Sunday, May 15, 2005
Games on the Grass
Feels like I haven't posted any good photos in a while! These pictures are from a April 16th. We have had two bad snow storms since then. But that Saturday was so nice we decided to play Scrabble by the creek behind our apartment. Pictured are Jeff, Bruce, Gwynneth, Ben, Brian, and a muskrat!.
Friday, April 29, 2005
Almost Spring
Hello all! I thought we were done with snow the last time I posted. But we've had another spring snowfall in Colorado. Ben's car locks were frozen this morning!
This ought to be a rather relaxing weekend. I'll have a massage this afternoon before dance class. Tonight I'll see Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The Serenity trailer is supposed to be attached! Speaking of Serenity, Brian swiftly alerted Ben to purchase tickets for an advance screening!!! The shows (link) were sold out within a few hours. I'm so jazzed to see it next week!
My cat is trying to lick my fingers while I type, so that's all for now.
This ought to be a rather relaxing weekend. I'll have a massage this afternoon before dance class. Tonight I'll see Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The Serenity trailer is supposed to be attached! Speaking of Serenity, Brian swiftly alerted Ben to purchase tickets for an advance screening!!! The shows (link) were sold out within a few hours. I'm so jazzed to see it next week!
My cat is trying to lick my fingers while I type, so that's all for now.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Friday, April 08, 2005
Oscar Party Pics
Jeff posted pictures from the Oscar party here. Check out the cool projected leader board we used to keep track of the pool.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Dancing
Wow, what a weekend. I sure didn't expect to end up dancing to TMBG's Ana Ng on a stage with Mavi and a pair of drag queens.
Ah, it's not as wild as I make it out to be ;-) Mavi, Jeff, and I went to Lipgloss at La Rumba to dance. Lipgloss is a "Indie, Brit-Pop, Glam, Soul, and Rock" club. It exponentially multiplied the number of men in drag I've ever seen in person. And Hipsters galore. Quite fun actually. A bunch of people dress up in retro clothing to go out. Most of the men were wearing blazers and button-up shirts in pastels, some with ruffles. Some women wore pillbox hats and heels. The dance floor was empty until we started at it, and within 4 songs it was full. The DJs played a pretty good mix at the start: J-pop, french scat, Michael Jackson, Beck. Later in the night the music started to get predictably "80s" with the Clash, Depeche Mode, Rolling Stones, ACDC, still pretty good stuff, but not the great eclectic mix they had in the beginning. Whenever Mavi and I took a break, someone would encourage us to get dancing again (that's how we ended up with Stacey and Kelly on the platform "stage"). Everyone was nice! It was refreshing to go to a dance club where people were there to dance and have a good, self-aware, time. Too often dance clubs are flesh fests, where people go to get stinking drunk or to hook up with a stranger. I'll take La Rumba over Pollyesters any day.
I got tired pretty fast that Friday. 2 1/2 hours of aerobic dancing is tiring enough, but I had already had 1 1/2 hours of ballet that evening. Ballet is going really well. I pulled off a perfect double pirouette last week! I can control a single fairly regularly now. Sure, triples used to be my goal, but these days I'm happy to do a good single. Christina remarked that I was getting my strength back pretty fast:-)
We went to see Les Enfants Terribles at Starz last night. I didn't like it very much. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for absurdist French cinema. Afterwards Ben, Bruce, Brian, Jeff, and I got a late bite at Pete's Kitchen. I love my biscuits and gravy.
Brian and I have hit Scrabble hard since watching Word Wars. We played four games yesterday, and we have plans for more after dinner tonight. (I'm 3-1, though Brian got a bingo on the game he won. I'm insanely jealous).
Ah, it's not as wild as I make it out to be ;-) Mavi, Jeff, and I went to Lipgloss at La Rumba to dance. Lipgloss is a "Indie, Brit-Pop, Glam, Soul, and Rock" club. It exponentially multiplied the number of men in drag I've ever seen in person. And Hipsters galore. Quite fun actually. A bunch of people dress up in retro clothing to go out. Most of the men were wearing blazers and button-up shirts in pastels, some with ruffles. Some women wore pillbox hats and heels. The dance floor was empty until we started at it, and within 4 songs it was full. The DJs played a pretty good mix at the start: J-pop, french scat, Michael Jackson, Beck. Later in the night the music started to get predictably "80s" with the Clash, Depeche Mode, Rolling Stones, ACDC, still pretty good stuff, but not the great eclectic mix they had in the beginning. Whenever Mavi and I took a break, someone would encourage us to get dancing again (that's how we ended up with Stacey and Kelly on the platform "stage"). Everyone was nice! It was refreshing to go to a dance club where people were there to dance and have a good, self-aware, time. Too often dance clubs are flesh fests, where people go to get stinking drunk or to hook up with a stranger. I'll take La Rumba over Pollyesters any day.
I got tired pretty fast that Friday. 2 1/2 hours of aerobic dancing is tiring enough, but I had already had 1 1/2 hours of ballet that evening. Ballet is going really well. I pulled off a perfect double pirouette last week! I can control a single fairly regularly now. Sure, triples used to be my goal, but these days I'm happy to do a good single. Christina remarked that I was getting my strength back pretty fast:-)
We went to see Les Enfants Terribles at Starz last night. I didn't like it very much. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for absurdist French cinema. Afterwards Ben, Bruce, Brian, Jeff, and I got a late bite at Pete's Kitchen. I love my biscuits and gravy.
Brian and I have hit Scrabble hard since watching Word Wars. We played four games yesterday, and we have plans for more after dinner tonight. (I'm 3-1, though Brian got a bingo on the game he won. I'm insanely jealous).
Friday, April 01, 2005
Word Wars
I watched an interesting documentary with Ben and Brian last night. It's called "Word Wars" and it's about the Scrabble championships. If you like Spellbound and Trekkies, you'll like
Word Wars. It's a bit like Spellbound for adults. (Note: one contestant is rather found of foul language, so it's not a movie to watch with kids.) These people are so obsessed with Scrabble, most of them don't have jobs, they just play all day and hope to win money at tournaments. Not only is the subject matter interesting, but the documentary is very well edited and directed. You really get to know the community of Scrabble. You recognize the players. There's clever title cards and informative sequences, like the final match, which is cleverly shown play-by-play. The movie dances along at a nice pace. My favorite player has to be G.I. Joel. Joel has a lot of G.I. problems. It's hilarious.
