Tag Archives: movies

jury duty

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Argh, the dreaded day is almost here. On Sunday I have to call in for… jury duty.

ACK. I am SO not looking to calling in. I hope, hope, hope that I don’t have to report to court. I’d actually rather be at work.

Speaking of work, this is a handy site if you’re trying to disguise your internet activities from your boss. Hehehe.

Watched Hitch tonight and really, really liked it. I’m *such* a romantic comedy kind of girl. 😀 Plus, Will Smith is awesome.

So I never blogged about my cousin’s wedding last weekend. Despite the heat (I can’t get over how HOT it is in SoCal — I don’t remember it being that hot in high school?!!), I had a great time. I was in the wedding party as a secondary sponsor. I got to walk down the aisle and everything! I think this might be a filipino tradition but there’s a part in the middle of the ceremony where there are 4 additional wedding rites — coin, cord, veil, and candle. I was asked to do the veil. I carried a huge veil down the aisle and after my cousin and his wife exchanged vows and rings, the priest called my partner and I up to the altar and we had to pin the veil on both the bride and groom as a symbol of their unity. It’s a really pretty part of the ceremony.

The reception was at the Marina Hotel in San Pedro. It’s right on the water so it was absolutely gorgeous. Some pics…


The last one is of Rob, me, my favoritest cousin ever Riz (it was her brother who got married — she was a bridesmaid) and her boyfriend Josh. 😀

movie weekend

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So in my previous entry I was eagerly waiting for Netflix to send out Entourage season 2 since Rob and I had just finished the 8 episodes of season 1. Weeeellll… the 3 discs arrived on Friday in the mail. And by Saturday afternoon we were done with all 14 episodes. Then after a short break while I had dinner with a friend, I came home and we caught up with the current season on HBO On Demand (this is so awesome!). EEEP. It was like an addiction. We couldn’t stop watching. Now that we’re caught up it’s pretty depressing, heh. Ari is officially my favorite character. Gawd, he’s freaking hilarious. And his relationship with his wife is one of my favorites. Jeremy Piven is amazing in this role. Congrats to him for scoring an Emmy nomination. He totally deserves it. I also love Johnny Drama more and more each episode. He has some of the best lines and he always has a classic lost puppy look on his face. I lurve him.

I did manage to leave the apartment this weekend to watch a couple of movies (possible spoilers ahead)…

The Devil Wears Prada
I LOVED this movie. I can’t wait til it’s released on DVD so I can watch it all the time. 😀 Meryl Streep was perfectly cast, the fashion/clothes were to DIE FOR (I especially loved the black tiered dress Andy wore in Paris when she walked away from Miranda), plus Adrian Grenier! He’s such a cutie. It’s been awhile since I read the book but I’m pretty sure they changed the entire story for the movie. Characters were given bigger and/or smaller roles and the ending (the final resolution/conflict) was completely different. I actually liked the movie better than the book. I don’t know if I’ve ever said that before.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Good movie. But LONG. Like, unnecessarily long, I think. I’m not completely sure how I feel about the story since the “real” ending won’t come until PotC 3. The characters, though, were still great. Captain Jack was pure comedy (Johnny Depp rocks). And I liked Elizabeth much more in this movie. She had more spunk than I remember. I’m really surprised that Elizabeth/Jack became a storyline. Not that I’m against it or anything — I actually think they make a really fun couple. But Disney seems to have fixed “ships” so I doubt the love triangle will amount to anything. I also really loved the fight scenes, particularly the 3-way swordfight (hmmm, that sounds a little dirty, lol!). The first movie was still far better, imo. But WOW… PotC rocked the box office. $55 million on the first day (I think that might be a record?) and $132 million for the weekend? That’s CRAZY.

