Intro

Welcome back movie fans! It’s another beautiful week of blogging. I’m not sure why I didn’t think of reviewing and talking about this movie earlier… you know… because I’m blogging. Anyways, this week’s movie is How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, which is the most rom-com rom-com I’ve ever watched.

This movie stars the effortlessly beautiful Kate Hudson as the savvy, bubbly women’s magazine writer Andy Anderson- the ‘how-to’ girl. Her newest ‘how-to’ involves the seemingly clueless but very attractive Benjamin Barry, played by Matthew McConaughey, who is an advertiser for the local men’s magazine. Her plan: make Ben fall in love with her and then drive him away using all the usual ‘crazy’ behavior that women seem to exhibit in relationships, all in 10 days. What Andy doesn’t know is that Ben has an ongoing bet to make Andy fall in love with him. This leads to hilarious scenarios mixed in with heartfelt moments that make you question whether it’s all really an act. This movie is filled with some of the best song choices as well as some stunning and fashionable costumes.

Costumes

Kate Hudson serves looks this whole movie, even right from the start. She begins the movie sporting a tight grey pencil skirt and a white button up. I’m sure you’re thinking it’s the most basic skirt and shirt, how is it a look? I understand your initial suspicion but she just makes it work! Hudson gives early 2000s working girl without looking too corporate. Her outfit is fresh and young without being inappropriate for work.

Another one of Andy’s iconic outfits from the movie is in her first interaction with Ben. She can be seen lurking around in a halter-neck gray dress, but as she turns to leave Ben’s apartment we learn that she was BRINGING SEXY BACK with her backless dress!

Now of course, we must discuss possibly one of the most iconic dresses in film history – Andy’s final party dress. Again, she slays another backless dress that drapes so perfectly. Almost every person I’ve talked to dreams of that dress, and I have a couple of options if you want to feel like New York’s up-and-coming journalist.

This website has an almost exact copy of the dress, although I’m not exactly sure how reliable it is – but an internet scam is a small price to pay to look like Kate Hudson.

Soundtrack

We cannot talk about the final iconic scene, with the final iconic dress, without talking about the iconic final song! Ben and Andy finally learn about the little bets that each of them had against each other and are enraged. In an alcohol fueled state, Ben and Andy have a hilarious duet to the fitting song “You’re So Vain,” by Carly Simon. This song alone is so amazing, its even on my running playlist- that’s how you know a song is fantastic!

This soundtrack also includes some other fan favorites such as Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me,” and Al Green’s “Lets Stay Together.” It seems to be a perfect mix of catchy 2000s songs and romantic jams.

Conclusion

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is just one of those movies you immediately think of when someone says the word “rom-com,” and will go down in history as a hilarious, not-too-cheesy time capsule of the early 2000s. Now that I’m done with this blog who knows, maybe I’ll go try and scout out the newest how-to!

Intro

It’s almost Halloweekend so I thought it would talk about a movie that has not only one of the best soundtracks of all times, but also some fashion forward (and costume potential) outfits as well. This week I’ll be talking about the movie Dirty Dancing! A cult classic, this film was made in 1987 but is still widely popular to this day. This Oscar winner was directed by Emile Ardolino and stars two of the biggest heartthrobs of the time: Jenifer Grey and Patrick Swayze. Patrick Swayze’s other most notable film would probably be Ghost, which was made only 3 years after Dirty Dancing hit the big screen. Not only does Jenifer Grey star in Red Dawn but also Ferris Buller’s Day Off which grossed over $70 million in revenue.

Dirty Dancing follows Baby’s summer at a resort in the Catskills where she meets the ever-so beautiful Johnny, who happens to be an amazing dancer and dance instructor for the resort. When Johnny’s dance partner can no longer preform with him, it’s up to Baby to learn the steps, become a confident dancer, and not fall in love.

Costumes

This movie was set in the early 1960s and the costumes are extremely accurate to the time. In an Indie Magazine interview, costume designer Hilary Rosenfeld explained that the most difficult part was sourcing the vintage pieces for each character, as well as all the extras. She said that she “had to bring all that stuff, enough for the hotel crew, the guests, their day and night clothes, in bags and suitcases an hour over the mountain and just hope that it was enough.” This entailed over 100 pairs of shoes and outfits for the over 200 extras in the film.

