i'm sorry i suck at updating
I really want to keep the two(?) of you updated about my life but i'm just too lazy. you know i'm at my computer enough i just dont feel like putting any energy into coming up with coherent updates.
so this is what's been going on in my life:
+ I got engaged! on December 30th (but you should already know that)
- my stepgrandmother died on January 9th so I had to travel back up north for the funeral
-/+ I started school again, my classes are much more interesting this semester, well with the exception of research class which is boring since I took an entire year of research methods for my psyc undergrad. i'm also taking adolescents and families. adolescent is turning out to be the most interesting by far.
+++ I LOVE my internship, i can't wait to start working with kids and adolescents for real. i have four new clients (though I think one is going to go to a more appropriate agency) so that's exciting. all my clients from last semester are either better, not showing up, or stuck. :-)
not much else really, just watching movies. the movie reviews for this time are The Stepford Wives, Down With Love, Wanted, A Scanner Darkly, Blow, Premonition, Nightmares & Dreamscapes Disc 1, Rain, Murderball, Eye of the Beholder, and Mystic River.
The Stepford Wives 2004 - Joanna Eberhart (Nicole Kidman) and her husband Walter (Matthew Broderick) begin to suspect there's something radically wrong with their neighbors after the couple moves to the beautiful suburb of Stepford. With the single exception of their alcohol-swilling new friend Bobbie (Bette Midler), all the Stepford wives seem to act, well, robotic. Are the husbands replacing their real wives with sexually compliant cyborg copies? And who might be next?
Meh, it was okay. In fact it was pretty enjoyable until the end which was ridiculous and over the top and pretty much ruined the whole movie. I'm not a big Nicole Kidman fan anyway.
Down With Love 2003 - It's the swinging '60s in New York City, and all the ladies are angling for the attention of handsome journalist Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor). All of them, that is, except for Barbara Novak (Renee Zellweger), a feminist advice columnist who stands for everything that the womanizing Catcher doesn't. But love has a way of sneaking up on even the unlikeliest pairs in this tribute to the classic Doris Day-Rock Hudson romantic comedies.
In case you didn't know, I LOVE Ewan McGregor, so I'm trying to see all of his movies (no matter how horrible they may seem). This, however was not one of those. It was really cute and I loved the wardrobe! Although it was weird how Renee blurted out the whole plot of the movie so we would all understand it at a scene near the end of the movie. But I think that might have been part of the tribute/spoof of the Rock Hudson movies?
Wanted 2008 - Wesley Gibbon (James McAvoy) is just an ordinary guy, unaware that his long-lost father is one of the world's most notorious assassins. But when his father is killed, a mysterious associate named Sloan (Morgan Freeman) arrives, offering Wesley the chance to fill dad's shoes. Mentored by Sloan's deputy, Fox (Angelina Jolie), Wesley carries out the will of the mythological Fates, who see Wesley's targets in a magical loom.
One of the more recent movies that we've seen. Curtis and I moved this up to the top of our list because so many people had told us about how awesome it was. Well....it wasn't. It was too much like too many other movies (Fight Club, Crouching Tiger, The Matrix) and not enough of it's own thing.
Scanner Darkly 2006 - Keanu Reeves shoulders another futuristic role in director Richard Linklater's sci-fi thriller based on Philip K. Dick's novel. Working as an undercover cop in a world where almost everyone is addicted to Substance D -- which produces split personalities in its users -- Fred Arctor (Reeves) sets up an elaborate sting to nab a notorious drug runner named Bob. But little does Fred know that "Bob" is … his alter ego.
I really liked this movie, but you definitely have to be in the mood for this kind of thing. A movie you have to pay attention to and think about, very sci-fi and futuristic. Woody Harrelson is in it and he is hilarious! It was shot like those stock commercials. Where they shoot the whole thing in live action and then digitally draw over it frame by frame. It took an insane amount of work but it looks awesome.
Blow 2001 - Johnny Depp turns in a quietly powerful performance at the heart of this drama as real-life coke smuggler George Jung, who rises from poverty to become one of the biggest drug dealers in America before his eventual downfall. Adapted from the 1993 book Blow: How a Small-Town Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellin Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All, this Ted Demme-directed film co-stars Penélope Cruz, Rachel Griffiths and Ray Liotta.
I liked this movie too. I know you're not supposed to feel bad for drug dealers but by the end of the movie you really feel bad for Johnny Depp's character. Very engaging and interesting. Another one of those "human condition" movies that I like.
Premonition 2007 - A housewife (Sandra Bullock) is devastated when her husband (Julian McMahon) dies suddenly in a car crash. But when he reappears the next day as if nothing had ever happened, she realizes it may have just been a premonition. Can she prevent the horrible tragedy from happening all over again, or is she powerless to redirect fate? Amber Valletta and Nia Long also star.
