Terri's Cellar Door

Stuff that happens to me, Terri.

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Crash 2: Electric Boogaloo

Ha ha, you thought I was done with those things, didn't you! Well, once again I've proved how single minded you can be. Anyway, I just realized that I never did a review of the best movie that was out this summer, and the one starring the love of my life, that made me laugh, it made me cry, it moved me, Bob. For those of you that don't know, 'Crash' is a hodgepodge of stories that come together and overlap in different ways. For instance, Brendan Fraser plays the district attorney. He and his wife (Sandra Bullock) are carjacked by (I don't remember their movie names) Ludacris and Lorenz Tate, Lorenz's brother is Don Chedle, whose having an affair with his partner, Jennifer Esposito (I think) and Don Chedle is offered a promotion that he didn't earn by Brendan (who's just trying to look good for the black people in his district). So, anyway, Brendan and Sandra get new locks installed after the carjacking, and the guy who installs them works on some other doors, and they belong to a Persian man, and his daughter works at the hospital who (trying not to ruin the movie for you) runs into Larenz Tate. There are lots more people, and they all interweave, and have something to do with each other. It's just the way that they are all together and connected even though they don't know it, until everything kind of comes to a head, and everybody is forced to look at themselves and their world; a world that they thought they had under control. Anyway, great movie and I really did cry. Not once, not twice, but three times. And I had to see it by myself, because I was working and the last showing was just in time for me to see it if I went to the theater right after work, and I didn't have time to go get the twins or anything. Anyway, 'Crash' is coming out on DVD like, tomorrow, so if you can, buy it. It will seriously leave you speechless, and it is a wonderful movie. Like, I went to see it, mostly because Brendan Fraser was in it, but I'm sure I would have loved it anyway. By the way, the main thread in all of the stories is race. Like, the race of the people is the most important part of the story, but in the end, you really look past that, and see that we're all dealing with the same problems and just trying to live our lives. The people who are the most racist in the movie, by the end of it, you're looking at them differently, and vice versa. So on Terri's Scale O' Movies, with 10 being the Matrix and the Matrix Reloaded, and 1 being Doo Doo Brown: The Movie, and Doo Doo Brown 2: Electric Boogaloo, 'Crash' defiitely earns a 10. It is going to be a classic someday, and might become the moment in cinema that changed everything.

Sunday, August 28, 2005

My Credo OR This I Believe...

1. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and his Father rules in Heaven.
2. One person can make a difference in the world.
3. Our character should not be defined by the color of our skin.
4. Deep down we are all human beings, and deserve to be loved and respected as such.
5. Marriage is a lifetime commitment that should neither be entered into lightly nor ended entirely.
6. Sex is something that can be enjoyed, but only as part of marriage, no exceptions.
7. Commitment to a craft should be total and complete.
8. A person can do childlike things and still be mature.
9. A person can do mature things and still be a child.
10. A person can be sexy or a sexual being without being sexually active.
11. While the justice system has some serious flaws, the death penalty is a necessary part of it.
12. Class and economic differences are the single biggest travesty in America today.
13. All humans have roots in music, and confining a person to a certain genre limits the success of all music.
14. Brendan Fraser is not only very, very attractive, but an amazing actor.
15. Homosexuality is condemned by the Bible.
16. Abortion is wrong.
17. Neither abortions nor homosexuality should be mandated by the federal government.
18. A human being needs friends to laugh with, cry with, and depend on.
19. People without friends, not only have a lonely life, but their spirit is in danger.
20. No matter what you believe, are, or practice, I will treat you with respect and kindness.
21. A person should read as much as they possibly can in a lifetime.
22. Someone should try to make the most of any experiences handed to them, even when they are out of their comfort zone.
23. A person should try to see as much of the world as they can. They should also try to travel to places where they are unlike the natives.
24. Music can be a window to the songwriter’s soul, and should be held in as much reverence.
25. Writing can be a window to the writer’s soul, and should be held in as much reverence.
26. Gatorade is the greatest drink of all time (except for the ice flavors).
27. Women truly are the souls and hearts of civilization.
28. All children, all over the world deserve an education.
29. Each race has a history and all should be celebrated.
30. Ouiji boards, tarot cards, astrology and all other nonsense are not ‘Jesus approved’ and should not be toyed with.

Friday, August 26, 2005

Vote for Pedro

Is it just me, or has the term cult classic become a little overused? Take the newest 'cult classic', Napolean Dynamite. Granted, it's a pretty funny movie. I mean, I loved it. It had a lovable hero, crazy sidekicks, and catchphrases galore. But a cult classic? I don't see a cult classic, I see a (disgusting) attempt to make enough money off of 'Vote for Pedro' and 'Liger' paraphenalia to kill an elephant. So, just to get a couple people straight on what exactly makes a cult classic, a few basic rules, if you will, that will make things a bit easier. First of all, a cult classic has to have been out for at least 10 or 20 years before it can be called such. The greats went decades before they're genius was discovered. This gives their stars time to blow up, their references time to lose their validity. Next: Nine times out of ten, a cult classic is funny, but it doesn't mean to be. There is nothing more hilarious, than an hilarious attempt to create a real movie on a pratically non-existant budget. Or with a plot that makes little to no sense. Or with characters that appear in more than one scene, or friends fill in with costumes and hair and make-up. There are more, but I really can't think of them. And my wrists are getting tired. I'm not saying that you can't like Napolean Dynamite, but just don't get it confused with a true classic.

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

????????

