The Master

I was blown away by this film. We saw it at the Cinerama Dome at the Arclight last night.

The show was almost sold out, we sat in the last row on the left side which was perfect.

The title The Master really belongs to Paul Thomas Anderson, he is radness.

Superb! Brilliant! 5 STARS!

I wasn't a huge fan of Joaquin in the beginning but that guy was really good. I don't know what he was thinking when he went through his homeless, poser rapper routine. I saw I'm Still Here and I wish he wasn't. It sucked donkey balls. Yet he was adorable in To Die For, Signs and The Village. He just never made it into my list of top actors. Well, he's there now. I don't know how he is the same age as Antz but he uglied it up and looked 57 in this film. It's kinda Oscar gold to be ugly and depressing in a role. I do wish DDL was in it but he's busy kicking ass in Spielberg's Lincoln *dude, no one can act like him*and he's gonna win like everything.

Philip Seymour...LOVE! Something I have come to rely on in a PT Anderson film is he will give you a seemingly normal character and then out of nowhere they go the fuck off. Like crazy as Tom Cruise! I love it. I have been used to a passive, wimpy Philip Seymour Hoffman actor. He was incredible to the point he surprised me. He better be nominated but knowing the Academy, they will give the Oscar to Tatum Channing *I always mixed his name up but who cares?* for Magic Mike, barf.

Amy Adams, you tried to bring it. I didn't feel her at all. She had one amazing scene *sorry can't spoil it for others* but I can't get past her sweet, girl next door, wide-eyed look. Antz said the role called for her to have that young, Sister-wives/I love being in a cult look but I would have rather seen someone older and less cutesy. TILDA!

Mihai Malaimare Jr. was the cinematographer in place of PT's long time collaborator Robert Elswit. I honestly can say I didn't see that much of a difference, the film was shot using 65mm film projected in 70mm. None of this really means much to me but visually it was stunning. I was in awe of how lovely the cinematography and the score by Jonny Greenwood blended.

Towards the end of the film we had a major issue. Nothing at all to do with the film but the dude sitting in front of us. Antz and I looked at each other simultaneously and almost died. This dude *or his girlfriend, we couldn't tell* decided it was perfectly fine to let out the most rancid, foul-smelling burp in a public theater. What sucked even more is we were in the very last row so there was no filter between the burp and our noses. We both covered our noses with our shirts and squeezed hands as if we were going to die. It smelled like he ate a rotten sausage with extra onions and then licked a dog's ass! So guess what happened next? He fucking did it again! It took all my strength to not kick the shit out of this vulgar dickhead's chair.


Then Antz almost made me pee my pants because he whispered that the inconsiderate asshole's hair silhouette looked identical to Rocky Dennis in the movie Mask.  If you ever have seen that movie you know the best thing about it after Cher's glorious 80's mane is Eric Stoltz's ginger mullet. I was crying with laughter so much I was distracted from the movie.

I can't say I enjoyed it as much as There Will Be Blood because noone can beat the Master of Milkshakes!!!



Off for a swim now! It's been 100° in LA all week but we're fortunate enough to have air conditioning so unless I go outside I have no idea it's scorching hot. Last time we went swimming it was cold so I'm looking forward to cooling off in the pool.

Back to School Night

Holy Cow! The last time I went to one of these I was in fourth grade and my Mom was trying to squeeze into my tiny desk at my Catholic school. This evening is Liv's first back to school night, where we have to chance to meet one on one with her teachers *who are amazing!* and find out how she's been doing so far. I am excited to see what they have been working on because every time I pick her up she is covered in paint. Thursday she came home with painted blue lips.

She crashes as soon as I pick her up from school

Yesterday Aimee came over for our date and tried to eat the World's largest burrito.

She didn't succeed even with her bottomless pit of a tummy. Liv convinced her to take a ride on her Rody. If I tried that it would totally deflate.

