Wednesday, November 26, 2008

HOUNDDOG


Last week, I was invited to a screening of the movie HOUNDDOG. The movie was being screened at the REEL Film Festival for Women, celebrating the cinematic works of women all over the world.

I had heard a lot about the controversy surrounding the film, which was initially released at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. It was being called the “The Dakota Fanning rape movie,” but beyond that I knew nothing more about the film. I have to say my interest was peeked. Not that I would ever want to be witness to something inappropriate to children, but rather because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I wanted to make judgments for myself, so I rsvped and decided to attend.

After getting caught in traffic, searching for parking and running down Sunset Blvd in high heels, I arrived late and all the seats were full. I wish I had gotten there on time, but I wasn’t leaving. The movie began and I was whisked into the rural south in the 1950s. I stood in the back of the theater till my feet couldn’t take it anymore, then I plopped myself (much to the dismay of the ushers) on the edge of the stairs (yes, I was sitting on the floor).

HOUNDDOG is written and directed by Deborah Kampmeier and tells the story of lost innocence. Dakota Fanning bravely and beautifully plays Lewellen, a precocious southern girl who shines in the darkness that surrounds her. She lives with her alcoholic father and overly domineering religious grandmother. She finds her joy and strength in music. Obsessed with Elvis Presley, she always sings, dances and mimics his hip movements to his songs. She dreams of singing for Elvis one day and so when he comes to town, Lewellen and her best friend Buddy scheme to find a way to see the show. BUT instead of singing for her idol, Lewellen becomes a victim of the advances of the teenage milk delivery boy who promises her a concert ticket.

In the scene that has created so much controversy, Lewellen is raped and left alone in the barn. The scene is not graphic at all. Mostly you watch the expression on her face through a hole in the barn roof. Her emotion and pain seemed so real and raw (I cried like a baby on the steps of the theater). You don’t have to show much to know what is going on, you know. The boy may not have even been in the barn at all while filming. I believe all the controversy was over blown because people had not seen the movie. Gossip spreads like wildfire and Dakota Fanning's performance should have been commended, not scorned.

In the scenes following Lewellen loses her ability to sing and she begins to drown in her sadness. She loses her strength, her confidence and her radiance, but thanks to the gentle guidance of Charles, a farmhand and local medicine man who encourages Lewellen to sing again (I literally was sobbing during this scene, like waterfalls of tears flowing from my eyeballs), she finally finds the strength to fight against her pain and sorrow.

This is a difficult and emotional, but uplifting movie. It’s a movie that can and should get people talking, but not because Dakota Fanning’s parents allowed her to film a scene that it’s implied that her character is raped (I mean she has filmed movies with aliens and murder and no one batted an eyelash). I think sexual violence is an important topic to discuss and not just sweep under the rug. I believe many victims of rape feel alone and scared to even talk about it. To me, THAT is the message of this movie, to understand the impact that these experiences and allow an open discussion of them. The problem is people are talking without seeing the movie and understanding the context of the scene.

I’m glad I saw the movie HOUNDDOG. Although I wouldn’t say it was my favorite movie ever, I do for sure believe it told a story that I believe needs to be told. I think that people should see it before judging it or scorning the writer, director, actors and people involved.

The big stand out of the film for me though was Dakota Fanning. She was FABULOUS! I mean her performance was truly amazing for an actor and not just a child actor. She was brave and real and raw. She spoke after the film about her experience and I was in awe of her maturity and thoughtfulness while speaking on the subjects of controversy and rape. She is a smart girl that was not harmed in the making of this movie as the media has said. I couldn’t stay for the whole question and answer (I had prior plans and my feet where falling asleep while curled up on the stairs), but both Dakota and Deborah spoke thoughtfully and intelligently about the message of the film and their sadness that many people will not have the chance to see it because of all the controversy.

I, for one am glad I got the chance.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

BE GREEN… Well, sort of!


