About Time

I was going to write a post reflecting on 2013, and while I still may, I needed to get out my thoughts about this movie I watched last night. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2194499/

About Time features a man who learns he can travel back in time and do things differently. At first, I hated it. It seemed like he was just trying to get everything perfect and erase the embarrassing shit we all go through. It also felt a little like he was fooling everyone.

But as time went on, things changed for him. It was a fascinating movie, well shot and thoroughly enjoyable. (Full disclosure: I bawled at one point. I'd tell you where, but major spoiler alert.)

It really made me think about life as finite, and about how you really gotta live everyday as if it's your only shot - because it truly is. 

The other thing it made me think about it how life is too short to hate yourself. I've been practicing a lot of self-loathing lately, berating myself for stupid mistakes. Why? I'm the only one that has to live with me for the rest of my life. Nothing's perfect - I'm definitely never going to be. I've gotta embrace the ish. 

Anyway, that's enough self reflection for one post. Watch the movie - it's fantastic. 

Now I'm going to go work out, congratulate myself, then promptly eat a soft pretzel, and try not to be a hater. Baby steps. 

Post-college emotional vomit

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope everyone's went well.  Mine did, better than expected even!  Ever tried hard apple cider with a shot of fireball whiskey poured in?  You should.

Yesterday I watched this movie called Frances Ha.  Jessica (an awesome person Liz introduced me to) blogged about it and I like her taste so I watched it on Netflix.  If the definition of a good movie is invoking emotions in the viewer, this was a great movie.  

It's about Frances (duh) who is 27 and a struggling dancer in NYC.  Her bff Sophie and her start the movie living together, but life happens and Sophie moves onward and upward.  Frances kind of gets left behind.  She's awkward and broke and missing her other half.  Every other sentence when she's in a group of people is "in college, this" "in college, that."  Anyway, I guess it's a coming of age story.  One that painfully reminded me of the past few years.

After I graduated from college with a freakin' master's degree, it took me nine months to find a real person job, and even when I found it, it paid absolute crap and I felt taken advantage of.  Thank goodness I worked with some of my friends and we made it through together, because some days I just wanted to punch my boss in her dumb face.  In fact, I made so little money there I had to have two jobs, kept working in a restaurant just to keep up the student loan payments.

The feelings of that time - no money, no direction, no accomplishment and a sudden lack of community - came rushing back as I watched this movie.  It wasn't that long ago, I just got a job that changed my entire life in September, and I was studying to get licensed the first month or so, passing the exams was necessary to move forward, failure meant getting fired.  

Needless to say, these are still fresh, raw emotions.  I guess what I'm trying to say is life after college is rough.  It takes some of us a long time to get our shit together.  The awkward post-college, pre-getting-your-shit-together phase is absolutely awful.

And this movie does a great job at telling that story.

It's only day 5 of 7...

It's been one of those freakishly long weeks.  The wall of complete physical and emotional exhaustion hit me as I walked into my apartment after work.  Feelings of being powerless, extremely happy and extremely depressed have ruled my week, making it one I hope not to repeat any time soon.

I definitely want to write about this week at some point, but I think I have to wait.  I have to wait to unveil the source of my happiness and distress until the end of the month.  No, it's not all about the "no drinking in January" rule that I so foolishly imposed on myself.

Last night I got a chance to watch some pieces on Netflix.  I absolutely recommend them all.  Disclaimer:  I have no real knowledge about what makes moving pictures "good" or "bad" - I base most of my opinions on entertainment value.

Hugo
A story about an orphan who lives in a train station.  He fixes machines, and is very talented.  Lonely, he meets a girl who changes his world forever.  They go on an adventure and uncover some stuff about her Godfather's past.  The story speaks volumes about the movie industry, how it started, how it changed, and how people can pursue dreams and fail.  It was excellent.  I really didn't think I was going to like it!

First Position
Who doesn't find ballet amazing?  That people can move and look that way?  This documentary follows a handful of very talented people under the age of 19 who want a career in ballet.  If you like to learn and watch people dance, you'll like this pretty well done documentary.

Sherlock

As a fan of Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes, I thought I would hate this series.  I've read the books and have seen almost all of the Sherlock Holmes movies.  But a TV series?  Bloody hell!  

Well, they picked great actors.  They have stuck to the old stories enough to make them interesting and keep us guessing, but not so closely that the characters seem to be copying all of the others before them.  It is action packed - each episode is like a small movie, clocking in around 1.5 hours.  I highly recommend watching it.  At least put it in your queue for that dreaded month of May when all of the TV shows are old again...

Sunshine Cleaning

Movie circa 2008 available on Netflix instant watch.  Two white trash sisters, Amy Adams & Emily Blunt, are broke and broken.  Their mom committed suicide when they were little, one of them has a kid, the other does a lot of small-time drugs and parties, the dad is crazy, and to get by (because the little kid was kicked out of school for licking things) they start cleaning up crime scenes.

I know Netflix has this algorithm that is really good to suggest movies, and while I liked Sunshine Cleaning, they falsely advertised it.  Dark humor & black comedies, indie dramas, indie comedies is what it is listed under, but it is basically just an indie drama.