Word Wars. It's a bit like Spellbound for adults. (Note: one contestant is rather found of foul language, so it's not a movie to watch with kids.) These people are so obsessed with Scrabble, most of them don't have jobs, they just play all day and hope to win money at tournaments. Not only is the subject matter interesting, but the documentary is very well edited and directed. You really get to know the community of Scrabble. You recognize the players. There's clever title cards and informative sequences, like the final match, which is cleverly shown play-by-play. The movie dances along at a nice pace. My favorite player has to be G.I. Joel. Joel has a lot of G.I. problems. It's hilarious.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Doing the job of a stick
Why are there so many street corner sign-holders in Arvada? At first it seemed like only the lowbrow independent shops paid people to wave signs at passing cars. Usually mattress sales and rent-to-own specials. But lately there have been larger businesses, like Kmart, hiring the stick people. Recently I spotted both Safeway and Quiznos stooping too. How tacky.
Monday, March 28, 2005
3/28/05
What a relief! My office finally has a new suite where we can move. We can finally stop worrying about where we will be working this summer--and start worrying about actually moving ;-)
Amanda, Mom and Dad came up last weekend and we had a pretty good time touring Old Town. I had Indian, English, and Moroccan food within 24 hours. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share.
This morning there was no hot water. Now, there have been times when the pipes are running with other people showering, and I can barely get lukewarm water when I turn the faucet all the way. Usually if I wait for the other pipes to quiet I can have a decent shower. But this morning there was only icy cold water on all the taps in the apartment. I checked every ten minutes for 45 minutes, and even when the pipes weren't running there was nothing but ice! Needless to say, I had a grumpy Monday.
Ben sweetened my day by taking me out to eat, buying a special cheese (Ski Queen) along with our groceries, and then we watched Tampopo together. Tampopo (meaning dandelion, and in this case, a woman's name) is about a woman who wants to run a better noodle shop. More than that, the movie is a series of vignettes, showing how the Japanese love and savor their food. Very weird but very good. I came across the movie on IMDB's movie of the day, here. I wouldn't recommend it if watching a lot of loud noodle slurping sounds annoying to you. Or if you don't find Japanese culture completely bizarre and fascinating, like I do.
Amanda, Mom and Dad came up last weekend and we had a pretty good time touring Old Town. I had Indian, English, and Moroccan food within 24 hours. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share.
This morning there was no hot water. Now, there have been times when the pipes are running with other people showering, and I can barely get lukewarm water when I turn the faucet all the way. Usually if I wait for the other pipes to quiet I can have a decent shower. But this morning there was only icy cold water on all the taps in the apartment. I checked every ten minutes for 45 minutes, and even when the pipes weren't running there was nothing but ice! Needless to say, I had a grumpy Monday.
Ben sweetened my day by taking me out to eat, buying a special cheese (Ski Queen) along with our groceries, and then we watched Tampopo together. Tampopo (meaning dandelion, and in this case, a woman's name) is about a woman who wants to run a better noodle shop. More than that, the movie is a series of vignettes, showing how the Japanese love and savor their food. Very weird but very good. I came across the movie on IMDB's movie of the day, here. I wouldn't recommend it if watching a lot of loud noodle slurping sounds annoying to you. Or if you don't find Japanese culture completely bizarre and fascinating, like I do.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Salt Lake City trip
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Truly Outrageous
The great thing about Netflix is that it encourages you to rent DVDs you wouldn't normally pay money for. Recently Ben rented Jem, a show I remember from long ago. Watching it again brought on a flood of nostalgia. It's so weird that hot pink and assymmetrical clothing makes me think of my childhood.
For those who never knew Jem (or have forgotten), it's a Hasbro cartoon (the same universe as GI Joe and Transformers) which debuted in 1985. Jerrica Benton's father died and left her Synergy (below) a super computer which projects audio and visual holograms, so Jerrica and her friends (Aja, Shana, and Kimber) can become rock superstars.
Jerrica takes on the alterego Jem, causing much trouble for her boyfriend Rio, because he naturally falls for Jem as well. Meanwhile, The Misfits, a rival band, stop at nothing to try to ruin Jem and the Holograms' sucess. Each episode has three music videos. If you're lucky, it will have a chorus AND a verse.
I'm enjoying this show far too much for my age. I'm also realizing where I developed a warped sense of the world as a preteen. I didn't know universities were schools until I was in high school. I thought it was just a place where you lived after you graduated. Where would I get such a simplistic definition? Well, let's look at how Jem describes adult issues:
Episode 1: Jerrica and her friends live in a charity home she inherited from her father--but it's falling apart. "We need money to fix this place up" says a girl. "But where will we get money?" asks another. Jerrica replies "when my dad needed money, he would get it from Starlight Music." Cut to Jerrica walking past security into Starlight Music, the company she recently inherited. Eric (who owns the other half of Starlight) says "Jerrica, what are you doing here?" Jerrica replies " We need money." Eric says "I can't just give you the money." Jerrica says "But I own half this company." Eric replies "We'll see about that."
No wonder I had many strange ideas about how the world works.
Sing with me now the song Ben and I have been haunted by for the past week:
Jem! Jem is excitement. Ooo Jem! Jem is adventure!
Ooo, glamour and glitter, fashion and fame.
Jem, Jem is outrageous, truly truly truly outrageous!
Ooo Jem! The music's contageous, Outrageous!
Jem is my name, no one else is the same, Jem is my name!
Jem!
For those who never knew Jem (or have forgotten), it's a Hasbro cartoon (the same universe as GI Joe and Transformers) which debuted in 1985. Jerrica Benton's father died and left her Synergy (below) a super computer which projects audio and visual holograms, so Jerrica and her friends (Aja, Shana, and Kimber) can become rock superstars.
Jerrica takes on the alterego Jem, causing much trouble for her boyfriend Rio, because he naturally falls for Jem as well. Meanwhile, The Misfits, a rival band, stop at nothing to try to ruin Jem and the Holograms' sucess. Each episode has three music videos. If you're lucky, it will have a chorus AND a verse.
I'm enjoying this show far too much for my age. I'm also realizing where I developed a warped sense of the world as a preteen. I didn't know universities were schools until I was in high school. I thought it was just a place where you lived after you graduated. Where would I get such a simplistic definition? Well, let's look at how Jem describes adult issues:
Episode 1: Jerrica and her friends live in a charity home she inherited from her father--but it's falling apart. "We need money to fix this place up" says a girl. "But where will we get money?" asks another. Jerrica replies "when my dad needed money, he would get it from Starlight Music." Cut to Jerrica walking past security into Starlight Music, the company she recently inherited. Eric (who owns the other half of Starlight) says "Jerrica, what are you doing here?" Jerrica replies " We need money." Eric says "I can't just give you the money." Jerrica says "But I own half this company." Eric replies "We'll see about that."
