.jeri.

Hey everyone,

I thought I'd do my Monday update today, since I missed it on Monday and don't feel much like working on Friday. It's been a long week! I feel like I'm constantly working on answering questions for people. One of those people is my mother, so it makes things interesting to have so much interaction with her. I can't wait until things calm down again.

On the health front, I went to the endocrinologist on Monday and it seems like my blood test might have been a fluke. They're still watching me closely and making me go to pre-diabetes classes in April, which I'm not looking forward to at all. Everyone said my blood sugar looked good, but they want me to check it once in a while and journal it. Bleh!

Today I had my one-year checkup from my spine surgery. They showed me x-rays of my spine with the bones fused. There's always going to be a big metal screw in there, but otherwise, the bones have grown in together nicely. It was awesome to take the questionnaire before my appointment and realize that my answers about my pain levels and endurance have changed a lot in the past year. Even up until December/January, I was still struggling with wondering how much improvement I had really made, but over the past three months, I've seen a big difference. I am still experiencing some pain and tingling in my leg, but to much less of a degree than in the past. Actually, if I didn't exercise as much as I do, those would both be reduced significantly.

All in all, I am so glad we decided to go through with this surgery. It's a little weird having a little less mobility (watch me try to pick up a golf ball out of a hole and have a good laugh), but I can work with that much more easily than with being, essentially, somewhat disabled. And I am so grateful that I switched medical groups. My new doctors all take me seriously, treat me kindly, and don't treat me like an idiot. It's been night and day compared with my old group, and I am so thankful that I was ushered into their system so quickly.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and encouragement. They have been much appreciated!

This weekend Ric and I are off to a Kings game with the Agadonis. I am hoping to have my new stereo installed too! I got it for my birthday from the fam and am hoping it will be installed smoothly - I picked it specifically for its capabilities (bluetooth and USB connectivity) and the fact that I can change the display colors to match my car interior (crossing my fingers on that). I'm also hoping to get some rest, because this week has been kicking me around. I am so tired, even though I haven't been up to anything abnormal.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

That Obscure Object of Desire is a film by French writer-director Luis Bunuel. As it begins, a man boards a train and surprises its passengers by dumping a pail of water over a young girl's head. His cabin traveling companions are curious and ask why he did this, and he proceeds to tell the story of his relationship with the girl.

As it turns out, he, an older gentleman, employed this girl as a maid, until he made a pass at her and she left his service. As several chance encounters occur, he continues to pursue her. He tells her he loves her, but she believes he only desires her. He tries to develop a relationship with her, and she actually does fall in love with him, but whenever he tries to take her to bed, she fiercely resists. At one point, she is even the mistress of his house, but goes to bed with him with an intricate corset on.

The role of the girl is played by two different actresses. The DVD says it's because the first actress couldn't cut it playing the role of Conchita, and some say it's because the actress actually quit. At any rate, from what I can tell, the various moods of Conchita aren't necessarily given to one actress or another. To be honest, I watched the movie on my portable DVD player and it took me a long time to notice the difference. I kept thinking the girl looked different with her hair up off her shoulders! Haha.

As a backdrop to the movie there are two other things that stood out to me. One is a focus on many political bombings that occurred. He seems so obsessed with Conchita that anything else matters little to him. Also, there are several scenes that feature service employees - butlers, servers, etc. The man takes most of them for granted, although I'm not certain what their presence implies. At any rate, the man always knows exactly what he wants and always wants it to be in place, no matter who is catering to him or what is going on around him. And all he really wants turns out to be Conchita's body after all.

Honestly, he was so creepy that I was happy to root against him for the entire movie. The film itself is interesting because both Matthieu and Conchita fluctuate so often, and I liked the way it was told from his point of view (which probably elaborated frequently). It was an odd film, but definitely left me thinking about it for a while.

I'm going to start doing some five-minute reviews, in an effort to get this blog moving again. Unfortunately, my thoughts will be cut short. It's a shame, because I'd actually have a lot to praise about this one.

Ever since I saw Cache, Michael Haneke entered my radar as a filmmaker to follow. If you haven't seen that movie, do so now - it's a perfect companion piece to White Ribbon, which is about a small town in the years before WWI. Several townspeople are attacked and no one can figure out who is causing all of the trouble. The young male teacher becomes suspicious of the town's children, although there's a lot left to speculation.

The children aren't the only ones who have their issues in this town, though. The adults all live moral lives and encourage the children to a life of innocence (which is outwardly shown by the white ribbon one father ties on his children), yet many of the adults have their own secrets, the existence of which could easily be the cause of behavior problems with the children.

The way I am describing this movie sounds a lot less serious than it is. This is a slowly paced, reserved movie. The acts that take place are heinous and sad, and it's hard to imagine who would do them. It's sadder still to discover the secrets beneath the town's surface. It's about the end of innocence, for children, for the quiet life, and for the world itself as the first World War looms on the horizon.

It's shot in black and white, quite beautifully, and I love the enigma that Haneke provides for us. My sister and I had an odd audience yet again, full of elderly people who apparently didn't look up the movie before seeing it. They complained about it being boring and long, and at the end, they all turned to each other and questioned what it all meant. For my sister and I, it was a great film, and one of the best of 2009's movies. It contains some of the best scenes I saw all year.

Hey everyone,

Sorry for being absent around here lately. Life's been busy. Our IT guy loaded over five million records into our new software system over the weekend and we are officially live as of yesterday! Of course, we're still doing tons of work in the old system, and often doing double-data entry in both systems, so we're not over the hump quite yet. But everything seems to going well enough so far. The office is decorated in work zone caution tape and construction signs for fun, and our old consultant even sent us a congratulatory fruit arrangement today.

I've been working nonstop the past few weeks, and when I get off work the last thing on my mind has been to jump on a computer again, so that's why there haven't been any new entries. Plus, I'm super tired because I've been pushing myself to work out harder out on the track. My back is a little bit sore the past couple of days, but it feels so worthwhile to be able to get out there and jog. A few times in the past week, I've been able to jog three miles straight - a far cry from where I was a year ago (lying in bed post-surgery)! It's truly amazing.

Meanwhile, though, I feel like I may be heading into a whole new bit of drama with doctors, because some blood tests revealed some concerning glucose levels and they want me to see an endocrinologist, dietician, and educator regarding the possibility of diabetes. This may be where the hacker's diet gets one in trouble - I count calories each day, but not grams of sugar. And the week I had blood drawn was a bad one for nutrition (um, girl scout cookies for breakfast!), so I'm hoping that factors into it. Please pray that this turns out to be not much of anything. I know that God only gives me what I can handle, but it's so depressing to constantly have something going wrong with me.

As for movies, I got distracted by the Olympics and book reading, so I haven't seen a ton of them lately, although I still have several I need to review. Maybe I just need to suck it up and do another roundup. I'll try to work on that.

Well, things are still busy around here, so I'd better get going. I hope all of you are having a great week!

Since so many people have been laid off or experienced stress in the workplace, a movie like Up in the Air is one that will probably resonate well with current moviegoers due to the economic downturn we experienced in the last couple of years. The prominent layoffs occurring in this movie are mostly due to technological advances, and the key character is Ryan (George Clooney), a man who is an expert in layoffs. He flies all over the place to help companies lay off their employees in a professional, neutral, and helpful manner; apparently their human resources departments aren't very qualified. He often gives people the line, "Anybody who ever built an empire, or changed the world, sat where you are now. And it's because they sat there that they were able to do it." The fact that he believes this line can potentially comfort or placate a layofee (that's my new word) shows how, though he is a professional, he is out of touch with the common man.

As Ryan shares more of his life with the audience, it is no wonder he is out of touch - he has essentially cut himself off from all significant human interaction. He owns an apartment that he never visits, barely communicates with his own family, and finds significance in his knowledge and acquisition of the elite privileges his frequent travel provides. He gives motivational speeches about how people are, basically, just baggage that way us down, and prides himself in how he can pack his entire life in a carry-on (or backpack).

But of course, this movie wouldn't be significant if Ryan didn't learn what's meaningful in life. Two women enter his life - one who is following him on his job and analyzing his process, and one who he meets at a bar and casually meets up with to have sex once in a while. The former promises to make his job and travel (all that makes him significant or matters to him) obsolete. The latter shares all the same values and requires no commitment, which attract him to her enough to shatter his views of relationships.

