2013 Oscar Noms: Reactions of a Fangirl

Time for some caps lock, guys, and you know they're coming. Here is the full nominee list I am using. Let's do this:

CATEGORIES PEOPLE KIND OF CARE ABOUT:

• LES MIS is a Best Pic nom! Excited and surprised that's become my favorite for this season, I think. 
• DJANGO for Best Pic as well, surprised kind of but also happy. Will this get Leo in a seat at the Oscars??? I don't think so and that makes me want to die. 
• 9 BP NOMS and I have only seen 4, ugh. (LET'S JUST SIDENOTE THAT I LOVE LINCOLN AND ARGO ALSO THERE'S THAT.) I guess I can see Silver Linings easily enough but I am not interested in any of the others really fml. 
• HUGH JACKMAN LANDS HIS FIRST OSCAR NOM FOR LES MIS AND DEF SHOULD HAVE BC HE WRECKED ME GUISE, JUST WRECKED ME, TEARS AND SNOT EVERY WHERE ajsdlkfjaskdfv afdgh
• But DDL will win instead so wahhhhhh (even though I love him, too ... win/win I guess...?) 
• Also, just read an article about JOAQUIN PHOENIX yesterday and how he hates the Oscars so CONGRATS DUDE ON YOUR NOMINATION.
• Oh Denzel surprise didn't see you thar!
• Seen NONE of the movies where are lovely main lady noms come from but my girlfriend JESSICA CHASTAIN is in there so WOO HOO I guess. 
• OH LOOK BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR THIS SHOULD BE WEHRE LEO- wait wut?
• WHAT?
• WUT IS THIS ..? SHOCKING NO LEO DICAPRIO IN THAT CATAGORY OHGOD WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?
• this girl. this girl would have thought. 
• I am so far beyond being ragey about this by now that I just feel a piece of my soul die each year Leo isn't nominated when he should have been so... basically yeah. 
• Each time Leo doesn't get nominated for a great role, it means the Academy has created another horcrux. 
• OH BUT CHRISTOPH WALTZ FROM DJANGO IN THAT CATEGORY? Even though he was arguably the star of the movie? OKAY THAT MAKES SENSE NO BIG DEAL Kasj gkadfhjknsghunfairrrrrrr
• FML bc Leo ain't gonna be at the Oscars look fly in a suit. 
• LOOKING SO FLY UGH
• ANNE HATHAWAY got a nom, OF COURSE, for my fave, Les Mis!!! Hopefully she'll win bc I am so over Amy Adams. I love her but I don't get why people think she's this great actress ..(.I've NEVER been very impressed with her. Just in Junebug and in Catch Me If You Can. The. End.)
• Wow 5 animated noms... snore. 
• Now for the Directing SNUBS, er... I mean Noms. LOOK, NO BEN AFFLECK. AND NO QT? Ok, fine QT, this was not his best work (though it may be one of my personal faves), but BEN... I just think he deserved a nom for Argo over some of the others lifeofpi or beasts, I loved it. Seriously. srsly. ALSO NO HOOPER FOR LES MIS. Just realized...w ut?

AND NOW CATEGORIES NO ONE CARES ABOUT BUT ME! 

• ANNA KARENINA IS IN CINEMATOGRAPHY AND COSTUME OH GOD EXACTLY WHAT IT DESERVES. It was such a beautiful movieeeeeeeee
• (Remember when I had hope for Keira to have an Oscar nom this year? PAHAHA, welp. At least I am not disappointed bc I didn't expect. And won't expect one for a while since she's decided to do that Adam Levine movie with the worst title in history, "Can a Song Save Your Life?" the answer is NO)
• Ugh and I just love Les Mis in costumes, and Lincoln... and I know I was the only one who loved LAWLESS.. but I WISH it were in that category as well bc those costumes were great. Hardy in a cardy 5ever.
• Hey look, documentaries happened this year...
• Argo for film editing... Lincoln too, even though that movie was super long. It didn't feel that long... no Django bc let's be honest, Django WAS too long. but i still loved and enjoyed it calm down sheesh
• ANNA KARENINA FOR SCORE ALSO OH GOD MY HEART.  My love affair with Dario Marianelli knows no bounds. 
• And of course, the only reason they added a song to Les Mis is so they could be nominated for an Oscar and it has paid off. HUGH PLEASE PERFORM IT AT THE CEREMONY OKAY? OKAY.
• AVENGERS GOT A NOM bahahahah forgot that was a thing, guys, I totally did. Yay tech awards, I guess. 
• At least QT got a writing nom. And so did Moonrise, which I am rooting for for my fran who loves that movie. 