Sadly I lost one of my diamond earrings *the rad ones I got from the Renegade Craft Fair* I hope it's in my car, sads.

**UPDATE!! Antz found my earring in *all places* the kitchen sink, thank goodness for strainers! YAY!!!

This morning I pre-ordered my new white iphone 5, so now I have to wait seven whole days *#1stWorldPeopleProblems*

Tonight after B-to-S, I have a date with my lovely. We're gonna see The Master!!



Happy Happy Weekend!

Eleven years

I can remember every single detail of that Tuesday morning as if it were yesterday. Eleven years ago I was living in an apartment *with Antz and our dog Maxwell* in West LA. I was getting ready for work, running late as usual when I got a phone call. Antz had already left for work, on time. I had a bad habit of leaving for work 5 minutes before I was supposed to be there but I was an assistant at E! Entertainment Television and in my early 20's so I wasn't the definition of responsibility. When the phone rang I was expecting either Antz telling me to hurry for work or my boss asking for her 3rd latte of the day, but it wasn't either of them. That phone call was like an episode of the Twilight Zone, I heard a voice of an unfamiliar man so I assumed it was a telemarketer. It happened to be a guy named Brian from my department at work. He was telling me not to come in to work today and it immediately panicked me because I thought I was getting fired so I had a hard time comprehending what he was saying. He kept saying we are under attack and to stay home but I had no idea what he was talking about. Then I said "Brian, are you joking?" he sad in the most serious tone "No." then he told me to turn on the news. Since that day I never watched the news before. I despise network news, nothing but bad news spoken by humans meant to resemble attractive robots. I didn't even have to find a news channel because what I saw was on every channel. I saw the smoke, I saw the buildings on fire. I knew it was the World Trade Towers because just last December, I was there *unbeknownst to me to become engaged*. I was in New York with Anthony walking across the Brooklyn Bridge which at the time seemed like a dumb choice because it was unbearably cold and it took us an hour to cross the bridge but I am so happy we did because I was able to take this photo.

I dropped the phone and immediately called Antz on his cell phone. He told me his building was being evacuated and I told him to come home right away. I was hysterical, it felt like hours for Antz to come home and I kept imagining something happening to him. I couldn't be alone. I called my friend Monica and she came over right away. We sat in shock and watched the horror unfolding that day. I was terrified something terrible was going to happen in LA. My heart was in my throat until Antz came home. I bitched him out for not coming home sooner. That day was my generation's Pearl Harbor but the difference was it wasn't military that was under attack but average working class people. 

9/11 affected me in a way that I can't describe. It's hard for me to continue writing because remembering that day makes me emotional. No one I knew personally passed away that day but I feel so much love for those people. It could have easily happened in LA. It could have easily been Antz on a plane traveling from Boston or New York for work. I feel so conflicted thinking about how much violence there is in the world and now I have Olivia to protect and keep from harms way. Yet, I can't keep her in a box, I can't always have my eyes on her. I have to allow her freedom to explore and experience life in this complicated world. One day I would like to take Olivia to the 9/11 Memorial Museum. I will have to find a way to explain to her why it happened. I have thought about it for eleven years and I still feel the same way, it's hatred that murdered those people. Hatred in the name of religion or greed or revenge or justice or whatever. I have to tell my innocent daughter about hate and evil one day. I just have to keep faith that she will be safe. All I can do is love her and have faith.