For the watchers of the future, Up in the air will probably serve as a time capsule of this day and age - a time when the human element of business went somewhat astray, a time when people lost their jobs because machines could do them, and a time when America was experiencing a high level of layoffs due to financial crisis (although, let's be adult enough to admit that the crisis was self-started). I really liked where the movie went in exploring these ideas, as well as what brings value to a person's life.

George Clooney and Vera Farmiga are so good together in this movie, and the way their relationship plays out is exactly as I thought it would be, and exactly what it should be to actually make an impact on the audience. For a while there, it almost felt as if the movie was going to veer into romantic comedy territory, but this really isn't a RomCom at all.

At about the halfway point of Up in the Air, I sat back and wondered why everyone was raving about this movie as one of the best of the year. It was pleasant and clever enough, but didn't provide any emotional pull, social significance, or moral/ethical relevance for me. But somehow, in the middle of a quaint family wedding crisis and the cutthroat business world, everything pulled together and I fell for it. I'll have to keep thinking about this one to decide where it will go in my 2009 list, but I would definitely recommend it to my peers (family, maybe not so much).

Hey kids! Just checking in now that anew week is here yet again. Ric and I were out of town the entire weekend visiting Colin and Liz in their cool home/neighborhood. Bonsall is basically horse and wine country near Vista, and they live right next to the golf course/country club. It rained Friday, but Saturday was absolutely beautiful, and we even had a chance to take a walk on a trail that circles the golf course. It wa so pretty, if I lived there I'd be on that trail every day.

We mostly stayed in the house just hanging out, but we also mad it out to the nearby Dave's BBQ. I can usually give or take BBQ food places, but this one was really good, all the way down to the cornbread muffins and awesome potato-wedge fries.

It was definitely nice to have a weekend away, although I am still kind of tired. With all the software prep I just feel tired more often in general.

Up this week we just have a movie night, and the weekend is open, although I am sure I will fill it with a ton of errands.

Here's to a good week for all of you out there!

I feel like that episode of The Simpsons when Ringo Starr is answering all of his fan letters with the post script, "Please forget the lateness of my reply." I have been trying to post reviews of in-theater movies while they are still in the theater, but somehow missed writing about several of these. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was a film I was interested in but skeptical about due to the trailer, which didn't really tell me anything about the story. I heard less-than-positive reviews in many places, but then a few friends were saying great things about it, so I decided it was worth a short Friday afternoon in Brea.

From the mind of Terry Gilliam comes this story, of a man who has made a deal with (or rather, won a bet against) the devilish Mr. Nick. Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) wins immortality at the price of promising his daughter to his deliciously thin-mustached opponent (Tom Waits) on her sixteenth birthday. The doctor, his daughter, and a couple of others are a part of a traveling show, which appears to be merely a dramatic act on their portable stage. But there's a mirror on the stage, and when people enter the mirror, they enter the imaginarium, which is powered Doctor Parnassus' mind. He guides his subjects' imaginations, and in the world they see on the other side of the mirror, they make a choice between light and dark. When Mr. Nick comes to collect the young Valentina, another bet is made - a contest to see who can be the first to seduce five souls.

In the midst of this bet comes Tony, whom the troupe finds left hanging for dead. He is played by Heath Ledger, and this was the role he was working on when he passed away. The entire plot revolves around who Tony is and his efforts to help Doctor Parnassus beat Mr. Nick, but somehow Ledger's death doesn't seem to affect the plot at all. In a stroke of genius, Gilliam uses the imaginarium to his benefit. When people enter the imaginarium, they are often physically transformed according to their own imagination. So, all of the scenes that take place in the real world are played by Ledger, while the ones in the imaginarium are played by others. And what a replacement cast: Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell! I loved the way these three were integrated into the movie. I thought it worked seamlessly.

I entered the theater expecting something akin to the mess that was The Brothers Grimm, but as the movie progressed, I realized I loved everything I was watching. I was really surprised that so many people were disappointed with it. The same day I saw the movie, I started looking up why it had some negative reviews. All I could find were complaints that the movie was confusing, which really surprised me. I'm not sure what there is to be confused about, because while The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus has its share of creative and odd moments, there is always an overall plot, and it's always moving forward towards a conclusion. Most likely, you don't get this movie, it's not because it's hard to understand; it's because you don't like its style.

This movie was successful on so many levels for me. It had a tall tale quality to it, there's a struggle with the Devil, there are interesting characters, the locales are great, the visuals are stunning, and it's one of the most creative movies I saw all year. I still haven't made a top ten list for 2009, but I'm pretty sure this movie will be on it.

Yes! The last of my Christmas-catchup! Hahah. I can't believe I got to be over two months late in reviewing movies. I guess I've been in denial about it, but I may need to do another huge movie roundup.

I watched Holiday Inn for the first time this past Christmas season. It stars Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire as entertainers who are also rivals when it comes to love. Astaire's character, Ted, steals the girlfriend of Crosby's Jim on the eve of their retirement and wedding. Jim goes through with his retirement and starts his new life out on the farm, only to realize that farm life is hard work. So he decides to turn his farm into an inn, but the inn will only be open on major holidays so he can relax the rest of the year.

As the movie progresses, old patterns repeat themselves. Jim and Ted's fickle girlfriend leaves Ted as well, and the two decide to work with each other again. And, they soon become rivals even though Ted doesn't know it - he's in love with a girl he danced with when he was drunk, but doesn't know who she is.. and she happens to be Jim's new girlfriend.

The movie does contain a lot of musical entertainment and dancing, so it may not be for everyone, but it was definitely up my alley. The sense of humor was good and the two leads feed well off of each other. As far as Christmas goes, out of all the Christmas classics I watched for the first time this year, I'd say this is the one with the most holiday spirit. It focuses on holidays, so Christmas is featured more prominently. It has "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" in it, and the snowy farm setting at the end really seals the deal.

Since I'm short on time, I'll leave it at that. This is one I'll definitely return to in the future, and I'm sorry I never saw it sooner!

Hey everybody! What's new? Eh. I'll just read about it on Facebook. I hope you all had good weekends. Mine was a good one, though it went by too quickly.

Friday night we had a movie night with Ryan and Amy at our place, and it was my pick, so I exposed them to Heathers. I can't help it - I still love that movie. And I even love my cheap quality DVD of it.

Saturday I slept in like clockwork and puttered around the house until finally going out for a jog at the Creek Park. It was filled with families taking photos together, which meant most of the bridges were filled with people. That made it challenging to get around the park. I have been listening to The Brothers Karamazov while working out for the past month. I was so glad to be making it through a classic quickly, and then it ended and I realized that I had just listened to an abridged version of the book. DOH! I was so upset. That means one day I'll still have to go back and read the whole book again, but I'll already know how it ends. Lame.

Saturday night my sister and I had dinner out at Rutabegorz before heading to the university to check out its yearly opera production. They have gotten a lot more sophisticated over in the conservatory! They had complex stage lighting, huge set pieces, and they even rented large screen TVs to display subtitles - because they actually sang in Italian for the first time in over ten years! I was thrilled about that. The program featured tragic divas of opera, with scenes from Suor Angelica, Rigoletto, Tosca, and La Traviata. There were a couple of comedic scenes to help lighten the mood as well. It was like going to a best-of show, and over half the scenes were performed in Italian. Jenny and I were happy to pay cheap prices to sit in the front of the audience, as opposed to our $50 nosebleed seats at the Dorothy Chandler. We were also pleased to realized we're getting more familiar with the operatic greats, because we had already seen three of the scenes performed by the LA Opera! It was a great experience.

