Sunday, June 19, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Current Playlist
Nicki Minaj - "Did it On 'Em"
Leila Broussard - "Masquerade"
Kanye West - "Monster"
Billy Joel - "Piano Man"
Oh Land - "Sun of A Gun"
Caitlin Rose - "For The Rabbits"
He is We - "And Run"
Glee (Gwyneth Paltrow) - "Do You Wanna Touch Me?"
Frou Frou - "Let Go"
Passion Pit - "The Reeling"
Bob Dylan - "Blowin in the Wind"
Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling - "The Water"
Leila Broussard - "Masquerade"
Kanye West - "Monster"
Billy Joel - "Piano Man"
Oh Land - "Sun of A Gun"
Caitlin Rose - "For The Rabbits"
He is We - "And Run"
Glee (Gwyneth Paltrow) - "Do You Wanna Touch Me?"
Frou Frou - "Let Go"
Passion Pit - "The Reeling"
Bob Dylan - "Blowin in the Wind"
Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling - "The Water"
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Scream 4 Dine In Experience
I just saw Scream 4 and I am proud to say it did not disappoint. I actually went to one of those Dine In movie theatres too where you get served dinner and watch the movie. It was my first time at one of these and it was pretty cooool.
Let's talk about the theatre first, I did a Cinema Suite which is fancier than the Fork and Screen. It had recliners and that was amazing, definitely worth the extra $3 compared to the Fork and Screen. Though, I've never done a Fork and Screen but I know they don't have those recliners so yeah. The food was okay, I had a veggie quesadilla. I liked the bonuses though like cookies and cream popcorn, mint chocolate at the end, warm towels. They had amaaazing drinks, I had an Oreo Mudslide yumm. Nice little experience, would definitely do again if I want to splurge a little. It's a little pricey $15 for a ticket then you have to pay for the food, too. Food was okay, your basics but still a nice little variety.
Anyway, Scream 4. Wow. It was incredible. Some people may argue with the fact that do they really need another? Why bring it back, the third one sucked anyway just leave it alone. Sometimes though it is nice to add on another sequel I think. Especially with a film like this and after all these years. It's nice to regenerate your love to a series and even give it more love. I'm a huge fan of the Scream series, such a dork about it too, and this movie was made for people like me.
Wes Craven is such an underrated filmmaker. I love how he utilizes the whole experience of the film, instead of just telling the story, he finds ways for the audience to really get involved and think and make it interactive. I love how he shows certain specific parts to test you out and intentionally leaves out others. Everything from the doppleganger of Billy as Jill's boyfriend even when he climbs through the window to the creepish scene with Sydney and the lady cop to try and help or throw off the audience to who the actual killer is. I love the throwbacks too like the denim jacket at the end the one kid wears, the whole stabbing each other scene. The funny jokes like how Stab is directed by Robert Rodriguez (actually the scenes shot were directed by him, so clever!). The whole social commentary they have in the beginning with the new Stabs and how movies like Saw and networking sites like facebook affected the whole Scream reality and horror movie industry 10 years later. Kevin Williamson wrote an incredible reboot to the series. Most importantly, the twist does not let you down. I guessed 1 of them but the other was such an incredible curve ball. I loved it. I could geek out for hours about this franchise, seriously, I love it. But I don't want to give anything away.
Scream is such an underrated franchise, in my opinion. They are such great films (with the exception of the 3rd which wasn't terrible just wasn't great). They're great because yes it's a slasher movie but anyone can see them. There's jumps and surprises but there's also laughs, too. And I just love the interactive aspect. Nothing beats seeing a guessing game film like this for the first time and you are shocked to see the ending.
Definitely worth it to see, such a great reboot. The twist was amazing. Movies like this definitely reignite your love of these franchises. I hope they don't force a Scream 5, I mean it's inevitable there probably will be one but don't make it just because you have to like Scream 3. Make it because you want to like Scream 4. See it!!
Let's talk about the theatre first, I did a Cinema Suite which is fancier than the Fork and Screen. It had recliners and that was amazing, definitely worth the extra $3 compared to the Fork and Screen. Though, I've never done a Fork and Screen but I know they don't have those recliners so yeah. The food was okay, I had a veggie quesadilla. I liked the bonuses though like cookies and cream popcorn, mint chocolate at the end, warm towels. They had amaaazing drinks, I had an Oreo Mudslide yumm. Nice little experience, would definitely do again if I want to splurge a little. It's a little pricey $15 for a ticket then you have to pay for the food, too. Food was okay, your basics but still a nice little variety.
Anyway, Scream 4. Wow. It was incredible. Some people may argue with the fact that do they really need another? Why bring it back, the third one sucked anyway just leave it alone. Sometimes though it is nice to add on another sequel I think. Especially with a film like this and after all these years. It's nice to regenerate your love to a series and even give it more love. I'm a huge fan of the Scream series, such a dork about it too, and this movie was made for people like me.
