Thursday, November 27, 2008

Twilight + Mad Men = [WANT]



Just got something in the mail telling me to buy retro-chic clothing from Stop Staring, a company focused on styles from the 1920s-1960s.

As I've mentioned before, Joan Holloway is my idol. Therefore, I shall be buying at least one of these designs. ATTAINABLE WANT! WOOT!

You may recognize the model as Ashley Greene, Alice from Twilight. Kind of neat to think this is what Alice would have looked like back in the day.


P.S. If you're in the LA area December 4th, 5th & 7th and are interested in seeing what you'd look like as a Ms. Holloway, there's a sample sale going on downtown. Check the website for more details. See full post

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

British Invasion [Observation]

While I've understood for a while that there's a whole bunch of Brits/Aussies/Irish/Scots playing American on television, yesterday it finally occurred to me a. just how many there really are and b. that I have no idea what the reason is behind this

Now before I go on, let me make this clear, I'm all about diversity on television - this isn't about patriotism or racism or any other ism. Not to mention, as resident Fanboy contributor David pointed out, the talent outside of this country is immense - remember the Oscars last year and how not a single American actor won an Oscar? I loved that. And I love pretty much every show I've ever seen from England, Australia or New Zealand. This is merely an observation of an unprecedented phenomenon, for which an explanation could be fun to figure out. Or at least kill a couple minutes.

So to begin, a list of current television programs with at least one member of the Commonwealth (Yes, I said Commonwealth) in a lead role, using an American accent. By the way, I'm not including actors who were cast for their already existing iconic status i.e. Malcolm McDowell on Heroes. And Canadians, in the Commonwealth but without super fun (only sort of fun) accents, get an asterisk.

Brothers & Sisters (Double Offense)
Californication
True Blood (Double Offense)
Boston Legal (Double Offense...but off the show now)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Gossip Girl
How I Met Your Mother* (Edit - doesn't count. Canadian playing Canadian)
Prison Break
Chuck
The Mentalist
Without a Trace (Double Offense)
House
Fringe
90210*
Pushing Daisies
Grey's Anatomy
Eleventh Hour
Medium
Life
Eli Stone
Life on Mars
Knight Rider*
Battlestar Galactica (Not counting the Canadians cause most of the Cast is Canadian...)
Burn Notice
Nip/Tuck
Cold Case*









And a list of shows I know for sure are cast with all American actors

Mad Men
Entourage
Private Practice
30 Rock
The Office

Then there are a bunch of shows I'm not sure about like all the CSIs & Law & Orders.

Now I won't give Canadians TOO hard of a time cause at least they've been pretending to be American on our television sets since the 80s, but still, where are the American teens on Degrassi, I ask you?? Where??

What does this say about American drama schools and the tons of American actors who would never be hired to act in England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia or Canada?

And what is the reason behind this? Could it POSSIBLY be accurate that American actors, 120,000 in SAG alone (not including the countless non-union actors & AFTRA members) just aren't good enough? Is it a mere coincidence? Or was every one of these actors spotted in something else and had to be snatched up, like in the case of Kevin McKidd? Or is it a fun novelty that in interviews the studios' lead actors would suddenly have accents? I mean, I love people with accents. I suppose if I were auditioning actors and had to choose between a great American actor and a great British actor who could do a perfect American accent but had an adorable British accent all other times...Not to mention Brits, Scots, Irish & Aussies seem generally cooler and Canadians generally nicer...As a friend of mine pointed out, "they dont like guns like we do. or depriving people of civil rights and health care."

But is THAT the mentality? Cause American actors aren't cool enough when the cameras aren't rolling?

Wait. Is this revenge for Renee Zellweger playing Bridget Jones and Anne Hathaway playing Jane Austen?

EQUITY has very strict rules about things like this. Under current rules, a British or American producer who wants to bring a British actor to New York must seek the approval of American Actors Equity, just as British Equity's approval is needed to bring an American actor to London. And usually if one of them is starring on the Great White Way over here, one of our guys is on their West End.

