Happy Labor Day!

A very merry labor day to you and you and you! I am off to the mountains and deserts of New Mexico where I will place myself in a bit of a pop culture deprivation tank - I'm going to try and get in some southwest culture for a change of pace. So enjoy your weekends everyone and I will post my jade jewelry report on Tuesday!

Please don't change the world - I don't like fringe!

So Keith wants to change the way the world dresses? Um, no thank you. It was finally his turn to get auf'd thank god - he was a little too moody/bully for me. And don't blame being stuck in Utah as an excuse - my father grew up in Idaho and managed to find his way to a life in New York - it can be done without the help of reality television.

And hooray to the judges for another inspired choice! I loved Leanne's dress (image from bravotv.com) as I loved her previous little black dress in the New York at Night challenge. I do have to say that I was also intrigued by Jerell again - although his clothes have been a bit beige, he does have some interesting ideas (even if I don't quite agree with the skyscraper ponytail look). Once again, I'm not quite sure I get the judges' interest in Korto - Rachel Zoe wanted to wear that coat out the door? It looked like it would be itchy and weigh a hundred pounds! And although the belt added some shape, overall it just looked like a big block of braided seatbelts to me. Can anyone tell me what I'm missing?

Still not sure that any of these candidates can really be winners (except that today I'm digging Leanne). Where is this all going?

That's the change we need!

OK, I'm a softie and a sucker but how can you not shed a tear when you see Biden hug his son who will be off to Iraq in the JAG corps (don't attorney generals get a waiver?). Or when his video talked about the car crash that killed his wife and daughter. I know Biden has some shortcomings but after listening to his speech the man has me convinced (although yes, I was convinced already). Let's hope that the change we need actually comes down the pike and doesn't stay as some words on some teleprompter.

Brit Must See TV Pt. II

Further to yesterday's post, I did catch Gavin & Stacey on BBC America tonight and it was quite funny. Creators James Corden and Ruth Jones were very good as the best friends and I am confident that they will keep the show edgy while Gavin & Stacey get mushy. I also enjoyed Rob Brydon (of Tristram Shandy - again, please do rent it - it has Steve Coogan and is very funny) as Stacey's uncle. I think the Times hit the nail on the head in yesterday's review so I do hope you check it out (it's on BBC America on Demand if you missed it tonight).

I also have to note that I spoke to my dad this evening and he said that he discovered a wonderful new show on BBC America and recommended I check it out. He's just a bit behind on the blog I suppose.

Live Blog!

Well it's my first live blog albeit a very short one. I'm quite tired and have a short attention span.

I'm watching Hillary's speech - she said Barack Obama has always depended on but then did not end with "the kindness of strangers." Darn.

I liked her Twin Cities joke though - it's apt that the Republicans are meeting there because you can't tell McCain and Bush apart. Tee-hee.

Let's Get Down to the Real News

I am really psyched to check out tonight's live convention coverage from the Best F**king News Team - let's hope they also remembered to pack the jokes:

Woody's Still Got It

You can debate whether his recent films really live up to the old classics but there is no denying that Woody Allen is still a hilarious writer. I really enjoyed the excerpts from his Vicky Cristina Barcelona "diary" which were in Sunday's Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/movies/24alle.html?8dpc

Movie Preview of the Day

I did not see Paris, Je T'Aime after hearing some not so great things but how can I possibly resist this? New York, I do love you, very much.

"New York I love you" Teaser
by Mollyryan

Brit Must See TV

Gavin & Stacey is starting Tuesday night on BBC America and it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. But you don't just have to take my word for it, check out the great review it received in the N.Y. Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/arts/television/26gavi.html

Please do check the show out. The more we check out the British shows, the more British shows we will get to see (and the less bad remakes we will have to suffer through - Office excepted of course).

More NPH

Another NPH shout-out, this time from the Indecision 2008 blog:

http://blog.indecision2008.com/2008/08/13/which-neil-patrick-harris-is-barack-obamas-best-vp-pick/

Fingers Crossed for Guy Ritchie

For all you fans of Lock Stock and Snatch, let us all hold hands and pray that this is the real return of the original, pre-Madonna Guy Ritchie. I mean, it has the always great Tom Wilkinson, the always sexy Thandie Newton and Idris Elba (God I miss the Wire) - what could be bad? Ok, Ok, I know what could be bad but let's hope the gray skies are about to clear up:

ROCKNROLLA

Oh La La!

