Tuesday, July 01, 2008
An elephant and a robot walk into a bar....
I've been meaning to write down my thoughts on Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen, and throw in two cents about Wall-E while I'm at it, but of course there's never time -- there's big decisions to make RIGHT NOW (but not really), and headaches to mitigate and paintings to finish and bills to pay and oh, look here work. So here we go. I'm trying to write down more so I don't forget what I've read, and to focus on the literary aspects of books, since I'm finally buckling down on that grad school screw (even though it may still be about two years away). Oh my, this entry isn't a very good example of writing since it's all run-ons and stream-of-consciousness. But that's what a blog is for, right?
 Anyway, full steam ahead. Water for Elephants was addicting. The plot was consuming, fast-paced and driven as if you were jumping from cart to cart on top of a circus train winding round country. The facts were splendid and arresting. Gruen did thorough research on circuses in the Great Depression -- but I made the mistake of reading her Author's Note while I was halfway through the book, hence unraveling major plot points that were drawn from historical events. I wouldn't recommend doing that; it's at the end of the book for a reason.
However, as addictive as the book was (I read it in two working days), the writing was mediocre at best. It reminded me of reading The Da Vinci Code, where you just devour the book chasing the plot, but much too fast to notice the clunky, unwieldy writing. It wasn't distracting though, just straightforward and rather craft-less. I will give Gruen points on her ability to write a pinpoint turn in character emotions, but overall I felt that most events were built up and then would lose steam at the highest point of drama (except for one scene near the very end). I'd give this book a B+: worth a read in the summer, or if you just want a quick, entertaining story.
As for Wall-E, totally worth a watch. The adorable robots and the clever plot that come standard with Pixar packaging was up to snuff - the only set back was that the main characters don't talk. The pantomime made the film feel much much longer. I'm off to take a walk now, so I don't turn into a roly-poly of a human being, as the film predicts.Labels: books, films
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Some Like It Hot in the Summer
 I spent the whole weekend munching on dark chocolate covered raisins and raw almonds while ducking from one summer blockbuster to the next. Surprisingly, Iron Man was sold out every time we tried to see it. We settled for The Incredible Hulk & Get Smart. The real reason for going to the movies this weekend, after all, was for the two glorious hours of air conditioning - relief from the 100 degree weather outside. I came out with a girl crush on Anne Hathaway.
During the summer, I really prefer 1940s Howard Hawks style musicals or screwball romantic comedies a la Funny Face and It Happened One Night. Even noir films like Double Indemnity and plenty of good old Hitchcock. Something about classic movie fare just screams idyllic summer nights to me. Cozy up with a cherry popsicle and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and just see if I'm right.Labels: films
Friday, May 30, 2008
"You know this doesn't happen in real life."
Oh, I got Carried away.Labels: films
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Ann Hears A Who
I've been, in some ways, jumping right back into business as usual this week. Yet things feel different; there's a new stillness in my mind right now. Which is good -- to tune into responding to my body as opposed to my head dragging my body behind it. I will walk more, meditate daily, and pick up yoga again. I also plan on eating more conscientiously so that I can keep off the 13 pounds I lost in the first two weeks of being sick. (In a healthy way, of course). Peace comes from shedding the albatross of guilt and insecurity I (and I'm sure some of you) wear around a lot. So over it.
The surprising outcome of this is that I'm more productive than ever. In the past two days, I checked off some major looming to-dos, i.e. reporting the sidesweep-and-run on my car to insurance, going to the bank, picking up books on hold and paying fines, filing papers with HR, emailing admissions officers, etc.
So last night I saw Horton Hears A Who, which was adorable! I really missed going out to a theater and finishing the red vines before the previews are over. Hopefully we'll get to see My Blueberry Nights this weekend; I'm so looking forward to Wong Kar Wai's English language debut (!!)
I'm reading If You Want To Write by Brenda Ueland (which was highly recommended by Marta), and I'm so in love with it so far. Ueland has the voice of the most encouraging, accomplished writing professor you've ever had. I had also started Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, and quite honestly I'm not that enchanted with her writing. Maybe something was lost in translation.
Finally, a psst...I updated the archives and I've been posting frequently again at Things We Wore.Labels: books, films, site update, twentysomething
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
With such a large nose, do you smell better than the rest of us?
