Fifteen Years and Revisiting An Old Friend Named Harry

I am 29-years-old and I just got sorted into House Hufflepuff. You might be thinking that I'm arriving at Hogwarts about 18 years too late, and you would be right, but apparently there are no age limits for starting at the most famous wizarding school in the world! Traveling by way of platform 9 3/4 was a tad awkward though, especially when all these little wizards were asking what class I would be teaching. No matter, I am forever young at heart, and I will be starting school just in time to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the movie based on Hogwarts most famous alumnus.

Alas, that all only happened in my elaborate imagination. Yet there is one real fact to pull out of that perfect illusion - today marks 15 years since the release of the movie version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Light up a ballroom full of candles, throw on your best dress robes (the more ruffles the better), and raise your glass of butterbeer – it's time to celebrate!

After all this time what Harry Potter fan (aka most humans) doesn't still wish they could be whisked away to Hogwarts? That may not ever become a reality, but being able to be sorted into a Hogwarts house on fantasy supporting websites, like Pottermore, or visiting a theme park, like The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter, makes us all able to actually experience a smidge of what J.K. Rowling wrote about so profoundly.

With all the years that have gone by, I’m not the only “adult” (age is only a number, not a state of mind) that spent their childhood, teens, and then college years addicted to reading about Harry's adventures and watching the subsequent film versions. Patiently waiting for each new book to be released and instantly consuming every page became part of our growing up. I barely remember what the world was like before the phrase, "he who shall not be named" became universally known as the term for a specific evil doer. If memory serves correctly, pre-Potter pop-culture involved a lot of TGIF and Urkel.

That first generation of young Potter readers and viewers have aged quite a bit more since the last book and movie was released (boy, don't I know it). Even being a huge fan, I hadn't read the books or watched any of the movies in many years. With that in mind, I had recently started to wonder if my generations collective love of these stories would carry over into this thing called being an adult. There was only one way to find out.

With a special tip of my pointy black hat in honor of the anniversary, I settled in recently for a viewing of The Sorcerer's Stone. Surprisingly, even though I knew all the twists of the plot, it felt like I was watching the movie with fresh eyes. It is nice to know that after repeated viewings there can still be excitement in watching Harry find out that he is a wizard. I actually got a huge smile on my face as he walked into Diagon Alley for the first time.You can marvel in all the sights along with Harry as if you too would soon be getting your new wand from Ollivanders.

The movie is perfectly crafted with the hopes that viewers will always get lost in the idea and possibility connected to the mysteries of this magical world. Overall, aside from some silly looking CGI (as in, every time people are flying on brooms), the movie holds up completely. Part of me felt like I may have enjoyed it even more than when I first saw the movie, back when my biggest problem was dealing with getting movie snacks, like the essence of stickiness known as caramel apple suckers, stuck in my braces. Could this continued positive reaction partly be due to childhood nostalgia combined with longingly watching treasured actors who have now since passed on? (RIP Alan Rickman.) Or is it just a fact that the movie will always be fun to watch? All of the above can be the only answer.

After watching just one of the movies I was full on buzzed with Harry Potter fever. It was like I was fourteen and hopped up on nothing but Fun-Dip all over again. (Yeah, I have basically been a giant ball of sugar my whole life. No regrets.) It only made sense then to continue on to the next logical step of this re-awakened obsession - marathon through reading the series. Some of the earlier books I have not picked up since I was 11, the same age as those first years taking their initial trip to Hogwarts. So far I'm only through Goblet Of Fire, but I have been enjoying every page, proving, once again, that there is no age limit for a classic tale.

All of those out there who were full on grown-ups and enjoyed the books when they were originally released (my dad included) already knew that there was wide appeal to Rowling's creation. Now it will just take us all to keep these books with us as we continue to grow older. Not just to read to our (hypothetical) children, but to proudly carry out in public and defend their right as good novels, not just kids books.

I now know that each time you visit any part of the series you can get a whole different experience. That is the true test of a well crafted story. When you're a child you can be charmed by the magic and the idea of an interesting world outside of our own, in your teens you can relate to the drama of friendships and relationships (plus, the magic), and as you grow up you can connect to the lives of the Hogwarts students, having already lived through much of what they experienced (only with less Quidditch). And you can still appreciate the magic! The idea of having a wand will be cool until the day I die. As an adult you can also read more into the plight of the older characters who are trying to protect students or their children. Those adult characters, much like us grown-ups in the real world, have the tenacity to keep waking up every morning knowing the truth that there is a world full of evil among all the good.

After taking on more life experiences the struggle of Harry and his friends can actually be more relatable as well, especially when it comes to the pain of loss. I had never personally experienced death when I had first picked up the books. Now after coping with my mother's death, I definitely feel Harry's pain and suffering, as if I too have a permanent lighting bolt scar. He lost his whole family, but still powered on. He is the boy who lived. Rowling did a fine job of incorporating life changing lessons that can equally empower the young and the young at heart.

Rowling may not have been the first to mentally transport an entire population through her art, but she just continued a great literary and cinematic tradition. From Narnia to Middle Earth and Tatooine to Hogwarts, it seems like once in a generation an artist breaks out to create a new complete world that absorbs the masses and makes us all look at our own existence in a different way. And, guess what, she's not done yet.

With what appears to be boundless creativity, Rowling has continued to expand the Potter universe. On November 18th, fittingly very close to the release date of the first movie, Rowling will make her screenwriting debut with a new adventure - Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.

The action has moved across the pond to America and transported the story back in time to 1927, years before the future of Harry Potter was known. It follows Newt Scamander (author of the Fantastic Beasts text book used by all first year students in The Sorcerers Stone) as he makes a pit stop in NYC while traveling the world looking for magical creatures. Knowing Rowling, this new branch of the wizarding world will be just as complex and fascinating as everything else she has already written.

Fifteen years ago, Harry Potter mania was just kicking up with the release of the first movie. Who knew all this time later the same fan base would be ramping up to enjoy a new set of stories and, at the same time, still love the original tales just as strongly.

Other authors have created entirely different worlds with just their words, but Rowling has taken this tradition to a whole other level that still continues to impact our culture. The new film series will be five movies, which ties Rowling up for years to come. Although, who knows what exactly her brain will be cooking up fifteen more years from now.

I'll tell you where I'll be by then - settling in for another read through of the Harry Potter series and popping in a copy of Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone (or likely streaming it through my eyeball, because it will be the future).

Time goes by, but, at least for my generation, it looks like some interests will never change.

Until next time. 

SNL Does 40

Last night was the epic television event that honored the history of a pop culture staple - Saturday Night Live. It's important like no other show, because it means something different to every generation. It reinvents itself regularly. And that's what makes it legendary.

As an avid fan since childhood, I was stoked to see all those old pals showing up in the comedy spotlight once again. Trudging around their old stomping grounds and such.  My one complaint - not nearly enough Cheri Oteri.

Like many others, though, I knew I would be pulled away for an hour to catch The Walking Dead.

It's as if NBC knew and decided to punish those that tuned away for an hour and plugged in The Weekend Update segment to air during the 9:00 to 10:00 time slot. There were many fantastic sketches before and after I cut away (Bill Murray singing a love theme from Jaws!), but all the people I REALLY wanted to see popped up in the below clip.

If it's even possible, I present all of my favorite people in a five minute segment: We've got Tina, Amy, Jane Curtin, Edward Norton and Bill Hader as two Stefon's, Emma Stone, Melissa McCarthy, and a land shark.

All I got to say is T.G.F.I  - Thank God For Internet, because at least I could find this clip a terrible, harrowing, agonizing, unmanageable, excruciating... few hours later. 

At first I felt like 40 was an odd year to have a celebration. That's the year when most people have birthday shindigs where everyone eats cake off of "Over The Hill" plates. But when I think of it that way, it's rather a fitting year.