Wes Craven is such an underrated filmmaker. I love how he utilizes the whole experience of the film, instead of just telling the story, he finds ways for the audience to really get involved and think and make it interactive. I love how he shows certain specific parts to test you out and intentionally leaves out others. Everything from the doppleganger of Billy as Jill's boyfriend even when he climbs through the window to the creepish scene with Sydney and the lady cop to try and help or throw off the audience to who the actual killer is. I love the throwbacks too like the denim jacket at the end the one kid wears, the whole stabbing each other scene. The funny jokes like how Stab is directed by Robert Rodriguez (actually the scenes shot were directed by him, so clever!). The whole social commentary they have in the beginning with the new Stabs and how movies like Saw and networking sites like facebook affected the whole Scream reality and horror movie industry 10 years later. Kevin Williamson wrote an incredible reboot to the series. Most importantly, the twist does not let you down. I guessed 1 of them but the other was such an incredible curve ball. I loved it. I could geek out for hours about this franchise, seriously, I love it. But I don't want to give anything away.
Scream is such an underrated franchise, in my opinion. They are such great films (with the exception of the 3rd which wasn't terrible just wasn't great). They're great because yes it's a slasher movie but anyone can see them. There's jumps and surprises but there's also laughs, too. And I just love the interactive aspect. Nothing beats seeing a guessing game film like this for the first time and you are shocked to see the ending.
Definitely worth it to see, such a great reboot. The twist was amazing. Movies like this definitely reignite your love of these franchises. I hope they don't force a Scream 5, I mean it's inevitable there probably will be one but don't make it just because you have to like Scream 3. Make it because you want to like Scream 4. See it!!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
The future.
Happy Easter, everyone! Hope yours was lovely. I worked til 3 then had dinner with the family. Work was so slow but I got to watch 4 episodes of freaking Eerie Indiana on Hulu which was so awesome. I missed that show. I also got deep fried cheesecake for dessert which was both insane and awesome, but you know totally worth it. It's Easter it's okay.
I'm going to attempt to blog a lot on here, I feel like it might motivate me more to do stuff. Using the excuse of writing about stuff I've done or my thoughts or what I plan to do, maybe it'll make me want to do more.
I want to do a lot but I always feel like I do nothing. Let me elaborate. I want to act and do stand up and travel and have a great blog and just live. I feel like I am doing nothing with life. I do write my reviews for my blog and I am going to Spain. But I do go on auditions occasionally but many are student films or nothing serious. I am trying hard to write my stand up but haven't gone on any open mics since...like September/August. I just get such writer's block and when I do write about celebrities or anything by the time I want to do an open mic the jokes become stale. I feel like I need to go somewhere, move to Chicago or LA, maybe if I live on my own I will be more motivated. I want to move farther away because as much as would love to live in Manhattan none of my friends do. A lot of my friends here too aren't into acting, they're content with the lives, many are in serious relationships. I have many friends in Chicago that are into acting/directing/theatre maybe if I'm in that environment with them it'll push me more. In LA I have like 2 friends but I feel like I can make friends there and it might be easier and it's nice and warm.
I don't know, I've just been frustrated with life lately and something needs to change. Any tips? I'm pretty terrified of my future right now, not going to lie.
I'm going to attempt to blog a lot on here, I feel like it might motivate me more to do stuff. Using the excuse of writing about stuff I've done or my thoughts or what I plan to do, maybe it'll make me want to do more.
I want to do a lot but I always feel like I do nothing. Let me elaborate. I want to act and do stand up and travel and have a great blog and just live. I feel like I am doing nothing with life. I do write my reviews for my blog and I am going to Spain. But I do go on auditions occasionally but many are student films or nothing serious. I am trying hard to write my stand up but haven't gone on any open mics since...like September/August. I just get such writer's block and when I do write about celebrities or anything by the time I want to do an open mic the jokes become stale. I feel like I need to go somewhere, move to Chicago or LA, maybe if I live on my own I will be more motivated. I want to move farther away because as much as would love to live in Manhattan none of my friends do. A lot of my friends here too aren't into acting, they're content with the lives, many are in serious relationships. I have many friends in Chicago that are into acting/directing/theatre maybe if I'm in that environment with them it'll push me more. In LA I have like 2 friends but I feel like I can make friends there and it might be easier and it's nice and warm.
I don't know, I've just been frustrated with life lately and something needs to change. Any tips? I'm pretty terrified of my future right now, not going to lie.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Life update.
I'm going to attempt to keep up with this blog and just post things I like from opinionated pieces to inspiration to my life and everything in between.
Today was one of those "I guess kind of productive but I feel like I didn't do anything days" meaning I woke up at noon and worked on a student film. By worked on I mean I sat around for 5 hours until they wanted to do my scene which took about 25 minutes to shoot. Of course I did get $10 and free pizza. But overall, I feel like it was a waste. Especially because I was all pumped to go to the gym but by the time I got home it was like 8:30 and I just didn't want to do anything.
