Weekend at the Cinema

I had a cinematic weekend experience. Two very opposing movies in two nights. It was much needed for I hadn't sat in some cushioned stadium seating in near three weeks. It was about time.

The first film on the docket, was the video game-realized Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. I will fully admit that I was skeptical about this one. I mean, it has a very similar look as The Scorpion King and we all know how that turned out. Other odds were working against it as well. Mike Newell was directing. Remember the last big budget project he was given? He made Harry Potter and the Suckfest of Fire. He took a ship that needed a Captain and let it sink after hitting some very jagged rocks. So what was to stop him from doing it with a video game adaptation.
Its staring Jake Gyllenhaal, who, unfortunately, to me has just been the gay-er of the two cowboys for the last few years. Plus, in the trailer he was trying to do some accent that was kinda indistinguishable. Again, there is a crappy predecessor for big budget flicks with an American leading man "using" an accent (Brad Pitt in Troy, for those of you catching up).

But even with those insurmountable obstacles, I have to say, I really liked it. None of the afore mentioned crap-stacles got in its way. In fact, they all contributed to its success. Jake is now Dastan to me, badass acrobat. Mike Newell...well, I'm still really bothered about Harry Potter but this was a good start at making it up. So if you like action/adventure summer popcorn movies, I recommend:




Film 2:
Just Wright
This is definitely one of those chick-flicks that will be lost in time, but that's too bad because it quite enjoyable. Queen Latifa stars as Leslie Wright, a physical therapist who has always been the homegirl never the girlfriend. Common is Scott McKnight, a basketball player with a knee injury to rehabilitate. Cue predictability factor...Now.
Even though you know everything that is going to happen (somethings from the opening credits, some just seconds before) this movie did it with a charming touch. The dialogue is pleasant and witty (although sometimes over-acted. Queen Latifa, I'm talking to you) and gives you a male lead that knows when to take it slow. Common brings a likability to Scott when the character, in other hands, could have turned into douche-city.
There's a scene where Scott's fiancee comes back, after dumping him when he got injured, and wants to go forward with their previous plans of marriage right away. He stops her and says that that's moving way two fast when they JUST got back together.
He's a good guy that actually thinks before he acts. Its about time we had some cinematic representation.
If you want to see a predictable, dude-friendly chick flick, I recommend:

It's safe to dance

Sorry to be so video heavy, but at least it's always awesome stuff. Its from last weeks Glee episode. Its just an killa dance!

I'm not the guy you're taking home...

This video is amazing.



Robyn, I'll be more than happy to come dance with you. No stress, alright? It's gonna be ok.

Faith

I don't know that I have any. I'm working on it. I wish I had it but it is a concept that has eluded me for many years. I grew up in a church where that was a main topic, so you think it'd come alot easier for me but for some reason it doesn't.

Things aren't ok. But I've gotten so used to them being not ok that when things start getting good, I subconsciously mess it up because I don't know how to handle the good times. They come so rarely that I'm unprepared for them. Again, I'm working on it.

I don't have complete faith that things will get good again for a while (my hunch is 2012). Just when I think I hit rock bottom, it turns out

-Rock bottom
--50 ft. of crap
--- then there's me

I do think that hope and faith are different. It's like wanting and knowing. I don't know that things are gonna change. If there's any sort of set pattern, it's not gonna. I'm glad that life seems to be good for everyone else around me. But I'd like some of the good. Just a sip. yeeeeeeeahhhh. A sip of good right now would be amazing.

Hey Julie

Working all day for a mean little man
With a clip-on tie and a rub-on tan
He's got me running 'round the office like a dog around a track
But when I get home,
You're always there to rub my back

Hey Julie,
Look what they're doing to me
Trying to trip me up
Trying to wear me down
Julie, I swear, it's so hard to bear it
And I'd never make it through without you around

Hours on the phone making pointless calls
I got a desk full of papers that means nothing at all
Sometimes I catch myself staring into space
Counting down the hours 'til I get to see your face

Hey Julie,
Look what they're doing to me
Trying to trip me up
Trying to wear me down
Julie, I swear, it's so hard to bear it
And I'd never make it through with out you around
No, I'd never make it through with out you around

