PSLs and fall movies...what could be better!

I'm not sure what brings me more joy...seeing the Pumpkin Spice Latte go back on the menu at Starbucks or the Fall Movie Preview issue of Entertainment Weekly hitting the stands at Barnes & Noble. Both are such glorious sights to be seen, but tonight I'd like to pay special attention to the latter. There are so many fabulous films I'm looking forward to seeing in the coming months. And while the one I was most looking forward to seeing has been pushed to Summer 2009, I'm still extremely pumped.

So here's a little rundown of the 15 movies I want to see the most... (and don't forget to click on each movie title for the trailer!)

Appaloosa



A western starring Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, and Renee Zellweger directed by Ed Harris that echoes the old-fashioned classics like My Darling Clementine and The Man Who Shot Liberty Vance. Clementine happens to be one of my fave westerns so I'm really excited about this one.

Righteous Kill



Pacino and DeNiro? Nuff said.

Blindness



An epidemic of blindness infects the human race, starring Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo. There's been a rash of these post-apocalyptic thrillers lately but I'm intrigued by this one and happy it does not involve enraged, blood-thirsty mutants.

Body of Lies



DiCaprio and Crowe? Nuff said.

Rachel Getting Married



I've never been a huge fan of Anne Hathaway but her performance in this one has 'tour de force' written all over it. She stars as a recovering drug addict who is temporarily released from rehab to attend her sister's wedding.

RocknRolla



Guy Ritchie is going back to doing what he does best: a fun, edgy, crime thriller filled with twists, turns, and plenty of testosterone. I've been hearing excellent things about this one and I hope it's the movie that reignites Ritchie's career. Oh and it stars Gerard Butler. Yes please!

Australia



Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman star in Baz Luhrmann's epic period picture about two people who fall in love in Australia during World War II. This feels like a bit of a departure for Luhrmann but with Jackman and Kidman behind the wheel, I have confidence that he'll knock another one out of the park.

The Road



I have yet to read Cormac McCarthy's beloved Pulitzer Prize winning novel, however, I did read No Country for Old Men and I love his language and point-of-view. I believe they translate beautifully to film and I know after I see this one, I'll want to read the book immediately.

Milk



Sean Penn stars in Gus Van Sant's film about the first openly gay man elected to a major political office and the days leading up to his assassination. Van Sant has been off the grid for awhile doing mostly avant garde and experimental films so this is exciting. It also stars Josh Brolin so you know I'LL be there ;-)

Quantum of Solace



Daniel Craig is back as Bond and that's really the only reason I need to buy a ticket.

Revolutionary Road



Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are reunited for the first time since Titantic in Sam Mendes' cautionary tale about a married couple struggling to stay together.

Doubt



Based on the Tony-Award winning Broadway play, Doubt is the story of a nun and principal (Meryl Streep) who accuses a priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of sexually abusing a 12-year old black student.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button



This is David Fincher's follow-up to the grossly underrated Zodiac and as a Fincher fanatic I'd see anything of his. But it also happens to have a very interesting story not to mention a fantastic cast. Based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Benjamin Button stars Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton and centers around a man born with a rare disease that causes him to age in reverse.

Defiance



I'm a sucker for anything World War II related so this one had me at hello. Then I found out it was the story of three Jewish brothers played by Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell. Phew, how can this one go wrong?

Twilight



Stephenie Meyer could very well be the next J.K. Rowling if this movie is a success. She's already worshiped by teen girls everywhere for penning the four-book series chronicling the love story between a savvy high school girl and the blood-sucking heartthrob she falls for. I'm currently reading Twilight, the first book in the series, and I am absolutely smitten. Casting Robert Pattinson as Edward, the smoldering vampire, was a brilliant choice and I have a feeling he may soon be giving Daniel Radcliffe a run for his money. Funny, since he played Cedric Diggory, Radcliffe's fictional rival in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.


Well, peeps, I hope I've inspired you to set some movie money aside this fall. There's so much good cinema on the docket, I think everyone can find at least one or two films worth busting out the wallet for. I've got my dollars, my list, and my enthusiasm. Now all I need is a Pumpkin Spice Latte.

August hodgepodgery

Well it's been one awesome summer and August capped it off perfectly. Besides having a blasty blast with friends and family, I took a pretty good whack at my 25/25 list. It's a little scary only having four months left but I'm also really excited to try and get it all done. For now, though, let's focus on what Zeetlebee accomplished in the month of August...

