Last night I set out from my apartment, on foot, around 5:15 p.m., headed to the Alamo Drafthouse to catch a showing of Toy Story 4. As I walked in the crosswalk taking me from one side of the I-35 service road to the other, I passed a person walking in the opposite direction. The person "stood out" with their dreadlocks, tight green shorts, white shirt, and multiple tattoos. As I often do when passing strangers, I wondered where he was walking to.
I continued on my way down sixth street, saw the movie, then meandered around downtown Austin before finally heading back home around 9 p.m. As I made my way to fourth street to cross under the interstate, I enjoyed the pleasant evening air. I walked in the crosswalk taking me from one side of the I-35 service road to another. And as I walked under the interstate, I passed the same guy I had passed earlier in the evening! I wanted to say hi to him, to some way mark the small connection of our lives, but didn't want to be a creeper under the bridge.
So I let him pass, and thought about what he had done with his night on the east side of I-35 while I was on the west side of I-35. Where was he headed to?
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Saturday, June 29, 2019
Toy Story 4
Toy Story 3 came out nine years ago and I was pretty pleased with it. Well, more than a little. It was pretty much perfect, which means I wasn't expecting a fourth outing. And when a fourth outing was announced by Pixar, I certainly didn't expect it to be in any way as good as the third.
Except it was.
Toy Story 4 could be seen as unnecessary, as so many films with the letter or number 4 in their title are. And I guess it is unnecessary, but in the very capable hands of Pixar the story and characters never feel unnecessary. A new adventure is had by Woody, Buzz, Bo, Jessie, newcomer Forky and everyone else and it feels very much necessary.
The animation and cinematography in the film is amazing. The entire film is gorgeous to look at, but pay attention to the scenes where Woody and Bo say goodbye in the rain, Woody and Forky are walking along the highway, Bo is leading her entourage on a daring plan through the antiques store, Woody and Bo catch the late-day sun-through-the-chandelier, and anything during the carnival at night. It is all truly spectacular.
Again, Pixar makes tells a story through animation and toys that is so relevant, beautiful, touching and poignant that I laughed and cried. I was also a little terrified of the dummies! This movie may be animated and rated G, which in our culture means "kid movie" but this most certainly is not; I can't imagine any kid younger than 11 sitting through it and actually enjoying it.
I love that the story gives us a completely bad-ass Bo Peep, a character who didn't have much character in the first two films. Woody is quintessentially Wooody, and Buzz has some great moments as he listens to his "inner voice". And Rex gets the best line of the movie - Look at how long his arms are!
Definitely see this in the theaters. It'll likely be my favorite film of the summer.
Except it was.
Toy Story 4 could be seen as unnecessary, as so many films with the letter or number 4 in their title are. And I guess it is unnecessary, but in the very capable hands of Pixar the story and characters never feel unnecessary. A new adventure is had by Woody, Buzz, Bo, Jessie, newcomer Forky and everyone else and it feels very much necessary.
The animation and cinematography in the film is amazing. The entire film is gorgeous to look at, but pay attention to the scenes where Woody and Bo say goodbye in the rain, Woody and Forky are walking along the highway, Bo is leading her entourage on a daring plan through the antiques store, Woody and Bo catch the late-day sun-through-the-chandelier, and anything during the carnival at night. It is all truly spectacular.
Again, Pixar makes tells a story through animation and toys that is so relevant, beautiful, touching and poignant that I laughed and cried. I was also a little terrified of the dummies! This movie may be animated and rated G, which in our culture means "kid movie" but this most certainly is not; I can't imagine any kid younger than 11 sitting through it and actually enjoying it.
I love that the story gives us a completely bad-ass Bo Peep, a character who didn't have much character in the first two films. Woody is quintessentially Wooody, and Buzz has some great moments as he listens to his "inner voice". And Rex gets the best line of the movie - Look at how long his arms are!
Definitely see this in the theaters. It'll likely be my favorite film of the summer.
