Who glued these quarters down?

"I don't feel that I need to explain my art to you, Warren."

Half Blood Prince Featurette

Something to tide us over until July 17th - which cannot come soon enough!

The Other Boleyn Girl (i.e. the Stupid American Version of the Story)

This weekend J and I watched The Other Boleyn Girl. To get the awful taste out of our mouths, we also finally watched Gone Baby Gone. I recommend Gone Baby Gone if, like us, you are the last people on earth not to have seen it. But right now I have to gripe about the Other Boleyn Girl.

As someone obsessed very interested in Tudor England, I have read enough on the subject to know the basic plot-line. Especially regarding Henry VIII and his various wives. Yes, a lot of my "research" has been in the form of historical fiction, but I promise that I do my share of non-fiction reading as well.

The only [moderately] appropriately cast character was Scarlett Johansson. Natalie Portman is no Anne Boleyn, and the only thing Eric Bana has going for him as Henry VIII is his girth (comparing him to Jonathan Rhys Meyers, anyway). And going into it, I figured I would be bothered by the casting, but it turned out that the casting was the least of my concerns.

However, in the interest of time, I need to get off my chest the one thing that bothered me enough to warrant a blog post and ban further discussion of this crap in my house. I am referring to the scene where the Boleyn/Howard group is sitting down at the table, and someone mentions, in abject horror how their plot would mean that the king would break from the church. Oh My God! Break from the church?! Insert horrified face, here.

Jesus Christ. That's the whole POINT, isn't it? One of the political benefits of having a Boleyn on the throne was to reform the church, and they're not even portrayed as Reformists? Anne herself is known to have shared Reformist literature with the king. It's a good thing we don't have bricks in the house, because that's when one would have hit the TV.

The book took a lot of liberties that, while entertaining, were at least plausible - this movie didn't even attempt to pretend to know anything about anything - and what's more, they didn't even show any boobies, which is the only way I could convince J to watch this movie with me; we figured with Johansson and Portman, there'd be at least one far-fetched, stupidly inaccurate lesbian scene. I mean, I'm angry. We're talking exponentially worse than Everything is Illuminated, which at the very least stands on its own as a movie, and has a stellar cast.

Also, if I see another brown haired, dark eyed Spanish "beauty" playing Queen Katherine...I will be writing an angry letter to someone.

Like Ninety Percent of All Indie Films

While Listening to an Elliott Smith cover of Cat Stevens' Trouble:

me: I am 100% sure that I have seen Thumbsucker. Did we try to watch it together? Because of the Elliott Smith music? And then we just couldn't do it? Or was I alone?

Laura: No, it was with me. As I recall, we both fell asleep.

me: That's right.

Laura: Within ten minutes.

me: It really wasn't very good.
....or it was too deep.

Laura: or it thought it was too deep.

Movies Blockbuster Says I Saw in November

The Secret Lives of Dentists - This was a really good movie, except for the weird way he would freak out and...hallucinate? Daydream? I don't think it was misplaced or anything, just that it was weirdly done. The thing is, this movie satisfied my desire for something real, and I think that it did a good job portraying what might happen to somoene in a marriage where one spouse is cheating. David Hurst seemed inhuman to me at first, until I realized that a lot of people are scarily closed off and cold. Four and a half stars. ★★★★

Before Sunset - I liked this movie so much more than the prequel. SO MUCH MORE. Maybe it's because I had a somewhat grudging emotional investment in the characters. I don't know how people feel about spoilers, but I am really glad that they both really wanted to see each other again, but missed each other. I am delighted that nine years later, they still love each other even though Ethan Hawke's character is married. It's so brutal! Four stars. ★★★★

About Schmidt - This was a good movie, but since the theme of the month is my ability or disability to suspend belief, I just felt that the setup was too convenient. Not saying it couldn't happen, I just felt...well, set up. It was kind of cute, though -- especially his toast at his daughter's wedding. Four stars. ★★★★

The Children's Hour - This was such a fantastic movie. I love Audrey Hepburn, and this movie disturbed me so much. I like a good disturbing movie. And man was I angry. I like movies that can make me angry. I do wish that the resolution had been different, but at least there was a release at the end. Four and a half stars. ★★★★

Downfall - I didn't get around to seeing this documentary/film about Hitler's last days. I do want to try to rent it again, but it will have to be of the moment because while I was really excited about it while it was in my queue, I was not thrilled to watch it when it came, or for two weeks after.

