a few text from my friends at work, so I know that I'm missed! Then Saturday, the Boy Next Door (I'm not being coy, facetious, or aloof with this name. He literally lives next door) invited me to see The Book Thief with him. That was a good crying movie. I will say this, the movie was beautiful and moving and heartrending. But the book, in my opinion, is more so. I really believe the book is one of the best pieces of literature of the past ten years and everyone should read it. With a box of tissues.

So, while the week was a bit stressful, the weekend was nice. Though by Sunday night, I was EXHAUSTED. M and I watched two movies because we didn't feel like moving from the couch. Here's to a better week this week!

A Glance into the Past

I was watching Ramona and Beezus tonight (crying fest!) and there is a scene where Ramona gets her own room for the first time and she's really excited. Then Beezus comes in and tells Ramona about how scared she's going to be, sleeping in a room by herself in the dark. And it reminded me of something from my childhood. So, let's get in the TARDIS and head back to 1998.

Vworp vworp vworp

Up until I was 10, I shared a room with Sis. Our room was pretty big, and for most of the time we shared it, we had twin beds. If I ever got scared, I'd walk across the room and get into Sis's bed, though I always had to be on the side of the bed against the wall, which meant I usually got squished. For about a year before I got my own room, we had a queen bed that we shared. Sis spreads out a LOT when she sleeps, so I usually ended up in a ball on the edge of the bed.

So, when it came time to get my own room, I was pretty excited! We had just built an extension onto the back of the garage for my dad's shop, which meant that the room that used to be the shop became my bedroom. The door opened into the sink section of the bathroom, and there was no carpet, and just enough room for a twin bed, but it was going to be mine. (It's strange, I just realized that I still dream about this room, as if it's still my bedroom, even though I haven't lived in that house--or even been in it--for 9 years.) Anyway, I don't remember how it all went down, but I do remember being slightly scared when it came down to it.

If you've spent your entire life sleeping in a room with another person, and being scared of the dark, going into a room all by yourself is kind of scary! So Bro and Sis agreed to sleep on the floor of my room (my hard concrete floor with only a braided rug for a cushion) the first two nights.

It's kind of nice to know that your family is always there to sleep on your floor when you need them.

New Period Movies/Shows

A couple of weeks ago, I had a desire to watch a romance. Not just any romance, but a period romance. A movie with beautiful dresses, witty women, and handsome men in top hats. I wanted a declaration of love followed by an amazing kiss and a happily ever after. And I knew many movies that fit this description, but I wanted something new. Something that would surprise me. So I asked around and looked at my trusted period channels on YouTube. I came up with some hits, and some misses.

So, for your viewing pleasure (or displeasure), here are the new period movies (and one TV show) I discovered.

Lorna Doone (2000)

I had seen this on one of my YouTube channels, and had heard friends mention it, but I really didn't know anything about it. After two friends told me it was great, I decided to watch it. I was very pleasantly surprised! It was lovely, with just about everything that I wanted. But at the same time, it made me want to eat Lorna Doone cookies. . . . 

The gist is this. The time period is the 17th century. John is intent on avenging the death of his father, who was killed by the Doone clan. Then he meets Lorna, who happens to be the "queen" of the Doones. They fall in love, and must fight for what they most want--marriage to each other--but things keep getting in their way. There is a Doone who wants to marry Lorna and will have her or no one else can. There is the mystery of Lorna's mother. And of course, John's vengeful heart against the Doones. It was described to me as "like a Scottish version of Romeo and Juliet, but without the suicides."

The Buccaneers (1995)
This is not recommended. So, just keep that in mind if you decide to go watch it. The story follows for American girls as they go to England in the mid to late Victorian era to find rich and/or titled husbands. The story focuses mainly on the youngest girl, Nan. This is not a happy way to spend 5 hours. Only one of the girls ends up in a happy marriage, and we barely see her. One ends up unhappy in her marriage and cheats on her husband. One ends up in a loveless marriage with a man who only married her for her money and keeps a mistress. And Nan ends up married to a brute who rapes her, abuses her, and is also a homosexual (keep in mind, homosexuality was illegal at this time). I think the ending was supposed to be happy, but since it involved infidelity, I had a hard time thinking it was. If Nan had chosen love over a title and money, she would have been happy in the second hour and I would have been happier too. (Be aware that there is one scene of non graphic rape, and one scene of attempted rape. Though you shouldn't watch this movie anyway, so this warning is unnecessary.)