THE END. 

The Dark Knight Rises: The Ending

This started as a small response about the ending then turned into kind of a mini-break down Bruce's relationships with the people close to him and a mini-character analysis of Selina... WHOOPS, I don't know.

Seriously read at your own risk, it completely ruins the ending, but I really want to discuss it so...

CLICK THE READ MORE TO READ...MORE. :)

2012 New Years Resolution: See 100 New-to-me Movies

Finally finalized my list of movies to watch this year! I should have seen many of these YEARS ago. Thankfully I have awesome friends with awesome taste who suggested a lot of these to me. I’m going to try to write up a small blurb about my impression of each one as I watch them…. TRY! So we’ll see! Check it out.

1. The Big Lebowski
2. Fargo
3. Book of Eli
4. Amadeus
5. The Hunger Games
6. The Dark Knight Rises
7. The Hobbit
8. London Blvd
9. Dr. Strangelove
10. North by Northwest
11. Little Children
12. All About Eve
13. Sophie’s Choice
14. The Bridges to Madison County
15. The Children’s Hour
16. Harvey
17. The Great Escape
18. Friends with Benefits
19. Cocoon
20. Quills
21. Horrible Bosses
22. Young Adult
23. Casablanca
24. Rebel Without a Cause
25. Taken
26. Sunset Blvd
27. Triplets of Belleville
28. Kiki’s Delivery Service
29. Milk
30. Moon
31. Last Samurai
32. Blade Runner
33. A Beautiful Mind
34. Annie Hall
35. Street Car Named Desire
36. Happythankyoumoreplease
37. The Help
38. Crank*
39. Rebecca
40. 7 Pounds
41. Apocalypse Now
42. Snakes on a Plane
43. Hereafter
44. Take Shelter
45. Lars and the Real Girl
46. Seven Samurai
47. Attack the Block
48. Arsenic and Old Lace
49. Raiders of the Lost Arc
50. The Apartment
51. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
52. Snatch
53. Trainspotting
54. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
55. The Thing
56. My Neighbor Totoro
57. Stand By Me
58. Ed Wood
59. Nausicaä
60. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
61. I Love You, Phillip Morris
62. Old School
63. Midnight in Paris
64. The Amazing Spiderman
65. The Great Gatsby (2012)
66. Hesher
67. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
68. The Five-Year Engagement
69. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
70. Imogene
71. Woman in Black
72. US Marshals
73. O Brother Where Art Thou?
74. Stir of Echoes
75. Howl
76. Flowers of War
77. We Need to talk about Kevin
78. Dark Shadows
79. Men in Black III
80. Rock of Ages
81. The Brave
82. Les Miserables
83. Mesmer
84. The High Cost of Living
85. Cheri
86. The Virgin Suicides
87. About a Boy
88. Billy Elliot
89. Elizabeth
90. My Left Foot
91. Rope
92. Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid
93. Truly Madly Deeply
94. The Beach
95. Rabbit Hole
96. Good Night and Good Luck
97. Drive
98. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
99. Perks of Being a Wallflower
100. Dracula (1979)

Midnight Showing: Deathly Hallows pt 2

This is the week all Harry Potter fans have been waiting for. It's officially the end and my friends and myself have been preparing ourselves all week long. I reread the last part of the book (ending in tears and a serious Snape Character Analysis blog post) and watched all of the first six movies. Others of my friends told me they watched interviews, listened to soundtracks, and did a little pre-premiere crying. It was an emotional time for us all, because let's face it. Goodbyes suck. Especially when it's saying goodbye to something that, for so many, has been a major constant for over eleven years. Many HP fans have never imagined a life without Harry. It's hard to come to terms with something like this. That's why my group of friends wanted to do this last midnight showing up right! Behold the costumes and celebration!

Justin and I went as Snape and Lily. Yes... a walking spoiler. WHATEVER! :)

My best friends Mel, Rocky, and Ashlie. Rocky has a doe patronus on her shirt and it says "Always." Cue tears forever!

Melissa is our very own SlytherDor. Hah!

Here we have my Caty Gryffindor with her new hubby, Justin. I dressed him in those glasses and that tie.

Here we all are waiting in line. 2nd in line, in fact!

There were some Starkids there!