Some of it is kind of funny.  A chuckle here or there.  Most of it is just normal, which is strange for Hollywood.  Is it worth watching?  Eh, if you have 90 minutes to kill, go for it. All the characters are well played and interesting.

Favorite quote:  "It's a business lie, it's different from a real lie."

Stars:  3.5/5

Julie & Julia

No, this is not another movie review.  Liz, who is awesome, said "food blogs are big" and since she would know here it goes.  This is the deal with my cooking skills.

I can cook.  Follow a recipe step by step, make sauces, cut vegetables, boil water, melt butter, etc.  It always turns out great and tasty, but quite frankly, going to the grocery store, picking up all the supplies, making sure I have the right number of pans and then cleaning all of those pans goes way over my normal time quota for a meal.

And I get really frustrated when there's more than 12 steps.  (That's why rehab programs don't have 13.)

Instead of following a cookbook, I just throw things together.  Cheap, easy, no more than 2 pans, and no more than $10.  Otherwise I'd just go to the pizza shop and get them to cook for me.  Or Wawa.  Or Cosi....

This is what I made Liz for lunch...we'll call it....uhhhh....

Pasta with Garlic Parmesan Stuff


What you need:
1 frying pan
1 pot that holds as much pasta as you want
Minced garlic (from a jar, don't do mince that stuff yourself)
Misc. spices
Pasta
Extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan

Here's how to make one serving.  Just increase ingredients for more servings.

1. In the pot, boil water.
2. Once boiling, put however much pasta you want in pot, set timer.
3. In the pan, pour some extra virgin olive oil.  How much?  Well, like 5 tablespoons-ish.  Maybe a little more? The great thing about this recipe is you can't mess it up!
4. Turn the pan on med-high heat, let the oil get hot, throw in some diced garlic.  As much or as little as your heart desires.  Use something to move the garlic & oil around so it doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan.
5. Don't forget to stir the pasta.
6. Add a little basil, oregano, pepper, and parsley to the oil & garlic.  Yes, or just use italian seasoning.
7. The water is reboiling and you've got like 3 minutes til the pasta's done right?  Oil is nice and hot and garlic is sizzling?  Turn the heat down to med-low.
8. Add some parmesan.  Stop asking how much, add as much as you think looks good.  Move it all around.  Keep it on med-low.
9. Drain pasta, dump the frying pan contents onto the pasta.
10. Clean your dishes.

If you have the means, add chicken or beef to the oil mixture and let it brown.  Sooo good.

As for Julia & Julie (or whatever) the movie was cute, but Julie is kind of a bitch.  And who has that much time to cook or find rare ingredients?  But Julia, bless her heart.

Paper Moon

There's this movie on Netflix Instant Watch called Paper Moon.  You should definitely invest the 102 minutes to watch it.

Now, most of you (yea, you 3 people reading my blog), will be like "ohhhhh I LOVE Paper Moon, why did it take so long for you to discover it?"  Well, see, I have a slight problem.  I grew up in a household where 1920-1950 was the ruling media age.  No Simpsons, no Rugrats, no to a lot of things.  Never watched Star Wars or The Breakfast Club.  I know, I KNOW.  What a sin against humanity!  Well I have seen The Thin Man, Casablanca, And Then There Were None, Arsenic and Old Lace, My Man Godfrey, The Maltese Falcon, The General, and every other influential movie up to 1960.  So chill.  I have the same amount of knowledge, just in a different era.

Now in case you haven't seen it, Paper Moon came out in the 1970s, hence why I haven't seen it.  It's a great take on the Depression era and strays away from the traditional "everyone was nice, Mama was great, Paw was an upstanding gentleman, and there was no such thing as whores or bootleggers."  There's this con-man, Moses (Ryan O'Neal) and a little girl/boy Addy (Tatum O'Neal).  Her mom dies and he gets stuck traveling with her cross-states to take her to her only kin.  Because its the Great Depression and he has a car.  And ain't no one else payin' to send some whores kid away.

The thing is, he owes her $200.  And until he gets it back, he's stuck with her.  The black-and-white film and filming techniques do a great job convincing you the characters' are really stuck in that era.  The depiction of the Great Depression's poverty is so raw and real it is almost unsettling, but the plot is sweet.  It is a weird mix that I really appreciated and thought worked well.

And the ending.  Well let's just say it is perfect.  Not overally sad, not overally happy, it just is what it is. So refreshing.

4.8 out of 5 stars.  Watch it!

News in a Nutshell

(I want to preface this post with saying that this is a satire.  Because I say some very opinionated things in here that could be taken as hate towards Philadelphia or the government.  But really, I get all warm and fuzzy inside every time I think about both subjects.  Damn, I just can't stop being satanical satirical.)

At Loretta's last night, we watched Law & Order SVU which was immediately followed by an ad for Law & Order LA.  Seriously L&O.  Seriously?  Why don't you just name yourselves PDA (Police Department/District Attorney), team yourselves up with CSI and whore yourselves out start investigating in every city.  I may be biased and angry based on the fact you are getting rid of Stabler.  Stabler.  The person everyone fantasizes about.  How are you going to replace him?!?!  (Who else would be immediately attractive after getting raped?!?!)

