Lick it up, baby. Lick. It. Up.

"Well, fuck me gently with a chainsaw. Do I look like Mother Theresa?"

"Dear Diary, my teen-angst bullshit now has a body count. "

"Seven schools in seven states and the only thing different is my locker combination. "

"When I get that feeling, I need sexual healing."

"Why do you have to be such a mega-bitch?"

"I don't patronize rabbits."

"How very."


Ahhh... Don't you just love such quotable movies? Just finished watching Heathers and I have to say I am walking away from the T.V. quite a happy fellow. That movie was not what I expected it to be, at all. Here I was expecting some typical, funny, teen chick movie but man was I glad my expectations were not met. I'm quite fond of dark comedies, which is why I enjoyed this movie so much. It's got a good story, great cinematography, good acting, and of course, hilarious dialogue. Winona Ryder's a babe, Christian Slater was such a badass, and it's sardonic, dark, witty, and funny. People compare it to Mean Girls and Jawbreaker, and sure while there are some similarities, Heathers is clearly the superior movie and is definitely the reason why both movies exist.Watch it now. 8/10






Also watched City of God a.k.a. Cidade de Deus. I don't feel like writing about it too much. It was a good film in terms of acting and cinematography. And while it is critically acclaimed and holds the 18th spot in IMDB's Top 250, I just can't get myself to like this movie. Now don't get me wrong, I certainly don't hate it. But I guess I just wasn't feeling it. It was very violent and maybe it was a bit desensitizing. Eh, you can't like 'em all.

I spent Thanksgiving eating brownies and watching Street Fighter IV gameplay videos. Exciting, right? It's completely and utterly pathetic compared to last year's Thanksgiving where I had several "movie moments" in the streets/casinos of Las Vegas( I initially accidentally typed in "LOST Vegas" , maybe my subconscious is telling me something.) Sitting lifeless under the dim yellow lights, hearing the melodic yet cacophonous sounds of slot machines, watching countless numbers of strangers pass me by, and smelling the scent of cigarette smoke lingering in the impure air of what is Las Vegas. Then two years before that was a trip to Frisco. Well maybe next year my Turkey day's going to blow all my other ones right outta tha f*cking water! Fingers crossed.

By the way. everything you thought you knew about Thanksgiving was a lie. I learned it in my History 11 class. The true story? No Turkey, pilgrims, big-ass hats, and all that gravy. The turkey is a lie!


BIG SALE TOMORROW=WORK SUCKING MORE ASS THAN USUAL. NO AUDIO TODAY.





Chaos was what killed the dinasours, darling.

Mooovie Monday: The Diving Bell and The Butterfly

God, I love conversations about video games. I haven't had one in a while until today. I love them as much, if not more, than conversations about mooooooovies. Actually, I remember having a conversation with someone in film class about good movies, and that certain conversation basically served as a catalyst to a beginning of a wonderful friendship. :)

Last week sucked. My sisters are in Taiwan and I should have gone with them. I could have had a whole Lost in Translation moment and meet a lonely, disoriented girl who helps me "find myself" in not only a foreign country, but life in general. OOOoooh. DEEP. and totally cliché . but I still love it

Speaking of foreign. I feel the need to write about one of my favorite foreign movies EVERR!
And that is The Diving Bell and The Butterfly or in its original name,
Scaphandre et le papillon, Le. Here's the cover art again because I love it that much and I seriously want to buy a poster of it and put it up on my wall.


I can't even begin to describe just how beautiful this movie is. First of all, it's French, so , DUH, of course it's going to be incredibly artsy. It's also based on a true story! and wow, after watching this masterpiece, it'll be hard for you to believe it. What can I say? It's one of the most heartwarming yet simultaneously heartbreaking films I've ever seen. It would have no problem holding the title of a" life changing movie " because it really is.
So get this, it's a true story of an Elle France editor named Jean-Dominique Bauby. He suffered a stroke in 1995 at the age of 43, leaving his entire body paralyzed with the exception of his left eye. This eye is his only source of communication and he writes his entire memoir by blinking while having someone write out the letters for him. The majority of the movie depicts Bauby describing his once extravagant life as an Elle Magazine editor as he lays lethargically on a hospital bed or in his wheelchair, using only his left eye to detail the psychological pain he is currently in and the imaginations he conjures up in the only part of him left that can still fully function, his mind.