Meh, not my favorite Sandra Bullock movie, I think she should stay away from time travel movies. She was pretty awesome in the movie but the guy that played her husband was pretty blah.
Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Disc 1 2006 - Dim the lights and get ready for spine-tingling suspense with this collection of eight spooky tales from horror maestro Stephen King. Featuring cutting-edge special effects and an all-star cast, each story will take you on a twisted trip to the dark side. Performers include Oscar nominees William H. Macy (who also received an Emmy nod for this role), William Hurt and Tom Berenger, along with Jeremy Sisto, Samantha Mathis, Kim Delaney and many more.
I think this was a miniseries on TNT maybe? Anyway, I always like to watch these types of spooky tale things but I always want them to be the tiniest bit spookier. This one had three stories and the first one was the best. A hitman kills a famous toy company executive and a band of army men mail themselves to him and then wage war against him in his apartment, lol. There was one about some spooky section of town in England or something where there were "thin spots" between the real world and hell or something, it was boring but the colors were cool. The last one was about an author who switched places with one of his characters in the hope of saving his marriage after the death of his son.
Rain 2007 - Rain (Brooklyn Sudano), a young black musical prodigy, finds trouble and heartbreak when she witnesses her sister's murder by gangbangers. In order to protect her daughter, Rain's mother secretly contacts Rain's biological mother, and Rain learns the truth of her parentage: She is the daughter of a white socialite. Sent to live with her wealthy grandmother (Faye Dunaway), Rain adjusts to boarding school life, where her musical talents flourish.
This is an adaptation of a V.C. Andrews book (she wrote Flowers in the Attic). All of her book series are pretty much the same, they involve scandals and incest and other traumatizing things. They are really depressing but just suck me in. I haven't read one in a while. This is one of the "newer" books. It was okay, you know, about as good as you would expect a straight to DVD book movie to be. Plus it had been a while since I read this particular one so I don't remember how true to the book it was. The only thing worth mentioning about this book series is that it's the only one that was only 4 books long. When the movie was released it came with the fifth book (it's always the prequel or how the whole situation started) and that's the only way you can get the book. The movie was on tv when I watched it, I'm tempted to buy it cheap and used on amazon just so I can read the book.
Murderball 2005 - Rugby-playing quadriplegics compete for the Paralympic gold medal in this documentary about an amazing sport and the strong-willed athletes who play full-contact rugby using specially designed wheelchairs. The film follows the U.S. Quad Rugby Team as they compete in the 2002 World Championships and the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. Murderball won the 2005 Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
This movie was pretty awesome. A good mix of drama with some funny parts. It made me really want to watch the Paralympic Games but then when I googled it apparently they don't broadcast any of it in the US, what the crap?
Eye of the Beholder 2000 - Surveillance expert Ewan McGregor stumbles onto serial killer Ashley Judd and obsessively follows her murderous trail for years. But McGregor turns from pursuer into guardian angel as their bizarre relationship blossoms. Judd generates her usual empathy (no small feat, as her victims pile up!) in a visually stunning road trip through Chicago, Las Vegas and San Francisco. Stylishly directed by Stephan Elliott.
One of the sucky Ewan movies. People who like it defend it to no end "if you don't like this movie, you don't understand it, blah, blah, blah, twisted souls, blah, blah, blah, they needed each other!" I don't care, it was boring! I had to start doing something else so I wouldn't fall asleep. And I love Ashley Judd too so that made it worse that it was sucky.
Mystic River 2003 - Three childhood friends, Sean (Kevin Bacon), Dave (Tim Robbins) and Jimmy (Sean Penn) are reunited in Boston 25 years later when they are linked together in the murder investigation of Jimmy's daughter. This taut thriller from director Clint Eastwood won two acting Oscars (for Robbins and Penn) and was nominated for several more in its exploration of human behavior when faced with pain just beneath the surface, justified rage and scars that never heal.
I actually got this movie by accident, it was on my list of course but Curtis and I just put the top two that we want at the top of the list because we only get two at a time. Well the one that Curtis wanted for this week is coming from Timbuktu or something because it was shipped on Wednesday but we're not supposed to get it until tomorrow (today). So because it was going to take so long they shipped us an extra movie, which they had never done before. Another one of those movies that you have to be in the mood for and I pretty much was. But it was also one of those movies where I'm yelling at the TV "Noooo!! Noooo!!!" It was pretty disturbing and messed up but it was good, I enjoyed it. Although I hate Sean Penn right now. >:o It's a really long movie but it didn't feel like that.
so yea, I have no idea what else to tell you about my life so ask away if you want to know something specific...
so this is what's been going on in my life:
+ I got engaged! on December 30th (but you should already know that)
- my stepgrandmother died on January 9th so I had to travel back up north for the funeral
-/+ I started school again, my classes are much more interesting this semester, well with the exception of research class which is boring since I took an entire year of research methods for my psyc undergrad. i'm also taking adolescents and families. adolescent is turning out to be the most interesting by far.