But wait a second...from a 2007 article in the International Herald Tribune,

They have still another advantage, which only one network executive was willing to mention: They work more cheaply. The executive said it is increasingly difficult to get an American actor in a lead role for less than $100,000 an episode. British actors work for considerably less, the executive said, though the figures vary.

Hrmm.

Well, at the end of the day it doesn't really matter. I just found it fascinating how many actors are putting on American accents on television right now. Any theories on the matter? Did I miss anyone? Post below! See full post

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Oscar Watch! 11/25/08 [Fanboy Edition]

so first a rant, and then some rumblings.

so here's how i feel bout things (steps on soapbox): the disparity between the quality of the oscars in theory and the oscars in execution is roughly akin to the disparity between... two, um, things that are very far apart. whereas a unified body of professionals that perennially encourages filmmakers to wring the most from their chosen medium should by all rights be a pure good in the schindlerian sense of the term, the bureaucratic fumbling of the organization behind the awards in question only works to stifle individual vision and industrial ambition.

to wit: an Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences member is not required to have seen all nor ANY of the eligible films in order to cast their vote. now, it's unreasonable to expect every member to attend academy screenings for each of the 300+ films per year that earn themselves some means of distribution, but - and i'm just spitballing here - if you made it mandatory to attend such screenings for all of a given year's films that have a certain % score on rotten tomatoes, we're entering the realm of feasibility. that hundreds of past and present members of the film establishment can / will cast a vote for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE without seeing the staggering BLIND MOUNTAIN is absurd and completely discredits the entertainment world's most esteemed awards show south of the pulitzer. and - logic follows - screeners should be nixed as well, as not only is there no way to prove they've been watched, but they also provide an implicit advantage to any film the voter caught at a screenING. and come this time next year when blu-ray screeners are making their first awkward baby steps into the world, it's going to place the dvds put forth by smaller distribution companies at an even greater disadvantage.

and speaking of blind mountain... don't worry bout it, cause it's not even eligible. because for some silly reason countries must select a formal nominee (singular) from their indigenous cinema each year, and most of the more brilliant chinese films since, i dunno, the birth of the motion picture have been damning indictments of communist government's cultural and economic failings (blind mountain being particularly hostile), methinks china - with their unparalleled concern with national image - won't be sending AMPAS anything revolutionary any time soon. but that's okay, cause a film of blind mountain's origin and caliber could always be nominated for best picture, right? RIGHT? not effin likely. in the 80 year history of the academy awards, guess how many best picture winners have been American? 79... just kidding, it's 80. so according to AMPAS the best film in any given year between 1929 and 2008 has been of American origin. if i type "fat man falling" into youtube, within 5 seconds i can be watching a better film than 1952 best pic winner "the greatest show on earth." to find a better film than akira kurosawa's 1952 classic "ikiru" i'd pretty much have resurrect orson welles, use his dna to somehow clone from him a baby girl, and then have paul schrader circa 1985 impregnate said baby. and that process would not be easy or pretty. or legal. or possible. YET. blah blah blah great films are consistently ignored by distribs here because more commercial films from their respective countries are already in contention, etc... and don't get me started on the mad fall season oscar push and it's widespread ramifications, how ludicrous the documentary shortlist is, etc...

the oscars stink. so obviously i'm totally fascinated by them.

at this point i've seen just about everything that's likely to attract any awards consideration with the two glaring exceptions being rev road (next friday) and che, which i'll catch at the ziegfeld when it opens in early december. and it's been a prettttyyyyyyy disappointing year thus far. my fave films have been, in quasi-chronological order - paranoid park, blind mountain, pineapple express, encounters at the end of the world, the fall, wall-e, man on wire, let the right one in, waltz with bashir, hunger, the edge of heaven, rachel getting married, a christmas tale, the curious case of benjamin button, and maybe sort of the wrestler. also, hellboy 2 was the bee's knees. that's a pretty poopy list, but these things don't firm up until about april of the following year when you can finally catch all the stuff that slipped through the cracks.

anyhoo, BEST PICTURE. slumdog millionaire appears to be the frontrunner at the moment despite relying on its fairy tale nature to deflect attention from its suffocatingly trite narrative turns and eye-poppingly obvious characterizations. i guess when you jazz up some third-world cinema with broad trappings, that just plays. it's a film with emotions that are as big as they are cavernously hollow... so it's pretty much a lock for a nod. sigh... and i LOVE danny boyle. sunshine was magical. alas...

