Making Resolutions Is So Uncool

...But that's never stopped me before!

Anyway. I've never seriously made resolutions before. Last year I had the Apostrophe Rules, but two days after making them I got rid of them because they were too... well, ruley. Year before that I had that dreamboard that was just an excuse for some cutting and pasting fun. But this year is going to be different!

• Get a bank account. But this is so grown-up! And yet, I really should do this.
• Read one book every month. Yes, I know twelve books in one year is extremely pathetic, but I've just joined a book club, so I have to read a book every month anyway. And that isn't the max.
• Write a letter/email to someone I admire every month. I'm terrified of this one. But I'm going to do it anyway. You never know, I might get a reply. Now, for some internet stalking.
• Go to the cinema any time I want. Yes, I know this is pathetic. But it is something I genuinely find quite hard to do. But not anymore!
• Finish my super-secret play. You know you have to stick something out when you've bought it a necklace that you happened to spot in Claire's one day and is somehow related to a play you're writing.
• Start researching the Art Movements of the 19th and 20th Century that are on the poster I have in my room. Because I really want to know what Bauhaus is. It's so fun to say.
• Write at least one blog post a week. Look! I'm doing it! This is my second of the week!
• Read more plays. Because, as great as books are, plays are just that easier to get into. Somehow, you can imagine things better. Or maybe this is just me. Also, I like plays.
• Go swimming. This is one of my mother's resolutions, and I thought I might join her in completing it. No harm sure.

Have you made resolutions this year, or are you into that sort of thing?

Eleanor Roscuro

Read-O-Rama - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

I have a little unwritten rule. (We all have our little rules, don't we?) One of my rules is:

You always read the book before you watch the movie. Always!

Do any of you have that rule? It gets a little inconvenient at times though. I have Strumpet City, City of Ember and Breakfast at Tiffany's on DVD staring at me from the corner, but I haven't watched them because I haven't read them! Granted, it wouldn't really take that long to read them, but there's ALL THE OTHER BOOIKS. I HAVE TO READ THOSE TOO YOU KNOW. ALL THE BOOKS.

Or maybe I'm just a little too strict with myself.

Anyways.

I saw the trailer for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, this is it -

And it looks so good! And if this was going to come out in Spring, and if I was planning on going to see it, I had to read the book then didn't I?

Well, yeah. It's a rule. An Apostrophe rule! AHAHAHAHAHA

It's about a nine year old boy called Oskar who lives in New York City. After the death of his father in the 9/11 attacks, he finds a key in a vase in his father's cupboard, and sets off on a quest to find the lock that fits the key. The book also tells the story of Oskar's paternal grandparents through letters which they each wrote to Oskar and to Oskar's father.

The book feels nice to read. I'm not just saying that. Even if you read just a few sentences, you're immediately drawn into this world of inventions and heavy boots and Nothing and Something and daybooks and letters. I think everyone wishes they knew Oskar in real life, I know I do. You can learn so much from him, even if he doesn't share interesting facts with you. (Unlikely.)

So go read the book, and then come back here and we can hope that they do Oskar's grandparents right in the film, because I swear if they mess this up I'll be really annoyed and I won't buy the DVD and then where will they be?

Eleanor Roscuro

P.S. This review of the book is much better than mine, so you can read that too if you wish - http://stuck-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2011/01/extremely-loud-and-incredbily-close.html

Alternative Blogging Week - The Gossip Blog

Morning all! Snow is falling thick and fast here! All schools in my area are closed, and today is Wednesday. Today, Musings becomes a Gossip blog!

1 - Mean Girls 2 is so not fetch.


Being creatures of the internet like myself, you've probably already heard about Mean Girls 2. If you haven't, here's the trailer:



WTF? They're not putting it in the cinemas, which really says enough. I mean, Mean Girls was a hit when it came out. If they waited this long to make a sequel...

2 - Turn Off The Dark might suffer from vertigo.

Bono and The Edge from U2 have written a musical, a la American Idiot. It's called Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark and it's first preview performance opened on Broadway last Sunday and sold over $1 million worth of tickets within 24 hours. It has the most expensive Broadway set ever made, costing $65 million dollars (strangely, the previous record holder was Shrek: The Musical! What on earth happened to that money?) There's a lot of wire work, with Spider-Man swinging on his web into the audience, they had to renovate the whole theatre for that. During rehearsals one actor broke his toe and another broke both his wrists. I'd give a review, but I haven't been to see it. Yeah. There's a hiccup. But I'm sure this will be remembered for years. But in what light? We'll just have to wait and see...

3 - Different faces, same problem.


So this might have fitted better yesterday, but whatever.

