Reviews . . . Reader's Digest-style

So I keep meaning to write reviews for everything I either watched or read over the winter break. While I would like to devote entire posts to each of the movies/books, I don't think it will ever happen because I'll keep putting it off until there are even more.

Ergo, you're all getting the abridged version.

Let us begin.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett is a lighthearted tale of the apocalypse gone wrong. It all begins when the Antichrist is accidentally dropped of with the wrong family and proceeds through many interesting, often humorous, turns before a poignant end. I had no previous experience of Pratchett and am only familiar with Gaiman because of Stardust (I've only seen the film . . . book is on the list!).

This book was good--easy reading and quite funny at times--but it didn't quite live up to the hype; this book was recommended to me as "hilarious" by a friend here in Memphis. Hilarious? No, though I did laugh out loud (literally) at one or two points. Humorous and entertaining? Yes--but I won't be rereading it or seeking out works by these two authors any time soon.

In my opinion, the beauty of Cameron's Avatar is almost beyond words. If you haven't seen it yet, go. Perhaps the best way to briefly summarize this movie is to call it "Pocahontas in space," though the similarity is relatively superficial. I haven't read too much about what other people have been saying about this movie, but from what I gather the main focus has been on the visual effects, which--while impressive--weren't the clincher for me.

Yes, the plot is a little lacking. Yes, some of the characters may be a little flat. However, the message is a good one and there are plenty of wonderful lines in the dialogue to make up for the insubstantial, sliiightly trite plot.

Of course, I'm going to love anything that combines a strong message on indigenous rights with science fiction/outer space. I may be biased in reviewing this movie, but it is my current favorite at the box office and the first film I have bothered to see three times in theatres since Return of the King. Go watch this movie--if you haven't already--and let me know your impressions.

City of Thieves by David Benioff was billed on the back cover as humorous. Considering it was a story about two prisoners trapped in Nazi besieged Leningrad during World War II, I had my doubts, but gave it a shot. It was entertaining at points, but I never found it funny. I enjoyed it, yes, but more as an accurate representation of the horrors war inflicts on a civilian population (a side you see less often than the patriotic heroics on the battlefield).

City of Thieves isn't long, but covers a wide array of situations--often disturbing--that hold you enthralled. The story is based upon the experiences of his grandfather, though it seems to have been highly fictionalized--if most of these events really happened, that old man deserves a medal.

For me, this book was perhaps the most interesting when juxtaposed with another I read a few years back, A Woman in Berlin. While City of Thieves chronicles the horrible things the Nazis put the Russians through during the siege, A Woman in Berlin was the published diary of a female journalist who lived through the Russian occupation of Berlin. It was interesting--and disheartening--to see the overlap in how occupiers treat the occupied. A dark comment on the human condition (though either book is worth your time).

(500) Days of Summer is to rent/own as Avatar is to theatre. I love this movie, and considering the preponderance of my readers are girls, this is probably the movie that most of you would enjoy the most of everything I've discussed, as well.

It's a love story but not, all the fun trappings of the traditional romantic comedy without the cliché and predictable plot--and with an interesting twist/moral to boot. It's indie, so it can be a little unusual at times, but never so far out there you can't enjoy it. Characters are fun, plot is believable, dialogue is funny . . . this movie is amazing. Ben introduced it to me while I was home over the break and within a week I had purchased my own copy and subjected 3 other people to this film. (So do yourself a favor and watch it before I force you.) Additionally, the soundtrack is amazing.

Anyway, I think that's it. I could be missing a couple, but those are the biggies.

Went to my "French Connection" class yesterday and am pretty excited. All the people in the class seem fun and I like the professor. He's supposed to email us the itinerary sometime this weekend, so I'll get it up soon for you to feel jealous. As a francophile, I am beyond excited to finally have Paris penciled in for the near future.

GRE and New Classes

Well, the GRE was about as bad as I expected: I've been too brain-dead to blog since Wednesday.

I did about 4 points above average on the quantitative (math) and did quite well on the verbal (English). I also feel confident in my two essays.

This, too, is about what I expected.

I would probably try to take it one more time if I could, but as there isn't time to do that and get the scores to Tulane, I'm just gonna stick with the score I got.

Getting the GRE out of the way didn't leave me any time to relax, however: classes started yesterday! Woo!

Le breakdown:

Creative Writing

This class is bigger that what I expected, especially for a workshop kinda class . . . there are probably 20 people or more in there. I have to get 2 stories finished over the course of the semester, which seems a little daunting, but feasible. Amy P-Shaw, you may get drafted to do first round editing before I turn my work over to complete strangers. If you're willing. :)

International Seminar

We will only be meeting 4 times over the course of the semester, most of our work being done independently. Basically, I choose an issue of international scope and write a 30-page paper about it. Probably gonna do something with indigenous rights.

Contemporary Theories in Anthropology

Interesting, though with the potential to try to kill me. This class meets once a week from 5:30-8:30 and talks about a bunch of particulars and points of view. Generally, I dislike courses on theory because none of these guys are totally right, the truth is somewhere in between all of the theories. I also have 3 papers due. Lots of writing this semester.

