Take Your Mom to a Movie Day

I’m back.  That was a fun summer break; wasn’t it?  People who blog consistently are machines.  MACHINES, I tell you.

Couple changes happening here.

1. I’m not going to even attempt to try to post every Tuesday and Thursday.  I’m going to be posting when my muse comes.  And I have the website open.  Could be more; could be less.  I find not knowing exciting.

2.  I’m going to start discussing my traveling.  I travel a lot.  I often pretend it hasn’t happened because of a weird reputation people who travel a lot get.  Mostly they get a reputation that they travel a lot and who wants that?

But besides these two things, everything is totally back to normal.

And normal  includes taking my almost 81 year old mother to The Expendables 3 in DBox.

DBox are those seats that move around with the action.  In the case of this film, they end up shaking whenever things blow up.  So the chair is generally always shaking.

Shaking makes the movie more exciting.  Especially when you try to drink from a straw.

Before you freak out that the seats could’ve injured my mom, calm down.  Her knees may be full of metal and she may be on 43.6 different meds, but her back is completely fine.

And if it does start hurting, I’m pretty sure she has a med for that.

What I Should’ve Learned in 10th Grade

Recently, my daughter has discovered Percy Jackson. This has led to a desire to learn Greek Mythology.

I have a confession.

When I moved from Connecticut to Utah, I had the opportunity to go into honors English in 10th grade. But to do that, I had to read a Greek Mythology book over the summer. And Greek Mythology scared the living daylights out of me. I think it was because the book had a dark cover with a foreboding marble statue. So I didn’t take the class.

And now I wish I had. Because sometimes I get Athena and Aphrodite confused. But luckily I have 3 kids and at least one of them is always correcting me.

(I may have told them that I confuse these two Goddesses because you have to be smart about who you fall in love with, which I think is a brilliant cover up, but my kids see through it and just think I’m old.)

It’s Not a Coffee Shop, but I Do What I Can

So my goal has been to write but summer is… summer.  I find myself taking my kids all over the place just so I don’t have to hear them say: “I’m bored.”  (And when they do say it I can then rattle off all the places I’ve taken them and then talk about what an amazing mother I am for at least 5 minutes while they have to sit there.)

A few weeks ago I went to Utah to do some school shopping. (A total bust for the boys.  They still only had short sleeve shirts in the stores I visited.  And my 6 year old is still deciding if he’s a size 7 or 8.  I’m hoping he grows the extra half inch, BEFORE I buy pants.)  And we went to Chuckie Cheese and a water park and the new Percy Jackson movie.  I couldn’t do much writing in the movie theater, but I did pretty good at Chuckie Cheese and the water park.

I recommend writing at Chuckie Cheese.  It has unlimited Diet Pepsi.

This would be better proof if the notebook were actually open.

 

Thank Zeus and Apollo

Two weeks ago, I promised my daughter I would take her to OZ The Great and Powerful.  But then my son was exposed to whooping cough and due to the fact he slept with one blanket he woke up with a cough and the school nurse took his temp which was 99.3 and I went in to volunteer and went home with a kid which screwed up the week because I took him to get tested which then kicked in a school district policy and he stayed home the rest of the week.

But all my daughter knew was that I had PROMISED her and it didn’t happen.  The injustice of it all was really just too much to bare and had she been independently wealthy, I’m pretty sure she would’ve moved out.

I recently rectified the situation by taking my children to OZ The Great and Powerful.  It was fine, by the way.  But it taught me a lesson.  I’m never promising my children anything ever again.  Without a stipulation.  

The stipulation I have chosen is: as long as Zeus and Apollo agree.  This way I can get out of things that don’t quite work and teach my children Greek mythology (along with useless Magnum PI trivia.)

Because if I say I will do something, I generally can and do what I say.  But sometimes girl scouts, piano, swimming, cub scouts, homework, sleep, and bad teen television get in the way.  And I’ve been trying to do a cleanse.  Which means I’m in a bad mood and having a sugar withdrawal headache.  But none of these things seem to be good enough reasons.

Which is why the Gods invented Zeus and Apollo.

 

And the Award Goes to…

Recently, two of my friends nominated me for the Liebster and Very Inspiring blog awards.  Michael of It Rains… You Get Wet and Liv Rancourt have been big supporters of mine and I can’t express my appreciation enough.  They will never know how much they have kept me going…  (Including the week I was deciding whether or not to keep writing, they both unknowingly nominated me…)

But in true blog awards fashion, that’s enough about them, for now.  Let’s turn it all to me.
I must tell you a few things about myself.  Liebster asks for 11 and Very Inspiring asks for 7 so I’m giving you 9.

1.  I was a nanny in Germany.  I’m pretty sure this is where I picked up my amazing child-rearing abilities.  I’m a better mom when I speak to my kids in German.  I believe this is because they can’t understand me.

2.  I became hooked on English literature when I bought Anne’s House of Dreams (book 5 of Anne of Green Gables). But I thought it was a “romance” when I bought it.  At age 10.

3.  I bought Anne’s House of Dreams after finishing EVERY Sweet Valley High book written at that time. (Jessica was a *****.)

