Year's Recap of Movies

Thankfully I started to tag all blogs with a movie review in it or figuring out which movies I've watched would have taken far longer...I also found the blog I wrote in 2009 about the movies I watched. I managed to double my viewing of movies (in theater or DVD) over last year (currently at 66, but I keep remembering movies I've seen and not listed yet). That's scary...I managed to watch all the movies I wanted to watch (Secretariat, Narnia, Harry Potter, Eclipse, Robin Hood, etc). I also managed all the ones on DVD I wanted to see except Invictus. It's in my Netflix queue, but it's far down there...

Now for my rankings...

Favorites of the year (no particular order):

• How to Train Your Dragon
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
  
• Inception
• Toy Story 3
• Tron
• Despicable Me (just for the minions, I admit it)
  
• Tangled
• Megamind
  

Must see movie of the year: Inception
Runner-ups: How to Train Your Dragon and Tron

Favorite stupid comedy: She's Out of My League
Runner-ups: The Other Guys and Kick-Ass

Romantic/Romantic Comedy: Just Wright
Runner-up: It's Complicated

Horror: N/A - Didn't seen any this year

Family film (non-animated): Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
Runner-ups: Karate Kid and Secretariat

Family film (animated): How to Train Your Dragon
Runner-ups: How about them all? Toy Story 3, Tangled, Despicable Me, Shrek 4ever After, and Megamind. They were all very enjoyable and shouldn't be missed.

Action-Adventure: Inception
Runner-up: Salt

Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comic: Iron Man 2
Runner-up: N/A - Nothing measures up to a runner-up position

Drama: Extraordinary Measures
Runner-up: N/A - Nothing measures up to a runner-up position

Worst of the year: The Last Airbender (by FAR my least favorite movie...Ugh...Horrible...)

Movies I want to see on DVD from this year (no particular order):

• The Tourist
• Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
• The Fighter
• Easy A
• Eat, Pray, Love
• The Legend of the Guardians
• The American
• The Social Network
• The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
• The King's Speech
• Black Swan

Movies I want to see next year (no particular order):

• Green Lantern
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
• Cars 2
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
• The Hangover 2
• Kung Fu Panda 2
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• Thor
• Captain America
• Sherlock Holmes 2
• X-Men: First Class
• Dreamwork's "Puss in Boots" movie

Most excited for Green Lantern, Harry Potter, and PotC (just saw the trailer for it!). It's definitely the year of sequels...

Movies

Shrek Forever After (DVD) - Good solid Shrek movie. Just as good as the rest. Nice meaning in the story too. Not much else to say since it's on par with the rest of the movies. :) Grade: A

The Other Guys (DVD) - A silly, funny movie, which you would expect from the two lead stars. I laughed a lot in it, but it is a little slapstick humor. If you don't like movies like The Hangover, this one won't appeal to you either. It's not a a crud movie or anything, but it does have a tone that is making fun of everything (e.g., the "nerdier guy" is hit on by all these really good looking females, while his partner would normally be considered the better looking guy is totally ignored by all of them). Anyway, like I said, if you like The Hangover or Knocked Up, you can handle The Other Guys and will think it's just as funny/good as those. Grade: B

Scott Pilgrim vs The World (DVD) - What a weird movie. It wasn't what I expected at all since it's done in a way that's kind of like a video game and Scott Pilgrim has to defeat the "Seven Evil Ex-Boyfriends" before he can truly date this one girl. It's different, but wouldn't be for everyone. I'm going to agree with a friend that said, "You'll either love it or hate it, but there won't be much in between." I'm leaning towards the "love it" because it's rather uniquely done. It's uniqueness does put it "out there" moviewise because it's an odd storyline that takes a while to truly get into. I almost gave up on it after 30 minutes (starts off kind of like a non-movie, you're simply following this guys life around, and it's slooooow), but by the end...I appreciate it for what it is. Grade: B