No wonder I had many strange ideas about how the world works.
Sing with me now the song Ben and I have been haunted by for the past week:
Jem! Jem is excitement. Ooo Jem! Jem is adventure!
Ooo, glamour and glitter, fashion and fame.
Jem, Jem is outrageous, truly truly truly outrageous!
Ooo Jem! The music's contageous, Outrageous!
Jem is my name, no one else is the same, Jem is my name!
Jem!
Friday, March 04, 2005
If I were to teach a unit on musicals. . .
Amanda e-mailed, asking for suggestions for musicals to teach. I came up with this:
When I think of musicals, they tend to fall into 4 categories:
1) Musicals which most Americans know (or at least have heard of) or would recognize a song from it. Nevertheless, these shows deserve to be called "classics."
2) Musicals which are lesser known, but surely any thespian worth their spit can sing two or three songs from each.
3) Musicals that are already too well known (and may or may not live up to that reputation) and shouldn't be bothered with.
4) Delicious treasures which may not have any historical significance, but are gems to those who know them.
With that said, here is how I would categorize most of the musicals out there. I will includ in () significant notes and sometimes a song suggestion for each of the first two categories. Hmm, and since I'm putting so much effort into this, I'll post this on my blog as well (hey, I just did!). I love not working on Fridays!
1) Well known - every American should know these:
Oklahoma (Americana, Rogers and Hammerstein's first smash, first use of dance as a narrative tool rather than entertainment)
"People Will Say We're in Love"
South Pacific (Interracial relationships, nature vs. nurture)
My Fair Lady (Julie Andrews debut, good example of an adapted book musical)
Fiddler on the Roof (psychological musical about modernization)
"Miracle of Miracles" or "Do You Love Me?"
Guys and Dolls (clever use of vernacular in lyrics, costuming was contemporary in its time, yet now it's done as a period piece)
"Sue Me"
King and I (Racial tension, big skirts)
Man of La Mancha (another good example of an adapted book musical)
West Side Story (More choreography as narrative, another contemporary turned period piece, Bernstein and Sondheim)
"Tonight" or "America"
A Chorus Line (innovative narrative, first use of workshops)
"God I Hope I Get It" or "What I did for Love"--which is NOT about a person, it's about dance
Les Miserables (Best of the big budget Mackintosh)
"Do You Hear the People Sing"
2) Lesser known - every thespian should know these:
On the Town (Gotta get some Comden and Green, empowerment of women during WWII) "Let's Go to My Place"
The Music Man (Comforting Americana)
"Trouble"
Caberet (Dark, sexuality, innovative format)
"Wilkommen"
Chicago (Fosse, plays on the Caberet format, explores the cult of celebrity)
"We Both Reached for the Gun"
Company (innovative storytelling, dark musical about the people who probably go to see musicals [upper middle class])
"Company" or "Another Hundred People"
Hair (Rock musical, last time musicals intertwined popular music, great period piece)
"Hair" or "Aquarius"
Into the Woods (Sondheim's lyrics, so hard to choose one song!)
Rent (Updated opera-turned-musical, AIDS crisis)
"Would you light my Candle?" or "One Song Glory"
Ragtime (Great period piece, example of the modern coporate musical)
Lion King (Best of Disney's adapted movies, Taymor's direction)
"He Lives in You"
Already too well known - don't even bother including:
Cats
Phantom of the Opera
Grease
Sound of Music
Hello Dolly
Annie
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat
Delicious, but not necessary:
Sunset Boulevard
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Bye Bye Birdie
Kiss Me Kate
Damn Yankees
Victor/Victoria
Evita
Sweeney Todd
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Little Shop of Horrors
City of Angels
Once upon a Mattress
Ain't Misbehavin'
Tommy
Forever Plaid
You're a Good Man Charlie Brown
The Last Starfighter (Ben made me include it)
Key People
Musicians:
Richard Rogers
Oscar Hammerstein
Irving Berlin
Cole Porter
John Kander
Fred Ebb
Stephen Sondheim
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Actors:
Ethel Merman
Mary Martin
Julie Andrews
Joel Grey
George M. Cohen
Zero Mostel
Chita Rivera
Gwen Verdon
Choreographers:
Agnes DeMille
Jerome Robbins
Bob Fosse
Producers:
Cameron Mackintosh
Hal Prince
When I think of musicals, they tend to fall into 4 categories:
1) Musicals which most Americans know (or at least have heard of) or would recognize a song from it. Nevertheless, these shows deserve to be called "classics."
2) Musicals which are lesser known, but surely any thespian worth their spit can sing two or three songs from each.
3) Musicals that are already too well known (and may or may not live up to that reputation) and shouldn't be bothered with.
4) Delicious treasures which may not have any historical significance, but are gems to those who know them.
With that said, here is how I would categorize most of the musicals out there. I will includ in () significant notes and sometimes a song suggestion for each of the first two categories. Hmm, and since I'm putting so much effort into this, I'll post this on my blog as well (hey, I just did!). I love not working on Fridays!
1) Well known - every American should know these:
Oklahoma (Americana, Rogers and Hammerstein's first smash, first use of dance as a narrative tool rather than entertainment)
"People Will Say We're in Love"
South Pacific (Interracial relationships, nature vs. nurture)
My Fair Lady (Julie Andrews debut, good example of an adapted book musical)
Fiddler on the Roof (psychological musical about modernization)
"Miracle of Miracles" or "Do You Love Me?"
Guys and Dolls (clever use of vernacular in lyrics, costuming was contemporary in its time, yet now it's done as a period piece)
"Sue Me"
King and I (Racial tension, big skirts)
Man of La Mancha (another good example of an adapted book musical)
West Side Story (More choreography as narrative, another contemporary turned period piece, Bernstein and Sondheim)
"Tonight" or "America"
A Chorus Line (innovative narrative, first use of workshops)
"God I Hope I Get It" or "What I did for Love"--which is NOT about a person, it's about dance
Les Miserables (Best of the big budget Mackintosh)
"Do You Hear the People Sing"
2) Lesser known - every thespian should know these:
On the Town (Gotta get some Comden and Green, empowerment of women during WWII) "Let's Go to My Place"
The Music Man (Comforting Americana)
"Trouble"
Caberet (Dark, sexuality, innovative format)
"Wilkommen"
Chicago (Fosse, plays on the Caberet format, explores the cult of celebrity)
"We Both Reached for the Gun"
Company (innovative storytelling, dark musical about the people who probably go to see musicals [upper middle class])
"Company" or "Another Hundred People"
Hair (Rock musical, last time musicals intertwined popular music, great period piece)
"Hair" or "Aquarius"
Into the Woods (Sondheim's lyrics, so hard to choose one song!)
