(M) The Science of Sleep (Michel Gondry, 2006) Grade: B+
I felt kind of guilty because although I enjoyed this film—finding it visually interesting as well as offering the right levels of dream sequences, realism and an effective blend of the two—my friends all walked out of the theater making jokes about sleep (i.e. That sure put me to sleep). Apologies to them all and someone else can choose the movie next time. At least Gael Garcia Bernal provided eye candy!

(TV) Battlestar Galactica Season 2. (Sci Fi Network, 2005) Grade: A+

Thoughts: I finally finished Season 2 and watched all the webisodes last night so I am ready to sit on my couch come Oct 6 at 9 pm and watch the start of Season 3. I can not wait! I don't love this show as much as X-Files because nothing EVER can compare to Mulder and Scully BUT this show is pretty darn close.

(TV) Prison Break Season 1. (FOX, 2005) Grade: B+

Thoughts: I rushed to finished off this season so I can watch Season 2 and ... now I am like 4 or 5 eps behind in Season 2. I'm debating if I should give up on this show completely but we'll see. Season 1 was really good but they did drag a bit in the middle. However, the ending was great.

(TV) The 4400 Season 2. (USA Network, 2005) Grade: B

Thoughts: Season 1 was strong but I found Season 2 not as great. It had its moments but still. Season 3 just ended this summer so I'll have to wait awhile until it comes out on DVD. One plus of the show is the endless storylines because you have 4400 people with special powers to work with. One of the flaws with the show is it is not as clever or witty as say X-Files or Battlestar.

I've been watching some random TV shows so I'll review them quickly.
- Ugly Betty (C+): Charming and cheesy, will get cancelled which is sad because I like America Ferrera.
- Standoff (B-): Entertaining and has Ron Livington, will get cancelled.
- The Office (B): I don't like that Jim is in another office. We'll see how things go.
- Survivor Cook Island (C): I was interested because they divided the tribes by race and I wanted to see how the social experience would play out but last night they combined all tribes and mixed them up into two teams. Lame!! Oh well I'm not watching anymore.

(TV) Charmed: Season 1 Grade: C+
So I started watching this because I started watching the show during season 3 or 4, but then i stopped and I wonder what happened before.

Pros:
1. I really like the concept of the show. Three sisters discover they are witches after their grandmother dies, releasing their powers. This is why I watch the show.
2. Ted King is freakin HOT. He only appears in this season but he was good eye candy.
3. You get to see how the power of three started. It's always fun to see people learn how to use their new powers.

Cons: 1. The sound dubbing was horrible the first half of the season.
2. The acting from guest characters is really really bad.
3. Some of the storylines are kinda eh. I know they started to dwindle at the end of the series as well, but in the beginning some were quite cheesy.


(M) My Date With Drew Grade: B
This will be short becuase I'm lazy. So guy wins $1100 on Taboo game show, takes that to invest in a documentary all about getting a date with Drew Barrymore, his all-time crush. At the beginning of the film I just kept repeating to myself, "Wow this guy is a HUGE dork." But by the end of it was inspired and felt all warm and fuzzy inside. He was still a dork at the end of the film, but I guess that was ok haha.

(M) Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola, 2006) Grade: C
Listening to Sofia explain it, I can understand how difficult it would be to compress the life of this French queen into two hours. Instead of a biopic, the director chose to focus on the youth of Marie, her excesses and her partying ways. Hey, listen to the Strokes as Marie thinks about her lover. Or how about some of New Order’s “Ceremony” during a party sequence? Oh how the indie kids can relate. I suppose Sofia tries to humanizes Marie in an attempt to make the queen’s struggles and emotions universal, but my lastng impression was that I was watching a two-hour music video. Mind you, the music was good, but I like a little bit of substance as well.

(O) First H&M store in southern California Grade: B-
The Swedes sure have marketing and consumerism down right. I mean, almost everyone has at least one piece of IKEA furniture in their house. And now H&M (finally) opened its first store in Pasadena last Thursday to a crowd of consumers who camped out in eager anticipation. I had a free day earlier this week so I went to visit, figuring it would be less insane because it was a weekday. But the “H&M craze” was still in full swing and if you’re not willing to jostle others for a sweater or wait in line simply to go upstairs, then forget visiting for at least another month. And to those grabbing things off the racks in a mad frenzy, these are just clothes!

