...Not the artful, postures of love, but love that over-throws life. Unbiddable, ungovernable, like a riot in the heart and nothing to be done, come ruin or rapture. Love as there has never been in a play."
--------------------------------------------------
I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!
Mine was good. Santa brought me Julie & Julia, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and The Proposal. I also got a couple Border's gift cards so that I can buy myself some more movies :o)
Over the past couple weeks, I have watched a lot of movies, some were bad and some very good.
Scotland, PA and How To Be were both so boring that I could not get past the first half hour of either of them. So, that is all I will say about that.
In my ongoing quest to see everything Bradley Cooper, I watched All About Steve, even though it got horrible reviews. I would not say it was the worst movie I have ever seen, but it was not good. Parts of it were funny and I did get through the whole thing, but it was just...stupid. There really is no other word for it. It makes me a little sad when good actors, like Cooper and Sandra Bullock, make crappy movies.
I also watched Duplicity, which was not horrible but was not very good either. It jumped around a lot and was one of those movies where you do not know who is deceiving whom until the very end. Julia Roberts was just nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award for this movie and I do not really understand why. Like I said, it was not a bad movie, but I think she has been better in other movies.
Inglourious Basterds is another movie I did not really enjoy. I mean, it was fine, it was not horrible, but I was just really unimpressed by the whole thing. And, I know it was Quentin Tarantino, but I really do not need to see people being scalped.
So those were the bad movies, now onto the good movies...
Last Monday, I finally saw Fantastic Mr. Fox and it was everything I hoped it would be. It was my favorite Roald Dahl book as a kid and I was so excited to see this movie before it even came out. The animation was awesome and the story was just as good as I remembered. George Clooney and Meryl Streep as Mr. and Mrs. Fox and Jason Schwartzman as their son Ash were great and I just thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I highly recommend that everyone see this movie.
I also went to a screening of It's Complicated at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute on Monday and I thought that it was HILARIOUS. I laughed so hard I cried. Meryl Streep is amazing. To go from being Julia Child to Mrs. Fox to Jane, a woman divorced for 10 years having a secret affair with her ex-husband, all in one year...she is amazing. It did not get great reviews and it was a little long, but at no point was I not being entertained. And I got to stare at Hunter Parrish a lot, so that was a bonus!
And finally, Saturday night, I saw Sherlock Holmes with my brother, his fiancee and our friends. It was definitely entertaining and I enjoyed it, but it was not as amazing as I was hoping it would be. I also found it hard to understand Robert Downey Jr's British accent at times. However, the action sequences were fun and the relationship between Downey's Holmes and Jude Law's Dr. Watson made me laugh a lot, so overall, I will say I liked it.
Golden Globe and SAG Nominations have also come out in the past couple weeks (links are at the bottom). I usually try to see at least all of the Best Picture nominees, so I still need to see Up In The Air, Nine, The Hurt Locker, Avatar and An Education. I loved Precious and you already know how I feel about Inglourious Basterds. I also still really want to see The Messenger, Me and Orson Welles, Brothers, The Young Victoria, A Single Man and Invictus. Think I can do it before the end of the month? :o)
The empty TV schedule lately has clearly given me lots of free time to watch all these movies.
It has also made it a little easier to be single during the holidays. I have tried really hard to stay positive this season, but it is hard when you are surrounded by couples. I have been single for a very long time, but I do know that I can be very picky. What do you expect when you are constantly comparing prospects to Dr. Pomatter, Jack Bourdain or Noah Calhoun? And I realize that none of these characters are perfect men, but it definitely does not help the situation.
I watch too many movies and TV shows, I know this. I want my life to be a fairytale and it is most definitely not. So I will keep getting lost in these other worlds until it becomes one. Maybe I have set my standards and expectations too high. Maybe it is unrealistic. But why shouldn't I get everything I have ever dreamed of? I can wait.
Anyways....
I hope that everyone has enjoyed their 2009 and has an even more FABulous 2010! Happy New Year and Happy Movie Watching!
xoxo
c
Golden Globe Nominations:
http://www.goldenglobes.org/news/id/159
SAG Nominations:
http://www.sagawards.org/nominations
---------------------------
Monday, December 28, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Repeat the sounding joy...
I will start by saying that I have seen both National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story and, while I will say that they are both good movies, they are not on my list of favorite Christmas movies.
Again, these are in no particular order and it is a complete coincidence that there are four :o)
To start, there is Love Actually:
When I first saw this movie in the theater, I actually did not like it very much. I just felt that there were too many loose ends that were not tied up at the end and some of the plots were just a little too cheesy. The more times that I watched it though, the more I grew to love it for what it actually was...a movie about love and hope and all things Christmas. It is not supposed to be some Oscar winning piece, it is a feel-good movie that succeeds in putting you in an automatic good mood every time you watch it. It also has one of my favorite opening lines:
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge, they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion love actually is all around."
I think that is a good thing to remember at Christmas-time.
Next on my list is Little Women:
I am, of course, referring to the Winona Ryder version. This is not technically a Christmas movie, but it begins with the March women celebrating Christmas and it always evokes the feelings of the holiday for me. Not only do I love the score for this movie, but it also gave me two of my favorite Christmas songs: "Ding Dong! Merrily On High" and "Here We Come A-wassailing."
It also shows a family that, no matter how much money they had, they were always willing to help others who were less fortunate. A family that loved each other through all of life's ups and downs. And while it has period aspects to it, the girls deal with things that all women experience. From getting married or losing loved ones, to figuring out what it is you are supposed to do with your life. I have watched this movie so many times I cannot even remember when was the first time. Sometimes I watch it when I need a good cry. And sometimes I watch it when I need something comfortable and familiar.
Although, I never like the way the movie ends. I always want Jo to end up with Laurie instead of annoying Amy. I mean, really, who turns down Christian Bale?! :o)
The third movie on my list is Rent:
This is another movie that is not technically a "Christmas movie," but it starts and ends around the holidays and I always love watching it this time of year.
I had never seen the play, but after seeing the movie I bought the soundtrack and, as my former roommates can attest, I loved it so much that I listened to it non-stop for about a month. It was literally the only thing I listened to, over and over again, every day. I have since seen the play and loved it just as much as the movie.
Even for someone who has a loving family, this movie always helps me to remember that my friends are also part of that family. And that everyone has a family, even when it does not include the people that you would expect. The movie has a lot more depth to it than that, but all of the sub-plots really come back to this main theme. Families do not all look the same and you should not judge those that look different than your own, or what you think a family should look like.
How do you measure a year? Measuring it in love seems as good a way as any.
And finally, The Family Stone:
I did not like this movie very much either the first time I saw it. I do not like scenes where the characters are in awkward situations, it makes me feel physically uncomfortable and I just really do not like watching things that make me feel that way. There is one big scene in this movie that is hard for me to watch, which is why I did not like it very much the first time. However, the more I watched it, the easier it was to get passed this one scene and I found I really enjoyed the rest of the movie. Also, once you know the ending, you can better understand why the characters react to certain things the way that they do. My favorite part is definitely towards the end when Meredith gives the family her Christmas gift, which leads to her break-down and subsequent fight between Everett and Ben. I can watch it over and over again and it makes me laugh every single time.
Mostly I think I like this movie so much because I have always wanted a big family. I come from a relatively small family and seeing movies like this makes me want to have a lot of kids. Big families are kind of like their only little community and there is always someone there for you. And no matter how you grow up and act in the real world, when you are with your family you are forced to be yourself because they do not allow you to pretend to be anything else.
Of course, before I have this big family of mine I first need to find a man...but that is beside the point :o)
Of the four movies, this is not my favorite, but there is just something about this movie that I love. The thing that you get from this movie, and really all these movies, is that no matter how much you fight with your family or how sarcastic you are with each other, your family is always there for you. They will call you out when you are doing something they disagree with but if you are in trouble, they will be there no questions asked.
Christmas is not just about family. Although, for me, that is a very important aspect of the holiday. Christmas is about the birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is about the love that Jesus gave to us unconditionally and about sharing that love with the people that we love. Regardless of what you believe, or how you celebrate the holiday, that is where it all began.
There are definitely more Christmas movies that I enjoy, but these are the ones that affect me in the greatest way.
I hope you have continued to enjoy the magic of the season and that this magic follows you into the new year!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
xoxo
c
Again, these are in no particular order and it is a complete coincidence that there are four :o)
To start, there is Love Actually:
When I first saw this movie in the theater, I actually did not like it very much. I just felt that there were too many loose ends that were not tied up at the end and some of the plots were just a little too cheesy. The more times that I watched it though, the more I grew to love it for what it actually was...a movie about love and hope and all things Christmas. It is not supposed to be some Oscar winning piece, it is a feel-good movie that succeeds in putting you in an automatic good mood every time you watch it. It also has one of my favorite opening lines:
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge, they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion love actually is all around."
I think that is a good thing to remember at Christmas-time.
Next on my list is Little Women:
I am, of course, referring to the Winona Ryder version. This is not technically a Christmas movie, but it begins with the March women celebrating Christmas and it always evokes the feelings of the holiday for me. Not only do I love the score for this movie, but it also gave me two of my favorite Christmas songs: "Ding Dong! Merrily On High" and "Here We Come A-wassailing."
It also shows a family that, no matter how much money they had, they were always willing to help others who were less fortunate. A family that loved each other through all of life's ups and downs. And while it has period aspects to it, the girls deal with things that all women experience. From getting married or losing loved ones, to figuring out what it is you are supposed to do with your life. I have watched this movie so many times I cannot even remember when was the first time. Sometimes I watch it when I need a good cry. And sometimes I watch it when I need something comfortable and familiar.
Although, I never like the way the movie ends. I always want Jo to end up with Laurie instead of annoying Amy. I mean, really, who turns down Christian Bale?! :o)
The third movie on my list is Rent:
This is another movie that is not technically a "Christmas movie," but it starts and ends around the holidays and I always love watching it this time of year.
I had never seen the play, but after seeing the movie I bought the soundtrack and, as my former roommates can attest, I loved it so much that I listened to it non-stop for about a month. It was literally the only thing I listened to, over and over again, every day. I have since seen the play and loved it just as much as the movie.
Even for someone who has a loving family, this movie always helps me to remember that my friends are also part of that family. And that everyone has a family, even when it does not include the people that you would expect. The movie has a lot more depth to it than that, but all of the sub-plots really come back to this main theme. Families do not all look the same and you should not judge those that look different than your own, or what you think a family should look like.
How do you measure a year? Measuring it in love seems as good a way as any.