BENJAMIN BUTTON is gonna make a splash of some kind come its xmas release. the film is in line with fincher's zodiac in its stately, matter-of-fact pace and tone. a gentle, cumulatively devastating film about (a) life that almost entirely circumvents peaks and valleys, it's astonishing cg and digital dreamscapes make it play like an elegy for a life not yet lived. it features some of the most practical and seamless effects work of any film ever (EVER), and i'll be more than a little offended if something a bit splashier steals the tech awards. film's unforced grace is not going to work to its advantage come february, so my initial guess is that it'll dominate the nominations (expect it to garner the most of any film with nods across the board from make-up to maybe even actor and of course picture), but perhaps fall short of the podium. SEE IT.

MILK is one big gay pile of underwhelming. sean penn plays the eponymous role as if he were (i am) Sam but liked boys rather than the beatles. that being said, his performance is predictably strong but his nomination will be a result of penn sinking his teeth into a joyful role more than anything else. anyhoo, for a film about such an unconventional and downright revolutionary man, milk is just too bland to really curry any true favor (though reparations for the brokeback mountain losing to crash fiasco might up milk's stock). gus van sant's biopic is rife with absolutely fascinating characters, almost all of which are consistently ignored in favor of redundant stock footage and a cursory and second-rate overview of milk's political achievements, all of which were more indelibly covered in rob epstein's doc "the life and times of harvey milk." van sant's work shines whenever the always-intimidating josh brolin is onscreen and the film threatens to become an intriguing study of a socio-political dichotomy as personified by two riveting individuals but... no. cut to captain of the d-bag brigade, emie hirsch, whining about something or the tragic figure of a crippled gay teenager calling milk directly only at times that impossibly compliment the narrative... ick.

FROST / NIXON is functional, and probably could not have been anything less given the source material. howard makes no strides to elevate it or take full advantage of the cinema's unique narrative offerings, and the whole thing is entirely forgettable. 2 acting nods all but guaranteed, with pic, director, and screenplay likely in the bag as well.

DOUBT is a sliver of what it could have been. busts out of the gate strong but never finds any true footing. the last scene is a real deal-breaker. most likely to be the token film extolled for its performances but omitted from the big 3 categories. and the academy's presentation order be damned, the screenplay awards far outweigh the actor / actress categories as far as importance in my estimation.

GRAN TORINO is the joke of the year. clint eastwood is a hero, but hot fuzz this movie is awful. laughable performances (eastwood's notwithstanding), a script front-loaded with cringe-inducing caricatures, gratingly obvious beats, and a philosophical schema that makes the dark knight look like a pivotal expose on the human condition... are half the problem. the other half is that CLINT EASTWOOD SINGS THE CLOSING CREDITS SONG. yikes. but damn does he give some great q+a.

THE READER... works. it does. daldry knows what he's doing and is abetted by a great turn by newcomer david kross and another stirring kate winslet perf in the vein of "little children." a sumptuous look courtesy of roger deakins, and a strong, lucid script by repeat daldry collaborator david hare don't save the movie from running out steam in the leaden transition into the third act, but the whole thing feels like a class act. look for nico muhly's score to nab some attention.

WALL-E. can't quite close the deal either but when it works it works better than just about any other film this year. i definitely support but by no means anticipate a best pic nod. obviously a lock for the animation win, which is a shame because WALTZ WITH BASHIR is somewhat as deserving. it will get the year's token PERSEPOLIS nod.

