Just because this is half my blog and I can do what I want to, here are my top 10 favorite shows on television right now (meaning they haven't been canceled and will be coming back if they are not on right now):
In no particular order:
1. Project Runway
2. Mad Men
3. Big Love
4. The Office
5. 30 Rock
6. Lost
7. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
8. How I Met Your Mother
9. True Blood
10. Hung
That is all.
Read more!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
TV - True Blood
I've emerged from a hellish three weeks culminating in the bar exam, to make a post about True Blood. There are a lot of cool things going on in the show, but for right now I just want to talk about Jason Stackhouse.
I absolutely love what is going on with his character right now. His sincerity about wanting to believe and wanting to learn about God and the Fellowhip of the Sun is so interesting and believable. Jason is exactly the kind of person who would respond to kind of evangelical Christianity. He was coming out of a tragic and scarring incident and the people in the church gave him hope and direction (even though we as viewers know that it's not a good direction). I love that he's not at all certain of his ability to live within the strictures of Christianity, but that he's kind of desperate to try.
But, it all came to a head (no pun intended) with a bathtub hand job from the preacher's wife, Sarah. When she walked into the bathroom, I thought to myself, "Oh no! They are going to ruin this amazing storyline, because she's going to come in here and he's going to go back to his old self and have sex with her." Instead, she couches her desire for him in religion, which is totally perfect. He has no background in religion, or really even in morals of any kind, whereas she is the wife of a preacher and has been involved in the church for most of her life. Based on everything he has learned with the Fellowship, he thinks that anything happening between them is wrong, but she uses her position as religious teacher to try to convince him that it is okay. In the best moment of the entire season, to me anyway, she starts to reach into the tub to touch him and he says, "No." She pauses and says, "You don't mean that." With an utterly anguished look on his face, he responds, "No, but I ought to."
The following episode, after seeing what a horrible man the preacher is and how his marriage to Sarah is deteriorating, Sarah and Jason do have sex (or at least I assume so, since they started ripping each other's clothes off). But again, she couches it all in religion. She tells Jason that God wants this; that she knows she is supposed to be the woman behind a great man and that her husband isn't that man. Jason is. She says that God told her this is right, and in response, with genuine innocence and incredulity, he says, "You talk to God?"
Maybe it's because of my own experience with religion, but I completely sympathize with how hard he is trying to truly believe. It's like he knows deep down that there's something not 100% right, but he sees the good there, too. Plus, everyone tells him what a great person he is, which is something that has probably never happened in his entire life up until now.
Anyway, like I said, there are a lot of cool things going on, but this is definitely my favorite. I can't wait to see the fall out from sleeping with Sarah. I'm wondering if she'll be able to continue convincing him that this is all completely consistent with Christianity, or if he will start to see through her. And if he does start to see through her, what will he give up: Sarah or the church?
Read more!
I absolutely love what is going on with his character right now. His sincerity about wanting to believe and wanting to learn about God and the Fellowhip of the Sun is so interesting and believable. Jason is exactly the kind of person who would respond to kind of evangelical Christianity. He was coming out of a tragic and scarring incident and the people in the church gave him hope and direction (even though we as viewers know that it's not a good direction). I love that he's not at all certain of his ability to live within the strictures of Christianity, but that he's kind of desperate to try.
But, it all came to a head (no pun intended) with a bathtub hand job from the preacher's wife, Sarah. When she walked into the bathroom, I thought to myself, "Oh no! They are going to ruin this amazing storyline, because she's going to come in here and he's going to go back to his old self and have sex with her." Instead, she couches her desire for him in religion, which is totally perfect. He has no background in religion, or really even in morals of any kind, whereas she is the wife of a preacher and has been involved in the church for most of her life. Based on everything he has learned with the Fellowship, he thinks that anything happening between them is wrong, but she uses her position as religious teacher to try to convince him that it is okay. In the best moment of the entire season, to me anyway, she starts to reach into the tub to touch him and he says, "No." She pauses and says, "You don't mean that." With an utterly anguished look on his face, he responds, "No, but I ought to."
The following episode, after seeing what a horrible man the preacher is and how his marriage to Sarah is deteriorating, Sarah and Jason do have sex (or at least I assume so, since they started ripping each other's clothes off). But again, she couches it all in religion. She tells Jason that God wants this; that she knows she is supposed to be the woman behind a great man and that her husband isn't that man. Jason is. She says that God told her this is right, and in response, with genuine innocence and incredulity, he says, "You talk to God?"
Maybe it's because of my own experience with religion, but I completely sympathize with how hard he is trying to truly believe. It's like he knows deep down that there's something not 100% right, but he sees the good there, too. Plus, everyone tells him what a great person he is, which is something that has probably never happened in his entire life up until now.
Anyway, like I said, there are a lot of cool things going on, but this is definitely my favorite. I can't wait to see the fall out from sleeping with Sarah. I'm wondering if she'll be able to continue convincing him that this is all completely consistent with Christianity, or if he will start to see through her. And if he does start to see through her, what will he give up: Sarah or the church?
Read more!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
TV and Film - Re-cut Trailers
Here's a funny fanvid of "The Office" turned into a horror movie. And here's another one.