Rent (Updated opera-turned-musical, AIDS crisis)
"Would you light my Candle?" or "One Song Glory"
Ragtime (Great period piece, example of the modern coporate musical)
Lion King (Best of Disney's adapted movies, Taymor's direction)
"He Lives in You"
Already too well known - don't even bother including:
Cats
Phantom of the Opera
Grease
Sound of Music
Hello Dolly
Annie
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat
Delicious, but not necessary:
Sunset Boulevard
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Bye Bye Birdie
Kiss Me Kate
Damn Yankees
Victor/Victoria
Evita
Sweeney Todd
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Little Shop of Horrors
City of Angels
Once upon a Mattress
Ain't Misbehavin'
Tommy
Forever Plaid
You're a Good Man Charlie Brown
The Last Starfighter (Ben made me include it)
Key People
Musicians:
Richard Rogers
Oscar Hammerstein
Irving Berlin
Cole Porter
John Kander
Fred Ebb
Stephen Sondheim
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Actors:
Ethel Merman
Mary Martin
Julie Andrews
Joel Grey
George M. Cohen
Zero Mostel
Chita Rivera
Gwen Verdon
Choreographers:
Agnes DeMille
Jerome Robbins
Bob Fosse
Producers:
Cameron Mackintosh
Hal Prince
Friday, February 25, 2005
Pouncing
Molly does this weird pose when she hunts. I finally got it on film, er, pixels. She splays her arms out really flat. And she doesn't look directly at the object she's hunting. We had a lot of fun with this mouse today.
Birthday trip to San Diego
Yea, I'm 23! I hate prime number years...
Southern California was so richly green from all the rain.
Colorado looked downright dull when I got home.
Southern California was so richly green from all the rain.
Colorado looked downright dull when I got home.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Oscar update
You can submit your bid on the oscars electronically at Jeff's website: http://jeffc.zapto.org/oscars/.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Oscar Pool
From Brian:
Well, it's that time of year again - The magical season when people
are compelled to do crazy things like wager 5$ on whether that one
movie they never saw gets more votes than that other movie they never
saw. I hope you will all forgive me for copying and pasting last
year's instructions pretty much exactly (although there are a few bits
of new information, so I recommend reading it again). And even though
I say it down below, let me reiterate preemptively: Feel free to pass
this message on to anyone who might be interested. More entries =
more money for the winner.
So here's how it works. Select a winner in each category. Remember
to pick who you think will win, not who you think should win. Get the
ballot to me (Brian) along with $5 by midnight, February 26 (The night
before the Oscars). If you are planning to come over to the
Superhouse to watch the Oscars, you can email the ballot by midnight,
Feb. 26 and bring the cash when you come to watch the show. Either
way, I'll need the money before the ceremony starts.
As you can see, each category has been assigned a certain number of
points. If you guess the winner in a given category correctly, you
will receive that number of points. At the end of the night,
everyone's total points, along with the tiebreaker question, if
necessary, will be used to determine who gets to take home what part
of the pot. The money will be divided as follows:
60% to the first place winner
30% to the second place winner
10% to the third place winner.
If, even after the tiebreaker question is taken into account, there is
a tie for first place, the breakdown will be 45/45/10. If there is a
tie for second place, the breakdown will be 60/20/20. If there is a
tie for both, the breakdown will be 45/45/5/5. If there's an even
more complicated tie, we'll figure it out later.
If you're going to email a ballot, send it to (Rachel's e-mail).
Feel free to pass this message on to anyone you think may be
interested. . . remember, the more people that enter, the more money
you can win.
So, without further ado, here's the ballot:
NAME:
PHONE:
EMAIL:
Picture – 5 Points
__A The Aviator
__B Finding Neverland
__C Million Dollar Baby
__D Ray
__E Sideways
Actor – 4 Points
__A Don Cheadle – Hotel Rwanda
__B Johnny Depp – Finding Neverland
__C Leonardo DiCaprio – The Aviator
__D Clint Eastwood – Million Dollar Baby
__E Jamie Foxx – Ray
Actress – 4 Points
__A Annette Bening – Being Julia
__B Catalina Sandina Moreno – Maria Full of Grace
__C Imelda Staunton – Vera Drake
__D Hillary Swank – Million Dollar Baby
__E Kate Winslet – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Supporting Actor – 4 Points
__A Alan Alda – The Aviator
__B Thomas Haden Church – Sideways
__C Jamie Foxx – Collateral
__D Morgan Freeman – Million Dollar Baby
__E Clive Owen – Closer
Supporting Actress – 4 Points
__A Cate Blanchett – The Aviator
__B Laura Linney – Kinsey
__C Virginia Madsen – Sideways
__D Sophie Okonedo – Hotel Rwanda
__E Natalie Portman – Closer
Director – 4 Points
__A Martin Scorsese – The Aviator
__B Clint Eastwood – Million Dollar Baby
__C Taylor Hackford – Ray
__D Alexander Payne – Sideways
__E Mike Leigh – Vera Drake
Original Screenplay – 4 Points
__A The Aviator
__B Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
__C Hotel Rwanda
__D The Incredibles
__E Vera Drake
Adapted Screenplay – 4 Points
__A Before Sunset
__B Finding Neverland
__C Million Dollar Baby
__D The Motorcycle Diaries
__E Sideways
Art Direction – 3 Points
__A The Aviator
__B Finding Neverland
__C Lemony Snickett's A Series of Unfortunate Events
__D The Phantom of the Opera
__E A Very Long Engagement
Cinematography – 3 Points
__A The Aviator
__B House of Flying Daggers
__C The Passion of the Christ
__D The Phantom of the Opera
__E A Very Long Engagement
Editing – 3 Points
__A The Aviator
__B Collateral
__C Finding Neverland
__D Million Dollar Baby
__E Ray
Score – 3 Points
__A Finding Neverland
__B Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
__C Lemony Snickett's A Series of Unfortunate Events
__D The Passion of the Christ
__E The Village
Foreign Language Film – 2 Points
__A As it is in Heaven
__B The Chorus
__C Downfall
__D The Sea Inside
__E Yesterday
Documentary Feature – 2 Points
__A Born into Brothels
__B The Story of the Weeping Camel
__C Super Size Me
__D Tupac: Resurrection
__E Twist of Fate
Costume Design – 2 Points
__A The Aviator
__B Finding Neverland
__C Lemony Snickett's A Series of Unfortunate Events
__D Ray
__E Troy
Sound Mixing– 2 Points
__A The Aviator
__B The Incredibles
__C The Polar Express
__D Ray
__E Spider-Man 2
Original Song – 2 Points
__A "Accidentally in Love" – Shrek 2
__B "Al Otro Lado Del Rio" – The Motorcycle Diaries
__C "Believe" – The Polar Express
__D "Learn to be Lonely" – The Phantom of the Opera
__E "Look to Your Path" – The Chorus
Live Action Short – 1 Point
__A Everything in This Country Mist
__B Little Terrorist
__C 7:35 in the Morning
__D Two Cars, One Night
__E Wasp
Animated Short – 1 Point
__A Birthday Boy
__B Gopher Broke
__C Guard Dog
__D Lorenzo
__E Ryan
Documentary Short Subject – 1 Point
__A Autism is a World
__B The Children of Leningradsky
__C Hardwood
__D Mighty Times: The Children's March
__E Sister Rose's Passion
Animated Feature -1 Point
__A The Incredibles
__B Shark Tale
__C Shrek 2
Makeup – 1 Point
__A Lemony Snickett's A Series of Unfortunate Events
__B The Passion of the Christ
__C The Sea Inside
Visual Effects – 1 Point
__A Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
__B I, Robot
__C Spider-Man 2
Sound Editing – 1 Point
__A The Incredibles
__B The Polar Express
__C Spider-Man 2
Tiebreaker – How many commercial breaks will there be during the show?