THE WRESTLER is a strong, sober piece of work by darren aronofsky that's buoyed by a sure-to-be-nominated perf by creepshow Mickey Rourke and marissa tomei somehow refusing to become un-hot. stirring final moments go a great ways towards erasing rachel evan wood's entirely nauseating character and the forced dynamic between rourke and tomei. wouldn't bank on support for the film, but sure wouldn't mind it. but rourke is made in the shade.

and REVOLUTIONARY ROAD i'm going to go ahead and assume is better than just about all of the aforementioned films.

SO... my big 11/25/08 guess as to which films are gonna be nominated looks a little something like this:

CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
FROST / NIXON
REV ROAD

and... the gamble of a 5th spot is a toss-up between the likes of WRESTLER, DOUBT, and WALL-E, but will probably go to MILK.

and as far as the big race is concerned, you can all just go ahead and forget about the DARK KNIGHT. See full post

Lists are Awesome [Silly Fun]

Simply for your enjoyment:


From last night's episode of How I Met You Mother - Lily's 50 Reasons to Have Sex. How many on this list have been YOUR reason? Enjoy!



Click to Enlarge


Hat Tip: The TV Addict


And because every geek needs to be in on this joke, I present the top 20 Star Wars lines improved by replacing a word with "Pants"


1 I find your lack of pants disturbing.
2 You are unwise to lower your pants.
3 Your pants, you will not need them.
4 Chewie and me got into a lot of pants more heavily guarded than this.
5 The Force is strong in my pants.
6 You came in those pants? You're braver than I thought.
7 I cannot teach him. The boy has no pants.
8 In his pants you will find a new definition of pain and suffering
9 I think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your pants.
10 Governer Tarkin. I should have expected to find you holding Vader's pants.
11 Pull up! All pants pull up!
12 A disturbance in the pants. I have not felt this since near my old master...
13 I've just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of our pants forever
14 That blast came from the pants! That thing's operational!
15 I sense the conflict within you. Let go of your pants!
16 He has no time for smugglers who drop their pants first sign of Imperials
17 Alderan is peaceful, we have no pants!
18 These aren't the pants you're looking for.
19 The pants will be down in moments, sir, you can begin your landing
20 Looks like someone's beginning to take an interest in

Click here for the complete list (all 278 lines)

Have any favorite humorous lists? Post below! See full post

Monday, November 24, 2008

First Actual Battlestar Season 4.5 Promo

Returning January 16th FINALLY



If you wanna be all caught up by then, Season 4 comes out on dvd ten days earlier, on Jan 6th. Watch one episode a day, and you're set!

Oh god, but if you aren't caught up, please don't watch this or any other promo.

So say we all.

[Sci Fi] See full post

Batman: Arkham Asylum Will Be Badass [WANT]

I've come to realize I have a lot of wants. Good thing it's almost the holidays! If anyone has $15,000 laying around, you know what to get me.

Today's object of desire is slightly more attainable than the aforementioned antique death kit. It's Batman: Arkham Asylum, a video game for Xbox 360, PS3 & Windows, arriving in 2009. The trailer was released today and even though it's just a tour of Arkham Asylum, for lack of a better description, that doesn't mean it isn't totally badass and I don't want it right this moment.

Wondering what the game's all about? Press release below:

In Batman: Arkham Asylum, developed by Rocksteady Studios, the player assumes the role of Batman as he delivers The Joker to Arkham Asylum. There, the imprisoned super-villains have set a trap and an immersive combat gaming experience unfolds. With an original script penned by Emmy Award-winning Batman writer Paul Dini, the game brings the universe of DC Comics’ detective to life with stunning graphics.

“In Batman: Arkham Asylum Eidos and Warner Bros. are building a true action adventure game experience worthy of gamers and fans,” said Phil Rogers, CEO of Eidos Interactive. “Players become Batman, like he has never been seen before in a video game, as he fights through intense circumstances in Arkham Asylum utilizing his intuitive detective skills and aggressive melee attacks.”

