No More $40 Haircuts for me!

I absolutely love Super Cuts. They do the exact same thing as fancy salons but for about 30 dollars less. The only difference, I suppose, is that they do not wash your hair beforehand and they do not style it afterwards. Both are things that I can do myself and I do not think are worth the extra 30 dollars. The hairstylists are just as friendly, and whether I go to a fancy salon or a cheap one they try and sell me their expensive salon products by informing me that my hair is "extremely dry". So, same end result, same criticisms of my hair, but a lot less money spent and a lot less time to get my hair cut. I don't get why anyone would go anywhere else.

Actually, I am really unsure as to why any hairdresser would think that refering to my hair as "extremely dry" would EVER be a good idea. I understand that they do it to try and sell a hair-care system worth more than my net value, but that is not exactly how I make friends (or in their case, repeated customers). It actually does the complete opposite. The girl who cut my hair this particular time at Super Cuts did NOT call my hair dry, and that made it a much better experience. Unlike the others, she can expect to see me again.

Highschool Has an Odd Idea of the Real World

Well, as an individual who officially holds a job in what highschool teachers would refer to as the "real" world, I can tell you that their constant assurances that everything we did in class was in preparation to live in it were not so accurate after all. I know you are all shocked, but it's true. Although, I am getting rather confused by the notion of the fact that we did not live in the real world before and during high school. What kind of world was it? A world like in Super Mario where clouds attack you and cannons shoot you onto islands in the sky? Or some kind of crazy, alternate, Matrix-esque world?

Whatever kind it was, this "real" one does not consist of one-page resumes, which completely threw me for a loop. Do highschool teachers realize how limiting putting a one-page restriction on resumes is? Yet, throughout my life ever since the introduction of the resume and how to write one in class, I was instructed that it could not, under any circumstances, exceed one page. How, however, as someone interviewing candidates for positions, I find that basically every single one of them has a resume longer than one page. Highschool teachers... you led me astray! I CAN go overboard and add every single job I have ever had to it! I CAN list every skill even ones that seem irrelevant!

So, I am not sure what world my highschool resume-writing knowledge prepared me for. Maybe it is one in Mario that has yet to be released- the one where Mario is attacked by one-page resumes! Save us all!

The Artist- what modern cinema can do with a silent film!

I feel like a lot of people are going to be discouraged by the fact that The Artist is a silent film, and say things like "aren't we living in the year 2011?" "is it in 3D at least?" "you mean I have to READ the dialogue?!". In my opinion, all of these questions should be irrelevant as this movie goes far beyond the scope of the "popular" films of today, and dares to do something different and refreshing.

The Artist is funny, charming, touching and everything else you would want from a film. It was a feast for the eyes, and reminds us that perhaps, the dialogue of modern cinema is simply a distraction from the cinematic experience. The way that director Michel Hazanavicius played with sound throughout adds a great deal to the ongoing theme of sound, or lack thereof, in cinema.

The film was perfectly cast; my personal favorite being the precious little dog of protagonist George Valentin, a silent film actor past his prime who gives actress Peppy Miller her start in the film business. It was a cute little Jack Russell terrier, and stole the show completely. I think, perhaps, it was also Hazanavicius' tribute to the Italian realist film Umberto D. I could be wrong on that one, however, so don't quote me on that.

Please don't be deterred by the fact that it is a silent film. It truly was a feast for the senses in every way, and makes the audience think of a simpler time in cinema. You'll laugh, you'll cry (or at least get close), and you will be glad you went to see it!

Clearly, Jesus has a favorite football team!

Okay, I admit it, I was skeptical. I am not even a football fan, I cannot really say I know the slightest about the game, but even I can put two and two together and understand that Broncos vs. Steelers esentially equals "Broncos lose". Sure, one of their top players may have been benched due to his posession of the sickle cell trait and inability to play at high altitudes. Sure, Tebow has saved the Broncos numerous times. But this just seemed out of reach. So, how did it happen? The only explaination is that Jesus and Tebow are seriously homeboys. All I can say is they sure as heck better keep those friendship ties strong, because next week looks even furthur out of our reach. But, I was a nay-sayer, and I have been proven wrong! So, go Broncos, go Tebow, and go Jesus!