(between the "77th Annual Academy Awards" title card and the end
credits, not including commercials that play during the credits)
Well, it's that time of year again - The magical season when people
are compelled to do crazy things like wager 5$ on whether that one
movie they never saw gets more votes than that other movie they never
saw. I hope you will all forgive me for copying and pasting last
year's instructions pretty much exactly (although there are a few bits
of new information, so I recommend reading it again). And even though
I say it down below, let me reiterate preemptively: Feel free to pass
this message on to anyone who might be interested. More entries =
more money for the winner.
So here's how it works. Select a winner in each category. Remember
to pick who you think will win, not who you think should win. Get the
ballot to me (Brian) along with $5 by midnight, February 26 (The night
before the Oscars). If you are planning to come over to the
Superhouse to watch the Oscars, you can email the ballot by midnight,
Feb. 26 and bring the cash when you come to watch the show. Either
way, I'll need the money before the ceremony starts.
As you can see, each category has been assigned a certain number of
points. If you guess the winner in a given category correctly, you
will receive that number of points. At the end of the night,
everyone's total points, along with the tiebreaker question, if
necessary, will be used to determine who gets to take home what part
of the pot. The money will be divided as follows:
60% to the first place winner
30% to the second place winner
10% to the third place winner.
If, even after the tiebreaker question is taken into account, there is
a tie for first place, the breakdown will be 45/45/10. If there is a
tie for second place, the breakdown will be 60/20/20. If there is a
tie for both, the breakdown will be 45/45/5/5. If there's an even
more complicated tie, we'll figure it out later.
If you're going to email a ballot, send it to (Rachel's e-mail).
Feel free to pass this message on to anyone you think may be
interested. . . remember, the more people that enter, the more money
you can win.
So, without further ado, here's the ballot:
NAME:
PHONE:
EMAIL:
Picture – 5 Points
__A The Aviator
__B Finding Neverland
__C Million Dollar Baby
__D Ray
__E Sideways
Actor – 4 Points
__A Don Cheadle – Hotel Rwanda
__B Johnny Depp – Finding Neverland
__C Leonardo DiCaprio – The Aviator
__D Clint Eastwood – Million Dollar Baby
__E Jamie Foxx – Ray
Actress – 4 Points
__A Annette Bening – Being Julia
__B Catalina Sandina Moreno – Maria Full of Grace
__C Imelda Staunton – Vera Drake
__D Hillary Swank – Million Dollar Baby
__E Kate Winslet – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Supporting Actor – 4 Points
__A Alan Alda – The Aviator
__B Thomas Haden Church – Sideways
__C Jamie Foxx – Collateral
__D Morgan Freeman – Million Dollar Baby
__E Clive Owen – Closer
Supporting Actress – 4 Points
__A Cate Blanchett – The Aviator
__B Laura Linney – Kinsey
__C Virginia Madsen – Sideways
__D Sophie Okonedo – Hotel Rwanda
__E Natalie Portman – Closer
Director – 4 Points
__A Martin Scorsese – The Aviator
__B Clint Eastwood – Million Dollar Baby
__C Taylor Hackford – Ray
__D Alexander Payne – Sideways
__E Mike Leigh – Vera Drake
Original Screenplay – 4 Points
__A The Aviator
__B Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
__C Hotel Rwanda
__D The Incredibles
__E Vera Drake
Adapted Screenplay – 4 Points
__A Before Sunset
__B Finding Neverland
__C Million Dollar Baby
__D The Motorcycle Diaries
__E Sideways
Art Direction – 3 Points
__A The Aviator
__B Finding Neverland
__C Lemony Snickett's A Series of Unfortunate Events
__D The Phantom of the Opera
__E A Very Long Engagement
Cinematography – 3 Points
__A The Aviator
__B House of Flying Daggers
__C The Passion of the Christ
__D The Phantom of the Opera
__E A Very Long Engagement
Editing – 3 Points
__A The Aviator
__B Collateral
__C Finding Neverland
__D Million Dollar Baby
__E Ray
Score – 3 Points
__A Finding Neverland
__B Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
__C Lemony Snickett's A Series of Unfortunate Events
__D The Passion of the Christ
__E The Village
Foreign Language Film – 2 Points
__A As it is in Heaven
__B The Chorus
__C Downfall
__D The Sea Inside
__E Yesterday
Documentary Feature – 2 Points
__A Born into Brothels
__B The Story of the Weeping Camel
__C Super Size Me
__D Tupac: Resurrection
__E Twist of Fate
Costume Design – 2 Points
__A The Aviator
__B Finding Neverland
__C Lemony Snickett's A Series of Unfortunate Events
__D Ray
__E Troy
Sound Mixing– 2 Points
__A The Aviator
__B The Incredibles
__C The Polar Express
__D Ray
__E Spider-Man 2
Original Song – 2 Points
__A "Accidentally in Love" – Shrek 2
__B "Al Otro Lado Del Rio" – The Motorcycle Diaries
__C "Believe" – The Polar Express
__D "Learn to be Lonely" – The Phantom of the Opera
__E "Look to Your Path" – The Chorus
Live Action Short – 1 Point
__A Everything in This Country Mist
__B Little Terrorist
__C 7:35 in the Morning
__D Two Cars, One Night
__E Wasp
Animated Short – 1 Point
__A Birthday Boy
__B Gopher Broke
__C Guard Dog
__D Lorenzo
__E Ryan
Documentary Short Subject – 1 Point
__A Autism is a World
__B The Children of Leningradsky
__C Hardwood
__D Mighty Times: The Children's March
__E Sister Rose's Passion
Animated Feature -1 Point
__A The Incredibles
__B Shark Tale
__C Shrek 2
Makeup – 1 Point
__A Lemony Snickett's A Series of Unfortunate Events
__B The Passion of the Christ
__C The Sea Inside
Visual Effects – 1 Point
__A Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
__B I, Robot
__C Spider-Man 2
Sound Editing – 1 Point
__A The Incredibles
__B The Polar Express
__C Spider-Man 2
Tiebreaker – How many commercial breaks will there be during the show?
