"The Kings Speech" -- My Movie Review

I saw British Oscar bait flick The King's Speech, starring Colin Firth, today. I like to be an informed viewer on Oscar night (it's like my Superbowl, after all), so I make a point of seeing as many potential nominees as possible. As a result, I end up seeing lot of artsy-fartsy movies I might not otherwise see. Sometimes it's too highbrow for me, goes right over my head. Sometimes it's just plain dull. Other times I fall in love. Mercifully, with King's Speech it was love. It may have been the most entertaining movie I saw this Christmas season (and I've seen like 7 movies in the last two weeks).

I was less than enthusiastic about seeing this movie. I felt obligated though b/c it's a shoe-in for Oscar. I was mildly interested in the subject matter: King George VI, the current Queen Elizabeth's father, struggles to overcome a debilitating stutter. I know you're thinking, "why the hell would anyone be interested in that?!" I have no answer for you, but I was mildly intrigued by the idea of a prominent public figure dealing with a stutter. Mildly. I have zero interest in present-day royals (couldn't care less about all this Prince William & Kate wedding hoopla), but I'm endlessly fascinated by the history of the monarchy. I absolutely love the Elizabeth movies (starring Cate Blanchett, who will forever be Queen Elizabeth I to me) and "The Tudors" tv show (about Elizabeth I's dad, Henry V, as played by the delicious Jonathan Rhys-Myers). I also saw Helen Mirren's Oscar-winning turn as Elizabeth II in The Queen and her Emmy-winning turn as the titular character in the miniseries "Elizabeth I." (Yes, she played both Queen E's, and won awards both times!). So a peek behind the royal curtain, semi-fictionalized though it may be, absolutely appeals to me.

Still, I was lukewarm about Speech and rather grudgingly set out to fulfill my Oscar duty. No one is more surprised than me by just how much I enjoyed it. It was such a touching movie. I felt the king-to-be's pain as he struggled to make simple public statements, the expectant and then pitying eyes of the people on him. The horrible pauses, the dead radio air, the stammers, the stutters. The pressure! I see why Firth is a frontrunner for best actor. I felt so bad for him as he fought to get the words out and as his father & brother mocked him, and so happy for him whenever he had a small oratory victory. Between his patient & supportive wife (played by Helena Bonham Carter) and his determined and unorthodox speech therapist (Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush), the movie became a beautiful story about family & friendship and one man's struggle to overcome a seemingly innocuous deficiency that shamed him & impeded him in his royal duties. Imagine if our president couldn't deliver a speech with conviction. WTF? How could he command anyone's respect? How could he reassure anyone? How could he be taken seriously? This is the dilemma facing George VI in this movie. And everyone involved (actors, writer, director) did a great job of evoking empathy in the audience. We take so many things for granted, but it never even occurred to me that a stutter could be so debilitating. But if you are a political leader, hell yeah, that's a serious issue. How much do I appreciate my literal voice after this movie?

There were also several comic touches to lighten the mood throughout (in practice sessions, the therapist encourages the king to spew expletives during those uncomfortable silences since he can swear with fluidity!). Lots of subtle moments that make you smile. Watching the royal leader forge an honest friendship with a commoner (the therapist) was endearing to watch. When all was said and done, I was surreptitiously wiping away the tears from my cheeks at the end. I did not see that coming! Granted, I'm a wimp when it comes to crying in movies (it really doesn't take much), but surely I'm not the only one who was moved by this movie's sweetness. In fact, the lady a few seats down was blowing her nose. Could've been allergies, but I choose to believe she was affected just like me. :-) (Just let me believe it, damnit.)

I love when a movie surprises you in a good way. If I weren't such an Oscar whore, I never would have seen this delightful film. Some will say it's predictable or contrived, but so what? It's so sweet, and It makes you feel good. What's a little predictability and contrivance when that's the end result?

Pop Culture New Year's Resolutions

EW has a fun article about pop culture New Year's resolutions, much more my speed than regular resolutions! One thing remains the same though: you're probably not gonna keep 'em either way. The link for the article is below (check it out), along with some of my favorite comments from readers (and some side notes from me!). I love my EW family. And for the record, I don't feel comfortable making some resolution to give up anything pop-culture related. Should I dump American Idol? Maybe, but I'm adopting a wait-n-see policy. Are there other shows i could or should dump? Sure, but I'm not gonna. You can't make me. So much good (and yes, bad) tv, so little time. You can kiss my dvr-addicted bum.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/12/30/your-pop-culture-new-years-resolutions/

My fave comments:
*After 20 dramatic seasons together, I’m officially breaking up with The Bachelor/Bachelorette. And I mean it. We’re through. I can do better.

*To stop feeling guilty for watching crap reality. I’m 19 and my favorite film is Citizen Kane, I can indulge in some crapola if I want to.

*Along those lines, I’d love for 2011 to be the year for people to quit judging those who watch Jersey Shore. It’s crap, we know, okay?

