So it doesn't mean 500 days of actual summertime?

No, it doesn't, but that didn't mean that "(500) Days of Summer" was any less fun (and poignant) than a memorable summer day (is that too cheesy? Because I don't think this movie is). Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt bring great chemistry to the screen in this pretty awesome screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. It starts out quirky and cute, and features the narration of a deep-voiced, wizened man introducing us to the main characters, Tom and Summer (of the title). Kind of like a good book does, it gives us some simple facts about each of them- what their backgrounds are, what they did as youngsters, even how tall and what size shoe Summer wears. It's an admirable change from the typical openers of many movies. It draws you in a bit more into caring about these characters, especially Tom. And though it should be noted that the movie jumps around through the 500 days of Tom and Summer's relationship, it doesn't leave the viewer feeling too jilted. In fact, in the same way someone might prep themselves for a first date by recalling past horrors and depression, this movies preps us for Summer and Tom's relationship by letting us know that all does not, in fact, end in roses.
One of the earliest scenes is that of Tom mechincally breaking dish after dish in his kitchen as his two buddies watch on. His precocious young sister is called in to help diffuse the situation, reminding him that he'll find other girls, that Summer wasn't perfect, that just because two people share a taste for the same quirky music doesn't mean they are soul mates. And just because we know that things may not end up the way Tom wants them doesn't mean watching Tom and Summer first get together isn't any less exciting. One of the best scenes is shot with old-school Hall & Oates blasting in the background, and it occurs just after Tom and Summer have had their first sexual encounter. What happens as Tom walks to work the next morning is both liberating and hilarious, and in lesser hands might have seemed corny, but with director Marc Webb, you want to jump right in and join the party.
The movie allows you to leave still hopeful that love that can last is out there, even if it doesn't work out for everyone. It's somewhat insipiring that a movie that shares an affinity for "The Graduate" and "The Seventh Seal" can still leave you hopeful that all that it takes to find the right one is reading a book in a deli and catching the eye of the stranger next to you.

Esther has a secret. Maybe she should see a priest.

I don't even know if a priest could help Esther, she's so far gone. How can a nine-year-old have that many problems, you ask? Well, therein lies the secret, and I'm not going to divulge it to you. You'll just have to see the movie. Which was kind of fun- a little bloodier than I expected, and a little less eerie than I'd hoped (I was thinking more "The Sixth Sense" or "The Others" type thrills). "Orphan" is a decent movie, although it falls victim to far too many horror movie cliches- Violence towards animals? Check. Drives mommy crazy while plays little angel for daddy? Check. Runaway car with helpless child trapped inside? Check. You get the idea.
I began to suspect Esther's secret a little before it was about to be revealed to the audience. Yeah, it's kind of far-fetched. But, duh, this is a horror movie, so everything gets stretched a little thin.
I'd also like to mention the abusement of product placement. When you are more focused on the Lexus SUV than what the character is doing, that's not good for the movie. Good for the product maybe, but mostly I'm just annoyed by Lexus, and I like their cars!
Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard, who play the troubled couple seeking to adopt in order to move past a family tragedy, are solid in their roles, except that I don't know what happened halfway through the movie to Sarsgaard's John. He's likable and fatherly, and then becomes kind of a jackass, distrusting his wife, making her think she's crazy, almost forcing her to go into a locked rehab ward... I guess this really isn't his fault, but that of the writer.
There are a few shockers that you don't quite expect, but all in all, it follows pretty much standard horror procedure. You know, like when you start to relax a little, and then there's another jolt to the system to remind you of where you are.
As for director Jaume Collet-Serra ("House of Wax"), who lingers long enough on certain objects to make you think they might come alive, he could heave cut at least 15 minutes from the film and for the better. It drags, especially towards the beginning, which is where you're really trying to hook your audience. Just because you are developing a story in suburbia in order to lull the viewer into an artificial sense of complacency doesn't mean they are going to jump higher when that first splatter of blood comes along.

LOST - The Best TV Show EVER?

