I am currently watching The Tudors, for the sole reason that Jonathan Rhys-Meyers stars in it. My hearing is very poor, so it is difficult for me to follow it sometimes, but I think I manage alright.
In honour of the show, I am wearing my elaborate red shirt today. Again, I happened to bump into my Algebra instructor who commented on my absence yesterday (I slept in because I wasn't feeling well), as well as the high collar that he expects would be uncomfortable. Actually, this one actually feels better than the previous shirt I had on last time.
I got the shirt at Pacific Mall, I can't remember for how much exactly, but I really doubt it was expensive. I got on the wrong bus on the way back from Grand River Hospital last week and ended up at Conestoga Mall, so I called up Gregory to keep me company and help me find my way back. We wandered around and I got the pin at Le Château for $4.99. I've been searching for a cameo pin, but I really like this one, even though it's not quite what I had in mind. Good price, too. I have a whole collection of metal rose earrings, necklaces and rings, and I thought the red rose dangling earrings and the ring would go well with my outfit today. I got the pants for $10 with 10% off, so it was about $9. :]
I'm a bit annoyed today because I think I've lost my Computer Science course notes. I brought them with me to the exam yesterday and I think I forgot to bring them back with me. I hope it turns up soon.
I've had Life in Cartoon Motion by Mika for some time and I never really got into it until late in the middle of the night. I haven't been sleeping properly for over a month so I lie in bed awake and listen to my iPod. Playing solitaire in the dark used to work because it'd get my eyes sore, but I think they've adapted since I've been trying that every night and I'll bet I've damaged them. Ring Ring is definitely my favourite song by far, so I wonder why he released it as a 'bonus track'.
I just thought I'd post this video I saw so many years ago (2002) and I've kept the song on my mp3 players and iPod. It was the video by Tori Amos with Adrian Brody that really made an impression in my mind. You'll see why...
I don't know if I like the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster so much. There's something that bothers me about it. I still think I favour the Church of Hot Addiction. The music video gets really strange around the end, so you should click on the link and download the track I've uploaded for you. Cobra Starship is probably best known for their catchy song, "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)", which was not written or set to the film, Snakes on a Plane. My favourite part in the entire song is by Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes:
Ladies and gentlemen, These snakes is slitherin' With dollar signs in they eyes With tongues so reptilians This industry's venomous With cold-blooded sentiments No need for nervousness It's just a little turbulence
They ended up making a music video for it with appearances by Samuel L. Jackson and Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy.
Today didn't quite follow my usual routine, but that's always affected with any kind of notable change. I watched Donnie Darko in two segments. It had to be the earliest that I had ever started watching a movie. It was grey outside, but it didn't rain like it was supposed to.
Boy George sure does. He's been haunting me all day. The strange thing was that I forgot that he sang "Do you really want to hurt me?" with Culture Club. Good old New Wave. I just kept seeing his face and hearing the song but couldn't make the connection. Strange.
Then I came home, turned on the television and there he was, singing that very song while they were talking about how Boy George dressing in drag was what really made Culture Club stand out and gain popularity. I've never even seen the video before either and I still haven't as I'm writing this post, so here it is:
Dita Von Teese is my favourite female celebrity, hands down. I think she's beautifully talented and it was great that she came to Toronto for the benefit event for HIV/AIDS, which is why I was reminded to make this post.
She rose to fame through her relationship with Marilyn Manson, which is when I first took notice of her. They seemed to make the perfect pair at the time, especially when he put out his album, The Golden Age of Grotesque, which is one of the only CDs I've ever purchased. She appears near the end of his mOBSCENE video, but it's unfortunate that I can't embed it, so you'll have to follow the link if you really want to see it her.
"Through the wearing of a corset for many years, she had reduced her natural waistline to 22 inches, and can be laced down as far as 16 and a half inches. A diminutive person already, Von Teese stands at only 5'3" and weighs 105 pounds."
I think that's pretty awesome. It's even better that she divorced from Manson. He's getting old and she's too good for him. Think what you like, but she's pretty high on the list of my idols :]
The rental place I have a membership at started renting out a number of dramas, such as Grey's Anatomy, LOST, Desperate Housewives, Prison Break, 24, Six Feet Under and Nip/Tuck. I don't understand all the hype about Grey's Anatomy, because it has a very simple storyline and there really wasn't anything exciting about it at all. Six Feet Under didn't have such a big reputation and I found it rather boring, so I wasn't surprised. I haven't rented Desperate Housewives, because I have a suspicion it'll be pretty much the same. I don't know about Prison Break or 24, so I didn't rent them and I still haven't.
LOST was the first one I watched and I enjoyed it, which is how I ended up renting all the other ones. It was not very convincing and I remember spotting some glitches, but at least it was suspenseful and intriguing enough to continue watching for entertainment, instead of feeling obligated because they've already been rented. I never get to see them while they're playing on TV, but I think the reason I started watching these TV series programs on DVD was because I was looking up Ian Somerhalder's filmography after watching The Rules of Attraction, the film adaptation for the novel by Bret Easton Ellis that I had read first. He played Boone in LOST and was my favourite character, because the other ones were a bit exaggerated and stereotypical in my opinion. Then he died and got cast out, which is one of the reasons why I didn't want to rent the second season anymore. For the series to continue as it is described in the summary doesn't seem reasonable at all, but I attempted to rent it anyways at first and only managed to get one of the DVDs in the middle of the season. Great. I watched the first five minutes of one episode and had to stop it, because it didn't make sense and I didn't want to ruin my impression of the series from what I had seen in the first season.