*Good one, Tracy. Mine is actually to stop watching all the crap reality shows, but like Annie, I know I will never keep this resolution. Ha!

*My resolution is to stop believing I can find and capture criminals ala Lie to Me, Criminal Minds or NCIS:LA. I am way too much of a wuss. In a similar vein, I also need to stop believing I am capable of diagnosing myself. Thank you Grey’s.

*my DVR needs to be knocked down a few notches on my list of importance in life. maybe more than a few. (Sidenote from Regina: This should probably be my resolution as well, but I'll be damned...)

*#1. Learn the choreography from each one of Lady Gaga’s new music videos in a timely manner.
#2. Branch off from my karaoke golden standard of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and try new power ballads.
#3. Resist the urge to incorporate lessons learned from “Toddlers in Tiaras” into my everyday life. (Sidenote: This was posted by someone named "Doug." The fact that it's a guy makes it that much funnier. He sounds like a superfun gay. I love "Total Eclipse!")

*Stop pretending that I just happened to catch Jersey Shore/Real Housewives/The Bachelor while on my way to classier programming.

*I will stop eating ice cream while watching The Biggest Loser. Instead, I will watch Glee and eat it then.

*My New Years Resolution: I resolve to spend less time hating myself and more time hating others. I get more done that way. (Sidenote: not pop culture related, just damn funny.)

*1. I’d like to sit out the next season of Dancing With The Stars. At the very least I will not watch the results show.
2. I will boycott Bridezillas.
3. I will only watch Biggest Loser DVR-ed and fast forward through the weigh-in and extra boring challenges.
4. As much as I love HGTV and Food Network I will not get sucked into so many shows, i.e. Chopped, Design Star, Cupcake Wars etc…
5. ABSOLUTELY no more Road Rules/Real World Challenges!!! Man I’ve wasted a lot of time on those. (Sidenote: regarding #5, Amen...but I can't & won't give up the Challenge!)

How Bruno Mars Turned Me into a Cougar

This is a love blog. I hesitated posting it because my stone-cold crazy is on full display here. Alas, I decided that you, my friends, have to accept me as I am, fanatical obsessions and all. And I'm far too consumed with Bruno Mars of late to pretend otherwise. I apologize for the length, but mine is a verbose love. :-)

Simply put, Bruno Mars is my new obsession. I am totally in love with him! If you’re not familiar with his music, allow me to introduce you. He currently has the number one song in the country (sophomore hit "Grenade); his solo debut "Just the Way You Are" also still lingers in the Billboard Top Ten. Before stepping in front of the mic, beautiful Bruno (with his team) wrote & produced several hits for other artists. They did "Right Round" for Flo'rida, "Nothin' on You" for B.O.B (Bruno sang the hook on that one), "Billionaire" for Travie Mccoy (again Bruno sang the hook), and "F**k You" (aka "Forget You") for Cee-lo. “Glee,” like me, has Bruno fever too. The wedding episode “Furt” featured the kids performing “Just the Way You Are" (Finn sang it to Kurt at the reception) and "Marry You" (the wedding party sang & danced their way down the aisle). He is also the proud & deserving recipient of seven Grammy nominations, second to only Eminem with ten, I think. Bruno is blowing up like a grenade! (You know I can't resist a pun.)

Let’s trace my love affair with him:

Subconscious exposition: I totally dug the hooks on “Billionaire” & “Nothin’ on You.” Didn’t really care for the rap part, just the hook. What a cute, catchy melody, I thought. What a nice voice. Didn’t care enough to find out who it was or anything though. I mean, those guys are a dime a dozen. Doesn’t mean they can carry a whole song or have a real career. (Think the guy on that Shaggy song, “It Wasn’t Me” and the like).

The impetus: I found myself involuntarily singing along to the pretty little ditty called “Just the Way You Are.” Such beautiful lyrics, such a pure vocal. A song you want a guy to sing to you (assuming he sings like Bruno Mars, of course). So I decided I needed to know who sang this gorgeous song, not that there was a chance in hell of him sounding like that live…

Adding fuel to the fire: Oh, goody. Bruno Mars on SNL. Let’s hear it live—what the heck?! OMFG—best live vocal I’ve heard in forever. Such an ethereal voice. How does he sound that good live? I think I like this better than the recorded version. How can that be? In a music world populated by Katy Perry, Rihanna, Ke$ha, etc, popular singers can't actually sing anymore. Around this time, I also found out Bruno was the man behind those catchy hooks on "Nothin' on You" & "Billionaire." The more I learn, the more impressed I am with his "vocal stylings" (I've always loved that term, and how often do you get to use it?).

Surrender: Heard that “Glee” (aka my favorite show since “Lost” & “24” ended last year) did a couple of Bruno songs. Ooh, let’s see how they did with “Just the Way You Are.” Nice job, Finn. Let’s check out this other song they did…OMG, what a cute song “Marry Me” is! This Bruno Mars may be worth further investigation…

YouTube Onslaught: That’s when I developed a little problem. Went to YouTube to check him out and found several live performances. OMFG—is he getting hotter? First time I saw him, I thought he was kinda funny looking. But the more I watch him sing, the more I start to think he’s sexy as hell. Am I crazy? (According the legion of fanatics on YouTube, I am not. I’m in good company, as long as crazy fanaticism is good company.)

