movie binge!

I watched Inception tonight - very cool. For some reason, I went nine or ten months without seeing a movie in the theaters, and so I haven't seen most of the Oscar contenders. So I'm finally using my Netflix subscription again and trying to burn through everything. I'm hoping to sneak away this weekend and see Black Swan or The King's Speech. I have The Kids Are All Right as my other Netflix disc, and next up in my queue is The Social Network. Hopefully I can make a dent before the Oscars.

It's strange - I love watching movies SO much, but I just haven't made time for them recently. Earlier this month I bought a 42" HDTV and a PS3, and it was so enjoyable tonight to fire them up, turn off all the lights, and watch a slick and stylish heist flick - Christopher Nolan is the bomb. Hopefully I'll get to do this a bit more in the coming weeks. Something to look forward to for spring break...

next year's top movies?

Pajiba always has some interesting articles, and today they've got their stab at the top movies of 2009. Can we agree to meet back here in a year and check their answers?

The thing that excites me most on that list? A film adaptation of The Time Traveler's Wife - such a kick-ass book. I'll be seeing that on opening weekend.

movie monday

Another Monday, another movie. Yesterday I went to see Miracle at St. Anna. The movie definitely has its flaws (very slow at points, somewhat formulaic), but overall I enjoyed it. It tells a side of World War II that doesn't get enough play.

Next week I'm hoping my local theater has Zach and Miri Make a Porno. I love Rogen & Banks. Any other suggestions?

W

Just saw it. Um...I'm not sure what to say yet.

Josh Brolin is spot-on.

It was kind of like watching a history lesson.

I think...that...I liked it.

Anyone else seen it?

temp blues

Normally, I don't mind a little air conditioning, but the temp job has the temperature cranked way down. I nearly froze today. I was thrilled to see six o'clock.

The job is getting on my nerves. I was basically given no instructions, and people keep expecting me to do different tasks, like timesheets, or setting up meetings. Um, shouldn't somebody show me how to do this? And I'm in a corner cubicle, so people stream in and out all day, having birthday cakes and beers, and I'm not invited to any of it. It kind of sucks. I won't be sad to leave there after tomorrow.

Off to make an appearance at a part, and then see Hancock with my brother.

Oscar picks

OK, I'm sure that you all really care about my picks...but I'm blogging every day here, people, so cut me some slack.

I'm just picking the big categories:

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Gotta go with Ruby Dee (American Gangster) here - she's the sentimental favorite, of the Academy and for me (she was my dad's Sunday School teacher). I could see Cate Blanchett (I'm Not There) winning, too - she played Bob Dylan!

SUPPORTING ACTOR: Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men), because he had to live with that haircut. And because everyone is on the bandwagon for that film (which was, admittedly, great). Close second to Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton), who is one of my favorite actors.

DIRECTOR: A lifetime achievement award for the Coen Brothers, who richly deserve it. P.T. Anderson will get his, one day.

BEST ACTOR: A lock. Have you seen There Will Be Blood? Daniel Day-Lewis is probably the best actor alive. Amazing.

BEST ACTRESS: I don't think Oscar voters will be able to deny the symmetry of giving Julie Christie an award 45 years after her first one (where I believe she beat Julie Andrews).

BEST PICTURE: The five nominees, in my order of preference, would be:

There Will Be Blood
Atonement
Juno
No Country For Old Men
Michael Clayton

I think, however, that No Country For Old Men will take the prize. All of the movies are great; I just think that There Will Be Blood is more amazing than the others. (Juno, while a fun film, doesn't really seem like a Best Picture nominee, you know?)

So there's my two cents. Let's see how I do!

there WAS blood

(See the post below if you're confused.)

The movie was very good. My roommates didn't like it, and I can't really understand why. I don't want to ruin anything for anybody, but Daniel Day-Lewis has got to be considered the best actor alive. Besides me, of course. (Calm down...just kidding...)

All right, off to watch the Challenge w/Snapple. No, we're not dating again, we're hanging out as friends. Yes, I know I said that last time. Yes, I know what I'm doing. Why do you have so many questions?

off to the movies...

...to see There Will Be Blood. Finally.

I'll let you know what I think...

prepping to go

I'm in the process of packing, while watching "The Blitz" on ESPN's SportsCenter, to catch up on the day in the NFL. I just said good-bye to Trouble and her sidekick, which was a bit sad.

It's kind of surreal that I'm going back to NYC. I went and saw American Gangster tonight, and I kept forgetting where I was. (Great movie, by the way. You should see it.)

But I'm excited to see what comes next. Besides a lot of traveling. Here's my schedule:

NYC next week
San Francisco next weekend for a wedding
NYC for ten days
Rhode Island for Thanksgiving - after last year, you know I'ma be there
NYC for two weeks
Chicago for a few days - not in stone yet
NYC for two weeks
home for Xmas
San Francisco for New Year's - another wedding

Crazy. And I've got a couple of auditions that could change everything.

So I better get used to packing, huh? I guess I should get back to it...

time off

My roommate has flown the coop for Vegas for a few days. I can't tell you how happy I am.

Her departure has also coincided with a two-and-a-half day vacation for me, which, in this business, is like having a week off. It's just what I needed - especially because all hell breaks loose with my schedule starting this weekend for about ten days or so.