After Christmas, Ireland is having another general election. I mean, I'm sure our present Taoiseach (prime minister) Brian Cowen would have done fine without the recession. Ten years earlier, perhaps. But now, for the first time ever, maybe the Labour party will be in power. Well, it's not like I'm going to get the chance to choose. But there are people campaigning to lower the voting age from eighteen to sixteen... Roscuro for Taoiseach! I should make election posters...

And that's the showbizzy, gossip blog! It was quite hard finding interesting news, I must admit. And I checked  Silly Old Daniel and Perez Hilton and everything! Tomorrow's Thursday, when Musings will become a book blog! I must admit, I'm excited about that one. Halfway through!

Eleanor Roscuro

Seven Things In My Room

Blogging on my birthday? I know. I'm the best.

Quote Of The Week #25

Practically perfect people never permit sentiment to muddle their thinking.

Mary Poppins

The Social Network

I dare you to watch this trailer and tell me you're not the teeniest bit excited.

That's right. You can't. It's that awesome.

Although recently, I have been having second thoughts about Facebook recently... Hmm.

High-Fives,

Eleanor Roscuro.

Inspiro-Girls - Emma Watson

This, ladies and gentlemen, is Emma Watson, one of the greatest actresses of our generation.

I think I'll elaborate a little.

Emma Watson was cast as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise when she was just nine years old, and since then has won over audiences with her charm, poise, elegance, and pure talent. I mean, can you imagine anyone else playing Hermione? NO YOU CAN NOT. She epitomised the role.

And in 2007, she played Pauline Fossil in Ballet Shoes, which is one of my favourite books and movies of all time. The film's director said 'She has a piercing, delicate aura that makes you want to gaze and gaze at her.' Can I say it any better than that? (Answer: No.)

Oh, and if you're still in doubt as to how awesome she is: She models for Burberry. I rest my case.

I'm off now, to make a Beauty Spotlight featuring only this fabulous young woman, and then I will search the Internet to see if Ballet Shoes has been released on DVD.

Oh look, it has!

High-Fives,

EleanorLight

Tom Felton's Cameo In Get Him To The Greek

The Soundtrack To My Life

I have 21 followers now! EEEE!! Of course, I'm aware that you mightn't be able to see that, and I'm really sorry!

Anyway, so the point of this post is that I saw something called The Soundtrack To My Life on My Life Between The Lockers, where you put your iPod on shuffle, without skipping any songs, and write the songs down in the order that they play. Here's my soundtrack!

Opening Credits: Thomas Fersen - Au Cafe de la Paix
I love this song! It's about a man who is waiting at a cafe in Paris for his girlfriend, but she doesn't show up and it is implied that she is just the fantasy of a delusional former lover... Perfect!


Waking Up: Mumford & Sons - Thistle & Weeds
I don't think this is going to be a good day for our heroine.


First Day Of School: Mute Math - Spotlight
I love this song! Just the amount of pep to justify walking into school.


Falling In Love: The Veronicas - Popular
Right... Unless this was about falling in love with yourself, I wouldn't call this a love song...


Fighting: Mumford & Sons - The Cave
Well, it's dramatic. Yeah, I think this is a fight song. Maybe not a Rocky fight, but a fight nonetheless.


Breaking Up: Kaiser Chiefs - Never Miss A Beat
This is excellent! Especially for a really dramatic, angry break-up!


Driving: Thom Yorke - Hearing Damage
I would have chosen something happier, but this is good.


Flashback: Hate On Me - Glee Cast
This is not a happy flashback...


Getting Back Together: Ignorance - Paramore
Yeah... it's a good 'Yeah, you were stupid, but I still love you and you love me, so let's get back together!' song.


Prom Night: Band Of Skulls - Friends
This is one of my favourite songs! Great for jumping around and having fun with your friends!


Wedding: Paramore - Brick By Boring Brick
This won't be a happy wedding. Dear, dear...


Birth of a Child: The Automatic - Monster
Um... No comment. (!)


Final Battle: Paolo Nutini - Tricks Of The Trade
Hmm... this might work if all the good guys are killed in a noble massacre.....


Death Scene: Mumford & Sons - Dust Bowl Dance
Oh, this is perfect. Gorgeous...


Funeral: Alexander Rybak - If You Were Gone
Oh, this makes me sad. I'm still waiting for the boy who will sing this to me...


End Credits: The Script - Breakeven
Perfect! Just the right amount of pep for the (few) happy songs on this soundtrack, and the right amount of sadness for the (many) sad songs.


All in all, this isn't really the perfect soundtrack I would have chosen for my life, but it's only an experiment anyway!...Isn't it? And no, my iPod isn't that depressing.