Dig! - A documentary about the Dandy Warhols? I am so there. This was both informative and entertaining (well, I guess it wasn't terribly informative, since I already had a basic knowledge of their career, but the Brian Jonestown angle was informative, since I never followed their career). Five stars. ★★★★★

My Neighbor Totoro - It was a cartoon. Anime with english dubbed over? Or English movie drawn anime style? I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention. It was okay. When If I have kids, I'm going to have to have knitting if they want to watch stuff like this, cos I almost poked my eyes out a few times. Two stars. ★★

The Break Up - Okay, fine, this was kind of "realistic" where in the end it kind of happens the way it might in real life. Still, this movie? Not worth peeing my pants over, and not worth obsessively checking the queue because of the "Long wait" I had just because I had two damn dvds out when this came out even though I pre-requested it like three months ago. TWO STARS, Jen! And that's post-pity party about Brad. Make better movies, woman! ★★

Movies Blockbuster Says I Saw in October

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, But Were Afraid to Ask - I have a confession to make. Aside from Match Point and Everyone Says I Love You (which I didn't love, but I enjoyed it enough to watch it twice. Maybe because of Edward Norton), I am just not a Woody Allen Fan. This movie was a bunch of sketches that I felt like I had seen before (and maybe I had -- that's how much it stuck), and I mostly watched it to wait for the Gene Wilder sketch, which was really really cute. Well, as cute as bestiality can be. Overall, it's kind of like Airplane. I didn't really want to see it. After I saw it, I wasn't raving about it. I would, however, recommend it because it's funny. I just wouldn't buy it and lend it to people to get them to watch it. Three stars. ★★★

The Office Season One - I decided to catch up on the American version of the Office so I could watch the new ones on Thursday nights, even though I've sort of accidentally stopped watching TV in the past few weeks. I even missed Grey's Anatomy this week (gasp!). So, you know...Anyway, this is a great show, if you haven't already heard (and yes, I like the British version "more," but mostly I like whichever one I'm watching more than whichever one I'm not watching) so...Five stars! ★★★★★

She's The Man - I'm not saying I'm proud of it, but in the interest of full disclosure, yes, I rented this movie. There was legitimate motivation behind this. Laura tells me it is actually a remake of a not so terrible movie. And I kind of like Amanda Bynes. She's cute, I want to feed her a sandwich. Or twelve. It also took me the full hour and a half or however long this movie was to finally concede, "Okay, maybe the lead boys are a little cute." And honestly -- at least if a movie's going to be terrible, and you know your market is 12-15 year old girls (otherwise known as me and Laura), GET SOME PRETTY ACTORS! One star, and that's just because I'm too nice to give zero stars. ★

The Office Season Two - Again, I just rented this to catch up. It slowed down my movie renting, but it was worth it. I can't say much more, but the second season is way better than the first. Especially for any of those who think that since the first seson's first few episodes go by the UK version verbatim, since the story line really starts to diverge in the US version by season two (I think. Sometimes when people have accents or "don't," I'm really dense about things). Five stars. ★★★★★

The Deer Hunter - I may have had to wait about a week and a half to watch this movie, because I knew it was going to be sad, and I knew that I did not have the mental energy to do it. When I finally watched it, I have to admit that while I found it good, and man Christopher Walken...man...this movie goes on the list of movies I liked, but would never rent for myself. I don't even know who/what list/what website told me that I HAD TO see this movie, but that was my only motivation, and it was obvious when I sat down to watch it. Now that I have seen it, I'm glad, and it was good, and people should see it, but again, I don't know that it's something I'll ever push on someone. Four stars. ★★★★