Sunday Ric and I went to church, where our Sunday School class focused on the idea of romance - what it is, and how we might show it to our spouses in different ways. It got us talking about what's romantic to each of us, and what would show our love the most on Valentine's Day. We agreed to forfeit our plans of going to a festival and instead decided to focus on things that we've each been wanting to but not had the time to do. First off, I let Ric take a giant nap while I watched the Olympics. Haha. After I got a bunch of house cleaning done, we went out shopping for workout shoes, and we also spent some Christmas gift cards. I happened to look up on my Open Table app whether there were any restaurants nearby that still had available reservations for dinner, and Taps actually had an opening, so spur of the moment, we ended up reserving dinner there. Unfortunately when we got there, it was a fixed menu that involved three courses, so it was far too expensive. We just dealt with it, and I enjoyed my meal a lot. Ric still needed a burger after dinner. Maybe that'll be a funny story one day, but the memory of our check will probably terrorize him for a while.

Life's busy lately. I just spent half the day at the Mini dealer getting various things fixed. Tomorrow our office is having a birthday lunch at Portillo's. I'll be out of the office a few days this week to do intensive data entry for our software conversion, which is more and more overwhelming as the go-live gets closer. And for some reason I have all sorts of doctor appointments in the next couple months. My calendar is starting to look crazy.

I'll just take a deep breath for now and wish you a wonderful week!

I went to see this movie at the cheap theater simply because I loved the book as a child. I was well aware going into it that it wasn't going to be very close to the book (which is a short book anyway), so I was somewhat prepared for the insanity that was this movie.

The story is about a guy named Flint (voiced by Bill Hader) who wanted to invent something extraordinary ever since he was a child. Most of his inventions go wrong, one example of which is the fact that he doesn't have to wear shoes because he sprayed indestructible spray-on shoes on himself and has never been able to remove them. Flint's most recent invention is a machine that will turn water into food, but it is a catastrophe that ends up destroying the town's new amusement park and his machine is flung out into the atmosphere. The next day, just as Flint has resolved himself to the idea of working in his father's tackle shop instead of inventing, food starts to rain from the sky. It's a wonderful phenomenon that makes the town, which is a failing old canning town (possibly inspired by Monterey?), a tourist destination. But of course, the threat of mutated food soon follows.

This movie has good messages for kids about following one's dreams, learning to be true to oneself, and the dangers of greed/gluttony. It has some quick references that will appeal to adults, although I noticed that most of the adults in my audience didn't even catch them. Some of those little jokes made the humor more enjoyable for me, since I pretty much wince at things like fart and butt jokes when they're on a giant screen in front of me. I didn't care for things like Earl's tingling chest hairs. That stuff isn't funny to me, but I can get that it may be for kids, but I still think that kids' movies can be a lot classier and still make them laugh.

But there are some strange directions that I never expected the movie to take that left me thinking, "What the..?" There was an out-of-nowhere emphasis on immigration when a heavily-accented cameraman answers yes to the question, "Is anyone here a doctor?" and explains that he was a doctor in his home country but his credentials weren't worth anything when he came to this country. Later on he turns out to be a pilot as well. I could see it being funny for its randomness, but the comments about his credentials seemed very out of place.

And then at the end, there's a giant food and weather phenomenon that grossed me out. Was I the only one who thought that giant organism (for lack of a better word) surrounding Flint's machine looked like it was.. uh.. relieving itself each time it released more food into the sky. Seriously, it disturbed me.

I think all of the gross humor was balanced well by some creative ideas, though. I appreciated the thought that went into creative uses of food, how the town stored leftovers, and how they planned to make money off of it. In the end, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs turns out to be an odd movie with a good heart. It's not even near the same plane as a Pixar film, but it entertains the kids for an afternoon.

The same day I went to see Broken Embraces, I also saw The Young Victoria. I wish I would have known they were going to be more popular, since I drove out to Irvine to see them. They both ended up playing in Brea. Personally, I feel that The Young Victoria is stealing Bright Star's thunder during this Oscar season. That isn't to say that it's a bad movie, but as far as period pieces from the fall season, the acting, costuming, art direction, music, and pretty much all other aspects of Bright Star were superior.

This movie picks up with Victoria (Emily Blunt) in the months before she becomes a queen. She has been brought up in a lonely home and feels much like a chess piece waiting to be placed on the board. The adults in her life have plans for her, but no one takes her seriously, especially since no one has invested in her political education. She knows the feminine arts, but those don't give her much guidance when a kingdom is placed into her hands. When that time does come, there are many people in Victoria's life who would like to sway her opinion to match their own. Prince Albert (Rupert Friend) is sent to woo her. Both he and she seem resistant to the idea of being set up, but both seem to like each other. Victoria struggles with whether Albert cares for her or cares for her position.

I appreciated the efforts to make a movie that showed the complexities of the political situation surrounding Victoria as well. Yet again, I regret that I never took British history in school, because I can't weigh in on the accuracy of the plot; I really need to add a history book to my Amazon wish list. I understand that this aspect of the movie was important to setting up how Victoria perceived Albert, but it did almost feel as if there were two different movies that could have been made.

As a romance, I liked the easy way the two main actors approached their characters. They both provide a light and natural feel that spares the movie a stuffy atmosphere (although I've heard several reviews that disagree with me on that). Their romance grows out of friendship, and isn't exaggeratedly passionate. Albert's approach to the relationship is a refreshing one. He scolds Victoria for not letting him be her partner, not because he wants political power, but because he believes he can team up with her to serve the people best.

The Young Victoria is visually pleasant to watch, but there are some stylistic flares that I would have changed. Tee movie functions for the most part (95% of the time) as a straightforward period piece, but then all of a sudden, it will feel like a music video for 15 seconds. Unfortunately I saw this film over a month ago, so it's hard to remember the details, but I think there was some use of slow motion and sound that felt out of place. It was enough to stick in my mind, but apparently not enough for me to remember clearly.

At any rate, I felt that this was a good movie, as opposed to a great one. I liked the performances all around (I should note here that Paul Bettany's portrayal of Lord Melbourne was particularly notable), and enjoyed the aspects I've already noticed. I wonder: would I have liked this movie more if I hadn't seen Bright Star a couple of months earlier? The answer is, most likely, yes. Where one has some pretty gardens, the other turns every scene into some sort of gorgeous painting. Where one has some solid performances, the other has emotionally-involving ones. Where one has a decent score, the other is the one I purchased. So, while The Young Victoria steals the spotlight from Bright Star at the award shows, Bright star has stolen the spotlinght from The Young Victoria for me. Poor Victoria. In another year, I might have cared for you more.

Over the holiday break I made a point of going out to see several movies despite the fact that I didn't feel very passionate about seeing anything that was in the theaters. I have enjoyed several of Pedro Almodovar's movies, but the idea of Broken Embraces wasn't all that enticing to me. After I saw that it had a generally positive reception, I forced myself to go see it. It begins when its protagonist, a screenwriter named Harry, is growing older. He's blind, but he still knows how to charm a woman. He's approached by a young man who wants to make a movie that turns out to sound a lot like part of Harry's own life. The memories of his past return as we watch Harry when he was Lluis, who directed a film and fell in love with its star.

I don't particularly feel in the mood to write a review about this movie. It was Almodovar, so it looked great. There were so many visually interesting moments. He emphasizes great colors and always has great actors.

I think the story starts out rather slowly and doesn't build up to any emotional involvement for quite some time. As a result, I felt very neutral about it for the majority of the film. I eventually warmed to it, but not in the way I have to several of his other movies. Perhaps we just didn't get to know the lovers as truly three-dimensional characters.

If you like Almodovar movies, you'll probably like this one, but like me, you might place it below movies like Talk to Her and Volver.

So, I think I may officially be a nerd. Either that, or I'm just sure of myself in my cultural interests. This past Saturday my sister and I went to Dickensfest, a celebration of all things Charles Dickens. We got there early and plotted out our entire day. We browsed the street shops and listened to street musicians, visited Oliver's alley and watched kids learn to play Victorian games, took in a Victorian fashion show, got soup and bread at Mrs. Cratchit's soup hall, picked through a sad used book sale, watched an amateur play with scenes from Nicholas Nickleby, watched a parody of Nicholas Nickelby, laughed at the crowds during a firearms presentation, caught the Celtic dancing show, shopped some more, and attended an Evensong service. I can't believe we spent eight hours there. My cool purchases of the day were a necklace, a cool hair thing, and a two-octave bow psaltery. The psaltery was a complete impulse buy, but since I'm determined to learn Celtic music, I'm excited.