Continually people say SNL is done or has reached its own "Over The Hill" moment. Every reincarnation over the 40 years has faced that criticism, some years more than others, yet that is what makes the show worthwhile. Not every sketch is a hit, but you tune in every week never knowing what kind of comedy is going to show up on the screen. Good or bad, it's always fun.

It could take a week to list all the cast members that were there last night and talk about how many classic sketches made a return (Celebrity Jeopardy!), but the celebration didn't forget to leave out the many hilarious cast members who have sadly passed on  - Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Chris Farley, and Jan Hooks just to name a few. Though not dead, I was also very touched by Mr. and Mrs. Alec Baldwin doing a little tribute to Tracy Morgan. That ball of light was definitely missed on the stage. Even though he is still alive, unlike Jon Lovitz.

Did anyone else watch all three and a half hours? It was like a test run for next week's Oscars.

I was enthusiastically in for the night, minus the hour I spent with Rick and his gang. I tuned in even though I'm having a little tiff with that show right now after last week's episode. I digress.

After finding out I missed that great Weekend Update bit and only caught a couple moments of Maya Rudolph playing Beyonce and sashaying around the stage with Martin Short, I should have let those frustrating guys in the zombie apocalypse wait until the next day and enjoyed a whole night of comedy instead.  Lesson learned.

Until next time. 

The Sound Of Silence

One young man, looking completely indifferent to the world around him, stands on a moving sidewalk at an airport after exiting a plane. He seems in no hurry, as if he could just ride that sidewalk to the edge of the world. Other people walk around him, but those are folks that obviously have intention of getting somewhere.

Our attention still lands on the young man and his blasé attitude. It's almost as if he knows that there is a bitchin' rock song playing over his day, making his life artsy and even more dramatic.

In 1967, that was how movie fans were introduced to the character Benjamin Braddock in the opening scene of The Graduate. The second that movie starts, the audience is sucked into that world, wondering who this boy is and where he might be heading.

The team of Simon and Garfunkel, stoic Dustin Hoffman, and the cinematographer all played their part in that scene becoming a classic, but the knowing eye of Mike Nichols was leading the way.

When I first saw the beginning of The Graduate, I knew I would be lost in movies forever. Being a teenager, I didn't even know a movie could look like that. Mostly, I was impressed with the long sequences that were masterfully cut in rhythm to the soundtrack. Watching this was a vastly different experience than jetting with my friends to check out the latest Freddie Prinze Jr rom-com.

From just that single viewing, I had to make room on my "Top 5 Lists" for a new favorite motion picture. I too gained an overall greater appreciation for watching movies. I didn't just want to watch them, I wanted to talk about how they were made and analyze details of the story. This turning point probably sounds very familiar to other movie appreciators throughout the world.

After hearing the awful news about the passing of Nichols today, I couldn't help but be reminded of this whole story from my past. The Graduate tends to have gotten him the most attention over the years and I could talk your ear off about just that, but there's endless reasons to celebrate his life.

I'll always tip a hat to him for many of his other achievements, like capturing Joan Cusack's gorgeously giant 80s hair on the big screen, his directing of the still gut-busting comedy The Birdcage, and the fact that he had the courage to get in between screaming Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton for his directorial debut, Who's Afraid Of Virgina Woolf.

Most recently though, I was hypnotized by his greatest directorial effort - the life altering miniseries Angles In America.  The plot focuses on AIDS, heaven, hell, and politics, which is quite a lot of powerful material to cover, but it all interconnects and blends seamlessly.  Much of the production also demanded large scale visuals that are, literally, out of this world. Plus, Meryl Streep plays like 10 characters. Nichols perfectly orchestrates it all. It is astounding and by the end it will leave you laying on a pile of crumpled up tissues next to a garbage can. Just the opening credits make me all emotional.

Being the big time movie director was what Nichols was known for best, but he was also part of a Hollywood power couple. Who needs tabloids plastered with Brad and Angie, when there is Nichols and Diane Sawyer? Since I grew up as a fan of Sawyer's, I first knew Nichols as Mr. Diane Sawyer, instead of the talented director I would later adore.  It's the end of a very classy era.

All that can be done now is honor a life. Mike Nichols' work made people interested in great movies. That's most definitely including me. It may seem like a small deed, but nothing that helps anyone enjoy life is insignificant. I'm grateful.

So, in the end, all we can really say is, "And here's to you Mr. Nichols. We all loved you more than you will know."



Until next time.

It's Time For Opraaaah!

[How have I never image searched, "Oprah's Favorite Things Audience", before?]

Oprah Winfrey hasn't been on the TV everyday since 2011 and yet her power over the world has never dwindled. Sure, she's got schools in Africa and all, but, truthfully, we just really want to know what she thinks we should all buy for Christmas this year.

Since her talk show ended, not a single holiday season has gone by without her fans collectively mourning the audience freak out fest that was the iconic, "Oprah's Favorite Things" episode. The term "Bucket List" is highly overused, but attending one of those shows would have definitely been on mine.

Gaining all those remarkable gifts is just part of the magic. The whole crowning glory of the experience would be seeing the chaos break out from the other audience members. No one screamed louder, jumped higher, swooned more aggressively, or fell more dramatically to the floor than those people lucky enough to find themselves at an Oprah taping on the best day of the year. 

Even without a show,  Ms. O still has that eponymous magazine of her's - what better place to continue on the tradition. This week the December issue was released highly toting, "Oprah's Favorite Things 2014!!!"



Last month I heard a rumor that this year Oprah was all about sweater capes, calypso music, paisley tops, and high heeled flip-flops that lift up your butt and give you a workout. Wait. That might have just been something I heard from a girl I sat next to on an airplane...

Now we all can find out what Oprah has "tasted, tested, sniffed, snuggled, brewed, steeped, read, shared and dared" in the last year. Many of the items are even being offered at a discounted price. Including these cute customizable notebooks and something I didn't know I needed - filled bagel balls!

Important things to note: She is LIVING for the mix and match trend, exotic flowers that come in a box, and writing notes with gorgeous bright colored ball point pens. Oh, AND over 70 more items. Most of which are lotions/creams and items to lounge around in during the winter months - Oprah, and the rest of the world, love to be cozy. Plus, the astrological necklace is bitchin'.

Who am I kidding! All of it is great. Oprah always knows what she is doing.

Including getting back into the movie world! The talk show let the world see her true personality and she was able to bring happiness and hope to her fans, but Oprah is also a true actress. Her performance in The Color Purple is still outstanding and she always deserved a larger movie career.

After starring in The Butler last year, she will now also soon be seen in another throwback bio-pic. This one documents part of the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Selma will be released across the country in January. Can't wait.

It's the most Oprah time of the year! Really something to cherish.

Until next time. 

Everyone Looks Good In A Sheinhardt

In the internet cliques that write about and consume pop culture, all the buzz this week revolved around the kick off of  fall TV. New series like Gotham, Madam Secretary, Forever, and The Mysteries Of Laura have burst on to the stage for prime-time spots on some of the biggest networks.

However, new doesn't always mean better. It seems like mostly everything is getting ho-hum reactions. Except for the uproarious reaction last night to the Viola Davis starring, How To Get Away With Murder.

More shows will still be rolling out over the next couple weeks, including the return of already established favorites (Parenthood's final season!) Even so, none of these options are going to fill the giant hole that has been vacated since we saw Liz Lemon and Criss Cross ride off into the sunset together. Or more accurately, riding off in one of those flying machines from Star Wars.

It's been a couple years now without new episodes, but when it comes to 30 Rock,  there is no greater comedy worth spending time on repeat viewings. The episodes don't get tired or boring - each one actually gets better.

I hadn't watched the series from the beginning in awhile, so even in the face of all the new television offerings, it also seemed like an opportune time to revisit old favorites.