Barbara Cartland adaptions:
Barbara Cartland was a writer of historical romances during the 20th century. I have never read her novels, but I have heard that they are better than the movies. Keep in mind, that I am judging these based on the fact that they were made in the late 80s/early 90s, and as such, contain a bit of cheese. (And floppy haircuts for the men, and anachronistic makeup and hair for the women.)
A Hazard of Hearts (1987)
This was the best of the three adaptations I watched. It has a young Helena Bonham Carter as Serena. It's Regency time period. Serena's father is a gambler, and in a game of dice loses not only his money, but his house and his daughter to the evil Lord Wrotham. Lord Justin Vulcan wins back the house and Serena, but not before Sir Giles kills himself. Lord Vulcan then takes Serena to his home, which is rumored to be haunted.

I like that there is romance, as well as a bit of swashbuckling in these movies. The romance in this one is probably the strongest of the three, though the kiss is cut short. (Also, there is an attempted rape, but it's not graphic, just some struggling.)

A Ghost in Monte Carlo (1990)
A young girl and her aunt go to Monte Carlo incognito in the late Victorian era. The aunt seems intent on her niece marrying royalty, though the girl falls in love with English Lord Robert Stanford (played by Marcus Gilbert, who also played Lord Vulcan in A Hazard of Hearts). The beautiful niece has also caught the eye of a Rajah. Again, there's some swash buckling, and men riding to the rescue.

Duel of Hearts (1991)
Probably my least favorite of all the Cartland movies. Possible because Marcus Gilbert wasn't in it. . . .

Anyway, Lady Faye is intent on proving that Lord Brecon did not commit a murder that he is suspected of, so she says she is Miss Frye and gets a job as his mother's companion. This movie is a bit like Jane Eyre, with the mysteries of the house, etc.

"Garrow's Law" (2009-2011)
This was a three season TV show, and I loved it! If you liked Amazing Grace (2006), I think you'll like "Garrow's Law". They are similar not only in time period (late 18th century), but also in that they both tell the story of a man intent on making changes. William Garrow was an English barrister who, among other things, invented the phrase "Innocent until proven Guilty." The TV show isn't very accurate, historically, when is comes to the life and cases of Garrow, but instead, it uses Garrow as a character to show real cases that came to the Old Bailey court at the time Garrow was practicing. I loved seeing someone fight for what he thought was right. And there is a bit of romance, too.

Bert & Dickie (2012)
This is the story of the English skulling team that won gold in the 1948 London Olympics. They were placed together five weeks before the Olympics and had to learn how to be a team, put aside their differences, and learn to trust each other. It's one of those feel good, triumphant, sports movies, and it did have me tearing up a bit in the end. The hard thing about this is that Matt Smith played Bert Bushnell, and I just couldn't get past thinking of this as the Doctor. It's the way he talks! He just talked like the Doctor. I've never had that problem with any of the other actors that have played the Doctor. In fact, at one point he asks some for change so he can use the "phone box" and I kind of giggled a little to myself at that. But it was an interesting story. Even more interesting is that the Olympics used to have art competitions.

So, there you go. Three good movies, one good TV show, two so-so movies, and one movie that is not recommended.

Review: The Hobbit

Yesterday, thanks to roommate M's work, I was able to go see The Hobbit. Though I've been sick the past four days, I bucked myself up to go see it because, let's be hones, it's THE HOBBIT! I've only been counting down for a year now.

Title: The Hobbit
MPAA rating: PG-13 (fantasy violence, no blood)
My rating (not that it matters, since this is a pretend scale anyway): ****

To start off my review, I'll start with casting choices. The past two years I've become a big fan of Martin Freeman (Bilbo) by watching BBC's "Sherlock", and then realizing I'd seen him in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) (he was also in "The Office" [UK]). I think he was the perfect choice for Bilbo. The Hobbit, as a story, is a lot more lighthearted than than The Lord of the Rings trilogy is, and Freeman's mix of comedic and dramatic acting was perfect for the little hobbit going on an adventure. I also think Richard Armitage is a good actor (you can see him in BBC's North and South, and "Robin Hood") who has perfected the brooding stare. He plays the tortured dwarf leader Thorin Oakenshield well. The other twelve dwarves were well cast (and costumed). Of course, Sir Ian McKellen back as Gandalf.

The filming was beautiful (we didn't watch in 3D), as were the sets. I thought Bag End looked exactly like something out of a fairytale. The costumes were nice too (as a side note, elves get the coolest clothes!).