4.  I pride myself in buying amazing shoes.  However, my friend Hollie says this needs an asterisk next to my horse Birkenstocks.

5.  I befriend people who are often wrong.  (See number 4).

6.  I did my best to build a house in New England cottage style and design in the middle of Montana.

7.  I like to leave rants on friends phones.  Occasionally the subject has been how no one truly appreciates my horse Birkenstocks.

8.  People think I have a more wild side than I actually do.  I think this is due to the fact I’m ok with drinking Diet Coke at seedy bars.

9.  I question if I should’ve bought the cow Birkenstocks instead.

The Liebster Award then asks me to answer the questions Michael gave me; so here it goes.

1.  What is your favorite song or piece of music you put on to pull you out of a funk?
This changes often.  Right now: Somebody Told Me by the Killers and Forever Young sung by Youth Group due to my current O.C. problem.

2.  Favorite book you read (or listened to) in 2012?
Imperfections by Brad Somer.  I met him and then I read it.  Meet authors whenever you can.  It makes the books better.

3.  Frank Capra’s James Stewart or Anthony Mann’s?
Frank Capra’s.  (Please don’t tell my father.)

4.  Your favorite British film is?
Lawrence of Arabia.  But Monty Python’s Holy Grail is very close.

5.  What is your preferred Paddy Chayefsky screenplay (for television or motion pictures)?
Network.

6. What was the best-loved book you read in high school?
Emma by Jane Austen.  I read it for fun and then I had to interpret a section of it for an entrance exam.  I think this was the first time I truly felt studious. And perhaps pretentious.

7.  The best movie you saw as a high school senior?
Defending Your Life.  I remember laughing so hard I couldn’t breath.

8.  Your most-liked song before graduating high school?
Losing My Religion by REM.  There may have been a slight obsession with the band.  It’s all very vague now.  And sealed by the courts.

9.  Evelyn Mulray or Diana Christensen?
Diana Christensen (flows with #5)

10.  Your favorite film that you don’t ever want to see again?
Lawrence of Arabia
*on DVD.  I saw it in a theater in college.  I could do that again.

11.  The one song that will instantly cause you to change the cable channel, radio station, whatever, when it comes on is?
Real Housewives.  I just can’t do it.  You’d think I could, but I can’t.  I’m sorry.

Now is the time I’m supposed to nominate others for these awards but I want to do something different.  I want to highlight the people who nominated me and tell you to read them.

It Rains… You Get Wet has taught me an amazing amount about film.  He writes; I google and watch.  My favorite posts are his answers to surveys because I find gems I didn’t know about.  He is an encouraging blogger whose comments make my day.  If you are interested in film, look him up.  Your life will be better.

Liv Rancourt is an author of paranormal chick- lit and romance.  She is also a nurse and one of the best SongPop players ever.  I am often amazed at all she does and how supportive she is of writers in general.  Her blog is the perfect place for links to other authors, information on writing, and life.  And she just got gorgeous head shots so you can check her out literally.

And now it’s your turn…  I want to know what one of your answers to the 11 questions would be…

Confusion at the Movie Theater

Dear Owners of Large Movie Theaters,

I am from a small town.  We have 1.5 movie theaters and only two screens for 3-D.  Big fancy movie theaters can be overwhelming.  In order to help those of us visiting, it would be helpful to have full explanations next to the automated ticket machine.

Because when I see:

Journey 2: 2D

Journey 2: 3D

Journey 2: 3D Imax

Journey 2: DBox

Journey 2: Why are you here?  Wait for the Rental.  Wait.  You have small children and if you go to the dinosaur museum one more time you’re going to poke out an eye with a t-rex tooth, aren’t you?  Then seeing this movie today is actually a good idea.

I get really, really confused.  And I buy DBox because it’s the next showing and it turns out to cost $50,000 and it’s not 3D and we sit down and my kids’ seats start moving freaking us out for the first 10 minutes.

I don’t mind, really.  I would just like a heads-up. (Especially if the movie would be better in 3D).

Thank you,

Small Town Hick.

The Day I met Timothy Hutton

Sticking with the theme of Sundance this week, here is my favorite interaction with an actor.

It was 15 years ago and Sundance was much smaller as I have mentioned.  My friends and I parked by a 7-11.  I got a Super Big Gulp to drink while waiting in line.  I drank it all in about fifteen minutes.

I realized I had made a possible mistake drinking 32 oz. right before sitting down for two hours.  So I decided to find out how long the movie was.  (I didn’t have a film catalogue.)

I asked an usher.  He didn’t know.

I asked the guy at the door in the Sundance coat.  He didn’t know.

I asked the girl who took my ticket.  She didn’t know.

So I go out to the lobby and I see Timothy Hutton.  (I recognized him.  How could I not?)

I think, “HEY! This is his movie.  HE would know.”

So I walk up to him and say, “How long is your movie?  Because I just drank a Super Big Gulp and I need to figure out if I’m gonna be ok.”

He turned to his assistant.  “Super Big Gulp?”

Assistant, “Really big soda.”

