Weekend Watches

I'm outta here!! I'm going to Vermont for the weekend, which means no internet :'( Actually I'm not so sad, I need to get some reading and writing done. Anyways, since there will be no reviews, I thought I would leave y'all with my to-watch film list- maybe you can fit in some time to watch one of the movies and tell me how it is!

Cloud Atlas

Judging from the trailer, this looks like a really interesting but also really confusing movie- I'm thinking I might want to read it in book form first...

Monuments Men

Just the fact that Bill Murray is in this makes me want to watch it #billmurrayfanclub but I hear from Flavorwire the soundtrack really ruined the whole thing </3 I can't stand bad soundtracks...

A Fantastic Fear of Everything

Although this hasn't been released in the US yet I'm sure I could find it streaming. It looks pretty cute and campy.

La Migliore Offerta

And you thought there weren't going to be any Italian films on this list ;) This looks really intriguing- I like that there seems to be an art history aspect. It's been on a lot of top ten Italian films lists.

Viva La Liberta

I've fallen for Toni Servillo the way you only can for dopey old guy actors (Bill Murray I'm looking at you). His wrinkles and watery eyes make me happy what can I say. 

Spring Breakers

Okay don't roll your eyes. I wasn't going to watch this at first, but then people started saying it was actually pretty insightful and wasn't just a neon drugged-out mess, so I'll give it a try.

Tim's Vermeer

I love Vermeer and art history and this movie just makes me really excited what can I say.

Inside Llewyn Davis

This movie seems to be one of those where you either love it or hate it- I've seen reviews on both ends of the spectrum. What seems to be constant is that people say there's sort of a mockery of the film industry in it, it's not trying to be good, you just have to get it. Well, from that description I don't really get it but the cat looks promising.

Amelie

This seems to be the film to watch if you want to watch a French film, and I'd love to give it a go- it looks very quirky and original. I don't know how I feel about French films; watching Delicatessen at the ripe age of six seemed to scar me subconsciously- I still remember random scenes from it at weird times.

Rushmore

When I watch this I will have seen every Wes Anderson film there is to see. Plus, young Jason Schwartzman. I mean, young Jason Schwartzman. 

Aside from those, there's a whole spread of Italian films I'd like to get around to watching, but I'll leave you with these for now :) If you've seen any of these, or watch any of these over the weekend, make sure to leave a comment telling me how they are!!

10 Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

Ten Bookish(And Not so Bookish) Thoughts is a weekly blogging event hosted by Bookishly Boisterous.

Ever since I started sophomore year I've had less and less time for reading/watching tv, etc. so there hasn't been much to review. I thought it would be a good time to do a couple memes and such just to keep myself actively blogging-- so here goes!

1.) Yes, I am STILL reading We The Drowned by Carsten Jensen. It's an amazing book, but also like five or six hundred pages, so it's a bit of a project. So far I'm really enjoying it! I feel like it's going to be one heck of a book review when I finally finish it.

2.) The new show on Fox, Sleepy Hollow, is actually pretty good?? I wasn't really expecting much from a drama about a colonial time-traveler and a sassy black cop and the apocalypse, but I've been enjoying it a lot. The characters are relatable and the story moves along well, although it has a bit of a villain-of-the-week feel right now. Sometimes the cinematography is a little reminiscent of someone who's just found new software that they're playing around with, but I can see it going places. Tom Mison and his mussy ponytail doesn't hurt either.

I sort of feel the need to watch the movie now?

3.) I've rediscovered my love for Mushi-shi. I watched it a year or two ago, and never even got through the full season, but I'm so glad I found it again because hands down it is the best anime I have ever watched. Every single frame is just pure art, and the story is poetic and contemplative. The show is sort of like a book of short stories-- each episode the characters, setting, and conflict are all different, but after you always come away with something to think about.... that sort of sad and yet content feeling you get from really great stories. It's so artful and creative and just plain out of the box, I need everyone to go watch it right now. 

4.) Battle of the Year is a strong contender for Worst Movie I've Ever Watched. I went to see it at a party, and literally I just couldn't even. It doesn't merit a proper review. Basically it was 50% cheesy inspirational speeches, 20% badly choreographed dances, and 30% zoom shots of Josh Peck gazing thoughtfully into the distance. The only good thing about it was Mah Boi D-Trix.

....and Chris Brown's intense stares.

5.) Agnes Obel's new album came out eeeep! It's called Aventine  and I have mixed feeling about it. I kind of half dread whenever and artist/filmmaker/author I like comes out with something new, because I feel like it will never be better than the original work... I think partly because I've already devoted myself to the original work, and it's been made better by my good memories of it. (Case in point- Hayao Miyazaki) So right now I don't think Aventine  is as good as Philharmonics, but I may come around. I like Dorian and The Curse, but I find that most of the songs have this sort of muddled sound as opposed to the clear piano riffs of Philharmonics-there's less to grasp onto. 