+++ I LOVE my internship, i can't wait to start working with kids and adolescents for real. i have four new clients (though I think one is going to go to a more appropriate agency) so that's exciting. all my clients from last semester are either better, not showing up, or stuck. :-)
not much else really, just watching movies. the movie reviews for this time are The Stepford Wives, Down With Love, Wanted, A Scanner Darkly, Blow, Premonition, Nightmares & Dreamscapes Disc 1, Rain, Murderball, Eye of the Beholder, and Mystic River.
The Stepford Wives 2004 - Joanna Eberhart (Nicole Kidman) and her husband Walter (Matthew Broderick) begin to suspect there's something radically wrong with their neighbors after the couple moves to the beautiful suburb of Stepford. With the single exception of their alcohol-swilling new friend Bobbie (Bette Midler), all the Stepford wives seem to act, well, robotic. Are the husbands replacing their real wives with sexually compliant cyborg copies? And who might be next?
Meh, it was okay. In fact it was pretty enjoyable until the end which was ridiculous and over the top and pretty much ruined the whole movie. I'm not a big Nicole Kidman fan anyway.
Down With Love 2003 - It's the swinging '60s in New York City, and all the ladies are angling for the attention of handsome journalist Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor). All of them, that is, except for Barbara Novak (Renee Zellweger), a feminist advice columnist who stands for everything that the womanizing Catcher doesn't. But love has a way of sneaking up on even the unlikeliest pairs in this tribute to the classic Doris Day-Rock Hudson romantic comedies.
In case you didn't know, I LOVE Ewan McGregor, so I'm trying to see all of his movies (no matter how horrible they may seem). This, however was not one of those. It was really cute and I loved the wardrobe! Although it was weird how Renee blurted out the whole plot of the movie so we would all understand it at a scene near the end of the movie. But I think that might have been part of the tribute/spoof of the Rock Hudson movies?
Wanted 2008 - Wesley Gibbon (James McAvoy) is just an ordinary guy, unaware that his long-lost father is one of the world's most notorious assassins. But when his father is killed, a mysterious associate named Sloan (Morgan Freeman) arrives, offering Wesley the chance to fill dad's shoes. Mentored by Sloan's deputy, Fox (Angelina Jolie), Wesley carries out the will of the mythological Fates, who see Wesley's targets in a magical loom.
One of the more recent movies that we've seen. Curtis and I moved this up to the top of our list because so many people had told us about how awesome it was. Well....it wasn't. It was too much like too many other movies (Fight Club, Crouching Tiger, The Matrix) and not enough of it's own thing.
Scanner Darkly 2006 - Keanu Reeves shoulders another futuristic role in director Richard Linklater's sci-fi thriller based on Philip K. Dick's novel. Working as an undercover cop in a world where almost everyone is addicted to Substance D -- which produces split personalities in its users -- Fred Arctor (Reeves) sets up an elaborate sting to nab a notorious drug runner named Bob. But little does Fred know that "Bob" is … his alter ego.
I really liked this movie, but you definitely have to be in the mood for this kind of thing. A movie you have to pay attention to and think about, very sci-fi and futuristic. Woody Harrelson is in it and he is hilarious! It was shot like those stock commercials. Where they shoot the whole thing in live action and then digitally draw over it frame by frame. It took an insane amount of work but it looks awesome.
Blow 2001 - Johnny Depp turns in a quietly powerful performance at the heart of this drama as real-life coke smuggler George Jung, who rises from poverty to become one of the biggest drug dealers in America before his eventual downfall. Adapted from the 1993 book Blow: How a Small-Town Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellin Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All, this Ted Demme-directed film co-stars Penélope Cruz, Rachel Griffiths and Ray Liotta.
I liked this movie too. I know you're not supposed to feel bad for drug dealers but by the end of the movie you really feel bad for Johnny Depp's character. Very engaging and interesting. Another one of those "human condition" movies that I like.
Premonition 2007 - A housewife (Sandra Bullock) is devastated when her husband (Julian McMahon) dies suddenly in a car crash. But when he reappears the next day as if nothing had ever happened, she realizes it may have just been a premonition. Can she prevent the horrible tragedy from happening all over again, or is she powerless to redirect fate? Amber Valletta and Nia Long also star.
