Almost Famous

Over Thanksgiving break I was driving to Long Island to see my family while my Spotify played on shuffle. All of a sudden, the song Tiny Dancer by Elton John came on and I was overcome with memories of one of my favorite movies that I haven't even seen in the longest time. Isn't it crazy how music can do that to you? You hear it and are instantly reminded of a moment - whether its happy or sad, there is always an association. The movie I immediately connected this song to is Almost Famous, starring Kate Hudson. She is my favorite character in this film as she plays the quirky happy-go-lucky Penny Lane. The movie is based on a young writer who gets hired by The Rolling Stone and travels with one of America's most popular rock band of that time. What I love about this movie is how it incorporates real rock musicians from the 70s such as Simon and Garfunkel and Black Sabbath, but the band being documented is completely made up.The movie does a great job of incorporating Stillwater into the time period and connecting their music style to other ones that actually exist. This movie is an excellent period piece. It documents the 1970s very well along with the lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock n' roll. William, the teenage journalist starts out very naive but after befriending one of the rockstars, Russell and Penny Lane, his life quickly turns around. It is a great story for character development as we witness Kate Hudson's character nearly hitting rock bottom. There are sad moments, but the emotions that will come over you from watching this film are worth it. Directed by Cameron Crowe, it very much reflects his own experiences. He himself was a teenage writer for the Rolling Stone and toured with multiple bands including The Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin and The Eagles.  You can definitely tell that this story is written from some kind of personal experience because it touches close to the heart.

Surviving...

Being sick is definitely a blessing and a curse! On one hand I can actually catch up on all the new TV series I’m either behind or completely missed out on which is great and quite relaxing at times. But on the other hand its horrible because I’m starting to miss class and fall a tad bit behind on my work. This time of year is the beginning of the depression for Ithaca College students, its the time when we all become homesick, the skies are constantly  grey and the temperatures begin to drop. Being homesick and being physically sick is just never a great combination. However, I have great friends that keep me moving along and have really been taking care of me! 

Series I caught up on:

Gotham 

I was a little nervous about the second season of Gotham but they definitely returned better than ever, every episode is completely intriguing and the endings always manage to piss me off (in a good way!) The art design and production design in the show is still phenomenal and the character development is very much appreciated. I would even go as far as to say that it is visually appealing. 

Scream Queens

In the beginning I was nervous about watching this show, I’m not into horror and I don’t find the Scary Movies humorous, so when i read reviews stating how this series was along those lines I was for lack of better words, hesitant. I’m pleased to say I’m actually loving this show I find it to be a television adaption of the game whodunit, where theres a massive amount of murders surrounding one household, but the serial killer can’t be picked because everyone has motive to kill. The show does a great job at capturing and keeping your attention, you remained invested in not all but most characters, and most of all you always come back because you want to know, who did it! I also appreciate that the script for Scream Queens tackles conversational topics in a comical way, that way the audience understands how outrageous this topics are but are not offended or overwhelmed by the material. It’s a smart move. 

Films I’ve Watched: 

 I was in a romantic comedy type mood this weekend and decided why not watch films are completely predictable. 

Love & Other Drugs

Staring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway, this is definitely not Princess Diaries, there is a lot of sex. But the storyline is quite interesting, a free-spirited young woman meets her match in a pharmaceutical salesman, and the couple soon discover that the chemistry between them is stronger than any other drug. My thoughts: She is 26 with Parkinson's Disease and he sales pharmaceuticals, whats the worst that can happen?

Something Borrowed 

Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, and Colin Egglesfield, this film is you classic romantic comedy involving a love triangle, or possibly a rectangle turned octagon— i don’t know but there is a lot of people in love with other people who don’t love them back because there too business trying to get another person to love them. In short it’s conducing but the film does a better job at describing it than i am. In short: Some friendships are tested and secrets come to surface when Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin)falls in love with Dex (Collin Egglesfield), her best friend Darcy’s (Kate Hudson) fiance.

Outside of catching up on new television series and watching pretty cheesy films while drinking tons of water and Gatorade and eating nothing but soups while blowing my nose in millions of tissues…. and eating halls like gummy bears..

 I did have the chance to relax a bit and start sketching, and that has been the biggest achievement of all :) 

Stay healthy everyone, 

Krystal

Cameron Crowe

One of my favorite directors, Cameron Crowe is working on an untitled project scheduled to come out next year. It is about a military contractor returning to the site of his greatest career triumphs and reconnecting with a past love while falling for the Air Force watchdog assigned to him. What I'm most excited about is the stellar cast of actors and actresses: Rachel McAdams, Emma Stone, Bradley Cooper, John Krasinski, Bill Murray, Alec Baldwin, and more.


Cameron Crowe was born in 1957 in California. His writing career began as a 15 year-old high school student submitting articles on music to Rolling Stone. His film, Almost Famous, is slightly based off of his own life. It's one of my favorite films, as it is typical Cameron Crowe - an offbeat but charming drama/romance that creates an atmosphere the viewer never wants to leave.

Most of his main characters tend to start from great success and lose everything, having to reevaluate their lives and thus gaining understanding. They are relatable on many different levels. The audience will fall in love with all of them. His characters seem so real and raw - that's why all his films resonate so well with me. They go through real struggles that everyone can understand. For example, in We Bought a Zoo, the father (played by Matt Damon) is trying to cope with the loss of his wife. He needs a change and to focus on helping something, so they move to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo. Alright, maybe the audience doesn't relate to renovating a zoo, but we understand the human condition. Going through a loss forces people to make changes in their lives.

In Almost Famous, Penny Lane (played by Kate Hudson) is comparable to Audrey Hepburn's character, Holly Golightly, in Breakfast at Tiffany's. They both are sad yet endearing women looking for happiness in all the wrong people and places. My heart aches for them, as it does for many other characters in Cameron Crowe's films.

Cameron Crowe is the ultimate music guru. He is known for his great soundtracks. On set, he plays the music that will be used in the specific scene during that scene. He makes the actors and actresses listen to it before they shoot. Some actors/actresses like this and others do not care for it. But he feels it sets the mood for everybody.

If you haven't seen a film directed by Cameron Crowe, go do it now. Check out: We Bought a Zoo, Elizabethtown, Almost Famous, Vanilla Sky, Say Anything..., Jerry Maguire, etc.