Checkin in (7/31/07)

So I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on the 22nd. I finished it again last Saturday, well the last 300 pages at least, and I cried again. Not openly wept and had to put down the book at key moments to calm down enough to see the text, but I did cry again and was moved and inspired anew. Its a beautiful story and a beautiful book. Thank you J.K. Rowling. Thank you for being a credit to the species, the gender and the craft.

My Nexflix excursion this week was a British indie that I loved called "Driving Lessons". Apparently Rupert Grint and Julie Walters found time between films 4 and 5 to make this adorable teen-coming-of-age-story/satire-on-British-new-age-Evangelism and it made me smile. Rupert has always been my favorite in the cinematic Harry Potter trio. He's the best actor, has the best timing, has red hair AND - to further endear the boy to me the first thing he did when he turned 18 and got access to his depiction-of-Ron-Weasley millions was to by an ice cream truck. Yes - he said if the acting thing doesn't pan out "at least he has the ice cream truck". Rupert - if you were only 10 years older....

I felt the need to watch 'Persuasion' for the squillionth time this week. Its the best depiction of a Jane Austen story in my humble opinion. The candle light is perfect and the imperfect non-Hollywooded hair and costumes also makes me happy. In turn, I have started reading the story again for the first time since high school and its still amazing.

Which leads me to my newest most anticipated movie (since Transformers has been released and breathed new life into the term "phenomenally mind blowing") and that is the new Anne Hathaway flick "Becoming Jane". It's out in two weeks - right on my birthday weekend - and I am SOO excited. Not only because its about my Jane (who is the literary emotional equivalent of my mother) but her romantic interest is being played by Jame McAvoy who I desperately love too! He was adorable as Mr. Thumnas but he was breathtaking in "Last King of Scotland". You don't know how it brings me joy that hes getting work, AND that hes in a Jane Austen film AND that hes dressed up like a gentleman AND that he falls in love with saucy, slightly difficult, brilliant women. It just warms my heart (and gives me hope). Totally cannot wait

The Patrick saw "Sunshine" last week and has been abuzz since. I have been wanting to see it for a while - there were some fascinating banners on the KROQ website that bade me to follow and I was impressed with the trailer. It felt strangely familiar and then I realized that it was Alex Garland's latest creations and then it ALL came back and made sense! Ahhh - yes - Trainspotting in all its wonder still hasn't left me. :D Patrick is a Garland disciple so that's how he ended up at the theater but I am still looking for a moment to be able to join the praises. Patrick's reader's digest recommendation was "you don't see it - you feel it - it gets into you - its tactile. I'm still reeling from it". Its definitely on the to-do list.

I'm still trying to get away to Pasadena to see "Golden Door" and "The Waitress" but we'll see. I totally cannot wait till the Laemmle is finished in Claremont and I can have an indie theater 10 min from my house. The best coffee house for 20 miles and an indie theater on the same block? Will wonders never cease?

I didn't make it to the Gliss show but I have gone back to their album "Love the Virgins"about once a week since I saw them at the Roxy with The Patrick and they are continuing to rock my world. Placebo's "Meds" still has a solid spot in the car CD rotation and Greg Laswell is strangely growing on me. I recommend the song "Sing Theresa Says" as an entry point for the man. He's playing the Indie 103 concert at the Grove in a few weeks. I have half a mind to go. I've felt a strange need for a good Timberland fix this week. "Way I are" is highly enjoyable because not only does it gives you a good 3 minutes of unmitigated moral superiority because you recognize the grammatical laws that the title offends, but its a pretty addictive beat and somehow makes traffic slightly more bearable. I've also found myself in my old Erasure cds this week. "Oh l'Amour" stills got it. Long live British melodrama!

On Friday night me and a few choice few made our way to this 99 seater theater in Fullerton called The Maverick Theater for an adorable rendition of A Midsummer Night's Dream. I love community theater on principle and because I pretty much grew up in one - but this particular production, honestly, was absolutely wonderful. I laughed to the black out point. The charming man unabashedly snorting behind me didn't help matters much either. Pretty much what a Shakespeare comedy experience should be. I fully intend to go back for their next few productions. One is called "The Complete Works of Shakespeare - Abridged". Its being billed as "a three man one wig romp through the 36 plays of The Bard". And if its anything like or includes any of the players I saw in Pyramus and Thisbe I will be the first in line. Totally can't wait. And the crown of the holiday productions is "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians". Need I say more? I think not.

There are a plethora of amazing concerts in town too; Muse, Dave Matthews, Bright Eyes, The Cure, 311, and myriads more but the pocket book and I are still in negotiations. More than half of them are at the Verizon Amphitheater which is a farce of a venue that I usually object to on principle. That and its also in Irvine which is one of the fakest and therefore most disturbing cities in Orange County that I avoid as often as possible. But Muse would be amazing in any venue. I might just park outside hoping for a few wisps of awesomeness here and there *sigh*.

I'm also heading to Tennessee the day after tomorrow. I'm going to Nashville. No I'm not going to become a country star. Yes I am hoping to see Elvis. Yes I will sing "Walking in Memphis" when we pull in and I will take a picture under the Beale street sign. No I'm not running away - I'm my friend Lisa's birthday present. No I am not going to pop out of a cake. Yes that is a shame because it would be fun. Yes I will bring you a bobble head Elvis from Graceland if you ask nicely and yes, I am very excited to get out of Dodge for a few and watch 300 over and over and over again in Lisa's home theater with ample supplies of red velvet cake and the neighbor's southern bbq. Lisa lives in the same neighborhood as all the big name country music folk like Carrie Underwood and them. Maybe we'll see a few as we run off our red velvet. I'll keep you posted.

Loves and kisses

~e