Labels:
movies,
reviews,
summertime
Sunday, February 24, 2019
2019 Oscars
It's time for the 2019 Oscars. I haven't blogged in almost a year, but there's something about the Oscars that makes me want to put all my movie thoughts out into the interwebs.
Best Picture
Thanks to Cinemark's Oscar Week, I was able to cross off two more nominees on Friday and Saturday, bringing my total of Best Picture nominees to 5 out of 8. I feel like it was a really weak year of nominations and I wasn't really excited about any of them (except A Star Is Born which I was very excited about it when I bought my ticket). I generally have at least one that I loved and I'm rooting for despite it's slim chances (Brooklyn). This year I feel like instead of rooting FOR movies I'm rooting AGAINST movies to win.
Black Panther - didn't care for it; the best Marvel is Captain America: Civil War by far (although Infinity War was pretty spectacular).
BlacKkKlansman - didn't get around to seeing it
Bohemian Rhapsody - I ended up seeing this purely on my cousin Phaedra's love for it; I enjoyed it, and did not expect to cry, but there are some issues with the portrayal of Mercury
The Favourite - just saw this on Friday night after swearing off Yorgos Lanthimos films after The Lobster; however, it was fun and entertaining and just might be my pic for most liked/didn't hate film this year.
Roma - didn't see it; heard from several people that it has no story and is incredibly slow (which doesn't make it bad, but does mean that if watching it at home means I'll fall asleep).
Green Book - no desire to see this film.
A Star Is Born - really excited to see it, but it didn't quite live up to the hype. I felt it floundered a bit in the second half.
Vice - saw it against my better judgment yesterday just so I could adequately compare all nominees. The movie is boring and incredibly slow, with very weird tonal choices that left me wondering if it was meant to be a comedy (the only laugh I heard from the audience was at the beginning title card). It was awful and I'm actively rooting against it to win anything.
Best Actor
Christian Bale and Rami Malek are duking it out, and this one is both me actively rooting against and rooting for. I really do like Bale, but the film is not good and I dislike giving an award based on physical transformation. I'm actively rooting for Malek because I like him in Mr. Robot and think he's a really great actor. In another year, it would be Bradley Cooper's year for singing, playing, acting and directing himself.
Best Actress
No dog in this fight really until I saw The Favourite. Now I'm all in for Olivia Colman.
I just hope it's a fun night with some surprises (Richard E. Gant!!!). The Academy has really been botching things as of late, and the hostless ceremony this year is just one more. But I'm optimistic, and I'm going to watch anyway because I like to see what everyone is wearing and, most of all, I love celebrating film!
Sunday, March 18, 2018
Love Panther
I saw two movies this past week. They were very different movies, and I really liked one and was just "eh" about the other.
On Tuesday, giving in to the hype, I finally sat down in a theater to watch Black Panther. I had delayed seeing it because I am really superhero'd out. The MCU has just gotten so big that I don't really care very much about ALL the characters anymore. Black Panther didn't change my mind. I get the cultural significance (just like Wonder Woman, which I was also underwhelmed by), but it never came together for me. I was bored, because all the MCU movies feel the same, and I just can't get excited about another fight between two CGI figures or a car chase through a city (I actually fell asleep during the car chase). I thought Chadwick Boseman gave a lifeless and uninspired performance as T'Challa, and I felt no chemistry between him and Lupita Nyong'o.
Today I went to see the high school rom-com Love Simon and I loved it so much. I cared about every single one of the characters. Nick Robinson, as high schooler Simon deciding how and when to come out to his family, friends, and community, gives a truly lovely and standout performance. When Simon sees how those around him react to gay people, incuding his father, it opened my eyes to how terrifying it can be for a person to come out.
I was incredibly moved - I laughed and cried. It was a perfect high school coming-of-age story and I hope everyone goes to see it. Because love is love is love is love is love....