I was able to make it to another film in the Film Forum's French Crime Wave series last night - La Verite, a Clouzot film from 1960. The film stars Brigitte Bardot as a young woman put on trial for the murder of her lover. As the witnesses come forth to give testimony, her story is told through flashbacks. It was very entertaining to see Bardot in a quintessential "sex kitten" role and I love the whole 60s Paris vibe. The film ends up feeling dated though as a commentary on the puritanical society casting judgment on Bardot and her crazy new ways. She dares to sleep around, she dares to be aimless and she dares to resent her family - quelle horreur! The judge even takes pains to point out that rather than work, she actually went to the cinema as much as three times a week! Oh no, what is society coming to! Judging from the fit of laughter in the audience, I'd say that my fellow film fanactics and I are going to be having a fabulous film festival in hell together!

News Posting of the Day

I think there's something about this blurb from WENN news, particularly its last sentence, that speaks volumes about America today. Priorities people, priorities!

Johansson Delays Wedding?
21 August 2008 12:00 AM, PDT


Scarlett Johansson has reportedly postponed her wedding - because it clashes with the U.S presidential elections.

The actress - who has publicly backed Barack Obama - is due to marry Ryan Reynolds this year.

But Johansson has put the nuptials on hold - because her twin brother, Hunter, is busy working on Obama's campaign.

A source tells British newspaper the Daily Express, "He is working all the time so Scarlett wants to hold off until the election is over."

The election is due to take place in November.

The more war changes, the more war stays the same.

I have been religiously make my way through Generation Kill (only one episode left to go) and one thing that has really had me thinking is just how similar the show is to the jaw-dropping, heart wrenching HBO World War II miniseries, Band of Brothers (shame on you those who haven't seen it - drop everything and run to rent it - no seriously, now). Both series are based on factually true accounts of a specific military company at war so I believe it is safe to say that we can read both series as having a non-fiction plot. While the nature of warfare in World War II and the massive number of battles the troops went through make the war in Iraq look like a diverting jaunt in the desert, both series do an amazing job at showing the follies of war including the clueless higher ups doing the planning and the scarily incompetent team leaders. Both series also do an excellent job of showing the fraternity that grows amongst the men (and both are helped by a wonderful team of actors). For each series, I certainly had a base familiarity with the facts of the war but each show just brings you closer in and makes you think about what is really at stake. I think when you evaluate what is at stake in each war you can find the key point where the shows differ - someone please tell me exactly what we are fighting for now?

Project Runway is Back!

Yes, I know the fifth season premiered a few weeks ago but as of last night, the show is really back! Finally, the judges made some decisions I could understand and finally, the challenge was actually entertaining! The fabulous New York drag queens brought some life to a show that has been horribly lifeless the last few weeks. Hopefully they will inspire the contestants to lighten up and have some fun going forward.

I have to say that although Terri and Korto had some really great ideas and showed a lot of flare, I absolutely agree that Joe's design (pictured from bravotv.com) had to win. Given his seeming hesitation at the start of the challenge, he managed to create something that fit Varla Jean Merman like a glove. To create a bodysuit that fit her so well seemed like triumph enough for me but all the little details just sealed the deal. Varla Jean certainly helped - she had the original sailor suggestion after all and her little leap/salute off the stage was adorable but Joe was the one who had to pull it off and pull it off he did.

Also, Daniel finally got what was coming. I can see that he was clearly baffled as to why he was doing so poorly in the challenges but when he said the other outfits were gaudy, I wanted RuPaul to deck him. Maybe he's tuning in to the show and realizing where he went wrong - probably not, but one can hope.

We'll see what happens next week but maybe construction materials (is that what that was in the preview?) can make for a fun episode too. Stay tuned...

Yay Whit Stillman!

Thank you Popwatch for bringing to my attention that Whit Stillman's classic Metropolitan is now streaming for free on Hulu (http://www.hulu.com/watch/30659/metropolitan) Hooray!

If you have not seen Stillman's films before, Metropolitan is the first in a trilogy with Barcelona and Last Days of Disco and all are simply wonderful. Stillman has a real ear for intelligent dialogue and all of the films contain lengthy, erudite and entertaining debates (such as Last Days of Disco's debate as to why Lady would pick the Tramp). In addition, all three feature the hilarious Chris Eigeman who steals every scene he is in. Eigeman is an actor we just don't see enough of these days but if you want to catch another one of his classic films, check out Noah Baumbach's Kicking and Screaming.

The Stillman movies are hard to find so do take advantage of the Hulu screening. I at some point had caught all three on my DVR but lost them when I had to switch to the new digital cable box - let's all campaign for them to release the trilogy on DVD stat!