High-Fives,

EleanorLight

Music at Musings: Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Twice a year, the Mobile Cinema comes to my school. (Bet you didn't expect to read that first sentence!) Last year, first year, our year saw Marley & Me (It was OK) and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. I knew of the book series, but I hadn't read it, because I don't read a lot of Pink Lit, apart from Jacqueline Wilson, Cathy Cassidy, Lisa Clark, Meg Cabot... OK, maybe I do read Pink Lit. But that's not the point.

The film? I thought the lead actress's accent was unbearable (my apologies if anyone actually speaks like that, but I don't get much chance to talk to English girls my age from seaside towns who find their lives unbearable and have a cat) and the character of Georgia fussed way too much over little things, but Georgia Groome gave a very natural, wholesome performance that you could easily recognise. But the best thing about the film was the music. Seriously. So, thanks to iTunes (what would I do without it?) I found myself in love (I know I keep saying that, but I do love this!) with seventeen of the best songs I have ever come across, for €9.99. (Probably less in pounds. I hate exchange rates.)

Seventeen songs, some poppy and cute with xylophones (xylophones!!!) , some indie rock you can headbang to, and some slow, sad love songs that make me cry. All fantastic! Oh, and the two Stiff Dylans songs, Ultraviolet and Ever Fallen In Love are on it too! These are some of my favourite songs on the soundtrack:

Lenka - The Show

I'm sorry this is only a link, but there's two official videos for this fabulous song, but the one with Lenka in it is terrible, and embedding was removed on Youtube for this one, which frankly is much more brilliant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI8Ysr1BgmQ

Mumm-Ra - She's Got You High


Mumm-ra - She's Got You High on muzu.tv

Kate Walsh - Your Song



The Maccabees - Toothpaste Kisses



Oh, Atoms - Sugar Mouse



The Pigeon Detectives - I Found Out



The Pipettes - Pull Shapes


The Pipettes - Pull Shapes on muzu.tv

The Ting Tings - Great DJ


The Ting Tings - Great DJ on muzu.tv


The Coral - In The Morning



The Coral - In The Morning on muzu.tv
High-Fives,

EleanorLight

P.S. A little Quote Of The Week here; my mom was telling my dad and I about someone's niece getting top marks in university, in her early twenties, and throwing it all away to go to a closed nunnery in England, not even leaving for Christmas! And I said 'You shouldn't become a nun until you're eighty, then you've nothing else to live for except God.' I just want to remember that...

Why The Red Cross Should Give Copies Of Twilight To Warring Nations. (And Yes, I Am Serious.)

So, every school day, three brothers come over to my house to be minded by my mam for around two hours. Today, I was watching Twilight on Sky Movies and the youngest boy, David, whom I always call Davy, came in and sat down. And he started watching it with me.

Now, this boy is nine. And he asked loads of questions, such as: 'What can Edward do?' 'That guy driving... (Carlisle) does he have a girlfriend like Edward?' 'How does James track people?' 'What does Alice do?' What does that guy (Jasper) do?' 'Can vampires fly?'

It warmed my heart. It seems there is hope for society after all. Twilight should be used to stop wars.

High-Fives,

EleanorLight

Once

One of the best Irish films ever! Once is a simple but brilliantly told story of a Dublin busker and a Czech flower-seller connecting by their love of music. We don't learn their names - they are credited as 'Guy' and 'Girl'. The soundtrack is brilliant, and the whole film is much better than any Hollywood music film like Dreamgirls or anything like that.

The Runaways

I cannot wait to see this movie! It was overseen by Joan Jett herself so it has to be good. And I know Kristen Stewart plays guitar and sings.

The Secret Of Kells

The Secret Of Kells is my favouritest film in the whole wild world! And the people who made it, The Cartoon Saloon, are from Kilkenny too! They made a cartoon series, Skunk Fu, which is on Cartoon Network! I have the soundtrack, it's beautiful. I think you can get it on DVD in the USA and UK now. And almost everywhere else in the world. It's that big. Well, of course it is! Look at it! It's beautiful!

32A Trailer

Requested by popular demand...Thanks Stari!

32A

I'm watching a great Irish film called 32A on RTE TWO. It's about a thirteen year old girl called Maeve who is in that awkward 'In-Between' stage where you're not a girl, but not a woman, you know? It's set in the Seventies and traces Maeve's journey through getting The First Bra, and falling for The Local Heartthrob, Brian (!) and learning to stick by your friends in the end. The soundtrack is great and the young cast are fantastic! It was a big hit at all the international film festivals around the world. Ailish McCarthy is one to watch!