(TV) Inside the Actors Studio: Dave Chappelle. (Bravo, 2006) Grade: B+

Thoughts: I really enjoyed the Chappelle’s show when it use to be on Comedy Central. The skits Dave Chappelle did were so funny and right on so I was interested to watch this television special. It is one of the most insightful and honest look into being an actor in Hollywood at the top of your game. He discuss his struggles to get to the top, the struggles at the top and what he needed to do to make it on his terms. It shows the difference between the people who let Hollywood get to them and those who don’t by never comprising who they are. James Lipton was a good interviewer but odd only because he doesn’t come off as being funny but he tried.

FYI ... I'm not doing the TV count anymore. I gave up. I'm just going to watch stuff and review it.

(M) Flags of Our Fathers. (Clint Eastwood, 2006) Grade: B

Thoughts: This is the story of the six men who raised the flag at the battle of Iwo Jima during WWII based upon the book by James Bradley and Ron Powers. Clint Eastwood really knows how to make a film. The war scenes were as real as it could get and the scenery was amazing. John “Doc” Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford) and Ira Hayes (Adam Beach) were three of the six men who were still alive to tour the United States asking people to buy government bonds to support the war. Although instantly famous during that period, they faded into oblivion once the war ended. The only flaw with the film was the casting. Although they looked very much like the six men they were playing, the acting just was not good enough by the actors.

(M) The Browning Version. (Anthony Asquith, 1951) Grade: A-

Thoughts: Andrew Crocker-Harris (Michael Redgrave) is forced to retire from the boy’s private school he has been teaching at for many years. Disliked by students, some of the staff and his wife, Mr. Croker-Harris comes to terms with himself as a teacher, husband and man. The best part of the film was Taplow (Brain Smith), a student of Mr. Crocker-Harris, because his childlike innocence and genuine behavior stood out compared to the bitter, disillusioned and cynical adults. A simply engrossing film that is very effective.

(M) Death At A Funeral. (Frank Oz, 2007) Grade: B

Thoughts: Daniel’s (Matthew MacFadyen) father has died and on the day of his father’s funeral a man tries to blackmail the family and chaos ensues with other family members. It is a formulaic comedy situation but I did not mind because it was funny. Even the cast members that included Alan Tudyk, Andy Nyman and Peter Dinklage looked like they were having a great time. Oh and in typical British humor you have to see a man's butt. Man do they love showing that.

Movie Count: 85

(TV) The Simpsons: Season 10 Grade: B+
I’ve been watching this box set, and I’m surprised this season is as strong as it is. There are some hits and misses, but there are some pretty great hits (Pinchy the lobster, anyone?). Anyway, I just rewatched the episode in which Homer becomes the bodyguard for Mayor Quimby and thought New Wave and Darth would enjoy this part from the bi-monthly sci-fi convention TV ad, or Bi-Mon Sci-Fi Con: Come meet all your favorite stars, like Mark Hamil and Alf ... and more! Plus, tag team robot wrestling! It’s the mighty robots of Battlestar Galactica versus the gay robots of Star Wars!
Ha ha! Classic. Those cylons kicked CP3O’s ass!

(TV) It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia: Seasons 1&2 Grade: B+
This month has been cable TV-free at my apartment, and though I always believed I didn’t need TV, I have to admit, I miss it a little. Anyway, with all the TV-free time, I’ve been watching DVDs from work and slowly ended up watching all the episodes of this FX show, which I’ve never heard of or seen before. It’s actually pretty funny. The humor is politically incorrect but not in an annoying way. I especially enjoy how the characters are all pretty selfish (a bit like Seinfeld) and a tad dim.

(M) The Invisible (David S. Goyer, 2006) Grade: D
I had to watch this movie for work, and boy was it bad! I don’t recall when it was even released in theaters, but it didn’t do too well. The basic plot is about this teenager on the verge of death, so he needs people to find his body and save him. The thing is, only his almost-murderer knows where his body is. So ensues this long process of him screaming at people, “Look! My body is over here,” but no one can hear or see him. And the murderer is this troubled girl who has to wrestle with her conscience and decide what to do. Spoiler alert: In the end, she gives her life to save his in some unconvincing sacrificial scene. What the heck?! I felt vacuous after it was over. I didn’t give it an F cos the soundtrack was pretty good (Death Cab for Cutie, Snow Patrol, etc.).

