no, im not taking about robert redford character in the way we were. im talking about the hubble spacecraft that has provided us a glimpse of the unimaginable and unforeseen universe that has encompassed our planet for so many years. as a viewer we've been taken to basically all over the whole through planet earth's stellar documentary about the far ends and the depths of the earth. and as i have consistently admired our mother earth, ive always wonder about the world beyond itself. naturally it would be incredibly hard to capture the universe we live in considering that it would be almost impossible to film everything without the camera completely dying from the atmospheric pressure. but anyways, check this trailer out HERE!!! i cant upload it yet cause its not on youtube. but its EPIC!!

i love anything space-y! therefore, ive been visiting apod every morning for the past few years now. and here are my most favorite photographs from them!

( sorry the photographs are so small. its either this or its gigantically huge to the point where you will have the scroll up down side to side just to see one star)

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tom ford's adaptation of christopher isherwood's book of the same name was single handedly one of the most beautiful thing ive ever seen on screen. along with avatar, a single man was an experience only fit for the big screen and no where else. it moved me in ways i didnt think i could be swayed. it was due to every shot, every note, and every actor that made this film one of the best visual masterpieces to come out in 2009. the music had a major role in persuading the audience to wholly feel colin firth's agonizing soul and it was done with such perfection that i HAD to have the soundtrack. after visiting multiple music stores, i was left with nothing but amazon.com. but nonetheless, its a film that is unforgettable. dont wait till it comes out on dvd, one cannot fully understand and feel the emotions through a dinky tv screen. go watch it!!

outside of the world of film, tom ford is known as the renowned fashion designer of his own label and the former creative director of gucci. but before tom ford was tom ford, he dipped his feet in a billion other things. he left his santa fe preparatory school in new mexico at the age of 17 and moved to new york city. he was studying art history at nyu when only after a year, he decided to drop out. he pursued an acting career, appearing in several commercials simultaneously. then went to the new school to study interior architecture. before his last year, he spent 6 months interning for chloe which triggered his love for fashion. thereafter, he studied fashion but graduated with an architecture degree. whhhhew, that was a lot! it is no wonder tom ford wanted to be a director!

i particularly dont like actors or just random people who think they can direct to take on a project like they know aaannnnnything about filmmaking. but tom ford is another story. i dont think he wouldve approached it even with his ambitious vigor if he didnt think he could do a decent job at it. nevertheless, with the right crew (including the set designers of mad men), he achieved a new outlook to filmmaking. with the help of cinematographer eduard grau, he adapted such a emotional story about one man's true love and tragic loss. and while other trailers are deceiving *ahem dr. parassus ahem* every pint of anticipation and beauty evoked from the trailer is exactly what you will experience while watching it. dont miss out! A

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how could the director of monty python and the holy grail, brazil, twelve monkeys, fear and loathing in las vegas, make such a junk of a film? the initial look of the trailer seemed solid that it was going to be at least decently spectacular! and i know as a huge fan, i expected a lot! yeah yeah yeah, what did i say about expectations last time? yeah fail.

i was hugely disappointed with dr. parnassus. the shots, editing, and story was just not as up to par as it shouldve been. i know the death of heath ledger was probably the primary reason of this combobulated and twisted mess. but it just felt like everyone a part of the project just gave up. the story was very interesting and it really did have a lot of potential. but EVERYTHING was lacking. i usually LOVE every film i come across cause i naturally expect to watch good films (god, i sound like a self-appreciating prude). but god, this was not what i ordered. after watching the trailer again, the highlighted plot lines are all lined up but the way it was executed was too messy to consume. if they had just followed and stayed true to the trailer, everything wouldve been alright! i dont hate the film or anything but sometimes i wish i could just stick a finger in my mouth and just let it all hang out. blaahh...

