The Week That Was - 23 to 29 August

Wow, I have been soooo very busy this week.  Yet again I skipped class to do work (and possibly to have fun, but details details).  I had my first 'Intro to Visual Communication' assignment due on Friday and I think I did okay!  It was a 2 minute video pitch and I found it really odd that I was one of the only people I saw that actually picked up a video camera?  Apparently there was a loophole that as long as you used a video editing software you could use still images.  Some video project huh?

After my hand-in I treated myself to a grocery shop and a boost smoothie (picture above).  OMG banana buzz how I love thee :D  I also love the pasta bake I made with our new oven - ooooooh yeah!

So despite how busy I was it didn't stop me doing two things:
1. Oogling craft books.. found this great book about making felt toys.

 

DO WANT TO MAKE THESE! So cute :D
And 2:  Watching Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World with Patrick

This movie was seriously AWESOME!  Maybe it's cause I'm you know part of the generation of Nintendo and Sega at it's finest - but also exposed to the arcade games and Atari by my parents.  I just absolutely adore the stylistic choices in this movie, and the music/sound is freaking incredible.  I was seriously blown away the entire movie and I'm dying to see it again - watching it in cinema is quite the experience! (Note: Dear Boyfriend, stop reading here thanks! xx) FYI I think I have the biggest crush on Brandon Routh (he's the second last guy in that pic).  So freaking hot, plus the first time you see him he's playing a guitar!  Ignore that he's a jerk - he's practically my dream boyfriend.  Did I mention he's freaking hot?

(Note: Boyfriend can read from here onwards!! xx)

Last but only due to timelines (I did this today!), I've been starting work on my storyboard for film class.  

I'm working with this other guy, on a story about a kid trying to buy alcohol from a liquor store (he's underage) in a spaghetti western style - so lots of dramatic close ups and gunshot sounds lol.  Think the stand-off scene in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly; then you've got the right idea.  So today was background day!!

I put in that last picture so you can appreciate that I am literally working off tiny crappy little scribbles to make these.  Apparently the 2 years I spent doing interior design taught me something about scale and perspective drawings - yay!  These are just my drafts, so I can run something visual past my partner and then make the final pictures (that's why there's no people).  Also people aren't exactly my strength as you can see by my amazing stick people in the picture above.

And that wraps up this week!  Now to do some cleaning and dig out my neglected German book from my epic paperwork pile.  Eek! xx

Music - Tunes of the Moment

Wow two updates in a day?  Yeah I stayed home from Uni because I was tired and felt really sick this morning - For those keeping tabs on me it's OKAY I'm going to my compulsory lecture/tute tonight, so there.

So something a little different today - I've been really getting into the movie soundtracks of In the Mood for Love and (500) Days of Summer.  I thought I'd share my standout songs from the movies, that really stuck out to me.  They're completely different films so I'll explain them and their soundtracks individually (and yes there's links.. there's always links!).

In the Mood for Love is a film from Hong Kong made in 2000.  It's a really odd story with very little talking, with a lot of emphasis put into camera positioning and repeated sequences to establish the moods.  It's really one of those 'love or hate' films.. I have to admit when I was made to watch it for class I may have fallen asleep, plus I hate having to read subtitles.. but when I read the synopsis and realised the actual storyline I could see the charm.  Anyway what really struck me in this movie is the sweet little soundtrack.. I instantly recognised the kind of spanish love songs that my grandmother would listen to and fell in love at first listen.  Turns out it was actually Nat King Cole singing in spanish, which I never knew - I love his voice, it reminds me of christmas time because my mum has his carols always playing.
There's also some violin - which always scores with me.

Songs:
Quizas, Quizas, Quizas - Nat King Cole
Aquellos Ojos Verdes - Nat King Cole
Yumeji's Theme - Shigeru Umebayashi
Angkor Wat Theme
Te Quiero Dijiste - Nat King Cole

(500) Days of Summer is a 2009 film, a story of 'boy meets girl' but with twist.  I've yet to meet someone that watches this film and hates it.  Plus I have the biggest girl crush on Zooey Deschanel, she is just too cute (even if she does break Joseph Gordon-Levitt's heart in this film).  The real winner in this movie are the The Smiths who are grossly under-appreciated in my opinion.  I'll list some other songs in this movie that were just beautiful - within the movie and out.