These are cool, but they reminded me of one of my favorite things ever: this re-invented trailer to "The Shining." Read more!
These are cool, but they reminded me of one of my favorite things ever: this re-invented trailer to "The Shining." Read more!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Film - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
I am really lucky. There is almost nothing that can get between me and my love for all things "Harry Potter." Before I saw the 6th movie in the series, I had heard the grumblings that "true" fans were pissed. However, when I heard the little "dah dee dah dah dee dah deeeee dahhhhh" I was not sitting with my arms crossed across my chest, waiting to be disappointed - I was squealing. And I left the theater with a big smile on my face, too. For a further discussion full of SPOILERS, click read more.
Would I love it if the movies were two-day-long page-by-page recitings of the novels? Of course! Did the movie over-emphasize the teen-romance aspects of the book? You betcha. Even with its over two-and-a-half running time, they left out a lot of incredible scenes describing the history of Voldemort and his ancestry and the Horcruxes (hello - the House of Gaunt, please!!) in favor of some serious hormones.
However - I am not without hope. After all, the seventh book is being made into two movies. Perhaps this sixth film is a bit of a place-holder, and our one last chance to really laugh and think like teenage students before we leave Hogwarts for the next two films and prepare for the final show-down. [There's a word for the funny song that comes up late in Act Two during musicals that brings levity to the trying times, but I can't remember what it is. Maybe it's just "comedic relief." ] So maybe the seventh movie will go back and address some of the more Horcruxy-elements of book six to help flesh-out the film.
I hope so.
But even if not, I'm still probably going to love that seventh movie. And the eighth, too. It's so much more fun to giggle than grumble and I love the Harry Potter Universe so much it'd take a real stinker to drag me down.
And just to touch on some other elements of Half-Blood real quick:
The Ginny and Harry kiss was not just majorly different from the book, it was also slightly problematic. Is Ginny going to be the one to remember the tiara in the Room of Requirement?
And Harry not being frozen for the final Dumbledore scene was a bit weird. Instead of being paralyzed they sort of established that he was trusting the "Shhh"-y Snape to take care of matters upstairs, and that seems like a stretch.
As far as the acting goes, Emily Watson's performance was LOADS better than her work on Pheonix. Daniel Radcliffe actually has real potential. Jim Broadbent and, as always, Alan Rickman were pretty great.
Were the changes too egregious for you to enjoy yourself? Who of the children actors will shape up to have a real acting career, after these films are finished? I want to know!
Read more!
Would I love it if the movies were two-day-long page-by-page recitings of the novels? Of course! Did the movie over-emphasize the teen-romance aspects of the book? You betcha. Even with its over two-and-a-half running time, they left out a lot of incredible scenes describing the history of Voldemort and his ancestry and the Horcruxes (hello - the House of Gaunt, please!!) in favor of some serious hormones.
However - I am not without hope. After all, the seventh book is being made into two movies. Perhaps this sixth film is a bit of a place-holder, and our one last chance to really laugh and think like teenage students before we leave Hogwarts for the next two films and prepare for the final show-down. [There's a word for the funny song that comes up late in Act Two during musicals that brings levity to the trying times, but I can't remember what it is. Maybe it's just "comedic relief." ] So maybe the seventh movie will go back and address some of the more Horcruxy-elements of book six to help flesh-out the film.
I hope so.
But even if not, I'm still probably going to love that seventh movie. And the eighth, too. It's so much more fun to giggle than grumble and I love the Harry Potter Universe so much it'd take a real stinker to drag me down.
And just to touch on some other elements of Half-Blood real quick:
The Ginny and Harry kiss was not just majorly different from the book, it was also slightly problematic. Is Ginny going to be the one to remember the tiara in the Room of Requirement?
And Harry not being frozen for the final Dumbledore scene was a bit weird. Instead of being paralyzed they sort of established that he was trusting the "Shhh"-y Snape to take care of matters upstairs, and that seems like a stretch.
As far as the acting goes, Emily Watson's performance was LOADS better than her work on Pheonix. Daniel Radcliffe actually has real potential. Jim Broadbent and, as always, Alan Rickman were pretty great.
Were the changes too egregious for you to enjoy yourself? Who of the children actors will shape up to have a real acting career, after these films are finished? I want to know!
Read more!
TV - 2009 Emmy Nominations
Recently the nominees for the 2009 Emmy's were released. There were few changes from the nominations of last year, especially in the Drama category. However, Neil Patrick Harris hosting is a major reason to tune-in. The comparison of his sure-to-be awesome take as master of ceremonies to the reality TV hosts debacle of last year will be startling! Furthermore, Jeremy Piven was not nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series this year, making it seem like NPH will finally get the much deserved award. Read more for further discussion on the few surprise nominees and the snubs.
The category of Best Comedy Series is the most improved. "How I Met Your Mother" finally makes the cut, and "Two and a Half Men" is finally taken off the list. "Flight of the Conchords" is given a nod, which is sort of a better-late-than-never nom considering Season Two was not nearly as brilliant as Season One. "Family Guy" shocked many for its nomination. It's the first animated series to ever be given the nod! The big WTF, though, goes to the nomination of "Entourage," a show that when it's at it's best is only a B minus production and last year was sub-par even by those standards. In the place of "Entourage" should be "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Just in case you forgot, Season Four of the always hilarious "...Sunny..." featured not just the cannibalism episode but also "Who Pooped the Bed?": one of the funniest half-hours to ever grace basic cable.
