Daily DVD

American Beauty. One of my favorite films of all time. I was lucky enough to work at the theater when this came out, and watched the trailer an unhealthy amount of times. I was surprised to read about the hipster backlash against this movie, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It's been just the right amount of time since it came out for people who were younger when they watched it to be nice and cynical about it. I think it holds up, though - I will never get tired of watching it. I remember thinking it was the screenplay I always wanted to write and was very envious of how twisted and sharp it was. Just writing about it now makes me want to watch it again! Love it.

Daily DVD

I love Amadeus so much that I look forward to watching it repeatedly, and I do watch it at least once a year. One of my favorite moments (and there are several) is the oboe solo during the Serenade for Thirteen Wind Instruments, when Mozart is trying to get it on with Constanze and they start his music without him. Perhaps it's because I used to play the oboe, or perhaps it's just because it's such a great scene and sets up the rest of the film so well, I don't know, but it's just such a haunting piece - juxtaposed with the bawdiness of their exchange - I just adore it.

We've already gone over my love for period pieces in the Age of Innocence post. I don't love a film just because it is a period piece, but I am a strong supporter of very good ones. An ex-boyfriend once said I have impeccable taste when it comes to those types of movies, and I still take that as a compliment. Amadeus is much more than a p.p., obviously. It's much more than a historical biography or classical music showpiece. It truly is a gorgeous piece of art, and anyone who has never had the pleasure of watching this film needs to go out and purchase the dvd immediately. I guarantee it's worth a purchase, not just a rental. And make sure your surround sound is ready to go - it will need to be on 11.

(500) Days of Summer

(500)Days of Summer - Summer is a bitch, but I can't say I don't understand her.

Up In the Air

Up In the Air looks amazing. George Clooney looks impeccable, as usual, and the whole movie is just gorgeously shot. I'm not a big fan of Vera Farmiga, but I actually enjoyed her character here, even though I saw the ending coming from about a million frequent flyer miles away. Even Anna Kendrick, who is unbearable in the Twilight franchise, is charming here. This was a rental, but it is so slick and fun to watch that it will be a purchase in the near future.

Daily DVD

Almost Famous: Oh, Cameron Crowe. Oh, Kate Hudson, before you were A-Rodded. Oh, thee of the Golden God. This movie is completely awesome and still holds up, though it's not one I look forward to watching repeatedly, for some reason. I do know that I used to find poor Frances McDormand so annoying and intrusive, but now that I've had a little Rolling Stone of my own, I can kinda see where she's coming from. She was a bit too protective, though - I should really watch this once a year to make sure I don't become 'that mom'.

It's Complicated

It's Complicated, (or 'It's Beige', as it is known in some circles) is another bland effort by Nancy Meyers, the queen of entitled 'rich white ladies' problems' movies. Although I enjoyed 'Something's Gotta Give' (for some reason that one works for me, although it clearly has its problems), and I find the principle actors (Streep, Baldwin and Martin) beyond charming and adorable, it never really took off for me. There were some really good moments, and Krasinski is adorable and funny in one very memorable scene, but overall it fell flat. No matter - it's Netflix. Just send it off and on to the next!

Paris is Burning

Paris is Burning - a classic. Not only does this documentary highlight gay counterculture in NYC, the origin of 'Vogueing', and fabulousness in general, it is visually amazing as well. I love gritty Manhattan footage from the days when New York was a dangerous, thrilling place. I love the stories and heartbreak that spill onto the streets. I remember the first time I ever set foot on the concrete of that city and how I could actually feel the energy of the city travel through me - the city was an entity, a being....and I was in love. That was in 1983, and this film is a trigger for the way I felt back then. It also makes me unspeakably happy that all the people in this film were so proud of who they were and had found a place in life where they were not only happy and accepted, but adored and celebrated, a full 20 years before the rest of America was even THINKING about following suit.

I Write LIke

I write like
Stephen King

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Daily DVD

All the President's Men - Oh, Dustin and Robbie - you may be more of a masturbatory fantasy than Paulie boy and Robbie. And coming together in such a - well, metal way...is just fabulous. The fact that the Wash Po offices had to be recreated because they wouldn't let the boys tinker on the lawn? Well, that just makes everything seem even more amazing. Sorry - have been out of town for 4 weeks and not really giving a shit about this blog right now. Hubby is playing Rock Band and taunting me. Good night!