Amazing, right? This flick has a good share of stunning French women as well. There are certain shots of a woman's hair blowing carelessly in the wind and scenes that consist of practically close-ups of their faces. You really get the sense of how Bauby felt about beautiful women; he loved them. The camera work is brilliant, making it seem like you are looking right through Bauby's eyes, or eye, I should say. Of course like every other movie, there's always a particular scene that just gets me every time. In this case, it's the bit with the very pretty nurse speaking to Bauby where she herself, becomes emotional. I'm not spoiling anything, but damn it's beautiful.
If you're very emotional then you probably need to keep a box of kleenex near by, because you will cry when you see this.

This film would have to rank somewhere in my top 5. Maybe 4 or 3? Watch it now. You really won't regret it.

Why I love this movie:
- It's French/foreign
- Beautiful French women
- Incredibly moving and emotional
- Great soundtrack
- Phenomenal acting
- Creative/artistic cinematography
- Based on a true story
- Because it's just soo damn beautiful

movie brilliance: 9/10

Trailer:



AUDIO:

The music speaks for itself. A couple of songs from the soundtrack. Please listen, they are really good songs, especially Don't Kiss me Goodbye. Which reminds me that I still need to buy the soundtrack.

The Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes


Ultra Orange and Emmanuelle - Don't Kiss me Goodbye





Goodbye, baby.

eBay rules

I'm currently addicted to eBay. I just bought a new battery for my laptop, but unfortunately, the battery wasn't the problem. I turn my laptop on and it subsequently shuts itself off. How shitty. Anyway, I was on my way to winning Resident Evil 4 (Wii version since I already own the PS2 one) and I bid 21 bucks for it. I was then outbid by some douche. He bid 22.50. So whatever, I just bought it from another account for 21.99, and there was no auction involved. Just a "buy it now" So i'm glad. Also, I'm scouring for a flat screen T.V. for my room. 19" perhaps, so I'm on the lookout for that.

Squid and the Whale did not disappoint. It was a very funny and intellectual movie.

lackluster entry from a lackadaisical (oooh A.P. Lit word!) person.

AUDIO:

Aerosmith - Crazy
Alicia Silverstone was such a fox back then, but I've always been partial to Liv Tyler. She's damn beautiful and ranks high on my list. I miss the 90's. God, I love this video.





Just because: Björk - Hunter. Awesome.

cigarettes where they belong (take deux)

I don't even know why I did it. It didn't do shit for me besides leaving a nasty scent my hands. Eh, the lame things that teenagers do. All that matters is now I officially did stop. :) So there's a pack of half empty Camel Crush cigarettes sitting in a trash can at Pierce college in front of the 1400s if anyone needs to know. Also a half empty pack of Marlboro Lights in a dumpster somewhere in Van Nuys. The lighter and matches are included.

on a happier note, netflix came in today. And I'm looking forward to watching The Squid and The Whale.

I don't really know what to expect but look at that cool font they used for the title! How indie of them. I get a slight feeling of Little Miss Sunshine. I don't know, I guess I'll see.

I'm kind of dreading work but at the same time I really want to make some mooooolah. I have a tiny fear of the cash register.

When the hell is change coming??

ALMOST FORGOT!

I reeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaally( and i can't stress the word "really" enough) wanted to title this entry "Review this record warden, and by record I mean vagina." That genius of a line is from the oh-so awesome VH1 reality series Scream Queens. Although I missed the second episode, I haven't once been deprived of any side-splitting hilarity that this show is obviously obligated to serve up. I guess it's just me but there's something about VH1 reality trash that I genuinely enjoy. I'm talkin' to you, Rock of Love: Charm School. I hope I'm not alone in watching this shit. Well, evidently not, since shows like these are still on the air. Anyway, I recommend this show to anyone who doesn't mind watching a group of girls( some are quite easy to look at) placed in comedic situations that all fall into the topic of horror. They're all competing to be in the next installment of Saw, which is Saw VI. I like horror films so that's another redeeming quality I think this show has; each episode explores a type of event that would typically happen in a horror film, be it campy or legit. So, if nothing else is on, WATCH THIS!

P.S. I miss Kylah. lulz!

the faux trailer

& an excerpt from the show

RANDOM VIDEO FROM BEFORE I WAS BORN:

A Flock of Seagulls- Space Age Love Song

BANJO OUT.

Mooovie Mondayss: Lost in Translation

Look what I saw outside my balcony. Awesomeness. It almost looks like a pink comet came crashing down from above.