On Tuesday, giving in to the hype, I finally sat down in a theater to watch Black Panther. I had delayed seeing it because I am really superhero'd out. The MCU has just gotten so big that I don't really care very much about ALL the characters anymore. Black Panther didn't change my mind. I get the cultural significance (just like Wonder Woman, which I was also underwhelmed by), but it never came together for me. I was bored, because all the MCU movies feel the same, and I just can't get excited about another fight between two CGI figures or a car chase through a city (I actually fell asleep during the car chase). I thought Chadwick Boseman gave a lifeless and uninspired performance as T'Challa, and I felt no chemistry between him and Lupita Nyong'o.
Today I went to see the high school rom-com Love Simon and I loved it so much. I cared about every single one of the characters. Nick Robinson, as high schooler Simon deciding how and when to come out to his family, friends, and community, gives a truly lovely and standout performance. When Simon sees how those around him react to gay people, incuding his father, it opened my eyes to how terrifying it can be for a person to come out.
I was incredibly moved - I laughed and cried. It was a perfect high school coming-of-age story and I hope everyone goes to see it. Because love is love is love is love is love....
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Chance and the Vet Visit
Last Saturday Chance threw up his morning food while I was busy cleaning every room of my home. I didn't think much of it because Chance can sometimes have a sensitive stomach. I finished cleaning and went to the dog park with friends. I returned and, since it was dinnertime, I fed the cats.
Feeding time is normally a bit crazy. Every time, Chance acts as if he's never been fed before. It's bad enough that I have to put his food in the bathroom and then shut the door so he won't race through eating his and then go for Biscuit's food. I placed his food bowl down and he didn't do anything. He sniffed it and then walked away. He didn't even go after Biscuit's food.
Hmmm. Strange.
Chancey then threw up all Sunday, except he wasn't eating or drinking so all he was throwing up was stomach bile. He was sad and listless. Basically the opposite of how he is most of the time. It made me sad. And also slightly concerned.
I took him to the same vet that shaves Biscuit every year. They took his temperature (normal) and did an over-the-fur pat down (nothing out of the ordinary). They decided to give him a shot (which I later found out was anti-nausea medicine). Chance did not like it and I don't ever want to see that side of Chance again. They also gave me medicine to give to him. Since he's not eating, they also gave me a syringe to put the pills in - I was supposed to get it wet then shoot it down his throat twice a day.
I took him home, went back to work. I was a little frustrated because it seemed like Chance's symptoms were being addressed, but not he reason why he was throwing up. He was good for about a day, but then he threw up again. Giving him the pills (which I later learned were antacids) was a major struggle, and by the third time he clenched his jaw shut.
I came home from work Wednesday night and he had thrown up on the couch (twice) and the floor. I was at my wit's end - frustrated, sad, upset, unsure. My dear friend Kevin Ann gave me the name of her vet. They called me back Thursday morning and said they could get him in - on Monday. Chance would not make it to Monday - he hadn't eaten anything since Saturday!
This was the moment I broke down a little. I was sitting in my office and cried just a little bit. Then I bucked up and called another vet. They asked about Chance, and knew he needed to come in right away. I rushed home, put him in his carrier, and drove to Southridge Animal Hospital.
I immediately felt at ease when I arrived. Chance and I were taken to a room, where a vet tech examined him. They knew it was bad that he was throwing up but not eating, so they immediately took him to get bloodwork and an x-ray. The x-ray showed that he had a foreign object in his stomach.
The main vet checked it out, too, and said Chance needed to get into surgery right now.
It was nice to finally know what was wrong with him. And to have a solution in place. I signed the paperwork, after getting a briefing on what it would cost (not cheap), while Chance was getting prepped for surgery.
I returned to work, and felt a lot of relief that Chance was finally on the road to being better. He made it through the surgery (and neutering!) like a champ, and had to spend the night there. When I picked him up on Friday after work, the workers at the vet asked if Chance was normally a good cat at home. It was a hard question to answer, because sometimes he is a pill. I usually chalk it up to him still being a kitten. Apparently, though, Chance was not a fan of being at the vet!
He has staples in this stomach, but he's basically back to normal. Thankfully he isn't scratching or licking his staples, since there was no way he was going to wear the collar they gave me.
I sure love this crazy cat of mine, who chooses to play with (and then swallow) random things on the floor even though I buy him lots of toys. I'm glad he's back home.
