04 July 2010

OKAY OKAY! YOU WIN!

I have been thinking and thinking lately about writing again. My whole "writing time" seems to be off these days. I thought coming back to work at the old 123 would be perfect for it, however, my new found skills of being a TOTALLY kick ass manager have made it impossible for me to actually do anything other than WORK at work, so I haven't found the time.
Enter Steve... he is BITCHER EXTRORDINAIRE! If bitching were an Olympic Sport, Steve would win gold EVERY FOUR YEARS!
So, I concede. I will pick up pen and paper (or laptop) and begin.

I did finish my vampire novella, however it has too many words to be short story material and not enough to be considered for novel publishing. Sigh.

I will write non-fiction.

We'll see how it goes. Will keep you posted. :)

22 May 2010

Letters to Juliet

I went to see this little movie in the middle of a very busy week. I took Annie with me and we LOVED it!
Amanda Seyfried is lovely, beautiful and enchanting.
Vanessa Redgrave is lovely, beautiful and the kind of old person I want to be.
THe blonde English guy, who I don't know, was great.
Gael Garcia Bernal plays a douche, so he is great! LOL!

Italy looks JUST as beautiful as it did to me in Under The Tuscan Sun.
I WANT TO GO TO ITALY!!!!

The one thing that stood out for me in this flick is that even tho Amanda's character works for the New Yorker, she isn't rich. It's Gael Garcia Bernal that takes her on the trip to Italy, he is getting ready to open a restaurant and needs to visit suppliers, etc. It's supposed to be a "pre-honeymoon" since his restaurant will be opening in 6 six weeks time (or something close to that) and they won't be able to go after they are married because of that.
First off, I like that, as it's realistic but still fantastical enough not to throw you out of the vibe from the get-go.
So once Sophie (Amanda) is in Italy she is sucked into doing Bernal's "to-do" list of visiting vineyards and cheese makers and pasta places. Now, I wouldn't think that the vineyard would be a bad thing, but of course, Bernal is too interested in his restaurant stuff to really notice that Sophie isn't having fun. SO Sophie offers an idea, Bernal can go to Livorno (120 km away) and she will sight see her stuff. As Bernal says repeatedly, a win-win! LOL!
Sophie then visits the home of Juliet (did I mention they are in Verona! LOL)
There she meets the secretaries of Juliet who write responses to the love-lorn that leave letter to Juliet on the wall at this ABSOLUTELY lovely little sitting garden.
As in true Hollywood Movie Fashion Sophie is invited to help out. After all, she is carrying a notebook so SURPRISE she MUST be a writer! LOL!
Alas, Sophie "discovers" a letter 50 years old. She answers it. Forget the fact that the Royal Mail is having issues at the moment, the letter gets there, to England, in record time and the people on the other end come to Italy, also, in record time!
Let's just forget all that tedious fact stuff! Let's just go with it!
Fast forward, Sophie, Clair and Clair's grandson start scouring the countryside, the AMAZING countryside, looking for Lorenzo Bertolinni, Clair's long lost love....
I will not spoil anything at this point, but know, this is a romantic movie.... awwww.
HAHAHHAH!
I give this movie 4 stars. It is not a stand-out in the movie literature arena, but it is entirely entertaining and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

03 May 2010

Black Dynamite

If you are looking for a GREAT homage flick that has EVERY great scene from the 70's Blacksploitation movies, then see Black Dynamite!
Michael Jai White is FANTASTIC as the title character. He looks good, he moves good and he sounds good! THe "bitches" in this flick are so funny and right on the mark! Nice to see Tommy Davidson, Arsenio Hall, Brian McKnight, Nicole Sullivan and Kym Whitley all in 70's rediculous dress! They were GREAT!!!! LOVE the names too, Creamed Corn, Bull Horn, Chicago Wind, and of course John Salley as Kotex! LOL! THe bad editing, the bigger and bigger Top Man after you kick the butt of the next in line, it's soooooooo funny!
I give this film 5 stars!
It needs to be seen. Instant classic, I have to say. I will watch this hysterical movie every single time it comes on tv.
It reminds you of so many of the old flicks: Black Gunn, Slaughter, Truck Turner, Enter the Dragon, and soooooo many more.
WATCH IT!!!! You won't be sorry!

