Random Thoughts on a Christmas Morning

As I sip coffee from my special Christmas cup and contemplate the Christmas movies to listen to while I bake cookies this morning, I'm reminded of several things, a primary one which is I need to have breakfast *before* I cook or else I will nibble all the dough.

1. Sometimes the best holidays are the smallest ones. This recession-bordering-on-depression has taught us big lessons about living more frugally and Christmas should be no exception. I've been guilty of extravagance in the past - once when I got my very first real job out of college and the second time when I got my big job at the network - but what came of it? Sure it was fun to be able to buy whatever I wanted for people but they didn't love me or the day any more than when I was more discreet with my purchases.

2. Sometimes the best traditions are the ones you didn't grow up with. I loved putting up stockings with my parents and brother when I was a kid. I loved midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. I loved watching "It's a Wonderful Life" a million times. But in LA, we've had to create our own traditions. We watch our own versions of Christmas movies ("Die Hard," "Home Alone," Christmas Vacation," plus the usual suspects, "A Christmas Story" and "Miracle on 34th Street"). We have sushi for Christmas Eve dinner (when we're a tad more flush). And at the end of the day, we'll walk around the empty city in search of a Starbucks or Coffee Bean that's open.

3. Sometimes it's okay to do nothing on Christmas Day. There is so much pressure to do/go/buy, to visit friends and family, to attend parties and special events, to give, to receive, to be in the Christmas spirit when, in fact, you may need to do the complete opposite. A little hibernation, a little coffee-and-reading, can be the best thing to recharge your batteries and get you in the mood for the start of a new year. Who says you can't celebrate your friends and family next week instead?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone~

Random Thoughts on a Friday

Cheesy random goodness

Did you know April is Grilled Cheese Month?


1. "Clash of the Titans" must remain cheesy, with crummy special effects, lots of horrendous overacting, and gives-you-splinters-it's-so-wooden dialogue. Any movie that attempts to rise above the original Harry Hamlin/stop-motion animation extravaganza should not be gifted with the title "Clash of the Titans."

2. Recent celebrity cheese is so boring. Jesse James cheated on Sandra Bullock? His name is Jesse. James. Why do his actions surprise anyone? Same with Ricky Martin...gay? Yeah, we knew that a decade ago. Anna Paquin is bisexual? Who honestly cares? She's cute but seriously, her announcement has no impact on anyone except girls and guys who might want to date her.

3. I love me some reality show cheese and I'm not talking about American Idol which I haven't seen all season. Sunday nights = Trump Apprentice cheese. Oh yeah, those D-list celebs whose names I barely recognize (except for the awesome Cyndi Lauper) are hilarious as their massive egos clash. Hey, maybe the show should be renamed "Clash of the Egos"!

4. My new favorite Parmesan comes from Australia. Two words for this cheese from Trader Joe's: Yum. Mee. Grates nicely for pasta, cubes well for a salad. Sorry, Italy, there's a new cheese Down Under.

Underrated movie to rent: World's Greatest Dad

Okay, 80s comedy club fans: who remembers Bobcat Goldthwait? The funny looking guy with the funny sounding voice? Well, he's a director now, apparently he's been behind the camera for episodes of some live television as well as having directed a few of his own small features. His latest film was released on video-on-demand and then had a limited theatrical run in August 2009. "World's Greatest Dad," which he wrote and directed, is available on Netflix instant play (my very favorite and a great way to try out movies and TV you wouldn't normally waste time renting).

The movie stars Robin Williams as Lance, a private school poetry teacher who is also a failed writer. His son Kyle is that teen guy you see who's always screwing up. No one likes him and he's a jerk to everyone, including his dad and his best friend. He has an unhealthy obsession with porn and women and sex and in particular, auto-erotic asphyxiation - I think you can see where this is going. Lance has a pretty young girlfriend (a fair weather girlfriend who is a fellow teacher and won't go public with their relationship) but in most respects, allows himself to be walked on by her and by other teachers and by Kyle. Yes, he's a sad sack but Williams plays him right on the edge, not overblown in any way, never over-the-top Patch Adamsish.

