our idiot brother

I've been wanting to watch Our Idiot Brother for months. Last summer, a couple of friends and I planned on watching this movie at an open air cinema by the beach, but luck wasn't on our side because tickets were sold out. Boo!

This movie looks really funny, with a generous touch of sweet and silly - a combo I most enjoy! It tells the story of Ned, a naive hippy, who just gets out of jail and seeks help from his three sisters. The cast itself makes me want to watch it, with the likes of Paul Rudd, Zooey Deschanel, and Steve Coogan.

Our Idiot Brother DVD & Blu-Ray is coming out on 15 March 2012.

once

If you've never seen the movie Once, do yourself a favour and see it. The soundtrack alone is excellent reason enough.

midnight in paris

Yes, Midnight in Paris was great! Really funny, different, and I like how it explores the concept of nostalgia and the delight of the past. Also must say that Marion Cottilard sure knows how to rock those cute 20s outfits.

being elmo

This is definitely going in my "must see" list. Because seriously, how can anyone not love Elmo? Especially those of us who grew up watching Sesame Street!

"When a puppet is true, and good, and meaningful, it's the soul of the puppeteer that you're seeing"
(I like to think that this quote can apply to any artistic creation in any field).

booth story

If you have 11 minutes to spare, I recommend watching this sweet short film. I first saw Booth Story last Thursday, during AG Ideas (amazing event, by the way!) where the film maker - Kasimir Burgess - was one of the speakers. The film reminds me of Amelie in some ways. Sure, the 54 year old car pack attendant is no Audrey Tautou, but the story is very charming and quirky in an Amelie sort of way. Also: there's a duck. A very cute one, I should add. Now if that doesn't make you press play, I don't know what will.

Happy weekend!

weekend watching: west side story

I just watched the 1961 movie adaptation of West Side Story. I've never seen the stage show, but I really enjoyed this movie. Definitely a must see for fans of musicals. The choreography and the classic songs are absolutely terrific (I tracked down the soundtrack CD right after watching this!). West Side Story won 10 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Costume Design. It seems that I can't watch an old movie without paying close attention to what they're wearing, and I loved all the 50s outfits here! For some reason it wasn't any of the main cast's outfits that stood out to me (although they were all great), but it was actually one of the side character's: Velma's (the blonde) tiered light blue dress. It's not a particular style that I'd usually like, but that sassy Velma was totally working that dress during the dance scene. "Ooo-beelee-oo..."

Have you seen West Side Story? Or have you seen a stage production of it?

atonement colours

Atonement is definitely one of the most visually beautiful movies I've ever seen, and I was in awe when I saw these colour comparisons by Miss Moss. Stills from the movie are compared with William Morris textile and wallpaper designs. I highly recommend you check out the other comparison sets that Miss Moss has done too. Visual treats!

the hedgehog (and a watercolour doodle)

I watched the Hedgehog on DVD last night, which is a wonderful French film, and I would highly recommend you check it out. Apart from the moving story itself, there were many scenes of crafting/drawing/filming/doing something creative - that being a (wannabe) creative person myself -  I'm such a sucker for those! There's something about watching the flow and movement of something beautiful being created that's kinda inspiring, don't you think? Well I know I was inspired, because I got out a tube of black watercolour paint that I've had for a while but never used, and started painting Paloma (the little girl in the movie) before the movie was finished (and let me tell you, going back and forth between looking down at a piece of paper and up to read the subtitles is not recommended! I had to rewind and replay some scenes a few times to keep on track, haha..). It's not much of a "painting", but I had fun doing it, and that's what matters, right?

 P.S. the winner of the Beta Accessories giveaway is #44 jhitomi. Congratulations! I'll be in touch shortly.

random photos of the day

Sushi for lunch. Yum!

Checking out some stamps in the window

Got more DVDs from the library. Oh, and out of the ones I borrowed last time, 2 Days in Paris was definitely the one I enjoyed the most. Much funnier than I thought it would be! The Cat's Meow was good too, helped by the fun 1920s costumes to look at. Fame has great music, but there were too many unfinished story lines for my liking.

Still reading Finny. It's taken me a while to get into, but I only have a few more chapters to go now.

read, watch

I went to the library today to picked up a reserved book (Finny, which is the current book for the Slow Readers book club), and somehow I ended up with more books and a stack of DVDs too. I got 2 Days in Paris, The Cat's Meow, and Fame (1980). Then when I stopped by Borders, I couldn't resist getting the latest Lula magazine (it was the only one left and was reduced to $14.95... It's usually double that price!). Ah, so much to read and watch, getting anything else done is going to be tricky this week!

What about you? What books or mags have you been reading? Any good movies/DVDs you can recommend too?