Don't Call It An Obsession (Call It A Way Of Life)

simpledisneythings:

If you’re a fan of the new Disney Channel, I suggest you wake up. Also, click the “X” in the corner because you probably won’t like what I have to say. 

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simpledisneythings:

If you’re a fan of the new Disney Channel, I suggest you wake up. Also, click the “X” in the corner because you probably won’t like what I have to say. 

Read More

simpledisneythings:

If you’re a fan of the new Disney Channel, I suggest you wake up. Also, click the “X” in the corner because you probably won’t like what I have to say. 

Read More

Yawn.

What a snooze-fest! Between everyone being high and/or so “over it” and some wins that rubbed me the wrong way…Oscars ‘11 will go down in history as a big fat lame-o.

I was originally stoked for Anne Hathaway and James Franco as hosts. They’re talented, beautiful, funny, etc. but poor Anne was trying way too hard to make up for James being off in Pineapple Expressland and, well, there ya go. The intro was awkward at best and made no sense. The presenters had a serious case of DILLIGAF and the jokes were pretty tragic.

Now, most of the winners were YAY as in yes, I was expecting to them to win and yes, they deserved it. But The King’s Speech winning best picture made me die on the inside a little. Way to pull a 14th and 78th - giving the award to a film that was good but probably won’t stand the test of time. Yeah, The King’s Speech is a great film and yadda yadda yadda, but has it defined a generation the way The Social Network has?

Anyway.

And as for director…Hooper over Fincher? Over Aronofsky? Not to mention that Nolan wasn’t even NOMINATED! Please. The man is good, but is he great? I dunno.

As for the good:

WOOT WOOOOOOOT!!

All Hail Jesus Christ-ian Bale! (so sweet when he thanked his wife)

GIVE ME YOUR DRESSS!! <33 Tom Ford

And, on a fashion note, not a lot of great dresses. A few here and there. Mostly the random ladies who were guests (like Camilla Alves and Mariqueen Maandig) and the less-likely-to-win nominees (Michelle Williams, Hailee Steinfeld).

This dude.

So, that’s that. Moving on.

I’m gonna skip over the show stuff because what can I say that hasn’t already been said? I agreed with 98% of the twins - the only two I had real qualms about were Jane Lynch (and I realize I might be hung for saying that) and Glee because, frankly, Glee has kinda sorta sucked this season. Ok, not totally sucked. Chris Colfer has been amazeballs and he won fair and square, but Jane Lynch over some of the other lassies? Nope. And Glee over Modern Family? Puh-leeze.

But, yeah, it was good. RDJ made me giggle, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo had awesome speeches, I about spazzed seeing Johnny Depp and RDJ talking, it was cute to see Michelle and Jake catching up, and, duh, Trent and Atticus won. Now. Onto the eye candy!

Desmond Harrington

James Franco

Ryan Gosling

Jake Gyllenhaal

Jesse Eisenberg (much cuter without the curls, no?)

Ryan Kwanten

Johnny Depp

Robert Pattinson 

Hot Asian Dude from Glee

Jeremy Renner

Michael C Hall (ignore the bush on his face)

Christian Bale (also ignore the bush on his face, and the Jesus hair)

Guy Pearce

Kevin Bacon (will always be hot)

Brad Pitt (too cool to take the shades off?)

Puck

Trent Reznor (<3333)

Zac Efron

Robert Downey Jr (has looked better)

Matthew Morrison

Spider Man Andrew Garfield (not the best picture of him)

Marky Mark Mark Wahlberg

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (not being his usually smiley self, alas)

Matt Damon (also not being his usual smiley self!)

Bruce Willis (who will also always be hot, so long as he stays bald)

Dennis Quaid (him too)

Colin Firth (oh, and him too)

Another season of Dexter has come and gone. I wasn’t as vigilant in my reviewing as I had hoped to be (weh, weh) but not because I did not enjoy the season. I did, in fact, very much. While it didn’t have as many of the “OH S#!&!” moments like Season 4 did, it did have quite a few moments that set me on edge and had me yelling at the TV. Though this finale had me teary-eyed more than super shocked.

The whole thing was bitter sweet, especially after hearing about MCH and Jennifer Carpenter’s divorce. I am super, duper bummed about it. For real. I thought they were pretty adorable together – especially at the Emmy’s when MCH thanked her and the camera showed her yelling to him, tears in her eyes, “I love you!” And, plus, he was going through chemo at the time and they just seemed so strong and beautiful and in love. Sad, sad.

But, anyway, that aside, my heart totally broke for Dexter. That was the biggest reaction I had after the episode ended; I felt empty for him. I felt lonely. The show has always done an incredible job of making the audience feel the way Dexter feels. We root for him when he’s after a really bad baddie and we ache for him when he’s hurting. I felt worse for him at the end of this finale than last year’s when he found Rita’s body.

The season, as a whole, was a lot different from past seasons. The beginning was a bit slow (and, in my opinion, bogged down by too many plot points. The LaGuerta-Batista stuff could have been toned down or done away with) and there weren’t as many light, funny moments as in past seasons. Masuka provided most of the comedic relief, as always, but Dexter wasn’t as sarcastic or quip-filled this year. Understandably since the season focused a lot on his growth and grief.

I am really, really going to miss Lumen. Some people absolutely hated her, but I thought she, and Julia Stiles, was great. I liked the side she brought out in Dexter, I liked the hope she gave him. I thought, “Finally, a girl who can understand him, someone who knows about his Dark Passenger and still accepts him.” But, alas, it wasn’t meant to last. The part when she “breaks up” with Dex…ugh, I teared up. The look on his face, his voice, pleading with her not to go, and then telling her he understood why she had to leave and that he would carry her Darkness for her….yep, lost it. Apparently Julia Stile was pretty displeased with how it played out, as was I. While I’m glad that the writers didn’t just kill her off, I felt like the reason they gave her for leaving was out of character.  It makes sense I suppose, but at the same time it doesn’t, given how Lumen behaved during the season and based on her interactions with Dexter. She’s still changed; killing Jordan couldn’t have totally erased that. I had hoped she would stick by Dexter, even if she wouldn’t have been his partner in crime. I hope she will return some day, though I doubt it.

Performances were top notch, and I was especially impressed with Lauren Velez and Jennifer Carpenter. Velez as LaGuerta, though I would have preferred less plot time focused on her, was top of her game, and Carpenter continues to impress me. Each season Deb becomes less the potty-mouthed victim and more the clear-minded and strong figure. Just as she said about LaGuerta, she recognizes that things aren’t black and white, and that they can be complicated. My one qualm with the finale was that they waited until the LAST EPISODE to mention WHY Deb felt connected to the Barrel Girls – her relationship with Rudy. Really? They couldn’t have mentioned that a little earlier? Oh, and has everyone forgotten that Brian Moser and Dexter are/were BROTHERS?

At least she’s with Quinn. I like him J I still have a soft spot for Anton, though.

Jordan Chase ended up being a pretty awesome villain. I didn’t think anyone could top Trinity, but he was pretty close. The way he acted with Lumen in this episode, almost biting her and what not, totally creeped me out. And he had something that Trinity didn’t have – insight. He really saw Dexter for what he is, really understood him. And that made him all the scarier. I wish they had delved into his past a bit more, explaining why he ended up the way he did. Some stuff they left unanswered – why did Emily still like him? That made no sense to me. No one can be THAT convincing, surely.

So what’s next for Dexter? He’s alone again, and he has finally seen his “true colors” and realizes he’ll never be rid of his Darkness. Was Harry right all along? Or will Dexter continue to surprise his father, as he did when he beat up Astor’s friend’s step-father? Will having the kids home for the summer change anything? Will Sonya (I’d really like to see more of her; I think there’s more than meets the eye)? He did clear Quinn, which is a far cry from the Dexter that framed Doakes in Season 2. The more Dexter realizes he’s a monster, the more human he becomes, it seems. But does that make sense? The more he sticks to the code…the more trapped he is. Rita’s death changed him, Lumen’s coming and leaving. Fate and faith were big themes this season. Hm.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I need to find another show to watch L

I bought these coupon thingies for AMC theatres a couple months ago and need to use them before the end of the year, so I’ve been scrambling trying to use them all. There’s been plenty of movies I’d like to see, but my main movie man is in NYC and I’m not too keen on going by myself.

