There are countless ways I could introduce myself: I could describe the short path that led me to become an English major, I could expound on why I reread Bright Lights, Big City and The Great Gatsby every year, I could even tell you that my drink is a gin & tonic with two lime wedges now that I'm 21. I could tell you I miss New York City every day I'm away from it.
I will tell you that my imagination works largely in terms of film. If I listen to a song, I imagine what scenes it would fit into. I imagine a career as an actress and think up what parts I would play, and in what order. And if I'm pissed about something, I draft whole dramatic dialogues about it in my head. My favorite movies captivate me for going where my imagination doesn't:
O Brother, Where Art Thou, Jaws, Metropolis, Laura, Garden State, Half Nelson, Pride & Prejudice (2006), Rear Window, The Godfather, Diner, Alice in Wonderland (1951), Take Shelter, American Beauty, The Shawshank Redemption, The Graduate, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, The Bourne Ultimatum, Touching the Void, Dinner at Eight, Almost Famous, Charade, District 9, Roman Holiday, Donnie Darko, The 400 Blows, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, It Happened One Night, A Perfect Murder (despite gaping holes in the plot)
Young Frankenstein, Animal House, Bringing Up Baby, The Major & the Minor, Christmas in Connecticut, Bull Durham, Guys & Dolls, A Knight's Tale, The Awful Truth, Little Miss Marker, Ghostbusters, Best in Show, Superbad (it took two viewings for me to get over how gross it is, but it's only gotten funnier since)
and the one documentary on my list, the incredible Rize.
I'm damn proud of every one of these favorites, I'm sure I've forgotten others and I really hope I come across more good ones to write about in the coming weeks.
Here's a collection of mismatched images and quotations that I've dragged onto my desktop or written in iPhone notes over the past couple years: shadowonaspoon.blogspot.com. It's been something only four people have known about until now... time to shine, little blog!
An Arrested Development rerun is about to start. See you next week.
~ Natasha