When Kyle dies in an "awkward" accident, Lance writes a suicide note for him to spare him any embarrassment about the way he died. The letter is leaked to the school paper and suddenly, Kyle (and Lance) become heroes, representing all the downtrodden and invisible students. Lance decides to go further with the ruse and even constructs a journal containing all of Kyle's pithy thoughts and philosophies. The book is a huge success and propels Lance into the spotlight.

The only problem is, the one person who knew the real Kyle, his friend Andrew, doesn't believe any of it. He is the only thorn in all of this for Lance and the one who eventually brings Lance to his senses.

I heartily recommend this movie to anyone who loved "Rushmore," "Donnie Darko" (Richard Kelly is a producer and his presence is definitely felt) or even "Heathers." The movie hits the exact right tone - not too subtle or over-the-top. After all, beneath everything and despite the big laughs, this is about a man whose son dies and no matter how awful the kid was, he did love him. Robin Williams is fantastic as are the rest of the cast members. I can't believe I am now a huge Bobcat Goldthwait fan. Awesome.

Random Thoughts on a Friday

I just realized that I have been so focused this month on THE RISE OF GINNY COOPER experiment at The Story Siren that I haven't done any non-book related blogs at all.

But there are so many awesome non-book related things going on that I have to mention:

1. American Idol started again and I miss Paula. I only saw the Boston auditions this week so I didn't see Mary J. Blige but what I saw on Tuesday was really a bummer. First of all, I disliked Kara last season and while she seems to be a little more tolerable now, I still would rather see Paula in that middle chair. And second, um...Boston? Where was the talent? I lived in Boston for a while and I'm embarrassed for New England. And there wasn't even any good snarking! Sheesh!

2. Denzel has a new movie out and I'm intrigued. "The Book of Eli" looks like a Mad Max-type post-apocalyptic road movie with major amounts of cliche (trench coat and sunglasses? Gary Oldman as an over-the-top bad guy?) but I love Denzel. He, Tom Hanks, and Will Smith are probably the only three actors (along with actresses Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton) that I will watch in just about anything they do. Oooh, could you imagine a movie with ALL of those actors in it? Get going on that, Hollywood!

3. Lost returns in 2 weeks and I'm nervous. Last season! Last episodes! Last chance to tie up all the loose ends! Is it even possible? I have watched every season of this show, even the so-called bad ones that other people used as an excuse to stop watching. I can't claim to have even the slightest clue about how everything fits together but I am waiting with baited breath, as they say, for the conclusion. I have faith in these writers and I really hope they don't let us all down.

4. Haiti had a major earthquake this week and I'm humbled. And grateful. When you live in an earthquake-prone area like Southern California, there is always the chance the ground could begin shaking under your feet and you will be powerless to stop it. But when it doesn't happen every day, you get complacent. This Haitian earthquake reminds us all here in LA that we could get one like that too. The big difference? Most of our buildings are in much better condition to withstand the shaking; the people of Haiti were not so lucky. Their structures were very poorly built and that's a primary reason so many people died.

To end this on a more upbeat note, I just read that aid is flooding in to Haiti and George Clooney has planned a fundraiser with MTV for later this month.

And one last one...

5. Part 3 of Ginny Cooper will be up on Monday January 18th and I'm excited again. I hope people are downloading and enjoying it. And if they do read it, I hope they let me know!

Random Thoughts on a Friday

Countdown to Halloween

1. Skeleton earrings dug out of the jewelry drawer? Check.

2. Scary movies in the DVD player? Check. Bring on "The Thing," "Dawn of the Dead," and "Shaun of the Dead" (okay, that last one is more funny than scary but it's an instant classic).

3. Camera charged to take pics at the Halloween Carnaval? Check.

4. Hidden bag of candy just in case we get any trick-or-treaters? Check. Got the kind HH likes because, realistically, he's the one who will eat it but if it were for me, this is what I'd pick:

Random Thoughts on a Friday

Did you...

1. Enter the contest at In Bed With Books to win a signed copy of LOVE, MEG? Even if you have a copy already, I will sign it for a friend or relative - makes a great Christmas gift (which is coming very very soon!).

