Raise Your Knee!

H: "9." What did you think, in one sentence?

A: It was like watching a 1 hour and 20 minute video game.

H: Agreed. I felt like we would see a little vignette introducing a character or plot material and then there would be some action, and then another little vignette, and then another machine to fight, etc. All through the movie. I mean, it looked amazing and I really enjoyed it ... up until like the last fifteen minutes.

A: Yeah, we can't really say since the movie did just come out, and you know how we hate it when people ruin endings. (Dumbledore died) But it just didn't make sense.

H: High points and low points: I really loved the characters, especially the Twins and 6. Low point—really unsatisfying ending. Not necessarily badly done, just not what I wanted.

A: In a way though, it was poorly done. The ending, I mean. The movie was great, I remember thinking while watching it that I was thoroughly enjoying myself. But why only an hour and twenty minutes? It would've been a great film if they had just made it longer so they could develop plot and characters more. And by characters, I mean Elijah Wood, who plays 9.

H: And by Elijah Wood, you mean Adrienne's Biggest Celebrity Love/Consistent Fallback Halloween Costume. Picture please?

A: One day, he's going to see this and realize we were meant to be. Okay, seriously, this was my first celebrity crush. How nerdy am I not to realize there were attractive actors in the world until Elijah Wood starred as Frodo Baggins. Did I even give Orlando Bloom a second thought? No.

H: Well, that's because Legolas was super girly and wore those sparkly pajamas in Lothlorien. Not that Frodo Baggins is the epitome of masculinity.

A: Oh, he is. Did you ever see him in Flipper? Saving his town and the dolphins while still getting the girl. Or what about that time he saved the planet from a meteor hitting the earth in Deep Impact? Yes, I did rent every movie he was ever in and watch them after LOTR came out.

H: See, I just feel like Lord of the Rings was the high point in his career, and now all he does is animated stuff. And regardless, he will always be "the guy from Lord of the Rings" now, because the entire time I was watching 9, I was thinking how it reminded me of LotR. But it was really just Elijah Wood's hobbity yelps for help.

A: I didn't realize we were writing a new Dr. Seuss book, Hannah. Anyway, I agree. Except, he will also be known for his Dancey Dance viral video. I love how on Jimmy Fallon the other night, the Roots didn't play The Lord of the Rings theme, but the song "raise your knee, raise your other knee..." from Yo Gabba Gabba.

H: Well played, Jimmy Fallon. And well received, Elijah Wood. And well done, Adrienne-reverting-instantly-back-into-preteen-girly-mode. You learn something every day.

A: Speaking of preteen-girly-mode, we're going to stay up late watching another cliche but lesser known movie about being popular in high school: Charlie Bartlett.

H: Starring another skinny, pale, blue-eyed kid we love: Anton Yelchin. Stay tuned.

Summer Movies and Kung Po Chicken

A: Hannah and I are currently sitting in our Web Writing and Production class. Today's topic is blogging. Right now the rest of our culturally un-savvy class is creating blogs for the first time, and we're reading the book "No One Cares What You Had For Lunch," (which is about making your blog awesome) so we thought we'd take this opportunity to tell you that I had left-over Chinese takeout for lunch.

H: Considering that we're supposed to be the savvy ones, Adrienne, we have really struggled to pick a topic for this second post. Where did you get Chinese take out?

A: Happy Buddha. They seriously filled up an entire to-go box FULL of kung-po chicken. Then gave me another one full of rice. $7. I love college restaurants.

H: Ok, so. How do you feel about the fact that Mike just showed the, like, last scene of State of Play in class?

A: Well since I've seen it, I don't care. But I do care for my classmates. I hate it when teachers (or anyone, for that matter) ruin endings. By the way, did you hear Dumbledore died?

H: Well, since I haven't seen Harry Potter, I don't care. Wait. I can't believe you just made a lame joke about ruining movies and legitimately ruined a movie for me.

A: You're culturally ignorant. Which means if you didn't know that, then you deserve to have it ruined for you. (Okay, sorry, that was a little harsh. You do have a very prestigious book collection in your dorm room.)

H: Whatever. State of Play. One of the best movie-going experiences ever. Yes?

A: Well, we did take our college advisor/prof and bought her ticket. I remember her commenting on the preview for Star Trek and how she wants to see it. She also thinks Robert Redford is still a hunk.

H: State of Play wasn't my favorite movie or anything, but there was huge potential to be geeky about it anyway. Media Writing majors and our professor, at a journalism movie that also stars my all-time favorite actor. Good times.

A: Your all time favorite actor is....Ben Affleck?

H: Russell Crowe.

A: I know. Anyway, that was at the beginning of this summer. Let's talk favorite movies of the summer. Go ahead.

H: Favorite rentals: Slumdog Millionaire, which I finally got around to seeing. It's a Wonderful Life, which, no, I hadn't seen yet either. Maybe I am culturally ignorant? Also enjoyed Pleasantville, The Big Kahuna, and Once. Oh, and I cried with the rest of the audience in Up, which was amazing.

A: I saw Slumdog just a few weeks ago for the first time as well. With the rest of the world, I thought it was great.

H: Question: do you cry in movies?

A: That's tough. It's slowly changing because as I get older I become more and more like my mother, who cries watching Trading Spaces. Movies I have cried in: Fox and the Hound—when she's taking the little fox back to the forest and sings that song, it gets me every time. Also cried in Life is Beautiful and The Holiday (the only chick flick I have ever cried in). Oh, and Up also got me like six times!

H: Yeah, I'm probably more on your mom's side of the spectrum. It's embarrassing how much I cried in WALL-E ... wow. Pixar can really get to you.

A: What's their next movie?

H: I think there are actually a few coming out, but I know they're doing a Toy Story 3. And there was this article on NPR a while back about how Pixar (or animation people in general) don't make movies about girls, and it said they're doing a princess movie sooner or later.

A: Disney is making their next princess movie called The Princess and the Frog featuring the first black disney princess. The concept art pics online look awesome. I'm excited.

H: Speaking of concept art, 9 comes out today. I mean, the movie "9." That looks weird in text.

A: Yeah it looks like 9 concept arts are coming out today. Anyway, audience at home (which right now consists of our best friends who support us in all we do), Hannah and I are going to see it this weekend, so we'll have another post soon.

H: Our audience at home consists of our mothers who cry easily.

A: So to all you mothers who cry easily, this post is dedicated to you.

H: And Ben Affleck.