My Dad and I saw Unstoppable the other night in an effort to use those coupons. We had heard it was good, and, according to the women in my Mum’s knitting circle, it was awesome. Plus, it has trains so my Dad was stoked.

It was pretty good, not gonna lie. I liked how they used news broadcasts to show most of the action in a realistic way. I’m a little surprised Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, and Rosario Dawson signed on to it, not because it was a poor movie, but because it wasn’t, well, their usual style. A lot of reviews compared the movie to Speed but with trains, but it really wasn’t. There wasn’t any gratuitous explosions or sex or stupid effects and shit blowing up just for the hell of it.

It’s the kind of movie that was entertaining to watch but not a brain tugger. Just fun. But not the totally brainless fun, like most action movies. The only thing about it that I didn’t care for was the music. Kind of awful.

Ok, now hurry up and film the next Star Trek, Chris Pine. Seriously. This wasn’t enough to hold me over by any means.

Yaaaay! There’s nothing like seeing the newest Disney movie in theatres :) It always makes me feel all giddy, probably because my first movie memories are of seeing Snow White with my mum in our town’s theatre, and of seeing Beauty and the Beast with my family and being totally mesmerized. Disney, in the past ten years or so, hasn’t totally bowled me over like they used to. Not to say that I haven’t enjoyed their movies (I think Meet the Robinsons and Treasure Planet are much better films than some of the ones Disney produced in the 70s and 80s, and are good films in general), but I always have hope. It seems, since the nineties, Pixar has taken over the magic of Disney - their films are always fantastic, magical, and full of heart and humor.

I read an article in TIME Magazine about a week ago concerning Shrek and its impact on animated films. While it wasn’t the first CGI animated film (that honor belongs to Toy Story) it certainly was the film that kicked off the trend. The article spoke of Shrek’s impact on modern animated movies and how it echoes Looney Tunes and Rocky & Bullwinkle more than Disney’s old classics. This is certainly true; Shrek is much more satirical, tongue-in-cheek, and brash than any Disney movie before or since. And since Shrek other films have tried (key word TRIED) to mimic that balance of humor and heart that Shrek captured so well - because, remember, it is a love story and buddy film too!

But the thing about other CGI is that they haven’t been able to do it. Sure, some of them are pretty funny, some of them are REALLY funny, but they don’t have the same amount of heart that Disney and Pixar movies do. Occasionally one will tickle my heart (I absolutely loved Despicable Me, and I’ve heard great things about How to Train Your Dragon and Megamind) but not the same way Finding Nemo or Up does.

Case in point: Chris cried five times, FIVE INDIVIDUAL TIMES, when we saw Up.

Yes, Shrek has been really successful and the first movie is great, but the other three…not so much. They have had a very financially fruitful franchise, but not on the same quality level as the Toy Story trilogy. The first Shrek is great, the second good, and the other two crappy; all three Toy Story movies are fantastic.

And Disney and Pixar movies are proof that bathroom humor or pop culture references aren’t the only things that will get laughs. The first half of Wall-E has almost zero dialogue and yet contains the funniest parts, hearkening back to Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. No sarcasm required. Just good ol’ slapstick, vaudeville humor.

Which brings me to Tangled. The movie was great and really, really funny and very, very sweet. Rapunzel is adorable and likable and realistic. She’s not just a rebellious teenager, like Ariel, or a trapped princess, like Snow White; she struggles between doing what is right and also obeying and keeping her promises. There’s a montage when she goes from euphoria from being free of the tower and Mother Gothel to feeling like a horrible daughter for disobeying her mother. What kid hasn’t felt that way? She’s sweet and funny and doesn’t tolerate Flynn’s antics. She befriends everyone just by being honest and by being herself. In fact, the character reminded me a lot of Taylor Swift and Mandy Moore, who voiced her. She stays positive and keeps busy in the tower with her ADORABLEEEE side-kick Pascal the chameleon by painting, making candles, baking, reading, playing guitar, etc etc. and not daydreaming about a handsome prince saving her. She’s my kinda girl.

And Flynn is super funny. He’s cocky but not all bad, he’s greedy, but for a reason. He grew up a poor orphan and read stories of a rich man who used his money to do good and wanted to emulate the guy, but lacked the funds. His heart was in the right place, but he didn’t have the means necessary. But then, naturally, he meets Rapunzel and yadda yadda yadda.

The animation is really, really beautiful. It’s lush and colorful and not too cartoony, as some CGI movies are. Disney did a great job with the scenery and with all of Rapunzel’s hair, without using gimicks. I saw it in 3-D and it felt, as when I saw Avatar, that I was there. Just gorgeous.

The movie, to sum it up, was a combination of Shrek, The Little Mermaid, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Rapunzel, like Quasimodo and Ariel, just wants to be free. Disney has always been about following your dreams, making your wishes come true, and this movie is no different. It encourages kids, through the songs and characters, to dream and DO. And Mother Goethel, the villain, is so bad she’s good, if you know what I mean ;) She bullies Rapunzel with snide remarks and then says she’s “Just kidding!” and is super vain. She reminded me a lot of Ursula, Bernadette Peters in Into the Woods and Michelle Pfeiffer in Stardust.

The only thing I wasn’t keen on was the music. Alan Menken, I guess, was told to tone it down and do more poppy stuff rather than the show-stoppers he composed in the early 90s. The music is sweet, but not very memorable. And I couldn’t get away from thinking of Mandy Moore while Rapunzel sang; the songs were similar to the songs she usually sings so she didn’t have to change her vocal style much. I would’ve liked to see some real song and dance numbers, like “Be Our Guest”, or even a nice ballad, like “Part of Your World” or “Out There”.

Another great thing about the film is that it stuck to the story pretty well and elaborated just enough. In the the original tale a husband and wife have had trouble conceiving and when the wife is finally pregnant she craves a certain plant from the witch-next-door’s garden. The husband gets it for her, is caught, and must hand over the child to make up for it. In the Disney film a magical plant, that Mother Goethel had been coveting, is used to save the Queen’s life and thus gives Rapunzel her magical hair (very Samson, too!). In the story Rapunzel meets a prince and gets preggers; the witch banishes her to the desert and tricks the prince (the film used the same trick, though a little differently). The prince is blinded and wanders around til he finds Rapunzel with short hair and her tears restore his vision. In the movie, SPOILER, Rapunzel loses her magic hair and also saves Fynn with her tears.

Seriously. Disney was truer to this story than they were with The Little Mermaid.

They didn’t disappoint and I was really, really pleased. Disney’s 50th animated movie is classic and modern at the same time and will hopefully make a lot of people really happy. I hope to see more films like this from the big Mouse in the future.

OH! And it’s very boy-friendly, much more so than last year’s Princess and the Frog.

For those of you who might not know this, I am a huuuuge Harry Potter fan! Ok, well, maybe not as huge a fan as some of my fellow Potterheads but there are some freaks out there.

I read the last HP book when it first came out, three years ago. I haven’t read it since. I’ve read books 1-5 at least two times each (the first three I’ve read at least four times each) and book 6 one and a half times, but I cannot bring myself to read the last one again. At least not yet. It’s still like an old wound that hasn’t quite healed, as lame as that sounds. I cried like a baby while reading it and don’t really want to put myself through that again anytime soon. I have, however, been listening to the books in the car lately which has been awesome. It brings me back to when I was young and read them for the first time - how magical, how whimsical, how simply amazing. They transported me like a real-life Portkey to Hogwarts and Diagon Alley and the rest.

Aside from the splendor of them I always liked how JKR wasn’t afraid to get dark. She wasn’t stuck in a children’s lit rut - she let the characters grow naturally and didn’t shy away from the grisly images. The first installment of the last book in the film series wasn’t afraid to get gritty either.

