Scene from The Fall

The Fall stars Lee Pace as a 1920s stuntman hospitalized after a stunt gone wrong. He struggles to come to terms with his paralyzing injuries in a Los Angeles hospital until he meets a fellow patient, young Alexandria. This curious six-year-old listens as the stuntman, Roy, tells an adventurous fantasy tale that starts to weave itself into reality. Familiar faces in the hospital start to take their places in the story, playing itself out on the screen.

The visuals brought to the screen by Singh are nothing short of breathtaking. While you take in the eye candy, there is also a hell of a story taking place. As time goes on the relationship between Roy and Alexandria grows deeper as he starts to see her as more than just a little girl to sneak him morphine. If you don’t get a little teary eyed from the film’s resulting eyegasm, then perhaps the story itself will do the job.

Go. Watch. Now.

Mad Men: Just perfect. So simple but it seems to capture the complexities of the show.

Dead Like Me: Favorite part- Grim Reaper chest bump.

Dexter: A sociopath just going through the motions.

Skins: I’m just obsessed with the song they used in Series 1 and 2.

When we left King Arthur and his pals, they had just begun building the infamous round table, Arthur’s half sister had just duped him into possibly impregnating her (to be fair he didn’t know it was her), and Guenevere’s husband had just died and left an opening for her and Arthur’s romance to really begin. There is so much of the story that remained untapped like the search for the Holy Grail, and the affair between Lancelot and Guenevere, that could have kept audiences glued to the story. I really believe that the Lancelot/Guenevere story could have been AMAZING, especially since it was told as the end to the round table and its glory days.

But alas, Starz is opting out of continuing the story. Too bad the first season couldn’t deliver enough awesome (despite Joseph Fiennes playing a pretty intriguing Merlin) for a second season….

Let’s think about this…. all the horror classics seem to have one, lone survivor. And guess what- it’s always a female. Halloween had Laurie Strode, A Nightmare on Elm Street had Nancy, Scream had Sidney Prescott, and blah blah blah.  Sure there are dumb stereotypical females running around in many horror movies, but it’s these stereotypes that never seem to last long. The women that get attention in horror films are the women that should be admired: the strong, courageous ones.

If we want to get a little less mainstream film and go into the depths of the horror genre we can take a look at Dario Argento. Considered by many as an Italian horror genius, his work has been called misogynistic by some critics for the graphic displays of violence on women portrayed in his films. True, true. There are some pretty gruesome displays, but this does not mean that the man hates women. He’s cast his own daughter in multiple movies as the lead actress/lone survivor. He has created some amazing movies (well pre-1990), that show horror for the art that it can be. They are violent, yes, but they can also have a twisted beauty.

I’m not saying that horror hasn’t shown some pretty awful female stereotypes, but there is a fair share of male stereotypes as well. There’s always bad films in a genre. I just don’t think anyone should use feminism as an excuse to ignore the horror.There are some excellent films out there with some pretty strong female characters. Women may feel a little more empowered when they can relate to the bad ass woman standing alone at the end of a movie. Don’t go along with the stereotypes people.

If your still not convinced go watch the entire Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. With that evidence, your argument is invalid.

I seriously envy those people that have one passion that sits above the rest. I like a lot of things, most of all film. I like movies and all that goes along with them and God knows I watch enough of them, but I really have no idea what kind of career to make out of that. I’m not about to pack up and go to LA or New York.There’s other things that I feel like I’d be happy doing, but those are things that I don’t feel I have enough talent for, like art or writing of some kind. So here I am, stuck trying to figure out my future.

There are some certainties. I know that one day I want to create something that will matter to other people. I don’t know what medium this creation should take, but I hope to impact someone’s life with something that is originally mine. Another certainty is that I don’t want to be doing one thing my entire life. I want to have many experiences. All different kinds. I don’t want to move from place to place in one field, but do all kinds of different things. Maybe I just lack focus, who knows.

The current plan is to remain in Louisiana and see if I really do have a passion for the film industry and if I can find happiness or a place within that realm that suits me. The next year should reveal a lot.

Welcome to the grand re-opening of  Viddy This.

With the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One at midnight tonight, the boy wizard my age group grew up alongside will be leaving us. His story stops, but our keeps going.