So finally, two months after wrecking my car, I bought a new car. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Chudney, this is your time to give back to the environment instead of taking away. Leave the havoc wreaking, gas guzzling SUVs in the past and get a hybrid.” AND I did think about it. I thought about all the money I would save on gas (I drive A LOT). With my old Land Rover I was spending about $70 each week if not more. I even checked some Hybrids out, but as a single woman who may (wishful thinking) meet the man of the dreams at a red light, I just didn’t think they looked very sexy. My mom said, “Chudney, saving the environment IS sexy.” BUT seriously they look like soccer mom cars and till I have babies in the back, I want to look sexy behind the wheel… so I started searching for another SUV (Also after getting banged so hard, I wanted to feel safe behind the wheel of a indestructible tank).

I went back and forth with the idea of leasing versus buying, but finally decided to buy a used car. I don’t know enough about cars (and I think used car dealers like to take advantage of girls), so thankfully my ex Michael tagged along in my car search.

I searched and searched for a used Range Rover that I could afford that hadn’t had bodywork, paint work or any issues that would bite me in the ass in the future. We couldn’t seem to find one anywhere; and then it appeared. A sexy 2004 Mercedes Benz G500 in pristine condition. It was more money that I had planned to spend, but everyone (including my dad) seemed to think this car would give me WAY less problems than the Range Rover and would hold its value over time. I tossed and turned for two nights in a row till I finally made a decision. I am now driving the sexiest G-Wagon on the road and I love it.

Now, I know this huge tank is taking excessively from the environment, so it is my vow to find positive ways to give back. Here are some easy, fun, helpful suggestions on how you and I can be a bit more GREEN and give back to the environment. BEING GREEN is FABULOUS!

RECYLE
Did you know that only about half of all paper and a third of plastic bottles get recycled in the US? That means a huge amount of reusable stuff is being shoved in our already overflowing landfills. I have a recycling bin in my kitchen and make sure all the water bottles, cans, paper, etc get into that blue bin.

I bring a reusable canvas bag to the grocery store (instead of stocking up on multiple plastic bags) and I pick up dog poop with recyclable baggies. I also recycle my old makeup containers. MAC has a program that you can return them for a discount on future purchases.

USE AN ALUMINUM WATER BOTTLES
I drink a lot of water and that means a lot of water bottles. I have made an effort to stop drinking from and disposing of multiple bottles of Smart Water a day. I now buy a big jug of purified water then refill a permanent aluminum water bottle through out the day.

This is an environmentally conscious choice and a great alternative to disposable containers. Most disposable water bottles are made of PET plastic and according to the American Recycling Institute, only 14% of these bottles are recycled. We are currently adding 30 million PET water bottles to our nation's landfills – everyday! Even if PET bottles are sent to the recycling center, they are really being "down-cycled", converted to a lower form of plastic, much of which goes unused.

RIDE A BIKE
Bicycles are a healthy and environmentally friendly way to get around and the only thing they burn is calories! I have the sexiest, pink beach cruiser and I ride it whenever I don’t have far to travel. I try to leave my car parked in my garage at least 2 full days a week. Try it!

FILL YOUR HOUSE WITH PLANTS
I love potted plants not only because they look good, but also because they clean the air and reduce noise and stress. Plant-filled rooms contain 50% fewer airborne molds than rooms without plants. Go and get yourself some plants and be healthier and happier.

SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS
I go to the Farmers Market every Sunday and stock up on fresh fruits and veggies. Buying from local farmers means you're not only getting the freshest food possible, you're also saving energy. Typical grocery store produce travels nearly 1,500 miles before it ends up on your plate. All this traveling burns fossil fuels and results tons of air pollution. I’m making enough pollution with my SUV, so I ride my bike to the Farmers Market!

USE CFL LIGHT BULBS
CFL light bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Changing your light bulbs to CFL will allow you to save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime.

I bought a whole bunch at Target and have been replacing all the light bulbs in my house little by little. It’s an easy thing that can help you save some energy as well as save you some dough!