It's been really great - I went off and saw some nature on Monday, saw TRANSFORMERS yesterday (which was awesome!), fired up the PlayStation for the first time in a while, and rented a couple of movies (I'm still knocking off the Oscar-nominated flicks - watched 2 in the last two days).

And I've hung out a lot with Snapple. I'd call it a relationship, I guess, but we're still using the term "dating", and not "boyfriend/girlfriend". Which is a good thing, because I keep having these mini-freak-outs, or "relationship allergy attacks", if you will. You know, everything will be fine, and then I'll suddenly have the urge to make out with every girl in the bar. Not because I really want to, mind you, but to prove that I can. It's just difficult for me to turn that "single" mindset off.

OK, off to the local Blockbuster to return said movies, and then to the gym (which I have definitely been cheating on lately)...

hooray for hollywood

Oscars were fun. I watched them with Maxine - it's her Super Bowl. She put out a little spread and everything, and had her ballot. She always makes her predictions beforehand, and then checks off the winners. I think she only missed two last night - and one of them was Best Picture. (She even called Alan Arkin!)

The best word I can think of for the ceremony is "weird". Ellen was a fine host, I guess. I'd be ok if they rotated her, Chris Rock, and Jon Stewart for the next few years. I'm probably the only one who feels that way, but whatever.

The best moment, by far, was the Will Ferrell/Jack Black/John C. Reilly song. So funny...and so true.

I'm working a lot this week, but I have two posts fully sketched out on a piece of paper that's sitting in the middle of my "desk". So you'll get my stories, I promise. Right now, it's time for me to get some zzzzz's...

voting is good

Crazy week. Have had a lot of things to say, but very little time to put any of it up here.

One thing that I did want to mention is that I was very encouraged at the number of young people I talked to who voted on Tuesday. Citizens of Cowtown were receiving little "I VOTED TODAY" stickers, and many of my under-thirty friends talked about who they had voted for. Equally encouraging was the fact that a lot of those young voters also did some research, going to places like vote411.org to find out info and make informed choices.

Maybe my friends and I are just getting older (and therefore a bit more aware and responsible), or maybe younger people in this country are starting to wake up. There are some polls out there that are suggesting that it may be the latter.

Off to see Borat - must find out what the fuss is about. The previews do look pretty good...

shocker!

Went to see SNAKES ON A PLANE this afternoon with my lil' bro.

Um...

Yeah...

Well...

...it was actually good!

Not, like, Oscar good. But good in a popcorn kind of way. Satisfying, if you will. A classic disaster film - you know what you're going to get, and it does it fairly well. It also helped that our audience was fantastic. If you can hear people commenting on the commercials, or actually booing the previews, you are in good hands. It's got to be a group that's willing to applaud when they see the title on screen, and whoop it up, etc.

So...(I can't believe I'm saying this)...I think you should go see it! Seriously.

An Inconvenient Truth...

...is an excellent movie. You should see it. Democrat, Republican, Socialist, Communist, whatever. We only get one planet, people. Let's try not to fuck it up too badly.

www.climatecrisis.net

Let me know what you think of it.

Thank You For Smoking

Saw this movie yesterday with a friend of mine - pretty good. Directed by Jason Reitman (son of Ivan, who directed, among other things, Ghostbusters) and based on a book by Christopher Buckley (son of William F.). Two kids of famous folks making good.

I think it goes into wide release in the next week or two, and if you're in the mood for something refreshing, you should check it out. It's not often when you see a film like this. It's satirical, and the bad guys are the good guys and vice versa. I know that those things don't sound unusual...but wait until you see the film. And Aaron Eckhart is irrestible in the lead role...he'll charm the pants right off you. But not in a sexual way. Unless you want it to be like that.

Maybe I should start a second career as a movie critic...Rover's Critiques...

a nice "weekend" (because MY weekend is Monday)

I've been up since 4am - my "friend" came back into town this weekend (we'll call her G.I.S.S - see if you can figure that one out) and I had to take her to the airport so that she could catch her 6am flight. I made good use of my time, though - got caught up on most of my TV shows; made myself an omelette...well, I attempted to make one, that is; and watched a documentary that I've been meaning to catch for a while.

It was a very good weekend. Not only did Giss come into town, but a friend of mine from Sleepy Hamlet drove down for the day to catch my show. He probably ended up spending at least half of his waking hours in transit alone, so he went through a lot of effort to get here. I was quite moved, actually. Nice to have friends who are willing to go the extra mile for you.

Plans for the cross country trip are developing nicely. I'm leaning heavily towards doing it. Another vote in favor for it - apparently, that summer theater festival that I auditioned for a couple of weeks ago is in the middle of casting, so I'm assuming that they don't have a spot for me. That's totally fine with me; this way I get my vacation, I get to spend most of my summer in New York, and I won't feel like I'm missing my friends if I go drive around the country.

Off to shower and then catch the late morning showing of Inside Man. I'll report back later...

F for fuckin' good

The title, of course, refers to the movie V For Vendetta. Excellent movie. I highly recommend it. The Wachowski Brothers have said that they're not trying to make comparisons between the fictional England they've created and America today - but if you don't come out of that movie thinking about the concept of terrorism, you weren't paying attention. But, hey, should we expect any less out of these guys? They gave us The Matrix, which also could be know as The Thinking Man's Action Flick.

One more thing - Hugo Weaving (who played Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy) is outstanding as V. The mask work that he does is unbelievable. And, if you've ever done any mask work, you know how hard it is.