And finally, The Family Stone:
I did not like this movie very much either the first time I saw it. I do not like scenes where the characters are in awkward situations, it makes me feel physically uncomfortable and I just really do not like watching things that make me feel that way. There is one big scene in this movie that is hard for me to watch, which is why I did not like it very much the first time. However, the more I watched it, the easier it was to get passed this one scene and I found I really enjoyed the rest of the movie. Also, once you know the ending, you can better understand why the characters react to certain things the way that they do. My favorite part is definitely towards the end when Meredith gives the family her Christmas gift, which leads to her break-down and subsequent fight between Everett and Ben. I can watch it over and over again and it makes me laugh every single time.
Mostly I think I like this movie so much because I have always wanted a big family. I come from a relatively small family and seeing movies like this makes me want to have a lot of kids. Big families are kind of like their only little community and there is always someone there for you. And no matter how you grow up and act in the real world, when you are with your family you are forced to be yourself because they do not allow you to pretend to be anything else.
Of course, before I have this big family of mine I first need to find a man...but that is beside the point :o)
Of the four movies, this is not my favorite, but there is just something about this movie that I love. The thing that you get from this movie, and really all these movies, is that no matter how much you fight with your family or how sarcastic you are with each other, your family is always there for you. They will call you out when you are doing something they disagree with but if you are in trouble, they will be there no questions asked.
Christmas is not just about family. Although, for me, that is a very important aspect of the holiday. Christmas is about the birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is about the love that Jesus gave to us unconditionally and about sharing that love with the people that we love. Regardless of what you believe, or how you celebrate the holiday, that is where it all began.
There are definitely more Christmas movies that I enjoy, but these are the ones that affect me in the greatest way.
I hope you have continued to enjoy the magic of the season and that this magic follows you into the new year!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
xoxo
c
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Love and joy come to you...
In the spirit of the holiday season, I have decided to talk about some of my favorite holiday movies and TV episodes. When I started to write this I did not realize how much I had to say, so I ended up having to split this into two separate blogs.
So let's start with my favorite Christmas TV episodes. These are in no particular order :o)
First up is "An Echolls Family Christmas" from the first season of Veronica Mars:
The reason this is on my list is because it is a Christmas episode, but it also happens to be one of my favorite episodes of the series. Logan hosts a poker party at his house but when Weevil wins the $5,000 pot it mysteriously disappears. Weevil starts taking things from the other players (ie. laptops, watches, Faberge eggs) until finally Veronica is asked to help track down the money. Meanwhile, Logan's parents are throwing their annual Christmas party and Keith is asked to figure out who is stalking Logan's movie-star father. Fabulously witty dialogue, a good mystery and Harry Hamlin & Lisa Rinna as Logan's parents make for a good time all-around. If I listed all of my favorite lines from this episode I would pretty much have to write the entire script, so you might as well just go watch it yourself :o) Here is a clip to get you started:
My next choice is "Noel" from season two of The West Wing:
The Christmas after Josh is shot, Leo makes him see a psychiatrist about the events of the last three weeks: Toby hired musicians for the foyer, an Air Force pilot disobeyed orders, Yo-Yo Ma performed at the White House, and Josh managed to badly cut his hand. All of these things bring up issues of post traumatic stress that Josh has not dealt with since the shooting. Again, this episode is not so much about Christmas as it is about Josh, but the writing on this show is so good that I had to put it on my list.
At the end of the episode Leo says something to Josh and it is one of my favorite line from the entire series:
"This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you, can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me, can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guys says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here!" The friend says, "Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'"
My third episode is "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" from the second season of Grey's Anatomy:
Christmas brings a range of reactions at Seattle Grace, from excess cheer to acting like a Scrooge. Burke and Yang have a heart transplant for a boy who does not believe he deserves it, which brings up their different philosophical perspectives. The interns help Karev study for his medical boards which he failed the first time. Izzie gets mad at first that everyone is helping him (seeing as Alex cheated on her with one of the nurses), but Meredith likens him to "Dirty Uncle Sal" and eventually Izzie comes around in the spirit of the holiday. When Alex asks her why she is helping him she says one of my favorites lines of the series:
Also in this episode, Derek is depressed and admits to Addison that Meredith was not just a fling and that he was in love with her and is still. He tells her that he has been depressed because "Christmas makes you want to be with people you love."
And finally we have "So-Called Angels" from My So-Called Life:
This episode always makes me cry and as a teenager I really did not like it because it depressed me so much and I did not fully understand what it was about. Watching it later in life, I realize how much it truly affected me and was a part of who I was and who I have become. The episode starts with no one really appreciating the true meaning of Christmas. At one point, Angela questions her parents about why they do not go to church to which her younger sister replies: "Do we have to keep talking about religion? It's Christmas!" Rickie is getting beat up at home, has no where to go and ends up at an abandoned warehouse with other homeless teenagers. Angela is concerned about him and tracks him down with them help of a mysterious homeless girl. Rayanne and Sharon volunteer for the teen help-line and Brian's parents leave him home alone while they go on a cruise over the holidays.
I love this episode because it is about helping others who are less fortunate than you. It is about being thankful for your family and friends and all the things in life with which God has blessed us. The episode ends with the family all ending up in a church together, not "finding God" but more, realizing the importance of being together and inviting others into their home who have no where else to go. It is about the true spirit of Christmas, which I think gets lost among the all the shopping and commercialism of the season.
It helps remind us that the holidays are not about presents, but about being with the people in our lives who are most important to us.
This is my absolute favorite time of year and I hope this helps you see why.
Do you disagree with my selections? Or have any of your own to add? Let me know in the comments section below.
I will try to get up the list of my favorite Christmas movies sometime in the next week. Until then I hope you enjoy this magical holiday season!
xoxo
c
So let's start with my favorite Christmas TV episodes. These are in no particular order :o)
First up is "An Echolls Family Christmas" from the first season of Veronica Mars:
The reason this is on my list is because it is a Christmas episode, but it also happens to be one of my favorite episodes of the series. Logan hosts a poker party at his house but when Weevil wins the $5,000 pot it mysteriously disappears. Weevil starts taking things from the other players (ie. laptops, watches, Faberge eggs) until finally Veronica is asked to help track down the money. Meanwhile, Logan's parents are throwing their annual Christmas party and Keith is asked to figure out who is stalking Logan's movie-star father. Fabulously witty dialogue, a good mystery and Harry Hamlin & Lisa Rinna as Logan's parents make for a good time all-around. If I listed all of my favorite lines from this episode I would pretty much have to write the entire script, so you might as well just go watch it yourself :o) Here is a clip to get you started:
My next choice is "Noel" from season two of The West Wing:
The Christmas after Josh is shot, Leo makes him see a psychiatrist about the events of the last three weeks: Toby hired musicians for the foyer, an Air Force pilot disobeyed orders, Yo-Yo Ma performed at the White House, and Josh managed to badly cut his hand. All of these things bring up issues of post traumatic stress that Josh has not dealt with since the shooting. Again, this episode is not so much about Christmas as it is about Josh, but the writing on this show is so good that I had to put it on my list.
At the end of the episode Leo says something to Josh and it is one of my favorite line from the entire series:
"This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you, can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me, can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guys says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here!" The friend says, "Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'"
My third episode is "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" from the second season of Grey's Anatomy:
Christmas brings a range of reactions at Seattle Grace, from excess cheer to acting like a Scrooge. Burke and Yang have a heart transplant for a boy who does not believe he deserves it, which brings up their different philosophical perspectives. The interns help Karev study for his medical boards which he failed the first time. Izzie gets mad at first that everyone is helping him (seeing as Alex cheated on her with one of the nurses), but Meredith likens him to "Dirty Uncle Sal" and eventually Izzie comes around in the spirit of the holiday. When Alex asks her why she is helping him she says one of my favorites lines of the series:
Also in this episode, Derek is depressed and admits to Addison that Meredith was not just a fling and that he was in love with her and is still. He tells her that he has been depressed because "Christmas makes you want to be with people you love."
And finally we have "So-Called Angels" from My So-Called Life:
This episode always makes me cry and as a teenager I really did not like it because it depressed me so much and I did not fully understand what it was about. Watching it later in life, I realize how much it truly affected me and was a part of who I was and who I have become. The episode starts with no one really appreciating the true meaning of Christmas. At one point, Angela questions her parents about why they do not go to church to which her younger sister replies: "Do we have to keep talking about religion? It's Christmas!" Rickie is getting beat up at home, has no where to go and ends up at an abandoned warehouse with other homeless teenagers. Angela is concerned about him and tracks him down with them help of a mysterious homeless girl. Rayanne and Sharon volunteer for the teen help-line and Brian's parents leave him home alone while they go on a cruise over the holidays.
I love this episode because it is about helping others who are less fortunate than you. It is about being thankful for your family and friends and all the things in life with which God has blessed us. The episode ends with the family all ending up in a church together, not "finding God" but more, realizing the importance of being together and inviting others into their home who have no where else to go. It is about the true spirit of Christmas, which I think gets lost among the all the shopping and commercialism of the season.
It helps remind us that the holidays are not about presents, but about being with the people in our lives who are most important to us.
This is my absolute favorite time of year and I hope this helps you see why.
Do you disagree with my selections? Or have any of your own to add? Let me know in the comments section below.
I will try to get up the list of my favorite Christmas movies sometime in the next week. Until then I hope you enjoy this magical holiday season!
xoxo
c
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
"Viva La Robotolution!"
I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving! The Christmas music has now started playing in my house. I try my best to wait until after Thanksgiving, although to be honest, I could listen to it year-round. I have just over 6 hours on my computer, but several songs are repeated, including five different versions of O Holy Night. :o)
Anyways, this is what I have been watching lately...
Because of my love for Kristen Bell, I went to see Astro Boy. While it did not get very good reviews, I thought it was cute and worth seeing. I probably would not have seen this if Bell had not been in it because I tend to not have a huge desire to see most animated movies, at least not in theaters, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I also rented Serious Moonlight OnDemand before it came out in theaters. It's about a woman (Meg Ryan) who finds out her husband (Timothy Hutton) is in love with another woman (Kristen Bell), so she duct tapes him to the toilet right before their home is invaded by burglars. It was written by the late Adrienne Shelley who also wrote and directed Waitress. It was not as good as Waitress and it was a kinda weird, but definitely interesting.
From my Netflix queue I got The Ugly Truth, and while I found parts of it to be funny, I mostly did not like it. A romantic comedy should not be that vulgar. I am not a prude person, but seriously, there are other things besides sex and the human anatomy that are funny. I also think that Katherine Heigl is over-rated. I liked her in 27 Dresses, but she is starting to annoy me. I have not missed Izzie during her absence on Grey's Anatomy this season at all.
Next from Netflix, I have How To Be, Scotland PA and Apocalypse Now. Seeing as most of my TV shows have gone on winter hiatus, I should have time to watch these soon.
On my list of movies coming out by the end of the year, I can cross two more off my list: The Blind Side and New Moon.