Junior Boys at the Troubadour, Grade: B

I was debating on whether to go to this show or not and was glad I went. The new album is great but the mixture of upbeat and mellow songs had me questioning if the mellow songs would be too mellow to get through. The result is that the band mixed it up enough to keep you interested. I started to get tired at the end but I made it through. The opening band was nothing to write home about and the best part of the show was some old man dancing like nobody was watching.

don't know why i'm doing this
but here's a link to a page with every episode of the simpsons from seasons 1-18, streaming online.
from digg.com

(M) Volver (Return). (Pedro Almodovar, 2006) Grade: A

Thoughts: It is that time of year again where Pigern's job allows me the chance to see great movies for free :) YES!! The first film was Volver which was followed by a Q and A with Pedro Almodovar and Penelope Cruz. Volver translate as return which was a continued theme throughout the movie; the return of rape, incest, love, anger and death. The film is much tamer than Pedro's other work. The Q and A afterwards was amazing with Pedro going into more depth discussion about his work as a director and the ideas for his films. Penelope was lovely but didn't say too much. She is so stunning and much better in Spanish films than American.

(M) Confetti. (Debbie Isitt, 2006) Grade: B-

Thoughts: A British mockumentary trying to capture Christopher Guest's humor. It was not bad but not great, it would have made for a good rental. Three couples are trying to plan the "Most Original Wedding of the Year" for Confetti, a wedding magazine. There is the tennis couple, the nudist couple and the musical couple with Martin Freeman. One of the more entertaining parts of the film was the wedding planners.

(M) Duk Haan Yum Cha (I'll Call You). (Chi Chung Lam, 2006) Grade: B

Thoughts: An interesting look at how men and women deal with relationships and break up. The film was silly during certain points but hey it is a Chinese movie. I think they should make more movies about couples breaking up and the aftermath and less about two people finding each other and true love. And The Break-Up with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn does not count.

(M) Changhen Ge (Everlasting Regret). (Stantley Kwan, 2005) Grade: C

Thoughts: Qiyao Wang (Sammi Cheng) is a woman unlucky in love in Shanghai, China. The movie spans some 40 years during much of China's unrest and dealings with Chairman Mao. The film seems like it would do well with Stanley Kwan as the director and the Wong Kar Wai look and feel but no it is pretty weak.

Count: 94 movies

The UP Series

This series consists of 6 parts in this box-set collection (7 Up, 14 Up, 21 Up, 28 Up, 35 Up, and 42 Up). The documentary film follows the lives of 14 children beginning at the age of 7 and then gives an update on each of their lives every 7 years. The premise of the film seems to have three parts. One part revolves around the idea that the person you are at 7 years of age represents the person you will be in life. The second part is to watch the development of those who will be the future of Britain by the year 2000 and get an insight into those people. The films third investigation is that of the "class" system of England. They want to see how much your social class affects your progress in life.

The series is very interesting, my favorite of the films is 7 Up because the children are so adorable and incredibly smart for their age. All of the children participate in the first three films (7 Up, 14 Up, and 21 Up). From 28 Up and on you have some who leave and some who return. The majority of the participants remain in every film. By 28 when people were either married or planned to be married shortly I didn't know what else to expect from the series, but every stage of the series interested me. Some people always remained favorites from the beginning while others became less interesting to me as the series went on and others became more interesting as the series went on.

By the time 42 Up ends they give you the impression that it is to be the last film, but apparently 49 Up is out in England and soon to be out here in the States. I am not sure what made them decide to do the next installment since goal of reaching the year 2000 was met. Perhaps something interesting has happened or perhaps the filmmakers want to investigate the opinions of the adults now in a post 9-11 world and compare and contrast that with the world they grew up in. I will find out because I will be watching.

(Sorry for the long review New Wave but I haven't posted in quite some time and it is 6 films here).

