Nerdy Gurl's Blog

I’m not going to hate on this movie… and this is why.

The first time I saw the trailer for 2012 (directed by Roland Emmerich), I rolled my eyes… wonderful, another disaster movie with big budget special effects and no substantial plot development. I only agreed to watch it because there weren’t any good games on. And since studios want to hold off on releasing quality films until just before awards season, there was nothing else worth viewing (already peeped Precious). So, I dropped down my $8.50 and hoped for at least a good lengthy run of trailers. But to my surprise… I actually enjoyed my time. Yes, I could mention obvious negative things about the movie, like the unbelievability of some of the situations the main character was able to survive, but I’m in a good mood and had a good time. So here’s a few reasons I liked the film:

1. I have been to my share of amusements parks all over the US, and have yet to come across any thrill ride that can compare to the rush I got from 2012. It was a visual and emotional roller coaster that left my jaw dropped throughout most of the movie. I wish I’d watched it on an IMAX screen. It was also exciting to witness many of the cities and landmarks I’d visited, completely annihilated. 2012 was like the tail end of Titanic on steroids! Very sad at times but yet I couldn’t turn away.
2. Instead of being a movie snob dwelling in pessimism and knocking all the sentiment this movie dishes, I allowed myself to melt into the message about the importance of family, humanity and coming together. If you still have half a heart and it hasn’t been desensitized by today’s “no hope” idealism, then you will appreciate this aspect of 2012, as I did.
3. Woody Harrelson is a hilarious and fresh addition to the movie’s heavy message. But embarrassingly, he does have the responsibility of explaining, with a Jurassic Park-esque cartoon for dummies, the Mayans’ prediction about the earth’s demise. And John Cusack was on his A-game as always, although I do enjoy watching him is smaller flicks like Being John Malcovich, High Fidelity and Grosse Pointe Blank where his neurosis is able to shine big and bright like I love.

So if your movie palette typically enjoys huge blockbusters, quick “Armageddon” wit and very awesome special effects… well you’re going to think this is the movie of the year. If you have your nose in the air a bit, as I sometimes do… lighten up for a minute (or 158 minutes, it’s kind of long), tap into your fun childlike side, and enjoy a really exciting movie ride.

You can’t compare Britney to Led Zeppelin but it’s fun to take a few shots, get on the dance floor and get your grove on to Womanizer. You think I’m crazy? I got your crazy!

I’m the type of person that has little trouble describing my experiences. Lived through it… then I can tell you about it. But Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, left me speechless for a good twelve hours.

Precious is a filmic miracle. Not Saving Private Ryan great, not Titanic great… it exists in a realm of its own. The only movie that came to mind after watching this film was Boys Don’t Cry and the Oscar-winning performances by Hilary Swank and Peter Sarsgaard. But not even Boy’s Don’t Cry had the collaboration of actresses that were presented in Precious. The director Lee Daniels is truly an artist. I say this because not only did he take the raw talent of these actresses and create inspirational and memorable characters, but he created these performances out of women who had never gone this far with their craft. It’s one thing to take Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep and create a good flick, but Mr. Daniels took Mariah Carey, Mo’Nique, Sherrie Sheppard and two lesser known stars, Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) and Paula Patton (her teacher Blu Rain) and pulled out of their very core, performances that can live up to some of the greatest we’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. During the film I touched on emotions that my own reality had not been able to extract from my mind. There were moments that made me feel the deepest love and sympathy for humanity and moments that were so heavy I could feel the weight of them in the bottom of my stomach. You will leave the theater a different person than who you were when you walked in.

To give up very little, Precious is about an obese, illiterate 16-year-old girl named Precious Jones living in 1987 Harlem. She has been pregnant twice by her father and is forced to live in a mentally and physical abusive environment with her mother The story chronicles her suffering and fight to find a way out through her imagination and by seeking higher learning. (www.wikipedia.com)

There’s not much more I can say, you have to see this jewel to believe it.

If you want to see a movie this year that is worth the $10.50 it costs nowadays… a movie that is like none other you’ve seen… a movie with great heart-wrenching drama… and a movie that will be more than worthy of the awards it’s damn sure to receive… then go see Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire.

My friend Luke (My personal Skywalker) is about to participate in TWO 3 Day Walks for Breast Cancer! Please read his note and support an important cause:

I just wanted to let everyone know, as I approach my back-to-back weekends on my 120-mile quest, that you can write to me and show your support, whether you donated or not. There is a post office at each 3-day, and I’ll be there to check my mail each night.

For the Arizona 3-Day, which is this weekend (so time is running out a bit), you can write to:

Breast Cancer 3-Day Post Office
ATTN: INSERT NAME OF PARTICIPANT
P.O. Box 1866
Gilbert, AZ 85299

For San Diego, which gives you more time to get something in the mail, you can write to:

Breast Cancer 3-Day Post Office
ATTN: INSERT NAME OF PARTICIPANT
PO Box 720386
San Diego, CA 92172

Envelopes only, please. No boxes or large packages. Mail must be postmarked no later than November 3rd in order to ensure delivery. Any mail that is not retrieved by the participant by November 27th will be destroyed.