The only thing I really have negative, is that I'm still not exactly sure why it was necessary to split the book into three three-hour movies. The book is not nearly as complicated as the books in LOTR, and the movie, while it didn't necessarily drag, was a little slow, and I felt that one movie could have done it, possibly two. It's the three movie thing that confuses me. Anyway, there were a lot of additions to the story that aren't in the book. I'm not a huge Tolkien fanatic, so I've never read The Silmarillion, which I've been lead to believe a lot of the extra story comes from. I did just reread The Hobbit this year, but I read so much that I tend to forget details, but I'm pretty sure that there weren't any Orcs hunting Thorin's company, nor do I remember Thorin not really liking the elves . . . .

Anyway, I'm hoping that Peter Jackson will quiet all my fears about it being too drawn out in three movies. This one was good, and had the same beauty as LOTR (in fact, I think the beauty was even greater in this one). I'd recommend seeing it.

Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-man

I actually saw a movie soon enough to make a review seem reasonable! Yay me! (And Yay Dad! for paying. :) ) We decided to spend Pioneer Day (a good day to be a Utahn) at the movies, which is a real treat as I don't get home in time to catch a matinee and we're all too cheap to spend the money the a full priced ticket.

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
MPAA rating: PG-13, for violence
My rating: **** (this rating is completely bogus, by the way. I've never actually come up with any kind of rating system, so this could be four out of four, or four out of ten. I don't know. I've never decided and I think it changes every time I review something. This time, it's four out of four.)

To prepare for seeing The Amazing Spider-Man (TASM), a week or so ago I watched Spider-Man (SM), so I had that fresh in mind as I was watching.

I really like Spider-Man, so I'm not going to bash it or the actors in it, but there a lot of things that I think TASM did better.

Caution: May contain minor SPOILERS (depends on how "in the dark" you want to be)

To start off, I feel like this whole movie was to give the viewer a true understanding of Spider-man's "origin story." Where he came from (dad was scientist, parents died, raised by aunt and uncle), how he became Spider-man (spider bite), why he started fighting evil (Uncle Ben), and what is he getting out of it (at first, freedom from guilt, which then changes to knowledge of doing good). In comparison, SM went quickly over the origin into a different storyline making the movie cover at least a year (if not more). Because TASM only covers a few months, I feel like I got a better feel for all the characters.

That leads me to point number two. Compared to SM, I feel that TASM had a more complex storyline and deeper characterization. Even Flash, a minor character, shows growth and depth after Uncle Ben dies. Because of the shortening of time, I feel that we get to see more about Peter accepting what has happened to him after the bite. We get to see him as the super intelligent person that he is, which I feel like was only alluded to in the previous films. And then when Ben dies, we see the transformation of Peter's motivation from vengeance to genuine heroism.

This leads me to point number three. Gwen Stacy and her father. I felt that the real turning point in Peter's motivation comes from these two. First, when Captain Stacy argues with Peter about Spider-man, and then when Peter tells Gwen that he is Spider-man. A side-kick/confidant is key to a lot of hero stories and I really feel that it helped Peter to have someone he could talk to. In SM, Peter is trying to deal with everything himself, and he ends up losing multiple jobs, and the girl, and his best friend, and fails school. Not that Garfield's Peter Parker won't have issues, but having someone who knows who he is, is going to help ground him, and keep him from losing himself to Spider-Man.

As for Andrew Garfield, I know that there are very differing opinions about him as Spider-Man (as there are of the whole movie). For me, I thought he was great. He was able to play the awkward genius teenager really well (loved the scene in the school hallway with him and Gwen), but he was good looking enough to make me want to be saved by him. :) Though Tobey Maguire was a good Spider-Man, I think Garfield was the perfect choice to play the new one. In fact, I thought all of the actors were great in their roles. I also really appreciated the smaller amount of CGI; it made everything feel much more real.

If you want something a bit more "comic book-y" I would recommend the Tobey Maguire franchise. It's a bit more faster paced, a little bit more cheesy (in a good way). But either way, see The Amazing Spider-Man. It's got some moments of cheese as well, but it's got a good plot and good characters.

Taking the Bad with the Good

I like my job. I really do. I feel so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful project, and to associate with the people I do.

But sometimes, it drives me crazy!

This last week was kind of a difficult on at the Ol' JSPP. The entire week was working on one thing--checking the website. This is a completely repetitive task that involves little to no brain work. Basically, you are given a checklist, then you head on over to the JSP "ready" site and check links/images/pop-ups. In order to keep me from going utterly INSANE with the monotony, I had to resort to watching BBC period dramas* on YouTube. (I know, my life is so hard. I'm getting paid to watch some of my favorite movies.)