Mondays suck. So I came up with a tiny idea to ease my Monday pains, even if only for a moment. MOVIE MONDAYS. I thought I would write about one of my favorite movies on every Monday. I am a movie guy. I am incredibly visual and have mostly photographic memory. So it isn't very hard for me to become completely attached to a movie while it's playing, or even after I've finished watching it. I was thinking of majoring in film. Eh..

One of the movies that I really felt emotionally attached to was Lost In Translation. This movie inspired me. Well Sofia Coppola is an amazing director to begin with, so the fact that she also wrote the script showed me what beauty and poignancy she is capable of writing down on paper, and also translating it into film. Her preceding movie, The Virgin Suicides, is also directed beautifully and her trademarks (the sunlight passing through leaves and moving shots from inside a car) are very present in both movies. She also has a way of portraying such real emotion in the subtlest of human actions. Not only that, but she has VERY good taste in music, which is another reason why this movie and miss Coppola herself is so damn great. Although I did fall asleep watching Marie Antoinette, but I forgive you, Sofia.

Lost in Translation is set in Tokyo, Japan ( yet another reason why I love this movie oh so much) and involves two characters who are both not only "lost" in a foreign country, but also in their own lives. Scarlett Johansson is obviously a very attractive woman, but I don't think I've ever seen her more beautiful than she is in this movie. Bill Murray is perfect for the lead role, which is no surprise since Coppola wrote the script with him in mind for the role anyway. The two have good chemistry and their characters' relationship is quite odd and quirky, but you begin to understand that they both needed each other in a way.

Charlotte is lonely and depressed living with her husband John, who's always out doing work as a photographer( I also liked the movie just because it has a photographer named John) and Bob Harris is a washed up actor who now resorts to doing cheesy wine commercials for Japan. It's a very simple plot really; they meet, they connect, they form a bond unlike any other. There are some very profound scenes in this movie that can sway the viewer from being completely bored and uninterested into being an instant lover of the film. Don't get me wrong, this movie isn't all piled up with deep or artsy scenes, which is a good thing in my opinion. There are some incredibly hilarious scenes that almost( if not entirely) mock the Japanese culture. ( "Lip my stocking!" is a favorite of mine.) Sure there are people that view this as "racist." But so what? Nowadays anyone can point out anything and declare it to be "racist." There's also a brief nude scene which is basically just a shot of tits and ass on a stripper ( she does this really funky dance to a Peaches song, lulz!) which is why the movie is slapped with an "R" rating. Overall this type of movie will have people dropping words like "boring" or "pretentious" all over it, or people who appreciate slow-paced and thoughtful movies that enjoy seeing simple stories about human connection and emotion becoming a lifelong fan. I, fortunately, became the latter. This movie also has to have one of my favorite endings in any film I've ever seen.

Why I love this movie:

- Set in Tokyo

- Anna Faris is in it

- Photographer named John

- Amazing actors

- Lip my stocking

- Superb soundtrack

- Beautiful cinematography

- Great story

- About human connections and emotions

- The ending

I rank it either Top 2 or 1 in my all-time favorite films.

So if you're a movie fan and like good movies, please watch Lost in Translation so we can talk about it.

grade: 9/10

Trailer:

AUDIO:

This is the song that was played during "Charlie's" party. It's very danceable so I'm not surprised at the fact that it was also in the dance scene of another movie that I also love, Shallow Hal. "Phoenix" is a band from France and I personally think the lead singer's voice is awesome. Phoenix- Too Young.

This was already uploaded in an earlier entry I wrote, but I'll put the link up again anyways since the song is just that good. My Bloody Valentine's-Sometimes fit in perfectly with the melancholy theme of the movie. The heavy guitars and the soft vocals plus shots of the Tokyo city lights and Scarlett Johansson's slight smirk equals near perfection! Another favorite scene of mine.

Now hold on to your socks here kiddos. This song is funny as hell and very explicit. This particular track served as the song the topless strippers danced to in the movie. Great visuals!

Peaches- Fuck the Pain Away

Bye...

Foreign gem

Yesternight, my siblings and I watched the Jessica Alba version of The Eye, and although she looked smoking hot in that movie( though not as sexy as in Sin City), this American version is definitely no where near as good as the original Asian flick. Disappointed in the lack of scare from the aforementioned movie, my scare cravings were still not satisfied, and I hungered for more! So I decided to look into a movie I've been hearing about for a while, but never had the chance to watch; A Tale of Two Sister or in its original Korean title, Janghwa, Hongryeon.