The Blind Side was very, very good and I definitely recommend that everyone see it. The story is predictable, considering it is based on a true story, but I thought that Sandra Bullock was excellent as Leigh Anne Tuohy. There is some Oscar buzz going on around her performance and I definitely think she deserves a nomination for this movie. Also, the actor who plays Bullocks son, Jae Head, is super adorable as S.J. Tuohy.
Last year, I saw Twilight opening weekend and I swore I would never do that again. Teenage girls need to learn that when you scream at a movie screen, the actors cannot hear you! I do not remember being that obsessed with anything when I was that age. Anyways, because of the screaming-teenager factor, I just saw New Moon yesterday. I thought it was better than the first one, but still not that great. The special effects were much better (probably because of a bigger budget for this movie) but the story was still too choppy. There is so much in the books that are important to the story and they have tried to keep most of it in the movie, so it means you jump from scene to scene way too quickly. I do have to say though, since it was pretty much exactly what I expected, I did enjoy it.
I still want to see The Messenger, Precious, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Me and Orson Welles, Brothers, Invictus, Did You Hear About the Morgans?, Avatar, Sherlock Holmes and Nine.
I have said it before, but the best part of being unemployed is that I can go to the movies in the middle of the day :o) Although, I probably will not get them all in before the end of the year.
During the previews of New Moon, I saw a new movie with Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum that looks pretty good. It is called Dear John and it is based on another Nicholas Sparks book (The Notebook, Message In A Bottle, A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe). He basically writes his books to be movies, which irritates me a little bit because it means the books themselves are not that well written. Why write books in the first place? Why not just write screenplays? But I digress, Dear John looks like it will be just like the rest of his movies - sappy, and definitely not Oscar-worthy, but entertaining. Even the trailer made me cry:
I really like Amanda Seyfried, and am glad to see her getting more recognized as being a good actress. Most people know her as Karen from Mean Girls (the one who could predict the weather with her breasts), but I fell in love with her as murder victim Lilly Kane on Veronica Mars. She was also in a few episodes of Wildfire on ABC Family and has most recently been on Big Love and in Mamma Mia! and Jennifer's Body.
Random question: Why do we say someone is "on a tv show" but "in a movie"? I will see if I can figure it out and get back to you :o)
I hope that everyone has a very happy holiday season! After all, it is the most wonderful time of the year!
xoxo
c
Anyways, this is what I have been watching lately...
Because of my love for Kristen Bell, I went to see Astro Boy. While it did not get very good reviews, I thought it was cute and worth seeing. I probably would not have seen this if Bell had not been in it because I tend to not have a huge desire to see most animated movies, at least not in theaters, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I also rented Serious Moonlight OnDemand before it came out in theaters. It's about a woman (Meg Ryan) who finds out her husband (Timothy Hutton) is in love with another woman (Kristen Bell), so she duct tapes him to the toilet right before their home is invaded by burglars. It was written by the late Adrienne Shelley who also wrote and directed Waitress. It was not as good as Waitress and it was a kinda weird, but definitely interesting.
From my Netflix queue I got The Ugly Truth, and while I found parts of it to be funny, I mostly did not like it. A romantic comedy should not be that vulgar. I am not a prude person, but seriously, there are other things besides sex and the human anatomy that are funny. I also think that Katherine Heigl is over-rated. I liked her in 27 Dresses, but she is starting to annoy me. I have not missed Izzie during her absence on Grey's Anatomy this season at all.
Next from Netflix, I have How To Be, Scotland PA and Apocalypse Now. Seeing as most of my TV shows have gone on winter hiatus, I should have time to watch these soon.
On my list of movies coming out by the end of the year, I can cross two more off my list: The Blind Side and New Moon.
The Blind Side was very, very good and I definitely recommend that everyone see it. The story is predictable, considering it is based on a true story, but I thought that Sandra Bullock was excellent as Leigh Anne Tuohy. There is some Oscar buzz going on around her performance and I definitely think she deserves a nomination for this movie. Also, the actor who plays Bullocks son, Jae Head, is super adorable as S.J. Tuohy.
Last year, I saw Twilight opening weekend and I swore I would never do that again. Teenage girls need to learn that when you scream at a movie screen, the actors cannot hear you! I do not remember being that obsessed with anything when I was that age. Anyways, because of the screaming-teenager factor, I just saw New Moon yesterday. I thought it was better than the first one, but still not that great. The special effects were much better (probably because of a bigger budget for this movie) but the story was still too choppy. There is so much in the books that are important to the story and they have tried to keep most of it in the movie, so it means you jump from scene to scene way too quickly. I do have to say though, since it was pretty much exactly what I expected, I did enjoy it.
I still want to see The Messenger, Precious, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Me and Orson Welles, Brothers, Invictus, Did You Hear About the Morgans?, Avatar, Sherlock Holmes and Nine.
I have said it before, but the best part of being unemployed is that I can go to the movies in the middle of the day :o) Although, I probably will not get them all in before the end of the year.
During the previews of New Moon, I saw a new movie with Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum that looks pretty good. It is called Dear John and it is based on another Nicholas Sparks book (The Notebook, Message In A Bottle, A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe). He basically writes his books to be movies, which irritates me a little bit because it means the books themselves are not that well written. Why write books in the first place? Why not just write screenplays? But I digress, Dear John looks like it will be just like the rest of his movies - sappy, and definitely not Oscar-worthy, but entertaining. Even the trailer made me cry:
I really like Amanda Seyfried, and am glad to see her getting more recognized as being a good actress. Most people know her as Karen from Mean Girls (the one who could predict the weather with her breasts), but I fell in love with her as murder victim Lilly Kane on Veronica Mars. She was also in a few episodes of Wildfire on ABC Family and has most recently been on Big Love and in Mamma Mia! and Jennifer's Body.
Random question: Why do we say someone is "on a tv show" but "in a movie"? I will see if I can figure it out and get back to you :o)
I hope that everyone has a very happy holiday season! After all, it is the most wonderful time of the year!
xoxo
c
Saturday, November 14, 2009
"The world would be a better place if more people weren't afraid to lose."
I apologize in advance if this blog is kind of all over the place. I have been watching lots of different stuff and this is the first post I have written in a while. I promise I will try harder to be more focused and write more often.
So here we go...
I have finally watched The Godfather: Part Three. It creeped me out a little that Sofia Coppolla had a kissing scene, that I almost thought was leading into a sex scene, in a movie directed by her father. And I was right about the movie not wowing me. I still do not understand the obsession with these movies. However, I have now watched them all, so no one can give me a hard time about not seeing them :o)
On my continuing quest to see everything Bradley Cooper, I have watched Jack & Bobby (which I discovered OnDemand and then on theWB.com), The Comebacks and New York, I Love You (which is in theaters right now).
New York, I Love You was a combination of several vignettes about love in New York City. I thought it was very interesting and had a stellar cast. Along with Bradley Cooper, it also starred Robin Wright, Natalie Portman (who also wrote and directed one of the segments), Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Shia LaBeouf, Ethan Hawke, James Caan, Andy Garcia and many, many more. The stories were separate yet interwoven throughout the film, some were sad, some were happy, but they all were true to life. I think it is definitely worth seeing.
The Comebacks was one of the worst movies I have ever seen and that is all I will say about that.
Jack & Bobby was a great show and I am sad that I did not get to watch it while it was on TV. It was really well written and very entertaining. Although, I have to admit my absolute favorite part of every episode is actually the opening credits - the theme from The Patriot, written by John Williams, paired with clips of famous presidential speeches - you really cannot go wrong with that combo. I turn up the volume every time to listen to it and never fast forward through it. It sounds corny but maybe you need to watch it to understand:
Another cool fact is that executive producer, Greg Berlanti, is now one of the the executive producers for Brothers & Sisters and I noticed several similarities between the two shows. I don't think it is a coincidence that the main character on Jack & Bobby was a kid named Robert "Bobby" McCallister who grows up to be a Republican Senator and then goes on to be President, and Rob Lowe's character on B&S is named Robert McCallister, who is a Republican Senator who wants to be President. Plus, Logan Lerman looks like he could be Rob Lowe's little brother. Love it! :o)
I think Bradley Cooper should do more projects like Jack & Bobby and less projects like The Comebacks, but that's just my humble opinion.
I also watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail last week. The Monty Python boys are always funny, however, I found I enjoyed Life of Brian more than the Holy Grail, mostly because during this one, I pretty much had no idea what they were talking about half the time :o) I tend to prefer their shorts as they are much easier to follow..."I always wanted to be a lumberjack!" Maybe I just need to watch the movie again.
There are now 219 movies in my Netflix queue...I MAY have added a few more since my lost post...but I am still slowly working my way down :o)
In the world of television, I have become increasingly obsessed with The Vampire Diaries. As you may remember (http://ayetortuga.blogspot.com/2009/08/when-youre-wearing-pantyhose-on-your.html) I was not super excited about this show before it started, but I am a sucker for hot vampires, so I watched. The first few episodes were good, so I kept watching, and now the episodes just seem to be getting better and better each week. Then they had to go and add Matthew Davis to the cast (think Warren from Legally Blonde or Matt Tollman from Blue Crush) as the new history teacher, Alaric Saltzman, so now I'm officially hooked.
I am also loving new USA Network show, White Collar. Matthew Bomer plays a white-collar criminal who makes a deal with the FBI to let him out of jail if he helps them catch other white-collar criminals. It is funny and extremely entertaining, and I am only slightly biased since a friend of mine is doing the marketing for the show ;o) The only downside is that it is on Fridays at 10pm, which is where my DVR comes in super handy.
I could not get into Cougar Town or Eastwick (which has now been canceled). I also stopped watching Modern Family. I thought the first couple episodes were funny, but I just have not been able to get into it. I watch enough television, so I think it is okay if I skip this one. I also stopped watching Flash Forward and never even started watching V because I decided I just was not interested in them.
Ugly Betty, Dollhouse, NCIS and Castle are having AMAZING seasons. Sadly though, the stupid FOX Network has already canceled Dollhouse, just as it was hitting it's stride, because viewership has been too low. But what do you expect when you put a show on Friday nights two seasons in a row and have it's lead in be totally unrelated sit-coms?!
Anyways, that's what I have been up to while currently unemployed. If you agree/disagree with anything I have said, feel free to leave comments below. I am really going to try to write more often, so stay tuned!
xoxo
c
So here we go...
I have finally watched The Godfather: Part Three. It creeped me out a little that Sofia Coppolla had a kissing scene, that I almost thought was leading into a sex scene, in a movie directed by her father. And I was right about the movie not wowing me. I still do not understand the obsession with these movies. However, I have now watched them all, so no one can give me a hard time about not seeing them :o)
On my continuing quest to see everything Bradley Cooper, I have watched Jack & Bobby (which I discovered OnDemand and then on theWB.com), The Comebacks and New York, I Love You (which is in theaters right now).
