Tonight I saw "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."  I have wanted to see it since I saw the first trailers for it a few months back.  I really liked it.  It is by no means a very daring or controversial film, but it is ground-breaking in other ways, mainly the technology to create the aging and reverse-aging of characters.  It is beautifully shot and well told.  It made me laugh and it made me cry and I don't care that that's what it was "trying" to do.  The movie elicits emotion and I enjoy seeing films that do that.  People can call in manipulative, but isn't that what we want?  Don't we want a movie to affect us in some way?  To "manipulate our emotions?  Whatever.

Brad Pitt is pretty wonderful.  He is definitely fun to look at as he gets younger.  He's a gorgeous man, there is no doubting that.  It was pretty funny to hear the audience… well, the women in the audience let out a collective "gasp" the first time we get to see Brad sans wrinkles!  It's like, "Oh yeah!  I almost forgot how beautiful he is… and was… through the magic of the reverse aging technique we get to pretty much see Brad Pitt in his twenties again! 

Alas, I hate when I come out of a movie feeling so happy and fulfilled only to return home and read a few negative reviews and they almost make me doubt my initial reaction to the film.  I have such an open mind when it comes to my opinions on movies that unfortunately I am easily swayed by compelling arguments.  The same thing happened to me after seeing "Wall-E" in the theater.  I was completely satisfied upon returning home, then I read a few negative reviews and suddenly I wasn't so sure I liked it anymore.  I had to sort of mentally smack myself up-side the head to remind myself that I really did like the movie, love it in fact.

As I said, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" isn't a mind blowing theater going experience, but it's a great example of storytelling using the most modern and up to date means.  When we get over our predisposition for fast paced, edge of our seat, action packed, eye candy on the big screen it's really one of the best films to come out in a long time.  I highly recommend it for a dinner and a movie date.

When you're 26 years old and you've been married since you were 24 to a man you met when you were 21 a question you get asked rather often is, "what made you decide to get married so young?"  It's not always easy to answer this question for one reason or another.  Sometimes I'm just not able to put into words the feelings I have felt for my husband for many years.  Sometimes the words that do come to me I somehow doubt will make sense to someone else who isn't feeling what I'm feeling.  But sometimes the stream of consciousness of my inner thought, a glass of wine, and Seinfeld and Family Guy murmuring in the background lead to surprising clarity.

Any time I let the thought cross my mind that there could be someone else out there in the world more suited to me and that perhaps I settled down too soon (this is not very often) I come back to one very important fact about my husband and I.  Well, maybe it's not a fact, I mean who really knows, but it is at least a tremendously strong feeling.  This fact or feeling or what have you is simply that there is no one besides him who is a better match for my personality, my quirks, my strengths, and my flaws.  And frankly even if there were by some cosmic chance someone else out there just a little bit better suited, I would never give up what I have for what could possibly be.  Life is just too short to be constantly wondering what could be a little bit better.

For all the little things that might irk me from time to time: the things I've said that have gone in one ear and out the other, the absentmindedness, the one-track-mindedness, the constantly hounding me to try foods (again and again) that I know (and he knows) I do not like, the patronizing way he says, "don't get so emotional" when I raise my voice in the slightest about something I feel strongly about… for all these things there are just as many if not more things about me that probably irk him and yet he loves me just the same.  I am very anti-social and he understands that; I try to make an effort to go out from time to time, but he doesn't force me or make me feel bad if I don't and I am happy enough to let him go out without me without making him feel guilty for it.  Some things make me incredibly anxious like being late or doing things that "aren't allowed" (trespassing, not following directions, etc.) and he isn't too mean about it.  I have no interest in anything "outdoorsy" and a part of him does yet he doesn't push it on me. 

