Being that I am not a 'tweenage girl with a vampire fetish, Twilight is not aimed at me. That said I came out of the movie not being totally upset. That I left to Sam, who was incredibly outraged at ‘what they did to the book’. My sister has read all of the Stephenie Meyer books and is a pretty big fan of the franchise, and apparently the big screen adaptation of the first chapter is not close to what the books offer. I can sort of relate as I am constantly let down by how much they manage to shave off of every Harry Potter storyline each time the red carpet rolls out. Pretty much if you are a fan of the books you will either love the movie or hate it, but this film won’t exactly reel in any non-believers.
The acting was a bit wooden and I couldn’t get behind Kristen Stewart as the lead girl for whatever reason. The family of vampires came across as a Disney channel TV show gone wrong- I half expected them to all start rocking out High School Musical style in each scene. The movie is pretty much a Robert Patterson vehicle, as he plays Edward the lead vampire slash heartthrob that the movie largely centers around. They really did tailor the vampire legend to fit into a Gossip Girl formula- for example sunlight doesn’t kill vampires, it only makes them sparkle like glittery angels. Apparently it’s every adolescent girl’s dream to be swept off their feet by the undead, providing of course they have chiseled features and a crap-load of hair product going at all times.
So this is pretty much the most useless review I could really offer anyone. I havn’t read the books so I don’t really have anything to compare it too and the fans apparently galvanize at the love or loath ends of the spectrum. For Twilight felt a little rushed, had some pacing issues and needed to highlight the vampire fights/conflicts a little more and less on the high-school drama. Take my opinion for what its worth considering I am not the target here by a long shot. But as a movie, it’s as average as they come and won’t really do anything for the typical movie goers unless you are at least three of the following: 1: A Girl 2: Shop exclusively at Hot Topic 3: Cringe at the sight of tans 4: Own a vampire backpack sticker 5: Are in a Cederic Diggory fanclub
This Thanksgiving I have a lot to be thankful for. Beyond having friends and family all together for a celebration at Ali and Bob’s tomorrow I am also looking forward to December 1st because that is my first day on the job as the new Marketing Designer at Avectra. I received the offer yesterday and have accepted the position. I’m really looking forward to getting started.
In other progress related news, Sarah and I have been approved for a terrific apartment in Reston. We are getting a great deal on a 2 bed, one bath (or 1 bed with den depending which floor plan you look at) right down the road from Reston Town Center. Avectra is based out in Tyson’s Corner so I will have to contend with the traffic to some degree, but Sarah’s commute will be less than 5 minutes. The apartment has all kinds of shops and the bike path within walking distance, as well as extremely easy access to Route 7 and Reston Parkway. Getting around will be easy. I am particularly excited about being a 1.6 mile cab-ride back from the Town Center (we measured it). There are so many new and interesting bars and restaurants out there I am sure Sarah and I will be taking advantage of the social scene there a lot after the move. As it stands we have a hold on the apartment and will be moving in on the 15th of December. Making the move right before the holidays is not the best timing but the special rates we where offered made the offer to hard to pass up.
I am really excited going into the holiday with all the progress that has happened these past two days. It seems Virginia is finally come around and is ready to have me back.
The Xbox 360 is pretty much my entertainment hub for everything besides Blu-Rays (that hat is worn by you alone PS3- I still love you) and it just got a lot more hubb-ier. With the latest Xbox update Microsoft added tones of new features including adorable little avatars of gamers, a new menu and party system and live Netflix streaming. I can add movies or shows to my DVD queue at Netflix then watch everything from a list on my Xbox. I now have full seasons of shows I never got the chance to catch at my fingertips, as well as a large library of movies I can watch without having to wait those pesky disks to show up in the mail. It’s really a terrific service and a nice perk to being a subscriber to both Live and Netflix. First on my list of must-see’s is 30-Rock, closely followed by seasons 2 and 3 or Heroes. Finally my comeuppance for having no television for the past two years! Time to play catch-up!
That’s me in avatar for the record. I know the limited customization doesn’t allow for rugged awesomeness quite on the level I was hoping for, but considering my options I think the nerd-ladies will be pleased.
Last night was Sarah’s birthday celebrating her 25th. We went out to DC with a group of our nearest and dearest and had a great time in Adam’s Morgan and the surrounding area. Sarah’s friends from work came out to celebrate with her, and she had a great time. Kevin, Alex, Matt, and the elusive Patricio made it too which was awesome. Paul is in town for Thanksgiving so he and Christina where able to make it out also, so there was a lot of good times to be had for me chilling with my Virginia peoples. I had a really fun night, as did Sarah, though I think I was the only one really hurting for it this morning (not fair- she’s the old one!). Pictures will be on her facebook shortly.For the record that’s not a middle finger salute. That’s simply me trying to mimic impromptu posing while holding a beer. That and it’s probably the most flattering picture of me in the whole set.