The NEW Dr. Who!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
I think that is probably all I need to post but I will go into more detail.
This show rocks. Granted it's been rocking for years now but with the new Doctor I felt I should chime in .
Matt Smith is AWESOME!!!!
I like his fast pace and his facial expressions. I like his new quirks for the Doctor. I simply like this guy!
Amy Pond! Well, short of posting her picture there is a lot to like about Amy Pond. She is awfully cute, gotta love the gingers! LOL! SHe is funny and can deliver a line really well.
I like the whole imaginary friend thing. I see the sexual tension but it isn't overbearing like during the Martha times. UGH!!! DOn't even get me started on freakin' Martha!
I see there is going to be a LOT of humour this season, I like that.
I like the guest stars so far. I like that we see the Dahlik's in the third episode - AWESOME! AND I have to laugh at thier new appearance, much more marketable, eh? LOL!
The Special FX are still great! LOVE LOVE LOVE the spitfires in outer space scene! WOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! If only, eh?
The Weeping Angels are next week and I think it would be impossible for me to explain my excitement about THAT episode! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE WEEPING ANGELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE EM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To Tanya, you are in the UK so you are 3 weeks ahead of me, NO SPOILERS!!!! I am about peeing myself to get to Saturdays every week! LOL! If you are watching the Doctor, type an email up but hold it for 3 weeks then we can discuss! hahahhahahha.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DOCTOR WHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

08 March 2010

The Proposal

Ooooooookkkkaaaayyyyyyy. Sandra (Oscar Winner) Bullock and Ryan (hot hot hot stomach) Reynolds star in this audience loved movie.
I finally watched it.
Hmmmm, what to say.
How about:
What the F is wrong with America?????
This movie sucked.
Not even Sandra nor Ryan, whom I adore, could lift this stupid piece of crap.
Betty White, Mary Steenburgen and Craig T Nelson were rediculous characatures of stereotypes from RomCom's past.
Betty the lovable omniscient gammy even fiegns a heart attack to finagle the father and son to promise never to quarrel again...... (blechhhhhhh, pardon me while I vomit)

Mary is a clueless mother, completely wasted with no parental wisdoms to deliver. Unless of course you choose the moment where she gets overly dramatic to her husband about the relationship with the son.

Then we get to Craig T Nelson who is OF COURSE the father who knows best for everyone and even goes so far as to possible get his son sent to prison to SHOW he knows it all.

Ugh. I did watch this whole thing. I didn't think OH! That part works.... I just kept thinking that this thing is crap.

If Sandra's character is SO EVIL then how can that hard as nails exterior be cracked so simply by someone having a family?

People in her office send out instant messages that IT'S ON THE MOVE, or whatnot.... refering to her leaving her office and walking to another.
Ryan Reynolds has worked for her for 3 years and knows everything about her. Even her favourite color. Soooo, if she is so evil that even HE sends out the instant message when she's on the move, how can he fall in love with her in 48 hours? AND conversely, how can someone with NO SENTIMENTALITY at all, fall in love with her assistant in 48 hours?

Sigh, why am I even bothering to wonder these things? That is the real question. Did Roger Ebert even feel like he was wasting his proverbial breath?

Oh and speaking of Roger, poor Roger. I saw him on the Independant Spirit Awards. He looks like an old woman. I still love him as a Critic.

So Sandra, congrats on the Oscar! Glad you got it, even tho I didn't like The Proposal.

1 Star

10 February 2010

Blizzard of DEATH

Well maybe it isn't a blizzard of death, but it's certainly not CAKE!
We have over 30 inches up here and it's blowing all around today. The plows have pushed the snow up high and my poor neighbors yard is FULL with snow that came from the woman next to her's driveway!!!! Like her man couldn't puch it into her OWN yard!!!!!! No lie, that pile is over 8 feet!!!
You can check out the pics I will be putting on here.
This snow needs to f-off! No one needs THIS much snow. THe kids are out of school for the rest of the week.
WHO KNOWS when we will be able to open the theater again.
I have only shown From Paris with Love twice. That was shows on Monday!!!!