So I've been sitting on my computer doing just that. Zoning out to tumblr and watching shows from yesterday.
I also ate some Ben and Jerry's and half of a huge muffin. So much for working out I did just the opposite. Ugh.
In other news, I am going to Spain. Spain and Ibiza to be correct. Yup, I just decided to fuck it all and book a Contiki tour by myself. Why not right? Maybe I will meet my own Javier Bardem, Eat Pray Love style, hahaha. No but seriously many of my friends are too poor or too lazy to go anywhere and it kind of frustrates me. I do understand some of them but others I feel like are bullshitting. They say they're poor yet they party all the fucking time. I don't want to spend my life wasting it away by drinking or whatever all the time. I want to see the world, so I will do just that even if I have to do it solo. I'm also thinking of going to Portugal while I'm in that area just because. I haven't booked airfare yet so the itinerary is still up in the air but who knows. I'm pretty excited though, something to look forward too and it's definitely a huge passion of mine. I hope to go to Costa Rica as well this summer to visit my friend but we shall see.
Well, I guess that's enough for now. I should probably go to bed considering I have to be up in 6 hours for work. Ugh.
Today was one of those "I guess kind of productive but I feel like I didn't do anything days" meaning I woke up at noon and worked on a student film. By worked on I mean I sat around for 5 hours until they wanted to do my scene which took about 25 minutes to shoot. Of course I did get $10 and free pizza. But overall, I feel like it was a waste. Especially because I was all pumped to go to the gym but by the time I got home it was like 8:30 and I just didn't want to do anything.
So I've been sitting on my computer doing just that. Zoning out to tumblr and watching shows from yesterday.
I also ate some Ben and Jerry's and half of a huge muffin. So much for working out I did just the opposite. Ugh.
In other news, I am going to Spain. Spain and Ibiza to be correct. Yup, I just decided to fuck it all and book a Contiki tour by myself. Why not right? Maybe I will meet my own Javier Bardem, Eat Pray Love style, hahaha. No but seriously many of my friends are too poor or too lazy to go anywhere and it kind of frustrates me. I do understand some of them but others I feel like are bullshitting. They say they're poor yet they party all the fucking time. I don't want to spend my life wasting it away by drinking or whatever all the time. I want to see the world, so I will do just that even if I have to do it solo. I'm also thinking of going to Portugal while I'm in that area just because. I haven't booked airfare yet so the itinerary is still up in the air but who knows. I'm pretty excited though, something to look forward too and it's definitely a huge passion of mine. I hope to go to Costa Rica as well this summer to visit my friend but we shall see.
Well, I guess that's enough for now. I should probably go to bed considering I have to be up in 6 hours for work. Ugh.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Oscars disappoint.
So, the Oscars. What is there to say that hasn't been said? Didn't live up to the hype. Kirk Douglas should've hosted. I felt like the whole time James Franco was the rebellious yet still super cool guy who hated the musical theatre geek, Anne Hathaway. But I'm not going to lie, I still will bang James Franco. I also feel like Anne Hathaway did her best given what she had to work with. People seem to forget while they do host it's a written show, it's not like they're improv'ing. I feel like the writing was terrible. I really wanted James Franco to sing.
As for the awards, there were no real surprises for me except Best Director. Yes, director. But let me start from the beginning to explain my surprise. I am Team Social Network and while I was hoping for it to win I can see why it didn't. The King's Speech is a great film, the best? I personally argue against it. But you have to keep in mind it is the Academy that's voting. Similar to why Brokeback Mountain lost to Crash a few years back, I feel like the Academy is a little older and not used to change or the youth or Generation Y centered films. Thus, they go for The King's Speech instead of The Social Network even though both share similar themes of friendship and power. The Social Network is even a bit darker with themes of betrayal and society. But whatever, you know, you also have to look at it positively, The King's Speech is a great film and thank goodness another dull boring movie didn't win. This year we were blessed with fantastic films to watch.
You can tell with The King's Speech people just automatically picked it in every category, whether it was worthy of winning or not. Again, I have some disagreements about it winning best picture, but I can say whole-heartedly was not worthy of winning two awards: Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.
Best Original Screenplay, one can argue that The King's Speech is not entirely a work of fiction. It's based on history. There was one film so insane that came from one man's idea and created into a script that deserved to win and that was Inception. I am not even a fan of the film, I feel like Inception was totally overrated and didn't live up to the hype. But we all need to admit that Christopher Nolan is talented. From his work in The Dark Knight to Memento to Inception. He doesn't only direct these films but he WRITES them, too. Inception is a crazy, mind-bending thriller Nothing out there is like it and it was indeed robbed of Best Original Screenplay.
