sadness in my soul

As you probably know, I am a film fan. I love watching films, following actor's careers, and just love the industry overall. This was a sad week for film. Health Ledger died. He was a talented young guy, and I have enjoyed his films so much. From 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU (which I own on VHS) to the upcoming THE DARK KNIGHT, he is someone whose films I always tried to see on the big screen, and I really respected both him and his work. Of course, I didn't know him...I have no real reason to feel upset. However, I find myself mourning for him, for his family, and for the films he might have been a part of. I am still looking forward to seeing THE DARK KNIGHT...but I know it will be strange seeing it somehow. I walked past his street, where his apartment was on my way to rehearsal the other night. I stopped and thought of him as I will remember him. I mean, who can forget in 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU when he sings to Julia Stiles on the bleachers? I couldn't help but smile.

A sad week, and a great artist lost.

photo credit: http://www.heathheathens.net/

major update

Greetings, reader. I am sorry that I have been a bit incommunicado...suffice it to say that it has been a crazy couple of weeks, and I am finally finding myself with a bit of time to update you all on the goings on. First, I started the new job this week....and I love it! I am with an arts organization, which makes me quite happy in my soul. It is busy, crazy, filled with fabulous, creative people, and I am enjoying trying to keep up with it all. I am looking forward to relaxing into things, the more time that I have, and I hope that they are liking me as much as I am liking them! So, that goes well, and I am feeling confident that I made the right choice in taking on this new opportunity.

The other big thing that's happening right now is that I have auditioned and been cast in a community theatre production of THE MUSIC MAN in Manhattan. We had our first sing-thru on Friday, and there are lots of gorgeous voices involved with the project. Our first "official" rehearsal is tomorrow night, and I am quite excited to get back into the nitty-gritty of learning and show. I have actually never done THE MUSIC MAN, and was reminded at the sing-thru of all of the beautiful music involved with it. I will be doing an ensemble track in the show, and we go up in the beginning of April. This is a triumphant return to the stage for me, after taking a five-year hiatus....the last show I did was in Spring of 2003, a production of OLIVER! done in Columbus, prior to my move to NYC for AMDA. I will definitely spill all of the secrets of learning a show after a five-year break!

I have gotten myself to a couple of shows and movies over the last two weeks which has been great. I revisited ENCHANTED with my aunt, and it was just as funny and sweet the second time around. The roommate and I took in the very violent and well done NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. This dusty flick, directed by the Coen Brothers, follows a man who takes money from a drug-deal gone wrong, a scene which he comes upon while he is out hunting. The man is pursued both by an assassin (the very creepy Javier Bardem with a Dorothy Hamill bob) and the sheriff (the amazing Tommy Lee Jones!) who oversees the land where the drug-deal went bad. It is a sad, dark, yet moving film, and if you are a fan of Jones, you must, must, must check it out.

Final thoughts: Dark and dusty, this very well-done film will leave you thinking long after the credits have passed.

This morning, I bopped out of bed to go see an early-bird showing of the new rom-com 27 DRESSES. It was a darling little movie. Katherine Heigl proves she is a movie star playing a woman who has been a bridesmaid in 27 weddings. James Marsden, long underused, plays a journalist who decides to write a piece about her for his newspaper. They meet, sparks fly, yada, yada, there are complications, things get messy, but somehow you just know things might work out in the end. Heigl plays a convincing neurotic, that although you can't help but shake your head at what she allows to happen, you can't help but root for her to get it all together and have a happy ending. Marsden is fabulous (as always).

Final thoughts: Exactly what it needs to be...fluffy and sweet.

my week off

Yes, friends, I am not working this week. After much hand-wringing, I decided to leave my current job for an arts organization position that was offered to me. I am very excited for the change, and of course terrified, but feel like this is a great opportunity for me. The new job starts on Monday, January 14th, so I have a week to clean the apartment, get the cat to the vet, take a voice lesson, get a haircut, and see as many movies as I possibly can. I feel up to the challenge.

