I Gotta Feelin....

Thursdays seem to be appropriate days for blogging; let's start today's entry off with a recommendation - see Up. In 3D if possible. Reviews for Pixar's latest 'toon had been through the roof, and it should be noted that it was the first time ever that a 3D animated film opened Cannes. The buzz on the Croisette after the screening was deafening, and the audience was raving. A couple friends saw it the weekend it opened and also echoed the rapturous praise it had received from critics. I ventured up to Danvers to see last night (at 9:30 no less - those who know me know that's an extremely late night, ha) and, would like to add to the chorus. It was excellent and made it 100% official, Pixar is incapable of making bad movies. An old man and a young wilderness explorer scout go on an adventure in South America (they travel there via his house and about a million balloons) to see Paradise Falls. Of course, as has become the standard for Pixar films, there's a much broader, meaningful message than might initially seem. This one deals with endangered species, loss, families, outsiders...you name it, Up probably touched on it at some point. And, as in other Pixar films (at least, IMHO) the story takes a backseat to the breathtaking animation, and Up has some of the most sensational images I've seen. One in particular stands out- the house floating in the clouds. The shot lingers for about 10 seconds, long enough to let it sink in and enjoy the beauty and simplicity of the image. The colors, of course, are extremely vibrant, and clean, crisp lines dominate the animation, and the score was also quite good - I've been looking for it online but can't seem to find it. I would definitely recommend seeing it in 3D, I think it adds a whole other layer to the experience (yes, this is an "experience"). I'm going to go out on a limb and predict Up as the winner of the 2010 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. See it. In 3D. Grade: A

The Tony awards were last weekend and as expected, Billy Elliot cleaned up winning 10 awards including Best Musical, Actor, Featured Actor, Director and Choreography. Next to Normal (my favorite musical of the past 10 years) fared well too, winning 3 awards, the most after Billy; Best Actress for Alice Ripley's heartbreaking performance as Diana, Best Original Score (a Billy upset, the writers beat Elton John AND Dolly Parton) and Best Orchestrations (a tie with Billy). Hair won Best Revival of a Musical, and Brett Michaels (yes, THAT Brett Michaels, from Poison) broke his nose when a fly hit him in the face. It was awesome. NPH did a great job hosting, complete with a great song at the end. Technically speaking, the show was a mess, the sound was terrible, botched camera shots - I did a better job directing OTV when I was in high school.

I had a session with a personal trainer yesterday at Planet Fitness that I was really excited about, until I found out that the "session" was one of the guys who works behind the desk showing me how to use the circuit training equipment. Excellent! However, I think that's really all I need to do, and working my core will help my running, it will improve my balance, stride and hopefully help me improve my time. He told me if I did the circuit training 3x a week (it takes about 30 mins to do) I should be good to go. Huzzah!

Trailer for Shutter Island is out and it looks pretty intense....could this be the role that Leo finally wins an Oscar? Probs not...

oh, and I have tickets to see Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark. PUMPED!