* not with ink

Last night I watched 12 Years a Slave . It was upsetting and disturbing, and rightly so. Based on a true story, it chronicled how  Solomon Nor thup , a free black man, was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the 1840's. I found myself hiding behind my scarf. They're actors , I told myself, This is a movie set. They're acting. That is not real blood . And then the next voice jumped in. But it really happened. Maybe not exactly like this, but worse. To more people. Who weren't actors. This isn't pure fiction. And this isn't over.. I feel a bit ill today, thinking about it all. About who I might have been if I had been born two hundred years ago and what I might have turned a blind eye to. About Grampie and last week's blogpost , about this photo series , about my friends' documentary on sex-trafficking & prostitution , and the horrors of sexual violence: I fear many things for my life, but I do not fear being enslaved. I don't fea...

I'm grateful for friends like Selina who help me remember that Toronto has fantastic arts & culture offerings. As an avid TIFF fan, she's my go-to movie friend throughout the year, and even more so in September. So when she texted on the weekend to ask if I wanted to go see, Sunshine on Leith , a Scottish musical, I didn't need any other info. I was in. And once again, wound up with more than I'd expected (last year, the Countess of Wessex attended the same film as us, Rebelle , which went on to be nominated for an Oscar, and was stunningly beautiful and upsetting). Scottish musical, yes. With an exclusively-Proclaimers soundtrack? Yes. The world premiere? Yes. Two rows in front of said Proclaimers, the film director and main actors? Yes. Guys. And gals. It was a good movie. It avoided much of the schmalz of musicals (only one moment of eye-rolling cliched conversation), wound three love stories around the beauty of Edinburgh and the return of two young vets fro...

Last night I saw The Avengers . This is not a review, although I enjoyed it and think it was the first superhero movie I have seen in theatre. Superhero movies are a genre that is distinctly lacking in my life. Anyway. Prior to the viewing, I was chatting with two lovely ladies who had already seen the flick, and of course, we discussed the women on the big screen (Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cobie Smulders). Karen brought up a very interesting series of questions that she asks about movies and their portrayal of female characters. They are: Is there more than one female character? Do the female characters talk to each other? Do they discuss anything other than other male characters? Huh. Insightful questions. Reminds me of a conversation with Wendy back when I watched my first Bond movie , and I wondered if we really have come all that far in the world of feminism and portrayal of women in film. The answer, I believe, is yes and no. I know there are a lot ...

Yesterday, I met someone who has heard my voice from work-related phone calls, but never seen my face. As we shook hands, I introduced myself. "Oh! You look far  healthier than I imagined you would!" Later in the evening, I sat in the movie theatre and consumed a "dinner" of Cadbury Mini Eggs, gummi bears, and Bugles. Feeling gross, I thought to myself, "I think what he really meant is that I'm younger and more attractive than he'd expected. But that would have been a weird and even more awkward thing to say." --- Watched  Hugo  last night, finished reading  The Invention of Hugo Cabret  this afternoon. Quite enjoyed them both. Probably the first 3D movie I've seen in which I felt the added value of the glasses (note: I did not see  Avatar  in theatres), instead of wishing it were just a regular film. In the book, I like the angles and perspectives and general use of illustration. Also, I prefer the book's Isabelle to the movie's....

From my brother-in-law, Lalo, who loves this dancing. I resisted the song based on the band's name. Buuuuuut, it is catchy. And these peeps have moves . (some mild profanity in the opening dialogue) Did you know that Salvador Dali and Walt Disney had plans for a short film? It was finished by some other people, and is kind of bizarre and kind of amazing. Law-breaking-video is viewable here . And because 7 million people have seen it and can testify to the cuteness, I give you CAT MOM HUGS BABY KITTEN! (baby kittens are so much cuter than non-baby kittens)

I just watched The Break-Up , because it is late Sunday afternoon, and that's how we roll. (spoiler alert) I expected them to get back together, and was counting down how many minutes were left, wondering if this was going to be the turning point. Well, it turns out they don't get back together. They break up. And stay that way.* I am upset about this. Why does it bother me so much when good people don't stay together? These people aren't even REAL for crap's sake. I don't understand how a couple gets to the point where they don't care anymore or they don't have any capacity left to love. Okay, I do understand how it happens...I just want to believe that it doesn't have to happen. Maybe my problem is that I grew up listening to this song: Oh, 60's music... On the movie front, I have more respect for this film and its realism. And for Vince and Jennifer for choosing to do the movie. *Kudos to Nadine, who has seen the movie b...

I was rescued from a night that could have looked something quite like this by the voices of a few good friends, the warmth of fresh laundry, and a stern talking-to from my own self. Scene: The movie theatre, watching the opening scene of Bridget Jones' Diary (sometime during Grade 12): me: (whispering) Kim. If that is me when I am thirty, I give you permission to shoot me. Please , shoot me. Kim: Are you kidding!? That is totally going to be me! I'm not thirty yet, but it is strange to think back to being 16, and how completely impossible it seemed that my reality would ever be anything like Bridget's. Um, it's not so far off, some days. Ten years ago, I would not have predicted any of my current life. And SPEAKING OF COLIN FIRTH! I really need to see The King's Speech . And I still want to see A Single Man from last year. I am sure both of them are quite good movies and warrant viewing even if I didn't have a soft spot for this dashing Brit . I will ...

I woke up at 5:18 this morning from a dream about a dream. In my dream, a guy I know and I were telling my mother a "funny story" - namely, how we had (independently) had the same dream. We interrupted each other, filling in details and saying how strange it was that we'd dreamt the same thing. There was a barn involved; I think we were stranded at a farm, and had to spend the night in a tent, which I remember thinking was a detail that sounded sketchy and maybe shouldn't be included in this retelling. Arriving in my dream (the movie makes a good point - you always arrive in the middle of a dream, when something is in process and you're just suddenly there), I noticed that this guy was massaging my feet as we casually chatted with my mom. I guess we're dating? I thought. In Dreamland, I was fine with this foot massage, although I'm not sure how I would feel about it in a real life relationship... Anyway, I woke up and looked over at the clock, and w...