My last couple of days at the old job were busy, but good. On Friday, my roommate suggested that we head to the movies, and have a fun night out, which we did. We took in NATIONAL TREASURE, which I had seen, but it was a nice, mindless, fun evening to just decompress, and relax. Tonight, it is the Buckeyes in the national championship game, so I will make Mexican dip, and root for the boys from Ohio. I am not sure what is on for tomorrow. I do know that the high is 62 degrees, so I am thinking I will take a nice walk outside, return some library books and movies, and just see where the day takes me!

Go Bucks!

photo credit: www.osu.edu

dude....that was scary!

So, on my first official day of freedom, I of course took myself off to the movies. I decided to check out I AM LEGEND on IMAX at the 68th street Loews. I went in thinking that this was going to be a psychological thriller of some sort...in fact, it is a scary horror movie! I was pretty freaked out, but liked it none-the-less. Will Smith is the last man in Manhattan. After a virus (which was meant to be a cure for cancer) goes awry, he is the last man standing, and there are scary monsters. He spends his days hunting, waiting for survivors, and trying to find a cure for the monster part. He has a dog, and now I want a dog. (Not really...but the dog is so cute!)

Things to love about this movie? Shots of an empty, abandoned New York City. It is just trippy to watch him getting around, and I actually recognized a lot of places. Oh, and Will Smith is super-ripped. There are some serious jump-fright moments. If you are into that, I think you will enjoy this one.

My favorite moment of the movie is in the beginning when he is in Times Square, they show a billboard for a movie that is coming out in 2010 that is the Superman logo over the Batman logo. it was awesome! If only that movie were coming out....it was very cool.

Final thoughts: Scary, well-done action movie. If you are into that, you must check this out, and try to do it on IMAX if you can. Plus, you have the 6-minute trailer for THE DARK KNIGHT which is interesting. I can't wait for that movie to come out!!!

photo credit: http://www.movieweb.com/

persepolis

On Saturday night, I met with friends from work, and we took in the new film, PERSEPOLIS. What an incredibly interesting, different, and moving film this was. Based on a graphic novel, the film tells the story of a little girl growing up during the revolution in Iran in 1978. She is surrounded by her family, a very politically active family, and she tries to find herself in this world of chaos. As things go from bad to worse, her parents decide to send her to Europe for her education, and to keep her safe. She struggles as she tries to fit in to this new world.

It is so easy to forget how good we have it. Watching this, I couldn't help but think of my childhood, shuttling from school to soccer to choir, meatloaf dinners, and movie and pizza nights. This true story is extraordinary, and this film brings it to vivid life...in animation.

Final thoughts: The animation is fabulous, and the story is moving, uplifting, and heartbreaking all at the same time. One to add to your must-see list.

photo credit: http://www.movieweb.com/

happy new year

Can you believe it's 2008? I am having some serious issues wrapping my head around that, but alas, here it is, 2008. The folks and I flew home on the 31st, and had a low-key night in Columbus. I took them to see JUNO at our local Indie theatre, which we all loved. The film really held up on second viewing. This is definitely one of my faves of the year, and I hope that you will take yourselves out to see it. We picked up some Bexley Pizza Plus, then headed home and watched THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM which I had gotten for my mom for Christmas. Again, another great movie! Then, we kind of did our own thing....and my dad and I watched the ball drop. It was fun, although it was really hard to watch Dick Clark. It is amazing what he has done, and is (as my dad mentioned) an amazing ambassador for those who are recovering from a stroke. However, it can be really hard to watch him, and I found myself a little sad.

At any rate, the new year has come and gone, and I have now returned back to the city. Do you have any resolutions? I do, as I always do, and can only hope that this is the year I get my stuff together. I hope that this new year treats you well, and that 2008 will be a good one!

photo credit: www.movieweb.com