As for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, I was really happy and surprised to see Jemaine Clement get a nomination for his lovely, quirky performance in "... Conchords." I was also happy to see Jim Parsons get due praise for his performance on "The Big Bang Theory," as he is good enough on that show to make my husband and I tune-in every week despite the corny jokes and lame laugh-track. That's really saying something. The WTF here goes to Tony Shalhoub: really? People are still watching "Monk"?
For the Supporting Actor and Actress nominations I was happy to see Jack McBrayer, Tracy Morgan, Kristen Wiig, Kristen Chenoweth, and Jane Krakowski. I was stupefied by Kevin Dillon making it on the list again.
Moving on to the Drama categories, there isn't much to say as there are barely any changes to the nominations list from last year. The best of the few changes was that "Big Love" was added to the nomination list for Best Drama Series. However, one of the major snubs was that none of the amazing female actresses from Big Love (specifically Chloë Sevigny and Amanda Seyfried) were chosen.
And really? House? Last Season was just about as Jump-the-Sharky as seasons can get. There were hallucinations, inexplicable suicides, and then more hallucinations. In its place on the Best Drama list should have been... DUH... BATTLESTAR GA-FREAKIN-LACTICA! That this show wasn't nominated, and hasn't been nominated, and that none of the actors weren't and haven't been nominated is a CRIME punishable by groin kickings.
Read more!
The category of Best Comedy Series is the most improved. "How I Met Your Mother" finally makes the cut, and "Two and a Half Men" is finally taken off the list. "Flight of the Conchords" is given a nod, which is sort of a better-late-than-never nom considering Season Two was not nearly as brilliant as Season One. "Family Guy" shocked many for its nomination. It's the first animated series to ever be given the nod! The big WTF, though, goes to the nomination of "Entourage," a show that when it's at it's best is only a B minus production and last year was sub-par even by those standards. In the place of "Entourage" should be "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Just in case you forgot, Season Four of the always hilarious "...Sunny..." featured not just the cannibalism episode but also "Who Pooped the Bed?": one of the funniest half-hours to ever grace basic cable.
As for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, I was really happy and surprised to see Jemaine Clement get a nomination for his lovely, quirky performance in "... Conchords." I was also happy to see Jim Parsons get due praise for his performance on "The Big Bang Theory," as he is good enough on that show to make my husband and I tune-in every week despite the corny jokes and lame laugh-track. That's really saying something. The WTF here goes to Tony Shalhoub: really? People are still watching "Monk"?
For the Supporting Actor and Actress nominations I was happy to see Jack McBrayer, Tracy Morgan, Kristen Wiig, Kristen Chenoweth, and Jane Krakowski. I was stupefied by Kevin Dillon making it on the list again.
Moving on to the Drama categories, there isn't much to say as there are barely any changes to the nominations list from last year. The best of the few changes was that "Big Love" was added to the nomination list for Best Drama Series. However, one of the major snubs was that none of the amazing female actresses from Big Love (specifically Chloë Sevigny and Amanda Seyfried) were chosen.
And really? House? Last Season was just about as Jump-the-Sharky as seasons can get. There were hallucinations, inexplicable suicides, and then more hallucinations. In its place on the Best Drama list should have been... DUH... BATTLESTAR GA-FREAKIN-LACTICA! That this show wasn't nominated, and hasn't been nominated, and that none of the actors weren't and haven't been nominated is a CRIME punishable by groin kickings.
Read more!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Books - Twilght Series Part Two
We've already discussed the issues in this series regarding abusive boyfriends and lousy writing. Putting both of those aside, it's time to discuss the weirdness that is the fourth book, "Breaking Dawn." Read on for a spoiler-heavy discussion.
The first three books fit together in a nice little trio. In the first book, Bella falls in love with Edward. In the second, she falls for Jacob. In the third, she makes her choice. And even though there are plenty of adventures and mythological backstories that are shared in these books, this love-triangle is pretty much what they are about.
So with the love-triangle seemingly resolved at the end of "Eclipse," what were we to expect for the fourth book? If you guessed "something bizarre," then you win! In this book not only does Meyer dedicate a whole third of the book to a change-up in narrator, she also takes on a much darker tone. Now there are blood-thirsty vampire babies! Delicious sippy-cups of O-negative! And a birth story that just might encourage the most eager of tween readers to keep their thighs together, even if Edward creeps along.
This book would make a lot more sense if it came along some 5 years after "Eclipse" was released and was the first in a new "So Bella's a Vampire" series.
However, I've got to admit: I liked it the best out of the series. I know Metta's going to slug me in the arm for saying that, but although I realize it is very different from the first three, I like it... maybe even because of the differences. It was so bizarre I was smiling way more than I did while reading any of the previous books, and I liked those, too.