Meh, not my favorite Sandra Bullock movie, I think she should stay away from time travel movies. She was pretty awesome in the movie but the guy that played her husband was pretty blah.
Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Disc 1 2006 - Dim the lights and get ready for spine-tingling suspense with this collection of eight spooky tales from horror maestro Stephen King. Featuring cutting-edge special effects and an all-star cast, each story will take you on a twisted trip to the dark side. Performers include Oscar nominees William H. Macy (who also received an Emmy nod for this role), William Hurt and Tom Berenger, along with Jeremy Sisto, Samantha Mathis, Kim Delaney and many more.
I think this was a miniseries on TNT maybe? Anyway, I always like to watch these types of spooky tale things but I always want them to be the tiniest bit spookier. This one had three stories and the first one was the best. A hitman kills a famous toy company executive and a band of army men mail themselves to him and then wage war against him in his apartment, lol. There was one about some spooky section of town in England or something where there were "thin spots" between the real world and hell or something, it was boring but the colors were cool. The last one was about an author who switched places with one of his characters in the hope of saving his marriage after the death of his son.
Rain 2007 - Rain (Brooklyn Sudano), a young black musical prodigy, finds trouble and heartbreak when she witnesses her sister's murder by gangbangers. In order to protect her daughter, Rain's mother secretly contacts Rain's biological mother, and Rain learns the truth of her parentage: She is the daughter of a white socialite. Sent to live with her wealthy grandmother (Faye Dunaway), Rain adjusts to boarding school life, where her musical talents flourish.
This is an adaptation of a V.C. Andrews book (she wrote Flowers in the Attic). All of her book series are pretty much the same, they involve scandals and incest and other traumatizing things. They are really depressing but just suck me in. I haven't read one in a while. This is one of the "newer" books. It was okay, you know, about as good as you would expect a straight to DVD book movie to be. Plus it had been a while since I read this particular one so I don't remember how true to the book it was. The only thing worth mentioning about this book series is that it's the only one that was only 4 books long. When the movie was released it came with the fifth book (it's always the prequel or how the whole situation started) and that's the only way you can get the book. The movie was on tv when I watched it, I'm tempted to buy it cheap and used on amazon just so I can read the book.
Murderball 2005 - Rugby-playing quadriplegics compete for the Paralympic gold medal in this documentary about an amazing sport and the strong-willed athletes who play full-contact rugby using specially designed wheelchairs. The film follows the U.S. Quad Rugby Team as they compete in the 2002 World Championships and the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. Murderball won the 2005 Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
This movie was pretty awesome. A good mix of drama with some funny parts. It made me really want to watch the Paralympic Games but then when I googled it apparently they don't broadcast any of it in the US, what the crap?
Eye of the Beholder 2000 - Surveillance expert Ewan McGregor stumbles onto serial killer Ashley Judd and obsessively follows her murderous trail for years. But McGregor turns from pursuer into guardian angel as their bizarre relationship blossoms. Judd generates her usual empathy (no small feat, as her victims pile up!) in a visually stunning road trip through Chicago, Las Vegas and San Francisco. Stylishly directed by Stephan Elliott.
One of the sucky Ewan movies. People who like it defend it to no end "if you don't like this movie, you don't understand it, blah, blah, blah, twisted souls, blah, blah, blah, they needed each other!" I don't care, it was boring! I had to start doing something else so I wouldn't fall asleep. And I love Ashley Judd too so that made it worse that it was sucky.
Mystic River 2003 - Three childhood friends, Sean (Kevin Bacon), Dave (Tim Robbins) and Jimmy (Sean Penn) are reunited in Boston 25 years later when they are linked together in the murder investigation of Jimmy's daughter. This taut thriller from director Clint Eastwood won two acting Oscars (for Robbins and Penn) and was nominated for several more in its exploration of human behavior when faced with pain just beneath the surface, justified rage and scars that never heal.
I actually got this movie by accident, it was on my list of course but Curtis and I just put the top two that we want at the top of the list because we only get two at a time. Well the one that Curtis wanted for this week is coming from Timbuktu or something because it was shipped on Wednesday but we're not supposed to get it until tomorrow (today). So because it was going to take so long they shipped us an extra movie, which they had never done before. Another one of those movies that you have to be in the mood for and I pretty much was. But it was also one of those movies where I'm yelling at the TV "Noooo!! Noooo!!!" It was pretty disturbing and messed up but it was good, I enjoyed it. Although I hate Sean Penn right now. >:o It's a really long movie but it didn't feel like that.
so yea, I have no idea what else to tell you about my life so ask away if you want to know something specific...