Conviction and Sam Rockwell

I've been seriously, seriously broke for some time now. It sucks, make no mistake, but if I opt for the glass half full view of things, I have to say the upside is that it's really forced me to get creative with how I find ways to keep busy, and I've been finding some fun, interesting and free stuff to do. Truth be told, I probably would have preferred not to be broke and have gone on in ignorance, but alas, here I am, and damn it, I'm gonna make the best of it. I guess. To that end, I spend a lot of time scouring websites, blogs and newspapers for stuff to do that's free or practically free. It was through one of these websites that I found a free screening of the movie Conviction, followed by a Q&A with Sam Rockwell. How awesome is that? Not only do I get to watch a free movie, I get to hear from one of the actors after. Not too shabby!

The screening was hosted by Backstage and held at The Linwood Dunn Theater which is on Vine in Hollywood. Never hear of it? Yeah, neither had I. So imagine my surprise when it turns out it's within walking distance of one of my favorite places to visit: Amoeba Records, on Sunset Blvd.. I'd never noticed it there because it's actually not your average movie theater where there are multiple screens, and a concession stand. It's only one theater, with a 280+ people capacity inside what appears to bee an average office building from the outside, which apparently is the Academy of Arts and Sciences (or "the Oscars") Mary Pickford Center of Motion Picture Study. In any case, it's a nice little theater which is in pristine condition and actually still smells brand-spankin' new, which I'm pretty sure it is. Then again, I could be wrong, I really don't have a clue about that. The outside lobby and hallways are lined with large, colorful and quite beautiful Classic Movie posters, as well as a few large Oscar statuettes. Despite having a camera on me, I was not sure if we were allowed to use them inside so I didn't dare take any pictures. I didn't want to get kicked out so quickly upon arriving, as you might imagine.

As for the movie, it's based on a true story about a man (Sam Rockwell) who is sentenced to life in prison for a murder he did not commit and his sister (played by Hilary Swank) who puts herself through law school and pretty much dedicates her life to proving his innocence and setting him free. In addition to Hillary Swank and Sam Rockwell, the cast includes Minnie Driver, Juliette Lewis and Peter Gallagher. With actors of that caliber I imagine it's not necessary for me to say how great the acting is. But if you're thinking it is necessary, perhaps you should go out and rent some movies. I'm just sayin'. The movie is a bit slow at times but I found the story and the acting to be good enough that I didn't get restless. Juliette Lewis has a small amount of screen time but I thought she was amazing. I don't know that she had a big enough role to be able to be nominated for an Academy Award, but she was that good, in my opinion. As were Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell.

After the movie, as I mentioned, there was a Q&A with Sam Rockwell. He was interviewed by someone from Backstage for some time before taking questions from the audience. As a lot of the people there were apparently SAG members, there were a lot of questions about method, craft and representation, and while I'm very much not in the business, I still found a lot of that quite interesting. Also, I might mention, it was a damned well-dressed, good looking crowd. Is it a SAG thing? I don't know.

But back to Sam, he did tell this story which got a laugh (not so much because of the story but because of the answer to the question after) ,about The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and how he, Jeremy Renner and one of the other guys from the cast (can't remember who) all auditioned for Casey Affleck's role (Robert Ford) because that's the part they all really wanted. When he didn't get it, he was offered the part of Charley Ford which he really didn't want to do. Apparently, Brad Pitt really wanted him to take the role and kept trying to convince him to do it but Sam kept turning him down. Brad, who wasn't going to take no for answer, apparently showed up at Sam's door out of the blue and unannounced to talk him into it. After hanging out for a little bit at the house, Sam agreed to take the role. When the interviewer asked how Brad had even gotten his address to show up unannounced, Sam just shrugged his shoulders, shook his head and said "He's fuking Brad Pitt!".

He told another story about how a film canister containing sixteen hours of film was destroyed at the airport after being x-rayed despite being sealed with tape saying "Do not X-Ray". As it turned out, the film that was destroyed was of the hardest scenes he and Hilary had in the movie, both physically and mentally. So much so, that one of the actors or crew (he couldn't remember which) remarked that they wouldn't want to have to do that again! To break the news to them, Samuel Goldwyn, the director, asked to speak to Sam and Hilary in Hilary's trailer. After telling them they'd have to shoot it all over again, Hilary, trying to stay positive, according to Sam, (and maybe wishfully thinking) asked Goldwyn, "Are you sure it was the whole thing? How about the middle of the spool? Did they check that? Maybe some of that can be saved?"  And then, Sam, (acting as Hilary) making a circle with his finger that indicated the spool was getting smaller and nearer to the center, asked, "or how about just in there? Could any of that have made it?", which got a sympathetic laugh from the audience. None of it was salvageable of course, so it did need to be re-shot, the prospect of which made Sam stress out so much he felt nauseated. In the end he said he felt it was actually a better performance on his part, so it worked out.

