10. Inglourious Basterds

I’ve had a bar mitzvah, taken Jewish studies classes at UCLA, idolized Steven Spielberg all my life but nothing and I mean nothing has made me more proud of being Jewish than Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. The film is just way too much fun and I loved every second of it.

9. This Is It

This year we saw the death of the world’s biggest superstar, Michael Jackson. When Jackson passed away in June, he was arguably at the lowest point of his career. He never surfaced after his second highly publicized molestation trial, he was being called a drug addict left and right and he became one of the most made fun of figures of the ‘oo’s. The film ‘This Is It’ directed by Kenny Ortega perfectly captured the genius of Michael Jackson and showed that he still had “IT.” Thanks to this remarkable concert film, Michael Jackson’s legacy will live on. I cried from the opening credits of the film to the very end and I can’t even describe how amazing the midnight showing was. It was literally like the audience was sharing such an amazing experience as we clapped, cheered and cried together.

8. 500 Days of Summer

500 Days of Summer completely caught me off guard, I went into it expecting another melodramatic, mildly funny chick flick but instead I was left completely floored. The movie was full of creativity and originality than reinvented such a tired and dead genre. The movie was at times painful to watch as director Marc Webb perfectly captured the awkwardness, the uneasiness and the pain of falling in love with someone. Zooey Deschanel truly made everyone fall in love with the Summer Finn but it was Joseph Gordon Levitt who represented us all. Everyone has had a Summer Finn in their life and everyone has had an EXPECTATIONS/REALITY scene play out, its something I go through on a daily basis. That brilliant scene alone was why 500 Days of Summer easily finds itself as one of the top films of the year.

7. Up

Pixar hit it out of the ballpark…..AGAIN! I remember seeing the trailer for Up the first time and thinking it looked absolutely terrible. The story in the trailer was one which was sloppy and confusing. Instead of trying to sell the film on its characters and plot line, the trailer highlighted the look up the film. I remember sitting in a theater in Los Feliz getting ready to watch Up and thinking, “This is it, Pixar’s first dud!” Within the first 10 minutes of the film, I found myself crying harder than I have in any other film of the year. The relationship montage is one the most heartbreaking sequences in film history. It proved that animation is not just for kids but is an art form that can instantly connect to your heart.

6. District 9

District 9 is one of my favorite sci-fi films of all time. The underlying political messages as well as themes of poverty, racism, war, government, etc…etc…is unending. I do not think that there is any other film that you can analyze more for deep rooted messages than District 9. Other than being a thoroughly intellectual film, the movie is always ridiculously entertaining. There is nothing better than a film which can entertain and educate and that is exactly what District 9 does. It seems that more than half of the current news stories on CNN directly correspond with something from District 9. Often I lose track of which is imitating the other.

5. The Princess and the Frog

With the exception of many Pixar films, I would have to say that The Princess and the Frog is my favorite Disney 2D film ever made. The message which the film deliver is one about hard work, dreams, and true happiness. Unlike the majority of Disney princess films, nothing comes easy to Princess Tiana. Instead of thinking that all her dreams will come true by wishing on a magic star, she does quite the opposite and overworks herself to try and get to her dreams. The movie is one which is full of hope that anybody’s dreams can come true if they work hard and truly believe. The film also highlight the fantastic culture of New Orleans which includes songs that you will be singing as you leave the theater. The movie is the whole package, it’s funny, charming and will leave you in tears. It’s simply a must see!

4. A Single Man

I want into this film directed by Tom Ford knowing that it would be a beautiful film because….it was directed by Tom Ford. What I got after seeing the film was not only was it a beautiful film but it was also a beautiful story. A Single Man literally left me speechless. The main character of the film George played by Colin Firth is charming, intellectual and views life with a slightly pessimistic perspective. In short, I do not think I have ever related to a character more in cinema that George. In fact, Tom Ford has stated that much of George is based on his life so it sounds a lot cooler to say that I have never related to someone more than how I do to Tom For. This movie and the back story of how Ford made it spoke to me in ways that no film has ever before. It was after viewing this film that I finally had a new zest for life and a newly discovered passion for the arts all over again. I do not think there is anything more powerful than a film which inspires you to live your life to its fullest as well as inspire you to create art. Absolutely beautiful!