After SVU was over, the news came on.  They enticed us with several interesting pieces which I immediately (and cynically) told Loretta would be on at 11:55, instead of 11.  Since they went straight to the stuff I wanted to hear, I'll regurgitate it here.  In a much more interesting way.  Also without a fake smile on my face.  Seriously.  Frowning.  Right now.

First up was about our lovely city being in movies.  For instance, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro are filming The Dark Fields here now.  And guess what?!  My friend is in the movie!!!  He got to meet Bradley Cooper and do a whole scene with him!  Super duper exciting!!!  I wish I was an actress sometimes.  But I know I would just look at Bradley Cooper with please-do-me eyes and never get a word in edgewise.

My friend was not on the news.  So moving on.  Pennsylvania apparently provided about $74 million in tax breaks to the film industry if they film the majority of any production in PA in 2009 (and every year prior).  This helps with job security and getting Pennsylvania on the big screen.  This year however, the budget has already been allocated to projects currently (or soon to begin) filming.  Therefore, filming crews blocking roads and sidewalks and bike lanes will be significantly reduced...until PA gets their priorities straight and stops giving money to the public school systems.  (Come on, we already shut down the libraries, let's just get rid of kindergardeners.  Who needs them it?)

This filming loss is obviously tragic for Philly since things like "Rocky" and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" keep this city running day-to-day.  Who will we look up to now?  And what will the public do if there aren't random green men running around the city?!

How about Sir Richard.  That's right.  Next item in the news was about Sir Richard's Tavern.  Conveniently located on 44th and Lancaster Ave.  Apparently an ex-convict owns it and it is number 4 on Philly's Finest's "most dangerous/most police calls and visits for a bar" list.  I'll tell you what.  Why don't you come over, and we'll hop on the 10 Trolley.  $2 and about 30 seconds later, we'll be there!  Afterwards, we can make all the bad decisions we want to because on the way back, the 10 Trolley will drop us off right in front of an abortion clinic.  Don't worry they're real cheap.  It costs about $5, as long as they don't have to wash their hands and can keep the fetus in a jar for kicks and giggles.  It's only slightly illegal.

It's about as illegal as Sir Richard's Tavern.  I mean, they only run a small amount of drugs and only a little more guns/ammo out of there every week.  I'm sure they'll hook us up with a few free shots.  Alcoholic.  Maybe.

That's the furthest Loretta and I got in the news department.  I bid her adieu after beating her pants of at Wii Golf and rode off into the darkness while contemplating how cold the beer at Sir Richard's would be.

What I should have been contemplating was the new poverty estimate.  For a family of four, $60,000 a year to scrap by.  In Philly that is.  In Ethiopia they'd probably be rich.  Just sayin'.

Confessions of a Rom-Com Lover

I love Rom-Coms. Yes, me. For those that know me, this may be a tad bit hard to believe, but I really do enjoy rom-coms. Yes, even really horrible ones. Like the one I watched tonight - Confessions of a Shopaholic.

The whole premise of the movie is about a journalist (picture Legally Blonde, but with an IQ about 10 points higher) who is in a load of debt. Becks wants to write for a fashion magazine, but instead gets a job at a sister magazine, one about finance. The way she got the job - a tequila fueled letter to the editor, which she meant to send to the fashion magazine editor but instead, mixed up the addressed envelopes in a alcohol induced screw up. Turns out, the financial editor really liked her "new spin on things" and the "girl in the green scarf" became a hit throughout the magazine industry. Basically, things catch up to Becks, but in the end, she pays her debt, learns a valuable lesson, patches things up with everyone who she alienated through her lies, gets back at the bitchy glamor girl, and wins the extremely dashing man with a British accent's affection. All wrapped up in a neat 1 hour and 44 minutes.

And I loved it.

Even though it was completely ridiculous and implausible.

Which is why I enjoy watching rom-coms only alone, or with other rom-com lovers.

I like how everyone's life always turns out well, even in the most dire circumstances. I like how reality doesn't really matter. I love the ridiculousness of the entire plot. Rom-coms stay true to themselves. Usually when I'm watching a movie, I pick apart every detail, question all plot holes, and pay attention to details - like in the same scene a clock will read 10:30 and 11:30 during the same conversation. I'm a movie cynic. But I love rom-coms. And I'm willing to suspend belief for that 1 hour and 44 minutes every time.

The thought did cross my mind that in real life, Becks would be homeless (or living with her parents), never had a job past staff writer (she certainly didn't have the work ethics or smarts to be a freelance journalist), would've been ignored by the handsomest man on the planet, and probably would have ended up either dead via suicide, or an old bag lady. But none of that happened in the movie, so good for you Becks!

So when I'm 35, you can probably find me eating ice cream, cuddling with my cat, and enjoying a wonderfully fantastically horrible rom-com completely alone and also completely happy.

Oh wait, you can probably find me doing that now.