Throughout the film, the audience sees Baby transition from a shy nerd into a confident women through dance. In the beginning her wardrobe consisted of a large amount of cardigans and loose fit shirts, but as the film progresses we see her have more makeshift crop tops and cut off jean shorts – which makes sense for the plot; you wouldn’t bring all your slinky dance clothing with you on a family retreat.

Johnny’s wardrobe shows his confidence from the very beginning. He can be found shimmying around in tight white shirts and always has a pair of black ray bands on his head. A fun fact about Swayze’s wardrobe from this Indie Magazine interview is that the most expensive part of all of his clothing was his dance shoes! Rosenfeld said that “if a dancer has the wrong shoes on, they can’t work.”

One of the most notable costumes in the whole movie is the final dance scene. While dancing to the extremely classic “Time of my Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, Baby wears the most stunning flouncy dress.

Soundtrack

Of course with this movie being a dance-centered movie, the soundtrack holds no flaws. Our first introduction to the underground, sleazy, and sexy dance world is to the song “Do you Love Me” by The Contours. This perfectly plays with the plot of the movie. Coincidently (or not), this is also the first song that Baby meets Johnny to, setting the plot for their eventual romance. Another one of the many iconic scenes from this film is to the song “Love is Strange” by Mickey and Sylvia. Through each song, the audience is able to see Baby and Johnny’s relationship evolve into something magical and electric – it makes everyone jealous of their perfect relationship. I mean who wouldn’t want a guy who can dance? Total package!

Conclusion

Just like Juno, this movie is one that my mom recommended to me. I was reluctant at first but now not only do I watch the movie constantly, but I am blasting the soundtrack when I am in need of a little dance break. Who can blame me? I am also a horrible dancing but that doesn’t stop me from imaging that I’m on the front stage being lifted by Patrick Swayze.

Intro

As we settle into some colder weather, all I want to do is just snuggle up in my twin sized dorm bed and watch a movie! One of my most favorite comfort movies is The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This coming of age movie was based on the best selling book written by Stephen Chbosky and interestedly enough, Chbosky directed this movie which was released in 2012.
This film tells the story of freshman Charlie navigating the new environment of high school where he finds two new friends and mentors: Patrick and Sam. Throughout the movie, Charlie learns about love and loss while dealing with past trauma. It has an incredibly deep and moving plot that always leaves me in tears. This movie received an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and was described on their website as a movie that “will make you feel like a teenager again.”

Cast

The Perks of Being a Wallflower has a knockout cast including some of the most well-known actors of time. Logan Lerman portrays Charlie, the main character, and is also recognizable in the blockbuster hit series, Percy Jackson. Ezra Miller plays the lovable and constantly funny Patrick, who is Sam’s stepbrother. Some may say that Emma Watson, who plays Sam, is the most notable and moving character within the whole film. She is widely well known for her role of Hermonie in the Harry Potter series that grossed over 7 billion dollars in revenue.

This interview done by The Dollar Theater gives insight on the cast members and the fun-loving and close relationship they have with each other. Stephen Chbosky is also in this interview and gives such a clear view on the stake he hold in the production of the film.

In recent news, Ezra Miller has been taken to court over accusations of burglary and may be facing 26 years in prison. Over the past couple of years Miller has had a troubled relationship with the law and received multiple criminal charges.

Soundtrack

This soundtrack is full of some great hits that are relevant to the time this movie takes place, which is the early 1990s. It features popular bands of the time (of whom are still popular now) including The Smiths, New Order, and David Bowie. Although these artists might be some ‘big names’ the soundtrack keeps a constant mood and inner dialogue of Charlie.

Two of the most important songs in this soundtrack are David Bowie’s “Heros,” and The Smith’s “Asleep.” Throughout the movie, Charlie, Sam, and Patrick are constantly searching for the tunnel song. By the end of their adventures, when everyone is leaving for college and starting their new futures, the tunnel song is found to be “Heroes,” and we see this idea of freedom and infiniteness come full circle.