Hello, friends. Sorry it's been awhile, I sincerely am. The past couple weeks have been a flurry of deadlines and surprises, practicing putting myself out there and then licking my wounds. Does this growing up thing ever get easier? It feels like it should.
But grown-up life involves a lot more time spent in an office (if you're unlucky), with no terminable end in sight. No semesters, no breaks. You don't have to change, ever, if you don't want to. Stay here and cultivate your worker's ass for forty years, take your retirement and rent a room in a home for the rest of your years. There are two unavoidable changes slated in your future: the end of your job days, and the end of your life.
That's stifling. I know "life happens" and there's no such thing as job security, but just knowing that this is the mechanism behind it all is dreary. 100 names for the same thing. I feel deflated, friends. I'm not sure where to look or what to do anymore. I don't believe that things will ever get better; who am I to even expect that it should for me? I'm dejected, but I'm not homeless or hospitalized, so I should shut my trap.
So from the bottom of my well here, I've been peeking out at the world. I've been casting lines and hoping that someone will pass by and pull me up and out. But now I just feel like hiding in the dark. Hiding in a dark room for hours. Where can I do just that?
The movie theater. I watched Penelope last night, armed with low expectations based on friends' reviews. Skillful and clever, this film is not. But it is a visual feast, and uplifting. Just when I need lifting. Seeing her room alone was worth the $12 ticket. What a dream -- an indoor tree swing! Terrariums and first edition books!
Christina Ricci is actually quite perfect for a pig nose, and Reese Witherspoon was endearing as a motormouth Vespa-riding delivery girl. I'm not quite sure I'm on board with the James McAvoy wagon yet, but I know that I'd like to see more. I was prepared for the crazy hodge-podge city and mix of accents from actors, so I didn't feel quite as disoriented watching. There was a lot of set up and loose ends that were not delivered, which speaks to the developing skill of a first-time writer and first-time director. But overall, I would recommend it for light fare. I'm a big fan of light fare. Give me Penelope over No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood any day. I need my bloody drama Netflix'd and contained in a 13" television box.Labels: films, growing up
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Just get me a really big closet.
The most exciting thing to happen in weeks: the leak of the (official?) Sex and the City movie trailer! That's my big fat present to you on this lovely Saturday night, in memoriam of many past Saturday nights in college spent with Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha.
It makes me want to call up all my girlfriends. And write some really great scripts.Labels: films
Friday, January 04, 2008
There's always something to invent, to read, to bite.
Since the rain finally broke over LA, I'm settling in for the weekend. Tonight we had Thai take out and watched A Series of Unfortunate Events. I had forgotten how amazing the costume design and art direction on this film is -- how dreamy is Violet's dress & blue coat? Talk about inspiration for sewing.
 
These fabrics from ReproDepot are just calling to be made into a Tim Burton/Colleen Atwood-esque dress.
  
And these are just lovely to have on hand to make into skirts and bags and scarves and trim to fancy up plainer clothes. I'm just crazy for the hidden wildlife in the damask print. The weekend forecast is precipitation outside and crafty indoors, friends.Labels: fashion love, films
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Fall Films & being a stress addict.
According to the latest issue of Glamour, I am a stressaholic. I thrive off multi-tasking and doing-it-all quickly and perfectly. I'm even starting to see the signs, as I find myself more often than not holding a long catch-up phone conversation with a faraway friend while Swiffer-ing the apartment, renewing library books online, and catching up on The Office. Even right now, I'm baking a gingerbread cake while watching Food Network Challenge and blogging.
Lately, this has become a problem because I'm sick for the third time in two months. So perhaps it is time to slow down. Among the many remedies recommended by the article (the usual of meditate, take deep breaths, etc. and the not so usual of imitating your most likely calmer, can't-make-a-left-turn-and-talk-at-the-same-time male significant other), is taking the time to fully submerge yourself in just one thing. Usually, watching movies in the theater is one of my favorite slow-down things to do.
However, the last few months have also been a bad time in the theaters. So I'm even more looking forward to these upcoming winter films to break up some pre-holiday multi-tasking:
- Enchanted
- Sweeney Todd
- The Golden Compass
- I Am Legend
- Juno
- Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
- Penelope (if this film ever comes out!)