1. Finish notes on all Hitchcock films

I finished notes on two Hitch films this month.

Easy Virtue



The Skin Game



8. Read 12 books (6/12)



This month I read Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich. Excellent book...very interested to see how the film that is based on it (21) compares.

13. Eat at one new restaurant every month

This month I discovered two EXCELLENT Milwaukee restaurants...

Bayou





Sheridan's





15. Donate $5 to 1-3 charities of your choosing every month

This month I donated to St Mary's Episcopal Church. Every year, family friends of mine throw a drive-in party at their amazing Frank Lloyd Wright house in Dousman, WI. I feel so privileged to be a part of it so a few bucks toward their church is the least I can do to repay their generosity.


That's all folks! Stay tuned for my annual Fall Movies Preview, coming very soon!

July hodgepodgery

Alright well I was a busy, busy, Zeetlebee in the month of July and sadly, it had little to do with my list. But things are slowing down for me as the summer draws to a close and I should crack down harder in the months to come.

But for now, let's do this thing!

1. Finish notes on all Hitchcock films

I finished notes on three Hitch films this month!

Rich and Strange



Blackmail



Young and Innocent



Okay, I've said it before and I'll say it again...British Hitch movies from the 1930s are the SHIZ!!

13. Eat at one new restaurant every month

So I did nada in terms of checking out new Mil-town restaurants this month but I made up for it and then some on my trip to Iowa last weekend. I had me some killer corned beef hash and biscuits & gravy at The Kitchen at the I-80 Iowa Truckstop, THE most delicious steak and crab stuffed shrimp ever at The Big Steer, Southwestern Spring Rolls and Cajun Pizza at The Court Avenue Brewing Co., and Huevos Rancheros and MORE biscuits & gravy at Drake Diner. Sigh. So good.

15. Donate $5 to 1-3 charities of your choosing every month

This month I donated $15 to the Bone Cancer Research Foundation. The inspiration was a young guy named Dustin Eglseder who got to sing the 7th inning stretch at a Cubs game after winning a contest. He recently past away after struggling with bone cancer for a little over a year. Dustin was an amazing person and a true Cub fan and it's tragic that he was taken from the world so soon. I should also mention that him being from Iowa also struck a chord with me :)


So being that I'm a little more than halfway through the year, I decided it was time to make a few adjustments to my list. Seeing as a lot of the remaining things on here either involve saving money, paying people back, or spending money, I thought that realistically speaking I would have to do a little tweaking.

SO instead of 3. Take a wine class which costs upwards of $150, I'm going to instead tackle breaking my 'movie viewings in the theater' record that to this day remains at five for Spider-Man. Since I've seen The Dark Knight three times in the theater, it's probably going to be that one. And this task will only cost me around $50 which is MUCH better than $150.

AND instead of 23. Take a yoga class/join a gym/take up tennis, I'm going to do a Pilates Challenge. This involves like 30 pilates sessions within a matter of two months or something along those lines. I plan on tackling it after my 5K, and the best part is...it's totally free!

Alrighty that should do it!

Holy randomness, Batman!

So I don't do this very often but I'd like to give a shout out to my recent obsessions. I think it's because I'm particularly enamored with the current crop of them and because, right now, I really don't want to be formatting Excel spreadsheets.

And here...we...go...

Anything related to The Dark Knight specifically box office returns, Oscar buzz, and mass acclaim.



Big Soda and Nachos at the theatre



Yeah that's right. Having gone to see The Dark Knight three times in five days, this has become a staple in my diet. Horrifying? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely.

Mad Men



I caught the Season 1 marathon this past Sunday and yeah, I'm hooked. It's just a stellar show with one of the most phenomenal ensemble casts I've ever seen. Especially...



Vincent Kartheiser who plays Pete Campbell. Okay so he's a total a-hole but man, am I in love with him.

the Prince Pandora station



Prince, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson. So glorious. And it definitely gets me through all the workplace BS.

Twitch from So You Think You Can Dance



A killer dancer with a big heart and a sweet body? Doesn't get much better than this, people.

All things Joker related







It's no secret that I've got a bit of a thing for the Joker. And when Zeetlebee has a thing for anything, the wallet is the first place that gets hit. So Christmas may come a little earlier and you know what? I don't feel guilty. Not...one...bit.