The things that we share, we share happily; and just the same the things we don't share we don't share happily.  He knows he can sit in front of his computer composing music all day and night and I won't feel neglected.  I know that I can spend the whole day writing or watching TV and he won't feel ignored.  He knows if he wants to go out with the guys I won't feel left out.  He loves to cook, I hate it, so he does it and I don't without a second thought about whether or not that is the way things "should be."  I do the laundry pretty much all the time because I would rather do it and have it done in one consistent way then let him make a mess of it!  But if I have absolutely no time to get it done and it is an emergency he won't hesitate to go to the Laundromat if I ask him to.

Long story short (I'm sorry if this was long and boring, I was hoping for interesting and somewhat educational) is that my husband and I are extremely compatible not only in our love for each other, but also on a truly logical level.  When I think about the decision I made to marry my husband at such a young age I can rest easy knowing it was a decision I made with my heart and my mind.  No thrilling thoughts of first kisses, fantasies of forbidden sexual escapades, or reminiscence of what could have been with someone from the past could ever convince me that who I already have isn't who I am meant to be with  based on the person I am and the person he is right now.

I am not a hopeless romantic, but I am also not a cold creature driven only by logic.  I know people grow and change throughout their lives and that by marrying so young there is always a chance of growing apart, becoming not so suited to one another as time goes on, but as long as that love is there and the deep understanding of what it is that we really love about each other we have the greatest chance to evolve and adapt to those changes.

And that is how a girl meets a guy at 21, marries him at 24, and at 26 hopes for a long future together.

I turned 26 years old today. 25 was one of the longest years of my life. In spite of the fact that time seems to pass quicker and quicker as you get older 25 lasted an eternity. I have several theories as to why this is. One of them is simply that so much happened during the last year: moving to Los Angeles, working on so many new things in so many new places, meeting so many new people, friends getting married, and friends having babies; therefore it seemed like an extra long year. Another is also quite simple and has to do with meeting so many new people: I feel like I was asked my age at least a hundred times in the last year. When you say, "I'm 25." over a hundred times you feel like you have been 25 forever.

I'm happy to be leaving 25 behind. Perhaps 26 can be even more exciting...and hopefully less stressful. I've spent the last year trying to figure out what kind of lifestyle I would like to live, who I'd like to be, what I'd like to do with my life. What will make me happy, what will make me feel secure, what will make me feel satisfied and accomplished? What will lead to my own personal creative fulfillment and perhaps even hint at the possibility of financial stability and propel me ever closer to the chance of starting a family some day? I've spent 25 asking so many questions all I can hope is that 26 will bring some answers.

I'm lucky enough to be exploring the answers to all these questions with a partner by my side. Not only do I love my husband, but as silly as it sounds I also love the fact that having a husband means that at least there's one aspect of life I don't have to stress out about. Being a married woman all I really have to worry about is maintaining the love that we share, nurturing it, appreciating it, and fighting not to lose that special something that drew us to each other in the first place. Don't get me wrong, this is no easy task, all relationships are tested in one way or another day after day and mine is no exception. I just hope that if all else fails in my life I can at least hold on to this very important part and triumph over any challenge that may present itself.

So what are some specific goals for the next year of my life? Well, for one I'd like to find a steady job. Being a freelance production assistant was exciting at first and I wouldn't trade any of the experiences I've had thus far for anything, but I just don't think I can keep it up. I am way too much of a worrier about things like money and stability to be satisfied with a career that has me guessing day after day when the next job will come. Barely scraping by was somewhat acceptable for ages 18-25, but at 26 I just don't want to do it anymore. I want to have a savings for crying out loud! So anyway, yeah, a job would be good. A second goal is to not only finish a piece of writing (whether it be my children's book, my novel, or another script) but to take the next step and actually seek out a way for it to see the light of day. If my dream is to be paid to sit in the privacy of my own home and write what I want to write then I better get cracking. And a third goal is to somehow get back into shape. I haven't fallen that far out of shape, but I have at least ten pairs of jeans that I invested in while I was working at The Buckle in Ann Arbor that I can no longer fit into and that makes me mad! But how do I get back into shape without doing any of that physical activity that I loath or eating less of the food that I love? I'm convincing myself that the real cause of my weight gain is stress and as soon as I have a job that I love or at least some sort of financial stability in my life I will be far less tense and the few pounds I want to get rid of will simply melt away. Yeah, that sounds about right to me.

