This is my prediction list for The Oscars, a game I've done the last two years with the movie podcast, Movie BS.
This is how it works:
1) you decide who you think is going to win in each category
2) you put them in order of how confident you are of your picks in each category.
There are 24 categories, so for example, if I get my first one right (or the one I feel most confident I will get right-) I get 24 points for that one. For the second on my list, I would get 23 points and so on. If you get them all right, it will add up to exactly 300 points.
I did this last year and it made watching The Oscars so fun, so I was definitely interested in doing it again. (I did terrible, getting 133 points). All I can hope for is beating myself this year.
Try it! ( and report back to me your score)
Light green: the ones I got right (check out my top ten!)
Dark green: the ones I got wrong
1. BEST PICTURE - The Artist (24)
2. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Christopher Plummer (23)
3. BEST DIRECTOR- Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist (22)
4. ORIGINAL SONG - Man or Muppet (21)
5. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS -Octavia Spencer (20)
6. BEST ACTOR - Jean Dujardin (19)
7. ADAPTED SCREENPLAY - Moneyball (18)
8. ANIMATED FEATURE FILM - Rango (17)
9. BEST ACTRESS - Meryl Streep (16)
10. ART DIRECTION - Hugo (15)
11. ORIGINAL SCORE - John Williams, War Horse (14)
12. SOUND EDITING - War Horse (13)
13. CINEMATOGRAPHY - The Tree of Life (12)
14. FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM - A Separation (11)
15. MAKE UP - Albert Nobbs (for successfully transforming Glen Close into Conan O'Brien) (10)
16. ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY - Midnight in Paris (9)
17. SOUND MIXING - Moneyball (8)
18. VISUAL EFFECTS - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (7)
19. FILM EDITING - Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (6)
20. COSTUME DESIGN - Jane Eyre (5)
21. DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - Undefeated (4)
22. DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT - The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (3)
23. ANIMATED SHORT FILM - La Luna (2)
24. LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM - Time Freak (1)
FINAL SCORE: 238 (I'm calling it now: that is the best I'll ever do)
The other night, I left Elles sitting on my bed while I handled Scout's bedtime routine including reading her a story. When I got back, I found this little scene.....
She had managed to reach my ipod, turn it on, turn it up, and have the earbuds next to her head. She was listening to Frank Black with a huge grin on her face.
I warned you last month that I was watching a lot of movies in
January, and what do you know- I was right. I was inspired by all the end of the year top ten lists. Next month I going to try to hit up a few more Oscar nom movies. I even found time to start Emily's Wall of Shame. (What better time to finally start that then January?) If you are new to this, or have forgotten, my wall of shame is watching a movie that is super well known/famous that I have just not happened to see or missed it, etc. You know those movies: ones that are on AFI's 100 best, or come up in Trivial Pursuit a lot. Yeah- those. Oh, and as always, the titles link to their page on IMDB if you want more info on the movie. Ok, here we go...........
THE WILD AND WONDERFUL WHITES OF WEST VIRGINIA (2009) [R]documentary.
This was a documentary recommended by my sister Sue. It was a strange
mix of interesting, disturbing, entertaining, shocking and depressing. I
like anything that pulls you into a different world, to see a slice of
life that is normal to someone else and utterly alien to you. This
movie does that. Apparently, The White family is pretty famous/infamous
in the mountain culture of West Virginia. It started with a grandpa
that tap danced and now there is a huge family tree comprised of drug
infested, self entitled, dishonest, foul mouthed, ignorant people.
There is definitely not a lot of heart warming pay off here, or lessons
learned, but it is fascinating to get a glimpse into the lives of this
family and what constitutes as normal to them. .Also some really funny
moments. And don't forget: Sue Bob is the sexy one. Emily only recommends this documentary to people that like
the slice of life story telling and have a fascination with the
Appalachian Mountain culture like I do (you also must not mind drug use
and language).
Here is a funny scene that I found more entertaining then the trailer.
ATTACK THE BLOCK (2011) [R]comedy/sci-fi.
This movie was so much fun for me. I just loved it. It was made in
the UK and centers around some sort of ghetto in London. I texted it as
a recommendation to my brother and described it as "Super 8 meets Boyz
in the Hood- in London" and that does about cover it. Basically, these
little alien things start falling from the sky while these kids are
holding up a lady. They take action and then find themselves having to
defend their block by themselves cause the cops aren't their friends of
course. It's really funny, has some intense scary alien scenes, and
isn't afraid to kill the main characters. I loved the London, inner
city, ghetto vibe it had- the accents and idioms were quite
entertaining. It was just well made and well written and the kids were
quite likeable for meeting them while ganging up on and holding up a
unarmed woman at night while walking home. Cool aliens, especially for a
low budget picture. Emily totally recommends this movie for the
alien adventure lovers out there (I wouldn't call myself one of those,
but I do enjoy a well done alien movie once in a while). It brings
something new to the table. It was my first English alien picture (I
think).