(M) Volver (Pedro Almodovar, 2006) Grade: A
I’m not a seasoned fan of Almodovar’s work. In fact, my first film of his was Bad Education. But I do remember walking out of that film with my mouth hanging open. It was so twisted and shocking yet amazingly intricate and well-done. This film is the same although perhaps a tad less disturbing. Almodovar maintains in Volver admirable realism and an astute understanding of human nature, specifically women. Great film.


(A) And I Feel Fine ... The Best of the I.R.S. Years ’82-87 (R.E.M.) Grade: A
The I.R.S. years were probably the best times of R.E.M.’s catalog. Warner had some gems (i.e. Automatic for the People), but when listening to the “best of” tracks on this album, you have to sit back and think, “Wow. This same band did Around the Sun?” R.E.M. in the ’80s is absolutely the definitive band of what is considered “college rock.”

(M) Confetti (Debbie Isitt, 2006) Grade: B
I wanted to see this film mainly because it 1) is British; 2) stars Martin Freeman; and 3) looked funny. And though Confetti didn’t disappoint, I didn’t exactly love it. I thought it pretty mediocre with some humourous bits. But it definitely confirmed my belief that weddings nowadays are more productions for everyone except the bride and groom. Oh, and New Wave should have a musical wedding.

Who wants to play this with me. Sounds fun and you don't actually have to watch the shows.

http://www.brilliantbutcancelled.com/deathwatch/

(O) 5th generation iPod, 80 GB (Apple, 2006) grade: B+

Before this updated iPod was announced on Sept. 12, I had told myself that I would only get it if it had a widescreen and a touch screen (as I had been reading about in the many rumors circulating on the internet). Alas, these featured weren't included, but i still caved and got a new iPod. This was partly influenced by my iPod being serviced and also wanting to watch Flavor of Love at the hospital when I have nothing to do.
So as New Wave can confirm, I became obsessed with getting this iPod the DAY it came out, driving to multiple stores and calling all Apple Stores in the area. Finally I got it, and I must say that I love it.
It looks great, bright screen, the colors are fantastic. Video looks great on it. I was skeptical at first because of the tiny screen, but I've watched several vids on it and they look great. Most of the videos are ripped from my DVDs (Flavor of Love, music videos, South Park) and some are video podcasts from iTunes. The expanded hard drive (80 GB) is perfect to have ALL the crap you would ever want in your pocket...love it.
I wouldn't go so far as saying you MUST go out and get one, but its a cool gadget to have.

(O) Vegas. (Sept 8 to 10, 2006) Grade:B
Thoughts: I went with Darth to Vegas because he had his bowling league thing. It was fun. I got my Wynn buffet (they had lychee there), lost money on Wheel of Fortune and saw some movies. It was still hot but not crowded so that was good.

(TV) How I Met Your Mother. (Fox Studio, first three eps) Grade: B

Thoughts: I found out they were going to have a screening for the first three eps of the second season of HIMYM so I had to be there. This is one of the few comedy shows I will actually make time to watch. I've given up on Scrubs and I'll watch the US Office every once in awhile. The first ep was great and the other two were pretty good. Sitting right near me was Josh Radnor (Ted) while Jason Segel (Marshall) and Cobie Smulders (Robin) were nearby. However, I really wanted to see Alyson Hannigan (Lily) and Neil Patrick Harris (Barney) ... NPH!! but both were not there. :(

(M) The Illusionist. (Neil Burger, 2006) Grade: B-

Thoughts: In the turn-of-the-century Vienna, Edward Norton is Eisenheim, an extraordinary magician. He is trying to save Spohie (Jessica Biel) the woman he loves from wedding Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell) while avoiding Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti). The film was very predictable but I didn't mind because Edward Norton is an amazing actor and what a voice, so calming. Jessica Biel was okay but I still think of 7th Heaven when I see her.

(M) The Lake House. (Alejandro Agresti, 2006) Grade: C+

Thoughts: I had to watch this film because I saw the Korean version it was based on. Although not as good as the Korean one, they did a decent job. Sandra Bullock was good but she is always good in romantic movies and Keanu Reeves was decent because you don't really have to act in romantic movies. Oh and Keanu is very good looking even if he can't act. I did have this overwhelming desire to check out Chicago afterwards. It seems like a wonderful city.

