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.

Let me preface this post by saying that I've seen approximately 60 movies in the theater since August.


Today, for the first time in my LIFE, I was entirely by myself in a movie theater.

Now, Zoe and I have been the only two people in a theater before. And there was one time when the two women sharing the theater with me walked out halfway through, so I spent about 45 minutes alone.


But today...it was just me. From beginning to end.


Surreal. But kinda normal. I'm really used to being in mostly empty theaters.

Though I most certainly recommend taking in private screenings whenever you can.


On a similar note: I went to see Penelope, which I thought was amazingly cute and sweet and though there were some things I would have changed...I thought it worked well as it was. And who doesn't love some James McAvoy? I mean...come on now. Though Simon Woods (a.k.a. Mr. Bingley) as a bad guy made me a little sad.


And tomorrow? Atonement and Enchanted on DVD. I'll be purchasing both as soon as I can get to Best Buy (probably around noon, after my early class).

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?

I've seen 52 movies since August 18th (the beginning of the school year).

Granted, some of those were repeat viewings (I saw Atonement, Sweeney Todd, National Treasure 2, and Juno twice each) and not all were new films (I caught Brazil and Blade Runner at the Enzian this past semester).


But I still went to the movies 52 times in 6 months and 6 days.

And I've seen 29 of the Oscar nominees (a few on DVD, so they don't count into the tally).


Additionally, I paid (or used a gift card) for every one of those, which I know because I have ticket stubs for them. I don't think I've movie hopped at all this year (though my memory is not great and it's possible I snuck into one or two).


I don't know whether to be proud or sickened.


--------

In other news, it's possible I enjoyed Juno more the second time around. It's really a very good movie. And I think Jennifer Garner is grossly under appreciated for that role. She is simply phenomenal and I cried twice during the movie, mostly for her character. I don't actually cry at movies that often, so that's kinda huge.

So yes.

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.

Dudes.

Either Fandango is fucked up, or the Regal near me switched out all their film projectors with digital overnight.

Crazy.

[EDIT: Fandango was fucked up. All is normal.]

I'm not sure how I feel about converting all films to digital. In fact, I'm not sure how I feel about the increasingly digital age. I understand that high-def products give a bright, crisp clarity not available through film...but what if you don't want bright, crisp clarity? Digital works, to me, often seem to distance the audience and lack the engaging qualities film has offered for the last 100+ years.

It's the same with the loss of hand animation. There's a quality in classic Disney animated features that can't be reconstructed with digital means. Take Winnie the Pooh for example. I much prefer the hand-drawn cartoons to the new, computer-constructed images. I used to want to reach out and hug that cuddly, overstuffed bear...now, it's just feels a little fake and creepy.

I understand that digital is offering a great amount of opportunities and generally cheaper means, I just hope that we don't end up with everything in a cold, detached digital world.

----

Also, (and similarly,) I watched 12 Monkeys last night, which is absolutely fabulous. Many similarities to Brazil which I felt took away from the creativity, but it was so interesting and well done. It makes me lament the loss of Man of La Mancha even more. I mean...Terry Gilliam + Johnny Depp? That would have been SO good. (PS - if you don't understand what I'm talking about, rent the documentary Lost in La Mancha. It's excellent.)

----

And speaking of documentaries, I'm currently watching Air Guitar Nation, which is quite reminiscent of The King of Kong. While it's not quite as engaging, it is quite solid and quite awesome. Essentially, it's about people competing in the US Air Guitar Championship for a spot in the World Championships of Air Guitar in Finland. There's this great dichotomy between how seriously the contestants take air guitar and how they know that it's a complete joke. Excellent subject matter.

First off, I think my exam went incredibly well. I was quite confident about much of it, and while I'm certain to have gotten some wrong...I'm really hoping (and expecting) to get at least a B-. Though now I'm afraid I'll jinx it.


Second, The Hudsucker Proxy is fricking brilliant. I've been meaning to see it forever, and now it just happens to be on HBO Signature. Schweet.

However, Jennifer Jason Leigh (while very talented), is so forgettable. Every time I see her in a movie, I can't place her face and have to look her up. It's sad really, though I am quite looking forward to Margot at the Wedding.


Third, I'm kinda excited that Ron Howard and Tom Hanks are working on Angels and Demons. I know a lot of people didn't like The Da Vinci Code and CLEARLY the book is so much better, but I thought it was decent (if only for the awesome cast...Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany, Ian McKellen? Hells yes!).

Better yet, National Treasure: Book of Secrets opens in under two months! Yay!


Fourth, I finished up Emma earlier this week and have moved on to T.C. Boyle's Talk, Talk. So far, it's fabulous. He has a really superb writing style that is just enjoyable and engaging. Junior year, we had read his The Tortilla Curtain, which I also remember as being quite good.


Finally, I didn't get to see any movies today. It's just so depressing to go to a theater alone on a Friday. Perhaps come Monday I'll have plenty of time.

Days go by quite quickly when they are spent in movie theaters.

Indeed, I was out of the apartment from 1:30pm until 8:30pm. Part of that was drive time and there was an hour between when one ended and the other began, but still.

I did see The Darjeeling Limited, which I found enjoyable and engaging. I really like Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman is just awesome. I recommended it. The companion short film, Hotel Chevalier with Schwartzman and Natalie Portman, is available for free from iTunes (accessible through www.hotelchevalier.com). Director Wes Anderson recommends watching it before seeing The Darjeeling Limited.

I also saw Lust, Caution and the jury's still out. It was a very typical narrative, not overly dramatic nor a sweeping epic, really. It was long to be sure (2 hours, 37 minutes), and felt it at times. I was also disappointed in the ending, and I have yet to come up with a satisfactory explanation for that. That said, it was a captivating story with very interesting characters whose actions left me thinking. It was certainly well acted and well directed.