I don't even want to think what might happen after the winter if the Writers' Strike isn't over before the new year.Labels: films
Sunday, October 07, 2007
The Darjeeling Limited
We saw The Darjeeling Limited tonight. After several attempts over the weekend and an overbooked preview, we finally took in this splendor of filmography. I would rank this my third favorite Wes Anderson film (though it should be noted I haven't seen Bottle Rocket - it's on the top of my Netflix queue), after The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore. Adrien Brody was a darling, refreshing addition to the Wes Anderson family. The most wonderful thing about Wes Anderson's work is that they remind me why I ever wanted to be a filmmaker. It's nice to see something that actively engages you every once in awhile, isn't it? I'd definitely recommend this for theater viewing, just so you can take in the gorgeously nuanced India portrayed.
My favorite part of going to the movies is the previews, and there were two before Darjeeling that struck my fancy: Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry's new film), and Juno (which has a fantastic cast running the gamut from Michael Cera to Jennifer Garner to Rainn Wilson). I love winter because the films in the theater start to be good again.Labels: films
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Stardust
I've come down with a summer cold (one of the not-so-great perks of working in an office), so I spent most of yesterday knocked out on Tylenol Cold and Airborne. By the time I got up, I was feeling groggy and stir-crazy, so Ryan and I went out for a Monday night movie. We saw Stardust, and I really really enjoyed it. Just look at that film still -- the whole movie was beautiful. The costumes! The British actors! The ageless Michelle Pfieffer! The adorable Robert DeNiro! You could chalk it all up to the cold medicine making this film practically effervescent for me; but I'll leave it to fantastic art direction and cinematography paired with a rather good adaptation of Neil Gaiman's graphic novel.
I hope the word-of-mouth hype is getting around enough to undermine the terribly executed marketing campaign. Though there are many comparisons to a modern day Princess Bride (who knew that was out-of-date?), I thought that Stardust stood alone well enough in the wondrous world it created.
Who knew I would grow up to be such a fantasy film geek? Perhaps it wasn't so far-fetched since a lot of my favorite childhood stories were Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory -- all paving the way to my modern day literary interests and style rooted in magical realism. Also, to my credit, I still haven't seen any of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, thankyouverymuch.Labels: films
Thursday, June 28, 2007
In A Teacup
I really hate it when I go home after work and spend the rest of my day vegged out in front of the TV eating. So I never do this; instead, I line up evening classes and most recently have been creating a multitude of personal projects to move towards the creative life and careers I want. Last night, after Ryan & I took our first evening walk around the neighborhood like the geriatrics that we are, we put on Barbarella (which I found out to my dismay and amusement, is a Jane Fonda sci-fi erotica) and I set up to paint. I've been so inspired by all the fabulous fairytale art on Etsy, and have been itching to start painting again. I finished an octopus painting that I might still put a few touches on after the oil dries for a bit, and started my first acrylic painting -- which is what you see above. I've been painting with oil since well before I could drive, but this was my first time making a painting out of acrylic. I loved it for its ease and opacity, but it does NOT like to blend well. It's definitely been fun though, and I am itching to get home today and continue working on this piece. I'm looking forward to churning out quite a few, so friends might as well start expecting art for their birthdays.
I also watched all of Amelie again for what seems like a century. Suddenly, I realized not only had I forgotten all the nuances of my favorite film -- I had left all the magic and baggage tied up with this time and this experience. As the opening sequence rolled, I remembered seeing it for the first time in the small arts theater with my best friend Cathy and her boyfriend at the time. She let me play with her high-tech-at-the-time 2 megapixel camera and I took these pictures of the red ruched curtains inside. Overwhelmed with emotions and memories stirring, then I remembered each of the subsequent times I saw it in the theaters (I believe 4 total), and how each time I shared it with a different friend like a secret hiding place (since it was very under-the-radar at the time). And OH the nostalgia of my senior year of high school - the romantic parts of course - all the potential of applying to college, and being in love for the first time, and the years to come and the time to be and choose anything you wanted to be!