Now don't get me wrong here: this book is still laughably offensive in its treatment towards Bella, and the writing stylings haven't improved in the slightest. There's also the fact that everything gets wrapped up in the prettiest of pretty packages, saving perhaps for the fact that poor Jacob will never be able to "get with" the love of his life (as she will never develop past a 7 year old's physique). But as I had already embraced most of these issues throughout my journey reading the first three books, I was along for the ride by the time I cracked "Breaking Dawn."
The real question is: how the heck are they going to make this into a movie? The first two books should adapt easily enough, but once you throw in telepathic wolves and boys who grow larger every time you see them you're getting tricky. Then with "Breaking Dawn" you have not just the wolves, but also the unsightly birthing scene, the incredible transformation in Bella's appearance, and the fact that the newborn baby will develop to look like a 5 year old by the time the books ends.
So that should be interesting! Anyway, I'm anxiously awaiting Metta's comments because I know she was not a fan of this fourth book in a major way. Perhaps my experience was enhanced by the fact I was spoiled to the fact that Bella would end up with Edward, and that she would have her baby delivered traumatically by edward biting through her uterus. Also - maybe there is something to be said that I read all four books in the course of 20 days? We shall see.
Of course - I think blog readers are used to the fact that Metta and I sometimes come down on different sides. She is a Jacob, I am an Edward. She is a Jack, I am a Sawyer. But I love her a lot anyways because that's just how awesome she is.
Read more!
The first three books fit together in a nice little trio. In the first book, Bella falls in love with Edward. In the second, she falls for Jacob. In the third, she makes her choice. And even though there are plenty of adventures and mythological backstories that are shared in these books, this love-triangle is pretty much what they are about.
So with the love-triangle seemingly resolved at the end of "Eclipse," what were we to expect for the fourth book? If you guessed "something bizarre," then you win! In this book not only does Meyer dedicate a whole third of the book to a change-up in narrator, she also takes on a much darker tone. Now there are blood-thirsty vampire babies! Delicious sippy-cups of O-negative! And a birth story that just might encourage the most eager of tween readers to keep their thighs together, even if Edward creeps along.
This book would make a lot more sense if it came along some 5 years after "Eclipse" was released and was the first in a new "So Bella's a Vampire" series.
However, I've got to admit: I liked it the best out of the series. I know Metta's going to slug me in the arm for saying that, but although I realize it is very different from the first three, I like it... maybe even because of the differences. It was so bizarre I was smiling way more than I did while reading any of the previous books, and I liked those, too.
Now don't get me wrong here: this book is still laughably offensive in its treatment towards Bella, and the writing stylings haven't improved in the slightest. There's also the fact that everything gets wrapped up in the prettiest of pretty packages, saving perhaps for the fact that poor Jacob will never be able to "get with" the love of his life (as she will never develop past a 7 year old's physique). But as I had already embraced most of these issues throughout my journey reading the first three books, I was along for the ride by the time I cracked "Breaking Dawn."
The real question is: how the heck are they going to make this into a movie? The first two books should adapt easily enough, but once you throw in telepathic wolves and boys who grow larger every time you see them you're getting tricky. Then with "Breaking Dawn" you have not just the wolves, but also the unsightly birthing scene, the incredible transformation in Bella's appearance, and the fact that the newborn baby will develop to look like a 5 year old by the time the books ends.
So that should be interesting! Anyway, I'm anxiously awaiting Metta's comments because I know she was not a fan of this fourth book in a major way. Perhaps my experience was enhanced by the fact I was spoiled to the fact that Bella would end up with Edward, and that she would have her baby delivered traumatically by edward biting through her uterus. Also - maybe there is something to be said that I read all four books in the course of 20 days? We shall see.
Of course - I think blog readers are used to the fact that Metta and I sometimes come down on different sides. She is a Jacob, I am an Edward. She is a Jack, I am a Sawyer. But I love her a lot anyways because that's just how awesome she is.
Read more!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Book - The Time Traveler's Wife
I joined a "Stay-at-Home Parent Book Club" the other day, and the book to be discussed was "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger. Even though I read this book about 2 years ago, a lot of it has stayed with me and I was happy to hear others' reflections. It's a truly beautiful book that's more romance than anything else, but also plenty science-fiction to keep it cerebral. Even better - much of it takes place in Michigan (South Haven, Metta) and it is written gorgeously! The film adaptation of this book will be released in August of this year, starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana. I strongly encourage you to read this book before seeing the movie. Read on for a bit more about this beautiful novel.
Henry is a man who suffers from a genetic disorder, later coined "Chrono-Displacement," that results in him being able to travel through time. He can only travel to other moments of his life, both past and future, and he cannot control when he'll travel and where he will land. The disease is much like epilepsy, brought-on by stress and/or flashing lights. This is a really interesting way to establish Henry's dilemma: much more believable then sometime truly sci-fi like "your mom was from Mars."
Another great element to this novel is that it embraces the time-travel theory that Metta and I both like best: pre-determinism. What happened, happened and there is no way to change the future. There are no parallel universes and Henry is unable to alter his life regardless of how he intervenes in his past and future. Not that he doesn't try. Henry visits himself at various ages throughout his life, and he visits his wife throughout almost her entire life, starting in her early childhood. (Would you visit an elementary school aged version of your partner? I would!)