New York, I Love You was a combination of several vignettes about love in New York City. I thought it was very interesting and had a stellar cast. Along with Bradley Cooper, it also starred Robin Wright, Natalie Portman (who also wrote and directed one of the segments), Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Shia LaBeouf, Ethan Hawke, James Caan, Andy Garcia and many, many more. The stories were separate yet interwoven throughout the film, some were sad, some were happy, but they all were true to life. I think it is definitely worth seeing.
The Comebacks was one of the worst movies I have ever seen and that is all I will say about that.
Jack & Bobby was a great show and I am sad that I did not get to watch it while it was on TV. It was really well written and very entertaining. Although, I have to admit my absolute favorite part of every episode is actually the opening credits - the theme from The Patriot, written by John Williams, paired with clips of famous presidential speeches - you really cannot go wrong with that combo. I turn up the volume every time to listen to it and never fast forward through it. It sounds corny but maybe you need to watch it to understand:
Another cool fact is that executive producer, Greg Berlanti, is now one of the the executive producers for Brothers & Sisters and I noticed several similarities between the two shows. I don't think it is a coincidence that the main character on Jack & Bobby was a kid named Robert "Bobby" McCallister who grows up to be a Republican Senator and then goes on to be President, and Rob Lowe's character on B&S is named Robert McCallister, who is a Republican Senator who wants to be President. Plus, Logan Lerman looks like he could be Rob Lowe's little brother. Love it! :o)
I think Bradley Cooper should do more projects like Jack & Bobby and less projects like The Comebacks, but that's just my humble opinion.
I also watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail last week. The Monty Python boys are always funny, however, I found I enjoyed Life of Brian more than the Holy Grail, mostly because during this one, I pretty much had no idea what they were talking about half the time :o) I tend to prefer their shorts as they are much easier to follow..."I always wanted to be a lumberjack!" Maybe I just need to watch the movie again.
There are now 219 movies in my Netflix queue...I MAY have added a few more since my lost post...but I am still slowly working my way down :o)
In the world of television, I have become increasingly obsessed with The Vampire Diaries. As you may remember (http://ayetortuga.blogspot.com/2009/08/when-youre-wearing-pantyhose-on-your.html) I was not super excited about this show before it started, but I am a sucker for hot vampires, so I watched. The first few episodes were good, so I kept watching, and now the episodes just seem to be getting better and better each week. Then they had to go and add Matthew Davis to the cast (think Warren from Legally Blonde or Matt Tollman from Blue Crush) as the new history teacher, Alaric Saltzman, so now I'm officially hooked.
I am also loving new USA Network show, White Collar. Matthew Bomer plays a white-collar criminal who makes a deal with the FBI to let him out of jail if he helps them catch other white-collar criminals. It is funny and extremely entertaining, and I am only slightly biased since a friend of mine is doing the marketing for the show ;o) The only downside is that it is on Fridays at 10pm, which is where my DVR comes in super handy.
I could not get into Cougar Town or Eastwick (which has now been canceled). I also stopped watching Modern Family. I thought the first couple episodes were funny, but I just have not been able to get into it. I watch enough television, so I think it is okay if I skip this one. I also stopped watching Flash Forward and never even started watching V because I decided I just was not interested in them.
Ugly Betty, Dollhouse, NCIS and Castle are having AMAZING seasons. Sadly though, the stupid FOX Network has already canceled Dollhouse, just as it was hitting it's stride, because viewership has been too low. But what do you expect when you put a show on Friday nights two seasons in a row and have it's lead in be totally unrelated sit-coms?!
Anyways, that's what I have been up to while currently unemployed. If you agree/disagree with anything I have said, feel free to leave comments below. I am really going to try to write more often, so stay tuned!
xoxo
c
Saturday, October 24, 2009
"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."
I know I'll probably get yelled at a lot, but I am going to say this anyway, I don't really understand what the big deal is about The Godfather.
The first Godfather movie was well done...excellent acting and interesting story...but long. The second movie also had excellent acting and it was interesting to see the two stories side by side but was ridiculously too long and I ended up watching it in several sittings. Also, sometimes it was hard to follow what was going on. It must be a boy thing because I just totally don't understand why people are OBSESSED with these movies. Am I missing something? I mean, they were good, but I was definitely not blown away by them at all.
I prefer Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman or Angels in America.
I still have to watch the third one, but have heard it is not as good as the first two.
In between the Godfathers, I also watched The Soloist and Taken.
The Soloist had Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx and was good. I don't remember this getting very good reviews when it came out, so my expectations were pretty low, however, I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a touching story and both actors gave awesome performances. I have not seen very many of Jamie Foxx's movies but I love Robert Downey Jr. My favorite Downey movie is Heart & Soul but I also loved him in Ally McBeal, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man. I am super excited about Sherlock Holmes and Iron Man 2.
Taken was pretty cool, action-wise, but did not excite me very much. Liam Neeson was totally bad-ass and I think the movie would have been worse without him, I just think the plot needed a little bit more...I really know what...just more of something. Maybe it was a movie better seen in theaters, but I just could not really get into it. I am looking forward more to seeing Neeson as Hannibal in The A-Team next June.
In the world of television, my DVR is definitely getting a work-out this year. I am loving new shows Accidentally on Purpose, Glee and The Vampire Diaries. NCIS: LA has been pretty good but not quite as good as the original. Last weeks Grey's Anatomy was probably the best one in a long time and Dollhouse has just been getting better and better as the season goes on.
Unemployment is helping me get through my Netflix queue and stay up-to-date on my TV shows. If only I had time to look for a job! Joking. I am capable of multi-tasking :o)
I have gotten my queue down to 215 and after watching the final Godfather movie I will move on to Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
I will also be watching my Philadelphia Phillies in the WORLD SERIES!!! Keeping my fingers crossed for a repeat championship :o)
xoxo
c
The first Godfather movie was well done...excellent acting and interesting story...but long. The second movie also had excellent acting and it was interesting to see the two stories side by side but was ridiculously too long and I ended up watching it in several sittings. Also, sometimes it was hard to follow what was going on. It must be a boy thing because I just totally don't understand why people are OBSESSED with these movies. Am I missing something? I mean, they were good, but I was definitely not blown away by them at all.
I prefer Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman or Angels in America.
I still have to watch the third one, but have heard it is not as good as the first two.
In between the Godfathers, I also watched The Soloist and Taken.
The Soloist had Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx and was good. I don't remember this getting very good reviews when it came out, so my expectations were pretty low, however, I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a touching story and both actors gave awesome performances. I have not seen very many of Jamie Foxx's movies but I love Robert Downey Jr. My favorite Downey movie is Heart & Soul but I also loved him in Ally McBeal, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man. I am super excited about Sherlock Holmes and Iron Man 2.
Taken was pretty cool, action-wise, but did not excite me very much. Liam Neeson was totally bad-ass and I think the movie would have been worse without him, I just think the plot needed a little bit more...I really know what...just more of something. Maybe it was a movie better seen in theaters, but I just could not really get into it. I am looking forward more to seeing Neeson as Hannibal in The A-Team next June.
In the world of television, my DVR is definitely getting a work-out this year. I am loving new shows Accidentally on Purpose, Glee and The Vampire Diaries. NCIS: LA has been pretty good but not quite as good as the original. Last weeks Grey's Anatomy was probably the best one in a long time and Dollhouse has just been getting better and better as the season goes on.
Unemployment is helping me get through my Netflix queue and stay up-to-date on my TV shows. If only I had time to look for a job! Joking. I am capable of multi-tasking :o)
I have gotten my queue down to 215 and after watching the final Godfather movie I will move on to Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
I will also be watching my Philadelphia Phillies in the WORLD SERIES!!! Keeping my fingers crossed for a repeat championship :o)
xoxo
c
Friday, October 9, 2009
"None of you understand. I'm not locked up in here with you. You're locked up in here with me."
Sorry for the long absence....lots going on....
My last two movies were unexciting.
Coraline was entertaining, but didn't wow me. The only thing that I realized from watching it was that Dakota Fanning doesn't irritate me nearly as much as she used to. She used to be the only child actor in every movie and pretty much drove me nuts. However, she's been gone for a while and seems to have grown up quite a bit. I'm actually excited to see her in New Moon next month.
Watchmen was interesting but I felt like it jumped around too much. There was the story about the Comedian being killed and the rest of the Watchmen trying to find his killer. Then there was the backstory for all of the characters. It felt like they were trying to have a movie for all the people who read the graphic novels but also not confuse the people who hadn't read them. Needless to say, I wasn't a huge fan. The cinematography was pretty cool, but other than that, you're not missing much if you have not yet seen it.
I have been watching A LOT of television, which is the reason for my accidental hiatus. But now that I don't have a job, I should have plenty of time for catching up on all my shows and still get in a few movies.
On deck for this weekend is the Godfather trilogy. Since the Phillies' playoff games are not on until late Saturday and Sunday night, I should get through all three during the next few days and still get my laundry finished as well :o)
Until then...
LET'S GO PHILLIES!!!
xoxo
c
My last two movies were unexciting.
Coraline was entertaining, but didn't wow me. The only thing that I realized from watching it was that Dakota Fanning doesn't irritate me nearly as much as she used to. She used to be the only child actor in every movie and pretty much drove me nuts. However, she's been gone for a while and seems to have grown up quite a bit. I'm actually excited to see her in New Moon next month.
Watchmen was interesting but I felt like it jumped around too much. There was the story about the Comedian being killed and the rest of the Watchmen trying to find his killer. Then there was the backstory for all of the characters. It felt like they were trying to have a movie for all the people who read the graphic novels but also not confuse the people who hadn't read them. Needless to say, I wasn't a huge fan. The cinematography was pretty cool, but other than that, you're not missing much if you have not yet seen it.
I have been watching A LOT of television, which is the reason for my accidental hiatus. But now that I don't have a job, I should have plenty of time for catching up on all my shows and still get in a few movies.
On deck for this weekend is the Godfather trilogy. Since the Phillies' playoff games are not on until late Saturday and Sunday night, I should get through all three during the next few days and still get my laundry finished as well :o)
Until then...
LET'S GO PHILLIES!!!
xoxo
c
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Jack MacReady: It’s obvious the bastard’s got lyme disease!
Bill Pardy: What?!
Jack: Lyme disease. You touch some deer feces, and then you...eat a sandwich without washin' your hands, you got your lyme disease!
Bill: And that makes you look like a squid?!
-------------------------------------------
I don't like scary movies. I don't like things jumping out at me and I don't like blood and guts.
Jack: Lyme disease. You touch some deer feces, and then you...eat a sandwich without washin' your hands, you got your lyme disease!
Bill: And that makes you look like a squid?!
-------------------------------------------
I don't like scary movies. I don't like things jumping out at me and I don't like blood and guts.