Me and my love, my love, my love.

In our seats! "What the devil is going on herrrrrrre?"

Meagan and her precious husband, Eric, made shirts. SO cute. Hers says "I heart HP" and his says "But I AM the chosen one." Love that quote!

 

Justin and I were so excited for the film to begin (we met because of Harry, after all)! We had great seats.

 THEN, the movie began and we all ugly-cried for a good two hours.

My tears washed the make-up off even my forehead. How does that happen? It was the most heartbroken I have ever been during a movie. It was beautiful, tragic, overwhelming, and wonderful. When we got home, the girls and I collapsed on the floor together. That's us, no make up left... especially me. Gross. 

I've never in my life boo-hooed during any movie ever like I did during the last Harry Potter. It was every thing I could have hoped for. And it was even better because I got to experience with all my best friends and my husband, who all understand just how important and wonderful the series really is. I love you all! And I love you, Harry. Review to come soon!

Movie Trailer: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

To watch more, visit tag

DEAR HEAVENLY LORD I CANNOT EVEN SOMEONE HOLD ME

I am truly going to have to brace myself for the end of this one! I... just..... speechless!

The Hunger Games Casting Reactions

In August of 2010 I wrote a blog that held my suggestions for The Hunger Games movies that were being cast. It's been my most popular entry to date with over 12,000 hits! This is not because I am such a savvy and popular blogger (though THAT would be cool), but really it's because of the huge success and popularity of this amazing book series. People are STARVING for more of it and are so enthralled with what's to come with the movie, they will even look at my silly ramblings about it. (Thank you!)


When I heard that they had cast Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, at first I was a little confused, but then I settled into the idea and was glad. The fact that they went with someone like Jenn, someone who is not very well known but is obviously very talented (with one Oscar nomination under her belt already), shows they are taking this movie seriously. They want someone they know can act Katniss, not just look like her. I kept telling my friends who were skeptical that "talent rather than physicality" is what really counts. You can change her look to fit. You cannot make someone a better actress. This was a great casting decision, in my opinion!


Now the news just broke that they have cast the two main male roles for this film, and I am trying to follow my own statement of "talent before physicality," but it's hard for me to do so! Josh Hutcherson will play Peeta. He was good in The Kids Are All Right - however- HE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE PEETA to me! I am sorry, I really am. I want to be on board, and I can't wait for this kid to prove me wrong... but HE IS TOO SHORT! One thing you can't change about appearance is making someone taller... and he isn't tall enough to fit my mental image (or the description in the book). Also, to play romantically across from Jenn? With her height and figure, the actor opposite has to be a MAN. Josh just... isn't. Next to her... it will not look good. He's not right physically. Like my friend, Matt said, Josh's audition tape must have been EPIC. I hope it truly was and I hope that whatever he brings to the screen blows us away. I am trying to be open minded, but ... it's hard! (I feel so shallow saying all of these things, but... it's true!)

Liam Hemsworth will play Gale. This makes me nervous, not because of the way he looks (I am sure Gale could have looked that way, maybe) but more because all I know about him is he was in the Hannah Montana movie. Also. He is so much bigger and stronger-looking than Josh Hutcherson. I just... but... I can hardly explain why this matters, but... Peeta isn't supposed to be smaller than Gale. Less trained in the way of fighting and hunting? Yes. But he's not supposed to look physically inferior to Gale. I just... I am trying to be gracious, but I ... I don't know how this will work out. I can barley picture it! And when I do... it's not good. People who haven't read the books are going to want Katniss with Gale just because they look more fitting together, physically. I just... I am having a hard time with this!!!

I am still keeping and open mind, because I know that in the past, watching movie adaptations of books I love, things I didn't think would work turned out ok. So I know this will be ok. But right now I am having a hard time with it! Maybe when the shooting actually starts and we see pictures from the set, how they will look in costume, etc. it will be easier to accept. We shall see!

Leave your thoughts in the comments, please. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

The New Hollywood

I've been in a Oscar withdrawal coma for the last few weeks and have SEVERELY fallen down on the job of writing  consistently. For that I apologize and hope no one has forgotten about me! Since the Oscars, and even before with all the nominations, I have been compiling a list of the new generation of actors coming up. I can't wait to see what these young guns have in store for us based on what they've shown us in the last 2 years or so.

