Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, back to work he goes!

A friend reminded me that I haven't done a post dedicated to Chris' new job yet! First off, Yay Chris!! Congrats to my fabulous hubby for finding a great job in this crappy market within three months. woohoo!!

So as most of you remember, Chris was working in the Hilton Honors marketing department for Hilton corporate, which oversees all the brands. NOW, Chris will be doing something similar but at one specific Hilton property - the LAX Embassy Suites. His official title is E-Commerce Marketing Manager, so as you can guess by the title, his focus will be on all internet marketing and online partnerships for the hotel. So far he's enjoying the new job (this is week 2), though he has to wear a suit everyday. (Boo!) One of the great things about the job is that the hotel ownership group (Sunstone Hotels) has a number of hotels in SoCal, so this may turn into something of a regional position as well.

As much as I am sad to lose a house-husband and to go back to helping out with household chores, I'm thrilled Chris has found something that he's enjoying!

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

So I'm doing a separate post to review this movie b/c ever since I saw it on Saturday, I've been thinking a lot about it, about childhood, about movies and about entertainment value.

Let me begin by giving you my immediate thoughts in reaction to seeing the film, which were "boring, bloated and depressing... though it looks great." The movie is only an hour and a half (approx) but it feels MUCH longer. The time issue stems from the storyline, which never feels like it has momentum, especially while Max is on his adventure with the Wild Things. I kept thinking, "Is this the moment it turns?" Or, "Is this when we get an idea of what's coming?" While being surprised in a film is a good thing, and I'd never say I want to always know the direction a story is taking, you do want to get a feel of pacing and direction as you are watching a story develop. But here, because the film is an exercise in understanding a child's complex emotions and inner life, there is little to no plot. [SPOILER ALERT] What IS clear, is that things are going to go well in this new civilization that Max has become King of for awhile, and then things will go badly, and then hopefully they'll get better again... And that is sort of what happens, except for the last turn towards happiness. Max leaves the Wild Things virtually as miserable as when he found them. Is the lesson that we cannot fix anyone else, but just ourselves? Or that it's not our job to go into someone else's life and fix their problems? Or is this simply a more realistic vision of how deep-seeded emotional problems in groups and communities never really change. Because, in truth, the latter is what I took away at the end of his journey, and that is freaking depressing. At least when Max goes back to his mother, they share a heartfelt moment, during which we assume Max does understand that his mother loves him and that he doesn't need to be so angry all the time.... though you leave the theater knowing that the anger under the surface will surely bubble to the top again unless he goes to see a therapist to talk it out.

However, when I saw the movie, I was in awe at how

beautiful it looked - both the surroundings and the creatures. Plus, the child playing Max was incredible and his acting so naturalistic, that I understand why the head of Warner Bros production has been quoted as finding the a movie disturbingly realistic portrait of childhood angst. So overall, I didn't think it was a "bad" film, I just thought it was an expensive, adult movie that wasn't very enjoyable to watch.

So those were my initial thoughts... and as I kept thinking back on the movie and reading some more interviews and reviews, I came across one person's interpretation that the movie is divisive because it's very "personal" and "intimate", which I think is very accurate. The movie really deals with the unseen and often unreported disillusionment and frustration and rage that exists in adolescents. Hurt feelings and rage at the unfairness of life is such a part of growing up. And Max embodies all of those difficult emotions in his character, and in fact, he seems to be experiencing them simultaneously during the first act climax, when he runs away and heads off on his adventure. I've been there. I've felt those things. I've been scared and angry and confused and totally out of control. And I would wager that most adolescents have too... that's why the movie is interesting, but not entertaining. While I don't believe every movie should be all popcorn and mindless entertainment, I think part of a film's purpose is to entertain. And sometimes tear jerkers can be enjoyable b/c they are cathartic. And other movies deal with difficult material because you want to experience something out of your own reality and be touched by it. In the case of this movie specifically, I don't think it succeeds because it highlights all of this child's emotions without working through them to a satisfying ending. I guess we're supposed to be happy at the end when Max leaves and comes home to his mom, having dealt with his feelings with the Wild Things... but the truth is, he hasn't! At least, I didn't think he did. So in the end, I sat through this boring adventure to wind up with a hero that didn't make things better for his new friends, hasn't truly worked out his own issues, and simply gets a hug from his mom and some soup to make it better. Is that a more "realistic" ending? Sure. Is it satisfying? Nope.