It wasn't until about Wednesday that things started to get really bad. Before that, my eyes would be exhausted from staring at a computer screen for 7 and 1/2 hours the whole day, and I'd have a bit of a headache, no big deal. Besides, I got a free donut on Tuesday. But on Wednesday, the ready site was down the entire morning, meaning we couldn't do any work on the site. When something is unpleasant, you just want to get it over with (besides the fact that I wanted to finish Northanger Abbey). Besides that, I don't like leaving things at work unfinished. I did have some other things to work on that morning and the site was up in the afternoon. The other interns, though, weren't there, which meant that the work was going pretty slow.

On Thursday the other interns were there, but other things had started popping up. The woman we were checking the site for wanted us to be done by Friday, something we thought was completely plausible. Then, another girl comes around with an assignment that she wanted done by Friday/Monday at the lasted. We finally agreed that we would have to take the second assignment home and work on it there (because we both had a few extra hours during the week we hadn't used). The website was touchy at best and the entire JSP staff was off at the ADE conference in the afternoon. We tried to get as much done as we could and then I headed home, carrying half of a 600 page manuscript with me to work on when I got home. By this time I was getting a bad case of the jitterbugs, so I played the piano to release some of that pent up energy until dinnertime.

Friday was by far the worst day of the week. Everyone was gone to the conference, except a select few. The website was again being "bipolar" as two of my coworkers independently called it. At one point it said it would be down until Tuesday!! Fortunately it came back up and didn't give us anymore trouble the rest of the day. Then, we were given another project and since the website woman was at the conference, we were told to abandon the website for a while and work on this one. This is what was probably the hardest this week: everyone wanting us to work on their project. Everything seemed to have the same deadline and there were a few "discussions" about which was the most important--print or website. As interns, we just have to try to do what we're told without getting everyone mad at us. The only highlight of my day was watching Doctor Who at lunch time, a Friday tradition with some people I met that work in different departments. I stayed late to try to get done what I could, but even with Bleak House, there was only so much I could stand, meaning that I had to leave without the website check being completed. I was so exhausted. I didn't even read on the train ride home; I just couldn't bring myself to use my eyes for anything.

Have you ever been so tired that when all these negative/sad thoughts start pushing forward and all these emotions come bubbling up, you just don't have the energy to keep them at bay? That's how I felt when I finally reached Daybreak and got in my car to drive home. Some song (okay, Adele's "Someone Like You") came on the radio, which prompted some thoughts about something that had happened early that week, which prompted some other thoughts, which prompted some emotions and I just couldn't keep them at bay. I found myself driving with tears running down my face, and the antsy feeling that comes from doing the same thing for about 30 hours that week. I finally turned the radio off and came home. I went downstairs to change out of my skirt and found myself crying again for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

Fortunately by the time I had gotten some food in me and was at a bookstore with my parents looking for the perfect book to buy with my mom's 25% discount, I was feeling much better.

I have been thinking about something lately, though. I think that I would rather take the hard times with the good, then just having the good all the time. Without the hard times I wouldn't be who I am (for better or for worse) and the good times wouldn't seem quite so sweet. Without having had an awful day on Friday, going to the bookstore probably wouldn't have been such the sweet relief it ended up being.

*For those wondering, I have so far watched North and South, Persuasion (2005), Northanger Abbey, Little Dorrit, and have almost made it through Bleak House.

Movie Review: Wild Things

Where the Wild Things Are

MPAA: PG

My rating: *

Short review? Read the book, skip the movie.

Long review? It's difficult to take a 32 page, 500 word book and turn it into a 101 minute movie. Of course, the movie felt like it was about 3 hours long . . .

This is my big beef with the movie. The main message, themes, parallelism, whatever, was so obtuse that it was almost hard to tell what they were supposed to be. And to have come from a children's book, I was surprised to discover that it was NOT a children's movie. It was kind of scary at parts, and had some scenes that would be confusing to a child. (Particularly the scene when Carol wakes all the wild things and Max up and talks about the sun going out and gets mad at Max.)

Then there was the fact that about 15 minutes after Max ended up with the Wild Things I was thinking "When is he going to go back?" I mean, in the book, Max is sent to bed without supper, goes off in his boat to the land of the Wild Things, becomes king, has fun, goes home and his dinner is still warm.

Here's what I thought was good. The Wild Things' costumes, which is to be expected because they were made by the Jim Henson Company. And . . . that was about it.

