Day 192-- My top 10 movies of 2011

My 10 ten favorite movies of 2011:

A's

1.) Harry Potter

For 10 magical years of film and 13 years of readings, Harry Potter created a family between strangers and imagination in those still willing to believe.  At midnight of the July 15th, we, in our cloaks, robes, and glasses, said goodbye to our hero.

In this final movie Harry and the gang are off to Hogwarts find the last remaining horcruxs, which are the last pieces of Voldemort's soul.  Kill the horcruxes, kill Voldemort.  Much has been written about Daniel Radcliff's transformation as an actor from his age 11 to now 22, and I heartily agree.  He plays Harry as a grown-up leader still capable of humor and faults, but with utmost dignity to do what is expected of him.  He is ready.

The movie was filled with non-stop action, humor, friendship, and an unexpected grace. I can honestly say that it had the most heart of any movie I've seen this year, and one of the best hero's sacrifice I've seen in years. 

On a warm summer day at age 13, my childhood began when Vernon Dursely saw people in funny looking cloaks parading around London. I was sitting in my backyard near my dad's BBQ and everything seemed possible then.  On July 15th I was 23 sitting in an office chair in my boyfriend's room.  My college diploma was in a moving bag under the night stand and I was looking for my first real job come Monday morning. 

Magic goes on, Hogwarts goes on, Harry Potter doesn't stay a boy on the edge of school, Harry Potter grows up.  And you know what? it's ok for us to grow up too.

Read my full review here!

2.) Atlas Shrugged: part 1

You either love author Ayn Rand or you desperately hate her.  She used her novels to personify objectivism, a philosophy she created.  She believed in the utmost personal rights, regulation-free capitalism, reality, rationality, no religion, personal choice, and pursuit of individual happiness. She's a big hit among libertarians [Ron Paul is a libertarian].  Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan was a close friend of hers and used her philosophy in his politics towards economics, which (a) helped the economic boom and riches of the 90s (remember those days?), but also (b) lead to the laxness that led to the poverty recession we're experiencing now (which is sucks).

Atlas Shrugged was her opus.  As a movie I really enjoyed it. It takes place in 2016 when the economy and gas prices has gotten so bad that people are going back to commuting on trains. Unfortunately the rails are so old that disasters often occur.  Dagny Taggart, who is vice president of Taggart Transcontinental Railroad makes a deal with metal businessman and inventor Hank Reardan who will design safer and more effective rails. They decided to test their rails in the state of Colorado first.

All is going well until lobbyists and politicians enter the picture and create "fair" laws so that a person can only own one business, thereby cutting Reardan's capital to invest in his railroad.  Luckily they are able to finish it in time and the rails run smooth and fast.  Colorado becomes rich and its citizens are better off, but the lobbyists create laws to make things "more fair" again and begin to heavily tax the rich states (ie Colorado) to benefit the poorer, less productive states--which in turn strangles the Taggart-Reardan railroad into expanding.

The movie concludes in a cliff hanger as the most talented, most ambitious, and most contributing members of society go missing.  Dadny learns that they left willing and must decide if she too wants to "go on strike".

This movie makes you think.  And it could have easily become a caricature of its philosophies but all of the actors remained complicated with depth.  Grant Bowler, best known as a werewolf on True Blood, does an excellent job as businessman Reardan who clearly loves business and progress but isn't a cardboard cutout of a CEO. Props goes to Taylor Schilling who plays Dadngy not as an ice queen but as someone who calmly loves her job and wants to make things better.  She beat out Angelina Jolie for the role.

3.) Thor

This was the conversations as my friends and I left the movie theater:

Me: [during and after movie] "Please get naked"

Friend: "Please make porn"

Roommate: "When this comes out on DVD I'm going to watch this and 300 and my vagina is going to shoot out fire"

We also said: "Sexy man" "Delicious" "He wore flannel and cooked breakfast" "He helps the elderly" "He helps children" "He can draw" "He's perfect". "Mmmmm" "Are you Thor or Hugh Jackman? No? Then get to steppin" "When's the sequel?" "They should come out with a dildo with his face and hammer and call it hammertime" "Best movie of the year."

For what it's worth, the plot was actually pretty good too.  It was sunny and fun, which is exactly what a popcorn flick should be.