Of course my friends and I had to listen to this song and have our own ‘tunnel moment’ after
our graduation. It was invigorating and this song holds such a special place in my heart.

Another key song within the plot of the film and The Smith’s “Asleep.” Charlie originally hears this song after given a mixtape made by his sister’s boyfriend. It is somber and sad
song that follows Charlie through his emotional endeavors of navigating friendship and complicated love.

Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen,” is probably my favorite song on the soundtrack. It is played during the school’s homecoming dance which leads to the very famous and spirited dance scene between Sam and Patrick. This was one of the first scenes of the movie that they filmed which helped bond the cast members to create a tight-knit group for the remainder of the movie.

This soundtrack is also on vinyl, which is a rare thing to find from modern day movie scores. As the popularity of the book and movie grew, this soundtrack has become a rare commodity. I have been scouring the internet for a couple years now in search of one, and most are priced well over 70 dollars!

Conclusion

This movie is one that I can watch anytime and anywhere. Often, many people are hesitant to watch it when I suggest it and think that it will just be another shallow teen movie. Although this movie may have some classic trope and laugh-out-loud scenes, it is a truly deep and heart wrenching movie that deals with extremely sensitive and mature topics. Of course as an English major I will always encourage everyone to read the book first, but even as two separate entities, both pieces of media are standalone winners.

Overview

Good morning State College! Another week means another movie review, and this one’s a doozy! This week’s movie is the 2022 release Fresh. This film follows the modern day horror story of Noa’s (Daisy Edgar-Jones) restless (and horrifying) attempts at dating. You’re probably wondering how dating can turn horror film. After meeting who she thinks is ‘the one,’ Noa ventures to a romantic weekend getaway that turns into a plot right out of Scream! Turns out Steve (Sebastian Stan)  has an unusual appetite… humans.

This film has an young and amazing cast with both leads being up-and-coming in the film world. Other notable cast members include Dayo Okeniyi and Jonica T. Gibbs. This interview shows the great relationship the two leads have with each other that is seen so much throughout the movie, not just within the first hour, but even after when Steve becomes the newest ‘Joe from You.”

This movie toys with the classic tropes of well-loved horror movies sprinkled with well-placed jokes that give it a modern feel. It is truly a modern day tinder nightmare. This movie carries this theme into their soundtrack choice which is a intelligent mix of classics and modern day bops.

Soundtrack

As I mentioned before, this soundtrack is a brilliant array of old-time hits along with modern day lowfi indie songs. It has what I believe to be, one of the best soundtracks of the year. The Hollywood Report describes the production as a “killer soundtrack,” that “set the tone for a genre-bending tale.” Some of the modern day artists include “It Feels Good to Be Me,” by Blackly and ‘I Just Want Happiness,” by Maker and Rich Jones.

Some throwbacks within the movie include Peter Cetera’s 1992 hit “Restless Heart,” which is perfectly playing as Noa realizes Steve’s obsessive and psychopathic behavior. Another great classic was Duran Duran’s “Perfect Day.” The score also includes some 90’s songs that just hit different within the context of the film. Animotion’s “Obsession,” makes you want to strut down the street in some tall boots and a red lip! Lee Hurst’s “Whole Lotta Your Love,” on its own is seen as a sweet slow song, but reading deeper into the lyrics, it toys with the idea of canabalism in the movie; “I need a whole lotta your love to survive.”

The soundtrack also includes a touch of French music, which is perfect within the mysterious and sexy nature that Steve takes on to entice Noa. Little does she know, the only thing he’s hungry for is her own flesh.. literally! “La fin de monde,” by Juniore is a slinky song that lets you just imagine the creepy and slow chase Noa and Steve have around his vacation home.

Of course, this soundtrack includes the banger, “Heads Will Roll,” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. This song is the final one of the film and is extremely fitting (spoiler warning) as Noa leaves her battle with Steve by decapitating him – literally off with his head! This song again plays with the modern day horror film while also leaving you rooting for Noa and wanting cheer by the end.

