Under the Skin

We've been having a semi-eventful week with the return of my brother, Sam. He is now an RM. I don't know if it's scarier that he's an RM, or the fact that RM is synonymous with "on the prowl for a wife." As I mentioned, I'm ready for the RM thing, but the sister-in-law possibility is frightening. Now, don't get me wrong, Sam is neither engaged nor has a girlfriend at the moment, but it's a little scary. So, in celebration of this whole returning deal, on Friday, we watched a Soviet movie. Not just any Soviet movie. It's some sort of Russian-cult movie. Sam says that it's a bit like "An Affair to Remember." It's horrible, but everyone's seen it and claims to like. It was called "The Irony of Fate." I'm glad that my brother speaks fluent Russian now, because he had to translate the movie for us the whole way through. And it was painfully long. Then on Saturday for lunch, he cooked us pelmeni for lunch...

We have arrived at the end of this series. Now I don't know what to do with my blog, but something will happen. This list is really hard, because this is basically my movie-going generation. So I am more of a connoisseur of this decade than I have been on any of the others. I'm still not a complete expert (far from), but I know a little more. So here we go: 1. Finding Neverland (2004) Another one that I cry all the time while watching. It's a special movie, and I've always liked the idea of Peter Pan, and J.M. Barrie was a thoroughly intriguing man. Did you know that he didn't ever grow up? No, I'm not kidding. After he died, it was learned that he physically hadn't ever grown up. He was also only 5'. That's almost as tall as I am, but that's beside the point (I'm an inch taller). One of the true Davies boys, Nico (Nicolas), when responding to accusations that J.M. Barrie was slightly...pedophilic...said, "I don't believe he...

Okay, we've arrived at the nineties. That means that we're almost done, and I'll have to think of something else with which to occupy my lighter hours. (and it won't be women, Front-de-Boeuf: Front-de-Boeuf at one points states: "Women are but toys with which we amuse our lighter hours." Are we glad he dies in Torquilstone?) 1. Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) I love this movie. It's so awesome and makes me cry every single time. Excited that this is the End of the Year movie this year in ASL. Each level of ASL has a movie that they watch at the end of the year. This is the one for my level. 2. October Sky (1999) Also, this one makes me cry my eyes out. It's inspiring--you don't have to do what every tells you you will do. 3. Apollo 13 (1995) A well-made film really. It's just a time to remember the glory of what the Apollo missions were. 4. While You Were Sleeping (1995) It's funny. We watch it every Thanksgiving. "These mash...

Best of the 80s!!! 1. The Princess Bride (1987)-- This movie might make all of the garbage cinematography in the 80s worth it. If we would miss anything out of the 80s, we'd miss this little gem. "As You Wish!" 2. Chariots of Fire (1981) An inspiring film and the music is great too. It helps me in my life sometimes. 3. The Fox and the Hound (1981) Just a fun little movie about friendship. "Copper!" 4. Big (1988) Tom Hanks is a hilarious guy. The little corns and the caviar and stuff is hilarious, and the dresses are so disgustingly 80s. 5. ET (1982) Just fun for everyone, and the music, once again, is very nice. 6. Amadeus (1984) Funny, but sometimes I wish they'd watch the language. 7. Star Wars of the 80s (1980 and 1983) I can't tell them apart, they're just epic. 8. Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade (1989) I think this is my favorite IJ (Indiana Jones) because it seems more developed than the others. 9. Oliver and Company (1988) I like Olive...

The Top Movies of the 70s. We're getting there people 1. The Sting (1973) It's a great movie and keeps you guessing the entire movie. You, in the end, are the one who gets stung. 2. Fiddler on the Roof (1971) It's inspiring yet sad, with funny parts mixed in and great songs. It is home to one of the quotes of the schpiel that my parents deliver when we leave the house. "Remember who you are, and what God expects of you" which is a variation of Tevye's, "Because we know who we are, and what God expects of us." 3. Superman (1978) Christopher Reeve will always be the true Superman, no matter what they do in "Smallville" or whatever its called. Tom Welling may be cute enough for other roles, but cute's not enough to boot Christopher Reeve out. 4. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) The funny Monty Python, I must include it. Best part: The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. 5. Heaven Can Wait (1978) It's fun, and sort of touching ...

