My long week is finally over.

On Tuesday, I turned in my completed draft of my thesis.

Today, I turned in my term paper, and then took my Geography test. I think both went very well.


So tonight? I am having a one-woman party with a bottle of cheap champagne (you know it's quality when it has a twist-off top) and watching a Law & Order: CI episode with Neil Patrick Harris playing a sociopathic killer (not my favorite role for him, but I'll take what I can get). Thank you, TiVo Wish List for picking up on that one.


When this is over, I'll probably put on a Netflix and get to bed by 11:30 or so.


This weekend, I might see a couple movies (I still haven't seen Stop-Loss, and tomorrow, Leatherheads opens). Then, Saturday and Sunday will probably be spent at Disney. My brother, his wife, and their daughter are coming down, so I believe my parents and possibly some of the other Florida family will be heading out this way as well. Yay.

I have come to the conclusion that all British films contain at least two actors who have appeared in the Harry Potter series.


Alright...perhaps that's an exaggeration. At least one actor, then.


I'm currently watching The History Boys, which features prominently Richard Griffiths and Frances de la Tour.

For god's sake, In Bruges had Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, AND Clémence Poésy.

And you can't leave out Sweeney Todd with Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, and Timothy Spall. Perhaps not strictly a British film, but it does feature a mostly British cast (and I assume crew, as well).


The Harry Potter cast...they're everywhere!

It's not even noon and I have:
- Taken my History of Prints exam. It was eh. But not terrible. So
- Gone grocery shopping
- Burned a copy of the second disc of the Jason Isaacs BBC miniseries "The State Within" (so I can return it to Netflix)
- Watched Silk (also from Netflix)
- Completed an assignment for my film class tomorrow

And soon, I'll be hitting the post office to return said Netflixes.

Productive, n'est pas?


But to go back a bit: Silk. It was slow, deliberate, boring and overall, barely watchable. The only redeeming parts were the far-too-few bits with Keira Knightley (who sports an American accent). I'm guessing that choice was to match Michael Pitt, who is apparently unable to affect any accent but American, though I'm 98% sure their characters are supposed to be French...so eww.

Of course, I have ranted before about taking French characters and giving them British accents, but to make them American is just offensive. Perhaps it's presumptive, but I figure that Keira could probably pull off a French accent (I have no proof, but I feel most Brits can), and Alfred Molina, who is also in the film, can clearly speak in a French accent (as seen in Chocolat), so I can only assume it's Michael Pitt's fault. However, Keira manages a delightful, lyrical American tone, which is quite difficult, so I suppose I can forgive.


Alas, more work to be done, though I think I might just make this a relaxing day. Granted, I just came off Spring Break, but I didn't get to do a "sit in front of the TV and veg" day. And I have no strict due dates or exams for ANYTHING in the next two weeks, so there will be plenty of time to get real work done then.


Eh...I'm rambling and so I shall go.

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.

It's Tim Burton's birthday, and it works out perfectly that I got Planet of the Apes in the mail yesterday from Netflix.

Yes, I know it's supposed to suck. Yes, I saw that it had a 2-star rating on Netflix.

But it had Helena Bonham Carter, and moreover, it's the movie on which she met Tim Burton. So yes.


Oh, and Mark Wahlberg doesn't hurt things either. ;-)


I'd also like to go see The Nanny Diaries today. I didn't read the book and only heard mediocre reviews of it, so I'm hoping that the story will be more suited to a movie adaptation.

Final note, having roommates does not mean I necessarily have people to see movies with me. Alas, they think I'm crazy for being, well...I'll say "adamant about seeing movies" (read: "obsessed"). They generally don't want to go to movies that I do, either. I think need to find friends in the film program. Too bad they are all pompous assholes.

Oh, and Chris? I used my free movie ticket, so feel free to see something at the Regal without me.