Emily's comments (member since Jan 04, 2009)

Emily's comments from the College Students! group.

I thought I wouldn't like Vicky Cristina Barcelona(Allen's films tend to suck these days), but ended up really liking it. The opposite of you, I guess, Jamie.

I just saw The Wrestler last night. It was wonderful. Mickey Rourke was sad and beautiful and honest. I was a little overwhelmed with emotion at the end of it. The kind of movie you walk out of thinking, "I love people."

Just finally saw Frost/Nixon. It was really fantastic--besides the addition of the talking heads/docu-style interviews, which seemed amateurish and was distracting. Anyway, the movie was not like a history lesson at all, but was a great duel between two smart men. Highly recommended!

Great recommendations, Matthew! I've been listening to a lot of Sun Kil Moon recently. Mark K. can do no wrong.

And now I want to pull out my Byrds CDs...

Never heard of Snailhouse, but based on your other tastes, I'll have to check them out.

Agreed--Band of Horses is the best!

Do you like the Fleet Foxes?

I'm watching Paul Rudd on Conan right this very minute! He's very adorable.

Justine, I'm all about the 70s/80s punk--my first music love. Buzzcocks are probably in my top-five fave bands.

Also adore the Damned, the Adverts, Wire, Television, Clash (obviously), the Jam, X, Raincoats, Slits--I could go on forever.

Anyway, good to see a fellow punk fan share the love.

Perhaps Utah is the stronghold for this sort of thinking, but I'm from Montana. We're the purple state--we used to vote a straight conservative/Republican ticket, but recently elected a Dem governor and were considered an Obama swing state. Things are changing here. I've witnessed it.

I go to a Catholic college, and there are openly gay students here that are truly accepted and popular. I think the marginalization of minority groups isn't a big pursuit among kids today. I saw a thing on the news about a huge national gathering of evangelical youths. When asked what the evangelical political platform should be, none of the kids cited the restriction of marriage rights (and this was coming off Bush '04, the constitutional amendment era...)--instead, they said fighting poverty, corruption, etc. It was great.

I'm not totally Pollyanna, but I try to be optimistic on this issue--otherwise it's too disheartening to be human. Remember, "You gotta give 'em hope!"

I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance--Black Kids

Love that song!

I loved Milk, Mandee. Although the movie was a portrait of a good, kind man, and in that way rather life-affirming, I, too, was a bit depressed after seeing it, thinking of the recent passing of Prop 8.

But then I had to tell myself--actually things aren't as bad as they were then. That we can actually talk about gay marriage as a right shows advancement. In the era of Harvey Milk, politicians were trying to get teachers fired from their jobs for suspicion of being gay. Today, even the most conservative people would find that extreme and inhumane, and the mission of nutjobs only.

I truly believe we are only a generation or two away from equal marriage rights for gays. The Prop 8 thing was a desperate last gasp in the face of progress.

Anyway, the movie was beautiful. I'm excited to watch Sean Penn win the Oscar Sunday. And, if sanity prevailed among the Academy voters, Milk will win best picture.

Emily, have you tried Camera Obscura? With your love of B&S, Weepies, S&G, I think you'd like them.

Nools, I love Wes Anderson, and Darjeeling Limited is my favorite. Just beautiful.

I hate to say it, but I hated Life Aquatic. Too quirky, too little substance. But hopefully you'll enjoy it--it does have wonderful set pieces. I think, though, that I was so disappointed because I expect so much from him.

Lynn, I loved The Fall. Definitely sad, but ultimately life-affirming.

I just saw Slumdog Millionaire a couple days ago, and Rachel Getting Married last night. Slumdog was okay--a very beautifully shot, very minor movie.

Rachel Getting Married was wonderful, though. Like The Fall, actually: very sad, but ultimately life-affirming--and perfect domestic detail.

It is delicious. My brother says it smells weird.

Annette, I love that Van Morrison song.

And I've only heard one song by the Weepies, but I love it--"Antarctica." Do you know their stuff well? Are they worth delving into further?

I take out DVDs from the library rather than renting. So I watch a lot of Masterpiece Theatre type movies.

My local arthouse movie theater has $2 Tuesday nights for students from my school--unfortunately I always have class Tuesday nights...

A - Age: 27
B - Book you are reading: Night. And Passing, sort of.
C - Chore you hate: Like Kelsey said--scooping the litter box!
D - Dessert you love: vegan carrot cake ice cream
E - Essential start your day item: tea--usually peppermint, sometimes green.
F - Favorite author/ book: too hard--how about Richard Yates?
G - Gold or silver: silver
H - Height: 5'7"
I - Instruments you play: none--which makes me very sad.
J - Job title: student, interlibrary loan assistant, education lab attendant
K - Kid(s): none
L - Living arrangements: housesitting right now
M - Most overused word/phrase in your vocabulary: sadly, the "F" word. Also, various pet names for my cat: Monk, Monker, Monkey, Cuckoo, Cuckoohead, The Baby, Monkey Man...
N - Nicknames: Em
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Once, for the removal of the gallbladder--very unpleasant.
P - Pet Peeve: people who like to argue (even against points they agree with, or for points they disagree with) just for the sake of arguing
Q- Quotes you like: I can never think of these when asked...
R - Right or left handed: right
S - Siblings: two sisters, one brother
T - Time you woke up today: 6:30 am
U - Unique thing about you: I'm very good at memorizing/remembering names (a good skill to have as a future teacher, I imagine).
V - Vegetable you love: all--except cucumbers and green peppers and celery
W - Worst habit: worrying, being pessimistic
X - X-rays you've had: I must've had one for the gallbladder thing?
Y - Yummy food you make: I'm probably the only one to like it, but my fave breakfast: sweet potatoes and eggs
Z - Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Jes, Caiti--yes, definitely read Revolutionary Road. It is beautiful and devastating. Richard Yates is one of my favorite writers. Also, read his The Easter Parade. As good as RR.

I'd like to see the movie, too--but do they ever measure up, really?

Well, then, that explains it. I guess my library's pretty privileged to own it, huh?

Justine, have you read Pinball, 1973?

I work in the interlibrary loan dept. of a library, and this is the one book we can never seem to keep on our shelves. It is constantly being requested by other institutions. As soon as I get it back, I'm sending out again.

What is it about this particular book?!

They use the "R" word in Tropic Thunder to make a precise point.

Its use is intentionally provocative, uncomfortable-making, and has a satirical aim. I found the movie hilarious, silly, and often slyly astute (as with the use of the "R" word).

I'm an Ed major and the language did not bother me one bit. You should definitely give it a chance, Lynn, and see what you make of it.