UNPLUG (not just turn off) APPLIANCES WHEN THEY’RE NOT IN USE.
While researching ways to be GREEN, I learned something I never knew. Many household appliances are draining energy even when they're turned off? According to the government's ENERGY STAR program, 40% of the electricity that home electronics use is consumed while the products are not even on. Some of the most problematic energy-drainers while off are
* Tivo
* Cable boxes or satellite dish boxes
* Sound systems
* VCRs and DVD players
* Computers
* Computer printers
* Cable modems/DSL
* TVs
The best solution is to simply unplug appliances that are not in use or buy a smart power strip that will do the work for you.

GO MEATLESS ONCE A WEEK
If you have read my blog before, you know I love food. I love beef and chicken and BACON. Even though I consume meat often (I am about as far as you can get from being a vegetarian) I do try to go meatless at least once a week.
It has been said that changing our diets is an important part of environmental responsibility because rearing cattle and other animals used for food has a huge effect on greenhouse gas emissions and habitat destruction. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. concluded that meat production produces about one-fifth of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

If avoiding meat for one day helps save the environment, I am all for it (I like a good veggie burger now and then with tofu bacon). How about trying Meatless Monday, a national public health campaign to help Americans prevent four leading causes of death: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.

It’s so important to do your part to save the environment and if you are like me (and not ready to change your mode of transportation) these are just a couple easy ideas that you can do to be a bit more GREEN.
BEING GREEN is FABULOUS!

If you have other GREEN tips please share them with me and all my blog readers!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

MY BIRTHDAY

Since MY BIRTHDAY was also Election Day (and this election was a BIG one), I decided to celebrate the night before (Monday 11/3). I knew everyone would want to watch the decision results on TV and I didn’t want to compete (MY BIRTHDAY should be all about ME, ME, ME)! I planned a small dinner with family and friends and then a night on the town (Monday’s are surprisingly wild in Hollywood).

My friends Samantha, Zoe and I caught a cab to Hollywood (It’s not a Limousine but it’s still traveling in style. Don’t drink and drive)! We met up with my mom, sister Tracee, brother Evan and a handful of my closest gal pals at BLT Steak on Sunset Blvd. If you have read my blog before you know how I LOVE bacon, so having MY BIRTHDAY at this hip restaurant that has bacon (the b stands for bacon) in the name was a no brainer. BLT Steak has the most delicious steaks and even better side dishes. I think you could die from the deliciousness of the truffled cheese bread, popovers, potatoes au gratin and of course they had a sizzling side of bacon. I ate so much that I had to unzip the back of my dress (I felt like a little Snausage)!

I opened my presents and blew out the candles on the yummy strawberry frosted cake. In my family, we have this strange tradition of smudging your name with your finger and putting the icing on your nose. I’m not easily embarrassed, so even though the restaurant was filled with LA’s finest, guess whose nose was covered in icing? Hehe… Another tradition is to scream really loud when you get to the bottom of the first cut of cake. I didn’t want to hurt people’s ears (because I can yell seriously loud), so this year I just let out a little yelp. I’m sure the restaurant staff appreciated it too.

After dinner, I bid farewell to my family and headed just a couple doors down to ONE SUNSET. The Monday night hot spot is promoted by my friend Alex Quinn. He had set me up with a private table and a bottle of vodka. About 15 of my friends came and danced and partied till the clock struck midnight! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me! We continued to dance and party till the wee hours of the morning then cabbed it home to climb into bed for some serious snuggling with my puppies (No man… but I may have wished for one when I blew out the candles ☺)!

I woke early and a little groggy (hung over). I walked and fed the dogs then headed out to VOTE. My polling station was just a hop, skip and a jump from my house and though the line was kind of long it took only 45 minutes to cast my VOTE. I didn’t want to be overly confident, but I had a good feeling about OBAMA’s victory. There was a buzz in the air for sure (a wind of change).

