Honestly, I had mixed reactions when I first heard this movie was underway. I was initially apprehensive mostly due to Jim Henson's death, and Frank Oz's lack of involvement, but I was intrigued when I heard that Jason Segal was writing it, solely based on my enjoyment of his Sarah Marshall vampire puppet musical.
The Muppets as written by Jason Segal works quite well. It is entertaining, sweet, hilarious, adorable, and chock full of fun celebrity cameos (as expected). Without any spoilers I will just say I was awful excited to see that waitress.
A traditional musical, this movie embraces the honest emotional conflict about the idea of a new Muppet movie on the big screen. Should we? Do we still want to see a Muppet movie? Should we let sleeping Muppets lie? Maybe their time has passed and there won't be an audience for it anymore? Will we wreck everything with this if it sucks? Yet no one can deny how loveable our Muppets are, everyone has a favorite (mine is Pepe), and we will always want to see more.
The point is, the true heart in this tickling movie, is that it takes our beloved Muppets of the past and tells this new story with the weight of the material in hand. At no point do you feel the Muppets are being violated or that anything is "wrong." Granted, it's not our traditional old Muppets and honestly, it never will be due to the change in voice artists. None the less, Jason Segal honors the Muppets with this script, his love letter to their legacy.
Go see it. I love The Muppets. And I want to hug Jason Segal.
Well this is it. The review you all have been waiting for. The Twilight film tetralogy is peaking with the final book that I've been told by readers "get weird." Many people have told me Breaking Dawn is "terrible," "my least favorite of the books," "jumps the shark," "takes a left turn," etc.
I, having read the summary of the Twilight book series on Wikipedia once by accident, was aware it was about to graduate to a significantly more adult level, however, I was curious how they would handle it on screen. After all, their bread and vegan butter is a teenage audience, and violent vampire sex plus the birth of a demon baby seem like R material to me.
No worries Team Jacob fans. Taylor Lautner's shirt comes off in the first 10 seconds of the movie. Seriously.
SPOILER ALERT: the dialogue is terrible. Honestly sometimes I can't believe these were ever books. To enjoy the Twilight series purely as a set of bad vampire teen movies is one thing but every time I remember someone actually read this drivel I get super depressed.
Breaking Dawn showcases the authors socially conservative beliefs even more than the previous stories. They wait for marriage to have sex, and once pregnant, Bella is horrified at the idea of an abortion and hardly considers it. Edward constantly dominates Bella and the most annoying thing Twilight does is hide this sexism under the guise of romance. It was easier for me to take it's blatant disregard for women lightly when it's just sexy boys fighting over having tense unfulfilled moments around a girl, but now that marriage and babies are involved it gets too deep and honestly I think the message these movies send is probably doing more harm than good.
Teenagers adore these boys because they say amazing things and that's quite powerful before you've learned how much people will lie. They're also hot. It's all sexy all the time and Bella, although exceptionally beautiful, is very much an every girl. I absolutely understand the obsession with this phenomenon. If I was younger, or maybe less bitter, I would be right there with those screaming teens.
Still, if I had a demon baby inside me, I don't think I would carry it to term, especially if it was killing me. And I wouldn't let my vampire husband boss me around either just because he might drink my blood.
Whatever. Robert Pattinson's hair looks good, Taylor Lautner is almost old enough for me to stop feeling guilty for wanting to slap him with my panties, and we are finally headed toward the payoff that the previous films have been so dramatically building up. Luckily part 2 is released in one year and then hopefully all these young fans will realize that people can be full of it and that Stephanie Meyer wove some really sick messages into her fiction.
It's a polarizing feeling to love terrible movies and simultaneously hate the message one is sending to young female minds. It's probably not doing nearly as much damage and I imagine.
My favorite movies list for 2011 is quite short, and Like Crazy has made the cut. An incredibly down to earth, refreshingly honest piece that portrays a complicated journey. A literal and simple examination of trying to make long distance work, Like Crazy minces no words, and is no fairy tale.
This couple is presented with the obstacle of attempting to maintain a relationship when our British heroine, Anna, driven by her passion for our American hero, Jacob, violates her student visa by staying a few months past it's expiration. Following this incident, our lovers are kept apart by inconvenience, red tape, and new sexual relationships with people who aren't halfway across the world.
Two young people are as capable of deep love as anyone, and you hope for our sweet couple throughout. However, you empathize with their attempts to have a normal life as well. As you watch, it's impossible to know what's best for anyone, and naturally, you begin to wonder if location is more powerful than love. Maybe hearts eventually travel to wherever our feet are, even if that's not necessarily where we would like them to be.
Without any spoilers I will say that the ending will surprise you, but Like Crazy does not have anyone skipping out of the theater. The performances are excellent, the dialogue is lovely, and it is shot in a delightfully uncomplicated manner which compliments the realistic style. It's about love, really.
