I definitely dug Sweeny Todd.  Johnny Depp's performance reminded me of Morrissey's stage presence and Edmond Dantes' passion for revenge.  In particular, I enjoyed Burton's aesthetic.  The lighting bore such sharp contrast that the movie seemed to be in black and white, save the thick crimson blood dancing across the throats of Sweeny's victims.  And while some claim nepotism regarding the casting (yet again) of Helena Bonham Carter, I continue to enjoy her distinctive quirkiness and thought that she followed the complicated syncopation of Sodenheim's music like a pro.  

In other news, I've had this as my away message for a few days now but I thought I'd post the trailer on here.  This movie comes out at the end of the month as an independent release and I'm really hoping that a theater near me picks it up.  It looks like a horror comedy in the vein of Slither:

Only confirming what I already knew...

I often dream of being Celine Dion's son.  I mean, who doesn't want to grow up as a beautiful fairy?  I'm sure little Renee Charles gets to ride unicorns in the backyard while the wind caresses his luminous hair.  And I bet his room rocks too.  I imagine it to be a combination of The Secret Garden and Cirque du Soleil with a Liza Minelli revue thrown in somewhere.  

So one of my resolutions this year is to become more intellectually well-rounded.  I hope that my knowledge will turn me into a better reader and writer, and also help me win a few games of Trivial Pursuit.  Here are some books that I'd like to read this year:

On Writing by Stephen King

Invitation to Philosophy by Martin Hollis

Into to the Wild by Jon Krakauer

The One Percent Doctrine by Ron Suskind

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Washington by Meg Greenfield

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

The Israel Lobby by John J. Mearsheimer

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

My ambition to read outside of my comfortable range was inspired (ironically) from training to complete a half marathon.  Training taught me that by pushing muscle, I could build upon my preexisting resources to accomplish a goal that I once considered insurmountable.  I'm attempting to pull my weight intellectually in the same fashion.