C.J. Sullivan's Blog, page 5

Cosmic Cavern

Helloooo from beneath the Earth's surface in northern Arkansas!

Pics from Painting with a Twist

Last week I did my first Painting with a Twist with my pal Bethany. Here are some pictures from the evening. I'd like to do this again!

'What We Do In The Shadows' Now Available in the US!

If you live in the US, my current favorite movie, What We Do in the Shadows, is now available! You can also rent it through Redbox if you don't have the money to buy it! So there are now no good excuses for why you can't watch it! There's something in it for everybody (except for children - it's rated R). But I promise you'll get a laugh out of it. I think it's the greatest thing ever. And after you watch it, leave me a comment and let me know what you think! :)

Duck Photo

Took this pic at Veterans Park in Arlington, TX.  It hasn't been edited one bit.

Inside Out

Inside Out. It's still in theaters. Go see it. It's not really for kids. I mean, it's marketed as for kids, but adults will get more out of it, trust me. And if you miss it in theaters, rent it when it comes out on DVD.

Here are some things I took away from this film:

1) It's not OK to pretend to be happy all the time. Sadness can sometimes be a crucial emotion to our growth and health.

2) Our personalities shift over time. Who we are isn't set in stone. We are shaped by our experiences. The self is always changing

3) Many memories don't fit into one emotional box. Some memories are both joyous and sorrowful. And that's okay. The world isn't black and white, and neither are our emotions. Sometimes its the gray emotions that are a part of our core being.

All this from a kids movie? Yes. And there was a lot more (I want to see it again) but those are the three main things I took away from it on this viewing. I was amazed at how smart a film this was. Oh, and warning: if you go, be sure to take some tissues because I bawled like a baby.

James Horner

I just got the news today that composer James Horner has died in a plane accident.

James Horner was one of the world's most wonderful musicians. He created some of the most powerful and emotional movie scores ever made. Below are three of my favorite tracks that he composed. I did not know this man, but his music touched me and inspired me deeply. It is a great loss that he won't be able to compose any more, but I know he will live on through his magical work.

R.I.P.

Marfa

I really, really, really, really, really want to go to Marfa, TX. It's calling my name. Maybe because it's artsy or maybe because there's a hotel that has old typewriters as amenities and unlimited paper or maybe because you can see the stars so well at night or maybe because there are unexplained lights at night in the sky or maybe because it's about as far away from the big city as you could possibly get... Or maybe it's all of the above. I want to go!

Avengers 2 - Some Thoughts

So Drew and I saw Avengers 2 last night, and it was cool. It was pretty much as I expected: lots of action and cool effects with some laughs in between. I even shed a couple of tears when someone died (don't worry, I won't spoil it). But perhaps the biggest problem with a spectacle like this is that it's so grand, with so many characters, that it's difficult to really connect with anyone or anything. It's like there's almost too much going on for two hours. I wonder how the whole thing would've worked had it been a mini-series. The characters would've been able to get fleshed out a little more. We could've spent more time on people's back stories and motivation. I even felt like a lot of the jokes in the film were rushed. Sometimes fast and furious isn't always best!

Oh, and I also missed seeing this guy.




He actually did have a scene in the movie, but it was cut! BOO! Maybe it'll make it to the DVD/Blu-Ray. How could they cut Loki? He's a fan-favorite? I guess they had to make way for more 'splosions. Whatever!

Now for the rest of 2015, I'm looking forward to watching Ant Man (a lesser-known comic book character), Spectre (the new James Bond), and of course STAR WARS!

And this month What We Do in the Shadows comes out on DVD, and this girl is going to be the first in line to buy it! I have a feeling it's going to end up being one that I watch on a frequent basis. If it had shown in more places than Dallas, I probably would've seen it in the theaters more than once. It's that good!

Adios for now.

May Already??

Tomorrow it'll be May (already!!!). I'm nearing the end of my 3rd semester out of 4 at grad school, and I'm getting the itch to write a sci-fi/fantasy short (or maybe something longer, who knows?). So in my itchy phase, I found this little gem at Half Price Books (see the pic below). It's a book of post cards filled with very cool sci-fi art. I'm feeling inspired. I may have to take one or two and let them be my inspiration for some new stories. Wouldn't that be fun?

I'm not sure yet if I'll be teaching at the ELI this summer. Today I wrapped up my little Grammar/Writing 1 class of two students! They were quite nice to work with, both hard workers, and very gracious. One student brought up a pot of Arabic coffee for me to try today. It was nice! I only had a teensie little bit because I'm cutting caffeine out of my daily routine--only going to have it on occasion now--but I had enough to say I had a decent sample. It was good. It's different from the stuff Americans drink in that a) it's lighter in color, and b) you can taste a lot of spices in it. It's also apparently stronger, caffeine-wise, according to what my student said. I couldn't tell because I didn't have enough of it. But I recommend it if you ever get the chance to try it. Has a nice fragrance, too.

Anyway, here's the cover for that cool sci-fi post card book if you want to take a look. Happy May, everybody.

Because Who Wouldn't Enjoy Some New 80s Throwback Soundtrack-esque Music?