I spent MY BIRTHDAY doing things that make me happy. I put on my “BIRTHDAY GIRL” tiara and rode my bike to the Coffee Bean (I LOVE the Coffee Bean – check out July 18th, 2007 blog). They gave me a large, ultimate, vanilla ice blended with extra whip cream for free (YUM!) I had lunch with my friend Erin at Main Street Bagels (turkey, cucumbers, tomatoes on an everything bagel with chive cream cheese) then returned home to laze around the house (still a little hung over). I soaked in a bubble bath while I read my book, and then I snuggled with the dogs while I watched episodes of Heroes (I’m so addicted).

In the early evening, the polls on the East Coast started to close and TV coverage began. I went over to my friend Carolyn’s house for a Super Taco Tuesday party. We ate guacamole, chips and salsa as we watched the states turn blue and blue and blue. I knew it was gonna happen, I could feel it in my soul, but we’ve been fooled before so I kept my mouth shut.

Just as Carolyn called ‘Tacos are ready!” it was over. We had a new President! Goosebumps ran up my spine. It was a great moment in history to witness. AMAZING! I was completely shocked how early it was called. Polls in LA were not even closed yet! It was a landslide! A victory for America for sure! When OBAMA took the stage there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. His words of HOPE are just what this nation needs. What an amazing BIRTHDAY present not just for me, but also for America. SO EXCITING!

I went to sleep feeling inspired and hopeful for a better tomorrow. HOPE is FABULOUS and so was MY BIRTHDAY! Happy BIRTHDAY to me!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND IN MIAMI


I think Halloween is one of those holidays that you have such high expectations for, but it never really lives up to them (I feel the same about New Years Eve too). You get all dolled up in a costume, plan to go to some wild party or bar, but then it just turns out to be like every other night. Fine, but not the wild excitement you had hoped for.

This year, I decided to do something different. Since I had to be home for my birthday (to VOTE), I decided to head to Miami with some friends for the weekend before, which also happened to be HALLOWEEN! Leading up to the trip many of my friends decided they couldn’t make it, but my friend Kim (her birthday was the week before) and her friend Ruby were in, so I knew we would be in for some FABULOUS fun, fun, fun!

My flight was early (like ridiculously early) on Thursday morning. I slept, wrote, read my magazines and arrived in Miami excited for a fun filled weekend. Kim and I met up at the airport and caught a shuttle to the Catalina Hotel. Cheaper than the others on hip Collins Ave, the Catalina is a bargain and still totally fun and FABULOUS. We checked in and got settled. I had hoped to head straight to the beach, but sadly it was colder than I expect (in fact, it was colder than in LA).

We decided instead to cruise the famed Ocean Drive. We stopped at a hip Cuban spot and gorged on empanadas, croquetas and Caipirinhas to get us in the Miami mood (even though we were draped in winter duds, my toes were still freezing)!

We returned to the room to defrost and rest up for our first night on the town. We dolled up in some swanky dresses (topped off with jackets) and headed to the new Gansevort hotel rooftop bar. We had a couple drinks under the stars, but it was way to windy (like a tornado) and my skirt kept blowing above my head. So,.we headed back to the hotel to meet up with Kim’s friend Ruby.

She was prepped and ready to party, but my stomach wasn’t feeling so hot (UGH!) so we stopped for some pizza on the way to the club. Yum! Pizza always settles the stomach ☺. When I was all full up, we went right next door to Roc Bar (which was less than fabulous), then we hit the newly re-furbished Mynt Bar where DJ Felix the House Cat was rocking the house and Go-Go dancers dressed as kitties whooed the crowd. We danced and mingled (It’s easy to make male friends in Miami! Haha!) Lastly, we headed to Mookai for some more dancing (I was so tired, I could barely keep my eyes open let alone get my groove on). Miami is like NYC or Vegas where the party just keeps going and going and going, but eventually a girl gets tired, you know! Kim and Ruby were still raring to go, but I returned to the room to rest my weary head and tummy. Gotta rest up, because tomorrow is Halloween!

