8/101 #62 - Watch Borat and Bruno - Part 1

Bruno

To some it up, this movie is basically a “data dump” of a man’s brainstorming efforts at coming up with scenes that would shock and in some cases horrify people. These brainstormed scenes are loosely strewn together into a sequence to make a basic, simple plot of a man named Bruno who is trying to become famous. A very flamboyantly gay man with no ability to self-censor or concept of what is socially acceptable in public vs. best kept in the privacy of one’s bedroom.

The first 5 minutes of the movie includes scenes that I would have to describe in an exclusive upon-request-only review because this blog is public and I would have to reclassify it as adult content.

In fact, I am trying to keep this movie review as high-level as possible so it’s not vulgar, but I just warn this review may include content that some find offensive. I apologize. I don’t know how to review this movie without including some of that. Because as most replied on my Facebook post about the movie – the majority of people I know found this movie highly offensive.

So I’ll just list things that I found humorous (I have to admit some of it was hilarious). Most of this is also offensive for most. Stop reading if you are easily offended.

• The scene in the first five minutes where Bruno uses creative mechanics and a home fitness machine to self-stimulate with sufficient “torque.”
• He tries to make a s-#-x video with Rue Paul, but his assistant accidentally hooks him up with Ron Paul (the popular Libertarian from SE Texas). He tries to seduce Ron Paul, who gets really upset. I am curious as to whether Ron Paul did the movie on purpose or not – was he reaching out to a new or expanded audience?
• Bruno gets the ex-Mossad chief and the leader of Hamas in the same room, getting both to agree on one thing – Hummus is healthy (not to be confused with Hamas)…
• Bruno also tries to get the Jews and Palestinians to stop focusing on their hate for each other, and instead focus on hating Christians (only funny because of how absurd it was as a Peace strategy… but also an age-old practice – people finding they can team up together against a common enemy).
• I absolutely loved how the movie shows how crazy some parents can be trying to get their kids on TV – agreeing to let them pour acid, dress as a nazi wheelbarrowing a Jewish baby into an oven, letting them handle heavy antiquated machinery, agreeing to drop a 30 lb toddler’s weight by 10 lbs in 7 days, also agreeing to lyposuctioning the 30 pound child. All completely offensive but also what I could see the Pageant moms agreeing to just to get their kid in the limelight!
• The scene that was similar to alcoholics anonymous but instead of alcohol it would be another word for rooster that rhymes with rock.
• The flying squirrel close-up.
• When Bruno and his assistant are stuck in an S&M contraption, can’t find the key, and require assistance from hotel personnel who won’t touch them and instead kick them out of the hotel… still attached.
• Bruno’s adoption of an African baby to be like Angelina and Madonna. And naming the child OJ. And then taking him on Jerry Springer and all that ensues from that.
• Bruno’s interpretation of the military uniform and his superior’s reaction to it.
• The swinger’s party and busting through the window in his escape.
• Bruno telling Snoop Dog he (Bruno) is a chocoholic.
• Favorite part of the movie: The Straight Man Slamdown, the reaction of the crowd when the slamdown didn't go the way they expected, and certain members of the crowd who were in tears over the finale. Literally tears of sadness and grief. I had to pause the movie and use the restroom so I wouldn’t pee my pants.

7/101 #53 Watch 5 Academy Award Best Pictures - Part 1/5

Slumdog Millionnaire

Saturday afternoon movie for a mother of a three year old. Second day of spring. Low 50's in Texas. Those three factors alone seems like the making of fiction right there. But they were real - when I should have been doing landscaping, Mother Nature sent a cold front and gave me an extra afternoon to just relax and watch a good film.

I absolutely loved this movie. It's important to note first and foremost that if I had purchased the movie or had a rental for longer than 24 hours, I would be watching the movie again right now, Sunday morning March 21st just before 9 a.m. The movie stayed with me all day.

The previews of this movie totally set me up to believe I was going to watch an uplifting movie about an impoverished Indian boy who makes a big win on India's version of "Who Wants to Be A Millionnaire?" That IS the overarching theme, but it is a glimmer of a thread that is first woven through disturbing scenes of torture, corruption, violent and horrific torture of children who have no one to advocate on their behalfs.