Tron: Legacy - First off, save your money and don't see it in 3D. What a rip off. I HAD to see it in 3D because that was the only version they were offering at the theater here, but 80% (maybe 90%?) of the movie isn't even IN 3D. So when there were some shots that WERE in 3D it was distracting because your eyes are suddenly starting to bug out. However, the special effects are AMAZING. Inception had some amazing special effects too, but this one hits on the purity of technology special effects and less about the "tricking the mind" that normally occurs in movies (e.g., Lord of the Rings). Since you're on the grid for most of the movie, it's a very "technology" feeling to the whole movie. The storyline isn't anything new and original and doesn't have any twists in it, but I think it's the presentation and execution more than it is for the basic story (e.g., Harry Potter's basic story is not new, but it's the presentation and execution that make it unique, well-liked, and well-received). This movie definitely executed and presented itself very well. I would go see the sequel (as Disney is banking on), buy it on DVD, AND I want the soundtrack for it (a very wide arrange of instruments and styles used (some electronic, some 80's, some basic orchestra, etc -- Draft Punk (a real group(duo?)) did a good job). I truly love the Harry Potter movie and think it's great and hope everyone sees it, but Tron is definitely the movie to go see this holiday season (of the ones I've seen). It is really fast paced, though. It makes the 2 hours go by fast, but you also want the fast pace to end. I think about 1.5 hours into the movie (with our only real breather), I started wondering when the movie was over. It was partially because the movie is long, but also because I wanted to know when the agony would end. :) The acting is really good too. So, yes, go see it. :) Grade: A

Next post will be my top movies of the year. I have to go back and remember everything I saw now... :)

First death of the fish tank

Well, technically the 2nd death since a suckerfish I had bought died after 48 hours, but the first "real" death of my fish tank.

Apparently the female shrimp was farther along. She couldn't swim. She somehow had righted herself up and I thought she'd have a little longer, but the other female shrimp came to look at her and she fell down to the bottom of the tank and couldn't move after that. It's a sad death because my shrimp were always entertaining to watch. Chris hummed a little tune for her as he carried her to the toilet (I wouldn't look) and flushed her down to fish heaven. (Perhaps it was a little more fitting that I watched Finding Nemo tonight than I thought...) And so passes one of my female shrimp.

I shall be watching the other two a little more closely now...

I've also decided my fish tank needs a full clean-out, which will be a super pain catching all the fish/shrimp. I found when the female shrimp was dying my fish tank has a few more flatworms than I'm happy with. You can't see them really, but it's a sign that the organic matter in my fish tank is a little high and I haven't cleaned the tank since I moved here 3 months ago and I'm terrible about doing a good 25-50% clean. So...It's time.

Ghost Shrimp Health Failing

I regret to inform you all that one of my female ghost shrimp's health is failing. I don't know if she'll make it past tomorrow. She's still breathing and ticking away as if she was fine, but...she's doing it all while upside down and, you know, that's not a good sign. She's also a little more opaque than normal, curled up a little, and missing a pincher. They average 1-2 years and my shrimp grew in size REALLY quickly (usually speeds up the life expectancy the faster they grow) so it's about time...I've told Chris he has to flush her. I hate doing it...Grosses me out. So...we'll see. The other two look fine, though they both are showing their age. They're not as clear as they used to be. The other female shrimp has a new batch of eggs too. The rest of my inhabitants are fine, but I have to seriously start throwing away part of that plant I got. It's growing too quickly for my tank and I trim it and replant the pieces, but now it's getting to the point there's just too much plant in general. Feels like a waste to throw away perfectly good pieces of freshwater plant, but I definitely got my $4 worth out of it!

Oh yeah, I think I may have some algae eating shrimp hitch hikers...I was cleaning out one of my filters and this bug thing came out. It's super small (less than a quarter inch in length), but has the shape and look of an algae eating shrimp, but it also reminds me of amphipods in the ocean too. So who knows. Maybe they'll get bigger and I can tell. I just hope they're not something I DON'T want.