[title of blog post]

So I'm sitting in my office bored and need to take an entertaining break - what should I do? I know! I'll write a blog post about the musical I saw last night, [title of show].

How should the blog post begin? Well first I have to type in a title but let's just leave that as [title of blog post] for now. Then I probably should point out that I thought the show was absolutely adorable and recommend that all theater lovers rush out to see it immediately. How can anyone not like a show that starts with a cautionary tale about eating outdoors in Chelsea? I will want to make sure everyone knows that the four person cast, who play themselves writing the musical [title of show] and getting the musical from a festival to Off-Broadway to Broadway, have a great energy and enthusiasm that wins you over. I also need to point out that the show is very funny and give a specific example such as when Jeff points out a certain guy is straight and Hunter replies "so is spaghetti until it gets hot and wet."

I could then continue with the post-show conversation with my mom and sister and mention that we all really loved it although none of us got all of the theater references (I should warn people that some of the Broadway references are quite obscure). I would probably leave out all that happened between the post-show conversation and the writing of the blog post although maybe I will later add a musical number to bridge the gap.

I hope people like the blog post. I guess I will just cross my fingers and see!

IMDB the Spoiler

So I watched the latest episode of Shameless last night and it featured an actress I know I've seen in a previous BBC America show. It's been driving me crazy what that other show was called (I only just remembered as I was typing this that it's "Waterloo Road") so in an effort to figure it out I tried scanning the cast list for Shameless on IMDB (for naught, she wasn't listed there).

However, since IMDB lists the number of episodes in which each actor appeared, and since Shameless has made it through five seasons in the UK while the US is only up to Season 3, I now know that a number of my favorite characters are not going to make it until the end of the show. The first season featured James McAvoy and his actual wife so clearly they weren't going to be on for long but I did not guess that some of the other actors wouldn't be around for the end. I guess I will stick it out and see how each one exits but now that I can countdown how many episodes each has left, it's not quite the same. Damn you IMDB!

DVR Addiction Pt. 2

Time for another DVR confession. I artfully arranged my taping schedule last night so between 9pm and 12:30ish I captured 6 hours and forty-five minutes of television. I managed to watch Skins (discussed below) and Mad Men (eh - not worth mentioning this week) last night but I still have to get through Generation Kill, Shameless and the eagerly anticipated Bob Saget roast. Thankfully, my DVR is not taping all that much during the week (Weeds, Project Runway and Psych) but does taping 6 different shows in one night mean I have a DVR problem? I just love it so!

All right, you got me

I am not a big Olympics person and although I am keeping an ear on the results, I have not been glued to hours of coverage on my TV. I find most of the sports strange or boring (the U.S.-Spain basketball game on Saturday morning was fun for one quarter and then the U.S. blew it out - yawn) and none of it really draws my attention. Except...

I happened to turn on the TV at the end of Saturday night's coverage and caught the last medal ceremony for Michael Phelps. I was watching it passively and without too much interest until he ran up through the photographers in order to give his mom a hug at which point I broke out into tears. How can you not be moved by the old-Hollywood push through the crowd to get to you move? You win Olympics, you win.

It's Pinkarrific

I attended a production of Pinkalicious the Musical on Saturday which only makes sense to those of you with small children. I am by no means a connoisseur of children's theater but I will say that my theater companion, 3 year old Abby, seemed to really enjoy it. Her favorite part was when Pinkalicious was taken to the doctor and diagnosed with a case of pinkatitis. She was also really excited to meet Pinkalicious after the show but then was so star-struck and shy she couldn't speak. From my point of view, it was a musical about how much everyone likes the color pink and people eat too many pink cupcakes and live happily ever after. But as long as Abby and her fellow little girl audience members were having fun what could be bad?

So did you watch?

After all my promotion, how many of you watched Skins last night? Feel free to raise your hands. What did you think?

I really enjoyed the first couple episodes. I found the main characters to be funny and interesting. I particularly like that they count a Muslim and a gay teen amongst their numbers to diversify the story a bit. Some of their stories seemed a little far fetched but on the whole, a lot of the issues the characters deal with ring pretty true (as with poor Cassie who is battling anorexia with little success). The shows last night really drew me in and I am excited to see where the characters will go. Hope you take the journey with me!