I can handle movies about supernatural occurences (ie. The Ring, The Exorcist) because after the movie is over I am brought back to reality and am not concerned with being abducted by aliens or possessed by the devil. However, I won't normally go to the theater to see these kinds of movies, unless one of my friends makes me.
I do NOT like movies where people are getting killed by other people (ie. Scream, What Lies Beneath). Watching those movies makes me think about the fact that people are murdered everyday, sometimes in their own home. My biggest fear is having someone break into my house and attack and/or kill me.
When I was younger and home alone at night I would not turn out the light of the room I was leaving until the light was on in the room I was entering. My bathroom was attached the my bedroom, but also had a door into the hallway. I would leave the hall light on, turn my bedroom light on, walk through my room into my bathroom (my shower curtain was always left open) and make sure the other bathroom door was closed before going back through my room, turning out the hall light and closing my bedroom door. I always sleep with the bedroom door closed because I figure, at least that way, if someone comes into my room, I'll hear them open the door. I'm not that bad now that I'm older, but it still freaks me out thinking that someone could be in my house and me not know it.
The only time I usually watch scary movies is if an actor/actress that I REALLY like is in it (Pulse with Kristen Bell) and/or if it's more comedic than scary (Slither with Nathan Fillion).
The only time I usually watch scary movies is if an actor/actress that I REALLY like is in it (Pulse with Kristen Bell) and/or if it's more comedic than scary (Slither with Nathan Fillion).
So, against my better judgement, I watched the movie Midnight Meat Train the other night. I don't say "against my better judgement" because it was a bad movie (although it was a little weird) but because it gave me nightmares that night which screwed up my sleep schedule for the rest of the week. Anyways, it stars Bradley Cooper (hence the bad judgement), Leslie Bibb and Vinnie Jones. Cooper plays a photographer who, while wandering the city one night, takes a picture of a girl and then discovers the next day she has been abducted. He becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to her and eventually starts to believe she's been murdered by a butcher (Jones). That might not sound that weird, until you find out what's actually happening to these people. I won't tell you, in case you actually ever watch the movie, but it's definitely a bizarre ending.
I also watched the premiere's of Glee and Vampire Diaries this week.
Glee was not as awesome as the preview episode in the spring. I felt like it jumped around too much and tried to introduce too many plot lines, but it was still good. I will give it some time to improve before I stop watching.
I thought Vampire Diaries was actually pretty good. I'm a sucker for cute vampires, so it's not a huge suprise that I like this show. Again, I will give it a few more weeks before I make my final decision :o)
Glee was not as awesome as the preview episode in the spring. I felt like it jumped around too much and tried to introduce too many plot lines, but it was still good. I will give it some time to improve before I stop watching.
I thought Vampire Diaries was actually pretty good. I'm a sucker for cute vampires, so it's not a huge suprise that I like this show. Again, I will give it a few more weeks before I make my final decision :o)
On a completely un-tv/movie related note, I was rockin' out at the Rascal Flatts concert tonight, so I will try to watch Coraline sometime this weekend and get back to you.
Next on my list is the Godfather trilogy. I have never watched any of these movies. I know, I know, it's a disgrace, but I'm working on it!
I hope everyone had a Happy Friday!
xoxo
c
xoxo
c
Monday, September 7, 2009
"Darling, I don't know how to tell you this, but there's a Chinese family living in our bathroom."
I haven't been in the mood yet to watch Coraline.
The other night I went to the Bryn Mawr Film Institute to see (500) Days of Summer with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. A quirky romantic comedy that starts with an author's note:
"The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Especially you Jenny Beckman.
Bitch."
I thought it was super cute and everyone should definitely see it. Towards the end it started to drag just a little bit but then it pulled together to finish and was ultimately a very sweet movie.
The main topic was a little different than your typical romantic comedy, which I liked. It wasn't: boy meets girl, they fall in love, something happens to derail their romance but they eventually end up together. It was more like (spoiler alert): boy meets girl, girl doesn't believe in love but boys fall in love anyways, girl ends things and boy is devastated, girl starts dating someone else, sees what boys was talking about but just didn't feel with him and eventually gets married, boy is even more devastated but moves on and meets someone new.
I liked it because like most other romantic comedies it was not completely predictable. There was even a fun dance number, which is a plus in my book :o)
I also cheated on Netflix and rented 17 Again last night OnDemand. I have it in my queue, but it is apparently very popular because, despite it being on the top of my list since it was released, I have not received it.
It was definitely not an Oscar-worthy movie, but it was definitely funny. As my friend Jeanne says, "I think it's illegal for me to think Zac Efron is charming and cute" .... Hunter Parrish too :o)
I would go into a more detailed review, but I really can't out-do Elizabeth Banks.
So I will simply say this...
I had some fundamental issues with some parts of it - like why Leslie Mann spent so much time alone with Zac Efron, regardless of the fact that he "looked just like her ex-husband," no mother should be alone that much with her high school-aged son's best friend, it's just weird. - and the ending left things with his kids unresolved, but overall, I thought it was a very entertaining movie.
Thank you for continuing with me on this journey through my Netflix queue and, as always, please feel free to comment below. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts...about my thoughts :o)
I hope everyone had a FABulous Labor Day Weekend!
xoxo
c
Movies in Queue: 223
The other night I went to the Bryn Mawr Film Institute to see (500) Days of Summer with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. A quirky romantic comedy that starts with an author's note:
"The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Especially you Jenny Beckman.
Bitch."
I thought it was super cute and everyone should definitely see it. Towards the end it started to drag just a little bit but then it pulled together to finish and was ultimately a very sweet movie.
The main topic was a little different than your typical romantic comedy, which I liked. It wasn't: boy meets girl, they fall in love, something happens to derail their romance but they eventually end up together. It was more like (spoiler alert): boy meets girl, girl doesn't believe in love but boys fall in love anyways, girl ends things and boy is devastated, girl starts dating someone else, sees what boys was talking about but just didn't feel with him and eventually gets married, boy is even more devastated but moves on and meets someone new.
I liked it because like most other romantic comedies it was not completely predictable. There was even a fun dance number, which is a plus in my book :o)
I also cheated on Netflix and rented 17 Again last night OnDemand. I have it in my queue, but it is apparently very popular because, despite it being on the top of my list since it was released, I have not received it.
It was definitely not an Oscar-worthy movie, but it was definitely funny. As my friend Jeanne says, "I think it's illegal for me to think Zac Efron is charming and cute" .... Hunter Parrish too :o)
I would go into a more detailed review, but I really can't out-do Elizabeth Banks.
So I will simply say this...
I had some fundamental issues with some parts of it - like why Leslie Mann spent so much time alone with Zac Efron, regardless of the fact that he "looked just like her ex-husband," no mother should be alone that much with her high school-aged son's best friend, it's just weird. - and the ending left things with his kids unresolved, but overall, I thought it was a very entertaining movie.
Thank you for continuing with me on this journey through my Netflix queue and, as always, please feel free to comment below. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts...about my thoughts :o)
I hope everyone had a FABulous Labor Day Weekend!
xoxo
c
Movies in Queue: 223
Monday, August 31, 2009
"When you're wearing pantyhose on your head, never wear control top."
As the fall season approaches, I thought I would share my fall TV schedule with everyone. I forewarn you, if you have not figured it out on your own, that I watch a lot of television. I usually try out a few new shows but do not necessary follow them all season. I also sometimes stop watching old shows that have jumped the shark.
My Returning Shows:
My Returning Shows:
Greek
One Tree Hill
Gossip Girl
Castle
How I Met Your Mother
NCIS
Grey's Anatomy
Dollhouse
Brothers & Sisters
Ugly Betty
New Shows:
Glee
NCIS: LA
Cougar Town
Community
Accidentally on Purpose
Eastwick
Vampire Diaries
V
I am super excited for Greek, Castle, HIMYM, NCIS and Dollhouse to begin again. Grey's, B&S and Ugly Betty I just kind of watch out of habit now. They were not all that fabulous last season and I am hoping they can get back on track this season.
I am a little nervous about One Tree Hill returning without Hilarie Burton and Chad Michael Murray and the addition of several new characters, but I will at least start the season watching. I am also interested to see how Gossip Girl addresses the issue of their characters starting college. I always find it a little illogical that an entire group of friends would all end up at college in the same city, or even all at the same college, but sometimes the writers can make it work. It did not go well on Dawson's Creek, but worked out on Veronica Mars, so we'll just have to wait and see.
I am not particularly excited about Eastwick, Vampire Diaries or V and they may be the casualties of my over-scheduling, but I will give them a shot.
Anyways, there is it. Greek starts tonight (ah woo hoo!) and then it's about two more weeks until everything else starts up.
xoxo
c
I am super excited for Greek, Castle, HIMYM, NCIS and Dollhouse to begin again. Grey's, B&S and Ugly Betty I just kind of watch out of habit now. They were not all that fabulous last season and I am hoping they can get back on track this season.
I am a little nervous about One Tree Hill returning without Hilarie Burton and Chad Michael Murray and the addition of several new characters, but I will at least start the season watching. I am also interested to see how Gossip Girl addresses the issue of their characters starting college. I always find it a little illogical that an entire group of friends would all end up at college in the same city, or even all at the same college, but sometimes the writers can make it work. It did not go well on Dawson's Creek, but worked out on Veronica Mars, so we'll just have to wait and see.
I am not particularly excited about Eastwick, Vampire Diaries or V and they may be the casualties of my over-scheduling, but I will give them a shot.
Anyways, there is it. Greek starts tonight (ah woo hoo!) and then it's about two more weeks until everything else starts up.
xoxo
c
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Vaughn: You think you can be in love with two people at the same time?
Weiss: No, I don't. However, I did have the same intense feelings for both Sporty and Posh Spice.
Vaughn: Yeah, who didn't?
---------------------------
I do not know how I feel about this third season of Alias.
Vaughn: Yeah, who didn't?
---------------------------
I do not know how I feel about this third season of Alias.
The show started with her thinking she was working for the CIA and when she found out that she was actually working for terrorists, she went to the CIA to become a double agent and bring down the fake organization. Okay, not something I do on a regular basis (as far as you know ;o) but, something we assume happens within our government. As I've never had to pretend to be a guest at a party in Paris so that I can break into the hosts safe using my fake lipstick tube, I do not know how realistic the technology is, but I can deal with the idea that it is a little over the top.
When I watch Buffy, I understand that it is science fiction. When a demon puts a spell on everyone that makes them break into song, I am not surprised because I know it is a show based on a fantasy world.
However, when I am watching a show that is supposed to be about a girl working for the CIA to bring down terrorists, I am not expecting an artist/alchemist/mystic, named Milo Rambaldi, whose prophesies have become the ideology for a cult of followers. Or that they found his live DNA sample which these followers planned to fuse to Sydney's eggs to engineer Rambaldi's second coming. I mean, come on! I overlooked the new technology that altered people's genetic codes to make them look like other people, but this is just getting ridiculous!
