Hi, I'm Austen.

I love movies.

I really, really, really love movies. More than a lot of other things.

I love watching them, thinking about them, pretending I'm in them. I love the acting, writing, directing, editing, scoring, costuming, makeup-ing, set designing, planning, behind the scenes-ing, blooper-ing...I love all of it. And if you know me, you know that one of the few ideas I have concerning what I want to do with my life is just to do movies, in any capacity. If you don't know that about me, Hi, I'm Austen. (listening to: "Stole My Heart," Little & Ashley)

Everyone eventually gets posed the question, "If you were given money to get one crazy expensive thing, anything in the world, what would it be?" ...or something to that effect. One decadent, selfish, unncessary gift for yourself. Mine would be a home movie theater. A giant room, with sinfully comfy chairs, a brain-shaking sound system, with walls covered in luxurious red fabric and old timey lamps in sconces. I want to watch movies the way I pay $12 to with a bunch of strangers. I want an entire wall taken up with a movie. (listening to: "L-O-V-E," Nat King Cole) To just be able to walk into a room, sit down, and have my senses filled to the brim with a good story...god, that's almost heaven. That feeling you get when you're vibrating from the volume, and you realize halfway through that you've had a lunatic grin on your face the entire time? I can't get enough of that.

The only problem with movies--at least, good movies--is that they're over before you know it. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King? Those three hours were NOT ENOUGH. The last Harry Potter movie? I want the entire fucking book made into film. It just goes by so quickly once you get sucked in. Too quickly. (listening to: "Now That You Got It," Gwen Stefani) Oo, ok, I'll admit it, I can think of one other problem. Nowadays there is nothing original left in the movie business (hell, even that complaint isn't original.) It seems like every movie now is a recycled, re-told, re-done version of a book, a true story, another movie, anything. (listening to: "Did It Again," Shakira) It's kind of worrying. It also makes you wonder, is it possible for the human race as a whole to run out of new stories? I mean, how many plots and character arcs can you come up with before you start repeating yourself? Sigh, there I go, gettin' all deep 'n shit. Oh movies, is there anything you can't do?

Anyways, I felt the need to write all this because I have finally spent a day gorging myself on movies. Seriously, I'm pretty sure my muscles have started atrophying from lack of movement. I think I can actually say that this is the first time I've just spent a whole day watching movies, which is, you know, weird for me. And I would just like to say, GOD BLESS NETFLIX WATCH INSTANTLY. And god bless my mother for having an account so I could mooch off of her Netflix Watch Instantly. (listening to: "Give It Up To Me," Shakira) I finally discovered it yesterday (Whyyyyy did it take me so goddamn long? Why?!) and I wrote up two post-it's worth of movies I aim to watch and fiiiinally cross off my "Movies to See" list, which, right now, is ferociously long. So far I've watched six, four today and two yesterday. And here I shall review. (listening to: "It's Christmas and I Hate You," Paloma Faith & Josh Weller) Ok, um, I just found a bunch more to put on the list. It's going to be a very busy summer....The Grand Total us up to 40. I've watched 6. I've already seen 6. 6 are whole seasons of tv shows. I'll post the whole list at the end, for any of the weirdos who are interested. OK HERE WE GO. (listening to: "Upside Down," Paloma Faith)

Gigantic
The reason I wanted to see this movie is very simple. Paul Dano. Paul Danoooooo. I will watch *anything* that has Paul Dano in it. Although, admittedly, this is only the third Paul Dano movie I've seen (you're next, Taking Woodstock!). It also stars Zoey Deschanel, who in this movie is like a ditzier, richer version of herself in (500) Days of Summer. It's about a guy, tryin' to adopt a Chinese baby, and he meets this other guy whose daughter is Zoey Deschanel, and he's intrigued by her, and stuff happens. Not the srongest of all plots but, hey, Zach Galifianakis has a random, unexplained chameo and subplot. So, needless to say, it was cute, it was weird, it was kooky. I enjoyed it! Um, especially since at the end Paul Dano is playing with a certain baby and my head kinda exploded, cuz it's Paul Dano...playing with a baby. Drool. (listening to: "Skinny Genes," Eliza Doolittle)

Paper Heart
Let it be known, for now and forever more, that there is in fact a female awkard equivalent of Michael Cera, and her name is Charlyne Yi. So yeah, this comedian chick decided to make a sort-of-kind-of-wait-is-it-a-documentary? documentary about love--see, she doesn't believe in it and wants to see what others have to say about it. Along the way she "meets" Michael Cera and they start a relationship. Again, cute, weird, kooky. Lots of cameos by comedians, most notably Demetri Martin, who is the most notable because Demetri Martin is a god. Anyways, something was lacking in this movie for me, but I can't put my finger on it. I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought and hoped I would. Shrug. (listening to: "Bangarang," Pogo)

