So just like millions of other girls my age, the highlight of my week thus far has been the seeing of the new Twilight movie. I went in with mediocre expectations, really expecting only to laugh most of the way through at the cheesy-ness of many of the lines. Some things work well in books and horribly in a movie; there was plenty of evidence of this. (Example: The lion/lamb conversation. Cute in the book, corny in the movie.)
Overall, I was pleased with the movie. It was cute and fluffy and the romance was slow-moving and then all of the sudden it was deep, passionate, never-ending love. But there were many things that were just... awkward or strange to watch. Such as the romantic scenes, the angry scenes, the facial expression scenes... but really, how can these people be expected to know how to be vampires? They're only human.
I'd give this movie about 3.5 stars. I spent half of the time whispering to my friend jokes about the movie, repeating certain lines and adding my own extras or making fun of the movie in general. But that was what made the experience all the more enjoyable, to be perfectly honest.
If you want to go see this movie, don't expect a masterpiece. Just enjoy the mindless, strange romantic-osity and don't think to hard about what they're saying, because sometimes it's just a "wtf?" or "aaaawkward" moment.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Wisdom teeth... GONE!
I got my wisdom teeth out yesterday. And despite the anxiety and how gross it would be and all the preparations I made for pain, discomfort and drug-induced sleepiness, I feel just fine. The surgery went great, although I apparently told the nurse when I was "coming to" all the food and Disney DVDs I had waiting for me at home. I do not remember that at all. I only remember saying that I felt intoxicated and that my arms were heavy. Then the nurse helped me walk to the van and my dad helped me into the van. I don't remember how we got to the pharmacy, but we did. And then my dad helped me out of the van and down the stairs, where I promptly went pee and started to come back upstairs but was told to go back down and lie down. I wanted a drink of water, apparently forgetting I had inches of gauze in mouth, making drinking impossible.
I stopped bleeding regularly around 3:00 - 4:30. In the morning, I was bleeding so much that the gauze was full and I had to spit every minute or so into a towl for an hour. But now the only time I bleed at all is after I eat a lot (which would be about 2 puddings cups, and I only eat one at a time) or laugh really loud (like when I was watching Scrubs last night).
Waking up this morning, I'm a little stiff and sore in the mouth area. But I haven't taken any pain killers or ibuprofen sine 11:00 pm yesterday. I will probably ice my face a bit and maybe take some ibuprofren afterwards. But this whole recovery thing is pretty easy and vaguely painless. I'm pretty used to mouth pain, having had braces for 3 years (thank God those are gone...) and having only lost 6 teeth on my own - the rest (plus two permanent teeth) were pulled by my dentist.
I have four days to recover and I think I'll be totally fine when I go back to school Monday. This time that I get alone and off work this weekend will be used to revise my script for our AP Lit paper and also to do plenty of work on my NaNoWriMo project. It's a story I started in the summer and I'm adding 50,000 to the 25,531 I already have. I've made a lot of progress. In 6 days, I wrote 13,679 words. Let's keep it going, right?
Okay, this is horribly long and has nothing to do with books or movies that I've watched. (I watched The Little Mermaid, Hercules Mulan and Casper yesterday and am reading Wuthering Heights for AP Lit. It's good, I like it.)
Oh, and I'm hungry. Pudding and jello are good, but not as filling as I'd like. But once done with one, I'm too sore to eat a second. Hmmph. But I get mashed potatoes and soup today, so hopefully that will be a little more satisfying.
I stopped bleeding regularly around 3:00 - 4:30. In the morning, I was bleeding so much that the gauze was full and I had to spit every minute or so into a towl for an hour. But now the only time I bleed at all is after I eat a lot (which would be about 2 puddings cups, and I only eat one at a time) or laugh really loud (like when I was watching Scrubs last night).
Waking up this morning, I'm a little stiff and sore in the mouth area. But I haven't taken any pain killers or ibuprofen sine 11:00 pm yesterday. I will probably ice my face a bit and maybe take some ibuprofren afterwards. But this whole recovery thing is pretty easy and vaguely painless. I'm pretty used to mouth pain, having had braces for 3 years (thank God those are gone...) and having only lost 6 teeth on my own - the rest (plus two permanent teeth) were pulled by my dentist.