ANOTHER EARTH (2011) [PG-13]drama/sci-fi.
Another Earth. What a polorizing film this has been this past year!
It won an award at Sundance, then got picked up. It has appeared on
critics top 10 best lists and others worst of the year. I've heard
critic partners discuss it together on total opposite ends of the
spectrum. Where do I fall? It totally worked for me. Here is
what gets some people: It is drummed up as a very very interesting
idea- a sister planet suddenly appears by earth with apparently the
exact same structural make up as earth, it later reveals that EVERYTHING
is the same, including cities and people having the exact same
experiences as you. Essentially, there is another you doing the exact
same thing on another planet. So, with that premise, people expect to
dive into all that entails and they want to visit that world during the
movie and find out all the answers. This movie doesn't do that though
and that disappoints some. It also doesn't depict all the havoc that
planet would have on our earth such as gravity problems and the tides-
that stuff isn't touched on. Instead, this is a character drama that
kind of revolves around the question of what if you met the other you?
What if you could change the past and right the mistakes you have made?
It was written by two friends (a man and a woman) and first time
movie makers. Then, he directed it and she starred in it. They filmed
it with very little money, saving money by staying at one of their
parent's houses and eating their food, etc. I listened to two
interviews by this team (one was a Q & A after a screening) and I
just was even more impressed. I loved hearing the process of how they
made this and the stories behind it. Fact: they did try to add some of
the elements of what would happen to the earth if we had another one so
close but they told us that we are very glad they cut it all out, it
looked terrible with the budget they had. I totally respect that and am
glad they left it out. I don't think they needed it. The story
wrapped me totally up right away and I felt so heavily for the main
character, Rhoda. I knew the main stuff going in about the other earth
stuff I explained, I also knew that a car accident was involved. That
is all I knew going in and didn't happen to see the trailer. There is
stuff I didn't see coming at all (which I think is rare- most know). It
was a great way to watch the film I thought. I was just so wrapped up
in the emotions of the main characters- it was quite the ride. One
thing didn't work very well for me, but it was a minor side plot, so it
didn't ruin anything. I recommended this one to Matt too and this one
he and his wife really hated (he enjoyed Attack the Block very much).
Guess it is polarizing. Emily has decided to not recommend this movie. I will leave it to you to decide if you want to see it or not.
By the way, I couldn't get this movie out of my mind for most of the
next day and I have spent quite a bit of time coming up with different
versions of the ending (it was left sort of ambiguous- about that: the
directer/writer said in his interview that they know very specifically
what actually happened, but want to keep it under wraps to allow the
audience to do what I have been doing and interpret it their own way.
Stinkers. I have had a great time coming up with my own, but I am dying
to know the real ending. If you've seen the film and am interested in
hearing the interviews I spoke of (and I really recommend them) you can
find them here and here. Pretty clean PG 13- no language, but there is a pretty intense car accident scene.
HUGO 3D (2011) [PG]family/drama/adventure.
I suddenly had an urge to see this one while it was still in theater in
3D (I'd heard things about it), so I reached out to my Utah family to
see who would be interested (I was going to just go down the street
after the kids went to bed and watch it by myself if no one was
interested- I'm cool with that). My cousin Dan was able to go, so the
two of us went and we really enjoyed it! The 3D really was amazing. I
am not a big 3D person, in fact the only other I saw was when one of the
Harry Potter movies had a few scenes in 3D (6th?- yep). I just find
it pretty unnecessary. That is also how I felt during the 3D previews
they showed before Hugo. BUT Hugo was impressive. It really was worth
seeing that way. The movie was really enjoyable too. I liked the
story and liked learning a little about the history of film, mostly about Georges
Méliès. Most of it takes place in a Paris train station and features
lots of clock work (which is really cool to watch in 3D). The
auto-matron totally blew my mind. I couldn't get over the work involved
in programing one of those things. CRAZY. It may seem like a kid's
movie to you, but it isn't. I don't mean that it isn't appropriate, it just would
be totally boring to a child if you want my opinion. I think it is more
a magical movie for adults. That sounds lame, but it really was
excellent. It had a great story to it and fosters a love of cinema-
especially old cinema- which is cool I think. Emily recommends this
movie very much for anyone (except those under about 11 I'd say- unless
they were unusually mature). I figure it is probably too late to see it
in 3D but if not- it is totally worth the effort and extra money to
check it out that way- and that may be the only time I ever say that.
