So when you see as many movies as I do, the bad experiences tend to stick out far more than the good.

But today was like...movie theatre employees at their finest.

First, I went to go see Run Fatboy Run at the AMC at Altamonte, and the box office guy was super nice and chatty. He commented that he loved the movie and hoped I enjoyed it.

Then the ticket taker at the same theatre complimented my hair.

Both were really nice and SUPER friendly.

Second, I was at the Regal in Winter Park to see 21 and the ticket taker said he liked that I was cheerful and he loved my smile.

So very nice.


So perhaps Fridays just make people happier, or it was that it was still early in the day, but I definitely appreciated the happy cinema employees. Fabulous.


BTW - I highly enjoyed both films. Run Fatboy Run started a little rocky, but it was really good. Definitely a "guy movie," but fuck it, I love guy movies. It was damn-near inspiring.

21 had some awkward parts, particularly with the dialog in the beginning. But Jim Sturgess was very good and Kevin Spacey was spot-on. He is so ridiculously talented, he could make a shopping list sound good, so even the parts where the dialog was sub-par, his delivery was superb. The role was made for him. I really must watch American Beauty again.


Oh, and just because...

"Keaton always said, 'I don't believe in God, but I'm afraid of him.' Well I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Keyser Soze."

First off, who doesn't love "The O.C."?

Two episodes everyday on SoapNet? It's perfect. Especially on Tuesdays and Thursday when I have exactly one hour at home between classes, so from 3 to 4, I get to enjoy the unsubtle melodramadie of life in Newport Beach. Lovely.


Second, I have some big plans for movies this weekend. Tomorrow, I have class from 8:30 to 9:20am, which gives me plenty of time to get out to Altamonte Springs for a 10:30am, $5 showing of Run, Fatboy, Run at the AMC. After which I will meander home via Winter Park so that I can catch the 2:35pm Stop-Loss at the Regal there.

I don't know if I'll make it a triple-feature day, or if I'll save 21 for Saturday or Sunday, but I guarantee you, I'll be seeing it this weekend as well. Because I must. Jim Sturgess and Kevin Spacey? And gambling? Yes, please! Lovelyness abounds!!


Third, sadly that's all a lot of procrastination and I have SHITLOAD of work to do this weekend. So methinks that the television is staying off starting at 4pm when I turn off "The O.C." until probably next Tuesday night (I have to watch The Idol in realtime, or I can't vote...everything else important will be recorded on the TiVo).

5 full days without television. Thank god for TiVo.

Oh, and you should be prepared for an inordinate amount of posts. The internet will be my only outlet this weekend.

Oh man. The past two days have been cah-ray-zee.

FIrst off, I did a little more procrastinating yesterday than I had anticipated. Remember, I had been working on finishing my History of Prints extra credit paper comparing Rembrandt to Whistler in terms of printmaking.

After my nap between classes, I later spent time chatting with Colleen and TiVo'ing through the American Idol results show (cutting it down from an hour to 10 minutes).

All in all, not a ton of procrastinating, but I still found the paper to be far more difficult to get out than I had originally anticipated. When I began writing, things were going pretty smoothy, but it went a little downhill. Anyway, long story short (too late), I didn't get it finished until 4:15am. OUCH.

And so I set my alarm for 6:30am, giving myself a full hour to proofread and edit the entire thing before printing off a final draft (and boy did it need it). I still managed to get to my 8:30 class on time and I wasn't falling asleep as I had foreseen.


In fact, I was really quite productive.
- I got to campus a little early and returned a few books to the library (I'm down from 10 to 7!)
- After class, I picked up my graded outline outside my theory and criticism professor's office, so I can use it to work on my term paper over Spring Break
- On my way home, I got gas (because the angry little light came on)
- At my apartment complex, I checked my mail and in addition to my two new Netflixes (Dedication with Mandy Moore and Billy Crudup and Silk with Keira Knightley and fuck all else) I got a postcard from the lovely Laura, who was in Portugal at the time
- Then, I went into the office to pay for electric overages ($0.57...yes, you read that right. I had to write out a check for fifty-seven CENTS).

So it was all little stuff, but still. Quite impressive, and on 2 hours of sleep as well.


Needless to say, I then napped, but only for an hour and a half. I woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed, so I have since feasted on a Hot Pocket for lunch and have plans to make this a "movie day." I'll be hitting up Be Kind, Rewind in Winter Park before meandering over to the Enzian for Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day. Tomorrow morning, I'll be catching The Bank Job for $5, thanks to AMC's A.M.Cinema program, before heading to Spring Hill. Saturday is a mexican fiesta and poker night at my sister's, so awesomeness is bound to ensue!!

Oh, and did I mention?

I'M ON SPRING BREAK!!!