Due to its quick wit and cleverly worded jokes coming at you in repeated succession, its impossible to catch every single hilarious tidbit thrown at the audience.

Jokes could even sail by completely unnoticed. Especially when frequently a single quip could cause uproarious laughing fits that would carry over for minutes afterward. With this in mind, I actually got in the habit of watching each new episode the night it aired and then again the following day.

At this point in my current re-watch I'm only a little way into season two and there is already endless amusing banter to discuss.




From the very beginning of season one the stories and cast put together a show that has such a high level of cleverness. There are the zany antics of self absorbed  TGS cast members, Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) and Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski, in the whacked-out role of a lifetime), mixed brilliantly with current events. 30 Rock may even be the first media to (in this case jokingly) point out how important one letter can be when it comes to "Osama" vs "Obama".

Jenna making the said extreme faux-pas (seen in the above clip) is from episode 15, "Hardball". The first season is great as a whole (including episode 10, "The Rural Juror"), but "Hardball"  feels like the ultimate moment where all of Tina Fey's dreams for a TV show perfectly converged together.

In just 22 minutes this single episode finds Jenna posing for a ridiculous photo-spread, then falling from grace after being misquoted in a magazine, and making a fool of herself in a TV interview. To top it off, Kenneth Ellen Parcell becomes part of Tracy's entourage, which results in Grizz and Dot Com being out of a job.

Turns out Kenneth's gangly, fragile frame, makes him the worst choice for a bodyguard. This is all the perfect set up to a classic comedy payoff. Tracy finds himself stuck and panicked in the middle of a raging crowd, but thankfully Grizz and Dot Com come out of nowhere to push the protestors aside, sweeping Tracy up in their arms à la The Bodyguard. Oh, and by the way, this is all set to a version of "I Will Always Love You", sung by Tracy Morgan and Jack McBrayer.












Finding ways to work in dated and current pop culture references is definitely a 30 Rock signature. Those writers were always experts at lampooning the world around them. Sometimes even taking down the insanity of Lifetime movies.




Very low ratings meant this show was never a hit. Well, other than where it matters - at awards shows.

Here's to 30 Rock finding a larger audience now in reruns. It really deserves it! Should Greenzo help rally the cause? He could even work double-time and also be the poster boy for climate change. Both equally important issues. Someone call Leo.

Maybe with more fans we'll be able to convince the gang to come back together for a straight to Yahoo! (they're making TV shows now too, right?) reunion special or a sequel to Hard To Watch: Based On The Book "Stone Cold Bummer" by Manipulate.

Every episode is currently on Netflix and probably other streaming services as well. My recommendation couldn't be any higher for checking out this show for the first time or for the hundredth. All the hijinks listed above happens in just a season and a half of this show! Imagine what the rest of the episodes hold.

Okay guys, shut it down.

Movie Small Talk: "Father" & "Daughter" On The Run

Ryan O'Neal and Tatum O'Neal are name recognizable to younger generations mostly due to how their lives, individually and collectively, merged into complicated tabloid fodder.

It has been at least a couple years since I noticed their faces plastered over the rag mags, but for tabloids and the paparazzi to have cared to feature this father and daughter in the first place means that their names would have been previously recognizable from some other fame.

Is none of this ringing a bell? Take a minute, open up a new tab in your preferred internet browser, then search their names together, and see the type of results that pop up.

All caught up now? Okay. So, other than family drama, what were these two originally famous for, you ask?

Movie fans will recognize Tatum as the only girl on the boys team in the brassy 1976 classic sports flick, The Bad News Bears. For many years, Ryan O'Neil traversed Hollywood in numerous films, but his name will always be synonymous as the dude from Love Story.

Then there is the flick that brought the two together. Before the tabloid circus, they were just a regular father and daughter. Well, a true to form Hollywood father and daughter - these two weren't just playing tea party, they were starring in Oscar winning flicks together.



Paper Moon was another one of my, what people like to call, "blind spots", in the form of movie viewing. After hearing about it from other fans and reading about it in every type of classic movie history book over the years, last week I decided to finally check out what the fuss was about.

Within ten minutes I had quickly decided its inclusion as a classic flick is definitely warranted. Without a doubt,  the playful dynamic the father/daughter duo show off on screen is the highlight. Watching it now only makes it more of a shame that these two had to have the difficult times of their relationship put on display.

The story revolves around Moses Pray (Ryan O'Neal), a con man who is going around the country predominately preying on the families of the recently deceased. (See what they did there with his character's name? Clever.) His main scam comes in the form of playing the part of a door-to-door bible salesman. However, if this guy's around, keep your wits and wallet close. He always has got a way of weaseling even the brightest folks out of a buck.

That all rings true until he finds the one person he can't outsmart - a young girl named Addie (Tatum O'Neal). She had recently lost her mother and at the funeral guess who shows up - Mr. Pray. He claims to be a long lost friend, but might just be out scouting the small service as a ruse.

With no other family in the area, Pray promises to drive Addie several towns over, so she can live with her aunt. Turns out though, that once the two are on their way, Addie takes a liking to his lifestyle and shows that she can be just as conniving. Pray realizes he has found quite the partner in crime and the two set off down the road, going town to town earning their way in the world one swindle at a time.

From the beginning this is such an entertaining story to tell and the dynamic performances of these two fine actors just make the story explode off the screen. Their endless banter back and forth to each other is hilarious and a treat to watch. Fittingly, Tatum O'Neal won herself a best supporting actress Oscar, and, at 10-years-old, still holds the record as the youngest winner. Plus, she totally won the night by rocking a little tuxedo to accept her award!

Other than that achievement though, this movie was utterly snubbed. It did receive a couple other nominations (for the superb writing and sound), but I can't believe the masterful director (Peter Bogdanovich) and Ryan O'Neal weren't nominated, and worst of all, that it wasn't up for best picture!  Out of those nominees Paper Moon could have at least replaced A Touch Of Class - who in this day and age has even heard of that "alleged" best picture of 1973? I bet those voters are kicking themselves now.

Paper Moon is another excellent example of movies from a different time that need to still be brought to the attention of modern viewers and appreciators. I can't think of any reason someone would not love a night spent watching this story. Let's rally for the cause of old flicks that deserve repeat attention.

I'm mad that I've spent 27 years on earth without it. Don't make the same mistake and find a copy/digital streaming version of Paper Moon for your next movie night.

The O'Neal name no longer triggers visions of tabloid covers - I instead envision a man and a little girl, traveling down a dirt road on to their next adventure.


Until next time.

Weekly Buffet: Just Dance Edition

[It's a Vegas party, at a pool, on the roof.]

I danced all weekend - this is a phrase not often uttered from my mouth.  This time it's also no exaggeration. Starting Thursday night and into the early morning of Monday, this gal went from parading herself at a concert to flying straight down to Las Vegas.

At the end of the weekend my legs were dang tired as I boarded my plane after only a half hour cat nap. With stories to tell, a life without shut eye seems alright. Well, at least for a few days anyway.

Going from a crazy weekend right into a long work week has meant looking for anything that will help keep my eyes awake. Fun tunes and laughing through telling stories about my recent adventures has definitely helped.

From a raging concert to a funny lady who always dances and moves like no one is watching, this has been an entertaining week.

Iggy Azalea - "Fancy"

Ask me a week ago about "Fancy" and I would have ran screaming in the opposite direction. It was always on the radio, I didn't like the singers voice, and was just generally confuesed about it being so popular. Even the first night in Vegas I was getting irritated about how often it played, thinking, "oh great, this is the music of my entire weekend."

Then the next day, the bride to be (yes, I was at an outrageously fun bacherlorette party in Vegas) gathered us all around to watch a magical music video that paid homage to a film classic - Cher, Dionne, and their infamous plaid mini skirts have never been more perfectly recreated. Come to find out this was crafted by the hands of my irriatator - Ms. Azalea!

