Movie Review Sunday: Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

It's Sunday....and it's time for a movie review! And yep, I selected STAR WARS! Let me tell you, I am going to hate working at the video store this week...with people constantly wanting Star Wars...and us not having it in. It's gonna be a nasty week in video store land.

Star Wars Episode III
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen
Director: George Lucas


Do I really need to give you a plot overview? It's episode three in the Star Wars series...which sets up the ultimate battle between the forces of good and evil...between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in the three following movies.

Yes, I gave this movie a 2 star rating...and here is why. Did I think it was a horrific movie? No. Did I think that the effects were pretty good? Yep. So...why 2 stars? Well, I will say...I am not a Star Wars girl...I don't think the movies are some god like icon when it comes to film. I think they are pretty overrated actually. But, I was actually looking forward to seeing this film. I had some real high hopes. I wanted to see the transition of Anakin from this idealistic, innocent boy...into the Darth Vader we knew him to be in the following films. We all knew it was coming...and I was really looking forward to watching that transition...how becoming obsessed with power warpes someone's sense of everything...so that all they see is obtaining that power at all costs. Well...none of that really happened. There was no slow change for Anakin...they seemed to be little or no confliction for him. He went from saying..."No, killing is wrong..." to this dark obsessed killing machine is about 2 minutes flat. The thing I was looking forward to most...what I thought would be the thick of the movie...was just blown over. So, for me...the movie was a huge disappointment.

I know...the Star Wars people are putting an evil hex on me right now just for writing this! lol

Have fun at the movies...and don't forget the popcorn!

tagged

Oops...I forgot to do my movie review this sunday. I was busy moving and painting and stuff, so I just forgot about it. I did see Bewitched and House of Wax...both were so-so. I would write reviews, but I am not in the mood really,

Heather tagged me on her site to fill out this little online thing...so, here it is:

10 years ago it was 1995, I was.....
In my freshman year in college.
Best Friends with Morgan.
Barely knew who I was...and had the self esteem of a gnat.
About to vote in my first election.
Wanted to be an elementary education teacher.
Driving nothing...bumming rides off friends.

5 yeara ago it was 2000, I was.....
In my first year in grad school in Indianapolis.
Loved John Mellencamp...the music and the man.
Lost 50 pounds.
Working at a homeless day center.
A radical feminist.
A vegetarian.
Didn't believe in best friends anymore, but had some really great ones.
Wanted to be a social worker and make a difference in the world.
Driving a 1990 Olds Cutlass Ciera.

1 year ago it was 2004, I was.....
Back in New York...and wondering where I was going to fit.
Working as an Americorps member at the local county...loving it even when it breaks my heart.
Working at the local video store...and loving it, most of the time.
Gained 40 pounds back.
Still a radical feminist, but not as idealist.
Working surrounded by republicans and still surviving.
Still a vegetarian.
Still wanting to make a difference.
Living with my parents...aurghh!
Driving a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am.

Yesterday, I was.....
Still working for the county...for real money now.
In drug court for hours with one client.
Hoping I still make a difference.
Still working at the video store...I love the free rentals.
Still a vegetarian, radical feminist...and yes, a liberal.
Have my own apartment...I can afford one now.
Still driving my Grand Am...and almost done paying for it.
Watched a woman with a .43 BAC get arraigned and sent to jail.

5 Songs I know all the words to.....
I know the words to SO MANY songs! Here are 5:
Void in My Heart, John Mellencamp and every other one of his songs.
Hurt, Johnny Cash's version
Every song by the Beatles
Fare Thee Well, Indigo Girls
The Luckiest, Ben Folds

5 Things I would do with 100 million dollars.....
Open a homeless shelter in town
Pay off my school loans
Buy a mini-cooper
Take a vacation to see my brother and nephew
Buy a home....this paying rent thing is for the birds.

5 places I would love to visit.....
London
Ireland
Australia
Seattle
Africa

5 Things I would never wear.....
4" high heels
a tube top
a "Vote Bush" t-shirt
leg warmers
super short skirts

5 Favorite TV Shows.....
24
Alias
Lost
South Park

5 Bad Habits.....
Eating too much
Talking too much
Procrastinating
Not returning emails/phone calls like I should
Not cleaning as often as I should

5 Biggest Joys.....
My family
My nephew, Alex
a good laugh
Talking about things that matter
great friends

I tag Jen and Kelly...and Matt (if he hasn't already been tagged).

bleck...