Not only was Amelie a transformative film in my life, it's a time capsule of a transformative time in my life. What's funny is that I always write off high school as a miserable time, oppressive and repressive, a time to hold it inside how much you terribly hated the politics and the people who won the most votes and adoration. It's nice to remember that there were actually moments where I felt infinite.Labels: arts+crafts, films
Monday, June 18, 2007
Alright Already, We'll All Float On
Non sequitur entry by category for your reading pleasure:
- The Weekend. Despite starting off the weekend crappily (see entry below), I actually had a pretty pleasant time. I paid all my car bills, had brunch at the Lazy Daisy next door as I got my smog checked, watched Knocked Up which was as good as the hype, drew my self-portrait in pencil then in Illustrator (honestly, drawing and painting it in real life is SO MUCH easier and more artistically intuitive than on Illustrator), had Father's Day brunch with my family, and I had my usual quarter-life crisis case of the Sunday nights. We decided to go down to San Diego next weekend, when Ryan's mom will be visiting, and also when more of my friends will be in town. Which left me very happy to not be on a four hour drive. I love easy, lazy weekends.
- Waitress. I realized I never raved about Waitress. There were all these plans to dedicate a whole entry to Waitress and my new pie obsession (that appears to be subsequently squelched by my first experience with bitter Key Lime Pie). I loved Waitress. It was adorable and poppy and dark and smart and heart-wrenching and true; I nearly cried through the whole entire film and I never do that! The film was amazing, and I think what really kicked me while I was down was that I heard an interview with Andy Griffith on NPR a month before the film came out, and they were discussing (the director & writer) Adrienne Shelly's murder and how she had stated before in interviews that this film was a love letter to her 3-year-old daughter. Yeah, my heart was pretty much a pile of disintegrated sparkles.
- Grocery shopping. Now I just want to go grocery shopping and make myself a bunch of great lunches and dinners for the week with the new/old food processor I got from my mom. This is a good thing as last week we were suffering a severe case of the food ennui. Thanks to Flickr groups like Veggie Dinner Plate, Vegetarian Times' website, and Vegan Lunchbox. Do you have any foodie sites you'd like to share?Labels: daily, films
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Reasons Not To See Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End
So I snuck a real break in yesterday, a lost day if you will, both from work/the world and this blog/the internet. I took a real nap on the futon, read, went to a park and fed ducks, ate pizza, and made the unfortunate decision to go see Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End. Sure, I knew it was going to be 3 hours long, which is also as long as a good road trip so I got the snacks and went to the bathroom before we buckled in for the ride, etc. And it was all that you'd expect $50 gajillion dollars can buy in special effects, cameos and plotlines.
But then this morning I had this crazy awful dream that my left hand was infected with an excessive growth of polyps which I was convinced I could only get rid of by popping each pus-filled bubble in a pool. I woke up still hazy and gazing at my hand as if it were a foreign object. I also woke up with a strong, repulsive hate and anger towards a guy I used to be involved with and hadn't spoken to in YEARS, and revelation that I could do no more work on a novel that's been sitting dormant for a year.
All I'm saying is that I'm convinced the polyps were because of the mollusks and marine life growing on the bodies of many of the characters in Pirates 3. Ugh, gross, shiver!
Maybe I should get to actually writing fiction again, instead of making up excuses, even in my subconscious life, not to.
In more relevant, possibly more interesting news, I'm planning a week of practicing being an Artist in the Office, inspired by Summer Pierre's zine that I'm eagerly anticipating in my mailbox sometime this week. I'll be documenting my practices around here!Labels: daily, films
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Je suis vivant.
What a welcome break from the bells & whistles of summer blockbuster films. So incredibly charming, and for anyone who loves Paris or wants to love the idea of Paris. Sure, 18 vignettes in 2 hours might be half a dozen too many (I can think of a few I'd cut), as mentioned in many reviews, but it is so worth it. Each one is just long enough to hold the attention of the TV generation, and leaves you just satisfied. I am especially partial to the last one directed by Alexander Payne.
Oh, je t'aime, Paris!Labels: films
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Sick Day
Since I'm sick in bed today, I decided to compile a grand list of movies to watch for days just like this. Or any day when you are just suffering from the blues, the blahs or the mean reds.
1) Breakfast at Tiffany's
2) Amelie
3) Legally Blonde
4) Mean Girls
5) Saved
6) 13 Going On 30
7) How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
Clearly, a girl-biased list. Any other suggestions?Labels: films, lists, the blahs
Monday, March 19, 2007
The Beginning
So much has happened, friends, since I last wrote! I can finally break my mysterious silence; I gave notice at my last job on Friday (effective immediately) and man, was that empowering. I was working upwards of 10 hours a day, commuting an hour, had taken a pay cut, and living under gestapo-like watch. Then two weeks ago I received a fantastic job offer, and will be starting this new job in two weeks. Which gives me two glorious weeks to sit still, in silence, breath deep, take in everything that has happened in the last six months and choose my next steps carefully.