After the Q&A, Sam and his girlfriend Leslie Bibb, who'd been sitting in the audience, took off out a side door. Had I known that side entrance only lead to the lobby and that he'd be out there talking to some people and taking pictures, I'd have hauled ass out of the theater. Unfortunately I did not know that, and by the time we got out he was just about wrapping up the conversation and picture taking and seemed in a hurry to get out of there, so just as I was working my way through the remaining crowd, toward him, camera in hand, he took off! Bummer.

Anyway, all in all, it was a very good, free evening!

Celebrities I'd Like to Punch In the Face

I really believe for all of us, there are certain celebrities, who for whatever reason (be it your own personal quirks, or the celebrity in question just sucks) you just want to punch in the face. They come on the screen and immediately you feel like hitting something, or hitting them.

Lately I've been quite irked because there's been way too much Leah Michele on TV. I cannot stand that girl, and because of the Emmys, and because her show is about to come back on the air, this girl is everywhere and I wish she weren't. This is basically what got me thinking about this list. If I gave it more thought, it would probably be longer, but off the top of my head, these are some women who cause impassioned and angry rants every time I see their face.

Leah Michele:
I've never watched an episode of Glee nor do I intend to. Maybe if I did I would "get" this girl. I understand she's supposed to have a great voice and I'm not arguing it, I just don't care. Her face bothers me. Something about her mouth absolutely irritates me. I think it's that overbite and those teeth! I just want to punch her mouth. Whether true or not (and I tend to believe it is true) I read a lot about her being quite the diva, and that just adds to my dislike. Please.

Renee Zellweger:
Well. What can I say about this one? There were about five minutes back in the time of Jerry Maguire where I thought she was cute and lovely, but like I say, that lasted about five minutes. I remember seeing her in an interview (maybe it was with Barbara Walters) and the way she spoke, all breathy and soft seemed so fake and put on, it made me want to scream. Then she just got worse. Always showing up to events looking like she's trying too hard, posing over the top. And honestly? Her face is effed up. It's all squished (for lack of a better word. She's also always doing something with her mouth that irks me. It's that little pouty thing. She does it all the time. Very annoying.  She's got a good figure but her body grosses me out. And still, she shows up to things posing as though she's the hottest thing there but often just looking ridiculous. It's annoying. Really, really annoying. Renee Zellweger: Sit down!

The Mouth thing.

Up close.

Miley Cyrus:
I'm now starting to think maybe I just have a problem with mouths?? Here's another one. My problem with her is not just her mouth though it does annoy the hell out me. What really makes me want to stab my eye with a dull pencil is her voice and the way she talks. I don't know that I've ever heard an entire Miley Cyrus song, so I can't speak to her singing voice, but her speaking voice makes my ears bleed. Awful. Nails on a chalkboard would be soothing compared to listening to her speak.

Mariah Carey:
She's just ridiculous. Everything about this woman is ridiculous. I see her show up to awards shows in tight-ass dresses with her boobs up to her chin, in shoes she can't walk in, speaking in her affected tone,  and it's all I can do not to throw my shoe at the TV. I. Cannot. Stand. Her.

Lindsay Lohan:
Everything about this girl, I am sick of. Her family, her problems, her ugly botoxed face, her bad hair extensions. Everything. I don't care if she's "talented". There are plenty more out there who are talented and don't have all the baggage she comes with. Let's move on! She needs to grow up, stop blaming everyone else for her problems and get her shit together. It would have been nice if she'd been incarcerated for a couple of years. We could have used the break.

Runyon Canyon, "Celebrities" and L.A. Trendiness

View of Hollywood sign from Runyon Canyon

Ok, so in my continued effort at getting out and enjoying nature, I decided to try Runyon Canyon which I've known of for ages but had never actually gone to. Wait, I take that back. I had gone once, years ago, drove around in circles looking for parking, got frustrated and left never to go back again. Until about a month ago, that is.

First let me say this: I don't do trendy. At least not comfortably and without obvious awkwardness. And when I decided to go, I didn't realize it kind of was trendy. Maybe I should have, but I'm quite clueless that way. If I had to clarify what I mean by trendy I'd say that it's the fact that it's smack in the middle of Hollywood, where supposedly a lot of celebrities go, and there are a lot of people who look like Ken and Barbie. On one of my days there, two tall willowy girls slowly meandered while chatting, holding (glass) bottles of Perrier in their hands. No joke. I mean, seriously?