3. Sin Nombre

Like many of the movies on this list, Sin Nombre is gritty and almost too realistic. The film gives you an inside look into the world of gang culture as well as shes you the dangers involved in all of it. You see the psychological imprisonment that goes along with being a member of a gang. The film also demonstrates the extremes many go through on a daily basis to try and cross the border and make it to America. I left the theater feeling thankful for being apart of this country as well as having a new found respect for many immigrants especially illegal immigrants that literally risk their lives to get her. The film will scare you, rattle you a bit and give you a greater appreciation for the many advantages that we have even if the majority of us take them for granted.

2. The Stoning of Soraya M.

I have never been to a movie-going experience like the one for The Stoning of Soraya M. As the movie ended and the credits rolled, there was silence in the theater. As the sold-out theater poured out into the lobby, more than 70% of the audience emerged sobbing. As I went to the bathroom, there were grown men with tears rolling down their face. I can only imagine that it was the same reaction a church would have upon viewing The Passion of the Christ. That film did not really speak to me (because I am Jewish), but The Stoning of Soraya M. transcends religions. It is a film about the human condition–how a country is able to treat the women of its population as dirt. The Stoning of Soraya M. is an eye-opening film about the brutal world of radical Islam set in Iran.

1. Precious

Oprah said that “Precious is a film that will split you open.” The first time I saw the film, I did not know exactly what she was talking about. After a 2nd, 3rd and 4th viewing, I suddenly found myself in shambles while watching the film. Precious is quite possibly one of the most depressing and difficult films to watch but there is also such a strong backbone of hope and laughter that comes with all of it. The first time I saw Precious, I was too shocked to cry. When I started going through a difficult time myself, I found myself looking to Precious as a story of hope and strength. If Precious was able to overcome all the obstacles in her way that anyone can, if Precious did not give up then what gives me the right to give up. Out of any film that has come out in 2009, I feel that it is Precious that has taught me the most lessons about life and that will continue to guide me along my journey. It is a beautiful, heartbreaking and difficult film to watch. I often found myself sick to my stomach but by the end of the film, I had hope. Hope that Precious could find happiness and hope that I could find happiness. Thank you Lee Daniels for making such a beautiful film and thank you Sapphire for writing such a difficult story with such a powerful message.

I think that the best premiere I’ve ever been to my entire life has got to be the premiere of “Precious.” It was just on a whole other level and I felt like I was dreaming while I was experiencing it all. Let me start by saying that I want to thank the legendary Eric Mejia for inviting me to the premiere because the only person that could possibly pull off getting tickets to the hottest premiere in town is him.

Met up in Hollywood then waited in a long line to get our tickets. The premiere was the opening night gala for the AFI Film Festival so there was still a lot of kinks in their system. When we got to the Will Call table, I saw person after person being turned away from the screening because of one reason or another. I saw Eric talking to the woman and there was some confusion and it looked as if there was not a name on the list. I kept closing my hands, hoping that when I opened them I’d see him with two tickets but each time I opened my eyes there was just another AFI representative confused at the situation. My heart was beating so fast and I was excessively sweating for some reason because this premiere had meant so much to me. I closed my eyes, counted to 10 then when I opened them I saw Eric holding two tickets right in front of me. I flipped out. It was too surreal, I couldn’t believe we were actually going to be going inside to the most star-studded premiere of the year. It was just too ridiculous.

We headed into the theater where we had amazing seats in the back center of the theater and they were right on the side of the row which is perfect me because of my new-found claustrophobic OCD needs.  We waited in the theater and were a good 2 hours early. The first hour when by painstakingly slow, we were dying just staying in our seats. I kept nervously calling my mom giving her updates. The rumor around the theater was that Oprah might be making a special appearance, I didn’t believe it because it was just too good to be true. I constantly refreshed my twitter search, “Oprah. Precious. Premiere” and the search constantly reflected how skeptical everyone was in Los Angeles. Eric and I were getting sick waiting in our seats, so we got up to go get some popcorn and something to drink. We ran into Star Jones in the lobby. We went back to our seats. Waited anxiously then decided to go back into the lobby.

