In my head today...

My dog's breath smells like fish food sometimes, which makes me remember feeding my carnival-won goldfish as a child. Good memory, not so good smell.

Ben Kingsley is a sexy old actor, especially if he's bald. It's true - watch Elegy and tell me he doesn't get you hot. If you're a straight guy, Penelope Cruz is in the movie so you'll have something to watch. It also has one of the loveliest soundtracks.

There's a lot to be said for the body's ability to heal itself. The same goes for a hot bath. And cheese toasties.

I heard this in a film - when someone is getting on your nerves or you just can't stand them, pretend they are drunk. It then becomes a pity thing, and they become tolerable. So far, it works.

I hate it when my favorite soft, snuggly socks get holes in the toes. Sewing them doesn't help, because you can feel the repair and the soft, snuggly feeling isn't there.

What Gets Me...

There are certain movies that, when I stumble across them while perusing through the channels, I will watch through to the end:

1. Shawshank Redemption - I do believe that of everyone I've asked the question, "What are your Top 10 movies?", this movie always made the list. Highly entertaining, moving, and what a powerful ending.

2. Lost In Translation - this movie just feels good to me. I believe it has everything to do with the pace, the soundtrack, and Bill Murray. And that end scene, in which Bill's character catches up to Scarlett's character and whispers in her ear, inaudibly...it's one of the best darn endings in movie history, imo. In fact, I'm watching it right now and it inspired this post.

3. A League Of Their Own - great characters, the history of it all. It also makes me think of my grandparents and what it must have been like to live through such a life-changing time.

4. Love, Actually - such a fun movie. Huge cast - Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney. Lovely, bittersweet stories that take place at Christmastime. Never fails to put me in a good mood. I consider myself an optimistic realist, and a realistic romantic, and I appreciate that not every storyline is wrapped up in a perfect, pretty bow.

5. A Walk To Remember - yes, a sappy story of young love in the face of impending tragedy, as scribed by Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook), but I love Mandy Moore and how Shane West's character stops being such a douche and discovers that doing right by someone is life-changing and rewarding. I gush, but it really is one of the sweetest movies and I cannot resist.

6. Pretty In Pink - Yes, I am a teen of the 80's. I don't deny it, I embrace it.

7. Some Kind of Wonderful - the movies of all one-liners. Brilliant. Eric Stolz was at his peak here, as was Mary Stuart Masterson, Craig Scheffer and Lea Thompson. I wanted to be Watts and for Keith to be my artsy, blue-collar boyfriend. The soundtrack was fabulous - Jesus and Mary Chain, Flesh For Lulu, Stones, Charlie Sexton.

Movie Review - Possession

I had recorded this from AMC a couple weeks ago. It was billed as a "cult classic", and I'd never heard of it. Not sure how this wonderous creepfest escaped me, but I'm glad I ran across it.

It felt like something David Lynch might have done as an undergrad on acid. The performances were very frenetic and vivid. The special effects were pretty darn good for a film made in 1981, especially the "squid" scenes. Weird stuff. It entertained, and surprised. Catch it if you can.

Why I Love Fall - Redux

10. Baseball - I am a new fan to this very complex sport, and now that we're in the running for the Series, well, I'm hooked.

9. Cooler weather - I am at my best during this time of year. The smell of wet leaves, the chill in the air, damp mornings and evenings on the back porch. I dig it. I really do.

8. Football - specifically, college. Go Bison, go Tigers, go Jayhawks. Nuff said.

7. Oktoberfest - I love a month that is dedicated to celebrating beer. My favorite at the moment would be Lips Of Faith Fleur by New Belgium from Ft. Collins.

6. Halloween - everything about this holiday makes me smile. The candy. The costumes. The decorations. My family has a long-standing tradition (this marks our 20th anniversary) where we get together, deep fry everything (fries, shrimp, etc.), hand out candy, watch scary movies and play cards. It's a blast, and I look forward to it every year.

5. Wineries - I love me a little long-stemmed culture on a hillside with my homeys.

4. Foliage - Missouri has phenomenal changing of the leaves. The colors are unlike anything I've ever seen. I guess growing up in North Dakota, where there are 4 trees and you have maybe 21 minutes between summer and winter will do that to a girl.

3. NBA - I think basketball players are incredible athletes. Constant movement, multitasking, speedplay. Astounding.

2. Bad horror movies - I recently reviewed the Human Centipede. I would consider this to be a bad horror movie. Bad in a good way. Others would include Motel Hell, I Spit On Your Grave, Basket Case and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre II. Actual bad horror movies would be Albino Farm, Alligator X, and any of the Saw movies.

1. Good horror movies - nothing beats a good horror movie this time of year. My favorites include Halloween, Devil's Rejects, The Shining, Grindhouse, The Exorcist, Inside, 30 Days of Night, Let The Right One In.

Korean Cinema Fantastique

I love Asian cinema. And Korea is fast becoming a tour de force in producing some truly unique films.

This week "I Saw The Devil" hits the Tivoli, and I'm super jazzed to see this. I'm not one for violence, but I do appreciate implied violence, where you see the aftermath but not necessarily the act. Apparently this is ten-fold in "Devil", and it also features one of my favorite actors, Choi Min-sik, from "Oldboy" and is directed by Kim Ji-Woon. Talk about powerhouse in the making. From the trailer it looks all sorts of atmospheric, quick-cut action, right up my alley.



Another of my favorite Korean movies, aside from "Oldboy" is the creepfest "A Tale Of Two Sisters", also directed by Ji-Woon. Thanks to Netflix I caught this flick a few years ago and was highly entertained.