I know I should have posted this earlier in the week but I've been terribly lazy.
Drive is phenomenal. One of the best movies I've seen in a long time. It feels timeless as if you are finally getting around to seeing a movie you've always known was great. Classic.
I rushed out to see it last weekend due to trusted buzz and this outstanding review by Roger Ebert whose words rang in my head as I watched the film.
Extremely quiet, extremely violent, and extremely simple, this movie is perfectly executed. A story that leaves you wanting more yet provides all you require to be entirely captivated. Nothing is given away and all of our emotions are earned. Well done.
Drive will be remembered as one of this years most unique and refreshing movies. Finally!
Isn't Paul Rudd charming? Gosh he's doing so well these days. I am so happy for him. Honestly, I think he seems super nice.
Anyways, Our Idiot Brother is a pretty decent flick. I enjoyed it thoroughly and although it does not exactly paint it's female characters in an attractive light, it ultimately has a payoff that is worth the huff and puff.
The opening is set up perfectly with our protagonist selling weed to a uniformed officer. The scene is written so well and executed so perfectly, it's 100% believable and you immediately know that our hero, Ted, is a great guy who's only fault is that he has faith in people.
More of a statement on the world than upon the 'idiot' this movie is about how much we all forget how nice our lives actually are, how we take our families for granted, and how we make fun of the honest people who truly enjoy the simple things.
Ted is loyal, sweet, and fiercely honest. His sisters are not. His sisters, however, do not seem to be 'idiots' by society's standards and therefore thrive where Ted fails. It's an interesting movie about interesting people who seem real.
The only sore spot is how much they bothered to 'lesbian up' Rashida Jones with costumes for her role as Zooey Deschanel's girlfriend. Her entire 'look' just felt a bit pushed to me, but I suppose I'll let it slide.
Additionally, I must mention Kathryn Hahn's appearance as Ted's ex. Hilarious and steals every scene she is in, I cannot wait for her new sitcom to hit my TV, she is currently my favorite working actress.
A summer sleeper worth seeing, Our Idiot Brother is quite nice.
Emotionally manipulative and basically boring, The Help is an ok movie with great performances that has spurred much controversy. Kathryn Stockett's novel has been criticized, and mostly because it was written by her, a white woman, and the story is heavily about the struggle of black women. I don't blame people for getting worked up.
My problem with this film has not much to do with Kathryn Stockett's whiteness, although I do find it odd that she would desire to tackle this material, my problem is with the overall dullness of the story. All emotion and almost no heart, the story of Skeeter and her beloved maid is overshadowed by the side stories and crowded out by fillers.
As a viewer I desired so much more to see truly where Skeeter came from, why she felt so connected to her own maid as a mother figure and how that would drive her to write a book. Instead Skeeter is beautiful, yet we are supposed to believe she is plain, she is a strong single character, yet we are forced into an empty love story that goes nowhere, and mostly it seems that she simply gets lucky and her book happens to be a success. She lacks the strength and conviction I believe this character would have to possess to pull off this publication. This should truly be Skeeters story, and it is not successful. I didn't connect to her journey at all, and I was heavily distracted by all the more interesting stories she was surrounded by.
All of the acting is excellent, let me say that first and foremost. Viola Davis is, as ALWAYS, a powerhouse of truth, and shoots Aibileen's arrow straight into our hearts. Bring tissues. Emma Stone is great too, despite that lack of depth that has been written into her character. Bryce Dallas Howard is delightfully hate able, Sissy Spacek and Allison Janney both sneak in as scene stealing mothers, and my favorite performances belong to Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer whose touching story could have been a delightful movie all by itself.
There is too much happening, it all makes you cry, and yet it all feels meaningless. It lacks authenticity, and a genuine heartbeat. Dull, pushy, sappy, and too long, this movie is pretty lame. I'd love to say it was great, it had plenty of potential, but I wasn't happy for anyone at the end, nor did I care much what had happened. A wonderful display of great acting, it's a shame it had to come in such a crappy candy coating.
Miranda July's sweet and amazing new movie is showing in just a select few cities, but if you visit her website you can check out her blog and see where it's going to be.
This movie is just wonderful. I read several marvelous reviews before I saw it. That combined with my friend's fondness for Miranda July in general is what got us to go out.
I'm so glad we did. The movie is hard to describe in any way that could possibly do it justice but I will try. It is heart-wrenching, sweet, hilarious, complicated, sad, goofy, simple, and strange. The word I've heard several other reviews use is whimsical. Our heroine, Sophie, is so sympathetic I felt as though her struggles were mine. Her sweet boyfriend Jason is the same, someone I felt very connected to and understood.