If you need a little Wild in your life, buy the book by Maurice Sendak.

If Life Were a Musical . . .

Here's a list of my some favorite movie musicals (before anyone gets on me about a certain musical not on this list [or a musical on this list], please note that it says movie musicals). This discludes (which I know isn't a word, but it should be) all Disney musicals (because I like most of them). The list would also be too long to list all of my favorite classic musicals with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire and all them.

Singing in the Rain (1952)

Okay, this does have Gene Kelly in it, but it is the ultimate Gene Kelly musical! If I could only watch one Kelly movie for the rest of my (the horror!), it would be this one. Debbie Reynolds is beautiful in it. And it is so funny! Wonderful songs, wonderful dancing. Love it.

R&H's Cinderella (1957)

This is the very first R&H Cinderella. History lesson: This was written for TV, and this was a live broadcast--there was no dubbing, no going back and cutting. And I love Julie Andrews. She is beautiful, graceful, classy, and had a wonderful voice. The clip above is "My Own Little Corner," but if you watch all of it, you will see that her ball gown is far superior to any other R&H Cinderella, as is the rest of the musical. Unless, you know, you like the impossibility of the Brandy version, with a white king, a black queen, and an Asian prince.

My Fair Lady (1964)

Who doesn't love this musical? I do have to say, that I think Julie Andrews was cheated out of the part of Eliza, considering she played her on Broadway, but I do have a love for Audrey Hepburn. And Marni Nixon (who dubbed Audrey's singing) has a wonderful voice (you have also heard her voice in other movie musicals such as The King and I, and West Side Story).

The Sound of Music (1965)

Another Julie Andrews. What can I say? I just really like her. This is another movie that I think it is impossible not to love. Christopher Plummer is so handsome and has those beautiful bright blue eyes. The songs are wonderful, the scenery sublime, and the kids are just so darn cute. This is the ultimate love story.

Finian's Rainbow (1968)

This is a movie that most people don't know about, which is a shame. It has Fred Astaire in it (obviously an older Fred Astaire, not that that hampered his dancing at all), and Petula Clark. It is the story of an Irish man and his daughter "following the rainbow" to a small American town. The scene I linked to is one of my favorite songs, but it isn't a very good introduction to the movie, which I apologize for. Basically, just get the movie and watch it. It's very 70s, but has great music and a fun story (including leprechauns!)

Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

This scene was my favorite when I was little. I used to rewind the tape and watch it over and over again, driving my siblings crazy! This is a heartwarming, sometimes funny sometimes sad, story with beautiful music.

Slipper and the Rose (1976)

This is another not very well known musical, but one that I grew up watching. It is Cinderella, but my favorite thing about this movie is that it doesn't end with finding Cinderella, it goes beyond that to the difficulty of the prince wanting to marry a servant girl. You will laugh at the King and the Dowager Queen, you will sigh with satisfaction when Cinderella and the prince first meet, and you will be singing the beautiful songs. My favorite song is "Tell Him," sung by Cinderella. It's a wonderful version of the Cinderella tale. (BTW, the costumes are gorgeous!)

Moulin Rouge (2001)

Let's skip several decades and get to the 2000s. Moulin Rouge. It's a slightly risque film, as well as being bizarre, but the integration of contemporary songs is great, and the love story is beautiful. The song I linked to is "Roxanne." Basically I just love that they made Roxanne a tango.

Hairspray (2007)

The reason I linked to this scene in Hairspray is because I think the words are so hilarious! "Nice WHITE kids," and "He's Corny!" Hairspray is fun and colorful, with catchy music, and a great cast.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog (2008)

Okay, Joss Whedon is a genius. I love his work and this is no exception. This is the story of super villain, Dr. Horrible, the girl he loves, Penny, and his arch nemesis, Captain Hammer. It's completely ridiculous, but you will love it. The song I linked to is a song that I used to sing every time I did laundry in my apartment's laundry room. "Underthings, tumbling."

Anyway, there you go. Hopefully you have been introduced to some movie musicals you haven't seen before. Go watch them! You won't regret it, I swear!

Movie Review: I Am Number Four

Okay, first off, I was so excited to go see this movie. That last movie I saw in the "regular" theatres was The Dawn Treader, which was great, but there was something about me taking the initiative of going to a movie that I wanted to see, when I wanted to see it and not feeling like I had to wait until there was someone to go with me. Yes, that's right, I went to this movie by myself. Another thing before I went, I had already read the book by Pitticus Lore and I had surprisingly liked it. Okay, with that in your mind, here is my review:

Title: I Am Number Four

MPAA rating: PG-13 for violence

My rating: Four stars

There were some changes from the book to the movie, obviously. But it didn't really bother me, because the book dealt with a lot of internal revelations and issues which would be very difficult to put across in a film.