*Yeah, I was pretty buzzed when I wrote that. Please excuse the rambling and just know that it is a great movie and I love it.

Adventureland

I'm still not sure how I should organize the movies I rent and watch, but don't own. They are different from the Daily DVD, the attempt to get through our DVD collection in order, but yet I want to keep track of what we watch. I guess I will post a few and see what sticks. I'm also going to begin back-dating the posts so that I can do more posts in one day, something that I'm going to have to do with a very needy toddler demanding attention almost constantly.

Case in point: I am back-dating this post for May, but I am actually writing this review in September. Yes, that is how far behind I am. Hopefully it will show up in the correct order. Anyway - Adventureland. I was hoping for a little more 'Dazed and Confused', and a little less Kristen Stewart, but it was mildly enjoyable, nonetheless. Jesse Eisenberg is everywhere these days, and he is starting to grow on me (especially after watching Zombieland, which I will be reviewing shortly). Ryan Reynolds was out of place here - I don't buy that he worked there for the summer, and he looked all of his 30-odd years. The best thing about this movie is undoubtedly the soundtrack - it completely owns.

Daily DVD

All That Jazz is probably one that I enjoy more than my husband does, but he had to sit through due to the nature of this experiment. Please keep in mind that he was drunk when he watched it, so if you are keeping track of both of us and happen to read his blog about this film, his memory may be a little hazy at this point. We are very behind in our blog posts as well as criminally behind in DVD watching.

I read Fosse's biography after I took a jazz dance class and was re-introduced to Fosse through Chicago. This was in 1997 or 1998, and I saw the revival at least twice in the theatre, and the feature film (which I thought was well done) at least twice as well. I became a little fixated on his work for a bit, and saw Fosse twice, as well. I remember having watched All That Jazz on HBO in my youth (because Ann Reinking was in it, and I was crushing on her because of Annie), but I thought it was too adult and very depressing. When I got a chance to buy the dvd @ BB after cooling down from my obsession, I found it to be....well, adult and depressing. Watching it as an adult, however, and having his bio under my belt, I realized he directed it and I had much more insight into his psyche and motivation and vision. I enjoy this film - I love the dance numbers, his strained relationships with the women in his life, the razzle dazzle and the 'Chorus Line' 70's Broadway vibe about the whole thing. I really just love it, and if you don't care about Fosse or dance or musical theatre in the 1970's or 1980's, you probably won't care for it. I still get to like it, though.

MySpace blog: Friday, September 23, 2005 (Hall-of-Famer)

Friday, September 23, 2005

Mind the stepchildren!


Hmmm...Alan wins. Is anyone else still playing? Not one person tried to guess "I'm bursting with fruit flavor"... nor did anyone try for the latest: "Love is for tiny people with tiny lives."

Here's a hint: the next quote is from the same movie. I know at least ONE of you subscribers has seen this movie, so stop studying and playing video games and start wasting real time.

Currently listening:
Retaliation
By Dane Cook
Release date: 26 July, 2005
10:02 PM23 Comments5 Kudos Translate Print Edit Remove
Previous Post: ANTM: Cycle 5 | Back to Blog List | Next Post: That rug really tied the room together.


sandra



I gave up - too much pressure...I buckled, what can I say? It's difficult to stay cutthroat when Kristy has retired as the champion, I mean c'mon! Time for a new game T. and this time - can we get like real prizes? I think if you were to increase the incentives factor, the greedy little fucks that we are might actually start trying again. I think that you should take a picture of yourself and whoever gets one right, you should remove one piece of clothing and send it to them. Kinda like how they did it in Major League. Does anyone have any objections to that? No. I didn't think so. So, I'll be giving myself 1 Kudo for that idea. Thanks. Carry on. P.S. why don't you go ahead and start packing your shit now for the O-town trip since it'll take you that long (and you know I pass no judgment by saying that because the same would apply to me. Just keepin' it real yo.)