This time when we walked in, we saw a beautiful glowing red angel that goes by the stage name of PRECIOUS. Gabourey Sidibe was hanging in the lobby with her various representatives, we slowly approached her and I felt like I was walking on a cloud. I have creepily obsessed over meeting Precious for more than 8 months. I’ll never forget when I first saw the trailer before Madea Goes to Jail back in February, I instantly fell in love with the film’s lead star and knew that I had to meet her one day. I never thought that the little movie trailer before Madea Goes to Jail would become my favorite film of the year and the most hotly buzzed film of the year thanks to a strong push by Oprah Winfrey. I went straight up to Gabby and flat-out told her, “I am so in love with you that it’s kinda scary.” With a bubbly voice she responded quickly with “No, I’m so in love with you!!!” I told her how much I was looking forward to seeing the film and how her performance makes me cry just from the trailer. She was beyond humble and gave me a huge hug. Eric and her did a ghetto booty dance together which involved a lot of “Heyyyy!!!’s.”

Just as we said goodbye to Gabby and continously praised how fantastic and fabulous she was, we ran into Will Smith. I talked to him for a bit about being apart of the Giffoni Film Festival. He’s was unbelievably nice and so genuine as usual.

As we waited in the lobby pretending we were going to buy more food from the concession stand. All of a sudden the entire lobby went eerily silent. A few men in black suits clears a lot of the area in the lobby and assumed they just didn’t want there to be a fire hazard.  The silence became even more silent because though the lobby was quiet, there was blood curdling screams outside. I began to get concerned, there was a storm brewing and Eric and I were standing in the eye of it. I peaked outside and saw a huge entourage of 20+ security guards coming straight at me like a tsunami. I yelled for Eric to run towards me. He asked what was going on, “I pointed and said in slow motion, “LOOOOK.” I’ll never forget the moment when the wall of security guards began to clear up only to reveal GOD standing in between all of them. It was none other than Earth’s most prize possession, OPRAH WINFREY. Everyone that the sea of body guards and Oprah walked by, crumbled at the knees. The whole lobby was left speechless. Literally silence. Oprah scanned the room, stopped at me and scanned me up and down then smirked directly at me. We maintained eye contact and as I stood 2 feet away from the most powerful person in the world, tears in my eyes, hands and legs trembling, I uttered, “Oprah, I love you….thanks for changing my life!”  She looked directly into my eyes and mouthed, “thank you….I love you too” as she motioned to her heart.  Instantly I blacked out. I was standing up right but I could no longer see. The nerves, the words and the overall experience had gotten to me and I was getting ready to faint. As my vision began coming back, I was shaking as I repeatedly kept saying, “What just happened?” “What just happened?” “What the f*ck just happened?”

As we took our seats for the movie to begin, various crew and cast members were welcomed to speak at the front of the theater. Mo’nique was welcomed. Gabby came down. Sheri Shepard. Mariah Carey. Lee Daniels, the director of the film gave such an emotional speech then he welcomed, Oprah Winfrey to come and speak. The entire theater erupted into cheers, screams and immediately gave her a standing ovation. She promised the crowd that the movie would “split you in two.” Boy was she right. As if things couldn’t get any better, Lee Daniels than surprised the crowd by telling them that one of my other heroes, Tyler Perry was in the house. As Tyler Perry and Oprah spoke about how brilliant the film was, I couldn’t take the anticipation any longer, I HAD TO SEE THE FILM ALREADY.

As the lights dimmed, I quickly realized that it was going to be IMPOSSIBLE for me to enjoy the film, I had just met Oprah AND Precious AND Tyler Perry AND MARIAH CAREY were in the theater with us. My mind was going a million miles a minute. Luckily I would see the film 3 more times after the premiere to get a much more balanced viewing of the film. Precious is my favorite film of of 2009.