Sunday we hit up church, then went to a Super Bowl party at Rob and Dee's house. I'm not into football, so I enjoyed some food and company until we had to leave at half-time because we had accidentally double-booked ourselves. We drove down to celebrate young Emily's birthday. I love going to their celebrations because we are always so well-fed, usually with something from the barbecue. It was good to see Colin and Liz again since they haven't been able to make it to church for over a month.

Up this week, we have a movie night on Wednesday and a Movies on the Fox on Thursday. Otherwise, I'm trying to keep the house quiet for Ric, who needs some mental/social rest!

Updates:
I realized this week that I never mentioned the big announcement that was made two weeks ago at work. I got called into a pre-announcement meeting with one of the VPs to be told they have decided to close the school of professional studies, which includes an immediate cease in admissions for the program with which I work. About thirty employees work in the programs that are closing, so it's a big deal for the university. People who work in the admissions side of things are expecting to be laid off soon, since we are no longer admitting new students. We all expected an announcement like this, but for some people it's sooner than they expected, and a little more widespread as well. The school is dedicated to its employees and is trying to encourage transfers within the university when possible.

How does this affect me (and D) in my office? Well, first off, the program is going to be taught out for the next couple of years for all of the students who are currently in the program. These students will need to be registered and evaluated all the way through their time here, so our jobs will probably last through 2013. But on top of that, our new boss has told us that he wants to keep us on if he can, and just shift us to other responsibilities. We definitely have a need for more help in our office, and some of us can already imagine what responsibilities we may be given. As we have seen time and time again in this office and the university as a whole, everything usually works out for the best.

Anyway, that's what's new around here. We had an employee meeting last week that was very hopeful, so I think we're headed for better times all around.

The Fountainhead is another book I need to read, but since Atlas Shrugged took me so long, I think I'll hold off on that for a while. In the meantime, I caught the film adaptation (actually adapted by Ayn Rand herself) starring Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal. Perhaps it's because I just came off of reading one of her novels, but I seemed to like this movie a lot more than most other readers. Cooper plays Howard Roark, an architect with a modern eye who's trapped in a world of weak-minded traditionalists. He could be one of the most significant artists of his time, but no one wants to hire him. When columnist Dominique Francon finds out that an article about his latest creation is going to be negative, she quits the paper, even though she's never met Roark.

The two meet when she finds him working as a laborer for her father, although she still doesn't know who he is. Dominique's instantly attracted to him but a bit repressed. She doesn't easily admit what she wants, and so Roark takes charge - she tries to run away, but he forces himself on her, which is exactly what she wants. This scene sounds and may look a little strange, and probably came across badly in its day, but for anyone who's read an Ayn Rand novel, it fits right in with her style of writing. Her protagonists are passionate and are consumed by their emotions. And Rand seemed to have a thing for a little sadism in the bedroom in her stories. Since her main character is supposed to be a man who lives by ideals and takes what he wants, it fits right in. There's a lot of suggestive imagery in the movie as well. Honestly, the dynamics between Neal and Cooper are the most entertaining aspect.

A lot of people claim fault with Cooper's portrayal of Roark. I can't weigh in on how he compares with the character in the novel, but to me, he came across a lot like the character of Hank Reardon in Atlas Shrugged. I liked it. He isn't passionate the verbal delivery of his lines, but he appears physically resolute. He states the facts with confidence and doesn't have time for nonsense.

This works for the majority of the movie, but critics are right when they say that Roark's final speech in the courtroom was a little anticlimactic. Apparently Rand only agreed to write the screenplay if everything she wrote was kept in the movie, and then had a fit when the company wanted to shorten the speech. She likes her characters to rant a lot, which is most evident in the 50-page radio address in Atlas Shrugged that nearly made me quit after having already gotten through a thousand pages. Also, the word on the street is that Cooper didn't even understand all of what he was saying (a little slow, maybe?) so it just didn't end up being the perfect ending for the film. A review I skimmed mentioned something about the fact that Rand's characters aren't real people; they are mouths for philosophical points of view. I can see that, and I can see why people wouldn't like that. I guess coming so closely off the tails of reading one of her novels, it really didn't bother me. After all, this movie is only two hours, which feels like a breeze when compared with how wordy Rand can get.

One thing I really admired about The Fountainhead was the visual style. It's everything I imagined the world of Rand to be. The sets are lavish, the clothes are stylish, and the buildings are sleek. There are cool shadows and angles everywhere. I could probably have enjoyed the movie on that merit alone.

It's always interesting to me how reading affects one's interpretations of movies. In this case, I didn't even read The Fountainhead, but knew enough of its author, and that influenced me greatly. I like the strength of conviction in her characters, no matter how flawed some of their (thus her) philosophies may be. I actually agree with a lot of the themes she emphasizes (about man's integrity and ideals), but unfortunately, her characters' passion go to levels of extremism and leave me feeling disappointed. What she has to say is interesting food for thought, to be sure. As a result, I went with the flow of this movie and enjoyed the ride. I still don't quite understand how people reached such high levels of animosity over architectural styles, but I get what it's going for, and appreciate the effort.

A Holiday Affair is a little love story that, like Christmas in Connecticut, involves a bit of a love triangle. Perhaps this one could even be considered a love square. A brunette Janet Leigh plays Connie, a young widow and mother, who has been dating Carl (Wendell Corey) for a long time. Connie is hesitant to marry Carl because she doesn't want to forget her husband or hurt her son, Timmy. Carl's a relatively nice guy, but Timmy doesn't want him for a father - he likes things the way they are with just him and his mom. Connie is a professional comparison shopper who buys and returns a toy train; a store clerk named Steve figures out what she is doing (Robert Mitchum) but lets her go, which results in his own unemployment. The two get acquainted by a few chance meetings, which Timmy's okay with, but Carl isn't.

On the Christmas front, this one actually does have a bit of the Christmas spirit to it. The plot revolves a lot around Christmas gifts. Timmy wants a train for Christmas, but mom can't afford it, Steve buys the train even though he can't afford it, etc. Most of the climactic action takes place on Christmas too. Between the presents inside the apartments, the decorations in the department store, little Timmy, and the snow outside, this one feels more Christmasy than A Miracle on 34th Street to me.

As a classic, the overall tone is a little subdued, perhaps because it's a simple story. Actually, the relationships all feel surprisingly natural for an older movie, and perhaps that makes it less dramatic. I really liked the dynamics of Connie's relationship with Timmy and the way they talk to each other, especially how it reveals how Connie is dealing with her husband's absence. And of course, what really stands out is the relationship between Connie and Steve. Steve is a straight-shooter. He walks right in to Connie's life and isn't apologetic when he finds out Connie has a boyfriend. He can see that Connie is with Carl more because she should be than because she wants to be. He can see her insecurities, and he tells them to her plainly. This frankness is refreshing, especially some of the things he says at the family Christmas meal.

Only time will tell whether this becomes a classic for me. I'll have to see how it holds up with repeat viewings. One thing is certain - little Timmy is actually really cute and melted my heart a couple of times, although I'll probably deny that in person. I'm glad I finally caught up with this one; it's a solid little Christmas movie.

I think I forgot to mention on this blog how much I love Conan O'Brien. Sometimes last year I started subscribing to his show on Hulu and watching it every day. I got some of my heartiest laughs of the day from that show. Well, not long before he went off the air after being mistreated by NBC, he was having some of his best shows. Jeff Bridges was one of the guests in those final days, and he was on promoting Crazy Heart. I didn't know anything about Jeff Bridges' relationship with country music, but I did know he was starring in this movie. I was so delighted when I found out he was a legitimate musician. He strutted up on the stage and sang a song for Conan, and I instantly decided I needed to see the movie.

He stars as "Bad" Blake, a country singer who was once popular but is now reduced to performing in dive bars and bowling alleys to make a few bucks. His protege is now popular mainstream artist, and Bad's only hope in reviving his career is to be the opening band and write a few songs for him. Bad agrees to do an interview with the niece of a pianist, and they hit it off. Instead of wanting to move on to the next girl he meets, Bad takes interest in her and her little boy. But Bad's addiction to alcohol and destructive ways threatens to get in the way of his own success and happiness.

