August 12-Emile n' Jack, Genetic Mystery

Don't Jack Black and Emile Hirsch (my lover) look a heck of a lot alike???

August 8-Marry Me, Emile! <3

I watched Into the Wild last night (HIGHLY recommended, by the way), and have fallen deeply, head-over-heels in love with this man, Emile Hirsch ^

!!!

Who cares if he's 7 years older than me?! Who cares if he is shorter than me?! Who cares if I've just shared a moment with a man sculpted by the gods (Robert Pattinson, see below entry)?! Emile Hirsch is the ONLY man for me. What a dreamboat...

Take note: this is sixteen year-old-Hollywood-heartthrob-crushdom right here people!

August 6-OMG OMG Premiere Time

I went to the film premiere of Vicky Cristina Barcelona in L.A.! I also got free tickets randomly, haha. The woman in the center is everyone's sex symbol, Miss Scarlett Johansson. She is the next Marilyn Monroe if you ask me! (without the sleeping pills)

I also saw Woody Allen and Javier Bardem. It was a dream come true!!!

But possibly the most exciting part was at the end, when I accidentally shared eye contact with Robert Pattinson, who played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and plays Edward in the upcoming Twilight film. He was polite enough to share a picture with me!:

July 11-The Heartbreaker

Say hello to W.A.L.L-E.

The absolute cutest, do-gooder, sentimental, and empathizable robot in real or fictional existence (besides, perhaps, his romantic flame E.V.E).

The film, W.A.L.L-E, though billed as a children's flick, is really for everyone and anybody. Much of the film is probably better understood by an older audience. I loved seeing this movie (twice now), but the hardest part of it was keeping a hold on my tear ducts. From beginning to adorable end, the audience wants to melt into "awww"'s as they watch W.A.L.L-E stumble around, in love with the modern, pristine robot E.V.E. Probably the best decision the filmmakers made was to have the robots basically speechless, communicating with jerky eye movements and, in W.A.L.L-E's case, squeaky wheels and un-oiled hinges as he dances and attempts to hold hands with E.V.E. It is simply incredible how touching this little box of metal is.

Before seeing the film, however, I dwelled on animation today. As time rolls on and entertainment must cater to children of this modern generation, Pixar and Disney have forged an alliance. Myself and all of my peers (and of course those before us) grew up on a healthy diet of The Lion King, Aladdin, The Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, and so on and so forth. All of the unequivocal Disney, hand-drawn classics. These films carried such deep and unexplainable emotion that they could never be duplicated.

Then came The Incredibles, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo, Pixar's innovative new brainchildren. Pleasing to the eye, but didn't quite pull at the heartstrings the same way. Granted the films were well-made and emotional, they didn't have the Disney charm and child-like fantasy from before. Never had Sleeping Beauty tackled an overweight ex-superhero trying desperately squeeze into a spandex outfit. More and more sexual innuendos and adult jokes seeped into the character's mouths. Real-life problems were tackled rather than how to leave the ball before midnight.

And then W.A.L.L-E came along. A beautiful product with the heart and charm of Disney and wit and design of Pixar. With some light political and economical messages thrown in.

Go see it with the entire family. And get ready to "awwww"!

July 8-Goodbye Heath, Hello Oscar

I know, I know. Doesn't this image alone send shivers down your spine?
I remember when I first heard of this Australian heartthrob's untimely death. I was falling asleep in the back of my mom's car on the way home from school, and as soon as I heard, I didn't believe it. One second Heath Ledger is a new father, Academy Award Nominee, and budding star, and the next he's-dead?
But the Academy isn't done with Heath just yet. Or at least, I don't believe they should be.
On July 18, 2008, The Dark Knight will grace screens across the world as the next chapter in the star-studded Batman series. Ledger stars against Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne as the Joker, one of the most notorious comic book villains of them all. But there's something different about Ledger's portrayal. Something a thousand times more creepy than his predecessors...
Is it the makeup? Rendering this handsome hunk virtually unrecognizable under the front of a blind prostitute who can't get her face paint off? Or is it the fact that we are watching a spirit that has left this Earth, no doubt as the aftermath of preparing for this extremely challenging role?
Or is it just the fact that he's damn good?
I believe that we have a lot to expect from Ledger's final role, and I, and I'm sure many others, will be shocked to not find his name in the ballots once again.

June 19-Shine On

алло!
I just saw this film last night and fell completely, head over heels in love with it.
Directed by the master of eerie, Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey), and based on the novel by Steven King, this film haunts and horrifies and leaves an indelible impression. The story is about Jack Torrance (played by the playfully demonic Jack Nicholson), a writer who takes a job as the winter caretaker of a huge, beautiful, and spooky hotel in the mountains of Colorado. With him, he brings his wife Wendy (played by the wispy, vulnerable Shelley Duvall) and his son, Danny (Danny Lloyd). In the first 30 minutes of the film, we are introduced to some cringe-worthy topics. The hotel's history, including the previous caretaker's murder of his wife and daughters, Jack's previous abuse of his son, Danny's imaginary friend "Tony", and a foresighted cook played by Scatman Kruthers.
This information haunts our subconscious as we watch the family dissolve into the horrors of the Overlook Hotel. We watch Jack give into his dark side, Danny surrender to the orders of his inner demon, Tony, and Wendy shrivel in fear. All without too much actual action or scene-change.
The fear derived from the film is all from the craft work of Kubrick. The music drives the film incredibly, with an Oscar-worthy score by Béla Bartók. The crashing percussion and urgent violins can make your heart race during some of the calmest scenes. The cinematography is exquisite, capturing the spooky vastness of the story's main set, the Overlook Hotel, with a sense of appreciation mixed with looming disaster. Even if you don't fully enjoy the film, the behind-the-scenes are worth watching. They include intimate moments with Jack Nicholson, a playful interview with the talented young star, Danny Lloyd, Kubrick vs. Duvall squabbles, and the joyous tears of Scatman Kruthers.
I have loved each and every one of Stanley Kubrick's masterpieces, but this is definitely my favorite. So wait until dark, gather your loved ones, and enjoy your week at Colorado's scenic Overlook Hotel...

June 15-Personal Entry #2

"claire de lune" makes me cry