nonetheless, i wouldnt want to dissuade you from watching this considering the only thing i truly loved about this film was the actors. it is mostly likely labeled as a heath ledger tribute and it shouldnt be discouraged because of it. its a glimpse and reminder of the magnificent talent that he possessed. and it also helps that he can share the screen with upcoming new talent like andrew garfield and model lily cole. while the rest of the world knows her as a high-fashion model, she is taking a stab at acting nowadays and surprisingly, succeeds. she truly shines in this film as she shares the screen with the most prestigious actors--christopher plummer, heath ledger, jude law, and johnny depp.

watch it if you will. just dont be surprised when you stumble across potholes half way through the film. C+

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how was new years for everyone?! mine was possibly the best one ive ever had. all i really need is some dancing in my life and ill be good!

and yes!! i finished my 200 films for 2009! honestly, i really did watch more than 200 films this year considering film school and all but if i fell asleep while watching them, i dont count em. but! out of the ones ive managed to stay awake in, this is my top ten films of 2009.

1) moon

2) 500 days of summer

3) the hurt locker (best film of 09! no joke. watch it)

4) district 9

5) an education

6) up!

7) avatar

8) the cove

9) up in the air (it was adventureland before but watched uita again and its better)

10) the road

aaaaaaaaaaand. heres a recap of the two-double-o films that were witnessed in the ginormously epic year of 2009

january 13: revolutionary road

january 24: audition

february 12: little children

february 21: rachel getting married

march 1: TROUBLE EVERYDAY

march 14: metropolis

march 29: tokyo!

april 3: adventureland

'

april 12: 2046

april 22: earth

may 3: the limits of control

may 8: sin nombre

may 15: rudo y cursi

may 29: up!

june 1: best in show

june 20: sunshine

june 25: moon and 5oo days of summer!!!

june 30: 28 days later

july 8: synecdoche, ny

july 11: the night of the iguana

july 12: bruno!

july 18: harry potter and the half-blood prince and the hurt locker!

august 19: dog day afternoon

august 26: thirst!

september 2: the wild strawberries

september 10: a hard day's night

september 17: if. chungking express. the discreet charm of the bourgeoisie

september 26: whip it!

september 30: belle de jour

oct 4: funny girl

oct 15: a serious man

oct 16: where the wild things are. couples retreat. new york, i love you.

oct 28: repulsion

nov 1: anti-christ

nov 14: an education

nov 22: salo

nov 29: fantastic mr. fox. ninja assassin.

dec 12: paper heart

dec 17: russian ark. julie and julia

dec 18: avatar. whatever works.

dec 22: the cove

dec 28: margot at the wedding

dec 30: tron. ghostbusters!!!

2009 was such a glorious year for film and i doubt ill be able to watch this many films ever again unless i turn into a film critic. but for the start of a new decade, i have new plans and goals! for the most part ill be trying to:

1) make more short films

2) become more worldly and start traveling

3) start cooking and baking

4) read more books!!

its 2010! and judging by the great start, i know this year will be just EPIC! au revoir!

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yeeep, thats right. a man by the name of kees van dijkhuizen has been making annual film mashups since forevers. and this one is by far the best one i have ever seen.

i can proudly say that i can name the film of every clip that is shown in this glorious video. 2009 was definitely a year to remember for me in terms of films and personal life. the films of 2009 has helped shape my life in ways you cannot imagine. and as i watch this, i cant help but be reminded by every clip of the emotional roller coaster and life changing moments of this year. each film chronicles the ups and downs and curves and turns that has finally lead me to where i am today. as i unfasten my seat belt for the new upcoming year, i hesitate in fear of the new journey and films ahead of me. because its not just about the movies but the moments and people those films will bring with them.

this is a constant reminder of how GLOURIOUS/COMPLICATED/STARRY/HURTFUL/REVOLUTIONARY/LOVELY/PUBLIC/SERIOUS/PRECIOUS/CRAZY/FANTASTIC/ WILD/SUMMERY/TERMINATING/EDUCATING/ADVENTUROUS this year really was.

this is not my top 2009 films list but these are the films that shaped my year.

1) up!