Since I woke up this morning thinking about Megamind , I thought I'd just say that if you have a child, access to a child, or are a child at heart, you should go and see it. Hilarious and heartwarming. Here is the final trailer: And the ComicCon trailer: And a clip of witty banter:

Fact: I have a loud laugh (as well as a wheezy laugh my family affectionately calls "the guinea pig"). I am also a jumpy person, and get very emotionally invested in movies. When watching a movie in the theatre, it is a money-back guarantee that I will laugh out loud or gasp audibly at least once. This usually occurs at a moment when precisely 0 other people in the theatre are making noise. I find this both awkward and hilarious . I have come to terms with the reality of my movie-watching uniqueness, but do feel the need to warn new friends when we make movie plans. Just in case they embarrass easily. Sometimes I cuss. I started swearing after I started working for a Christian organization. (Yes, I've over-analyzed that correlation) . I still take profanity seriously though, and have extensive thoughts on the matter . In my mind, there are words and contexts that are never appropriate , and there are other words and contexts which are understandable/allowable. Ther...

This weekend I watched Scott Pilgrim vs. The World . I liked it. Here's the promised conclusion to my thoughts. Side notes: I am terrible at comparing books & movies...I know you're only half-allowed to, but I always go the whole way. And I always prefer the books (although I have read neither The Notebook nor Devil Wears Prada ). I don't think I've ever seen a movie on opening night before. I'm not sure if it was just the type of audience, or generally an opening night audience, but I found it a bit overwhelming...there was an eagerness about the film that made me tone down my own enthusiasm - I need to get over this independent streak that refuses to share my excitement with the masses. Sneaky Dee's doesn't make the film. I think that was the biggest disappointment for me, because it seems like such a pivotal location in the books. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed the Toronto smorgasbord of settings. Seeing the movie with no previous book knowledge ...

I have a job. Specifically, I will be the primary caregiver of 3 year-old C and 7 year-old G. Yup, I'm taking a turn at nannying. Back in the summer of 2008, when all this life-change was just a teeny-tiny seed in a handful of conversational (and proverbial) dirt, I said to a friend, "You know, if I quit my job and decided to...be a nanny for a couple of years, it wouldn't be such a big deal. I don't think it would be a waste." Now it's time to put my money where my mouth was. I'm nervous. And excited. I wasn't sure if I'd really pursue this option when I first started applying for jobs, but there were a few major clinchers along the way that made me choose (yes, I ended up having a choice of jobs, and not just nannying ones) this family. Great kid moment #1. I show up to meet Dad and the boys a week after Mom interviewed me. It's 6:30pm on one of those hot, muggy, August evenings. Dad is kicking a soccer ball for G, and C is standing ...

I don't believe in spoilers, so I'm limited in the things that I can say about Inception (Unless I truly am the last person on earth to see the movie, which I know isn't true, because I beat Nadine to it. HA. First movie I've seen since in theatre since...March?). I did like it. I was surprised by its cleanliness. There's no sex. Hardly any profanity. Violence yes, but neither overly graphic nor bloody. It stays tightly focused on the actual story. Well done, Christopher Nolan. Well done. I understand (most of) the hype. I like the classy but unusual character names. And it totally set the stage for a sequel. Next summer, I'm betting. I also have been mulling over what I would choose as my totem. I will now focus on the great comedic lines of the film: 1. (as they enter into dreamland, it is pouring rain in NYC) "Couldn't you have gone pee before take-off??" - I laughed out loud at this line, as did my birthday-friend, Heather. The rest of the ra...

This is kind of how I feel today: Interpret as you will. (I think the Swedish chef has been on my mind recently after watching the trailer for Dinner for Schmucks , with Steve Carrell's character attempting to speak Swiss .)

Last week, I wrote, Scott Pilgrim lives in my world . I also said that I had low expectations and that the only thing realistic about the graphic novels was the setting. I am changing my tune. The more I read, the more I like. And the more I read, the more I wish we could all deal with our relationship drama/baggage with some cartoon-style super-hero knock-out fights. It just seems so straight forward. Last night, I was walking to Union Station, and a girl passed me on rollerblades. She had a messenger bag, and her hair was two-toned. I almost called out after her, "Ramona!?" Scott Pilgrim is in my head. Never before have I made plans to read an entire comic book (graphic novel) series. Never before have I made plans to see a movie that corresponds with a comic book series. Never before have I downloaded all the free trailers to a movie from iTunes. I thought about this last night - What comic books did I read as a kid? What comic book movies have I seen? These are the list...

I am a wannabe hipster. I've known this for weeks now, if not months. But it was confirmed today when I picked up Vol. 1 of the Scott Pilgrim comic book series . Or, as we sophisticated hipsters like to say, graphic novel series . Despite my general dislike for anime characters with eyes the size of pies, the belief that comics are for kids ( Persepolis is an exception), and the apathy of my generation (as personified in Scott Pilgrim's life), I got a little sucked in. Here's the thing: Scott Pilgrim lives in my neighbourhood. He shops at the Goodwill store I bought dishes at. He walks past the Pizza Pizza I walk past. He visits my branch of the Toronto Public Library. He's in a believable space. My space. So now I have high hopes* for this 23 year-old bass-playing, video-game-loving, unemployed comic book character. I hope that he goes for it, jumps the obstacles standing between his current reality and "true love," and that they live happily ever aft...