I know it may not sound exactly like it, but in a way, it felt like I was watching The Wrestler again while watching this movie. There's a former star, he has his vices, and those vices are killing him. There's a woman, and she may be his redemption, etc., etc. Fortunately, a familiar plot is not a bad thing so long as there aren't too many cliches, as I discussed in my Avatar review. The one unfortunate thing is that this movie came out only a year after The Wrestler.

Thankfully, the characters themselves are what make the movie legitimate. The writing, direction, and acting all lend to a very natural feeling. Jeff Bridges' personality is familiar, but authentic. I don't feel like the movie fully establishes what causes the spark between him and Maggie Gyllenhaal's character, but the two work alongside each other in perfect stride.

And of course, the music itself is one of the main characters. At first, the movie almost feels too much like a light telling of Bad traveling down the road playing several gigs. It pauses for entire songs and there are plenty of them. But the songs are actually portrayed by real musicians. Bridges is legit, as is Colin Farrell, who plays his protege Tommy Sweet. I really appreciated that this wasn't another musician movie that cut back and forth between shots of the actor and shots of a musician's hands playing the guitar. One of my major pet peeves in movies is how poorly filmmakers usually handle covering up an actor's lack of music skills. Here, they just let the music ride, and I was able to sit back and enjoy its authenticity.

While Bad's character did draw me in and make me reflect a little bit, this movie does not pack a huge emotional impact. The use of Gyllenhaal's son as a device was a little bit cliched to me, and Bad's connection to her feels friendly but not much more. The final direction of the movie is a little bit lighter than I would have preferred as well - I would perhaps have skipped the very final scene, since it didn't seem necessary for a feeling of closure.

Overall, Crazy Heart was a good movie with a great performance and plenty of fine music. I think it's worth the watch for Bridges as Bad, and hands-down think he should win the Oscar (since Sam Rockwell didn't even get nominated).

This past Christmas season, I made a point of seeing as many new (to me) Christmas movies as I could. My intentionality in this arena really helps me get into the Christmas spirit. There are so many movies out there that are considered Christmas classics, yet I've seen so few of them. Christmas in Connecticut is one of those, which took an extra bit of effort for me to see because it starred Barbara Stanwyck. She may have been a great actress, but something about her has always irked me. I think it's the accent she turns on when she has a sort of know-it-all expression to her tone of voice. Fortunately, that was absent here, where she plays a journalist who writes a popular magazine article about home-making life on a farm in Connecticut.

Stanwyck's persona, Elizabeth Lane, is married, has a child, and is a domestic goddess of her time. In real life, she lives in the city and doesn't know how to cook. A soldier who has just returned from the war (Dennis Morgan) gets invited by Lane's boss to enjoy a Christmas in Connecticut with the Lane family on their farm. Lane has to think quickly about how to make it all happen without revealing that she has no experience. Luckily her would-be fiance owns a farm in Connecticut, and she agrees to marry him even though she doesn't love him, as long as he goes along with her plot. Of course, once she and the soldier meet, some of her plans change.

On a Christmas level, I can't necessarily say that I would watch this movie just to get into the Christmas spirit. It refers to Christmas, and the house is decorated for Christmas, but the focus isn't on Christmas traditions or music at all.

On a classic level, I definitely enjoyed it. Stanywck feels so much more at ease here, and Dennis Morgan is a naturally charming male lead. I liked the comedic moments of the movie and how they are fun without feeling too cheesy. I liked Reginald Gardiner as the unfortunate fiance, the many mishaps involving the family baby, and even the kooky chef.

I think this is likely a movie I would enjoy with repeat viewings, but I don't think it's one I will frantically seek out whenever December hits. If it's on, I'll enjoy it, and if it's not, then no big deal. It's a fun little comedy of errors that happens to take place at Christmastime in Connecticut.

Hi everyone,

How's it going in your parts of the world? Things are steadily busy here at work with our big software conversion in progress. Next month should be thoroughly confusing; I anticipate frequently not knowing which system to use for different tasks. Today I ran through a bunch of conference material to figure out which seminars I want to attend. I'm excited to go to a conference because a) there's one seminar that is my big hope for revolutionizing what I'm currently working on, and b) I'll get to stay in a hotel that costs about $100 more a night than I would usually spend on my own vacation.

So, short Fridays are all over, but I still manage to keep my weekends packed. Friday night my sister and Ric and I all went to see Crazy Heart at the theater. I'll try and post a review this week in case any of you are considering seeing it (it's still in Brea right now).

Saturday I got to sleep in and popped straight out of the house for a couple of miles on the track and one in the park. I ran some errands, grabbed a smoothie, and headed home. Since I rarely go to my mail box, I had to sort through tens and tens of letters. For once, instead of being upset by bills and HOA notices, we actually got a couple of refund checks for overpayments! Sweet! I spent the rest of the afternoon watching a Kings game with Ric and prepping for a night out in LA. My mom and my sister and I went to see Mary Poppins at the Ahmanson. The show was great. I loved how they made "magic" happen on the stage, especially the feat of Mary flying out above the entire audience - even up to the balconies. The audience response was crazy.

Saturday we made it to church, and as soon as I got home I turned around and headed to Disneyland with my sister. We made a point of doing several things we had never done at the parks. We caught the shows inside and outside the Golden Horseshoe (awesome music inside!), climbed through Tarzan's tree house, sat through the Pixar parade, got Sam Andreas Shakers, and learned how to draw Mickey Mouse at the animation studio (mine actually looked pretty good!). I came home with every intention of staying up late to watch Lost with Ric once he was done playing video games, but he played for longer than I thought, so I fell asleep. That means today we've got a mini-marathon to complete. We have about four episodes left to re-watch of season five so we can feel refreshed with the storyline.

Up this week: Like I said, a marathon tonight! I might also make some cupcakes for work to celebrate a happy Lost Day. Tomorrow we're going to Ric's parents' house to watch the show's premiere. Wednesday we've got a movie night. Thursday I'm pretty sure we'll be at home watching the Kings vs. the Ducks, and then it's on to another busy weekend.

Health updates: Since I last wrote about praying for my health, I actually have seen some improvement. Maybe I just needed to feel like I was fully giving up any control of my health. At the very least, I feel really at peace with my current status, despite the aches and pains that still hang around. I have been really blessed to be jogging again.

Hope you all have a good week. If you think about it, pray for my own focus and productivity. :)

Sometimes I still dream about the simpler days. I had a little wine this evening and, as I shook my head from side to side to gauge whether or not I was buzzed, I missed those fun times when I used to come home from a night at Stubrik's and buzz-blog on the brendoman page, several years ago.

I know we all have to grow up, and I know friendships always move into different directions, but I still think of all of my friends from those days fondly, and wish we could all still get together often and just have fun like we used to.

I miss Raggle Taggle Gypsy and Whiskey in the Jar. I miss our server, Dennis, who was the only person who knew how to make a proper Irish Mint; I still haven't figured out the perfect recipe. I miss those days when everyone posted on the Brendo bulletin boards all the time. I miss the Moz Board, where I made the most diverse group of friends I've ever known. I miss trips to Huntington Beach. I miss excursions with Gron. I miss hangouts with Brendan. I miss girls' nights. I miss David's hugs. I miss Crab Days in Fullerton. I miss Lost nights with the Neals. I miss my piano, even though I still have it. I miss shopping, movies, concerts, and just doing nothing with Erika. I miss the days when the word "Chaos" brought up good thoughts instead of sad ones.

I think buzz-blogging is more of a sad idea these days, because usually that means I'm at home alone with a laptop instead of coming home from a fun night out. We all go through different phases in life, but I still miss those days, and I wish I could zap over to different parts of the country to see my friends. Funny how a little buzz always gets me thinking on this.

All of the hype that led up to the release of Avatar really didn't affect me much. I saw the trailers and was underwhelmed. To be honest, the idea that this movie was being released in 3D, which was intended to enhance the realistic look of the film, seemed crazy; after all, the main characters all looked like cartoons, especially their giant eyes. So I decided that even though I had to go see the movie (when there's that much hype, I have to see something just to know what everyone else is talking about), I was probably not going to enjoy it much.