3D is stupid.
CLOVERFIELD (2008) [PG-13]horror/sci-fi.
Cloverfield came out a few years ago and is still brought up all the
time when anyone discusses a monster movie. It is one of those "found
footage movies" I am a big fan of, but somehow, even with all that, I
never saw this film. It hung out on my Netflix queue for a very long
time and I finally decided it was time. Wow-- it was fantastic. I
really liked it. It is essentially an American godzilla movie. The
very beginning of the movie (very first thing, so I'm not spoiling
anything) says that this tape was found in some number area (I forget)
which used to be known as "Central Park". It is pretty cool that the whole story is just shown with the point of view of the guy with the camera, so you don't know any more then they do. The footage begins at a party
for some guy that is leaving for a job in Japan and the lights go out,
there is some mayhem, and then they evacuate and the guy still has the
camera. They are in downtown Manhattan and there are explosions and
shouting from far away and suddenly the Statue of Liberty's head comes
flying down the street. That's all I'm going to say about that. Emily
was a big fan, lots of fun. Check it out if you haven't yet (I'm
probably the last person on earth that hadn't seen it though). It's not
to be missed if you like the found footage movies, and in that genre- it's a
classic.
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (2011) [PG-13] romcom/fantasy. I
had been waiting to see this one for a long time, and snatched it up at
Redbox the week it was available. What a fun little flick. You get to
combine the Woody Allen film style with history and classic painters
and authors AND Paris. You get to vicariously meet people like F. Scott
Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Picasso. You get to walk the streets of
Paris with Owen Wilson and hear love of the city gush out of his and
everyone's lips almost continually. I love it and I think I would
really love Paris if I ever went there. But mostly it was fun to see
the 1920's Paris set interact and hang out together. Also- I love Woody
Allen. I am not even as harsh about his stuff from the last 10 years
as everyone else is. I've enjoyed them all at least a little and on
some level. This one is a no brainer- check it out. Good times.
Might be a pretty good introduction to Woody Allen. It's kind of "Woody
Allen light", definitely has the feel and dialogue of his movies, but
isn't too heavy handed.
MOON (2009) [R]drama/sci-fi.
This is a movie I have heard about for a long time, I think my sister
Sue has mentioned it once or twice and I have finally gotten around to
watching it. Here is what you can know about this movie: Sam Rockwell
lives in a space station and has for 3 years. He lives alone with a
robot companion voiced by Kevin Spacy. The robot is really interesting,
it's face is just a classic yellow smiley face that changes it's
expression when appropriate. It has a very HAL like vibe to it. One
day, Sam (I forgot his character's name) goes out to investigate
something (on the moon which if you couldn't tell by the title, is where
he is stationed) and finds a crash victim and it looks exactly like
himself, so he takes it back to his space station. This movie was
really good and interesting, and if anyone can be pretty much the only
person in every scene- it's Sam Rockwell. He is a really great actor,
whom I always enjoy. Kevin Spacy (even though it is only his voice) is
also AWESOME. He gave a very memorable performance. Good surprises
peppered throughout and a good twist ending. Emily recommends this one too if you can possibly handle another sci-fi movie. It's R for some language.
TABLOID (2011) [R]documentary.
I have been interested in seeing this movie since I heard of it's
existence early last year. It's the story of this lady that back in the
70's fell in love with this guy in Provo, said they were planning to
get married, but "the Mormons got him" and he went on a mission
instead. So, she did what any sane person would do (seriously- in her
eyes she did), and follows him to England, kidnaps him, and ties him up
in this little cottage and has sex with him. He escapes and she becomes
a tabloid super star in England. This film was made by the legendary
documentarian Errol Morris. This was my first of his and I just loved
the style. He pretty much just filmed her telling the story. He is
well known for doing reenactments of crime scenes and stuff and
according to him, was sick of people talking about it, so this time he
showed clips of old 50's movies in their place. I loved that effect, it
added a whimsy I just loved. He also would randomly speak, with a
short question or shout of incredulity once in a while that was just
funny. It was fairly jarring and something that if you think about, you
never see during a documentary and it always tickled me when he'd do
it.
About the story: She obviously has some sort of vast mental
problems. She is kind of freaky, but very very entertaining to listen
to and watch. It is more like she lives in her own little universe
that has it's own truth and actual facts don't matter-what's in her head
is what is true. A fascinating thing to watch and listen to. Weird.