I am so sad and lonely. I know that I have no right to feel this way. I have no right to lament my circumstances when a lot of women in this world aren’t given the opportunity that I am taking for granted right now. But that’s the crux of it. I’m taking it for granted. I feel like I want to curl up in a ball and cry until my eyes fall out. I have no friends, and I have only been here for one week. Everyday I go out with my bright shining face and I say hello and I hug and I wave, and every meal I sit and I eat alone. And the worst thing about it is that it doesn’t have to be this way. I could make friends and I could eat with somebody else if I really wanted to. I could find a way and I could make it happen. I don’t have to sit here feeling sad and lonely. I could get up right now and walk out my door and sit down with two genuinely nice people and have a genuinely nice conversation and my life would be just fine. But do you know what? I can’t walk out that door. The me that is me won’t let me, and the me that is me would be living a lie even if it dreamt about it. The me that is me wants to be held, and wants to be talked to and wants to be loved, and the me that is me thinks that’s all so stupid. I want a man. I want a woman. I want a chance to stop being so sad and so lonely and be the best person in my life. The me that is me won’t let me. I don’t know why it has to be so selfish. It thinks that the whole world is thinking about it and watching it and listening to what it has to say. It sits in the bed at night and looks up at the ceiling and has conversations with itself and wonders what life would be like if it looked this way or acted this way. It is sad because no one truly knows it and no one ever will. I am sad because it is so naïve and so self absorbed. I am sad because I think that writing this will make all the difference. I am sad because I think that writing this will make my headache go away or will make them love me more, or will make me lose weight, or will make me have ‘good’ hair, or will make my brother stop laughing at me or will make this whole feeling disappear along with all the white on this page. The me that is me thinks that I need to stop being so dramatic (like it isn’t) and worry about more important matters like homework, or the Office of International Programs or the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge. I want to think about those things, and I want to believe that I can wrap my head around this aching lonlieness that makes me think of nothing else, and makes the smile that I wear everyday a mask. I want a friend. But it’s more than that. I want a boyfriend that will hold me tight and never let go. I want to feel fulfilled without ever knowing a man’s touch. I want to be successful as an actress, as a writer. I can’t take more than a moment to sit and write what I’ve written down here. The me that is me wants to travel the world, and be a success and love and lose and do all that the world inside of me says I should do. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts. It shouldn’t hurt. Why does it hurt? Stop hurting. Stop hurting. The me that is me just wants it to stop.

Monday, August 22, 2005

Business Before Pleasure OR "I Like All Kinds of Music, But...."

So, right now I'm listening to the Sumosonic radio on the heavy.com website. It's great stuff. They have a seriously spectacular music selection. There is rock, pop, rap, R&B, soul, ska, electronica and everything else under the sun. I love it because of the different types of music, and how 99.9% of the songs absolutely rock. Not rock like rock out, but rock like, they're awesome. It had me thinking of a pet peeve of mine: I hate it when people say this: "I love all types of music, but..." Now fill in the blank with country, or pop, or rap, or whatever. Hello, people! There is no but. You either like all kinds of music or you don't. I hate when people try to be cool or quasi-intellectual by hating (or liking) the new "it" band or trend. It's sickening. If you don't like country, and will gouge out your eyeballs and the eyeballs of anyone within 100 feet of you, before you'll listen to the first verse of ANY Kenny Chesney song, then you don't love "all" kinds of music, and I wish you would stop saying that you do. It is not endearing. It does not make people think you're special. Seriously, stop it. I literally know about a handful of people who are willing to listen to all music and all of them are musicians. I truly think that musicians (not to say that no one else can) can recognize how truly hard it is to do something and respect the people that do it. It's easy to say that the new Britney Spears song sucks, but I would love to see you go into the studio and write, produce, and sing, a better one. That rhymes. I mean, geez, give the woman a break! Personally, I will listen to anything, but only if it's a good song. If it's by the White Stripes, or the Dixie Chicks, or Weezer, or Dean Martin. It is darn hard to make good music and I have much respect for people who can pull it off. Also, don't just hate something because it's in fashion, or because "the man" says you're not supposed to listen to it. If you are a straight, white male, jam out to Destiny's Child's 'Bootyliciouis'. If you're a black female, love Lynard Skynard. And if you truly love music, don't be afraid to venture out of your comfort zone and try something new. You might learn something about the music and yourself in the process.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Better on the B Side/ Quiet in Day-Glo

Well, another day, another dinar. Getting ready for school has been the single most exhausting experience of my life. But after this summer and working at the park, I'm soooo happy to be getting back to school. Seriously. I'm taking some pretty cool classes, and the ones that I'm most excited about have nothing to do with my major. Firstly, I'm taking a guitar class. And if you've been reading my blog for any significant period of time you know that I'm in a band, so I pretty much know how to play the guitar. My main goal is to not go in there like I know everything. I'm there to learn just like anybody else. I'm also excited about Play Writing. I like plays and writing, so I'm almost there. Anyway, I've got some more shirts up in the shop. So check them out. I know they don't make very much sense, I don't need you to tell me.

Monday, August 08, 2005

I've Got Your Easy Jesus, Right Here!

Welllll, I just spent the last week house-sitting for a friend of mine and it was pretty grand. I watched 'A Clockwork Orange', went to a club, subsequently left the club because it was boring, won a dollar, was hit on more in one day than in my entire life, Imani's air conditioner broke down, and I got a new desk. All since I stopped working at the park. It's like I have a new lease on life. But enough of that. I've just designed some t-shirts that you guys can check out, at this address. They're some ideas that I've had for a while, but havne't really been able to put them on a shirt. Oh, I know what you're thinking. And no, my brain hasn't been harvested by marketing execs who would sell their immortal sould just so they could claim a sell. These are funny, and if they aren't, then they keep you warm in the cool. Not cold, just the cool. They are t-shirts for crying out loud. So check it out and don't say that I didn't warn you. Wait, that's not what I meant.

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