Bruno is beyond amazing live. He's actually better live than recorded. You don't actually realize how ridiculously gifted he is until you hear him live, preferably with minimal musical accompaniment. He's better acoustic than with all those distracting instruments. Bruno, a guitar and maybe a keyboard equals magic! I am smitten, enamored, obsessed. His voice makes me melt, and I could listen to him sing 24/7 (and I pretty much have the last month or so). Can't get enough of him. And he gets hotter & hotter. His cute little lips, his perfect white teeth, his dimples, his Asian eyes (he’s Filorican, or Puertopino— ½ Filipino, ½ Puerto Rican, all hotness).

I'm full on crushing on him! Like a frickin' teenage girl (though I’m old enough to have been his teenage mother. LOL.) Hence the "Cougar" in the blog's title. I listen to the cd in the car in the morning; get in a quick listen on the computer as I head off to lunch; immediately start jamming to the cd in my classroom after the kids leave; watch a few youtube videos before I head home (I can blast them up on the big projection screen that way!); listen to the cd in the car on the way home; then watch a good hour or so of youtube performances every night. I need live Bruno every single day!!! Since we've been on Christmas break, make that a few hours of youtubing a day, and I've branched out beyond performances to interviews (he is funny as hell!) & unreleased demo songs. In addition, I must admit to checking his official website, facebook & twitter pages daily. I even have a picture of him as wallpaper on my new computer. Everyday. I am beyond smitten. Best thing since sliced bread, fo' real! It shouldn't be this exciting to discover a new artist, but he's a rarity: a popular singer who can actually sing live. And sing flawlessly with unbelievable range. Plus he writes and arranges music, and he plays guitar, piano & drums. He is a musical godsend. (You know I love multitalented musician types--cough, cough, Prince. Bruno is even short, like Prince.)

My favorite Bruno song of late is "Marry You." I'm attaching links to a few of my other fave Bruno clips. Maybe you can catch the fever, too. :-D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkuoRGig4Cs ("grenade" acoustic)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FZtN7T5PXM&feature=channel ("lazy song" acoustic)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hAPCPTjO10&feature=watch_response ("just the way you are" acoustic)

I think part of why I like these best is because they are studio-like performances and professionally recorded, so it's quiet--unlike the amateur concert footage, where you hear the people screaming, drowning out my baby's majestic vocals. I still watch those though (that's all that's available for "marry you"). There are several cool intimate radio show performances online, as well. They tend to have very small crowds that don't make a lot of noise either, so you can hear him. And he does some cool and fun covers, usually just snippets ("baby" by justin bieber, "eye of the tiger," and he does michael jackson's "the way you make feel" in the most to-die-for way). He's so dreamy...

So there it is, my secret shame on display for all to see. Don't judge me too harshly. I'm powerless against a voice & a smile like that. It's a killer combo. So I'm just gonna let my cougar flag fly.

In the Arms of the Angel: Sarah McLachlan (Totally Biased) Concert Review

After the travesty that was the cancellation of the Houston Lilith Fair concert date this summer, Sarah McLachlan treated us to a non-Lilith Sarah concert at Verizon Theater in downtown Houston on November 2^nd. Three words: I heart her. I hadn’t seen her live since her last tour, way back in 2004, and I had missed her so.

Sarah is my favorite female musician. (Prince is my fave male and overall #1, duh). I have loved her ever since I “discovered” her at the inaugural Lilith Fair show in Milwaukee back in 1997. I went to see Jewel, who was making a name for herself based on her hit debut cd (“Who Will Save Your Soul,” “You Were Meant for Me,” “Foolish Games”). I loved Jewel and her Alaskan homeless-living-in-a-van schtick, her yodeling, her bad teeth, her strange & lovely vocal stylings. But that’s another love story, isn’t it? This is supposed to be about Sarah. So, I went to Lilith because of Jewel and came away from it absolutely mesmerized by Sarah McLachlan’s voice. (For the record, I still love Jewel. She’s a close second to Sarah.)

I describe Sarah’s voice as “lilting.” For me, it’s all about her voice, and she still sounds amazing. I literally (and yes, I really mean literally—that’s not hyperbole) got chills several times during the show, especially when she sang her awesome oldies & hit the high notes. Sigh. So great! And I got misty at some point. I think it was during "Path of Thorns (In Terms of Endearment," which I absolutely adore, and she sounded just like she did years ago. That shouldn't be so impressive, but in the current musical world of autotune and all-flash-no-vocal-substance it is so damn refreshing to hear someone sing well. For several years. Someone who actually and effortlessly sounds like their recordings. It's a rare and special thing.