Truth is, I'm a hater no more - Oh boy am I obsessed with that music video! How has no one thought to do this before? The costumes are utterly perfection. The only thing that would make this better is if Paul Rudd had made a cameo.

I'm late to the party, so this video is probably way old news by now, but maybe one of you out there hadn't seen it. When it comes to anything related to Clueless, we all need to share the love to keep us all "rollin' with the homies". 

By the last night in Vegas, I literally jumped up and clapped when this song came on, happily playing the music video in my head. Proving Clueless really does make everything better.

Tammy

Melissa McCarthy. Susan Sarandan. Allison Janney.  Kathy Bates. Who doesn't love this combination of women? Really, you had me at Sarandon in a granny wig.

Nothing will talk me out of renting (yeah, I said rent, I do have some restrictions) this movie, even if it does currently have a stinky 28% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Don't care, talk to the hand. They have McCarthy's sweet moves in the trailer set to "Gangsta's Paradise" for crying out loud.

If you don't want to wait for the DVD, it is playing right now at a theater near you. 

Robyn

On Thursday, owning a mullet better than anyone ever has, Robyn strutted out on the stage at Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA and continued to bounce, spin, and dance for over an hour. The above video will give you a pretty good visual idea of the concert I attended.

I marveled from the crowd, enjoying the tunes, but highly impressed by her ability to exert endless amounts of high octane energy. There were also at least four costume changes.

If you want to see Robyn live don't make the same mistake that my friend and I did - if your instinct says to wear a fur coat to the show or perhaps a sparkly jump suit, don't question it, just do it.

Huge missed opportunity to not wear something ridiculous, since 3/4 of the crowd was dressed to the nines.


Dancing and what not might not be for you, but get out there and just enjoy these summer months. I've already kicked off July pretty strong, now I just have to keep it going.

Since we are on the topic of Robyn, I'll leave you with just one more thing that always cracks me up - the combination of a Robyn classic and my comedy man crush, Taran Killam.

Until next time. 

Let's Hear It For The Girl(s)!

Two sisters are separated for years simply because of a low down, dirty man.

It only seemed appropriate (yet unintentional) as a lead in to International Women's Day over the weekend  that I checked out the many powerful female characters in The Color Purple for the first time. Well, it was the first time I had watched the movie all the way through - what Oprah fan hasn't curiously checked out some clips while it was playing on TV?

Even having read the novel years ago did not prepare me for the emotional wreckage the movie would leave behind in my living room. Yeah, it's definitely a full on, smeared mascara, audible sob, ugly cry kind of night.

There is not many sights more heart wrenching than watching those young sisters, Celie and Nettie, being dragged apart, down porch steps and through a field, all while they are panicked and screaming. Sisters who have only each other at a time where they are continually beaten down (literally) by the men in an unfortunate world.

It's impossible to not feel inspired by what they overcame to grow into strong willed adults, guided by the influence of the already powerful women they knew, Shug Avery and Sofia (Oprah in all her perfect acting glory).

We all are lucky to have women in our lives - moms, grandmas, aunts, friends - who inspire us daily. I'm a lady who is perpetually seeking answers and motivation from any source I can, even the movies

Early on I was transfixed by any story with confident female characters more than anything else. Maybe they were people I wanted to be like or I just was drawn to their take on the world.

Stories with these types of characters can be found everywhere. I'm sure y'all have your favorites, because I know I've already talked at length about the everlasting influence of Jo March. Even if there is no way to mention them all, here are just a few that stand out in my mind:

Working Girl

Living in a house with Carly Simon and Joan Cusack loving parents, this story of a Staten Island gal hoping to move up the ranks at her office, one large hairstyle at a time, was probably my introduction into the doldrums of working at a job you hate.

Tess Mcgill pounded the pavement on her morning commute in dazzling tennis shows only to switch to heels, but that dedication wasn't enough. "Let the river run" she did - there may have been a couple of lies told in the process, but her wit and smarts is what lands her that promotion in the end.

True Grit

How can you not appreciate a strong willed youngster who seeks out help for avenging the death of her father?

Tough dudes come to her aide, but, just like the title implies, the mission wouldn't have even begun without her gumption.

Contact

When I think of a lady standing up for their beliefs, no other movie resonates more than this one. (I might just have the long list of great old McConaughey flicks fresh in my memory...no, it's definitely the Jodie Foster character.)

After discovering what is potentially the link to another world, the people of our own planet pressure Ellie to proclaim that she should instead embrace something other than science, a "higher power" if you will, but she doesn't back down.

It always surprised me that an "alien" movie developed into something more philosophical - that only makes it much more interesting to watch.

Peggy Olson Takes On The World

She's not from a movie, but this can't go by without a mention to one of the greatest female characters on TV right now and will be a lasting legacy.

Over the years Peggy went after what she wanted and moved up from a quiet secretary to a brassy, tough talking force in the advertising world, who doesn't take crap from nobody. Quite frankly - she's the shit.

The Women Of Kathy Bates

Kathy Bates, never the conventional leading lady, yet all of the characters she plays have real guts - not all actresses can say that. The unsinkable Molly brown! Towanda! The examples could go on and on, but there is one performance in particular that always made my heart break every time I caught it playing on cable. It's one of those I always remember seeing when I stayed home sick from school.

In A Home Of Our Own, Bates played a single mom who takes her bundle of six children on the road to start a new life. They find an abandoned house and spend the rest of the movie making it their own, one wall at a time.

It always struck me how tough this situation would be, but Bates, reassuring both the audience and her movie children at the same time, makes it all look like a breeze with a warm smile and twinkle in her her eye.

The Women Of Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts was on a roll of playing stand up broads. Her characters were always going after what they wanted and almost always succeeding.

By telling an alarming true life tale, she boldly stepped into the life and revealing clothing of Erin Brockovich, who played a large part in stopping a large corporation from hurting and killing the people of  a small town.

Then, in Mona Lisa Smile, she playing a professor who was big on women's lib in the 1950s. She encouraged her students to seek out jobs instead of getting married right away. This was one of the movies that made me excited to go to college and feel privileged to be living in a time when society had bigger expectations for me, and women like me.

Roberts can't be found as often up on the big screen anymore, but the smart, bold women she has played will never go out of style.

Juno

Critics loved and then quickly turned on this story about a pregnant teen. The kitschy dialogue may rub people the wrong way now, but remember the heart of the story!

This strong girl spends most of the film never doubting her situation, all while getting made fun of and judged. It's a movie filled with women who won't let the world take them down.  This is perfectly played by Allison Janney, as she rips a bitchy ultrasound technician a new one.

It's a movie to always appreciate for these merits alone.


There are plenty more bold characters and real life ladies that deserve a mention, so let's leave with name dropping some other cool chicks.

Harper Lee   Tina Fey   Jane Pratt  Neko Case   Diane Sawyer   Hilary Clinton   Jane Austen
Dorothy Parker  Jane Eyre  Emma Thompson  Kate Winslet  Tami Taylor  Bridget Jones
Lucille Ball   Eleanor Roosevelt  Amelia Earheart  Jenny Lewis  Kathi Goertzen  Robyn
Gwen Stefani   Sandara Bullock  Regina Spektor   Carole King  Dolly Parton  Debbie Harry
Cyndi Lauper  Patsy Cline  P!nk  Rachel Maddow  Meryl Streep  Julie Andrews 
Nancy Wilson Rachel Portman Amy Sedaris  Amy Poehler  Emmylou Harris 
Christiane Amanpour  Patty Murray  Michelle Obama  Nellie Bly  Sofia Coppola 
Judy Blume  Helen Mirren


Until next time!