I hope a lot of wonderful things happen in this next year. Not just for me, but for everyone around me. There will be more weddings and more babies, more films made and more opportunities to look forward to. I'm trying to be positive because for some reason it's been hard to keep myself from being negative lately. I've been fighting a depression that I can't quite understand because it seems completely unmotivated, but can only hope is merely connected to my unhappiness with my current financial situation and not something deeper. I'm working on it so you'll just have to bear with me while I figure it all out.

Here's to 26, let it be kind to me and exciting in ways I never thought possible!

Eight months into living in California and I experienced my first earthquake the other day. Lon and I have asked a lot of people over the last handful of months if they've been around for one and what it was like. We've never really gotten a satisfying explanation and now I know why: it is a very difficult sensation to describe.

I was sitting in my living room on my sofa, surfing the net when suddenly the room began to vibrate a little bit. I didn't find it that odd because our apartment has been known to rumble a smidge when a large truck rolls by or even when a neighbor, particularly heavy on her feet, walks past our place. Then this slight vibration continued and grew in intensity. My large screen television began to sway on its tiny stand and a couple of our action figures toppled from their shelves.

My heart leapt into my throat as I was suddenly quite aware of what was taking place. I jumped to my feet, put myself square within the first doorway I could get to, and yelled, "Guys?!" to my husband, roommate, and friend upstairs. The whole apartment was rocking, nothing more fell from the walls, and suddenly it was all over. Fifteen seconds. It just stopped and I was stunned. The guys came downstairs and we all discussed what we had just experienced.

Though there was no more shaking after that, it took a good half an hour for my heart to stop beating so fast. It was immediately all over the news where it was classified as a 5.6 and then upgraded to a 5.8 and then later back down to a 5.4, tame by comparison I suppose, but I didn't know any better. I knew there was no real damage though so it obviously wasn't so bad. The news would continue to talk about it long after I felt any need to listen. I was over it, but it was truly a remarkable experience to know that the EARTH had been rocking below us. Crazy.

On an even stranger note, my husband and I were just going through the items that had fallen from his bizarre miniature collection that hangs on the wall in our living room. Literally only a handful of items hit the floor, but we had fun going through them individually and playing with the idea that there might be a reason these particular ones bit the dust.

Here is a list of the items:

Animals (dog, squirrel, bunny, turkey)

Six Coca Cola bottles

a heart

a beer bottle

a chalice

a bottle of wine

pillow

large clock

small clock

dinosaur

newspaper

globe

harmonica

baby bottle

laser gun

robot

a horrified looking nun

So here's a little prediction....

Something big is coming. Perhaps humanity's gross consumerism (coca cola bottles) and sin (beer, wine, chalice) is going to bring about the end of the world (globe). Not since the destruction of the DINOSAURS has there been such a momentous disaster. It will be the biggest news all around the world (newspaper). It may not happen until after Lon and I have a child (baby bottle), but time is running out (large clock- small clock) and it will probably come in the night while we are asleep (pillow). The ANIMALS will sense it first as they seem to have done with this earthquake. The relative harmony (harmonica) of the world will come to an end. When the evil ROBOTS come from space with their LASER GUNS. Even the deeply religious (horrified nun) will be without answers on this day of reckoning. Perhaps humanity's love (heart) will be our one saving grace when this all comes to be. We better start working on that.

There it is. Can you put together a different interpretation of these symbols? I would love to hear it.

My only fear regarding The Dark Knight, coming to theaters July 18^th, is that the series of posters that have been released throughout the months leading up to the big screen debut will in the ended posses far more style then the movie itself.

This isn't to say that the film isn't going to look amazing. Just like Batman Begins I'm sure it will be beautifully shot, the locations will be awesome (I mean, it is Chicago of course), and the production design will be lovely. But it is the edgy graphic novel style that the posters portray which I love, but am afraid will not be found in the film we see in a couple of weeks.