Moved to tears

New York fits you / I imagine you are happiest here / as an exhilarated child in Times Square looking up at the light of your dream / Playing matador with taxi cabs is dangerous but not as dangerous as standing still / the ultimate torture /
handcuffed to a banal production / one that never closes / and that your role is servant to lesser bodies

Yes that is hell but is not New York / there are subways here that echo your sensibilities in huge copper whistles OPEN ALL NIGHT / like the diners you frequent / Diners that attempt nostalgia but achieve exposed nails / and you know New York / sometimes you are gone for days at a time / on happy dry benders / See the Jaguar opened on Broadway / closed after five performances / You rode your motorcycle and didn’t need food / The Immoralist opened / they flung flowers at the door / New York stays up late / today is a different sentence / but the stage door remains / still has dents of the flowers they threw

You ride your motorcycle enjoying hamburgers and beer / women / men / the city is yours and you know it / you can always live in it / matadors have innumerable alleys in which to dodge bulls disguised as taxi cabs / so many alleys to wander down / there is no alley that will suffice / only solace in movement

Most of the strangers we see here / are caught up in the momentum of being estranged / go / as you no longer need the artificial light to know where you are going



Thank you, Heath.

Culinary Zelights has begun!

Alrighy, folks, the long-awaited lauching of my food blog aka #18 on my 25/25 list has arrived! Well, that's only partially true. I'm sure no one has been waiting and it also hasn't exactly arrived, at least not in full force. The blog is up and the recipes will follow shortly. For now though, take a look and stay tuned.

June hodgepodgery

Well I think this month was saved by me cram-packing some stuff in at the end. Because up until about a week ago, I pretty much had done nothing! I've decided to make a few changes in my life, however, and I think those changes will definitely make me crank harder on my list.

So here we go!

1. Finish notes on all Hitchcock films

Yay, I DID try harder in June. I finished notes on three films this month :)

The Lodger



Secret Agent



Sabotage



Before I started working on this project, I hadn't seen any of Hitch's films from the 1930s. Having seen the majority of them now, I must say that it is an incredible decade of work. It's interesting how many of his films from the 30s are much more representative of his style and signature than many of the later ones. There is also a great deal of humor, sexuality, and violence that you probably wouldn't expect from cinema over 70 years old. Hitch is great that way :)

13. Eat at one new restaurant every month

This month I ate at Swig and Osteria del Mondo. At Swig I indulged in what was probably the tastiest thing I've ever had...the Lobster Stuffed Roasted Poblano Pepper. And at Osteria, my sis and I decided to go the antipasti/salad route rather than the entree route. I got the grilled tiger shrimp with a white bean puree and lemon caper sauce, and the caprese salad with grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and aged balsamic vinegar. AMAZING.

15. Donate $5 to 1-3 charities of your choosing every month

This month I donated to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation. For those of you who do not watch So You Think You Can Dance, there's a choreographer on the show by the name of Jean-Marc Genereux. His daughter, Francesca, suffers from Rett Syndrome so he decided to choreograph a routine inspired by her. It was beautiful and incredibly moving. It also happened to be danced by one of my favorite couples, Kherington and Twitch. Because I was really inspired by Jean-Marc's ability to turn something tragic into something beautiful, I made my donation in honor of his daughter.

16. Take up meditation/find a serene place in the city to meditate

While I have yet to actually meditate there, I did notice while walking with my sis along the lakefront on Saturday how many amazing and peaceful areas there are to just chill out. So as soon as I get some more free time, and that will truly be the challenge, I plan on heading down there.

21. Watch at least one documentary every month

This month I watched The U.S. vs. John Lennon, a documentary about John Lennon's peace activism in the 60s and 70s. It also deals with the attempts made by the U.S. government to silence him and get him kicked out of the country. John Lennon has been and probably will always be my favorite Beatle. This feeling was only intensified when I had the privilege of seeing the John Lennon exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Being inches away from that famous pair of glasses and seeing the splatters of blood up close, it definitely made an impact. So while you may not have agreed with his politics, his method, or his attachment to Yoko Ono, you can't not be inspired by his passion to do good.


So there you have it! While I slacked a bit on some things, I think I did a fairly good job this month. I already feel like I've got the drive and energy to do more in the month of July. The summer's only going to get better from here.