4.) Horrible Bosses 

This one was such a surprise.  I was visiting a friend up in LA when we decided to catch a movie.  $11.50 per ticket later and we were in a pretty annoyed mood with unseemly high expectations.   Luckily the movie was actually really funny.  I'm pretty sure I became a Jennifer Aniston fan when she used the word "fingering" in the first 3 minutes of her screen time.  Her character is woman does not give a fuck (played by Aniston with glee, like she's been waiting her whole life for this), and I love her for it.

The trio of Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis had incredible funny chemistry together as friends trying to murder each other's horrible bosses (Aniston, Kevin Spacey, and Colin Farrell).  I enjoyed Day so much I became an It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fan.  Was it worth $11.50?  Maybe not.   But it was definitely an A comedy which is wicked hard to find.

B's

5.) Page One: Inside the New York Times

Page 1 is a documentary that follows one year at the New York Times.  It was the year of Wikileaks, a few corporate scandals, and the height of newspapers around the country closing.  The question every reporter was asking throughout the movie was clear: will the NYT survive and should it?

The answer: maybe, and yes. The best example comes from WikiLeaks, which shakes up the Times with a collective awe and fear.  If people can get world changing news fast and free, what use is there of the Times?  

Page One is all about the value of integrity.  These journalists show the unwavering need to find the truth and report it objectivity.  They don't jump onto stories they haven't properly investigated, and understand their role in the legitimacy of issues.  

For being a documentary about an objective news source, this doc wasn't exactly unbiased and clearly they want the NYT to be the winner over free fast news, bloggers, and other sources who have a voice.  We do need the Times, but how can it survive in today's climate should be the more important question instead of which source of news is better.

6.) Moneyball

I love when Brad Pitt eats.  His lips and chin and twinkly eyes...almost as good as Thor.  Anyway.  In Moneyball Pitt plays Billy Beane, the manager of the crappy Oakland A's baseball team in 2002.  Beane is trying to figure out how to make a broke-ass team competitive with the wealthy teams who can afford better player.  Cue in Jonah Hill's character who uses math and statistics to figure out the strength of cheaper players and how they can align with a whole team.

Pitt throws things, yells, looks sexy, chews, and manages the team to record winning streak.  The movie is all good fun, and as light and breezy as a Spring day. 

C's

7.) Breaking Dawn: part 1

Going to a Twilight movie is a little like shopping at Walmart: you don't want to admit that you choose to shop at Walmart but secretly it has everything you're looking for. Twilight is about someone loving you for eternity.  It’s about being different and finally finding your clan of outsiders.  It’s about magic and transformation.  Or it’s about hipster soundtracks and perfectly manicured eyebrows.

As the world knows, in this edition of the series, Bella and Edward are getting married.  There are exactly two things I think about when I see Bella Swan (portrayed by a whining Kristen Stewart): (1) so this is why feminism is dead and millions of girls want semi-emotionally abusive relationships and get pregnant out of high school, and (2) I love her hair!

In that first movie I understood why Bella and Edward would be drawn to each other: the looks, the curiosity, the emo personality match, and most of all, the chemistry. But why are these people getting married?  They’re both depressives and they both kinda like Breakfast at Tiffany's? 

Love, marriage, baby on the way and it's killing her.  Bella looks more and more like a Holocaust victim, no one informs her parents she’s on the brink of death, and her ex Jacob is always invited in the same room as her baby daddy (rude).  Apparently this is what happens when you have sex.

Read my full review here!

8.) Sucker Punch

Ok, so I kinda didn't see all of this movie.  All of my friends and reviewers said it was terrible so I waited until months later when someone rented it to finally watch it.  I only saw the beginning and the end, but some what I could see, it seemed stylistically amazing, plotline interesting, but something just not quite connecting.  Much like The Watchman.  For it being the disappointment that it was, I'm giving it a C.  However, I do have to thank it for introducing me to "Panic Switch" by The Silversun Pickups, which was the inspiration for Day 1 of this blog.