Now, Best Director. People automatically assume Best Picture = Best Director. They couldn't be more far from the truth. I feel like in every category to some extent the person is not only being judged on this film they're nominated for but also for their body of work and no other director has a more fascinating body of work than David Fincher. Every time David Fincher creates a movie it's a masterpiece. The way he intertwines the plot with the music with the performances create such amazing tones and you are left on the edge of your seat. With Fight Club, Panic Room, Zodiac, Benjamin Button, he is a genius. He made what might have been such a dull movie about nerds creating a website and sueing each other for it (in lament's terms) and created such a thrilling, even epic story. It boggles my mind that he did not win. The King's Speech, much like Black Swan, was a performance driven movie. Without those performances by Portman and Firth they would've been terrible. The Social Network the performances were pretty good but the story and the way we see the story and how it is created in this film is what makes it a great film and all of that was created by the director, David Fincher, and Aaron Sorkin the writer to an extent as well, but David Fincher was in charge of how Sorkin's writing was delivered and shown. I was completely shocked that he didn't receive the credit he deserved.
Thankfully though the future does look very good for David Fincher, what with filming the movie adaptation of the best-selling novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I am sure he will eventually get what he deserves.
By the way, anybody know of what Tom Hooper's doing in the future? Maybe another mini-series for HBO, being that aside from The King's Speech that's what he was most known for.
As for the awards, there were no real surprises for me except Best Director. Yes, director. But let me start from the beginning to explain my surprise. I am Team Social Network and while I was hoping for it to win I can see why it didn't. The King's Speech is a great film, the best? I personally argue against it. But you have to keep in mind it is the Academy that's voting. Similar to why Brokeback Mountain lost to Crash a few years back, I feel like the Academy is a little older and not used to change or the youth or Generation Y centered films. Thus, they go for The King's Speech instead of The Social Network even though both share similar themes of friendship and power. The Social Network is even a bit darker with themes of betrayal and society. But whatever, you know, you also have to look at it positively, The King's Speech is a great film and thank goodness another dull boring movie didn't win. This year we were blessed with fantastic films to watch.
You can tell with The King's Speech people just automatically picked it in every category, whether it was worthy of winning or not. Again, I have some disagreements about it winning best picture, but I can say whole-heartedly was not worthy of winning two awards: Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.
Best Original Screenplay, one can argue that The King's Speech is not entirely a work of fiction. It's based on history. There was one film so insane that came from one man's idea and created into a script that deserved to win and that was Inception. I am not even a fan of the film, I feel like Inception was totally overrated and didn't live up to the hype. But we all need to admit that Christopher Nolan is talented. From his work in The Dark Knight to Memento to Inception. He doesn't only direct these films but he WRITES them, too. Inception is a crazy, mind-bending thriller Nothing out there is like it and it was indeed robbed of Best Original Screenplay.
Now, Best Director. People automatically assume Best Picture = Best Director. They couldn't be more far from the truth. I feel like in every category to some extent the person is not only being judged on this film they're nominated for but also for their body of work and no other director has a more fascinating body of work than David Fincher. Every time David Fincher creates a movie it's a masterpiece. The way he intertwines the plot with the music with the performances create such amazing tones and you are left on the edge of your seat. With Fight Club, Panic Room, Zodiac, Benjamin Button, he is a genius. He made what might have been such a dull movie about nerds creating a website and sueing each other for it (in lament's terms) and created such a thrilling, even epic story. It boggles my mind that he did not win. The King's Speech, much like Black Swan, was a performance driven movie. Without those performances by Portman and Firth they would've been terrible. The Social Network the performances were pretty good but the story and the way we see the story and how it is created in this film is what makes it a great film and all of that was created by the director, David Fincher, and Aaron Sorkin the writer to an extent as well, but David Fincher was in charge of how Sorkin's writing was delivered and shown. I was completely shocked that he didn't receive the credit he deserved.
Thankfully though the future does look very good for David Fincher, what with filming the movie adaptation of the best-selling novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I am sure he will eventually get what he deserves.
By the way, anybody know of what Tom Hooper's doing in the future? Maybe another mini-series for HBO, being that aside from The King's Speech that's what he was most known for.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year everyone! Do you guys have any resolutions? I don't really have any resolutions per say, just things I want to improve upon with myself.
1. Lead a healthier life, watch more about what I eat and exercise more. - This is the most popular one that everyone says, but I am serious about it. Prior to 2011 I have been going to the gym but I do have a sweet tooth, I want to control myself more. I do want to become an actress one day and can't really do so as I stuff myself with chocolate and desserts. This resolution was mainly inspired by one of my idols, Natalie Portman, in Black Swan. Her transformation is incredible and she legit looks like a dancer in the film. I need to be like that.
2. Wear more high heels. - I'm turning 23 in a week, terrible, I hate birthdays. But I'm getting older, I have heels, I need to wear them. I'm also trying to get more girly with skirts and such, let's see if that happens though, haha.
3. Use your creativity. - I want to do so many things in life, draw, play guitar and ukulele, act, stand up comedy, WELL DO IT!