Tom Cruise's Thunder

I caught Tropic Thunder this weekend and found it a little too broad for my tastes. The head-on scathing look at Hollywood was certainly funny but parts of it went a bit too far to the wayside. For instance, as much as I enjoy Jack Black, there is absolutely no reason for his character to be in the film other than to add body humor jokes. Those jokes just debase the insightful Hollywood-focused humor in the rest of the film and bring the whole project down a notch. In addition, Robert Downey Jr. is excellent but nearly all of his truly great lines are in the preview which I saw before every other movie I attended this summer. I have to note though that the one long RDJ speech not in the preview, which is the speech that has caused an uproar in the disabled community, is actually a dead-eye satire of Hollywood and the Oscars and is very, very funny.

Indeed, as you may have already heard, after you've seen the previews, the only material that will come as a truly delightful surprise are the scenes with Tom Cruise. I don't wish to ruin them for those who haven't seen the movie but trust me - he's hysterical. If only he could continue taking on parts like this where he can show off his true skills and avoid the leaden dramas (and keep his comments on psychology and love and life to a minimum), he could truly be the Golden Boy again.

P.S. Does anyone else have a burning desire to see Satan's Alley? Coming out in the fall when?

Ah, Barcelona

I went to see the new Woody Allen film Vicky Cristina Barcelona on Friday night and am happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The movie starts out with a voice-over narration that continues throughout the film - I found the narration strange at first but I think that over the course of the movie it worked well to move events along at a steady pace. There was a lot of funny dialogue and the film was particularly enhanced by the stellar performances of Rebecca Hall as a buttoned-up American and Penelope Cruz as a crazed Spanish artist. Rebecca Hall was particularly funny towards the beginning of the movie when she first encounters Javier Bardem - the wary American reacting cynically to the free-spirited Spaniard is a feeling I can relate to. Penelope Cruz doesn't enter until halfway through the film although her entrance is foreshadowed throughout the film - when she does finally enter she steals the picture from everyone else. Javier Bardem acquits himself admirably as the sexy Spanish lover (not much of a stretch!) and although poor Scarlett Johansson still has not discovered the ability to act, her standard poutiness actually suits her character nicely.

The footage of Barcelona is also just wonderful! It made me wish I was back there taking a long lunch at Cal Pep. If only I lived the life where one could spend an entire summer in Europe .

Overall it's nice to see Woody back in his element - let's hope he's able to keep it up!

Items on My Wish List

For no real reason, the memory of a long-lost loved television show Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist jumped into my brain this afternoon and now I can't stop thinking about it. I would often catch the show at random times (early on a weekend morning, in the middle of the night during the week) and the interactions between Dr. Katz and his son would make me laugh until I cried. I tried to find just a short clip on-line to soothe my craving during my coffee break but what I came up with was an ad for the entire series on DVD. I feel like rushing right out, purchasing the DVD and hiding in my apartment all weekend while I binge on 81 episodes of my favorite cartoon therapist but somehow I will manage to resist the urge (although it is a really strong urge). However, if any of you out there feel like buying me a really nice gift, please keep this in mind:

He Is Indeed the Illest Motherfucker in a Cardigan Sweater

Let me just say up front, yes I am aware that I have eclectic tastes. And yes, I know that this will come as a shock to most of you. But damn it, I will say it loud and proud - I love Bob Saget. He's foul and crass but he makes me laugh every time.

Which is I will be tuning in to, and must recommend, Comedy Central's roast of Bob Saget this Sunday night. It's hosted by John Stamos and features many recognizable comedians and Cloris Leachman - what's not to love?

To whet your Saget appetites, check out Jamie Kennedy's Rollin' With Saget and Saget performing Danny Tanner Was Not Gay from his latest HBO comedy special - now will you tune in to the roast?

Really, Do Watch Skins!

skins_cast_quizimage
Originally uploaded by skinsbbcamerica

The more previews I see of this show, the more I like it! It seems like it's going to be a teen show with a lot more edge than American teen shows. I know we have more than one teen show fan in the audience (Gossip Girl fans I mean you) so I think this is definitely going to be up your alley! Until the show starts on BBC America on Sunday at 9, you can whet your appetite with these cute cast interviews and funny character previews at http://www.youtube.com/skinsbbcamerica, including a little background on Tony and Cassie:





Plus, I have to mention that imdb.com lists Josie Lawrence (Enchanting April) and Peter Capaldi (The Thick of It - a political satire TV show you should really get your hands on if possible) amongst the cast for three episodes. For a Britphile like me, that's heaven!

Who could really wear that to work?

For a change, I won't say I disagree with the judge's decision as to the winner. I suppose that Keith's design (made with Kenley's assistance) pictured from bravotv.com did best fit Brooke Shields and her television character. Jorell's design was interesting but way too monochrome for network TV.