(M) Heung Joh Chow Heung Yau Chow (Turn Left, Turn Right). (Johnny To & Ka-Fai Wai, 2003) Grade: B-

Thoughts: This film is very similar to the Lake House except the two main characters are in the same year ... they just always seem to be missing each other. John Liu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Eve Choi (Gigi Leung) are two loners in Taiwan who meet one afternoon and click. They soon find out some 10 years ago they liked each other but never got a chance to meet due to circumstances. Now is their chance to reconnect however fate steps in and separates the two for a majority of the movie. The movie moved along a bit slow but it was fine.

Count: 90 movies

From Cnn.com - "Dawn breaks over Ground Zero on the morning of the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York."

(B) After the Quake (Haruki Murakami, 2003) Grade: B
This short story collection centers around the 1995 earthquake that devastated Kobe, Japan. Most of the stories have a sense of wonder and the strange, unanswered narratives did, I have to admit, frustrate me. But the last story, “Honey Pie,” was so lovely and engaging that all was forgiven.

Word of the moment is yindie, which means “yuppie indie.” Die yuppie scum, die. Oh wait, you’re yindie? Well, let’s hop in our Minis and get some Starbucks while we listen to Arcade Fire then.

DANCING WITH THE STARS....OH YEAH!

haha so last season i registered to get free tickets because i wanted to watch the season finale. today i got an email saying that they had tickets for the season premiere. i checked it out and they gave me 4 tickets! now i know i know you are all thinking i'm lame, but my mom is all about the ballroom dancing and i um...kinda like it...er just a little bit. so on tuesday sep 12 i will be watching the season premire. that's right i get to go see mario lopez AND joey lawrence WOAH!

The fall season has started and school is now in session, which signifies that the end of the year is near. Rather than be reflective about 2006, for now, I’ll focus on what I’m looking forward to in pop culture:
Sept. 12 - Only Revolutions: Mark Z. Danielewski’s follow-up to his amazing 2000 tome House of Leaves. I wonder how long it will take for him to complete his third book...
Sept. 22 - The Science of Sleep: Michel Gondry’s film starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Charlotte Gainsbourg (the daughter of Serge!) should be the perfect balance of strange and quirky
Oct. 3 - The Crane Wife: One can depend on The Decemberists for good albums. I also just heard a cover they did of Joanna Newsom’s “Bridges and Balloons.” Brilliant!
Nov. 3 - Love Is All @ The Echo: The Swedes behind noise-pop record Nine Times That Same Song return. Glee!

(O) my new baby nephew, Adrian Jiménez (b. Sept 6, 2006) grade: A+

add another one to the list, this makes #15 i think. we mexicans reproduce like crazy!

video was uploaded by my youngest sister (not the mom)

(M) Non Ti Muovere (Don't Move). (Sergio Castellitto, 2004) Grade: B-

Thoughts: Sergio Castellitto is Timoteo, a well to do doctor who has a beautiful wife. One day his Volvo breaks down in a poor part of town and he meets Italia (Penelope Cruz), a poor and ragged woman and proceeds to rape her. Yup I said rape and then goes back home to his wife and perfect life. But the kicker is he keeps going back to Italia and in the beginning it is just for sex but then he genuinely falls in love with her. She represents to him his way out of his tiresome life. The movie ends on a bittersweet note but it was a decent film. Sergio Castellitto is better as an actor than director.

(M) The Third Man. (Carol Reed, 1949) Grade: B

Thoughts: A pulp fiction novelist Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) arrives in post war Vienna to get a job from his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles) only to learn he is dead. The twist is how Harry died and if he is even dead. This is my first exposure to film noir (Brick doesn't really count) and it was pretty good. It had detective/mystery/whodunit all over it.

(M) Sjunde Inseglet, De (The Seventh Seal). (Ingmar Bergman, 1957) Grade: B+

Thoughts: I saw this movie over 4 months ago but never wrote a review for it. This movie is heavy on religion, God, the Devil, living and death. I don't even think I can review because it is so rich in themes and layered. Antonius Block (Max von Sydow) is coming back with his squire Jons (Gunnar Bjornstrand) from the Crusades. The Black Plague has hit the countryside and people are dying left and right. Through all this Death (Benkt Ekerot) comes for Block's life but Block makes a deal with him - they will play chess and if he wins, he will live but if Death wins, he will die. The Seventh Seal is considered one of the greatest films of all time and I can see that. I would have to watch the film a few more times to fully take it all in.

