One of my favorite movies from my younger years was a romantic-comedy that featured Ashton Kutcher and the adorable Amanda Peet from 3 years ago, A Lot Like Love (2005).  (Yes, laugh all you want — I am a sensitive guy with a mushy heart!)

The film spans a 7 year period — the story of good-boy Oliver and bad-girl Emily.  “On a flight from Los Angeles to New York, Oliver and Emily make a connection, only to decide that they are poorly suited to be together. Over the next seven years, however, they are reunited time and time again, they go from being acquaintances to close friends to … lovers?”

The memorable catch-phrase of the entire movie is “Don’t… you’ll ruin it” — a line that is so simple, and yet was used in situations that are so complicated.  In essence, the saying encapsulates the tragedy of how our need to have life’s “ducks all in a row” holds us back friends from becoming more.  I really like how the movie tells the long story of acquaintance, friendship, and romance over the long-haul, with all its ups and downs, and the growth of each character over the years.  It reminds me of how much I’ve grown over the past 3 years, and especially how much has and hasn’t changed.

Here are a few memorable quotes from A Lot Like Love:

Emily Friehl: Honestly, if you’re not willing to sound stupid you don’t deserve to be in love.

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Oliver Martin: Emily, I’m flat broke. I don’t have a job. I don’t have a plan. And I know, I know I’m probably six years too late, but will you give me strike one back?

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Graham Martin: You should get one. [speaking about his son]
Oliver Martin: That was the plan, but I’m unemployed, and living with mom and dad.
Graham Martin: Oliver, this is your life. It doesn’t wait for you to get back on your feet.

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Graham Martin: Oliver, this is your life. You can’t wait for it to just to get you up on your feet.

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Oliver Martin: [annoyed] Gabe the babe.

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Oliver Martin: The thing is, how can I be there for her if I don’t even have my thing figured out? You know?

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Ellen Martin: God, Oliver! You are such a dick! C’mon, let’s just start without him!

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Oliver Martin: Well, if it wasn’t love, it was a lot like it.

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Oliver Martin: My brother’s deaf, Em. I can go days without talking.

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Emily Friehl: Don’t… you’ll ruin it.

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Emily Friehl: This is your trip, it’s happening right now
[Takes Oliver's camera and takes a picture of her crotch]
Oliver Martin: [sarcastically] Oh Great! All the places I have traveled!

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Oliver Martin: What’s your stance on pancakes?
Emily Friehl: I am pro-pancakes.

It’s (one of) the most dreaded times of the year at Southern: mid-terms!

So here’s a something for you to watch while you break from your studying. I saw the new CD by The Afters on sale at Lifeway, so I looked them up online and found this: MySpace Girl

On February 17, 2009, analog television signals—the mode of TV delivery since the 1940s—will be completely replaced by digital. Here are the basics behind this monumental change, and what it means for TV viewers.

Digital vs. Analog

Simply put, a digital signal is an improvement over analog. Analog signals are susceptible to interference or “noise.” Digital signals are more efficient, providing better picture and sound, and the opportunity to broadcast multiple content streams.

Big Broadcast Changes

How dramatic is the digital transition? Eighteen broadcast channels—52 through 69 on the UHF band—will no longer exist. Since digital delivery frees up space, TV broadcasts along those frequencies will be discontinued. Roughly 145 stations in the US currently use those channels, and nearly all will continue on digital channels. (read more)

So far, the new year of 2008 has been spent reading, reading, and catching up on one of my favorite movies, Mannequin, from 1987. Yes–the movie came out in 1987, and it’s me and my sister’s fave movies from our childhood days. We have it on vhs tape somehwere in the house, but I finally found a good avi version of it online. We spent a part of the afternoon on New Years day to watch it with a close friend from church.

The storyline:

Jonathan Switcher is a young artist. He just doesn’t seem to last in any job he does. But when he builds a mannequin, he makes it so perfect, he falls in love with it. It is the first thing he has made that makes him feel like a real artist. The mannequin ends up in the window of a big department store. When he saves the life of an old lady who happens to be the owner of that store, he is rewarded by getting a job at the store as stock boy. Later the mannequin comes to life as Emmy, who was an ancient Egyptian living in the year 2514BC. The two fall in love and redesign the window display to make it most eye catching in town. The store competitors are not happy and will do anything to stop them!

What me and my sister never realized about this movie in all the previous times we watched it as kids, was that it is full of sexual language and idioms — though they were used in humorous ways that make this romantic comedy all the more hilarious (and outrageous)! And certainly, it is evident that the character Hollywood is gay:( All things considered, Mannequin would have been a movie that would have been very risque in 1987! Nevertheless, if you haven’t seen this movie, it’s a short and light-hearted one that would remind you of the 80s

Here are some memorable quotes from the movie, including some language that is not safe for young children:
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Walking across a bridge, I saw a man on the edge, about to jump. I ran over and said: “Stop. Don’t do it.”

“Why not?” he asked.

“Well, there’s so much to live for!”

“Like what?”

“Are you religious?”

He said: “Yes.”

I said: “Me too. Are you a Christian?”

“Yes.”

“Me, too. Are you Catholic or Protestant?”

“Protestant.”

“Me, too. Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?”

“Baptist.”

“Me, too. Are you Baptist Church of God or Church of the Lord?”

“Baptist Church of God.”

“Me, too. Are you original Baptist Church of God, or Reformed Baptist Church of God?”

“Reformed Baptist Church of God.”

“Me, too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915?

He said: “Reformation of 1915.”

I said: “Die, heretic scum,” and pushed him off.

I don’t want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don’t want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don’t want to do that.

Lloyd Dobler, in Say Anything (1989)