After the movie ended, Eric and I sat in our seats and were sickened, disturbed and inspired by what we just saw. As everyone was leaving the theater we ran into Mo’nique. Now up until this point, the press that Mo’nique was getting was all about how she was such a terrible person, how she refused to promote the film if she wasn’t getting paid, how she didn’t care for the film at all, how she was a total b*tch. Well when you see her performance in the film, it’s not that hard to believe. Eric went up to her first and right away we knew that all those rumors were untrue when Mo’nique hugged Eric after he told her how amazing she was and said “Thank you so much baby, I truly truly appreciate all of that. Thank you so much.”  I went up to her next and spilled my heart out to her telling her, “Your gonna win the Oscar, there’s no doubt about it.” She held me and said, “Thank you so much.” As I stood next to her posing for a picture, she turned to me and said “Baby, why you shaking?” I told her “It’s because I’m in the presence of such an amazing talent.” She gave me one last hugged and thanked me yet again.

We met a few other familiar faces on the way out and got attacked by Mariah Carrey’s entourage. Anyone that even almost tried to say hi to the DIVA was pushed, punched and thrown to the side. She was in her only little loony world so I guess they didn’t want anyone to pop her bubble. Thankfully she is fantastic in the film, just not very bright outside of the film and in real life.

Ended the night by talking to Forrest Whittaker.

Overall the night was one which I will always cherish for the rest of my life. I feel blessed to have been able to be in the company of Oprah. Thank you so much Eric yet again for the invite. A truly life changing night!

GO…SEE….PRECIOUS!!!!!

This is pretty dam fantastic. It’s actually a really good song. Who knew that so many of the top songs of 2009 mentioned the word “down” so many times.

The above video was part of a presentation that my friend Kevin and I did for our film symposium class. Our assignment was have 15 minute presentation which taught the class about a certain aspect of the film industry. We chose to teach our peers how to stage the perfect fight scene by reviewing the fundamentals of stage combat. Our presentation was beyond over the top and one of the things that I’m most proud about in my academic career.

Shortly after returning on my cruise from Mexico, I rushed over to Kevin’s dorm where we began brainstorming like crazy what we would do for our presentation. We began on Sunday at night and our presentation was on Tuesday morning. We broke down a bunch of activities that we wanted to do but the concept of actually including a video was something that I immediately dismissed just because we did not have much time. In class on Monday, Kevin expressed extreme interest in doing a video portion to really sell our idea. I was reluctant because of our time constraints but kept a tough exterior. Before I knew it, it was 10 pm Monday night and Chelsey, Sarah, Kevin, Steve and I were in a parking lot filming the most ridiculous fight scene ever made. We filmed for about an hour and a half and just made it up as went along. At 11:20, Chelsey and I busted out of there to meet up with Brittany where we ran to Dave’s house in the valley to surprise him at midnight for his birthday.

I got home at 1 am where I edited like crazy and prepared everything that we would need for the following morning’s presentation. I slept for under 30 minutes. So here’s a mini-breakdown of our presentation.

Intro: Our class is set up like a mini movie theater with a door at the back of each corner. The light were dim. Soon, the Rocky theme began to play in the surround sound speakers….”LADDDDIES AND GENETLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE LAST DAY OF SYMPOSIUM. YOU ARE HERE FOR THE MAAAAAIN EVENT. Coming from the San Francisco Bay, at a height of 6′4 foot, KEVINNN “THE BEAST” CASTRO!!!

Kevin comes running in front the right corner with his boxing attire and his trainer Sean.

“ORIGINATING FROM THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, AT A HEIGHT OF 5′10, NOAAHHHH “THE BEAR JEW” REICH”

Noah comes running in and screaming from the left corner with his trainer Barrack.

We stood at the front of the theater face to face, getting ready to knock each other out. The two ring girls Meredith and Chelsea walked by in their skimpy outfits each holding a sign strutting across from opposite ends of the room. One read  THE ART OF THE FIGHT, the other reading PRESENTED BY KEVIN “THE BEAST” CASTRO & NOAH “THE JEW BEAR” REICH.” The crowd did the wave multiple times thanks to Sarah Jo.