2. Get your Halloween candy? I love this season even though HH and I never get any visitors. Ever. Even when we lived in Brooklyn, Maurice would buy bags of candy in preparation for an onslaught of kids but never a single soul rang our bell. So he'd end up eating it all. Moved to LA - same thing. Now we don't even buy a single bag and instead we go to the massive Halloween Carnaval in West Hollywood.

3. Rent "Bolt"? Second only to "Wall-E" in my recent favorite animated movies and far superior to several Pixar flicks. Great voice cast, terrific story and my god, the animation is perfect! Take a look at the pigeons and the way they move their heads and flap their wings. CG animation has come a very long way.

4. Sign up for your flu shot? Me? No. It's not that I'm afraid of needles (like some people I know) and it's not that I think there's a conspiracy involved (like some other people I know - yes, really). I've talked to some people I trust who say this first vaccine may not be ready because it was rushed through the process and the proper clinical trials were not conducted. Honestly, I'm really not afraid of needles. I'm not.

2-Fer Halloween

I love fall. I love everything about it: the weather, the temperature, the quality of the light in the afternoon. In LA, I love how it's warm during the day and chilly at night. In New England, I love the crisp leaves and morning frost.

And in both places, I love breaking out the apple pie recipe and whipping up a pie or two for friends and my Ninja Webmaster. It's about the only decent thing I can cook that people actually ask me the recipe for (it's surprisingly easy and just about the best pie recipe out there - just make sure you pick the right apples!).

But more than any of that, I love the feel of Halloween in the air. I'm not a Halloween fan per se. I mean, I don't dress up or host parties. I'm not a fan of candy or chocolate bars or even those sticky caramel-covered apples and frankly, no child has ever rung our doorbell either here or in Brooklyn. But I like Halloween on other people.

And I like scary movies. I'm not crazy about gore in my movies, unless it's in something like "Shaun of the Dead," which is one of the most brilliant zombie movies of all time. But I do appreciate a well-told horror movie. And here are two I highly recommend:

"Shutter" - no, not the American remake. Get the original Thai version. This filmmaker must have been studying the J-horror trend of movies like "The Ring" and "The Grudge" where dead people appear in ghastly pale fashion with long, stringy (and usually wet) hair. A couple hits a woman in the road and then leaves the scene. Soon after, her image appears in the guy's photographs and she herself pops up out of nowhere - in the dark room, in a lab room...just when you think they've settled her spirit and the movie has to be over, it goes one - no, two - steps farther. The last image is freakin' brilliant.

[Watch this one with Sliver-Vision.]

"Trick R Treat" - you know those movies that go to video after a brief limited theatrical run? 99.99% of them usually suck. Not this one. Great acting (what a cast! Dylan Baker, Brian Cox, Anna Paquin and more), great directing, great cinematography, great editing. Very well-written and tightly constructed, it's a collection of intertwined stories told about Halloween night: the guy who seems nice but poisons kids, the girl who appears innocent yet may be a creepy supernatural being, a group of kids playing a trick on a weaker girl...all the cliche Halloween tales are nicely tweaked. Not gory but definitely creepy-scary and beware, a few kids meet their end so if that bothers you, well, skip this one. But in general, good guys get their revenge.

GI Joe waved to me!

Another "Only in LA" moment...

On Sunday, HH and I were relaxing at the Santa Monica beach ( a little chilly but a beach is a beach and you have to appreciate its presence so close to you) when a helicopter swooped by very low and close to the water.

Cops? Nope.

News crew? Nope.

Coast Guard? Nope.

It was an advertisement for the new "GI Joe" movie which is coming out soon! The helicopter swung past once and then away and we said, Huh, that was kind of boring. And I was a tad ticked at the huge carbon footprint the movie studio was making by burning those fossil fuels just for an ad.

But then, about half an hour later, the copter came back and this time, a rope was lowered and a guy climbed down about halfway. Verrrrrry slowllllly, it flew close to the water and we could see the guy waving to everyone on the beach and in the water. It was, to say the least, very odd. I mean, he was far enough away that we couldn't really see who he was or what he was wearing, only that he was waving an arm.