"The Only True Currency In This Bankrupt World Is What You Share With Someone Else When You Are Uncool"

Sunday was a weird day - it was at least 15 waking hours full of a bag of mixed emotions.

Being in the Pacific Northwest the only way to open your eyes that day was with a big smile, bursting with excitement. Well, maybe not exactly like that - the whole smile thing sounds a little creepy, but you know what I mean.

Cultural events are a big deal in my mind, so the Seahawks were in the Super Bowl and after a ton of years thinking this would NEVER happen again, I was able to experience it with my family.  I was also making black bottom cupcakes - to be frank, the world was looking pretty dang good.

Any day with a backdrop like this is made even more perfect by kicking it off snuggling into a comfy chair with a mug of joe. Per a somewhat weekly tradition I was amping up for a little State Of The Union with Candy Crowley, while also sipping coffee and scanning my mobile device, feeding my ample curiosity about the happenings in the world.

Breaking news can be discovered in an instant, and that's what happened when I refreshed my Twitter feed to see that one second prior David Muir had sent out 140 characters or less about the demise of a beloved actor.

No one else was reporting it, so I sat there somewhat bewildered, since it's never happy to hear about a death.

Minutes ticked by, and after several quick repetitive refreshes, there it was, cascading down were endless reports from the BBC, The New York Times, and every other news source you could imagine. At that point, it was obvious - Philip Seymour Hoffman had indeed passed away.

I didn't know the guy, it's actually none of my business about what happens to him, and, even though we don't like to think about it, people do die everyday. So, why need I be upset?

Other then me being an empathetic mess on a daily basis, news like this is shocking. An actor we have all loved watching in movies would no longer be there to entertain. There are good memories and cherished admiration. Why I was so taken back by the news though, was that it's always difficult to hear about people losing their fight with addiction, cutting a life short.

Corey Monteith wasn't my favorite actor, nor was Amy Winehouse my favorite singer, and even though I did adore Heath Ledger, in each of these circumstances I was equally devastated to hear about their too early passing. These are people we recognize and they put a face to deaths that are happening all over the world that will never make the news. Known or unknown are equally tragic.

Even though it feels odd to me to talk in this way about people I never knew, it has to be said that Hoffman left movies to this world that people enjoyed and will continue to love. Creating something that makes people happy is a pretty great legacy to leave behind.

He's the male Meryl Streep - you can watch them in anything.  You seek out all of his films, even the one's where he only has a bit part, because you know even if the movie isn't that great, he will be wonderful.

Of course there was his Academy Award winning role in Capote, the suspicious priest in Doubt, and the cult like leader in The Master (remember when he chillingly sings that song to Joaquin Phoenix!) Yes, that's also Hoffman as part of the weather chasing scientist crew in Twister - he had quite the range.

There are too many favorites to count, from The Savages to Magnolia to The Talented Mr. Ripley, but there is always the one that left the first lasting impression; Hoffman as Lester Bangs in Almost Famous is entirely unforgettable.


Anyone who ever cherished the music scene or wanted to be a writer in any capacity has to covet this flick as some sort of treasure trove.

In my early teens I grasped onto it as a window into a world I wanted to know more about and through the years each viewing hits me differently.

Playing legendary rock critic Lester Bangs (who also sadly died too young), Hoffman is the, at first, unwilling mentor to the lead character. Within only a couple scenes, he moves from annoyance to showing genuine care toward this kid.

In the hands of some other actor this could have been a throw-away bit part, but Hoffman truly exudes that compassion we all wish we could find in someone who could guide us and dispel fears with insightful wisdom on the world at large.

The film is full of terrific one liners ("I am a golden god!" anyone?), but Hoffman arguably has the best, as evident from the above clip.

All day on Sunday these lines were running through my head. The crushing Seahawks victory was quite the distraction, but another Hoffman as Lester Bangs moment popped into my brain at some point during me avidly defending the Bruno Mars halftime show:

"Music, you now, true music - not just rock-n-roll - it chooses you. It lives in your car, or alone listening to your headphones, you know, with the cast scenic bridges and angelic choirs in your brain. It's a place apart from the vast, benign lap of America."

Each person's preference will decide what music they like and movies are the same. Every fan of Philip Seymour Hoffman will have their own favorite moment - Almost Famous will always be mine, but what is yours?

Until next time.

Weekly Buffet: Say, Have There Been Any Awards Shows Lately?

Tis the season for an awards show every weekend, or in the case of this week three - the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, and the SAG Awards - all happened in less than seven days.

Somehow, caught in a whirlwind of still enjoying the events of the Golden Globes, I didn't even know the SAG Awards were occurring until I caught the last ten minutes on TV yesterday. Earlier in the week I was treated to running across the Critics Choice airing on The CW - a channel I never watch, and each commercial break advertised an alternate universe of television I didn't even know was airing on a regular basis. (Hart Of Dixie didn't get cancelled after its first season a couple years ago? And what is The Orginals?)

Don't they normally stretch these shin-digs out? Basically the same people have spent this entire week getting dressed all fancy, clapping, maybe giving a speech, sleeping, and then repeat. In most cases the same people won their category at each ceremony. It must be a mighty stretch to work that same bunch of people, all while trying to say something new that many days in a row.

All of these other awards have been building to the event movie fans wait all year for - the Academy Award nominations were also announced this week! Most of the expected contenders will be up for that Oscar come March 2nd, but like usual, there were some left off the list.

Between all these big movie business events, there were many moments to discuss. Here are just a few (but mostly everything Emma Thompson):

Tina + Amy

There will never be enough good things to say about this pair. Between the two of them, their comedy delivery is the perfect combination of truth and zaney. How can you not adore them?

Fey and Poehler are able to accomplish zingers without being mean. It always comes from a place of honesty. Yeah, Leonardo DiCaprio does date a ton of supermodels, and yes, George Clooney always has a lady 10 to 20 years his junior on his arm - why not make a joke about it!

The two got to deliver a fair bit of hilarious entertainment throughout the night, but something that can't be said about other awards shows, I wanted more! Less rambly winners and more bits from the hosts I say.

I just want them to be everywhere all the time. Now that 30 Rock has come and gone, (I am continually mourning its loss), at least Amy Poheler can benefit with a rightfully deserved Best Actress win.

More Funny

Innately wacky ladies are my soul sisters, and besides Tina and Amy, Emma Thompson and Jennifer Lawrence have been making this week especially wonderful.

Thompson running, throwing, giving standing ovations, and just bringing her natural sense of whit and whimsy to the Golden Globes added another highly amusing element to the show. I also appreciate, as she is also an award winning screenwriter, that she always makes a point of acknowledging the importance of a well written story.

Word has it she also owned last night's SAG Awards. Sadly Thompson was once again a loser in her category, but from the one moment I saw at the end of the show, she looked to be enjoying her time drinking out of a blue party cup with a bendy straw. That's all that matters.

I wouldn't call Jacqueline Bisset intentionally funny, but her flustered and wacky acceptance speech, which left me frozen with hands clasps to my cheeks (Macaulay Culkin style) will be remembered for years to come. Not quite as priceless as this Golden Globes moment brought to you by Elizabeth Taylor, but close.

Also, let me know if there is anything more delightful than Jennifer Lawrence making that face while creepin' on T. Swift. I would gladly watch that on a loop for all eternity.

Misses

Speaking of Emma, after loving every moment of her uttering hilariously coarse one-liners as the persnickity P.L. Travers, it's a sad day to see her not get an Oscar nomination for a role she so perfectly embodied. Frankly, it is one of the best roles of her entire career.

Apparently the rest of the Academy were on the (wrong) side that found Saving Mr. Banks too sentimental, because the entire movie was snubbed, except for my boy Thomas Newman, who's nominated for Best Score. Being a Disney fan and Mary Poppins enthusiast, I found it impossible to not be enamored by the entire movie that has an unexpected emotional wallop which left streams of tears running down my face.

