It's the most wonderful time of the year...

It's OSCAR TIME!!

Nominations came out today. I am in the process of making plans to see the three films nominated for Best Picture that I have yet to see (Capote, Good Night and Good Luck, Munich). I am pleased to see Crash get the nod for Best Picture. It's a great film that boasts an original storyline that interweaves many themes and characters, portrayed by an outstanding ensemble cast featuring nominated Matt Dillon and Terence Howard (for Hustle and Flow, but he was great in this role as well). Brokeback Mountain led the nominations with eight, including the nod for Best Picture. I loved this film, because it transcends stereotypes and really is a moving love story, not just a "gay cowboy" movie as it was first described by many. However, I think its buzz is peaking too early and it may not have the legs to carry it through this month-long campaign until the votes are finished.
I'm reserving my picks for another post, but to me the race for Best Actor boils down to Heath Ledger and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. I thought Ledger took Brokeback Mountain to another level, really taking over the scenes and creating a character with more layers than an onion. I need to see Capote, but I just don't like PSH. He just annoys me.
OK, it's off to read more buzz and see more movies. Woo-Hoo!!

p.s If you haven't seen it, go rent Crash--NOW! It's spectacular.

So it begins...

I am in the planning stages of my next summer in Spain. I have spent the past 3 summers in Spain, the first just on vacation. I spent time with friends and my host family as well as touring some old favorite places and showing a couple friends around who had made the trip with me. The past two summers I have been enrolled in grad school at the Madrid campus of St. Louis University. This will be my third of 4 summers in the MA program, at the end of which I will have to take comprehensive exams. Two tests, a 3-4 hour written portion dealing with the 4 page reading list (more on that later), and a 2 hour oral test over the coursework I have completed during my summers in Madrid. This week I have started tackling research for the reading list. I spent 3 hours at the UI Library last night taking notes and reading literary history and criticism books. My plan is to compile a notebook with pertinent information on each of the works from the reading list, then to read as many of the works possible. Sort of my own "Cliff's Notes" for the MA Reading List. Since I have a year and a half until the exams, I am hoping that I can actually read most, if not all, of the titles as well. The note book would then serve as my study guide for comps.
I am excited for this summer not only because I am returning to Madrid and taking some interesting classes (including one on Spanish film director, Luis Buñuel) but also for two other reasons. First, my girlfriend is coming to visit for 10-14 days in July. She is currently taking a Spanish class at Kirkwood to help refresh what she has lost from high school Spanish class. How sweet is that?
Also my friends Jackie and Roberto are getting married this summer in Madrid. Their wedding is going to be awesome. It is in the Basilica de San Francisco el Grande, an enormous Neo-classical style church in the center of Madrid, down the street from the Royal Palace. Among the interior decorations it boasts several paintings by Spanish master Francisco de Goya. Roberto's dad is one of the most well-connected people in Madrid and Jackie estimates that of the 300+ people at their wedding, she and Roberto might actually know 50 of them. I stayed at Roberto's family's flat in Madrid for 2 weeks last summer and they are the nicest people imaginable. The wedding should be great! Spanish wedding are notorious for their crazy all-night celebrations--even the grandparents normally stay at the reception until the wee hours of the morning. I can't wait.
But until then, it's back to the library...

Catching up

Saturday night I had the opportunity to hang out with some folks I hadn't seen in awhile. It was a great time, just catching up with old friends and having some good food and drink, served up by the best hosts ever, The Utechs http://www.theutechs.com. Although I did realize that Frosty and I were the only single guys there, my mind was eased by the fact that I was the youngest of the group, not counting the children of the guests :)
I know I have previously made the promise to hang out more with my old friends from HMB, but lately I find myself struggling to keep in touch with people. I got an email from Bobo last week and ended up having dinner with him on Friday, which was great. It was good to see him again and hopefully we can manage to stay in touch. He is in the process of planning his wedding (actually Kim is in the process of planning it) that will take place this summer in St. Louis. The timing is perfect, since their wedding is June 24th and my classes in Madrid start on the 27th, so I should be able to attend the wedding before I head off to Spain.
I think my stuggle to keep up with people is partly due to the fact that my group of friends from work also includes my girlfriend. Since they are our only mutual friends that we both knew before we were dating, it is comfortable for both of us to stay with that group. I also find them planning my free time for me many times. And although they are mostly a good group and fun to hang out with, I would like to use some of my free time to hang out with my other friends, too. So hopefully I can manage to strike a balance between the old and new friends and get to see more of the HMBers in the future.
Speaking of the future, plans for my 28th birthday celebration are in the works. If you are interested in being on the email invite list, send me an email. Most of you who might be reading this probably will already be getting the invite, but just in case, whatever, yadda yadda. I am looking at an Iowa City based fiesta on my actual b-day, Jan 13th, as well as some late night festivities on Saturday the 11th. More details to follow.
And as a last thought, if you are one of the aforementioned friends who I haven't seen in a while, drop me an email or a call and we'll hang out. I miss you guys and sometimes just need a kick in the ass to get things rolling.

Second verse, same as the first

Trying the new URL...hopefully it will deter the unwanted lurkers. Same title though, and now there is a nice parallel between the two, as they are both allusions to my favorite film.
Speaking of great film, I saw Brokeback Mountain last night with Wendy.http://www.wendydecora.com. Fantastic movie. Ang Lee brings a great view to what is really a great love story. I went in thinking it would be about two cowboys who just got bored in the mountains and started doin' it. But I was so wrong. The story is expertly crafted and beautifully filmed. But the best part of the film is the incredible performance of Heath Ledger. He acts circles around everyone he appears on screen with, including the over-matched Jake Gyllenhaal. Michelle Williams holds her own in scenes with him, but I suspect it is due to her experience with playing another angst-ridden character in Dawson's Creek! Overall, a very gutsy performance in a heart-wrenching, emotional picture. Definitely worth the Oscar buzz it has been getting, and at this point in the game, I say that Ledger runs away with the Best Actor statue--hands down.