She is VERY angry at the Mormon church and blames it for everything that
is wrong with her life- even though all it did to her as far as I can
tell is be the religion the man she became obsessed with belonged to.
She paints missionaries as these brainwashed men that are held against
their will by power hungry leaders. Too bad the movie's mission was not
to go into discrediting that lovely and crazily skewed view she has,
but I dare say that her obvious craziness discredits it to the smart
viewer. It gets a little too close to sacred things I wish it wouldn't
(cause it's sacred) once, but otherwise it doesn't get into much
doctrine. I will tell you one thing though, and this isn't just this
movie-- if I hear the term "magic underwear" used one more time- my
brain is going to explode into a million pieces. I can't express how
much I hate that. A great review of this movie (done by a film
reviewer that happens to be LDS can be read here)
I thought he reviewed it really well and think it's worth reading.
Anyway, VERY interesting movie, and an interesting story. Too bad the
man in question would have nothing to do with being interviewed. It
would have thrown an interesting twist into the mix. But the spectacle
that is Joyce McKinney is the spot light- she really is a trip. The
last 15 minutes or so she tells about her dog she had cloned in Korea
(cause she is nuts) and man I laughed so many times, it was SO FUNNY. Emily
recommends this movie- it's a very interesting story told in a very
unique and interesting way. Watch out for a fair amount of nude
photographs during this one part and she gets fairly explicit on
describing their "consensual sex" that even out of her mouth does not
sound consensual. Us Mormons were not conveyed in the best light, but I
have heard us depicted far worse for sure, and that is not the center
of the story.
THE ARTIST (2011) [PG]romcom/drama.
I can describe this movie with two words: utterly charming. I, along
with the rest of the world, just loved this movie. I also love the idea
that a movie that is silent, French, and black and white can be so mainstream. That is pretty cool.
It is also fun to see a movie like this, one you don't see everyday-
that reminds you that you don't need a lot of dialogue to tell a great
story. Saw this with my Utah movie peeps crowd and we were all
charmed. I loved the lead characters- Jean Dujardin pulled off a
mustache in the spirit of Clark Gable (a rare gift indeed), he also,
even in depths of despair- was able to break out in a smile that would
light up his face and the whole room (also very Rhett like). Bèrènice
Bejo could not have been cuter. She was funny and channeled some sort
of Carol Bernette vibe at times, or she could just be simply stunning.
Would I see this movie again the next chance I got?: with pleasure. Go, run out and see this film. See it in the theater, so you can sit back and relax without distractions. You'll love it.
THE THIN BLUE LINE (1988) [NR]documentary.
So with Tabloid I discovered Errol Morris. Which made me naturally
seek out his most famous documentary. This movie came from a 3 year
investigation he did on an old case in Texas involving a routine police
stop, where the officer was shot and killed when he approached the
vehicle. Morris upon investigating the story, came to believe that an
innocent man was on death row. So, he made a documentary about it.
What made this so famous, is that Morris got a confession from the
actual killer on tape, which lead to the innocent man getting exonerated
days before he was scheduled to be put to death! Isn't that crazy?
What may be more crazy is the man that was set free, after getting out
of prison- ended up suing Morris for sole rights to his story. I would
have thought a thank you might be in order......... But anyway, this
movie plays a lot like a true crime investigation like 48 hours (but
better of course). But how many times during 48 hours have you wanted
there to be a satisfying end and answer to who really committed the
crime? Not often does that happen, they just raise speculation and
uncertainty. This documentary actually solves the crime during it's
filming. Awesome. Emily recommends this movie to anyone that likes true crime shows- it's a fun and satisfying time for that set.
Also, David Chen of the /filmcast interviewed Errol Morris last month
for over an hour. It was really interesting and he talks extensively
about Tabloid and The Thin Blue Line. You can find it here if you're interested.
It doesn't look like a trailer exists for this film, but I found this- which is a bunch of people talking about the film and showing it some love.
Emily's wall of shame
APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) [R]drama/war. Wow. I don't quite know what to say except wow. This movie was so nuts.
I will tell you one thing: this movie deserved all the hype and
mentions that it has gotten over the years. Watching this was truly an unforgettable experience.
I've seen my share of Vietnam movies in my time, and they have all
been amazing and horrible in their own ways. This one took war horror
to a new and interesting realm though. Amazing film. Creepy and
disturbing, but amazing. Martin Sheen is a secret op agent of sorts in the military,
and is sent on a mission down the river into Cambodia to terminate with
"extreme prejudice" a rouge and insane general (Marlon Brando) that has
made himself into a god for a group of followers and soldiers. One question: what was up with the napalm in the morning, surfing general? Did it have a reason beyond showing callousness of war? The surfing just seemed weird. Just wondering. This one isn't for the faint of heart. It's war and it's crazy. If you can handle it- this is totally one to see. I mean- it's Coppola. The man can do intense and he is a brilliant director.