I had a shitty day yesterday at school, and some “Sarahpy” (Get it? “Sarah” & “therapy” combined. I just came up with it!) was just what the doctor ordered. I’ve always found her music to be very calming (which means I should have it on a constant loop during the school year.), and last night was no exception. After one song, I felt some of the stress melt away.

Besides her amazing vocals, Sarah played instruments of course. I’m always impressed when I see people in concert who constantly switch instruments (see also Jewel, Prince—especially Prince). I couldn’t help but be impressed as she swapped out various guitars, and occasionally skipped them altogether in favor of the piano they wheeled out.

There was also a cute Q&A session featuring audience questions collected in a hat. Sarah would pull out a question & answer it. She said it was an attempt to engage the audience and make things interactive (if you teach, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it?). It was pretty fun, except that some people interpreted it as an invitation to shout out random things. Highlights: a woman yelling out, “You’re a MILF, Sarah! You’re a MILF!” (and yes it was a woman who said it. LOL.); another woman asking “How do you feel about the term ‘vagina music’?” to which Sarah responded that she’d never heard of it, which is funny because I’m pretty sure she’s largely considered to be the queen of vagina music, Queen Vag (pronounced “vaj”, rhymes with “badge”), if you will.

Visual audience highlight: guy in a suit headbanging and fist pumping to the “rockin’” strains of “Sweet Surrender.” I’ll wait while you try to picture that…It was hilarious. This guy was insane. He was gesticulating so wildly, I was afraid he would accidentally hit someone. And mind you, he was one of only two people even standing (the other was a drunken blond swaying only slightly too enthusiastically to the music), and ya know, it’s a Sarah McLachlan concert! Who does that?! Thankfully, we segued to the encore and possibly the most beautiful song ever, “Angel,” and even suit guy wasn’t so ridiculous as to fist pump to that song. (My concert buddy, meanwhile, was disturbed by the SPCA (pet shelter) commercial association. Tragically, the song now conjures images of three-legged dogs for her.)

Post-concert Weirdness: As we drove through Memorial Park on the way home, we observed a fair amount of joggers. The weird thing was that it was 10:30ish at night on a Tuesday. Where the hell do you work? Don’t you have to get up in the morning? As my concert buddies, both runners, pointed out, don’t you realize it takes time for your body to come down from a run? And don’t even get me started on the lady that was running with her son, who couldn’t have been more than 13 or 14, probably younger. I’m all for kids’ physical fitness, but night jogger boy will be falling asleep in class tomorrow, and that ain’t right. What is wrong with some people?

What a night! Queen Vag is totally blogworthy. Hence this blog. :-)

So th e VMA's kinda sucked, right?

I live for award shows. Love them. AMA's, VMA's, Grammys, Billboard Awards, Golden Globes, SAG Awards, Emmys, and, the grand puba, the Oscars (aka Regina's Superbowl). The VMA's, in particular, have yielded many a memorable performance for me: Madonna doing "Vogue" in full Victorian garb; Prince in his assless pants doing "Gett Off," complete w/ a simulated orgy of semi-clad dancers in gold body paint; Britney doing "Slave 4 U" w/ a live snake; Justin Timberlake making his solo debut with "Love You Like I Love You"; Lady Gaga just last year, doing a freakazoid performance of "Paparazzi," culminating with her bloody "murder"; the infamous Madonna-Britney-Christina menage-a-liplock; Beyonce descending from the ceiling for a "Baby Boy"/"Crazy in Love" medley (is it still a medley if it's only 2 songs?); Pink's acrobatic "Sober" performance last year; a young, up-n-coming Madonna writhing around the stage in a wedding gown (lots of Madonna, I know, but what I can say? The woman rules the world. Just like she told Dick Clark she wanted to someday.); even that hot mess of an anti-comeback (would that make it a go-back, as in "go back wherever you've been hiding b/c we don't need you back?) by Britney a few years ago (It's Britney, bitch); and various other performances by the always reliable JT, Beyonce, Christina, etc...it's endless, I tell you! This show has given us some amazing moments.

But last night was lackluster for me. Granted, I was not fond of most of the musical guests, so I'm a bit biased. I always like it better when people I really like perform. (Go figure.) Still, the consensus online seems to be that the show was a letdown, so it's not just me. The usually very funny Chelsea Handler was unfunny & awkward. Out of her element, I suppose. Why the hell did Gaga not perform?! She was up for 13 awards and the biggest shit going. Why did they squander her presence?!