Here it is in video form:

http://www.methodshop.com/2009/07/gi-joe-helicopter.shtml

I gotta say, I'm not crazy about the small planes that fly banners over the beaches just to advertise junk but this was at least a little more clever. If you're gonna waste resources, then it might as well be funny or innovative, right?

Can you stand the gore?

Not me, not usually with Clive Barker, but this time I managed to make it through the entire movie peeking through my fingers only occasionally. The story is great, though, based as it was on one of Barker's shorts from Books of Blood. Story is about a photogrpaher who follows a serial killer who is killing people on empty subway trains in a city very much like NYC but obviously not, since they filmed in a much cheaper locale.

And if it seems like movies based on shorts are often more successful than those based on novels, that's true. To film a novel as written is usually very, very long. Most times filmmakers have to cut out things the reader feels are very important and much nuance gets lost.

Anyway, if you can stand it, check out Midnight Meat Train, directed by Ryuhei Kitamura and starring Bradley Cooper, Leslie Bibb and - Brooke Shields! It's really quite well-done for a horror film. Beautifully shot and edited, amazing sound design and effects, but yeah, quite gruesome. [shudder]

And if you can't (and I respect that), rent yourself Eagle Eye starring Shia Labeouf and Michelle Monaghan and directed by DJ Caruso. It's fast-paced and action-packed and not entirely that far-fetched. Labeouf is a regular Joe who is contacted by a mysterious voice after his twin brother dies and directed to do all sorts of crazy things with this woman, who has also been contacted by the strange voice. Big conspiracy abounds.

Random Thoughts on a Friday

Utter Randomness

1. Jeff Garlin is my latest celeb sighting. At the Farmer's Market on 3rd & Fairfax, we saw him coming out of the market with an ice cream cone, looking very svelte, I must say. We are big fans of his from Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (he played Larry's manager) plus he's been in lots of movies and other TV shows, usually as comic relief. Very funny actor.

2. Two movies I thought I'd love were Ghost Town and Walk the Line. The first starred the inimitable Ricky Gervais from "The Office" and the second starred Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, both of whom I adore. And yet I was bored watching them. The first had a few laughs and I loved the idea of an anti-social dentist, but it felt like studio interference, like executives had come in and said, "Oh no, he has to be sympathetic by this page," which was totally wrong and ruined the edgy vibe it had. As for the Johnny Cash story, I appreciated that Reese and Joaquin sang their own songs and they did have a nice chemistry but men-cheating-on-their-wives-for-their-true-loves is so old and uninteresting to me. Two thumbs down.

3. I finished The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and really enjoyed it a lot. Great concept, although it reminded me a lot of Stephen King's "The Running Man" mixed with other stories like "Battle Royale." Still it was a page-turner and I was intrigued. But I am kicking myself for reading it now when the sequel won't be out for months! Argh!! Cliffhangers!!

4. This was a great birthday week. I have had birthdays where I've traveled (to Italy!), gotten big presents (pearls!), or had a blowout party with tons of guests. And I also had one celebrating my first book sale (pure awesome!). But this year felt really good, really comforting, like all the pieces were in the right places. No one went overboard on a gift. We didn't spend wildly on a party or a fancy dinner or tickets to Disneyland. In keeping with the economy, it was very subdued - which was exactly what I wanted. I even got cupcakes from the studio where I teach (thank you, Mariana!) and a handmade card from my teen class (thank you, Mackenzie and Chelsea and Christine and Sarah Jo!) and I got to watch episodes of "Mary Tyler Moore" when I came home from teaching. Best of all was realizing how many wonderful people I have in my life. You forget that sometimes during the day to day living.

And a BONUS: In the same week the California courts upheld Prop 8, much to our surprise and disgrace, my local high school, Fairfax High, crowned an openly gay teen as its prom "queen."

I love it! Go Fairfax High!!

How I Know the End of Civilization is Near

Clever title. Hilarious movie.