It’s been a good summer for movies. 🙂

the past week

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Aaaahhh, it’s nice to be home. I feel like I’ve been “on the go” forever. But It’s been an awesome week. Here’s a rundown…

Fri, 6/23 – Start of Girls Weekend with my best friends. We went down to Palm Springs (115 degree weather! Crazy!) and stayed at the Miramonte Resort, which was fantastic. We spent Saturday relaxing, getting pampered (I had a massage… mmmm), and hanging out by the pool (well, that was me since I forgot to bring a bathing suit — I know, I know). I think we’ve pretty much decided to make Girls Weekend an annual (at the very least) tradition. I’m so looking forward to our next trip. 😀

Wed, 6/28 – Trip to LA for work. Met a client for dinner at Roy’s Restaurant in downtown LA. I had the Ahi and then shared the chocolate souffle. Phenomenal food. Headed over to The Standard in West Hollywood to check-in for the night. This hotel is a TRIP. The lobby had shag carpet and bubble chairs and my room had floral curtains and an inflatable rubber chair. Pretty awesome. My co-worker and I decided to have a drink before heading to bed and while we’re sitting in the lounge, I see a friend of mine from high school that I haven’t seen in *years.* It really is a small world.

Thurs, 6/29 – Worked out of the LA office. Nothing of significance to report.

Fri, 6/30 – Drove down to San Diego for my friend’s wedding (Rob was a groomsman). Attended the wedding rehearsal and found out that I was in charge of distributing the corsages/boutonnieres to the wedding party the next day. Fun! I love being in charge of stuff. Then a bunch of us went out for drinks with the groom. I had my signature drink (Amaretto Sour), finished the entire thing (a huge feat for me), and managed not to become a giggling mess.

Sat, 7/1 – Mike’s Wedding Day! It was an absolutely *gorgeous* wedding (the colors were teal and brown – so pretty). It was held outside at the Prado at Balboa Park. The only drawback of holding the ceremony outside was the HEAT. OMG. It was close to 100 degrees and there wasn’t much shade. To make matters worse, I apparently thought it was smart to wear a black dress. 😛 The best part of the reception was the slideshow because Mike and Emma actually put together a karaoke video! HEE. That was SO awesome. The whole wedding was incredibly well-executed. And I had such a fun time.

Sun, 7/2 – After brunch with the newlyweds, we headed back to Cerritos. Tried to take a nap but it was too hot to sleep. Had dinner with my dad (and saw 2 more people from high school! Cerritos is *such* a small town) and then went to see Nacho Libre. Sadly, I was tired from the weekend and I fell asleep too many times to count. I watched about half of the movie, I think. What I saw was pretty freaking hilarious, though.

Mon, 7/3 – Flight back to the Bay Area. You know, after all the flying I’ve done in the past week and a half, I realized that there is seriously a TON of noise on airplanes. Usually I fall asleep right away so I don’t notice the noise but the past few flights, I tried to listen to my iPod and I had to turn the volume way up. I would LOVE to get some noise-cancelling headphones. Too bad they cost an arm and a leg. Anyway, when we got home, we headed straight to the TV to watch Entourage season 1. We rented the DVDs from Netflix based on recs from both online and offline friends. We breezed right through all the episodes, heh. My favorite character is Johnny Drama with Eric a close second. Can’t wait to get season 2. I also watched High School Musical. Absolutely adored this movie. It was so cheesy but SO GOOD. I have Breaking Free on repeat right now… go here to download the song (username: cookie/password: monster — don’t forget to right click, save as…).

Tues, 7/4 – Happy 4th of July! Slept in. Felt SO good to do that. Went to see Superman Returns. SUCH a good movie. And to think when the trailer was first released this time last year, I thought the movie would be horrible. I was so wrong. Brandon Routh (what a hottie!), Kevin Spacey and even Kate Bosworth (I was most skeptical about her) were great. Yay Bryan Singer! Did I mention Brandon Routh is hot? Cause he totally is.

OMG. I just found this link to the new light pink Nintendo DS. I WANT IT SO BAD. Guh. Too bad I’m trying to go on a “spending diet” so I can save money for a vacation. Maybe for my birthday? 😀

UGH. I’m so bummed about going to work tomorrow. At least it’s a 3-day week.

lake house

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Ahhh, it was a great weekend. It’s beginning to feel like summer in the Bay Area. I loved it.