So I'm sorry Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers - you're very smart and very talented, but sometimes that's not enough.

Recap

It's been a REALLY long time since I blogged, so I thought I'd do some fun recapping:

First Anniversary:

Chris and I took a long weekend and drove up to San Francisco, by way of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

As many of you know, Chris was laid off at the end of July, so he had some time on his hands over the summer and earlier this fall. He went to Legoland with his niece and nephew, and he spent some time in

North Carolina with his brother's family out there. PLUS he did some great cooking for me- here are some of my favorites from the summer. (However, he's now working again! YAY!)

In other fun news, I got two tickets to see "Star Wars: In Concert!" for my 29th Birthday. It's something I saw advertised at Comic-con and was SUPER excited to go to. So, thanks for the tickets Mara! At the Nokia Theater, they also had some props and costumes from the movies, which I took a few photos of. Nerd alert!!

So what'd you do this weekend?

Me, oh not much. Saw THE INFORMANT (eh- not bad, not great. interesting story though), hung out with the Danisons & the nieces and nephews on Saturday, then at night went over to Lindsay and Fernando's house...AND RAN INTO A SCREEN DOOR. Yup, I ran full force into a screen door that I didn't realize was open. Let me tell you, not a pleasant experience. For one thing, it's pretty damn jarring and I seriously wounded myself in a few areas. The other obvious side effect is embarrassment, especially when the force of you running into it means you pulled the screen from the door at the top and the bottom. sigh....I'll set it up for you.

We're playing a rowdy game of Pictionary with boys v. girls and I decide during the boys turn I'm going to run out to the car to get some sweat pants. I grab the keys and go to head out of the front door, which has been left open since it's a warm night. But little do I see that there's actually a screen door that comes across the front entryway and since I'm kind of still paying attention to the game going on, I only turn to look in front of me just as I run into the screen. And you know what I think JUST before I hit it, "wow, it looks a little misty outside."

OMG to the MAX!!!

Check out the new NEW MOON trailer. holy crap it's awesome!! I think Chris Weitz will redeem the Twilight movie franchise after such a disappointing beginning...

CLICK HERE to see!!

OH- and if you wanted to see the "extended version", which I believe only has 4 extra snip-its/shots in it, you can see it here

Summer Movie Wrap Up

Here is the MUCH delayed (what else is new) Summer Movie Wrap-Up from yours truly...

Let's start with the winners:

STAR TREK

By far, this was probably my favorite summer movie...Yes, possibly because of my geek-ish upbringing and long love of the ST franchise, but also because J.J. Abrams gave this reboot a hip, glossy and fun flavor that even non-trekkie fans could embrace. Plus it introduced us to Chris Pine, who will surely be a star.

JULIE & JULIA

Just because I'm biased doesn't mean this wasn't a terrific, delightful and yummy treat for adults that are tired of movies for kids driving the summer box office. At $80 mil and counting, I know I am not alone in this. (Plus Meryl Streep just kills it.)

UP

Pixar continues to get it right with this bittersweet tale of an old man and a young boy on a tremendous adventure together in South America. While I thought they may have gone a bit far with the dogs in the end, I loved this movie and cried at its moving and poignant first act montage.

DISTRICT 9

A thoroughly original sci-fi movie with a great anti-apartheid message, this movie takes CGI aliens to a new level. The talented filmmaker and actors made you feel for both the abused creatures, as well as for Vickas, a desperate, weasel of a man, as they struggle for freedom. I had no idea the movie would be so emotional and I think that is precisely why it succeeded. Good lesson to screenwriters and moviemakers in all genres, don't shy away from the emotion! Give your movies a bit more depth!