2) moon

3) thirst

4) 500 days of summer

5) the hurt locker

6) district 9

7) revolutionary road

8) american beauty

9) WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

10) an education

11) the cove

12) up in the air

13) vengeance trilogy (always)

hahha fine. besides two or three of those up there, its basically my top film list of 2009. i havent watched a single man, and much more yet but im sure this list is pretty damn close to my yearly conclusive one. anyway, enjoy! i cant get enough of this video. it brings such nostalgia. i love it. and i love you.

the end.

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merry christmas everyone! i hope you enjoy this xmas to its fullest! have a merry christmas and a happy holiday!! i love you all! dearly and sincerely.

as for me, ill be working and probably be eating at dennys :P

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what did you think were the best film posters in the past 10 years? dont know? the auteurs picks their favorites right here!

i honestly cant think of all the film posters ive liked considering ive watched so many films just in the past three years, let alone think of all the film posters of the decade. but heres what i came up with. and yes most of them came out in 2009 but they were good!

lady vengeance was one of the auteur's choice but sadly did not make it to the top ten.

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dont read this if you dont want to read an angry rant.

i just finished watching the cove and i cant help but feel so sadden by the situation. ive been caught sniffling and drying my eyes a lot lately. but as i watched this film, i realized who cares if your heart has been ripped out of you or have a few limbs torn and discombobulated when the water around the cove creates red shadows under the sea everyday. who care about our pathetic lives? what are you living for? if were not able to stand up to the very thing that is keeping us alive as we speak. as we slowly disintegrate our planet earth, we are slowly killing ourselves as well. we are slowly committing suicide. each and every one of us.

the cove is a 2009 documentary film about the 23,000 dolphins being killed each year in the cove of taiji, japan.

ever since i was little i always said that dolphins were my favorite animals considering i grew up as a swimmer. and when i ask other people about their favorite animal, i get the usual answer, a dog or a cat. thats it, plain and simple. the whole world is surrounded with thousands of unique and exotic animals but their range has been narrowed down to only two. it is understandable and respected. but what im concerned with is that if my favorite animal is able to be slaughter so easily in the thousands every year, why couldnt the regular household pets be either? what makes an animal so different from one another?

for the first time this month, i caught myself crying over something that wasnt related to my life in the least significance. i dont know these animals. i dont know these people. i dont even live in the same country as them. and yet, i was able to shed a few tears as the screen colored red. but why? why should i even give a damn about these stupid animals? as humans, if we are so capable of anything in this world. ANYTHING AT ALL. and we settle and stoop down so low to unnecessarily slaughtering animals that arnt even required for food or medicine, why proceed on with it? if we are so capable of this, why not just start slaughtering dogs? cats? birds?

the cove is worth watching and worth knowing about. the film has been shortlisted for an oscar nomination at the 2010 academy awards and i really do hope it gets nominated and recognized cause this is one documentary that cannot be ignored.

please do something to help in any way by visiting this site. the cove.

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NINE! there are definitely more than nine reasons why i love NINE, but here it goes.

9 reasons why i loved nine:

1) this is the product of the endless inspiration federico fellini's 8 1/2 brought. lets go back in time and chronicle how nine was created. first fellini's 8 1/2. then inspired an italian play by mario fratti. which inspired the tony award-winning musical called nine based on arthur kopit's book. which inspired michael tolkin and the late anthony minghella to write a screenplay. and voila! thus rob marshall creating NINE!!

2) the story-line was switched around from the original 8 1/2 but it was done in such a creative way that even a fellini fanatic like myself cannot be mad about. although, keep in mind that nothing. let me say NOTHING will or ever top the original.

3) uhh... the cast! it consists of mostly academy award winners like dd-lewis, nicole kidman, judi dench, marion cotillard, penelope cruz and sophia loren! academy award nominee and golden globe winner kate hudson and grammy winner fergie is also in it. and uhhhh, when will they ever get the most beautiful and talented women and the greatest actor of our generation together in one huge screen ever again?!!