So, I've realized that I don't really use this blog very much anymore. Maybe that's because I don't have that much to say that I think anyone else will care about. However, I'm "supposed" to be a writer, and writer's write, and if anything can get me thinking about writing, it's "LOST."
If you're not a fan of LOST, that's ok. You can still appreciate this. What I want to express is what I feel when I'm watching an episode of LOST. You have probably experienced this before. You're sitting in front of the TV, and you're on the edge of the sofa, inching your face towards the TV, turning the volume up on the remote, so you can hear, word-for-word, every minute detail the people are saying. You are excited. You're watching enthralling, entincing, what's-gonna-happen-next TV.
That's how I feel when I watch LOST. For those of you for whatever reason aren't familiar with the plot of LOST, in a nutshell, it deals with a group of people who crash-landed on a mysterious island inhabited by, well, no one really knows for sure. There's a crazy French lady, a polar bear, whispering in the jungle, a giant mesquito-like cloud that envelops people and kills them, and a few secret hatches that belonged to a group of scientists who have all mysteriously disappeared. And the island also has a quasi-leader named Benjamin Linus with a Napolean-complex who is so marvelously crazy/evil/obsessed, with his giant bug-eyes, that one minute you want to wring his neck and the next you're begging him to help protect you from whatever else is lurking nearby.
I understand if you aren't one for science-fiction, or have trouble following serial-TV that requires you to tune in week after week. But you really have no excuse when a show is praised by everyone from your stoner-neighbor-dude to your mom's book club group. This show crosses all sex/age/race groups and gets people talking at the water cooler the next day.
I love LOST because when I watch it, I know that the writers and the creators are going to take me on an exciting journey, one that they've elaborately hatched for me so I can debate the many ways in which the story will end.
I love LOST because there it has a love story.
I love LOST because magical things happen on an island, kind of like "Fantasy Island," and makes you think you, too, might really enjoy life without your TiVo recorded soap operas, sport shows, and reality TV, hair products, stilleto heels, video games, and designer coffee.
I love LOST because it has reminded me to ask myself what am I doing with my life.
I love LOST because I've learned how to push someone's shoulder back into place in case they pull it out of their socket.
I love LOST because there is a strong, sexy, intelligent female character for me to admire, even if she did kill someone.
I love LOST because of Josh Holloway (even if his character did kill someone).
I love LOST because even though the season is over, I can watch the first season on DVD and remember little details I had forgotten that make me again think how genius the creators are.
I love LOST because in at least one of every four episodes, I slap my hand over my mouth as I am gaping in shock and awe in what I have just found out.
Please, please, please, if you are not watching this show, you owe it to your happiness to go out and rent or buy the first DVD and watch it. I remember thinking when I re-watched the pilot epidsodes back-to-back (it's a two-parter) that this show is like a movie. It really is, it's that good.
Lastly, I'm not so naive and gullible that I don't think the show has its downs along with its ups.
There are certain characters (Nikki and Paolo, anyone?) that should have died in that plane crash to begin with. But 90% of the characters (even the ones that, sadly, die), and maybe don't have as much an impact on the final story lines as their co-survivors, deserve the juicy episodes they get.
Besides, you could always make this show into a drinking game for every time someone is punched in the face. It happens quite a bit.