In my opinion, Nip/Tuck has to be the best I've seen so far. Very graphic, extreme, provocative, and entirely fascinating. A disturbingly perfect drama indeed, but not because of its sexually explicit content. I'm waiting for the fourth season to come out for rental on DVD, because I always miss it when it does come on television and I don't like watching them out of order either. I find it strange that it only comes on once a week on Saturdays at 10 PM and never repeats, but I was surprised to find that a lot of these series are available to watch online without downloading.
I watched Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain), also known simply as Amélie on Friday. I've borrowed that DVD from the library several times but never got a chance to watch it and I think I even got an overdue fine for it once. They've shown it at school on movie nights and I keep missing every opportunity to see it. I finally downloaded it, in fact, quite a while ago and finally got around to watching it. Twice. In the same day. I'm not joking when I say I have difficulty concentrating. I had to rewind many times, much more than usual. Then I went out on a few errands with my mom and Aunt Tiffany, but by the time I got home, I couldn't remember most of the film. Even during the second viewing, I had to rewind several times because I kept missing out on entire parts - not just the small details I absolutely have to check or else it'll keep pestering me. I'm glad I did watch it, regardless of how many times it took me, because I loved it. It's a very creative and adorable story ;)
I like watching movies again after a while, because I have a tendency to forget them. I remember enjoying The Machinist but couldn't recall very much of it. Every time Christian Bale is mentioned, I keep thinking about the above picture and his dedication. It's an interesting movie and I like the way all the details end up fitting together in a way that makes sense. For movies starring Christian Bale, I watched American Psycho fairly recently, also an adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novel, and I own Batman Begins, which I'm thinking of watching again, and Harsh Times, which I have yet to see.
Christian Bale lost more than 60 pounds for his role as Trevor Reznik in The Machinist, then gained exactly 100 pounds, as well as 20 pounds of muscle, in six months to become Batman. You have to admit that it's pretty impressive, but I'm not sure that it's altogether healthy. However, he did take on the role because the script “intrigued” him, and it helped him cope with his depression. I'm just glad it worked out alright for him.
Christian Bale starved himself for over 4 months prior to filming, eating one can of tuna and an apple each day (approximately 275 calories) , as his character needed to look drastically thin. According to the DVD commentary, he lost 62 pounds (28 kg), reducing his body weight to 120 pounds (54.4 kg). Bale wanted to go down to 100 pounds (45.3 kg) but the filmmakers would not let him due to health concerns. He later regained the weight, plus an additional 40 pounds (18 kg) due to weightlifting, in preparation for his role in Batman Begins. - www.wikipedia.com
From Batman Begins, my favourite character was Dr. Jonathan Crane / The Scarecrow: A psychiatrist who works at Arkham Asylum and has developed fear-inducing toxins. He takes on the persona of the Scarecrow to intimidate others and he was portrayed by Cillian Murphy, who starred in Red Eye, which is another movie I watched again, almost right after watching The Machinist.
Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane
A signed card by Cillian Murphy as The Scarecrow.
Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes: A childhood friend of Bruce Wayne who works as an assistant to Gotham City's District Attorney and fights against the corruption in the city with Dr. Jonathan Crane, played by Cillian Murphy.
With two of my favourite actors in it, I definitely have to see Batman Begins again. I always liked Scarecrow as one of the Batman's villains.
And this is what I saw today...
This morning, I watched 父子 (After This Our Exile), starring singer/actor Aaron Kwok (郭富城). Literally, the title actually means Father Son, as in father 'and' son, and the movie doesn't really have much to do with an 'exile'. I believe it received several awards and was critically acclaimed, but I didn't like it very much at all which seems typical of HK movies these days. There isn't a very substantial plot line with a lot of character development or anything of that sort and it doesn't even have a worthy ending.
Update: Movies have completely replaced cable television. I'm seriously considering canceling that altogether, because it's an unnecessary expense. I just watched Blood Diamond. Excellent movie. Obviously, infinitely better than the one above. It's on the edge of being a bit long for someone with a short attention span like myself, but still very good. Doesn't beat Little Miss Sunshine or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but they're of completely different genres and this one isn't really a distinct favourite. My head, neck and spine hurt, so I'm going to sleep now.
This blog isn't being updated all that often, because UW likes to overwork its students. It's also getting cold and that means I'm typically a lot less motivated and everything tends to ache more. I will try to keep up with adding pictures largely focusing on crafts, but also clothing and fashion among other interests of mine. I'll continue to share stories and personal experiences from time to time and update life on campus. There might be polls when I need help deciding upon something, such as the price for a creation of mine that I plan to sell on my etsy shop.