Other plans include getting a new cell phone, taking advantage of Bath & Body Works' $3 hand soap sale (and JUST as I was running out! Literally...my last soap just started to sputter), and using a coupon at Yankee Candle for a reed diffuser. The stupid wall plug-in things are total shite, so I'm thinking diffuser might be the best way to give a fresh, lasting scent to my humble abode. I might get it all done today...who knows?

First off, the Enzian (the local indie theater by me), has been dragging its feet lately to put up the upcoming schedule. They had Persepolis playing for a week. Then it was extended to two weeks. And now it's in it's third week (which I'm kind of glad of because I think I'm going to go see it again...I might cite it in my thesis because it is my thesis...or half of it, at least).

But after that, they only had a few limited engagement things (The Big Lebowski, Pink Floyd's The Wall).

But they have just put up two future events and I'm tres excited about both. Miss Petigrew Lives For a Day (which I think is a lousy title, but looks like a fabulous little movie) and The Band's Visit, which just looks cute and uplifting.

So yay.

In other news, I'm off to see Juno this morning. It's showing before noon, so it's $5, and I happen to have a $5 gift card for AMC, so it's FREE to me. I figured, in honor of it's big wins yesterday (Film Independent's Spirit Award for Best Picture and for Best Actress), and as a precursor to the Oscars this evening...

And I kinda don't want to work on my thesis for 12 hours again. So this will cut that down to about 6 hours today (because there's no way in hell I'm working through the Oscars).


This is kinda late in the game, but just for some fun...predictions!
Best Picture - No Country for Old Men (this one makes me nervous...I though it was much better than There Will Be Blood, but there's been so much hype for Blood lately)
Best Actor - Daniel Day Lewis
Best Actress - Marion Cotillard (but I'm putting Ellen Page as a back-up incase the Academy decides it hates biopics...which it never has, so...)
Best Supporting Actor - Javiar Bardem
Best Supporting Actress - Tilda Swinton (I'm going out on a limb for this one. I'm 85% sure it's going to Cate Blanchett, but I think it would be fabulous for Tilda to take it)
Best Director - Julien Schnabel (or at least he should win, if Best Picture goes to There Will Be Blood, they might give it to the Coens as a consolation)
Best Screenplay, Original - Diablo Cody (with Tamara Jenkins as a close second pick, adults loved The Savages)
Best Screenplay, Adapted - Christopher Hampton (I'm really unsure about this one, but I figure the Academy has to throw Atonement a bone for something, otherwise it'll probably go to the Coens)


As a final note, I went on weather.com to (duh) check the weather, and there was an American Airlines add to receive 60,000 bonus frequent flier miles if I book a ticket round-trip to London. Clearly, it's mocking me, because the first thing I did this morning was gaze longingly at my Europe pictures (I have 8 framed 5x7s hanging on my wall). While I was really admiring Barcelona today (it's different everyday), Barcelona is just a train ride away from London...


And if I don't leave now, I'll be late for Juno. Zut!

First off, my roommate Anna just woke up, so she came into my room and asked if I was done for the day, to which I replied, yes, I had already been awake for three hours and had gone to class, to the post office to drop off a few Netflixes, and to the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market to return the redbox DVD (Sydney White) we watched last night.

I finished off by saying, "Thus is life" to which she replied, "Thus is crazy."

I thought it was quite funny.


Second, a question on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" was something alone the line of "this is often described as being cold and hard?" The answer was "cash" but one of the options was "Ann Coulter." I laughed outloud.


Third, I love "Cash Cab." I want so badly to be on it. I love Ben Bailey. And the people on the streets of New York are ridiculously smart. Also, it's possible I watch too many TV trivia game shows (clearly).


Fourth, I've been in a movie mood lately.

I mean, that's not necessarily anything new, I always enjoy watching movies and going to the cinema (I saw three new films this weekend: There Will Be Blood, Persepolis, Fool's Gold...two were at AMC's A.M.Cinema so they were $5, and I had a gift card, so they were free). But seeing movies can sometimes feel like a chore. And it's not always enjoyable when you're just trying see everything "good" or critically acclaimed, especially around Oscar time because those are more often than not depressing-as-hell dramas (notably: There Will Be Blood, No Country For Old Men, Michael Clayton, Atonement). I enjoyed all of those, the second and fourth especially, but it's hard when that's the norm. So it was refreshing yesterday to see Fool's Gold, and watch Sydney White and half of The Notebook (I went to bed early and missed the end because I had to wake up at 7am...and I was randomly really drunk and falling asleep anyway).

And I'll be the first to say that there's nothing wrong with watching or liking non-critically acclaimed movies. It all comes down to personal taste and while I am a snob when it comes to the ridiculously bad (those along the lines of a The Hottie and the Nottie or Meet the Spartans), I adore Amanda Bynes movies, I still think Armageddon was awesome, and I really don't like the films of David Lynch, so I can't judge too harshly those who think that The Notebook is the best film ever created and that Atonement sucks (though I definitely do judge them...just not too harshly).