I loved it. The last couple movies have been fantastic and I’m really pleased that they decided to split book 7 into two movies, to do it properly. It’s a heavy book; a lot goes down and a lot of tough stuff happens and my hope is that the last movie will be able to really key in on that.

As a movie it’s superb. The cinematography and direction are beautiful, and the effects are really, really good (unlike past HP movies) and don’t overshadow the story or the acting. Since Harry, Ron, and Hermione are mostly on their own in the last book the three stars got a lot more screen time than they ever had in the past.

It’s been pretty cool being able to watch Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson grow as actors and as people. The bond is clear between them and their acting has improved greatly. Rupert Grint was especially good; I really look forward to seeing what he’ll do next now that HP is done. Emma Watson is stunningly beautiful and has been able to tone down the pitchiness she sometimes overdid as Hermione. And Daniel Radcliffe has grown more comfortable in his role, I think. He is the awkward and reluctant hero. The trio’s performances are really what carried the film, as the other main actors (Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton, Jason Isaacs, Helena Bonham Carter, etc.) didn’t get as much screen time.

Another thing that is kind of good about me not having read the last book in quite some time is that I have forgotten many of the smaller details. I could really enjoy the movie without being nitpicky about things they changed or left out. The only thing that did bother me was the quickness of the scene at Malfoy Manor. I wish they had drawn that out a bit longer and done away with some of the stuff in the forest. But the bit with Harry finding the sword and Ron destroying the Horcrux was dead on. I felt during the part when Ron is seeing the Horcrux’s charms though, with Harry and Hermione making out, was a bit much but when I got home I checked my book and it was accurate…well, it said their “lips touched” or “met” or something, not “Hermione ate off Harry’s face.”

But, anyway, it was awesome.

Another thing, though, is I have read the books and the stuff I’ve forgotten usually comes back to me fairly quickly while watching the films. Some of the people I was with have not read the books and said that there were a few moments that they were confused, and that they felt that, at times, it went too quickly for them to follow along. Even now thinking of it they did cover A LOT of ground in a 3-ish hour long movie. But I really can’t say for certain if it was too much or too fast, because I’m biased.

Lastly, the animated bit that portrayed the tale of the Deathly Hallows was BRILLIANT! I’d watch a full-length film of the entire Beedle and the Bard collection if it looked like that. Loved it. Loved it, loved it, loved it.

I hope other Potter fans were pleased with this film, and that even non-readers enjoyed it as well. I can’t wait for the next one, even if it is the last!

Read http://www.pinkisthenewblog.com/2010/11/disney-will-no-longer-produce-animated-films-based-on-classic-fairy-tales/ first.

Ok.

I love Disney. I grew up on Disney. I’ve been to Disney World & Disneyland 10+ times, my house is decorated with Disney memorabilia, I’m a member of the Disney Movie Club, etc.

This, the above, makes me very sad.

One of the things I’ve always loved about Disney, aside from the amazing movies I watched as a kid and re-watch as an adult, is that they UNDERSTOOD childhood. They never shied away from the princesses and knights, cowboys and Indians, astronauts and aliens dreams and fantasies of children. You can be a real kid with Disney. You can dress up and pretend and believe, really BELIEVE, in magic and pixie dust.

Sure there have been other great animated films that are non-Disney, but even they don’t hold a total candle to the studio that Walt built.

It’s easy for older people to roll their eyes when young 22-year-old me says stuff like, “When I was a kid…” as even my early nineties upbringing was partly jaded by the things my Baby Boomer parents weren’t exposed to as kids.  But, at least in my house, there were lines. We were encouraged, my sister and I, to play pretend and to read and sing and dance and be little girls. We played with dolls, had tea parties, and worshipped Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine. We weren’t allowed to watch certain TV shows or movies, our hair was always combed and we always looked presentable, saying “Oh my God” was like saying the f-word in our house. Normal, healthy kids.

I work at a toy store, I’ve worked as a camp counselor, a day care teaching assistant, and a substitute teacher at an elementary school. Needless to say I have observed and interacted with many, many children of all ages and walks of life in the past 5 years or so. Now some my friends have children of their own and as I find myself starting to think of how I will raise my future children. I have always dreamed and imagined of sharing the classic Disney films with them and of encouraging them to do the same things my sister and I did as children. BE kids. Not be overwhelmed with images of sex and violence and humor that goes over their heads; not to be worried about having to be pat down at the airport or if they are wearing the right clothes; not to play video games and watch TV all day and forget to play and pretend and imagine.

“By the time they’re 5 or 6, they’re not interested in being princesses,” said Dafna Lemish, chairwoman of the radio and TV department at Southern Illinois University and an expert in the role of media in children’s lives. “They’re interested in being hot, in being cool. Clearly, they see this is what society values”

“You’ve got to go with the times,” MGA Chief Executive Isaac Larian said. “You can’t keep selling what the mothers and the fathers played with before. You’ve got to see life through their lens”

This terrifies me. This is not right. Instead of succumbing to what kids think maybe we should be responsible adults and help SHAPE what they think. They shouldn’t be worried about being “hot” at 5 or 6 years old. They shouldn’t even know what society thinks is “hot”, for God’s sake. Classic games, classic toys, classic books and stories and films and music are classic BECAUSE THEY CROSS GENERATIONS AND GET AT WHAT IT TRULY MEANS TO BE A CHILD. Why do people keep trying to mess with the formula? Why is a fucking Bratz doll any better than a baby doll? Why is a realistic looking M-16 any better than a wooden cork gun? Why is Iron Man or Transformers better for kids than The Iron Giant or Wall-E?

I’m sick and tired of hearing eight-year-olds singing Lady Gaga and talking about how awesome last night’s episode of Glee was. Yes, I love both Lady Gaga and that show but I am 22, not 12. I have morals and beliefs that have been well thought out and I can look at a highly sexualized music video and understand that it’s not real life and not be shaped by it, or watch a violent war movie and understand that that IS real life, over in Iraq and Afghanistan, and not think of it as “cool” or “badass” when real people are putting their lives on the line.

We expect little kids to grow up too fast and yet people are still living at home with their parents at 30. This makes NO sense. Instead of a longer childhood were giving people an extended adolescence - years of experimentation and bad decisions and rebellion and a lack of acountability.

While it saddens me that Disney may feel the pressure to “keep up with the times” I will still watch the classic movies with my kids, and I look forward to bringing them to Disney World some day to see the castle and Mickey. I saw a Disney Magic show just this past weekend and it gives me hope that good old-fashioned entertainment, squeaky clean and full of heartfelt messages, still exists and still resonates. I’ll focus on that, and turn the TV off. Call me old-fashioned or conservative or what-have-you, but my kids won’t be watching The Matrix when they’re eight. But, on the flipside, I don’t aim to be a dreaded “helicopter parent” that won’t let them play in their own backyard without me two feet behind them every step of the way. I know what’s right and I’ll stick by it and hope that others will do the same, even if we’re a minority.

UPDATE: Disney posted this on their official Facebook page:

“A headline in today’s LA Times erroneously reported that the Disney fairy tale is a thing of the past, but I feel it is important to set the record straight that they are alive and well at Disney and continue this week with Tangled, a contemporary retelling of a much loved story. We have a number of projects in development with new twists that audiences will be able to enjoy for many years to come.” - Ed Catmull

YAY!

Chris: When you write your Glee review via your fab blog, you better have the best things to say ‘bout my girl G. Paltrow, because she kicks ass and I’m LOVING her in it!

Sorry, Chris, don’t hate me…

The episode was super hyped up due to Mrs. Chris Martin Ms. Gwyneth Paltrow’s appearance since she’s now a CMT official country singer, or something. I liked her. I LIKE her. She’s very likable. She was channeling Kate Hudson and Cameron Diaz big time as a substitute who was borderline Debra Lafave…

…mostly because she lived on one-night stands and wore short skirts and tall boots that reminded me a lot of a professor I had in college, who was far from tawdry so it always confused me.

Anyway.