Oh well!

Hopefully this won't turn into a Donner Party blog!

08 January 2010

Leap Year

OMG! Let me start by saying don't waste your time nor your money.
I love Amy Adams. I think she is awesome.
I also think Hollywood doesn't know what to do with her.
She is 35. She will be 26 in August. Hollywood doesn't have a clue as to what to do with a woman in her 30s. The last time they handled that situation men all over the world cringed (Alex in Fatal Attraction.)

She has a movie coming up called The Fighter, with Christian Bale and Marky Mark, sorry I can't call him by his "real" name - he will always be Marky Mark.
(I'm lucky that I can recall ANY names!)
Let's hope it's a good one for her.
David O. Russell is the director and his resume isn't all that (to me) so I will keep my fingers crossed for her.

Okay, enough of how much I LOVE Amy Adams. Onto Leap Year.

Sigh, how to begin other than to say RUN!!!!! RUN AWAY!!!! FAST AND FAR!!!!!
This movie is crap. It's a rehash of crap we have seen before, over and over again. There are no cute quips. There are no realistic scenes. ALL the towns are straight out of the early 1900's casting. Well, wait, that isn't fair, the early 1900's casting town were FAR MORE MODERN!

Anna is a control freak who styles aparments for a living. She is good. We know this because in the montage she is having men move furniture and then getting a call that says the place sells in moments. OOOhhhh, yawn.
Of course her boyfriend is a Cardiologist. (they are always something where they make LOADS of money and have conventions all over the world to set up the rediculous plot.)
Thus, Mr. Heart Man is on his way to a convention/conference in Dublin, Ireland.
Anna, meeting her father, the FANTASTIC John Lithgow, for a beer we get the back story (aka the device) "Your Grandmother went to Ireland on Leap Day to ask your Grandfather to marry her since he waited so long... blah blah blah."
AND, by the way, that is all we see of John Lithgow.
WHAT????????????
John Lithgow! Winner of a Saturn Award (1984 Twilight Zone the movie), Winner of An american Comedy Award (1997 3rd Rock from the Sun), Emmy win 3rd rock from the sun 3 times. and one for Amazing Stories. Winner, Golden Globe 3rd Rock, and a bazillion nominations for various other roles, World According to Garp included in that!
This amazing actor, who will more than likely be winning ANOTHER Emmy this year for his portrayal of The Trinity Killer on Dexter, gets all of 7 minutes screen time. TO PUSH ALONG A PLOT THAT SUCKS ANYWAY!!!!
GGGGGGGAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

To get the idea about how BAD this movie is: The writer: Deborah Kaplan also wrote these gems of cinematic wisdom:
Made of Honor
Surviving Christmas
Josie & the Pussycats
The Flintstones, Viva Rock Vegas
Can't Hardly Wait
A Very Brady Sequel

OH
MY
GAWD!!!!!

Okay, Matthew Goode, I have to say is crap. I didn't even realize he is the guy from Watchmen. GOOD GRIEF!
He isn't anything special in this film.
No one is, actually.
Every plot device is contrived and so boring I could have fallen asleep.
The accents were crap.
The scenery was crap, it wasn't even the normal beautiful Ireland that we see in other movies.
It did rain alot. That was realistic, to a point.

Sigh, I just can't think of anything that I could call cute in that film.

MERDE!!!!!

That is the best word to describe this film and that word might be a mite too European for it.

SKIP THIS FILM!

The CW, or should we call it Ghost of Popular shows past.

