The fall foliage is magnificent and everything but, in my opinion, what really makes this time of year special is the approach of Halloween. It's one of those holidays that adults can still shamelessly feel that childlike excitement about. What's better than getting to be someone or something completely out of character for a day, slobbing out on candy and marveling at the wacky ensembles of others?
If you haven't already begun to get your costume together, get cracking. Wait more than one week more and you'll be forced to settle for one of those few costumes left collecting dust on the racks like a so-last-year Sarah Palin, perhaps.
I'm not waiting until the last second to get in the Halloween spirit, either. Some of the seasonal fun is already going on.
Article Photos
OBSERVER Photo by Justin Goetz
Chloe Lum of AIDS Wolf rocks it out. The band will be at BJ's on Wednesday, Oct. 20.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
HALLOWEEN PREP:
OTHER?FUN:
The show starts at 10 p.m. It is 18 and up. Bring earplugs.
REEL TALK
Immediately after getting dumped by his girlfriend, Mark Zuckerberg went back to his Harvard dorm room and created a website that would eventually lead to a social phenomenon that has permeated how millions of people interact, think and operate day-to-day. You may be wondering if it was really worth creating a movie about something our lives are already oversaturated with. After seeing "The Social Network," the film based on the founding of Facebook, I would answer in the affirmative. It manages to capture the essence of the world we're living in and tells a story well-worth telling. Jesse Eisenberg is great in his role as Zuckerberg, managing to make a seemingly-emotionless, calculating character somewhat sympathetic and to recite the dialogue more quickly than some people can even think. (Seriously, there is no time to re-butter your popcorn or check your watch because you will miss at least four scenes). At its core, the movie about the founding of a website dedicated to collecting friends is really about the loneliness of the human condition. At the end of the day, don't we really just want connection? And that, my friends, is why Zuckerberg is a gazillionaire and why we're on Facebook five times a day.
"The Social Network" is playing at the Dunkirk Movieplex.
"Jonah Hex" is available on DVD or On Demand.
WHAT REALLY GRINDS MY GEARS
I'm not fond of a little phenomenon I'm going to refer to as "life foreshadowing." Surely, this has happened to you: an unfortunate event crosses your mind and it ends up taking place that very same day. For example: "I can't believe I haven't locked my keys in my car before!" or "Wouldn't it be horrible if I lost my credit card?" As soon as this thought occurs or, even worse, you say it aloud your fate has been sealed. Why this happens is beyond me but it unequivocally sucks.
WATCH THIS
DRINK OF THE WEEK
To get in the spirit of "Mad Men," let's drink like it's 1965. Of course, if we were really doing it "Mad Men"-style, we'd be knocking back martinis on our lunch breaks and enjoying a Manhattan at the office to take the edge off, but those of us who want to remain employed should probably be boozing off the clock. The AMCTV.com "Mad Men" website has a whole "Cocktail Guide" section. Try a "Pink Squirrel" pour oz. creme de noyaux (it's an almond-flavored liqueur), 3/4 creme de cacao, 1/2 oz. vodka and 1 oz. fresh cream over ice in a mixing glass. Stir and serve in a martini glass. It's best enjoyed while dressed like Joan (Holloway) Harris and I'm going to say that applies to both sexes.
April Diodato is the OBSERVER Lifestyles editor. Give her the dish on what's happening at adiodato@observertoday.com
