Pseudotherapy

Here’s a cool meme I picked up over at Sizzle’s. I didn’t do too well on hers because I’m into a different kind of movies, but it was fun to play. Here?s how it works, should you decide to participate, too:

• Pick 15 of your favorite movies.
• Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie (or quote them from memory because you are that badass).
• Post them on your blog for everyone to guess.
• Fill in the film title once it?s been guessed.

These are the players’ rules:
No Googling or using IMDb search functions (don?t cheat!).
Leave your answer(s) in the comments.

By the way, not only are these 15 of my favorite films, these are 15 of my favorite quotes of all time. Now, shall we begin?

1. “My uncle used to say that we like people for their qualities but we love them for their defects.” [Hellboy, guessed by Laughing Muse]
2. “The plan is you drink a nice tall glass of Shut The Fuck Up!” [Dawn Of The Dead, guessed by Curiosity Killer]
3. “Did IQs drop sharply while I was away?” [Aliens, guessed by Laughing Muse]
4. “Believing oneself to be perfect is often the sign of a delusional mind.” [Star Trek: First Contact, guessed by Steven]
5. “Music’s the only thing that makes sense anymore, man. Play it loud enough, it keeps the demons away.” [Across The Universe, guessed by Kilax]
6. “Goin’ on a year now I ain’t had nothin’ twixt my nethers weren’t run on batteries!” [Serenity, guessed by Suze]
7. “Reverse Darwinism ? survival of the most idiotic.” [Jurassic Park III; no one guessed this!]
8. “You’re lucky you weren’t alive during the Microsoft conflict. Hell, we were beating each other with our own severed limbs.” [Jason X, guessed by Bec]
9. “One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach, all the damn vampires.” [The Lost Boys, guessed by Hilly]
10. “Can I get any of you cunts a drink?” [Shaun Of The Dead, guessed by Fig]
11. “I knew your sister. She was a homicidal bitch.” [Resident Evil: Extinction, guessed by Juli]
12. “Seriously, when was the last time you ever turned on the radio to listen to popular music? ’70s, ’80s? Michael Jackson was still black? Pearl Jam, maybe?” [Live Free Or Die Hard, guessed by Juli]
13. “Regrets are a waste of time. They’re the past crippling you in the present.” [Under The Tuscan Sun, guessed by Sizzle]
14. “Broke into the wrong goddamn rec room, didn’t ya, you bastard!” [Tremors, guessed by Bec]
15. “I don’t give a shit about sleeping, Leon. I want love, or death. That’s it.” [The Professional (aka Leon), guessed by Bec]

[tags] Movies, movie quotes, meme, IMDb[/tags]

Lunch with Juli at Le Papagayo in Leucadia, followed by a solitary stroll on Moonlight Beach.

February 8, 2008 (click to see large).

Just in case you wonder why I live in Southern California.

[tags]Leucadia, California, beach, paradise[/tags]

Once in awhile, if you’re lucky, you see a film that resonates within you. It touches your soul with its visual poetry, leaving you spellbound and mesmerized for hours after the credits roll. For me, that film is Across The Universe.

It seemed destined to disappoint me, because from the moment I first heard about it, I’ve been in high anticipation mode. Every news clip, every trailer, every commercial heightened my excitement. Surely no movie could possibly live up to such expectations. So to be honest, I wouldn’t have been surprised if I’d hated it. Added to which, I walked into the theater in a Very Bad Mood. As so often happens when I make weekend plans, I got involved in a creative exercise that morning from which I was reluctant to walk away. Plus, Hilly had taken a bad fall the day before and couldn’t make it. Then I hit a traffic snarl on the way and got to the theater almost half an hour later than I’d originally planned. Juli had called twice to see where I was (see why I hate cell phones?), and I arrived thinking this was so *not* how I wanted to spend one of my precious weekend days. I keep to a schedule all week; I want freedom on the weekend, you know?

So as we joined the rest of our group, I was fully expecting the movie to be an irritatingly silly and predictable love story peppered with painful butcherings of some of the greatest songs ever written. I will say that my mood was somewhat smoothed by the previews for August Rush, which has now gone from never-heard-of-it to must-see status. And then … and then … Across The Universe began.