I enjoyed her rendition of Cee Lo very, very much, mostly because I am a little bit obsessed with that song. It was cute and bubbly and funny and it was a huuuge relief (like the characters must’ve felt) to hear something new and fresh but not annoyingly mainstream and expected (*cough* Teenage Dream *cough*)

After last week’s episode that kind of bored me (sorry) aside from the HOLYSCHIZOPHRENIABATMAN kiss that made my jaw drop, Glee is somewhat redeeming itself in my eyes. I like the focus on Kurt mostly because last season he was so 2-D as the token musical gay kid, and it’s been nice to see more of his struggles and his journey (between the stuff with his dad, and the stuff with Blaine and jock kid). Of course, that took a bit of a backseat this episode and made way for Schue and Teri dramz.

Though the one plus of that…Schue with his shirt off. Yaaaay :)

But, alas, there are some issues that not even my shared enthusiasm for tots and the adorableness of the little Gleeks (Little Puck <3) could overcome

1. Where the fuck are they getting all this money?! They’re always moaning about how they have nooo money yet they are able to put on a Rob Marshall-worthy version of “Nowadays”? Seriously? Also, I didn’t love that number. Too random and it just made me think that Gwyneth wanted to one-up Renee Zellweger or something.

2. Why are the kids always at Schue’s house? How do they even know where he lives? Lawsuit waiting to happen.

3. AGAIN WITH THE AUTOTUNE! MAKE IT STOP!

And some other stuff that I can’t remember anymore because my original post got DELETED due to my ‘net freezing. Ugh.

I did enjoy the shout-out to Patti LuPone and Schoolhouse Rock. And I loved, loved, loved the version of “Make ‘Em Laugh”. The only thing missing was JGL.

So dreamy.

Ok. Which brings me to this…I did not like the Umbrella/Singin’ in the Rain mash-up. I didn’t think Gwyneth sounded good on this song, which was disappointing since she sounded great on all the others. Too stage-y. And all that rain was EXACTLY why the stage version of Singin’ in the Rain failed, along with the athleticism required for the “Make ‘Em Laugh” number. And some other stuff that doesn’t need to be mentioned (though nothing is worse than the musical version of The Philadelphia Story). I prefer Miss Mandy Moore’s version to anyone else’s, uncluding Rihanna.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMB6YOWzQMY

But, bravo, Glee, for getting back to the story and away from the after-school special moral lessons that were seeping into every episode. Keep on keepin’ on!

My DVR got messed up so one of the episodes of Dexter was only recorded for about 15 minutes (though, amazingly, all the Star Trek: TNG episodes for my dad were recorded peeeerfectly). Thus, two posts in one.

Let’s start with Lumen. I’m still not totally sure how I feel about her. I’m not ready to write her off entirely, like some other critics have, but…the most recent episode gives me hope. For some time she seemed a little too 2-dimensional; the character was too focused on revenge and didn’t seem to be exhibiting much else. Though the airport scene in a previous episode and her mini-flashbacks in Boyd’s attic added a bit more depth. She’s not just cold-blooded and hellbent on killing everyone who harmed her, but she’s also an emotionally fragile young woman coping with the atrocities she faced. And, I think it’s failrly safe to assume, she’s going to be as much a help for Dexter as a deterrent. She will probably end up being some sort of love interest, a happy medium between sweet-as-pie Rita and certified crazy bitch Lila from season 2. I thought she was cute with Harrison :)

Deb is getting snarky. Like more so than usual. And it’s starting to piss me off. (Though I did find the exchange between her and Quinn in the bedroom hysterical, when she said all the stuff about Disneyland and Quinn was like, “I don’t even know what that means.” Literally lol’d) She has her moments, like doing the right thing in the club (that’s right, LAGUERTA!), but she needs to step it up and stop being such a self-righteous beeyotch. LaGuerta could probably use that advice too. Holler.

Also, Sonya? What’s her deal? Really? I don’t know what to make of her…

“Everything is Illumenated” made me kinda nervous for the realness level. Like WOW awesome twist/clever problem-solving on the part of Dexter tackling Plastic Man and making him look like he killed Dan the Dentist. Oh, and Masuka’s VIVID description of what he believes went down (with lots of pelvic thrusting). Like WHOA DEX! Maybe St. Brighid is looking after yo’ ass too. (BTW: How did he know the prayer thing by heart already? Was Dex raised Catholic or something? Highhhhly doubt it.) But then in “Circle Us” I was psyched to see the discovery of Barrel Girls and crazy Motivational Speaker Guy and Stick-Up-His-Ass Security Man.

Which leads me to this….when Dexter broke into Cole’s (is that his name? I can’t be bothered to look it up) WHY THE EFF DIDN’T HE WEAR A MASK? Like HELLOOOOO! This guy is head of security! He probably has a friggin’ spy camera in the TOASTER! Smarten up, Dex, smarten up. Though I am glad he’s been better about the gloves this season.

So there’s my recap…well, more like my thoughts. I don’t want to synopsize ‘cause that’s boring :) Until next week with lots of blood and Quinn and Drunk Narcotics Guy drama!

Instead of watching Dexter on Halloween I opted to watch a horror movie with my dear ol’ Dad. As the alway-wise Shawn Hunter once said, “Gott love Halloween. Really brings people together.” So, yes, I sacrificed Dexter for my Dad.

We watched the recent remake of George A. Romero’s The Crazies and while the two films differ in some aspects, the 2010 version sticks to the main themes and plot and does away with some of the other junk, which made it a better film than the original, I think.

It’s not a last-with-you kind of scary, or a sleep-with-the-lights on scary. It’s a movie you can watch, enjoy, and walk away from without any scars. There are some suspenseful moments, but nothing too unnerving. Not even any of those cheap thrills - something jumps out at you, etc. And, the best part, NO EXCESSIVE GORE! (and the infected don’t look like cliched zombies; in fact, the people who made the film sought medical advice on how an infected person may appear)

I’m bored to death by the horror movies that rely on blood, guts, torture, strangely placed nudity…this movie had none of it. And, you know what, it wasn’t panned by critics AND it did well at the box office. How about them apples?! A ‘horror’ movie that doesn’t have a ton of blood = better reviews, but usually not better box office. Here is proof that it CAN BE DONE!

Now, aside from that, the acting is pretty decent, as is the direction. You actually do care about the characters, especially the main protaganist and his pregnant wife, and want to see them get the hell out of dodge. And they’re real people; they don’t have crazy kung-fu abilities, the girls aren’t fully made up with perfect hair, they aren’t incredibly stupid nor are they impossibily lucky.

While it’s a pretty basic story, one that has been done an inumerable amount of times, there are some elements I hadn’t seen before. Namely, the scene in the carwash. That was new and different. There were a few moments that were a bit yawn-worthy - seeing Brent Spiner (aka Data from Star Trek: TNG) pitchfork people one by one.

If you’re bored one night it’s worth a see, but if you don’t ever see it…no big deal. Despite it’s lack of gore and sex, still not a film for the kiddos, though the lesser of two evils to let your 13-year-old watch if it’s between this and Hostel or something.

Disclaimer:

Read this article: http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2010/10/26/why_glee_aint_what_it_used_to_be/?p1=Upbox_links

Ok. Read it? Good.

I agree with most of what the author of that article said. Glee hardcore needs to up the ante and stop all this pop-culture bullshit. I don’t care how new and popular Bruno Mars is (though I do think he’s very talented) - I don’t want to hear him every freakin’ episode. Or Lady Gaga, who I adore…bring on some more Barbara, some more Sondheim! Aside from the music….a STORY would be nice!

The Halloween episode would have been better as a special - something they aired as a fun, holiday treat and not an episode that is supposed to be following this linear storyline…that doesn’t really exist… Anyway…I enjoyed the episode when I think of it as a special. I thought everyone sounded great and the song/dance numbers were fantastic. I especially liked:

-Mercedes as Dr. Frank-n-Furter: very different, very cool! And girl can BRING IT in the vocal department. Goose bumps. For real.

