TV Series Review: Spartacus

Upon my brother's suggestion, I recently started watching the TV series Spartacus. He said it was kind of like a mix between Gladiator and 300, and I liked both of those movies so I figured I'd check it out. While there are some similarities between the three, Spartacus has enough original elements to make it its own. Rather than simply recycling material in the movies for an elongated show, modern day touches are added to keep the audience engrossed.

At first I thought the show was a little overdone with the amount of nudity, open sexuality, testosterone and pride-filled men and overwhelming praise of masculinity, but after watching a full episode I couldn't stop myself from becoming addicted. I enjoy the balance of fighting scenes entwined with love scenes and branches of personal story plots that allows the viewer to slowly become more familiar with each character while leading up to a great bloody fighting battle.

For more info you can visit the Spartacus website or simply tune in to Starz on January 21st at 10pm to check out the season 2 premiere (click to watch preview). I've been seeing billboards all over the city for Spartacus, so hopefully this next season will be just as good as the first, and with the help of all the advertising, maybe it'll get a boost in ratings. It doesn't seem that many people have watched the show, but after I had my roommates watch it they immediately liked it, so perhaps the show is a little under the radar simply because it's on Starz Network.

Spartacus is a fun form of entertainment with the right combination of bloody action scenes mixed with sexy promiscuity and touching hopes of freedom or success in the arena. It's not difficult to pick things up if you start in the middle of the season either. I definitely recommend it to someone looking for a new show to follow.

The Stamp Store

I probably did the dorkiest thing imaginable this past Friday. I went to a stamp store. While most people today seem to do most things online including emailing their friends or messaging them via Facebook, some of my relatives aren't quite tech savvy and prefer old school handwritten letters opposed to navigating through the online world. It doesn't matter a whole lot to me because I enjoy writing out a letter every now and then, especially now that I'm out of school and don't have to take notes which I always did in a notebook rather than on my laptop anyway. There is something more personal about seeing my own handwriting on a piece of paper no matter how messy it is.

In addition, I get excited when I get mail. Perhaps it's because I receive letters and packages via mail much more infrequently than I receive emails and texts. I like being able to hold something in my own hands. I like seeing my full name and address written on the envelope, and I love the cute return address labels that my Grandma always uses featuring a kitty or puppy. It makes it seem realer and gives it more personality.

Therefore, when a friend said she was going to the stamp store (she enjoys writing letters as well), I told her that I'd love to join. The stamp store we visited is called Champion Stamp, and it's a shop literally filled with stamps--world stamps, stamps from different years, stamps with different amounts, stamps in many different colors, shapes and sizes. It was pretty neat to be in a store dedicated to stamps only. Some people collect stamps as a hobby, and there were a few glass cases in Champion Stamp where the expensive collector stamps were held.

Since I actually want to use the stamps, I bought face value stamps only. There were dozens of bins and binders full of stamps. I sat at a table and sorted through them. It felt like a treasure hunt the way I was digging around for the perfect stamps. I loved the variety and the fact that I myself was able to go through the binders rather than have someone else show me the options or buy them in a vending machine at the post office. Applying the stamps that I spent time digging through to the envelopes containing my handwritten letters makes it all the more personal in my opinion. Whether or not the receiver of the letter notices, I feel satisfaction towards the letter to be mailed.

When was the last time you wrote a handwritten letter? Perhaps being able to choose your own stamps to apply to a letter would be an incentive to write more. Feeling like a kid again if only for a few minutes as I was digging through the bins of stamps made the visit worth it to me.

Sometimes it's the small things in life :)

Scented Nail Polish

I am OBSESSED....

with Revlon Scented Nail Enamel.

I read about it on Nylon Magazine's Blog, and although I was skeptical about whether it would actually work, I was definitely interested in getting my hands on the polish to try it out for myself.

I picked up the "Not so Blueberry" which is a blueish/purplish/lavenderish color dusted with shimmer. Not only is the color very fresh and perfect for springtime, but it also smells good too (once it dries. When you first apply it it smells like regular nail polish)! Yeah I probably look really strange sniffing my fingernails every few minutes, but it's so cool and I can't help it!

I'm so excited that I'm going to have to run out and buy a few more colors/scents. I have a feeling they are going to be swiped up fast.