Sex Drive
Oooh Sex Drive. This is a ridiculous teenage boy comedy, and yeah, I dug it. It was immature and stupid, yeah, but it had a nice sarcastic side to the writing that made it work. Plus the actors were all relatively new (Clark Duke is a new favorite) so it didn't seem like a stale rehash of every other dickish teenage boy comedy--I'm looking at you MichaelCeraJonahHillSethRogan. (listening to: "Alohomora," Pogo) The version I watched, by the way, was the super uncut and uncensored version, so there were just, like, 20 second clips of a penis bouncing around, and every now and then you'd notice a naked model who had been edited into the background--just cuz they could. After a while you just chuckle and shake your head. Also, sometimes bloopers would just be incorporated into the movie, which made it that much easier to accept the fact that you're watching a stupid boy movie. Approved. (listening to: "Upular," Pogo)

It Might Get Loud
Just have to say, one of my favorite opening scenes [search "Jack White makes a guitar (Scene from It Might Get Loud) on youtube]. I won't start talking about it because I'll just ramble on and probably no one cares, but ooo, am I tempted to. Anywho, this movie is a documentary of sorts; basically three of the greatest--or at least most famous--electric guitarists ever are gathered together to talk about...electric guitars. Jack White (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), and The Edge (U2). I watched this because I'm a big Jack White and rock fan, and it really couldn't hurt to get educated, could it? (listening to: "Alice," Pogo) It probably would've hit harder for a guitarist, which I most certainly am not, but it was still interesting. Well, Jack White was interesting; right now I'm just very into the style of sound that he does very well, so that's why. Plus, it's always fun to see three ridiculously cool and famous guys bond together. (listening to: "Just A Gigolo," Louis Prima)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Sooo shame on me, but this was my first Marilyn Monroe film. Prior to this I had never ever heard her singing or speaking voice, so I'm glad I finally got that done. This was just a good ol' girly guilty pleasure--there's something about that crappy old sound quality that I really like. That and the fact that all the women speak in that weird Standard American Dialect way that I had to (attempt to) learn at Carnegie Mellon. The whole thing is just eye candy: pretty boy extras, sparkling jewelry, Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, and ohmygodthecostumes. This movie has made it clear to me that I absolutely must take a rich-people cruise to France, for which I will need at *least* four different couture ball gowns. This just has to happen. (listening to: "Don't Worry 'Bout Me," Louis Prima & Keely Smith)

Julie & Julia
Ahmygod my favorite so far. And I'm so happy that I loved it because it's just not the type of movie I usually like, and I love expanding my horizons like that. Anyways, everyone was right, Meryl Streep is amazing and flawless in this movie. You just can't take your eyes off of her! And oh god, this movie actually made me want to cook. And be best friends with Julia Child. And blog! (which is why I'm here so very very late). But everyone in it was great, props to the casting director. (listening to: "Sunrise," Norah Jones) The whole thing just moves along very smoothly, and there's something pleasingly crisp about the way it looks, like everything's just the right amount of clean. Lovelovelove. Maybe I actually will try cooking soon. Maybe.


So, those are my thoughts on my film rampage so far. It's too late to be writing and lord knows I'm not going to read through this whole monster post to look for mistakes, so props to you for getting through it. Sigh. I cannot wait to do this tomorrow. I'm saturated for now, but I know I'm just gonna wake up hungry in the morning. And I like that.

THE LIST: Those six plus Bicentennial Man, Rocko's Modern Life, The Angry Beavers, Hey Arnold!, Ren and Stimpy, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Invader Zim, Up, Young Frankenstein, Paper Moon, the Graduate, Easy Virtue, Ball of Fire, Ballerina, Monty Python: Almost the Truth, In Seach of History: Salem Witch Trials, His Name was Jason, Vanity Fair, Dek Dogz, The Tracey Fragments, S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale, The Cabinet of Dr. Calligari, Amelie, A Scanner Darkly, Hook, Food Inc., Rachel Getting Married, Doubt, Brideshead Revisited, Matilda, Seven Pounds, The Secret Garden, Blindess, The Muppets Take Manhattan....and whatever else I find...

