Why I Love A Noah Baumbach Movie

In an effort to blog more often, I've decided to make a post based on something I've observed lately-Noah Baumbach. He's this independent filmmaker/writer who appears to specialize in truly fucked up movies. However, I love them.

He hasn't done much work, I think he's written and directed four films but I've seen two of them, have another one in my queue on Netflix and then his latest project, Greenberg, comes out in theatres in a few months. I think it might be his first movie in theaters but I'm not entirely sure.

I first saw The Squid and the Whale a couple of months ago. It's a semi autobiographical movie about parents divorcing and the effects it can have on a kid. Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney were in it. Basically, the dad was this huge pretentious asshole and the mom was kind of a bitch, but she tried to be a good mother to her kids. It was an absolutely perfect example of how when you get divorced you're forced to choose sides. The older son sided with his dad while the younger son clung to his mom, although the younger kid just got more and more fucked up as the movie went on. It was sad but it was also real, which I feel a lot of movies don't do anymore. Hollywood knows that most people want to see a happy ending, so most of the time it can take one of the saddest or most dramatic movies ever and somehow make it so that everything falls neatly into place at the end of 2 hours. But some movies need to be made realistically or else you just provide people who haven't experienced it with a false assumption of what it's like. Take The Squid and the Whale. Most people, even those who haven't gone through it, know that divorce is a messy thing. But if Baumbach wanted to comply with normal Hollywood standards, by the end of the movie Dad would've moved back home and everyone would've been happy, or both of the parents would've realized their flaws in both their parenting styles and in how they treated each other and everything would've worked out. But it doesn't always happen like that. My parents have never gotten along and I suppose they never will. Each has their reasons, my mom more than my dad, but after he moved out things were messy and nothing was ever perfect or fit together like a puzzle. [Not that it did when he was here.] My point is, Noah Baumbach is brave enough to make a movie that might not be hugely popular or submit to standards nowadays, but it's a genuine, real movie.

I watched Margot at the Wedding tonight and it wasn't as good as TS&TW. It was even more fucked up though. Margot is just this really huge bitch throughout the whole movie. She travels with her son to attend her estranged sister's wedding to a man she quickly learns to despise (along with apparently everything else in the whole entire world.) Seriously, one of the most frustrating and bitchy characters ever. But I still liked the movie, it kept my attention.

Baumbach's movies also have a habit of having the characters just kind of...babble, almost. Not babble, but they talk about things that don't necessarily relate to the script all the time, which I like because in real life, I don't always talk about the same thing the entire time lol.

But seriously, check out at least the squid and the whale. His movies aren't for everyone because like I said, they have elements of fucked upedness to them, but they're good.

It's been a while

It's been almost exactly one month since I updated this blog. I just haven't really had the time or want to update it as I know that no one reads it. If I do feel the need to rant about my life or whatever, I do that on deviantart now. But oh well, might as well update this and try not to make it too long...I'm a rambler as everyone knows.

Three weeks ago I started my winter semester at Schoolcraft. I'm taking Statistics, The Child with Special Needs, Spanish and The Art of Being Human. Stats is very hard, I took my first test on monday and did not do good on it, to say the least. CWSN is proving to be much harder than either I or Maegan, who is in the class with me, anticipated. Our teacher is about as clear as mud on everything she wants us to do so we end up leaving class really confused about what she needs from us. And she emails us about 80 times a week about stuff on blackboard, which I hate using. Oh yes, and we have to do 15 hours of community service work with children or adults with special needs. Blahh. The Art of Being Human is easy, we just watch movies and basically the only work we have is a packet of questions for the entire semester. And finally Spanish is the easiest class of all time. I learned the stuff we're doing in 7th grade, so I'm not too worried about my performance in that class.

I got a new haircut last friday, it's much shorter. I've been trying to keep it straight and wear it down more but I can't help it, I just hate my hair down! It bugs me for some reason. It looks pretty cute, I guess, everyone likes it.

So yeah, I've been pretty busy...hanging out with friends and stuff in my spare time. Got Netflix yesterday so hopefully my movies will start coming and it will be awesome!

Big Top Cupcake Disasters

Hello, everyone who doesn't read this blog. I haven't updated here in a while, I mostly blog on deviantART if I do at all. I can't believe Christmas has already come and gone. It took no time to get here. But aside from a little bit of drama on Christmas Eve involving my mom not wanting to go where we were supposed to go, I had a really great Christmas. I got tons and tons of presents, I was extremely spoiled haha. I got a ton of new movies, a digital picture frame, a huge collage picture frame for my wall, House season 5, a new coat, 4 photo albums, 2 books, and a shit ton of scrapbooking stickers. I am so spoiled. But yeah, it was a good day, I got to visit with my family, eat good food and appreciate life. It was awesome <3 The point to this blog post was to discuss my big top cupcake maker. Idk if everyone has seen the commercial for this thing, but it's advertised as a cupcake mold that makes a cupcake 25x bigger than the average cupcake. It's not that big but it's still pretty big. It comes with 2 silicone molds to pour the batter in and then the insert in case you wanna put filling in. I don't even know if I would attempt that. I was SO excited about this lol and it disappoints. When me and Mae made one Monday night, it was an utter and complete fail. However we had so much fun failing that I didn't care. Tonight I made one to bring to work tomorrow and it kind of failed too but not as much as the one on Monday. So I'm hoping, since the fails are getting smaller, that eventually they will disappear completely.