There are several frustrations felt by both him and his love, Clare, regarding the seeming lack of free will. For one, how would you deal with learning who you were going to marry at the age of 6? Or when you were going to die? Would you be interested in meeting the child your wife was pregnant with when she was 10 years old?
Henry suffers greatly trying to control his disease, and Clare does, too. While he is thrown about time without any warning, Clare is left alone and sick with worry. It's sort of a modern-day version of the Odyssey in some sense. Anyway, it kind of reflects the trials of any relationship dealing with miscommunications and the fear that comes with separation. A truly enjoyable and thoughtful piece.
Read more!
Henry is a man who suffers from a genetic disorder, later coined "Chrono-Displacement," that results in him being able to travel through time. He can only travel to other moments of his life, both past and future, and he cannot control when he'll travel and where he will land. The disease is much like epilepsy, brought-on by stress and/or flashing lights. This is a really interesting way to establish Henry's dilemma: much more believable then sometime truly sci-fi like "your mom was from Mars."
Another great element to this novel is that it embraces the time-travel theory that Metta and I both like best: pre-determinism. What happened, happened and there is no way to change the future. There are no parallel universes and Henry is unable to alter his life regardless of how he intervenes in his past and future. Not that he doesn't try. Henry visits himself at various ages throughout his life, and he visits his wife throughout almost her entire life, starting in her early childhood. (Would you visit an elementary school aged version of your partner? I would!)
There are several frustrations felt by both him and his love, Clare, regarding the seeming lack of free will. For one, how would you deal with learning who you were going to marry at the age of 6? Or when you were going to die? Would you be interested in meeting the child your wife was pregnant with when she was 10 years old?
Henry suffers greatly trying to control his disease, and Clare does, too. While he is thrown about time without any warning, Clare is left alone and sick with worry. It's sort of a modern-day version of the Odyssey in some sense. Anyway, it kind of reflects the trials of any relationship dealing with miscommunications and the fear that comes with separation. A truly enjoyable and thoughtful piece.
Read more!
TV - Sesame Street
Sesame Street is awesome. I watch it with Lloyd every now-and-then when one of us is particularly exhausted or crabby. They have amazing celebrity guest stars and hilarious jokes that can actually make me LOL. Today one of the characters called for a taxi and the taxi driver wore sunglasses and a mohawk, looking exactly like a Muppet Robert De Niro. Hilarious. That is all.
Read more!
Read more!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Internet Video - A Very Potter Musical
So, I don't think this technically counts as film, but I'm going to sneak it on to this blog anyway. A Very Potter Musical is a musical parody of Harry Potter which was written, produced and performed by students at the University of Michigan (which is this blog's alma mater three times over, in case you didn't know).
The composer and star, Darren Criss, is a musician that my husband saw perform at Potbelly's in Ann Arbor, and really liked. He does mostly covers, like this, or this, or this but based on A Very Potter Musical, he's clearly got some composing chops as well. I believe he is a music major at U of M - though I don't know in what specific area.
Anyway, I wish I had been there to see them perform A Very Potter Musical in person. We didn't even hear about it before we moved in May, and it was performed in June, so we must have been totally out of the loop. Anyway, the video is uploaded to YouTube in 23 parts. Don't be intimidated. I know that's a lot of video to watch on your computer, but stick with it through the end because it is totally worth it. Dustin isn't even a Harry Potter fan or a musical theatre junkie, and I think he even liked it more than I did. Highlights - Draco Malfoy, Voldemort and Quirrel, and the inexplicable focus on Zac Efron.
ETA: It wasn't performed in June. It was performed in April. We were totally there, just completely missed it. Read more!
The composer and star, Darren Criss, is a musician that my husband saw perform at Potbelly's in Ann Arbor, and really liked. He does mostly covers, like this, or this, or this but based on A Very Potter Musical, he's clearly got some composing chops as well. I believe he is a music major at U of M - though I don't know in what specific area.
Anyway, I wish I had been there to see them perform A Very Potter Musical in person. We didn't even hear about it before we moved in May, and it was performed in June, so we must have been totally out of the loop. Anyway, the video is uploaded to YouTube in 23 parts. Don't be intimidated. I know that's a lot of video to watch on your computer, but stick with it through the end because it is totally worth it. Dustin isn't even a Harry Potter fan or a musical theatre junkie, and I think he even liked it more than I did. Highlights - Draco Malfoy, Voldemort and Quirrel, and the inexplicable focus on Zac Efron.
ETA: It wasn't performed in June. It was performed in April. We were totally there, just completely missed it. Read more!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Book - The Red Tent
My mother handed me "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant to read on a whim, only remembering that she had read it before and enjoyed it. However, this was such an appropriate book for me to read I can't believe I hadn't come across it sooner. No, not because I spend my "moon times" in a crimson tent with fellow females (although I kind of like that idea, in a weird way). I'll explain more in the Read More section, but for now, simply know that if you are looking for a moving book about mothers and daughters and like the idea of "woman's space," you might enjoy this very peaceful read. I certainly did.