(M) Fall for You. (Cha Chuen Yee, 2000) Grade: D+

Thoughts: An odd and strange Chinese movie I rented that made little to no sense and was very random. I couldn't even finish the film because the disc was strached up. Oh well at least Francis Ng was in it. He is an amazing actor.

Count: 87 movies

I think Suri is super cute and sort of Asian looking. Too bad she is going to grow up all strange :(.

Interesting quiz I found on Cup's page. There are only two questions so it is pretty easy but I think it describes me well. Ha ha.

the Asserter Thanks for taking the test !

you chose AY - your Enneagram type is EIGHT. "I must be strong" Asserters are direct, self-reliant, self-confident, and protective. How to Get Along with Me Stand up for yourself... and me. Be confident, strong, and direct. Don't gossip about me or betray my trust. Be vulnerable and share your feelings. See and acknowledge my tender, vulnerable side. Give me space to be alone. Acknowledge the contributions I make, but don't flatter me. I often speak in an assertive way. Don't automatically assume it's a personal attack. When I scream, curse, and stomp around, try to remember that's just the way I am. What I Like About Being a Eight being independent and self-reliant being able to take charge and meet challenges head on being courageous, straightforward, and honest getting all the enjoyment I can out of life supporting, empowering, and protecting those close to me upholding just causes What's Hard About Being a Eight overwhelming people with my bluntness; scaring them away when I don't intend to being restless and impatient with others' incompetence sticking my neck out for people and receiving no appreciation for it never forgetting injuries or injustices putting too much pressure on myself getting high blood pressure when people don't obey the rules or when things don't go right Eights as Children Often are independent; have an inner strength and a fighting spirit are sometimes loners seize control so they won't be controlled fugure out others' weaknesses attack verbally or physically when provoked take charge in the family because they perceive themselves as the strongest, or grow up in difficult or abusive surroundings Eights as Parents are often loyal, caring, involved, and devoted are sometimes overprotective can be demanding, controlling, and rigid Link: The Quick & Painless ENNEAGRAM Test written by felk on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

So long good buddy.




Steve Irwin, the immensely popular Australian television personality, known worldwide as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed Monday by a stingray while filming off the Great Barrier Reef.

All indications are that Irwin, 44, probably died instantly when attacked by the stingray while filming a sequence for his eight-year-old daughter Bindi's new television series called "Deadly Sea Creatures".

Article

(B) The Accidental Asian (Eric Liu, 1999)
Grade: B
This memoir explores Liu’s upbringing as a Chinese American but also is a more general dialogue about racial identity, asking what role race plays in defining who we are. Is race merely a classification system of human invention? Or am I, say, good at math because I am Chinese? Perhaps racial definitions are too limiting. Consider Tiger Woods (his dad is .5 black, .25 Native American, .25 Chinese; his mom is .5 Thai, .25 Chinese and .25 white). I can’t do the math and combine these percentages to label Tiger, because I am, in fact, terrible at math. (Most Americans, however, thought, “Easy, he’s black.”) Though Liu is a bit too optimistic for a future without racial barriers, I do identify with the profound loss felt in looking back upon my heritage and my disconnection with it.

So Jordan Catalano started a band called 30 Seconds to Mars. The question at hand then is Jared Leto better as an actor or singer? I think singer. Here is their lastest video and seriously Jared looks like his character Jordan in it. Ha ha.

(A) Wolves (My Latest Novel, 2006) Grade: A
Sometimes I might find myself drawn to a band before hearing any of its music. For example, MLN is 1) Scottish; 2) bookish; 3) compared to Arcade Fire with a touch of the B&S sound. OK, but I downloaded the debut album and it’s a corker. To confirm my fandom, the video for single “Pretty in a Panic” features a typewriter and the use of a box to symbolize experience and journeys. So twee. Love them!