The story is narrated by an alley cat who is currently under medical supervision in a shelter that Jason and Sophie have agreed to adopt. They realize taking in a sick cat will change their lives and decide to live it up the final month they have to themselves before he joins their family. The cat himself as a character moved me in the most surprising way. I adopted an alley cat myself this year and Pawpaw's journey gave me insight into her scarred soul and previous life on the streets in a way I'd never imagined. I was dying to come home and see her once the credits rolled.
This movie will touch your heart. It carries you off to a world that feels familiar as though it's happening somewhere we all have been. Lovely and powerful, it is by far the best movie I've seen this summer.
Ok guys, I realize you all must think that all I do is see comic book movies and then develop huge crushes on the actors who play the heroes but lets be clear here. My crush on Captain America goes WAY back.
Well, my crush on Chris Evans goes way back. Sigh. C'est la vie. I could not love him more. Handsome, funny, and literally in this movie they have him play the nicest guy in the world and then use chemicals make him the hottest man in the world (kind of like the Stepford Wives except way better and for ladies). Oh dear lord. Be still my heart.
I want to talk about the movie here but it's difficult. I saw this on my birthday with two of my girlfriends, who are naturally also quite enamored of our protagonist due to his hysterical turn in Not Another Teen Movie. (that's right, this crush is 10 years old. take that Twi-hards. your Pattinson love has got nothing on my Evans love). I digress. We saw it in Times Square which is a terrible location to see a movie and a bunch of weird distracting stuff happened.
Before the movie started something major went down in an adjacent theater and all the managers and staff went running in, and then, during the movie, in the midst a major action sequence, someone threw a soda on us. Us and like half the other people in the place. It was definitely a large. A lot of people flipped so naturally, my attention was split. One girl even had the manager come in so she could complain in front of all of us in the middle of the movie.
Basically I spent the entire movie thinking about having sex with Chris Evans. Honestly I thought of little else. Except occasionally wondering who threw the coke and what kind of drama was happening next door.
I need to sum up. Did I like it? Hells yes, Chris Evan is so badass and he makes a great Captain America. His love interest was a highlight as well, played by Haley Atwell, an incredibly beautiful woman who actually looks like she consumes more than 800 calories a day and was believable as a solider herself. However, I can't in good conscience say that I have much of a clue as to what actually happened plot wise.
I will say this. After the credits there was another Avengers teaser, essentially an Avengers trailer. I think this Captain America flick was sort of a throw away for me (maybe Hollywood too? yes? no?) because basically we just needed his story to be set up so we can go watch the Avengers movie now. Which, for the record, looks phenomenal. SO EXCITED.
Cedar Rapids. I was half interested in watching this when it came out, it looked funny enough, I like that Ed Helms, and I'm partial to anything that makes fun of small town life. (hint-I am from a small town)
I didn't see it for whatever reason, but it probably would have snuck on to my netflix queue eventually so I was glad to see it as an option on the digiplayer.
Cedar Rapids was much darker then I expected it to be, and honestly a lot more interesting. The dark vibe set in fairly early in the story as Ed Helms's character is chosen to go to Cedar Rapids for an insurance conference due to his fellow salesman's untimely death via autoerotic asphyxiation.
The stakes are high, especially given our leading man's innocent nature, and you quickly learn that he has entered a rough and tumble conference of his peers who operate with an attitude of "what happens at Cedar Rapids, stays at Cedar Rapids." Small town ideals are shattered, and the curtain is pulled back as our protagonist reveals the corruption of his professional superiors.
John C Reilly shines as an unhappy alcoholic, an almost unrecognizable Anne Heche is surprisingly sympathetic in an ugly role, and Alia Shawkat (remember Maeby from Arrested Development?) makes a standout appearance as a prostitute in an intense drug addled party sequence.
I enjoyed Cedar Rapids thoroughly. It has a star studded cast (did I mention Sigourney Weaver?) and it tells a classic story. A small town man goes head to head with the big city bad guys. Will he hold on to his ideals? Who wins in the end? Does it change him for better or for worse? I don't want to tell you cause it's good and I want you to watch it.
Yes Cedar Rapids. You are very interesting and I like you.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid! I LOVED this movie when I first saw it. Ironically I saw the original Diary of a Wimpy Kid on a plane because I thought it looked cute. I figured, eh, if it sucks, I'll switch to a different movie. IT DOES NOT SUCK! It's so cute and good and funny and Steve Zahn is in it! Love it!
Anyways, when I saw that there was a sequel coming out, Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules, I was super excited. I was glad to see so many other plane riders had enjoyed it too and I couldn't wait to go see it. Unfortunately, it's a little difficult to convince a friend to go see the sequel to a kids movie with you because you saw the original on a plane and are insisting that it was great, so I never caught it while it was in the theater. Take note that I wanted to though. Happily, I would have paid full theatre price to see this, I just didn't end up making it. You can imagine my thrill when I saw it was an option on my flight.