[Bridge]
How did it come to be
That you and I must be
Far away from each other every day?
Why must I spend my time
Filling up my mind
With facts and figures that never add up anyway?
They never add up anyway

Working all day for a mean little guy
With a bad toupee and a soup-stained tie
He's got me running 'round the office
Like a gerbil on a wheel
He can tell me what to do
But he can't tell me what to feel

Hey Julie,
Look what they're doing to me
Trying to trip me up
Trying to wear me down
Julie, I swear, it's so hard to bear it
And I'd never make it through with out you around
No, I'd never make it through without you around
No, I'd never make it through with out you around

It's a cruel thing you'll never know all the ways I tried..

So I'm leaving my blog hiatus to share this video. It's by an Sweedish artist named Robyn but she is so amazing. Her performance is heartbreaking and beautiful. Promise you will watch till the end.

Worrywort/Lord of the Rings geek

I feel awful.

Like truly awful.

I slept last night but only because I have a nice nasty cold and got to take some nyquil.

But the preceeding 5 nights I didn't sleep.

I'm worried. I feel that way alot and its only getting more intense. I try to not let it get at me but the worry is a attacking for various angles. I'm not good at keeping an eye on all the angles yet. It's stormed Helm's Deep and I am holed up in the Hornberg (I believe thats the appropriate Lord of the Rings reference).

I don't know how to beat it. I don't know what to do at all. Sauron has taken Osgiliath. I feel like all there is to do is make a final stand. So I ride across the Pelenor fields, Anduril, my blessed sword at my side. Fighting. Bringing down as many orcs as I can before I, myself, am brought down.

In-con-vene-iency

Listen, in the past 66 hours, I have maybe been asleep for ten hours of it. So just bear with me as grammer and things may not be great. Also, I apologize now for the infinite number of times you will hear...read various forms in the word convenient within this entry.

Life has been full to the brim of inconveniencies lately. Here bundle of them I have experienced in the past few days.

-I am being trained in Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom. As a stiltwalker. I don't think I even need to go into the details of that inconveniency. It's pretty self-explanitory.

-Because there are safety concerns, we have brought out last week of rehersals to the stage. Which means that they can't start till after the last scheduled show that day. That puts us in at like 630pm and the rehearsal goes to one am. Also, they have kept me in my casting at High School at the same time. Meaning I have had 3 back to back 16-17 hour days. 8:30 am- 1 am. I am sooooooooooooo indescribeably tired.

-Today, I did Inconvenient Party Bash.

-Not having a car to drive off in at the end of the weekend from hell is not convenient at all.

-Recent confessions that have been made to me. Inconvenient.

-I find it so very inconvenient that I have to watch what I say on my blog. There is always someone I have to edit things for as to not offend. Everyone else seems to get to say and write whatever they want. I wish I could.

-I lent my iPod (Robin, is her name) to a friend for a few hours while I was at rehearsal so they could get some music. Hours later they haven't even made progress at all. Which I find inconvenient because I drive with my iPod. And with no music, I came close to falling asleep on the way home.

-I have been starving since 10:30 last night. By the time I got a chance to remedy that situation, however, every place closed. I have no food in my fridge and at this point, lack of sleep is the thing in more need of fixing so looks like I'm gonna go to bed hungry.

-The location of my new place is just so out of the way and inconventient. So is thrying to climb up to the third floor.

And now things are getting hazy so I'm gonna crash.

Picture This

My friend Tin Tin (who provided the image above) gave his thoughts on the 2010 Best Picture nominations and thus, I thought I'd give mine as well.

Unfortunatly, I cannot speak with a high amount of authority as I have only seen half of the nominees but here are my thoughts. If you hate me after this, well thats unfortunate also.

Of course, you have the Big 5. The films that would still have a nod even if the limit was 5.

- Up in the Air
- Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
- Inglorious Basterds
- The Hurt Locker
- Avatar

Duh. I can say for certain that the 3 of those I have seen should absolutely be on there. Next are the indies. The movies that, while still great, didn't quite hit the big time.