For those of you who don't know the plot: I'm surprised you exist. For posterity's sake, it's about a Marine who has lost use of his legs, who is recruited to be part of a mission on another planet. The planet has valuable natural resources, most of which are located underneath an area with a dense population of inhabitants. Those inhabitants are called the Na'vi, and the soldier, Jake, is hooked up to an avatar Na'vi body. From his stationary position he is able to control the avatar with his own brain. His mission is to infiltrate the Na'vi and learn about them to see if there is a way to get them to move from their location peacefully - otherwise, the military plans to mow them down.

Speaking of which, one of the funny parts of this movie for me was the military situation. It always seems as if movie military personnel have no capabilities for patience. They make decisions that must be acted upon instantaneously. Even when presented with a reasonable plea for more time, they are depicted as having some sort of bloodlust that makes us question the ability of any member of the armed forces to simply be patient. In this case, the Marines are led by Colonel Quaritch, who just wants to get in there and kill. He is quite a caricature. In one sense, I kind of like him, because he is played so vibrantly by Stephen Lang. He may be almost one-dimensional, but he plays that dimension entertainingly. There were definitely a few lame lines of dialog from him, though, especially the most random line, "we must fight terror with terror!" I'm not sure why he thought the natives of a planet were terrorists, but whatever!

Sam Worthington, who plays Jake, is perfect for an action hero role, even one in which most of the action is animated. One interesting casting choice is Michelle Rodriguez - for one thing, who wants to see her in a movie? Thankfully, hers is the most minimal role possible, in fact, so minimal that one wonders if she did someone some special favor and got herself written into a script that didn't really need her. One person I was happy to see in the movie was Giovanni Ribisi. I haven't seen him for a while, and I actually really like him. For such a likable guy, he was able to sell the semi-evil business man personality well.

Of course, what everyone talks about regarding Avatar is how it looks. Yes, it looks good, and that is why people go to see it. I even went to see it in 3D because people were screaming that it was a must. I am usually anti-3D because of its usual imperfections and the strain they causes to my eyes, but I have to admit that this movie was an exception. The movie looked crisp, clear, and I could actually sense the depth of what I was viewing. There were definitely several little shots that existed simply to wow the audience with the view (and yes, the guys behind us had to say, "that looks sooo cooool!" every time they were wowed). But that's what Avatar is - it's a big-budget blockbuster movie that's supposed to impress us with its special effects.

Story-wise, I've heard all sorts of complaints about lack of originality. My favorite joke is the image that went around of the synopsis of Disney's Pocahontas with all of the names crossed out and changed to the names from Avatar. People have been shouting out similarities to Ferngully, Princess Mononoke, and our own country's history. It's true, but that doesn't matter. Call it mythic or archetypal, but this is a story of which we've seen many incarnations over the years. What matters is that it's told creatively enough to be considered non-cliche. I would say that Avatar qualifies, for the most part. It's a basic story told in its own visually creative manner. What isn't creative is some of its dialog and several of the supporting characters.

It's certainly not a perfect movie, and it shouldn't be winning any awards that aren't related to special effects, but Avatar does exactly what it promises to do. It shows us another world, gives us a lot of action and explosions, makes us ooh and ahh at some cool 3D effects, and keeps us well-entertained for a few hours.. and better entertained than some of the 2009 summer releases. Does it deserve some of the criticism it's receiving? Sure - I certainly think a few more discerning eyes could have taken a look at the script. It's not going to be in my top ten of the year, but I thought it was a fun time at the theater, and I even forgot about those ugly Na'vi eyes while I was there!

I actually read Cormac McCarthy's novel earlier this year. It's a Pulitzer-winner, so I broke out of my usual habit of only reading old classics (which really is just a habit rather than a rule, but habits are so comfortable, aren't they?). In this instance, I was glad I broke out because it was a simply told yet compelling novel. I just checked my blog and realized I never reviewed it. Oops. Well, it certainly kept me riveted while I waited inside the Compton jury assembly room. Once I was done reading it I was really looking forward to seeing this movie. After all, it stars Viggo Mortensen, looks amazing, and has a score by Nick Cave - what could possibly go wrong? For me, what went wrong were several little things.

For those unfamiliar with the story, it takes place in the future, after an unknown global calamity has taken place, leaving most of the world burned and damaged. A man and his son are traveling down a road towards the coast in hopes that circumstances will be better for them there, especially during the winter months. As they travel, they have to face all sorts of antagonists, including cannibals, other men will do anything to survive, memories of the past, the weather, and starvation.

Part of the problem of reading a novel too close to watching a movie is that one develops his or her interpretation of that novel's tone and expects the movie to match it. The Road, as a novel, is completely bleak. It's got some heartfelt scenes, but most of them are devastating. In the movie, there are a lot of scenes that I assume are created to be touching but turn out to be slightly contrived. One of the key elements contributing to this is, sadly, the score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. When the movie ended, the first thing out of my mouth was how much I hated the score. I had forgotten that it was by Cave at that moment, and laughed pretty hard when I found out later on, since I'm such a big fan of his. As I'm listening to pieces of it off the internet right now, I realize that it's actually good music; but the way it comes across in the scenes is almost like watching a made-for-TV movie. The scenes end up feeling a little too sappy especially with some of the soft piano pieces. So, instead of the more dismal tones I would have expected to accompany what I was seeing on the screen, there was a softer touch to the music that seemed contrary to the nature of both the movie and the novel. It was really disappointing for me.

What I did love was the look of the present-day (or future) in this film, which is directed by John Hillcoat, who also directed The Proposition - another gritty movie. The color-palette is dark and a little bit washed out, but mostly because that's actually how the world would look if it were covered in ash. My husband hated it, but he hadn't read the book, which describes this look in great detail. I felt like it was a very accurate representation of McCarthy's vision and really set the stage for an interesting traveler's tale.

Unfortunately, because this is a traveler's tale, that is actually one of its problems, at least in the eyes of my husband, who felt like there was no real drive to the plot. He felt like the story meandered and that there wasn't enough character development as a result. I can see where he's coming from. I think one of the benefits of reading a novel in advance of watching a movie is that when we watch a movie, we can use the feelings that we felt while reading and apply them to the movie. Or, because we know what's going to happen, we can sometimes feel a heightened sense of anticipation. So, while Ric was bored, I was thinking about what was going to happen next, how it was going to be visualized, and remembering what the man's thoughts were as he went through those moments. It added an extra layer that only the reader can experience, and I think that's why I ultimately enjoyed this movie a lot more than Ric did.

As for acting, Mortensen gives a great performance. He reads more sappily into the character of the man than I would have liked, because I saw the man as a little more matter-of-fact than Mortensen plays him. Really, my only problem with him is with the flashback scenes. I didn't care for the tone of them, how Charlize Theron played the wife, or how Mortensen responded to her. This, again, comes down to expectations. Otherwise, I really appreciated how Mortensen was practically unrecognizable in appearance and his approach to survival in the rest of the movie is exactly what I had envisioned. The boy, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee, was a little bit off in casting. He is older than I expected; somehow it just doesn't ring true when he calls his father "Papa" or when he cries. These small, slightly-off touches with the acting and casting left an unsettled feeling in my mind that took me several days to decipher. The whole time I watched the movie, I knew it was well-made, but I knew that something besides the music didn't feel right.

In the end, The Road ended up leaving me with a slightly disappointed feeling that grew over time as I thought about it more. While I really appreciated how it looked, Mortensen's performance, and the themes about what makes man human/humane, I think it suffered due to the uneven tones of some of the actors and the music. It was worth the watch for me, but unfortunately it won't hit my top ten for the year.

The first time I heard about Band of Outsiders was when the lovely J9 had to show me her favorite scene, which is the famous dancing sequence in the movie. Two young guys and a girl are hanging out a restaurant, start up the jukebox, and do a choreographed sort of line dance together. As they dance, the music cuts out, and the narrator tells us what each of the characters is thinking. That happens a lot in this movie, as director Jean-Luc Godard breaks the audience barrier many times throughout. So, what would otherwise be a somewhat straightforward crime/heist movie turns out to be a surprising breath of fresh air.

