weekend movie

every weekend, be it friday, saturday or sunday, i'm going to start posting and talking about a favorite film and why i love it or how it stands out amongst the rest.

this weekend: 'The Village'

written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan

because of the plot twists and surprise ending, i won't talk too much of the whole story, but here's a good excerpt from wikipedia -

'The date is 1897. As the story progresses, it is revealed the villagers live in fear of nameless creatures in the woods that surround the village. They have built a barrier and watch towers that are constantly manned to keep watch for "Those We Don't Speak Of". It is explained that the villagers have a long-standing truce with the monsters; the villagers do not go into their woods, and the creatures do not enter their village.

Lucius Hunt (Joaquin Phoenix) asks the village elders for permission to pass through the woods to get medical supplies from "the towns." The villagers describe the towns as "wicked places where wicked people live." The Elders seem to keep dark secrets of their own in the form of black boxes, the contents of which they keep hidden from their own offspring.'


that's all i feel obliged to tell you without ruining it! it's such a wonderful and simple film..yet strangely complicated. personally, i loved it after my first viewing, but for some it takes a few different sit-throughs to like it.

the ending is disarming, somewhat shocking and beautiful. that's all i'll say.


bryce dallas howard became one of my utmost favorite actresses after seeing this movie and she does an amazing job as ivy walker; who eventually becomes the heroin of the story. the character, ivy, is blind and howard doesn't overplay that handicap the way other people might (or have in the past). the way she speaks the dialogue and her subtle gestures are perfection, i could never imagine anyone else playing the role.

roger deakins, the DP (or cinematographer) did a brilliant job; it's not only one of my favorite films, but one of the most visually stunning and heartbreaking i've ever watched. he did a wonderful job capturing the time period and the costumes created for it. and the different camera angles or rather how the camera would just stay in one spot for a scene, never really wavering is so perfect..goodness, i love it.

and, of course, there is the AMAZING m. night shyamalan. truly, i was a skeptic of him and his films for a good time because i HATE really scary films; but while they are frightening and make your heart jump up and down, it's not the entire point of the movie. what it's there for it to trick your mind in different directions as to what you SHOULD think and figuring out what's to come next. it's just...amazing. shyamalan writes these incredible stories and turns them into stunning, mind-bending films. this film in particular along with just the inspiration that m. night shyamalan's writing is, is what helped me get back into creating the stories i would like to see on film and not just be a screenwriter, but also a director.

what will probably stand out to some of you lady readers, is the love story; between ivy and lucius. one of my favorite quotes from the film comes from the scene on the porch, when they become engaged:

Ivy Walker: When we are married, will you dance with me? I find dancing very agreeable. Why can you not say what is in your head?

Lucius Hunt: Why can you not stop saying what is in yours? Why must you lead, when I want to lead? If I want to dance I will ask you to dance. If I want to speak I will open my mouth and speak. Everyone is forever plaguing me to speak further. Why? What good is it to tell you you are in my every thought from the time I wake? What good can come from my saying that I sometimes cannot think clearly or do my work properly? What gain can rise of my telling you the only time I feel fear as others do is when I think of you in harm? That is why I am on this porch, Ivy Walker. I fear for your safety before all others. And yes, I will dance with you on our wedding night.

it's such a beautiful and thought-provoking film, i hope that you'll give it a good watch sometime. definitely in my top 5 recommendations and i hope it will be in yours as well someday.
- L

film fest

This past weeks' 'Fill In The Blank Friday' seemed so special to me, that I thought it deserved it's own post. My blanks are filled more than they ought to, but what can I say? Films are my second love and it's hard to narrow it down to a top five or ten, let alone just one movie! :]




1. My absolute favorite movie of all time is a tie between Across The Universe, Marie Antoinette, The Women (1939), Elizabethtown, You've Got Mail, The Terminal, Julie & Julia, The Family Stone, Stranger Than Fiction, The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire, Catch Me If You Can, Atonement, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and Some Like It Hot.





2. My favorite movie as a child was probably either Pocahontas, Toy Story, The Santa Clause or any other Disney film, haha. I was a big Disney kid, love me some Buzz Lightyear.