4) the wardrobe! god, d-lewis looked soooo good in that simple and classic white shirt and skinny black tie look. every outfit revealed something different about each character whether it was from cruz's red dressed matched up with a red fur coat or cotillard's simple yet stern little black dress. the two time oscar winner for costume design, colleen atwood returns back from her second win for chicago to dress the stars in nine. she won her first oscar for best wardrobe for memoirs of a geisha.

5) i want to be italian. it made me want to get more in touch with my italian side. i just took a italian cinema course and all their films are entirely relatable and heartbreaking. it makes you realize the importance of one's life. and i wanted to go to france this summer but now im thinking i should just go to italy. but sad as it is, i probably will go to france instead. but picking up some italian on the side doesnt sound so bad either. i think im going to start answering my phone in italian now. pronto?

6) the songs in nine. i honestly expected the songs to be a little better but the ones i liked, i LOVED. i shouldnt underestimate the power of fergie's voice cause she really can belt it out. fergie's be italian and kate hudson's cinema italiano are my two favorite songs from the film. with their instantly catchy lyrics and italian references, i couldnt help but feel like dancing along with them as they pranced around in their frilly underwear.

7) daniel day lewis. duh. if i had a man like dday right here, id probably be all over him like glue. its no wonder why all the women in the film love him, he is simply irresistible. i cant imagine anyone else playing guido contini. he brings out the selfish, arrogant, and the lost soul completely reminiscent of the original contini. this is the first film ive ever seen dday in where he is a womanizer and in a vulnerable state. the first time i saw him kiss a woman on screen was in the ballad of jack and rose. and let me tell you, his romantic scene with catherine keener was just so uncomfortable to watch. it was like watching a twelve year old kiss their crush in the 'ten minutes of heaven' closet for the first time. bland and awkward. but ill let that go considering that he is freaking daniel day lewis. *sigh.

8) it lets the world know more and more about the work of federico fellini. even though 8 1/2 is autobiographical, it is not entirely a full representation of who he is. its a film within a film about a film. and as soon as you think you know who fellini really was, he turns the table around and shows you that its all a fabrication. please do check out his work, theres so much truth in the world he creates.

9) my expectations for the film were really waaaaay to high that when i watched it, it couldnt really meet up. but nonetheless, it was a great film to watch. like they say in the movie, show them what we want. and thats exactly what we got. we got music, beautiful actors, designer wardrobe, and a fantastic story to go along with it. you honestly cant ask for more. B+

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i got my first christmas gift today by my friend andrew. and after delicately peeling each ribbon and paper apart, the pulitzer prize novel, the road was revealed. i havent read any of cormac mccarthy's books but knowing that literary critic harold bloom has named him as one of the four major american novelist of his time, says a lot. his previous novel no country for old men was adapted to a film as well by the coen brothers back in 2007. and his 1985 novel blood meridian is named one of the top 100 best english-language books between 1923 to 2005 by times magazine. blood meridian is also getting adapted into a film by producer scott rudin and is planned for a 2011 release.

at first i really didnt want to watch the road cause the film still was enough for me to know that this could be possibly just another depressing oscar film. but after having read that it took place in a post-apocalyptic tale, i was all in. and surprise surprise, i happen to get the book. and aptly, i suggested that we just go watch the film.

the road was directed by australian director john hillcoat and written by joe penhall. it stars viggo mortensen and kodi smit-mcphee as father and son in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. they struggle to survive a number of years after an ambiguous devastating cataclysm has destroyed civilization, plant life, and nearly wiped out all of mankind. with the scarcity of food and shelter, they continue to travel from town to town scavenging for any resources while trying to avoid a band of cannibals. the theme of morality and humanity comes into play in this film in such a powerful way that will send chills up your spine and into your brain cells.

i was grinding my teeth, pulling my hair, shuffling my feet, and squinting with every progressing scene. i honestly was not prepared to see this film today. (usually, i like to prepare myself before watching intense films) and knowing that i had not watched the trailer, i did not know what to expect. even while i was holding my breath through half the film, the film itself was a breath of fresh air. i dont remember the last INTENSE film ive seen but this film actually made me scared at some points. my constant fear was a reminder of how raw and important this film really is. it consumes and cuts through you like a knife making you confront your most deepest and unimaginable fear about humanity's fervent capacity to persist and persevere.