The Revlon Scented Nail Enamel comes in 16 different shades including:

-orange pop

-cotton candy

-sublime strawberry

-beach

-pretty in papaya

-ocean breeze

-gum drop

-grape icy

-coconut crush

-mon cherry

-peach smoothie

-raspberry rapture

-mad about mango

-bubble gum

-not so blueberry

-passion fruit

They are about $6.50@ at CVS. Hurry and get yours before they run out! :)

My Visit to the International Center of Photography

I recently visited the International Center of Photography. It's definitely not for everyone, but if you enjoy photography and a bit of history you may want to check it out. Some reading is required and there are many small photo reels, so definitely bring your glasses if you wear them.

The ground level floor of the center contained pictures from the Spanish Civil War. What I liked about the exhibit was that the succession of pictures told a story like a history book. (The photograph on the left of the woman breast feeding her baby during a political speech is a famous shot by David Seymour.)

The bottom floor contained pictures from the Cuban Revolution beginning in the late 1950s with focus on Che Guevara. I liked the Cuban Revolution exhibit more than the Spanish Civil War exhibit because photographs were used more as an artistic form of political speech. Many solo shots of Che were featured because his face became a symbol of his beliefs.

The International Center of Photography has rotating exhibitions which is a great way to get people to return. There is one exhibit in particular that I would love to see, the Avedon Fashion traveling exhibit. It's currently at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts until mid-January 2011. If it came back to the NYC Center I'd definitely return to check out the post-WWII era fashion photography by Richard Avedon. (One of his 1967 photographs is featured on the left.)

The International Center of Photography is a different experience than going to a museum, but I enjoyed it. I'd just recommend looking at the list of current and upcoming exhibits so you can visit when the exhibits that are of most interest to you are on display.

Check out the International Center of Photography website for more information.

New Year's Eve Hubbub

Good ol' New Year's Eve. Every year everyone makes so much hype about New Year's Eve plans--First it's choosing which group of friends you wish to spend it with, then figuring out where you're going, what you're wearing, who you'll be kissing at midnight, etc. It's frazzling.

This year (partly due to the fact that I was stuck in an airport for 24 hours and made it back to the city already exhausted with only two days to spare before the ball dropped) I didn't really have the same anxiety about my NYE plans. Yes, I did buy a sequins dress for the occasion two months in advance, but I really hadn't given it much thought besides expressing my adamance not to go to an obnoxious, overcrowded club and to not pay more than $50 to get in any bar.

Having no expectations when it comes to NYE seems to be the best way to go into it. Just think of it as another day--well it is, but it also just happens to be a night celebrating the first day of a new year and "new beginnings." No, I did not have an "epic night" in which I had an awesome buzz and was magically kissed by a handsome male as everyone yelled "Happy New Year!" but at the same time no, I did not have a horribly disappointing night. I was with friends simply enjoying myself and their company just like any other night I'd meet up with friends for drinks.

I'm not saying one shouldn't hope for an epic NYE. Everyone should have at least one of those. But we should be realistic about our expectations and that way we won't set ourselves up for disappointment. I think the same goes with New Year's Resolutions. If one has to really contemplate a resolution to implement in the new year, it's not genuine and will most likely be given up after a month or two into the year. No one is forcing you to make a resolution, so there's no use in making an empty promise if it's not something you really want to do. Last year I didn't make a resolution. This year I simply said that I'm going to try to eat more fruits and vegetables. I make no promises that are unrealistic or unachievable. I feel content and I'm truly looking forward to all that 2011 brings.

Happy New Year!

Film Review: The Fighter

Last night I saw The Fighter with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. I really didn't have any intentions of seeing it, but I agreed to go along simply to spend more time with a friend who was only visiting for a few days. The Fighter definitely exceeded any small expectations I had for the film. Those are actually my favorite movie experiences--when you go in not having any expectations and not even really knowing what the movie is about just to be thoroughly entertained and end up really enjoying the film. Let's just say I'm very happy I agreed to see it. Since it's a film about boxing and I know nothing about boxing, I figured it wouldn't interest me much, but there was so much more going on than simply boxing. It's the story of not one but two men--brothers--who are boxers and the relationship not only between them but also their large family.

The film sent me through a roller coaster of emotions. Dickey Ecklund, played by Bale, goes through a drug addiction, and although it's a serious matter and he messes up a lot he still has big heart and big personality, and he keeps the audience chuckling. He is quite a character to say the least. Micky Ward, played by Wahlberg, is the younger, less outspoken brother. Together they make a fantastic team which is evident by the end of the film despite all of their problems. In addition, even though their family is dysfunctional they all stick together no matter what, and they remain loyal.