Emma Stone has been consistently awesome in comedies for the last few years and finally had her own movie that she carried beautifully, Easy A. Plus it got her a Golden Globe nomination and perhaps landed her the part as Gwen Stacy in the new Spiderman reboot. Jesse Eisenberg has been making movies for a while, but this year he was finally able to throw off the "Michael Cera clone" stigma and show his true acting chops. That boy starred in a movie many feel was the best of 2010 and earned himself an Oscar nomination. Beat that Cera. Jennifer Lawrence, a newbie, gave a rough and rowdy performance in Winter's Bone and got an Oscar nomination first time out. Now her name has been thrown around to star in a few up an coming blockbusters, one is The Hunger Games.

Carey Mulligan, after a wonderful performance in An Education and an Oscar nom last year, starred in a film called Never Let Me Go and landed the coveted role of  "Daisy" in the new Leonardo Dicaprio movie, The Great Gatsby. From a humble beginning as the middle sister in Pride and Prejudice, I'd say Carey is well on her way to super stardom. Then we have Joeseph Gordon-Levitt. I think it could be easily argued that he's part of this. Even though JGL has been in the business forever, this year he's reached a new level of stardom. He's gone above just independent films that, sadly, not many people have seen (So many of them are AWESOME), and has gotten starring roles in huge movies. Last year he was the heart and soul of (500) Days Of Summer, earning him a Golden Globe nomination. This year he was in Inception, one of the biggest blockbusters of the entire year. Now he's landed a role in Nolan's next Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises. This is the beginning of his time!

Chloe Moretz is a young lady that shocked me this year. With the talent and cool head of an adult, this 14 year old has held her own in roles that some actors twice her age couldn't do. I first saw her as the knowing little sister in (500) Days of Summer. Then she became the bad ass Hit Girl in Kick Ass, destroying bad guys with a side of snark. Then most recently she played the solemn, vulnerable, and terrifying Ellie in Let Me In. What she does next, based on what she's has shown, can only be completely awesome. Then there's Hailee Steinfeld who, first time out of the gates, slams home a performance that doesn't just earn her an Oscar nomination at 14, but also allows her to outshine the likes of Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges. Plus she carried herself through awards season with grace and poise. Now she's the front runner or favorite to play Katniss in the new Hunger Games series (I truly hope they pick her!!). She has proven only that she is a force to be reckoned with and the best part is she's so humble she probably doesn't even realize it.

Andrew Garfield is one of my personal favorites of this past year. I saw him in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus and then in Never Let Me Go. I liked him a lot in both, but it was The Social Network where he truly blew me away. I went back and started watching more where I saw him in Boy A. The movie was shaky, but his performance was solid as could be. Now he's our new Spiderman. I cannot wait to see more of what this man can do. Another of my personal favorites is Saoirse Ronan. She was fantastic in Atonement, and then of course in The Lovely Bones. That performance made a believer out of me. Now she's rumored to be in Peter Jackson's newest project, The Hobbit (!!!). And let us not forget the Harry Potter kids, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Rupert Grint. The series is finally (sadly) over and now is the time for these young adults to show us what life is like after Harry Potter. And I have a feeling it's going to be awesome. Daniel is on Broadway, his second stage show. Emma is at Brown University, but just recently took off for "new endeavors," while Rupert is making movies with Emily Blunt and more.

No one can ever see into the future; we base what to expect on the present and the past. Based on all of this, I'd say entertainment has a pretty exciting future. Can't wait for all to come from these guys.

Oscar 2011 Thoughts and Predictions

It's awards season! You know what that means: it's basically like my version of the playoffs with the Oscars being the Superbowl.

I have a hard time calling this post a predictions post because I don't claim to know what will happen on February 27th. Nor will I feel it necessary to say "I TOLD YOU SO" if I turn out right. The way I look at the Oscars is more like watching the NBA finals, than anything else. I know who I hope will win, who I want to win, and I desperately cheer for those teams each year regardless of what the experts say. So what I will do in this post is hit the biggest categories, and talk about how I feel about the nominees!

This year has been unique for me, personally. I have never actually seen all of the best picture nominees before, or even come close. Not even when it used to be just 5 nominees. But this year, by next Sunday, I would have seen 9 of the 10! And not only that, I LIKED most all of the ones I've seen! That never happens either! So needless to say, I am pretty invested. I cannot wait for the ceremony!