It must be a tough movie year, if a wonderfully nostalgic film, with a top to bottom terrific cast (including a surprisingly notable Colin Ferrel), gets overlooked by the Oscars.

This could mean Thompson is less likely to show up at The Academy Awards and it could be the end of her reign of bringing the funny. We wouldn't be upset if The Academy invited this already two-time  winner (one for acting, one for screenwriting) to present an award - Ellen might need some help charming the crowd.

For the last twenty years Thompson has always delivered top notch performances, but more recently she is rarely the star of anything and has taken more supporting roles in such films as Love Actually, An Education, Stranger Than Fiction, and in several of the Harry Potter series.

The Oscars haven't come calling since 1996 (!), which made it especially exciting that she was again the star of a movie and getting nominated for a slew of awards. If they allowed 6 nominees, I bet she would have been in there.

I haven't seen enough of the other in contention films to cry out about any more snubs, but get back to me in a month after I crank through as many nominated films as I can.

Hits

Out of the nine contenders for Best Picture I have only seen two - Gravity and Dallas Buyers Club. Both are well deserving of the nominations and eventual wins.

Even though it seems like now Cate Blanchett is a sure thing for Best Actress, I wouldn't count out Bullock. The physically and emotionally demanding job of being on screen for almost every second continues to show that she isn't just a rom-com gal. Bullock can be in any type of movie she wants.

Even if Bullock doesn't win, there is still the possibility of Gravity winning Best Picture, and almost definitely, Best Director. This will be devastating for anyone who was enraptured by the (so I hear) emotional experience of watching 12 Years A Slave, but a blockbuster/mind blowing visual experience like Gravity taking the top prize would delight the masses.

Dallas Buyers Club has almost no way odds of winning Best Picture, but that's all fine and dandy with two male performances that will likely steal the night. The fact that Jordan Catalano could soon have an Oscar is a completely wonderful thought. I had no idea that Jared Leto would be heartbreaking enough to steal nearly every scene they shared away from Matthew McConaughey.

Even still, this is McConaughey's movie. We'd all seen the pictures as he was preparing to play Ron Woodroof - he was down to almost half his usual stature and nearly unrecognizable

No one has had a more diverse filmography in the last couple years, but he had yet to completely transform himself for a part. Other actors like Tam Honks...I mean...Tom Hanks and Christian Bale have done it and ended up with Oscars. Now it's McConaughey's chance, and I couldn't be more thrilled.


Movie fans, we have over a month to catch up on the Best Of 2013 according to The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It's a challenge I'm willing to accept.

Side Note: I got swept up by the films that I forgot about the exciting Golden Globe winners in the TV categories: Bryan Cranston! Breaking Bad! Elisabeth Moss! Robin Wright! Amy Poehler! (I already said that one, but yay again.)

For Your Consideration: Spooky Movie Edition

There is something particularity jarring about a child screaming. The majority of modern horror movies don’t understand that a scare can come from something that simple. 

Thrilling audiences by channeling those old fashioned, more commonplace fears has seen a resurgence in supernatural chillers like the The Conjuring and Paranormal Activity. More often though, horror movies tend to be about outlandish murder and torture. Most notably, "show me the blood!" was the key to the popular Saw and Hostel enterprises, and just this year in The Purge and You're Next.

Let's bring back more of those subtle scares! One way to start would be to check out a movie from 1961, based on Henry James' story, The Turn Of The Screw. It may be missing all the blood and guts we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in our favorite flicks around All Hallows Eve, but sometimes all it takes to send a chill up your spine is an eerie house and the unsettling sounds of a terrified child. In consideration for your new spooky favorite – The Innocents. Beware, after just one viewing, windows at night will become something to avoid.

In fact, the chilling tone is set within the first frame.  For 45 seconds, the screen is black and all that can be heard is the haunting voice of a singing child. Slowly, the blackness fades to the closeup of a panic stricken face, the star of this picture in fact, Deborah Kerr, who is quietly praying. It's a simple movie equation that religion + supernatural  = terror! (See also: The Exorcist) That's right, only a few minutes into a movie and you may already be leveled with fear, but keep watching.

Kerr plays Miss Giddens, a governess, who, after the dark opening, we find as she happily accepts her first position taking care of children in a country estate. These orphans have been left as the charges to a man more interested in remaining a bachelor, so he requests to be left completely alone and entirely hands off their care. Miss Giddens is unaware that the man's carelessness has unknowingly already caused harm.

All is well traveling out in the wide open country, with a towering mansion off in the distance, but not upon closer inspection. Within minutes of Miss Giddens' arrival in the massive garden surrounding the house, a soft voice calling out a girl’s name can be heard, so quietly both Miss Giddens, who looks perplexed, and the viewers wonder if anything was heard at all.

Quite suddenly, a joyous young girl runs up out of nowhere, who ends up having the same name of the voice we just (thought) we heard. There is no time wasted for the supernatural elements to begin. From the first minute on the property, anyone would want to jump in the screen and make Deborah Kerr run in the opposite direction.

Instead she heads into the massive household that is large enough to hold many secrets, but is bewitching to her, as she grew up under meager circumstances, so, she happily bounces through each of the magnificent rooms. Nothing odd to find here...yet.


Everything remains well until several days later, the girl is joined by her brother who has gotten expelled from his boarding school. It is the first of many mysterious circumstances.

Once the two siblings are joined together, odd events begin to torture Miss Giddens; she see's a woman in black hovering across the lake, a shadowy male figure on top of a bell tower, and a woman restlessly pacing the hallways. Unexplainable events happening around every corner definitely turns a normal game of hide and seek into 10 nerve wracking minutes for both Miss Giddens and the audience watching it unfold.

Kerr, who is most well known for The King and I, is far from her character who dances the night away in Siam. She spends the entire time on screen doing the demanding job of balancing the face of a joyful teacher with that of abject terror - she becomes a governess who is scared of the children she is looking after. More emphasis is put on the latter emotion as the history of a past governess and groundskeeper are revealed. These were two people the children cared for with an extra special affinity.

Those children are terrifying enough, but then there is the entire spooky atmosphere enhanced by the director, Jack Clayton. Dramatic camera angles, quick cuts, and intense close-ups on the actors faces makes the already unearthly story feel even more abstract and unreal.

Filmed in black and white, older scary movies are inherently creepy as it is, just in how that type of film makes shadowed corners seem especially dark. With that element already in place, each scene is constructed to get the audience to react with quick cuts to mysterious figures coming out of those shadows and adding terror to a scene with a toy clown in the attic. You know a story has reeled you in when every single instant in a movie, even a toy, makes you want to hide under the covers.

Besides the wonderful performances by the entire cast and all the creative, mind-bending filming techniques, what really makes this flick a  must see, and incredibly memorable, is the ambiguous nature of the story.  The additional assumptions that arise from this ambiguity, which will be different based on each person's interpretation, could be (for some) much more frightening than the obvious fear caused by a haunting.

Halloween is next week, so anyone looking for a new movie  to add to their spook-fest that will deliver more spine chilling moments than a traditional slasher flick,  look no further than The Innocents. Three days later, after seeing it for the first time, and I can still hear the slight scream of a child rattling in my ears.

What's In An Ending

For roughly 10 million folks, this Sunday was met with friendly conversing over snacks about varying death predictions, probably donning some Heisenberg fedoras, and quietly cheering (to not disturb other watchers of course) as the opening credits for the television event of the year started. After five seasons, Breaking Bad is over, and the rampant discussion continues days later.

Hostility in bashing the quality of the final episode has not been seen by these eyes - rather fans are banding together, suffering those pangs of loss, for there will be no more hyjinx with Walt & Jesse, or catching Jr./Flynn at breakfast, and no more blue meth. Done. Finito. Out.