Say Anything - Now this movie is more my speed. I think Say Anything was the last and only movie from the '80s that I hadn't ever actually seen! Even movies that I think I hadn't seen turned out to be movies that I had watched on TV when I was younger, but I really didn't remember any of Say Anything, so I'm convinced I finally found it. I loved this movie, it was really very cute -- but for different reasons would never FORCE, with threat of bodily harm, anyone to watch this movie. It's up there with Pretty in Pink, although this one probably won't find its way into my DVD collection. Three and a half stars. ★★★

Something New - Maybe it was the unwarranted crying fit I had towards the end (where "normal" Briar would have cried a little bit and thought "aw, how sweet," but unhinged Briar started sobbing uncontrollably, and would have paused the movie if I had wanted to watch it out of anything but a sense of responsibility to finish the last ten minutes). This movie was either seriously bad, or I was in the wrong mood to watch it. I think it was a little bit of both, because the movie probably wasn't as bad as I thought it was, but it was probably only as good as I thought it would be when I saw previews. It's just been in my recommendations for so long, I thought renting it would get it out of there. Two stars. ★★

I also physically rented two movies, but I can't remember what one of them was.

Junebug - This movie was as good as everyone tells me it was, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with the futility. The end was just...Aside from the scene in the hospital, I suppose. Anyway, it was a really good movie, and I'm going to go right ahead and jump on that and say, "Yes, why haven't you seen this movie yet?" (I had a reason. It was stupid, but I had it. But now I've finally seen it so what's your excuse?) Four and a half stars. ★★★★

Movies Blockbuster Says I Saw in September

Just Like Heaven - I am so in love with Reese Witherspoon. And John Heder. That didn't make this movie any more than okay, but I enjoyed it. I wouldn't recommend it, but that's because I like movies like this when other people don't tend to want to rent them (by that I mostly mean Alisa). Two and a half stars. ★★
The Producers - I feel just awful about this, but I really prefer the Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane version. However, being a big Gene Wilder fan, I do have to admit that as much as I loved Matthew Broderick as Leo Bloom, I really enjoyed Gene Wilder in the same role. I know I'm talking about it like it's backwards, but that's the order in which I saw them. In this case, I think the re-make was well worth it (also, I preferred the storyline with Ulla in the newer version). Sorry Gene :( Three stars. ★★★
Heavenly Creatures - Okay, I have definitely seen this movie. I don't know how far we got through it that one night at Harvard. Did I fall asleep before it was over? Anyway, watching it through soberly was well worth it so I can finally cross it off my list (even though it's a good movie, it's just I think I saw it on HBO once many years ago). Three and a half stars. ★★★
The Frisco Kid - I had to watch this in bits because I wasn't really in the mood to watch it when I got it. I don't know. I resisted watching Airplane for a long time when my mom rented it for me and my sister, but when I finally sat down to watch it, I loved it. This wasn't the case with The Frisco Kid, but Gene Wilder was amazing, and I can't imagine how John Wayne would have been better in Harrison Ford's role. Three and a half stars. ★★★
A History of Violence - Wow. This movie was amazing. Especially how "real" the blood and head wounds were, which I know shouldn't really add to the quality of the story, but it's something I noticed. Because so much of this movie hinges on the mystery, I won't write anything about the movie (because I have a big mouth), but it was good, and everyone should see it. Also, his "kid" is played by a 27 year old man, so that's something to see. Four stars. ★★★★
Young Frankenstein - Yay! This is one of my favorite movies. It's hilarious and there are so many great scenes. "Put the candle back." "Whatever you do, don't put the candle back." // "What knockers." "Oh, thank you, doctor." Anyway, I should buy this movie, because renting it through blockbuster online means I have to wait a while to watch it, and it's the kind of movie I should be able to see on a whim. Five stars. ★★★★★
Memoirs of a Geisha - Very good movie, even though I kind of feel as though it would have been better if I hadn't read the book first. Four and a half stars. ★★★★
My Date with Drew - I could not bring myself to watch this. I came home with this movie, even though I had the Gus Van Sant documentary, Last Days, in my hands last I remembered (seriously, it's like I blacked out between browsing and hitting the counter to rent), and I also ended up buying Bewitched, because it was sitting in front of me behind a big red sticker that read $4.99. I watched Bewitched that night, and then tried to watch My Date with Drew, but just wanted to slam my head into the desk repeatedly just to distract myself from the awfulness. Bewitched was good, though.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose - I really like any movie that makes me think about real life events. I liked how they used the trial as little post markers in the story, and went back telling Emily's story as though the posession was real. Whether or not you believe it, it's a good movie that poses good arguments for both sides. Four stars. ★★★★