BEST ACTOR
Out of the 5 nominated in this category, I have seen 3 of their performances (sorry James Franco, and Javier Bardem). True Grit was so much fun, and I really enjoyed it, and one of the main reasons was Jeff Bridges. His Rooster was one of my favorite characters of the year. Then there is Jesse Eisenberg, who played Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. I've been watching him for a while (my favorite role of his being Zombieland until recently, haha!) and have always liked him. His performance this year made me love him! Very excited to see more of him in the future! Lastly, there is Colin Firth, who played King Henry VI in The King's Speech. I wanted him to win before I saw the movie just because I adore this man. But then I saw this movie and I knew not only did I want him to win, he deserves to win. There is no doubt in my mind that he will take home the trophy next week, and I am excited for that to happen for him.

BEST ACTRESS
Out of these 5 performances, sadly I have only seen three. I REALLY wanted to see Nicole in The Rabbit Hole, but that movie came and left The Angelika so fast I didn't get a chance to! By the end of this week I will have seen The Kids Are Alright, but from what I've been told by my friends, Benning will still not be my front runner. Now I didn't really connect with Winter's Bone overall, so Jennifer Lawrence isn't really on my personal radar, but I thought Michelle Williams was great in Blue Valentine. However, the OBVIOUS winner HAS to be Natalie Portman. I saw Black Swan twice and both times I just sat in awe of her performance. It was really something special.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
I've seen 4 of the 5 nominees in this category. As for Amy Adams and Melissa Leo, honestly, it didn't even occur to me that they could be nominated, let alone that they would be. Let alone that Melissa Leo would be the one winning over and over again... their performances just didn't hit me. I just saw The Fighter again today, and they stood out a little more this time around, but still. I don't feel like either of them deserve the Oscar, although Leo will probably get it. My favorite of this list is Hailee Steinfield from True Grit. Watching this young girl act with likes of Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon and hold her own, even steal focus in some shots... it was just great! Something you don't see often, especially from a 14 year old. If she doesn't win, I'd love to see Helena Bonham Carter get it for The King's Speech.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Did ya see what I did thur? I saved this acting category for last because it's my FAVORITE performance of the year! I've seen 4 of the 5, and by the end of this week I will have seen all 5 of these performances (and I am sure that I will still feel that Andrew Garfield should have been nominated instead of Mark Ruffalo), but I don't even really need to talk about them. Because no matter WHAT, I want Christian Bale to win! Not only does he deserve it, he's been completely under appreciated his entire career. His performance in The Fighter has FINALLY gotten him recognized. Seeing him at all these awards shows this year has surprised me in how gratifying it feels. I feel vindicated, for some reason, after all these years of loving him, knowing he's FINALLY getting the recognition he deserves. And there is NO OTHER performance all year that deserves this award more than his. If he doesn't win it, you guys can bet that I will be off in the world somewhere, trying to keep myself from setting the Academy on fire.

BEST PICTURE
Everyone is saying that at this point The King's Speech is definitely going to win Best Picture, which is so interesting because earlier in the race, The Social Network was the show to beat. I feel like even Black Swan was the front runner for like a week sometime back in December or something. This season has seen lots of twists and turns, and despite predictions and patterns, I doubt the ceremony will be as predictable as it usually is. The only two movies of the 10 I have not seen are 127 Hours and The Kids Are Alright (I'll watch this one this week), so omitting those, here is the list of nominees in order of what I want most to win!

• 8. Toy Story 3 - Wasn't a fan. It was just over hyped too much. I honestly think they should not have nominated this one and given a nom to a better film like Blue Valentine or The Rabbit Hole.
• 7. Winter's Bone - Good. I didn't connect with it, I really just saw this out of obligation, but I didn't hate it.
• 6. True Grit - Loved this one, will buy it on DVD, but I don't think it deserves best pictures. Some are saying it could be an upset because it has second most noms this year, at 10, but I don't want that to happen. I've seen better. 
• 5. Inception - Adored this movie. LOVE the director. I am surprised that this is only number 5 on my list.... but that just goes to show how great this year in movies has been!
• 4. The Fighter - After seeing this for a 2nd time today, I have to say I love it much more than I did before. I think that it's powerful and I wouldn't mind if it got BP! Even though I don't think there is any way it will.
• 3. The King's Speech - This is the juggernaut 12-nom film that will more than likely take this honor. I loved this movie so much, and I won't be upset if it wins, even if it's not my #1. It was a truly wonderful film in every way. 
• 2. Black Swan - Mesmerizing and haunting and upsetting and AWESOME. Absolutely LOVED this film. Dark horse??? Well, I still want it to win. 
• 1. The Social Network - I went into this film wanting to hate it, expecting to hate it, and now here I sit with it being my #1 pick to win BP. I've watched it around 6 times, and every time I like it more and more. I want it to UPSET The King's Speech and surprise everyone!