D's

--None

F's

9.) Red Riding Hood

There were exactly two things good about Red Riding Hood: that song, and that guy.  The rest of godawful.  The set looked plastic, the characters weren't developed, the dialogue was cheesy ["What happened to the bunny, Valerie?!"], and it was overall waste of time.  What was more unfortunate was that I had been looking forward to it for weeks and castigated my friends not to text during the movie.  The worst movie I could have used to make a point about class...

10.) Midnight in Paris.

Now, I'm a huge Woody Allen fan and a Marion Cotillard fan so I had high hopes for this one despite the atrocious trailer.  The trailer was right.  The problem was all about the thesis.  It's about writer who misses the 20s in Paris and magically he's in the 20s in Paris hanging out with famous authors of the era.  Here's a secret, Hollywood: time travel is never done in a non-stupid way.  And Owen Wilson is the king of stupid.

The whole movie felt clunky, dull, and childish.  It was painful obvious that this movie started as a "what if?" concept that should have ended there, but instead was turned into a 2-hour movie.  When you have 2 Oscar winners + Rachel McAdams and it still bombs, clearly the plot is RIDICULOUS. Yikes.

Day 191-- Wrex the Halls concert review

"TURN GREEN!  Jesus fuck!" I screamed and laughed at the light as my boyfriend and I jammed out in my car to "Dog Days Are Over" by Florence + The Machine on our way to the 91X's Wrex the Halls concert.  Cage the Elephant, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Death Cab for Cutie, and Florence+Machine were headlining. 

I had been hearing the advertisements for weeks whenever I'd listen to the 91.1 station (alternative rock), but it wasn't until I was drunk with sake that actually buying the tickets seems like the right idea.  Glad I did.

We didn't get there in time for the opener due to the line that literally wrapped around the whole arena.  We had just gotten to our seats when Cage the Elephant was introduced.

Cage's biggest hits, "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked" and "Back Against the Wall" have been songs worth listening to at a party where everyone sings the lyrics together.  However, I didn't realize how much this band truly hypes the room to rage and dance.  With 4 crowd dives and non-stop energy, the band killed it and didn't quit the intensity the whole set. 

Much of the kudos has to go to lead singer Matt Shultz, who could be a cousin of Beck and Kurt Cobain, with lyrics tight as a rap artist and a sound that's part scratchy blues, part punk.  Out of all of the bands that played, Cage had the crowd the most energized and connected.  I'll be during a post in the next week about my favorite songs of 2011 and I can honestly say that "Shake Me Down" is in my top 3.  Their latest single "Aberdeen" might be appearing in my top 10.

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds was up next, and the obvious choice to make our food rounds.  An $18 burger, fries, and Pepsi later we were back in our seats for the ending songs of their set.  Noel was part of the band Oasis for those who don't know--and most do, considering he had to do the obligatory "Wonderwall" song.  It's not like High Flying Birds is a bad band, they're just a talented average singer-song-writer band that waifs through songs that are forgotten 45 seconds after their over.  No offense.  

And yes, it was cool to hear "Wonderwall" though it was his brother Liam who was the original vocals on the single.  Noel's voice is much more mellow and sweet.

Next up was Death Cab for Cutie.  I admit that I was worried about this band performing in an arena.  I mean, just about everyone I know loves a little Death Cab, but their songs are often played in the car or a soundtrack or a kickbacks or in an office building.  It's a soft electric sound meant for trying on shoes at Urban Outfitters or having private moment in your life.  You know what I mean?

The crowd was pretty funny.  Several of them stood up, including the guys near our aisle who stood up and jammed on the stairs during Cage the Elephant.  This time though they just kinda stood there, like absorbing the music.

Death Cab is clearly a seasoned band who know how to rearrange their songs to make them feel slightly fresh but still familiar and loved.  It's kinda hard to describe how passionate these guys were as they hit the keys on the piano or the cymbals on the drums.  It was a treat to hear "I Will Possess Your Heart", and their newest song "You Are a Tourist" live.  I was a little bummed they didn't play any Postal Service songs (lead singer's Ben Gibbard's side project and one of my favorite bands of all time), but I'm really glad I got to see Death Cab live in my town. 

