I just wanted to quickly update my website. I've been lucky to find an beautiful and wonderful woman who makes me happy. Her name is Kelly and we've been together for just over 4 months now. I love her. Check out our adventures here!
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Today while I was sick home I watched Garden State (Rated R, 109 minutes) for the first time since I caught it in the movie theaters. Every so often there is a movie that really clicks with me, Swingers, High Fidelity, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and now Garden State has been added to that list. Writer/Director Zach Braff does a great job in his debut film in which he also plays the lead role of Andrew Largeman. Andrew is a struggling actor living in Los Angeles where he recieves word from his father that his mother has died. He returns home to New Jersey for the first time in 10 years to attend the funeral but also discovers himself for the first time and begins to feel. During his trip he runs into some old friends from high school and also meets a girl Sam, played by Natalie Portman. His trip to New Jersey is not only for the funeral but he decides to take a vacation from the medication he has been taking in some form or another since he was ten (Lithium), that were prescribed by his psychiatrist father.
With Sam and his new found ability to feel, Andrew wakes up and discovers himself in ways he didn't know he could. Natalie Portman is brilliant in this movie playing a free spirited girl who seems to know all about life. The movie is supported by a strong soundtrack which helps convey the mood throughout the film.
This is a brilliant work. The type of work someone could only create before they really hit it big. Independent film at it's finest which is why I give it a $9 out of $9.
Knightsbridge International Knightsbridge International uses 100% of their donations for relief efforts. Those that assist with their projects pay their own way. http://www.kbi.org If you want to do something for the relief efforts this is a great way to do it. They are able to utilize their donations efficiently because of their partners they can make $50,000 in donations purchase $1.8 million in medical supplies (including drugs). This is done in conjuction with the Global Peace Initiative.
I don't care who you vote for but just go vote. Every election is important. I'm not going to say this one is any more important then any other, but the presidential election is the most important one every 4 years. I will say this much, if you feel compelled to vote for a third party candidate DO IT! As long as we feel that only two parties have a chance we hurt ourselves and our chances of REAL change, make a difference and vote for the candidate that you believe in; be it Badnarik (Libertarian), Bush (Republican), Cobb (Green), Kerry (Democratic), Nader (Independent), Peroutka (American Independent), or Peltier (Peace and Freedom). Heck in CA you can't even vote for Nader, unless you write him in.
I wanted to see Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Rated R, 108 minutes) at the theater months ago when it came out, but I was never able to find someone to go with. With it out on DVD I bought it once I was able to find it and watched it that night. It is now officially one of my favorite movies. Jim Carey and the extremely cute (as always) Kate Winslet star as a couple who break up and through the wonderful advances in modern medicine have their minds erased of each other only to fall for each other again. I liked how we traveled through his mind as the techs worked on removing the memories of her. Although I could never go through a memory removal process such as the ones the characters went through I could see the lure to do something such as this, but my personal opinion is your thoughts are what make you the person you are, regardless if they are good or bad. This is a great movie and a wonderful love story. Plus you get the bonus of seeing both Kate Winslet and Kristen Dunst! $9 out of $9 and added to my favorite movies of all time list.
So last weekend I saw I Heart Huckabees (Rated R, 106 minutes) staring an ensemble cast that includes Jason Schwartzman, Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Jude Law, and (Marky) Mark Wahlberg and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Schwartzman has been one of my favorite actors since his debut in Rushmore a movie by one of my favorite writer/directors Wes Anderson, and he does Writer/Director David O. Russell (Three Kings) well as Albert Markovski, a young environmental activist hoping to save some marshlands from untimely demise. He experiences three coincidences which he can find no explanation for and seeks out the assistance of existential detectives Bernard and Vivian (Hoffman and Tomlin) who have two entirely different approaches in how they do their job. As the detectives shadow Albert to see how he spends his day we are introduced to Brad (Law) then anti-Albert that works as an up and coming executive for Huckabees (think Target) a store that sells everything, wants to seem as if they are trying to improve their environmental image with the help of Albert by underwriting his Open Space Coalition. Brad uses his charming smile and smooth talking to convince everyone that Albert’s poems are no match for a party, when it comes to saving the marsh. Later we meet Tommy (Whalberg) who is Albert’s anchor and becomes his counterpart throughout the movie as they deal with Brad. One of my favorite characters was Bernard a quirky out there doctor like character who teaches Albert about how everything in the world is interconnected like a white bed sheet, a tree, the marsh, Albert, all part of same thing. Him and long with his wife Vivian, believe that everything is connected and have made it their professional to explain what it all means. Whereas later in the movie we discover Caterine Vauban (Isabelle Huppert) who contradicts everything they believe to be true with her insistence of a somewhat nihilistic approach that nothing is connected. She takes Albert and Tommy under her wing after they are put off by the detectives’ insistence that Brad (who also has hired the detectives) isn’t undermining Albert. This movie is all over the place and I’m not even sure if I give it justice when I try to do a simple plot description. Most the parts are well acted and Dawn (Naomi Watts) is a pleasure to see throughout the movie as the voice of Huckabees. It was well worth the price of admission. $7 out of $9.