i left the theater with a swirling headache of shock and awe. im still shaken by some of the scenes and incidents that occurred in the film. dont worry, theres no blood but just raw emotions just fusing and pulsating out of the screen and into your body. this is possibly one of the most compelling and commanding films to come out in 2009. A

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yes i saw avatar. yes i loved it. yes i am in love. hehe

avatar is like a roller coaster we've all been on before. but unlike any other roller coaster, james cameron has been nicely tucking and securing our seat belts for months, making sure that the anticipation of the upcoming ride will be well worth it. and without a moments notice, he smirks and send us off. and even though we know every turn, curve, dip, and twist, its not about destination he's mapped out for us but about the journey and struggle to get there.

as a filmmaker, it takes such an insane amount of tireless hours of endurance, passion, and drive to commit to a project and to know that another filmmaker has dedicated twelve years of his life to it says A LOT. not even kubrick has spent more than five years on his masterpieces. and this may be shocking but i can easily compare this film to be as monumental and a watershed to film history as star wars was back in 1977.

the technology that cameron has achieved and accomplished is astounding. i saw his callous hands dripping its exasperated sweat, drop by drop on every shot, and painting a surreal fantasy world of pure perfection. its nothing you've ever seen or have tried to imagine before. you have to see it to fully believe it. and dont even try to just watch it on the big screen. watch it in imax and in 3d! dont settle for anything less. i couldnt wait so i did but im going to watch it in 3d as well. and im sure itll be just as intense and spell binding as it was the first time.

and even though cameron has been prepping us for months, he exceeded my highest expectation. i couldnt imagine how and what cameron couldve done to make a film for twelve years and spend over 300 million dollars on it. like really? was that really necessary? haha YES. IT WAS VERY NECESSARY. i am still dumbfounded by the unrelenting force of technology that has been achieved through this film.

i honestly cannot begin to describe what the cerebral experience is wholly like. strap your seat belt, lay back, and slip on your 3d glasses cause what youre about to witness is a step into a virtual fantasy world that will drizzle you with ecstasy with every progressing scene you glide into. okokokokok enough. im literally going insane. the end. A-

bottom line: watch it. the visuals are insane. dont even pay attention to the dialogue. i basically almost cried cause of the technology. i love sam worthington. and it reassured me how much i love our precious planet earth.

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the anticipation for avatar is probably killing everyone but have no fear cause the day is here! accordingly to entertainment weekly, here is 8 things you NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AVATAR!

1. it takes place in the future when earth has run out of oil.

2. a moon called Pandora is home to the Na'vi tribe. they live in a giant tree that sits on a vast store of a mineral called unobtainium, which humans want as an energy supply.

3. cameron gave the na'vi feline features to make them more relatable.

4. the na'vi can commune with animals on their planet by literally plugging their ponytails into the creatures nervous systems.

5. to become a warrior, a na'vi must tame and ride a creature known as banshee.

6. sigourney weavers isnt trying to kill aliens-- shes a scientist trying to protect them.

7. steven spielberg, peter jackson, and many others visited the avatar set to check out cameron's new technology.

8. pandora is one of the many moons orbiting a giant gas planet. if avatar is successful, cameron hopes to explore the other moons in future sequels, book, and spin offs. --JR

i cant wait for this weekend. itll be insane. hopefully ill be able to watch it along with my 2o films. i hope to hear some of your thoughts after the weekend.

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imagine tarantino, jackson, cameron, reitman, daniels, and bigelow all in one room talking about their films. yyyyep, its real. ccccheck it out!!!

see more here..

this is honestly so exciting! i love filmmaker talk! the size difference of tarantino and jackson is quite astonishing.

and considering that award season just started, be expecting non-stop news about these new films from here on till February!