Also, I find it funny that I was carded buying a ticket for The Darjeeling Limited (apparently I look 16?), but not for Lust, Caution, which is rated NC-17. Then again...it's the Regal versus the Enzian.

Movies I Want to See (possibly this weekend, possibly extending into next week):
- The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford
- The Darjeeling Limited
- Rendition
- Michael Clayton
- Gone Baby Gone
- Into the Wild
- Lust, Caution
- Things We Lost in the Fire
- Across the Universe


All are playing near me. The first two are in Winter Park (25 minutes away) and Lust, Caution is at the Enzian (just beyond Winter Park...still 25 minutes away). The others are all just down the street at Waterford Lakes.


Sadly...that's about $67, at least. Because when I'm at Enzian...I feel bad not ordering something. So that's another $5-20, depending on if it's just a drink or food, too.

I just came back from seeing King of California, which I thought was RIDICULOUSLY good. Especially for a first-time writer/director. Michael Douglas was good, but Evan Rachel Wood was simply amazing.

I really, really enjoyed it and recommend it.

Again, I was recognized by a couple people working at the Enzian. It's nice, and I actually got offered free popcorn (they had made too much so there was extra), and totally should have taken it, but I don't really eat popcorn, so I turned it down. But I felt bad, because it was free and a really nice gesture. And in my delusions of grandeur, I wondered if they were talking about me in the kitchen.

But then, it makes me feel like a total loser, because I'm always there alone.

I like going to movies alone, I really do. But god...out of the last 17 films I've seen, I was alone 15 times. And that's just in the past couple months. I frequent movie theaters alone. I'm there alone more often then when I'm with someone.

I've only been to the Enzian once with other people...and that was last spring for the Florida Film Festival, when my group project dictated that we all be at the screening. It's a social type place...it's lonely when you're sitting by yourself at a table for two. At least at traditional theaters, you can get lost in the rows of seats.


But alas. I am coming down off the high from the movie (it really put me in an amazingly euphoric state of mind). So I should just go to sleep.


One last note...I think I'm going to dye my hair violently red tomorrow. I'm in need of a change.

First off, the staff at the Enzian is starting to recognize me. It's not necessarily a bad thing, the three people who mentioned it are nice people. However, it makes me embarrassed that I'm always there alone. Like..."oh, that girl is back. Alone, again."

In their defense, I've been there 6 times in 9 days. It's nice to have a pleasant rapport with people I see somewhat frequently. I just hate always being there on my own.

(The Enzian is an independent, nonprofit, café movie theater that shows foreign, independent and documentary films. It's set up with tables and a waitstaff, they serve food and drinks...the french dip is ridiculously good. It's awesome, I love it...but I'm always sitting at a table for two...all by myself.)


Second, Nathan Fillion was on "Ellen" today and he was so fabulous and charming and told an amazing story about how he acquired a cat and I adore him. SO glad he's joined the cast of "Desperate Housewives" and when I get a free 24 hours of my life, I need to watch "Firefly."


Third, I still enjoy "Kid Nation," as a partially guilty pleasure. It's just so good.

----

This afternoon, my roommate Jane and I worked out (I know, right?) at the fitness room in the office. Basically, I walked on a treadmill for an hour. It was kind boring, but did feel good.

And tonight, Anna and I are probably seeing a movie. I'm a little nervous that she'll want to see something that a) is crappy or b) I've already seen...but I'm sure I'll agree with anything she wants.

EDIT: The movie fell through, and instead, I was dragged off to a bar. It was pretty crappy (very crowded, smelly, with a wet floor). And I wasn't drinking because I didn't have the cash, so I couldn't enjoy that part of it, and I never loosened up enough to dance. Overall, I really shouldn't have gone, but I felt bad making Anna go alone. It could have been worse, though, and once we got outside, things looked up. Except the guys she was meeting were kinda total jerks. Every once in a while they would say something that made me cringe and want to get the hell away from them before they got themselves into a fight. Eh, what's done is done.

----

Finally, I just got off the phone after a 1 hour and 20 minute conversation with Candace, which was fabulous. I'm pretty sure that's about 7000 times longer than any other phone call I've had with Candace, so it was nice that it flowed so well.

AND! I now have a general plan to visit her in NYC over winter break!!! I'm SO SUPER excited! The Met! The MoMA! Broadway! And a free place to stay. I am SO there.

Today is my first day since last Sunday, September 23rd that I haven't seen a movie in the theater.

Sad.

I do plan to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey tonight. And, of course, we watched a movie in my Women in Film class (a crazy, non-narrative Russian film from 1994 called Passions).

But no movie theater. Hmm.

I guess I just saved myself $7.50.

My movie week has gone off superbly, and will most definitely be continuing through the weekend.

To recap...

Saturday: Hairspray (a second viewing) at the Spring Hill 8
Monday: The King of Kong at the Enzian.
Tuesday: Brazil at the Enzian
Wednesday: Eastern Promises at Regal Waterford Lakes
Thursday: 2 Days in Paris at Regal Winter Park
Friday: Sydney White at Regal Waterford Lakes

Yet to come...
Saturday: Outsourced and Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath (part of the South Asian Film Festival) at the Enzian
Sunday: Vanaja and Provoked (to finish off the SAFF) at the Enzian


After that point, my schedule is clear. But I still have In the Shadow of the Moon, The Kingdom, Across the Universe, and Feast of Love (in that order) on my list...all of which just opened today (the first at the Enzian, the remaining three at either Regal).

It's all a bit of a splurge and every $7.50 ticket digs a little deeper in my pockets. But that is the sacrifice I make for my love and passion.


In other news...I really hate Oprah. Arrogant bitch.