Okay, so I saw something when I was reading the tragic news of some Plaboy Playmate being burned to death in Miami. I saw 90210.
HEY! I know that zip code. It's actually the ONLY other zip code that I know where it is that is not in Maryland. :) COOL. But, wait a minute, this isn't the old Beverly Hills 90210 show in syndecation... it's some NEW show. If you could see the look on my face, like I jsut tasted something so horrid that I want to spit it out like NOW!
COME ON!!!! You know, I am getting so sick of this "Hey the formula makes money, let's keep doing it"
It's not the angst ridden 90's. This is the new millenium! The decades of the NAUGHTS is over. We are moving into the teens! THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE NEED STUPID TEEN SHOWS!!! GAH!
I do not know how this show is working. 90210 worked because we were just out of the 80's. The decade of I HAVE and YOU HAVE NOT but I DON'T CARE because I HAVE.
We believed these kids since we knew some of their parents who HIT IT BIG in the
80's. We also hadn't really seen anything like it before.
It was a PRIME TIME soap opera that wasn't about an Oil Barron or about adults.
We also watched (although not me) Melrose Place, to see the 20-somethings being rich and angsty and sleeping with everyone.
How does a new version of 90210 and Melrose Place play out in this day and age? Are they suffering from the recession?
Have they lost their home?
Thier jobs?
Are they sitting in their parents basement watching basic cable?
Somehow I think not.
I bet they even drive fancy cars and speed all over not caring about gas costing $3.29 a gallon.
Hmmmm. Are kids watching this shit?

I have to guess yes, since I notice that 90210 is on it's second season.
I understand that the CW is not a channel for women of my advancing years (or brain power) so I am not the target audience. BUT Annie is the target audience. Having not watched the show, I cannot comment on it's social conscience or whatnot, but I am willing to bet the underlying theme is, "We are great but no one realises this yet so we better MAKE them!"

Recently I sat in Avatar for the second time with my kids and I thought, "You know, my generation is the LAST generation to REALLY UNDERSTAND why this film making technique is so amazing."
It's true. We (me, Linda, Steve, Rick, people of more than 3 decades) remember watching the ultimate in special effects - TRON - and thinking WOW!
How about Clash of the Titans? WOAH! That stop motion is awesome!!!!
LOL! How about An American Werewolf in London? I have talked about these special FX for EVER! He changes into a werewolf IN THE LIGHT!!!!!!! We see it! Actually see it!!!!
Now, that is archaic!
James Cameron has created this amazing motion capture filming technique. It will change things FOREVER.
My kids will be entertained without even realizing they are being amazed and that when their mother was young she would NEVER have been able to see something like this.
Sigh.
This all connects to this "new" 90210.
Todays kids simply expect. They expect wealth. Even tho most of their parents don't have it.
They expect great cars to drive. (even when we drive used cars or work our asses off for new ones)
They simply expect things to work for them.
I would like to think that our kids would be more tolerant and understanding than us. However, I am hearing things that make me think they are far more intollerant and don't want to understand.
I would like to blame George Bush, but I have to blame us. George simply used fear as his motivator, we all just allowed it.
:(

07 January 2010

Thursday

Okay, so I have to go back to work today. I have actually done some work already as I had to get with Coke and find out when it was coming.
I need to build up Leap Year tonight and tear down Invictus AND Brothers. Ugh.
Well, we get paid this week, so I don't have to do payroll and it's not the end of the month so the films are the only things I have to do.
However, my jaw is still sore and my cheek hurts too.
This recently dentist trip REALLY took a lot out of me.
I have had to take 3 of the pain pills!!! That's a big deal for me, as I heal really quickly. BUT can't take a pain pill today since I have work to do.
Ugh.

I will be able to take one when I get home.

Previewing Leap Year this evening. I am hoping I will be able to watch Leap Year. Fingers crossed that no one comes for Invictus so I can break it down before the preview. WOOOO!

Have a lovely evening my readers, all 3 of you! LOL!

Chris Helmsworth

Okay. So, I see Star Trek last May, or whenever it came out, and the TEENY TINY amount of screen time that Chris Helmsworth had totally AMAZED me. He played Kirk's father who gets sacrafice himself for... well, everyone.
He made such an impression on me that I wanted to check him out in another film.
SOOOOO I rented (if that is the correct term for Netflix) A Perfect Getaway.
Hmmm, one again, Mr. Helmsworth has about 2 seconds of screen time.
GAH!!! WTF?????
Well, he is shirtless in this film, sporting the amazing abs we NEVER saw in Star Trek but gives us great understanding as to how the hell this guy will be Thor.

So, nothing else is available for me to see him in, other than Austrailian soaps or whatnot.

SIGH!!!

I must wait!

I hate waiting.