I do not really understand why people were so obsessed with this show. The acting is good but I just think that it is getting a little too unrealistic for me.
I do not really understand why people were so obsessed with this show. The acting is good but I just think that it is getting a little too unrealistic for me.
The most annoying part is that now I am addicted and as much as the plot drives me crazy, I NEED to know what happens!
So I will continue on to Season 4. Since I can usually get through an entire season in about a week, I will forge on and get through these last two seasons quickly :o)
However, my next dvd to arrive is Coraline, so Alias Season 4 will have to wait for now.
I wanted to see Coraline when it was in theaters but, for whatever reason, did not. I am hoping that it is as good as I think it will be and will let you know after I have watched it.
Until then...
xoxo
c
Friday, August 21, 2009
Cordelia: I personally don't think it's possible to come up with a crazier plan.
Oz: We attack the Mayor with hummus
xoxo
c
Cordelia: I stand corrected
Oz: Just keeping things in perspective
-----------------------------------------------
I went with my mom the other night to see Julie & Julia. If you have not yet seen it, you definitely should. Meryl Streep is, of course, amazing in any role that she takes on, and she is hilarious as Julia Child.
Oz: Just keeping things in perspective
-----------------------------------------------
I went with my mom the other night to see Julie & Julia. If you have not yet seen it, you definitely should. Meryl Streep is, of course, amazing in any role that she takes on, and she is hilarious as Julia Child.
But that's not my focus today.
Part of the movie is based on the real life story of Julie Powell and her blog about cooking her way through Julia Child's cookbook and it made me think about my own blog. Her goal was too make all 500+ recipes in 365 days and she wrote about each one. Considering this, I feel like I need more focus and direction. I have no problem writing aimlessly about random thoughts I have about movies and actors and whatnot, but I now have a new plan.
I've talked a lot about my Netflix queue and how I'm slowly trying to work down from 230 movies - yes, that number has gone up since I last mentioned it - and now you get to go through that journey with me. That may not interest you at all, but like I said before, if you don't like it, don't read it.
Once the regular fall TV schedule starts up again, I might throw in some comments on current shows, and I'll comment on current movies as I deem necessary.
I feel better now that I have more direction :o)
As I am currently on my Bradley Cooper kick, I have been working my way through the entire Alias series. Although, he was only in the first two seasons, with a couple guest appearances later in the series. I did not watch Alias when it was on TV, mostly because none of my friends did - that I know of - and no one ever really told me that I should be watching it. So far, I have finished the first two seasons.
The first season was alright. I felt like I could not pay attention to the actual missions Jennifer Garner's character, Sydney, was sent on and still understand what was going on. The relationships were more interesting to me than the actual plot of the overall show. However, the second season was much more engaging, if only because Merrin Dungey's Francie had more to do than just constantly ask Sydney why she was traveling so much when she worked for a bank.
The first season was alright. I felt like I could not pay attention to the actual missions Jennifer Garner's character, Sydney, was sent on and still understand what was going on. The relationships were more interesting to me than the actual plot of the overall show. However, the second season was much more engaging, if only because Merrin Dungey's Francie had more to do than just constantly ask Sydney why she was traveling so much when she worked for a bank.I find that, often, shows of this nature either have an amazing first, maybe second season, and then go down hill (ie. Lost, Heroes) or they have a mediocre first season and don't hit their stride until the next season (ie. Buffy, hopefully Dollhouse). The problem with that second scenario is that studios have no patience anymore and want shows to be a hit right away, so they end up canceling really good shows too soon that just have not found their audience yet.
The only thing that seriously bothers me about Alias is that, no matter how many hairstyles or different outfits Jennifer Garner's characters put on while undercover, her face always looks the same. You'd think as high-tech as these operations are, they could give her a prosthetic nose or something! Especially since she's usually trying to get information from the same people and several times has been recognized. I mean, come on, if I can figure that out, certainly the CIA should be able to!
Other than that I find the series interesting enough to keep watching. I'm not totally obsessed, but it's pretty entertaining. Mostly, I just hope that Greg Grunberg has more lines like this to Michael Vartan: "Well, something's going on. No man naturally smells as good as you do right now." :o)
Alias, season three, here I come.
Other than that I find the series interesting enough to keep watching. I'm not totally obsessed, but it's pretty entertaining. Mostly, I just hope that Greg Grunberg has more lines like this to Michael Vartan: "Well, something's going on. No man naturally smells as good as you do right now." :o)
Alias, season three, here I come.
I would love to hear your thoughts on anything I've said, even if you disagree with me, so feel free to take full advantage of the comments section below. Thanks for reading and spread the word to friends and family so that I can become famous, meet Ryan Gosling and have him fall madly in love with me.
A girl can dream.
A girl can dream.
xoxo
c
# of dvds in queue: 230
dvds at home: Alias - Season 3 - discs 1-3
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Veronica Mars is smarter than me.
So, I've already told you how I found my favorite actor, Ryan Gosling. Now it's time to talk about my favorite actress, Kristen Bell.
I had seen her in the one episode of American Dreams that she did in 2003, but had no idea who she was at the time.
Then, about three and half years ago, I was visiting some high school friends in New York City. They had started watching this new show called Veronica Mars on UPN and said it was awesome. It was the middle of the second season and they had the first season on DVD. I watched the first episode, really liked it and by the end of the weekend, had watched the first four episodes and could not wait to watch the rest of the season.
I came home from NYC and literally drove all over town looking for the DVDs. None of my local rental places had it and neither did the two Border's or the Barnes and Noble near my apartment. Defeated, I went home and ordered it online. When I got it in the mail, I watched the entire season within a matter of days...and then proceeded to watch the whole thing at least two more times.
UPN was in the middle of airing the second season and at first I was not going to watch it because I had no idea what was going on. Then I found the website marsinvestigations.net and it gave awesome episode summaries. It also had character descriptions (even for the obscure people who were only in one episode), a time line of events, quotes from every episode, cultural references, mystery speculation and much much more. This is probably the best fan site I've ever seen, and I was soon brought up to speed on what was happening in season two.
Unfortunately, even though it was a brilliant show with an amazing cast (I heart Sheriff Lamb), it was canceled after the third season due to lack of viewers. There is a very slight possibility that they will make a movie, but it's not looking too good at the moment. I'm keeping my fingers crossed though that Warner Bros will do the right thing (wink wink, nudge nudge).
The creator of Veronica Mars, Rob Thomas, has a new show called Party Down, which she has guest starred on, and is about a group of aspiring actors who move to L.A. and end up working as waiters. Sadly, I don't get Showtime and have not yet seen it. Although, I have heard very good things about it, and plan to watch it when it comes out on DVD. I mean, how can you go wrong when the main cast includes Ken Marino, Ryan Hansen, Jane Lynch, Adam Scott and Lizzy Caplan?! Most people (at least my friends) are probably going, "Who are those people?" But if you check them out on imdb.com you should recognize at least a few of them...because they're awesome.
But I digress....
After becoming hooked on Veronica Mars, I watched her in Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical which is an awesomely hilarious adaptation of a 1920's anti-marijuana propaganda film. It also starred Neve Campbell and her brother, Christian, as well as, Steven Weber, Alan Cummings and Ana Gasteyer. This actually came out during the first season of Veronica Mars but I don't think it was ever in theaters...or at least only in limited release.
She was hilarious in Forgetting Sarah Marshall which was written by and starred Jason Segel as well as Mila Kunis and Russell Brand. And, of course, every fan boy needs to see Fanboys :o) She's also the voice of Gossip Girl, which I love, and was on Heroes for a short while. I was already watching Heroes when she joined the cast, however, I was starting to lose interest and actually stopped watching before she left the show.
I've also seen Fifty Pills and Pulse and then the few things I have not seen are in my Netflix queue...of course :o)
The next couple movies she has coming out are:
Astro Boy - an animated film about a young robot (voiced by Freddie Highmore) created by a scientist in the image of the son he has lost.
Serious Moonlight - written by Adrienne Shelley (who wrote Waitress) and directed by Cheryl Hines. It's about an attorney who duct tapes her cheating husband to the toilet just before their home is invaded by burglars. It also stars Justin Long and Meg Ryan and should be out at the end of the year.
When In Rome - She plays a talented real estate agent who is unlucky in love. She travels to Rome to visit her sister and steals some coins from a supposed "fountain of love" and is consequently pursued by a band of wannabe lovers, including Josh Duhamel (not too shabby if you ask me).
When Veronica Mars ended her career totally took off. Which made me a little sad only because I feel like if people had been paying better attention, they would have discovered her earlier and VM would still be on. But I am glad that people are noticing her now because she's an amazing actress and, though I don't know her personally, I really do believe she deserves all the attention and success.
Now if only Kristen Bell and Ryan Gosling would do a movie together...
xoxo
c
ps. i started using the "xoxo" to sign all of my emails thanks to Gossip Girl
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Way We Were...
...the first movie I ever got from Netflix.
If you have not already figured it out, I watch a significant amount of television and movies. The amount tends to go up even more in the summer because my other activities go down (ie. church commitments-which are numerous). I catch up on shows I didn't have time to watch and are now on DVD or movies I missed in the theater. However, my obsession really did not start until college. I watched a lot of TV in high school and went to the movies, but never really paid much attention to specific actors or directors. This started to happen about Sophomore year of college.
If you have not already figured it out, I watch a significant amount of television and movies. The amount tends to go up even more in the summer because my other activities go down (ie. church commitments-which are numerous). I catch up on shows I didn't have time to watch and are now on DVD or movies I missed in the theater. However, my obsession really did not start until college. I watched a lot of TV in high school and went to the movies, but never really paid much attention to specific actors or directors. This started to happen about Sophomore year of college.
Sophomore year is a phenomenon I was not prepared for and was not aware happened to most people until a couple years later. You make this great group of friends Freshman year, most of whom live on your hall or are in your classes. You see them constantly and do not have to make too much effort to find someone to hang out with. Then Sophomore year comes and everyone moves all over campus, and even on a small campus like Elon, the other side of campus seems like a world away. It is at this point when you figure out who your real friends are and who are friends of convenience - unfortunately for me, there were more of the latter. It also didn't help that three of my close friends transferred schools that year. Needless to say, I needed to find something else to occupy my time. I mean, I clearly wasn't going to study more :o)
I went to visit my brother in Jackson, Wyoming during winter break that year and one of his friends had Netflix. I thought it was brilliant, I could choose movies from my dorm room and they would be in my mailbox within two days. I am not trying to be an ad for Netflix (although, I do highly recommend it) but for me at that time it was just what I needed. It was a way for me to get my mind off of things and I was going through several movies a week. It also gave me something to look forward to doing and I was getting mail on a regular basis, which is key for any college student.