JP summed it up early on - "so is this movie all about how he knew the answers to the questions?" Yes, that is exactly the plot of the movie - on the surface. But Jamal learned the answers to most of the questions because of experiences no child should ever have to even imagine much less endure. It's just a movie, on one hand. But these are truths for the slumdogs of India and many countries - it even happens in America, where we would like to believe it doesn't. It truly breaks my heart. I'm sorry to be so vague, but I don't want to ruin the movie. And I also just don't even want to describe some of it.

If it isn't clear, those are the parts of the movie I disliked. But they are necessary core content.

What I did like, without ruining it all because if you haven't seen it I hope you take the time to do so, was the love felt by one child for another child that drives his soul and his very being through adulthood. It is a true love - one of forgiveness, loyalty, protection, lack of judgment, and the kind of love that would drive someone to be completely crazy for the sake of the object of that love alone. And yet it wasn't mushy or corny at all.

I also liked that the theme of disloyalty emerges repeatedly - of selfishness, self-centered survivalism, and how it is so easy to take that road when you live in the slum. But with an odd sort of optimism and a sense of justice, in the end it is overcome.

Slumdog Millionnaire is a movie of passion, survivalism, overcoming odds, a lot of luck, and above all love and optimism. It is an amazing movie and truly deserving of the Best Picture Oscar.

6/101 #47 - Scrapbook Bunny's Birthdays

Did you know that digital scrapbooking involves more than creating a photobook? All the chochkies one pastes into a scrapbook page like buttons, cute letters and sayings, ribbons, etc. are available in digital form for digital scrapbook pages that you can then order and put into a scrapbook. For example, you can create a page that looks like the one shown here.

Well I didn't know all of that until AFTER I finished, ordered, paid for, and received the first of these books. Since it's my list, I'm going to accept digitally designed photobooks for this particular item. When you are so in love with the images of your child, the digital photobooks take quite a wihle to complete as well, especially when you're three years behind.

The first and easiest book to put together was from "Bunny's" third birthday, since it just passed and I'm still enjoying the memories and vicariously reliving my own childhood fantasies of princesses and fancy parties.

The theme was Sleeping Beauty, and the birthday girl dressed like Aurora. We had scavenger hunts for Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather's gifts of Beauty, Song, and love's first kiss. It was mostly girls-only, but we had 2 cute princes who dressed in style too. Moms even got into playing with the jewelry making. Even big girls like to dress up! Here's a pic of Bunny on her big day:

My sweet little baby girl has grown into a beautiful little girl. Sigh

Here is a little sample of her third birthday photobook:

(Click on the image to see a larger version)

The next book I did was actually her first birthday. The same site I used to create the photobooks (Shutterfly.com) already had an album of her first birthday pictures.

The first birthday. Bunny's first bites of cake. Her first celebration honoring her where she actually knew what was going on around her. A duck theme with a scavenger hunt the kids really enjoyed.

My favorite memory of her first birthday is actually not from her party. It is from her eating the very first birthday cake I ever made her - the first cake she ever had. A homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting dyed pink and decorated with a yellow flower on top. JP took a picture of her close up, capturing her beautiful blue eyes up close. My gorgeous daughter with her father's eyes. My heart still melts and I still catch my breath when I see this picture. And this isn't cropped for "style." This is exactly how JP took the photo. I love it.

The other favorite image of her first birthday in my mind's eye is of Bunny in her birthday dress, tights, and black patent shoes. So many people tell me how much she looks like I did at her age. While I see it in a way, I haven't ever seen a child as beautiful as Bunny and can't believe she came from me. I realize this is the biased love of a mother. But it's a wonderful feeling, this complete adoration for one's child!

Here is a sample of her first birthday photo book:

(Click on the image to see a larger version.)

The last of the three books was the hardest, and made well after the other two had arrived and been flipped through several times. I took all day making it and you wouldn't believe it by looking at it.