-Emma is the PERFECT Janet

-Uncle Jesse looked dreamy as always singin’ and groovin’ and what not

-Shu’s body was surprisingly hot

-Brittany deciding to be a peanut butter allergy for Halloween

-Meatloaf and Barry Bostwick cameos FTW!

-Inception shout out

-Flynn sounded great (I maybekindof squealed) 

-loved Quinn as Magenta/The Lips, and

-THANKYOUJEEBUS Rachel didn’t get to sing much

And if Ryan Murphy does in fact re-make Rocky Horror he neeeeds to cast Chris Colfer as Rif-Raf. The boy might have been born to play that role.

That is what I LIKED. Some stuff I semi-liked was that it didn’t totally glorify Rocky Horror. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love the musical as much as the next person (I went through a phase in 7th grade when I was obsessed with it and had a major crush on Rocky), but I neve got the kids that went every freakin’ weekend to go see it. Sometimes I wondered if they just wanted an excuse to wear corsets and fishnets out in public. Or maybe they like throwing things, I don’t know. But, to me, it’s not a GREAT musical. It doesn’t make much sense at all, as Sue and Flynn pointed out, to my delight. It’s just bizarre. It’s fun, but not quality stuff. But maybe that is what makes it great. I’ll have to think about that more.

The thing that’s bothering me the most about this season of Glee, moreso than the lack of story and lack of a broader variety of music, is that every episode feels like an afterschool special on some hot button topic. Religion/spirituality, accepting others and standing up to bullies, embracing yourself and being comfortable in your own skin, abusing laughing gas and having Britney Spears fantasies. Hot button topics, people!

We get it. Wave your freak flag, whatever. And maybe some lucky damage control after the GQ “controversy”. Yadda, yadda. Ok. Enough. When is Will going to stop falling for Sue’s tricks? When is Rachel going to stop being a diva? When is there going to be some consitency and continuity (Artie slept with Brittany? Hellooo?)?

Glee, I love you, I do. But please, for the love of all things holy, step up your game.

Yeah, yeah, I didn’t review the “Beauty and the Beast” episode. I’m a terrible person. I didn’t get around to watching it again. Sad day. Good episode. Moving on.

Dexter, in my opinion, is going through a metamorphosis. In past seasons he used Rita, the children, his marriage, as a cover for his Dark Passenger habits. Now he seems to genuinely care, and is realizing that he may have genuinely cared in the past. Seeing him at the Mommy group with Harrison, the way he interacts with Lumen - he’s becoming more human.

Evidence…

Deb: What are you mom now?

Dexter asking Sonya about Harrison’s “aggression”.

Dex: Just keep Quinn away from my son. (I love seeing Dexter lose his temper a little bit. He’s always so cool and collected and seeing him like that reminds us that he IS like us, on some level. “I was ready to KILL HIM!” *tears down plastic*)

But why doesn’t he recommend counseling or something?

Meanwhile Lumen is moving in the opposite direction. The more human Dexter gets, the more she succumbs to her own Darkness. Dexter is the new Harry (only maybe a bit more loving and caring, rather than worried about self-preservation) and Lumen is the new young Dexter.

The show, too, is turning. It’s not just about our favorite serial killer vigilante but about all the characters and their personal balancing acts; each of them has a darkness, another side, along with the light. Quinn is mysteriously dealing with a druggie, Angel has a side of jealously that can turn vicious, Deb, as we have seen in the past, can be cold and calculating with her sex life as a means of escaping her problems. Even Masuka and his mysterious leopard-panty, dragon tattoo, “crisis of the soul” side.

Also, on a technical note, the show is getting better about being consistent. I was getting worried with the license they were taking with Dexter’s kills and what not. The gloves are back on, they’re better about showing what happens to the kill rooms, etc. Meanwhile, after reading a real-life article about some new DNA-spray anti-theft booby trap I worry how long Dexter can keep this charade going. But, who knows, what with the preview for next week’s episode…

As for other new aspects of the show….Lumen. I was impressed with Julia Stiles’ performance in the first few episodes but now I’m kind of like ehhh. Though I think it has less to do with Stiles and more to do with how the character is being written. Like Jimmy Smits’ character in season 3, the super turn to cold-blooded murderer is hard to grasp. I don’t know. But then moments like when she’s getting pat down at the airport (which was EXCELLENT, by the way), her freak out when Dexter tries to comfort her in the restaurant, and her struggle to pull the trigger give me hope. It’s just a very extreme way of showing her imbalance, not as subtle as I’d like. But there’s still time.

LaGuerta is on FIRE this season. I always kind of hated her character in the past (not Lauren Velez’s performance, but the character) for being an uber bitch - let’s not forget her cheating con in the first season - but she’s starting to become less of a caricature and more of a fully-formed character. When she flipped on Quinn last week, when she flipped on Angel this week. Awesome. Not like OVERTHETOPAHHH but believable.

I’m loving the cop chick, too. Cira. The actress used to be a stand up comedian. How ‘bout dem apples? The new Deb, treated like Deb was BY Deb. But better. She doesn’t swear. And, as she states, Deb is cynical. And the puking. But, to be fair, those bodies with the maggots were def the GROSSEST thing they have ever shown on the show. For real. I was literally said, “Ewwww” outloud.

Sidenote: Is that Tuttle bridge place real? Anyone know?

I’m worried for next episode. What’s going to happen?! The naked guy! Lumen shooting someone! The crazy narcotics guy who eats salt! Quinn and his sketchy pinky ring! The bitchy mothers from Mommy & Me gossiping about poor Rita/Dexter/Harrison!

cmd715:

Lauren’s blog is fabulous. PLUS, she mentions me which she knows I love ;)

And our conversation via texts about Dexter last week is sort of epically hysterical 

http://dontcallitanobsession.tumblr.com/

While everyone is bitching and moaning about how much Paranormal Activity 2 sucks, I watched Paranormal Activity for the first time last night. Yes, I realize how behind I am. Whatever.

My dad and I had finished watching The Hurt Locker (with the ever-dazzling and gorgeous Jeremy Renner, who I pray is not gay because my fantasy would be destroyed) we thought, “Hey, it’s almost Halloween. Let’s watch something scary.”

Now. I don’t get scared by movies too easily. I was scarred at the tender age of 8 by The Poltergeist 3 (to this day parking garages totally freak me out) and from that point on, well, it takes a lot. The Ring and the original (ie. Japanese, aka BETTER) version of The Eye have been the only exceptions.

But this movie was pretty freaky. It didn’t give me nightmares (though I did have a dream about a Ouija board - NOT COOL) but I was kinda on edge while watching it. Very realistic, very well-acted. The only point where I was like, “Yeah, this is def a movie” was the psychic guy. He wasn’t as believable, but Katie and Micah totally were. I loved how it was filmed by “them” but not in a shaky, crappy way that can make viewers sick, like some audience members of Cloverfield. It felt very real and it was all about what you DIDN’T see. Whenever the couple went to sleep I stared at the open door waiting for something terrible to happen.

And, the best part, they didn’t go with lame-o jump tricks. Nothing startling, no cheap thrills. It was just spooky. Katie standing over the bed, watching Micah sleep; the Ouija board moving on its own; the footprints. Very effective. And definitely worth a watch.

Horror movies are so easily ruined by once new and refreshing methods or storylines, and Paranormal Activity didn’t suffer from any of that. While I wouldn’t call it Hitchcockian, I would say it’s closer to that thrilling and suspenseful genre than the excessive gore of the 70s and 80s or the torture-porn and contortionist J-horror of the 00s. I’d like to see more horror movies like this - more realistic with its strengths in the performances and camera-work rather than the effects and cheap thrills.

Unfortunately it seems Paranormal Activity 2 dashed away some of that hope..

Ever watch a movie as an adult that you really super duper loved and thought was awesomely amazing as a kid? And turns out that the movie actually kinda sucked?