Creepy right? Fortunately, I found the movie on youtube and was able to watch it. This movie is GOOD. It's definitely not your typical Asian horror flick, it's got some major psychological themes that really keep you guessing. The cinematography is absolutely beautiful. It's got a very artistic style to it, which is what I love most about foreign films. The soundtrack fits in perfectly and the plot is captivating and incredibly complex. It has some spooky scenes, but not done over-the-top to the point where it's laughable which is the case in most asian horror flicks. So if you're looking for a good psychological thriller with a couple of paranormal scares?WATCH THIS! Phenomenal actors, btw. Oh, just a little warning, it can get really confusing.

I'm working on a script. I have been for a while now, and it initially was a book written in first-person, but I had always pictured it to be a movie, so I decided to write a script instead. I don't really know where the idea came from, I guess it was inspired by all these Indie flicks I watched in the past and a combination of my own life. Its original title was Cigarette Smoke but I thought up something else and decided to change it. Well, I kind of like Cigarette Smoke... The Arctic Monkeys actually have a song called "Cigarette Smoke."  fun stuff

AUDIO:

Arctic Monkeys- Cigarette Smoke

Au Revoir.

I Voooted. (Obama becomes our next president)

the sticker's on my bitch. well, technically not a bitch, but whatever.

my voting cherry has officially been popped. 

i voted for O.  And now he's our president. President Obama. :)

pluss..... after getting out of class i noticed that the sky looked especially pretty tonight.

excuse the crappy cell phone quality, my cell phone has crappy cell phone quality. this crappy cell phone quality of a picture does absolutely no justice for the sky's actuality.

AUDIO: 

screw political shit, i want to share some music that mirrors the beauty of the sky I witnessed earlier tonight. I'm thinking Blonde Redhead. Or My Bloody Valentine. I'm reminded of the cover from their album Loveless.

Blonde Redhead has to be one of my top five favorite bands. I always get spiritually lost in their music and lyrics; and I especially find myself entranced by Kazu's vocals. "23" is particularly the song that gives me a feeling of an outer-body experience. Not kidding. The beginning instrumental followed by the fast-paced drumming which is accompanied by Kazu's beautiful croons is enough to get me high. Her vocals just ride so smoothly with the instruments and it creates this very transcendental effect. I always close my eyes when listening to this song. It's like entering a dream. "Impure hair" is equally as amazing. You can hear the despair in Kazu's voice and the overall haunting desperation in the song; but it is done so softly and delicately that the song just seeps into your soul.

Blonde Redhead- 23 

Blonde Redhead- Impure Hair

My Bloody Valentine was around the time when I was but a wee toddler. Luckily, I heard about them during high school and have since then become a fan. "To Here Knows When" turns me into a puddle that just slowly swirls and swirls and swirls and swirls, 'til I eventually just evaporate into nothingness. "Sometimes" was featured in Lost In Translation and this is one of my favorite "in the car songs"; whether I'm driving, in the passenger or back seat looking out the window, on the bus, or on the subway. The vocals are by Kevin Shields, and although the lyrics can be hardly made out since the vocals are so faint, it only adds to the quiet melancholiness and nostalgic aesthetic of the song. It's really quite depressingly romantic. I actually played this song to someone about a year ago and I remember she told me in all seriousness,  "It's just noise." No.. its definitely not "just noise." 

My Bloody Valentine- To Here Knows When

My Bloody Valentine- Somtimes

I've always had a penchant for bands with female vocalists. To me, a woman's voice can flow so effortlessly and beautifully that rarely any male vocalist can equally achieve. Female vocalists can hit notes that don't even sound human, but they can still maintain its dainty quality. They can entice you with their soft moans that gradually envelop your entire being, leaving you trapped and lost in their own voice and words. In other words, female vocalists ftw! And I haven't even began to mention my favorite female lead singer in any band... YUKI CHIKUDATE. More on her and her band later...

Sayonara.

VOTE. DON'T

So election day is coming up. For those of you who are politically illiterate ( like myself), election day is November 4, 2008. Which is tomorrow. This really is a great time to be alive (or so I've been told.) First black president!?(granted, he's only half, but some people still can't seem to acknowledge the fact that he's still pretty much as white as he is black.) A female vice-president??( or as many would say VPILF, ( Vice president I'd like to...) which I think is a misnomer because she isn't even a vice president yet! or might never will be! So she's more of a GILF(governor I'd like to..)