The obsession has continued mostly because I like to lose myself in these make believe worlds. It sometimes make me feel better to imagine that I could have been a pirate in another life, or a passenger on a Firefly, or a teen detective, or a vampire slayer who falls in love with the vampire with a soul, or found my one true love as a teenager and lost him because my parents didn't think he was good enough for me but find each other later in life to spend eternity together :o)
It is now goal of mine to see every single movie on my Netflix queue before I die. I still have over 200 on the list...I'm trying to get down to 150 before I add anymore...it's not going so well, but I'll keep you updated.
I swear I'm not as big of a loser as I sound...a dork, maybe...but not a loser :o)
xoxo
c
The obsession has continued mostly because I like to lose myself in these make believe worlds. It sometimes make me feel better to imagine that I could have been a pirate in another life, or a passenger on a Firefly, or a teen detective, or a vampire slayer who falls in love with the vampire with a soul, or found my one true love as a teenager and lost him because my parents didn't think he was good enough for me but find each other later in life to spend eternity together :o)
It is now goal of mine to see every single movie on my Netflix queue before I die. I still have over 200 on the list...I'm trying to get down to 150 before I add anymore...it's not going so well, but I'll keep you updated.
I swear I'm not as big of a loser as I sound...a dork, maybe...but not a loser :o)
xoxo
c
Saturday, July 25, 2009
"Actually, sir, after all these years, I just sort of go with it."
I have now seen Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince twice and have plans to see it one more time next week. If you have not yet seen the movie, I recommend not going any further.
Seriously, stop reading now.
Alright, don't say I didn't warn you!
After the first viewing, I was not sure how I felt about the movie. Usually when I see a movie that has been based on a book that I've read, I need to see it more than once because the first time I am comparing it to the book the whole time. I understand that they have to leave things out from the book, but my biggest pet peeve is when they leave out a needed scene and replace it with an unnecessary scene.
Here are my major issues:
1. There was way too much teen angst. I know the relationships with Harry and Ginny, and Ron and Hermione are important in this movie, but did Dumbledore really have to ask Harry about his relationship with Hermione?! And was it necessary for Harry to be hitting on the girl in the coffee shop at the beginning?
2. I love Helena Bonham Carter as an actress, but there was absolutely no reason for the scene of her and Fenrir Greyback attacking the Burrow at Christmas. Nothing was accomplished, the storyline was not enhanced, except now they've burned down the Weasley's house.
3. I also felt like they needed to explain the horcruxes better. I understand having to cut out all of the memories of Tom Riddle throughout his life, it just would have taken too long for all those scenes, but couldn't Dumbledore have explained at some point to Harry what else he was looking for? We do know that there are a total of seven horcruxes but they are really only looking for six because one part of the soul remains in Voldemort's body. It is never explained how Tom Riddle wanted to become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and the position has been cursed ever since Dumbledore turned him down. It is also never explained that because Hogwarts was the only real home Tom Riddle ever knew, Dumbledore suspects that Riddle used artifacts belonging to the original Heads of Houses to make several of the horcruxes. The locket they found belonged to Slytherin, there was a cup belonging to Hufflepuff and something belonging to Ravenclaw. The only known Gryffindor artifact is the sword and Dumbledore has that in his office, which is also important for the next movie.
4. There was definitely not enough about Snape being the Half-Blood Prince. This annoyed me the least only because the main plot of the movie did not depend on this story-line and it's not that important for the next book. However, it is in the title of the movie so I think they should have at least explained it a little better.
I feel that I need to note that my issues with the film have absolutely nothing to do with the acting performances. That aspect of every Harry Potter movie is always FABulous. I think Tom Felton is brilliant as Draco Malfoy. I have liked him since the first movie and I especially liked the black suits in this one, very spiffy. I also really like James and Oliver Phelps as Fred and George Weasley and Devon Murray as Seamus Finnegan - they always make me laugh. I was however disappointed in the lack of Neville (played by Matthew Lewis) in this movie and the complete disappearance of Emma Thompson as Professor Trelawney. Also, Cho Chang (Katie Leung) was listed in the credits, but I don't remember seeing her at all.
Don't get me wrong, I did like the movie. I just feel that, along with the third movie (Prisoner of Azkaban) there were important details left out and unimportant things added. Like I said, I know these books are incredibly detailed and it would be impossible to put everything in the movies but shouldn't we at least not confuse the people who haven't read the books?!
xoxo
c
c
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Heroes in a half shell...
While perusing my daily websites, I discovered this article on Variety.com:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006263.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1
The Turtles are back!
Well, sort of....
They have the potential to be back and that makes me a little over-excited. (I already mentioned I'm a really big dork, right?!)
In case you need more proof: Senior year of college my roommate and I rented every Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie and rewatched them, because we are just that cool. And we were avoiding studying for finals. They may be a little cheesy and totally unrealistic, but they are part of my childhood and I LOVE them :o) I remember going to Burger King and ordering the kids meal just to get a VHS tape of TMNT cartoons...which is probably still at my parents house somewhere. If you grew up in the 80s, you knew who the Ninja Turtles were. If you didn't, you probably lived in a hole somewhere.
Even two of my favorite shows made reference to them at some point:
Gilmore Girls - "Here Comes The Son"- S3 E21
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006263.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1
The Turtles are back!
Well, sort of....
They have the potential to be back and that makes me a little over-excited. (I already mentioned I'm a really big dork, right?!)
In case you need more proof: Senior year of college my roommate and I rented every Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie and rewatched them, because we are just that cool. And we were avoiding studying for finals. They may be a little cheesy and totally unrealistic, but they are part of my childhood and I LOVE them :o) I remember going to Burger King and ordering the kids meal just to get a VHS tape of TMNT cartoons...which is probably still at my parents house somewhere. If you grew up in the 80s, you knew who the Ninja Turtles were. If you didn't, you probably lived in a hole somewhere.
Even two of my favorite shows made reference to them at some point:
Gilmore Girls - "Here Comes The Son"- S3 E21
Jimmy: I can't take you in. I can't raise you
Jess: Raise me? I'm 18, I'm raised! I can vote, I can be drafted, it's a little late to throw me a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles party!
Veronica Mars - "Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner" - S2 E7
Gia: You brought your sleeping bag, that's so cute!
Veronica Mars - "Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner" - S2 E7
Gia: You brought your sleeping bag, that's so cute!
Veronica: Well, I like to have the option. Don't judge me for my Ninja Turtles!
Kind of abstract, but it's the little things in life :o)
xoxo
c
Kind of abstract, but it's the little things in life :o)
xoxo
c
Thursday, July 16, 2009
"There are some things I can just smell. It's like a sixth sense."
Primetime Emmy nominations came out this morning. Here is the list of nominations, courtesy of TVGuide.com :
http://www.tvguide.com/special/emmys/nominations.aspx
Of the shows nominated, I watch the following: How I Met Your Mother, Ugly Betty, Mad Men, Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, Top Chef, The Daily Show, Dancing with the Stars and Project Runway. I don't get HBO or Showtime, so I Netflix Entourage and Weeds once the lastest season is on dvd.
I felt like I should post something because this is a "TV and movie blog" but I don't really know what to say. I don't really watch the Emmys, mostly because the same shows and actors win every year. I also usually don't agree with the winners.
As I was trying to figure out what to write for this, I was checking my twitter (cmswim13) and found this interview with Joss Whedon thanks to his brother Jed (drhorrible) and sister-in-law Maurissa (MoTancharoen):
http://scifiwire.com/2009/07/joss-whedon-on-emmys-dr-h.php
And it got me thinking.....
I was a little behind on the Joss Whedon train. I had seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer the movie but had no interest in watching the TV show when it started. (I actually didn't realize until awhile later that Whedon had written the movie as well as created the show.) I was more of a Dawson's Creek girl in high school and I remember saying to my friends who watched Buffy, "At least Dawson's Creek is realistic, why would I watch a show about vampires?!" Clearly, I had no idea what I was missing.
Freshman year of college, while avoiding studying, I started watching the reruns of Buffy on FX. They would play two episodes a day, every week day. I very quickly became addicted and within a few months had seen most of the series. Then, because of a few crossover episodes, I started to get into Angel as well and soon got addicted to that. Both shows have a very different feel about them and I even know people who watched one but not the other.
I did not even know Firefly existed (way to go FOX marketing) until the movie, Serenity, was due to come out. I was looking through Entertainment Weekly's Fall Movie Preview one summer and found the article on Serenity. There was a picture of the cast and right off the bat I recognized Alan Tudyk from Patch Adams, 28 Days and A Knight's Tale. I also knew Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin and Gina Torres from Angel and Buffy but couldn't have told you their names. As I started to read the article and realized it was from the same guy who made Buffy and Angel (Joss's name still wasn't stuck in my brain yet) I decided I wanted to see the movie. After reading further and learning that Firefly had first been a TV show, I knew I needed to watch the series before I saw the movie. Onto the Netflix queue it went and after watching it, I was hooked. I was mad that I had never seen it when it was on TV and mad that it had gotten canceled because it was so good! Unfortunately, I missed the movie in theaters but saw it as soon as it was on dvd.
And then the Joss obsession started.....
I started to pay attention to projects he was working on and following his career. I had already seen Toy Story (tho I didn't realize he had written the screenplay at the time) and was very excited when he made a guest appearance on one of my favorite shows, Veronica Mars (another show that was cruelly canceled too quickly, but that's another story for another time). There was also a website for a movie called Goners that he was writing but that had little to no detail about what it was about an according to IMDb is not set to come out until 2011 but still has no cast or any sort of description. I then heard about his next project when he did an interview with TVGuide.com around the time of the writer's strike (or just after, I can't remember exactly). The project was called Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along blog.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along blog sprung up during the writer's strike because people were trying to figure out how to create things without the studios dictating their every move. As you can read in the above article, it starred Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day (another Buffy alum and star of The Guild which can be found on youtube and which you should be watching) and Nathan Fillion (who I had seen in Firefly and then pretty much fell in love with after seeing him in Waitress). It was released on the internet last summer in three parts, each around 15 minutes. And it was just nominated for an Emmy (which is how this whole rant started in the first place). It's FABulous and if you haven't seen it we're clearly not very good friends :o) Seriously, go to www.drhorrible.com right now and watch it...RIGHT NOW!!!
Joss's current project, Dollhouse, is just as awesome as the rest of his work and I am very excited that FOX realized it in time to bring it back for another season. It involves several Buffy/Angel alum including Eliza Dushku, Amy Acker, and Alan Tudyk, as well as Tahmoh Penikett (who I loved in Battlestar Gallactica - and I've now solidified my standing as a huge nerd), Harry Lennix, Fran Kranz, Miracle Laurie, Dichen Lachman, Enver Gjokaj, Olivia Williams and Reed Diamond . He also has another movie coming out next year called The Cabin in the Woods with Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford.
