Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel are troubled lovers in "500 Days of Summer"

“What happens if you fall in love?”

“Love. You don’t believe in that. Do you?”

“What. It’s love, not Santa Claus.”

Spoiler alert: Tom and Summer don’t end up together in the end of the movie. Finally moving a step away from Hollywood’s perfect romantic comedy endings, “500 Days of Summer” starts where all breakup stories should begin: the end. Jilted greeting card writer Tom Hansen, played cleverly by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (the kid in “3rd Rock From the Sun”) reminisces about his 500 day-long tumultuous relationship with Summer (actress-singer Zooey Deschanel) hence the name, “500 Days of Summer.” The movie begins with Tom and Summer at their favorite spot in the city, hands clutched, Summer’s engagement sparkling in the sun. They look the part of a couple head over heels in love… so leave it to the narrator to drop in like Buzz Killington saying “You should know upfront that this is NOT a love story.”

Sure, boy meets girl, but boy and girl do not live happily ever after. “500 Days” brilliantly executes what relationships are really like. Tom is under the impression that Summer is his girlfriend; Summer does not consider herself to be in a relationship with Tom at all. Sound familiar? The story, told in “Memento”-like flash backs, is told from Tom’s point of view. As he tries to recall what went wrong, he can only remember the good times.

The result is a hyper-romantic, indie rock fueled, palpably real look at a very sweet and sour relationship. Zooey Deschanel is just about the most adorable thing to grace a movie screen, even when she’s being an absolute bitch to Tom. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is absolutely triumphant as Tom, who instantly becomes the hopeless romantic to root for. Who doesn’t love Tom? Well, Summer doesn’t, which makes you hate her right from the start. Even knowing relationship will end badly, you can’t help but empathize with Tom, feel his love for Summer, hope that the despite everything you’ve heard they WILL get back together, only to become equally heartbroken when you know it’s over.

Alone, the story would fit perfectly in either the romantic comedy or indie category, but what music video director Marc Webb adds to the equation is the stuff movies are supposed to be made of. Brilliant examples of Webb’s history in music videos are showcased throughout the film, the best being a split screen showing Tom’s expectations and reality towards the end of the film where he unknowingly attends an engagement party for Summer. Dream sequences, quick-fire dialogue, and a quasi-musical number that is surprisingly not cheesy are the cherry on top of this sundae.

“500 Days” could have very easily been terribly cliched, but, luckily, its original story saves it. It’s hard to believe that the screenwriters behind this also wrote… ready for this? “The Pink Panther 2.” Although it can easily be compared to recent indie rom-coms “Garden State” and “Elizabethtown,” “500 Days” gets rid of the lonely boy/manic pixie girl cliche and focuses on characters you actually care about. Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt are absolutely adorable and the chemistry is dreamy. These two bright young actors mixed with a terrific original story make for an honest, believable movie about what love is today, and has already found a place in the hearts of the lucky few who have seen the film on the indie film fest circuit.

The Story of The Miracle Bra

I have a secret. There are things that us girls do behind closed doors when guys aren’t around. And thus, I begin my story of The Miracle Bra.
As roommates, the three of us girls like to take advantage of the surplus of wardrobes in our apartment. And when the three of us are home at once, the apartment sometimes turns into a catwalk.

One night one of my roommates announced that she needed a scandalous black bra to go with her Halloween costume. My other roommate jumped up from her computer excitedly to delve into her lingerie collection and offered her the perfect piece. As the borrower emerged from her room with the undergarment, the owner of it and myself both stared in utter amazement.

“YOUR BOOBS LOOK HUGE!” we exclaimed as she walked out, her cleavage nearly elevated to her chin. I demanded that I try it on myself. All I’m going to say about that is: wow. I was regretful to give it back to the roommate who had borrowed it in the first place. She stared down into the newly deepened canyon in her chest, impressed by her own curves.

She changed into the gown she was planning on wearing to an upcoming ball, barely able to zip it up in the back due to the new amount of volume in the front. The black bands of the bra protruded from the red strapless gown

“Could you tuck the straps in?” I asked.

“The straps come off!” she informed me. I was stunned.