Have you all seen the movie, Idiocracy, written and directed by the amazingly talented Mike Judge? He is the brilliance behind "Beavis and Butthead" and "King of the Hill" and his first live action film, the underrated Office Space. If you haven't seen Idiocracy, put it on your Netflix queue right this very second! I'll wait.

Done?

Okay. In Judge's film, society has devolved to the point of idiocy, with ex-wrestlers running the country and Costco awarding law degrees. Product placement is everywhere, on every item of clothing and as part of people's own names. It's a hilarious and scary movie.

There is a film within the film called, appropriately-enough, "Ass." It is simply a guy's bare butt on the silver screen for 2 hours. It's wildly popular and has even won Academy Awards. You would think such a thing is ludicrous, yes? Well, look no further than the upcoming film, The Hangover. It's about...a hangover. Let's see: bachelor party in Vegas. Drunken adventures. Yup, that's about it.

Bad title. Funny movie?

I'm sure it's a very funny film. Saw the trailer before the phenomenal Star Trek. Looks like a great cast. But couldn't the filmmakers try a little harder to be clever with the title at least? I mean, the concept is hardly revolutionary (did I mention drunken bachelor party adventures in Vegas?) and the story has been told since the days of Shakespeare. So couldn't anyone in the marketing department at Warner Bros. come up with something, um, more original? And this is not the first time I have thought this: Knocked Up was just as generic and simplistic, perfect for where our society is headed.

Don't bother thinking; we'll do that for you. You people just save your tiny shrinking brains for more important things, like which overpriced American car to buy and how many iPods you own.

I foresee The Hangover 2 in the future...why, what do you know? It's already scheduled for a 2011 release. Pure awesome.

FU to Friday

I recently read about a woman who was denied the vanity license plate, ILUVTOFU because the DMV was concerned people might mistake the driver's love of soy products for something else entirely. Dirty, dirty minds in the government.

Anyway, my FU is a follow-up. And my follow-up is to Friday's post.

The new Star Trek exceeded my expectations. Not only was it a great film in general (lots of action, some romance - and not between who you think it would be, and awesome special effects) but it was a great film for Trek fans. Tons of inside jokes for those of us who know the characters, know the series, know the cliches and parodies, but you certainly didn't have to know any of it to enjoy the film. I was really impressed and would see it again in the theater if I could afford it. For anyone considering attending it but you think you want to wait til it comes to DVD to save some dough, don't. Find a way to see it at a cheaper theater or a matinee time. The DVD will be good to see it a second time - or third or fourth - but not for the first. You really need to experience the big, big picture and the big, big sound.

As for HH, well, we disagreed on what we liked the most and least about this movie. The very scene I absolutely loved (and to avoid spoiling it for you, I will simply say Spock and transporter room and you will know if you have seen it) is the one he absolutely hated and felt like it was completely out of line with the Trek world. His overall opinion was that it was good but not excellent, a worthy successor but not a repeat viewing for him. He actually thinks Wrath of Khan is superior, so we had to watch that when we got home and then we had to watch the original Trek episode it was based on, "Space Seed."

Sorry but I win. New movie is better. Khan was like an extended episode of the original series.

I'm curious to hear what others think, whether you're a Trek fan or not. Did you like the story, the actors, the characters? Better or worse than other Trek movies? Better or worse than other Trek series?

4 Movies to get your mind off Swine Flu

Things could be a lot worse...

1. 12 Monkeys - one of my favorite films of all time, this was based on a short French film called La Jetee, which I believe refers to the "throw" of the time traveling. Bruce Willis' character in the American film is literally thrown into the past in order to retrieve items which will help scientists in the future create a vaccine which will combat the virus which has killed millions and driven survivors underground. This is Terry Gilliam at his mainstream best and gave me new appreciation for the talents of Willis and Brad Pitt.

2. 28 Days Later - ah, the fast-moving zombies. Danny Boyle's film is set in Britain after a virus has been accidentally released into the general public and it turns people into crazed "Ragers." I loved this film for its very depressing ending - much like the remake of Dawn of the Dead. Btw, this movie introduced me to the very sexy Cillian Murphy - ooh!