Over this past weekend I went on a wonderful, short hike with Ryan and his family. All the hatless acorns made me realize how I should spend my next two weeks: taking the time to stop and marvel over all the little things. To see what acorns REALLY look like, to know what actually working on my novel feels like, to experience what sitting still and relaxing is all about.
Ryan and I also saw 300 yesterday, which turned out to be a lot better than I had expected. It was really quite beautiful, the story just hanging on enough and the gore didn't make me want to throw up -- however the gratuitous nudity did. I give it a B+.
I stocked up on magazines (including Blueprint, Glamour, Elle, and Preen), books to read (The Anti 9-to-5 Guide, The History of Love, Fast Food Nation, Jane Eyre, The Glass House), felt, drawing pencils, stamps, ATC swaps and food. I'm ready to start enjoying my next two weeks, and be sharing it all along the way with you!Labels: films, photolog, twentysomething
Sunday, January 28, 2007
All Happy Couples Are Alike, It's the Unhappy Ones Who Create The Stories
This past week has been pretty insane. All I know is that more changes are bound to be afoot very very soon.
I started art classes at Otis this weekend. The Marker Rendering Class turned out even better than I had hoped. I've been wanting to take a perspective class even though Otis doesn't offer one, but the instructor for this class is not only teaches marker rendering techniques, he teaches and emphasizes perspective! I'm so excited to become a better drawer in these next few months. Tomorrow I start Life Drawing at night, and the best part will be Ryan taking the class with me!
I've also watched Charade & An American In Paris this weekend, which are both really good (despite the extremely drawn out dance sequences in the latter). I'm almost done with Feast of Love by Charles Baxter, FINALLY. It's rich with beautiful passages, but also skillfully nuanced in how well Baxter captures the individual voice of each character. The novel shifts first person POVs between the few main characters in the book who are only loosely related to each other, and does it so well. I highly recommend it. I plan on digging into The Alchemist, The History of Love and Jane Eyre next, I really need to step up my reading goals for this year.
Thursday was our one year anniversary and I handmade a reconstructed sketchbook for Ryan. I don't think I want to say much else about it all except that I revel every day in how incredibly lucky I am.
I'll leave you with this short excerpt from Feast of Love:
People don't go to psychiatrists and pay good money to talk at length about how happy they are. Talking can spoil it. As a rule you don't settle down at the end of the day with a beer and tell your friend the particulars of how you lucked out and how well the day and the week and the year went, unless you're the gloating type. You just don't do that. It's provocation. You find some other neutral ground. If you're smart, you keep happiness to yourself.Labels: arts+crafts, books, films, photolog, quotes
Friday, January 12, 2007
Don't Stay Still.
Stay was a really bad movie. So bad that I had to put on Season 6 of Gilmore Girls to get the ache out of my brain from the bad.
I feel all over the map the last few days, but I'm slowing down and circling the idea of what I really want. It's funny that there are a million things you dream about happening in the course of your life, but when you're taking the path day by day it's never what you imagined. Hopefully, it's better.
I'm so happy for this three day weekend, two of which days I'll be seeing my family and my wonderful friends in a far-away land called San Diego, and overall enjoying burrowing in bed working on all my New Year's Resolutions.
Just for my own sake, I'm reiterating all my New Year's Resolutions in one list:
1) Learn to sew; collect vintage fabrics and make own clothes!
2) Lose 10 lbs.
3) Continue yoga practice.
4) Eat healthier; learn more recipes; cook more.
5) Finish a draft of my novel.
6) Draw every single day.
7) Find a new job.
8) Manage stress better.
9) Maintain good correspondence and relationships with friends far and near.
10) Read 22 books.
11) Create an online photography/art portfolio.
12) Discover LA, and make it my home.
13) Learn Photoshop and Illustrator.
14) Become a contributing writer.
15) Make 15 pieces of art.
16) Take a photograph every single day; document it on Flickr.Labels: films, lists
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