-An Education
-A Serious Man

Finally, with three nods left to dull out, the Academy chose films that lotsa people saw. I can think of other films that should gotten the chance but what can I say?

- Up
- The Blind Side
- District 9

These last three is where I am pissed. First, Up is...up for Best Picture and Best Animated Feature. I really feel like that shouldn't be an option. We all know it's gonna end up going home with AniFeat so why not leave a slot for a different great work this year? Or if they felt strongly enough that Up is just so fantastic it needs to get put with the big boys, stand by that decision and don't be so afraid that if it didn't win anything Pixar would be upset and we can't have that. Baaaawk bawk bawk.

Oh District 9. I'm absolutely fine for it being up for technical awards because in those respects the film was great. However, if you wanted to give it up to a second sci-fi crowd pleaser, why not give it to a more entertaing and equally well made Star Trek? Booo on that one Academy.

All I can do about The Blind Side is roll my eyes and feel uttery exasterbated. I just...no. sigh

Those be my thoughts. Take 'em or leave 'em.

Home Decour

Ok, I moved. Finally. I finally moved. All up in my new place. Took my one day off and moved in a bed and just bought furniture and was up till one making it presentable. SO of course I wake up at the crack of 7:54 am. Typical.

This entire process feels like its taken entirely too long. Well, I suppose it hasn't but this is really the the first time I've moved into an unfurnished place so it's felt a little crazy. It's been epic.

However, however. It brought me to my first trip to Ikea. And I must say, Sweds are brilliant. Ikea is possibly one of the coolest places I have ever been. I know most of you readers have already had your Ikea cherry popped, so I won't/don't need to list details of said awesomeness. But there were so many room set ups that I just wanna live in. Don't have to move it's location. I'll just move to the 2nd floor of the Ikea building. That's fine. They have a cafeteria too. And one that isn't crazy expensive. And it tastes delicious. Melinda and I took a break from our casual browsing and got some cake.


A bookshelf, table, lamp, and a trip to Chipotle later, I was home to spend the next few hours putting all of the lovely items together. It was quite a day and I'm quite exhausted.

Happy Feb. 4.

Sheets and a Haircut

I bought sheets yesterday. For a bed. Sheets that are gonna be awesome on the bed considering the rest of my new room is void of furniture. I never had to buy sheets before. It was cool.

This is me in my car driving away from GreatClips after a little lowering of the eyebrows (thats an old-timey way of sayin' getting my hair cut. I know things. Its cool. I learned it from Doug).


This particular cut was accomplished by a sassy black lady who has not seen Avatar yet, but its on the top of her list. Her and her husband went and saw The Blind Side and it was amazing as was Edge of Darkness. She had no interest when I told her I was a character performer at Disney and went straight for, "Seen any good movies lately?"

That is my kind of...hair-cutter? Stylist? Barber? (I don't know the correct word for that. I mean, I can't know everything.)

Happy Third of February

It's fine, I guess

Today I hate the rain. There are occasions when I love the rain. Days where all you wanna do is go out and play and jump and kiss amidst the precipitation.

Today is not one of those days.

This morning I am sped to work as usual. I reach the Security...Mistess at 29 thinking I have a whole minute and a half to walk 12 feet to the time-clock. I get to 11 feet and find some 3rd shift hispanic man attempting to clock out. But he can't figure out how to do so. Four or five people are trying to assist but he doesn't understand what is being said and keeps doing it incorrectly. I am pulling my hair out because this is something that hugely irritates me. I don't care if foreigners come here. The US is awesome. The more the merrier. However, here we speak ENGLISH. How rude of you to come here and assume we will cater to your language. Whatever. I'm on a tangent. Pulling back. Guy, you're inability to speak our language is now affecting my day. Which is not ok. Bleegghhh.

It's fine, i guess. I clocked in the last seconds of 8:30.