So here's the thing: parking still sucks, but I've been going a bit earlier in the day so it's not as bad as it could be. When you enter from the Fuller entrance, it does reek of dog pee, but after you get going it's not as bad, though that's' not to say it doesn't still smell in some places because it does. There are a lot of off-leash dogs there, so if you're not a dog person, this isn't the place for you. I have two dogs, which I took on several occasions and really loved watching them go crazy and play with the other dogs. Neither the dogs nor the icky pee/poo smell really bother me but I can see how it would be an issue for others for sure.

There are several trails, though I couldn't say how many total, and out of those I've only tried two. The steeper, stepped one really kicked my ass, but I'm also not in great shape. I've taken to doing the less steep one with no steps a couple of times over until I can do the other one without feeling like I might pass out.

Lastly, about celebrities. Because I'm not one of those people who are just to cool to notice or care. Of course I was staring at everyone who walked by the first couple of days. I was wearing sunglasses, but who's to say they couldn't feel my eyes on them? Or, you know, notice the full body tilt towards them as I tried to place their face? When I looked it up online for directions, I came across pics and reviews saying Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon have been spotted there at one time or another, along with other big names. While I was hoping (to put it mildly) for a Jake sighting, I'm sorry to say I saw neither him nor any other major celebrities . I saw the evil woman from last season's Amazing Race a couple of times (the brunette pictured here):

I wanted to chase her down and tell her how much I hated her on the show and how evil she was, but as it turns out, she is in shape and I never did quite catch up with her the first day. I saw her the next day too, but I worried she'd chase me and I knew I couldn't outrun her.


I saw Matthew Davis whom I know currently from The Vampire Diaries but has been in lots of other stuff:

And he actually looked very much like he does in this picture, which is to say he was shirtless. Loved it.

And funnily enough, I'm about 85% sure I saw Chris William Martin who was most recently also on Vampire Diaries, but whom I know mostly from Felicity. And maybe you're wondering how on earth anyone remembers a fairly minor character from an old TV show that ended ages ago. The answer is no less pathetic than because I am that crazy fan who never got over that show and watches it on DVD quite regularly still. Don't judge me. We've all got our issues, no? Anyway, this is him:

Admittedly, as I've gone enough times now, I don't stare as much. I actually just concentrate on my hike/work-out and try not pass out from the heat. Of course I still keep an eye out, but either there's no one else to see, or I'm just not looking very closely because I only see the regulars: Matthew Davis and The Amazing Race woman. I think Matthew Davis is on to me though. Maybe it was elbow to the ribs I repeatedly gave my friend while pointedly staring, that gave me away, but I can't say for sure.

Anyway, here are some pics I've taken. I should also mention that on some of these, my camera lens was dirty, except I didn't catch that until after I loaded the pics on my computer, so that's not a UFO up in the sky.

Woman on the floor taking a "wildlife" pic.

Enjoying Some Nature in Los Angeles

I'm not really a nature person, which is not to say I'm a hater either. It's just not something I spend too much time thinking about and I don't go out of my way to become one with it or whatnot. However, not too long ago during a drunken phone conversation with a nature-loving friend we playfully argued over the attractions we'd like to visit on a possible road trip we'd like to take from Los Angeles to Seattle. He mentioned beaches, mountains and hikes while I mentioned places like Hearst Castle, Steinbeck's House and the fantastically "haunted" Winchester House. When he expressed a disinterest in my ideas, I got, shall we say, miffed, and angrily slurred at him that if he didn't want to do any of my stuff, I was not interested in doing any of "that nature shit" he'd mentioned.

The next day, I'd just about forgotten the conversation until he kindly reminded me about the "I'm not doing any of that nature shit" remark. And then I felt bad. In all honesty, while it's really not my favorite thing to do, I'm quite okay with it in moderation. So, spurred into action by that conversation and my embarrassment at dissing his passion, I took it upon myself to become just a little more outdoorsy. Emphasis on a little.

I took it upon myself to try some beginner's hiking at Eaton Canyon in Pasadena and found that though I'm badly out of shape, I quite enjoyed my hike. Admittedly though, on the day I was there we encountered a couple of busloads of kids (probably from summer camps) which was annoying. It deterred my friend and me from going on the trail leading to the waterfall because we couldn't deal with all their screaming. The one we ended up on was steep and kicked my ass, but was a welcome work-out. On our way back from that trail however, we encountered a group of teenagers. Incredibly loud, cursing, obnoxious thirteen year-olds. They were somewhat lost and asked if they could follow us back out which I agreed to only on the condition that they quit their screaming and cut the cursing out (I'm not opposed to cursing, as previously evidenced, but not by smart-ass, obnoxious teenagers in the middle of my hike). Luckily, they agreed.

I went back a few days later and in a way it was a better experience. For one, I knew what to expect and there were no buses of kids, which was great. We took the waterfall trail which I quite enjoyed probably because there weren't too many people on it that we had to wait on or move around. I understand it gets quite busy during the weekends though.