(M) Inland Empire [David Lynch]
Grade: F

Here is 3 hours of pure boredom and confussion. Some say it has cool images, yes. Great use of color, yes. It's like a dream, sorta. But so what. It makes no sense, it is boring beyond toleration, and it is just bad bad bad and confusing. I ONLY watched the entire movie out of respect for David Lynch, and I shouldn't have even done that. This is the first David Lynch movie I have not liked and I really really didn't like it.


(M) Love In The Afternoon (aka Chloe In The Afternoon)
Grade: A

This is the final film of Eric Rohmer's series 'Six Moral Tales'. This was one of my favorite. The last three films in the series are masterpieces in my opinion. This story is about a man who is married and he and his wife are expecting their first baby. One day a girl who once dated and old friend of the main character shows up. He's a little surprised considering they never really talked or got on very well. However, after talking with her and spending some time with her he starts to fall for her. The man is then faced with what to do when he is drawn to a woman more than he has ever been in his life. Eric Rohmer makes movies that aren't there for mindless entertainment, he is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors.


Other movies I have seen this week:
Breach: Grade: B-/C+ [Interesting story about America's most destructive internal spy]
Half Nelson: C
The Break Up: C+
You're Gonna Miss Me: B-/C+ [VERY interesting story about Roky Ericson, from the 13th Floor Elevators. He basically went insane and people don't know why. Drugs? Shock Therapy?]
Diary Of A Country Priest: C-

(M) The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. (Seth Gordon,2007) Grade: A

Thoughts: In 1982, Billy Mitchell held the record for the highest score in Donkey Kong. Since then no one has even come close ... until Steve Wiebe showed up. He scored the highest ever Donkey Kong score of 947,200 but due to issues it was not recognized or accepted. This documentary follows Steve as he tries to prove his record and challenge Billy to a game of Donkey Kong. The King of Kong is one of the best movies I have seen in awhile and it has it all – heroes, villains, heartbreak, humor; you can’t write this stuff. The story is perfect and Steve Wiebe is my hero. It is a shame New Line Cinema is in talks of making into a feature film. Ugh. They need to just leave it alone. I hate Hollywood versions of nerds, geeks, or freaks. Nothing can represent it as well as the real thing. Oh and they played great 80's music throughout the movie. I especially loved the long version of Picture of You by the Cure!

Movie Count: 82

Topic: Postpone, ticket, bad things happening.

*So this morning I find out The Cure or more Mr. Robert Smith has decided to postponed their ENTIRE North America tour until next April/May of 2008. To say I am disappointed and upset would be an understatement. Oh guys what are you doing??!! They claim they want to finish their album before going on tour so they can play the new songs but you know what the last album was CRAP. Ugh. :(


*On Wednesday, I wanted to pick up the special collector's edition of Serenity at Best Buy. While attempting to park I did not fully stop at a stop sign and some stupid cop was just waiting to give a ticket. (Sigh) Just what I need a lame ticket to pay for and traffic school. Ugh.


*Not so great things are going on at my company. Since I don't like to talk about personal stuff much I won't stay what but you can read this to figure it out.

*So the final chapter of Trapped in the Closet played and I was a bit disappointed. Not because it was ending but more because chap. 13 to 22 was a bit of a let down compared to the magic of chap. 1 to 12. I hope we don't have wait over a year for the rest of the chapters. Man R. Kelly is crazy. Watch all the chapters now.

(TV) Weeds. (Season Two, 2006) Grade: B+

Thoughts: In this season, Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker) and Conrad (Romany Malco) venture off and create a grow house and sell weed on their own. It was pretty much more of the same from last season; though a bit more over the top. There was more character development with Celia (Elizabeth Perkins), which was great. Oh and Zooey Deschanel makes an appearance and she is so zany!

(M) North by Northwest. (Alfred Hitchcock, 1959) Grade: A-

Thoughts: Roger O. Thronhill (Cary Grant) is an ad executive who gets mistaken for Gerogre Kaplan, a govt. agent. Unknown to him, there is no George Kaplan. It is just a fictional agent created by the US government to get the scent off another agent Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) who is getting close to the enemy. So begins the chase across the states from New York to Chicago and finally to Mount Rushmore. The scenes at Mount Rushmore were very intense and reminded me a lot of To Catch a Thief. Hitchcock is becoming one of my favorite directors. I like the way he used lines and the angles he shoots from.