July, You'll Be The Death of Me

Almost a year ago, some friends and I were involved in a FaceBook thread which detailed all of the super cool adventures we were gonna have senior year. Unfortunately, we're all pretty bad planners so I don't think many (if any) happened. And that's what summer's for! I'm interested in doing all of them, and I thought I might as well put the list up here, at the very least so that I would be remindd of it more often. I am DETERMINED to accomplish all of it! In one month. Combinations allowed. *brain explosion* Accomplished trips will be italicized

1. Hollywood day trip
2. Getty
3. Drive-in movie
4. Ice skating/broomball
5. Park day
6. Classy picnic
7. Griffeth Observatory
8. Go to a concert
9. Disneyland
10. Bike ride
11. Beach day
12. nightteen club ("to witness the fail"-Caitlyn Calfas)
13. Huntington Library
14. Go to a play/musical
15. Fort night
16. Rocky Horror Picture Show
17. Long Beach Aquarium
18. Venice Beach
19. LACMA
20. Science Center
21. Natural History Museum/rose garden
22. LA Zoo
23. San Diego/Sea World
24. Six Flags
25. Knott's Berry Farm
26. Baking date

Clever Title

Finally, the time has come—I’m gonna travel out of the country. I can barely even remember the last time I left the states; I think it was a family tour of Europe. We hit up Scotland, Italy, France, and I think England all in one go. But I could totally be making this up. ANYWHO.

I’m going to be gone almost the entire month of August (including my birthday, sadface). My parents gave my sister and I funds for travel, as a combo birthday/graduation gift for both of us. We just had to pick where we were going and plan the whole thing, and we settled on Morocco and Spain. *jazz hands* At the end of July my family will fly on up to one of those Canadian thingies for my cousin’s wedding, which should be fun because a) I’ve never been to Canada and it’s one more place to check off the list, and b) I get to wear some pretty dresses and eat free food. Huzzah! From Canada, Caroline and I fly to New York (I think…still hazy on all this), and from New York to Morocco. After a week or so there we fly to Spain. I’ll get more detailed once plans are more finalized, but I can tell you now this trip will include: expanding my food tastes, train riding, crashing on strangers’ couches, cramming in some French and Spanish review, awesome photos, probably some bickering, lots of weird but hilarious Caroline/Austen moments, frantic emails from our dad, people watching, some sweet music, etc. Caroline has basically assumed control of the planning, which is probably for the best as she has done this more often than I. Quite frankly planning and organizing a trip like this is one of the most confusing thing I’ve ever encountered (I’m not gonna say ‘done’, I’m not really doing much.)

I can’t say whether I’m excited or not yet, since these things don’t usually register for me until I’m right in the middle of it…I’m sure I will be though. If there’s anything my mom has taught me, it’s that everyone needs to get pushed out of their comfort zone, multiple times. I agree, despite the fact that I am innately a lazy homebody who is perfectly content watching tv in a bathrobe. It’ll be good to be somewhere…un-American for once. I want to be surrounded by accents and languages and colors and smells and unusual architecture, just stuff I’m not used to. Maybe we’ll meet some sweet characters and have random adventures. Oh, plus, we might be staying with one of the Gordonstoun kids who visited us a few months ago. His family has a house in Madrid, and has offered us some (FREE) shelter. Keyword free. This could be awesome, but it could also be a disaster haha. Eh, apparently we’re going to be staying with absolute strangers anyways, so I might as well jump right in.

Assuming I have internet access, I’ll try and be super diligent about detailing the whole trip on this website—for my future self, the parentals, amigos interested in my whereabouts, and anyone who’s ever thought of traveling to Spain or Morocco. Also if you have any tips/connections/people to talk to/whatever, DO SHARE.

Wish me luck!

HA I'm A Badass

I lived with the same 11 other females literally 24/7 for three weeks.
I replaced toilet paper with snow, rocks, leaves, uuhh air.
I crossed rivers in just my skivvies.
I slept for three days alone. In a forest.
I climbed mountains.
I cleaned the things I ate out of with dirt.
I found bones, bullets, horseshoes, etc.
I went 21 days without a proper bath or toilet or clean clothes or perishable food or electronics.
I rationed my own food.
I cooked my own food.
I made my own shelter (knots and everything).
I drank from a river, and only a river.
I buuuuurrrned. And then tanned!
I swam in rivers.
I cried. And laughed. Sometimes at the same time.
I walked....aaaaalll day.
I fucked up my knee and various other body parts.
I heard packs of coyotes going bat-shit crazy and saw the real night sky.
I slept under the stars.
I wore my heart on my sleeve.

....and stuff.

2010's Bucket List

Mmmm, tasty, tasty goals.

