School

School is well underway once again. Even after several months, it’s still hard to believe that I’m in 12th grade. We’ve been getting to do all these things that I’ve heard about for years, and somehow I never really thought I’d do them.

Beach Day:

We had our last beach day, which was rainy. The beach and rain aren’t a very good combination in case you didn’t know.

The Rose Cerimony:

One of the oddest parts of this year was getting a special friend and doing the rose ceremony. I remember being in first grade and getting my 12th grade friend. She seemed so much bigger than I am today. My special friend’s name is Arabella, she’s a bit feisty, but she’s great non the less!

Pumpkin Carving:

The Friday before Halloween the 12th grade and the first graders carved pumpkins together. It was loads of fun, but my pumpkin wasn’t a masterpiece. I remember carving a cat on my pumpkin when I was in first grade.

Self Portraits:

I’ve been looking forward to the self portrait class for years now. It’s one of those things I always wanted to do and teachers would always say “You have to wait until your in 12th grade...” It was really hard, but I really love the way my portrait turned out. It was also really fun to see the pictures that everyone else chose to paint. I’ll put up final portraits as soon as I can.

The Pajama Game:

Our musical this year is The Pajama Game, which is exciting. Unfortunately I didn’t get a very good part. It’s been a very interesting experince, and while I’m sure the play will be awesome, it’s taking some time getting there.

Halloween:

Although I didn’t do much this year for Halloween, I did dress up like the queen of the Nile, Cleopatra.

Comic Con 2010

Comic con is long gone, yet the memory of it is still very strong. It was the longest I’ve ever been at comic con, we arrived on Wednesday and stayed until Monday morning. I think perhaps it was just a bit too much of Comic Con. By the end I was totally exhausted and ready to go home.

On Wednesday we drove up mid day and began to set up Greg’s booth. We were right across from the Fox booth which meant there were always interesting things going on around. Our hotel, the Horten Grand, was really neat. It was Victorian in style and had a really pretty courtyard in the middle.



On Thursday I met up Mary and we went off exploring the exhibit hall. We went to our favorite booths, like Ugly Doll and this awesome booth that sells vintage labels and engravings. Mary had a talk she wanted to see, so we went upstairs and watched several panels. Although I didn’t know anything about the show on which the panel was focusing, it was very fun. Next I went downstairs and went to a signing with JJ Abrums. It was really special to be able to met the person whose responsible for many of my favorite shows like Lost and Fringe. It was probably one of the best parts of Comic Con for me. I also won a Fringe DVD set while in line! We went to an art exhibit that night, which was fun as well.

Friday wasn’t necessarily the most productive day, although I did get to met Christopher Paolini, the author of Eragon. Mary and I couldn’t get into the panel we wanted and I had some odd experiences while watching over the booth. Mary and I did have a lot of fun at lunch though.


On Saturday I went to the Fringe panel which was such a blast! It’s always fun to hear about the show from their perspectives and the hints towards future episodes and things to come. I headed down stairs to go to the Fringe signing which mom was already in line for, but unfortunately I couldn’t get in. Mom got to met everyone which she thoroughly enjoyed. She did tell them about me though. I remember Anna Torv, the main girl, saying to my mom “Where is she?” and waving to me through the crowds of people. As always the costumes were great, I especially love the Queen of Heart and Mad Hatter that were walking around together.


Sunday was not a great day either. I couldn’t get into the Glee signing and the line for the panel was to long to wait in. Our friend Ron did manage to get me a special “Glee hand” though which was really nice. We had massages that night which felt great. I haven’t had a massage in a while, and I think I really needed it.
In all, it was an odd Comic Con for many reasons, but I still did have a good time. The energy is shifting, it feels like people are much more frenetic and desperate than they used to be. There were many odd moments, but there were a lot of great ones as well.

July Movie Review

Toy Story 3

Toy Story has been one of those films that I have loved for as long as I can remember. I had my collection of all the toys and my toy story themed birthday party. When I think of my childhood films, these are the ones that come to mind. With that said, I was beyond excited to see the new Toy Story film. I wore my cowboy jacket in homage to my favorite character Woody, and my friend Ventana and I each brought one of our toys. She brought Mr. Potato Head and I brought Woody, of course. Toy Story 3 tells the story of what happens to the toys once they've been "outgrown" by Andy. They are accidentally donated to a day care center, which seems at first to be the answer to all of their prayers. Yet there is a sinister truth beneath the smiles of "Sunnyside." I loved the film. It didn't feel forced or over done as one might expect. It was witty and touching, just as any good Pixar film should be. And the ending didn't feel concrete, but neither did it feel like it needed another film. It was rapped up, but in a softer way. It is definitely one of Pixar's best films. And while watching it, I felt like a little kid again.

A Beautiful Mind

I remember watching the Academy Awards and being upset that this film had bet out Lord of the Rings for best picture. Yet watching it now, I wouldn't have it any other way. This touching story is about genius John Nash and his struggles with schizophrenia. The acting on the part of Russel Crow was phenomenal. He captured the character so well and made him relatible. In my opinion, it is his best performance I have seen. The direction and cinematography were also great. The lighting was wonderful for it seemed to really show the progression of time. In all it was a really splendid film and I highly recommend it.