(between the "77th Annual Academy Awards" title card and the end
credits, not including commercials that play during the credits)
Home Again
Ben is back in town! It sounds like he had a fun time driving across the county. But I'm happy he's home to take care of my cold. This cold has also hampered my efforts to plan the next movie saturday. I still need to gather costumes and storyboard the script because I haven't had the energy to do it yet. I hope I feel good enough tonight to go to ballet class. Let's see...not much else going on. So here's a couple fun links:
maps
names
art mash-ups
maps
names
art mash-ups
Friday, February 04, 2005
Home Alone
Once again, Ben has left for Maine. He and his father drove all the way there in just three days. Meanwhile, I've just been going to work and watching movies when I get home. I also painted my bathroom and tomorrow I'll paint the study. Already I can tell that it's going to be a long weekend.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Weekend in Denver
I've been spending a lot of time in Denver lately. I like the city. Yesterday I went to another local bands concert with Mavi. This one was at the Bluebird on east Colfax. Today Ben and I went vintage clothes shopping at Buffalo Exchange, Boss, and American Vogue on Broadway. We also got pizza at a Famous Pizza, perused the Pacific Ocean Asian Market on Alameda, and got milkshakes at Grandpa's Burger Haven on Federal. Grandpa's is one of those crappy-looking burger stands in the bad part of town, where there's no place to sit and you probably wouldn't want to touch it if there was. But they have been repeatedly honored with the title of Best Burger in Town.
Other things to note are that I started ballet classes at the Arvada Center! I'm so happy to be dancing again. It feels so good to struggle into tights and put my hair in a bun. Best of all, the instructor just happens to be the best teacher I've ever had! I haven't seen her since 1995. We're both very excited to be in class together again.
Also, I've been voted by default to direct the next Movie Saturday. Stay tuned on the forum!
Other things to note are that I started ballet classes at the Arvada Center! I'm so happy to be dancing again. It feels so good to struggle into tights and put my hair in a bun. Best of all, the instructor just happens to be the best teacher I've ever had! I haven't seen her since 1995. We're both very excited to be in class together again.
Also, I've been voted by default to direct the next Movie Saturday. Stay tuned on the forum!
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Ballet Revolution
Ballerinas have changed quite a bit over the last century. Compare the photos below. On the left is Margot Fonteyn of the Royal Ballet as Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, circa 1955. On the right is Tamara Rojo, also of the Royal Ballet, striking the same arabesque in the same role, but in recent years.
Ballerinas always look a bit chunkier in old pictures. Although I think we can attribute some of the bulk to bad lighting and costumes (yea for lycra!), we can clearly see that dancers are getting slimmer.
Lines are more defined. Note how square Rojo strikes her pose: her hips and shoulders in line with her torso. Fonteyn's pose is more "open." Rojo's turnout is more pronouced. Her arms and fingers are more refined in their placement.
The sillouhoute of the legs has changed over the yearsl. In particular, it has become fashionable for dancers to have a slight backward curve at their knee, such that their standing leg is subtlely S- shaped. The foot itself has curved more. Look at the dancers' standing foot and note how the arch as increased. Rojo looks much more stable on her pointe than Fonteyn. These curves make the legs generally more tapered and willowy (like a Willi!). Fonteyn was hailed as brilliant in her day but she would look sloppy next to modern ballerinas.
These minute definitions have evolved slowly. I think it is a testament to the athleticism of ballet. In their own way, ballerinas are continually setting new records for themselves. Instead of faster times or higher jumps, they set higher standards of placement. Just a thought :-)
Ballerinas always look a bit chunkier in old pictures. Although I think we can attribute some of the bulk to bad lighting and costumes (yea for lycra!), we can clearly see that dancers are getting slimmer.
Lines are more defined. Note how square Rojo strikes her pose: her hips and shoulders in line with her torso. Fonteyn's pose is more "open." Rojo's turnout is more pronouced. Her arms and fingers are more refined in their placement.
The sillouhoute of the legs has changed over the yearsl. In particular, it has become fashionable for dancers to have a slight backward curve at their knee, such that their standing leg is subtlely S- shaped. The foot itself has curved more. Look at the dancers' standing foot and note how the arch as increased. Rojo looks much more stable on her pointe than Fonteyn. These curves make the legs generally more tapered and willowy (like a Willi!). Fonteyn was hailed as brilliant in her day but she would look sloppy next to modern ballerinas.
These minute definitions have evolved slowly. I think it is a testament to the athleticism of ballet. In their own way, ballerinas are continually setting new records for themselves. Instead of faster times or higher jumps, they set higher standards of placement. Just a thought :-)
Monday, January 24, 2005
The Economy
Yea! A new Movie Saturday! Check it out at:
http://luke.no-ip.org/moviesaturday/index.cgi?c=movie&s=2&m=7
(note the new website location)
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Art Excerises
After some intense Boggling, Jeff L. started doodling a portait--the kind where you don't lift up your pencil and you don't look at your paper. His results were so hilarious, we all made pictures of each other.
Jeff and Mavi: Life imitating art.
Bruce and Brian: Uncanny resemblences.
Brian looks a bit like Kim Jong, eh?.
Jeff and Mavi: Life imitating art.
Bruce and Brian: Uncanny resemblences.
Brian looks a bit like Kim Jong, eh?.
Incredibly Birthday Party
Last weekend was the annual Incredibly Birthday party! In celebration of Jeff and Ben's January birthdays, we played board games, ate chilie dogs and root beer floats, and played games at the Nickel-A-Play arcade.
Trev and Nate on the left, Jeff "birthday boy" on the right.
Bruce, Brian, Matt and Ryan enoy their dinner, then get down with Luke, Tom, and Nate for some serious Boggle action.
Trev and Nate on the left, Jeff "birthday boy" on the right.