Roderick is our hero's older brother. This movie focuses on the relationship between the two boys and takes them through a few ups and downs. It does not start out strong. It seems a little corny and several moments in the opening sequences feel a bit forced. Hey kids, it's the same cast! Remember this guy? And so on.
However, as it gains momentum, the charm and genuine likability of the original movie returns. And as the meaning behind the title 'Rodrick Rules' is revealed, the fun begins. There are more young adult themes to this story, Greg has a crush on a pretty blonde girl, Rodrick and his family address his desire to be a professional musician, and there is a classic John Hughes-esque house party.
Overall I enjoyed it. There is a worth-the-wait payoff in the climax which despite all that has happened, causes you to fall back in love with Greg, Roderick, and their mom and dad. And a few of the seemingly forced moments make great callback jokes later which can almost allow me to forgive their awkward introduction.
I say watch it! Actually, watch the first one, cause it's amazing, and then if you like it, watch the second one. It's a solid sequel, it has all the qualities I loved from the original and told a new story at the same time. Part 2 is not as great, but if you love the original it's worth watching.
Take it easy Ryan Gosling fans. I know you're excited.
Well, well, well, another romantic comedy. Actually I'm going to be bold and say that this movie, although quite funny, and definitely marketed as a traditional comedy, deals with some heavy stuff and feels more like a drama that makes you laugh then a standard comedy.
The preview sort of compounds all the laughing parts and makes it seem more fast paced and less intense then it actually is. Each of our characters is in love with someone. We don't always know who and we don't always know how it's going to work out but it's all about what love does to each individual.
I liked it. Steve Carell is wonderful and Julianne Moore is amazing too (duh). Their love story is the one I became the most attached too, and although many might complain about the inconclusive way it ends, I was quite touched and enjoyed their portrayal of a couple going through hard times. Authentic and sweet.
Ok, ok, ladies calm down. Of course I'm going to talk about the eye candy. I like that Ryan Gosling too. He's a good actor, albeit not exactly my type (although he could be depending on how tall he is. anyone know? I'm very shallow) I do easily see why he makes all the girls scream. His character falls for the beautiful Emma Stone. Those who know me know I am a big fan of this young lady. I think she is smart, interesting, and talented. I hope her career is blessed with long legs. Their romance might not be as juicy or as fleshed out as I had hoped, and part of me even thinks they could have had a movie of their own, but everything you do see is great.
Marisa Tomei is funny. The story line with the babysitter is funny. And a full fledged metrosexual Ryan Gosling giving Steve Carell fashion advice is very funny. There is also a wildly unexpected climactic scene which brings big laughs and simultaneously raises all of the emotional stakes.
Definitely worth watching. A moving, realistic portrayal of love, with some silliness thrown in for good measure. It sort of has too much going on and sort of doesn't flesh out the side love stories as much as I'd like, but the laughs are enough to make up for it.
All righty. I recently flew home to visit my mom for her birthday and I watched a crapload of movies. I always fly Alaska Airlines because my dad is like the George Clooney from Up in the Air of Alaska Airlines and he gives me his miles PLUS they have a vegan box available for purchase on every flight. It's also gluten free, just fyi. Yeah Alaska Airlines!
Alaska, on long flights, has this awesome thing where you can rent a digiplayer which is essentially a little personal movie player and it usually has about 15-20 different movie options as well as tv shows and some games. My flight home is 2 movies long, so I watch 2 on the way there and 2 on the way back. Also, my mom is just like me and wants to watch a movie like every night so we watched a bunch of movies while I was there too.
The first one I want to talk about is Unknown.
A few things off the bat. I like Liam Neeson, I really like Diane Kruger, and the preview was intriguing. That's enough to get my viewership on a plane. Sold! BAM.
It was, well, um, ok I think. I'm weirdly mixed about this flick. My instinct is to say that it wasn't good but the other night I was describing things about it to my friend and she basically said I was making it sound really good and interesting. I mean, that made me think.
The pros: action packed, attention holding, awesome twist, great reveal of information, and the story is told in such a way that your journey as a viewer parallels with Liam Neeson's character as he unravels the meaning behind everything that's happening. It's all about what you see verses what you know. The unknown can make all the difference. (see? that sounds great, right?)
The cons: the second it was over I didn't give it a second thought (until I had a convo about it), I spent the entire time thinking that January Jones was that girl from Mad Men, and although it takes place in Germany, Diane Kruger doesn't play a German woman (um, what?), and most importantly, I didn't feel a thing. I mean, I was consistently interested, and again, impressed with the twist and how well it explained the entire thing but who cares? I liked Liam Neeson's character (but look! I can't even remember the character's name right now! Dr. something?) I liked Diane Kruger's character a lot, but they just don't get into anything interesting or personally emotional.