I have four days to recover and I think I'll be totally fine when I go back to school Monday. This time that I get alone and off work this weekend will be used to revise my script for our AP Lit paper and also to do plenty of work on my NaNoWriMo project. It's a story I started in the summer and I'm adding 50,000 to the 25,531 I already have. I've made a lot of progress. In 6 days, I wrote 13,679 words. Let's keep it going, right?
Okay, this is horribly long and has nothing to do with books or movies that I've watched. (I watched The Little Mermaid, Hercules Mulan and Casper yesterday and am reading Wuthering Heights for AP Lit. It's good, I like it.)
Oh, and I'm hungry. Pudding and jello are good, but not as filling as I'd like. But once done with one, I'm too sore to eat a second. Hmmph. But I get mashed potatoes and soup today, so hopefully that will be a little more satisfying.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Ahh, November...
November. What a great month.
It's National Novel Writing Month. This year, I am continuing a story I began this summer. It's historical fiction, WWII from a woman's American homefront perspective. I've done a lot of work with timelines and plot planning and put 25,531 words into it in July. So far, I've added 9,913. Hopefully, by the end of the month, I will have 75,000 words and a finished novel that I can edit and be happy with. Check out my profile!
It is also a time for freak nature occurences. Last week, it was 40 degrees. This week, it's 70. Not that I'm complaining. Plus, thanks to daylight saving time, it is light out when I go to school, even though it sort of sucks that it gets dark between 5:00 and 5:30.
The only thing that sucks this month is the cumulation of long-term projects I should have started and finished weeks ago instead of leaving to the last week. And I have to get my wisdom teeth out in two days, which sucks. But at least it will be over with.
PS: Happy voting day!
And happy We Have a Black President Named Barack Obama day!
It's National Novel Writing Month. This year, I am continuing a story I began this summer. It's historical fiction, WWII from a woman's American homefront perspective. I've done a lot of work with timelines and plot planning and put 25,531 words into it in July. So far, I've added 9,913. Hopefully, by the end of the month, I will have 75,000 words and a finished novel that I can edit and be happy with. Check out my profile!
It is also a time for freak nature occurences. Last week, it was 40 degrees. This week, it's 70. Not that I'm complaining. Plus, thanks to daylight saving time, it is light out when I go to school, even though it sort of sucks that it gets dark between 5:00 and 5:30.
The only thing that sucks this month is the cumulation of long-term projects I should have started and finished weeks ago instead of leaving to the last week. And I have to get my wisdom teeth out in two days, which sucks. But at least it will be over with.
PS: Happy voting day!
And happy We Have a Black President Named Barack Obama day!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Requiem for a Dream
This weekend, I downloaded the soundtrack to the film Requiem for a Dream. It's a gorgeous soundtrack, with a lot of repetitive themes. But it inspired me to rewatch this horrifically beautiful movie as well.
First of all, the movie has distinct, symbolic style. The movie all about addiction. Mostly to drugs, but also to other things we may not even consider like food or television. There are close-ups to the pills that Sara Goldfarb takes, as prescribed by her doctor (but are actually amphetamines), the drugs that Harry, Marion and Tyrone are taking, and their eyes dialating as the drugs take effect. This is to symbolize that the drugs fill their whole world, just as they fill the screen. There are many other things that may seem stylistic in the filming of the movie but are actually symbolic.
The film is quite explicit, which cannot be denied. There is drug use and it's effects, such as the grossly infected arm of Harry Goldfarb. There is murder and prostitution and the terror of a mental hospital, accentutated by the loud warning bells heard in the soundtrack. The music is used continuously to make sure you know that the film isn't going toward a white light at the end of the tunnel. There is the "overture" theme, which is classic for movie trailers. Everytime I hear it, I think of Sara Goldfarb cleaning her apartment in a time progression scene where the camera moves slowly from right to left and she moves in fast-forward from room to room, cleaning every surface. Then there is the "dreaming" theme and the "fear and tension" theme. There is also the "party" theme, which is used in either party situations or high tension situations (like the heroin run on the supermarket).
