In the Mood for Love

Whether you are or are not attached on this most loved (or most hated) holiday, we at VIM thought it more than appropriate to provide a list of our top picks for the best romantic films to date.
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1. Casablanca (1942)
A classic any time of year, this '40s smash involves the timeless story of a couple torn apart during a time when the world was as well. (Hint: It's centered around World War II.)

2. Titanic (1997)
If Leo didn't make your heart swoon in the late 1990s as a result of his portrayal of Jack Dawson (or you didn't convince your parents to let you go so you could see the fully naked Kate Winslet), we're not quite sure where you were hiding. One of the highest grossing films of all time, Titanic is the love story of a generation and will surely live on for many years. (Cue "My Heart Will Go On.")

3. (500) Days of Summer (2009)
While not your standard "love story," this indie flick (released in the summer of 2009) tells it like it is and involves the offbeat story of a man who falls for a woman who doesn't believe true love exists, featuring excellent performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel.

4. The Notebook (2004)
Nicholas Sparks is undoubtedly the romance author of the times and the story that inspired this flick is perhaps one of the best novel-to-screen adaptations we have ever seen (we may even like it more than its prototype).

5. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal star in this witty tale of two friends over the span of many years that continuously avoid romantic involvement, though it's obvious to nearly everyone else around them that they're perfect for each other. The notorious "will they or won't they" dilemma. We can almost feel the tension.
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Now you have all the makings to get together with friends (or lovers), curl up with some popcorn and enjoy these romance masterpieces.

3rd Annual Middle of the Mitten This Saturday!

The 3rd Annual Middle of the Mitten is a local talent showcase held by The Record Lounge, 503 E. Grand River Ave., and commemorates the opening of the store itself in 2008.

The Record Lounge founded its business with a priority being to showcase local, independent talent (as well as great vinyls). As a result, Record Lounge employee and MSU professional writing student Joel Heckaman has worked with the shop for the past three years to put together this fantastic event showcasing local-area and independent musical talent.

Starting at 6 p.m., this year's showcase is happening on Saturday, Jan. 29 at Lansing's The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., and will feature such acts as: Versus The Ocean, Life Size Ghost, Frank And Earnest and Adam Dahl (for the entire list click here).

Tickets: $5 presale (available from bands or at The Record Lounge), $7 at the door.

Best Flicks of 2010

Two things we don't understand about this year's Oscars:
1. As was the case last year, ten films are up for best picture. Ten.
2. Christopher Nolan got ignored in the best director category. Come on, Inception?

Anyway, since we asked your opinion on the ultimate worst film of 2010, now we want the same thing for the best. Comment and share your thoughts.

Best Picture Nominations
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

For the full list of nominations, click here.

Worst Flicks of 2010

The 31st Annual RAZZIE nominations have just been released. Among them The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender received the most nods; that said, we want to know which flick you think should win this year's ultimate diss: Worst Picture (comment and share your pick!).

Nominees for Worst Picture of 2010
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
The Last Airbender
Vampires Suck
Sex & the City 2
The Bounty Hunter

For the full list of nominations, click here.

DIY Holiday Game

Moleskine is proud to introduce a new game for 2011: the Wise Dice. All you need to play are a printer, scissors, tape and piece of paper. These accessories allow you to both print and assemble your Wise Dice, a 12-sided die meant to direct people to perform simple actions.

The actions on the original game are designed to help people reconnect with themselves, others or the environment--each sentence is almost like a fortune cookie combined with a New Year's resolution. For those who'd rather create their own pieces of advice or suggestions, however, Moleskine has created a blank template of the game so that they may fill each side in as they see fit.

For people who remain fans of the cootie catcher, as we do, this game is the perfect activity for a night in with old friends (or family) over the holiday season.

Download the original Wise Dice OR blank alternative here.