Whether through binge watching for the last month, or riding high on the Bad for years, last Sunday was truly a phenomenon of the ages. Silly seeming to those who don't get attached to the stories streaming off of a screen, but yes, I stick to my guns about the final episode of Breaking Bad being an event. Not a vacation or party, or sporting match witnessed live, just a culmination of fantastic fiction.

Let's not forget this type of hubbub has happened tons of times before. Anyone remember Lost? Many have probably blocked out that epic build up of suspense and eventual let down, so we'll move on quickly and not mention the meaning of the island. On a brighter note, in the age of sitcoms, Seinfeld, Friends, and Everybody Loves Raymond, also had their giant swan songs tuned in by millions of Americans, which I know included most of you out there.

For me, Breaking Bad went out in a blaze of marvelous perfection, yet I'm sure someone could spend days arguing the opposite. (An insane person!) Instead of analyzing the true brilliance of every moment, or discussing the morality of Walt,  let's instead make this a spoiler free zone and skip ahead to a more interesting notion that isn't dissecting the show, but rather a broad idea about endings.

We've all been there, and if you're like me, you feel like a total idiot. "Why am I so upset! It's just the finale of a TV series for god-sakes!" you yell triumphantly to a room whose only other occupant is your cat.

No, being in love with TV doesn't necessarily make you a crazy cat lady (yet) and over the last couple days digesting the final tale of Walter White, I have been thinking more about these erratic emotions we all have for television finales. As I write this, I've decided they make a lot of sense.

Week after week in our modern culture, we come home, kick off our shoes, snuggle on the couch, and allow ourselves to be taken out of our own world, and into that of another. We can balance our own lives against that of the characters we're watching or completely dissolve our stresses away by getting absorbed in the comedy and tragedy of make believe. 

Unlike a movie, which could average around three hours, television shows ask viewers to stick with a story and remain attached to characters for hundreds of hours, over weeks, and for the best shows, years.

Television shows ask that you rush back from a dinner out with friends so not a minute is missed, or finish up homework extra quick that night. You can tune into your favorites alone on your computer, or even better, grouped together with family, friends, and other appreciators in the comfort of our living rooms where weekly traditions are formed. 

Oh, the conversations! Nearly the best part about TV is talking about it each week after the newest episodes have aired. I'm all about binge viewing old shows, or catching up a couple episodes at a time, but there is nothing better than the instant gratification of tuning in for a show when it's on live to both you and the rest of the world, and then striking up bombastic discussions once the closing credits role.

[Thoroughly enjoying this extra special Entertainment Weekly]

There's book clubs, so what's the difference? I happen to enjoy books and TV. Discussions over high quality writing, excellent acting, and vivid direction in television have the same merit. Literature snobs could disagree, but I say any art that makes you think and creates exciting conversation will always be worthwhile.

The simple pleasures of TV can bring together those from different lives with varying opinions. People who may never have anything in common, could crack up together over a Michael Scott, "That's What She Said" joke, or get into a lively discussion over the merit of creating characters with mental disorders, like on Homeland.

Really, with all this dedication to stories that inundate our daily schedule and wedge their way into weekly conversations,  how can we be anything but tragically jarred when it is all just suddenly over?

That is the killer about a television shows last episode and at times has made me feel all gloomy on the inside. No matter how well it is done, that collective enjoyment, that cultural bond, will slowly dissipate. There's always reruns and the appreciation will always be there for a series that stands the test of time. In that sense, I'm not worried about Breaking Bad, but what's gone is the excitement of catching a new episode for the first time -  the shock over a plot twist or perfectly phrased line can only happen once.

We all know there can always be another show. I have experience you know - just a couple years ago I had to pull my heart off of the football field when Friday Night Lights ended.  Now it's happening again, but this time it's taking my heart out of the crystal meth business and the deserts of Albuquerque.  

Breaking Bad had a lot in common with that rag-tag gang from Texas (besides sharing many of the same actors). Both shows could have told more stories, spread thin trying to make the audience happy for 10 seasons, but they decided to go out with all the class and excellence in the world. They demonstrated how the end of a series should be and why it made it extra hard to say goodbye.

When it's good, you don't want it to end, but sometimes you just gotta cut those breaks on the RV turned traveling meth lab.

We'll get through it together! Those tremendously riveting stories created by the Vince Gilligan team will be missed, especially when balanced against less than quality storytelling. At least all of your favorite actors from Breaking Bad will be inundating you in movies and TV for years to come. The possibility of Bryan Cranston playing Lex Luther in that Batman vs Superman business should help anyone move on, but if that comfort doesn't help, just watch this video.

Was Walt always a bad person? Keep the brain flowing with all these deep ponderings, and if you haven't already, spend this weekend catching up on Breaking Bad. True jealousy is reserved for those who still get to see this series with fresh eyes - those who can say this isn't goodbye, but just the beginning.

Trailer Wars: Coen Brothers Go Folksy

I often thank my lucky stars for the wide-breadth of movie culture introduced to me as a child.

We definitely stayed age appropriate and watched the heck out of the immense Disney catalog (a must do in the '90s), but having been born into an entire family of lifelong film appreciators meant that from a young age the works of Tim Burton and some Coen Brothers were also playing on the regular in our living room.

Really nothing was off the table; from Edward Scissorhand to Raising Arizona, and other classics like All About Eve, Harold and Maude, and Sixteen Candles. Typically, all of these titles were not the same old stuff my friends were watching, and only now do I appreciate getting a kick start on appreciating that deep cannon of pop culture. If you don't start early, how does anyone ever catch up? I've spent at least 20 years actively absorbing it all like a sponge and I still feel behind.

In the end, being exposed to more "high brow" entertainment didn't automatically earn me a beret to be perched permanently atop my head as I exclusively watched classy foreign films (that came MUCH later), as I still spent the Friday's of my childhood obsessed with Full House and the regular T.G.I.F lineup. 

Aside from occasionally being a typical kid and giving in to the draw of Mary Kate and Ashley, that early emphasis on those critically exclaimed, quintessential films, had especially set the stage for a lifetime of finding Tim Burton films uniquely charming (not weird) and dearly awaiting the next Coen Brothers production.

Margie the pregnant Minnesota cop is solidly one of the most memorably endearing characters and inspired many a family laugh while mimicking her accent. We too spent plenty of time joking about the extended police chase, involving Nic Cage stealing a package of Huggies while wearing pantyhose as a mask. As a family tradition, any Joel and Ethan project will always be treasured with an extra special affinity.


Due to their pedigree producing quality entertainment for over 20 years, just the hint of a new movie  elevates any cinephile's pulse. It also doesn't hurt that their latest flick has been building postive buzz since May, when Inside Llewyn Davis was nominated for the Palme D'Or and won The Grand Jury Prize at Cannes.

With a limited release date scheduled for December 6th, that's a whole four more months before a general audience will be able to even catch a snippet - the suspense is unnerving!

Never the types to be pigeonholed to a certain type of movie, Llewyn Davis seems to be their most variant film yet, even though some comparisons to their past could be drawn.

Based on the trailer, with the setting being the world of 1960's folk music, we can string together that it will be channeling a lot more O Brother, Where Art Thou? and less Miller's Crossing. At first it seemed like there wouldn't even be a single criminal character (that would be a first?), although, after a second look, I am suspicious of John Goodman. 

In more recent years, as the family members who taught me have gotten older, I've been the one doing the recommending, and exclaiming, "but you gotta see this!" The love for their films were passed down to me, so even with time I'll continue the tradition and never stop buzzing about the Coen Brothers.

Look for Inside Llewyn Davis when it is released in December. Now that is just perfect timing for the Oscars, isn't it!

(Relevant Side Note: They are making a Fargo TV series! I hope this is still happening.)

On Second Thought...