Some other observations:

• Snooki's coloring is out of control. Surely there is a self-help group or something for that. She looks like she was in the oven too long. Fake tan or real tan, she just looks ridiculous.
• Justin Bieber plays the drums! I did not know that, but I'm impressed. The kid has a cute little voice, nothing exceptional, but I'm impressed that he can play an instrument, too. Good for you, Biebs, for gaining some music cred.
• Taylor Swift sounded better than usual. Waaaay better than she sounded on the Grammys with Stevie Nicks. That was painful.
• Loving that Florence & the Machine song. Only ever heard a snippet of it in the Eat, Pray, Love trailer, but after last night's performance, I am totally feeling it. I smell a download.
• Great to see Cher going all retro with her "If I Could Turn Back Time" outfit. I loved her comment that she used to get kicked off MTV for her skimpy costumes, and it's so tame compared to today. Amen, Cher!
• Jordan Catalano (aka Jared Leto) won an award with his band! I was only half paying attention when they went up, and I thought to myself, "who's that guy who kinda looks like Jared Leto?" WTF? His band must be the real deal, huh? Someone on the ew.com blog commented that it was a great time for My So-Called Life alums, with Claire Danes (aka Angela Chase) winning an Emmy two weeks ago and now this. I just appreciated the MSCL shoutout. Love all things MSCL (in case you couldn't tell by the very name of my blog). :-)
• I don't wanna say Usher can't dance anymore. But me no like the choreography last night. I just want "Yeah" back. Or "Caught Up." Or even "You Make Me Wanna." The new stuff just doesn't do it for. Neither do the new moves.
• I'm pumped for the new Facebook movie, but seeing JT there presenting/promoting just made me miss my JT the singer & dancer. Come back to music, JT! We miss you, you sexy mf.

I'll still come back next year. And with any luck, so will JT, Beyonce, Gaga, et al. The VMA's are hit-or-miss. This year was a miss. Praying for a hit next time.

Watch "Community" Marathon this Thursday!!!

Summer tv doldrums got ya down? Do you find yourself sitting around complaining that there's nothing on? (Obviously, I don't have this problem. Cuz I have a willingness to try out just about every summer show, and I have Netflix to fill the downtime. LOL.) But if you are looking to "try on" a new show, may I suggest the very funny "Community" from NBC's Thursday lineup. This Thursday, they're doing a 3-hour marathon--6 eps back to back. The show is about a hapless group of losers at a community college that form a study group. Their group serves as the core "family" of the show. It stars Joel McHale, host of "The Soup," and it is high-larious! The show is ripe with acerbic wit & the pop culture references fly fast & furious. There's some warm & fuzzy to it, but it's more "edgy." It was one of my favorite new shows last seasons (after "Glee" and "Modern Family.")

As luck would have it, they are showing my two fave eps during the marathon. They are called "Modern Warfare" & "Physical Education," and they are on back-to-back during the 8-9 hour. I have both of them on my dvr, and I'm not erasing them if I can help it. They are that good, IMHO. In particular, "Modern Warfare" is the most brilliant homage to great action movies of the past. It's so fun trying to figure out which movies they are spoofing (and they spoofed tons of them!) with their balls-to-the-walls campus-wide paintball competition. It is an instant classic! Now if you haven't seen many action movies, you may not fully appreciate the genius of this episode. Then watch it with your fella; he can point out the funny.

But fret not actionphobic ladies, for there is still something for you: sexy muffin man. Is it a coincidence that both of these eps feature stealth-hottie Joel McHale in his tres chic striped boxer briefs? Maybe. But really it's just a bonus, cuz he is crazy buff, head to toe. Let's just call the semi-nudity a bonus. (FYI, there's more flesh on parade in "Physical Education" than in "Modern Warfare.")

"Community" is already renewed for season 2 this fall, but it's hardly a smash hit. We need viewers, people, to keep this quality show going! Give it a shot. You've got nothing to lose but a couple of hours (hey, that's all there is when you cut out the commercials, right?). Get in now before the masses. You'll be street ahead, just like this show. (If you're lucky, they'll explain that expression during the marathon. :-)

Kick-Ass, the Movie (no spoilers)

Saw Kick-Ass today. I definitely liked it. I was somewhat conflicted while watching it, but I'm still thinking about it, so I know there 's something there for me. Surprisingly graphic in parts, and I'm okay with that. So not what I was expecting. I thought it looked like a fun, lighthearted comic book/superhero movie. Awkward teen creates superhero identify, as he searches for a way to fit in at school, to get the girl and to dewussify.

The trailer belies the dark underbelly of this movie because the character with the biggest body count is...the little girl! I'm surprised some kind of parent group hasn't been bitching to the high heavens about a movie where a tween girl is a cold-hearted killer, many times over. I'm glad though. I've seen movies where kids kill, and it's always impactful when you see a kid character smoke someone. Makes ya say, "Damn." But this girl killed multiple people, and sometimes it was up close and personal (blades instead of pistols). I liked that she was a badass, but it was a little jarring that this little girl, who didn't quite look like puberty had fully set in, was icing people like a ninja or Jack Bauer. I have to hand it to them, it's something I had not seen before. Points for originality.

And Chloe Moretz (?), the young actress in question, rocked the role. She worked the precocious kid thing in 500 Days of Summer (one of my fave films last year), and she took it the next (homicidal) level in Kick-Ass. I'm calling it--this girl is one to watch. She's got talent and moxy. She says and does things you don't ever want to hear or see from real prepubescent girls, and she does it with aplomb.