3. The best movie quote ever is hard to pick, but here's what's on my mind lately: "I'm impossible to forget, but I'm hard to remember." - Elizabethtown





4. My favorite actress is Rosalind Russell, Audrey Hepburn, Scarlett Johansson, Ellen Page, Kristen Stewart, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, Kirsten Dunst, Winona Ryder, Zoe Saldana, Angelina Jolie. My favorite actor is Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jim Sturgess, Robert Downey JR., James McAvoy, Johnny Depp, Michael Cera, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Jimmy Fallon, Adrian Brody, Luke Wilson, George Clooney.





5. The movie I could watch over and over is any before listed as my favorite films. Especially Across The Universe Elizabethtown, The Women, Julie & Julia, You've Got Mail & The Terminal.

6. My favorite movie genre is independant. Close second being period films. The costumes and language just LURE me in, haha. Pretty much anything except horror and really crass humor comedies.

7. A movie I'd like to watch this weekend is 'Bright Star' which I've had from Netflix for forever or 'Coco Before Chanel' which I just bought. Both have never seen before but have been anticipating for a while.

- L

the twenty-first century poet

John Mayer is the poet and songwriter of my generation, the 21st century poet. If you can listen to his music and not agree at least 10% of the above statement being true, then I'm not sure how you get up every morning.

Just kidding.

But really, Mayer's music is so beautiful and true, that it's somewhat un-imaginable for me to think that one could completely hate all of his music and songwriting. Granted, I don't LOVE every single song he's written or performs, but it's pretty damn close. The lyrics he writes are just so brilliant and sucker-punch you with memories and thoughts you didn't know existed or you probably had forgotten about. I'm a true fan and don't just love the big hits, in fact they're some of my lesser favorites; so here, I'd like to introduce you to my favorites of the moment and to a memorable quote by the poet.

I Don't Trust Myself With Loving You
No I'm not the man I used to be lately
See you met me at an interesting time
If my past is any sign of your future
You should be warned before I let you inside

Hold on to whatever you find baby
Hold on to whatever will get you through
Hold on to whatever you find baby
I don't trust myself with loving you


Good Love Is On The Way
Three years broken hearted
But now her ghost is finally gone
I'm done with broken people
This is me
I'm working on (cause I know)

Good love is on the way
I've been lonely but I know, I'll be okay
Good love is on the way



"I've tried every approach to living, I've tried it all. I haven't tried everything but I've tried every approach. Sometimes you have to try everything to get the approach the same but...haha. I've tried it all, I bought a bunch of stuff and I went 'Nah, I don't like that; I kind of came in and out of that a couple times. Thought I would shut myself off, I thought maybe that's cool, maybe that's what you have to do to be a genius is you have to be mad. So if you get mad before the word genius, then maybe you can get the word genius to appear, right? That doesn't work either. And I'm in a good place, I've paced myself pretty well, I'm thirty, I've seen some cool stuff, made a lot of stuff happen for myself, I've made a lot of stuff happen for myself. That's a really cool sentance when you're in your twenties, 'I made it happen for myself'.

But all that means is that I've just somehow or another found a way to synthesize love or synthesize soothing; but you can't get that and what I'm saying is I've messed with all the approaches except for one and it's gonna sound really corny but that's just LOVE. That's just LOVE. I've done everything in my life I wanna do except just give and feel love for my living.

And I don't mean like, uh, 'roman candle, firework, Hollywood hot pink love'. I mean 'I got your back' love! I don't need to hear I love you. You guys love me, I love you, we got that down.

But some of the people who will tell you that they love you are the same people who are the last to just have your back.

So I'm going to experiment with this love thing. Giving love, feeling love. I know it sounds really corny but it's the last thing I got to check out before I check out."

Here's to not reading the tabloids and seeing an artist and person for who they truly are and what they're actually trying to do and put forth into this world.

John Mayer, you're amazingly talented and I cannot wait for your next (LIVE) album.
- L

PS: Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post! I know to some of you, ten comments isn't much, but that's HUGE deal to me. So, thank you everyone, that was a wonderful little highlight of my weekend.