Movies Blockbuster Says I Saw in August

Okay, I want to start doing this once a month, even though it opens me up to the potential for ridicule. So, here we go, based on a five-star system:

Cassanova - was a terrible movie. But Heath Ledger was in it, and I felt obligated. When will I learn? Never. Two stars. ★★
Glory Road - *sniffle* I'm so buying this movie. Not only is it about Don Haskins but Josh Lucas is quite possibly the most beautiful man in movies these days. It was also a very, very good movie based on a true story. What more could you ask for? Five stars. ★★★★★
Annapolis - I have a confession to make. I didn't watch this. It's in my Blockbuster history. I got it. I put it in the computer, I selected play, and then I promptly fell asleep. There was not enough pretty in the world to keep me awake, and when I made a second, half-assed attempt to watch it again, I couldn't take it. I won't give it stars, because that would be unfair and untrue, but I will tell you that I could not give less of a damn about a movie right now, and will not be renting it again.
Fanny & Alexander - should have been called Alexander and the creepy Bishop-father. There was very little Fanny in this Swedish subtitled film by Ingmar Bergman. It was interesting, even though I missed all of the supposedly overt existential themes, and I liked it enough, but it's not exactly the masterpiece I think people claim it is (although by people...I think I may be referring to Mr Bergman). But I'm probably just dense. Four stars. ★★★★
Blazing Saddles - Blazing Saddles...I've already written why I rented it, and I've certainly seen it before. I can't bring myself to buy it (like Fiddler on the Roof, which I watch constantly, but have never owned), but I will never tire of watching this movie, and will rent it again and again until one day...maybe...I'll finally buy it somewhere. Five, glowing stars for Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder. ★★★★★
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada - This was a fantastic movie. Now, if any journey is going to be called quixotic, this is the one. The acting was something amazing, and the story was very...sad. But in the good way that makes you really think about people. Directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones, and...in several scenes he's drinking TECATE. Five stars, Tommy. ★★★★★
Girl in the Cafe - preachy preachy preachy. Decent love story. Four stars. ★★★★
Benchwarmers - I pretty much laughed so hard I peed a few times. "What are steroids?" "It's something that makes your pee-pee smaller." "There must be steroids in macaroni." Farting jokes? Always funny. Just some more clean [potty] humor from our good old Mormon friend John Heder. Four stars (it's a sliding scale) ★★★★
Just Friends - This was not a great movie, but I do have to say one thing: Ryan Reynolds in a fat suit, singing All 4 One's I Swear. That's right. Go, rent it now, just for that. Two and a half stars. ★★

Man, that was some quality movie watching going on in August, friends.

The Best Thing About This Movie: The Hat

Isn't it pretty? (And I mean the hat, by the way -- not Orlando Bloom, even though he is also gorgeous)

Matt, I admit I was a tad unfair to say that the movie was terrible. To be honest, when I wrote that, I was watching the scene with the memorial. I fast forwarded through Freebird, and while I enjoyed the music immensely, this isn't a movie I'm going to go out and buy after watching it once.

I'm going to go ahead and take it down a notch. I thought it was "okay." That's better than terrible, right?

Books As Movies. The New No.