Have your kids write me! Have their class write me! Whatever you choose to do, you can help show support. If you write me, I will write back from the 3-day and let you know how things are while I’m there. Thank you.

Luke

If you haven’t heard already, the modern version of the hit 80’s series “V”, is now being revamped and broadcasted on ABC (Tuesdays @ 8pm EST). There’s been only one episode so far. If you would like to jump on the bandwagon, you can catch a free HD version on hulu.com.

The original “V” was a two-part science fiction television miniseries, written and directed by Kenneth Johnson. First shown in 1983, it initiated the science fiction franchise about aliens known as “The Visitors” trying to gain control of Earth (www.wikipedia.com). I remember this series, my mother was addicted to it. I can still recall the gruesome images of the visiting aliens peeling back their skin to reveal their scaly true selves. And because I love following in my mother’s sci-fi footsteps, I was very interested in giving the new series a try.

Three things had my nerdy veins tingling – for one, all the money and hype they were putting into an alien sci-fi themed series. In my mind, the last great series of this kind was The X-Files and I’m still in mourning over the loss of this show. Second, I really wanted to see Scott Wolf make a successful comeback like his other Party of Five co-stars – Jennifer Love Hewitt (TV Series The Ghost Whisperer) and Matthew Fox (TV Series Lost). And lastly, the actress playing the leader (Anne) of The Visitors, Morena Baccarin, is hot enough to melt my LCD. Who could resist her?

Well, I peeped the premier and felt so-so about it. First bad note, I was thrown off by all the cheesy soft-focus close-ups of the characters as the were thinking or feeling “intently”. Am I watching Lord of The Rings? I mean, do the writers think we’re not smart enough to understand their unimaginative laymen dialog? Do they also need to focus closely on Scott Wolf’s wrinkled brow to convey the fact that he distrusts the alien antagonists? This went on for the entire hour. I was also not convinced by the naivete of the Americans. Is that honestly how they believe we would act when twenty-nine alien ships arrive and hover over our planet… especially after 911? We would start a huge round of applause and take Disneyland rides out to visit their ships? I think that the older series Alien Nation portrayed a lesser-attractive and more accurate response to such an invasion. But hey, who knows. A positive note – the special effects were pretty good. It’s an absolute necessity to watch this program in HD. You won’t be disappointed. Also, the sub-plot seemed to develop nicely towards the end, and drew me in.

So, I’m giving it another chance. Even the greatest series of all time, True Blood, had a somewhat watered down pilot episode, with a hint of cheesy. Please don’t start throwing eggs!

Take a look and tell me your thoughts

What is this phenomenon, and why is a huge percentage of the population addicted to Twilight? Here’s my story…

I was approached at my desk by a fellow Harry Potter fan. We always spoke about our Potter addictions and he thought I would love this new book he’d just finished reading – Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer. At this time my co-worker was the only person in our office who had read the book. Amazingly enough, in only six months time, that number would grow to twenty or so. Anyway, I wasn’t reading a book at the moment, so I accepted it gratefully. Umm… here’s where crazy kicks in.

Fast forward ONLY two weeks… I have now read ALL FOUR Twilight books and am deeply in love with both Edward and Jacob. Two young men who have now placed the bar so high, that no man will ever be good enough. I was past addiction. And in about six months time I will have created my own legion of Twilighters, some of them having been the biggest skeptics before opening their first book.

I finished all the books before the first movie came out, so of course I was more than dying to see this film. And who else better to play Edward than Cedric Diggory! This was like the second coming of Star Wars and LOTR. Well the absolute worst thing happened… Kristen Stewart was cast as Bella. I’d never heard of this actress before. My disappointment came as I watched the film for the first time and heard her destroy the lines from this wonderful book. I couldn’t focus on anything else during the entire movie because her acting was so horrific. Well, that’s a little dramatic. Besides, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner were on the screen, HELLO! I also enjoyed how well they captured the feeling of cold and foggy Forks, Washington. The multi-cultural casting of her friends was not a representation of the real population of Forks, but yet a wonderful aspect of the film. Their witty banter was refreshing. So back to Bella. I really hope that all the feedback she’s received about her skills has motivated her to curb some of her irritating habits. If I hear her stutter or see her bite her lower lip more than twice in the upcoming New Moon, I’m bound to throw my nachos at the screen.

I am so excited for the future installments, i.e. Dakota Fanning as Jane and Bryce Dallas Howard as Victoria, as well as the introduction of the Volturi. And for the band-wagoners that consider themselves Twilighters but have yet to open one book, well, I guess I’m just going to have to live with you.