Straight out of Lackawanna

"But if you ever leave me again, I'll down a bottle of baby aspirin...I swear, I'll do it."

Oh, the hilariousness. Mindy Kaling, you're a genius.

autumn playlist

I've moved on. I've put aside my beloved summer playlist in a quest for greater musical horizons. I've decided that "taper jean girl" is so last summer and clearly indicative of my curious love for the movie Disturbia and its dashing young star, Shia LaBeouf (the song was prominently featured in the flim). I've opted to seek out newer, cooler, acts, the more hip and up-and-coming types that frequent Austin City Limits and Bonnaroo. I've turned to my musical guru, Pretty Cheap Dress, for assistance. I've...

Who am I kidding?! As IF I could turn away from my twin musical loves, Coldplay and Kings of Leon. That delectable summer playlist has continued to spin on my simple school stereo and comfortably blare from my Ipod each day on my drive to school. It just so happens that a few new favorites have emerged, warranting the creation of an autumn playlist.

I'll confess immediately that the New Moon soundtrack features heavily on my autumn playlist. Setting all Twi-obsession aside, it's AWESOME, and I highly recommend that you download it immediately.

meet me on the equinox-death cab for cutie. This song was the first release from the soundtrack, a hint at great things to come. It's not typical Death Cab fare, in my humble opinion, but still a very cool song. It's possible that I may be biased because of the gratuitous film clips in the video, but I actually think it's very fitting.

bang! bang!-the knux. One of the two songs from my free Austin City Limits 2009 download. I could not stop listening to it.

zero-yeah yeah yeahs. If I was a responsible, fit person, this song would definitely go on a "Workout" list on my Ipod. Right now, I use it to pump myself up when working on paperwork.

strawberry swing-coldplay, left right, left right (live album). No list I make will ever be devoid of Coldplay. This song is the epitome of sweetness. I feel overwhelmed with affection every time I hear the thunderous, yet subtle, opening strains.

the bucket-kings of leon. My playlist is, once again, very KOL-heavy. Part of the reason is that I would like to expose the general public to KOL's earlier stuff. I think this album (Aha Shake Heartbreak) is their best, even though I'm totally sucked in from the minute I hear Caleb Followill's voice. He could be singing about garbage, and I would still be enraptured.

song for you-alexi murdoch. A really sweet, simple song. I've been listening to Alexi Murdoch for year, and I'm always soothed.

lasso-phoenix. Pretty Cheap Dress was MOST impressed by Phoenix when she attended ACL this year. Of course, I immediately checked them out, and was pleasantly surprised, as usual, by her apt review.

monsters-hurricane bells. I can't wait until the release of the first Hurricane Bells album. Thank you, Chris Weitz, for finding Hurricane Bells, and spreading the love!

red morning light-kings of leon. An offering from the very first KOL album. I haven't been to a concert yet, but I hope when I finally get the chance that they play at least two or three from their first go-round.

i gotta feeling-black eyed peas. Is it lame that I heard this song for the first time at a wedding a few weeks ago and totally dug it? It's probably been playing on the radio for days, maybe even months. I'm so out of the proverbial loop.

sweet disposition-the temper trap. By far, the moodiest, coolest song on my autumn playlist. It's a discovery from the 500 Days of Summer soundtrack, and I can't wait to hear more from them.

a white demon love song-the killers. It's kind of quirky, but that's to be expected from The Killers. I'm into it. Plus, the Edward and Bella connection is so obvious!

in the middle-mat kearney. I have a soft spot for this song, and I can't explain exactly why. Mat Kearney is an interesting guy, and his songs are always unusual. "No parachutes, or safety nets here..." Awesome refrain.

pistol of fire-kings of leon. A perfect example of why I was plunged into a dangerous KOL addiction. Is it pathetic that I know Caleb's first name is Anthony?

there is a light that never goes out-the smiths. "To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die..." Yes, I discovered this classic gem when watching 500 Days of Summer. I've listened to it over and over, so much that I can repeat each word longingly, and perform a perfect imitation of Zooey Deschanel in the elevator, sharing her affection for the Smiths with a soon-to-be-smitten Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

you belong with me-taylor swift. I love her. She's darling, a total gem. PLEASE DON'T CHANGE, TAYLOR!

slow life-grizzly bear. Give this one a chance. I know that you'll hear the opening strains and feel doubtful, but the chorus is so moody and delicious that you'll immediately know why I had to include the song on my list.

wavin' flag-k'naan. My second ACL discovery. I was attending the wedding of a dear friend during this year's festivities, but I continue to be impressed at the selection of unique acts. I wish I had been there to hear K'Naan-I'm sure I wouldn't have been disappointed.

mystery in the making-eli young band. Long ago, Pretty Cheap Dress told me that I would love this song. She is never wrong. It's the bit of country on my list.

forever-chris brown. Let it be noted that I do NOT endorse Chris Brown and his abusive ways. I simply could not leave it off the list, when the song "forever" is so permanently imprinted in my brain as a connection to Jim and Pam.

"I feel old, but not very wise." aka Katie's Oscar Predictions

As any casual reader of my humble blog knows by now, I love movies. All kinds, from deep, meaningful, critically-acclaimed films to the most pedestrian fright flicks. I actually don't discriminate too much-hardly anything is more delightful to me than an afternoon or evening spent at a movie theater. I am PROUD, not ashamed, of the many times I've gone to see a movie alone. I revel in my exhaustive (I'm not boasting, I really know my stuff!) knowledge of upcoming films and what may or may not be called out at the Oscar podium. As the year comes to a close, I thought I would put together a little list of the movies I am confident will be on my printable ballots at my 2010 Oscar party.