The Fighter is a motivating film that shows that you should always have faith in your abilities and never give up. If life throws you an obstacle that you cannot climb over pave yourself a new path. That is what Dickey finally does when he realizes his days of professional boxing are over. He instead focuses his efforts on training Micky so that Micky can win the title he never did.

Audiences love a good story of an underdog's struggle to make it to the top, and this film executes it wonderfully. I also love the fact that it's based on a true story. During the credits at the end of the film, a short clip of the real half-brothers is shown. Bale mimicked the real Dickey so well I was really astonished. Not only was his acting amazing but he also lost a ton of weight to play the role. He looked skeletal and his eyes looked shrunken. He was believable as a drug user.

Another reason why I think The Fighter is an excellent film is because the setting took place in the 90's and everything from the clothes and big hair to the cars were accurate of the 90's style. Finally, I liked that the two brothers were from a small town, yet no matter how successful they became, they remained loyal to their town. They seem like average working class men in construction--they don't wear nice clothes, drive nice vehicles, have an especially nice house or go anywhere particularly extravagant, but they are champions inside. They truly are the town heroes.

If you liked Million Dollar Baby with Hilary Swank and Clint Eastwood I'm sure you'll enjoy The Fighter as well. I whole heartedly recommend it.

Film Review: Black Swan

**Note: spoiler alert**

I heard about Black Swan from a friend who told me to check out the trailer. After watching it I immediately wanted to see it. Then all of a sudden it blew up and everyone in New York (at least it seemed) was buzzing about it. The first night I went to see it I ended up calling a local theater in advance to make sure they had tickets for a particular time and I was informed that tickets had been sold out five hours prior to my call. Therefore, going into the movie I had very high expectations.

I thought Natalie Portman did a great job. I had heard even before seeing the movie that she had lost 20 lbs. for the role to have a body more like a ballerina's, but her acting in itself made her believable. I was so annoyed with her! I wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her sometimes which goes to show that she did the job right--she was able to evoke emotions and opinions from her audience. Better yet, she makes the audience contemplate the complexity of her character. Although the main character, Nina, played by Portman, is an adult, she still lives at home, she's an unassertive milquetoast, and she talks in a soft, whisper-like voice which makes you want to yell at her to speak up and grow a backbone. One deep-rooted issue Nina faces is her inability to really grow up. Her mother is rather smothering and she certainly crosses the mother-daughter boundaries considering Nina is an adult herself. Her mother even tucks her in bed still for heaven's sake!

A pivotal scene is when Nina allows herself to "explore" and let go a little by touching herself when she wakes up one morning, and just as she is starting to enjoy herself she looks over to find her mother asleep in a chair next to her bed. The scene shows the restrictions Nina faces as an unsure, dependent adult who is wishing to finally grow up. Her bedroom is decorated like that of a little girl's. The room and bedspread are pink and white and she still has dozens of stuffed animals. Inside she's wishing to break free, but her home environment and her mother are holding her back.

Nina has been oppressed for so long, her main struggle is the one with herself. Even though she does want to experience new things, sexual things, she holds herself back because it's unfamiliar and she cannot contemplate being anything other than pure. Nina so desperately wants to be the perfect ballerina. Her instructor even tells her that she has a near perfect technique, but unfortunately that's not enough, especially for the leading role of the company's new performance of Swan Lake*.

Nina's obsession with perfectionism is essentially what "births" her and destroys her at the same time. Her internal battle at trying to let go and be seductive enough to be a convincing black swan is too much for her to take. How can a single person be a black swan and a white swan when the roles are completely opposite? Her instructor tells her from the get-go that she is the model of a white swan and that her difficulty would be letting loose enough to transform into a black swan as well. The embodiment of both proves to be too much. She lashes out at her mom (although in my opinion it was about time), she starts hallucinating, and she becomes extremely paranoid and feels threatened.

What I found to be most interesting is that although Nina destroys herself by the end of the film, she's happy because she did become the perfect black and white swan.

Black Swan is twisted. The film forces you to pay close attention in order to try to distinguish if certain events are real or part of Nina's psychological breakdown.

I absolutely recommend this movie to others. It has been praised by both ballet lovers and non-ballet connoisseurs alike. Just go in knowing that it's a pretty heavy film. Be prepared to take a few minutes after watching the movie to let all of the fast-paced scenes sink in and to mull over the complex, entwined themes.

*Swan Lake is a ballet composed in 1875. Since the first performance, many different endings have been written.