We woke to another cloudy and chilly day in Miami (where the hell is the sun?) We ate breakfast at the hotel (they totally skimped on the bacon), did a little shopping on Lincoln Road, then back to the hotel where I found a sweet spot to write in a cabana by the pool. Yes, I can even be (semi) productive in Miami! If the sun was out I may not have gotten too much done, but with clouds in the sky the pool was a perfect spot for a little writing.

As the sun went down, we prepped for the evening and dressed up in our costumes (Ruby – a devil, Kim - a referee and me – a bumble bee). We hit the hotel happy hour, then a low-key sushi spot. After dinner, we cruised Lincoln Road where people were mingling about in wild costumes (but nothing like the stuff you see on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood).

We had drinks in the lobby of the Delano Hotel, then met up with my Miami friends Eric and Ariel at The Florida Room for a little dancing and ogling cute boys (Halloween is dangerous because if a guy looks cute in his costume that does NOT mean he will look hot out of it). Then to we headed to Set Nightclub for more and more and more dancing with costumed masked men.

I usually reach a point in the evening where I can’t take any more. I just want to be home snuggled in bed with a piece of pizza and a bottle of water. Kim and Ruby were ready to party all night long, so I was done WAY before everyone else. I spent the end of the night (early morning) crabby and yearning for pizza and a bed. When I finally got my wish I ate WAY too much (pizza and chicken gyros) and went to bed stuffed and greasy! YUCK!

I woke still full, so the girls rolled to breakfast and me and my chubby belly rolled out to the beach (Yeah! The sun finally came out!) The girls joined me and we soaked in the rays, dipped in the ocean and drank frozen lemonades till the sun once again hid behind the clouds. I napped by the pool, wrote in my quiet spot and then prepped for another evening on the wild town.

We started the night with dinner at Sushi Samba. YUM! I gorged myself on the yummiest coconut rice and unique Kobe beef sushi rolls (just how I like my sushi… without fish). After a short walk to digest our meals, we went back to the Gansevort roof top bar. Although the view is gorgeous, the wind was blowing a bit too hard, so we headed out. Then the rain started! UGH! We took cover at The Red Room at The Shore Club where my friend Bryce joined our entourage. After a couple drinks we headed back to Set nightclub to get our grooves on. I danced till my feet ached and worked up an appetite for a slice of pizza (I have no self control in the wee hours of the morning). I chowed down as I walked back to the hotel to hit the hay.

I woke Sunday morning with hopes of a sunny beach day, but no luck ☹ We braved the inclement weather for some coffee then watched TV snuggled in our hotel beds. Ruby and I ate lunch at a spot called Ocean’s Ten then headed back to the room to laze around some more. The minute the sun peeked its head from behind the clouds, I leaped into my bikini and hit the beach. I basked in the sun till in was low in the sky, then the girls and I got dolled up and hit Nikki Beach, the Sunday beach party hot spot. Go Go girls danced in the sand as we sipped Caipirinhas (so yummy)! It was less crowded then usual due to the weird weather, but still fun.

As evening rolled in, we rolled over to my favorite pizza / Mediterranean spot and share a Mediterranean platter (hummus, salad, feta, YUM!) and some pizza (I can’t explain my excessive pizza intake on this trip! I don’t think I have ever eaten so much pizza in my entire life!! Haha!) Still cold and rainy (and I had to be up early for my flight home), we opted for a TV night. We watched episode after FABULOUS episode of House and went to bed.

The next day, I hopped an early flight so I could get home in time to celebrate my birthday (I’m 21 again and again) and VOTE (Yeah!! So excited for our new President Obama!!)! WHOO HOO!

Even though it was a bit chilly, rainy and windy MIAMI was FABULOUS, the pizza was beyond FABULOUS and HALLOWEEN was OK too ☺