If you should remember, most of my writing is just pointless rambling, so what better than to fill a post with my late night thoughts which have about as much cohesion as an Adam Sandler movie? Not that they have the quality of an Adam Sandler movie. Since no one actually ever puts any thought into an Adam Sandler movie.
-So my last ever term holidays have come to a brisk end, but that's no matter - I'm actually looking forward to going back to school. To be honest, I've hated the holidays this year (apart from the sleep ins) because they have gotten in the way of all of the projects I've had on the go. Except for the first holidays. That was all stage challenge. I don't remember how I survived that. Anyways, as you may know I went to Sydney at the beginning of the holidays, which was great fun, especially buying all of the DVDs I wanted. I saw Captain Phillips and Blue Jasmine, which were both terrific, and Frances Ha (which I loved) and Stoker (which I didn't love) on the plane. And I went to Madame Tussaud's which was awesome. I bought an Oscar from there and posed with Leonardo DiCaprio (as seen above). Because I'm hilarious. Then I came back and I've literally done nothing but toil over this essay I have to write for English that's somehow gotta find connections between A Streetcar Named Desire, The Crucible, Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Catcher in the Rye, and also how these novels proved the influence of the time they were written in. It is the worst thing I have ever written, with four pages and absolutely no cohesion at all. Please help.
-This week has been a bit crazy, though. I got accepted into the hall I wanted at University of Canterbury, and also won a $5000 scholarship for being Head Girl. Now I just have to enrol in my courses (a Bachelor of Arts with Cinema, English, and possibly a History and Linguistics paper - but I don't get university courses at all) and start selling drugs so I can pay for the rest of it.
-Speaking of being Head Girl...ah, I really wish I got the epiphany to start blogging again earlier so I could outline this craziness a bit more. Alas, since Stage Challenge, everything started to get really bad for a number of reasons (mostly just missing Stage Challenge - honestly, it was like having a leg cut off when that all ended) but that's all done now. I focused my energies on trying to help a whole lot of redundant workers in town, which wasn't successful. And I got nominated for this community services award as well. I honestly don't remember much else, aside from being very tired and cleaning the common room lots, but here's the point where things get scary. I have exams around the corner, and then I have to do my valedictory speech, which I've been thinking about all year, but now it is about to happen, I'm kinda scared about it. Oh and yeah, this year has gone way too fast.
-In other exciting school news, my drama class is performing The Crucible by Arthur Miller. I'm playing Elizabeth Proctor. Would be great if I were Joan Allen right now.
-Anyway, off the topic of school, and on to the topic of movies. So I saw Gravity today. I have a 'review' all set to go, which is pretty pointless since every man and his dog has written about it, but I tried to make it a little different. It just needs a heck of a lot of editing so I can use the thesaurus to give me 27 more variations of the word 'amazing'.
-Aside from rewatching a whole lot of movies so I could also toil over that bloody English essay, I saw most of the week's new DVD releases. First up was The Hangover Part III, which I liked more than the terrible second one but still not all that much. I laughed quite a bit, but there were way too many unnecessary animal deaths I found. And then there was Sharknado, which was every bit as terribly entertaining as I thought it would be. Deadfall was next up, which was okay but man, Eric Bana was crazy in that. Straight after I watched The Paperboy, which I really quite liked, even though it was ridiculously violent and greasy. Nicole Kidman killed it, though. Lastly, I watched The Hunt, which was definitely one of the most depressing films I've ever seen. But it is sooooo very good.
-The film that I'm most obsessed with at the moment is The Place Beyond the Pines. I rewatched it over the weekend and was absolutely won over this time. Every time I see the trailer at work, I just want to see it over and over again. I'll get around to reviewing it, but this is definitely in my Top 3 for 2013 now.
-The Nymphomaniac posters are pretty much the worst/scariest things I've ever seen. I know that Lars Von Trier was trying to be all against the grain and stuff, but...that's not cool.
-American Hustle has a new trailer and I love it and I need this movie right now. Amy Adams looks fantastic. Jennifer Lawrence looks amazing. I love it already.
-Diana is getting thrashed, huh? Poor Naomi Watts, she's not having a good year. Remember how Jessica Chastain was supposed to be in that film? Luckily she decided to do Zero Dark Thirty instead.
-Speaking of J-Chas, who has been
This is honestly my most used movie quote of all time.
So, can anyone offer any help on my English essay? Or, an easier question: what's everyone been watching lately? What's on your cinematic mind?
There's a reason why I refer to him as Lars von Troll (not just because it makes for a cute pun). I basically think he's more interested in stunts rather than films, and these Nymphomanac posters are just the latest in a depressingly long line. I don't know what's happened to him, I actually liked his stuff back in the 90s (well, Zentropa, Kingdom and Breaking The Waves), but somewhere he seemed to become more excited by rather vacuous provocation...
ReplyDeleteWatching a fair bit of horror at the moment cos it's October. Mostly older stuff, but I should watch something more recent.
I really liked Breaking the Waves, and Melancholia, but couldn't stand Dogville and Dancer in the Dark (I think that's all the films I've seen of his). He is definitely a troll if I ever saw one.
DeleteAh, there's not too many great new horrors out there. Mind you, I don't watch a whole lot of horror in general.
Congrats on your scholarship, that is some pretty awesome news right there!
ReplyDeleteGood to hear that someone else wasn't a fan of Stoker. I'd seen glowing reviews for it everywhere I went, and had even gotten a post ready of screenshots full of how many god damn ridiculous stares were in the film (and it was probably only half, if that). It was kind of laughable, at least to me. Visuals were alright, though. But yeah, a weird film (and not in a good way).
I was very happy about it!
DeleteI was so over the staring how everything was treated in this over the top, melodramatic way. It was stylish, yes, but there was barely any substance and the story was something everyone has seen before. I just found it incredibly boring and pointless.
I liked Stoker. It is a well-made film. What is your essay going to be about? Maybe I can help if I don't have anything to do.
ReplyDeleteI love Lars von Trier and I like what he's doing though I'm hoping that his film turns out to be great as I'm waiting for him to do Wasington.
Yes, Stoker is rather well-made. The story was just...meh. Ah, my essay is mostly written, basically all I need to know is why honesty/dishonesty and freedom were important in the late 1940's/1950's in terms of literature, particularly Breakfast at Tiffany's, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Catcher in the Rye and The Crucible. If that even makes sense. Basically, I had to make two thematic connections between all of those texts, and it is an essay about the time period they are written in. It is so hard to explain, and even harder to write.
DeleteBlue Jasmine is gorgeous (until someone pointed it out to me, I did not even pick the similarities to A Streetcar Named Desire. Then I was all, 'Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?' Very clever.) Still haven't seen Stoker, though I really want to. I think I'm going to go to the movies on Monday where the cinema has a cheap ticket day and see one or two.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the scholarship!!! Uni is rather weird, but you get used to it very quickly. Every uni is different though - I'm sure you'll enjoy it, especially your cinema and english classes :) Good luck with your exams, and I'm sure your speech will be brilliant!
Congratulations on that scholarship! :) Good luck with your studies.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see The Hunt and Frances Ha, and I really want to rewatch The Place Beyond the Pines. Gravity was, indeed, amazing! Ja feel?