Posted by sandra on Friday, September 23, 2005 - 7:26 PM
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textkitten



A) One cannot retire one's self (oneself ????) from a competition...one must be retired. Kristy has not been retired...in fact, she needs to step her shite up!!! If anyone is the champion of this trivial pursuit, it's Mr. Alan K. He has been the most committed and enthusiastic of all of my friends. His prize will be that he gets to see my boobs.

B) I don't have to start packing for O-town because I am perma-packed. Meaning: I've got my stuff ready to go at a moment's notice (still waiting for that call from Victor Calderone that says we must jet off to a circuit party in Ibiza where they have an overflow of blonde boys, coconut rum and fun pills). Or: I have washed all my clothes from my last vacation but I can't wear them in Tallahassee and I have extra toiletries that I might as well keep ready "Just In Case".

C) There will be no new game unless we can play "Taboo" online or someone thinks of something clever. My game remains.

D) Real prizes? No problem. After the Scientology seminar in Orlando, there should be a few new pix to inspire and incite. In fact, Sandra may even get the ol' Adobe Photoshop out and create a 'Major League' moment.

E) If ya love 'Major League' so much, where were ya when I quoted Major League?

No kudos for you.

P.S.

Are we going to Halloween Horror Night?

P.P.S.

Can we stay for longer than the weekend?



Posted by textkitten on Friday, September 23, 2005 - 8:17 PM
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Bella's mom

Shana Davis


I suck at this game! I thought I would be good, but no, I suck. I'm still trying! Maybe an Olsen Twins game

Posted by Bella's mom on Friday, September 23, 2005 - 8:29 PM
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textkitten



Which one needs to eat?

Posted by textkitten on Friday, September 23, 2005 - 8:38 PM
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YourMomma



Hear ye, hear ye, loyal plebians! I have stepped out of the winner's circle and have descended to be in your presence.

Seriously, I laughed for like 5 minutes when I read Sandra's post- I completely forgot about declaring myself that... but now that you mention it...

Nudity is a great motivating factor. Lyn, at LEAST give Sandra something to do with her photoshop and put your face on someone else's naked body... that way, everyone wins... at least she then gets an excuse why she was too busy not to play. Airbrushing takes time, people!

2 kudos for you since I get an unlimited supply of them in the winners circle.



Posted by YourMomma on Saturday, September 24, 2005 - 12:10 AM
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YourMomma



P.P.S. 35 DAYS TILL WE SEE MY BOO BOO KITTY FUCK- DAVE!!!

Posted by YourMomma on Saturday, September 24, 2005 - 12:12 AM
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textkitten



"put your face on someone else's naked body... that way, everyone wins... at least she then gets an excuse why she was too busy not to play. Airbrushing takes time, people! "

WTF???? You think my body is not worthy of being attached to my own head? Oh, we'll see, my friend...we'll see..............THERE WILL BE NO AIRBRUSHING!!! Not on my watch, sweeties!

"P.P.S. 35 DAYS TILL WE SEE MY BOO BOO KITTY FUCK- DAVE!!!"

When you say..."Dave"...does that mean Dave 'Attell'? Should I know who he is? The name sounds fairly familiar...(I am looking up and to the left...) Hrmmm...

Will Leslie take a personal check? Can we get him to hang out with us? Does he f*ck on the first date? All questions to be answered soon enough...soon enough.



I am sooo giving myself kudos.



Posted by textkitten on Saturday, September 24, 2005 - 12:47 AM
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Leeloo Dallas Multipass



NO I DON'T F'N TAKE PERSONAL CHECKS! Being my pimp, Kristy should know I only take cash and mail orders... No kudos for future comments. This is no kudo karma!

Posted by Leeloo Dallas Multipass on Sunday, September 25, 2005 - 10:37 PM
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YourMomma



Lyn, you know you are a freak of nature devoid of any kind of aging gene... so shutup.



Unless you tie your breasts around your waist to form your butt, then in that case, bravo. I will throw more kudos at you for you to be happy again



Posted by YourMomma on Saturday, September 24, 2005 - 1:44 AM
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YourMomma



p.p.s. just wanted an excuse to show saggy boobs

p.p.p.s. yes my dave attell, and I hope he fucks on the first date...

p.p.p.p.s. leslie takes personal checks, as long as you write "For Anal Sex" on the memo line... heh heh



Posted by YourMomma on Saturday, September 24, 2005 - 1:46 AM
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Leeloo Dallas Multipass



Ahhhhh I remember the night I met you too Kristy. Who gets paid in cookies? Oops...