I have to say that I was surprised that Florence + The Machine was the closing act over Death Cab.  I figured that Florence + The Machine is a little too Ena meets Mumford and Sons meets a harp for an arena crowd, but apparently I was wrong.  The whole place got on their feet when Florence walked onto the stage (looking like a giant red ostrich from even the nosebleed seats).  Wow, the woman has a powerful voice.  Truly impressive.  However, it's just not my kind of music.  Not my boyfriend's either apparently, as he whispered to me, "Is she singing Gregorian chants?" during one of her songs.

We stayed until "Dog Days Are Over" which had the whole crowd jumping in their aisles, and was a nice cap to the night.

It was an interesting mix of performers and crowd-goers.  There were definitely the people in all black and mohawks, but it was pretty 50/50 of guys and girls, with the guys looking more on the alt rock side of jeans and band t-shirts, and the girls wearing the leggings/cute boots or military boots/low t-shirt/suit jacket look.  

As a weird tangent, I'd like to mention that a lot of short guys were at this concert.  I'm short so I pay attention to where short peeps hang out.  Museums are magnets for short people as well.  I digress.

I have to give credit to the flow of the music lineup.  Someone who listens to Cage the Elephant probably listens to Death Cab, and someone who listens to Death Cab probably listens to Florence+ The Machine, but someone who listens to Cage the Elephant might not necessarily listen to Florence+ The Machine.  This was a healthy hodgepodge of punk-pop-indie, and it was clear that the crowd was into all of the bands on different levels, and there's something really special about hearing your favorite songs live in front of you. 

Cheers to the bands, and cheers to 91.1X for putting together a really cool night.

Day 186-- Life as a Poptart

Back to narrative stream...

Cherry poptart

Yes to hump day. Wednesdays are turning into my favorite day of the week, as I've had the past two of them off from work.  I slept in till 10:45, which was glorious, and spent the rest of the late morning listening to Bob Marley (love "Redemption Song"), facebooking friends, and eating the only eatable thing in my house--a deliciously awful cherry poptart that tasted a little like irresponsibility and sweet laziness.

Any day spent mostly in low-rider ASU sweats and an old San Diego t-shit is a good day.

I finally roused myself into real clothes and got out of the house by 2, and walked down to the main strip of town where the venders were setting up for our weekly farmers market and continued on to the beach.  It was low tide and fairly empty aside from the family taking pictures, and the solitary man in plaid with his kite.  It was simply nice to walk along to shore, just me and calm crisp ocean.  I ended up at my boyfriend's house where his roommates were psyched to head down to the market while he did some errands.

Samboas

Farmers markets are better with friends. Each vendor has his or her wares that range from shea butter, to leather bracelets, vegetables, earrings, jams, jellies, pestos, and bags.  The Dietitian, The Canadian, and I scouted out the local bread stands and dipped into the clothing shops where dogs are allowed to roam free and the workers can be in heels to combat boots.  We tried on the pretty and the downright ugly (pink animal print, anyone?), making each other laugh by the extra ridiculous.

Now, I've tried the crepes, the tacos, the panini, and the sweet breads, but one of my all-time favorite food at the market are the East African sambosas, which are like wantons filled with meats or other foods.  We all bought a few different varieties and shared with each other the chicken, cream cheese and coconut, spiced beef, and potato sambosas as walked home past our town's Christmas tree, which happens to be the most ghetto Christmas tree you've seen in your life with its 130 degree lean and the lights hung up vertically instead of horizontal like normal trees.

Spaghetti and meatballs

We got home and my boyfriend starting making us spaghetti and meatballs with broccoli--our dish.  We cuddled on the couch and watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas (cartoon).  He came back to my place once it ended and we had the most open conversation we've ever had about our state of debt/poverty and job opportunities we have and what we want.  In being in a distance relationship for so long we're very accustomed to handling our problems separately and being supportive for each other is something still new.  We're not very good at asking each other for help, and it was good for us to vent to each other and remind each other that we're allies in life. 

He left for home since I had to be up by 6am for work the next day, but after I got out of my shower I missed him not being there.  I called him.  He came back. :) He slipped in with a smile with the lights off aside from my little lit Christmas tree, and with one of the roommates cranking the heat up to 80 degrees + the happily flushed body heat, I almost thought I was back in Arizona. 