Why was this book so appropriate for me to read? For one, it's "historical" fiction, taking a bible story and expounding on just a couple of lines of verse. Historical fiction is awesome, and if you have any recommendations for great books in this genre, please share in the comments. For another, this book is about Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob, from the Book of Geneses, and I have been reading the bible off and on throughout this year. (Don't remember why I'm reading the bible? Here ya go.) And lastly, it has a slew of stories about midwives and birthing and I am an absolute birth junkie. If you are into any one of those three things (historical fiction, the bible, or birth stories) then this book would be worth your time.
Read more!
Why was this book so appropriate for me to read? For one, it's "historical" fiction, taking a bible story and expounding on just a couple of lines of verse. Historical fiction is awesome, and if you have any recommendations for great books in this genre, please share in the comments. For another, this book is about Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob, from the Book of Geneses, and I have been reading the bible off and on throughout this year. (Don't remember why I'm reading the bible? Here ya go.) And lastly, it has a slew of stories about midwives and birthing and I am an absolute birth junkie. If you are into any one of those three things (historical fiction, the bible, or birth stories) then this book would be worth your time.
Read more!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Film - Back to the Future
So, after the BTTF II & III debacle, we decided to watch the original the other night. Now, that is an awesome movie that stands up. Seriously, I know this isn't the case, but it is as if different people were responsible for the two sequels. The storytelling is so much better in the original that it's like the writers had a labotomy between when the original was made and when they wrote the sequels.
Anyway, I still don't concede that the time travel is either sensible or internally consistent, but I don't care because the movie is just so awesome. Nothing beats 1955 Doc shrieking "One-point-twenty-one jiggawatts!" Read more!
Anyway, I still don't concede that the time travel is either sensible or internally consistent, but I don't care because the movie is just so awesome. Nothing beats 1955 Doc shrieking "One-point-twenty-one jiggawatts!" Read more!
Film - Air Guitar Nation
The other day I watched the documentary from 2007 "Air Guitar Nation." This film chronicles the journeys of the first ever North American air guitar competition, and follows our country's representatives to the international championship in Finland. Although enjoyable and fun, I am only luke-warm in my reception towards this movie. In terms of documentaries introducing viewers to a highly competitive weirdo world we never knew existed, I kept wanting this film to become as engrossing as the vastly superior "King of Kong." Read on for a further discussion and comparison...
"Air Guitar Nation" showcases performers who dress-up outrageously and create rocker personas full of moxie. They and the judges are in on the joke of a rock-and-roll competition where no one has an instrument. However, for a while there seems like there could be a division amongst competitors between those who see air guitar as an art-form and those who see it as sort of a comedy platform. The end result is that everyone appreciates what everyone else is doing, and everyone is having a good time.
"King of Kong," on the other hand, was gripping. There was scheming, there were villains, there was heartbreak.
Although I definitely wouldn't discourage you from watching "Air Guitar Nation," my hope is that you will use the film as a mere amuse bouche before watching the very fulfilling meal that is "King of Kong." If you've already seen "Kong," maybe this little snack of "Air Guitar Nation" will leave a slightly bitter taste.
Read more!
"Air Guitar Nation" showcases performers who dress-up outrageously and create rocker personas full of moxie. They and the judges are in on the joke of a rock-and-roll competition where no one has an instrument. However, for a while there seems like there could be a division amongst competitors between those who see air guitar as an art-form and those who see it as sort of a comedy platform. The end result is that everyone appreciates what everyone else is doing, and everyone is having a good time.
"King of Kong," on the other hand, was gripping. There was scheming, there were villains, there was heartbreak.
Although I definitely wouldn't discourage you from watching "Air Guitar Nation," my hope is that you will use the film as a mere amuse bouche before watching the very fulfilling meal that is "King of Kong." If you've already seen "Kong," maybe this little snack of "Air Guitar Nation" will leave a slightly bitter taste.
Read more!
Books - Twilght Series
For fear of being out of touch, I have started reading the “Twilight” series by Stephenie Meyer. I have read the first book and am into the second. My husband has even joined the fun, having already finished “Twilight” and “New Moon” (a family that reads young adult vampire romance stories stays together, right?). Although I haven’t finished the entire series, I thought I’d go ahead and start blogging about these books now.
Most of the buzz I’ve heard about this series is that it sets up unrealistic romance expectations for the young female readers. Man, that’s for sure! But let’s broaden up this discussion to whether you’d be okay with your hypothetical 12 year-old daughter getting sucked up into Meyer’s smoldering world of vampires.
First off, I’m always going to be in favor of any book that gets young adults passionate about reading. So much better than a video game or reality TV show for their supple brains!
However, as an avid reader myself, I don’t think I’d be able to help myself but be disappointed in the lack of literary merit these books bring to the table. Sure - it is a successful piece of escapist literature if droves of people go out and buy the books and read them ravenously. However, who says escapist literature can’t have complex sentence structures? Or better-developed characters and mythologies? I know that these books are supposed to be written from the perspective of a 17 and counting year-old girl, but she is also supposed to be intelligent. How come she keeps awkwardly forcing nouns into adverbs? I distinctly remember Bella describing her day as “nightmarish.”