The three main characters form a little love triangle, between Odile, Arthur, and Franz. They meet in an English class, and when Arthur and Franz find out that Odile lives in a house that has a secret stash of money, they decide to break in and take the money. Odile protests at times, or perhaps doth protest too much. Her fickle nature is also seen in her reactions to the boys.

This is a fun movie that sometimes turns serious. It seems to follow the basic plot lines of a heist movie, but the content is changed appropriately for the age of the people committing the crime. While the crime is being plotted, the three go about town together having fun. Sometimes their plans seem to be forgotten, especially during the dancing scene and their very fun nine-minute tour of the Louvre.

The character of Odile is what fascinated me more than anything. I liked trying to decipher what she was thinking, even when the narrator was telling me what she was thinking. She is played by Anna Karina, who was Godard's wife at the time. I felt like I could sense his own fascination in the way that Odile was presented.

Surprisingly enough, the movie takes a more tension-filled turn towards the end, and it still works. I loved the way the crime scene played out. I guess what I appreciated about the movie was how briskly it passed by while managing to give me enough character to feel invested in it. I know that description may sound all too much like a comedy heist movie, but this is far from one of those. I know a lot of Godard fans seem to prefer his other movies to this one; it's possible that there are better movies than this one, but I would still venture to say that this will be a favorite for me, even though I still need to see more of his work.

Oh man. I really should have kept up with my blogging, especially on these Kurosawa movies, because they're all running together in my head. All I could remember about this movie at first was its ending, but after a little prompting, it's coming back to me. This one is another period film, and it takes place around the eighteenth century. A ronin played by Toshiro Mifune aids a group of clansmen when the leader's uncle, the Chamberlain, is kidnapped. The ronin, who chooses to go by Sanjuro (which stands for the 30 ryo he is paid for his work), can easily be quick to fight

One of the highlights of this movie is the Chamberlain's wife, who is rescued early in the movie. She has a wonderful way of approaching the situation that is somehow both matter-of-fact and nonchalant. She provides some levity to the story as she goes along for the ride in the rescue mission. One funny scene involves having to climb over a wall, which she only does by using a man as a footstool.

But of course, the shining star is Mifune. His awesome action scenes are emphasized by the amount of restraint he shows leading up to them. If he chooses to, he can fly into action; there's one scene where he takes out a large group of men on his own, which very well could be a precursor to the famous fighting scene in the first Matrix movie. But, in the job he has taken on, he has agreed not to kill unless he has to, and so the movie builds up to the moments when he must unsheathe his sword. The most notable is the movie's final scene, which has to be scene and described for one to grasp. It happens so quickly and so oddly that I didn't understand it without watching the extras on the DVD.

The extras really were worth watching, especially because they were yet another glimpse into the meticulousness of Kurosawa. One of the key elements of the set was a huge tree filled with blooms, and a documentary revealed that those blooms and the leaves on the trees were all brought in specifically to make the film look realistic. In fact, Kurosawa demanded that all of the flowers be painted individually. The more the film crew revealed about their jobs, the more I was able to see what care, or rather, obsessiveness, Kurosawa showed in making his movies. Sometimes I think he overdid it, but I really can't deny that the most praiseworthy aspect of his movies for me is the visual richness they possess.

To be honest, there were some drawn-out scenes here and there and this wasn't the most popular movie the class watched, but some of the visuals and action sequences were notable and entertaining. I think I will probably need to watch it again once I've had more time away from the class, so I can appreciate it on its own rather than jumbling it with others in my memory.

Well, hello there! I'm sitting here with my mom during the intermission at the Cirque du Soleil and just realized I never posted today. Ah, the wonders of Droid. Now I can look like any other crazy phone-obsessed person while waiting for the show to resume.

This past weekend was great because we were able to couple our short Friday with the Monday holiday. I started it off by joining E and J from work on a field trip to Disneyland. It was E's first time to CA Adventure, so we showed her the ropes. They're testing out the water for the World of Color show - looking good! K and his wife and their three kids joined us for s while, and eventually my sister came when everyone else left. I was there for about ten hours, which made for a long day of fun.

Saturday and Sunday were mostly spent visiting with my oldest sister and three of my nephews, who came to town to visit. It was great to see all of them and catch up more than we have been able to on Facebook.

Yesterday I ran errands, shopped, organized around the house, and caught the hilarious 2012 at the cheap theater. Now that the work week is back, I'm still busy having fun every night, so I'm sure to be tired by the weekend!

Okay, well I had better get back to the show! Have a good week, everyone.

Okay, so Kristen shared this recipe with me, and I instantly went to the store to make sure I had the ingredients to try it. Now, the author on the site refers to the final product as homemade Bailey's, but let me tell you up front that it's merely homemade Irish liqueur. It tastes great, but I plan to tweak the recipe each time I try it to see if I can get it closer to actual Bailey's. Luckily, I had some of the lovely Bailey's in my fridge so I could take a comparison swig.

The Ingredients!

- 1 cup of light cream
- 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 to 1 and 2/3 cups of Irish whiskey
- 1 teaspoon of instant coffee
- 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1 teaspoon of almond extract

The Easy Process:
Pour all the ingredients into your blender and blend away for 30 seconds!

I had some heavy whipping cream left over from Christmas and was out of almond extract. As a result of those alterations, as well as probably missing some key ingredient in the recipe, my liqueur came out thick, strong on the whiskey front, and was definitely missing the je ne sais quoi that says "Drink me, I'm Irish!" in Bailey's. I think the next time I try it I will use light cream, a little less chocolate, a little less whiskey, and add in some almond extract. If I ever get the recipe close to the real thing, I'll make sure to post an update.

It was still tasty enough to drink, though! Ric liked it and I did too, until I figured out that it averages about 95 calories per ounce the way I made it. You may want to take that into consideration. It's definitely why I'll be trying out the light cream next time. We liked it enough that I altered my old St. Brendan's bottle to honor the lovely lady that made me aware of the fact that I could concoct my own liqueurs:

(Yes, that says Kristen.)

Update as of 1/20/10: When I opened the fridge to pour some of this sweet stuff the other day, it had congealed enough that it wouldn't leave the bottle. I think the heavy whipping cream may be the culprit. I'll keep trying!

Yet another movie I somehow missed in childhood was Labyrinth. I always meant to watch it once I found out it starred David Bowie but never got around to it. Luckily, Ric asked for it for his birthday this year, so I finally got to see it!

Jennifer Connelly stars as Sarah, a girl who is annoyed with her life and the fact that she's babysitting her crying baby brother. She makes a wish, and her brother is stolen away by the goblin king, Jareth, played by David Bowie. Jareth holds baby Toby in his castle and tells Sarah she must find Toby in 13 hours or he will be turned into a goblin. The only problem is that the castle is at the center of a giant labyrinth - and one that doesn't even play fair at that.

I really liked this movie despite some of the dated music. I mean, I love David Bowie, but his singing scenes were a little bit much at times. Thankfully, the story mostly sticks with Connelly and the labyrinth. I loved the creativity and dynamics of the sets, especially when she would try to mark which way she had already traveled and the tiles would get moved by little creatures. The hole she falls into that's filled with hands is impressive as well. The movie was directed by Jim Henson, and it does feel like it's got his touch. It reminds me, too, of something Terry Gilliam might make. Maybe I just have him on the brain since I went to see his latest movie.

The climactic minutes before time runs out are exciting too, especially the MC Escher-esque stair sequence. And of course, the sort of music video that occurs due to Bowie's glass ball is extravagant and awesome (pictured above).

It's weird, creative, and adventurous, which is what kid movies ought to be. It's so interesting that the 80s had some pretty raggedy-looking adventure stories. Everything is so glossed over these days that it was refreshing to see something a little more... textured. Hooray for Ric's birthday!

Thank goodness for the promptings of IMDb, because I'm so far behind that my memory needed to be jogged! And I can't believe that, since Rififi has been one of the highlights of the last couple months for me. I have hit a block of foreign flicks on my Netflix queue and have noticed a lot of French heist movies showing up as well. Of the French heist movies, I think this may be my favorite. It comes from director Jules Dassin; I haven't seen any of his other movies.

The protagonist is Tony, who comes back into town after a stint in prison. His past leaves him bitter, especially with his old girlfriend, Mado, whom he promptly finds and gives a good beating, especially because she has moved on to a new gangster boyfriend. Tony doesn't look very sinister, but he is certainly resolute about his own moral code.