Sweetened lemonade

It's been awhile since I've written about work at the hotel and in a few words: it's better.  There are 2 really nice new girls who come free of drama and have been a huge help.  Oh, remember that new girl from several posts back?  She was fired in her second week for sleeping with a guest and making out near the elevator at 6:45am before she had work at 7am. 

The hotel I work at makes sweetened lemonade every day and as I drank my cup with my new coworkers we talked about the night staff throwing out the crazy lady in room 1-- who's been staying there for about 2 months and every few weeks goes off her meds and starts yelling things like racist shit to other guests from her balcony.  I thought it was a prank call a few weeks back when a guy called me saying, "Some lady was screaming that she wanted to suck a dick." "I'm sorry sir, would you like to make a formal complaint?" "Well, I want to get my dick sucked and I wanted to know what room she was in." "...I can't give out room numbers.  It's against company policy." "But I want to get my dick sucked." "Sir, this is an inappropriate conversation, and regardless, I can't give out room numbers." "...well, can I go in the room if she's screaming for it?" "...no."

Pita bread and chocolate cookies

I came home and showered before my (former) publishing house's Christmas party.  I was a little hesitant to go.  It's been about 6 weeks since I interned there and I have no progress to show up with.  Not to mention that the next time I saw them I wanted to bring them a copy of the picture of all of us and thank you notes.  But alas, I put on my brown Uggs and a nice white sweater and headed out to the familiar 30 minute commute through the mountains.

The party was bigger than I thought, as it took place in their warehouse with the majority of the books missing and Christmas lights, plentiful food, and authors and friends taking their place.  I missed this more than I thought.  I hugged each of them as I saw them.  I was flattered when both of the owners separately told me that if the economy was better they wanted to hire me, and that they talk about me more than I would think. The book designer told me she could help me get a job at another publisher if it was something I truly wanted and I gladly accepted.  I'm fixing up my resume this weekend and will contact her again early Monday morning.  I hadn't felt that hopeful in months.

I ate their offering of pita bread and chocolate cookies as I perused the book stands for Christmas presents for others and myself.

Being a book party there were presentations by some of the authors, including the former mayor of San Diego whose autobiography was published by my company, plus the sci-fi teen series which has sold thousands copies through the years, plus the owner of the company who wrote a biography of the Accidental Artist in the California desert.  I had all of my former co-workers sign my copy of her book we all worked on via design, sales, and promotion.  I had a good laugh when they excitedly told me that this edition had the title letters raised from the paper (bubble style for the touch).  God, I miss working with book nerds like me.

And as I was speeding down the mountain back to San Diego with "Rush of Blood to the Head" by Coldplay on, I felt more awake than I have in weeks.

Tap water and strawberry trail mix

I spent a few hours at the boyfriends house talking about the party, my prospects, and work.  We fell asleep for a few hours and I was more than pissed that I had to leave because I couldn't find non-Friday parking (street sweeping), and I wasn't waking up at 6:45am just to find a new parking spot.  I should have stolen more poptarts from his house since the only food I currently have in my house are spaghetti, coconut flakes, flour, and some strawberry trail mix. 

I came back to my place and was preparing to jog upstairs when the boyfriend of one of my roommates told me I could hang out, and I didn't have to feel shy around everyone.  Truth be told, this house is largely fucking quiet and empty but lately the girls have been lingering longer and I've either been running off to work or hanging out with the bf.  I appreciated the invitation, and the roommate, her boyfriend, and I finally got introduced.  

They're both really young and just got out of the airforce.  She's going to school downtown and he's debating using the GI bill for music production.  I told them my story of being from the Bay Area, going to school at ASU, leaving the desert to be with my bf of 5 years in San Diego, and am trying to make it in publishing while working at a skitzo hotel to pay rent.

I had them laughing with stories about the prostitutes, the affairs, and the drug traffickers who are always middle age-old lady duos who buy a bunch of shit then get all anxious to mail things IMMEDIATELY. They went out to smoke and I headed up stairs weary but happy. 

The flavor of the Thursday: part Christmas lights, part sweetened cranberries, part new books, part friendships, a dash of Coldplay, and a heavy splash of hope.

Day 184-- Breaking Dawn: Part 1 movie review

A lawyer, a blogger, and a pot grower walk into a Twilight movie...