I never felt swept away, I never got worked up or excited about anything, nothing upset me much and I didn't care very much. That's a fail for me. Honestly, I'm pretty easy to get worked up in a movie. I'm a sucker. If I'm not crying, if I'm not clutching my chest and gasping, not many other people will be either. And although I was thinking and engaged the entire time, there weren't many moments that made the movie unique or gave me anything to walk away with. Nothing stayed with me. Except that the twist was flawless. It was far and away not what I predicted and there were no logistical holes. I love it when there are no holes in a good twist.
So it wasn't great. But it wasn't bad either. I guess I would say it's worth watching on a plane. Ha!
I know I watch a lot of crap, and I talk about it a lot, but I wanted to take a moment to write about my new favorite show, and possibly one of the smartest shows on television right now, Wilfred. Airing Thursday nights on FX. Or Friday afternoons on Hulu if you're cable-less.
The basic premise seems almost based on mere convention. The dog, Wilfred, is seen by Elijah Wood's character, Ryan, as an adult Australian human in a dog suit. However, the rest of the universe just sees a dog, and Ryan seems fully aware that he is dealing with a real dog and never doubts that it is not a real dog, only immediately accepts that this is how he sees his new friend, Wilfred.
The most exciting aspect of this show is how the writers have managed to work this into reality, creating a place where I completely understand Ryan's hallucination, and my understanding of this creation actually adds to my enjoyment of the overall story.
The pilot opens with Ryan drafting the 3rd copy of his suicide note as he prepares to end his own life. (no spoilers here, this literally happens in the first ten seconds) This all night long failed attempt ends with Wilfred on his doorstep, led by the pretty girl next door. Their friendship begins.
This set up is essential to the true fabric of this show which is laid deeply under the hilarity that is the simple convention of a man who everyone treats like a dog. Not to mention a rude Aussie man in a ridiculous costume. However, as all of this obviously can not be literal, you realize that Wilfred is merely an extension of Ryan, a manifestation of choices he is too afraid to make himself.
Our suicidal Ryan has projected all of his life choices onto this dog, allowing him to remove the blame for his failures and also any glory for his successes. He has externalized his instincts and put them on the most adorable and innocent of creatures, removing any guilt or conflict as he works through his self-loathing and tries to build a new life. Ideally, one worth living.
You could also argue that Wilfred is a mostly bad influence on Ryan. Wilfred convinces Ryan to quit his job, blow off his family, and to rob a neighbors house. These all have extenuating circumstantial explanations but it doesn't even matter. We're tuned in to see what Wilfred will do next and ultimately, the most thrilling parts are whenever it comes together that Ryan is sick and doing this all to himself as he battles his depression and suicidal tendencies. What you're really watching is an intensely realistic portrayal of someone struggling through the basics of life and looking for a reason to live. He's created his reason in Wilfred.
I could go on, but we're only a few episodes into this new series and in my opinion it's an original exciting show that combines humor and psychology in a an awesome and refreshing way. It is a little hard to get over the whole, Elijah Wood was a hobbit thing but you should try. It's worth it.
(side note, how much does FX rock now? It's Always Sunny and now this? You go FX!)
I was stoked for this movie mostly because I am a big fan of most of the cast. I think Charlie Day is unbelievably funny, I'm a huge It's Always Sunny fan, I adore Jason Bateman, and I am also Team Jennifer. Although this does conflict with my love of Angelina Jolie's humanitarian work and tattoos, but I digress.
Horrible Bosses is a riot and the plot is perfect for these rough economic times. Literally, given the market, it does actually seem plausible that plotting to kill your horrible boss would be easier than looking for a new job.
It also seems that the boys, Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudekis all went to improv town and basically filled the script with terrific one-liners. Not to take anything away from the writing but their fingerprints seem to be all over most of the take away laugh lines.
Go see it. It's delightful and hilarious. Is it the funniest movie I've ever seen? Nope. But I loved it and I would see it again in a heartbeat. Thoroughly enjoyable, silly, a fun romp. Jamie Foxx makes a radically funny appearance as well.
Seriously, get a big bag of popcorn and go as soon as you can. A full theater full of loud laughs will make it more fun. Twizzlers too.
This guy is hot. I know women throw that word around a lot, but I am serious. This dude is the real kind of hot. He looks like a man and he's huge.
Take note. This movie is directed by Kenneth Branagh. DOESN'T THAT CHANGE EVERYTHING??!!! So fun.
Naturally, now that you know this, the movie has a super dramatic, almost Shakespearean quality, and it's awesome. It's all camp, but I think it's perfect. I've heard some people say this movie sucked, but I'm just imagining they have a bad personal relationship with Kenneth Branagh or they didn't know he directed it. Or they hate fun.