On a more general note, there were some really good action sequences in the movie, especially the big fight scene. I was a little flustered after that one. Wanted to give a big fist pump & yell "Hell, yeah!" (I refrained, so as not to freak out the rest of the theater audience. That is, the one other guy who was there.) And I loved that one character, when faced with the prospect of impending death, wondered about what he'd be missing out on: his family, his girlfriend, his future kids...and how Lost ends. LMAO. It woud be a pisser to hang in there for 6 years and not be around for the big finale, true that! There were some very funny moments (some were in the trailer) mixed in with the kaboom and the carnage.

So what grade would I give Kick-Ass (good grief, more grading?)? I'd say B+/A-. I'm torn. (Ths happens when I grade papers too. Damn my indecision.) But I would definitely watch it again, and that's high praise from me. It kinda lived up to its title.

No Lost Tonight!!!

Screeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaammmmmm! Guess I better get used to it. :-(

Diddy

When "Diddy" start looking like this? I never thought much of Diddy physically (nice suits, cool vibe sure, but that's it). But based on this pic, and based on those abs and those hard-earned Ken doll hipbones, you have my full attention, Diddy. Maybe that song on Idol a few weeks back would've sounded better shirtless. I'm just sayin'.

Sean P. Diddy Combs Songs of Summer: 16 Albums We Can't Wait To Hear Photo 10 of 17 EW.com

Lost -- The Last Recruit -- April 20

My favorite lines from an event-filled episode:

“That pilot who looks like he stepped off the set of a Burt Reynolds movie.” – Sawyer, referring to Lapidus. Nobody does descriptions like Sawyer.

“You can bring people back from the dark side. Like Anakin.” - Hurley
“Who the hell is Anakin?” – Sawyer, as he & Hurley discuss how Fake Locke has tainted Claire. I love how much Hurley loves him some Star Wars. Remember when they first went back in time, and he was trying to write out Empire Srikes Back so he could pass it off as his own? He spelled fury “furry.” Good stuff.

Oh, and how sweet was it when Sun & Jin were finally reunited?! I kinda forgot they hadn't seen each other, so it took me off-guard. They are so sweet. And Sun found her English voice as soon as she saw him. It was beautiful. I totally cried, like immediately. It's so cool that a show so steeped in mythology and sci-fi and utter insanity is so unabashedly romantic. The show is teaming with supercouples: Jack & Kate, Sawyer & Kate, Sawyer & Juliet, Jin & Sun and my personal fave, Desmond & Penny. Sigh. Every time they have a scene together, I swoon, brotha. (I adore the way he says that all the time!). Words cannot express how much I love, worship, adore this show. It's giving my all-time fave, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a run for its money. I may have to reevaluate the standings.

Turnoff Week?

According to my favorite blog (and primary infotainment source), EW’s popwatch, this week is “Turnoff Week.” Apparently you’re supposed to not watch tv from now until Sunday. (Don’t ask me why “Turnoff Week” starts on a Tuesday, assuming the writer meant today as “now.” Weird.) A day without TV. That’s like a day without air. A day without sunshine. A day without purpose. The writer was so vehemently opposed to this ridiculous notion that he proposed we pick up 3 new shows we currently don’t watch instead. So rather than turning off the tv, turn it up with even more shows!

Needless to say, this notion got me all fired up. Until…he recommended Nurse Jackie (already watch it), Justified (already watch it) and The Middle (watched a few, still trying it on). The fact that I already watch his recommendations tempered my excitement. So I decided to read the message boards. Let’s see what other tv-lovers are recommending. Don’t you know there wasn’t a single show listed that I don’t already watch or have cooling on my dvr?! I don’t know whether to be proud or profoundly disturbed. Every once in awhile I’m reminded just how much tv I watch. It’s an inordinate amount. If I’m addicted to anything, it’s tv (oh, and sweets, especially anything covered in buttercream icing—yum!).

So I went in search of proof that I'm not crazy for testing the capacity of my dvr. I always enjoy coming across a message board post that totally echoes my sentiments. It makes me feel validated in my opinions, ya know? So here’s today’s winner for “soulmate posting.” I don’t know if Big D is a man or woman, but I think I love him/her!

Big D
Tue 04/20/10 4:34 PM
Turn Off Week is an absolutely insane concept to me. My DVR is routinely 90%+ full, plus I have shows I follow On Demand and on-line and some taht I have fallen so far behind on that I switched them over to being Netflix projects. Turn off the TV for a week? Madness!

Big D, you complete me. Sigh.