1. Go to all the Disneylands and cruises
2. Throw a bad-ass wedding (or party of equal scale)
3. Be in/work on a movie
4. Skydive. Duh.
5. Have a boy haircut
6. Own the following animals: hedgehog, goat, lamb, parrot, chameleon, pig, cat, fox, monkey
7. Work/volunteer at a zoo or animal rescue center
8. Meet (one of) my favorite bands, bonus points for becoming friends with them
9. Have a crazy "Yes Man" type of adventure
10. Learn how to: skateboard, ride a motorcycle, ride a dirt bike, sword fight, do stunts, do flexibility crap, do fire poi
11. Work with (one of) my favorite directors/actors in some capacity
12. Own a classy old car (preferably a Rolls Royce)
13. Receive jewelry from a lover (stole that one from Caitlyn)
14. Learn how to cook
15. Bake a successfull pie or cake
16. Live...somewhere else
17. Own Christian Liboutin shoes (stole that one from Maddie, I think)
18. Travel. In General.
19. Get a professional massage/spa day
20. Procreate
21. Slap/punch someone ferrealz (preferably a guy)
22. Go to a transvestite/cross-dresser club/party
23. Have a treehouse
24. Own/run a kick-ass, sexy, Moulin Rouge-style dance hall, throw masquerade parties
25. Be part of a dance troupe
26. Play Mrs. Lovett
27. Settle things with D and P
28. Own/run an indoor skatepark
29. Own/run a bakery and/or candy shop
30. Get a tattoo (or multiple)
31. Make a horror movie
32. Serenade a romantic interest
33. Do covers with a band, or, even better, be in an actual band...perform/tour
34. Choreograph. But ferrealz.
35. Learn some Hawaiian
36. Attempt roller derby

Waaait, whut's a blog again?

Well shit….haven’t been here in a while…myyyyy b. Umumum rapid-fire update, GO!

-I’m going to Emerson College in Boston and I have the sweatshirt/car decal/mug/nalgene/medical forms TO PROVE IT
-I’m officially done with all things high school, including, but not limited to: three week outdoor ed trip, prom, alumni dinner, baccalaureate, graduation, grad night. I now have lots of swanky C-wick swag, including a diploma wtf
-THREE-FUCKIN-WEEK OUTDOOR ED TRIP. There are no caps locks big enough to convey the utter….outdoor eddiness. I can now say I have spent three days by myself in the fuckin outdoors, lived literally 24/7 for 21 days with 11 other females. Back off, bitches.
-The Wright family has two new behbeh rats, so far unnamed (probably Blossom and Peony)
-Fasil has passed away
-D and I met up while I was in Boston for what turned out to be a word-vomit-shoot-me-in-the-face-fuck-I’ll-never-stop-love/hating-him brawl
-Oh fuck I went to Coachella for all three days (Muse, Gorillaz, Matt and Kim, Thom Yorke, Imogen Heap, La Roux, Vampire Weekend, Them Crooked Vultures, Coheed and Cambria, Hot Chip, Tokyo Police Club, Mutemath, Phoenix, The Soft Pack, and one bomb-ass t-shirt)
-I have purchased/received (fiiiinallyyyy) some much-needed items, such as a white bathrobe, fingerless gloves, and a passport from after I was in elementary school. Checkin’ those babies off the list
-I’ve been wearing SHORTS
-Completed successful runs of Hair, Rent, a choral concert, and a dance concert
-My dad had one of those “wtf that was a *heart attack?!*” heart attacks
-My sister graduated from coooolleeeege….weeeeird….and is now looking for an apartment with her boyfriend….weirderrrrr….
-My sister and I are planning a trip for August to Morocco, Spain, and for me England
-I got my hair lopped off
-Oh some other super awesome secret-y adventure stuff that the general public is just not ready to know about

Ok that’s probably enough for one sitting. Take that shit and digest it, and let your thirst for Austen Knowledge be quenched. Booyah.

Whimsical Fuckery, Ahoy!

That's it. I can't take it anymore.

I have decided to write a CUTE, WHIMSICAL SONG. Eventually.

Cuz I keep hearing all these horrendously adooorable songs by horrendously adoooorable little songwriters, and they're all charming and quaint, and god dammit they seem too easy to do. Like, just throw in a line about maps, some nonsensical sentences, add in an unexpected instrument and WHU-BAM.

Adorable whimsical song. Examples:
-Annie Little, 'Fly Me Away'
-She and Him, 'Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?'
-anything off of Panic at the Disco's 'Pretty.Odd.' album
-Beirut, 'Elephant Gun'
-Matt and Kim, 'Daylight'
-Landon Pigg, 'Falling in Love At A Coffee Shop'
-Norah Jones, 'Chasing Pirates', 'Sunrise'
-Emiliana Torrini, 'Heart Stopper'
-Sixpence None the Richer, 'Kiss Me'
-like a BAJILLION others

To be perfectly candid, I even have a couple of verses from I think my sophomore year written out. Good stuff actually, I just have the attention span of a squirrell when it comes to finishing all those lil' songs I keep saying I'm gonna write.

Nah but I'm serious this time.

SERIOUS.