Both times I went I couldn't help but note how incredibly friendly everyone out there was. Almost everyone we passed said hello or bid us a good morning with a smile. It was great! Is this a nature people thing? I don't know, but I liked it.

Later today I plan to go to Runyon Canyon to give that a try. I've actually been wanting to go there for ages so I'm really looking forward to it.  I'm not necessarily sure it counts as hiking but it's definitely more nature-y than shopping right? So it should count towards my effort to get outdoors more. I'm just sayin'.

Here are my pics from Eaton Canyon:

The Eclipse Soundtrack. Why the hate?

Last week, one of my Facebook friends was complaining that he refused to pay $15 for that stupid Eclipse movie soundtrack despite the fact that it contained a handful of songs he wanted. Since then I've seen a few other things (blogs, status updates, tweets) in which people are complaining about something along those lines. And honestly, I don't get it.

Ok, yes, the soundtrack is tied to the movie, but buying the soundtrack does not force you to become a fan of it. It's just music. Really good music. Who cares why it was compiled? You don't have to watch the movies to be allowed to buy the soundtrack. The purchase of it does not mean anything more than you have good taste in music. What's the problem?

I can sort of understand how if you're a big fan of a certain artist you may take issue with them being involved with the franchise. I know Muse fans (of which I am one) had nothing good to say about the band's involvement with the movies (on a side note, click here  for an article I love about Matt Bellamy talking about what he thinks of that). But that's not really the case with people who complain about having to buy the soundtrack to get some of the songs they want, and that's why I'm confused. My aforementioned Facebook friend was not complaining about the artists being on the soundtrack. He was complaining about having to buy the Eclipse soundtrack.

I can't help thinking, at this point doesn't everyone know that if nothing else, the movies produce really good soundtracks so that if you were "caught" with it on your iPod, most people would just give you a pass? You may hate the movies, but the music has always been good and original and there are few who could really argue that. So I can't help but ask again, what's the problem?

Here's the delicious Florence + The Machine song Heavy in Your Arms which I honestly can't stop listening to. It's just too good.

Apparently, I'm a music snob.

The other day someone close to me half jokingly called me a music snob and I took issue. The song I refused to listen to was If I Had $1000000 by Barenaked Ladies, and, really? Firstly, I've never liked Barenaked Ladies and secondly, I especially never liked that song but because I now listen to mainly Indie stuff, the fact that I don't like a particular song by a band I never cared for makes me a snob? I beg to differ.

Years and years ago I started to very slowly meander away from the herd of mainstream music and started finding seldom heard of artists to listen to. Not because I was setting out to be a "music snob" as it were, but for the simple reason of, well, liking the music. It was purely accidental and I can peg it back to Damien Rice's O. My break-away from radio was done at a snail's pace so that it wasn't terribly noticeable at first and no one complained. A new artist here or there throughout the year and I mainly kept them to myself. But I'd say that over the last two years, it's now "my thing" and it can be several new artists or albums a month (on a good month) and I don't seem to hear the end of it from my friends.

I am forever reading music magazines, reviews, blogs, websites and so on in the search for new music. Again, I don't do it so that I can be "different", I just genuinely can't get enough. I get antsy knowing there's great stuff out there that I might not be listening to. And there's nothing better than when you take a chance on an album and find you can't stop listening to it for days, weeks, or months. There's so much good stuff out there I find it a shame that it doesn't get more attention, which is actually something I'm still baffled by.

The fact that I like music that doesn't get played on the radio shouldn't deem me a snob, I say. And, actually, there are quite a few bands I like that do get radio play, so that's not entirely accurate.  But overall, I cannot (though Lord knows I try when I need to) help it if I find listening to the radio to be incredibly mind numbing. It's the same ten songs played over and over and over again.

I can't help it if during road trips (which I take often with friends) I get genuinely bored or restless listening to the same artists and albums they (my friends) can't seem to move past. Even within the new artists I find, some albums I get attached to for years, while others make much shorter appearances on my iPod. My restlessness is not  reserved only for mainstream music. Again, I don't feel my impatience with music that doesn't stimulate me should make me a snob. Maybe it's musical ADHD, I don't know.

Lastly, a lot of the music I like is arguably questionable and certainly not critic proof, so I don't think I can be called a snob when I myself have questionable taste. At the end of the day, we all like some stuff that makes others scratch their heads in wonder. What I do have an issue with and find incredibly frustrating is people that never try anything new, who blindly accept those overplayed ten songs on the radio and think that's all there is. In that case, if that makes me a snob, then yes, I'd readily admit I am.

Bloodstream

I came across this song not too long ago and cannot stop listening to it. It's beautiful and haunting.