He turns to me, “Go the bathroom now.  This is a great movie and you really don’t want to miss it.”

So I did.

And he was right.  It was hilarious.

Sundance Film Festival 2012

I accomplished part one of my Midlife Crisis:  I went to the Sundance Film Festival.  (Did not have time to get my nails and hair done, however.)

In college, I went to the Sundance Film Festival every year.  It was a blast.  My friends and I would show up, get in a waitlist line and watch a movie.  It was a really casual scene.  It was low key.  It was fairly easy to get a ticket.  There were a lot of ‘people’ who showed up and went to movies.

That was 15 years ago.

Now, if you want tickets, you need to register online in October.  In December you get a time in January when you can buy the tickets.

Waitlist lines start at least two hours before the movie.  And there is no guarantee you will get in.  People stood in line for three hours in a snowstorm for the film Arbitrage and not one got in.  (Amazing film by the way)

Paparazzi were everywhere.  We ate very tasty Buffalo Burgers by a window and the WHOLE time we were there, about 40 people were standing around outside because there was a rumor Robert Redford was in the building.

Most of the people we met were in the film industry.  We stood in line half the day and got to know fellow wait listers.  Only one was there because she likes movies.  We met one guy from Norway who ‘took a break’ from his medical residency to move to NYC and try to make it as an actor.  I was in awe because I could not do that.

I did have fun though.  We got into four movies and I liked two.  One was nice and artsy but a little slow and one was so bad that I feel like suing everyone in it for my time. (I understand if a movie goes wrong but during the question and answer period the cast and director stated that they had INTENDED to make a bad movie.   That should have been in the catalogue.)

This is the cast from The First Time. We may not have had very good seats. And the camera in my phone may not be all that great. (Loved the movie, though)

It was a good time, but it made me nostalgic for the past and the ability to drive to Park City, find a parking space, and go to a movie.  *insert sigh.

Of Nordstrom and Movies

I get the Nordstrom catalogue in the mail.  It makes me feel sexy and provocative as I open the perfume samples and rub the magazine on my wrists, like all supermodels do.

I believe if I owned this, I would be a better person:

It's Alexis Bittar. And I know you know who that is.

I am in a March Movie Madness contest.  I nominated Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. You need to go to

http://educlaytion.com/2011/03/16/mmm-round-1-pt-2/

and vote for it because everyone one else gave real reasons why their movie should win and my reasons are:

1.  It has one of the greatest battle scenes ever to exist between man and beast and orc and troll and dwarf and hobbit and…

2. There was Aragorn and Legolas before Jacob and Edward were ever born.  (And they are real.)

3. When my children have been sent to their room and they keep trying to sneak by me, I like to slam a sword and staff down while yelling: “You shall not pass!”  (Which is from the first and second film, so that might not help my case much, but I find much pleasure in it.)

I’m not sure I can compete with other people’s explanations of cinematography and lighting.  So help me Obi-Wan-Kenobe, you’re my only hope.  (AND my competition is Empire Strikes Back so I think I may lose, lose, lose; especially if I keep quoting  the trilogy)

Knights and Chilvary

I have a confession.  I really like the movie Knight and Day.  You may think this isn’t a big deal, but I usually don’t admit to liking movies that get anything less than a B from Entertainment Weekly.  I feel as though they are the gold standard right now, behind Siskel and Ebert.  I guess it is just Ebert now, but I usually agree with all of them.  If I read their reviews before seeing a movie, then it usually affects my viewing.  That is just how it is.  I did enjoy Unstoppable, even though it didn’t get rave reviews, but I don’t really talk about it.  I am feeling very gutsy standing up for my views on Knight.

I really like the Tom Cruise character, Roy.  I would like to be friends with him.  He just seems so positive.  I bet he wouldn’t get angry every night when he puts his kids to bed or when his children are sarcastic at the worst possible times ever.  When things are blowing up, so am I.  Roy doesn’t even blink, but encourages the people around him to do the right thing.  Of course the person around him happened to be a decent looking blonde, but we are going to pretend that he is that way even if he doesn’t think you are hot.

It was a fun film where I forgot it was Tom Cruise.  I liked forgetting it was Tom Cruise.  I think his name becomes bigger than he is at times.  It’s like the movie Top Gun.  When it came out, I never heard the plot or whether or not it was a good movie.  I heard about the men in it.  I didn’t watch it, on merit, until it was on cable.  Then I watched it 27 times.  Even I enjoy a good game of volleyball.

I am admitting that I like bad movies sometimes.  This is a huge step for me.  I normally pretend I am an all-knowing film guru who only enjoys really good films.  Now I am an all-knowing film guru but I enjoy bad films as well.  Which probably makes me more evolved than someone who can’t find the enjoyment of total crap. Wow.  I am incredibly evolved.  Please excuse me while I meditate.

I am back.  To save my reputation, however, I feel as though I should let you know that I did think Killers lived up to its reviews and I fast-forwarded most of it.  So I am an evolved person with taste.  I really feel better after discussing this with you.  Thank you.

Anyone out there want to feel better with a confession?  I promise not to tell anyone.