Going to a Twilight movie is a little like shopping at Walmart: you don't want to admit that you choose to shop at Walmart but secretly it has everything you're looking for. Twilight is about someone loving you for eternity.  It’s about being different and finally finding your clan of outsiders.  It’s about magic and transformation.  Or it’s about hipster soundtracks and perfectly manicured eyebrows.

As the world knows, in this edition of the series, Bella and Edward are getting married.  There are exactly two things I think about when I see Bella Swan (portrayed by a whining Kristen Stewart): (1) so this is why feminism is dead and millions of girls want semi-emotionally abusive relationships and get pregnant out of high school, and (2) I love her hair!  

*spoilers now until the end*

I found the pre-wedding scene obnoxiously boring.  Were lame cold feet jokes ever funny? Ever?  And now that I think of it, why does Edward get a bachelor party and Bella stays home alone before her wedding day?  Does this girl not have friends?  Oh, right not since Edward. More on that later.

Before I rip this movie to shreds I must first say that I absolutely loved the first movie for its fun, spunk, and easy romance. In that first movie I understood why Bella and Edward would be drawn to each other: the looks, the curiosity, the emo personality match, and most of all, the chemistry.

But why are these people getting married?  They’re both depressives and they both kinda like Breakfast at Tiffany's?  Yes, I read the books, and I still don’t get why they’re together.  It’s always suicide attempts with these two, instead of ice skating dates and Cherrios.

Moving on.  I did like the wedding scene and am a little more tempted to move to the Pacific Northwest just to get married with the trees and twinkling lights.  Kudos to the little light people on set.  The vows were nice, the dress was ok (Bella’s no Kate Middleton), and the supporting characters were cracking me up at each line.

I think that’s another reason I hate what the movies turned into: I simply prefer Bella’s human life and I don’t see why it couldn’t be integrated more.  I absolutely adore her friends with their humor and warmth.  Why did Bella get so isolated once she started dating Edward?  Isolation is the first sign of abuse, they say…

Let’s move on to the honeymoon.  Can we all agree that the Honeymoon suite aka a frickin island--a gift from dad to his vampire son with a high school degree and no job who still lives at home, is not for the Occupy generation?  Oh my dismal paycheck despite a college degree…

Ok, fine I’m jealous.  The suite was absolutely stunning and goddamn it I want my future house to be a mix of Brazil and Pottery Barn.

Bella figuring out lingerie was hilariously awkward.  Been there, done that, sweetheart.  

Yes, I wish the sex scene was longer.  Though for what was shown, I thought it was a nice scene to give the fans what they want.

However, we need to talk about the bruises after the fact.  In the words of my former roommate, “It’s not good sex unless you’re sore afterward.”  Yes and no.  Now anyone who has read the books, they know that Edward with his vampire strength sincerely cannot control his strength around Bella, so the bruises caused by their intimacy is something he’s dreadfully ashamed of and regrets.  Will a 15 year old understand this?  Will she understand that bruises by a normal boyfriend is not ok? 

I’m pro-S&M, but there is a very clear line between pleasure and abuse and I truly worry that a teenager seeing this movie will not get the distinction in real life.  I hope they do.

Which brings be back to Edward: abuser or misunderstood?  In the movies I see him as an abuser.  Bella becomes isolated from her friends, lies to her parents about the seriousness of her health and situations, he bruises her,  he has no job, he still lives with his parents, and eventually he will kill her so they can be together.  Sid Vicious, anyone?  

However, Edward comes across much kinder in the books.  He is often filled with regret of his vampire needs, he is encouraging of Bella living a normal life with him for a little longer, he is a savior and protector, he is a gentleman with a soul and a slight sense of humor.  What the fuck happened, Robert Pattinson? 

Back to Breaking Dawn: Part 1.  Wow, that pregnancy was fast.  Bella turning into a grotesque skeleton with a swelling belly happened fast.  “This is what happens when you have sex,” I said to the lawyer.    

I have to say I didn’t expect a pro-choice debate during a Twilight movie, but touché.  The lawyer and I had a few laughs whenever the word ‘fetus’ and ‘baby’ were thrown around and we’re look at each other and say, “fetus.” 

Bella looks more and more like a Holocaust victim, no one informs her parents she’s on the brink of death, and her ex Jacob is always invited in the same room as her baby daddy (rude). “This is what happens when you have sex.”