What are your resolutions?
1. Lead a healthier life, watch more about what I eat and exercise more. - This is the most popular one that everyone says, but I am serious about it. Prior to 2011 I have been going to the gym but I do have a sweet tooth, I want to control myself more. I do want to become an actress one day and can't really do so as I stuff myself with chocolate and desserts. This resolution was mainly inspired by one of my idols, Natalie Portman, in Black Swan. Her transformation is incredible and she legit looks like a dancer in the film. I need to be like that.
2. Wear more high heels. - I'm turning 23 in a week, terrible, I hate birthdays. But I'm getting older, I have heels, I need to wear them. I'm also trying to get more girly with skirts and such, let's see if that happens though, haha.
3. Use your creativity. - I want to do so many things in life, draw, play guitar and ukulele, act, stand up comedy, WELL DO IT!
What are your resolutions?
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Black lace and American Apparel.
Guess what! I did find a tight black pencilish skirt too...I haven't worn it yet though and it is too cold to wear it and it's more of a mini. Oh man. I'm also getting some motorcycle ankle boots for Christmas too. Not much floral stuff, but I do buy lots of black lace, almost too frequently. You know I never realized how much black clothes I have in my closet until the other day someone was talking about how all their clothes are grey and then I looked at my closet...black. But I hardly wear black now! Only in the summerish and springish time when it's nice out. Mainly because a lot of them are black lace things or tanks. And I'm pale and blonde so I look good in black okay! Then again...who doesn't? Haha.
In other news, I recently become obsessed with American Apparel, that's wear I got the skirt as well as this shirt that I know will be my new "live in" shirt. I do want more though, much more. Like this and this, specifically.
...I just realized that those are both black lace after I discussed my black lace obession...it was a coincidence! But see! I'm obsessed.
I'm thinking of turning this into more bloggy instead of just fashion. It'll be a mixture of just meeee. Yay or nay? Oh come on, let's be honest, nobody reads this, so I'll do what I want!
That's all for now!
In other news, I recently become obsessed with American Apparel, that's wear I got the skirt as well as this shirt that I know will be my new "live in" shirt. I do want more though, much more. Like this and this, specifically.
...I just realized that those are both black lace after I discussed my black lace obession...it was a coincidence! But see! I'm obsessed.
I'm thinking of turning this into more bloggy instead of just fashion. It'll be a mixture of just meeee. Yay or nay? Oh come on, let's be honest, nobody reads this, so I'll do what I want!
That's all for now!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Hey everyone, so I went to Target last week to buy Glee on DVD. Needless to say I came out with more than just Glee (I actually bought the BluRay, didn't know this until I got home, and had to return it ughhh), I also bought new black leggings for $6 because my old pair ripped and...
Since when did Target have good clothes? They were pretty cheap, the sweater dress was $17.99 and the shirt $15.00. I need to shop there more often!
Also I got my bowler hat from Forever 21 for like $15, awesome!
Since when did Target have good clothes? They were pretty cheap, the sweater dress was $17.99 and the shirt $15.00. I need to shop there more often!
Also I got my bowler hat from Forever 21 for like $15, awesome!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Must haves for fall (for me):
1. Oxford shoes! (I've been searching forever for the perfect ones, can't find them.)
2. Motorcycle ankle boots.
3. Slouchy Beanie.
4. Bowler Hat.
5. Black pencil skirt.
6. Floral anything.
7. Lace anything.
Yeah, let's see if I get any of these things. I like to admire lookbook and say "Ou I want that" but never get them, mainly because I can never find them! Especially those Oxfords, ahhh!
2. Motorcycle ankle boots.
3. Slouchy Beanie.
4. Bowler Hat.
5. Black pencil skirt.
6. Floral anything.
7. Lace anything.
Yeah, let's see if I get any of these things. I like to admire lookbook and say "Ou I want that" but never get them, mainly because I can never find them! Especially those Oxfords, ahhh!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Hey again!
Hey everyone, so I know I haven't updated this in a while but I felt the urge lately to start a personal blog. I had a livejournal but after years and years of having it...I'm over it. Nobody is on it anymore, though it is still a pretty good place to get free music and movies. But yeah, that's it.
But yeah, anyway, I guess I'll make this an intro post. My name is Kelly and I have a product review blog called starIMPULSE and a vlog on YouTube, the latter I need to update more often but I sometimes forget about it. I'm sorry. :( But I love the internet and more of a ghoster or whatever and watch people and shit on YouTube and although I may try to be like them with my vlogs...I will never be half as popular, but that's okay.
So anyway this blog will be a load of everything: fashion I like, music I like, etc. Some posts will just be pictures from tumblr or lookbook just because. Stuff that inspires me. Yup.