In contrast to the terrible exposition in The Green Lantern this flick weaves the exposition into the fabric of the overall story. Basically the back story that explains Thor, who he is, and what world he comes from, runs parallel to the planet earth story line so you don't feel spoon fed or confused, it's all just part of the movie.
I need to mention that the main reason I enjoyed this so much is largely in part to Natalie Portman's performance. (and Chris Hemsworth's sexiness). In this, much like Liv Tyler's performance in the Marvel Hulk, you are 100% sold that this young lady exists, and that she would fall in love with this guy. For some reason, lame ass chicks in movies can really bring it down. Natalie Portman's a badass. I hope she goes back to being vegan now that her cookie demanding baby is born. It raises her badassness level.
Anyways I say go see it! That's right, I liked it that much. I thought it was fun, silly, and has some great laugh lines, and awesome action scenes. There's also another Avengers teaser after the credits so don't leave the theater.
My second guest post for Vegansaurus is up. Read it!
Guest post: Vegansaurus NYC: Red Bamboo is Delicious!
Just for the record, I think that Vegansaurus is a hilarious and awesome website and you should be reading it already. If you don't want to, just read my posts! I'm so flattered that they like me!
I've already had like two people say to me, "why would you see that?" And all I can say is, well, I like crap.
Bad Teacher is medium entertaining crap.
It's not terrible. It's not great either which is slightly a bummer because I feel the premise and the Cameron Diaz character had the potential to be a really great comedy. But whatever I guess.
All of the best jokes were shown in the preview. The only thing that's even almost as funny as the stuff in the preview is this dry humping Justin Timberlake scene which I'm sure you've already heard about. and I don't even know if it was actually funny or if I was just remembering how funny the dry humping stuff in Going the Distance was. Plus it's fun to watch JT act like a dork.
Jason Segal is the best, I hope he wants me to be his girlfriend because I would be totally into that. He is hilarious and heartfelt. Such a winning combination for these types of movies. However, the laughs aren't enough to make it great, and like I said, the big hits are all his lines that you've already seen in the preview. If you haven't seen the preview I'm wondering how you decide which movies to go see, where you live, and what you do on a daily basis. In fact I'd like to study you so contact me.
Basically I say rent it or wait til it's on demand and watch it. It's not a total waste of time but I won't be buying the DVD or anything.
This is a new reality show (about 3 episodes in) that focuses on competition based performances to win a 7 episode arc on the regular Glee. A few initial reactions:
1) Isn't all auditioning technically competition anyway? Especially for a huge incredibly popular tv show? Ok I guess they're just taping it now.
2) It's on Oxygen?
3) That's an awesome prize. Really, that's no joke that's a real opportunity for someone.
Naturally I'm watching it. Because I watch EVERYTHING, especially the stuff that sucks. And I wanted to publicly say that I think this show is horrible and exploitative. It's also a guaranteed cry when you tune in so it's basically just emotional cutting on cable.
These kids are really talented. I'm not saying that lightly, I live in NYC, I'm friends with fancy professional Broadway people, I went to theater school (I feel like this is less qualifying since it was in Idaho but whatevs!), and I'm generally hard on everyone about everything. If they weren't talented I would be bitching about it here so you can trust, these are all gifted "contestants."
They're also like 9 years old. Ok, they're 18-ish, but they are babies! And in this show, they are learning songs, singing, dancing, and constantly performing for the real casting director, vocal coaches, and choreographers of Glee. These folks are not easy on them. They all get ripped apart a lot. And then they cry about it. And then I cry about it. Granted, I get overly attached to people competing on reality shows, but THIS IS SUPER SAD!!
As IF these kids don't have it bad enough ALREADY with the fact that they want to be triple threat professionals. DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD OF A LIFE THAT IS?!?!?! Artists are constantly suffering, and being ripped down, WHY AM I WATCHING THIS?!!!! It's horrible. They're so young, sweet, and talented, I just want them all to get one guest spot on one episode of Glee! Why do they all have to be dragged through the mud and then eliminated like this? It's awful!
Also the show is shot in tremendously high drama fashion, manipulating us into being totally wrecked by every elimination. Seriously, I actually find this show much more emotional (and in a BAD way, in an upsetting way) then regular Glee, the DRAMA show.
Not to mention that they are mostly singing songs that have already been done on Glee which you figure they must already have the rights to, and they will eventually try to sell these performances the same way they sell the Glee performances and music videos on Itunes. Was Glee really not enough of a cash cow for you people? REALLY? No? Oh, then you should get a bunch of teenagers hopes up and have them sing for free and then profit off of it.