(M) Year of the Dog. (Mike White, 2007) Grade: D+

Thoughts: Peggy (Molly Shannon) has a simple life where she works and loves her dog. One day her dog dies and Peggy is devastated. With the help of Newt (Peter Sarsgaard), a fellow vet, she starts to recover only to fall deep into a mental mess. The first 20 mins were fine and I enjoyed Molly Shannon’s character but as the movie moved along it got more and more preachy and strange with Peggy becoming an extreme and narrow minded animal activist. My biggest issue with the movie was the feeling it was PETA propaganda. It is a shame to considering the good actors in it like Regina King, Laura Dern and John C. Reilly.

(M) Journey to the End of the Night. (Eric Eason, 2006) Grade: D

Thoughts: Paul (Brendan Fraser) and his father Sinatra (Scott Glenn) are trying to sell some drugs for money. Paul needs the money to pay off his gambling debt and Sinatra wants it to take his wife Angie (Catalina Sandino Moreno) and son out of San Paulo, Brazil. I am amazed this movie got made because it was bad. I love Brendan Fraser but his overacting in this stinker was unbearable, the storyline was typical and dull and everything seems so pointless. The only saving factor was Mos Def who played Wemba, the drug mule and even that could not save this mess.

Movie Count: 81

(M) Stardust. (Matthew Vaughn, 2007) Grade: B+

Thoughts: Tristan (Charlie Cox) is trying to win the heart of Victoria (Sienna Miller) and to do so he must travel over the Wall to retrieve a fallen star. Unknown to him, the star is actually a human name Yvaine (Claire Danes). Oh and he has to do this before a wicked witch named Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) and an evil prince named Septimus (Mark Strong) get to her first. So when the ads for this movie were posted I thought this looks like crap but then a co-worker and some reviews painted a different story. This movie was fun and very much in the same realm of the Princess Bride and the Neverending Story. It is filled with adventure, humor and romance. The entire cast does a great job and Robert De Niro’s performance as Captain Shakespeare was terrific. Sadly, the movie cost around $65 million to make but has only pulled in $19 million in the two weeks it has been out so hopefully more people go and see it.

(M) Superbad. (Greg Mottola, 2007) Grade: B-

Thoughts: Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) are best friends who have to deal with the fact that in a few months they will be graduating high school and going off to different colleges. I went into this movie not expecting much and came out the same. The storyline with Seth, Evan and their friend Fogell aka McLovin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) was okay but the whole deal with the two officers played by Bill Hader and Seth Rogen was BAD. I enjoyed Michael Cera’s performance because it was basically George Michael from Arrested Development all over again. However, this movie was pretty much meant for guys. I think what didn’t work for me was I could not relate anymore to the subject matter. High school has been awhile for me and I didn’t do high school like these characters where they are trying to score booze to go to some girl’s party and get laid. In addition, the movie was way too long...almost a full two hours when it could have been 20 to 30 mins shorter.

Movie count: 78

On a side note going to the movies has become harder and harder for me due to a number of reasons. There is cell phone person: hey they just gave you three chances to turn or silence your cell phone before the movie starts but you jackarse have to leave it on and HAVE THE NERVE to answer it during the film. Grrrrrr. There is teenage kids: hey kids kicking my chair after I asked nicely to stop then I had to move to another seat or talking to your friend about what to do after the movie like hang out at the arcade or when is their parent coming to pick them up. Grrrrrr. There is parents bringing in young kids: hey couldn't you just go through life not exposing your 3 or 4 year old to this film or find a babysitter or not go and have sex and populate this world and raise more idiots like yourself. Grrrrrr.

Look movies cost so much now and I have to be super selective of what I am willing to see. I might just stop going soon if I have to deal with this all the time. Darth has accused me of being an art house snob but I'm not because I'm willing to see a lot of mainstream movies. I think I just realize that I'm not nice and bitter and grumpy and I have Netflix and can rent the movie and watch it in the comfort of my house :)

(Documentary) Andy Warhol [PBS Version]
Grade: A

This is the most thorough Andy Warhol documentary I have seen. I have watched three others and they were between an hour to an hour and a half. This one was FOUR hours! YES!!! I am happy about that because I have been in love with Andy Warhol since I was in the first years of college. He is the most fascinating and most relatable person I have ever had any knowledge of. The documentary was very thorough and I have read about Warhol as well and I actually learned something in this that I either did not know, or had forgotten, and that was his obsession with Truman Capote when he first arrived in New York. The film is divided into two parts. The first part covers his childhood up through his breakthrough as an artist and the second part covers his ventures after giving up art and focusing on film and music up through his death. Basically it's birth to 1962-ish and then 1960-Death.