Those are the only three I've been to so far. I have 2 more classes on MW and one later this afternoon, the honors class with the trip to France and Belgium over the break. I'll cover those three later.

Additionally, I'm gonna look into getting my International Seminar paper counted as a thesis by the Honors people. We'll see how that goes.

And I may be tutoring. Have to meet with a guy today.

Promise to post something more interesting soon!

A Blessing and a Curse

So apparently a water main exploded earlier today at the site in Cordova where I was supposed to take the GRE and it will be closed until Tuesday.

I had to reschedule. Which, while frustrating, was less-so than one might have imagined because the woman on the other end of the line when I dialed the 800 number to reschedule was actually really nice, concerned, and helpful.

I suppose that's one aspect that fits under the heading "Blessing."

Others would include the fact that my new test time on Wednesday is at the University and not at some secret location out in the 'burbs and that I now have more time to study for the test.

Because, realistically, I was (read: am) not prepared to take the test right now.

So what falls under "Curse?"

I have a million different applications to work on right now and I wanted the GRE out of the way so there would be one less thing to stress about. It's snowing outside, for Pete's sake! I should be curled up with a book and a cup of chai right now, not memorizing vocabulary words and working math problems!

Also, while I now have more time to study, it means that I have less of an excuse to do poorly. If I mess it up, it's entirely on my head. Eek.

Anyway, I'm off to enjoy a cup of chai and a chapter or two before I hit the books again. Hopefully all of you are actually getting a chance to enjoy your winter!

Because it's easier than I thought it would be.

. . . And more fun than studying for the GRE.

1. I would see a movie for the sole purpose of this actor/actress being in it.
2. This was apparently a big deal the year I was born.
3. My favorite musical instrument.
4. A place I want to visit before I die.
5. A movie I have practically memorized.
6. Another place I want to visit before I die.
7. A show I watched as a child and actually miss.
8. What I wanted to be when I grew up, and am still striving to be.
9. One other place I want to visit before I die.
10. The person who said my favorite quote.
11. My favorite thing to eat.
12. Something that makes me laugh a lot.

Life in Recent Days

Having been away from the internet for a few weeks, I am drastically behind on reviews. This problem is compounded by the fact that Amy P-Shaw has written a particularly detailed review of the new Sherlock Holmes film, which raises the stakes and makes all my previous reviews look bad.

However, as I am lazy and not in the mood for writing about anything too deep or profound, I'm just going to give you a little update for now and save the five or six reviews I need to churn out for later.

It was really nice to be home for the holidays and get to visit with family, both in Cleveland and the 'Boro. After last semester I really needed the R&R that being home provided.

I got back in Memphis in time for New Year's Eve and had fun hanging out with Sarah and Marvin. The highlight of the evening was definitely Dick Clark counting down out of order. I cannot help but laugh, still, when I think of that.

Yes, I know. That makes me a horrible person.

But who didn't already know that?

This past weekend was also fun because John came down to Memphis and I got to spend Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday showing him the sights. Monday (you know, yesterday) morning we got up early--in the single digits--and I drove him down to Mississippi State to move into his dorm for the new semester.

And by dorm, I mean hotel suite.

Compared with what I am used to in Memphis, Mississippi State's campus was amazing. The buildings were pretty and well-kept, everything was clean, and I was not exaggerating when I compared John's dorm to a hotel. I mean, holy cow. Compared to that place, Richardson Towers was a Colombian prison. I will definitely be pickier when looking at grad schools.

Speaking of which . . . I need to get cracking on my applications.

I have given up on the MFA, in no small part because of the comments left by you on my last grad school-themed post. Instead, I'm applying to a couple different places for things that relate more closely to my undergrad fields of study.

Right now, I'm applying to Tulane and Kansas State for different things. I was also going to apply to Memphis as a back-up school, but--as I mentioned--having seen Mississippi State, I'm pretty much ready to get out of here as soon as possible.

Tulane is a good school with a decent history program. I'm applying there so I can get my Masters and possibly pursue a career as a history professor type person. Pros? I love history, I'd get summers off, and I could wear fun sweaters for the rest of my life. (Ever had a history professor who didn't wear sweaters? Didn't think so.) Cons? I would have to narrow my interest down to one particular field of history, like a specific region, and I am broad (read: fickle) enough in my historical interests that I don't know if I could spend the rest of my life delving into only one subject.

Kansas State wasn't on the plate until a couple nights ago when I was perusing the internet while Marvin and John watched football. They have a program there entitled Global Indigenous Nations Studies, which is a really long and complicated name. Pros? I love studying indigenous people and have been searching for a program like this for a while; as the name indicates, the focus is global--I don't have to narrow it down to one people group; there is a study abroad opportunity in Finland where you learn about the Saami (my favorite indigenous group); and the program is interdisciplinary, so I can combine my interests in history and anthropology. Cons? I have no idea what specifically I would do once I had earned such a degree and it's in Kansas, where I never in a million years would have imagined going.

Thoughts?

I also need to finish the application for funding to go to Paris over spring break and I have to study really hard for the GRE, which I am taking Saturday. There is also a tentative campus visit to Tulane in the works for the near future that needs to become less tentative soon or it won't happen.

*Heavy Sigh*

Growing up, blah.