I walked into the movie with some expectations from reading the book. I was pleased that all my expectations were met, and then some, which is why I enjoyed this movie so much. I was very impressed with Alex Pettyfer who played John, and now can't wait to see him in Beastly (which comes out this month). I was pleasantly surprised by Dianna Agron, of Glee fame, who played Sarah. I was glad to see her step out of her Glee role and was impressed with her acting.

If you like action movies, with a bit paranormal fantasy thrown in, I think you'll like this movie. Also, read the book!

Movie Reviews

It's been a while since I have posted a review of any movies, so I decided to just post a bunch of little reviews of the movies I have seen lately:

The Last Song

MPAA rating: PG

My rating: 1 star

I was pretty disappointed in this movie, especially I since I have liked Nicholas Sparks' books/movies before. Too much happened that I couldn't concentrate on the big conflict. I felt that the story arch was undeveloped. There was a touching moment where the little brother insists on finishing a project he and his dad started.

Ramona and Beezus

MPAA rating: G

My rating: 5 stars

Anyone who has been a younger sister, a middle child, or just one of those kids who could never seem to do anything right will love this movie. I wouldn't have thought it when I started it, but it had both my mom and I in tears by the end. A good film showing a strong family, with strong values. I loved the Ramona books when I was younger and I loved this movie.

Post Grad

MPAA rating: PG-13

My rating: 1 1/2 stars

I watched this movie because I am a recent grad. The irony came when I learned that not only was the main char a recent college grad like me, but wanted to work in publishing as an editor, just like me! It was a pretty stupid movie with a few funny parts, and a few cute parts, but it's probably not worth your time to watch.

Flipped

MPAA rating: PG

My rating: 4 stars

This is almost just like the novel, except it is set in the 1950s instead of the present day. It's a beautiful story about growing up, seeing the truth, and asking and giving forgiveness. It is told from two points of view, which adds some comedy.

Eat Pray Love

MPAA rating: PG-13

My rating: 3 stars

An interesting story about a woman who goes off to find herself. It definitely made me feel like taking some time to run off somewhere and find myself. There were times when I felt like either that she just was too lucky, or that she whined too much, but for the most part I liked it.

So, there you go. Just a few movies to check out (or not). I just realized that they are all kind of girl movies, but that's what I've been watching lately.

Love Jane Austen? A Review

Movie: The Jane Austen Book Club

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (some language, sexual innuendos, and brief drug use)

I just finished watching The Jane Austen Book Club. To tell the honest to goodness truth, I didn't think I was going to like it--in fact it had been far down on my list of movies on Netflix but my "Angel" DVD kept being skipped over so I got to it sooner than expected. I read the book by Karen Fowler two or three years ago and I remember having mixed feelings on it. There were some parts that were kind of icky (as things can get in adult fiction), and it just seemed . . . off somehow.

There are very few movies adapted from books that I can say I like better than the book, but this is one. When it first started off I wasn't too sure, but the more I watched and learned about the characters, the more I liked it. I found myself laughing at Grigg flopping down his Complete Jane Austen Collection and thinking that the books were sequels to each other (actually, Grigg was just kind of funny the whole movie), and crying with the characters as their lives fell apart and came back together again. This is a movie about friendship, family, love, and working for what you want. Life is hard and sometimes things happen, but we can all make it through.

As a Jane Austen lover, I liked this movie. From Prudie the Jane Austen snob, to Grigg the Jane Austen "virgin," I think there is something that every Austen fan will love.

Just as a warning, there is a gay relationship in the movie as well as one use of the f-word. There isn't any explicit sex (that I can remember, so I'm guessing not), but there is some moments of heavy kissing.

California Day 5

Today was our last day in Pacific Grove/Monterey.

We decided to just kind of take today slow. We'd been doing so much the past week that we wanted today to be a bit of a lazy day. We started off by taking a bike ride to Lover's Point. We climbed up on the rocks and just sat and listened to the waves crash against the rocks and the seagulls cry to each other. When we had enough of that, we got back on our bikes and rode around Pacific Grove. We ended up at the Natural History museum where we decided to stop and go in. They had animals, birds, and insects that are native to this area of California. (Fact: All the rodents on display were "killed by automobile accidents in Monterey County." Yes, we were looking at roadkill--but you'd never know.)