I still feel crummy....I left work a smidge early today and headed home to take a nap. I just feel exhausted...which is usually a cold, hard sign that I am in fact sick. The thing that sucks is that tomorrow I have the busiest day EVER at work....so, even if I wanted to stay home...it isn't really an option.

So, I am going to grab another nap...watch a cutesy movie...and hope that I feel better tomorrow.

nitey...

snuffly....

I kind of feel like I am getting sickly...my nose is all stuffy....and I can feel a cough coming on.

Me no likey.

*sniffle, sniffle*

Movie Review Sunday: Batman Begins

It's movie Sunday again....and I only got to watch one movie which is coming out on Tuesday this week, so my pick is:

Batman Begins
Starring: Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Michael Cane, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman
Director: Christopher Nolan


A quick plot review is that this is a different take on the beginning of the Batman legacy. This one is much more dark than the previous ones...there weren't mixed moments of comedy and dances to Prince numbers in this version of Batman. *giggles* It's basically the story of Bruce Wayne (Bale) watching his parents die at the hands of a desperate mugger...and then he becomes obsessed with revenge. Wayne leaves Gotham City for 7 years...and learns how he can use his sense of vengeance and wanting to fight injustice to make Gotham into the city that his parent's invisioned. When he returns to Gotham, he has Alfred (Cane) by his side along with Lucius Fox (Freeman)...who help him create Batman. And of course, he has the pesky DA Dawes (Holmes) to be in love with...and of course to save from time to time. Batman fights evil...you know the rest.

That's a pretty snarky plot overview...eh? Well, in actually...I liked the movie. I liked how it explained the darker sides of Batman and how he is always on the brink of giving in to vengeance and just smoking out the evil-doers, but that he realizes that he only becomes one of them when he does that...as his father taught him. I like how it shows Batman flawed...which we rarely got to see in the first go around of the Batman movies. I liked that the batsuit had NO NIPPLES! I thought Christian Bale was a great Batman...and played the mix of hero and tortured soul well. I am usually quite creeped out by Christian Bale...since his performance in American Psycho, but I thought he was quite charming and effective in this role.

I thought the Katie Holmes ADA character was a non-factor in this movie...they didn't make it the case for how important these two characters were to one another in it for me. I am sure they will develop this more in future movies...but I just didn't care if they ended up together in the end in this one...unlike Spiderman...where the audience was cheering for Spidy and Mary Jane to actually get together.

I thought Michael Cane and Morgan Freeman who amazing...as always. I wish I got to see more of Morgan Freeman.

And..I haven't read the DC comic books...so, I don't care if they are accurate..if they somehow betrayed the sacred comic. I just wanted a good movie...and I think Batman was that...good...not great...but definitely good.

Have fun at the movies!

my fat is holding on....

You know that weight loss thing I complain about every once in a while...well, I am officially sucking at it.

I just haven't focused on it...I am NOT working out...I AM eating pizza...I am NOT logging the food I eat...I AM eating Halloween candy....I AM the suck.

I just know I am not taking this seriously...even though I know how to do it and I desperately want it.

So, I am giving myself a couple weeks of officially not thinking about it...cause I am moving into my new apartment. I have to believe that once I get my own place again...I did really well once before. I just gotta make myself get back to it.

What kills me even more...I wasted so much money ordering Nutrisystem for two months. I am still just as fat...and unfortunately, my checkbook isn't fat as well.

Grrr....

My Name Is Earl

Are you watching it? It seems to be the IT show this fall....it is the show everyone is talking about and seemingly everyone is watching.

At work this week...this show has come up in conversation at least 3 or 4 times.

Yep, I watch this show...I love it. I think it is divine.

I love it because it has Jason Lee in it. I LOVE him...the huge, geeky Kevin Smith fan that I am...makes it so I adore Jason Lee. I think he is quirky, smart, funny...and hella cute too. I just love his sense of humor...so, I was hopeful that I would like the kind of TV show that Jason would do.

Two, it is so funny...I love the concept of a former slickster...who know wants to make the world right from all of his wrongs...and of course, all of his amends tend to go a little awry...because that is what makes it hella funny.

The show is so awesome...if you haven't seen it yet...check it out. It is on Tuesday nights at 9pm. I haven't come across anyone yet who didn't think it at least made them chuckle.

crappy sports fan am i....

The Yankees LOST...I know I am petty and a bad sports fan for taking such enjoyment in the Yankees demise...but, well...I don't care.