The new Batman movies, directed by Christopher Nolan, certainly have a style. I would call it realism (if that can be considered a style). These movies are designed to reflect a world as close to our own as possible and what it would be like if Batman really did exist. It shows us how Bruce Wayne could realistically learn to be an unstoppable crime fighter and answers the question posed by The Joker (Jack Nicholson) in the 1989 Batman, "where does he get those wonderful toys?"

My initial reaction to Batman Begins was that of wonder and awe. I LOVED it. I thought I might have possibly found a new favorite Batman movie. But over time it faded. I still think it is a very well done film. Most of the acting is spot on, Chicago looks amazing as Gotham City, it was action packed and beautiful... but for me the movie did not have enough style or perhaps I should say it didn't have the right kind of style. I like my Gotham City to look unlike any other city in the world, it is a fictional town after all. I like my super hero movies to be a bit more over the top and unrealistic, they should be fantasy films.

Back to the posters. The posters have been incredible. I would love to own a print of everyone if I could. Some of them are so twisted and graphic and bizarre... but I don't know how much of that will be reflected in the actual film. I'm trying not to set myself up for disappointment. Unlike everyone who is going around talking about how amazing The Dark Knight is going to be, I keep telling myself that it might not live up to the hype. That way at least I give myself the option of being pleasantly surprised.

I think it just comes down to the fact that I am a die hard 1989 Batman fan. That was the Batman that started it all for me and if you know me you know that I LOVE Batman. It's hard to let go of a love that strong. The new Batman films can be the most technically brilliant films made about a super hero to date and I still wont like them more than Burton's Batman.

The only way someone could redo Batman that would REALLY interest me and possibly give the 1989 version a run for its money is if they did a ripped from the pages of a graphic novel, Sin City style, adaptation of the comic. That's a style I can get excited about. Till then Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale and yes even Heath Ledger are just giving me a well crafted Batman film to tide me over.

I hope I am VERY pleasantly surprised by The Dark Knight. I'll let you know.

Note to whom it may concern, show me a cute cartoon bunny and I will squeal with delight. No joke. I went to see WALL-E last night and the Pixar short before the film, "Presto Chango" featured one of the cutest animated bunny rabbits I have seen in a long time. Just ask my husband, I was actually squealing beside him in my seat. I bet it was really annoying. I think the last movie that elicited that kind of response from me was "Wallace and Grommit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit." The stop-motion bunnies in that movie are to die for.

Anyway, WALL-E himself was pretty much just as adorable. I came out of the film feeling really good about what I just viewed. Great animation, characters with so much personality and so few words, gorgeous animated depictions of outer space, solid story, I love robots. It was reminiscent of both ET and Short Circuit. I was never really a fan of ET so my initial comparison was to Short Circuit which I love, but I can not deny the similarities to that big eyed alien from the past. Overall, the movie just made me feel really.... good.

But alas, not amazing. I'm feeling slightly jaded now. This morning I've been sifting through a few reviews and although mostly positive, there are a few that make some really intelligent negative points that make a lot of sense. Though I was entertained by the entire film I'd have to agree that the first third (the segment that takes place on earth) was by far the most artistic and groundbreaking with its absence of dialogue, incredible scenery, and beautiful color pallet. Only Pixar could make a cockroach character charming and lovable! Once we leave earth what follows are amusing and fun cartoonish antics, but with a lot less style and grace.

I don't know if I would have picked out these specific reactions if I had not read the reviews saying basically the same thing. But I'm pretty sure I had these feelings as well, I simply hadn't put my finger on exactly what they were. And it's true, the first third is groundbreaking and the last two thirds seem to take a step backwards in animation style, in character development, and in storytelling. Still fun, not fantastic. And the movie is just so cute and sweet. There is no denying that. It is almost to a fault for some people I am sure. I happen to be a sucker for the sweetness (see previous section sighting my squeals) so for me it worked, but I could also see it turning stomachs after a while.