“Batman: Arkham Asylum offers players the chance to battle Gotham’s worst villains with Batman’s physical and psychological strength in a graphically distinct and story-driven game,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “We look forward to working with Eidos on expanding DC Comics’ world-renowned character Batman in the game space with a noticeably different feature set in an incredibly dark interactive environment.”


PAUL DINI?! DETECTIVE SKILLS?! STORY DRIVEN, REALISTIC BATMAN GAME FEATURING ALL THE VILLAINS?! YES PLEASE!

By the way, if for some reason you have no idea who Paul Dini is, get ready - he won five writing Emmys for Tiny Toons, Batman: The Animated Series & Batman Beyond and two WGA awards, one for Animated Writing and one for his work on the LOST writing staff. Oh not to mention his three Annies, seven Eisners and three Harveys. Why do I personally think he rules the land of Awesome? He created Harley Quinn. And I effing love Harley Quinn.

And now, the trailer.




All I have to do now is get a gaming platform released later than 2001 and I'm all set...

[The Feed] See full post

Sunday, November 23, 2008

The Fanboy Trailer and Zack and Miri [Rant]

The trailer is fucking awesome. Even if every single clip of footage didn't leak hilarity all over the theater, the "featuring/starring" titles at the end of the trailer would have been reason enough for me to see the damn thing. Controversy be damned, I'm seein' it.

It rankles a bit, though, from the point of view of someone in the industry and someone's who a geek and someone who's a girl. Who are our protagonists? A bunch of majorly over or under weight, socially awkward, marginally clever, questionably charming and generally unattractive men.

And Kristin Bell.

The other women we see are Carrie Fischer, who... it's Princess Leia, right? She will be eternally made of hot regardless of any mitigating factors. And then there's the random hot blond chick who lets her top get mind-tricked off. Go Jedi Go.

Then we have the film proper, Zack and Miri Make a Porno. First off, everyone crying 'this is Jersey Girl Smith, not Clerks Smith'- who the hell do you think made Clerks? What do you think the theme of the film is? What is the theme explored in every single goddamn Kevin Smith movie? It's love. Romantic, brotherly, familial; between that of an everyman and what they idolize or fantasize of; between a man and his donkey. It's all about love. This movie fits that and is more than filthy enough between those sappy bits about real human emotion to counterbalance. It's all good.

Now, who are our protagonists? A motley collection of total, utter, desperate losers. They were losers in high school, they're losers now. And they all fit their roles spectacularly, except, of course, for the female protagonist, who just happens to be skinny, blond, and terribly attractive. Banks plays the role not just admirably, but with so much charm and ease it's just disgusting. She's wonderful. Even when her character makes some Stupid Girl decisions, it doesn't detract from her sheer, hilarious awesome. But... seriously? Seriously?

So now, there are literally zero standards that men need to be held to. The world of acting, for men, with this influx of Geek Productions into the mainstream media, is a true meritocracy. And for women, it becomes more and more unreasonably standardized, with size 6 (that would generally be a 26 inch waist) being considered plus and the general expectation being for actresses to be a size 2 or smaller. Regardless of the nature of the role. Yeah, that's fair.

And it's across all mediums. So few women seem to be in positions to contribute to or control the creative processes of genre films, television, comics and video games that the dismissal and or fetishization of female characters seems to be crossing that line from typical to alienating. Of course, it's probably only alienating to me, because I'm a girl who wants to participate. And as I learned in fourth grade, it's never fair or easy, trying to be in the boys' club. See full post

Why Twilight Is So Awkward [Obligatory Twilight Post]

So, I saw Twilight at 12:01 Friday morning.

Now to explain where I stand on the fan scale and why I participated in the first showing experience. I am not a Twihard or a Twilightter or what have you, but I've read the first book and have always adored vampire/human love stories - I was ages 11-17 when Buffy was on the air, what do you want from me, it's in my blood now. I was present at the Comic Con panel, but did not participate in the endless teenage screaming (see below).



