Give me good friends. Give me good music. Give me good coffee. & I'm set for the night.

So not just one, but TWO of my friends have put new music out into the world today.
And consequently I am in love with all of it. :)
And I want all of you to be in love with it too...
please visit these two myspaces and open your ears, minds and hearts to the music and tell these wonderful people what you think.
I would love you forever, and I'm sure they would too :)

www.myspace.com/pausereset (note: band name subject to change)

www.myspace.com/jeffreyjack

Music feeds the soul.

Shutter Island

I didn't know what this movie was quite about when I first went into the theater but sometimes that almost makes it more thrilling. In Shutter Island, staring Leonardo DiCaprio, you really get taken for a ride. Just when you think you've figured out what is happening to Leo's character, something completely blindsides you and you have to rethink your philosophy. Most of the movie, my friends and I just kept saying "what the fuck?" But it was not a bad "what the fuck", it's that the movie makes you think, a lot. There are all sorts of twists and turns around every corner of Shutter Island, literally. Scorsese really grasps your attention from the very beginning of this movie and holds it throughout the rest of the 2 and 1/2 hours where you travel through this story with Leo's character and he makes it all so believable and so honest that you end up feeling so much compassion for him. This was a thriller movie, and I found myself choked up with a few tears at one point towards the end. I also think the fact that it's based on an island that is so close to our home definitely ups the thrill factor. Shutter Island was a thriller, for sure, but it was realistic for the most part and that made it easier to believe and get wrapped up in. I highly recommend it.

I am planning on seeing this movie again, because I think it deserves it and because I think I need to. When this happens, I will write more. :)

As a kid, I was always voted "Most Likely To Win An Oscar"

I decided to post my picks for this year's Oscars. These are most, but not all of the categories. The ones in Yellow are my picks. Yes, in some there are more than one, because I can't decide, haha. Between now and the award show (March 7th) some of these may change as I watch more movies. Enjoy!

Actor in a Leading Role

• Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
• George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
• Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
• Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
• Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Matt Damon in “Invictus”
• Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
• Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
• Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
• Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Actress in a Leading Role

• Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
• Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
• Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
• Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
• Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
• Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
• Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
• Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
• Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Animated Feature Film

• “Coraline” Henry Selick
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson
• “The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements
• “The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore
• “Up” Pete Docter

Art Direction

• “Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
• “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
• “Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
• “Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
• “The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Cinematography

• “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
• “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel
• “The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd
• “Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson
• “The White Ribbon” Christian Berger

Costume Design

• “Bright Star” Janet Patterson
• “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier
• “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme
• “Nine” Colleen Atwood
• “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Directing

• “Avatar” James Cameron
• “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
• “Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
• “Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

Film Editing

• “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
• “District 9” Julian Clarke
• “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
• “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Foreign Language Film

• “Ajami” Israel
• “The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada)” Peru
• “A Prophet (Un Prophète)” France
• “The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)” Argentina
• “The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)” Germany

Makeup

• “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
• “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
• “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Music (Original Score)

• “Avatar” James Horner
• “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat
• “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
• “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer
• “Up” Michael Giacchino

Music (Original Song)

• “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
• “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
• “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
• “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
• “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best Picture

• “Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
• “The Blind Side” Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson, Producers
• “District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
• “An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
• “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, Producers
• “Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
• “A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
• “Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
• “Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Sound Editing

• “Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
• “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
• “Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman
• “Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
• “Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Visual Effects

• “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
• “District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
• “Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• “District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
• “An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
• “In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
• “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
• “Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
• “Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
• “The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
• “A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
• “Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

There Is No Song Louder Than Love.

Switchfoot. 
www.myspace.com/switchfoot

The first time I heard of Switchfoot was when the movie "A Walk To Remember" came out. I think I was in 7th grade? I fell in love with Jon Foreman's beautifully raw voice and the band ever since. More-so recently. Their newest album Hello Hurricane continues to climb the charts in my world of all-time favorites, as well as in the real world. It's a rare thing to have a band that is so musically talented and that creates to spread the message of hope and love through their screaming guitars and penetrating vocals.

It is also rare to have a band that can put on a show with so much energy and talent and where the songs are better live than on the already stunning album. Switchfoot has done just that.

Tonight (2/16) at the House of Blues - Chicago, Switchfoot played for the first time, and they fucking rocked. I love their new album's heavier sound and it rang through the music hall tonight. There's something about the heavy rock sound and the lyrics broadcasting love and hope for everyone. At times their set list seemed a bit unorganized or scattered but in the long run, it really didn't matter what order they played the songs. (I only wish they would have saved Mess Of Me for a bit later than the second song of the set.) For a the song "You" they took the lights (mostly) off of the band and kept the venue fairly dark which made for an interesting feeling of hearing the song and it not being about theatrics, which a lot of bands these days are all about. Not saying its a bad thing at all, I often would encourage it. The dimmed lights heightened the feel or ambiance, if you will, of the lyrics. The simple lighting and open stage made the show more about the music and it was still one of the best shows I have seen. The energy and talent that the members brought to the stage was totally reflective of the tone of their new album, which if you haven't guessed by now, I highly recommend. :)

If you haven't heard it yet, go out and find Switchfoot's newest album entitled Hello Hurricane. Listen to the tracks "Mess Of Me", "Hello Hurricane", "The Sound" and for a calmer song listen to "Yet".

Also, Jon Foreman's voice is absolutely unreal live. I wish he could sing me to sleep every night. I bet I'd have the best dreams.

Somewhere over the rainbow.

Hello people of the world wide web!

So, I'm a little new to this "blogging" thing. I mean, I've done the whole Xanga then Myspace, then Facebook thing but this one's going to be a little bit different. I'm an aspiring actress, currently getting my bachelor's degree, and I love watching movies. Acting and theater and movies are my passion in life.

Music is another one of my passions. I work at the Chicago House of Blues and listen to A LOT of music. Therefore, I've decided to try and write a blog about my two passions in life, movies and music. These are just my opinions and thoughts. Read if you wish, hate me or love me, or don't read it at all.

Follow up in a bit for my posts to come.And thanks for bearing with me till I learn the ways of the Blogger.

:)