This movie is not for the weak of heart. There is nothing to keep you away from seeing what they feel. You see the blood splatter on Tyrone's face. You see Sara's fearful eyes when they hook her up for electroshock therapy. You can see the pain in Harry's face as his arm becomes infected. You can see the breaking of Marion's heart as she realizes what she must do for her next fix. And you watch all their hopes and dreams crumble, destroyed by the harshness of addiction and reality.
This movie is haunting, beautiful, compelling and explicit. I find it absolutely facinating and once I've watched the ending, I want to start it all over. You always hope something will change, but nothing does.
If you care to watch the film, you can watch it in its entirity on Hulu HERE.
First of all, the movie has distinct, symbolic style. The movie all about addiction. Mostly to drugs, but also to other things we may not even consider like food or television. There are close-ups to the pills that Sara Goldfarb takes, as prescribed by her doctor (but are actually amphetamines), the drugs that Harry, Marion and Tyrone are taking, and their eyes dialating as the drugs take effect. This is to symbolize that the drugs fill their whole world, just as they fill the screen. There are many other things that may seem stylistic in the filming of the movie but are actually symbolic.
The film is quite explicit, which cannot be denied. There is drug use and it's effects, such as the grossly infected arm of Harry Goldfarb. There is murder and prostitution and the terror of a mental hospital, accentutated by the loud warning bells heard in the soundtrack. The music is used continuously to make sure you know that the film isn't going toward a white light at the end of the tunnel. There is the "overture" theme, which is classic for movie trailers. Everytime I hear it, I think of Sara Goldfarb cleaning her apartment in a time progression scene where the camera moves slowly from right to left and she moves in fast-forward from room to room, cleaning every surface. Then there is the "dreaming" theme and the "fear and tension" theme. There is also the "party" theme, which is used in either party situations or high tension situations (like the heroin run on the supermarket).
This movie is not for the weak of heart. There is nothing to keep you away from seeing what they feel. You see the blood splatter on Tyrone's face. You see Sara's fearful eyes when they hook her up for electroshock therapy. You can see the pain in Harry's face as his arm becomes infected. You can see the breaking of Marion's heart as she realizes what she must do for her next fix. And you watch all their hopes and dreams crumble, destroyed by the harshness of addiction and reality.
This movie is haunting, beautiful, compelling and explicit. I find it absolutely facinating and once I've watched the ending, I want to start it all over. You always hope something will change, but nothing does.
If you care to watch the film, you can watch it in its entirity on Hulu HERE.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
1984 (George Orwell)
So for my last small group book, I decided to read 1984, the classic novel by George Owell. I read Animal Farm in 10th grade and was anticipating something similar - political, symbolic and based in some other universe of reality.
And I was not let down.
1984 takes place in George Orwell's future (which is actually 24 years behind our present day) in a place called Oceania. Oceania is Britain, parts of Europe, parts of North America, Pacific islands and countries and Africa. It's a jumble of countries that are watched by the ever-present Big Brother and controlled by strict deprevation of goods (or just quality goods) and a systematic brainwashing to give yourself to the love of Big Brother and the hate of the other two regions of the world, Eastasia and Eurasia. The main character is Winston Smith. He's an older guy and he's questioning the reality and the methodology of Oceania. He and another "comrade," Julia, engage in a loving affair, which is highly against Big Brother's rules.
The first two-thirds of the book are pleasant. They give you hope that Winston and Julia will rock Big Brother and defy the government. They are secretly meeting and making love. But the last third of the book completely threw me off guard. The whole tone of the book went from hopeful to dreadful in about one sentence. Winston Smith finds himself in the Ministry of Love, which is actually where they put "thought criminals" to torture and punish them... and rehabilitate them to love Big Brother. And then they kill them.
The last third of the book goes by in a whirl. It completely took me by surprise. You can tell Orwell is playing around with his questions about perception, reality, control and power. There are mind games, brutality and logical-illogic galore to be found in these last chapters. And an ending that makes you realize that there is no way to escape Big Brother.