*many of these are assumptions I do no know if the contestants are paid royalties for sales on their performances. however, my money is on not*
**also the songs and music videos are not currently available on itunes so hey, maybe they never will be but I would be surprised**
Ultimately this show is just making me dislike the Glee show that I already like. It shows me this incredibly ugly professional side of the creators and crew that I don't want to see. The magic of television is that I don't know that people are mean to Sandra Oh when she can't cry on cue. I don't want to see Shonda Rhimes get in a fight with her. I don't want to get to know all the amazing and talented actors that DON'T get parts on Grey's Anatomy. That's why the audition process ISN'T ON TELEVISION. Sigh.
I really really hope they do not do another season. When the winner of this show shows up on the regular Glee it is going to be lame. It is going to completely break the 4th wall for me and suddenly it's going to become this Brechtian experience where I'm hyper aware of how they got there and how I feel about it and I'm going to spend the whole time analyzing their performance. It's going to affect my enjoyment of the show.
Oh well. I hope they prove me wrong and this turns out to be a much happier ending then it's seeming but I have to say that I doubt it. It's a doggy dog world out there in show business and the whole idea of this show was to put it on camera. De-pressing.
I've decided to change up my blog a bit (bear with me). I'm going to be writing a combination of posts that encompass all my favorite things, as well as what I am about as an interested person and a writer. Basically I'll write about movies I see, tv I watch, and vegan food I eat. Hopefully it won't seem too weird or unfocused but I'm not currently enjoying the restriction of just writing about vegan stuff so I'm going to expand it. And besides, since I do write for US Weekly and tend to be entertainment inclined in general I figured I should get into more of that type of writing. Plus I'm interested in that so why not?
That being said, here we have it, my first movie review on the blog.
Ryan Reynolds abs, excuse me, I mean, The Green Lantern is not a great movie. I should have known better going into it, every reviewer I have even a shred of respect for totally panned it, but you know what? I like popcorn and I like going to the movies.
I'm not sure what it was about. And I just saw it a few hours ago so that seems slightly ridiculous. I am sure that Ryan Reynolds is totally sexy and very charming. I want him to be in lots of movies. Comedy movies preferably, but whatever.
The entire exposition is super weird as they try to sum up the Green Lantern universe for us in about two minutes. I imagine this is difficult as it was created and fleshed out by multiple authors over the course of several hundred comic books. It felt rushed and simplified and forced. I found it confusing. And I like to think of myself as a pretty clever lady.
The "emotional" scenes are horrible. The only saving grace is Ryan Reynolds being funny, which obviously comes naturally to him. Beyond that, it's awful. The action scenes are fun, but there aren't many of them. (surprising, I know, as it is a comic book movie) The end is pretty good.
Peter Sarsgaard (who I LUV) is sort of a bad guy in this and it's ok. It's way too campy and his character is a total joke, I couldn't care less about the guy, but he is an incredible actor and manages to inject some humanity into it, which is saying a lot. I'm also a sort of Blake Lively fan but she is terrible in this. Her performance is completely flat, although she does look great as a brunette.
In general I have a problem with the way most movies cast comic book women but that might be a larger problem I have with the current young women who are stars in Hollywood today. It just feels like none of them are real, down to earth, or interesting. They're all just super hot and some of them are ok actresses. Blake Lively (who I adored in The Town btw-great casting) is not a bad actress she's just dull in this. (not all her fault, lots of fault owed to the dialogue) But I also just had trouble believing that she could fly a plane. I mean, seriously? I'm supposed to believe that Blake Lively is a pilot? Have you ever met a female pilot? They are not Blake Lively-ish.
Anyways, I guess you shouldn't go see it. It's sort of bad and confusing. Unless you're a huge Ryan Reynolds fan then you've probably already seen it. I hope they don't make a sequel. Yeesh.
June is "Adopt a Shelter Cat Month" and I thought I'd go ahead and tell my cat's story in honor of this awesome month. (It's also dairy month or something-BOO)
I have lived in Brooklyn for about 5 out of the 7 years I've been in NYC and one thing that you can't miss about this borough is all the stray cats. It breaks my heart and thank god I don't live alone or I would probably take all of them in. Thankfully there are lots of shelters in NYC doing this for me. I think cat adoption is a cool thing to promote.
This is Samantha
I know! She's such a pretty girl. She's also a total slut which begins our tale. (tail? yes, no? too much?)
Samantha was a pregnant alley cat who rubbed up on a pair of legs belonging to the right person. A friend of my friend felt her little kitties moving around inside her and just couldn't leave her on the street. He and his girlfriend took her in and waited for the cuties to be born. After finding homes for the kittens they wanted to also find a home for mom. I volunteered and shortly later she moved in.
We became fast friends.
Samantha is brave, weird, and lazy. She is super friendly, loves to rub on your legs, demands that the bathroom door always be open, and will not tolerate me hitting the snooze button repeatedly She has a low grumbly purr, hogs the bed, and likes to sit on my lap when I'm trying to write. She's also super talkative and is responsive to conversation directed at her. It's very cute.