Last week Sarah and I where in Orlando paying the sunshine state a visit. Bruce was kind enough to let us stay in his pool house for the few days we where there which was great. It was nice to see everyone back at the office and to see that I hadn’t been forgotten. We caught the tail end of the space shuttle launch from the top of a multistory parking deck. Its one of the last few shuttle launches out of cocoa so it was a pretty big deal and had people coming from out of state to watch it blast off. Being a light launch you can see if for hundreds of miles as it lights up the night sky. We spent some time chilling down in Kissimmee with Sarah and Neil as well as grabbing some food at Elephant Bar with Tony, Amanda and Fabbio. All in all I got to see a lot of my Florida people while in Orlando and had a really nice time.
After Orlando we headed down to Tampa for Sarah’s bio availability conference which she was working for HGL. She spent long days down at the conference center manning her booth and playing ‘booth babe’ for the crowds, leaving me to my own devices for the majority of the trip. I have to say, Tampa is rather dull for a major city, and surprisingly quiet. I was expecting to blown away with things to do in the area, but found that everything was largely closed on weekends and only commuting office workers pay the area any attention. There where some great little venues, bars and restaurants along the channel, but everything was deserted which was rather disappointing.
We did catch a Tampa Bay lightning match though which was pretty cool. Even cooler was the fact that I got cheap nosebleeds for eight bucks at a special fan rate because I was at the box office early after walking Sarah to the conference hall. Then when we where inside getting our grub on before face-off a stadium employee came over and traded us our tickets for seats six rows from the glass. Nothing quite like getting $200 seats at nosebleed prices! Our last day in town we drove out to St. Pete and visited the Salvador Dali museum, which I had long wanted to check out after hearing about it in Orlando. The museum itself was rather drab considering the subject matter they had on display, but getting to see so many of Dali’s original works was very cool. I was heartbroken to find that they didn’t have ‘Les Elephants’ though, which is my favorite Dali piece. It was really nice to get to spend some time with Sarah though and we had a great time overall.
This is a real advertisement by Microsoft for the Zune MP3 player. All I can say is ‘wow’. This is a horrible advert and so inappropriate it’s not even funny. That being said…well ok it is funny. Consider this a warning though. Play at your own risk. And wash your hands afterwards.
I first have to admit that Quantum required a repeat viewing for me to catch everything and not be left with a few unanswered questions. I found many of the important parts where mentioned in brief or otherwise assumed, and the various entanglements between the various parties to get rather convoluted at times. That said the action sequences where really engaging and had the edgy new grittiness that made Craig’s first Bond a crunchy delight. They seemed to break up the more melodramatic moments and keep an aggressive pace in a movie that could potentially be a tad too reflective for a Bond flick at times.
In Casino Royal we where introduced to Mr. White, and Quantum deals with new color coded villain; Dominic Greene, both parts of the mysterious group known only as ‘Quantum’ an evil organization that is delightfully reminiscent of Bond’s former foes ‘Spectre’- though I doubt they can find anything that Q.U.A.N.T.U.M could possibly abbreviate.
M, Felix, and Mathis are all back and on point. Olga Kurylenko plays the new Bond girl and does a great job but unfortunately has her hotness downplayed for some reason or another in the film. The ladies’ names this time around are pretty weak. Olga is known only as ‘Camille’ which is fittingly frumpy, and ‘Strawberry Fields’ might be the worst name for anything ever, let alone a Bond bed-bunny. ‘Money Penny’ is sounding like the most logical and attractive name ever by comparison.
Those wanting vodka martinis, laser watches and Q branch to make appearances will be disappointed, as it seems that this new Bond is saving those franchise staples for a later date. Craig is on for two more films after this one, so there is plenty room for their comebacks. For the most part ‘Quantum wraps up the birth-of-Bond plotline established in ‘Casino and introduces the potential league of enemies James will butt heads with in future episodes. One could argue that Greene is not a strong enough evil entity to carry the main plotline, but as part of a whole this is a great entry to the Bond collection and as sophomore effort since the reboot that proves that Bond still delivers twenty-two movies later.
Feel like storming Alaska and defeating an army of lipstick wearing pigs? No? Oh well don’t click below then because you wont find this very funny at all. That said, if you are more the McCain type you can always repeatedly send the little guy off cliffs.
This past week has been an interesting one for me in regards to my job hunting. After a relatively quiet reception since moving back last week turned out to be a great step in the right direction. I did a few working interviews though my temp agency with a solutions company in Tyson’s, making graphics for proposals; had an interview with a magazine in Maryland that is looking for a layout and advertising designer, and had a very interesting review with one of Bob’s friends who is looking to bring on a designer in some capacity in upcoming weeks to his company’s marketing team. All in all things are starting to look like working might be in my near future! I’m looking forward to hearing back from them soon. If you, or anytime you know might have graphical needs in the DC metropolitan area please don’t hesitate to pass on a link to my portfolio. Much appreciated!