Add two more to the list of books I've read whose movies I want to see because the book was so good (also because I do. not. learn):

Running With Scissors
The Time Traveler's Wife

They don't have any casting for the Time Traveler's Wife, but one of the imdb boards claims this movie is coming out in May 2007, and it's being directed by Gus Van Sant, so it has some promise -- or could be a major let down. Someone else recommended that we watch the Lake House while we wait for this movie. I don't like to agree with people who say blanketed inane statements like that ("Oh, hey, you liked this love story? Go see this chick flick that's kind of like it but not really. At all."), but I did think about The Time Traveler's Wife when I saw the previews for the Lake House. That's not to say it was particular to that movie though. I found it happening any time I heard about time travel or distance via time (the Machinist, for instance, gave me the same feeling, just because of the cut sequences). So anyone who doubts this movie can be well made because of the spliced time istn't remembering how successful it can be to a story (the Godfather II, anyone? If you watch it on TV, it's cut so that you see Vito's story, then Michael's story. It's so much better on DVD where the stories are spliced together. Or movies like Memento, where you see the past in snippets. It can work).

The reason I haven't learned, though, is because of my experience with many many great-books-turned-into-craptastic-movies: The Count of Monte Cristo, Vanity Fair, and my most recent disappointment, Everything Is Illuminated (which was the only one of the three that was actually a good movie on its own, but had very little to do with the book; just enough to distress me). The biggest thing about the movie Everything Is Illuminated that bothered me was the story altering portrayal of Alex's grandfather as a Jew, and subsequently, his flagrantly unnecessary suicide! The suicide does happen in the book, only after Alex's grandfather explains his story to Alex -- in one of the most excruciating parts in the book, Alex's grandfather recounts his betrayal of his Jewish friend, Herschel, and his justification for handing Herschel over to the Nazis. It's heart-breaking but, in a cruel human way, we end up understanding. Both book and movie are about the uncertainty and questions that bury 2nd and 3rd generation survivors, but they tell the story from two different ends of the spectrum -- and while the cast and setting were terrific, the movie script droped the ball where the book is wildly successful. The beauty of the book is that we finally understand, simply, that there are no easy answers -- that ultimately, the choices the characters have to make; the choices they had to live with, make their lives a big agonizing question. Making Alex's grandfather Jewish is a cheat because it simplifies his moral dilemma. Instead of living with the guilt of what he has done, he lives with the guilt of abandoning his faith -- which, as the movie shows, can be easily reclaimed. This change is what makes grandfather's suicide nonsensical. How do you redeem yourself after you've betrayed someone you love? How do you reclaim your youth or your innocence? How can you undo what you've done? These are the kinds of questions the book poses: the ones that cannot really be answered. The movie tries to provide some answers, but they only cheapen the journey. If you're going to read the book, watch the movie first. That seems to appease some people, although I then question their love of reading, because there's no way you can like them both tremendously, if you think about how the moive is less successful in all the wrong ways.

Anyway, like I said, Van Sant can either be wildly successful with the Time Traveler's Wife, or wildly WRONG. I am an eternal optimist. I think it can be done well, and I hope that Van Sant can be the guy to do it.

You Write Chick-Lit, For Crying Out Loud

I had a poorly written, riddled with curse words, "tell us how you really feel" entry about The Devil Wears Prada, but you know what?

This Times Review does it for me (re: the book).

Take that article, multiply it by 500, and you'll get an idea of how I feel about the movie.

And Now, I'm Probably Going To Watch Some TV

This weekend has been absolutely filled with movies: The Ring Two, The Chumscrubber, Eight Below, The Others, The Jacket, A Bug's Life, and The Machinist.

I know, right? How is my brain not fried?

Yesterday, after Alisa and I signed our lease, we came home. Alisa went for a run while I knit, and when she came back, The Jacket was on HBO. I made dinner, and when I came back into the living room, A Bug's Life had started on the Disney Channel. After that, the Machinist started on Showtime. By the time we realized that we'd sat through three straight movies on the telly, it was 11PM and we both went to bed (except I didn't go to sleep, I watched the Others).

So maybe my brain is fried.

I started a project during So You Think You Can Dance, but I'm disappointed to say it's taking me longer than I had hoped to complete. It's my SoYouThinkYouCan Hat, and even though it's not a brilliant pattern or anything, it's my own design, off the top of my head, so some frogging and altering has been necessary in the past two weeks, before I finally got something I could work with (it's still a bit on the tight side, though). I was working on that a bit yesterday, because I thought it was nearly finished, but before I bound off, I tried it on. It was about two inches too short! Ack! So I had to unravel it. Fortunately, the Noro Silk Garden is really sticky, so I frogged to a point before I'd begun decreasing, and then threaded some spare yarn through the stitches, and am now in the process of picking them up, which is painful and boring, so I'm about 2/3 of the way through. The rest of the day was spent on Frost Flowers.