Posted by Leeloo Dallas Multipass on Sunday, September 25, 2005 - 10:42 PM
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YourMomma



No matter how fast I run, my past keeps catching up to me!

Posted by YourMomma on Monday, September 26, 2005 - 1:00 AM
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Cody



I'm not gonna lie, never before have I enjoyed reading blog comments so much. Kudos all around for mentioning naughty things that make me happy.

Posted by Cody on Saturday, September 24, 2005 - 11:40 AM
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sandra



Allow me to introduce myself....to myself....? Got that?

Ok - if we can just go back to lyn's original comment to my comment- um, who HASN'T seen your boobs....pfft.

Perma-packed? what's that? like freeze-dried astronaut food? and p.s. aaaah, no you don't. Perm for yo weave maybe beyatch....

and now that i'm friggin blind from the burning eye retina neon green you've decided to use, i'm sure that i won't be able to play your leettle game due to my worker's comp injury. oh wait...i don't work for myspace.

and just cause i can't think of any clever little games...whatever....you're just a game nazi. this is just like when we go out and your drinks (etc.) have kicked in and your beligerance has begun. i'm telling ariel on you! and how you gonna deny me kudos??!? this is your stankin blog. i'll take all the damn hell kudos i want! that's right, i said it, i'm taking all the kudos. all kudos for me - none for you. kudos, kudos, kudos, i love kudos....kudos all for me.

and yes, we can go to HHNights and you's can stay for as long you's wants.

-the ham has spoken. the end.



Posted by sandra on Saturday, September 24, 2005 - 6:48 PM
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sandra



and one more thing - what in the sam hell is a plebian kristy? and who's this "leslie" character and exactly how much does he charge for anal sex?

Posted by sandra on Saturday, September 24, 2005 - 11:44 PM
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YourMomma



Pardon the spelling, I meant plebeian, meaning the following:

One of the common people of ancient Rome.
A member of the lower classes.
A vulgar or coarse person...
Basically, everyone on this blog :) J/K...

Leslie is the minion and she charges $5.00 and a cookie... ironically, the same amount as Catholic priests... hmm...

BTW, Lyn is a game Nazi. She was poking me with her swastika all day at work today (at least that is what she said it was...) You would know better.

Have you been introduced to Lyn's new dance partner, Lisa's entertainment center? Sweeeeetttt...





Posted by YourMomma on Sunday, September 25, 2005 - 12:56 AM
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sandra



How very "Rooms to Go"

Posted by sandra on Sunday, September 25, 2005 - 5:14 PM
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YourMomma



LOUD NOISES!!!



Posted by YourMomma on Sunday, September 25, 2005 - 10:42 PM
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sandra



ok, first, i would like to know how in the hell lisa's comment managed to squeeze itself in between kristy's comment/pic of lisa's entertainment center and my comment to kristy's comment/pic of lisa's entertainment center since i can confirm that it wasn't there prior to my posting. NO CUTS, BUTTS, or COCONUTS LISA - to the end of the line with you!

and B: i'm sick of all the damn myspace kudos math you people make me do! I didn't switch my major from biology to psychology to escape the plethora of math classes only to find myself dealing with it again on freakin MYSPACE!!!!! I mean REALLY! Have you no souls? Yes, I AM ASIAN, but only half and I DID NOT INHEIRIT the "good math skills" that tends to come with being asian. I guess those weren't IN MY half of the genes my mom wanted to give me. I guess I'll just have to make do with the sarcastic wit and comedic genius that probably came from my dad that I don't hardly talk to because we get on each other's nerves because WE'RE so sarcastic, we can't handle each other!!!!! THANKS PEOPLE! THANKS A LOT FOR DRUDGING UP MY DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY PROBLEMS!!!! Excuse me while I go find some black guy to have babies with to get back at my mom for not giving me the good math genes so that I can freakin' keep up with all the kudos being thrown around around here - GOD! LOUD NOISES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(I can't wait for ya'll to come down...yes, i said ya'll - so what? bitches.)