A tribute to Heath Ledger

So, as many of my friends know, I have been a big fan of Heath Ledger since he debuted in America with "10 Things I Hate About You." Like many, I was excited by his charm and accent, and of course, his devilish good looks. I felt he always had a little twinkle in his eye, and thus in the characters he played, that said, "I know something you don't."
I remember going to see "The Patriot" with my dad at the theater, and had been so excited about the movie opening (at the time, I was also a big fan of Mel Gibson's- well, I still think he's a good actor). Anyway, it came out the summer of 2000, when I had just graduated from high school, and was preparing to go to college. I recall watching "10 Things" and "The Patriot" over and over in my dorm room, and crying every time someone died in "The Patriot." It is the ultimate good vs. evil, and it deliberately tugs at your heart strings, but Heath shows some of that silly and playful demeanor again when he's paired with his on-screen love.
Two-and-a-half years ago, I was working at Starbucks in the summer of 2005. We had lots of celebrities come to that location on the Upper West Side. We were across from ABC Studios and near Lincoln Center. I'd see Spike Lee, Regis Philbin, Alec Baldwin, and even Dustin Hoffman. But for me, the highlight was when Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams came into the store. Someone came over and said they spotted him, and I immediately abandoned my spot at the far end of the store, and sprinted over to the other bar to make or get whatever Heath was ordering. It being the summer, of course he got some Frappuccinos. Michelle was at least well into her second trimester, and when Heath came to pick up the drinks he asked me if they were decaf. I told him that he had ordered a blended creme drink, which was not coffee based, and asked if he wanted a coffee based one instead, and of course made it (I would have done that for any costumer- it often gets confusing). The whole time, I think I probably had a goofy smile plastered on my face, and was likely shaking from excitement. I don't often tell the actors or whomever that I'm a big fan unless I really am, and even then I try to leave them alone and just thank them for coming in and wish them a good day. So, this time, I decided that when I handed the frap back to Heath, I was just going to say something like, "By the way, I just wanted to tell you I've been a really big fan since '10 Things I Hate About You'," or, "I can't wait to see you in 'Brokeback Mountain'." However, when I turned around he was talking quietly on the cell phone and I didn't want to bother him.
He, Michelle and a friend stayed at the table in the corner for a while, used the restrooms, and I walked by them when I had to go back to the back office. My boss, Josh, even wrote a funny note that was hand-delivered to my by another employee that read something like this:
"Dear Laura,
I'm tired of being with this woman over there, and I think you're really hot. Will you go out with me? Circle "yes" or "no"
Love, Heath : )"
When they left, I watched Heath and Michelle walk away together down a side street towards Central Park, holding hands. They looked really in love.
When I read about their break-up, I was saddened, especially because they have a young daughter together.
Yesterday, when I heard the news from a co-worker, I was shocked. I thought, they did not just say Heath Ledger was dead. I know that celebrities, the rich, the famous, no one is immune from death or tragedy. We tend to think, though, that they're more immune, or eventually, they'll get back up on their feet. I kept thinking, why wasn't someone there to help him? Why didn't he have a close buddy to call and say, "Are you getting any sleep these days? What are you taking? How much? Do you need to see someone?" It's tragic when anyone, famous or not, dies at such a young age. I couldn't help but think there are so many famous people to have died young, and whether it's the lifestyle that brings the death, or they type of person that is drawn to the lifestyle that inevitably brings the reckless behavior, it's sad. Look at someone like Amy Winehouse. Why has she not died from the reckless lifestyle she's been living? I hope not; she's a great talent as well. I hope she gets help, and that once again, if any good can come out of this, it's that her or someone else gets help. Let me clarify, I'm not speculating what killed Heath. All we know so far is that prescription sleeping pills were found, not strewn about, in the apartment. I hope that it was not a suicide. I am saddened either way, and I would hate to think that he felt that depressed and helpless that he would do something like that. Without knowing him, I can only assume that with his continuing to act in parts that interested him, and the joy he apparently took in being a father to Matilda, he did not. Again, it's just so sad and he will be greatly missed by his family and his fans.
Rest in Peace, Heath.

Outside Heath Ledger's New York Vigil

Outside Heath Ledger's New York Vigil: "Outside Heath Ledger's New York Vigil"

To explain, I went down to SoHo last night after work (around 10:00 pm) after buying a single yellow rose from the bodega around the corner. I took the six train to Spring St. and walked to Broome St. At the end, I saw all the news vans, and there was a small crowd still gathered around, questioning others about what they'd seen. I stopped across the street from the barricade and asked the first person I saw which building it was specifically, or if he knew which floor Heath lived on. I told him about the story of me meeting Heath at Starbucks. Then this guy held up a microphone with the Entertainment Tonight logo on it, and aksed if I would mind being interviewed. At first, I wasn't sure, because I thought I don't want to seem like I'm happy about being on TV. But then I thought, otherwise they'll pick some tourist teeny-bopper who'll just gush about how cute he was. At least I'm a big fan, and have been affected by this in a deeper way than the average moviegoer, and at least I can say that in a short meeting with him, I felt that he was a sincere and nice guy. So, that's what happened. I just want to add that I feel for his family, his mother, father, and sister, and step-family, grandparents and such. As my parents and others always say, it's not natural for a child to die before their parents. It's not the way of life. R.I.P.

What Else Should I Be Doing on a Saturday Night?

Well, it's Saturday night, I'm single, ready for action, and what do you think I did tonight? I slept really late, and went to Starbucks where I read the Onion and cursed the dating scene in New York City. Duh.
But enough of that. You're not here to hear about my boring love life. You want to know about the great movies that I've seen! Well, wait no more. Here's a new post.