My aunt had told me about their little movie theatre, so we found it and discovered that it was discount tuesday! We decided to see Toy Story 3 after lunch. The movie was hilarious! I was glad that they had kept true to what made the original so great, and added on to it. I was surprised to learn that Toy Story was made in 1995! I remember seeing it--I'm pretty sure in the theatres--and did not like learning that it was 15 years ago! Where did those fifteen years go? But all the characters were there, with some twists, and we saw some new characters.

After the movie we went back to the house and read for a little bit before the sis came to get us for the Farmer's Market in Monterey. Can I just say, there is a reason California is so great and it is the wonderfulness of the strawberries here. I don't think I have ever had a better tasting strawberry than I had today--my mouth aches for it as I think about it. We got to taste a lot of delicious things: nectarines, pesto, cheese; and the smells were amazing. It got our appetite worked up for dinner.

Maddie and I had decided on the first day here that we wanted to get dressed up and go out for a nice dinner on Tuesday. Well, today was Tuesday, so after the market, we came back and got in some new wrap dresses we had bought at Fisherman's Wharf and did our hair and make-up. We walked down to Cannery Row (a pleasant walk, but a little cold today) and decided that Louie Linguini's was the restaurant we would grace with our presences. I ordered Fettuccine al Pesto, and she had Chicken Parmesan. Ohhh, so good! Even after we were full we just wanted to keep eating! We got to-go boxes and decided to walk along Cannery Row one last time. We went into Ghiradelli's where they gave us chocolate just for going in! Everything was too expensive, so we decided to go get a cookie from the Nestle cafe instead. Mmmmmm, chocolatey goodness.

I'll miss Pacific Grove and it's small town feel, but I'll be glad to get back some place warm too. And to be home.

California Day 4

Today was the day we spent with the sis.

Since sis has a car, we decided to leave Pacific Grove and Monterey and head out to Carmel. The first place we went is just a little past Carmel called Point Lobos State Park and Reserve. We went to the whaling cabin and museum and learned a little bit about the whaling that went on in the early part of the 20th century. Then we went to China Cove, and climbed on rocks, searched for sea shells, and pretended to be Ariel on a big rock . . . um, I mean, acted really mature and cool. Ahem.

After Point Lobos we headed over to the Carmel Mission. This was the second of like 15 or something Catholic missions along the California coast. It was first built by Junipero Serra in 1770, though he never saw it completed. By the early nineteenth century the mission had fallen into disrepair and squatters occupied the land. Sir Harry Someone-or-other (sorry I'm so bad with last names!) had taken it upon himself to reconstruct the missions, and he did so with the Carmel Mission. It was interesting for me to see the differences between a Catholic mission in the western US to an Anglican church in the UK. Um . . . yeah, I feel like I was headed somewhere with that, but I got nuttin'. It was also funny because we walked into the Basilica and there was holy water! And we saw a confessional! Yeah, never seen one of those before. I also learned what the beads on a rosary are for! I've always wondered.

There is a museum at the mission that details what life was like when the mission was in operation in the 19th century. They had a confessional there that they had built out of shipping crates. When they had things sent to them from the East, they asked for the best shipping crates because they needed the wood to make furniture. There wasn't any wood good enough. Padre Serra slept in a room that had a small desk and a bed that was just a wooden cot, without a mattress or padding. And there he died. I guess that sacrifice is important in being closer to God; I just don't think that he asks us to be uncomfortable our whole lives. While we were there the bells rung noon. The bells are rung by hand every hour.

After the mission we headed into Carmel-by-the-Sea. It's a nice little place with a small town feel. (Fact: high heels are not allowed in the city of Carmel.) No chain stores or restaurants are allowed. We got lunch at Nielson's Market and Deli, then we explored some of the shops. There were clothes shops, toy shops, consignment stores, a Jane Austen shop, garden and decor stores, and a candy shop. Plus tons that we didn't go into because it was chilly and we were getting tired.

Tonight Maddie and I cooked a frozen pizza and watched Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. We always tire ourselves out everyday, so we didn't feel guilty taking a little break. Afterward we rode the bikes down to a little ice cream shoppe where we split a little bowl or strawberry ice cream.

Tomorrow is our last full day in California. And we're going to just take it like it is.

California Day 1

Today I got on an airplane with one of my best friends. We had decided to go to California, Monterey area back in February, and so two weeks before her wedding, we were off.