I will probably watch the Emmys this year, if only for the fact that NPH is hosting, and I certainly don't base my viewership on who wins awards, but it makes me sad when good talent doesn't get recognized...as I've clearly stated before. That being said, I really really hope Dr. Horrible wins...and maybe a few other underdogs.
Alright, I'm done ranting.....for now.
xoxo
c
http://www.tvguide.com/special/emmys/nominations.aspx
Of the shows nominated, I watch the following: How I Met Your Mother, Ugly Betty, Mad Men, Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, Top Chef, The Daily Show, Dancing with the Stars and Project Runway. I don't get HBO or Showtime, so I Netflix Entourage and Weeds once the lastest season is on dvd.
I felt like I should post something because this is a "TV and movie blog" but I don't really know what to say. I don't really watch the Emmys, mostly because the same shows and actors win every year. I also usually don't agree with the winners.
As I was trying to figure out what to write for this, I was checking my twitter (cmswim13) and found this interview with Joss Whedon thanks to his brother Jed (drhorrible) and sister-in-law Maurissa (MoTancharoen):
http://scifiwire.com/2009/07/joss-whedon-on-emmys-dr-h.php
And it got me thinking.....
I was a little behind on the Joss Whedon train. I had seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer the movie but had no interest in watching the TV show when it started. (I actually didn't realize until awhile later that Whedon had written the movie as well as created the show.) I was more of a Dawson's Creek girl in high school and I remember saying to my friends who watched Buffy, "At least Dawson's Creek is realistic, why would I watch a show about vampires?!" Clearly, I had no idea what I was missing.
Freshman year of college, while avoiding studying, I started watching the reruns of Buffy on FX. They would play two episodes a day, every week day. I very quickly became addicted and within a few months had seen most of the series. Then, because of a few crossover episodes, I started to get into Angel as well and soon got addicted to that. Both shows have a very different feel about them and I even know people who watched one but not the other.
I did not even know Firefly existed (way to go FOX marketing) until the movie, Serenity, was due to come out. I was looking through Entertainment Weekly's Fall Movie Preview one summer and found the article on Serenity. There was a picture of the cast and right off the bat I recognized Alan Tudyk from Patch Adams, 28 Days and A Knight's Tale. I also knew Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin and Gina Torres from Angel and Buffy but couldn't have told you their names. As I started to read the article and realized it was from the same guy who made Buffy and Angel (Joss's name still wasn't stuck in my brain yet) I decided I wanted to see the movie. After reading further and learning that Firefly had first been a TV show, I knew I needed to watch the series before I saw the movie. Onto the Netflix queue it went and after watching it, I was hooked. I was mad that I had never seen it when it was on TV and mad that it had gotten canceled because it was so good! Unfortunately, I missed the movie in theaters but saw it as soon as it was on dvd.
And then the Joss obsession started.....
I started to pay attention to projects he was working on and following his career. I had already seen Toy Story (tho I didn't realize he had written the screenplay at the time) and was very excited when he made a guest appearance on one of my favorite shows, Veronica Mars (another show that was cruelly canceled too quickly, but that's another story for another time). There was also a website for a movie called Goners that he was writing but that had little to no detail about what it was about an according to IMDb is not set to come out until 2011 but still has no cast or any sort of description. I then heard about his next project when he did an interview with TVGuide.com around the time of the writer's strike (or just after, I can't remember exactly). The project was called Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along blog.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along blog sprung up during the writer's strike because people were trying to figure out how to create things without the studios dictating their every move. As you can read in the above article, it starred Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day (another Buffy alum and star of The Guild which can be found on youtube and which you should be watching) and Nathan Fillion (who I had seen in Firefly and then pretty much fell in love with after seeing him in Waitress). It was released on the internet last summer in three parts, each around 15 minutes. And it was just nominated for an Emmy (which is how this whole rant started in the first place). It's FABulous and if you haven't seen it we're clearly not very good friends :o) Seriously, go to www.drhorrible.com right now and watch it...RIGHT NOW!!!
Joss's current project, Dollhouse, is just as awesome as the rest of his work and I am very excited that FOX realized it in time to bring it back for another season. It involves several Buffy/Angel alum including Eliza Dushku, Amy Acker, and Alan Tudyk, as well as Tahmoh Penikett (who I loved in Battlestar Gallactica - and I've now solidified my standing as a huge nerd), Harry Lennix, Fran Kranz, Miracle Laurie, Dichen Lachman, Enver Gjokaj, Olivia Williams and Reed Diamond . He also has another movie coming out next year called The Cabin in the Woods with Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford.
I will probably watch the Emmys this year, if only for the fact that NPH is hosting, and I certainly don't base my viewership on who wins awards, but it makes me sad when good talent doesn't get recognized...as I've clearly stated before. That being said, I really really hope Dr. Horrible wins...and maybe a few other underdogs.
Alright, I'm done ranting.....for now.
xoxo
c
Thursday, July 9, 2009
"This one... I don't even have to ask but, I will. What do you think of this one?"
I tend to go through these phases where I decide I really like an actor or actress and then I proceed to watch almost every movie they have ever been in.
I first did it with Ryan Gosling, now my favorite actor of all time. I had first seen him in Remember the Titans as the adorable Alan Bosley who loves country music. But, like what happens so often, he was a minor role and I didn't pay much attention to him. I next noticed him in the trailer for Murder by Numbers with Sandra Bullock, but I'm not a huge fan of scary movies so initially I did not see it. Then came The Notebook. I read the book first, and made my mom read it too so that she would go to the movie with me :o) It's a pretty sappy romance, but you cannot not fall in love with Noah Calhoun...especially when he is as gorgeous as Ryan Gosling :o) I then proceeded to add every movie he had ever done to my Netflix queue....
Side note: I have been a member of Netflix since the middle of my sophomore year of college (2003) and there are currently 221 movies/TV shows in my queue. I don't think it has been below 200 in several years because I just keep adding to it.
Now, aside from the random TV shows he did before Remember the Titans, I have seen every movie Ryan Gosling has ever made. Granted, that's only 10 movies, but still :o) Between Titans and the Notebook, he mostly played weird, sometimes slightly deranged characters, but he was always phenomenal. Titans, The Believer, Fracture and Lars and the Real Girl being my favorites. I liked Half Nelson, and definitely thought he deserved the Oscar nomination (I have not yet seen The Last King of Scotland, so I cannot say if he deserved to win) but it was a little too depressing for me to want to watch over and over...and over again, and that is pretty much how I determine my favorite movies. I did eventually see Murder by Numbers and it was good, as was The United States of Leland and Stay. The Slaughter Rule was just a little too weird for my taste. All of them are definitely worth seeing.
According to People.com, Ryan Gosling is now working on an album. The group is called Dead Man's Bones and I've only heard one song called "Name in Stone", but it sounds pretty good. The video is different, but I like it...
His next two movies coming out are:
All Good Things with Kirsten Dunst and Jeffrey Dean Morgan about "a detective that begins to unravel a missing-persons case that looks to spell doom -- and quite possibly death -- for the heir to a New York real estate dynasty." Not sure when it'll be released.
Blue Valentine with Michelle Williams about "a contempo married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods." Out next year sometime.
I look forward to both, and many more of his movies hopefully, to come.
I do this because I feel like you cannot really say that you like or dislike an actor until you have compared his entire body of work. I definitely do not have time to do this with all actors - if i could somehow find a way to get paid to watch movies all day every day, it might be possible - but for now, I must be more picky about to whom I devote my time.
I do this because I feel like you cannot really say that you like or dislike an actor until you have compared his entire body of work. I definitely do not have time to do this with all actors - if i could somehow find a way to get paid to watch movies all day every day, it might be possible - but for now, I must be more picky about to whom I devote my time.
xoxo
c
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Maiden Voyage
My friends thought I should start a movie/tv blog about the shows I watch, movies I see and actors and actresses related. I don't really know where to start, so bear with me.
I will probably drop a lot of actors names, some you may know, some you may not, but I suggest you get very familiar with IMDb if you want to follow along because telling you who each person is will just get too tedious. I may ramble about something totally random...maybe throw in a comment or two about my World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies...you may even disagree with most of what I say, but I don't really care, these are my thoughts, not yours. I will try not to use any spoilers, but I can't make any promises.
Okay, here goes.....
The most recent movie that I saw was The Hangover.
Initially, I had no desire to see this movie because I tend to not enjoy "boy" humor. It's hard to clarify that though. I have never seen 40 Year Old Virgin, Talladega Nights and I hated Anchorman. I have not seen Borat and have absolutely no plans to see Bruno. However, I did enjoy Old School and Wedding Crashers and I loved Dodgeball. I guess, I like Vince Vaughn but not Will Farrell...for the most part. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule.
After hearing the good reviews that The Hangover was getting (especially from Angelo Cataldi of the 610 WIP Morning Show), I decided to see it with two of my girlfriends and I actually really enjoyed it. At times, I felt like it dragged just a little bit, but overall I thought it was pretty hilarious.
What really surprised me the most about this movie was that most people did not know who Bradley Cooper was before it came out. I have been following Bradley Cooper since 2004 when he was in the ABC Family movie I Want to Marry Ryan Banks (yes, I watch ABC Family movies, I know I'm a big dork). Before that, I had seen him in Sex and the City and Wet Hot American Summer (an awesomely hilarious movie that everyone should see) but he was eclipsed by more famous actors like Paul Rudd and SJP. Then I really fell in love with him in Kitchen Confidential. A TV show that sadly got canceled on FOX, as so many good shows do (FIREFLY) but was based on the book by Anthony Bourdain about a chef in NYC. My dvd is on it's way to my house and I have rewatched every episode on hulu in the past week. He was also in Alias, Wedding Crashers, Failure to Launch (with Justin Bartha who is also in The Hangover), He's Just Not That Into You and several episodes of Nip/Tuck. I have not seen all of his work, but have at least put most of it on my Netflix queue. He's recently been cast in the A-Team movie remake as Faceman...which I'm a little overly excited about. He also happens to be from the Philadelphia area, as am I, so that makes him even cooler :o)
I feel like most of the time good actors get over-looked because people are paying attention to the well-known actors who are usually not very good, but are just more popular. Bradley Cooper is a victim of that phenomenon and it's my goal to change that...although, I'm not really sure how because I guarantee that only my friends will follow this blog. ;o)
But I digress....
To summarize my very first blog posting, if you haven't seen The Hangover, you should. And more importantly, if you don't know who Bradley Cooper is, you definitely should get caught up.
To summarize my very first blog posting, if you haven't seen The Hangover, you should. And more importantly, if you don't know who Bradley Cooper is, you definitely should get caught up.
xoxo
c
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