Erin Brockovich

When my friend My first recommended Erin Brockovich to me, my first thought was of the dancer, Baryshnikov. I had no idea what it was about, only that Julia Roberts was it in. Sometimes I think its better that way, because then you go into it with a really open mind. This film is the remarkable true story of a woman who proved everyone wrong and did what no one expected her to do. The best way to sumarize it is in the tag line on the poster "She brought a small town to it's feet, and a huge company to it's knees." The film is so inspiring because it shows that if you really set your mind on something, the skies the limit. Julia Roberts was great, but I almost feel like, acting wise, the film was a team effort. Everyone was good and thus it made the film more of a whole. The writing was great as well.

When Harry Met Sally

I really enjoyed When Harry Met Sally. It was fun, but not to silly and it had great writing. I thought both Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal were good. Billy Crystal is always so funny that you have to love him. When Harry Met Sally is the story of Harry and Sally whose friendship was began by arguing the differences in men and women. But if they cannot get over those differences, will they ever be happy? I loved all of Sally's odd food quirks. I think that the film is great as a whole because its witty and fun and real to how people act.

The Chorus

I had heard good things about this foreign film and thus I had it on my list of films to see. It was a really beautiful film. The shots and color were so interesting and unusual. It felt very much like looking at old photographs which was really fitting! The Chorus is the story of a man who begins to work at a troubled boys school. He decides to start a chorus, and finds that the way to the boy's hearts is through music. The music in this film is fantastic! The main boy has such a beautiful voice, and it really makes the film. If you haven't seen, you should really check it out. It's definitely worth watching.

The Truman Show

I've been wanting to see the Truman Show for a long time now. I've always thought the idea was really interesting. The Truman Show is about Truman, whose life is a TV show, but he doesn't know it. Everything that has ever happened in his life has been staged. I think that it is one of those films that will hold up for some time. Jim Carrey was great, he was funny as always, but he also showed his serious side. I thought Laura Linney was great to. The concept is so fun and interesting that you can't help but be intrigued.

June Movie Review

I decided that since I've seen way to many movies recently to do individual posts about them each, that I would do a movie review for each month! I made a list of movies to see at the beginning of the summer and I hope to watch at least half of them!

The Talented Mr Ripley:

I came across this film at the library one day quite randomly and mom was curious, because she remembered something or other about it and thus we decided to watch it. The Talented Mr Ripley tells the story of Tom Ripely whose gift for impersonating leads him to Italy on the search to bring an employers son back home. Tom is taken under the wing of this man, Dickie Greenleaf, but all to soon Dickie grows tired of Tom's company resulting in events no one could have imagined. I really enjoyed the film, mainly because of the complexity of Tom Ripley's character. Matt Damon does a fantastic job, ever since watching it I have looked at him in a new way! There were so many levels and he played them all with splendor. I thought Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Philip Seymour Hoffman were also great. Another thing that I particularly enjoyed about the film was the cinematography. Some of the shots were so beautiful. The writing was also great.

Pretty in Pink:

I have been wanting to see Pretty in Pink for ages mainly because I always hear about it. All of the films of that genre are classic and I feel like you must see them at some point in your life. It's always fun for me seeing films that were made at least ten years ago because of how they dress the actors and what was contemporary clothing of that time. I absolutely loved the clothing Molly Ringwald wore in the film! All the layers and patterns, what a joy to behold. Pretty in Pink tells the story of Andie whose high school is divided into two groups, those with money and those without. Andie and her best friend Duckie are happy with this, at least until Andie falls for a rich boy. Andie will have to choose between her childhood best friend, whose affections lie deeper than friendship, and Blane, the rich boy. I liked the film a lot, it had humor, nice lighting, wonderful cloths as well as all the things a good classic should have!

Good Will Hunting:

After watching The Talented Mr. Ripley, I felt like I should see other films with Matt Damon. I had heard good things about this film and I was not disappointed. Good Will Hunting is the story of Will, an MIT janitor, whose gift for math and physics gets the attention of a professor. Will must find his way in life through the guidance of this professor and a psychologist. I was shocked to discover the film was co-written by two of the staring actors Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck because it was so extremely well written. The dialogue of Matt Damon is superb and he delivers it phenomenally. With that being said the acting was amazing! Robin Williams so so great, especially because the roll wasn't what you normally see from him! It's hard to point out specific people acting wise, because everyone was so good.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

This was a film that I remember Greg talking about for some time now. Daniel Day Lewis is his favorite actor and thus he wanted to re-watch the film. I think it's pretty amazing how he seems to totally transform himself with every role he plays. He always seems like a different person! I also thought Juliette Binoche was great! The Unbearable Lightness of Being is the story of a man who has trouble committing to one person, this proves to be a problem when he meets the love of his life. The film as a whole was unusual for it didn't necessarily have an uplifting or inspiring message. I suppose my biggest problem with it is I didn't feel like I gained anything from watching it. It didn't leave me sad or happy or curious or thoughtful, only slightly empty. I can't say that I loved it, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

The Young Victoria

If you can only saw one thing about The Young Victoria it is that it is a gorgeous film. Each shot is a work of art and on top of that the costumes are amazing! Color is something I'm crazy about in film and this one knew how to use it in their advantage whether it was in the red of a coat or the green and gold of a hillside. It was so rich and you could really feel the love that the director put into the film. The Young Victoria, as said in the title, tells the story of Queen Victoria's younger days. Both Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend were good in the film and they had wonderful chemistry together. I always find it interesting seeing films about the lives of historical figures that we know of, but do not really know. You get a new view of the way these people were rather than how history has portrayed them.

The July movie review is coming soon!