And while I came out of that panel with a splitting headache, it did make a somewhat positive impression on me. That kind of tween dedication for a film only comes around once in a decade and I kind of missed the boat - no pun intended - on Titanic, never having seen it in a theater. So I figured going to the first showing of Twilight was a must have experience.

True to form, we were surround by tweens and teens alike, many dressed up either in costume or in some sort of homemade I heart Edward Cullen garb. There were even a couple guys dressed as the vampire heartthrob himself, complete with grimy sex hair. These were die hard fans, the kind of fans that immediately recognized Stephanie Meyer's cameo and literally SQUEALED WITH DELIGHT during the scene between Edward & Jacob at the end.

And yet, there was a phenomenon in this theater, that I've come to realize has happened all over the country both pre and post-release.

Laughter at moments that weren't supposed to be funny.

Lots of it

It wasn't just a moment here or a moment there. This movie has so many awkwardly cheesey moments, that even the die hardiest of fans were cracking up half the time.

So I've compiled a list of ten contributors to the awkwardness that is Twilight. Think I missed one? Please post in the comments section.

1. Jacob Black

Literally every time he came on screen, someone if not everyone in the audience was laughing. ESPECIALLY at the end, when he randomly appears in the woods, acting like it's a completely normal thing to just be chillin in the dark, all alone, by a tree. But even when he wasn't popping up out of nowhere to be awkward, his hair alone induced chuckles from even the most Team Jacob of the crowd. I have no idea how they expect me to buy Bella falling for this guy (if that's what happens) in the movies to come. Oh, and his friends DEFINITELY did not help the situation.

2. The Forest Scene

No one could even contain their laughter in what should have been one of the most nerve-wracking yet beautiful scenes in the whole film - Edward confessing the truth in the forest. Instead of simply letting the characters engage in this long awaited conversation and letting that be enough to interest us, Catherine Hardwicke had her actors spend the first half of the scene on As the World Turns and the second half pretending to be monkeys, all whist starring in a really bad music video. The camera angles Hardwicke used were ridiculous. Why sideways? Why up and to the left? What are you DOING?! Not to mention, I had trouble buying anything Bella & Edward were saying to each other. A friend with me pointed out that the only line in the entire scene that rang true at all was Edward's "and the lion fell in love with the lamb." THAT line of all things. But it should be noted - that line was spoken during a simple close up. Coincidence? Don't think so. I honestly believe had Hardwicke let the chemistry between the actors do its job, instead of getting all cray cray with the blocking & cinematography, the scene would have been much less laughable and maybe even as powerful a moment as the book intended.

3. The Makeup

Peter Facinelli's entrance as the way too platinum haired Dr. Cullen was also a point of high comedy. It looked as though right before the start of the scene, he sunk his face into a vat of talcum powder. Before the laughter set in, I was actually taken aback with how offensive his makeup was. And he wasn't the only one subject to too much white face paint. I mean, honestly, did the actors apply their own makeup? Without a mirror? I demand answers.

4. Jasper

I'm just hoping this one was intentional

5. Easily Fixible Mistakes

One of my favorite moments of absurdity was when Edward & Bella were dancing in the gazebo at the end. For no reason at all, the other couples dancing beside them just decide to leave. Just walk away. All of them. At once. Would it really have been THAT difficult to have an amplified voice in the distance announce that the prom queen was about to be revealed? Anything? Anything at all that would make the slightest of sense?

6. (Mostly) No Sense of Danger

In what was one of more tension filled chapters of the book, Bella is followed by some guys who wanna eff with her, but hooray - Edward saves the day! In the film, there is ZERO sense of danger here as the guys following her a. did not look scary and b. just kinda stood around her and said stupid shit.

And when the outsider vamps crash the baseball game and everyone gets all crouchy? Not scary. Just silly.

The only part of the entire film that made me nervous was the final action scene. But that's it.

7. The Wide Shots

Yeah, you heard me. Everytime the film cut to a wide shot, shit got awkward. None of the actors appeared to know what to do with their bodies, yet Hardwicke seemed to have a thing for cutting to them wide over and over and over again. Plus many of these shots were purposefully off center or bridging on sideways. Was this supposed to demonstrate how far from normal Bella's life is? Good thing, cause I totally didn't get that before. Ugh.