Conclusion

Now usually, I am not much of a horror film fan, but Fresh takes the idea of horror and psychological thriller to a new and creative level. Although it may seem like an unconventional and non-scary plot, the director, Mimi Cave, creates a modern day nightmare. Nowadays, we are less scared of gremlins taking over our town, or little girls in our TVs, but if our meet-cute is actually after our meat. I would recommend this movie to anyone slightly toying with the idea of becoming vegetarian.

Introduction

It’s finally fall everyone! You know what that means – time to talk about the best feel-good-fall movie to ever exist: Twilight! Now, if you’ve been living under a rock for the past 15 years, Twilight has become one of the most popular movie franchises. This five part saga was
inspired by the Twilight book series written by Stephanie Meyers. The story follows the life of high-schooler Bella Swan, who just moved to the sleepy and rainy town of Forks, Washington. Soon, she meets the mysteriously handsome Edward Cullen and sparks fly immediately. After more and more strange occurrences, Bella discovers that Edward is in fact a vampire (cue Bella’s Lullaby). Not only is Bella now dealing with her crush being immortal, she is also caught up in a love triangle between Edward and her old best friend Jacob. This 2008 released movie was exceptional when it came out and even to this day it is a defining feature of the 2000s.

Twilight Fashion

 Twilight, in all of it’s blue-tinted haze beauty, has some relatively great costume choices. These relatively great costume choices represent the fashion of the time and you can only look back on these outfits questionably, but also with slight admiration. The film is full of henley t-shirts and low rise jeans, along with some ambiguous layering. Nylon describes Twilight’s fashion, especially Bella’s fashion, representing “the atmospheric dreariness of the Pacific Northwest surroundings.” Layering in this movie is a practical choice due to the cold weather but also adds another piece to the characters themselves.

Each character has a distinct style that draws a clear line between vampires, werwolves, and ordinary people. You can find the Cullen family wearing more timeless pieces along with frills and tunics as a little throw back to the years they were still mortal.

One of the most well-known outfits from the first film is Bella’s prom dress. I’m not sure if dress
is the best word for this outfit, but it includes a dress… along with carpi leggings, a flowery white cardigan, and a walking boot – sustained through a vampire dual. It’s clear she was dressed to the nines.

Music

I believe that Twilight has one of the most underrated soundtracks of all time. The first movie has some of the most iconic scenes, paired with the most iconic song choices. Of course we must address the famous baseball scene. This dramatic, intense, baseball game is accompanied with the equally cool “Supermassive Black Hole” by Muse.

One of the final scenes in the film is Edward and Bella at prom. They dance together while talking about their future (a very important topic since Bella wants Edward to turn into an immortal vampire). Iron & Wine’s “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” plays as a sweet sentiment to the conclusion of this movie. It’s definitely a tear-jerker and I may or may not curl into a ball every time I hear it.

Conclusion

Twilight holds such a special place in my heart. I always am up for watching it, but especially during fall. Recently, the Twilight fandom has been rekindled through Tik Tok as fans are recounting the many strangely comical scenes. Even now, it’s a movie so bad that it’s good! The recent popularity in the movie has also lead to a repeat in the fashion choices, so be ready to see lots of layers this winter. Overall, the four other movies within this franchise (New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn: Part 1, and Breaking Dawn: Part 2) are phenomenal, but the first will always be my favorite. The cast is hilariously bad, and I will always be apart of the Edward Cullen fang club. I highly suggest the movie for a fantastic start to fall. Be on the lookout for any handsome-yet-pale cuties on campus.

Introduction

Everything Everywhere All at Once played at the HUB this past weekend, so I thought it would be only appropriate to talk about my favorite movie to ever exist. Now, I am a big believer in going into movies with little to no information before seeing it. Walking into this film, all I knew was that it was about a women doing her taxes. This description of the movie was perfectly plain and although accurate, was deceptively misleading. Before I talk about the whirlwind that is Everything Everywhere All at Once, I highly suggest watching it before continuing with this blog. With that said, be warned there are a lot of spoilers ahead.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is the insane story of a women who gets sucked into the multiverse while trying to do her taxes. Each character learns about themselves and what they can accomplish. The New York Times describes the movie as “a metaphysical multiverse galaxy-brain head trip,” that is also “a bittersweet domestic drama, a marital comedy, a story of immigrant striving and a hurt-filled ballad of mother-daughter love.” It tells a strange tale with even stranger plot points, from multiverses where people have hot dogs for fingers, to the beautiful and stoic ‘rock universe.’