Anyway, so I'm in a movie mood and today during class, I was trying to decide what movie to watch. I imagined myself coming home, curling up in bed, and watching something awesome. I was thinking either Casablanca or Hitchcock's Notorious (clearly, I'm in an Ingrid Bergman mood. Or, perhaps, a Claude Rains mood. I guess it all depends on how you want to see it).

Then again, I have so many good movies in my DVD collection, I could watch almost anything. (Though it should be noted that I haven't purchased any DVDs, new or old, since December 12th. Two months? That's insane. I didn't even get any for Christmas.) I've kinda been in a "blockbuster" mood lately (Jurassic Park, Air Force One, and The Italian Job have all been on TV this week)...so anything with Nick Cage would be a possibility. Perhaps The Rock.


Fifth, I want the National Geographic Channel, but it requires digital cable. Boo.

I love Regal Cinemas, I really do.

But...

AMC might be pulling ahead a bit.

On Saturday, February 23rd, many of their theaters will be hosting the "Best Picture Showcase" where for $30, you can go see all five Oscar-nominated films, plus receive a free, refillable large popcorn.
Michael Clayton - 11:00 a.m.
There Will Be Blood - 1:20 p.m.
Atonement - 4:20 p.m.
Juno - 7:00 p.m.
No Country for Old Men - 9:00 p.m.

That's super intense. But if I hadn't already seen 4 of the 5, with the intention to see There Will Be Blood this weekend, I would probably take advantage. (5 films by me would cost $40 at student prices.)

Additionally, AMC theaters often feature A.M.Cinema, where shows before noon on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays occur at a discount ($5 at the one closest to me, though they can also be $4 or $6, depending on location).


Oh, and I have $19 in gift cards to AMC from campers a couple years ago.

The only downside is that I have 3 Regal Cinemas closer to me (2.1 miles, 7.5 miles, and 12.5 miles, respectively) than the AMC (which is 15 miles away, an estimated 31 minute drive). And I won't earn Crown Club points toward free sodas, popcorns, and movie tickets.

But if I can see There Will Be Blood on Saturday at 11:40am for $5, it might be totally worth it. I might even be able to catch the 3:45 Persepolis at the Enzian on my way home.

This is merely my near-weekly exclamation that "I love Shootout on AMC."

Yesterday, the show featured their second of two parts taped at Sundance and interviewing people therein. I found particularly interesting a bit with Jack Black and Michel Gondry. While Black seemed a little on-edge and possibly aversive to the interview, his relationship with Gondry was ridiculously cool, like they balanced each other. And I adore Gondry as it is, he's an amazing filmmaker and his Frenchiness doesn't hurt either.

The highlight had to be William H. Macy, though, talking about his role as a producer for the upcoming film The Deal (assume it gets a distribution deal). He was very sensible and insightful, much like I noted from Jon Favreau last week. It was great to hear him talk about producing from an actor's standpoint, though the best thing was when he discussed the ridiculousness of the ratings system when it comes to sex and violence. He noted people can see a woman disemboweled, but can not see her breasts. He further states: "I think sex is good. It's very good. Even when it's bad, it's pretty good. Violence is bad, and it's always bad...it's disgusting, I think, that you'll let a 15-year old watch that blood and guts, but he can't watch two people making love. That's sick. I think that some of the people that decide the ratings really need to get into therapy." It's an issue I've taken with the ratings system myself and I appreciated his sentiments against the "puritan, Calvinistic" methods.

Additionally, it was nice to see Amy Redford (daughter of Robert Redford) and Saffron Burrows promoting Redford's directorial debut, The Guitar. Burrows made an interesting point that the lack of female directors may be due to lack of confidence seen in girls as young as 5 or 6 (she cites her mother being a first grade teacher as a source), saying that boys at that age take up 80% of the time and attention in a classroom, leaving girls with less time in the spotlight. Hmm.


Finally, there were some cute soundbits of actors commenting on the swag rooms, including Olivia Wilde (who said she was going into the rooms with a purpose: she needs boots, a scarf, a hat, and a jacket), Dave Annable (who said he was going to try to sleep in the suites), and the best of all: Eric Edelstein who hilariously commented that it was odd to go up and demand free stuff, especially since most people don't know who he is (he's promoting his first major film at Sundance, Good Dick). Edelstein added that free shoes feel better than shoes you pay for and that he doesn't mind looking silly for the cause of free stuff. While having a guy rub some sort of lotion on his face, he was asked "Is that the sort of level of humiliation you'll go through for free things?" He responded: "Yeah, yeah. And so will you. We all will. It's free!"


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In other news, I am WAY behind on my thesis work and finding it extraordinarily difficult to concentrate today. Boo.