Wednesday, May 23, 2012

#19-22 of My Movie Loving

#19: Titanic 3D
While this movie stunned the first time around in the box office, it was unsure how it would hold up again as a 3D film. Personally, I think the whole 3D remake of older films idea needs to die. Films have enough merit in 2D. Remaking a ton of old films is not going to enhance a lot of older movies. Unless the movie is continually moving and a lot of stuff comes flying at the screen. I don't need to say a lot about plot because if you haven't seen Titanic, you must be living under a rock and therefore lack internet. Basic equation: Rich girl who is engaged + Poor boy who falls in love + Jealous Fiancee who wants their love to die + sinking boat = Titanic. I give this movie a 7 out of 10. The 3D did nothing to enhance the film until the boat hit the iceberg. Then the film provided enough water movement and screaming to create a good 3D film. The only problem I had was that at a certain part of the film water is rushing, the lights are flashing, and the 3D just provided too much. I actually started getting nauseous. But once that subsided, I was fine. So it was good, but mostly based on its original merits.

#20: The Cabin in the Woods
I have started getting more into horror films and when I saw the preview for this, I flipped out a bit. Awesome cast + Joss Whedon (fangirl squee) + horror = OMFG. Cabin follows a lot of stereotypes from films but plays them up to the audience as humor. The film had some genuinely funny parts, included the moment when I said quite loudly, "You bitch." and made the people around me giggle. I give the movie a 9.5 out of 10. While there is an ending that I could have seen done differently, the film provides enough humor to keep the mood light, enough romance to keep it soft, enough gore to please horror fans, and enough twists to please an intellectual. But I can't say anything else in order to maintain integrity. Just go see it, it's awesome I promise.

#21: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
I had seen this film in pop up ads and decided to investigate it. Upon my pleasure of seeing Alan Tudyk in the cast (More Whedon fanlove), I put the movie on my to see list and presently forgot about it. Every once in a while, it would flit across my Netflix and finally amongst other Whedonites, it was watched. The film is about two hillbillies Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine) who have saved up and bought a fishing cabin. On the way up, the duo run into a group of students heading for a camping trip. The students get the impression it's like stumbling into a horror story, while Tucker and Dale think they're just being themselves. Hilarity (and gore) ensue. I give the movie a 7.5 out of 10. It's cheesy in a funny way, and Joss gets some cred. But a lot of the film is predictable and slightly awkward at times. Also besides a couple names, the cast is relatively unknown and rather untested at acting. Overall good movie, but not making any top lists for me.

#22: Malice in Wonderland

Because Carroll's Victorian masterpiece is one of my favorite books of all time, I was both hesitant yet somewhat hopeful to see the film. So when I couldn't decide what to watch one night (all hail Netflix), I played it. The journey of our Alice, played by Maggie Grace, starts with her journey into "Wonderland" which is also kind of London at the same time. Her journey into Wonderland has wiped part of her memory so for the entire journey into Wonderland she's trying to figure out what she knew before she got there. She's aided in her quest by the white rabbit equivalent, which in this case is a cab driver named Whitey. I give the film a 7.5 out of 10. The storyline is extremely complicated to follow at times and there's barely anyone of name in the film, but the visuals are stunning. It's an incredibly complicated, but incredibly amazing imagery of film.


Sex, Society, and the Single Woman

I've been single most of the 23 years I've been alive. Apart from a week and a half long relationship in college, I've gotten used to being single and a virgin. Some of my damaged romantic past is my fault, and some of the fault is certainly on the shoulders of the guys who have treated me like crap (one guy in particular is on my kick-your-ass-if-I-ever-see-you-again list). As I've grown up and matured into the woman I am today, I'm becoming more comfortable in my singledom but also more frustrated at the perception society has about sex.

Society already has power over women by telling them what size their waist should be (I'm personally a fan of size cheesecake) and if that pressure wasn't enough, now society is trying to dictate my sex life. Great, thanks society. Like I don't already have enough issues.

Television, film, and music are permeated with the idea that if you're single, you should be sleeping with random people to find "the one." Am I the only person that sees the flawed logic in this plan? If a guy is willing to sleep with a girl on the first date, he's probably not looking for her to be the one. And this perception is spreading into the minds of girls everywhere. Look how that's going. Shows that focus on girls who get pregnant in high school like 16 and Pregnant and Secret Life of the American Teenage exhibit some of the problems of having children when you're young, but not nearly all the difficulties or statistics. I'm not saying everyone needs to remain chaste until marriage (props to those who do), but sleeping around isn't the answer and it's certainly not a good idea for people in high school who aren't emotionally ready to handle it.

It's extremely frustrating when people tell me, "Oh you need to get laid." Seriously? If I had wanted to get laid, I would've done so already. I told myself that I was going to be in a committed relationship when I lost my virginity and I've stuck to that. I want sex, but I also want intimacy. I want someone to create a bond with emotionally. Not just wham bam thank you, now get out.

Unfortunately, a lot is stacked against me in that regard. My foray into online dating was a great example of this. At the behest of my cousin, I created an online profile and sat anxiously waiting for responses. After some creepy inquiries and straight up invites for a hook up, I changed my profile so the tagline read "If looking for a hook up, need not apply here." My response rate plummeted and I lost interest in the idea of meeting someone that way. Even though eharmony tv ads keep informing me that lots of happy couples meet online.

So guys are looking for sex not intimacy, teen girls are getting pregnant in high school, and people I know think getting laid will fix me. Well that's discouraging.

Recently an article popped up on my facebook or twitter and it was celebrities discussing when they had lost their virginity. Here's some highlights:
Khloe Kardashian 14
Daniel Radcliffe 16
Britney Spears 14
Matthew Morrison 21
Tina Fey 24 (before marriage, but to the guy she's now married to)
Matthew Fox 12
Adriana Lima 27 (yes, the Victoria's Secret model waited until marriage)
Johnny Depp 13
Angelina Jolie 14

So there's a general slutiness about celebrities, but also some who waited. So it's nice to know that some celebrities feel the same about sex that I do. Go Tina and Adriana! I guess my whole point of this blog, besides telling everyone I'm still a virgin, is to give some youth hope that it's ok to wait. More people will say they wished they had waited versus wishing they had lost it sooner. Don't sell yourself short, wait to find someone who is worth that level of intimacy. And always use protection, no matter when you decide to trade your V-card!