Cast

The cast lineup for this movie is highly decorated with well-known actors such as Jamie Lee Curtis who plays Deirdre and Michelle Yeoh who plays the main character, Evelyn Wang. One of the most interesting casting choices was Ke Hu Quan as Waymond Wang. In an interview with GQ Magazine, Quan explains his brief acting stint in the late 90s and early 2000s but then ultimately decided to quit acting due to the lack of roles. Although nervous, Quan delivered an incredible performance switching between two completely different personas that his character had to embody. Michelle Yeoh also gave an exhausting and heart wrenching performance of a women stuck in her mundane life who realizes her full potential.

Not to mention, the incredibly detailed and difficult fight scenes that each actor had to perform. Stunt coordinator, Timothy Eulich, told Insider that the fights were inspired by “classic kung-fu movies with a modern twist.” The scenes required a lot of wire-work as well as an extensive amount of editing (which was done by only a 5 person team).

Soundtrack

In addition to the movie’s top-notch cast, the score of the film includes some notable artists such as Mitski, David Byrne, and Moses Sumney. This soundtrack includes a total of 49 songs; music plays a huge role in this movie as characters develop and plots advance. Pitchfork describes this expansive playlist as ranging from “zaniness, hilarity, darkness, and hope,” following the movies highs and lows. This article also discusses the fact that tunes are carried throughout the movie. “Clair de Lune” can be heard in many of the songs as a background melody and the score in its entirety can be described as “an achievement of ingenuity”.

The final song “This is Life” ends the movie on a perfect note. Sitting in the dark theater, this song plays and sends goosebumps down your body. You want to cry and laugh and feel every emotion in between. The producer, Son Lux, perfectly utilizes ethos and evokes emotions through sounds in every part of the movie.

Conclusion

Overall this movie is a life-changing experience. The almost 2 hour movie is worth every second- you won’t want to miss a second of it. I can remember having my eyes glued to the screen in theaters, crying at the infamous rock scene, and sitting in my car after the film was over, unable to drive because I still couldn’t process what I had

just seen. I think that some people are skeptical of the movie because it just sounds so bizarre, but it works! I would recommend this movie to anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed, anyone who has been a daughter, an immigrant, or a person who has felt like the world was working against them. This movie truly is everything, everywhere, all at once- and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

                                           Overview

For this week’s movie, I decided to give a little throw back, all the way from 1999. The movie Dick was produced by Andrew Fleming, who is most notably known for his horror movie, The Craft (1996). This is a unique and hilarious movie about one of America’s most serious scandals: Watergate. Dick tells the tale of Richard Nixon’s demise except there is a small twist – two teenage girls are responsible for tipping off the reporters who break the case. This movie gives the same feel-good feelings as Juno, just with a lot more bell-bottoms!

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Cast

As mentioned previously, the two main characters are teenage girls. Betsy Jobs, played by Kristen Dunst, and Arlene Lorenzo, played by Michelle Williams, are lovable from the start; they are just simply girls being girls. Both characters can be described as somewhat dimwitted, and The Wall Street Journal described them as girls with “implacable good cheer.” The incredible and extremely talented Will Farrell portrayed Bob Woodward, one of the reporters, and the hilarious Bruce McCulloch plays the other reporter, Carl Bernstein. Although the reporting duo only has a small amount of screen time, their comical rapport strengthens the satirical effect of the entire movie.

Costumes

Dick was released in 1999 along with a large number of tv shows and movies that created a 70s fixation in all aspects from the clothes to the music. Nylon Magazine describes their looks as straight out of “The Brady Bunch or a Seventeen Magazine from the era.” This article also brings up the point that as Nixon begins his down spiral, Betsy and Arlene can be found wearing more peace signs and ‘hippie-like’ clothing as “a sartorial protest against the Vietnam War.”

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At the end of the movie, when Richard Nixon is flying out of the White House after resigning from office, Betsy and Arlene give the ‘grand finale’ of outfits. From his plane, Nixon can spot two girls, decked out in American flag print from head to toe. Not only are both girls ironically patriotic, but they do so in a fashion forward, iconic way. This public display is perfectly accompanied

Image Source                      by the song “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon.