In elementary school, I began reading Harry Potter’s story. I was 11 years old, as I was reading about an 11-year-old wizard. As the books were released, Harry and I continued to be on the same path (well we were the same age…I wasn’t exactly vanquishing dark lords and such). It’s kind of an honor that I get to be a part of the generation that grew up alongside him. Is my nerd showing??? I think it is.

Tonight I’ll be at the theater at 10 p.m. with the rest of the devoted Potter fans of this city waiting hours for the film’s premiere. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for a movie in my life. This will only be surpassed by one other event: The premiere of Part Two.

Wristcutters: A Love Story- I’m pretty sure I watched this about five times within the first week of owning this movie. Everyone I knew had to see it also. When telling them it was about a guy searching for his ex-girlfriend in a world reserved for people who have killed themselves, people were skeptical. They were then amazed at how uplifting and sweet the story was. A movie about suicide and the sad afterlife it brings has the ability to leave people smiling and optimistic.

Dakota Skye- This is a very small movie with no-name actors, but an interesting idea. The main character, Dakota, has the ability to tell when people are lying. This has left her cynical and apathetic towards her future. She then meets her boyfriend’s best friend and finally finds an honest person. Love ensues, as usual. It’s a simple movie, no big names, no big laughs, but its worth watching for romance fans.

Love Me If You Dare- This French movie stars two of the cutest international stars ever (in my opinion): Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet. They play lifelong friends that deeply love each other, but hide it behind a childish game they created when they were in elementary school. It has an unconventional ending that causes a mix of crazy emotions that can only be accomplished by a great movie.

TiMER- This is probably the most outlandish of all of these movies, but it kept me entertained. It’s set in the not too distant future when a device is created that pinpoints the exact moment that a person meets their soul mate. The main character, Oona (stupid name), lives by her timer, waiting for it to start the countdown. She finally lets go and tries to enjoy her life when it starts ticking. It brings up a lot of questions about love and society. Not a glorious achievement of film-making, but it’s an entertaining watch.

I finally got to watch Sunday’s premiere and am very confident that this is going to be a great show. Anyone unfamiliar with the zombie sub-genre of horror, can now get a taste. Anyone who frowns upon all things horror needs to watch and see what it’s all about.

A zombie apocalypse story is more than just a story. It is a social commentary. You get to experience the failure of society to cope with this sudden disaster and a range of emotions from characters put in extraordinary situations. Zombies are so much more than the condescending horror critic thinks.

Fast Food Logos

The second I got my driver’s license I invented a new meal. There was breakfast, lunch, after school lunch, and dinner. This new after school lunch was the product of a lack of snack food in the house and the vast amount of time between school lunch and dinner at home. I visited many a drive thru and learned various tricks of the trade…

Speakerbox Ordering 101: Speak slowly and clearly to increase the chances of getting the order correct. Order your meal first and then pause (or wait until they ask) before ordering your drink.

Taco Bell: Never jam the end of your straw on a hard surface to break it free from the wrapper. Taco Bell has flimsy straws that may crack upon impact and cause air bubbles to disrupt the smooth flow of your beverage.

Jack in the Box: 9 times out of 10, the person at the drive thru window will ask you to pull to the front and wait for your food there. It’s a painfully annoying practice. Be sure to tell them what kind of sauces (ketchup, hot sauce, etc.) you want before you leave the window. There is still a chance they will not put these sauces in there, but this increases those odds in your favor.

Ordering Pizza: When calling Dominoes, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, etc. for delivery, the first words you should say are “Hi I would like to place an order for delivery” and then wait for them to take your information. After they have taken that information they will ask for your food order. This makes the conversation flow better instead of saying “Hi can I get a such and such pizza.”

Whataburger: If you want a milkshake, be aware of how big their cups are. You may think you want a medium, but a medium is gigantic. It’s the big cups that come with value meals. You may want to just get a small, which is a medium at any other fast food establishment.

Ketchup Etiquette: The standard amount of ketchup packets an employee gives you at the drive thru window is two. If you want more, don’t be afraid to ask, they’ll give you more, they just usually can’t unless asked.

Drinks Cost $$$: You can get meals for under 3 bucks if you order off the value menu at most places, but they’ll get you if you get a drink. Drinks always cost more than a dollar, no matter the size. If you’re really trying to pinch those pennies, order off the dollar menu and use a drink from home.