On Saturday, I went into the city to meet Nicola for breakfast (or I guess it was lunch since it was around 11am). We went over to the Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building, grabbed some breakfast sandwiches and took them over to the benches that overlooked the Bay. It was absolutely gorgeous. *happy sigh*

After a walk over to Union Square, I went dress shopping. I have 2 weddings to attend this summer (one of them in 2 weeks!) so I was on a mission. My cousin’s wedding isn’t for another month but I had to look for a dress in a particular color (sage green). That eliminates about 99% of all dresses. I started the dress search back in April so it’s been a frustrating couple of months, lol. But I finally found one! YES. Surprisingly, it’s strapless (I NEVER thought I would find a flattering strapless dress) but the best part is that it has a fun, swing-y skirt. Awww. I never did find a dress for the wedding that’s in 2 weeks so I just ordered a bunch online… I’m crossing my fingers that one of them will work. Guh.

In pop culture matters, I also saw 2 movies this weekend…

Lake House
This wasn’t a *great* movie but Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock made it work for me. I spent the entire movie wanting them to get together, hehe. I haven’t seen a good chick flick in awhile so this fit the bill.

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Rob and I have had this movie from Netflix since APRIL. BWAH. We just never got around to watching it. I ended up really enjoying it… except for the fact that I didn’t like any of the kids! Well ok, I take that back, I liked Peter but that’s it. The other 3 bugged me so much. I don’t remember having that kind of a reaction to them while reading the book. ??? I guess it’s time for a reread.

I’ve also been meaning to finish up my season finale commentaries… this is my goal before the summer is over. 😀

Vacation Update: Rob renewed his passport so it looks like we might be headed out of the country. *pumps fist*

summer blockbusters

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Aahhh, 3 day weekends are so awesome.

I’ve been watching movies like a crazy person (possible spoilers ahead)…

Mission Impossible:3
What a fun movie. There’s really no story to speak of… but there’s a ton of action and really, that’s all that matters. 😀 I even managed to get over my Tom Cruise issues and remembered why I used to love him. He does have that slightly crazy grin but he’s really a fantastic actor. But Jonathan Rhys Meyers was probably the highlight of the movie for me. I’m so shallow. He was in the majority of the movie and had a few comedic moments. *drool* It was also good to see Keri Russell again. She is incredibly gorgeous. It’s too bad she was barely in the movie. 🙁 Anyway, yay for JJ Abrams! He delivered a great movie. And of course, it wouldn’t be a JJ project without a cameo from Greg Grunberg! Heh.

The Da Vinci Code
I was really looking forward to this movie and unfortunately, it was a little disappointing. Tom Hanks completely didn’t match up to the Robert Langdon I imagined while reading the book. 🙁 I think Tom Hanks played it safe and made Langdon kinda boring. He didn’t own the character or make him unique. I’m having a hard time remembering his performance… it just wasn’t that memorable. Audrey Tautou (she’s so pretty!) and Ian McKellan, though, were great (but then again, when hasn’t Ian McKellan been great?). There were only a few subtle changes in the film translation, which I didn’t even pick up on until I started rereading the book. I do think that reading the book will help in following the movie, if only because there are so many historical and religious references that would have gone over my head otherwise. Or maybe I just didn’t pay enough attention in school. 😀 This is entirely possible.

X-Men 3: The Last Stand
Didn’t love this one as much as X2. It was still fun, though. And still much better than the first movie. I liked the additions of Kitty Pryde and the Beast and I was happy to see Iceman and Pyro (SQUEE!) again. Rogue continued to annoy, however (and I LIKE Anna Paquin). But I CANNOT(!!!) believe they killed off the Professor, Jean, AND Cyclops all in the same movie. *sob* Especially Cyclops. I love James Marsden. AND they stripped Magneto and Mystique of their powers. WTFOMG. I guess the Wolverine spin-off is up next… I just don’t see how they can do another X-Men movie with everyone gone.