Feeding time is normally a bit crazy. Every time, Chance acts as if he's never been fed before. It's bad enough that I have to put his food in the bathroom and then shut the door so he won't race through eating his and then go for Biscuit's food. I placed his food bowl down and he didn't do anything. He sniffed it and then walked away. He didn't even go after Biscuit's food.
Hmmm. Strange.
Chancey then threw up all Sunday, except he wasn't eating or drinking so all he was throwing up was stomach bile. He was sad and listless. Basically the opposite of how he is most of the time. It made me sad. And also slightly concerned.
I took him to the same vet that shaves Biscuit every year. They took his temperature (normal) and did an over-the-fur pat down (nothing out of the ordinary). They decided to give him a shot (which I later found out was anti-nausea medicine). Chance did not like it and I don't ever want to see that side of Chance again. They also gave me medicine to give to him. Since he's not eating, they also gave me a syringe to put the pills in - I was supposed to get it wet then shoot it down his throat twice a day.
I took him home, went back to work. I was a little frustrated because it seemed like Chance's symptoms were being addressed, but not he reason why he was throwing up. He was good for about a day, but then he threw up again. Giving him the pills (which I later learned were antacids) was a major struggle, and by the third time he clenched his jaw shut.
I came home from work Wednesday night and he had thrown up on the couch (twice) and the floor. I was at my wit's end - frustrated, sad, upset, unsure. My dear friend Kevin Ann gave me the name of her vet. They called me back Thursday morning and said they could get him in - on Monday. Chance would not make it to Monday - he hadn't eaten anything since Saturday!
This was the moment I broke down a little. I was sitting in my office and cried just a little bit. Then I bucked up and called another vet. They asked about Chance, and knew he needed to come in right away. I rushed home, put him in his carrier, and drove to Southridge Animal Hospital.
I immediately felt at ease when I arrived. Chance and I were taken to a room, where a vet tech examined him. They knew it was bad that he was throwing up but not eating, so they immediately took him to get bloodwork and an x-ray. The x-ray showed that he had a foreign object in his stomach.
The main vet checked it out, too, and said Chance needed to get into surgery right now.
It was nice to finally know what was wrong with him. And to have a solution in place. I signed the paperwork, after getting a briefing on what it would cost (not cheap), while Chance was getting prepped for surgery.
I returned to work, and felt a lot of relief that Chance was finally on the road to being better. He made it through the surgery (and neutering!) like a champ, and had to spend the night there. When I picked him up on Friday after work, the workers at the vet asked if Chance was normally a good cat at home. It was a hard question to answer, because sometimes he is a pill. I usually chalk it up to him still being a kitten. Apparently, though, Chance was not a fan of being at the vet!
He has staples in this stomach, but he's basically back to normal. Thankfully he isn't scratching or licking his staples, since there was no way he was going to wear the collar they gave me.
I sure love this crazy cat of mine, who chooses to play with (and then swallow) random things on the floor even though I buy him lots of toys. I'm glad he's back home.
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Coco
After being released on Thanksgiving Day, I finally got around to seeing Coco today (because I was at the mall and walked by the dollar theater inside and decided I wanted to see a movie). I loved this film so much and I am actually kind of bummed that I didn't get to see on Thanksgiving (my friend Kevin Ann didn't want to see it, but I think she would have liked it). This just might be my favorite Pixar film (my favorite has always been A Bug's Life)!!
Coco follows the story of Miguel, a young boy living in Mexico with his family. All he wants to do is be a musician. However, due to his great-great abuelito abandoning his family to pursue his music, the family forbids any kind of music in the home. On Dia de Muertos, he gets transported to the Land of the Dead and meets up with family members. He goes on an adventure to find the greatest musician of all time, Ernesto de la Cruz, who he believes to be his great-great abuelito.
The movie has a great narrative "twist" that was so touching that tears came out of my eyes. I loved the message of remembering family members, and how that keeps them living in the Land of the Dead. I thought it was clever and smart to have those in the Land of the Dead going about life still, doing things; I like the idea of after death being a time when one is still "living". All they want is to be remembered by those in the Land of the Living.