I do need to complain though about the judge's decision as to the loser. Yes, Kelli's design was too risque but it was at least a business-like suit and fit the day to night concept - Blayne's design completely missed the point of the assignment. Also, Kelli has one win and consistently huddled in the middle unlike the others on the runway who had all hovered in the bottom before. I thought she showed a lot of possible promise - unlike Daniel, who after the first challenge really skidded off the rails. The problem with group challenges is that the leader is inevitably responsible - with so many weak competitors working as assistants, Kelli was only really competing with four other people for the bottom which seems very unfair. I know it's hard to vote off someone who was not a team leader but given the last few rounds, I would have liked to see the judges put the blame on Daniel and auf him out of there.

I have to say that none of these designers are wowing me and I am having a very hard time picturing any of them winning the season. Unless someone starts breaking away from the pack soon, I think Project Runway is going to see its best designer ever (Christian) be followed by its worst ever. I'm actually pretty tempted to give up on the whole thing except they tempted me back with the promise of Chris March and drag queens on next week's show. I can't possibly resist that.

Nothing like the smell of fried food in the morning!

So you're a celebrity promoting a film, doing the usual talk show rounds and on one of the morning programs, at 8:45am, you are asked to taste the newest in fried fare from the country's biggest state fairs - what do you do? Check out the different approaches of Jack Black and Ben Stiller as they faced Diane Sawyer's chocolate covered fried bacon (oy Minnesota state fair):

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5570898

Must See British TV

So I have been watching Not Going Out on BBC America (a traditional so-so sitcom) and have been absolutely drawn in by the ads for Skins, a show about teenagers from Bristol starring Nicholas Hoult, the now quite grown up boy from the Hugh Grant movie About a Boy. The show premieres this Sunday night at 9 - check out the promo below and see what you think but I will definitely be tuning in:

Entertaining Thieves

The Film Forum in the Village is currently hosting a fabulous film festival dedicated to French crime films. The festival kicked off with the edge-of-your-seat classic heist film Rififi (you must rent it now) and last night I was lucky to catch The Thief of Paris, a 1967 Louis Malle film starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Genvieve Bujold. Set at the turn of the 20th century, Belmondo plays a man wronged by his uncle who turns to a life of burglarly while maintaining a gentlemanly veneer. The mostly silent burglarly sequences were thrilling and a lot of the dialogue was very funny. Belmondo has such a great knowing, smirky smile that just watching him watch the snobs of high society is entertainment enough.

The festival runs through September 11th and the movies will change every couple days or so. There are a lot of double features which is a great bang for the entertainment buck. For those unfamiliar with this genre, some highlights include Le Cercle Rouge (a Melville film with Alain Delon, I saw it a few years ago and it is a great thriller), a Touchez Pas au Grisbi (Don't Touch the Loot) and Bob Le Flambeur double feature, Goddard's Pierrot Le Fou, Breathless and Band of Outsiders (the first two with Belmondo) and Diabolique. If you can't make it to the festival, definitely try and check these out on video, particularly Breathless which is a required Film 101 Goddard gem.

The Mole has been Revealed - I'm Free!!

The Mole has finally ended! Monday nights are now mine, all mine!

So even though I was right that Mark would win (although apparently he did so through some sheer good luck), my friend Susannah was indeed right that Craig was the Mole. Anybody know if Magnolia Bakery delivers to Lexington, KY? I now owe her that cupcake.

It is worth noting that only Paul suspected Craig from the beginning - Nicole and Mark only picked Craig in the last couple rounds. So how was Craig such a successful Mole? All the other players found the heavy-set Craig too jolly to possibly be the Mole. They all expected that due to his size he would not be able to do many of the missions and they were just so gosh-darned proud every time he tried. Thus, by taking advantage of the prejudices of his fellow contestants, Craig (the first non-model beautiful Mole) was literally was able to hide out in the open in his own skin. Genius.

El Andy Lives!

All right, no more complaining about the treatment of women on Weeds but the fabulousness of El Andy must be acknowledged.

Mad Women

Just a brief complaint. I am really enjoying the new season of Mad Men and I love all the intrigue behind the closed doors of Sterling Cooper. However, if the writers could find a way to get rid of January Jones, I would be much appreciative. She has one pouty look, one leaden way of delivering her lines and kills every scene that she's in. Last week's episode had so much Betty action that I almost gave up on the episode entirely. Note to Mad Men writers - more Peggy, less Betty. Thank you for your attention.