Now the only thing left to do is to just sit and see what happens! I know what I want to happen, but either way, it will be a fun ride! Awards season is always my favorite time of the year.

On a snow day, the film nerds will play.

Me as the Black Swan! I was so bored today after 4 movies and no way to leave (the ice is still terrible outside), I decided to start an experiment and see just how close I could get to the make up Natty P wears in Black Swan! First, I did the white swan.

Not so bad. There were a few details I missed, and I didn't get to go shopping for this so I had to deal with what I already had.You can't really tell, but I have a whole layer of white shimmer all over the top of my face. In real life you could see it, but my camera doesn't catch it.

NOW FOR BLACK SWAN!

This was actually a lot easier to do than I expected! That black and pattern is achieved completely by my eyeliner pencil.

RARR I am scary! Haha. This one does work. You can see the shimmer a bit better here.

I believe this one is my favorite. You can see the shape of the eye feathers, or whatever much better at this angle.

Ta-dah.
I think I might do it for Halloween now that I know it's totally doable! FUN WITH CABIN FEVER! Don't judge me.

Top 5: Favorite Holiday Movies

It's that time of the year! And every Christmas, I set aside time for each of the following movies. Maybe you will agree. If I leave one off that you enjoy, tell me in the comments!

Elf

This movie is probably on so many people's lists for the holidays, but it's no wonder. Maybe the most adorable role Will Ferrell has ever been in, Buddy the Elf captures the same attitude of Christmas we all had as kids. And there is nothing more fun than a clay-mation Narwhol. 

Love Actually

I absolutely ADORE this movie. I usually wait to watch it during the holidays with the friend I saw it with originally (MELISSA) to keep it special, however, I really want to watch it throughout the year, too. With as many British all-stars as you can fit into one movie, it's no wonder this movie is so entertaining, but also it has a message that is refreshing and sweet without being cheesy. Perhaps my favorite line from the movie is from the beginning: "When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around."

Muppet Christmas Carol

This story has been done SO many ways. I don't know anyone who hasn't heard or seen some sort of version of Dickens' classic story, however, of all the ones that exist, this one is the best, hands down! I get tired of this story REALLY quickly, but for some reason, no matter how many times I watch this version...  I never tired of it. I love it.

Just Friends

I've actually cheated and watched this throughout the year. But it's especially necessary to watch this one during Christmas time. This is one of the funniest Christmas movies I think I've ever seen. There are Christmas songs in this movie, that when I hear them in real life on the radio or something, I laugh out loud. It was my first brush with Ryan Reynolds and I've never looked back, haha!

Lord of the Rings

Yeah, yeah this isn't ABOUT Christmas, but whatever. When I was in high school, I couldn't wait for the next Lord of the Rings movie to come out in theaters. It was always the weekend of December 16th that they were released. Now, every single December I block an entire Saturday off and I sit down from 8:30 in the morning and watch the Extended Editions of all three Lord of the Rings until about 11 at night (if you factor in meals and bathroom break times, it can take that long). It's the BEST. I started this yearly marathon in college my sophomore year when I realized I really wanted to chill out before exams. I organized it into a campus-wide thing and one of our professors let us into the projection room so we could all watch it together on a big screen. There were usually about 25 of us and we were all in our sleeping bags and PJs all day and it was glorious. And it has been every year since. And will be every year in the future.




Now tell me your favorites in the comments! And don't forget you can "like" my blog on Facebook. Just click "like" in the Facebook box to the right!

HP7: Verdict Pending

This is NOT a review! REPEAT: This entry is NOT a review. I am certainly going to have to see this movie another time before I feel confident in writing up what I think of it. I am just going to recount what last night was like with the HP movie release experience with my friends!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows happened last night! And I was there at midnight... well, actually EARLIER. I got to see The Deathly Hallows at a special early screening at 7:30 last night. It was slightly more expensive per person, but all proceeds went to suicide prevention AND we got to see the movie 4 and half hours early!