And I was not let down.
1984 takes place in George Orwell's future (which is actually 24 years behind our present day) in a place called Oceania. Oceania is Britain, parts of Europe, parts of North America, Pacific islands and countries and Africa. It's a jumble of countries that are watched by the ever-present Big Brother and controlled by strict deprevation of goods (or just quality goods) and a systematic brainwashing to give yourself to the love of Big Brother and the hate of the other two regions of the world, Eastasia and Eurasia. The main character is Winston Smith. He's an older guy and he's questioning the reality and the methodology of Oceania. He and another "comrade," Julia, engage in a loving affair, which is highly against Big Brother's rules.
The first two-thirds of the book are pleasant. They give you hope that Winston and Julia will rock Big Brother and defy the government. They are secretly meeting and making love. But the last third of the book completely threw me off guard. The whole tone of the book went from hopeful to dreadful in about one sentence. Winston Smith finds himself in the Ministry of Love, which is actually where they put "thought criminals" to torture and punish them... and rehabilitate them to love Big Brother. And then they kill them.
The last third of the book goes by in a whirl. It completely took me by surprise. You can tell Orwell is playing around with his questions about perception, reality, control and power. There are mind games, brutality and logical-illogic galore to be found in these last chapters. And an ending that makes you realize that there is no way to escape Big Brother.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Quad Cities Marathon
On Sunday, I ran my first half-marathon in the Quad Cities. I finished in 2 hours and 18 minutes. It was really hard after about 10 miles but it was really fun. There were all kinds of people there and it was just a good time, even though I was whining and tired for the last 30 minutes.
I'm already excited for my next half marathon in Disney World... and I have to wait until January! But between then and now I will have lots of opportunities to play around with different ways to regain energy after 10 miles, which I didn't do on Sunday because I didn't want to risk throwing up or feeling sick.
Now I am watching Ghost Hunters and creeping myself out.
I'm already excited for my next half marathon in Disney World... and I have to wait until January! But between then and now I will have lots of opportunities to play around with different ways to regain energy after 10 miles, which I didn't do on Sunday because I didn't want to risk throwing up or feeling sick.
Now I am watching Ghost Hunters and creeping myself out.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Oh man...
I went to the grocery store because I needed treats for my AP Statistics class. I am also sick, so I got a bag of lemon drops, in addition to my 2 packages of Chips Ahoy cookies. I don't think the (really attractive) cashier believed me when I said I stayed home sick today to make sure I am 100% for my big race on Sunday. But he told me to feel better anyhow.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
"Lucy, remember, the smell of that fall..."
I have a sore throat. Which sucks, since I'm running a half marathon THIS SUNDAY.
(I am so excited!)
I am getting my 12 year molars finally. They're just 5 years too late for the party in my mouth.
And soon my wisdom teeth will be leaving me. November 6th. It seems terrifying.
I wish summer could come back. But I am really enjoying fall so far. The trees are changing and the air is getting cooler and crisper and it reminds me of all my favorite books. I've been chewing my favorite autumn gum and I want to read House of Leaves again because this weather reminds me of the days I spent absorbing that book. It is starting to smell like autumn and it reminds me of being a little kid - and somehow I'm just as excited for this year of school and the next four as I was when I first started going 12 years ago.
Today, an acceptance letter came from Wartburg. One down, three to go...
(I am so excited!)
I am getting my 12 year molars finally. They're just 5 years too late for the party in my mouth.
And soon my wisdom teeth will be leaving me. November 6th. It seems terrifying.
I wish summer could come back. But I am really enjoying fall so far. The trees are changing and the air is getting cooler and crisper and it reminds me of all my favorite books. I've been chewing my favorite autumn gum and I want to read House of Leaves again because this weather reminds me of the days I spent absorbing that book. It is starting to smell like autumn and it reminds me of being a little kid - and somehow I'm just as excited for this year of school and the next four as I was when I first started going 12 years ago.
Today, an acceptance letter came from Wartburg. One down, three to go...
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