3. Doomsday - another virus has infected the populace, this time in Scotland, in Neil Marshall's film. Marshall directed the amazing Descent which was a wonderful, horrific, female-centric action/horror/suspense film. Doomsday has another strong female lead, Rhona Mitra, who was a Lara Croft model. Mitra plays a special agent who is sent into a walled-off area where survivors have created a Mad Max-ish world; a cure is rumored to have been developed by Malcolm McDowell's mad scientist character and our agent must retrieve it. Not the best, but not bad.

4. I Am Legend - Will Smith, Will Smith, and Will Smith. A virus has wiped out everyone in Manhattan (and presumably the rest of the country), leaving only Smith and his dog to fight the zombie/vampire survivors in this film by Francis Lawrence based on Richard Matheson's novella. I loved this film until the introduction of the woman and boy, which I found to be suddenly too uplifting and took the film in an optimistic direction that strayed much too far from Matheson's fantastic story. Watch it until then and shut it off.

3 + 1 = 4 Movies To Get Excited About!

What happens when you take 3 awesome theatrical releases plus 1 stupendous DVD release? You get 4 sci-fi/fantasy movies to drool over!

1. X-Men: Origins - have you seen the promos for this yet? Have you seen Hugh Jackman's ripped chest and bulging biceps? Not to mention that Wolverine is simply the most compelling of all the X-Men characters. This is one sequel/prequel I suspect will surpass the originals.

2. Star Trek - yeah, yeah, yeah, another prequel, this time concerning Kirk and Spock and their buds from the Enterprise. Normally, I wouldn't get super-duper thrilled about a new Trek flick. They're hit or miss, frankly, although I watch them all. (Duh, of course.) But this one comes from JJ Abrams, whose work I really admire. I know, I've heard complaints that his style is cold but I disagree. He brought us "Felicity", remember?

3. Let The Right One In - okay, this is a remake and the original was SO good, it's painful to think that someone would remake it. However, Matt Reeves (who did Cloverfield which I loved and thought was underrated) is going to return to the source material, a novel by John Lindqvist, and that apparently differs from the original film. So we'll get another interpretation of this amazing vampire romance/bildungsroman.

4. Caprica - a prequel to Battlestar Galactica, the best sf show on television even if it has ended. This is a straight-to-DVD film about the planet Caprica about 50 years before the events that preciptated the BSG series. Early Cylon technology, an amoral planet, rise of monotheism...excellent stuff! And then next year, the series will start!

I just realized these films are all either prequels or remakes...how weird is that? Normally I'm skeptical about movies that could be considered rehashes of better originals but in these cases, I think the filmmakers and writers are doing some really unique things.

At least I hope so!

4 Sources of Writing Inspiration

1. Museums, specifically the Los Angeles County Museum of Art here on Wilshire Blvd in LA. Sprawling grounds are perfect to contemplate the shape of clouds (it's a puppy! a puppy playing! a puppy throwing up in a shoe!) while the exhibits inside give me a peek inside the working minds of creative and clever artists. I always leave with my mouth slightly agape, wondering how I can do the literary equivalent.

2. Other writers. I'm not the sort who reads a book or watches a movie and thinks, Pfft, that was crap, I can do better. I don't aspire to write "better than crap." I aspire to write "great." Or "amazing." Or "moving." Whether it's a classic by Ray Bradbury or John Steinbeck or Edith Wharton or something by a debut author, I love to be inspired to push myself deeper and the best writers do this to me.

3. Movies based on books. Taren at Chick Manifesto recently posted about this, along with some thought-provoking responses from readers. While I do honestly believe books and the movies based upon them are two entirely separate beings, I do find inspiration in the movie versions. Sometimes a screenwriter and director team can streamline a complicated novel (e.g. "Lord of the Rings" by JRR Tolkien) into something much more manageable and, in the end, understandable. I have tried many times to read LOTR and have gotten bogged down and confused but knowing that it can become the Peter Jackson movie makes me continue to try and to respect the book as I might not have before.