Bruce, Brian, Matt and Ryan enoy their dinner, then get down with Luke, Tom, and Nate for some serious Boggle action.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Purple Hair
I've been streaking my hair purple for a few years now. I went back again recently and was reminded why I don't keep it up for too long. First you separate strands. Then you mix and apply bleach, which can take up to an hour for application. Let it sit for 45 minutes or so, until most of the color is out. Wash and comb--no conditioner. This means combing can take another hour, because the hair is so brittle and tangled. Then separate back into strands (another 30 minutes), apply purple color and wait another 45. Finally, wash, condition, and comb. It takes a half a day to complete the process. Color touch-ups take only a couple hours, but whenever you want to redo the roots with bleach, it can take even longer than the initial treatment because you have to separate each strand precisely instead of just grabbing a chunk.
My favorite purple dye is being discontinued at my supply store. Their suggested replacement was terrible. It was only two days before it started fading to blue. In five days the blond was showing through at the tips as a sick green. I've got to find a new supplier.
My favorite purple dye is being discontinued at my supply store. Their suggested replacement was terrible. It was only two days before it started fading to blue. In five days the blond was showing through at the tips as a sick green. I've got to find a new supplier.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Fun with Friends
So far we've had a pretty nice weekend. Ben says the Aviator was a great movie. I'll take his word for it since I didn't go myself. Instead I made soup with Mavi and watched Mr. Show and music videos. She has a collection of Bjork videos. Bjork is pretty wild. Even for me.
Later last night we went to Bender's Tavern with friends from Denver to see Matson Jones. They're a good local band from Fort Collins. They have a really unique sound, but they need to diversify their music. Most of their songs have the same underlying rhythm and tone.
Tonight Trev's coming over to cook Hungarian food. It's a dish Brian wouldn't miss for anything: Rakott krumpli. Basically scalloped potatoes supreme. It's loaded with fat, but oh so tasty. I can't take more than a small bowlful. You can feel your stomach bloating. The pictures below are from the first time Trevor cooked it at my house last fall. Here's a link to an online recipe. Of course, Trevor is using authentic Hungarian sausage. He has a source in Las Vegas.
Later last night we went to Bender's Tavern with friends from Denver to see Matson Jones. They're a good local band from Fort Collins. They have a really unique sound, but they need to diversify their music. Most of their songs have the same underlying rhythm and tone.
Tonight Trev's coming over to cook Hungarian food. It's a dish Brian wouldn't miss for anything: Rakott krumpli. Basically scalloped potatoes supreme. It's loaded with fat, but oh so tasty. I can't take more than a small bowlful. You can feel your stomach bloating. The pictures below are from the first time Trevor cooked it at my house last fall. Here's a link to an online recipe. Of course, Trevor is using authentic Hungarian sausage. He has a source in Las Vegas.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Back in the swing
Work work work. I try not to think about it when I get home. Instead I watch a lot of Seinfeld. And organize my digital music library. And do DDR. I love post-Christmas :-)
Recently I made a cat toy filled with nip. Because of it's shape, color, and the funny way my cat chews on it, we call it the pickle. Today I found a pattern for kitty.com for dim sum-shaped cat toys. Cute.
Movie Saturday should be starting up again soon. Our site got hacked, so communication has been weak. As far as I know, Shawn is set to direct and we'll probably do Bruce's script "Economy." Brian bought a new camera after his old one broke. We need to try it out!
Vail Pass on 12/30/04. Not a soul in sight.
Recently I made a cat toy filled with nip. Because of it's shape, color, and the funny way my cat chews on it, we call it the pickle. Today I found a pattern for kitty.com for dim sum-shaped cat toys. Cute.
Movie Saturday should be starting up again soon. Our site got hacked, so communication has been weak. As far as I know, Shawn is set to direct and we'll probably do Bruce's script "Economy." Brian bought a new camera after his old one broke. We need to try it out!
Vail Pass on 12/30/04. Not a soul in sight.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Holiday
It feels so good to be home! Ben and I left Wednesday morning at 9:30. At 11:00 we hit standing traffic in Glenwood canyon. We were routed back to Glenwood Springs and told to wait a couple hours. Apparently a semi-truck jack-knifed on the part of the canyon already down to one lane because of a rockslide last month. Oh, and all of this with pounding rain and a cat mewing in the back seat. We had to stay in the car because of Molly, which made the situation even more unpleasant. At 3:30 the road was still closed. I asked a cop if they thought it might be cleared tonight, and he said he didn't know. Geez. Ben got us a cheap hotel room and we ate Kentucky Fried Chicken and watched Mythbusters. All in all, it wasn't a bad night, just a bad day and a total waste of time. This morning, Thursday, we left at 7 am and it still took us 4 whole hours to drive the remaining 160 miles to Denver because of bad weather.
But all that aside, we had a great, relaxing trip home for Christmas. We had some good food and good times with the family. We saw The Life Aquatic again, and I've decided that it is a really good movie. Just as predicted, my enjoyment increases after contemplation and repeat viewings.
It's been a long two days. I'm going to bed now, but I'll post some photos later, after I learn to use my iPod Photo.
But all that aside, we had a great, relaxing trip home for Christmas. We had some good food and good times with the family. We saw The Life Aquatic again, and I've decided that it is a really good movie. Just as predicted, my enjoyment increases after contemplation and repeat viewings.
It's been a long two days. I'm going to bed now, but I'll post some photos later, after I learn to use my iPod Photo.
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Defeat
Sprays, scolding, and swatting didn't work.
My couch is now officially and literally a cat scratch post.
My couch is now officially and literally a cat scratch post.
Monday, December 13, 2004
Advance screening
I just got back from seeing a sneak preview of The Life Aquatic. Feelings are mixed. Some parts really clicked, some were not nearly as great as they should have been. Some characters were good, some were poorly formed. I think it might grow on me. I felt the same way after seeing The Royal Tenenbaums, and now I really enjoy that film.