Yeah…

I got Thumbelina in the mail the other day and opened it with warm, happy, delightful memories of how much I LOOOOVED it when I was a little kid. I didn’t want to watch it by myself though, I wanted it to be special! My sister wouldn’t watch it with me so I turned to the next best thing…

My boyfriend.

Let’s get one thing straight: Christof is a Disneyholic, much like myself. He loves kids anything - movies, books, you name it. He built a freakin’ PIRATE SHIP in his front yard. I thought that this could be a movie that we’d enjoy together :)

His sarcastic commentary aside (especially in regards to Prince Cornelius, who he thought was a pansy), I was kinda feeling the pain. The songs I loved so much as a kid were no longer awesome, especially when you’re used to getting goosebumps listening to Disney music, aside from Thumbelina’s short little song “Soon” and the love song between her and Cornelius, which I just love :)

And the songs were so much shorter and less theatrical than what I remembered! No show-stopping musical numbers, and pretty useless songs to be honest. They don’t move the plot forward in any way.

While I can appreciate Don Bluth trying to stay as close to the orignal Hans Christian Andersen tale, all the storylines with the toad, beetle, etc. were weak and brushed over. At least pick ONE and juice it up a bit! The beetle bit irritated me the most. That and Thumbelina feeling blue when the bugs thought she was ugly. Put your big girl panties on! She wouldn’t stand a chance against any of the Disney princesses, that’s for sure. (Note: Jodi Benson provided the voice of Thumbelina and also voiced Ariel in the amazingly awesome The Little Mermaid)

This is definitely a movie with a short shelf life. Show it to your kids, especially your little girls, when they’re still too young to notice crappy storylines and corny lines. Oh, and, as Christof pointed out, Thumbelina flying off with Cornelius after only talking to him for a millisecond (though Snow White, Christof’s favoriteee, did practically the same thing!).

 I watched the third episode today for the second time and I’m wondering if that is going to be a new trend for me, watching ‘Dexter’ eps twice, that is. It’s the kind of show that needs to sink in, at least for me. But, anyway…

Chris was home this past weekend so we actually got to talk about the episode together, aside from our text convo:

Chris: Julia Stiles is on tonight! Think she’ll save the last…er…Dexter?
LK: Nanny. Maybe she’ll…I got nothing.
Chris: Hahahaha. I effing love Deb. I don’t like this Scottish lady. She freaks me out…
LK: Quinn looks skinnnyyyy
Chris: I swear, I think he’s gonna be naked like this whole season and knows he needed to lose weight! Especially after the first episode…(sidenote: Chris thought Quinn looked chubby in the first episode; I think Quinn looks amazing all the time)
LK: I hope so. Ugh, I love him.
Chris: He sounds so Boston-y.
LK: Where does he print those out? The pictures?
Chris: I dunno…hmm…Dex is lookin’ a lil orangeeeee
LK: Hahahaha, Masuka is great
Chris: Dies for him. He so funny. I’ll never shoot you with a tranq dart, FYI.
LK: I appreciate that :)
Chris: Yeah, no big. Dexter is on fire tonight. “Because you’re the beginning of my healing process.” Duhhh. That made me die laughing, I don’t know why.
LK: That was a short ep!
Chris: I know! And the last five minutes were like ‘holy-shit’ status and next week looks epic!

There you have it, folks. To break it down Chris thought it was kind of a boring episode. He’s nervous. I have hope. I think it’s really going to start picking up from here, especially given the last five minutes of the episode. Dexter never ceases to surprise me. I really thought Julia Stiles was going to be the nanny and when Sonya showed up I was like, “Uhhh….where’s Julia Stiles?” I started thinking that maybe Julia would be Sonya’s daughter, or something like that. Nope. One of Boyd’s would-be victims. I did NOT see that coming!

Sonya is in’nersting though. I’m not sure what to make of her…I feel like she *knows* what Dexter’s about. The little rhyme/song she sang to Harrison when she first held him, about “daddy going hunting”….I know it’s a classic nursery rhyme, but still…

It’s nice to see Dexter step it up as a daddy though :) I love how concerned he is, like about the puppy blanket or Harrison being effected by what he saw.

Aside from that, more set up for Quinn-Deb, Deb and mini-Deb (the new uniformed cop), LaGuerta-Angel-Angel in trubs, and Quinn suspecting Dexter. But I’m the most excited by Miss Stiles and how that’s all gonna go. I hope Dexter steps it up - he’s been pretty sloppy lately and I’m worried about him. That being said, MCH is already killing it this season (pun intended); his acting is superb, as always, but this episode in particular, when he’s talking to Boyd before he kills him.

Oh, and Harrison’s face when he’s leaning on Sonya’s shoulder? I DIED OF THE CUTENESS!

http://www.youtube.com/v/nda_OSWeyn8?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US

http://www.youtube.com/v/vZKXAFqdlC4?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US

I don’t know which I love more.

When I first heard that they were going to make a movie about Facebook I thought to myself, “That is the most retarded thing I’ve ever heard.”

I was wrong

I thought it would be about, well, Facebook. Like the pictures and cliche college life. Stupid stuff. Then I heard David Fincher was going to direct it. And Trent Reznor was going to be composing the music. I was intrigued.

Then the trailer came out. I was extremely intrigued.

All the hype about it is not just hype. It really is that good. Sure, they dramatize some stuff and, like Rashida Jones’ character says, every creation myth needs a Devil. Chris and I kept leaning over to remark about what an asshole, dick, doucebag, jerk-off, etc. Mark Zuckerberg is. It made us not want to ever go on Facebook ever again. Almost.

We found ourselves cheering for our new Spiderman, Andrew Garfield, and feeling downright bad for him. Poor guy. Mark was the enemy, Eduardo the dude who got screwed over big time, and Sean Parker (one of the founders of Napster; not the other Sean who posed on the cover of TIME magazine back in the day and was NOT a dick) as the incredible annoying and off-putting monkey wrench.

Before seeing the film I knew next to nothing about the history of Facebook (for God’s sake, it’s only 7 years old) but the movie was not difficult to follow. Fincher did a good job of spacing all the plotlines - the stuff with Mark, with Eduardo, the twins, and the time lapses between the court-cases and the timeline of the founding of the company.

The acting is superb (minus JT). Jesse Eisenberg is the geeky secondhand Michael Cera no longer. He’s great and someone I look forward to watching for years to come. Armie Hammer, playing both twins, was good too, but I think people are giving him lots of cred just because he played two different characters. I mean, he was good, but….come on.

Now, the intensity. David Fincher never lets me down. He always manages to make his films compelling and suspenseful. He’s never over-the-top dramatic and always manages to pepper in some humor without it feeling forced. That’s why he has always been one of my favorite directors. I hope he gets some nods. He damn well deserves them.

Speaking of awards, Trent Reznor and Atticus Finch, anyone? Holy crap! The movie was great but the music made it even greater. Perfectly matched up. Got your heart pounding. As if I expected anything less than that from Mr. Nine Inch Nails himself :) I expect Reznor and Finch will get some nominations. And if they don’t, I’ll be very sad and cry into my NIN t-shirts.

The real reason the movie is so great is that it showcases beautifully the bitter irony of the site: Facebook is lauded as a way for people to connect, to become “friends” and what not, yet the people who made it together ended up duking it out in court. The guys who created Facebook were pissed off about not getting the girls (and, quite frankly, if the depiction of Mark is accurate….don’t deserve the girls) or into the finals clubs. So they made their own club. Exclusive. Just for Harvard. Maybe they had a change of heart, maybe they wanted more money or notoriety, but now Facebook is global. Nothing exclusive about it, which is what makes it great. Some people (Trent Reznor included) hate it because people can fake who they are online. People can untag the dorky pictures of themselves in high school, but they can also be fired or handed divorce papers for posting the “cool” pictures of them drinking, doing drugs, etc. The movie balances both sides of Facebook - the great friendly part (which the founders struggle with) and the darker sides (that dissipate the friendships that existed prior to the founding).

This film speaks to our generation in a way that others have not. People say that other generations had troubles, had depressions and wars and famines, and what do we have? The internet. But what has Facebook done but showed us that we DO have all those troubles, on top of regular human troubles? The complexities of friendships, sex, religion, politics…it’s all there, right on your profile page.