“They even feel fake!” my other roommate suddenly exclaimed from the other side of the room, referring to the cleavage belonging to the roommate in the gown. She came over to offer me a feel. (Uh…)We experimented with it for days on after. It was, I tell you, the perfect bra. It shaped. It lifted. It had removable straps. It practically illuminated a glow from its frilly cups (which would, of course, only accentuate cleavage). It was the Miracle Bra.

(Image courtesy of: http://xbb.xanga.com)

Image courtesy of: http://thismarriagething.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/heart-handcuffs.jpg

Speak No Evil: BE That Girl (The Chronicles of a Real-Life Heart Stealer)

There is a new media fad in which books and movies keep declaring what girls shouldn’t do to get the guy. For instance: the movie “He’s Just Not That Into You,” the book Don’t Be That Girl, and the womanizing–and highly entertaining book– I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, just to name a few. But last semester, I lived with a one-in-a-million chick that seemed to know exactly what to do to hook the guy.

My  old roommate would give Tucker Max a run for his money, and no, not because she sleeps with as many members of the opposite sex as physically possible. It is because I’d bet anyone that she could hook and deny the infamous womanizer in one night.  Hotties, nerds and players alike all fell for this girl. In just a few months living with her, I observed a great deal of her magic. Here are some stories:

One of her friends had come over a couple of times to study. He seemed like a shy guy and when she’d flirt with him he’d kind of blush and change the subject. I thought it was funny, her flirtatious confidence overwhelming him. But, within a couple weeks he had declared his love for her. The shy guy. I mean, really?

Another friend was a total player, and a total cutie. In the few brief times that he was around I could tell that he liked to, and had, hooked up with a lot of different girls. But before long my roommate was telling me how he wanted to make her his girlfriend. She told him that even if he really thought so, she didn’t think he could handle the monogamy. Plus, she admitted to me she didn’t really like him anyway.

Kate Voegele was playing a free concert at our school so we decided to check it out. After her set we hung around for a little while along with another friend, and started chatting with the guys that were in her band. The drummer–I kid you not–approached her, got her number and asked what she was doing later that night. We headed back to the apartment, he called her and the three of us went to hang out with them in their hotel room. He took her out in the hall to “talk” and later when I asked what happened she responded, “Nothing really. He just told me that he really liked me and I told him it would never work.” Woah. Talk about a complete role reversal with the band member and the groupie.

Of course, we assumed that he would find some band-stalking skank within a day or two, but a few weeks later my roommate got a text.

“He said he’s going to be on One Tree Hill tonight,” she told me.

At the end of the episode Kate Voegele went onstage to play a show. We squinted at the instrumentalists in the background and, lo and behold, almost hidden by the drum cymbal behind her, there he was. True story.

So after living and learning from my awesome ex (*sniff*) roommate, and very good friend, here are some of my observations that I think attributed to her success:

Traits of a (Successful) Heart Stealer

Confidence: If nothing else, the girl has confidence. She has a lot of trust in herself and she knows what she likes and what she’s good at. No matter who she is around–whether it’s the nerdy guy from class or the model she made out with (no lie)–she is completely and 100% herself.

Flirtatiousness: She had this great flirty air about her that was slightly edgier than being a “one of the guys” jokester, but subtle enough not to be skanky. Some classy ways she would flirt:

-Eye contact

-Sitting next to the guy instead of on the other end of the couch or in a chair across the room

-Laughing (hers is so cute!)

-Conversational touching (on the arm or the knee–just to keep their attention)

Staying True to Herself: In regards to just doing her thing and keeping the mindset “If he doesn’t like me for me, then I don’t want him, anyway.”

Now, go forth and BE that girl!

Photo by Sarah Mupo

“Buckaroo’s Mercantile”

By Sarah Mupo

Big-name stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond and Target offer inexpensive and standard furnishings for dorms and apartments. For those wanting to add some spice to their space, check out Buckaroo’s Mercantile.

Buckaroo’s Mercantile is a kitschy wonderland filled with pin-up girl prints, custom made-clothing, and other unique home and personal accessories throughout. When asked what inspired the aesthetic of the store, owner Brooks Morris replied, “Stuff I like.”

Buckaroo’s Mercantile is a hodgepodge of handmade and vintage goods. Morris noted that the proportion of handmade to purchased items generally varies. When he first opened the store it featured a lot more items that were made by Morris himself, but over the years it has reoriented itself to include more vintage items.