The announcer continued, “BILL, ALETHEA, FILM AND TELEVISION CLASS OF 2011, LETS GET READDDDYYYY TO RUMBLE!!!!”

The bell sounded and just as Kevin was about to knock Noah out….”AND CUT!!!!!”

We then introduced our topic with an amazing montage of some of cinema’s greatest fight scenes which we edited and compiled by the amazing Adam Reich.  We went step by step into the world of stage combat. Go over the string snap theory which is the idea that when you get hit your head snaps back and forth as if there is a string attached to it. We demonstrated the hot iron theory which is the idea that your body should react to punches the same way you would react to get burned with a hot iron. Thankfully Kevin demonstrated with an ACTUAL hot iron that was on. Not staged and not planned whatsoever. Thanks Kevin haha  We then showed our video demonstrated all our theories put together which is what “Don’t Cheat on Tina from the Block or Else” is.  Kevin talked a bit too long at the end of the video so I broke 2 x 4 piece of wood over his head. It hurt a lot from what I hear. Payback for the hot iron!

Thank you to Chelsey, Sarah Jo, Meredith, Chelsea, Barrack, Sean and everyone else who helped us with our presentation!

-N

This is The Manifesto of Little Monster
There’s something heroic about the way my fans operate their cameras. So precisely, so intricately and so proudly.
Like Kings writing the history of their people. It’s their prolific nature that both creates and procures what will later be perceived as The Kingdom.
So, the real truth about Lady Gaga fans, my Little Monsters, lies in this sentence:
They are the Kings. They are the Queens. They write the history of The Kingdom, and I am something of a devoted jester.
It is in the thoery of perception that we have established our bond. Or the lie, I should say, for which we kill.
We are nothing without our image. Without our projection. Without the spiritual hologram of who we perceive ourselves to be, or rather to become, in the future.
When you’re lonely, I’ll be lonely too. And this is The Fame.
Love and art
12.18.1974
Lady GaGa

The day, December 21, 2009. The time, sometime shortly after 1:30 PM. There were two highly stressed, scared, and equally nervous fans rushing to get ready. If the events from earlier that day had any indication of the remainder of it, we were in for some unexpected surprises. Several hot glue burns, some ripped pants, and faulty velcro tape later, Noah and Dave were ready. They had planned for weeks and now not only did their outfits turn out a success, they would be a huge asset to the events that would play out later that day.

Every second in the car ride there was growing closer and closer to their dreams. As they sat in bumper to bumper traffic on the freeway, time seemed to rush by. It was now 3:50 PM and they had a mere 10 minutes to get to their destination. They had 10 minutes to rush past traffic, 10 minutes to miraculously drive 5 miles, 10 minutes to get to the venue. As Dave rushed through the crowded city, he felt like everything was being put into his path to try and slow him down. That’s when he turned to Noah and said “Wait, we don’t need to be there till 4:30 don’t we?” They both laughed and enjoyed the rest of the drive there. Noah even took the time to stop and notice the beauty and art that was the sunset that particular evening. Shades of pink, orange, and red painted the evening sky. It was official, Gaga was in the area. Her spirit painted the skies. Her being inspired her surroundings. And there they were, driving deeper and deeper into….The Fame.

As they waiting in anticipation in line for their tickets, their hearts pumped. They walked to the window only to be informed that the Meet and Greet was going to be AFTER the show. How? Why? It was 5 and would they really need to wait another 7+ hours to meet her? Oh god, the anticipation was killing them. Luckily as they wait to be let into the VIP pre-party, they ran into a very familiar face….SEMI-PRECIOUS WEAPONS!