Oh, but you know what? It didn't make me cry. Five minutes into the movie I said to myself, "oh man, this one is gonna make me bawl." and yet it never did reach that height (or depth as it were) of emotion. I just realized that as I'm writing this. Not to say it wasn't a good film overall because it didn't make me cry, but it does say something about my ultimate connection to the characters and perhaps the story line's lack of intensity. I mean, I seriously will cry at the drop of a hat. I think one reviewer said something about never feeling any danger or never getting the sense that WALL-E wasn't going to prevail in the end. Finding Nemo made me cry in the first five minutes. It went there.

WALL-E goes all over outer space, but I guess in the end it just doesn't go there... define "there" in whatever way suits you and I think you'll find that unfortunately it still holds true. I still love you WALL-E and I'll buy a toy of you if it's cute enough cause that's just the kind of gal I am.

I saw Wanted last night and in spite a number of plot holes that gradually occur to you as you drive away from the theater, it was quite entertaining. It's a fun flick that's a treat for the eyes and lets your brain take a summer vacation.

I've come away with the following thoughts:

1. James McAvoy continues to please me and I find him more adorable with every role. Although, I could have easily seen this character played by Shia LaBeouf with its sarcastic wit and slightly annoying whine. I think maybe Shia was only a couple years too young to fill these shoes, but not far off. I wonder if he was up for the role or not.

2. Angelina Jolie possesses a strikingly beautiful face, but her body is frighteningly skeletal. She is gorgeous though and oh so cool with her tattoos and dark eyes. I think I am finally over the whole stealing Brad Pitt from Jennifer Anniston thing. I'm an Angie fan again... but if the camera adds ten pounds then what the HELL does she look like in real life? I hope having those twins puts some meat on her bones.

3. If they ever plan on doing the female Terminator thing again (maybe in the new Christian Bale Terminator movies that are in the works) Angelina Jolie would make a PERFECT Terminator. Her bone structure fits the image of the metal monsters amazingly. It was as if she was built by the late great Stan Winston himself.

4. It's fun to see Morgan Freeman swear... although it made me feel like someone really wanted the role to have been filled by Sam Jackson.

5. I was surprised to see that the movie takes place in Chicago. I had no idea. Made me a little homesick. CTA trains are awesome, especially when Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy use them as tools of death!

6. The film contains a healthy blend of live action and computer generated effects. There were few moments where I was irritated by the CG, and that is saying a lot for me these days.

7. Just when you think they've done it all when it comes to gun fights and car chases, Wanted comes a long and pulls some fancy tricks out of Hollywood's ass.

If you get even the tiniest bit of the heebie jeebies when you look at a porcelain doll and you want to turn it in to a full on phobia I recommend you watch the 1987 film "Dolls" directed by Stuart Gordon. I think I saw this movie for the first time not long after it came out. I know I was young... probably too young. But I swear I am more freaked out by this movie now then I ever was as a kid. Although, I can't quite remember if dolls gave me the creeps before I saw the movie or if it was in fact the cause of my fear. Hmmm.

The stop motion effects used to animate the dolls is downright terrifying. Their little angry frowning faces and tiny teeth, horrifying. They use little knives and saws and tiny guns and even their teeth to cause as much pain as possible before they ultimately kill their prey. The way the victims slowly turn into dolls themselves is so damn creepy.

The story is pretty well done too. The idea of a creepy yet kind old couple making dolls out of the people who end up stranded at their old home in the middle of nowhere is great. It gets even better when you find out that the dolls will not kill children or anyone who is truly young at heart. They only kill the bastards who you want to die anyway. So in the end it's almost like they are the good guys... but not really, they are still freaky as hell and even the guy who's life was spared doesn't really want to have anything to do with them.

Anyway, that's my pick of the day... as if I have a pick for everyday or something! Check it out... if you think you can handle it!