At the end of the film, Miguel tells his baby sister that the photos of loved ones on the ofrenda aren't just photos - they're family members. All. The. Feels.
The film is so beautiful, not just emotionally but visually too. The colors are amazing and the world of the Land of the Dead is detailed and marvelous. If you haven't seen this movie yet get out and see it!
Coco follows the story of Miguel, a young boy living in Mexico with his family. All he wants to do is be a musician. However, due to his great-great abuelito abandoning his family to pursue his music, the family forbids any kind of music in the home. On Dia de Muertos, he gets transported to the Land of the Dead and meets up with family members. He goes on an adventure to find the greatest musician of all time, Ernesto de la Cruz, who he believes to be his great-great abuelito.
The movie has a great narrative "twist" that was so touching that tears came out of my eyes. I loved the message of remembering family members, and how that keeps them living in the Land of the Dead. I thought it was clever and smart to have those in the Land of the Dead going about life still, doing things; I like the idea of after death being a time when one is still "living". All they want is to be remembered by those in the Land of the Living.
At the end of the film, Miguel tells his baby sister that the photos of loved ones on the ofrenda aren't just photos - they're family members. All. The. Feels.
The film is so beautiful, not just emotionally but visually too. The colors are amazing and the world of the Land of the Dead is detailed and marvelous. If you haven't seen this movie yet get out and see it!
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Gary Allan at Winstar
I have wanted to see Gary Allan in concert for quite awhile. He played at Winstar last year in February but I just wasn't able to make it happen. This year I made it happen! I bought a ticket Friday afternoon for the Saturday show. I put on my most country outfit, which is a checkered shirt I bought eight years ago at an H&M in Las Vegas, black jeans and boots (not cowboy boots, mind you, boots from Target), and headed out in the cold weather.
I discovered Gary Allan years ago when I was still into country music. I heard "It Would Be You" and immediately loved it. I followed him over the years, and when he released the masterful sad song, "Songs About Rain," I couldn't get enough of it. I'm not a music junkie or aficionado, but I know that this song has a very interesting structure. It has several lines in the middle of the verse that build up to a crescendo in the middle. I love it. Listen to how he sings and the music is composed in the line, "Well I thought I was over you, looks like maybe I'm not."
What I like about Gary Allan is that he's not "pure" country - the dude's from Bakersfield, California. I think his record company tired to make him into country at the beginning, but as he became more popular he has been able to be true to himself (he even named one of his albums See if I Care).
It was a good concert, but I wasn't sure how it would end after, not even halfway into the show, he had already played "It Would Be You" AND "Songs About Rain." By the end, I realized his encore song would be "Right Where I Need to Be."
He still has an incredible voice, but there were times I felt like the instruments overpowered the songs themselves. I think most of his songs work better without the bombastic, over-produced-ness of a live show. I bet he sounds great at really small venues with just a guitar and few other instruments.
I discovered Gary Allan years ago when I was still into country music. I heard "It Would Be You" and immediately loved it. I followed him over the years, and when he released the masterful sad song, "Songs About Rain," I couldn't get enough of it. I'm not a music junkie or aficionado, but I know that this song has a very interesting structure. It has several lines in the middle of the verse that build up to a crescendo in the middle. I love it. Listen to how he sings and the music is composed in the line, "Well I thought I was over you, looks like maybe I'm not."
What I like about Gary Allan is that he's not "pure" country - the dude's from Bakersfield, California. I think his record company tired to make him into country at the beginning, but as he became more popular he has been able to be true to himself (he even named one of his albums See if I Care).
It was a good concert, but I wasn't sure how it would end after, not even halfway into the show, he had already played "It Would Be You" AND "Songs About Rain." By the end, I realized his encore song would be "Right Where I Need to Be."
He still has an incredible voice, but there were times I felt like the instruments overpowered the songs themselves. I think most of his songs work better without the bombastic, over-produced-ness of a live show. I bet he sounds great at really small venues with just a guitar and few other instruments.
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