And Bella herself isn’t much more than a “Mary Sue” character, to borrow a phrase from the world of fan fiction. Through Bella, we live a fantasy of being swept off our feet by a beautiful boy… and better yet we get to choose this handsome devil over scores of other eligible bachelors, because every single male Bella meets fancies her. But Bella herself is short-changed of real-depth. We know she is clumsy (all the better for getting saved!) and we know she sacrifices hers safety and sanity for those she loves (dating a dude who kind of wants to kill her, hanging with his family of fellow vamps, and even the fact that she gave up her entire teenage life in order to give her mom some space to get jiggy with a minor-leaguer).
But literary criticism aside, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty with our issues of feminism and saving our beloved hypothetical teenage daughter from a world of romantic disillusionment. Surely this book presents a scary idea for teenage love: Edward likes to creep into Bella’s home without permission and watch her sleep. He is possessive and invades her privacy. He spies on her friends to get closer to her. He has unpredictable mood-swings and some major anger issues. And Bella is nothing but flattered by his gestures and treasures his every broody characteristic. Is this the sort-of relationship we’d like to see our daughter be a part of? Surely not- it’s abusive! However, our daughter is not reading an instruction manual on how to be a teenager in love. She’s reading a piece of fiction, and we’ve raised her better than for her to take any one piece of media and hold it as the ultimate guide for how to live a life.
And afterall, isn’t this essentially the story of Romeo and Juliet? There’s a love that forces the young couple (Juliet’s 15, no?) to forsake their families and their safety in order to be together? However, at least then our daughter would be reading Shakespeare.
So for all the hub-bub out there about this book being bad for its female readers, I’m going to go ahead and vote “nay.” We can’t blame Meyer for our daughter’s decision to date abusive weirdos- that’s a parental failure. More than likely Meyer is doing us a favor: setting our daughters up with high enough expectations that they won’t waste their time dating immature high-school jocks, saving themselves for more worthy suitors in college.
And just in case you really do have a high-school daughter reading these books, you might just want to show her THIS VIDEO MASHUP showing us in a nicely produced 6 minute movie how Buffy would react to Edward’s stalking.
Read more!
Most of the buzz I’ve heard about this series is that it sets up unrealistic romance expectations for the young female readers. Man, that’s for sure! But let’s broaden up this discussion to whether you’d be okay with your hypothetical 12 year-old daughter getting sucked up into Meyer’s smoldering world of vampires.
First off, I’m always going to be in favor of any book that gets young adults passionate about reading. So much better than a video game or reality TV show for their supple brains!
However, as an avid reader myself, I don’t think I’d be able to help myself but be disappointed in the lack of literary merit these books bring to the table. Sure - it is a successful piece of escapist literature if droves of people go out and buy the books and read them ravenously. However, who says escapist literature can’t have complex sentence structures? Or better-developed characters and mythologies? I know that these books are supposed to be written from the perspective of a 17 and counting year-old girl, but she is also supposed to be intelligent. How come she keeps awkwardly forcing nouns into adverbs? I distinctly remember Bella describing her day as “nightmarish.”
And Bella herself isn’t much more than a “Mary Sue” character, to borrow a phrase from the world of fan fiction. Through Bella, we live a fantasy of being swept off our feet by a beautiful boy… and better yet we get to choose this handsome devil over scores of other eligible bachelors, because every single male Bella meets fancies her. But Bella herself is short-changed of real-depth. We know she is clumsy (all the better for getting saved!) and we know she sacrifices hers safety and sanity for those she loves (dating a dude who kind of wants to kill her, hanging with his family of fellow vamps, and even the fact that she gave up her entire teenage life in order to give her mom some space to get jiggy with a minor-leaguer).
But literary criticism aside, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty with our issues of feminism and saving our beloved hypothetical teenage daughter from a world of romantic disillusionment. Surely this book presents a scary idea for teenage love: Edward likes to creep into Bella’s home without permission and watch her sleep. He is possessive and invades her privacy. He spies on her friends to get closer to her. He has unpredictable mood-swings and some major anger issues. And Bella is nothing but flattered by his gestures and treasures his every broody characteristic. Is this the sort-of relationship we’d like to see our daughter be a part of? Surely not- it’s abusive! However, our daughter is not reading an instruction manual on how to be a teenager in love. She’s reading a piece of fiction, and we’ve raised her better than for her to take any one piece of media and hold it as the ultimate guide for how to live a life.
And afterall, isn’t this essentially the story of Romeo and Juliet? There’s a love that forces the young couple (Juliet’s 15, no?) to forsake their families and their safety in order to be together? However, at least then our daughter would be reading Shakespeare.
So for all the hub-bub out there about this book being bad for its female readers, I’m going to go ahead and vote “nay.” We can’t blame Meyer for our daughter’s decision to date abusive weirdos- that’s a parental failure. More than likely Meyer is doing us a favor: setting our daughters up with high enough expectations that they won’t waste their time dating immature high-school jocks, saving themselves for more worthy suitors in college.
And just in case you really do have a high-school daughter reading these books, you might just want to show her THIS VIDEO MASHUP showing us in a nicely produced 6 minute movie how Buffy would react to Edward’s stalking.