Bottom line, go see it. If not just to know what everyone else is talking about.

Jesus Christ, his mouth is huge.

Um. Shouldn’t Kurt still be sad?

Mum: This is going to be known as the gay show.
LK: Um, it already is.

Rachel is still annoying.

Oh wait, a new leaf?

Nope, nevermind.

Avatar language? hahahaha

Kurt’s dad. A wise man.

Aww dad-son love :)

LOOOOOVE this song!

Shake it guuuurl!

Artie, say no!

Vocal masturbation!?

Chris Colfer, please play Emcee.

What up, sexual tension.

(commercial break: I am PSYCHED for this movieeeee! Yay, Disney!)

The Clintons…?

Whhhhattt in the hell? Disturbing.

Awww :)

Poor Artie :( Brittany, be smart for once.

Similar as in selfish? Or cocky?

Sam is ridiculous =P

Oh? Do tell.

Boo! :( Lame secret!

Judy Garland and Barbara Streisand? A gay man’s dream!

On a side note: where the hell does Rachel get these outfits??

Whoa. Goosebumps.

I made the mistake of waiting too long to review this episode, and now I can’t remember much, or my visceral response to it. I liked it, it was a bit slow, but I’m ok with that. Some people have already started complaining about the season’s slow start, but after a doozy of a season finale last season….it’s all good in the hood. There are a lot of loose ends that need to be tied up; we need to see how Dexter reacts and deals with all the changes.

That’s what makes ‘Dexter’ great. It doesn’t shy away from the small, humanistic and realistic details. That is, afterall, what the show is all about - Dexter finding a balance between his Dark Passenger and his potentially human side. If the show focused primarily on Dexter and his killings then it would be like any other slasher flick in TV series form.

Anyway, back to the episode!

It’s nice to see Dexter trying, really trying, in his own way, to be a good dad. The interactions between him and Cody, especially after he told Cody that he needed to be with Astor, broke my heart. Also, the interchange between Dex and Deb when he told her what he had told Cody. He does love those kids. I imagine we’ll see them again.

Chris texted me after watching the episode. He especially enjoyed Dexter’s little fairy tale he told to Harrison in the moving truck. It made me giggle, a little bit. I always like when Harry pops up, and it’s interesting to hear Harry’s two-cents about the whole thing.

Dexter:They tell you if the oxygen masks come down you should put yours on before your kids. I’ve got to take care of my needs too or I’ll go spinning out of control.
Harry: It’s not just for the sake of the kids but for you. They’re not only your responsibility. They’re your salvation.

Hm.

He DOES leave the Boyd dude to find the kids. Good call, Dex.

The episode focuses more on Dexter and the kids, and Dexter repeats why he likes kids (something he stated three seasons ago or so); that they remind him of the innocence he lost. And they remind him that he CAN care and love. :)

Seeing Sad Dexter is jarring. The I-need-a-minute Dexter. A good way to end the episode, not with the promise of a new lead but with a mourning serial killer.

Oh, Finn. I don’t think a George Foreman grill could ever do that.

I love Kurt’s dad :)

Yesss! “Sing Along Sound of Music”!

Ah, sacred, ritual, grilled cheese Jesus…

Ooo, “disappointed” That’s the worst.

Eww, Puck.

“Ugh, I hate Billy Joel.” - my mum

Nooooo!

What up Emmy nomination.

God = Genie? hahahahahahahahahaha!

Girl boobs?! hahahahaha again!

Wow, Tina looks fierceeeee!

You go, Mercedes!

Um, where did the harpist come from?

At the BET awards?? Where they bump and grind? Um…no.

Leave room for the Holy Spirit, now!

Man, Sue loves to hit below the belt.

We would all like to know the answer to that question. Do tell.

Sad Sue :(

“Now I know what Miley feels like.”

Aww I like this episode :)

Hmm, what is he gonna sing?

Jeez, no “Losing My Religion”?

Aw montage! Little Kurt looks just like Real Kurt!

I want to wear fabulous hats to church :( Maybe I should start!

Finn is seriously demented. I love him!

YESSSS!! FINALLY!

Ok, seriously, I need to get some awesome hats.

My comp is gonna die so I can’y continue this :(

As I was in Maine for the premiere of season 5 I wasn’t able to enjoy the first episode of “Dexter” with everyone else in the world :( BUT I watched it yesterday…and…

First item of note, I watched the entire episode with a furrowed brow. It wasn’t the usual concern (concern that Dexter would get caught, or what would happen next or, oh-no-something-bad-is-going-to-happen) but a new one. I was worried about Dexter on a whole new level, on a “Poor guy” level.

I didn’t think he was acting that peculiar though. If I were in Dexter-land I would have just chalked up his behavior to shock. Everyone’s all freakin’ out ‘cause he’s not crying. Please. Dexter is not a cryer. Even pretend Dexter with the mask is not a cryer. Anywho.

Quinn is the new Doakes, no surprise there. It’ll be interesting to see how that pans out, and if his relationship with Deb will complicate stuff. And I totes saw that one coming. When they did it on the kitchen floor I was like, “FINALLY!”

Everyone was on their A-game. Jennifer Carpenter gets better every season, Michael C. Hall is great as always (and he’s always the most interesting when Dexter gets to lose it, like when he screams after killing that dude…and in past seasons when he almost stabbed Trinity, punched Elliot, and sexed that crazy British girl), LaGuerta was great, and seeing Julie Benz in the flashbacks made me really miss her character.

The first date flashback was the first time for me that I really felt irritated with Dexter. I was like, “Can’t he wait to do this another time?! Really? The first date?” The past couple seasons I started to feel for Rita more and more, and saw her as less annoying. This season I’m wondering if there will be parts when we really detest Dexter and his actions.

So what’s gonna happen next episode?! How will Dexter cover up killing that guy, and was that guy an innocent? Harry seems to have had a change of heart - telling Dexter to return to his family rather than scolding him for getting too involved. Will that effect how Dexter reacts to his killings?

I love Brittany. She’s becoming my favorite. So deadpan and hysterical. Love it!

Also, all the Britney in-jokes. So sad that I recognize them.

John Stamos. Uncle Jesse still got it.

Rachel gets more and more annoying…yet I love Lea Michele ‘cause her voice is IN-credible.

HOLY CRAP! Whoa, bodddddy. Who knew? And a good dancer!

Kurt?! Ruh roh…

Please, please, please do a duet between Stamos and Shu!

Aw Brit as a teacher <3

I always forget how much I love “Hit Me Baby One More Time” until I hear it. I was so anti-Britney for so long (let’s face it, she’s not really that talented in the vocal department) but early Brit is soooo goooood.

Nice David at the Dentist reference. Nice.

“It looks like a Jewish cloud.”

Ahhh Shu’s crazy ex-wife!

My mum’s reaction to Sue saying Rachel’s outfit is inappropriate: “I didn’t think it was *that* inappropriate.”

Ok, this episode is not making a whole lot of sense with the Britney fantasy thingamabobs. But I love the boys singing “Stronger” and especially Artie :)

Ughhhh Rachel Ihateyou!

Ah finally, something more Glee-ish. This is when they’re at their best; when they’re actually performing and not some autotone fantasy sequence.

That Jew-fro kid is freaking me out.

I find my mum’s hatred for Sue so funny. She’s always commenting on how mean she is…I’m like, “Ma, she’s amazing.”

Please don’t be “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman”…

Awww I love this song! Kinda wish someone else would have sung it though..

Poor Shu :(

FINALLY got around to seeing “An Education” last night with Chris. It was definitely worth the wait, and now I understand the hype.

Carey Mulligan was, by far, my favorite part - she was absolutely tremendous, breathtakingly good. Her character was relatable, clever, witty, beautiful, and naive - there wasn’t anything Hollywood about her acting, her appearance. She commanded every scene she was in, something remarkable for someone so young AND someone still so new to the scene. I look forward to seeing her again, and I hope she has a looong career.