Others films I have seen this week:
Less Than Zero: Grade B
Coachella: Grade B-
Glastonbury: Grade C-/D+
The Red Violin: Grade C
Claire's Knee: Grade B+
The Big Chill: Grade C+
The Fountain: Grade D-
Children of Men: Grade B+
300: Grade B
The Chronicles of Narnia: Grade B

Topics: Batman-The Dark Knight, Touched Up Pictures:

I was just perusing the internet and saw this story about Senator Patrick Leahy having a role in the upcoming Batman flick. Now, I don't know this senator but I like Batman movies and while this might be old news to some people I'm stoked that Heath Ledger is going to be playing Joker. Mostly because I think he's hot lol.

My friend gave me this link: http://www.iwanexstudio.com/. If you click on "portfolios" and enlarge the pictures, you can roll over the picture and it shows the original pictures before they touched everything up. It's pretty crazy how much they change the pictures.

(M) The Good Shepard
Grade: B+/A-

This movie was great. Done very well, and even though it is nearly three hours long, it never gets dull. Matt Damon joins a "secret" society at Yale university and eventually gets involved in government work doing counter-intelligence. A friend of mine who went to Yale says this is really close to how things work. Mr. Damon falls in love with a deaf girl but in a night of passion ends up sleeping with Angelina Jolie and impregnates her. He "does the right thing" and marries her, leaving the deaf girl alone. This is really a blessing to the deaf girl though she will never know it because the demands and secrecy of his job with the government tear his real family apart. You can see that he is very dedicated to his job even though it threatens his life, but when his personal life is so empty, it is probably the only thing he has to live for.

The movie tracks from before World War II up to the Bay Of Pigs and the establishment of the CIA building in Washington. Again, very well done.

(M) The Fountain. (Darren Aronofsky, 2006) Grade: C-

Thoughts: Tommy (Hugh Jackson) is a brilliant doctor trying to figure out a way to save his dying wife Izzi (Rachel Weiss). Oh and there is a conquistador trying to find the tree of life for the Queen of Spain and a space traveler moving towards a dying star in a nebula. Yup, this movie was all OVER the place and had no idea what it wanted to do. If you just focus on the present time story the movie was moving and sweet. The past was okay and the future was BAD.

(M) Croupier. (Mike Hodges, 1998) Grade: B

Thoughts: Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) is an aspiring writer who gets hired as a croupier at a casino. There he begins to write about his life as a croupier and the interesting people and things he sees. It was a dark look into being a dealer and Clive Owen was ridiculously good looking. My goodness!

Chinese movies now so you can stop reading if you want :)

(M) Jin Yu Man Tang (The Chinese Feast). (Hark Tsui, 1995) Grade: C+

Thoughts: An entertaining and silly cooking movie starring Leslie Cheung and Anita Yuen. Who knew preparing bear’s paw, elephant’s trunk and monkey’s brain for dinner would be so interesting and the presentation so impressive.

(M) Yat Luk Che (Just One Look). (Riley Yip Kam-Hung, 2002) Grade: C

Thoughts: A coming of age movie that takes it time with the characters and storyline. It was simple enough but nothing too remarkable. Fan (Shawn Yu) and best friend Fishball Ming (You Nam Wong) are both attracted to Nam (Charlene Choi) and then Fan meets Decimator (Gillian Chung) and falls for her and so on.

(M) Ngo Joh Aan Gin Diy Gwai (My Left Eye Sees Ghost). ( Johnnie To & Wai Ka-Fai, 2002) Grade: B

Thoughts: After her husband of seven days dies on their honeymoon, May Ho (Sammi Cheng) inherits his wealth and becomes spoiled and troubled. One night she gets into a car accident and gains the ability to see ghost through her left eye. It might sounds silly but it worked and was enjoyable. Sammi gives a nice and touching performance here; hopefully she comes out of retirement/depression and starts making movies again.

Movie Count: 76

Topic: Viewing Pleasure.

*This film looks amazing. Go Ang Lee!!! Go Tony Leung!!


*Trapped in the Closet is back!! R. Kelly created new chapters with our favorite characters. Watch Chap. 13 and 14 now and if you have some time watch Chap. 12.5 the recap. Oh sh*t!!