I've been on a real horror movie kick these days. I know that's not really very different for me, but this time there is a reason. I am in the midst of writing a horror script for a film that Lon and I one day hope to make together. So all the screamfests are for research purposes. I'm taking mental notes about who's getting killed, how many are getting killed, how far into the movie are we before someone gets killed, how are the characters being developed, how much do you see of the killer, when do we find out who the killer is, how are people being killed, what methods of murder are used, how much do we see of the murders themselves, etc. Yeah, it's a little morbid, but no nightmares yet.

In the last week or so I have watched "Sleepaway Camp", The first six of the Friday the 13^th movies, a few minutes or so of "Nightmare on Elm Street", "Demon Night", "They Live", "Return of the Living Dead", "The Orphanage", and probably a few others I can't think of right now. I love horror movies. I love everything about them. I love to watch them. I love to write them. I want to make them.

I've been learning a lot. One thing I've learned is that I always give The Friday the 13^th movies way less credit than they deserve. What is it about those movies that make me think I don't really like them? But then I watch them again and I am totally amused. I start from number one and think "for sure by number two I'll think these are lame." Then all of a sudden I am on number three and four and I haven't gotten bored yet. In fact I am repeatedly blown away by how much I really like the ironically titled fourth installment "Friday the 13^th: The Final Chapter". It probably has something to do with the fact that both Corey Feldman and an adorably young and bright eyed Crispin Glover are in it. You have to see that movie if only to listen to Crispin Glover talk like an awkward teen, get called a "dead fuck" repeatedly, and attempt something that in an alternate universe could be considered dancing! But sadly, he isn't safe from a butcher knife to the forehead. Sigh, I love Crispin Glover. I watched through the sixth movie and have not been turned off yet. I think I'll enjoy seven as well, but in eight Jason takes Manhattan and if I recall correctly that one is a real stinker. From then on I think they are pretty poopy.

Another thing I've learned is that they continue to mis-market Guillermo Del Toro films. I know "The Orphanage" isn't directed by Del Toro, but it was hand picked and produced by him and just like "Pan's Labyrinth" was featured in an issue of Fangoria, a well known horror movie magazine. "Pan's Labyrinth" ended up being more of a dark historical fantasy film and "The Orphanage" is what I would call a supernatural mystery movie. Both films certainly have some terrifying imagery and elements of horror, but I would not consider them to be horror as most understand it. All in all both films are quite good and I recommend them. If you can handle a little spookiness the emotionally gripping stories are well worth the ride.

Anyway, I am currently taking a short intermission from the horror films by trying to sit through Ellen Degeneres' hetero-romantic comedy "Mr. Wrong." I think I prefer axe murderers and zombies. I wonder what else is on Cable tonight?

Four months in and I've taken my first step into reality television. It may be the first step of many... it may not, we'll just have to see about that. On Saturday I went to help out a friend with doing the set decoration for a reality tv pilot called "America's Hottest Honey." I don't exactly know the premise of the show, but do I really need to know the premise to figure out what it's about? No, not really.

I spent my day making twelve beds for the twelve potential hot honeys to sleep in. I helped assemble and put up ten foot curtains in the main living room where the eliminations will take place. I had a hand in adding the fine details to the rooms of a Los Angeles mansion where there will be arguments and cat fights and drunken parties that will probably result in the misplacement and breakage of most of the things we prepared. How fun is that?!

Lon and I finished our stint on The Fast and the Furious 4 about a week ago and since then we have picked up a couple odd jobs. We did a couple days on G.I. Joe last week and then I did the reality show thing. Now we are entering an undetermined amount of unemployed time, which depending on the length in the end, is very much welcome. It gives us time to write and edit and create on our own time, but it doesn't provide any income so it can't go on forever. Time to start keeping our eyes and ears open for the next job. It's a crazy way to live your life, but whoever said people in the entertainment business are completely sane?

The lack of spending money is totally worth being able to say we are in the entertainment business... in whatever small way that may be.