In other news...I saw Narnia this week. It's okay...I haven't read the book so it's hard to compare, but the story revolves around defeating this "green mist" thingy which basically is the source of greed, lust, etc. It was a little weird. In comparison to the other 2 films...It was better than the 2nd, but not as good as the 1st. I still like the BBC version better. Do I want them to make The Silver Chair? No. Will I go see it if they did make it? Yes. It kind of left you with this weird feeling of just "blah" wasn't really memorable and wasn't really terrible.

The amazing Zenyatta

I saw Zenyatta today. Such an amazing day and unforgettable to see a thoroughbred of her caliber and fandom in person. This will definitely be a day I won't forget and I'm sure I'll be able to talk about later on in the years. (I equate it as to someone seeing Secretariat in person and being around when he raced -- I wish I was alive then!)

Anyway, I took so many photos and video it's kind of funny. 11,216 people turned up today at Hollywood Park and I bet 95-97% of those people were there for her. Actually, Bob Baffert won his 2,000th race today (I'm so excited I got to see that! He's one of my fav trainers and I thought he attained that earlier this week!) and he said in an interview that it was nice to win the milestone when there were more than 500 people there. :P Mike Smith was autographing things again and there were so many people there...he had to come back a second time and he STILL didn't get to everyone. I'm so glad I got there early or I may never have gotten my autographs, which I really didn't need. :P But...Hey. Why not. :) That reminds me...Hollywood Park made BANK today. They sold out of a lot of stuff (the shirt I got was gone an hour after I got it) and they had copies of the Blood-Horse Zenyatta commemorative issue in the gift store, which sold out in probably record time. Chris and I got there and I'd say there were 25-30 copies. 15 minutes later (the time it took for us to look around) there were maybe 5 left. Crazy. I got mine autographed, but it's within my Blood-Horse mag (kind of awkward, but oh well. My actual copy hasn't arrived yet...).

Chris and I sat around waiting for the 6th race to go to post (3pm and we got there about 10:30am) so we could see Zenyatta in the paddock. We stood at the paddock rail from about 1:45pm to the time she showed up (around 3pm) to make sure we got good spots for photos/viewing. I brought some snacks and stuff so we didn't buy anything there food/drink wise. That's one thing I like about horse tracks. They don't do security checks and they don't disallow you to bring your own food/drink. The things I don't like, though, are they allow smoking practically anywhere (ugh...Chris and I had to move after the 3rd race because we were sitting down wind of two smokers) and it's, well, a little dirty. However, I think any sports venue when it's NOT new (Hollywood Park has been around for a while) has that well-used/"dirty" feel to it. It's not like DIRTY, dirty, but you know. Things are a little old. I do like getting their early to hear the National Anthem and see the flag being raised. Something about being there first thing. I do think if I lived near a track, I'd end up being a railbird. I wouldn't bet, but I like being at the track.

Unlike last time, I actually tried handicapping the races. Well, not really. I didn't read the Daily Racing Forum (tempted to buy it since Zenyatta was featured in it, but I hate the ink print on it since it smears onto your hands) or looked at past performances or anything. I just read the blurbs on them and checked the jockeys, trainers, and stallions (which I actually know pretty well) and picked accordingly. I actually hit the exacta for the first race and the trifecta for the 2nd race (could have won almost $200 off two $2 bets). I had Baffert's horse squared into my exacta for the 3rd race as a place not a win, but dang it...that was still pretty good! I did want to place him as first, but...didn't. 4th race I didn't call the winner, but I had him as a place, I think. The 5th race I called with Amazombie (what a name...). With no real money in play, I'm a pretty darn good handicapper! LoL No way will I EVER place real money because I will suck to no end then. :P