(B) Everyman (Philip Roth, 2006) Grade: B
Though this isn’t Roth’s most well-known book (it’s probably American Pastoral or The Plot Against America), Everyman is an interesting read about the universal experience of confronting our mortality. The book follows an old man who is thinking about his life, his mistakes and wondering if he is who he wanted to become. The ending is chilling because it feels so real. Definitely going to read more of Roth’s other works.

(B) Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Truman Capote, 1958) Grade: B+I’ve never read Capote and figured this short novella (and three short stories) would be a good introduction. What surprised me the most was how different the Audrey Hepburn film is from the novella, though Hepburn captures Holly Golightly quite well. Capote has an admirable writing style, and I was moved by all the stories.

(M) Once
Grade: B+

WOW! It's been awhile since I've seen such a warm and tender-hearted movie that was awesome. Somebody told me to watch this many months ago and I never did. I am glad I finally got around to seeing it. This is a really simple movie. It's set in Ireland and it's about a street performer who is coming to terms with the loss of the woman he loved. While performing he meets a woman who likes his song and who herself is going through her own relationship issues. The movie is about two people connecting at vulnerable moments in their life and building a bond through the creation of music. It's short, it's simple, it's great.

Topic: Wii, Weddings, Wilson, Wine.

*I ordered the Wii from Wal-Mart.com before I left for Washington D.C. When I got home I slowly opened the box and set the whole thing up. The Wii has to be the best device in the WORLD. I love it. It is fun and entertaining and did I mention fun. If I could have a Wii party I would in a heartbeat :)


*I am tired of weddings. I have three this year and today I went to my first of three. It was at the LA Zoo and was actually really nice but in my lifetime I will have been to A LOT of weddings and I'm not sure how many more slideshows, wedding games, stories of how the best man and groom had fun in their hey day, center pieces and so on I can stand (sigh). I'm happy people are getting married but man ...

*This is more for FTC but I went to Bodega in Pasadena and they serve red wine and cola or kalimotxo. It reminded me of Spain and the fun we had. It is such a refreshing drink on a summer night. Yum!!

*R.I.P. Anthony Wilson - the man of Manchester :(

(TV) VH1's "Mission: Man Band"

So I saw the commercial for this last week while watching "Best Week Ever". It's basically four former-boy banders meeting up, living in a house, and trying to "make lightning strike twice". So of course I HAD to watch! The show itself isn't anything great. It features members of *NSYNC, 98 Degrees, LFO, and Color Me Badd. I don't think anything will come from this union, but it might be interesting to watch them try.
sneak peek for next week: former CMB member, who is a recovering alcoholic....gets DRUNK!
Here's a fan-made banner from their myspace page:

Still watching a lot of movies, here are some of the recent views and my thoughts.

Marie Antoinette. Grade: B
I actually really liked this movie and I am not sure anyone else in the world did. A look at the life of somebody born into wealth (ala Paris Hilton) who must conform to those societies standards even if they don't want to. The de-valuation of women, the roles and expectations of women, the superficiality of the lifestyle, a nation wasting its finacnes on a pointless military venture, and more more more more... social commentary done very well.

Cinderella Man. Grade: B
Very well done movie about a true life boxer. Paul G. was great and I HATED him in Sideways (as I HATED Sideways).

Night At Mauds. Grade: B
Part of a six film series called '6 Moral Tales' by Eric Rohmer (i think), this one was nominated and may have won best foreign film. The movie consists of a devout Catholic who spends an evening discussing love and religion. Mainly a philosophical movie, it was excellent. A man turns away from real love to find love with somebody of his own religious belief and really denies himself a greater happiness (possibly).

Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind. Grade: C
Why is this movie so highly acclaimed, I don't get it.

Breathless. Grade: B
A film by Jon-Luc Godard. This film was what really established the French New-Wave. It was enjoyable. There is a scene that takes place in a hotel room that goes on and on and on and I was never bored by it.

Quartet. Grade: B
A movie set in Paris where again, the role of women and marriage is taken a look at. The time period was probably in the 1920's or 30's. What is marriage? Again, this institution is looked at.

Osama. Grade: B
Nominated for best foreign film a couple years ago, not sure if it won or not. This was shot after the fall of the Taliban ion Afghanistan. What happens under the Taliban when you have no father or source of income, you starve or do what you can for food. Here a girl dresses up like a boy to work and get money for food and then she is taken by the Taliban to be trained to fight but things start to fall apart and the discovery of her true sex is on the horizon.