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do you smell that? no its not chocolate chip cookies and red velvet cupcakes baking. nor is it the pine drizzling off the christmas tree. but!

its the glorious smell of award season!!! its officially my favorite season!! this morning they announced the 2010 golden globes nominees and i couldnt be happier!!!

this is soooo awesome.

best picture:

avatar

the hurt locker

inglourious basterds

precious

up in the air

best director:

kathryn bigelow ' the hurt locker '

james cameron ' avatar '

clint eastwood ' invictus '

jason reitman ' up in the air '

quentin tarantino ' inglourious basterds '

i love this. i truly do. i think the real two big contenders are kathryn bigelow's the hurt locker and jason reitman's up in the air. but what im so giddy about is the two used-to-be-married couple going up against each other. im talking about james cameron and kathryn bigelow! they were married from 1989 to 1991. and to see them come this far and go for best picture and director is too much to handle. this is sooo exciting im salivating right now! ( i swear the hollywood foreign press did this on purpose)

see here!!!!

the golden globes will air on january 17.

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ok everyone knows that i write down all the films i have seen throughout the year. and this year, i surprisingly EXCCEEEDDED my expectations. no joke. last year i manage to watch around 130 new films. and this year i was able to kickass a whooping 180! and the years not even over yet. so this is my goal. im trying to reach 200 new films before 2010. and i think its very doable. there are seventeen more days til the new year and i only have to watch 20 more films. and yes, this sounds like a lot of films to watch but i honestly dont think ill be able to watch this many films in one year ever again so lets make the best of it! i guess i can call this an early new years resolution.

oh and be expecting the top ten greatest films of 2009 cause its coming. itll be awesome. i cant wait! and without spoiling anything, i can guarantee that

1. the hurt locker

2. thirst

are on the top of my list.

p.s. i honestly couldnt have done this without my film partner in crime. so thank you.

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dear no one,

for the past three months, ive been banging my head against the wall hoping it will help me forget every moment, every touch, every smile, every kiss, every breath, and every heartbeat. i couldnt and didnt stop till one day he laid his hand on my shoulder and asked me to stop. he looked down at me with his big brown eyes and with a hammer in hand, did it for me.

the next morning i woke up feeling refreshed, anew, ecstatic! what was i going to do today? what was i to wear? who was i suppose to be? i couldnt decide. all i knew was that i was ignorantly blissful of my stupid and hollow life. after a few months of carrying on a minimalist life. a man unexpectedly came to my door and asked me out on a date. he told me to wear the most extravagant black dressed that i owned because it was going to be a very special date. i didnt know who this man was but i didnt care. i gleefully bought the first black dress i saw and like clockwork at 9 pm, he was at my door.

where were we going to go? what were we going to do? a million possibilities were running marathons in my head. where we arrived to wasnt like any typical dating setting ive been to. this was no restaurant. this was no movie theater. we arrived at a desolate park with hunchbacked trees caressing the grass with its loving arms. the fog was as thick as the muddy ground that tried to keep me. then out of the darkness, i saw a blob of people who like me were wearing black. where were we? why did he take me here? as we walked closer, i noticed a large box in front of everyone. as i peer over the box to see what was in it, i couldnt help but feel a sting of confusion.

it was a girl. she looked about my age. as i analyzed closer, i saw that we shared the same nose and mouth. she had freckles and dimples in the exact places that i had. who was she? why does she look like me? the wrinkles in my forehead ironed straight and my eyes widened. that girl couldnt and cant be me can she? i was here. i felt my rubbery flesh under my callous fingers. im here. im alive. thats not me. but if thats not me, who is she? i turn to see the other mourners. but as i turn someone blurs their faces with watercolors. a wave of fear washed over me. i turn around to look for my date but he's gone. the blotches of people start to circle and close in on me. theres no where to escape! theres too many of them! i scream stop stop stop! but it's useless.

i just look up and gaze at the dark and tainted sky as a swarm of crows fly by.

forever yours,

ignorantly blissful.

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