One of the things I noticed about Samantha when her kitties were around was that she seemed like she did not want to be a mom. Obviously she hooked up with some male alley cat while she was in heat and was not intending to get pregnant. (as if cats EVER intend to get pregnant) Her foster parents said she was very loving and protective when her kittens were helpless and new but as soon as they were exploring and eating dry food she was over it. You could tell she did not want to be a mom and was bummed out about the whole thing.
Ok I feel like this got a little heavy just now. Cute picture of the cat!
Anyway. Bottom line. Samantha is awesome. You should adopt a cat too! Think you hate cats? You've never had a cat. They are such great pets. (I am sad if you have allergies)
Check out Clyde. He is an orange tabby in Queens looking for a home. I had an orange tabby in college and he was so loving. Orange tabbies are shy so you have to be patient but once they open up they are amazing.
How are you celebrating Adopt a Shelter Cat month? I'm feeding Samantha baby food. I've never seen a cat look so happy. It's like cat crack.
Hope you're all well out there. Until next time, I'll be sleeping on the floor until I can figure out how to get this one to share the bed with me.
The other day on the Twitter Kathy Freston posted a link to this article and said she agrees with the author's stance. Not to give anything away but it's called Why Honey is Vegan by Michael Greger. Go ahead, click it. (you don't have to if you don't want to, I'm about to summarize the contents)
The article talks about animal suffering and food production that causes animals to die. In this instance he discusses bugs, and says that the production of honey doesn't really cause much bee suffering nor does it cause much bee death. He argues that if we are vegan because we are concerned about animals suffering and death that it is just silly to avoid honey because it does not cause much bee suffering or bee death and that avoiding it makes vegans look bad (or like "crazy wackos") and ultimately is hurting the movement.
Okay. Excuse me while I unruffle my feathers here. Whether or not this is true I feel that it is sort of NOT THE POINT.
I do agree that once the average person finds out that vegans don't eat honey they often react as "you people are CRAZY!" But I also think the choice to avoid honey is totally justified.
When people ask me if I eat honey, I say no, because I don't. Or I haven't eaten any (at least not intentionally) since January when I went totally vegan. I don't choose to avoid honey because I feel like the bees are suffering, that actually never even occurred to me, but I choose to avoid honey because I choose to avoid animal products in general.
One of the main reasons I like being a vegan and decided to take this action myself is because it's more than just a diet or skipping meat it's a lifestyle. It's an animal product free lifestyle. It truly makes a "Look, see? I can easily live without this stuff." statement.
In my opinion I think it is totally lame for someone to say vegans should eat honey simply because it makes us look "nuts" otherwise. You are lame Michael Greger and I do not agree with you! SNAP.
Now. Let's discuss this Kathy Freston person.
Okay, so, I don't necessarily DISLIKE Kathy Freston. I know very little about her but I have seen many clips of her on the internet with Oprah, Martha, and Ellen doing "veganizing" episodes. I am interested in reading her book, and I absolutely love how mainstream she is, I feel like she gets press all the time while talking about being vegan.
However, I read up on her a little more just for this blog post and I can't lie, I found out she wrote a book called The One: Discovering the Secrets of Soul Mate Love and my opinion of her totally plummeted.
The main reason I'm connecting these two topics (besides the obvious one, her tweeting a link to said honey article) is that one of the things that originally made me wrinkle my nose at her was when she used honey in a recipe on her appearance on Martha Stewart's vegan episode. This clip is her entire appearance, it's about 10 minutes.
Truly, I think she seems like a nice, smart, earnest person who is doing her best so spread the vegan word. She focuses on health benefits a lot because but I think that's because it's a major concern our country currently has. I also appreciate that in this appearance she mentions loving her dog and loving animals in general, in some of her other appearances the animal part is glossed over which is something I've read other bloggers complaining about. She's always like "you'll lose weight!" (and that's totally not necessarily true because not everyone who goes vegan loses weight and I eat crap constantly. delicious crap to be specific.)
I'm having trouble being clear here. On one hand I just want to be like, "Rock it out Kathy Freston! You spread that good word!" but on the other hand I'm like "Stop talking about honey woman! Bleh! Can't you just avoid this topic? Stop making such a big deal about it!"
This is what I think. I think that I don't want to eat honey. Would I call someone who eats honey a 'bad' vegan or 'not a vegan'? No. But I would silently judge them. And I am silently judging Kathy Freston. That is my conflict. I want to avoid animals products and I want Kathy Freston to avoid them too.
However she is very pretty and seems like a nice person so I hope that she continues to be on TV and keeps feeding people delicious meat substitutes while talking about how awesome her vegan life is. (just please stop talking about honey! it's bothering me!)
