Blog Commentary

I never knew Frank was so into writing until I read one of his blog posts. His review on the Book of Eli will help you decide whether or not you want to see the movie (if you haven't already). I'm actually considering watching it now. The preview didn't do much for me. Frank's post was way more insightful. I like how there were other sources included that also reviewed the movie. I also like how Frank's voice was separate from the other reviews. One of my favorite lines from the other sources was "It grips your attention and then at the end throws in several "WTF!" moments". Frank's description of the Book of Eli as being a "page turner of a movie" was an excellent description. Being an avid reader, that really peaked my interest.

Great post Frank!

Profile Update

Ok, today's the day I interview the two strippers (hopefully both). Yesterday I interviewed two of their former roommates. Eventually I'll also interview the boyfriend....I should prep up my questions :)

Profile Preview

I wanted to do a profile on something different...something that isn't talked about much (in most of society). I decided to do an interview on an acquaintance that pays for college by stripping. Besides interviewing her, I plan on interviewing her boyfriend, one of her best friends (who also strips with her), and a few people who knew her when she began stripping. Because of some legal issue that may arise, most names will be changed for the confidentiality and safety of the individuals being interviewed. Some questions I plan on asking:

how do you feel when you're up on stage? in the crowd?

how do you think people who are close to you (parents, friends, boyfriend, etc) feel about you stripping?

typically, how many people that know you know you strip for a living?

are the stereotypes of stripping true for you? for others? (drugs, anorexia, prostitution, etc)

why did you decide to strip rather than get some other kind of job?

Stephen King thoughts

From pages 51-100, Stephen King continues to entertain me with anecdotes and tips on how not to be stupid in life and become a better writer. In these pages, King mentions a few important pieces of advice, one of which being that a writer does not need drugs or alcohol to write well. Second he discusses character development, particularly how a character may "change unexpectedly". Toward the end, King gives very concrete instructions to "put your desk in a corner....and don't come lightly to the blank page". I think the desk in a corner represents the need for humility and that not coming lightly to the blank page implies that while writing is fun, if you're going to make a living out of it you have to take it seriously. One final thing that King wrote that stood out to me was that "Having someone who believes in you makes all the difference". He described that person as "someone who knows". I'm very grateful to have a few of those in my life right now.

And for the record, my favorite quote is in the anecdote about his drinking days. King's friend had such a problem that he was forced to go see a counselor. The counselor asked King's friend, "How much do you drink?" His friend disbelievingly replied, "All of it!"

I'm too young to die ("The Lovely Bones" Review)

At a glance:

• Novel based movie emotionally connects with women more than men (though it's not a chick flick)
• Explores desires for moving on and vengeance
• Could there be an inbetween?
• Four star worthy
  

“My murderer began to feel safe…but there was one thing he didn’t understand…how much a father could love his daughter”. Susie Salmon, 13, was murdered Dec. 6, 1973. Back then little girls did not go missing, nor were brutally killed.

“The Lovely Bones” is based on the novel by Alice Sebold and directed by Peter Jackson ("Lord of the Rings"). The movie is dramatically narrated by Susie (Saoirse Ronan) as we travel through parts of her brief past, rush through her present, and then slowly watch her family’s and murderer’s future unfold.

Susie confesses that she wants her murderer (Stanley Tucci) “cold and dead” because of what he did to her. Her father Jack (Mark Walberg) and sister Lindsey (Rose Mclver) become unhealthily obsessed with finding the killer, however her mother Abigail (Rachel Weisz) withdraws from the household after she yells at her husband, “Can’t you just leave it alone!” Of all of them, Susie’s brother Buckley (Christian Thomas Ashdale) is calmed by the understanding that “Susie is in the inbetween”, watching over them.

While stuck in the “inbetween” Susie is torn between her craving for vengeance and her desire to move on to heaven. However, it is the haunting that pushes her to side with vengeance. As Susie watches in the blue horizon, she sees her father and sister piece together clues that could lead them to her murder.

While“The Lovely Bones” is not as action packed as "Lord of the Rings", it is a thrilling  film that is full of strong emotions. The ending is at least satisfactory, while the plot is spattered with instances that will make your heart jump or break.This movie gets four stars out of five.

Movie Details:

• Rated PG-13
• Length: 2 hr 15 min
• Genre: Alternative Thriller
  
• Showing in Corvallis and Albany
  

Review Brainstorm

I have a few ideas for what I could do:

I could do another movie review (this time of the Lovely Bones, as it's a genre I normally don't watch)...
I could review the new series of Scrubs (compare it to the old one)...
I could also do a different TV show or The Princess and the Frog (if I can Shalah to go with me)

I'm leaning toward Scrubs or the Lovely Bones though

Published Article: Up in the Air Review

 Two thumbs "Up in the Air"
Alx George
The Commuter

Jason Reitman (director of “Juno”) has us laughing again with his newest release, “Up in the Air.” The film is a gender-neutral, light-hearted, only slightly romantic comedy, and its creative plot glides through the turbulence that Ryan (George Clooney) and Natalie (Anna Kendrick) experience on the job as downsizing experts. To complement thought-provoking insights, Reitman incorporates well-placed comic scenes and subtle recurring jokes.
The movie lifts off by introducing us to Ryan, head of a downsizing corporation, who almost immediately meets Alex (Vera Farminga), an attractive frequent flyer like himself. After discovering how much they have in common, the two catch different planes and Ryan meets Natalie (his not-so-lovely coworker), who has the nerve and ambition to revamp the corporation by “letting people go” via webcam. Ryan feels it’s his duty to help Natalie see “the light”: there are some things that just shouldn’t be done over a phone or a computer. While Ryan metaphorically beats Natalie’s head against a computer screen, Natalie protests Ryan’s chosen isolated lifestyle and Alex attempts to seduce Ryan from the sidelines.
This movie was definitely worth watching - if not in theaters, then at least on DVD. There are some interesting twists, quite a few laughs, not to mention plenty of I-told-you-so moments.