Songs:

Us- Regina Spektor

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths

Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want - The Smiths

You Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates

Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap

Hero - Regina Spektor

Enjoy! xx

Movies - Twilight 3: Eclipse

Lol anyone actually reading this is going to start thinking that all I do is read books and go to movies!  Last night it was TY3, today L&G I bring you the lowdown on Eclipse - book 3 of the Twilight Saga...

Rachel asked me to go see it with her today and I was like HELLS YES!  Despite the fact that I was on like 5 hours sleep, mostly delirious and flying high on V juice.  Despite the fact that there were 1000's of teenagers encircling the movie cinema foyer - my butt was on that seat faster.. than two minute noodles my friend.

"Face it - I am hotter than you" - Yes Jacob, we know it!

Going in I seriously forgot the entire plot of the third book.  I kept thinking of the fourth book watching the whole time and then wondered why none of the stuff I thought was going to happen actually happened.  So don't ask me about accuracy here, I'm assuming most of it was there cause I haven't heard the twi-hards crying too loudly on the internets.

Bella, one day when you grow up you'll realise it's actually a lot harder to get a guy to propose to you a thousand times than it is to get in his pants - priorities girlfriend priorities!!  (Oh and tell him to fire his stylist.. he looks like Wolverine).

Look comparing it to the previous two movies, I think this one had way more effort put into it.  Different director I think?  I'm not sure how easy it is for a non-twilight reader to understand.. it did seem to chop around a bit.. but it's pretty good, they can actually act to save their lives and the right balance of drama/romance/comedy/action is there.  Thumbs up from me, I look forward to watching this one with a glass of vodka and crying at how unfair it is that Bella has the ultimate romantic and the ultimate sex on leg's chasing after her despite being a plain and boring character.  Life's tough bro.

Movies - Toy Story 3

A few weeks ago I saw a Facebook page named along the lines of 'Move out of the way kid, I've been waiting (x) amount of years for the 3rd Toy Story!'.  So freaking true!  I loved the first two as.. well a young teen I'm thinking?  Rex and Slinky were my fav fav's.. because slinky's are freaking cool and so are dinosaurs!!

Number three was really really great.  I love what Pixar do with there story lines and I really am glad that they haven't cheapened this franchise - all three of these movies are equally amazing and wonderful in their own right.  Now in the spirit I won't spoil anything (mostly because my boyfriend will have my head), but please if you haven't seen it yet - GO SEE IT!  And if you get a bit teary at the end it's okay.. my mum cried :P

In other news my other half is boarding a plane to Bangkok right now.. he's off to London for an unspecified amount of time.  So on one hand I'll probably have more to write about in an attempt to get a life.. on the other hand it's probably going to be pretty obvious I'm compensating for something.

My Favourites: Anchorman

Now look, lets get one thing straight from the get-go:  I am not a drama/action/fantasy type of movie girl.  I like not having to think, I reserve that energy for other things and being entertained is my biggest concern when it comes to movies.  So I absolutely love movies with hilarious one-liners and that are frankly a little on the 'stupid' side.  And Anchorman is that movie.  I have seen this.. I.. I don't even know how many times and I still find myself dying while watching it.  

It's so full of win in my eyes - the lines are just completely memorable and the storyline is just so ridiculous that I can't help but love it.  I mean, the main character even plays jazz flute - WITH FLAME!

There's action.. there's even an epic fight scene.. here we have the weather man holding his weapon of choice:

"Yeah, there were horses, and a man on fire, and I killed a guy with a trident." - Brick Tamland

There's even a bit of heavy drama scenes in the movie.. Here Ron Burgundy expresses feelings of grief and despair as his world falls apart:

"I'm in a glass case of emotion!" - Ron Burgundy

Movies - Ironman 2

So last night I finally went to see Iron Man 2 with my friend Patrick.  I'm not really much of an action girl, but I really dig the Iron Man series and I've been dying to see this before it leaves the movies.  We both liked the film but we both could have done with more action :P  However his Scarlett/Gwen quota and my Robert Downey Jr. quota were well and truly filled.

Now all I have left to say (besides watch it if you haven't!) is DUN DUN DUNNNNN: