Your move, creep!

Thrillema keeps getting better, friends. Robocop was good fun, though I expected to see more cardboard-box costumes. One thing I really enjoyed about this event was the short-film shown during the pre-show, which was both was deranged and amazing. It's called "I Live In The Wood" and it will haunt me wherever I go. Stop-motion animation remains a thing of terror, for me, and if you don't agree please check out the work of Jan Svankmajer.

One new film-screening was announced during the pre-show: ALIENS is going to be screened at the end of March. I am salivating already. I might try to construct a face-hugger from paper-mache, or something, for the occasion.

Here are a few pictures from last night. It was another packed show, with a hilarious, raucous crowd. My favourite moment of the night might've been when the crowd was asked, "What is the only thing that can defeat Robocop?" and someone yelled out, "DARTMOUTH!" And rightly so!

I kind of love Peter Weller and described him as being "Dune-y looking"... because that sure makes sense. Not sure if I'm making it to the My Bloody Valentine showing on February 12th (just watched it last weekend), but I encourage others to do so, as the film's director, George Mihalka, will be there for a Q&A.

Have a bandwagon? I'll jump on it!

Following the always awesome Jenn and transplanting a Facebook meme to the ol' blog, which seems to have very few readers, lately. Hmm!

1) I have my BPR but I hate public speaking and am awesome at being awkward.

2) When I was a kid, I wanted to be a writer. I'm glad that I've had opportunities to be published both through work and non-professionally.

3) The jobs I have had in my life are:
- Cashier at Sobey's
- Cashier at a second-hand book store
- Ride attendant AKA carnie
- Fundraiser
- PR Officer at a local bank
- Development officer at a major non-profit
- Newspaper columnist
- Tourist herder AKA gift-shop attendant
- Communications officer at the provincial archives

4) I have always been a hardcore nerd, and am happy that I am in a place in my life where a) It's welcome b) Offers opportunity for learning, socialization, and networking.

5) I am an information hoarder, whether it be random trivia, wiki articles, celeb gossip, or local happenings.

6) I watch a lot of movies, but only really starting doing so after dating Andrew because it was pretty much unavoidable, and not in a bad way. Paired with that, I love and am obsessed with award-shows. ESPECIALLY the red-carpet pre-show.

7) For years I have been musing about getting my EU citizenship. I hope 2009 is the year it happens. I'm not sure what I would do if I actually got it.

8) I dress like a bum but still manage to spend too much money on clothes.

9) I used to tan frequently, but have accepted my paleness in order to avoid nasty things like cancer... and wrinkles. It is of my opinion that I will have less wrinkles than all of my friends because I rarely smile. I am emo.

10) I have been going gray since I was 12, but refuse to dye my hair after the "purple" incident.

11) I have always gravitated towards being friends with men moreso than women, but in the last year I have spent more time with some great ladies.

12) I've lived on my own for well over a year now, but am still not used to it. I've always been kind of jealous of folks with great roomies, as living by yourself gets lonely sometimes.

13) I have a love affair with farmer's markets, flea markets, antique shows, estate auctions, thrift stores... it's an addiction.

14) I've been planning a second tattoo for like two years but haven't gotten it yet because I am a wuss for pain.

15) I've been "blogging" since I was 15. I am so happy that my journal from my high school years is purged, because I really was an idiot.

16) One of my happiest memories of Europe was sitting by the side of the Danube, watching it flow by while the city's lights reflected on its surface. A simple, but beautiful moment.

17) I love rollercoasters and have been white-water rafting. I want to go to New Brunswick this summer so I can try out Tree-Go. Funnily enough, though, I'm no good with heights and the thought of skydiving/bungee jumping scares me to death.

18) I have never had a cellphone, but feel myself caving in now that buses will be GPS equipped. I'm glad that I've held off for this long and have avoided unnecessary costs/over-connectivity.

19) I am within three degrees of Kevin Bacon (Me--> Crispin Glover, Tom Jackson, Michelle Williams --> Robin Wright Penn, Michael J. Reynolds, Burt Young --> KEVIN BACON).

20) I get freaked out swimming in open water, and have researched sharks enough to know how I would fend one off if I needed to. I've been scuba diving in the Caribbean, but probably won't do it again after the moray eel incident.

21) I have been known to edit restaurant menus (prime example: Smitty's).

22) If I had the time and resources, I could totally see myself getting into special effects make-up. I love a healthy dose of gore!

23) I am not a snob about movies, music, television and so forth, though it may appear that way sometimes. I watch crappy reality tv and enjoy a random rom-com from time to time.

24) I hate gender-specific insults. And making fun of people with disabilities. There is something just nasty about it and it always makes me wonder what lies below the surface with a person who uses them. For that reason, I don't like a lot of stand-up because I find it malicious.

25) I am addicted to knocking people off my Facebook "friends" list. My feelings about this were further cemented by a presentation I went to at podcamp the other day: http://www.onedegree.ca/2009/01/podcamp-halifax-unfriend-someone-today.html

Podcampin'

It was the type of camp we nerds dream of: indoors, little to no physical activity (I had to click through some slides and nearly broke a sweat), and the only sign of "wildlife" being the "tweeting" of blackberries, cellphones, and macs.

Podcamp Halifax was good fun, and dare I say, I learned a bit. I didn't get to meet as many folks as I'd hoped (I'm awkward about introducing myself as Lauren from the internet), but despite this had a few good chats with the great folks that make up the social media scene around these parts.

Having heard of his legendary 28-person friendslist, I took in Joel Kelly's "Unfriend Someone Today" presentation first. Lots of topics were covered here, from reputation management, the legal issues surrounding googling potential employees, and naked guys who jump into Halifax Harbour. You can see the presentation here (video by Paul Wesson).

The second presentation was an examination of grassroots community building through social networking. The focus was on New Brunswick's Third Tuesday meet-ups, which have proved to be wildly popular. You can read Harold Jarche's presentation notes on his blog. I hope to see Halifax's Third Wednesday pick up the same way the NB events have, with an emphasis on "taking the show on the road" once in a while to different parts of the province.

The last presentation I went to was the smallest, but nonetheless very interesting. William Lachance gave us a walk-through OpenStreetMap and what local folks have been doing with it. The presenter is coming out with a very neat product based on OpenStreetMap that will have HRM bus-commuters throwing themselves at his feet, I kid you not. Watch this space. Another gem from this presentation that cannot be ignored is MappyHour. Click on Halifax, I dare you. You can read William Lachance's notes here.

The keynote address by Rocketboom founder/producer Andrew Baron (Nice guy, and a good sport about the terrible weather) was excellent, of course. I can't really do justice to the presentation, so I'll direct you towards this TwitWall and have you stay tuned for the full video of the presentation to be made available online. I will mention that this is the first time I've heard someone utter the term "Web 3.0" outloud---be afraid, be very afraid.

Congrats to the organizers of this fantastic event. I am already excited to 2010---no joke.

Oscar Nominations 2009

Here they are, folks... the "big category" Oscar nominations for 2009. There's a few surprises, but for the most part everything seems to have come together as predicted. Here's the list of nominated actors and films, and my predictions:

Best Picture

The Curious Case of BB
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

I think Slumdog is a shoe-in, especially considering its competition. Second favourite, for me, is Milk, followed by Frost/Nixon, The Reader, and the old man baby movie.

Best Animated Picture

Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall E

Wall-E will win, unless hell freezes over.

Best Foreign Language Picture

The Class
Departures
Revenge
Waltz with Bashir

I think Waltz with Bashir will win. I'm a bit peeved that Let the Right One In wasn't nominated. Or The Band's Visit. Both amazing.

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Curious Case of BB
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

I think it's a race between Slumdog and Doubt. I'm frankly surprised that The Reader was nominated for Best Picture, and not Doubt.

Best Original Screenplay

Frozen River
Happy Go Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
Wall-E

IN BRUGES! YES! Such a fun, smart, sad, moving film. I hope it wins... but I'm thinking Milk or Happy Go Lucky might take it.

Best Director

David Fincher
Ron Howard
Gus Van Sant
Steven Daltry
Danny Boyle

It's Danny Boyle's year... finally getting the recognition he deserves after being snubbed for so long.

Best Actor

Richard Jenkins
Frank Langella
Sean Penn
Brad Pitt
Mickey Rourke

Mickey Rourke, hands down. Hollywood loves a comeback. Sean Penn is my second pick.

Best Actress

Anne Hathaway
Angelina Jolie
Melissa Leo
Meryl Streep
Kate Winslet

Everyone thinks that Kate Winslet (won the Golden Globe--but for the best SUPPORTING actress award [this is for The Reader not American Beauty II: The 1950s Were Serious]) is due for a win, here, but I'm not so sure. Anne Hathaway or Meryl Streep (tied for the award at the Critics Choice Awards) might actually take this. Be prepared for some glaring from Angelina Jolie, who overacted her way through Changling.

Best Supporting Actor

Josh Brolin
Robert Downey Jr
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Heath Ledger (Today marks the one-year anniversary of Ledger's death.)
Michael Shannon

SO many great actors here. If Heath Ledger doesn't win, I think it would be some sort of weird taboo. Josh Brolin was fantastic in Milk, and deserves the nod. This is RDJ's second nomination, and although I don't think he will win, I'm happy he was recognized.

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams
Penelope Cruz
Viola Davis
Taraji P Henson
Marissa Tomei

I really have no clue here... of all of these ladies, I think Viola Davis actually gave the most heartfelt performance (Doubt). But, who knows... maybe Amy Adams?

So there you go... now, we'll just have to wait and see the technical nominations. If you disagree with me, tell me! I haven't seen all of these movies, so some of my predictions are just calculated guesses. Was anyone snubbed that you think should have been nominated? There's a lot of people who think The Dark Knight should have been nominated for Best Picture and that Christopher Nolan should have gotten a Best Director nomination... other notable films missing Gran Torino and The Wrestler (deserved a Best Picture nod, I think)... what do you think?

---

The other awards have made it online, and you can read them here. There are two categories I am pretty happy about:

Best Documentary Feature

"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
"Encounters at the End of the World"
"The Garden"
"Man on Wire"
"Trouble the Water"

THAT'S RIGHT, W. HERZOG! You rule! Although I LOVED Encounters, I think Man on Wire will take it, as it should... sheer awesomeness.

Best Original Song

"Slumdog Millionaire," "Jai Ho," A.R. Rahman
"Slumdog Millionaire," "O Saya," A.R. Rahman & M.I.A.
"Wall-E," "Down To Earth," Peter Gabriel & Thomas Newman

EAT IT, HANNAH MONTANA. I cannot believe that M.I.A. is nominated for an Oscar! Too amazing! I wonder if she'll perform, as she is pretty preggers at the moment. Kind of sad that The Boss didn't score a nod for the Wrestler, nor Clint Eastwood for Gran Torino. Ah well... too stoked for M.I.A.!

Я смеялся

One day, Lauren walked to Russia...

We think she enrolled in the spy school.

From the Back of the Film...!

In this post I talked a bit about the main three "movie nights" going on in HRM. In case you're not wise to their facebook groups, I thought I'd spread the news about some upcoming screenings:

Monday Night Movies at Park Lane Theatres, Halifax
Cost: $10.00

FIFTY DEAD MEN WALKING, January 26th, 7:00 pm

JCVD, February 9th, 7:00 PM
(Very excited to see this.)

Empire After Dark at Park Lane Theatres, Halifax
Cost: I *think* $6.99

THE GODFATHER, January 23rd, 11:30 pm
(I do not see the appeal in having this as a "midnight movie".)

The Thrillema at Empire Theatres 6, Dartmouth
Cost: $6.99

ROBOCOP, January 29th, 9:00 pm
(Attendees are encouraged to wear cardboard-box robot costumes.)

MY BLOODY VALENTINE, February 12th, 9:00 pm
(Better alternative than seeing the [most likely] disappointing 3D remake. Bonus: I think the original was filmed in Nova Scotia.)

LABYRINTH, February...I forget the specific date and will update this when I know...ahem..., 9:00 pm
(I need a spandex bodysuit, stat!)

Creep Show

As another practice in self-cataloging, here comes a fun exercise for the new year: The Daily Mugshot. Every morning (well, mostly every morning) for the past few days I've been snapping a picture of yea olde face and posting it on the internet. There are a lot of cool examples of this, with some projects stretching over years. I don't think I'll go that far, as the gray hairs and emerging wrinkles will no doubt cause me to pull a Kanye and exclaim, "DAMN!!!! THAT'S SOME BENJAMIN BUTTON S%*#!"

Please feel free to add me to Daily Mugshot if you're already on there, so that we can, together, marvel at the weirdness of our faces.

Daily Mugshot

The Rumour Mill at Work

Much like La Lohan, I'm sick of rumours startin' (and the paparazzi), as they tend to send my hopes skyrocketing, only to be brought down by another sad season of Nickleback and Hillary Duff shows. 2008 was the exception: it was an amazing year for the arts in Halifax, especially music. While there isn't a lot of buzz about shows yet, there are a few that began last year, and are building up momentum in the early part of '09.

Here are my, so far, favourite unfounded Hali-rumours of '09:

1. KISS will play Citadel Hill this coming July.

Basis:
In a recent interview, Gene Simmons states that there will be a summer Canadian tour, and that Halifax is a confirmed date.

But:
Something sounds fishy about this quote: "...but before you get out there and start the baseball season, they hold exhibition games, that’s what we’re doing."
I'm not sure if he thinks Halifax is some kind of baseball-town, or if he sees his band as a team. Either way, the guy is cracked, and whatever he's doing to his hair is seeping into his brain. But to state the obvious, yes, I'd go.

Fact or Fiction: I'm leaning towards fact, because Halifax seems to be destination number one for aging rockers.

2. Bruce Springsteen will play the Metro Centre in March.

Basis:
Randoms on a message board have confirmed through "unnamed sources" that the Boss is coming after either a Montreal or Boston date.

But:
When one quotes "unnamed sources" when they themselves are an unnamed source, things tend to be sketchy.

Fact or Fiction: The mainstream media has yet to report this, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed and my ear to the ground. An official announcement will supposedly be made on January 16th... according to an unnamed source.

3. A huge Sci-Fi/Fantasy Con in Halifax will attract the likes of Stan Lee and Patrick Stewart in 2010

Basis:
A Facebook group I just joined that seems to imply the organizers believe that Halifax can attract the big players of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy world.

But: ...I'm not quite sure the East Coast needs a "large-scale" Con, or that this group has means to pull it off, but I wish them well!

Fact or Fiction: So far the confirmed guests are Water Koenig (Chekov - Star Trek TOS, Psi Cop Bester - Babylon 5---neato!) and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett---neato!), with the possibility of a YuGiOh voice-actor (not so neato) attending. Again, I wish them the best of luck in attracting more guests/vendors. James Callis can stay at my house!

Another unfounded rumour is that S. Spielberg is once again setting up camp in Halifax, but I've yet to see any buzz on the interwebs about that. I hope he films Tintin here, so that I may revel in the glory of his perfectly flipped orange hairdo.

So, Internet, what rumours are making you tentatively look forward to '09?

New Year's Eve

A few people have asked me what I did for New Year's, and the answer of choice has been "not much". I hung out at a friend's house before the blizzard threatened to strand us, and then ambled home, much like the furry heroes in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (I would be Sassy: slightly aghast at having to hang around with her gross companions, good at getting into sticky situations, but when it comes down to it, sensible and generous).

The phrase "not much", however, does not express that the night was pretty hilarious. As proof, here are a few photos of New Year's Eve and the various shenanigans that occurred.

Chris brings out the theremin

...while Andrew plays the accordion

Together they make music that caused me to suffer greatly

Alternate methods of cigarette lighting are explored...

...as are alternate forms of transportation

We venture into the storm...

...AND ARE KILLED BY RAVENOUS CHRISTMAS TREES, WHO HAVE FINALLY HAD THEIR "TREEVENGE" AFTER YEARS OF HARDSHIP AND ABUSE

That just about sums it up. Somewhere in there is being proposition for drugs by a random who might have been fourteen, and jumping on a trampoline (Who puts a trampoline in their front yard?) somewhere in the south-end. A happy new year, indeed. I hope your New Year's Eve was just as fun, internet!

Movies of '09

A continuation of last year's project. The number to beat hovers around 140-150. As an added component, this year I'm also going to keep track of television series I either complete or keep up with watching.