Hope you enjoy. :)
But yeah, anyway, I guess I'll make this an intro post. My name is Kelly and I have a product review blog called starIMPULSE and a vlog on YouTube, the latter I need to update more often but I sometimes forget about it. I'm sorry. :( But I love the internet and more of a ghoster or whatever and watch people and shit on YouTube and although I may try to be like them with my vlogs...I will never be half as popular, but that's okay.
So anyway this blog will be a load of everything: fashion I like, music I like, etc. Some posts will just be pictures from tumblr or lookbook just because. Stuff that inspires me. Yup.
Hope you enjoy. :)
Monday, May 12, 2008
trend piece on stoner movies for journalism
To some people, October 13th of last year was a very special day. Seth Rogen, James Gandolfini, and Anna Faris won awards for their excellent performances in films and television shows last year. What did each of them win? An actual, functioning bong, no joke. This was the 7th Annual Stony Awards, an award show made by stoners (specifically the creators of High Times magazine) to reward the best stoner movies and television shows of the year. Man, those stoners have come a long way.
Whether you like it or not, stoner movies have now become a cult phenomenon. Beginning with the Cheech and Chong franchise and now continuing with the Harold and Kumar franchise, the new Judd Apatow movie coming out called Pineapple Express (the title is in reference to the name of the weed the main characters smoke throughout the movie) and that is just naming a few.
But how are these stoner movies hits when, according to Entertainment Weekly, the first Harold and Kumar only made a mere $18.2 million at the box office, less than Transformers made in a day. So $18.2 million generates a sequel? Well, no. Harold and Kumar did make only $18.2 million at the box office, but their DVD sales grossed more than $60 million. This is coming from a movie that's budget was a mere $9 million. So these movies are actually making mad money. This money-making concept goes for all the other stoner movies like Super Troopers and Half Baked. Maybe the audience (mostly stoners, of course) are too lazy to go to the movies to see the films because they are so stoned all the time that they just wait for the films to come out on DVD. Because of this new cash crop in Hollywood stoner movies are slowly starting to weave themselves into the mainstream and selling themselves as major studio comedies.
This summer is packed with stoner-riffic movies from Harold and Kumar 2: Escape from Guantanamo Bay, to the highly anticipated stoner-action movie Pineapple Express, to even a documentary called Super High Me which is a twist on the McDonald's doc only replacing Quarter Pounders and McGriddles with – you guess it – marijuana. Even Sir Ben Kingsley tokes up in a Sundance award winning movie called The Wackness.
And you don't have to be a stoner to like stoner movies. A sophomore year student at Rutgers who is self-proclaimed as "straight-edge" really enjoys them, "They all play on the stereotypes that we all know and find funny. I'd like to think there's a point to their movies, not just smoking pot."
A high school stoner agrees, "I like them a lot. I think people our age can some-what relate to them, in the type of society we've grown up in and the stereotypes we've seen."
Though many people see a downside to the stoner movies, saying that they are bad influences on kids that sneak into these R-rated films and that they might start up a little puff-puff-pass themselves. The high school stoner is on the see-saw with this concept: "If they see it on television they see it as acceptable. But then again, kid's guardians should really be keeping an eye on their children [with] what they do, who they hang out with, and what they see."
A straight-edger from Columbia College in Chicago vehemently disagrees, "Even without these movies, people are still going to do these things. Parents just need someone to blame. If their kid's screw up, its not the kid's fault it is [the] media's fault. If your high schooler is going to parties getting wasted it is not because they watch Superbad, it's because you (the parent) didn't bother to check to see where your child was all afternoon!"
A mother of a Marymount Manhattan College student who thinks stoner movies "are all the same" defends herself and fellow parents, "It's not the parents'. It's an individual's choice. I think society and peer pressure affects it, but not just from watching a movie either. Even if a parent is strict it doesn't mean that the child isn't going to stray."
But to say all stoners movies are "all the same" nowadays is like saying all superhero movies are all the same. Yes, they started out all the same but that's pretty much because the only stoner movies from the 70's to the 80's for the most part were just Cheech and Chong movies and they were for the most part about just smoking. Take Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke the whole plot is about the two of them unintentionally smuggling a van of weed (literally made of weed) into the United States. Not really much there. But nowadays, yes they still have the same concept: it's usually two or more twenty-something men smoking pot but while doing this an obscure plot develops. For instance, in the original Harold and Kumar it begins with them smoking then getting a craving for White Castle and it turns out they go on this whole journey to get to a White Castle. Harold and Kumar go from riding a cheetah that escaped from the zoo to Harold getting arrested to Neil Patrick Harris stealing Harold's car. Nowadays stoner movies are not always just about weed. The movies usually start out with some weed and then branch out into some crazy adventure.
Stoner movies also helped start-up or reboot actor's careers. Take Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High or Keanu Reeves in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure they started out as stoners now look at them -- A-list stars! Penn is even an Academy Award winner. And Neil Patrick Harris playing himself (but definitely not the "real" him) as a womanizer tripping on ecstasy and cocaine basically got him new-found fame and a role on the television show How I Met Your Mother.