4. Ballet class. As you can tell from the above, I often find inspiration for writing in distinctly non-writing sources. Ballet is a physical art form, the movements codified, and yet new and different combinations are devised all the time, making the idiom more flexible than you might think. We all use the English language, yes? But you put the words in a different order than I might and your result is wildly dissimilar from mine. Not to mention the endorphins that are released during physical activity, which makes me feel really positive about my creative endeavors: never underestimate the power of positive thinking when it comes to writing.

4 Underrated Animated Films

I never realized I was such a fan of animation until someone asked me recently to name some of my favorite movies and I said "The Emperor's New Groove" and "Spirited Away" and "Lilo and Stitch" and "Toy Story" and "Monsters, Inc." and then I was all...hey, I guess I really do love big-screen cartoons.

Those are all very well-known films so here are a few you may not have seen or have forgotten about. If so, put them on your queue
!

1. Meet the Robinsons - based on a novel by William Joyce, it's the story of a boy in an orphanage waiting to be adopted who is whisked to the future where he meets his family. He uses the time machine to go back to the day when his mother leaves him on the doorstep of the orphanage, intending to confront her. This was such a sweet film with some unexpected emotional moments. I think the movie got lost in the shuffle but it's worth a rental.

2. Iron Giant - with the voices of Vin Diesel and Jennifer Aniston and directed by Brad Bird who did the more successful The Incredibles. This was also based on a novel by Ted Hughes (sense a pattern with the best films?) and is the story of a boy who finds an alien who has fallen to earth. The boy teaches him about Superman, another alien who comes to earth and who champions humans. Like Superman, the Giant eventually sacrifices himself to save the boy and his town. I loved this movie when it came out although it was not a commercial success. Bird's later work was more popular but I think this movie has more heart than The Incredibles and the 2-D animation is gorgeous.


3. Kung Fu Panda - an amazing voice cast, rollicking storyline, with terrific action sequences and beautiful animation. I think this film got lost last year when Wall-E came out. As much as I loved Wall-E (it made me cry) I believe this movie has more replay value. The 2-D dream sequences are graphic-novel quality and the camerawork on the 3-D stuff is simply amazing. And yes, the story is incredibly cute with not one scene that lags. Rent it.

4. The Animatrix - a collection of short animated films that take place in world of The Matrix. Each gives us a little more insight into the strange Matrix universe with a different director and different set of characters and with a completely unique style of animation. Beautiful and quirky.

Underrated Movies: 2 From Scorsese

Taking a brief departure from my fascination with all things of a 4 nature, I remind you of two excellent films from the brilliant director Martin Scorsese who has somehow become primarily associated with mafia/gang films when, in fact, he has a wide range of films under his belt, including a musical with Robert DeNiro ("New York, New York")!

1. After Hours (1985) - a dark comedy about a guy (Griffin Dunne) who decides to get out of his rut and take a walk on the wild side of Soho and the Lower East Side of Manhattan and every single thing that could go wrong, does in the course of one very long night. Amazing cast: Rosanna Arquette, Catherine O'Hara, Linda Fiorentino, Teri Garr, Cheech and Chong...and all of them turn against him.2. King of Comedy (1983) - another dark comedy starring Robert DeNiro as Rupert Pupkin, a guy who wants to be a stand-up comic and who becomes obsessed with Jerry Lewis, who is - believe it or not - awesome in this movie as a talk show host/comedian a la Johnny Carson. Sandra Bernhard is DeNiro's female compadre who assists him in kidnapping Jerry Lewis. Pupkin's demand? A top spot on Lewis' show.

Anyone who says Scorsese is too serious or too over-the-top hasn't seen these films. Marty totally has a sense of humor, albeit a dark one with an edge to it. I love it. No cheese in sight.

Netflix these for a good time.

Random Thoughts on a Friday

Setting 4 Things Straight for the Record About Friday the 13th

1. Tonight is the opening of the Friday the 13th remake - or reimagining, if you will (that's what they call the new BSG). The original movie did not feature Jason or anyone in a hockey mask and in fact, Jason was not the killer at all. The movie introduced Jason a la Michael Myers at the very end and that's what led to the multitude of sequels.

2. The new Friday the 13th movie is actually the 12th in the series which means, logically, there really needs to be a 13th. Will that one be the one to finally end the franchise?