Enjoying the Summer Beat

I went to see a free Lincoln Center Out of Doors performance on Friday of "Summer of Love" featuring Armitage Gone! Dance and Burkina Electric and boy is that African beat catchy! Burkina Electric is a group combining traditional beats of the music of Burkina Faso with electronica - a combination which makes for an interesting and infectous sound (check them out at http://www.burkina-electric.com/). The energy of the performers of Burkina Electric was also amazing - they certainly know how to groove along to the beat! The group melded well with the Armitage Gone! Dance troupe - although there were some slow moments, for the most part the combined entourage kept the dance flowing and the rhythm hopping. It was certainly a most enjoyable way to pass a cool summer evening!

This was a preview for a work in development. I don't know when the piece will be coming around again but in the meantime you can catch Armitage Gone! Dance this fall at The Kitchen performing a number of punk pieces. Details at http://www.armitagegonedance.org/upcoming/upcoming.php

When is it better not to do anything at all?

I saw Pineapple Express over the weekend and although I admit it wasn't a great movie, I certainly enjoyed parts of it. The parts I enjoyed of course were those where Seth Rogen, James Franco, et al. sit around and have mindless discussions - most of the conversations between Rogen and Franco were hilarious (particularly Franco's comment that he had two ideas on where they could hide out - nowhere or Quizzno's). The parts I could have skipped were all the action sequences - they just looked cartoonish and weren't particularly amusing. Let's hope they do a sequel where Rogen and Franco just kill a day in Franco's apartment watching 227 - that would definitely be a better film.

I'm Eddie, How You Like Me So Far?

I was going to ask this of Mark Valley (making his way through Boston Legal, Swingtown and the upcoming Fringe but formerly of the great, sadly short and missed Keen Eddie) when I saw him on Central Park West on Saturday but I didn't really have an opportune moment. I did get to listen to him talk about his personal trainer though. (Sigh), I wish they would bring Keen Eddie back but you can keep watching the few episodes they did make over and over again on the Sleuth channel. Please check it out.

But It's a Magic Blog Post

OK yes, I shamelessly found this on Popwatch but it was too funny not too share:

Time Out for a Trip Down Memory Lane

So I made the decision to stay in last night and ended up having a very nostalgic evening. There was nothing to watch on TV (pre-season football isn't my bag baby) so I thought I would see what Hulu had to offer but found nothing of interest there. Then for no real reason, I decided to start searching around for any on-line episodes from a lost favorite of my youth, Head of the Class, about a group of smart students in an elite academic program at a New York City high school. Now Head of the Class is not by any means an objectively good show but when I was in junior high and high school I looooved it (probably because I was in my own nerdy, select academic program at school). It is not available anywhere on DVD but after much searching I was able to find a few episodes on findinternettv.com including First Date, a season 3 classic in which Eric and Simone finally go out on a date (after two seasons of flirting). The laugh track is corny, the actors are just pretty much going through the motions and the George H.W. Bush/Dan Quayle/Michael Dukakis jokes seem quaint but it still managed to put a smile on my face. I will definitely be going back to watch more although there are only a few episodes on the site. Someone please bring out the DVDs! If any of you are also nostalgic/curious, check them out here: http://www.findinternettv.com/Video,show,1-q=Head+of+the+Class.aspx

After enjoying my Head of the Class fix, I started messing around on iTunes to use up two free song credits generously given to me by Ticketmaster. I do not find it easy to browse on iTunes but I do my best, jumping around from artists I like and soundtracks I like, letting the threads of links lead me around. In doing this last night, I came across a Counting Crows song that was popular when I was in college, Einstein on the Beach. Now I hadn't heard the song in years and I hadn't even thought about in years but when I heard the little demo snippet on iTunes, I was amazed that I've managed to go all this time without it. Again, I recognize that it is not the best song in the world but there is something about it that just made me so happy. I instantly added it to my iPod and have already listened to it four times since. Now I have no idea what the video below has to do with the song but at least close your eyes and give it a listen:



All in all, it was quite an enjoyable evening. I am going to have to come up with some more lost loves and devote some more time to tracking them down!