Buffy watch: I have seen little Buffy this month, but have seen the first handful of episodes of the 4th season and I hope it gets better.
Still watching Fraiser in my down time. Almost done. Next up: The Wonder Years.
It's official. Here in my house, tacked above my computer in my bedroom, there is one ticket to the Glendale Arizona Radiohead concert. (Ok, officially- it's B's ticket because I bought hers and she and Matt bought mine and Matt's -Matt and I are sitting together in the lower bowl and B will be in the general area, but in the upper bowl, so we have to switch tickets-) But still................having the ticket in my hands feels as good as mine (and if anything should go wrong with mine and Matt's ticket- I'll fight her for this one- I'm not above that.)
I can hardly believe that what started 12 years ago, is going to culminate into me finally getting to be there, watching the greatest band on earth, play their music right in front of me. 12 years ago, I was hanging out, listening to music (lots of The Cure) and in the span of 2 months, had 4 different people tell me that I should check out Radiohead, they thought I would like it. Two of those people were good friends I trusted quite well, one was a work mate, and one was a boy I went out with once. I was moving to NY then, and when I got to NY, and made it into a music store, I bought OK Computer (that was the one I was told to start with). I popped it in my cd player and well, to make a long story short- it changed my life. I couldn't believe how good it was. I bought The Bends. Blown away again. At that point, I couldn't buy any other RH albums, because I couldn't get those two out of my player for long enough to do so. That lasted a few years, then I bought Amnesiac. Basically for about 6 years I really listened to little else (and that is being generous). For some reason, I didn't want to buy all their albums at once. I wanted to get to know them in time, so that's what I did. I bought them one by one through the years. Then when I caught up with the band, I started getting the B sides.
I lived in this world for a long time. Not keeping up with what was going on currently with the band. Just soaking them in at my own pace. When I had caught up, they were starting to tour for In Rainbows. That year was a terrible year for us. There was no way in the world we could have handled me taking a road trip to see them play somewhere. I may have been able to go if they came to Salt Lake, but no. As I followed the tour, I got more and more disappointed that I wasn't there. I should have been there. I couldn't be there though and it broke my heart. The last date they played, they played in Santa Barbara, and they webcasted the entire concert in real time. I had it up on the laptop and watched while Rob slept beside me. I took turns cheering and crying and clapping while they played. It was wonderful really. I also vowed that the next time they toured, I WOULD be there. Whatever it took, I would be there. There was no way around it. I was not going to go through that again. I belonged there.
Flash forward to now. They started announcing tour dates. They left big gaps and nothing back east, and no California. So I impatiently and nervously waited while tickets went on sale. After sales started, they announced Seattle and California. Seattle sounded right to me. Sounded awesome. Matt had never been there. Radiohead's website presells tickets a few days ahead of time. For Seattle, they did that the day of my niece's wedding and there was no way to try. They went on sale to the public on sat morning and were gone in seconds. I wanted a GA ticket, I wanted to be right in front of the stage. So, we waited for the California shows to sell. Presale- gone in seconds, later sale- seconds- and I mean literal seconds. We sat at our computers refresh, refresh, refresh- sale- gone. Right out from under us. It was a mad house. Radiohead fans everywhere are up in arms. Fans were actually staying up all night hitting refresh only to have then sell out right before their eyes. What's worse, tickets were appearing on resale ticket sights by the hundreds, for 5 to 10 times the ticket price amount, directly after. I don't know what happened, but it was not cool. It wasn't fair. Something went bad. On the fan forums, there is a very ill wind in the air. And it does suck, that is a nasty disappointment and frustration that I understand. They tried to have most tickets "paperless" which means that the person that bought the ticket has to present the exact credit card they used and their id at the gate to get their tickets. This is to prevent what ended up happening. Somehow the scalpers have found a loophole and were able to secure tickets and take advantage of us fans that are really, a pretty fierce, loyal lot. We recognize the genius and we live for it and we want to be there to see it happen. Fans are trying to blame someone, and ticketmaster is getting some major wrath for this, the band is getting it's share too. I don't think for a minute that the band is happy this is happening. But I hope that the fans raise a big enough stink about this and let the band know how they feel. Maybe I'm just optimistic, but I really think that something can be done next time, and avoid all this. If you follow up with the band at all, you will know that they are firmly against corporate greed. They went independent from their record company and now release their own stuff, how they want. They pioneered a new way to buy CDs with In Rainbows, asking people to "pay what they want". You could name your own price to get their cd. Cool eh? People that can do all of this and be so innovative, I think, can figure something out- and not have to go through sites like Ticketmaster and let the true fans buy the tickets at actual ticket price. I really hope they come up with something, cause I fully intend to be there next time too.