When I started searching our computer for second birthday pictures, I discovered, to my dismay, that we had about 6 photos from her actual birthday. I asked myself how that was even possible. And then I remembered that we had made an effort to get a lot of video, the "incident," and it all started to make sense.

The theme of the party was Happy Feet, since that was her favorite movie and character at the time. It also afforded some relief from the pink explosion for JP! We had games such as pin-the-beak on Happy Feet and playing with balloons, since that seemed like enough fun on its own for two year olds. And then there was the cake.

Bunny thought the cake was amazing - it was a cupcake cake from a local grocery store and I had placed little black penguins on it, looking like they were dancing like in the movie. We lit two candles for Bunny to blow out, and pushed the cake over to her. Before I could stop her, she reached out and touched the flame on the candle and burned her little fingers! It was so traumatizing for mommy and pretty much most of the guests that we forgot to take many pictures after that.

Luckily modern technology makes up for moments like this. I used the video footage to steal still images from the party and created enough pictures to make her 2nd birthday photobook. Unfortunately, the quality of the images is not so great. But it's better than nothing, and hopefully she'll appreciate my efforts to create images however I could. I love this image of her on her birthday - and you can see what I'm referring to in terms of the image quality.

Here is a sample of her second birthday photobook.


(Click the image to see a larger version.)

All in all, I'm glad I put these on the list. I learned a few lessons: make sure to identify someone to take photos during the party so you have plenty. Also, it's super easy to put these books together - so do them sooner than later, save them online, and wait for a 40% off and free shopping coupon and you can save almost half the cost!

I was also able to see just how fast Bunny is growing up. And that sort of breaks my heart. And reminds me how much I need to cherish my time with her while she still thinks I hung the moon.

5/101 #63 - Go to a concert

This weekend, I accomplished this goal twice over by attending concerts at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. I'm going to share my favorite of the two in this blog.

On Friday, my BFF-R and I went to see Mary J. Blige perform for Black Heritage Night.

I'm a fan of Mary J's, but I would be lying if I said I knew ALL of her music or was her biggest fan of all time. However, since she released, No More Drama years ago, I have been so moved by her. When I see her perform on TV I am always taken aback - she dances, she moves, as she sings the words pour through her whole body and you can see the passion she feels. I teared up when she sang that song, just like I do whenever I see that video.

Another enjoyable part of the evening was watching these two women who were seriously shakin' their booties, groovin' to the music. My BFF-R actually captured it on her ... well I'll call it a video camera. It is one of those itty bitty video recorders that looks like a cell phone but I can't remember the brand. However, I'm going to ask her to send me the video so I can post it here. Hilarious is all I can say. Oh, and impressive!

But the most moving part of the evening was when she sang one of my two favorite songs, I'm Going Down. The music started, and I told my friend R excitedly which song it was. I'm not sure if Mary J. even got any lyrics out or not but I thought her sing, "Got time," before the audience took over singing, "since you went away boy / I ain't got no plans, no no no / And the sound of the rain / Against my window pain / is slowly, slowly driving me insane..." It was so loud and powerful - and beautiful. I loved that this song that so moves me seems to have the same affect on thousands of other people. Mary just held the microphone out and the look of pride and also still a sense of awe at the power of her music shown on her face. Thank goodness for the huge HD screens so those of us in the nosebleed section could see it, ha!

The crowd sang the whole song. I was singing so loudly and passionately that these women next to me stuck a pretend microphone under my mouth. That was pretty funny - and I imagine it might look funny to them to see this woman - this pasty white woman who is regularly told she needs some sun - to be singing the Queen of R&B Hip Hop's music with such joy, and hopefully with sufficient of soul (but I'm hoping not so much that I screeched out the sound of the crowd on R's video recording!). I can't help it, that song just moves me.

As I'm sure is often the case, she finished the night with what is probably her most famous song, the one whose lyrics I posted as my status update for Friday and my other favorite - Family Affair. How can you not get up and dance when you hear that? I play it over and over in my car - it is FUN (and I sing, "Michelle J is in the spot tonight" because, you know, it's all about me.

It was a great way to leave people wanting more! And it was a great night.