Next, I get to the breakroom and find that the costume set in my spot is not mine. Instantly, I panic thinking I didn't read my schedule closely enough and I'm supposed to be at MISICI or something. But it turns out, I didn't have the mix up. Costuming did. So when I go try to switch out these clothes for pieces that are my size, I find the costumer has shut herself in with the costumes because "today, she just can't lose focus" and if we all walk in and out she will get all jumbled. Well, guess what sweetcakes? You lost the right to have that "unjumbled" time when you set the wrong freaking costumes.

It's fine I guess. I went in the back way and switched the costumes myself.

Its rainy. Has been all day. Which normally is a good thing and at points today it was good. I am completely exhausted and I needed to rest if I could. However, when it comes to Block Party, I'd so much rather do a Full show than a rainy day drive by. (Most of you won't know what that means, just know that to me (and me alone) a drive by is the suckiest of suckfests.) So the decision was made. Drive by. In the rain. Not thrilled.

It's fine I guess. I was done with work after parade.

So then it starts raining harder and due to the big cheer conference coming up, there is a tent being errected in the front half of the cast parking lot so I have to walk to the back, in the rAAAINNn, to get to my car. Wet and literally dripping, I stop at 7/11 to get a much needed Dr. Pepper. I go to pay and the transaction happens as follows:

Cashier: So will the be all for you?
Casey: yessir.
Cashier: Crazy rain outside. Did it ruin your day?
Casey: Yes, actually it did.
Cashier: Oh, sorry man. My companion went though my phone last night.
How is that on topic? Why is he telling me this? Just be nice.
Casey: Maybe you...should've deleted some things on there
Cashier: Yeah, I should have.
Ok, walking away now.
Cashier (cont'd): But like what was he doing going through my phone?
Whhhhhyyyyy are you still talking to me?
Casey: I don't know man. If you gave him reason not to trust you...
Cashier: He didn't have a reason not to trust me. Now I don't trust him.
Casey, leave now!
Casey: Sory man, Well have a good night.

It's fine i guess. I'm going to sleep now!

Backdate

So this post was originally intended to go up about two weeks ago.

So we're just gonna pretend it was posted:

January 16, 2010

I have recently had resurgance of Nintendo 64ness. My roommate (sadly, she is no longer) brought an N64 from back home and gave me the priveledge of having my own file on her copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time! When I was growing up I loved this game. Mostly because it was so challenging. I never knew if I was going to beat it. Fortunatly (or unfortunatly), the friends I did have were NintendoNerds and helped me make it through the game. I honestly cannot express how BAMF N64 is to me.

Anyway, as I got older I set the controller down and had some semblence of a life. I saw semblence becuase it was a quiet, awkward life but at least I had friends and didn't stay home every weekend letting my neurons slowly die out. However, in my Senior year, when my band of friends and I made "a treehouse" (I use quotations cause it was underground, not in the air.) the 1st resurgance took place. We would (NEVER) skip class to play it at times. That was when Dave was super in it though. The 2nd resurgance would be mine.

And so it came to pass, that thanks to one Miss Gordon and the help of her handy aged Strategy Guide, the 2nd resurgance was mine. I beat the game in a lofty 10 days and was fairly impressed at how easy it was for me. Accept the "mini boss" in the water temple. That backed me up a day or two. But nevertheless, I had my day and verily thus. Here's a clip from the brilliance (and yes it was shot on my phone)

Theo

So one of my hopes for 210 is already becoming a faliure. Its the happy one. The last few weeks have just been supernastystress suckage. This new living situation is seeming like a tragic idea. And we haven't even moved in yet. Bleeeeghhhh.

That and I have had no internet or cable for seven days. 1 week. That's all. And I'm going insane. I feel like thats pathetic considering there are kids in Haiti that are still being found under building ruins who haven't had food or water for days. And I can't go a week without internet? I need to readjust my priorities probably.

Anyway, Praise him that I have at least mild internet connection on my phone or I would have even been in a bigger pickle. He had been a trooper. His name (yes, my phone has a name) is Theo. He is a T-Mobile my touch and had a cobalt blue jacket (just like the Jungle Fury Blue Ranger, *winkwink*) and is a complete badass. So I just need to say...

Thank you Theo. You have saved me from certain paril and/or attempted suicide over the past week. I'd be in trouble without you.