Peter Sarsgaard, too, was great. He was delightfully sleazy, but not so much so that you brushed him off as a creep, as a monster. It was easy to see what Mulligan’s young character saw in his - romantic, mature, worldly, so different. The acting was great across the board. I wish Sally Hawking had had more screen time; she’s a delight, and her brief appearance was heartbreakingly sweet.

The story (which, I didn’t know, is based on a memoir?) was great; a nice coming of age story with a balance between fairy tale optimism and disastorous melodrama. It could have easily gone down the path of teenage girl gets pregnant, woe is me, but it didn’t. It was hopeful and ended on a high note. I could relate, minus the whole sleeping with a married man thing. But, aside from that, very real. And not at all what I expected! And a good message! Stay in school, kids!

Oh, and the costumes….gorgeous. Just gorgeous. Fashion porn.

I had always wanted to see this movie, mostly because I was intrigued by the synopsis and I’ve always been drawn to films about disfigured people…I don’t know why. Anywho, I got the opportunity to watch The Man Without a Face the other night and it wasn’t *quite* what I was expecting, but I did like it.

It’s one of those “feel good” movies with some plot holes, but a nice fuzzy one nonetheless. Mel Gibson may be a royal jerkface, but he’s a fairly good director and his acting is pretty decent (well, except when he has to do certain accents).

The best part was his house - I want to live there. It’s on a lake, it has loads of books and cool old stuff, and it’s just plain awesome. It looks like Christof’s dream home, no lie. Mel Gibson’s character is great and his relationship with a young Nick Stahl is realistic and touching. Nick Stahl, too, is wonderful in this movie - he’s not sickeningly sweet, but an average little boy who is capable of being a pain in the butt one minute and endearing a minute later. I wish Stahl would do more movies; he’s a talented guy.

And good looking to boot ;)

As I often do after watching movies, I Wikpedia’d it and found out that it’s based on the novel…and that in the novel Gibson’s character was not only accused of being a child molestor (as he is in the film) but he really is. I have to agree with Mel here - I like the movie’s story better. Anything involving child abuse just makes me feel…uncomfortable and upset. Hard to believe this nice film came from a book about child grooming.  =/

Maybe I’ll read the book some day, just to compare. But we’ll see.

Ohhhh, Mel.

I love Disney movies. This isn’t news. But…I didn’t really enjoy Fun and Fancy Free.

Well, I did enjoy it but I didn’t like it. I had seen the “Jack and the Beanstalk” short before and I find it delightful, especially ‘cause Donald is at his most Donald-est (angry about this or that) and the harp was real purdy. “Bongo” was new to me and I liked it up until the slappin song. I said to Christof while watching it, “I feel like this is promoting domestic violence.” And the pink heart cloud part is a little much. Kids will like it for its silliness, but not so for 20-somethings.

The cartoons (and Jiminiy Crickett!) are the best parts, but the stuff with Edgar Bergen and Luana Patten weirded me out. I thought of Jeff Dunham the whole time and I couldn’t get past little Luana being at a party with a grown man and his two dolls. Where were her parents?! One of the dolls did make me guffaw - he was sarcastic and cynical. Awesome. Definitely there for the 20-somethings and older who have to watch it with their kids. But, yeah, this is a Disney movie you can skip. As Christof said, “You know how there are some Disney movies you’ve never heard of or seen? I think there’s a reason for that.”

It’s awful. I expected better from Dario Argento. Don’t bother; it’s the same old, same old and tries to shock but…nope. There were a couple ROFL moments (one in particular echoed E.T.) but other than that…

…don’t bother

Showtime, in case you didn’t know, does this thing from time to time called the Masters of Horror when the network asks famed horror directors to create episodes (short films) that they can air. They do, however, have certain rules in place that dictate what the directors are NOT allowed to do/show. Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike (known for Ichi, the Killer and other films) directed an episode entitled “Imprint”

It was banned.

Showtime wouldn’t allow it to be aired because while it *technically* didn’t break any of the rules put in place, it definitely pushed the envelope to the extreme. Incest, rape, torture, abortion, prostitution, murder, disfigurement, you name it.

I was able to track it down on the internet - my curiosity got the best of me. I had heard so much about it, and the now infamous torture scene, that as an avid film watcher and a semi-big horror fan, I had to watch it. More so for the just-so-I-can-say-I-did reason rather than the I-enjoy-watching-really-effed-up-movies reason.

As a film, it’s pretty beautiful. Takashi Miike knows how to use colors, music, and lighting to develop one mood and then strike it down with the action of the actors. The costumes and makeup are impeccable, as are the effects (except for “Little Sis” which I found somewhat lame). The story, based on a short novel, is…well, it’s as if someone decided to take all the cultural taboos known to mankind and throw them in and develop some sort of a plot. Story-wise, the film isn’t too great. I mean, a parasitic evil twin that forces its sister to do out its demented wishes? Um, sure. It would have been a lot more compelling without that factor. But stylistically speaking, “Imprint” is hauntingly beautiful.

As for the torture scene…yeah, it was pretty cringe-worthy. But I didn’t find it as disturbing as other film sequences (the remakes of The Hills Have Eyes and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre had parts that grossed me out/offended me waaaaaaay more). So, yeah, I survived.

If you’re a huge horror fan, especially of Japanese horror, then check it out. Of course, if you get easily upset by certain taboos…I’d avoid it. While the torture scene didn’t do me in, other parts of the episode made me squirm.

The Great Mouse Detective was one of my fave Disney movies when I was a kid. I remember thinking Basil was the coolest and the Big Ben sequence freaking me out. The danger of re-watching those movies is ruining the magic, finding out how corny they are, how bad the animation is, and how unmemorable the music is (except for “Let Me Be Good to You” and how not camp appropriate it is for kids)..

But that’s ok, The Great Mouse Detective is still awesomeeee.

What surprised me the most, re-watching it, was how short it is! Movies always seem so much longer when you’re a kid. And not much really happened…and the music wasn’t as exciting. But Basil is STILL the man.

In fact, there are some aspects that I appreciate more as an adult then I ever could have as a kid. First of all, Vincent Price is the voice of Ratigan. VINCENT. PRICE. He also said that Ratigan was his favorite role he ever played. Aw :) Secondly, Basil is even cooler then ever. The part when he and Dawson escape from the mouse trap, save Olivia (who is pretty adorable, by the way), AND still pose for the camera is B.A. For real.

Ratigan is totally unappreciated. He’s a fun villain that still manages to be scurry (like when he’s clawing at poor Basil).

All in all, The Great Mouse Detective is pretty flippin’ sweet. More kids should see it - it’s one of the lesser known Disney movies but it’s still entertaining :)

90s movies are awesome. They have the best music, the people playing teenagers look like they’re closer to 30, and everyone is so jaded, bitter, and sarcastic. I definitely should’ve been born ten years earlier.

I watched “Disturbing Behavior” the other night mostly because “Memento” wasn’t free. I enjoyed it mostly for its music, Nick Stahl, a young James Marsden, and Katie Holmes before Tom Cruise and Scientology took over her soul. Ironic, seeing as the movie is about kids being turned into robots…and now Katie, excuse me, KATE Holmes is pretty much a robot.

So the movie itself could have been a lot better. It was underdeveloped. Random things that seemed to be significant were never fully explained, like the bad guy’s daughter and the line she would repeat over and over, the janitor who was not REALLY dumb, etc. And why wasn’t there a revolt before? Didn’t the teachers and other kids notice that the stoners were slowly becoming jocks and beating up kids they were friends with the day before? And how the hell did they get away with beating up kids in the lunchroom anyway?

High school movies. *rolls eyes*

There’s not too much else to say about this movie. It’s a fun throwback if you were a 90s kid and enjoy seeing stars before they were stars (or robots). And the behavior of the students and how they look is actually a lot more realistic than in other movies (like the ones with Freddie Prinze, Jr. in them).

Gotta love the 90s and the social stereotypes to the extremeeee.