It began with a beautiful boy on a beautiful beach singing a beautiful Beatles song. And the first threads of the web were cast. For the next two hours I sat utterly enthralled as a cinematic masterpiece of unexpected brilliance unfolded before me. At times I leaned forward in my seat, enchanted by the sweetness. At times I fell back, blown away by the perfect coalescence of subject, music, cinematography and editing. Over and over, I was impressed with the unique contexts in which those so-very-familiar songs were placed (the bouncy “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” becomes a torchy lesbian love ballad, scary Uncle Sams growling “I Want You” reach out of recruitment posters to terrify near-naked draftees). More than mere eye/ear candy, Across The Universe is a feast for the soul.

A few caveats: I lived these times. I appreciated small touches in the film that viewers who weren’t up-close-and-personal with the era won’t even notice. I related to the characters in a way younger moviegoers can’t. Plus, I’ve been a diehard Beatles fan since 1964 ? I know every note and every word of every Beatles song ever released (and some that weren’t). Let me tell you, this movie is permeated with Beatlemania. It isn’t just the songs and the characters’ names. There are inside jokes here, there and everywhere. And yes, the basic plot is predictable and the main characters stereotypical. The “star-crossed lovers, love conquers all” storyline is as old as mankind, but I seriously doubt many people will be going to see Across The Universe expecting a riveting plot.

Still, as in everything, taste is subjective. One of our group (who hates musicals) walked out after about 30 minutes, and actually demanded a refund of her ticket price. I walked out on a cloud, on which I’m still floating. Bret has even donned his noise-filtering headphones in a desperate effort to escape my unending enthusiasm (I’m talking and I can’t shut up!). I can’t help it. Across The Universe didn’t just speak to me, it sang to me. And I have to sing back.

[tags] Across The Universe, Beatles, all you need is love[/tags]

Audubon’s secret for always looking fabulous is finally revealed — on Amazon! The dude knew how to shop, yo.

[Actual page on Amazon, not Photoshopped. Seriously, WTF???]

I’m working from home today because my knee doesn’t want to bend. My boss kindly assigned me some research to do via computer so I can keep my knee up and iced but still get paid. (If this company doesn’t hire me permanently I may open a vein.) I took some (leftover) Fioricet about two hours ago, so I’m feeling strangely fine.

I can’t remember ever being this excited about the upcoming movie season! Hell, I didn’t even know some of these movies were being made, so watching their trailers has put me in a dither of excitement. And here’s where *I’ll* be on the following dates:

May 4th, Spider-Man 3. The second wasn’t as good as the first, but this one has Spidey battling his dark side, so that sounds promising. You know, he looks good in black.

May 11th, 28 Weeks Later. The sequel to one of my 10 all-time favorite zombie films, this time there’s LOTS more zombies. And that can only be good. [Now tell me that picture up there doesn't make you want to see this movie!]

May 25th, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End. Johhny Depp as Keith Richard as Jack Sparrow. Keith Richard as Jack Sparrow’s dad. I can’t wait to see who chews up the scenery more.

June 15th, Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer. Not everyone liked F4:1, but I’ve totally enjoyed it, every time. Chris Evans as Johnny Storm is one of my favorite cinema superheroes. I hear he gets major screen time in the sequel.

June 29th, Live Free Or Die Hard. Bruce Willis saves the world. For me, that’s the best five-word movie guarantee in the business. Plus, I yelled “Holy shit!!!” THREE TIMES while watching the trailer.

July 13th, Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix. No other film series immerses me in the aura of movie magic like the Harry Potter films. Every one enchants me, and I just can’t wait to see the latest!

August 31st, Halloween. This is Rob Zombie’s re-make of the horror classic, and I just found out BRAD DOURIF plays Sheriff Brackett in it!!! Malcom McDowell plays the determined Dr. Loomis, and the bit players include Adrienne Barbeau, Sybil Danning, Clint Howard and Mickey Dolenz of Monkees fame. Yeah, I’m a little excited.

September 21st, Resident Evil: Extinction. Alice is back! Kicking zombie ass!! In Las Vegas!!! The first time I saw this trailer (at Ghostrider), I was so overjoyed that I actually teared up. There can be no better way to wrap up a hot summer of cool movies than watching Alice take down The Umbrella Corporation.