Remember, remember the fifth of November Gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason, why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot.
Happy Bonfire Night to everyone. If lighting a bonfire isn’t your thing (or not permitted in your apartment complex) may I suggest catching V for Vendetta. Once I have my own place with a bit of land to my name I think I am going to start a yearly celebration and have people round for some fireworks and an effigy. “Guy Fawke’s Night at the Guy’s”…I like it! According to a few historical recounts of our family name, we are related to the poor bastard, so it is really the least I could do.
Yesterday was a big deal for America, and I am so happy that Obama won out and will move into the White House in January. I met up with Sarah down in Arlington for a happy hour at Rockbottom Brewery to hang out with her coworkers and watch the polls come in. Not being able to vote sucks, especially on a day like yesterday, but its great to get to be a part, in a small way, of the big change that Obama symbolizes. I envy those of you who got the opportunity to wait out in the record breaking lines to cast your ballots, but being a part of history and being able to say that I supported and was there watching brings a grin to my face. I can’t wait to see what is in store in the next four years- and I will keep rocking the car magnet with pride. Congratulations America, you did good.
A lot of people are pissed that McCain is out, and I can understand their reservations, but I have to say I really think the better man for the country right now, won. McCain’s concession speech was fantastically done despite the idiots yelling during his heartfelt words. I was never a big fan of his stances on many issues, but when push comes to shove he would have been a good president. (Palin….not so much.) Obama’s acceptance speech was nothing short of fantastic- his statements and humility really drive home the feeling that this is a big turning point for America, and one that makes my stomach jump with anticipation. I can’t remember ever being this genuinely heartfelt about anything political. It feels really good. Well done Mr. President.
Body of Lies is the latest Ridley Scott vehicle and another attempt to shed a different light on the conflicts in the Middle East. It centers around Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprico as they speak a lot to each other via earpieces as they attempt to track down Muslim extremists. Crowe stays in Langley while Leo runs around a myriad of countries as they try to bait and track a particularly nasty terrorist organization.
The movie’s pacing issues made a two hour movie feel substantially longer and had me loosing interest at the halfway mark. The payoff for the audience’s patience’s is unfortunately not on the level that I was expecting and could have been accomplished more concisely and effectively in half the time.Body of Lies is not a bad movie, it’s just really not what I look for in entertainment. It felt too slow, too dry and didn’t deliver the emotional experience a cross cultural action/dramas should.
Guy Richie made Snatch- one of my favorite movies in recent memory. Unfortunately he also managed to squeeze out Revolver a few years back, which ranks as one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen (proof). Despite the conflicting quality to his films I was excited for Rocknrolla and his apparent return to making good movies. Fortunately I wasn’t let down as Rocknrolla is an intertwining, gritty crime drama just as much as Snatch or Lock Stock ever where. There is a notable lack of Riche’s regulars, namely Statham and Jones, but that aside the movie matches up with all of the trademark elements needed to get the movie off the ground and as far away from Revolver as possible. The plot, as it has been in the past, is too convoluted to summarize, but primarily focuses on a ragtag group of crooks who end up stealing from something a lot bigger than they had originally expected. Throw into the mix a Russian billionaire’s lucky painting getting stolen by a cracked-out rock star (who is supposed dead) and you’ve got a rough idea of what to expect.
Some of the interactions, particularly between Gerard Butler and his team where brilliantly amusing. The indestructible henchmen where priceless, and the ‘lucky painting’ has me scouring the galleries for a magic canvas of my own. I think I’ll find myself quoting this one just as much as its predecessors and I have already perfected the ‘Famous Archie Slap’ so watch out. I found that they where really over-milking the gay jokes and the rant about Cigarettes was twice as long as it needed to be- also the inclusion of Ludacris and Piven was an unnecessary tack-on that felt undercooked and little more than a couple of American name drops. That aside I have nothing bad to say about the movie. Fun. Action packed, clever and hilarious. Check it out.
Friday night Sarah and I headed down to THE CITADEL to meet up with Eric and a few of his friends. We took a bit of a cop out approach and rehashed our costumes from last year. It’s really no foul though because we never really got to use them properly in Orlando and it’s not as if anyone here had seen them. Don’t tell them. The rest of our group consisted of April O’Neil, 80’s Girl, a giant Taco, and…well whatever it was that Reed decided to call his knight-with-bowtie concoction. We hung around THE CITADEL for a good while before heading down to a couple of places in Clarendon. Afterwards we jumped in on a reservation at Ihop for some late night/early morning eggy-ness. Jackie ended up signing-off Channel 6 a bit early (see picture below- then recognize how awesome our Ninja Turtle references are). Fun night, weather was perfect for it.
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