I watched Game 5 last night...with my fingers crossed....not because I really wanted the Angels to win, but because I was desperate for the Yankees to lose.

Now, I officially don't care a smidge about who advances to the world series...and who wins.

*winks*

I did giggle when I saw Denis Leary on Live with Regis and Kelly Lee yesterday...and he came out ranting at how all he needs is for the Yankees to lose...how that he is praying for the Yankees to love game 5. Yep, it made me feel a smidge better. lol

Movie Review Sunday: Unleashed

It's Sunday again...so yep, once again it is a review for a movie which is coming out on Tuesday. This week, the movie is:

Unleashed
Starring: Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins
Director: Louis Leterrier



Here is a quick plot review for ya: It's about a slave named Danny (Jet Li) who has lived his whole life...basically raised to behave like an attack dog. He breaks free from his "owner" (Hoskins) and goes to live with the kind hearted, blind, piano tuning Sam (Freeman). Unfortunately, his owner finds him and is hell bent on getting him back and using him to win these gladiator type fights. Now, Danny has to try to break free from his slavery and return to the "family" he has found.

I will be honest, I rented this movie...thinking I would not like it....AT ALL! Usually, anything martial arts-esque, I do not enjoy. To me, the lack of plot is a real turn off. Those movies just seem like one fight sequence with a smidge of plot in there to get you to the next high flying fight sequence. I often get frustrated that martial arts films are 96% fighting and 4% plot...give or take.

Having said that...I really liked this movie....it had a really interesting plot and wasn't just chuck full of aweing fight sequences. Jet Li was awesome in the fight sequences he was in, but they always seemed appropriate and well placed. Also, it has a really full plot...and there was 40 minutes to an hour of the movie which was all about Danny finding his own way...and no fighting whatsoever. I got hooked by this film...and I found myself caring about the characters (which I usually never do when it is about high flying kicks and martial maneuvers).

I think this is a movie that people will enjoy...at least I did.

Other Movies Coming Out On Tuesday:

Kicking and Screaming: It's a Will Ferrell movie...so, it's what you think it is...except, sadly it is more dumb than funny for the most part.
Kingdom of Heaven: Didn't see it...but Orlando Bloom is pretty, but I am sure that the girls will likey.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: Didn't see this one either...but seems cute in a very Now and Then way.

Have fun at the movies!

a list encompasses it all...

Hey y'all...I haven't posted since Tuesday, so I thought I would let you know what has been going on in my life...hence the listy list!

The Red Sox are out of the playoffs....they unfortunately got swept by the Chicago White Sox. The Red Sox just weren't the team they were last year...but I still love and support them none the same. Their pitching was not good by the end of the year...it just wasn't consistent...and sadly, the Red Sox can't win without a strong bullpen. We'll just have to wait for next year to see the Red Sox play again. And now...I will admit it, I am a bitter fan. I don't really care who wins the World Series...I just don't want the Yankees to win. One, I don't like them. Two, there is this chump at work who is a huge Yankees fan...and I would love to see the Yankees lose just to SHUT HIM UP! I saw a bumper sticker the other day...and it sums it up well. "I root for two teams...the Red Sox and whoever is playing the Yankees." lol

I now have an apartment...I signed a lease this morning. It is a nice, little 2 bedroom just about 2 miles away from my day job. It was within my price range and it seemed like the right apartment for me. I am SO excited to be moving out of my parent's house. I adore my parents and loved that they allowed me to live with them...but I desperately miss my independence. Independence...here I come!

I had the shift from hell at the video store yesterday. Saturday is was pouring rain all day long...and as you might guess, when it is raining...everyone and their brother goes out to rent a video to veg while the rain is pouring down. So, I knew it was going to be busy, but you have no idea. I was on shift with the new girl...who barely knew the register...and what is worse, she isn't all the emotionally stable. She said that if customers are short or mean with her...she will start crying. Umm...fellow retail bandits...we know that if you can't handle annoyed customers...you SHOULDN'T be working in retail. So, it got crazy busy...and she got way over her head. So, she went on break...even though I needed her because there were 30 people waiting in line...and she came back 15 minutes later and said she couldn't handle it and was leaving. She called the manager...and said she couldn't even wait for him to come in, so she left...and left me alone in the store for about an hour. It was hell...but luckily, the customers were quite nice and understanding. The manager got in...and then our computers went down, so we could no longer accept credit cards, checks or giftcards. It was a mess...a mess. After I left for the evening...looking back, it was quite comical, but during it...shift from hell. My hatred for the video store was pretty high yesterday. *giggles*

I think that's about it...for now!

a work in progress...