But although these movies have cult followings that maybe be what's holding the genre back. Even though they kill at DVD sales the stoner movies must do at least "okay" at the box office. Which means stoners have to go to the movies to see their movies if they want them to continue being made. Though, considering the sequel to Harold and Kumar cashed in $14.9 million opening weekend and now earned $25.4 million which is more than the first one even grossed worldwide. So it looks like stoners may finally be hearing the message…and slowly putting down their bongs, getting off their couches and going to the movies. So it doesn't look like the stoner movie genre will be ending anytime soon.
Whether you like it or not, stoner movies have now become a cult phenomenon. Beginning with the Cheech and Chong franchise and now continuing with the Harold and Kumar franchise, the new Judd Apatow movie coming out called Pineapple Express (the title is in reference to the name of the weed the main characters smoke throughout the movie) and that is just naming a few.
But how are these stoner movies hits when, according to Entertainment Weekly, the first Harold and Kumar only made a mere $18.2 million at the box office, less than Transformers made in a day. So $18.2 million generates a sequel? Well, no. Harold and Kumar did make only $18.2 million at the box office, but their DVD sales grossed more than $60 million. This is coming from a movie that's budget was a mere $9 million. So these movies are actually making mad money. This money-making concept goes for all the other stoner movies like Super Troopers and Half Baked. Maybe the audience (mostly stoners, of course) are too lazy to go to the movies to see the films because they are so stoned all the time that they just wait for the films to come out on DVD. Because of this new cash crop in Hollywood stoner movies are slowly starting to weave themselves into the mainstream and selling themselves as major studio comedies.
This summer is packed with stoner-riffic movies from Harold and Kumar 2: Escape from Guantanamo Bay, to the highly anticipated stoner-action movie Pineapple Express, to even a documentary called Super High Me which is a twist on the McDonald's doc only replacing Quarter Pounders and McGriddles with – you guess it – marijuana. Even Sir Ben Kingsley tokes up in a Sundance award winning movie called The Wackness.
And you don't have to be a stoner to like stoner movies. A sophomore year student at Rutgers who is self-proclaimed as "straight-edge" really enjoys them, "They all play on the stereotypes that we all know and find funny. I'd like to think there's a point to their movies, not just smoking pot."
A high school stoner agrees, "I like them a lot. I think people our age can some-what relate to them, in the type of society we've grown up in and the stereotypes we've seen."
Though many people see a downside to the stoner movies, saying that they are bad influences on kids that sneak into these R-rated films and that they might start up a little puff-puff-pass themselves. The high school stoner is on the see-saw with this concept: "If they see it on television they see it as acceptable. But then again, kid's guardians should really be keeping an eye on their children [with] what they do, who they hang out with, and what they see."
A straight-edger from Columbia College in Chicago vehemently disagrees, "Even without these movies, people are still going to do these things. Parents just need someone to blame. If their kid's screw up, its not the kid's fault it is [the] media's fault. If your high schooler is going to parties getting wasted it is not because they watch Superbad, it's because you (the parent) didn't bother to check to see where your child was all afternoon!"
A mother of a Marymount Manhattan College student who thinks stoner movies "are all the same" defends herself and fellow parents, "It's not the parents'. It's an individual's choice. I think society and peer pressure affects it, but not just from watching a movie either. Even if a parent is strict it doesn't mean that the child isn't going to stray."
But to say all stoners movies are "all the same" nowadays is like saying all superhero movies are all the same. Yes, they started out all the same but that's pretty much because the only stoner movies from the 70's to the 80's for the most part were just Cheech and Chong movies and they were for the most part about just smoking. Take Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke the whole plot is about the two of them unintentionally smuggling a van of weed (literally made of weed) into the United States. Not really much there. But nowadays, yes they still have the same concept: it's usually two or more twenty-something men smoking pot but while doing this an obscure plot develops. For instance, in the original Harold and Kumar it begins with them smoking then getting a craving for White Castle and it turns out they go on this whole journey to get to a White Castle. Harold and Kumar go from riding a cheetah that escaped from the zoo to Harold getting arrested to Neil Patrick Harris stealing Harold's car. Nowadays stoner movies are not always just about weed. The movies usually start out with some weed and then branch out into some crazy adventure.
Stoner movies also helped start-up or reboot actor's careers. Take Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High or Keanu Reeves in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure they started out as stoners now look at them -- A-list stars! Penn is even an Academy Award winner. And Neil Patrick Harris playing himself (but definitely not the "real" him) as a womanizer tripping on ecstasy and cocaine basically got him new-found fame and a role on the television show How I Met Your Mother.