Our plane in Salt Lake was delayed because of an equipment shortage, but we didn't stress even though we just wanted to get started on our trip! This was going to be the first time I have been out of state in two years, and Maddie had never been to California before. We finally made it to Los Angeles, a little airsick, but not too shabby.

According to our bodies we had missed lunch about two hours ago, but we needed to find out where to get our connecting flight before we found food. And finding something to eat was tough. All we both wanted was a sandwich. Well, apparently in LA it is impossible to get a sandwich for less than $9. We went everywhere in the airport. We even got to ride one of those little airport taxi cars (!), which was so exciting that we just kept laughing. We eventually decided to split a sandwich so it was only $5 instead of $10.

Then it was time to go to our gate. Because we were flying directly into Monterey, we had to take a shuttle to our gate where we would get onto a small plane. We were so excited because we were going to be able to walk out to the plane, like in the movies, but we were once again disappointed by the reality that the movies shows us because the walk way was covered and there were no stairs! I swallowed my disappoint and boarded though.

This flight was delayed because of some paperwork that they didn't get sorted out. But then we were off. I looked out the window and watched the ocean dotted with clouds. From up there, 26,000 feet above the earth, I was so struck with the beauty of it that it brought tears to my eyes. God made this earth for us, what a wonderful gift! As we came into Monterey the whole earth was swathed in white--cotton clouds just hanging over the earth. The plane dipped into the clouds and I was surrounded by them. Then came such a beautiful sight that I gasped/laughed at it. Rolling hills, covered with dark green trees.

The airport at Monterey proved that movies do show reality! We got to walk down stairs from the plane and out in the open! When the attendant announced that, I exclaimed "yes!" out loud and Maddie laughed at me.

We arrived at my aunt and uncle's house, had a marvelous soup with good bread and ice cream for dessert. After dinner we decided to take a walk. The house we are staying in is just two houses away from where John Steinbeck lived and wrote. Then we walked along the shore up to Cannery Row. We visited the gift shop at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, and I was able to add to my pin collection.

Tomorrow we might just have another fun adventure.

Review: BtVS

So, today I got a DVD in the mail from Netflix (oh, Netflix, you are the joy and the bane of my existence!). It was Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992). Here's a little back story on the movie:

Joss Whedon wrote the script, but he hated what they did with it, so he walked off the set and never came back. See, Whedon wanted the movie to be a bit more serious than the producers were envisioning it. His disappointment led him to create Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) which remained on TV for seven years.

Here's my review for the movie: it was absolutely ridiculous. The vampires looked stupid; the fight scenes were laughable; the story moved too quickly; and the acting was pretty bad. I saw a review that said it was the 80s movie of the 90s and it basically was. Maybe if I wasn't almost all the way through Buffy the series, I would have liked it better, but I doubt it. It seemed like a pretty low budget movie--especially considering the television series had better effects in it. I mean, the vampires didn't even dust! How boring!

Another complaint I had against it was the length and timing. In a 40 minute episode, Buffy not only saves the world, but is able to make a speech about something or other, go to school, slay a vamp or two (while making clever little quips), and go on a date with whatever guy (undead or no) she might be dating at the time. It took 86 minutes for the movie to do that, but the timing was so off! It took too long for her to learn she was the slayer, and then all the fights were way too short, and the climax came and went almost without me realizing it. So in some ways it was too long and in others it was too short.

I can see how Joss would be disappointed. Everything else I have ever seen done by him has been witty, but serious, with great character development and clever use of cinematography. And I'm glad that he took it upon himself to right that wrong by creating the series because I have been enjoying it immensely.

So, I wouldn't recommend Buffy (1992) to anyone. If you want some serious and fun vampire butt kicking, watch the series instead.

Just a Little Update

As of today, here is an update on my life:

I bought a new swimsuit! Hopefully I will no longer have to fear my swim suit falling off of me while swimming (considering that goes against the whole point of having a suit on).

I received a package, and it was the dress my friend Michael Ann made for me! Excited to wear it to church on Sunday, and take it to California on my vacation!

My roomie had never seen Dirty Dancing before, so I got it from Netflix and we watched it. Yay for dancing movies!

I started a novel for my final project in my writing for children and adolescents class, and today I wrote the 100th page! It's not even halfway done, but for some reason reaching 100 feels like an awesome accomplishment. Now I just have to wait until I reach 200 and I'll know I'm going somewhere!

This week had my parent's wedding anniversary--28 years--and my grandparents 60th anniversary!

Yeah, that's basically it, but it's the little things that make life great!