Christmas Crap, The Weekend, Too Much Anger, School Stuff

Hey-o. I haven't blogged in a while...haven't really had much to say, to be honest. Plus I've been kind of busy with school. But all of that's over with for another month, thank God! I finished up the semester with a 3.4 GPA, with isn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it would be. I'm really relieved. I got a 4.0 in both Computers and Abnormal Psych. A 3.4 in Early US History, which I was really relieved about. And a 2.0 in Political Science which was better than failing the class all together. I've made a resolution to study harder next semester, that's for sure. But overall I'm not too disappointed.

I'm almost done with my Christmas preparations. Well, I finished shopping for my Grandma, my Mom and Mae today. I know what I'm getting Katie, I just have to finish it up. Then there's the wrapping to do. Thankfully for MY gifts there isn't much to be wrapped, but for the presents from me and Mom we still have a ton to do. I went over to Grandma's today and helped her wrap. Supposedly she now just has my stuff to wrap. Hard to believe Christmas is in less than a week...I'm excited. =] I'm trying to decide if I should get my Grandpa something, and if so what I should get him. This year everyone did a name drawing thing but I feel like I should be getting him something...

Yesterday I had a total meltdown. I feel like an idiot whenever I do that but I usually feel better afterwards. I kind of don't this time, though. I got so mad I punched a wall repeatedly like a 15 year old boy and now my wrist is throbbing in pain. I need anger management, like whoa.

I might take more pictures of Derrick tomorrow...if it isn't too cold.

Work Christmas Party & Stuff

Tonight was my christmas party for work...it was pretty fun. Maegan came with me and we didn't stay very long because she has to work in the morning and had to get to bed. So, we stayed for about an hour...it was pretty good. I didn't bowl or anything, just kind of walked around and talked to people. And took pictures lol. It takes me so long to get out of my shell and be able to talk to people without feeling on the brink of collapse that sometimes I feel like it truly isn't worth it to leave my house. One day soon I'm gonna make an excellent recluse.



[Dan and I]

I went christmas shopping briefly with Mom and Grandma today...we stopped at Fanatic U to see if they had the U of M jersey that Jennifer wants and the red wings sweatshirt that Brenda wants. They had a bunch of stuff but it was all so expensive that we didn't buy anything there. We just decided to go to Walmart and see what we could get there. I honestly don't know what the owners of tiny stores like that are thinking by charging outrageously high prices. It's not like anyone, especially around here, can afford it right now. But anyways. So we went to Walmart and then I just chilled with Mom until I picked Mae up at 9:15. I've been terribly lonely sans buffel.

[Kristina & I]
What else is there really to talk about? Not much. There's only 13 days till Christmas...and I haven't even started shopping. Or figured out what to get people....ugh. I'm so bad about procrastinating. Even worse about making actual decisions. Chances are I'll wind up wandering around Target and wherever else I decide to go shopping for hours...

Anyhoodle. Just wanted to share some pictures and ramble. Peace out.

Depressing

Hmmm...what's new...I finished my computer class on Tuesday. 100%, 4.0. I was super happy about that, it was touch and go for a while lol but at least that's finished. I finished Abnormal Psychology on Wednesday also, and I think I got a 4.0 in there too. Not sure though, but I know my grade is at least really good. Now I just have Early US History and Poli Sci to worry about...those finals are on monday and I'm starting to get nervous. But I have to relax and prepare or else I'll fail.

I have been doing nothing and seeing no one lately. I love my lame life. Not really, I kind of hate it. But whatever. I'm trying to be positive but it's not really working...

You Guessed It...Amber Updates

Ahhh, the boredom of life...lol. The semester's almost done for school, so I've been busy trying to cram everything that I procrastinated on into the next two(?) weeks. I mostly have to play catch up in CIS 120, my computer class, because I've been majorly slacking in there. I've got all of my Word and Powerpoint tutorials, exams, quizzes, and in class tests done though. Which means just Excel and Access left. Almost done with Excel though. Whoooo.

We got a new TV on Saturday at Target, it was a really good price as part of a 2 day black friday sale. It's a 40" Apex flat screen. I really don't give a shit if Apex isn't the "best" brand, it was a good deal and it looks like a nice TV. Haters be backin' off. lmao.

I have a cold. It makes me sad :(

On Saturday I took Megan and Katie's pictures, for their christmas cards. I thought they turned out really well but I guess they didn't like them that much. But oh well, you can't please everyone all the time I suppose. I took Mae's family pictures Sunday too for their christmas cards. They liked them and I had a lot of fun doing it. =]