But although these movies have cult followings that maybe be what's holding the genre back. Even though they kill at DVD sales the stoner movies must do at least "okay" at the box office. Which means stoners have to go to the movies to see their movies if they want them to continue being made. Though, considering the sequel to Harold and Kumar cashed in $14.9 million opening weekend and now earned $25.4 million which is more than the first one even grossed worldwide. So it looks like stoners may finally be hearing the message…and slowly putting down their bongs, getting off their couches and going to the movies. So it doesn't look like the stoner movie genre will be ending anytime soon.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
juno (don't read if you don't want to read spoilers)
So I know people either love or hate Juno. I realize that it is the most unrealistic teen pregnancy movie ever. No sixteen year old would ever be that calm and be like "Oh yeah, I'm just gonna get some stretch marks, tear my vag, just to give the kid away." Don't think so. But I have to be honest, I do really like this movie. Because it's a happy movie. In the end, you feel so happy for Vanessa with her new baby and Juno and Bleeker. It's the most adorable movie ever. Bleeker is the only character that isn't in the movie much and doesn't have much development...or so you think. But it's so clever because the connection between Mark and Juno is obviously because Mark is pretty much the older version of Bleeker. (Common sense, duhhh Bateman is Cera's dad in Arrested Development so it makes it even easier to connect if you're fans of the show.) So it's so cute when Bleeker and Juno finally end up together. But all the characters are so well developed I don't think I hate any main character at all they're all so good. You're behind every one of them. And it's a great movie about a family. I was watching the special features of behind the scenes shiz on the movie and they call this family, the MacGuffs a "dysfunctional" family. I completely disagree. What's so dysfunctional about them? They have weird names like Juno and Liberty Bell? The dad's married to the step mom? That's like normal in today's society. And the way the whole family backs Juno. I seriously don't remember a Step Mother actually NOT playing an antagonist. I even think Brenda might even be my favorite character just because of how great she got down the "mom" role. Forget about the "step" part, as you learn from this movie the mom doesn't have to be biological. Plus every scene she's in she has an excellent line "Go fly a kite!" "Doctor's are satists that like to watch lower people suffer" (or something like that). Again, she is definitely the most developed step mom in a movie that I've ever seen that's not a witch or a bitch. And everyone is talking about the language of Juno...that's what makes or breaks this movie for most people that I know that have seen it. And yeah, most people didn't talk like that when you were 16 but uhhh you did have your own lingo between your friends right? Maybe not that clever or witty, but movies are a bit overexaggerated.
So I saw the movie originally in theatres and thought it was adorable but didn't love it, now watching it again, I understand it. It's not supposed to be realistic or taken seriously at all. It's just supposed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside and fall in love with the characters at the end.
So I saw the movie originally in theatres and thought it was adorable but didn't love it, now watching it again, I understand it. It's not supposed to be realistic or taken seriously at all. It's just supposed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside and fall in love with the characters at the end.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
mtv and britney spears
Whatever happened to good dare I say mind-blowing MTV award show performances? Seriously. The day Britney went crazy was the day MTV died. To put off the 16 pages I need to do by Thursday even further I was watching old school Britney on youtube. I was never a hardcore fan or even really that big of a fan but her dance moves were definitely something to watch. She had the most shocking VMA performances ever aside from the original "Like a Virgin" performance but the remake with her, Christina, and Madonna was a pretty good comeback to say the least. But seriously, does anyone even watch the MTV award shows anymore? if you do, do you watch them at all for the performances? Aside from last year's Britney "comeback" which everyone knew she was going to fail at and just wanted to watch her basically crash and burn...Which is pretty much the exact opposite reason we watched them in the beginning. We wanted to watch someone put on a spectacular show and no offense to anyone else but Britney always delivered. When you thought she couldn't beat the strip scene of "Satisfaction/Oops" she comes back and kisses Madonna. Which was pretty much the most talked about thing that year. It kind of makes you wonder that if she didn't go nuts what would she have topped that with. I mean of course now there's the new generation of Rihannas and Chris Browns but no offense to them...they're kind of dull. Don't get me wrong, I saw Rihanna live (for free) and she exceeded my expectations but during like award show perfomances it's all fireworks and fog machines and yawns. Chris Brown's dance moves are off the hook...but his songs? Not as catchy as "(You Drive Me) Crazy" or even "I'm a Slave 4 U." Britney had it down. She wasn't that good of a singer but good enough that the songs were catchy and got you going and she of course had the dancing nailed down. In fact, now that I think of it, people always diss the 90's with the boy bands and the pop princesses but at least they tried. Nowadays what do you see? Is anyone even really dancing that much? Or even singing? I am sick of people coming up with "songs" about jeans and boots with fur when it doesn't even come with a dance!! Even the dances of today: Soulja boy? What the fuck is that? Seriously. It's just a few feet taps and arm swings and a "superman." Come up with something more clever, please for the love of God. Even Justin Timberlake is turning ghetto. What is going on with this world? At least if you turn ghetto don't do the cheap dance moves just rap and make it good. Learn from Kanye West, goddamnit. I bet he could put on a show and by show I mean old school Britney VMA mind-blowingness.
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