It's interesting how something little can end up being a knock to the self-esteem....like when you email someone and say, "Hey, drop me a line...." and they don't.

Or when someone says they will call and don't....

Or when someone just gives you a weird look up and down....

Etc.

In theory, I always want to not let those things bother me...but they tend to creep in there.

Oh well, I am a work in progress.

My pillow is calling my name....nitey!

But wait...excitement...tomorrow, I am going to drive by and check out two apartments. One is a tad bit smaller...but more inexpensive...one is a smidge bigger, but also pricier. We'll see...but whoo hoo independence here I come again.

Movie Review Sunday: The Interpreter

One of the many perks of working at a video store is getting to see movies the week before they are released on DVD. The company wants us to be able to see movies before they come out, so we can tell people what we thought of them...and give recommendations when customers come in.

So, I think from now on...I am going to log on each Sunday and review a movie which I got to see over the weekend...that is coming out on Tuesday. And if by chance, I didn't get to see a new movie over the weekend...I will review an oldie, but goodie.

So, this week....my review is of:


The Interpreter
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn
Director: Sydney Pollock



Here is a quick overview of the movie...without spoiling anything. It is the story of an interpreter at the UN (Kidman) who is being investigated and protected by a member if the Secret Service (Penn) after she overhears an assassination plan while she is at the wrong place and the wrong time...of course, the plot takes off from there and goes in a million different directions, but that is the main point.

I thought this movie was quite good...much better than I expected it to be. I adoringly love Sean Penn...and think in many ways, he can do no wrong (except marrying Madonna of course)! I think the reason I liked it so much...is because it did not go where I expected it to. It covered a lot more emotional terrority than I expected...and, it also showed a female lead in a really strong and conflicted light...instead of someone who is there for the purpose of being scared and waiting to be saved by the male lead.

I would highly recommend that you pick it up when you head out to the local video store this weekend.

2 am ramblings...

My birthday is on Wednesday...I will be 28 years old. It's seems bizarre for me to be verging on 28...this year really has flown by. Do I feel 28? Not at all. I still feel like that 19, 20 year old kid in college a lot of the time...I look young, so I like like a college sophomore a lot of the time as well. It often just feels like the years are slipping away.

I don't really celebrate my birthday, I haven't for the past 6 or 7 years. I have had a few blah and a few horrible birthdays, so I think I decided that it just seems simpler to not recognize it at all....treat it like any other day...because well, it just is another day. It's kind of sad...and cowardly, but it works for me. I think I just like not having expectations on it...since the idea of being let down or disappointed on your birthday just seems like a burden that I don't want to carry. I know that I have people in my life that celebrate me...and that appreciate me...so, that is enough...more than enough.

But...if you wanna get something for me for my birthday...

Here is a list:

1. The Red Sox winning the World Series again this year.

2. a democratic president...someone Howard Dean-ish.

3. For the cable to have NOT gone out during the season premiere of Alias...so that I had to miss it. Grrr....

4. An extra day in the week...just for me to lazy around and do nothing.

5. All food to be fat and calorie free...especially pizza.

Oh yeah...and World Peace while you are at all.

It's almost 2am folks...and the video store gal is signing off. Nighty nite.

Those pesky yankees...

The Red Sox lost tonight...which means that the Yankees officially clinched the American Leage East title for the 8th year in a row since Cleveland lost their game. That sucks...since Boston was leading the division for much of the season, but the good side is that Boston is still in the mix for the wild card game, so their playoff hopes aren't over. And truly...and most Yankees fan will probably hate this and think it is unfair, but the Yankees didn't take it from the Red Sox, the Red Sox lost it all on their own...they lost 2 games to Toronto heading into the last three games with NY...and if they didn't lose those games...or just lost once, then it would have been the Yankees chasing the Red Sox for the lead and not the other way around. I love the Sox...think the world of them as a team...they have spunk and heart, which I respect if they win or lose...but, they are a hurt and tired team right now and the Yankees pounced.

So, if the Red Sox beat the Yankees tomorrow...they make the playoffs. If the Yankees beat the Red Sox tomorrow and Cleveland loses, the Red Sox make the playoffs. If the Red Sox lose and Cleveland wins...then the Red Sox and Cleveland play a tie breaker game on Monday and the winner makes the playoffs...so, there are a lot of outs for the Red Sox to still be playing well into October.

Off to work...