I was referring to mostly the other fans in that last paragraph, cause I was lucky and was able to come up with a do-able alternative and have a happy ending. I found out that for whatever reason, the tickets in Glendale were much cheaper to buy on these secondary sites then any other tour date, so we decided to do it. I cruised a lot of ticket websites and found the one that had the best reputation and a 100% guarantee on the tickets you buy there. We went to purchase floor seats and found out that they tacked on an extra 55 dollars in fees. We regrouped. I would have done it, but got a really sinky feeling in my gut thinking of Matt and B having to add over 100 extra dollars and they are fans, but maybe not over 100 dollar fans tacked on to two already double priced tickets. We figured out that we could get decent seats (very decent seats) on Jonny's side of the stage for quite a bit less. Then we couldn't buy 3, only 2 or 4. So.............B offered to sit somewhere else, and let Matt and I sit together since we are the bigger fans and she might as well get an even cheaper seat in the upper bowl. Yeah- B's awesome.
I am perfectly happy with this. I am also bringing some binoculars. :)
In light of all that has happened and the catastrophe of the ticket sales, I think to the most recent Radiohead song they have released. It's called The Daily Mail, and it's lyrics remind me very much of this whole thing.......................................
The Daily Mail
The moon is a rock on a mountain
The lunatics have taken over the asylum
Waiting on the rapture
Singing we’re here to keep your prices down
Feed you to the hounds
To the Daily Mail,
Together
Together
You made a pig’s ear, you made a mistake
Paid off security and got through the gate
You got away with it but we lie in wait
Where’s the truth? What’s the use?
I’m hanging around lost and found
And when you’re here, innocent
Fat chance, no plan
No regard for human life
Keep trying, you’re not right
You’re fast to lose, you will lose
You jumped the queue, go back again
President for life, lord of all
The flies in the sky, the beasts of the earth
The fish in the sea, you’ve lost command
Am I the only one that sees the irony?
What is making this whole thing even better, is that two of my sisters -Cat and Sue are coming along for the road trip and also to baby sit my kids while we are at the concert. Rob can't go, which pains me a lot. I would love to have Rob at my side for this, but he can't miss school. He will get the full report though, oh yes, he will. It is going to be so much fun, what a road trip! I am so excited. The ides of March didn't turn out so well for Ceaser, but I'm sure looking forward to that date.
I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M ACTUALLY GOING!!!!!!!!
October, 2010:
Me: I hope Radiohead does that when I see them in concert. (Note I said "when" not "if". If Matt can see the Pixies, I WILL see Radiohead).
Matt: You will totally see them. And it is going to rip your face off and eat with a side of dope sauce. I will be there for sure.
I want to tell my daughter's crossing guard thank you. Since September, I've seen her twice a day, said hi, shared a smile, and watched her take her job seriously. Then, a few weeks ago, school was out and I stood across the street from the school, watching my daughter waiting at the curb with some other kids. Scout saw me and knew I was there and couldn't wait to cross and run over to me and tell me about her day like she always does. But she stood there, waiting for the guard to tell them it was safe to cross the street. All the cars were stopping, and she put her sign up and started across the street.
The car in the first lane wasn't paying a bit of attention, and I watched as that car hit my daughter's crossing guard. I watched her hit the hood and then fly off the car and land in the street. It was the scariest thing I have ever seen. I knew my daughter was still waiting at the curb, but my first impulse was to run home 3 houses away to get my phone to call 911. Rob was there with Elles and I told him what just happened and we both flew out of the house back to the school. The crossing guard was lying on the street and had a few people around her, tending her. Scout was in the exact same place, crying. I ran to her and scooped her up, horrified at what had just happened, what I had just watched, what my daughter had just watched a few feet from her. A little later came the horror of what could have happened, how bad it could have been.
Then came the police and the ambulance. Then came the next horror to me- I realized that the crossing guard's own children go to the school and hang out at the same corner waiting for their mom to get off work. That's when I noticed a little boy crying, trying with all his might to unlock his mom's phone so he can call his dad. I went over to their car and tried to comfort him and help him. Her other children were upset, but sitting in the car. The little boy's sister took over trying to unlock the phone. We ended up using my phone and at this point I didn't know the status of the crossing guard, or what to say to the dad. I walked over there and the crossing guard was conscious and they told me that he had been called by the school office. I told her I was with her kids. I went back and told them that their mom was ok and that their daddy was coming and relieved that I didn't have to make that phone call.