How the Other Half of the Country Lives

I caught the documentary Order of Myths at the IFC last night with my friend Adrienne (who knows the filmmaker). The film focuses on the Mardi Gras parades and balls held every year in Mobile with particular focus on the two pairs of Mardi Gras kings and queens. There is one king and queen chosen by the old guard white societies and one pair chosen by the newer black societies - each of which have their own separate parades and balls. The tradition and pageantry put forth by each part of the community is so elaborate - I have never seen anything quite like it (although my friend Adrienne who has lived in New Orleans tells me Mardi Gras is very similar there). The racial separation is also astounding - for instance, the king and queen from the black society decided to attend the coronation of the other king and queen which led to a discussion of how important and groundbreaking that was - the king and queen from the black society seemed shocked at the polite reception they received. I readily admit that I am not too up on the traditions and culture of the south (as a born and bred New Yorker) - I once walked around the campus of Ole Miss and felt like I had landed on another planet. However, it was really interesting to learn about the history of Mardi Gras in Mobile and how it reflects the society and community down there. It is still quite alien to me but at least I learned a little something new about how some of my fellow American citizens live.

Um, What Show Are They Watching?

The judges on Project Runway have now officially plum lost their minds. Rather than pick the interesting, impeccably tailored, miraculously completed jacket, shirt, pants and scarf with just the right mix of red, white and blue made by Terri, the judges somehow managed to decide that the white pajamas with red and black trim made by Korto (picture from bravotv.com at left) was much more appropriate for an Olympic parade. After lecturing the contestants on just how badly they missed the boat with the challenge, how on earth could they make such a mistake? Can you imagine a sea of female athletes making their way around a track wearing white linen pajamas with a hint of red and black? How on earth would that represent America? How could it possibly be better than Terri's sharp outfit which made Michael Kors exclaim "Hooray for Sportswear"?

I have to say, I feel really bad for Terri. She should have won last week too (you can argue whether Kenley's dress was interesting but it did not remotely match her photo) and now she's been robbed again. Hopefully the judges will wise up and start making some sense soon.

Breaking Political News of the Day

Not that I would want him to be president under any circumstances but according to an interview with Entertainment Weekly, John McCain likes both The Wire and Curb Your Enthusiasm so I at least approve of his taste in television.

Beware the Lunch Rage

The Rescue Me minisodes keep on coming and last night's was another classic. Yes, I am aware that the ones I think are classics all involve a ranting Lou but it is impossible not to laugh out loud at the old disappearing lunch frustration!

http://www.crackle.com/c/Rescue_Me_Minisodes/Rescue_Me_Minisode_7/2348102#ml=o%3d12%26fpl%3d297691%26fx%3d

Let The Sun Shine In

So thanks to my mom who waited for four hours in line to get the last tickets in the house, we made it in to the theater to see Hair in Central Park last night. I am certainly glad that I went - the actors all had very strong voices, the band was rockin', the songs were as catchy as ever (I had forgotten that Good Morning Starshine came from Hair) but something just didn't quite work for me. Perhaps it was just that our seats were in the back corner but I just didn't feel engaged for most of the show and just sort of passively enjoyed the songs (which jump very quickly from one to the next). The cast was jumping around, running out into the audience and interacting with audience members (my mom got a kiss on the head from one actress during the song "Hair") and it was entertaining but it just didn't grab me. Hair is a bit of a strange show which just jumps from song to song but I felt that given our current political climate, the show could have tried to make a more relevant point about today. Instead, it was just an excuse to travel down 60s nostalgia lane like a doo-wop show would do for the 50s or a disco revue for the 70s.

However, I do have to say that the last sequence of the show from the singing of Flesh Failures, into Let the Sun Shine In and the curtain call with its reprise of Hair and Let the Sun Shine In (combined with the traditional invitation to audience members to dance their way on to the stage) had a lot of genuine energy and message and was loads of fun and brilliantly done. Those fifteen minutes certainly stayed with me as I left and made the whole evening worthwhile but I just wish the energy of those fifteen minutes had been present through the entire production - that would have been something worth seeing!

The Power of Celebrity Indeed

So I am sure you have by now all seen the below video in which Paris Hilton responds to McCain's attack ad painting Obama as a Paris/Britney-like celebrity. My favorite part about the whole thing has to be that the news coverage I've seen on this credits Paris with the joke as if she had the brilliant idea to put this together. It clearly says paid for by Funny Or Die people - credit belongs where credit is due.

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Weeds has been inhaling too much

If it weren't for Andy and Doug's mule scheme, I would stop watching this show right now. I think maybe next week I will only watch the Andy and Doug parts and fast forward through the rest. Nancy, who was such a fun character, is now a one-dimensional, sex-crazed woman who has no regard for her children and their well-being - sure, that's a character I wanted to cheer for. Celia has now become a drug addict which is the one thing left they hadn't done to her this season - she is now so low that there is no joy in watching her get kicked around. I don't know why the women on the show have to be treated so poorly while Andy and Doug always manage to get by - the show is created by a woman for goodness sakes and she used to revel in her strong women characters. Even the lady at the cheese shop is willing to sacrifice morals for a little money and sex with a teenager. Someone let me know if Heylia comes back and starts kicking a little ass - then maybe I'll tune back in.