Read more!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Film - Jennifer's Body - Red Band Trailer
The red band trailer for the new Diablo Cody-penned horror movie, "Jennifer's Body" starring Megan Fox, was released earlier this week. I liked Juno a lot, and I like Diablo Cody okay, though I think she's a little too pop-culturish for her own good. I'm not sure how I feel about this movie, though. I'm not crazy about horror movies, though there are a few I am partial to. But I kind of dig this trailer. I'm getting a little excited about this movie in spite of myself. Amanda Seyfield is always good, so that's a plus. Kyle Gallner (who, coincidentally enough has also appeared in both Veronica Mars and Big Love with Seyfield) is also in it, and I keep hoping that kid gets some more jobs. I think he gets overshadowed by less talented, but better looking peers. Unfortunate.
Anyway, what do you think? I'm worried that it will just be meh. But I hope it will be better than meh. Read more!
Anyway, what do you think? I'm worried that it will just be meh. But I hope it will be better than meh. Read more!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Film - Being There
Everyone has a homework assignment, especially Metta: if you haven't seen it already, go rent Peter Sellers' "Being There." I need to discuss this movie, but only with people who've seen it. Post in the comments after viewing, and I we will start a discussion.
Read more!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Film - Snakes on a Plan on FX
Just in case you haven't seen this 25 second clip yet, it's good for a quick giggle. AND you can buy a t-shirt!!
And here is the rest of it. Don't delete the line in between, as that is where the magic read more tag resides. Read more!
And here is the rest of it. Don't delete the line in between, as that is where the magic read more tag resides. Read more!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Book - Wordy Shipmates
You may not know this, but my family-tree can be traced all the way back to the pilgrims of Plymouth Colony. This discovery only added to my motivation to read Sarah Vowell's latest non-fiction work, "The Wordy Shipmates." In this book Vowell explores the lives of Puritans living in America during the 1630s. Although it couldn't compare to Vowell's "Assassination Vacation" (where she dissects the forced deaths of US Presidents Lincoln, McKinley, and Garfield) or her other historical and personal essays in "The Party Cloudy Patriot", I liked this book a lot and recommend it to anyone interested in exploring that weird time in American history, some 140 years before the Revolution, when Connecticut was the wild frontier. Read on for my further discussion.
Vowell is a tremendous font of knowledge (she is also a frequent contributer to "This American Life" and was the voice of Violet in "The Incredibles"). Her research is tireless, but she only passes-on the goodies. The way Vowell writes is incredibly approachable, bestowing incredible amounts of knowledge without ever insulting her reader's intelligence. That she is not teaching some AP History class in a struggling high school somewhere is sort of a crime, as she ignites a passion for even the dullest of subjects.
In this book, Vowell's passion for learning about the Puritans seems to be traced to her evangelical up-bringing, and also the frequent usage of the phrase "city on a hill" in popular American political discourse. We learn that John Winthrop used the bible phrase as a source for inspiration to those joining him on his quest to the New World. He had the highest of hopes for his soon-to-be home in Massachusetts Bay as he expounded on the colony's ability to set an example to the rest of the world on living a devout, Calvinist life. But how would his hopes compare to the realities of New England life?
The Massachusetts Bay gang have their share of trials in the 1630s. They have a fierce antagonist in Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson. Through a refusal to send back their charter, they face the possibility of going to war with England, they suffer a brain-drain as Thomas Hooker leads many good parishioners off to Connecticut, and they go to war against the Pequot Indian tribe. With each trial, Winthrop drifts further and further away from his hopeful self and closer to resembling the oppressive King he had escaped just a few years earlier.
Vowell entranced me once again with her endless knowledge and witty anecdotes. Now I have to sit back and wait for the next historical moment to tickle her fancy, and then for her write all about it and share with me the booty of her patient research.
Read more!
Vowell is a tremendous font of knowledge (she is also a frequent contributer to "This American Life" and was the voice of Violet in "The Incredibles"). Her research is tireless, but she only passes-on the goodies. The way Vowell writes is incredibly approachable, bestowing incredible amounts of knowledge without ever insulting her reader's intelligence. That she is not teaching some AP History class in a struggling high school somewhere is sort of a crime, as she ignites a passion for even the dullest of subjects.
In this book, Vowell's passion for learning about the Puritans seems to be traced to her evangelical up-bringing, and also the frequent usage of the phrase "city on a hill" in popular American political discourse. We learn that John Winthrop used the bible phrase as a source for inspiration to those joining him on his quest to the New World. He had the highest of hopes for his soon-to-be home in Massachusetts Bay as he expounded on the colony's ability to set an example to the rest of the world on living a devout, Calvinist life. But how would his hopes compare to the realities of New England life?
The Massachusetts Bay gang have their share of trials in the 1630s. They have a fierce antagonist in Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson. Through a refusal to send back their charter, they face the possibility of going to war with England, they suffer a brain-drain as Thomas Hooker leads many good parishioners off to Connecticut, and they go to war against the Pequot Indian tribe. With each trial, Winthrop drifts further and further away from his hopeful self and closer to resembling the oppressive King he had escaped just a few years earlier.
Vowell entranced me once again with her endless knowledge and witty anecdotes. Now I have to sit back and wait for the next historical moment to tickle her fancy, and then for her write all about it and share with me the booty of her patient research.
Read more!
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