Food. Free Drinks. Music. Ambiance. Was all this really happening. The taste of the beef kabobs, the crisp taste of the cold sodas, the desperation of trying to find the small asian woman from the front desk who said she would hold our posters. The line to go inside began to form and “Margarine” was nowhere to be found. As they began to check for wristbands and let everyone in, out of the shadows emerged this particular asian woman. Noah and Dave lined up with the other Gaga “Fans” and anticipated the feelings of that night. As they got let in, they ran past whoever was too slow to make it through the double doors and down the stairs. There they were. In the front row of the pit. In the front and center. There they stood a mere 6 ft from the stage. They could see the pattern of the fabric in the Giant Gaga screen. They could see the refelection of themselves in the cold metal of the drumset on stage. They could feel the air conditioning which was probably aimed just for Gaga but because they were so close, they felt it too. They looked at each other and all they could mouth to each other was “Oh. My. God” Were they dreaming??

The lights dimmed down and out came Semi Precious Weapons. They were the new face of their rapidly growing obsession with Rock and Roll and Art. Again, they thought, Was this all real? They were living out a dream. Not only were they the only people in the crowd who knew the words, the dances to the songs, and showed any sign of visible excitement for their set, but they were also acknowledged for it. While the lead singer sang, Sticky with Champagne, Noah managed to be one of the lucky few to receive a swish of the highly sought after bottle. The concert was rapidly feeling like a private one for them two. It seemed as if they were beginning to be receiving all the attention. Two sings into the microphone later, it ended just as soon as it began. They managed to witness everyone one of the lead singers struts, everyone of the drummers snare beats, every nappy hair on the guitarist wig, and every one of the random jolts of the bassists spasms.

For the next 45 minutes or so, life itself seemed to pass ever so slowly. It wasn’t helping that behind them stood an unusually confident Gaga impersonator who insisted on letting everyone around her, how amazing she looked. “Oh my god, I hope she looks at me and goes……..DA DA DA DUH DUT.”

IT HAD BEGUN.

For the past month and a half, they had wondered everyday what today would be like. Their hearts raced, tears quickly swam up into their sweltering eyes, and at that moment, they held each others hand, half to show their love, and the other to make sure the other would pass out from the excitement.

It was a few minutes until the Golden Haired Goddess emerged from the fog. They could see every sequin on her outfit, every flickering light on her headpiece, every defined curl in her wig, and every single bit of passion behind her eyes. They were so close that they didn’t need the zoom lens on Noahs camera to capture the detail. People would die to be in their spots, and there they were, face to face with the beast herself.

It wasn’t long before she finished her first song and began one of her timeless monologues. Except this time, she wasn’t having it. She needed to hear how much she knew people wanted to be there. Noah and Dave both screamed at the top of their lungs, hoping maybe she could hear their voices out of the screams of 1000’s. They tried so hard to somehow get her attention. It wasn’t clear if at times she was looking at them, because it sure looked that way. Every song had that much more feeling and that much more significance because in a mere 2 hours, they were going to pour their hearts out to her directly. With every new outfit change, every new song, even every new piece to her already changing set, they were right there with her. No feather was gone unnoticed. No detail in her piano went unappreciated. Even the errors, her falling chin strap, her eye mask that didn’t stay on, and her inability to take of her disco jacket, weren’t seen as errors, they took them as things to appreciate because not everyone in the audience was that close to see it. They hadn’t really ever been able to witness the wide array of facial gestures during her concert until now. They hadn’t been able to appreciate the intensity of her dancers and choreography until now. They hadn’t witnessed her real beauty, until now. From where they were standing in the audience, every song grew more and more into inspiring works of art rather than sets. With a spin of her rings and a glimpse of her teeth, the show was over. But the memories were about to begin.

After the show, they were both escorted through a series of backdoor hallways and hidden boxes. This was all becoming far too real. They began to worry if the preparation up to that point was enough. They were herded into a strange transitional space from one building to another. It was half hallway, half private room, but every ounce the perfect place to meet her because over the ledge on the story below them were the double doors and the stairs they ran down in order to be front row. Everything was coming full circle. It was announced that she was backstage freshening up after her show, which was strange because not once did she break a sweat while dancing in her 4 inch heels and massive wig.

