i'll stick to my own definitions...

Of course this post is long overdue. I've been dying to see this movie since the trailer was released online. Do you remember seeing it in the previews for Inception? The chills that I got were so intense. (I'm also getting chills for the Harry Potter finales, but let's wait till November for that). There were no actual plot devices shown but rather images of facebook icons and profile pictures that we regard as so mundane because it's so engrained into our every day lives. But when it's presented to you on a huge screen, you start to realize the sheer magnitude of influence that Mark Zuckerberg's creation has on our existences.
         When I finally saw The Social Network, I went in with the notion that this movie would not only change my life, but define my generation. Isn't that the refrain we've been hearing from the critics? The Social Network will be our The Breakfast Club. As I cozied into my huge seat (of course dominating all the surrounding seats as well) I prepared myself to see my life flash before my eyes. Unfortunately, it didn't.  It's not that The Social Network isn't a good film, it's just not about "us" as a whole. Where The Breakfast Club had a character for each social class to identify with, The Social Network is partitioned with the "have" and "have-nots". If you're not rich then you're not cool? That seems a little prehistoric and maybe it is, especially when the setting of the film is at one of the oldest universities in America. The basic plot of the film is that after being dumped by his girlfriend for being an asshole, Mark Zuckerberg gets the idea for the facebook while drunk and seeking fame on his college campus. Along the way he gets help from his best friend Eduardo Saverin (played by the uuber adorable Andrew Garfield. sigh) and begins to build an empire. In true rags to riches fashion, the acquire groupies (Brenda Song being amazing) and enemies, the Winklevoss twins (played by the singular but sexy Armie Hammer) and turns from a regular asshole to a powerful jerk.
       The story culminates with the several lawsuits that Zuckerberg faced and the basic understanding that regardless of what ludicrous amount of money he pays to his enemies, he has created not only an empire, but a lifestyle change. As Sean Parker says in the movie, Zuckerberg has created "a once in a generation idea". Regardless of how universal facebook is (they don't have roads in Bosnia but they have facebook) the characters don't define this particular generation. Of course everyone wants to be known for something and not an outcast, but is this a generational notion or rather one shared by everyone regardless of race, creed and age. When I think of our generation, I think of hipsters and posers. I think of us as the generation that thinks outside the box. We aren't bogged down by the notion that there's only one right way. We want to make it on our own by our own standards. Whether this is a good thing or not, I don't know.
    Now I don't want to seem that I'm coming down on the movie. I had a good time. Whether it's Oscar-worthy I don't know. I think both Jesse Eisenberg and Armie Hammer's performances definitely deserve a campaign. The screenplay is phenomenal, with lines that had to be written. But I'm going to save my vote for a film that actual define more than a generation...it defines me.

sunday movie classic: The Exorcist

I know I've been horrible this week and I apologize. I've been sick all week with a flu/cold hybrid. Honestly I would've been better if I curtailed my drinking/partying habits, but let's be real, it was an open bar! So I'm still sick, coughing up a storm and watching scary movies. Whenever I'm sick, I watch only three things: old school cartoons (Doug and X-men the Animated Series), Boy Meets World reruns (best show ever), and scary movies. If you're one of my close friends and you're reading this, you know how true that last statement is because I most likely called you to vent about my nightmares. This week I went old school with my horror flicks and got down with The Exorcist. Literally the scariest movie I have ever seen. I don't scared from a film unless is has religious connotations or has the by-line 'based on a true story'.  For some reason that gets me. Linda Blair stars as a child possessed by the devil and her poor mother is trying to save her soul through the help of a devout priest. I love the beginning of the movie when the mother (Ellen Burstyn) and doctors thinks Regan is going through puberty or has a tumor. Nah Kid. She's got a severe case of Beelzebub. The special effects are awesome and everyone remembers the classic twisted head scene. I think the reason the film still frightens the granny panties off of me is the sordid transformation of this sweet girl into a child of Satan. It could happen to anyone and I'm not trying to let it happen to me. The Exorcist became the highest grossing scary movie ever and was even nominated for ten academy awards. It's totally deserves being considered a Sunday classic 



and because I was gone for a week, a little something extra...enjoy!

...who's car we taking?

I could have sworn I wrote a post about this movie a while ago, but of course I was wrong. So I saw The Town two weeks and it was much better than I anticipated. I genuinely liked this movie. I didn't have low expectations but it was beautifully filmed and it had a good balance of action and heart. It's the story of Dougie Macray who live is Charlestown, Boston , the bank robbing capitol of America apparently. He and his three buddies, including a surprisingly terrifying Jeremy Renner, plan efficient bank and armored truck heists and basically run their neighborhood. The opening scene of the film involves a robbery that seems to go wrong and they are forced to take the bank manager as a hostage. They leave the manager, Rebecca Hall, alive but they find out that she lives in the same neighborhood as one of the robbers. Dougie attempts to find out how much she knows about them and in the process, of course, he falls in love with her. In Dougie's effort to leave behind his old life, he is faced with a conflict of interests between his past and where he wants his future to go. The film has cameos from a cracked out Blake Lively and a sexy John Hamm. The sad thing about the movie is that it has the potential to be phenomenal. Yes this a story that's been told before and will continue to be told (A young man trying to reform his life but is constantly being tugged back into his old ways) but there are different aspects of that story that could be told. I think the relationship between the bank manager and Dougie could have been more complex as opposed to making Rebecca Hall's character this angel that represents Dougie's only chance for a new life. I also think that Jeremy Renner was doing such interesting things with his badass, no respect for anyone character, that I would have been interested in seeing how he deals with people outside of his family. All in all, I think this was a fun movie and the car chase is really exciting and had my heart racing a little bit.

the world forgetting by the world forgot...

So the weather in Brooklyn has been less than ideal. It's rained four out of the last five days and the upcoming forecast isn't looking better. However it made it out for my besties bdays this weekend (Hi Dee and Dave) and had an awesome time even though I was surrounded by couples. I'm not much of a relationship girl but when the weather turns sour and your friends are shacking up you start to long for someone to build a fort out of sheets with. SoI turned to my favorite romantic comedy for solace, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It's not your traditional love story nor comedy but that doesn't make it any less potent. It's about a Joel, played beautifully by Jim Carrey (do you prefer him in his dramatic or comedic roles? I usually like the dramas) who has broken up with his girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet). In attempt for closure and vengeance, Joel attempts to have his memory erased of Clementine by a team of specialists (Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood and Tom Wilkinson) and in the dream state process, he recalls every moment they've ever shared. Joel starts to realize that he doesn't want to forget Clementine but rather he wants to get back with her and he struggles to keep the memories. The entire film has great dialogue and makes you remember that sometimes even the worst memories you have of someone are the best times of your life. I know that it doesn't sound that romantic but this is one of the few movies that has ever made me cry.


I know that this isn't a classic by timeline standards, but when something is good, it's good.