I did enjoy the scene when Edward listens to the baby for the first time and the couple share a loving moment of true joy.  Let’s hope it doesn’t turn into more 16 and Pregnant episodes.

Bella's pregnancy was actually my favorite part of the book Breaking Dawn because she finally found her own voice and agency by keeping the baby.  She grew up and became a strong woman.  Not so much with Kristen Stewart who remains as annoying (and beautiful) as ever. 

HOLY FUCK. The birth scene.  The blood.  The biting.  The gray skin getting stretched over bones. “This is what happens when you have sex” turned into “I’m never having sex again.” Looking at my boyfriend with his confused and disturbed expression on his face, I’d dare say he agreed.

So it’s a happy vampire family killing and drinking blood and Iron &White songs.

I can’t wait for the next one!...No, I actually mean that.  I will probably be in line at midnight next Spring.

My good friend who’s graduating from film school in two weeks and I had a very long discussion about the Twilight series for its film quality, plot, acting, Edward’s morality lost on screen, their relationship not developed enough on screen, and of course, the soundtrack.  We ended the discussion talking about how disturbing the movie was or wasn’t based on the blood and teenage pregnancy.

Me: “I have to give [my boyfriend] credit.  We were debating the silliness vs the disturbia of the whole thing when I said, “People don’t sparkle and vampires aren’t real and the whole thing is silly.” He said, "This stuff happens in real life.  People do get married at 18.  People do have kids really young.  There are pregnancies where a woman has to choose between the baby and her own life.  These are real issues, and that’s why you find this movie disturbing.”  

Well shit, maybe a Twilight movie was the most honest movie I’ve seen all year.  I asked my film graduating friend her expert opinion on the matter.

Her: "........There should have been more sparkles.”

Me: “You know I’m going to end my review with that.”

Her: “…….There should have been more fucking sparkles.”

Day 182--Thrice Nearly-Famous Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe

Prologue:

This is the story of the thrice nearly-famous cheddar broccoli soup.  There are just some dishes you want to make but life gets into the way--whether it's sickness, or vacation time, or it's too late to go grocery shopping, or 'who wants to make soup when it's 80 degrees outside?'.  After attempting to make this soup (found on thefoodnetwork.com called Almost Famous Broccoli-Cheese Soup) on 3 separate occasions I finally found a cure: bread bowls!  At $1.29 a bowl, this soup was happening.  And it was delicious.

Thrice Nearly-Famous Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Prep time: about 2 minutes total

Cook time: about 60 minutes total

Total time: 1 hour

Servings:  4

Ingredients: 

1.) 6 tablespoons butter

2.) 1 small onion, chopped

3.) 1/4 cup all purpose flour

4.) 2 cups half-and-half

5.) 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or less if you like it thicker

6.) 2 bay leaves

7.) 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 

8.) 4 cups broccoli florets (about 2 heads)

9.) 1 large carrot cut into small pieces or peeled (I used a veggie peeler to get carrot slices)

10.)  2 1/2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese grated

11.) some salt and pepper

*optional bread bowls

Directions:

1.) Chop up your onion.  Add onion and butter into a large pot until melted and tender, about 5 minutes.

2.) Whisk (or stir) in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes. 

3.)  Meanwhile, prepare the bread bowls: Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the top of each loaf, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Remove the bread top, then hollow out the middle with a fork or your fingers, leaving a thick bread shell.

4.) Cut up your broccoli and carrot into small pieces (I used a veggie peeler for the carrot) and add to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. 

* 5.) You can puree the soup, but if you cut up the veggies small enough beforehand you can skip this step.

6.) Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted.  Remove the bay leaves. Ladle into the bread bowls and garnish with cheese or carrot slices. Done!

Review:

Super yummy, fancy, and classy.  Especially after a day at Balboa Park watching a play and perusing the museums.  Despite it's numerous ingredients, it's extremely easy to make, for it only requires one pot and you simply add things to it every 20 minutes for so.  And with a bread bowl, the only dishes you'll have to clean are your spoon, the pot, the knife, and the cutting board.  