(M) Cinemania. (Angela Christlieb, Stephen Kijak, 2002) Grade: C

Thoughts: There are few documentaries I actually enjoy; this is not one of them. Cinemania aimlessly follows five intense cinephilias in New York City. Each of the cinephilias exhibit odd and strange behavior and reasoning for their love of movies/film but the common thread among them seems to be OCD. The documentary could have been good but there was no direction or point. It was just endless random footage pulled together for 83 mins. It did make me realize I enjoy movies/films but I don’t let it overtake my life ... yet.

(M) Love Affair. (Leo McCarey, 1939) Grade: B+

Thoughts: I am beginning to appreciate classic movies much more for a number of reasons – not as sexually as films presently, the woman are clever yet vulnerable, the men are masculine but sensitive and everyone seems friendly and well mannered. Terry McKay (Irene Dunne) is an American traveling alone aboard a ship when she meets Michel Marnet (Charles Boyer), a French playboy. The two hit it off but are involved in relationships back home. They decide that in six months if things do not work out with their lovers they would meet at the top of the Empire State building. Love Affair was remade by the same director into An Affair to Remember, which is mentioned in one of my favorite movies Sleepless in Seattle. Overall, the movie has a simple plot but it is sweet and romantic.

(M) Knocked Up. (Judd Apatow, 2006) Grade: B-

Thoughts: Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) is a slacker with his slacker friends. Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) is an up and coming news reporter on an entertainment channel. They meet one night, get drunk, have sex and a few weeks later Alison is pregnant. According to some reviews this is a guy movie and I can see that but regardless I never bought that two people who barely knew each other would find some connection and want to raise a child together. Especially people who look like Katherine Heigl and who are in the entertainment business and live in L.A. I did enjoy Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jason Segel and Jay Baruchel characters.

Movie Count: 71

(M) Becoming Jane. (Julian Jarrold, 2007) Grade: B

Thoughts: I remember reading that Anne Hathaway would be playing the beloved Jane Austen and thinking it could not work. Well aside from a bad accent, Anne’s performance was strong. The semi biographical film takes a look at Jane Austen, before she became a writer, and her romance with Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy), a young Irish lawyer. Not much is actually known about the “romance” between Jane and Tom but the film took some liberties in filling in the blank. Overall, it was a well-done period piece that could have took a bit more time on character development and less on scenery. Interestingly enough, the title of the film was quite appropriate because it was more a look at how Jane became one of the greatest female writers of our times.

(M) The Simpsons Movie. (David Silverman, 2007) Grade: B+

Thoughts: After 18 years of the Simpsons on television, we finally get a movie. I love the Simpsons; always have and always will. There have been times/seasons when the show stopped making sense but compared to other shows on air, the Simpons are still the cleverest and witty. With that said the movie was one very long Simpsons episode for non-Simpsons fans. Many of the characters normal behavior was played up and some parts were just random but hey it is a Simpsons movie and I’m fine with that. Sequel anyone?

(M) Starter for 10. (Tom Vaughan, 2006) Grade: C+

Thoughts: Set in 1985, working class student Brian Jackson (James McAvoy) is trying to get through his first year at Bristol University. He joins a school trivia team called University Challenge where he meets Alice Harbinson (Alice Eve), the girl he thinks is perfect for him. The whole movie was a huge cliché like Pigern had mention in her review but the Cure, New Order and various 80’s songs throughout the movie was enjoyable. Oh and James McAvoy did a nice job.

Movie Count: 68

(B) Fun House: A Family Tragicom (Alison Bechdel, 2006) Grade: B+
This was an interesting autobiography graphic novel about a woman whose father was a closet homosexual. It’s about their family struggles and dysfunctional relationships. Interestingly, the writer is a lesbian who is fully out of the closet, but she doesn’t connect or feel any closer to her father because of their shared sexuality. Her father dies as an early age, leaving the family to wonder if his death was accidental or intentional. Pretty interesting read.



(B) Requiem for a Dream (Hubert Selby, 1978) Grade: B+
Darren Arronofsky’s film version of this book was like a punch in the face. It was so intense. I didn’t think the book would elicit the same reaction, but it was just as intense. Selby abandons any formal structure, ignoring proper grammatical and punctuation marks, so it’s a tad difficult to read, but it does mirror the chaotic experience of the characters on drugs. Good read.

Book count: 16