Starting about a week and a half ago, I started re-reading the seventh book and decided to make it last till the day of the release so I could end right where Part 1 would end. I was successful and felt pretty confident in where they decided to split it. It was the end of one quest and the beginning of another. There is closure ... etc... however, this conversation did happen between Kevin and I:

Me: I love and hate Return of the King so much.
Kevin: lol
Me: I don't want to feel that way with HP7! Those movies are usually not good enough for me to care, but I fear the 7th and 8th will be just good enough to make me miserable.

Return of the King is the movie have the most confusing relationship with because I love it as a movie, but the adaptation is wrong in so many ways! And with Harry Potter, I usually can let the bad adaptation roll off my back because the movies are never good enough to even be in the same ballpark. But the 7th looked like it might be... which is why I made that comment about RotK. Because that one is SO good but SO wrong I love it and hate it at the same time. I didn't want that for The Deathly Hallows!

As I finished out the day at school yesterday, I had a list of things I want to see in the movie and that I had hoped they would do well. They are as follows (only readers should see below as there are spoilers):

1. Dudley's civil goodbye to Harry
2. The seven Harrys
3. Bill existing in the HP movie world for once
4. Bill and Fluer's wedding (this part is so beautiful in the book, I just wanted a nice glimpse of what it would really look like!)
5. Kreacher and Harry's healed relationship
6. Sneaking into the Ministry: HEART ATTACKS ABOUND
7. Ron leaving and Hermione crying for him to stay. That part ALWAYS really affects me.
9. Godric's Hollow: When I read this part (even for the 3rd time) I wept like a small child when Harry finds his parents' graves.
10. The snake coming out of Bathilda and freaking us all the frick out!
11. Ron coming back and Hermione's reaction
12. Malfoy Manor. I wanted this to TEAR MY HEART OUT.
13. Watching the love between Ron and Hermione grow and them being adorable!

As for what I got when I saw the movie, that will come in the review!

I raced home so I could have time to eat a quick meal and then change into my costume. I had FINALLY just ordered Hogwarts robes. I've been going to HP Events since high school and I don't know why I hadn't just invested in a pair... but I finally did. And I really liked how my costume turned out! Justin, my husband, wore his Triwizard Tournament jersey and brought along Harry's wand. Yeah that's an actual artifact that we have decorating our living room. We were ready! We travelled out the The Rave theater in Hurst with Ashlie and Rocky. Ashlie had a very wizard-like ensemble put together, while Rocky was a Slytherin student! I am pretty sure we looked AWESOME. It's always fun to dress up and go to events like this, but it's especially unique to be able to do it with your spouse and your best friends and know they love it just as much as you do.

Rocky and Ash's outfit! Justin in his jersey!

When we arrived, the line for the midnight showing was already wrapped around the building. And it was cold outside, people. Thankfully, as I said, we were able to go to an early show and that line was inside. We walked in, scanning through the line looking for my friend, Meagan, and just as we thought she had gone missing, she appeared... at the FRONT of the line. Best ever! We ended up getting FABULOUS seats. Middle row, middle section, digital projection, awesomeness.

Meagan and me, and Ashlie and me getting snacks!

Harry and me!

After we got snacks, and I enjoyed my first bag of theater popcorn in ages, we all say and discussed what parts we couldn't wait to see. Because this was a special event, they had hired people to be look-alikes and pose with people in pictures. Because of my renewed red hair and my awesome Gryffindor robes, one of the workers came to me while I was sitting with my friends and asked me if I wouldn't mind posing as Ginny. It was fun, and the guy who was "Harry" was hilarious.

As the lights dimmed and it was time, I couldn't help but feel a little nervous. This was the beginning of the end, and I have forgotten what it was like to be in a world where there was no Harry Potter movies or books to look forward to. What will this new world look like after the summer, when Part 2 ends? What if this one isn't what I hope it is, and then I'm let down by the series? It was a scary thought for a bit, as I watched the trailers. Surreal, to sit there and know I was about to see the movie that has been over a decade and hundreds of millions of fans in the making. I couldn't imagine what kind of pressure the cast must have felt with all that was riding on this movie... but I will say, that as it started, a lot of my fears subsided.

REVIEW TO COME SOON! Stay tuned!

Movie Night: Shutter Island!

The Dearings

So my husband and I have started to get together with another FABULOUS newly-engaged (Check out how awesome they are. Yup, that is their Halloween costume) couple for a monthly dinner and a movie night. This month (... we would have started earlier, but since 3 of the 4 of us are teachers, November is the earliest we had energy to do so, haha) we got together for Shutter Island on Blu Ray!