Tinker, Tailor, Solider...what??

I was way too excited about this movie, and it went completely against my expectations. The trailor made it out to be a fast-paced spy thriller full of twists and turns and a suspenseful soundtrack chalk-full of violins. In reality, it was a slow, detailed, slightly confusing with a plot requiring more focus than heart surgery. Though these opening sentences may portray that I was disappointed by the movie, I was actually just thrown by it. It was certainly high quality cinematically and undeniably well-acted; I was espeically impressed by Gary Oldman.

Before seeing this movie there is one thing that you should know: the plot is more confusing than learning Hungarian. And, you may actually have to learn it (and Russian for that matter), if you are like me and sitting in a row where the subtitles are blocked by the seat in front of you. If I had gone in with the knowledge that I would need about three cups of coffee in order to really get what was going on, I would have been a lot better off. To make matters worse, there were two actors that I had never seen before in anything else who I thought were the same character until they were shown in the same room together about halfway through the movie. So, my advice: drink coffee ahead of time, and pay attention like you are taking the SAT in highschool- that means focus on all of the names, and listen to every single word. Even after seeing the movie in its entirety I still don't think I could tell you the names of all of the main characters.

As stated prior, the acting in this movie was unparalelled. Gary Oldman's performance was truly enthralling, and I would certainly dub it Oscar-worthy. The cinematography was well-done to say the least and there were no overwhelming elements- what needed to be in this movie was in it, and nothing more. The scenes were perfectly composed, filled with everything that you would expect from a Soviet-British spy thriller. That is to say, groups of men having paranoid conversations in claustrophobic rooms while drinking whiskey and smoking, or out having solo, contemplative walks through dark streets and cloudy weather in European cities. I was not in a terrible amount of suspense considering that it is labeled a "spy thriller", but the end was satisfactory and the events leading up to it did keep me intrigued. I will definitely need to see it again in order to really grasp what was going on.

You never really see the Dragon tattoo...

I found it strange that the main character of the film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo seemed to constantly be covering her tattoo for which the film and books are named. Perhaps this is because of all of the tattoos and piercings required of newcomer actress Mara Rooney, the tattoos were the only ones not real. I personally think that getting a real nipple piercing for a role is a bit extreme, but that in itself demonstrates her dedication to playing Lisbeth.

I was not really sure how I felt about this film immediately after viewing it. I think that the film wanted me to be shocked and disturbed, but I am not sure that this was the case. The R rating warned me of a graphic rape scene, so I went in to the movie as prepared for that as one can be, and I knew that there were thematic elements to the story line, but I still cannot say with conviction that I was shocked. Nor that Mara Rooney's preformance was Oscar-worthy, as I heard some audience members discussing as they exited the theater. That is not to say at all that she did not act the role amazingly well, especially considering that she was a relative unknown aside from The Social Network, just that I did not see it as an Oscar worthy role.

I will say with certainty that I was entertained, despite the movie's run time being a lengthy 2 hours, 38 minutes. I was not bored. But I also was not blown away. Do I recommend this movie? Yes, I think it is worth seeing. I do not, however, think it will be making any "Top 10" lists anytime soon, nor sparking any conversations about its lasting impact on the film industry.

2012

I was just having a thought. I know you are all excited to read about it. Don't worry, no need to hide the enthusiasm.

New Year's is all about resolutions. The most common ones, as I am sure you all figured as I, are to lose weight, give up drinking, and give up smoking. But what about the skinny, sober non-smokers? I am wondering if there are any "reverse resolutions" that people ever make. Like, this year I am going to gain 20 pounds. Or, this year I am going to smoke and drink ALL the time! Then, they could give up the things they decided to start on the NEXT New Year's Eve.