8. Anticlimactic Skin

In the book, Edward walking into direct sunlight is a HUGE moment. He is supposed to glisten like "diamonds" to the point where Bella is awestruck with his otherworldly beauty. The audience had been waiting and waiting for this moment and then - ! His skin looked kind of brighter? To quote Dodai over at Jezebel,

"Instead of making his skin look 'like diamonds,' the special effects looked more like Gay Pride parade body shimmer."

It wasn't until they were laying in the sun that we could see any difference whatsoever, and even then it was nowhere near as powerful as it should have been.

9. The Way Edward Looks at Bella

While occasionally we were treated to a somewhat believable look of desire or love from Bella's monster demon superhero who sucks blood boyfriend, mostly we were subject to something more like this, except on crack.


So imagine that, plus some extra crack, and you've got it! And every time Edward made a face like this? You guessed it - the audience lost their shit. The best example of when it got a little out of hand was the first time Bella enters her science class. Maybe Edward's reaction was accurate? But WAY too intense, all of a sudden, for my taste. Every single person in the audience was chuckling, if not full-on guffawing. Hmm, spell check tells me guffawing is in fact a word. Awesome.

10. The Ending

Um...what? Why didn't it cut to black the second we saw angry Victoria? Why would you not do that?!?! Did someone at the studio WANT the end to be as awkward as possible? Instead of cutting to black and leaving the audience in "oh shit" mode, the film follows Victoria slowly move down the stairs with no particular purpose, leaving the audience to wonder what the hell is going on, only to discover five minutes later that the credits are rolling. No. That was weird. And I'm not okay with it.

But all that aside, I did actually enjoy myself. And to prove that I'm not a total hater, (cause I'm not, I did like the film, despite it's horrible awkwardness) here's a list of the best parts in no particular order

1. Charlie

2. The Final Action Scene

3. Edward's Badass Car (and how it turned on a dime the second Bella hopped in, safe from her not-at-all-scary assailants)

4. The Scenes with Bella's Schoolmates (especially Jessica)

5. The First Kiss

6. The First Kiss

7. The First Kiss

8. Robert Pattinson in a suit

9. Robert Pattinson in sunglasses

10. Rachelle LeFevere's Hair
See full post

Friday, November 21, 2008

Joan Holloway is my Idol [WANT]

Just in case you didn't know, Joan Holloway is the epitome of all that is beautiful and womanly. Now that that's cleared up, I present the Joan Holloway What A Doll! poster, featuring paper doll Joan & almost all the outfits she wore during season one of the brilliant Mad Men. I can has? And then I can has those outfits in real life too?

/Aside

***Spoiler Alert***

Here's hoping things...change for everyone's favorite head secretary in season 3. Below is the upsetting clip from last season that brought me to tears from the unexpected horror of the situation.



Is it wrong that I want Roger to eviscerate this guy? I mean, Joan gets first crack at him, obviously, but if Roger ever wanted to step in and say, break his nose and destroy his career? I'd be all right with that. What can I say - chivalry's not lost on me. Office rape, however? Very lost on me. Someone get Matthew Weiner on the phone, we gotta chat.

/End Aside

Hat Tip: Jezebel See full post

Star Wars Everything

I recently discovered that a Darth Vader Toaster exists, which got me pretty upset. See, I own a Battlestar Galactica toaster and it's the cornerstone of my geek shelf. The reason why it's so great is because Cylons are called Toasters. !!! Darth Vader on the other hand, is never called a Toaster. So why did this happen? Why was this product created?

As I was explaining this to my always enlightening roommate, he pointed out the reason there is a Star Wars Toaster is because there is a Star Wars EVERYTHING. I scoffed at him then realized he had a point. 

So today, a sampling, and the argument that there just might in fact be a Star Wars everything.

For The Home







See full post