So Long, Ugly Betty

I just deleted an episode of Ugly Betty from my dvr...for the last time. :-( The first of my tv goodbyes, this season. And it hurt more than I expected. I know a lot of people lost interest in Ugly Betty after the first year, and it's certainly had its ups & downs since that great freshman season. Overall though, I always found the show to be touchingly sweet with some stellar moments of funny. Wilhelmina, Mark & Amanda had some great lines, even during the so-so episodes. We're talking hi-larious funny. Little Justin's "coming out" moment a couple weeks ago was precious

I will miss this show. I actually cried quite a bit during the finale, what with all the goodbyes and sweet moments. I'm glad the writers had enough time to tidily tie up everyone's storylines. Happy endings all around! If only shows didn't have to die. (Just wait until Lost and 24 bid adieu. I am going to be apoplectic and inconsolable!)

Thanks for 4 fun years, Betty. This post from EW Popwatch (Entertainment Weekly is my bible) poignantly captures the why Betty was far from ugly. Even the post made me teary. http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/04/14/ugly-betty-why-it-mattered/

I'm Smart. Really I Am.

A friend of mine was talking about her online dating experience, specifically her criteria for selection. She likes smart guys, so she pays special attention to the “books read” section. If he doesn’t have anything listed--red flag! At this point I had to interject: “Wait a minute. I don’t read a damn thing, and you’re friends with me. See, it can work!” My point being that you can’t write someone off just because they don’t read. I’m an intelligent person. Learned. Erudite. (I have to be smart to know all those synonyms, right?)

What’s my favorite book? I don’t know. If you’d asked me like 25 years ago, I might have had an answer. I was a reader back then. But now? My favorite reads are Entertainment Weekly (in print and online) and TV Guide. (Yes, I still subscribe but not for the grid—for the articles. And yes, they have terrific articles and all kinds of casting news, upcoming storylines and guest stars, etc. In short, they have all the kinds of info someone like me wants and needs.)

I purchase and start books that I never finish (Angels & Demons, the 6th Harry Potter book,
Jane Austen Book Club). They make everything into movies now anyway. Much smaller time investment, and you never have to experience the letdown of the movie not living up to the book. But I respect readers, and I fully encourage it in my students. Hypocritical, sure, but when I was their age--and didn't have all these adult responsibilities eating into my free time--I read voraciously. That's gotta count for something. As long as you were a reader at some point you get residual smarts, right?

So next time you’re judging someone based on their bedside reader, remember me. Sure I know bubkus about politics and world events (I readily admit to being an idiot on such matters), but I maintain that my lack of conventional reading material does not indicate a dearth of intellect. Just a dearth of time. And patience. And a plethora of tv channels with quality (and more than a few channels with irresistibly mindless) programming.

I know it's a sad irony that the English teacher doesn't read. But hey, I yam what I yam. (Popeye) and What I am is What I Am (Edie Brickell).

Gaga Be Damned

Really. Damn her! Her 2nd show in Houston sold out in mere seconds. I was in there immediately requesting tickets, and I was immediately rejected. Denied! Fail! (The kids say this all the time now. I’m ashamed to admit it’s rubbed off on me. I like “epic fail” even better, but perhaps that’s too sophisticated for my middle schoolers.) So no Gaga for me. I better not have this problem with Lilith Fair tickets.

"Twin Peaks": The Mother of "Lost"?

'Twin Peaks' 20 Years Later: How the Show Changed Television - Inside TV

Yet another opportunity to feel really old. Twenty years ago--that being during my freshman year of college!--the original tv freak show, Twin Peaks debuted. Can you believe it was 20 years ago?! When I saw this article (see link above), I had to read it because I worshipped at the altar of TP (shorthand for Peaks; I'm not referring to toilet paper). I remember my floormates mocking my unreasonable attachment to that weird show. It was so out there, so unlike any other show and so...entrancing.

I've always watched a lot of tv, and I was adamant about never missing an episode of every show I watched. I had "appointment tv" long before the term ever existed. But TP was different than my other shows. You really had to watch it every week. You wanted to anyway because it was appealing, but you also felt compelled to watch. Miss an episode, miss a lot. Funny enough, that's the kind of show I still live for. I guess TP spoiled me for "episode in a box" procedurals. I appreciate labyrinthine, intricate stories with tons of characters and a long-term, overarching theme. You know, the kind of shows most people hate b/c they don't want that kind of commitment or time investment. Conversely, I thrive on it. I welcome it. I seek it out. And I repeatedly mourn its loss, after complicated serial after complicated serial falls prey to the ax. Clearly the mystery folks with the Nielsen boxes loooove procedurals and hate serialized shows. The Nielsen people are all idiots that must die! But I digress...

I don't remember why was drawn to TP in the first place, but I remember how immediately I became obsessed. With the Log Lady and the dancing dwarf and the cherry pie at the diner and Agent Cooper and, of course, who the hell killed Laura Palmer. The "Who Killed Laura Palmer" question was probably the biggest thing since "Who Shot JR?" back in the early 80s.

How deep was the obsession? So deep that my friends bought me The Diary of Laura Palmer and the Agent Cooper tapes (both mentioned in the article linked above). Seriously, I gotta wonder how many shows before TP had "merchandise" such as that. What a goofy concept for the early 90's. Of course it's virtually de rigueur for shows nowadays. I also bought the TP soundtrack. I still listen to it occasionally. It's mostly instrumental, but there is one eerily, hauntingly beautiful song with words. I loved that soundtrack from day 1, and I still think it's awesome.