06 January 2010

Kudos for Jen Lancaster!

I just finished reading Jen Lancaster's book 'Such a pretty fat.'
EXCELLENT!!!!

I read other books from her, Bitter is the New Black and Bright Lights Big Ass. Both are very funny and very poignant.

I logged onto the illustious Allegany County Library system as soon as I finish Pretty Fat to get her new book, Pretty in Plaid and OF COURSE, it isn't one of the three books my library has.

Ok, to be fair, the library has more than 3 books. AND I am able to get a lot of the Hamish MacBeth novels there. not all, but a lot.
However, when I want to read something I WANT TO READ IT NOW!!!!!!!!
GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
So, it isn't there. I will have to buy it. (I am giggling inside, can't giggle outwardly since Steve is sitting right here and for some reason Mr. Reader doesn't like me to buy books)
(You know, between you and me, I think he only doesn't like me buying books because we don't read the same genres. I like fun books that are interesting, he likes crap!)
Ok, in all fairness his books aren't crap. He reads Stephen Hunter and Nelson DeMille and Mr. Puff-up Warmonger, okay that last one doesn't exist but I just don't want to read those books.
I like "girly" books. I like the books I call Summer Reading. Alisa Kwitney's The Dominant Blonde, On The Couch. These of course are fiction. Jen Lancaster's novels are memoirs.
I do like how she says, Yes, ANOTHER memoir on this one I just read. Makes me laugh.
I would LOVE to meet Jen Lancaster. I think, other than the Fox news bit, we would get alone FABULOUSLY!!!!
I reccommend this book for anyone who is looking for something to read or even for those not wanting to read, READ IT!!!! It'll make you laugh and you too will want to know this chick!
She's AWESOME!!!

Check it out.
http://www.jennsylvania.com

:)

01 January 2010

Avatar

OMG! This is a MUST SEE movie. AND it's a MUST SEE in 3D.
James Cameron does it again. I know people keep saying Dancing with Smurfs, but this is soooo not accurate.
This movie may have a familiar storyline but in James Cameron's quite able hands, it is new and touching and thrilling and beautiful beyond imagination.
Pandora is a fully realised planet and there is no detail missed in creating this amazing home world of the Na'vi. AND THE NA'VI! OMG! They are amazing and gorgeous and words actual escape me at this moment.
The touches that Cameron adds, the glowing plants, the clouds, the animals everything works. You BELIEVE.
The "bad guys" are real bad guys. Not evil and vengful but doing a job to the point of not having a conscience. Of course, the "Paul Riser" character (ie: Aliens) actual HAS a conscience and is bothered by it.
Stephen Lang is a very good heavy. Now, granted he always has been a good heavy but here, he gets to really put it on without going over the top.
Sam Worthington is really good. When I reviewed Terminator the other day I said I would wait to comment on Sam Worthington and now I am ready to say that I DO believe he is a very good actor. He was able to star in this movie and be a star in this movie.
His Jake Sully character is well drawn and realistic. I like the way he is dismissed as a grunt, even tho his brother had a PHD.
I like the way he bounds through the brush on Pandora like a large unruly animal and as time progresses he is lithe and capable. Granted, this version of him is advanced CGI/Motion Capture but Sam Worthington is ACTUALLY acting the scenes for the Motion Capture.
Zoe Saldana is great. Sigourny Weaver is fantastic, as always. She is COMPLETELY on form here. Everyone is very very good in this film.
James Cameron waited, from what I understand from interviews, for the technology to catch up. Well, BRAVO, Sir! This film is amazing.
We get a voice over narration from Sully from the very beginning that slowly morphs seemlessly into a video log and then into being in his head.
You feel for the Na'vi and I actually cried during scenes. I DID! Really!
It had great humor as well as thrills.
Michelle Rodriguez is great, Joel Moore is great, everybody is just great!
I know I sound like an idiot here, but I haven't enjoyed a movie to this extent since I watched Titanic! yes, I know! Another Cameron flick. BUT As the credits were rolling on Titanic I KNEW I would have to see that movie again.
And as the credits were rolling on Avatar, I KNEW I would have to see it again.
It was awesome!

5 out of 5 stars.