Precious

I will guarantee this movie's presence at the Academy Awards this year. It was a huge success at Sundance and the Toronto Film Festival, and praise from critics has been practically universal. I like what a writer from IMDB.com stated about it: "His take (Lee Daniels, writer) on the hardships faced by the titular character is only semi-sentimenal, and it implies that a person's conviction is the one thing that remains when their circumstances are remarkably bleak." I expect supporting actress nods, though not for Mariah Carey!

The Road

Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel sits on my desk, where I gaze upon it wistfully and hope for the days when I'll be able to read something for enjoyment rather than necessity. I'm not completely familiar with his work-in fact, I've only read No Country for Old Men. Both novel and film were excellent, and I have high expectations for The Road, even though post-apocalyptic tales aren't usually my cup of tea. It should be known that I also have a soft spot for Viggo Mortensen. A hint of the extent of my admiration? I own the film Eastern Promises.

An Education

You should know that I'm not usually drawn to stories involving smarmy men and the downfall of naive young women. This one, however, seems a bit different. There is something more real and thought-provoking behind what could be a stereotypical seduction tale. The whole film world has been RAVING, absolutely RAVING about it, calling Carey Mulligan a "revelation." She does seem lovely, and I find her voice to be tremendously appealing. As of late, the inexplicably appealing Shia LaBeouf shares my sentiments-the two of them have been spending quite a lot of time together outside of filming the sequel to Wall Street. Shoot, did I just undermine my entire recommendation of An Education? Ignore my Shia reference!

Brothers

I've seen the original Danish film, Br∅dre, and it did not make as powerful an impression as the few minutes we see here, in the American remake. Looking back on it, I think that was mostly because the actors in the Danish movie are beloved favorites for my SH and I. We're used to seeing them in hilarious yet dark and twisty roles (Danish humor is VERY twisted!), so it was strange to see them taking on something so very serious and intense. The new version looks gut-wrenching and suggests exceptional performances from the three leads. I have to admit, I shudder when watching the trailer-Toby Maguire is genuinely frightening.

Up in the Air

I should note from the start that I am not a fan of George Clooney. I do not find him attractive, am not particularly impressed with his acting ability, and am highly suspicious of his inability to sustain a relationship at his age. That said, I trust the instincts and ability of Jason Reitman, director of Up in the Air-he brought us Juno!-and the buzz about the movie has been hugely positive. Setting aside my feelings about George, I can tell the movie is going to be good. It also features Twilight star Anna Kendrick-she was a huge standout in Twilight, and Up in the Air is inevitably going to place her firmly on the map.

The Hurt Locker

This is the only movie on my list that has already made its run in theaters. Nary a negative word was written about it, and though it was a limited release, it was unquestionably a critical success. In our troubled times, war movies are hard to swallow, and are often dicey ventures for filmmakers. I think it's very possible that The Hurt Locker is an exception. It's a contender, mark my words.

Yes, I know this list is quite lengthy, but there will be TEN nominees for Best Picture this year. Don't be surprised if even the delightfully hilarious, so-incredibly-funny-I-have-to-own-it summer hit, The Hangover sneaks into the arena. I should note that in an interesting turn of events, the highly-anticipated Martin Scorsese-Leonardo diCaprio collaboration, Shutter Island, was moved to mid-winter 2010. Very strange move considering the new 10-nominee policy.

I'm going to include one more trailer, for my own viewing pleasure. It's not applicable for my post, because of its 2010 release, but it stars one of my faves, Benicio del Toro, and the always appealing, soon-to-be wife of John Krasinksi, Emily Blunt.

Admit it. It looks SUPER cool.

Source (Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt)

Starting Over Yet Again

It's a struggle to come up with a pithy, interesting blog post title when you've been painfully absent for days. Weeks, actually. I know that I have a good excuse. In fact, even on top of my family's concerns, I have more work for graduate school and more responsibilities at my day job than I've ever had. It's been a tough few weeks. Plus, my time management skills are sorely lacking. I've never been really the best about getting things done.

Thankfully, I have a pile of recipes stored up for posting about, a few movie/television related news bits, and of course, the obligatory Twilight posts. I want to write about our wonderful weekend away at Point Reyes (a hint of which I've shown above), my fave songs of the fall season, and how even though I miss the extra time I used to have to recap Top Chef, it doesn't seem to matter in light of the fact that the final four chefs seem terribly obvious.

For now, I'll stick with my prized pictures of the best birthday gift ever, sent from my BFF Rose (aka Pretty Cheap Dress).

Could there BE a better gift for me? Is it even possible? A bag to cart around all my books and various sundry items, plastered with an image of my most beloved band? Be still my heart, Rose!

I can't post a picture of my new bag without showing its creative packaging. Look, it's my very own Louis Vuitton bag!

I'll be back. Soon...

Plan A

It was sublime. The perfect combination of PB & J sweetness and Michael Scott awkwardness. A fitting conclusion to the years of angst and pining. Perfection, really.

That's right. It's been two weeks, and this is what I post.

In my defense, it has been yet another crazy week in the world of work and school. It's only natural that after a whirlwind weekend attending a wedding in Long Island followed by pounding out an extremely challenging paper at 35,000 feet on my way home, the first post I might be able to compose would be related to my beloved vampire saga. "Meet Me on the Equinox" is the first released single of the highly-anticipated New Moon soundtrack, which is due to arrive on October 20, exactly one month before the movie's premiere. And I do not just mean highly-anticipated by me. The success of the Twilight soundtrack was unprecedented, and I'm SURE the response to New Moon will be even greater. I can't wait-exclusive, original songs from Bon Iver, Muse, and Thom Yorke...it's going to be awesome. Hard to believe that not quite a year ago, I was writing practically the same words.

Source
I solemnly swear that my next offering will not be all about vampires. Really.