6.) People really need to start saying Autumn instead of fall- Autumn is far prettier and the word is more reminiscent of the season. To me, fall just sounds tacky. And yet I still find myself saying it. *sighs*

7.) Grades closed for progress reports today. That means I was up all last night making up the work I was too lazy to do when it was actually due : / But I've been getting good grades as I promised myself I would, so I'm not worried. I made a deal with my dad that he would get me a translation of the Tao te Ching if I got straight As, and I'm looking forward to a little more taoism in my life. It's weird that the school year is already and eighth of the way through, though. It feels like it's just begun.

8.) I've reached new levels of obsession with Wellesley College. I visited the campus this summer and it was love at first sight-- the stone architecture, the rolling hills and green every which way you looked. I was literally thinking how I felt like Juliet there when I saw a girl in a white dress sitting on a balcony. Just.. I'm completely and utterly enamored. I love that it's smaller, that it's all-girls, that it has such a supportive community. I need to go there and I need to to go there now. So I've been compulsively researching everything about it, and it's officially on my vision board.

9.) We've been doing a short story unit in English that I'm enjoying like crazy. Actually, I'm enjoying the class in general like crazy. I have a great teacher this year who's very prone to holding Socratic discussions, which is to my benefit since I literally can't keep my mouth shut about anything English related. But we've read Cathedral, The Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge, A and P, The Cask of Amontillado, and most of Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies. I've been having so much fun interpreting and analyzing the stories-- maybe I'll do some posts about them if I feel like it. 

10.) I've made the resolution to get back into creative writing, which I'm really excited about. Hopefully I can get some work posted online and I think I'll try for a few competitions. 

Until next time!

Oops I Had A Howl's Moving Castle Moment

This is what happens when I haven't watched a Miyazaki for over a month. And also when i try to draw anything that isn't fashion illustration.

BrunetteHaus Interview

I'm finally out of my freshman year of highschool, and now looking back on it I realize that for the first time in my life, I'm really happy with the friends I've made. They're all such individuals who have very clear ideas of where they want to go in life, and by being around them I feel the urge to try and be a better person. I decided to interview one of my friends who runs the fashion blog BrunetteHaus about movies, tv, style, and of course, books.

What is your favorite movie? Why? What affect has it had on you?

I love the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's because it is so charming and the characters in it are all so interesting. I also love the connection that it has to fashion because the main character, Holly Golightly, is so fashionable. She is portrayed by Audrey Hepburn, who I have a personal connection to because the sister of my great-uncle was best friends with her. It affected me because it made me more interested in fashion and the story was so unique and charming that it inspired me to write stories of my own.  

What are your favorite tv shows? Why? What affect have they had on you?

I love Mad Men because it is set during one of my favorite decades, the 1960s. All of the characters are extremely interesting and there is symbolism in every episode so the show gives you a lot to think about. I also love The Killing because it is extremely atmospheric and gives you a lot to think about in terms of human nature and morality. 

What is your favorite book? Why? What affect has it had on you?

My favorite book is Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger because Holden Caulfield's narrative is so unique and his observations are very amusing and interesting to read. I loved the book because the story was simple despite its simplicity and I thought that all of the characters were extremely interesting even if they weren't necessarily likeable.

What kind of music do you listen to? Artists? Songs in particular?

I listen to all kinds of music, but I especially like alternative rock and indie pop. I love Marina and the Diamonds, Lana Del Rey, Sky Ferreira, Two Door Cinema Club, Vampire Weekend, The Killers, Sea Wolf, Ariana Grande, Azealia Banks, and Caravan Palace. I like musicians that are unique. I love "The Way" by Ariana Grande and Mac Miller because it really showcases her vocal talent and is just a really cute and fun song to listen to when you're in a bad mood. I also love "Teen Idle" by Marina and the Diamonds because it is so honest and the lyrics are brilliant. I love all of Lana Del Rey's songs because she is brilliant and does not really fit into a single genre.

Do you think the music you listen to corresponds with your personality?

I definitely think that the music that I listen to corresponds with my personality because when I'm feeling a certain way I'll listen to a certain artist, and I have a tendency to listen to music that I can relate to or music that takes me back to a certain time and place. 

How would you describe your personal style? How does it reflect you?

I can't really describe my personal style because it is truly a combination of everything that I love. Sometimes I will go for a vintage vibe, and sometimes I'll be more modern. I truly can't sum it up in an eloquent way. I think it reflects how eccentric I am because my eclectic tastes reflect that I'm an individualist. 

What are your hobbies?

I dance ballet, write, draw, and I love taking pictures.

What do you hope to be when you get older?

 I want to be a fashion journalist, a model, and a photographer.

What is your favorite thing about your life at the moment?

I love my friends and think that they truly make my life better.

To read my interview on BrunetteHaus click here.

Happy Belated Birthday, Hayao Miyazaki!

These past couple days I've been bedridden with a sore throat and sequestered from any kind of interesting activity around the house, so I picked up a piece of printer paper and a ballpoint pen and drew Haku from Spirited Away. Only later did I realize that it was the amazing creator of that film's birthday a few days back, so I decided to post this as birthday tribute. I could go on for pages waxing romantic about the astounding affect Hayao's films have had on me since childhood, and I probably will in the future, but seeing as it's late at night I'll just leave you with this.