Posted by sandra on Sunday, September 25, 2005 - 11:14 PM
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I DON'T KNOW WHY WE'RE YELLING!!!!!

Posted by on Monday, September 26, 2005 - 12:07 AM
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Daily DVD

Aliens. What can I say? I prefer the original, but I understand those who like this one more. It was successful because JC didn't try to recapture the magic of the first. This is an action flick, and a fairly good one, at that. However, I don't feel it aged well. The triple-gotcha ending seems hackneyed and tired now, and though some may argue that this movie pioneered that trope, I would advise those folks to watch Friday the 13th again. Take it easy there, kids. I also have very little tolerance for the always-awful Bill Paxton (aside from Weird Science's Chet), and being able to immediately guess who was going to die first, second and third was aggravating. I like surprises, and this film had zero.

I will say now that James Cameron had me at Terminator, T2 and even True Lies, but we broke the fuck up after Titanic. I'll stop there and pick up the Cameron discussion a little later on.

Update

This daily dvd thing will never work if we don't actually watch the dvds daily, but we are trying. Really! Even though it's been 3 MONTHS since my last post, we have watched a few movies since then. It's just been a rough couple of months - a lot of traveling, a few medical procedures, and a birthday weekend for the little one.

Honestly - it really doesn't seem like 3 months. I was shocked when I saw the date of the last post...I really thought I had just posted a few weeks ago. Oh, well.

Celeb look-alikes

Daily DVD

Alien: This is an excellent movie. Lots of tension, just the right amount of gross-out, and a strong female protagonist (a.k.a. Action Girl). I really prefer nuanced tension and character development in my horror/sci-fi, and this joint delivers. It also helps that I had not watched it in many years, so when this baby was next on the list, it was like visiting an old friend. Since we have actually watched the next movie (Aliens), it is difficult for me to write this little recap without comparing the two, but I will try. I love the ride Scott takes us on - we aren't really sure what we're dealing with when the alien is introduced, and I love how all the characters are just focused on getting monetarily compensated for the extra journey to check out the distress signal (there is definitely a trope for that, but I can't seem to find it). Things quickly go south, and despite a few annoying mis-steps (you know they are dead - why are you wasting precious minutes going to check on them? Yeesh - Ripley, watch some more movies!), I really enjoy the pace and the fake-outs. I believe I am in the minority when I say that I prefer this original 'Alien' to it's sequel.

Daily DVD

Alien Apocalypse: This dvd was purchased for one reason only: Bruce Campbell wielding a flame-thrower and a harpoon gun (make that two - the title added to the appeal). I mean, really - who wouldn't want to see a movie with 'The Chin' wrecking shit and killing aliens? However, once the disc was popped into the player, 'SciFi Pictures' popped onto the screen, and we knew what we were in for. Sure enough, instead of awesome action and one-liners, we got bad puns and even worse wigs. Seriously - the wigs were ABYSMAL!! I loved them. If I knew I could see this on what is now known as 'SyFy' on one of my 'just-terrible-terrible-awful-awful' movie binges, I would've saved the $7 I spent on the dvd, but it was an enjoyable, semi-campy ride.

Daily DVD

We started our DVD collection marathon again, and it has quickly become very apparent that having a baby will not allow us to make it a daily event - more of a weekly event, at best. Whatever - anyway:

Alice in Wonderland: I purchased this one because I couldn't remember if I'd ever really seen it before, and someone mentioned in passing that it was a fun movie to pop in while sick and hallucinating from a high fever. It is disturbing enough without the addition of a fever dream, but when I tried watching it while sick, I just passed out from NyQuil and remembered nothing.

The animation is amazing, and some of the images are quite iconic. The adaptation from the original work is a bit loose, but nobody really seems to mind. It's a great movie to have on dvd to watch once the beeb grows up and actually starts to understand the bright colors flashing on the screen, but the 'literary nonsense' genre doesn't do all that much for me. Classic animation and a classic story - perhaps not one of my favorites, but enjoyable nonetheless.