It was a creamy soup with just enough broccoli and carrots.  I had been hesitate to use extra sharp cheddar but the sweetness of the onion and nutmeg made it perfectly balanced.  My only complaint was that it wasn't quite as thick as I would have wanted so I might use less chicken broth for the next go-around.  

Overall, I very much enjoyed it and would make it again on cold winter night watching a comedy. 

Day 181-- Some Lovers play review

Saturday night was the world premiere of Some Lovers, a Christmas musical of former lovers visited by the ghosts of their former selves of Christmas past. With music by Burt Bacharach and book and lyrics by Steven Sater, this lovers twist on Dickin's Christmas Carol appeared too good to fail.  Unfortunately the ingenuity ended at the premise.

Some Lovers begins with ex lovers Molly and Ben living their lives in New York.  It's Christmas--their holiday--and Molly is moving out of the city in a few weeks.  As they talk and hang up and miss each other and hate each other all over again, their former selves appear to remind them of how they fell in love in the first place.

Well, you don't quite believe that they loved each other in the first place, and the play suffers from there. 

Young Molly is played by Jenni Barber with the sensuality and charm of Amanda Segfried, who suffers from lack of little chemistry with Young Ben, played in earnest of Andrew Mueller, who comes across as too nerdy for anyone to date, let alone Molly.  Their relationship begins with the music he writes about her, but as he gets deeper into the industry as he tries to find his latest hit, she gets tired of constantly coming in second in his life.  Despite this being a musical, the musician-trying-to-make-it theme is the nail in the coffin for Some Lovers. 

There are a million legitimate reasons why relationships begin; there are a million legitimate reasons why they end, but picking the unrealistic cliche of the hot girl and nerdy guy, and him trying to break into the music industry pre-iTunes and her working at a photo development shop all comes across as out-of-touch instead of nostalgic. And this is a real misfortune considering it's a brand new play coming out in 2011.  

This musical had the chance to be both timeless and timely.  This being 2011 when the economy is falling apart and more and more young people are either unemployed or surrendering their dreams just to make rent, why not have a play based on a realistic happy couple young, young shiny and bright, who fall in love based on dreams, and break up with the pressures of their dreams don't come true?  Ben could still be a musicain but instead of fights based on his muse being another girl or him leaving early to write his songs (which few can relate to), why not real problems like how their going to make rent on a musician's salary? How does she feel about working at the same family store after college as she did in college?  What happens when a couple isn't so young, shiny, and bright anymore?

Young Molly and Young Ben talk about this every Christmas.  Each year they read "The Gift of the Magi", the story of sacrifice on Christmas, and wonder if the couple ever got fat and old and what happens then?.

The answer: sometimes it gets better and sometimes it doesn't.  Sometimes couples drift apart and become other people with new stresses and obligations, and it's ok that it doesn't work out.  And sometimes couples can grow together and the 'fat' and the 'old' are comes with life and love. Some Lovers is a musical for those who have loved and lost and want to vicariously experience a happy ending with the one who got away.

I must give credit to San Diego's Old Globe for performing a musical in the Sheryl & Harvey White Theatre.  It's quite honestly the best playhouse I've ever been to, with it's circular design and 100 person maximum.  Plays performed there (like Spring's Death of a Salesman) come across as s intimate and honest--hardly the standard fair for a musical, and I truly believe that Some Lovers would have benefited from not becoming a musical in the first place.

I can only think that music was used to break up the tension of breakups, but trust me, being 22 in a shitty apartment with a battery-powered keyboard is hilarious with enough love and booze.  Stupid fights and breakups can also have their moments of funny to go with the pain.  And two people in their 40s missing each other and cringing and missing their former selves is ripe for jokes.  For what's it's worth, I did enjoy "Love Me For An Hour", a sexy song about Christmas and falling in love, and any songs with the whole cast performing, such as "Window Shoppin' and Dreamin' Dreamins" were a real delight to hear them young and old singing the same song.

Some Lovers shouldn't be given up on, and I hope that revisions are in the future.  Ben and Molly are done well with Jason Danieley and Michelle Duffy at the helm, and the songs are appropriately flirty and serious.  With the premise of the ghosts of former selves reminding them of a love that may not be all lost, this musical deserves the chance to shine as the kind of love story only Christmas itself can give.