Here we go with the best movies of a great era of movies: The 60s. 1. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) Truly beautiful movie, as well as one of my favorite stories of always and forever. 2. The Great Race (1965) Melodrama at its best. "Push the button, Max!" and "Course there is one good thing, when one was young, one could play along the corridors. I used to ride my pony up and down this corridor when I was young, then I grew up, got drunk, and fell off!" 3. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). " Survival kit contents check. In them you'll find: one forty-five caliber automatic; two boxes of ammunition; four days' concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible [which is approximately the size of a pad of post-it notes, by the way]; one hundred dollars in rubles; one ...

As I said I would, here are the top ten movies of the 50s. The 50s had quite a few good ones, and they were hard to decide on. But here they are: 1. Roman Holiday (1953)- Great, cute story thats perfectly balanced parts funny and touching. Definitely does not hurt to have one of the cutest actors in history playing the male lead. 2. Harvey (1950)- So genuine and sweet. "Dowd's the name. Elwood P." Just so nice and everyone's so critical of him. "He's a phooka." 3. How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)- Where does money really come from? It's funny, true, and really transcends time. "I wouldn't mind marrying Vanderbilt." "Mr. Cadillac?" "There isn't one, I checked." "Is there a Mr. Texaco?" 4. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)- A great musical. Who couldn't like "Sobbin' Women?" Completely sing-a-long-able. 5. The Bridge Over the River Kwai (1953) Complete with whistling....

I'm going along with the movie theme of my cousin, Justin. However, I shall start far back, because that makes for more posts. However, I'm combining the 30s and 40s, because movies have to have lived that long. 1) Casablanca (1942)-- great story, and even cooler seeing as WWII was not over when it was made. That sort of adds a whole new level to the movie 2) Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)--HILARIOUS. A little morbid perhaps when you think about it, but they're just crazy. They really do think it's a service to kill these men. And watching Cary Grant discover just how insane everyone in his "family" is is just hilarious. "You see dear, insanity runs in my family...it practically gallops" "Oh, just because Teddy's a little strange and Jonathan's a little...but your aunts aren't crazy at all." "They too have their oddities." 3) Gone With the Wind (1939)-- a bit long, but in all, it does really deserve the name that ...

The Word of the Day is "nosologist." Now, this is not in fact one who studies noses (if you're curious, doctors who specialize in noses are ear, nose and throat doctors or otolaryngologists), but doctors who specialize in nothing but the classification of diseases. Can you believe that they have a name for that? What do they DO all day? My brother is coming home in just a tiny bit over a week now. I'm starting to get very excited, and I don't know what to do almost. I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing at this point. Perhaps, when Carol comes home, I will be a veteran to welcoming home missionaries, but at the moment, I am inexperienced, and not quite sure how one is to conduct oneself at this point in the mission process. I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing at the moment to tell you the truth. It is a SAD thing when, if I have finished my homework before nine, I am unsure of what to do with the rest of my life. Is this a hint to...

The word of the day from Wordsmith is lychnobite. A lychnobite is someone who works at night and sleeps during the day. Sometimes, I'm not of my own will a lychnobite, minus the sleeping during the day part, all because of homework. However, I just liked this word. If I like a word, I'll share it with you all.

I have just realized this: why? Because my snail mail is almost exclusively colleges trying to get me to attend, and my email is approximately 64% colleges. That's a really scary thought for me. Also, does anyone know where the following are located or even what they heck they are: -Fordham University -Tulane University -Agnes Scott College -St. Olaf College -Mills College There're are more. Those are just today's unknowns. This was short, but I just had to say that. Sam comes home in just over two weeks! Wordsmith.org word of the day is great today: suppurate. It means to secrete pus.