I do need to stop going to bed at four in the am. It's really bad for my sleep schedule, and I don't feel remotely rested when I wake up at one in the afternoon. Bleck.

You Know He Is!

Okay, you're going to think I'm weird, but I need to get something off my chest.

There is something disturbing me about the new Garfield movie, and I don't just mean that they're making it. What's really rubbing me the wrong way is the title. Okay, okay. I get it, it's a play on words. It's a "tale" of two "kitties" whose identities are mistaken.

But, HELLO! This is just the Prince and the Pauper! I know that there are no original ideas in Hollywood anymore, and that almost any story can be traced back to older stories, because there are only so many stories, and the only differences are nuances, or twists, or directions the movie takes. Fine. I get that. I don't even notice it most of the time. Heck, I tell the same stories over and over and over again. I get it, Hollywood.

But to make The Prince and the Pauper starring Garfield, then name it after a classic Dickens novel?! It's just...it's insulting is what it is. And to add injury to insult, this is the only Dickens I ever enjoyed, even though Dickens is insufferable and pompous. Surely there was some play on words they could have come up with using the prince and the pauper? Okay, maybe not...since this rant has been building up for weeks, and I still can't. But I maintain my general lack of respect over the whole situation.

-----End Rant-----

So, I'm watching Sailor Moon, which is just one of the many joys I've discovered recently since I downloaded bittorrent...Laugh all you want (Laura thinks my love of certain anime shows is funny), but Sailor Moon is just about one of the best shows, ever. It's even in Japanese, not dubbed in English, which is kind of foreign to me erm, unfamiliar to me, but it seems better this way. I read that the English dubs dropped a lot [of violence and homosexual references], and cut some episodes, but even so, I only ever saw the first story arc in English, and luck would have it that without any research at all, I've downloaded the second story arc!

Plus, I know he's a cartoon character, but man is Tuxedo Mask dreamy...(I'm still learning all of their Japanese names, but he's more familiar to me as Darrien, which is what I was going to name my first son when I was...whatever age I was when I was watching a lot of Sailor Moon).

-----End Things About Briar You Never Needed To Know-----

The Sea Would Electrocute Us All

To further this thing (re: previous entry), these are the movies to rent on my "unemployment movie binge" queue:
Love Liza
Owning Mahowny
Punch Drunk Love
Empire Falls
State and Main*
I have seen State and Main, Empire Falls, and Punch Drunk Love, but don't remember State and Main (except that I liked it), Punch Drunk Love (was dead exhausted and may have fallen asleep, but I'm not sure - I tried so hard not to), and Empire Falls (watched it in snippets in a hotel room while I was in Niagara Falls/New York with my parents), so I figured they were worth another viewing.

That is also partially the answer to Skylar's question. I know it was Happiness that did it for me, but ultimately it was State and Main, where I ended up becoming completely enamoured with Hoffman's on-screen presence. I don't think you can physically have his babies, Skylar...besides, I called it first :)

I do think he's an astounding actor, though, and have to admit that I'm a little jealous that now everyone in the world knows it because...well, that was also part of the appeal - that being in love with him was a little, well..."underground." Not that no one knew who he was, just that it wasn't a name thrown around like it is now that Capote did so well.

*[The only reason 25th Hour, Red Dragon, and Happiness aren't on the list are because I own those.]

Listening: Radiohead - The Bends
Eating: Cinnamon Toast Crunch with a border of Total and 1% milk
Wearing: My baggiest and least flattering sweater, penguin pajama pants, red socks
Reading: Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

I ♥ Philip Seymour Hoffman

Freshman year at MIT, I got a book for Christmas from an ex-boyfriend. I had given him a book (but I actually bought it, wrapped it, and slapped a card on it), and he kind of ran to his room and said, "I meant to give this to you and wrap it and everything, but...well. Here." In other words, he ran into his room and pulled a non-Course-6 book off of the shelf and handed it to me.