Only One More Episode Left

and I will be free of The Mole! I'll say this: I sure hope Craig is the Mole because if it is Nicole then she will have been the worst mole ever. From the very first episode she started doing things to convince everyone she was the mole, which made me think that she was just trying to confuse people. If she was really the mole and just being horribly obvious, then that will be completely lame. Last night, she so badly tried to goof two missions, including repeatedly dropping a wire that needed to be cut within twenty seconds for no obvious reason and sunbathing and whining on the streets of Buenos Aires rather than even attempt the final mission that I wanted to reach through my TV and slap her to her senses. I still think that I have been consistently right that Mark will win but after he does, I hope he lays into her a bit (either for being a lame mole or the nastiest, laziest contestant) - we'll see next week.

Next time, just take the plane

I went to see Transsiberian this weekend, a film about an American couple traveling by train from Beijing to Moscow. Woody Harrelson was a bit too awshucks for my tastes but I thought Emily Mortimer was very good as his wife who always seems to be hiding something. Ben Kingsley also does a fine job as a Russian narcotics cop (aside: how many movies has he made in the last couple years?!? He has a different accent in every one!)

The movie had a lot of twists and turns and was generally entertaining but towards the end, the violence got a bit out of control and I literally shut my eyes for a few minutes. Nevertheless, I would recommend it if you're in the mood for a popcorn thriller and if you've never been to the Paris movie theatre in New York - a classic film house. The mood is consistently ominous and tense which keeps you on the edge of your seat. I have to say though after seeing how claustrophobic, tight, dirty and dangerous those trains can be, and how monotonous the view can be, I would recommend flying from China to Russia.

Why so serious indeed pt. 2

So I finally made it to see the Dark Knight this past weekend with my sister and father and I think we pretty much all agree that we did not care for it. Yes, Heath Ledger turned a very interesting, complex and engaging performance but I can't think of the last time I went to a movie that depressed me that much. Of course, I generally avoid movies which will depress me and opt for movies I think I will actually enjoy. I was worried that the whole Heath Ledger thing would upset me which is why I put off going for so long. Turns out, that was just the tip of the iceberg.

From my point of view (understanding that the huge majority seems to have loved the film), Nolan took the movie too seriously and dragged it from the comic book world into a world that seemed much too real. In Batman Begins, lots of different sets made up the nightmarish world of Gotham, a world that seemed somewhat real but not too real so that you could stay in the fantasy of the comic. Christopher Nolan specifically said in the Times Talk I attended that this time he wanted to film all the scenes on location because he thought that would be better than the artificial world created by the sets. Problem is, the Gotham of the Dark Knight is now clearly and obviously present day Chicago and this jarred me out of the world of comic books and thrust me disturbingly into reality. Heath Ledger's performance was very disturbing and not overly cartoonish and thus it came across to me as a much more plausible, real villain, one who could be haunting the citizens of Chicago and creating chaos in their otherwise calm city. It upset me without entertaining me - there were some scenes towards the end that I shall not ruin that very much made me think of a post-9/11, living on the edge New York and I could barely watch the screen. All of this might have made for an interesting film if Christopher Nolan had a specific message to impart about the world we live in but he just made the comic apply to a real, nightmarish world without any clear comment on that world (other than what makes a hero, how do heroes make choices, and other usual superhero movie blah blah). I left feeling depressed, upset and not remotely entertained (only the Hong Kong sequence had any pure entertainment value in it). At least I had a free pass so I didn't have to pay to be depressed.

With respect to Heath Ledger, I also have to note that while his performance in this movie was amazing and makes me wish he was still around so that we could see how much he was really capable of, my favorite Heath Ledger performances are the ones where he hardly speaks at all and yet grabs you with a single look. His performance in Brokeback Mountain is beautiful and devastating and he has hardly any lines. Likewise, in I'm Not There, he portrayed so much emotion by being quiet and understated. His Joker is a very noteworthy performance but let's hope that the larger than life role does not eclipse his wonderful, understated gems.

Finally, I have to say, does anyone know how hard it is for me to keep typing Heath over and over again without the -er? My fingers just don't know how to stop at the h.

Be Still My Beating Heart

It's an entire movie devoted to an intellectual property lawsuit - hooray!