2010 Movie Project G & H Movies

I didn’t exactly power through these…must pick up my pace if I’m going to finish by the end of the year!

• Galaxy Quest – Sorry, I still love this movie. I thought it might lose its appeal, especially since I’m not quite the Trekker that I used to be, but it reminds of the days when I was more of a sci fi geek.
• Gladiator – Beautiful, artistic movie about a former Roman general reduced to life as a Gladiator, bent on revenge. Not sure how often I’ll want to watch this, but I shouldn’t be afraid of it (as I was this time around: I put it off for a good long time), because I really do like it.
• The Golden Compass – I wish this had done better at the box office, because I’d love to see the other books made into movies (no, I haven’t read them yet, but I will at some point). I actually quite liked this one, even if it was obvious that parts were compressed in translating the book to a movie.
• Good Will Hunting – any movie that features combinatorics is a-o-k with me. Love movies that feature smart people as smart people relating to the world.
• Hairspray – Not the musical; the original. I refuse to watch the musical…some things just don’t need to be re-made. I still believe that after re-watching.
• Hanover Street – This is another of my Harrison Ford movies. It was an odd WWII love story where a married woman falls in love with an officer. Her husband gets tapped to do a spy job, watched over by the officer. It was so-so, but not a favorite movie.
• Harry Potter 1-6 – Love, love, love. I could watching these again and again without getting bored.
• Hercules – This is the Disney animated version of Hercules. The animation style is much different from most Disney movies, and its refreshing to see such a difference every once in a while. It’s also refreshing to have a main character who is not a princess.
• History of the World Part I – Ahhh Mel Brooks. Throw in the kitchen sink, and everything else in the kitchen, the living room, the bathroom, and the bedroom. Still, I can’t dislike this movie, not matter how “80s” it feels…that, and I love quick-time harch!
• Hitch – Yum…Will Smith and romantic comedy. Another that I can watch over and over…love it every time, but I won’t admit to crying when they finally get together.
• The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy – Slick version of the Douglas Adams classic. Quirky, as befits the book, so it’s fun to watch, if a little weird.
• Hollywood Homicide – It’s nice to see Harrison Ford embracing a little comedy. This isn’t the strongest film, but it’s fun to watch.
• Hot Fuzz – Big-town cop gets relegated to a small town where there’s never any crime…well except for the serial killings that have been hidden. Add in some British comedy and the cast of “Shaun of the Dead”, and you’ve got a fun movie. Just as fun on a second viewing.
• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days – Another of my favorite romantic comedies; a women’s magazine writer is looking for a guy to “lose” in 10 days using age-old bad relationship tricks, but gets pitted against an advertising man trying to win a bet that he can get any woman to fall in love with him.

Tags: reviews

Scrappy Times

I haven’t been scrapping very much lately…as many of you know, 2010 has been a difficult year, so motivation to do much other than go to bed has been pretty low.  Then, when I would want to scrap, I’m faced with this mess:

Yeah. I have to navigate the mess, a commitment just to get started. So…no scrapping.

Enter the scrapbook convention and The Original Scrapbox. After much discussion, Andrew and I decided that it would make both of our lives a little better – mine because I could scrap again with an organized area, and his because he wouldn’t have to stare at that mess in the living room all the time.

Here’s the result:

When I’m not scrapping

When I am scrapping

Going up to Laurie’s to scrap this weekend inspired me to finish getting all of my scrapping stuff put away (I’d done most of it as of a couple weeks ago, but still had a few little bits of stuff hanging out until this past weekend).

Finally got back to my 2006 pictures, doing a few at Laurie’s, and continuing Sunday and after work Monday and today. It feels so good to be creative again. Here are a couple of my favorite layouts from the past few days’ efforts:

Tags: comfort, scrapping

2010 Movie Project E & F Movies

I’m definitely falling behind on the movie project, though I finished the E & F movies a long time ago and have just been too lazy to write them up. So, here goes.

• Eagle Eye – Okay, this is not great cinema, but it’s a fun, sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of action flick.
• El Dorado – One of the few non-Disney animated flicks that I’ve liked…I’m usually opposed to animated movies that have to advertise their star voices, but this was one that I liked. Still do, and I love the music, too.
• Enchanted – A fun take on the “princess” movies – I particularly love the scene where Giselle summons rats and pigeons to clean out Robert’s apartment.
• Enemy of the State – The earlier version of Eagle Eye, I suppose. I love me my Will Smith, so can always watch this.
• Ever After – The ultimate girly flick re-telling of the cinderella story. I could watch this every day.
• Fantasia – This one has a special place in my heart – Andrew and I went to see this in the theater on our first date. The Firebird Suite is always a favorite.
• Finding Nemo – I hadn’t actually watched this one since it was in the theaters, and I wasn’t really looking forward to it…can’t say why not. And after watching it, I really can’t say why not. Loved it the second time around.
• Firewall – Part of my Harrison Ford collection. I can’t say its one of my favorites, but I can always watch him kick some butt.
• Force 10 from Navarone – Another of my Harrison Ford collection…I had never seen this one. It’s a war flick, a genre I’m not terribly up on. I found some of the music to be disconnected to the action – for example a happy, peppy tune when they’re being captured or detained or something. Can’t say I liked this one much, but I’ll keep it as part of the HF collection.
• Frantic – Yet another Harrison Ford movie. I didn’t remember much of it from my original viewing (when it was in theaters), so didn’t have many expectations going it. Not a bad thriller, though more low-key than more recent ones.

Tags: reviews

New Look! New Content.

I’ve updated my website at long last.  I’ve wanted to do this for YEARS, and even got a good start once, but then lost it when my external hard drive reformatted itself.

I’ve trimmed most of what used to live here because, frankly, a lot of it is out of date or is available elsewhere on the web.  Apologies to those of you who still use that information, but I need to move on.

I will probably move my astronomy content over to my astronomy site at some point, but I can’t make promises as to when that will happen.

Tags: admin