*Note: Somewhere around July/August I stopped keeping a 100% accurate list. Shame! Will attempt to vindicate self and dutifully update.

Movies:

January
Demons
In Bruges
Slumdog Millionaire
Doubt
Spoorloos
The Pick-Up Artist
River's Edge
Wanted
A Simple Plan
Gran Torino
Dead Alive
Harold and Maude
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Atonement
The Wrestler
Angels in America (Technically a TV Miniseries, but I think it belongs here)
Turkish Delight
The Fourth Man
My Bloody Valentine
Revolutionary Road
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life
Soldier of Orange
RoboCop
Haute Tension
Ravenous
9 1/2 Weeks
O Brother, Where Art Thou?

February
Run, Lola, Run
Dark City
JCVD
Delicatessen
Total Recall
C.H.U.D.
Do The Right Thing
Evil Dead 2
W.
The Incredible Hulk
Bloodsport
Kickboxer
Frost/Nixon
Highlander
Boogie Nights
Vicky Christina Barcelona
Friday the 13th

March
Network
Lives of Others
One Week
Happy Gilmore
The Land of Faraway
Watchmen
Intolerable Cruelty
The Crazies
Faust
Maniac Cop
Pontypool
Element of Crime
Rock N Roll High School 2
Bourne Identity
Rabid
Mad Max
Mad Max II: The Road Warrior
Dead Ringers
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
A Boy and His Dog

April
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
The Haunting in Connecticut
16 Candles
The Cincinnati Kid
Vertigo
Flowers in the Attic
Werckmeister harmóniák
Heat
Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr.
Deep Red
Observe and Report
Gone With the Wind
Sunshine Cleaning
Hard Core Logo
All About Eve
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Rachel Getting Married
How To Lose Friends and Alienate People
Straw Dogs
Caprica
Conan The Barbarian

May
Near Dark
Lady in White
Wolverine
My Own Private Idaho
Control
The Fall
Highway 61
Snow Angels
Taken
A Night to Remember
Star Trek
Re-Animator
Children of the Living Dead
Wolfen
April Fool's Day
Tetsuo: The Iron Man
Storytelling
Candyman
Shindler's List
s. Darko
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
The Greatest Game Ever Played
Drag Me To Hell
Hot Rod
Hamlet 2
Paranoid Park

June
Il y'a longtemps que je t'aime
L.A. Confidential
The Hangover
Dumb and Dumber
Kairo
À l'intérieur
4 mosche di velluto grigio
He's Just Not That Into You
Young@Heart
Fanboys
Seventh Moon
The Third Man
Martin
Raging Bull

July
Brüno
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Last House on the Left
Don't Look Now
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II
Memoirs of a Geisha

August
Swingers
Zombie Strippers!
Funny People
Inglourious Basterds
District 9
Look
Dogville
L'ultimo treno della notte
Halloween II

September
500 Days of Summer
Martyrs
Phenomena
Julie & Julia
Saved!
The Dirt Bike Kid
Shopgirl
Thirst
Trauma
Fear, Anxiety, and Depression
The Other Boleyn Girl
Act of God
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Africville: Can't Stop Now
Believe It
Paris 1919
It Came From Kuchar
The Invention of Lying
Antichrist
Dead Snow
The Trotsky
Bon Cop Bad Cop

October
Paranormal Activity
Where the Wild Things Are
Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma
Whatever Works
The Limits of Control
The September Issue
Zombieland
Nightbreed
The Gate II
The Stand
Castle Freak
Trick r Treat
Shades of Darkness
Forbidden Planet
Practical Magic
The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari
Village of the Damned
The New World

November
The Manchurian Candidate
Fatal Attraction
The Fourth Kind
Traffic
Don't You Forget About Me
Weird Science
Cabin Fever
Heathers
2012
The Princess Diaries

December
The Aviator
Helvetica
The Entity
Ninja Assassin
The Road
Dead of Night
Love Actually
Kinsey
Food Inc.
Away We Go
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call, New Orleans
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Cube
Good Hair
It Might Get Loud
Avatar
Sherlock Holmes
Troll
A Christmas Story
Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars
It's Complicated
Moon
----
215

Television:

SPACED
Battlestar Galactica
How I Met Your Mother
Entourage
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Freaks and Geeks