Rob took Scout home. I had to stay because I was a first hand witness and had to sign a statement, etc. The dad didn't show up. I started making inquiries and found out that there was a mix up and he really hadn't been called. I chickened out again and had the lady that worked at the school office call him from my phone. By that time the crossing guard was being loaded onto the ambulance. The woman that hit her never got out of her car, never talked to anyone.
Her family lived close and the dad happen to have the day off (he is a fireman), so he arrived quickly, but wasn't able to see his wife, the ambulance was already gone. He was then able to comfort his kids, and I wrote down everything I remembered from the accident and sped home as fast as I could. By that time, Scout was feeling much better, she and daddy had a good talk about what happened. What ever he said to her was the right thing. I spent the rest of the evening restless and recovering from various degrees of shock which ended with quite a headache. Scout spent the evening bringing up feelings and thoughts about the accident which included bouts of anger towards the person that hit her. I tried to tell her that she didn't do it on purpose but was in big trouble for doing that. I walked Scout to school the next day and inquired in the office how the crossing guard was doing. I was told she hadn't broken any bones, but had a lot of soft tissue damage and will be back to work in a few weeks (if her husband lets her).
I am so glad things turned out ok. I am so relieved that it wasn't worse then it was. I will forever play that scene in my mind, and never forget what that was like. I've never seen a person get hit by a car before. I've thought a lot about what happened and like Scout, I can sometimes feel anger towards the woman that hit her. That crossing guard was doing everything right. School had just gotten out. There were kids everywhere. The flashing school zone lights were flashing. The cross walk is one of those big ones, with extra safety curbing, and green stripes. There are reflector poles on either side. The crossing guard had big, colored cones out in the middle of the street. She had a orange vest on. She had a huge stop sign in her hand. I am angry that you can make such a grievous error such as not paying attention to all of that and hitting a crossing guard with my child (and several others) so close. The fact that that can happen, I saw it happen, there are people out there that can cause that to happen, scares me so much.
So I want to say again, thank you. Even though I feel like we've gotten to know each other a bit this year by smiles and saying hi, I hadn't even learned your name. But thank you for taking your job so seriously. Thank you for keeping our children safe. Thank you for following the rules and making sure those kids are safely still at the curb until you know for sure it is safe to cross. Thank you for putting yourself on the line for our kids. At Christmas, we gave you an inadequate gift card and some chocolates with a note that said, "thank you for keeping Scout safe". Little did I know, just a couple weeks later, how much I would mean that.
Tell your son that I am sorry I was so shaky I had to ask him 3 times what his dad's number was. The fact that he could tell me it correctly 3 times with all that was going on, and being so scared for his mom, is amazing to me. What a kid.
Tell your husband I am sorry I hesitated in calling him the first time. I was too afraid to call this complete stranger and tell him that his wife was just hit by a car and he better come down to the school to be with his kids. I was scared I would say something stupid. I was clear headed enough to know that in my state of shock, I might not make the best word choices, but I should have manned up and done it anyway. I am the reason he didn't get to see his wife before you went to the hospital.
And finally, to the woman that hit her, I don't know quite what to say. I know we all make mistakes, but I really hope that you and everyone else learned something that day. According to some of the kids waiting to cross the street with my daughter, you had your phone in your hand. We all get a little distracted from time to time, but we just can't let ourselves get so distracted we don't notice we are in an active school zone. I don't know if you were dialing a number or texting, either way........ you are so, so, so lucky this didn't end up worse. I don't think my daughter's small little body could have taken your car like the crossing guard's did. But I just can't even think about that. She is safe, and she is doing well and hardly brings up what she saw that day anymore. But I don't think she will ever forget it.
In true end of year fashion, I totally dropped the ball. BUT in true new year fashion, I have made an effort to remember.to write down my movies as I watch them so I don't forget. Speaking of movies, I have been a busy little movie watching bee this month, so my Jan list will make up for this list where I can hardly remember anything I saw. I have been inspired by end of year best of lists and my need to catch up on last years movies, combined with a chest cold that has messed with my energy levels cruelly. But I guess that is all stuff for next month (or the next week or two). So here are the movies I can remember watching these last few months (If anyone remembers me watching something I forgot or if you saw something with me, speak up and I'll add it)--
Also........ I am going to be pretty brief and not get into them too much. Basically, I just want to get this post done and out of the way.
SOURCE CODE (2011) [PG-13]action/thriller. Rob and I actually sat down together and watched a movie. A very rare event these days with school. I found this movie interesting and enjoyable. It is a good one to watch when you want some action combined with a mystery that has you trying to figure out how it is all going to end up. Not a thinking movie with some great moral you will think about for a week, it is more just cleverly put together and interesting while it's on. Has a pretty good little twist ending too. I could give a little explanation of the plot, but I just watched the trailer, and it explains everything I would have, so just watch that if you want to know. Yes, I'm in a lazy mood. Emily recommends this one for it's pure entertainment value, for when that mood strikes you.
THE MUPPETS (2011) [PG] comedy/family. I come from a family that appreciates The Muppets. We have all been life time fans. So, when Jason Segal made a muppet movie, we made it into an event. We went together over the Thanksgiving week. My mom, dad, brothers Matt and Ben, Matt's wife B, and sisters Sue and Cat and Cat's son Booker. Plus my two girls (Rob had a conflict, but he isn't as into them as the rest of us). Anyway, we had a great time. The movie was a lot of fun, the muppets were funny, the songs were enjoyable and catchy. They did a fine job trying to relaunch the muppets into society again. The muppets have been scattered and are urged to reunite by a super fan (who is also a muppet but happens to be Jason Segal's brother (no explanation given on how that worked. None needed though if you ask me) So they travel around gathering muppets from where they have been for the last 15 years or so (Gonzo is a successful business man, Animal is in therapy. and has been conditioned not to say the word "drums') My favorite part though, was looking over at Elinor on Sue's lap with her eyes big as saucers seeing her much loved muppets in giant form before her. She was in heaven. I also enjoyed how the movie repeatedly broke the 4th wall- it was a great device that kept me laughing (as did gonzo's arm that wouldn't stop winding for the last half of the movie- Scout and I still laugh at that). Emily recommends this movie especially to the old muppets fans- it was made for us. Kermit sings Rainbow Connection again if you need more endorsement.
SUPER 8 (2011) [PG-13]sci-fi/thriller. Another movie made for nostalgia seekers around my age. This movie was made by Steven Spielberg and JJ Abrams. Abrams wanted to make a movie that brought back the feel of the old child adventure movies of the 80s, such as Goonies and Stand By Me. I think he definitely succeeded on a certain level. Some parts of it really felt like those old movies, other parts not so much. I really liked it and was glad I saw it. It was cute and pretty good little story. I loved the movie the little boys were making, it amused me very much. The train crash was pretty exciting if not entirely believable (I mean, there is no way all that would happen to a crashing train)- but hey, it made for an exciting few minutes. Emily recommends this one too -especially if you have a fondness for those old 80's movies, if you do, you will probably get a kick out of it.
LIMITLESS (2011) [PG-13]sci-fi/thriller. Saw this one in Wyoming with much of the fam on The Phister's giant couch. I was not prepared to be interested at all, in fact- I was prepared to use it as nap time. Instead I was sucked in and watched the whole thing. It's about a guy that takes a pill that opens up the parts of the mind we normally don't always have access to. It made him incredibly smart in all areas of life, then would wear off. He ends up with a giant supply of them and lots of stuff happens. That's about it really. It was shot with overly vivid colors and my mom couldn't get over Bradly Cooper's eyes no matter how many times we told her they were color enhanced. That is a lot of what I remember of the film. Emily recommends this movie if you happen to have it playing in front of you. I think it is pretty forgettable, so don't rush out to see it or feel like you need to make a lot of effort to see it. But if it happens to be playing in front of your eyes, you will probably find it interesting enough to watch.
Wow, that is a weird list. Not only are they all from this year, they are comprised almost entirely of sci-fi thrillers. Not typical, but an enjoyable time at the movies I had.
Extras
-I also rewatched Sherlock, my niece Adri has wanted to see it and knew I'd be good for a watch, so we Netflixed it over Christmas and she loved it.
-The fam watched Young Frankenstein on Christmas day too (that is the Pugh fam by the way).
-My late night Netflix choice du jour has been Fraiser. I've never watched the entire series back to back and am finding a fair amount of episodes I have never even seen. I LOVE Fraiser, in my top few favorite shows of all time and Niles is probably my third favorite tv character ever (behind Rob and Laura Petrie). Funny, I have never liked Cheers, but Fraiser totally does it for me. I love the smart humor and Fraiser's pompishness and just about everything about Niles.
Buffy update:
Finished season two and a lot of three. Having a great time with it and watched some massively enjoyable episodes. Interested to see where this thing goes. (I'm further along then that as I write this, but wasn't at the end of December).