Tony's old friends approach him about a small job stealing jewelry from a window. He isn't interested in small change and suggests breaking in to the store and robbing its safe. With Mario and Jo and Italian safe specialist Cesar, he works on elaborate heist.

Like Le Cercle Rouge, the heist takes place in tense silence, but this plan is a little more creative, with its use of shaving cream and and umbrella. I loved this entire sequence and how it plays out. The comparison with Le Cercle Rouge end there, though, because in this movie, Tony's enemy isn't the law - it's Mado's boyfriend, who figures out what Tony's up to.

The title of the movie lets the audience know what the men are in for when a nightclub singer who takes Cesar's fancy sings about Rififi and trouble. There's destined to be some unexpected happenings, and I love how they all play out.

As I mentioned, in Rififi, the moral line isn't drawn between criminals and the law. The struggle is less about morals and more about a certain sense of the unwritten rules of criminals, and Mado and her boyfriend have both crossed the line. Another character crosses it significNtly towards the movie's end as well. The themes may not be as deep as those in the solitary Le Samourai or the fateful Bob le Flambeur, but for some reason the character of Tony appeals to me more than either of them. Perhaps it's just because Tony has a sense of integrity within his own criminal world and that he's so dedicated to his job and treats his friends well, or perhaps it's just a straightforward heist movie that delivers well. At any rate, it's memorable and I'm sure I'll be revisiting it one day.

Yet another of the movies from my Kurosawa class, Hidden Fortress is one of the most accessible to a general audience, especially since it served as an influence on George Lucas' for his Star Wars franchise. In this story, two bumbling and greedy peasants accidentally discover some gold, which happens to belong to a princess. She and a general of hers (Mifune) have been hiding out in a hidden fortress in the mountains and plan to sneak around/past enemy lines into allied territory with the gold, and the peasants are tricked into helping.

What I appreciated about this movie was that it didn't take itself so seriously. So many of the movies we watched in the class were dramas, and it was awesome to take a break and see what Kurosawa could do with comedy/adventure. The point of view is that of the peasants, who are the least in the know about what is happening around them. The ways they respond to their situations and to each other are what make the movie work. I think for a lot of Kurosawa's work I tend to feel a bit detached from the protagonists. I'm still trying to reason out exactly why. In this movie, as well as Seven Samurai, there just seems to be more heart, which makes me feel more invested in the characters and what happens to them.

And the peasants aren't the only memorable characters. The princess and the general are impressive on their own. The princess doesn't want to reveal who she is, so she pretends to be deaf and mute. Once she finally does start talking, I was thankful for the many minutes of muteness, because she had a shrew's voice if I ever heard one.

With so many movies floating around in my head that need to be reviewed, I wish I had more details to add about this movie. It really is one of my favorite Kurosawa movies because it combines all of the right elements to make an entertaining, funny, well-constructed movie.

Well, the holidays are definitely over and I'm back to the usual routine. Work promises to be interesting in the next few months. Software-wise, we just had a meeting last week to make a to-do list and prioritize it, and it looks to be very busy. Right now I'm trying to figure out how to speed up the area I'm overseeing. Office-wise, our new boss starts his first day on the job tomorrow, so hopefully the transition will be a smooth one. Program-wise, we're expecting an announcement on the future of the program I work with in the upcoming weeks, which will probably include a massive overhaul (and I expect some job switching and possibly more layoffs - of which we have had our share).

I seem to be back to the weekend routine as well. It almost feels like summer, since I have short Fridays in January. I jetted out of work first opportunity possible and went straight to the theater to see The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus... with two other people in the theater. After the show I went to the mall to spend some Christmas gift cards and then headed home to the track to clock a quick mile, then home to clean and cook for movie night at our house. Ric chose to watch Miracle, a favorite of his. Saturday I got to sleep in just a smidge and then got ready to gosee Up in the Air with Ric and Jenny. After a quick stop at BevMo to spend more gift cards, we went home and I jetted back to the track to get in a couple more miles before we met up with Ric's parents. It was Todd's birthday and we all went to a Kings game together. Unfortunately my sad streak of bad luck continued, and the team lost. They are doing decently this season, but I always manage to go to the losing games.

Sunday we went to church. It was good to see everyone for the first time since before the holidays. Afterwards we went straight home and I was out the door yet again to get in a jog at the park before my sister and I went to see White Ribbon in Irvine. We had a loopy elderly crowd, but thankfully they didn't ruin the experience. When I got home I realized I hadn't really relaxed all weekend, so I settled in with the huz to catch up with tv, including the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons - what an impressive feat!

Hopefully this week won't be too eventful. We were supposed to go to another hockey game tonight but instead we're at urgent care, hopefully diagnosing and relieving some kidney stones for Ric. Fun. Meanwhile, I think I'm fighting off a sinus infection, which is my first one. I'm not impressed with it, by the way.

I hope you're all healthy and comfortable in your new year routines!

Ric and I saw Where the Wild Things Are way back in November when we were on vacation in Monterey. There was a lot of build up for this movie, which had an awesome trailer that was mostly a music video, which makes sense, because director Spike Jonze gained popularity as a music video director. I wasn't too sure about the idea of turning a short children's book into a long movie, but the trailer intrigued me.

The story begins in the real world, where a young boy named Max seems to spend a lot of time feeling lonely. His sister is older and spends time with her friends, and his single mother is dating a guy. As the movie opens, Max is playing in the snow by himself. He builds a sort of igloo fort in a snow drift and attacks his sister's friends for fun. They return the attack, which is fun at first, but soon he's humiliated and devastated when one of the teenagers jumps on top of the fort and smashes it while he's inside. He reacts by making a mess in his sister's room. That, topped with his erratic behavior when his mom has her boyfriend over for dinner, begins a struggle between the two that freaks Max out. He runs away from home, and as he runs, he exits the real world and enters the land where the wild things are. I loved this setup for the film. I actually would have watched an entire movie about Max in the real world, struggling with his loneliness and the uncertainty he felt with how things might change if his mother remarried.

But of course, this movie is about the world Max travels to, which is a land of his own dreaming. In it, Jonze takes the wild things and gives them personalities that reflect the emotions Max is dealing with in the real world. There are characters who are uncertain of their friendships or how to behave appropriately at particular times. I liked this idea, but felt it was almost a little too heavy-handed, because if this was Max's dreamland, it was surprising that it didn't provide a little more escapism for him. His dreams are weird, oddly uncolorful, and a lot of the time, angry and sad. Everything is brown, which seems very different from the famous book illustrations many of us have seen in the children's book that inspired the movie. That's not to say that there aren't plenty of times where one can see the fun kid in Max coming out in his dream world. There are many scenes of him playing with the wild things. They shriek and jump all over the place.

I guess I had difficulties with this movie because it didn't seem to choose a target audience and stick with it. Like I said, it's got a sad/angry streak, which seems like something that the adult audience would understand fairly well. They get what's going on with Max and they understand how the wild things portray his emotions. But then all of the childish scenes of play are a little bit monotonous and seem to appeal to a younger audience; I got a little bored watching those. It must have been hard to decide who the target audience was for this movie, because the children who first knew it are well-grown by now, and they're probably showing the book to a new generation who are still very young. It was definitely a balancing act to try and satisfy the potential audiences for the movie, and unfortunately I don't think Jonze was successful in his attempt to do so.

One place where he does excel, obviously, is the visual aspect of the movie. Despite the mostly monochromatic feel, it's still something to behold. The sets, costumes, creatures, lands, framing, and more were all very rich. Of course, I expected as much. I loved the design of the costume Max wears, especially.

Oddly enough, the Arcade Fire song that was featured so prominently in the trailer is missing from the movie, which I think is a shame. I guess the expectations that the trailer stirred in me were faulty ones. I wonder what I would have thought of the movie if I hadn't seen it? This is exactly why I don't like to watch too many trailers - but since I see so many movies, it's hard to avoid. At any rate, I was able to appreciate enough aspects of the movie to be glad I saw it. I'll have to try watching it again sometime to see if over time my feelings about its core might change.