The book was A Confederacy of DUNCES by John Kennedy Toole. I think there was a big fuss about it a few years ago because of the New York Times, but I didn't keep up with that sort of thing at the time. Even though I started getting into it, I had very little time for pleasure reading then. I got a little over a quarter of the way through it and just stopped, put it on my bookshelf, and forgot about it for a while.

For years, apparently, there's been a buzz about Philip Seymour Hoffman playing Ignatius J. Reilly. Given that he won Best Actor last night, maybe this will be something that finally gets pushed through and off the ground (and I have to say, if I could have hand picked an Ignatius Reilly, it would be Hoffman).

I will be prepared for this! I got about 30 pages into it last night, and if and when this movie comes out, I will have read the book and will have no excuses! Hooray! Either way, It's been four years. It's about stinking time I finish this book.

P.S. - I have a confession to make that makes me feel a little bit durty. The only person who knew this until today was Harvard, but I feel it's time to let the world know, just to clear the air. See, I have a bit of a celebrity crush on Hoffman. The thing is, and the reason I feel this is most dirty, my first exposure to Hoffman was the movie Happiness. If you haven't seen it - well, I recommend it, but it's not for the faint of heart! Also, it will make you rethink being friends with me, because, well...if Phil asked me to marry him tomorrow, and even have his babies, the answer would probably be yes (rather, it would be "OMG YES, YES, A MILLION TIMES YES!!!"). This also works if you've seen The 25th Hour, kind of.

Now Reading: A Confederacy of DUNCES by John Kennedy Toole
Now Watching: Gilmore Girls Season 4

A Dozen Movies

Twelve movies I could watch over and over and over again; i.e. my "Top Twelve" (original idea from Matt). They are in no particular order.

1. Gone With The Wind
2. The Royal Tenenbaums
3. The Life Aquatic (With Steve Zissou)
4. Love Actually
5. It's A Wonderful Life [every Christmas, and I generally save it for Christmas, but occasionally pull a viewing in June]
6. I Heart Huckabees
7. Fiddler on the Roof
8. Pretty in Pink
9. March of the Penguins [Shut. up! I love penguins!]
10. Happiness
11. Pride and Prejudice (yes..last year's version)
12. The Princess Bride

Wow. That was hard. What's more is that half of these aren't even in my DVD collection! I have a bad habit of actually watching movies over and over and over again and getting sick of them, thus they do not make this list...Fight Club, Bridget Jones' Diary, &c. This list contains movies I either have yet to tire of, or actually do feel like watching every time they're mentioned.

Match Point

I saw Match Point tonight. The more distance I get from it, the more I liked it.

There was one scene where the innate Woody Allenness was incredibly apparent, and then it just became very Woody Allen for the rest of the film. All the way down to the fact that the whole last 20 minutes it was like, "OK, you're going to listen to Opera now!" Although I can only recall ever having seen one Woody Allen movie (Everyone Says I Love You - again something I mentioned during the Friday night debacle - evidently all topics have now been covered), it did strike me as very Woody Allen in the end. [It was the scene before he enters the apartment building, with his tennis gear slung over his shoulder that convinced me of this.]

Anyway, it was fun, but the people in front of us kept whispering loudly to each other, playing telephone. There were about six of them, so one on the end would say something, then the second person would laugh, the third person would ask what was said, and it went down the line like that incessantly after a certain point in the movie. And they had behaved so well for over an hour at this point...I don't know. Some people are just jerks.

Also, I got an IM from a lost friend who I have been wanting to talk to so badly for so long now...I truly missed her, and now...I think every thing is ok.

I'm very happy about that.

Capote

I went to see Capote with Ben, Jess, Emily, and Matt at the Somerville theatre. Afterwards, I commented on how it was recommended that I read In Cold Blood (and To Kill A Mockingbird, but I had read that) before watching the movie, but if I held fast to the read the book first rule, I would never see any movies!