I totally want to see Over the Hedge And I still have to watch Stick It. 😛

JRM in MI:3

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I have got to be the worst Jonathan Rhys-Meyers fan. I had NO IDEA he was in MI:3!!! Now I MUST see it this weekend. JRM on the big screen… GUH.

MI:3

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I no longer love Tom Cruise the way I used to (I couldn’t help it — I adored him in Top Gun and A Few Good Men!) but I really, REALLY want to see MI:3. I think I’m being brainwashed by all the billboards and TV commercials.

So I’ve been driving a lot more lately… mostly just picking Rob up from the BART station and stuff but I’ve realized that I’m the ultimate nervous driver. My heart beats faster and thoughts start racing through my mind… What is wrong with me?!? Guh. To make matters worse, I can barely see over the dashboard in Rob’s car so I think I have to get a pillow to sit on while driving. HOW EMBARASSING. I hate being short.

american dreamz

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It was a good Sunday. This morning a friend and I went to get pedicures (the rain has finally stopped so I can finally wear open-toed shoes! Yay!) and then we saw American Dreamz. 😀 I *really* enjoyed the movie and totally recommend it.

A couple of random things (mostly non-spoilery)…

— Mandy Moore and Hugh Grant had great chemistry. They played off of each other really well as contestant and judge.
— Maybe it’s just me but Hugh Grant has aged. It took me by surprise when the camera closed in on his face at the very beginning of the movie.
— I adore Mandy Moore. She made Sally Kendoo a truly multi-faceted character. She could have been a completely over-the-top character but Mandy turned her someone who is equal parts manipulator and sickeningly-sweet hometown girl. She rocked.
— I also loved Iqbal (played by Tony Yalda). He was freaking hilarious.
— The supporting cast was great. Lots of familiar faces — Shoreh Aghdashloo, John Cho, Adam Busch, Chris Klein…
— Willem Dafoe looked so much like Dick Cheney. Heh. And Dennis Quaid’s impersonation of President Bush is pretty funny.
— Also, best song ever… American Dreamz with a Z. BWAH.

Go see it!

Next week Rob is going to be in Las Vegas so I may have to rope another friend into watching Stick It. Heh.

UCLA

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I hate losing an hour of sleep for Daylight Savings time.

YAY UCLA! 😀 I’m SO winning my office pool right now.

Awesome.

So I *finally* watched Elizabethtown. Hmmm. Alie, you were right — I didn’t like it that much. Maybe I just didn’t get it? Oh well. At least Kirsten and Orlando were pretty. And the soundtrack was AMAZING. So it wasn’t a complete waste of 2 hours. Next up is Walk the Line. YAY.

Argh. I still have to do my taxes. NO FUN.

red eye

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I just finished watching Red Eye… you know, the movie with Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy.

I haven’t laughed like that in such a long time.

Heh.

Anyway. I know we’re in the middle of March Madness (yay UCLA!) but it’s ALSO the week of the World Figure Skating Championships. Woot! Spoilers/results ahead…

For me, the best event was the men’s competition. Lambiel and Joubert really battled for the gold — both of them landed 2 quads in their free skate! Amazing. And Evan Lysacek pulled off another clutch performance to win the bronze. He’s my new favorite male skater. Plus, this year’s podium is definitely easy on the eyes. 😀

The women were a different story. Gawd, I am SO INCREDIBLY disappointed. I *knew* Sasha Cohen couldn’t pull it off (she has pretty much never skated 2 clean programs) but without Slutskaya and Arakawa, I thought she would have to have a mental breakdown in order not to win. And what do you know, she did! She’s such an awesome skater… I really, really wish she could get it together. 🙁 But OMG. NOT Kimmie Meissner. *pulls hair* World Champion? With her awkward, gangly arms and lack of artistry? Argh. I like her but I think she’s more of a technician than a package skater. Oh well. At least Fumie Suguri medaled. It’s a little redemption after coming in 4th at the Olympics. I just love her.

I can’t believe it’s the first time since 1994 that Michelle Kwan hasn’t been at Worlds. *sniff* I miss her.