[Stunned that I have a relevant, but not good, Sopranos photo from my own camera. Paparazzi, Paparazzi]

James Gandolfini - that guy scares me.

I don't want to be mean, I'm sure he's nice and all, but he just has that whole intimidation thing going on. This is why I have never watched his little show, The Sopranos.

Proving why 7th grade me was not a casting agent in 1999 and had no right to critical judgements based on a scary exterior, that demeanor which put me off is also what lead to Gandolfini's successful stint playing a mob dude for six seasons.

All my sense of detachment from that show was thrown for a loop today.

When a sophisticated voting body declares a show that I already referred to as "little", as the greatest television show ever written, I begin to question where my mind has been in the years since it became age appropriate - there could have been many weekends marathoning through this HBO hit.

Just because the Writer's Guild of America says that The Sopranos tops the list of the 101 Best Written television shows, doesn't mean it actually is, right? Actually, all likelihood points to yes - writing seems like it's their specialty.

Sure, Gandolfini scares me, and I have felt personally intimidated by several other cast members bombarding a local Olean, NY street fair (only Vincent Pastore was caught in a quick snapshot, as seen above), but shouldn't I have known their show was well written! Ball dropped.

I already have the mindset that solid storytelling is where brilliance begins, so the WGA endorsement has pushed me to put aside my preconceived notions in order to be depressed by swarms of people getting sent to swim with the fishes in New Jersey. But seriously, I will be giving it a chance.

The number two slot on the list also went over my head. Seinfeld wasn't a staple in my household and not even the WGA could convince me to get wrapped up in that right now.

It wasn't until I browsed to spot number seven that my eyes really lit up; anyone watching Mad Men can attest that it is the brilliantly written characters and mysteriously simple, yet enthralling plot which makes it unmatchable week after week.

Other favorites of mine that strived to make non-typical, thoughtful, mind bending, and wacky stories, like 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights, Breaking Bad, The X-Files, Arrested Development, and I Love Lucy, also placed in the Top 50.

Going through an epic list of 101 TV shows made me realize, I love TV, but there is still loads to catch up on, including (but not limited to); The Wire, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Deadwood and Battlestar Galactica.

Check out the full list here and start compiling your own list of new shows that will continue your addiction to well made television. While you're at it, give yourself a little praise for those that made the list which you already knew were excellent.

Listing: Let Me Back In

Modern technological advances may have made it possible for handy pocket sized devices to give us access to the internet night and day, but that doesn't mean we all have to like it.

Sure, the mobility comes in handy; as a news obsessive, it's lovely to be able to access the headlines from the AP News app at a single click away from my trusty iTunes all day. However, using it as your only source of computing? How do people do it?

I was without a laptop for over a month and it nearly killed me.

The time spent between the old and new devices could have been cut in half if I hadn't been so picky selecting the most extraordinary computer money [read: the amount I budgeted] could buy. Ah, the desperation of those seeking out the best deals.
 
Now the friendly click-clack as I press down on the individual smooth plastic keys feels especially warm and cuddly after the madness of attempting to write anything via a flat touch screen. Only once did I attempt to publish something to this blog, and frustrated with continually deleting HTML coding by accident, backed away slowly until UPS knocked on my door with a very special delivery.

It has been so long world wide web! Oh, the things to catch up on! To kick it all off fresh, it only seems appropriate to round up the previous week of exciting events and interests.

Just in time to celebrate the beginning to my 26th year here on Earth, the PNW was raging with sunshine (perfect for days reading outside), and summery releases on the big screen and on the music charts had me filled with excitement. Spring is here, but summer here we come.

"I Remember You" - Rilo Kiley

If you are in a band with a name that could be spun into a pun on the word archive, it is essential that you throw together an album filled with unreleased tracks.

Whether or not this was Rilo Kiley's inspiration behind putting together RKives, fans have been rejoicing the last couple weeks over getting a "new" album from the band that was thought to be defunct and never to be heard from again. Based on the quality of each of their albums spanning from 1999 to 2007, it's not surprising that there was just as many amazing tunes left on the cutting room floor.

As the songs are pulled from various recording sessions throughout the years, it's a treat that one album spans the entire band's history. With every song you can hear the band's progression.

I've had this album blasting on repeat in my room and in the car with the windows down for over a week now, and while the first track, "Let Me Back In", gives me the weepies, it's the dancey, dare I say adorable, "I Remember You", that is the albums most refreshing inclusion. Both songs were from the Under The Blacklight recording sessions, and it's a wonder how it was that these two gems didn't make the cut. Thankfully, they are now released for the world to enjoy.

Anyone still trying to hunt down the bands Initial Friend EP (that costs a pretty penny), will happily note that the album ends with a song back from where the band began.

An homage to a cinema masterpiece, The Frug, filled with hand claps and Jenny Lewis' sweet voice,  proves that they were always a talented bunch who forged their own sound. Lewis and Blake Senett just solidified themselves as master songwriters with each album as they grew a little older and wrote songs with increasing punch, beauty, and bravado.

Gatsby

"I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy."

One of the novels most famous lines uttered by Jordan Baker (as played by Elizabeth Debicki), couldn't seem more true as the glorious specatacle of Jay Gatsby's infamous parties have been brought to life like never before.

When I read The Great Gatsby in high school, like many teenagers, the biggest impression this novel left on me (besides the tragic love story and those deep discussions we had about the symbolism of the green light and the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg), was the exciting idea of the roaring 20's and being at a Gatsby party.

If you ever wondered what this would have been like, head out to the movie theater this instant and see Baz Luhrmann's visually stunning interpretation explode on the screen.

Critics are already nagging, but I say if there was anyone meant to take on the challenge of filming one of the most adored novels in America, it is Luhrmann. He created Gatsby as big and glitzy as we all imagined, but done in a way that no one else could have ever dreamed. 

Oh, the sparkles, sequins, fringe, and endless furs - the shiny cars, expansive mansions, and the glittering lights of NYC - between the magnificent costumes and sets, anyone should admit to drooling over this movie for days.

As the story goes on, the visage of elegance fades, and it is simply enjoyable to find Leonardo DiCaprio in a role like Gatsby.  There's no espionage, mental facilities, or historically set courtroom scenes, just a guy who's (crazy) in love. Not since his under-appreciated performance in Revolutionary Road, have I been this excited to find Leo, impeccably dressed, on the giant screen in front of me.

There's no debating Leo's performance, but the use of modern music has had many up in arms. In my eyes it totally works.

Bringing in the twist of mixing Hip-Hop, pop, and old timey jazz makes this classic tale feel like it could be happening in any time period, even though the story is set in the 1920's. Indeed a timeless tale for the ages.

Although the soundtrack isn't perfect from start to finish, I could still easily post an entire page detailing that I have the haunting, "Young and Beautiful" on repeat, and how entertaining it was to hear "Izzo (H.O.V.A)", start playing as Nick and Gatsby drove into the city. It's fun and actually adds to the story - this is exactly a terrific soundtrack at work.

Maybe I'm sounding a little too glowy, as it's not without some issues (little story points left out here and there), but I guarantee that there is no other movie like Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. Anyone looking for this kind of experience will be just as equally riveted.

Lester Bangs

Lester Bangs is the king of music reviews, so settling down to read a book of his accumulated essays is more than a treat for fans of 60s and 70s rock.

It may have been his profession, but music was also his life.

With every one of his electric words and expertly manic sentence his passion for bands and records transfers from the pages of the book and up into your pores. Man, I didn't give a crap about The Yardbirds before picking up this book, but the words of Bangs have made me a believer. 

Since none of us will ever get to bash around a record store with Lester by our side, this is the next best option - read, experience, enjoy, and leave with enough music recommendations for a lifetime.

This has been a non-stop week of finding new entertainment to obsess over! What about y'all?

Anything else I should add to my list for next week?

Well, until we meet again.