Oscars

I will have more on this later - the Oscar nominations for this year have me a bit peeved - and that's putting it lightly. But just so you know, the Oscar Nominations were announced this morning, I'm not upset about Johnny Depp not being nominated - I knew he didn't have a chance. For a list of the nominations go to: http://www.imdb.com/features/rto/2006/oscars. Anyway, back to studying.

A History of Violence, Among Other Faults

I just saw A History of Violence, starring Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello. Also featured are Ed Harris and William Hurt. The story is about this small town simple man, Tom Stall, who owns a diner in said small town. This is a perfect, small, nice town. Bad things don't happen here. And then, this one night, something bad happens. Two armed villains walk into Tom's nearly deserted diner, hold him and a woman at gunpoint, and then he snaps. He whips into commando mode and the next thing you know, the two villains are dead and there's a lot of blood everywhere. And this happens in the first twenty to thirty minutes, and it's pretty much downhill from there. Tom becomes a hero overnight, and then reporters are all over him. Enter Ed Harris with some very creative scars over the left side of his face. Harris goes by the name of Fogarty, and he is convinced that Tom is some man named Joey Cusack. The impression is that Fogarty and this Cusack person didn't part amicably, hence the scarring on Fogarty's face. Foggarty and his cronies become a menacing presence in Tom's and his family's life. Threats are made toward the Stall family, and then it becomes clear that Fogarty has been commissioned to take Tom/Cusack to Philadelphia by Richie Cusack, Joey Cusack's brother, who's intentions aren't pretty. And then...Tom saves the day, and the movie's over. Where's the story? This movie could have used some plot development, to say the least. They also needed to lose the raunchy and explicit sex scenes, and yes, that's plural. So, if you can see this movie cheap, or preferably at no cost, go and see it once, and then never ever again.

Short-Lived Tribute

In my previous post, I talked about my tribute to the all-time greatest man alive, Sean Bean. While I adore him and his works, I have to change my background - I need more color! Consider this my notice: Sean Bean is coming down, and something colorful and natural (i.e. trees, skies, water, flowers, et al) is going to take his place, probably Monday night. But I still want to see him, so here he is...

New Design

You've probably noticed my new background header. It's devoted to my favorite actor - yes, I do have a favorite actor and it's not Johnny Depp (who runs a very, very close second). Sean Bean is gorgeous, suave, cultured, handsome, and everything else that's nice and yummy. I love his voice. I once heard a clip of an audio book of King Arthur narrated by Sean Bean, and that was it, I was hooked. Before Sean Bean, before Johnny Depp, and before all of my previous obsessions, there was my fascination with Arthurian Legend. But that's a posting best reserved for another time. To make a short story even shorter, upon hearing Sean Bean narrating a story about King Arthur, I've only had eyes for him...90% of the time. He makes a terriffic villain, as evidenced by his roles Patriot Games, Don't Say a Word, Goldeneye, National Treasure, and The Island. I especially love The Island because he kicks the stuffing out of my Mother's obsession, Ewan McGregor. Sean Bean makes a spectacular good guy - as seen in The Lord of the Rings and Troy. His portrayal of Oddysseus in Troy sparked my original interest in him. I love his voice and his accent. The only movie that I think his true accent appears in is Black Beauty, but don't hold me to it. Now, any movie that has a snippet of Sean Bean in it is a must see for me. I've watched movies that I wouldn't have watched for five seconds while channel surfing - most notably Goldeneye, where he plays 006, and Patriot Games, where he has to act with an Irish accent for the second time in a movie with Richard Harris. The first time was Sean Bean's semi-debut role in The Field, where he played Richard Harris's mentally challenged son, Tadgh. The Full Monty, a very funny movie, was filmed in his home town, Sheffield, in England. The interesting thing today is that while I was finishing making the background header, The Island came on TV - and I had to watch it of course. Anyway, this posting is my tribute to my all-time favorite actor, Sean Bean. Cheers!

63rd Annual Golden Globes

He didn't win, to begin with. Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, and he deserved it. But I still wish Johnny Depp had won. I don't think he has much of a chance of garnering an Oscar nomination this year, but I still have hope for next year, when Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest comes out this summer. This year, I think Brokeback Mountain and Walk the Line will dominate at the Oscars. However, Brokeback Mountain will probably have a "Titanic" victory, winning Oscars in all the major categories except for acting. But for tonight, I have to say, Johnny was looking hot! As you can see, he had that facial hair thing going on that I love - probably from filming POTC. Eric Bana was also looking fine tonight, as were Matthew McConaughey, Pierce Brosnan, Cillian Murphy, George Clooney, Russell Crowe, and Jamie Fox. And many of the ladies were gorgeous as well - Anne Hathaway, Scarlett Johanssen, Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, Keira Knightley, Emmy Rossum, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Congratulations to all those nominated and all those who won. A special congratulations to Sir Anthony Hopkins. I can't wait for the Academy Award Nominations to be announced on the 31st of January!