Zenyatta is amazing, though. Simply amazing. There's just this presence, grace, and intelligence she exudes. It was also amazing to be with THAT many people who also love her a lot. The energy of a place does help a great deal. She's so gorgeous though and I wish I had a better camera! She's dappled to high end and is so incredibly fit! Mario (her groom) is amazing with her too. You can tell he really, really loves her. I'm really glad I went (and bought a Zenyatta t-shirt!). I really can't say more on it because it was just a gush of feelings the entire time and the crowd was fun too. People chanted "Zen-ya-ta" and "Horse of the year" and it was just overall fun and GREAT to see her in person. More (minor) comments in my photos. I actually forgot racing was occurring when she came out so when they called the 6th race, it was a little jarring. LoL I had been transported into some other realm of Zenyatta's and hearing the call was planting me back on Earth. It was easy to get back into Zenyatta because they actually gave her about 45 minutes with no races occurring, which was pretty generous. She's so gorgeous.

With that...Photos, videos, and articles of the day!

Picasa album: Zenyatta appreciation day
Paddock #1 (walking towards and away): Paddock
Paddock #1 (right in front): Paddock2
Track board (since it was hard to see her in the winner's circle): Track board

Blood-horse article (I like that photo a lot)
Hollywood's recap of the day
Baffert's 2000th win article

Those articles give me warm fuzzy feelings because I can say, "I WAS THERE!" Plus, they make me tear up...It was a good day. I got a Zenyatta t-shirt (just says her name with the silk colors - liked it better than the one with her on it), bought two small photos (only $1/each and helped The Second Race), and, most importantly, I got to see her in person. I'm a happy camper! :)

Stuff

My brain is lacking in vocabulary or creativity (one or the other or both) so you get a boring title. :)

I finished my final yesterday. I'm 50% confident on the material I answered. The other 50% is up in the air. I'm particularly worried about the last question's first two parts. I had NO clue so I more or less took an educated guess. Hopefully I was right or I'm screwed. I already turned my paper in. I couldn't take having the final and knowing I still had my paper to turn in so I edited it one last time (I think I could have edited it forever...) and turned it on Wednesday night. I have to tell you, having the final over and no more paper to worry about is a nice feeling. I'm glad I turned it in early.

I still have some GP work to do this next week, but it's a little more leisurely so I feel better having the final complete and my classes finished. I'm more-or-less taking the weekend off and will work next week on GP. If I work diligently, I should have it finished in 1-2 days.

Tomorrow is Zenyatta's appreciation/farewell day at Hollywood Park. Chris isn't looking forward to being stuck at Hollywood Park almost all day (it opens at 10:15pm, but she's not parading till around 3pm). I'd like to get there later, but don't want to miss anything earlier in the day too...So...We'll get there around 10-11am. Apparently someone from the Dodgers will be giving Zenyatta her own Dodgers jersey too. I'm intrigued to know if she'll actually be able to wear it or not. LoL I suspect a couple thousand people (easily) will be there tomorrow (another reason I'd rather get there early). Camera will be in hand! Now if I only could steal a kid for 10 minutes so I can get one of the Zenyatta coloring books they're giving away to kids... :P Mike Smith will be autographing again so I'm *cough* printing photos to have him sign, but may just have him sign my Blooodhorse commemorative issue for her instead. We'll see. In the midst of looking for photos, I stumbled across the photo finish of Zenyatta's Breeders' Cup Classic loss. It's painful to look at. She really did lose by a head. She was SOOO close. Ugh. Painful. Anyway, tomorrow should be fun and interesting. The energy of Hollywood Park should be incredible too.

Next Friday The Tourist and Narnia comes out! I'm still not 100% sold on The Tourist, but I'll probably go see it at some point and Narnia (of course) I will see. :) I think this year (or next) I will do what my friend does and try to see all the movies nominated for Best Picture for the Academy Awards. I'm intrigued by the one Colin Firth is in (The King's Speech), which has him as King George VI and Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth. It's already getting comments that Colin Firth may be nominated for Best Actor award. There are some other small pictures I'm interested in too, but tend to watch on DVD instead. We'll see, though. I think last year I ended up seeing most of the Best Picture awards, but not all of them.

Well...with that...I'm off to watch my Criminal Minds DVD and continue to relax. :)