Last week, I saw "Atonement" staring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. Directed by the same man who did "Sense and Sensibility," Joe Wright, I mostly saw this movie because "I Am Legend" was sold out. But, luckily for me, and considering it was a Saturday night were I would've been subjected to couples everywhere and guys shouting at the screen, not to mention people loudly playing with crinkly candy wrappers, I saw "Atonement" instead.
This is one of the very, very few times where I actually did not know what the movie was about. I usually am pretty aware of the plot of any movie I see beforehand, whether because I've read about it in a magazine, or seen the preview, or whatever, but I didn't know what this one was about.
I should preface this by saying I'm a bit of an Anglophile. Keira Knightley is British, and James McAvoy is Scottish, and if I could have her cheekbones and marry him, I'd be the happiest person on earth. Anyways, back to the movie.
I think the editor of this film should get a bit of credit, so here is his name: Paul Tothill. This movie, thought it starts a bit slowly, is intriguing enough so that even though you might be a bit confused, you're still fascinated to figure out slowly what is going on and what is going to happen next. Joe Wright and screenwriter Christopher Hampton, based on the novel by Ian McEwan, let you in on just enough of the mystery to keep you guessing.
"Atonement" starts out at a beautiful British country manor in the late 1930s. Knightley plays the privileged daughter who enjoys taunting and tantalizing McAvoy, the house boy whose college education was paid for by her family. Knightely has a young sister named Briony, played by young Saoirse Ronan (pronounced Seer-sha), a budding writer who plays tight lipped and observant. This ends up proving to be the key to the second half of the film, when Briony decides to open up her mouth and reveal what she believes she knows to be true when a crime has been committed during a long weekend with many guests staying at the manor (sort of like "Gosford Park", another favorite of mine).
Mostly though, "Atonement" is about the strength of love, the effects of war, and the repercussions of telling a lie.
There was a bit in the second half of the film where I was confused about the timeline when McAvoy's character Robbie is a soldier, but in the end this probably works for the film. It could have been a bit shorter, but the end is solid enough that you won't mind.
After I saw the movie, I thought that Knightley, McAvoy, and Ronan should all be given nominations for acting, which they have been, by the Golden Globes, as was the film, the director, and the screenplay, among others.
Anyways, I think you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to see this movie. It's beautiful and sad, shocking and tender. Here's to more collaborations from Knightley and Wright.

I'll take bloody movies for $1000, Alex

I saw "Sweeney Todd" today at the movie theater on 42nd St. in Times Square at 5:15 pm. On the way over, I'm pretty sure I knocked down some kids. But that's nothing compared to what Sweeney Todd does when he's on the move.
First off, if you've read my profile, you know one of my favorite movies is "Sleepy Hollow," which is a collaboration between the director Tim Burton and the actor Johnny Depp. They've also done "Edward Scissorhands" and "Ed Wood" together. I think both movies are pretty great. They're offbeat, and Johnny always comes up with a new hybrid character to enlighten us with. I'm not sure if he thought of any particular one for "Sweeney Todd," but it doesn't matter. "Sweeney" is pretty awesome. I have never seen the musical, which was created by Steven Sondheim, but I knew if Johnny and Tim were in it together, I wouldn't be wasting my money. I didn't. I'd even dare to say I would pay to see it again in the theater. Definitely see it on a big screen. If you aren't aware, the story, which is subtitled "The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is about Todd, who after being sent to prison for a number of years for an unnamed crime, is set free, only to try and exact revenge on the man who sent him there in the first place. And exact revenge he does. With the help of mad, pie-making Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), Todd churns out an assembly line of bloody remains and "bloody-good" fun (pun intended).
Again, if you've read my profile, you'll see that The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite books. Both stories have a similar plot. Both main characters return from long absences, most often unrecognizable by former acquaintances, and both less wide-eyed and chipper than when they left (that is a large understatement).
"Sweeney" is fun to watch, and even though I knew but one song ("Not While I'm Around"), I found myself tapping along with the macabre tunes, largely sung by Depp and his co-stars. I read in Entertainment Weekly that Depp did not prepare for singing with the traditional voice coach, but rather rehearsed in a studio with a friend doing the mixing and recording, and just listened to himself over and over until he got it right. Luckily for us, he does.
Oh, and for all you Borat fans, Sacha Baron Cohen has a small but pivotal role as a rival barber. It just goes to show that he, too, has range beyond naked wrestling.