The security check for recording devices was annoying. After waiting outside for 40 minutes for the door to open, they announce that you have to put camera phones back in your car because they are not allowed in the building. Right as they open seating they tell us this! They could have at least given us advance warning so we could put our phones away without losing a seat. Ben ran my phone out to the car (what a sweetheart). They did the whole purse check and body swipe-with-a-beeping-stick thing. Funny thing is, I could have easily snuck in a camera in my yarn ball of knitting if I'd wanted to. They hardly glanced at it. :-)
The security check for recording devices was annoying. After waiting outside for 40 minutes for the door to open, they announce that you have to put camera phones back in your car because they are not allowed in the building. Right as they open seating they tell us this! They could have at least given us advance warning so we could put our phones away without losing a seat. Ben ran my phone out to the car (what a sweetheart). They did the whole purse check and body swipe-with-a-beeping-stick thing. Funny thing is, I could have easily snuck in a camera in my yarn ball of knitting if I'd wanted to. They hardly glanced at it. :-)
Holiday season
We've been busy with holiday errands here and there. I wish it would snow more, it's gotten up to 60 degrees! Now is the time for parties and I'm scouring the Martha Stewart site and magazines for the perfect festive finger food. I'm looking forward to going home for Christmas. Ben and I are taking our cat, which is bound to be an adventure in travel! Work is pretty hectic now with vacation schedules, moving offices, employees shifting roles, and sharing space with a spinal doc. I'm excited for a break.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Wish List
Although I'm still uncomfortable writing wish lists, I get the feeling it's helpful for others. Here's a few things I wouldn't mind having in my life:
LoTR Return of the King !extended edition!
A pretty comforter that matches my bedroom, not too feminine
Thread and thread rack
"England Made Me" album by Black Box Recorder
A real ironing board with a nice pad
A ballet DVD (like Swan Lake or Sleeping Beauty or something)
Red Octane 2.0 Ignition DDR pad (just one, with foam insert, unfortunately expensive)
Candles. Lots of pillar candles.
A melon baller
My Fair Lady DVD
The Red Shoes-Criterion Collection
Edward Scissorhands DVD
Sweaters are always nice, so are gift cards to Home Depot and Target
Serving things (platter, big spoon and fork, etc)
Knife sharpener
LoTR Return of the King !extended edition!
A pretty comforter that matches my bedroom, not too feminine
Thread and thread rack
"England Made Me" album by Black Box Recorder
A real ironing board with a nice pad
A ballet DVD (like Swan Lake or Sleeping Beauty or something)
Red Octane 2.0 Ignition DDR pad (just one, with foam insert, unfortunately expensive)
Candles. Lots of pillar candles.
A melon baller
My Fair Lady DVD
The Red Shoes-Criterion Collection
Edward Scissorhands DVD
Sweaters are always nice, so are gift cards to Home Depot and Target
Serving things (platter, big spoon and fork, etc)
Knife sharpener
11/23/04
I can check off one of those movies. I rented The Five Obstructions. It was pretty good, but Ben and Brian and I agree that Lars Von Trier is a twit.
Only one more day of work this week. It's also Ben's last day at work. Yea! Then we get to eat turkey and potatoes. Yea!
The Nintendo DS is out. It's a sweet sweet little machine. Ben wants one for Christmas. I'll mooch off him for a while, then decide if I want one myself. Gotta check out that WiFi. Plus there's a new Animal Crossing game for it (though they haven't announced it for America yet). Lest we forget, Animal Crossing is the game that sucked my life away 2 years ago. I played that game every day for 6 months. Seriously. Every day.
Only one more day of work this week. It's also Ben's last day at work. Yea! Then we get to eat turkey and potatoes. Yea!
The Nintendo DS is out. It's a sweet sweet little machine. Ben wants one for Christmas. I'll mooch off him for a while, then decide if I want one myself. Gotta check out that WiFi. Plus there's a new Animal Crossing game for it (though they haven't announced it for America yet). Lest we forget, Animal Crossing is the game that sucked my life away 2 years ago. I played that game every day for 6 months. Seriously. Every day.
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Good Movies from 2004
I would recommend seeing:
Primer
The Incredibles
Hero
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Before Sunset
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Hidalgo
Napoleon Dynamite
Spider-Man 2
Movies I'm looking forward to seeing:
The Five Obstructions
The Life Aquatic
Tokyo Godfathers
A Very Long Engagement
The Phantom of the Opera
Primer
The Incredibles
Hero
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Before Sunset
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Hidalgo
Napoleon Dynamite
Spider-Man 2
Movies I'm looking forward to seeing:
The Five Obstructions
The Life Aquatic
Tokyo Godfathers
A Very Long Engagement
The Phantom of the Opera
Back to the Movies
Oh man, I was so sick last week. Luckily I was well by Saturday night, when I got to eat at Mataam Fez for my boss's birthday. Moroccan food is pretty fun to eat. Unfortunately, Ben got sick that night so he couldn't join me. To make up for it, tonight we are going on a date to Ethiopian food. He's tried it before and loves it. It'll be my first time.
I saw Primer at the Starz center last night. This movie is by far the smartest, most innovative, and dizzying movie I have seen this year. It has a very small distribution, so please look for it coming your way and be sure to see it.
I don't want to give away too much, because a lot of the movie's joy is trying to figure out what's going on. It's one of the few movies which expects the audience to actively listen to keep up with what's happening. But if you want to know more details, read Roger Ebert's review here.
What also impressed me immensly is the story of the film. Shane Carruth is an engineer-turned-movie maker. He wrote, directed, starred in, and edited the entire film. The whole thing was made for $7,000 and shot in a five weeks. Anyone who has attempted to make a movie will be utterly impressed with these numbers.
Go see Primer.
I saw Primer at the Starz center last night. This movie is by far the smartest, most innovative, and dizzying movie I have seen this year. It has a very small distribution, so please look for it coming your way and be sure to see it.
I don't want to give away too much, because a lot of the movie's joy is trying to figure out what's going on. It's one of the few movies which expects the audience to actively listen to keep up with what's happening. But if you want to know more details, read Roger Ebert's review here.
What also impressed me immensly is the story of the film. Shane Carruth is an engineer-turned-movie maker. He wrote, directed, starred in, and edited the entire film. The whole thing was made for $7,000 and shot in a five weeks. Anyone who has attempted to make a movie will be utterly impressed with these numbers.
Go see Primer.
Friday, November 05, 2004
11/5/04
I love having Fridays off work. I'm able to get so much done around the house, and then have Saturday to play! I'm trying to train Molly on a leash. She's still pretty scared of going outside and is annoyed by the leash, but I think with time she'll come to enjoy it. Baby steps. :-) I found some useful information on leash training here.
Nothing too exciting has happened lately. I'm looking forward to seeing The Incredibles this weekend. Also, Mavi sent out a mass e-mail telling us about her newfound career in Shanghai, working on the latest Merchant Ivory film, The White Countess. Sounds like she's rubbing elbows with a few stars.
It's just another sunny and windy day in Colorado.
Nothing too exciting has happened lately. I'm looking forward to seeing The Incredibles this weekend. Also, Mavi sent out a mass e-mail telling us about her newfound career in Shanghai, working on the latest Merchant Ivory film, The White Countess. Sounds like she's rubbing elbows with a few stars.
It's just another sunny and windy day in Colorado.
Monday, November 01, 2004
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