Noah and Dave began to get restless. As they sat with the other 20 “fans” waiting for her, it wasn’t about meeting her anymore; it was about letting her know and believe how much she meant to them. Minutes began to pile up and it was beginning to be too much. Just as soon as they were starting to grow extremely restless, they heard the crowd go crazy. Dave and Noah shot up from the floor, not caring about their skintight pants and if they would rip. Shit, that’s what fashion was all about. Only 25 ft from them was The Queen herself, tastefully drinking a diet coke and some champagne. Her hair, bone straight, her jacket, bedazzled, her spirit, uplifting. Every other person in there was only in it for the photo. They didn’t realize that they were coming face to face with an opportunity to tell your idol how much she truly means to you. And if they did, they were dumb for not taking it. The line was going along much too quickly and before anything, Dave was next in line. He turned to Noah, who was a pale white, shaking, and visibly terrified, and said “Are you sure you don’t want to go first” All he got was a jittery “no” and directions on what to do after he was done meeting her. The person in front of Dave was done and began walking to the exit.

There stood Dave, frozen in terror, about to talk to the very same angel who turned him into a stuttering fool only weeks before at Best Buy. As he managed to move his legs and walk them in her direction, all he heard were the words that would echo in his head for the rest of his life.

“Oh my god. You guys were in the front row. I was watching the both of you during my show because of how dapper the both of you looked. I didn’t know anyone got that dressed up to come to my show. You two look amazing!”

Dave’s head began to spin and his mouth dropped. He turned to Noah to see if he had heard those same words! As he presented her with his gift for her to sign, he looked at her and asked “While you’re signing that, may I read you something I wrote?”

“Sure” she said in her soft angelic voice.

Dave stood there, shaking, hoping not to pass out. He read from his sloppy index cards. He began to tell her that for the past year, his heart was being taken on an emotional rollercoaster. Two of the people he cared more about had flown back into heaven. And at one terrifying point in his year, for one second, he really did believe that a third, his mother, would find her premature way into heaven too after her diagnosis. He then explained his experience of coming out to his family. “I came out to my parents and didn’t exactly get the response I dreamt about” He compared her music to an escape to his problems. He told her that no matter what problem he was having, he could put in one of her CD’s, watch one of her interviews, see her performances, read her interviews, and be taken away into a world of make believe and art. All the while he was confessing his fears, she had turned to him and rested her left hand on his right shoulder. It was her way of letting him know how touched she was. It was her way of physically showing her love and appreciation. It was her way of letting her Halo shine. A good ten minutes went by before Dave ended his speech, and once again she gave truly inspiring words.
“Thank you so much David. I will never forget you or your kind words. I don’t think you know how much that really touched me and thank you for sharing that with me.”

Fifteen minutes of his life had now been shared with his inspiration. One monster photo later, they hugged, exchanged on last word, and Dave began to walk away. He turned to Noah who was already halfway through his speech. He stood and watched him pour out his heart and soul. Tears rolled down from his face the moment he began speaking to her as Gaga embraced him to try and calm him down. Within moments, every fear from before was gone, and now he spoke in such confidence that it was inspiring. Whereas Dave had index cards of what he wanted to say, Noah was speaking from the heart and making perfect sense.

Noah told Gaga, “You’ve inspired me with every single creative endeavor that I’ve done. You are my inspiration, you are my driving force, you are what keeps me going!” And then words again that would echo through their existence:

“No, tonight, you were my inspiration. I saw you in the audience and you were the one who kept me pushing. I was inspired by your fashion tonight. Thank you. I will never forget the two of you.”

Noah called over Dave but the security wasn’t letting him get through. “Gaga call over Dave” Noah said. Gaga signaled Dave over. There they both stood on either side of their leather studded angel as they shared a moment with the one person who had single-handedly changed their lives for the better. It was the most intimate moments the two have ever had and they got to share it with one of the world’s biggest superstars.

The three of them hugged each other closely and wiped away their tears. Gaga gave them each a hug and a kiss as they said goodbye to one another.

As they walked towards the exit, they turned to take a last glance at her. They couldn’t believe that not only was she the nicest sweetest angel they had ever met, but that she was as excited to meet them and they were to meet her. Everything at that moment fell into place. For once, they knew what it was like to be complete.