Obama's getting my vote. I really wasn't fond of him at first and I initially was rooting for Hilary Clinton to take the Democratic presidential nominee. I guess it was all the celebrity endorsements Obama was getting. It became annoying. Also, because a lot of ignorant people just want to vote for him purely because he's black ( he's only half damn it!). I actually heard someone say "I'm voting for Obama 'cuz he's not white." wow.

But anyway, the point of this blog is basically what the title says. VOTE! DON'T. I'm simply echoing what my U.S. History professor told my class during one of his lectures. What he said really stuck to me. Too many stupid people are voting. People are deciding who they want as president based solely on their appearance, their commercials, and other pointless shit. Do you really want someone with no political knowledge a part of the process of selecting the next man(or woman) to run the United States of America? I'm not saying only smart people should vote, but I have to agree with what my professor had to say, to some extent of course.

I definitely don't know much about politics. I hate the subject, bleh!! I don't fall into a Democratic or Republican party either. I am a motha fkiing INDEPENDENT. I wrote that shit down on my registration form. Well, minus the "motha fkiing".

YES on Prop 2! I loove farm animals!

plus katherine mcphee is awfully hot.



Also, anyone who votes YES on Prop 8 is a douchebag.

AUDIO:

My favorite male singer-song writer, Sufjan Stevens, has announced many years ago about working on a "Fifty States project" In which he would compose an album about each and every state in the U.S. So far he's done two, and he's got 48 left to go. Yeah...lots of people are saying he abandoned that project, I think so too. So this particular song is from his Illinois album and is about the great city of Chicago, well actually moreso on his adventures there and underlying feelings and bittersweet memories of the place. It has a VERY Christian undertone! It references GOD! But this song iss gollldd! plus there's like 50 million versions of it. Sufjan Stevens- Chicago



PEACE.

Happy Belated Halloween

it's 1 a.m. i can't sleep. so i thought i would write an entry.

Halloween was halloweenish. went to a party and i was dressed as a douchebag wearing a hat that sprouted a single flower.

But what I wanna know: What makes Halloween so fun? (yeah yeah it's over)

Here's why( In my opinion, of course)

top five reasons:

5. Looking ugly is a good thing

Have you ever noticed that whenever people wear "scary" costumes or masks, them being incredibly overweight raises the scare factor by like, a million?? I'm not kidding. I saw this heavyset person wearing some freaky mask and potato sack-like costume wobbling their way across a parking lot. That was literally, the scariest thing I've seen on any Halloween night. Or it could go completely the opposite way and look comical. Ugly is scary, scary is good.

4. Another excuse to throw a party

Except this time, you get wasted in a costume. Unless you're just waaay too cool to wear a costume, right? Yep, you're too cool man, too cool....

3. Because scary things are legitimately cool (duh)

must i really elaborate?? no, i musn't.

2. The over-consumption of candy is justified

It's not Halloween without the candy! ( i repeatedly had to say that shit when giving out candy at work) But seriously. Candy/Chocolates are yummy. Thank god for halloween, you know, its not everyday we allow our children to travel door-to-door to strangers' houses and let them willingly accept goodies from questionable sources. Ahh, to be a child again.

1. Girls have a reason to dress sluttier than they normally do










Yes, that is in fact a slutty nun costume. If you can think of it, then some slut's probably wearin' it. lulz.



jk. no offense. its sexy. keep doin it.



AUDIO:
Here are some treats. To save a song, right click on the link and choose "save as"

-This song is M83's "Car Chase Terror"
I decided to listen to Before Dawn Heals Us to sing me to sleep. Big mistake. This track woke me the phhuk up. It's basically dialogue( which i honestly can't decide if it's done terribly, or brilliantly) and heavy instrumentals.


-This next one is by a band i reeaally enjoy: The Deadly Syndrome's "I Hope I Become A Ghost"
Ahh. The playful introduction of a piano followed by vocals that moan and groan mirroring the content of the song. OOOOOOooooooOOOOOH! Beautifully and jovially haunting is what this song is.


I can't wait for next Halloween. Maybe I should be a girl! Now that's a costume that isn't totally overdone or in any sense has lost its humor or charm at all! Yeah!


Fin.