In reference to the current economic situation, Morris notes that being his own supplier has been beneficial to the store and that vintage items have become increasingly popular.

Buckaroo’s Mercantile, self-named a “modern variety store”,  is located at 5 Brookline Street in Central Square in Cambridge, right across from the Middle East Nightclub.

Morris originally opened Buckaroo’s Mercantile in late 1996 on Massachusetts Avenue. On the other hand, the Brookline Street store has been in business since April 2005. It is also a short walk from the Central Square stop on the Red Line of the T.

For more information and to shop the store’s online selection, visit https://www.buckmerc.com/default.asp.

(Image courtesy of: www.cookfor.us)

College Friendly Meal Ideas

As a  sophomore who just transferred into Emerson this spring, I was faced with a challenge that I had not encountered in my previous three semesters: I had to live without a meal plan. By day seven of dry Asian noodles, I knew that I’d have to get creative. Here, I have compiled a few super easy, super quick meal ideas that just may be more nutritious than another meal from Burger King’s 99 cent menu.

First thing’s first: here are some of my favorite versatile/convenient items that can be incorporated in the following recipes.

Some Versatile Foods:

-Frozen, pre-cooked chicken: …like Bell & Evan’s Grilled Chicken Breast. I like this better than raw chicken because it’s easier to handle, easier to cook, and won’t give you salmonella if you accidentally don’t cook it all the way through. I just throw it in the frying pan and flip it until it’s thawed and browned. Also, brands like Perdue sell fully-cooked chicken that is already cut into strips. Genius.

-Frozen vegetables: Have ‘em on the side, toss ‘em in rice, pasta, omelets, whatever. Many brands sell them in steam-fresh bags and you can just pop them in the microwave.

-Cheese: Shredded or in slices, cheese can go in and on pretty much anything. Just don’t overdo it.

-Hummus: Ridiculously versatile. Good on crackers, raw vegetables, toast, pita bread, or as a sandwich spread.

-Crackers: …with soup, peanut butter, hummus, melted cheese…

-Rice: Can supplement any meal. Or, throw leftover meat and vegetables into a frying pan, mix with rice, and badda-bing, badda-boom, you’ve got dinner.

-Sauce: Whether it is tomato sauce to dump over pasta or thai sauce to add to your rice (look in the Asian section of the grocery store…there are tons of good flavor choices), a little bit of sauce is an easy way to spruce up a dish. Just watch the calorie and sodium counts.

-A loaf of bread: The phrase doesn’t go “The best thing since sliced bread,” for no reason.

Meal Ideas:

-Pancakes and Eggs: Get a box of pancake mix and some eggs and you’re good to go. (Er…you might need some oil or milk, too.) Don’t forget the syrup.

-Quesadillas: Place a tortilla in a buttered frying pan. On one half, put a few ingredients. Some of my suggestions are cheese, chicken, lettuce, tomato, and refried beans. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the ingredients. Grill the tortilla until the outside is brown and crispy and the cheese is melted. Serve with salsa and/or sour cream.

-Mexican Rice: Top rice with cheese, chicken, salsa, lettuce, tomato. Optional: scoop it with tortilla chips.

-Chicken Parmigiana: Cook frozen breaded chicken in a frying pan (make sure you know if it comes fully cooked or not–I made that mistake once and accidently began to eat it raw. Yummy.) Top with cheese. Cover with pasta and sauce. Optional: serve with steamed vegetables.

-Asian Noodles with Chicken: Prepare Asian noodle packet as directed. (I don’t use all the seasoning because there’s so much sodium.) Mix in slices of grilled chicken and steamed vegetables.

-Rice Stir-Fry: Pan-fry chicken and frozen vegetables (there are bagged stir-fry mixes). Add an egg–just crack it and fry it right in the pan. Add sauce, if wanted, and let the mixture heat for a minute. Pour over rice.

And If You’re Really Stumped:

Don’t forget about your old favorites, like…

-Grilled cheese and canned soup

-Frozen dinners: Kashi makes some great all-natural ones.

-Pasta with sauce: You can even (gasp!) add chicken …AND vegetables!

-PB&J

-Frozen pizza: They even make personal-sized.

Now…Mangia!