The long Road to Stardom

Today I am feeling bummed. I am so frustrated with myself because I wish I could just give up trying to get Liv into modeling. I feel disillusioned, everyone thinks their kid is the cutest, smartest and most awesome, so maybe I'm chasing the same dream millions of other folks have that may never come true. I shouldn't be getting upset over this but it's difficult when so many strangers come up to me and tell me how adorable or pretty Liv is and when I submit her photos to agencies and kid's clothing lines, I hear nothing in return. I didn't think it would be as easy as walking down the street and a casting director spots her and shouts "There's my next star!" and next thing you know she's starring on her own show on Nickleodeon "The iLiv Show". I have been hooked up with agency owners, friends of friends who are with major agencies and even people who work at the clothing company directly with promising leads that seem to go nowhere. I know I'm impatient, I also sound very much like a crazy stage Mom and that is bothering me the most. Liv's childhood is a magical time. She deserves to enjoy being a kid and not working or stressing out over adult problems. I just think it would be so rad for Liv's lovely face to be in a catalog or a lookbook while padding her college savings account. I'm not giving up but the industry is so complicated, I read awful things about agencies and I've watched documentaries about Moms who rent apartments and subject their kids to Pilot Season and end  up spending hundreds of thousands for acting classes, head shots and therapy. I would never fall into those traps but it seems impossible to get a foot in the door. Baby Gap now discovers their models through an extensive contest that rewards the kid with the most relatives to vote online rather than cool looking kids that have the Baby Gap look *which I've been told Liv has* I wish I could get some honest feedback because maybe it's just Liv doesn't have the right look. I was told that some agencies don't take children with similar looks so there's no direct competition and I've seen plenty of kids with Liv's look.

Zuri's video has a little girl who looks pretty close to Olivia. She also has been going through a phase where she doesn't want to cooperate with posing for pictures. Most of the time she's into it, but she has moments when you will not get a photo of her no matter what.

Sigh, I suppose this isn't something I can force. If it happens, it has to be the right place at the right time. I don't want to make myself miserable wondering why and taking the rejection *or even lack of rejection* personally. I did some small scale modeling as a kid and I even took acting classes when I was 11. I never had a career or anything but I remember learning how to improv and the classes helped me overcome stage fright. I want Olivia to learn confidence and poise from every life experience, from good to sucky ones. I just see such a stunning girl when I look at these.

Giving us her Kate Moss pose

Pretty intense eyes for a 23 month old

In other news, last night we went to the NELA art walk. It was super fun, I saw our old friend Aja and bumped into the guy who works at the post office.

We picked up a sketchbook and Antz drew an amazing photo of the band we saw

Great band who's name I forgot

Super delish corn and chicken skewers

Liv made a new friend named Olivia!

Telling each other girlie secrets

Such a lovely record shop

It was super hot so we got some strawberry mint ice cream from Scoops

Thank You is awesome, we bought this book for Liv

Peek-a-boo Aja!

Here's my lovely, growing up too fast for words. *sads*

Artsy Fartsy & Filmsy

Hello, my name is Liz and I'm a Pinterest addict. Currently I am obsessed with this artist, Scott Campbell. He is my new favorite artist *well, number two after my husband* He had me at all my favorite films painted in the most adorable way humanly possible. He wins!

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

The Shining

Pulp Fiction

Let the Right One In

The Professional

Shaun of the Dead

Pan's Labyrinth

Amelie

Battle Royale

Star Wars

Snatch

Ghostbusters

ET

Clue

The Princess Bride

Black Swan

High Fidelity

16 Candles

American Psycho

Rocky Horror Picture Show

Young Frankenstein

Labyrinth

Se7en

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Carrie

The Birds

The Shining

Bridesmaids

Lost in Translation

Hellboy

 

 

 

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Spirited Away

Drive

Rosemary's Baby

The Goonies

Raising Arizona

Rushmore

Boogie Nights

The Big Lebowski

Reservoir Dogs

Fight Club

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Donnie Darko

Kill Bill

A Clockwork Orange

Poltergeist

The Royal Tenenbaums

Silence of the Lambs

Beetlejuice

A Christmas Story

The Breakfast Club

My Neighbor Totoro

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Little Miss Sunshine

Fantastic Mr Fox

I could go on and on forever...for more Scott Campbell goodness go to his site Great Showdowns. So brilliant!!! Happy weekend!

*and happy 800th post!!!!!