Score

The use of Carly Simon’s ‘You’re so Vain’ in the final scene is just one of the many strategical and spot on songs that Ralph Sall, the producer, uses for soundtrack. All 15 songs were in the top 40 hit songs from the 1970s – keeping the historical accuracy of the film. Some of the other notable and authentic songs used include ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” “Hooked on a Feeling,” by Blue Swede, and The Jackson Five’s “ABCs.” Each song fits every scene it is paired with perfectly, and just when you think that the producers can’t have another spot-on song, another plays. The soundtrack adds to the lightheartedness satire throughout the movie.

Conclusion

When my friend recommended this movie to me, I was skeptical that I would finish the movie considering how old it was (I also knew nearly nothing about the Watergate Scandal, having this movie as my introduction to it is very funny to me). Watching this movie, I found myself laughing almost the entire time, gasping at each outfit the main characters wore, and singing along to each song that played. I recommend this movie to anyone who’s looking to laugh or even anyone interested in politics. Don’t be surprised when I start wearing a lot of colorful knits and platform boots!

Overview

The first time I watched the film Juno by Jason Reitman, I was hesitant and sure that it would be another forgetful teen romcom. Now, as I sit to write this post, I am listening to the Juno soundtrack as a poster for the movie hangs above my desk. To say that I fell in love with the movie would be an understatement: I am enamored with it.

As a short summary, the movie follows the life of Juno (played by Elliot Page) who is suddenly pregnant and decides to give her baby up for adoption. She is helped along the way by her stepmother (Allison Janney), father (J.K. Simmons),     and the child’s father Bleaker (Micheal Cera); of whom Juno has a confusing and constant on-again-off-again relationship with. It is a quirky movie with a feel-good message about growing up and finding the people who care about you.

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Cast

As seen from above, the cast is bursting full of experienced and well-rounded actors. Elliot Page took the character of Juno and made her into someone we haven’t seen before in a coming of age movie like this. She is an odd girl with out of pocket comments and no regard for reading the room. Pop Entertainment’s Brad Balfour describes the character as having a “pixie-punk personality,” with “pereverse quips,” which I believe perfectly describes the character.

In the same article, Brad Balfour interviews Elliot Page about his experience shooting the movie. Elliot Page says that he “fell in love with it [the script] because although it was unique and witty and all of those things, it was unbelievably genuine and honest.” Having a female lead being someone who some would describe as a ‘loser’ was a new spotlight for these types of character when this movie came out in 2007.

Score

A very special and underrated aspect of this movie is the score. Diablo Cody, the creator of the soundtrack, curates a feeling of quaint contentness and follows Juno’s complicated life completely. A review of the soundtrack by Collider, an entertainment website with a focus on film, raises the idea that to fully understand the movie, one must understand each song as well. Throughout the plot, many characters are troubling to read, not just for the other characters but for the watcher as well. One way the viewers are able to get a better understanding is through the assistance of the songs playing in each scene.

The film begins with the song All I Want is You by Barry Louis Polisar- a silly and lovable song that represents “pure youthful simplicity” which sets the tone for meeting our main character Juno. This song comes full circle and by the end of the movie, after Juno gives her baby to an adoptive mother and her relationship with Bleaker is fixed, Juno and Bleaker sing a duet of the same song as the credits roll. The song has morphed from the beginning from a song representing youth, into the maturity both characters have developed.

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The soundtrack also features six songs by Kimya Dawson, a substantial amount for one artist. In an interview done by FanBolt, Dawson  said that she would be a fan of Juno even if her music was not in the movie. I think that Dawson’s shaky and twee lyrics encapsulate the essence of being a teenage girl perfectly.

Conclusion

Overall Juno is a movie I will always carry with me. It has become a comfort film and I often find myself listening the the soundtrack as I get ready for the day or walking to class. Reitman was somehow able to compose an extremely mature story about teen pregnancy into an everlasting feeling of youth and playfulness. I recommend this movie to everyone I meet and hope they get the same feel-good feelings as I do.