3. The appearance of Jason in the final frames of the original movie were intended as a joke but the next director who took on the franchise insisted he be included in the sequels.

4. The fim's original title was Long Night at Camp Blood. Ooh, scary...

Random Thoughts on a Friday

6 Movies I Watched This Week

1. Valkyrie - Tom Cruise as a Nazi who leads an (obviously unsuccessful) coup against der Fuhrer. I wasn't as turned off as I thought I'd be by the non-accent of T. Cruise and I have to say, his hair was amazing! Kudos to his stylist. Supporting cast of Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Izzard, etc. were fantastic.

2. 7 Pounds - okay, you know I dig Will Smith more than just about any human on this planet besides HH so of course I was going to love him in this. Sappy? Sure. Manipulative? You bet. Requiring a massive suspension of disbelief? Right on. The people I saw it with did not share my love of Will nor did they suspend their disbelief as I did so they didn't like it as much and the ending is the hugest downer of the year. I cried, cried, cried. And I don't care who knows. Cuz now you do.

3. The Sound of Music - Nazis! Singing Austrian children! Julie Andrews! What's not to love in this? Honestly, I coudn't remember the last time I had seen this in its entirety and I guess I had completely forgotten the beginning and I sort of got confused at the end because I recall in real life they came to the US and I thought that was part of the movie but it wasn't. It just ends with the nuns rescuing them. So it was good to see this again. My upstairs neighbor totally lurvs this.

4. Doubt - Meryl, omg, I heart Meryl so effin' much. She is freaking amazing in just about everything she does. And Philip Seymour Hoffmann and Amy Adams are splendid with a capital awesome. This is another serious movie for Oscar contention and they all deserve it, especially the writer/director John Patrick Shanley who adapted his own Pulitzer-winning play (which goes right on the TBR list - I can't wait to see what he might not have included and if the ending is as ambiguous as the movie).


5. The Dancer - a kind of documentary about a young Swedish dancer as she joins the Royal Swedish Ballet, Katja Bjorner. I say "kind of" because it's not a documentary in the traditional sense; there is no obvious narrative and not much explanation about who we meet in the film and what they do and their relationship to Katja. Still, for those of us who love ballet, it's a fascinating study of a very passionate teen as she prepares to dance. And a nice introduction to how pointe shoes are made.

6. Shut Up And Sing - another great documentary, this time about the Dixie Chicks and the hassle they went through after lead singer Natalie Maines told people she was ashamed the president was from Texas- this shortly after troops were sent to Iraq, which made her very unpopular among the mostly-conservative fan base across the country. How the protests against the Chicks affected them and the music they wrote makes for a fascinating look into the politics of entertainment. We went right out to the store and bought their album.

3 Movies I'm Jazzed About

Seven Pounds, starring Will Smith and directed by Gabriele Muccino (who also directed Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness"). Will Smith is a suicidal IRS agent who decides to help seven people before he kills himself. I know it doesn't sound very promising - sort of maudlin with a likely sappy ending - but in the hands of these two, I know it will be heartfelt and sincere, if nothing else. Also, didn't they say that about "It's a Wonderful Life"?


The Day the Earth Stood Still, starring Keanu Reeves and based on the classic 1951 sci-fi film which was directed by Robert Wise and was itself based on a short story by Harry Bates. "Gort, Klaatu barada nicto!" Come on, who in the free world has not heard those words before? The first time I saw the original film, I was in junior high. I have no idea what class it was or why the teacher showed it to us, but I absolutely remember every frame of it. Will the Reeves version be as good? Hard to tell. It's got a great cast and likely amazing special effects but will people believe Reeves (and lord knows he's one of my favorite actors of all time and I'll watch him in just about anything) is Klaatu and not Gort?


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, directed by David Fincher, and based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald (one of my absolute favorite writers ever - ever!). A man is born very old and ages backwards. Pitt and Blanchett - together? My heart does a little pit-a-pat. I love Cate, adore her like I do Meryl and Michelle. The movie, I can tell from the trailers, will break my heart. I just know it. Sigh. Bring it on.


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