Detail, Depth, Discussion

Yikes I feel like it's been a while since I was last on here. To catch up I'm going to real quick post Marissa's Monday's Faves.:


Before I get to those you need to know that I love books. That tends to sound nerdy nowadays, which I just don't understand. People who don't like books, in my opinion, are usually the type who simply lack the imagination to become involved in something. Games and movies and whatnot are so quick to the point now that people don't take the time to become invested in a story. And I'm not sure when this became such a horrible thing. Authors, (my mother is an author and was telling me about this), are told now that if you don't have your editor's attention within the first paragraph they won't accept it. I understand this but then it goes on further to say that too much detail or description will also usually result in an immediately rejected book unless you happen to be Stephen King. I'm a bit of a hypocrite in scorning others for their lack of patience, since I am, by far, not a very patient person. But I think that books and movies and life have become so non-stop that we aren't stopping to enjoy our lives. We are always trying to get from point A to point B as fast as humanly possible without, excuse the cliche, stopping to smell the roses. It's so hard to find a book that really has depth and dimensional characters. One of my favorite movies of all time is this lasts summer blockbuster, Inception. Before heading out to see it, we of course went online to read the reviews. I was shocked at how many people disliked it simply because it, God forbid, made them think. Therefore the following five items for Marissa's Monday Must-Haves are books and movies that I feel represent what we should all be looking for in entertainment today.

1. Shutter Island (the book) by Martin Scorsese. I was watching trailers for upcoming movies and happened to come across the one advertising Shutter Island. I went out to the library and picked up the book, wanting to know if it was worth going to see the movie. *SPOILER ALERT* While this book had a rather unsettling ending I loved the different levels that this book touched on. As soon as I finished it I wanted to reread it and try to figure out what the Hell had just happened. It was confusing, thought-provoking, emotional, and complex, and I loved it.

*Note: I have not seen the movie production of this book but one of my friends did and said that the ending was not the same as the book (she also read it, after I'd recommended it, and loved it). My views on this title are entirely based on the novel by Martin Scorsese.

2. Inception the movie. This film was completely genius. That they could present to an audience, these entirely different and unknown ideas, whilst making the movie exciting and entertaining was a great feat on their part. There was not one moment that I became bored during the entire film. While I've watched it multiple times and enjoy it every single time, I must warn that if you have a child, friend, sibling, etc. that is easily upset I would not go to see it. The idea presented in this movie is that our world is not real, which to people who perhaps have a fragile or easily swayable frame of mind would upset and possibly cause some problems. This movie does challenge our very own existence. It's a dangerous thing to really sit down and think about. If you ponder it too long it might just drive you insane (excuse the dramatics). Be careful with whom you see this movie with and always remember that it is, in fact, just a movie.





3. Harry Potter Books 1-7 by J.K.Rowling. This may not count as one item but I think everybody at one point or another should read this series. They are not just for kids, they are for every age group whether you be seven or seventy. This phenomenal book series is one of the best written and best plotted stories I have ever read. It has generated discussion, classes, and charities around the world that help make the world a better place. J.K Rowling has reminded us, for I think we have forgotten, what can be accomplished with, simply, the written word.


4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. While I guess this book would definitely be considered a woman's book, I think it's important that guys read it too. It combines the elegance of the language of the early 1800's whilst being easily readable and enjoyable. This is a very personal favorite of mine and I can't wait to read more of Jane Austen.

5. My final choice for this week is the motion picture, The Young Victoria. I'm not exactly sure why but every time I see this movie I cry. It definitely has a happy ending, and while I can be kind of sappy I am usually only provoked into tears during an actual sad scene. I've never in my life cried tears from happiness but for some reason every time I have seen it, I find myself in tears by the end.


Some quick big news and then I have to catch some sleep. Yesterday I attended a proscout open call. Proscout is a company that travels around to different cities across the nation and has open call interviews to help aspiring models and actors make it to the big time. When you attend you are briefly interviewed, and if they like you, you receive a call back card. At the end of the meeting, if you have a call back card, you are told about an event where you will get the chance to present yourself to forty of the best modeling/acting agencies in the country. Last night I was given a call back card and will, hopefully, be attending the event come this January. If all goes well I could possibly walk away that day with an agent and a modeling contract. I'm crossing my fingers and doing everything I can to prepare for it but I am a little nervous. This is kind of my only shot at it. Wish me luck!


French word of the day: mode meaning fashion.


Au Revoir!


"We all look for lost time."- Christian Lacroix