This my favorite excerpt from the article: What the creators of 'Twin Peaks' proved, which persists to this day, was that television no longer had to be cinema's slower and simpler cousin. It took more than an hour to sort this show out; if you missed one episode, subsequent episodes could be virtually indecipherable (though sometimes they were even if you saw them all). Consequently, viewers reveled in the mystery, ending each episode more frustrated and perplexed than they began but always returning the next week. Sound familiar, 'Lost' fans?

Can I get an AMEN?! I am a Lost disciple, just as I was a TP fanatic. If TP begat Lost, then God bless David Lynch for getting his crazy on, and for sharing it with us. And God bless JJ Abrams for picking up that gauntlet and running with it. I was pissed when Twin Peaks went off, and I'm distraught about Lost (only what, 5 more eps?!). Sidenote: the only reason I'm not pissed about Lost is because the show is going out on its own terms, not being forced off the air like TP.

I recorded a marathon of season one of TP (all glorious 8 eps) over Christmas break, but I didn't get around to reliving the magic before I was forced to delete them (I'm in a constant battle with dvr--it ain't easy keeping up with my tv schedule. More on that later...). As I mourn the passing of Lost this summer, I will reminisce with its mother show this summer. Back to where it all began. I can't wait for summer (for a lot of reasons, but this is the newest one!)

Gaga for Gaga

My first post. I'm just gonna jump in here. I had an annoying experience today that I feel like sharing. Lady Gaga is coming to Houston this summer. I’m not the hugest fan, but I like her stuff (my fave is probably "Bad Romance") and I am endlessly fascinated by her freakishness, her melodrama, her "pop art." Like she says in that song, "I'm a freak bitch, baby." Yeah she is! So I got together a little posse of friends, put on my best poker face and prepared to just dance at her sure-to-be-a-spectacle-like-no-other show. It'd be fun b/c she's crazy, and because I'd be hanging with my girls.

I made sure my students were working independently so that I could buy tix online as soon as they went on sale. You see, I don't play when it comes to concert ticket purchases. I believe in purchasing as soon as they go on sale, so as to avoid a sellout situation. Plus I usually want the cheap seats (unless it's Prince, I don't need to be all up close and personal; nosebleeds + binoculars = affordably priced satisfaction), and sometimes those go quickly. So I'm on my game. I also don't tend to let others buy the tickets. I'm a control freak like that.

Anyhoo, I get online all set to get my Gaga on, and lo & behold, I can't even get on Toyota Center's website for almost fifteen minutes! I knew that was not a good sign. When I finally get through, I request my 5 tickets, and I have to type in that ridiculous “security word.” (Sidenote: the security word isn’t even a word, it’s a bunch of nonsense letters and they’re all askew and crazy looking, and half the time I get a letter wrong, then have to start all over, which is endless fun…) No tickets. What the **bleep**? I wasted another fifteen minutes still trying (it didn’t say the show was sold out). Mind you, it took me about 10 minutes to get back onto the freakin’ website. Same thing. I even called the charge-by-phone line, something I haven’t done in over a decade. It made me a little nostalgic for a simpler time. I remember when I felt all progressive for ordering on the phone, as opposed to getting up at dawn and gong to stand in line and wait for tickets in person. Ah, memories…

Finally they officially posted “sold out.” I had lost. I was crestfallen. The whole experience left me speechless. What kills me is that Gaga was slated to be the opening act for Kanye last fall (before Kanye “soy bombed” Taylor Swift at the MTV Awards, forcing Gaga to distance herself—she be a freak, not a fool). Opening act, people. Now that bitch is selling out arenas all by her lonesome, in record time no less. Wow—what a difference 6 or 7 months makes. It’s good to be Gaga.

It also strikes me that I had no problem getting tix to Madonna’s show in Houston back in 2008 (which I perceived as a personal affront to Madonna’s iconic status). This baffled me, seeing as my recent Madonna shows (NJ 2001, Chicago 2004, CT 2006) all sold out very quickly. Granted, Madge was playing at the baseball stadium here, which is much larger than Toyota Ctr, but still. It’s insulting and it made me wonder what the hell is wrong with these Texans and their pop sensibilities? But they embrace the Gaga, who, let’s face it, is just the reincarnation of, yep you guessed it: Madonna!

But back to today’s drama. I was hoping they’d announce “second show added,” and after another hour or so they did! But in the interim, I was really bummed cuz I thought my Gaga girls’ night wasn’t going to happen. Tix for the second show go on sale next week, so I’ll prepare to do battle again. The disco stick dream lives! I’m praying she can’t sell out two shows. At least not before I get my tickets!

Ra ra ah ah ah
roma roma ma
ga ga ooh la la
want your bad romance