Caty and I have been friends since college, and she's just recently brought Justin into our lives. He's hilarious and fun, just like Caty, and he has a passion for media and things like that. You may have seen him over at his blog: A Media Hero. Since we all love movies, we thought it would be a fun thing to theme our dinner night to our movie choice. Since this was the first one, we didn't really go all out. However, we did stab the delicious casserole Justin made with a knife (if you've seen Shutter Island, you know it's not really about stabbing but... we couldn't shoot or drown the casserole).

Dun dun DUN!

Anyways, it's always fun to watch Shutter Island. For me it is one of my favorite films of 2010 (as can be shown in my original Shutter Island review, click!) AND who doesn't LOVE watching Leonardo Dicaprio? I mean really. But for all others present, Caty, Justin, and my hubby Justin, it was all their 2nd viewing. Those who have seen this movie know that the second viewing of this movie is a completely different experience than the first time! It was fun to see their reactions and talk about it afterward.

So what do you guys think? What should be our next movie night and theme dinner (Christmas maybe??!?!)? Since we'll have more time to think again, we can tie to movie in with the meal more easily. I am excited, and glad to have such fun friends. Holla!

Deathly Hallows London Premiere

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows just premiered today in London and I have pics from the red carpet with a few fashion comments to make. And so the countdown to Thursday at midnight begins!

Our man Harry!

Daniel Radcliffe looked sharp in this black suit and his blue patterned tie. The red poppy is for Remembrance Day. He's clean-shaven and his eyes are the usual bright blue. Perhaps, that's why they chose that color tie. I may have chosen a different pattern for it, or maybe a solid blue... but overall, he looks snazzy for this premiere.

The ginger

I think Rupert Grint looks so cute here! His suit seems to fit slightly awkwardly in the shoulders... or it might just be the length of his hair, but overall I like it. The dark gray shirt looks good, but I think the tie should have been a different color to make more of an impression.

The hottie 

Um.... I kind of don't have words for this. Emma Watson has always been gorgeous, but since when has she been supermegafoxyawesomehot?! (Name that reference and you will be my favorite person!) There is so much going on with this look, and it all works together so well! The lace at the top is sexy, but not slutty. The skirt is flirty and fun and, again, a great length that flirts with crossing the line of too-short, but is a perfect balance. And her LEGS go on forever and are only complimented by those FANTASTIC pumps! Not to mention that her awesome new pixie cut is nicely balanced with long dangling earrings. A+, chick. You have become a WOMAN. 

 We love you, trio!  Cannot wait to see what you have in store for us in the final installment!! 

The tool

Tom Felton looks so good. I love that he is wearing a tan suit! It's different, it makes a statement, and it matches his coloring perfectly. He is absolutely my pick for best dressed guy on the red carpet. Way to go, Tom! You look delish. P.S. THAT blue tie? WIN.

The....vampire?

 Look who it is, it's Chloe Moretz. She was just TOO adorable not to include in this post. I think she looks perfect. Age-appropriate, classy, and more feminine than usual. I love it. And her. 

The crazy B

Oh Helena Bonham Carter? Do true fashion rules actually apply to you? I am sure the Fashion Police on E! will tear you apart, but it's because they don't know the unspoken understanding you have with the fashion world. You're a little nuts, you're basically married to Tim Burton... and you're a totally awesome actress who plays mostly eccentric roles. Therefore, you get to be as weird as you want on the red carpet, from here to eternity. So girl, you WEAR that crazy fucshia wad of fabric like it's a dress, and tease the heck out of your hair until it's stacked a few feet in the air. Then hold a clutch encrusted with rhinestones that is shaped like a Japanese fan while standing pigeon-toed in heels that seem too normal for the rest of your ensemble. Because, babe, NO ONE does Bellatrix like you. 

The GODDESS

And last, but NOT even a little bit least, JK Rowling, the woman who brought us all of these things from her brilliant and wonderful mind and heart. She looks so beautiful! Here hair is a gorgeous color and length, make-up done well, dress flattering and graceful. It almost looks like she is wearing the conservative more mature version of the type of dress Emma had on. I wonder what it must have been like to see here there in real life? Even better, I wonder what it must have been like to be her at this event, knowing that none of this would exist if it wasn't for her. What an overwhelming feeling it must be to know that your creation has taken on it's own life and grown to this magnitude! I am so glad it has!

Is it November 19th yet?