Learn To Be Lonely

Why is it that people are afraid to be alone? Not all people, but a lot of them. They can't go to the bathroom alone, they can't go eat alone, they can't sit alone in class and I want to know... why? Is it some genetic quirk hidden deep in our DNA that makes us instinctively want to flock together? Will loners stand out and perish one by one after living a miserable and solitary existence? Maybe I'm just weird (and believe you me - I'm not the only one who's thought that before), but I like my solitude. I like being by myself - you can see that if you watch me for one day. 99% of the time, I eat alone, walk alone, sit alone, wait alone, and go to the movies alone. Being alone is easy and relaxing. You don't have to keep a conversation going (If you do, you might need to talk to someone about that), you don't have to worry about your appearance or making any foot-in-mouth blunders, and you don't have to worry all those annoying social rules and quirks - letting guys open doors for you, letting guys pay for you, or worrying if you have enough money to cover yourself if it's dutch. However, when placed in a social setting where I am forced to interact..poof...somebody flips a switch and I'm Ms. Congeniality...I can talk to anyone, I take charge, I give orders....and I have no idea where it comes from. In lab the other day, I was partnered with this really sweet but shy man, and I found myself rattling off orders to him ("you have to take the soil out, put the wicks in and then fill the quad up with soil...") . Or, in the same lab, when forced to interact with a group of fellow students to divine a collective answer to several questions, I am the one who breaks the ice and directs discussion. And when talking to my new roommate or her boyfriend, I find it the easiest thing in the world to converse, and jokes and quips just fall from my lips.
So, the weird thing is that I can exist comfortably both ways. But, I prefer the former and not the latter. And yet, twice in my life, people have approached me while I was eating alone, thinking me lonely and pining for a spot of company, and proceeded to sit down and talk to me...and talk to me...and talk to me. I talk back, because, claro, that afore mentioned switch was flipped the moment they sat down. We have a pleasant conversation, getting a glimpse into the each other's very different or very similar lives. But when I tell them that I usually eat alone, that I prefer to eat alone, their eyebrows disappear into their hairlines as their face contorts in incredulity. "Eat alone? No one wants to eat alone! That's just sad!" No, it's not. It's me.

Tropical Template

I love my new background! I put it together the first night I was back at school, and it rocks! It's so tropical and cool...but I'm already thinking of changing it. However, since it is the first background that I am truly proud of, I am posting it here, so I will always remember it. ...And that's all I have to say about that.

I'm Back

Christmas this year was wonderful. Santa gave me a new digital camera, an action that will result in your having to look at many of the pictures I will take. My apologies in advance. I also received the Complete Special Extended Edition of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Guess what...more SEAN BEAN!!! And speaking of Bean, it was Mr. Bean's Birthday two days ago, the 6th of December. Rowan Atkinson is now 51 years of age, Happy Birthday, Mr. Atkinson! Yesterday was Nicolas Cage's birthday, a man who I will never ever find fault with. Mr. Cage originally introduced Johnny Depp to the silver screen - and in my opinion that deserves a lifetime contribution to film award! I also received the film Dear Frankie, from the UK and starring Gerald Butler (The Phantom of the Opera - The Phantom). I love it! It's about this mother and her deaf nine-year-old son and her own mother. The family is constantly on the move, for reasons later revealed in the film. The son, Frankie, writes to his father constantly, who is on the ship ACCRA, sailing around the world. Frankie has never met his father (not since he was a baby), and looks forward to each letter he receives from his father. But, Frankie's mother, Lizzie, made up the entire story about Frankie's father and she has been writing to Frankie all along, just so she could hear his voice (he doesn't speak). Anyway, the plot progresses and Lizzie finds that she needs to find a man to impersonate Frankie's father for a day. Enter Gerald Butler. Butler agrees to pretend for one day, for a sum of money, that he is Frankie's father. But from the first moment, you can see that this is more than a business transaction to all concerned, including Butler. He bonds (I can't say it any other way) with Frankie, and they end up spending another day together, accompanied by Lizzie. Walking home, Butler and Lizzie have a private conversation and Lizzie reveals the truth: She left her husband after he beat Frankie and rendered him deaf. As Butler says goodbye to Frankie, Frankie speaks for the first and only time during the film, asking when Butler will come back. That's the first serious tear-rendering part. Butler leaves, after he and Lizzie share a shy first kiss, and then Lizzie goes to see Frankie's real father. It turns out that he has been sick for a long time and he's now dying, with maybe a few days left. She refuses to let him see Frankie, and leaves. But she tells Frankie that his father is sick, very sick, but loves Frankie very much. Then we cut to her and Frankie reading Frankie's father's obituary - Tear-rendering scene number 2. Lizzie later goes to close out the mail box that Frankie had been writing too and finds a letter - from Frankie. As she reads it, she realizes that Frankie knew all along that Butler wasn't his father. And that's how it ends, pass the tissues, please.

I also got some other things - A super dooper reindeer pooper, three volumes of Truly Tasteless Jokes, and perfume from Victoria's Secret. I'm not sure what my family is trying to say - I think that they are the tiniest bit conflicted.

Fabulous Christmas, fabulous New Year's, and now I am back at school. I'll start class on Monday - pray for me.