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

Quentin Tarantino is back in theaters with another violent, comedic look at a group of resistance fighters during WWII. The movie's riding a delicate line because of its subject matter, but Quentin bursts through it at the end with an unforgettable finale. Controversial for sure, but pure Tarantino from the first moment to the last. (And the acting was incredible! ...except for Eli Roth)

Movies that I definitely enjoyed:

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE

As with all the Harry Potter movies, they are good- but the book is way better. I enjoyed most of this adaptation, but since I had just recently read the 6th installment, I felt more irritated by the changes the filmmakers made. I just didn't understand why they needed to tweak the ending (SPOILER ALERT) and not have a bigger fight at Hogwarts. Also, why skip Dumbledore's funeral and make less of Ginny and Harry's romance. I wonder if they will address that in the first movie of the 2-part book 7 adaptation. We shall see.

THE PROPOSAL

A charming and surprisingly well made romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as a work duo forced to fake an engagement to keep Bullock stateside. A ridiculous premise? Of course. But the physical comedy and great performances keep you locked in for the ride. Reynolds is charming, handsome and on point. Bullock resurrects herself in this film and reminds us why we all thought she was the next Julia Roberts so many years before. (sadly, ALL ABOUT STEVE will prob undo this.)

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER

Truth be told, I was a little disappointed by this movie, but only because the script was one of my favorites in the last five years. It's a great way to do a romantic comedy that feels young, fresh and surprise- it's not a happily ever story! And no, that's not a spoiler. They say it in the first five minutes of the movie. Support "indie" filmmaking and go see this!

Middle of the pack:

AWAY WE GO

Sam Mendes directs an incredible performance out of Maya Rudolph, mostly known for her SNL gags and not much else. But in this small, quiet movie about a couple trying to find a place to put down roots before their first child comes into the world. Though some of the characters they come across are a bit cliche and over-the-top, Maya's naturalistic performance is worth the viewing. Be sure to get on DVD.

THE UGLY TRUTH

Okay, okay - I know it's not a great movie and I know Katherine Heigl appears to be a biznatch of the highest order due to her constant gum-flapping in public...But this was a cute movie! It's totally predictable and maybe a bit insulting if you read into the female/male dynamics that are in it, but truth be told they had good chemistry onscreen and I enjoyed it!

ANGELS & DEMONS

It's better than DaVinci Code, let's put it that way. Not a great movie, but it's not bad either. If you are a fan of the book, it's worth a DVD rental.

MY SISTER'S KEEPER & TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE

Both of these adaptations were okay- not great. I loved both books and was definitely more disappointed by TTW, but felt that they weren't complete failures either. Both managed to get you to experience the emotional weight of the stories, even if they didn't quite get the stories quite right. If you want a tear-jerker, rent SISTER'S KEEPER. If you loved TTW and are just curious, it's worth a rent. If not, don't bother with these. You aren't missing that much.

As Chris would say, "Worst-Movie Ever":

TRANSFORMERS 2

I can't believe this movie made $400 million at the box office. It makes me sick and very very sad. DON'T see this movie if you don't have to.

TERMINATOR SALVATION

Ugh, there was no point whatsoever to this movie and it irritated me throughout. Again, another movie to skip. T-3 was WAY better than this, and most people didn't like that so you can imagine what this is.

G.I. JOE

"Kill all the Joes!" This is one of the worst scripts I've ever seen come to life and rather than killing the Joes, I want to kill the filmmakers and the studio execs that greenlit this piece of crap.

GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST

I love bad romantic comedies and I couldn't even stomach this one. It's TERRIBLE!! Seriously, nothing redeeming about it at all. (and that's coming from someone that could watch Jennifer Garner do almost anything.)

FUNNY PEOPLE

While I was watching this movie, I didn't hate it...but the more I reflected on the characters and the story, I saw what a mess it really was. I think the movie doesn't have a clear focus, especially after the hour and a half mark, and our main guy (Sandler) is totally unlikeable throughout. While Seth Rogan is pretty good, and his friends (Jason Schwartzman and Jonah Hill) make the comedy bearable, I'm not sure it's even worth your time as a rental unless you're just curious.

So that's it. I hope you find this somewhat helpful as you prepare your netflix lists for this fall. I may have forgotten a few, but I will come back and add some as I think of them. :)

Mandate picks up 'Dream On'

Check it out! The first time my name's been in the trades!!

Mandate picks up 'Dream On'

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