The Brain Drain

El Hombre De Los Moleculos!

2006-04-20T09:22:00.000-04:00

Yes my friends, I’m jubilant.

So, I had a couple really good weeks, and then I had a really, really bad day. I guess if you’re getting rejected, it’s best to get the call from HR about how you’re not quite what the company is looking for as you’re mother is being admitted to the cardiac care unit for possible heart failure the same day you have to tell your client that the company is dropping their account because they are too difficult. Yes, it was a bad day. Actually, it was about five bad days in a row. So, mental breakdown aside, I’m fine now. Yes my mother is doing okay and no I don’t want to talk about it. Why? Because I’m just tired of repeating myself to anyone and everyone who asks out of compassion and concern.

Now that all of that is out of the way, and I’ve my portfolio, demo reel, writing samples, and website all operational. I figured that I should take the time to give this blog a proper funeral.

We’ve had a great almost two years. We’ve tackled mean girls, re-elections, intelligent design, and Arrested Developments. I referenced Buffy way too much. We fell for a Veronica, got Lost, and traveled into the eternal sunshine of a spotless mind. Yes, yes, it’s been a good thing baby. But like all orgasms, this too can’t last forever. (Okay, if you hated my blog, this too shall pass.)

So, here’s one last highly personal blog – you know for conclusions sake…
(p.s. If you read my myspace, they’re not much of a point of reading on)

York, Pennsylvania is hell on earth. I could easily write a dissertation on the social, political, and economic reasons why this specific point on the map literally has driven me mad throughout my life. From the moment my family arrived here, when I was only three, I wanted out.

So, it’s not surprising that I was drawn to men I met from Huntington Beach or Fort Lauderdale or even the not so exotic Allentown as I stumbled through high school and that post high school limbo. I always wondered why people would ever choose to move here, the one place I’ve tried so hard to escape. I found the same answer over and over again. Fate fucked them. Most I knew came here with family or girlfriends so that they could be near other family, etc. Oh and there was a former heroin addict who came here of all places for rehab. How ironic? That’s another story for another blog.

I remember the absolute panic I was struck with when I had to leave New York five years ago. I remember crying constantly at the thought of coming back here. It was one of the five worst days of my life - the day I left. And here I’ve been ever since. I admit that it was worth it. I met and married my husband. I’ve made new friends and grown closer to old acquaintances. Where would I be without your love, Bob, Darren, and James… I don’t want to think about it.

But through this time I’ve been bitter as my friends travel the world, lived off their reletives while "finding themselves," or gone to ivy league grad schools as I was stuck here in hell. Then came the great exodus. Darci may only be 40 miles away in Baltimore, but her social calendar is always full and I only get to see her on holidays. Bob is in San Antonio, Kim and Justin in Atlanta, and Adam in Manhattan. Then there are my dear friends from college spread from Thailand to London to the mid-west to, of course, Los Angeles.

So while I have no idea what the hell I’m actually doing, I’ve decided to pack up and leave this Bush loving, segregated, redneck, culturally bankrupt, angry and hostile fundamentalist shit bag of a town behind. Hopefully forever – except mandatory Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners with the in-laws.

It’s officially official. I quit my job. My last day of work is May 31st. I’ll immediately be packing up and moving to Columbus, Ohio to crash in my dad’s basement until I find a job. I’m also putting the final touches on my application to Ohio State to get my MBA. While I don’t know how I’ll eat or feed the cats, or where I’ll store my obscene amount of shoes, or how to keep Ben’s Peanut M & M habit going, or even on what I’ll sleep, I'm comforted by the fact that at least I won’t be in York. I do have a job interview on May 1st... To work for of all institutions, the government. That's right, let the propaganda flow.

My friends are all I’ll truly miss about this place, but I’ve been saying goodbye for so long, it almost doesn’t hurt anymore. Anyway, isn’t that what the internet if for? (No wait, it's steal music and look at porn.) It doesn’t matter, as they’ll be gone too one day soon as anyone with compassion, conscience, and a 3-digit IQ blooms elsewhere or withers here.

Oh one more thing…
HELLS YEAH!!! I’m finally getting the fuck outta here!

So there you go my readers, who ever is left.
Put a stake in her… she’s dead.

(p.s.) you can still fulfill any stalker like need for information about my on myspace. That’s right, be my friend.

Soulpatch is back in the saddle. Kippy-Ki-Ay!

2006-01-12T15:26:00.000-05:00

Soulpatch is back in the saddle. Kippy-Ki-Ay!, originally uploaded by mitchcrumrine.

Tick Tock... enjoy your first look at Day Five

From Yahoo!:

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The fifth-season premiere of "24," a four-hour, two-night affair, is a heart-pounding, mesmerizing adventure unlike anything else up or down the dial.

What's it about? Don't ask. Seriously. Fox, probably in defiance of the Geneva Convention, sent the first four hours of "24" to critics along with a note requesting they not reveal what happens, even in the first 10 minutes of the first hour. Particularly in the first 10 minutes. All that can be said is that CTU agent Jack Bauer (Keifer Sutherland), presumed by all but a few to be dead, is called into action once more as a result of terrible and unexpected events.

Sutherland has never been better. He is joined in the fifth season by
Jean Smart, Sean Astin, Julian Sands and many returning cast members. Suffice it to say that this brilliant creation of Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran will only enhance its reputation as the most reliable and involving thriller in TV history. (Reuters/Hollywood Reporter)

It's a warm and fuzzy year in film

2006-01-12T11:59:00.000-05:00

Originally uploaded by mitchcrumrine.

Until I attended a screening of Brokeback Mountain, Good Night and Good Luck was without compare, my pick for the best film of the year, as it is a very important film that every “American” should watch. In that review, I mentioned that I could not declare “Luck” the most important film yet [imo] as I was waiting for Munich and Syriana. And so, Wednesday night, I came one step closer as I ventured to Munich.

Munich 5/10

Put aside the profound depressive state Brokeback Mountain emotionally spiraled me into about six weeks ago, and let’s deal with a feeling that brings out the warm and fuzzies in us all, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Okay, please tell you me didn’t think I was serious. I’m going to talk about Munich in a way most don’t attempt to, by separating the film from the topic of the film. I in no way wish to touch on the Israeli Palestinian conflict. How can I do that? By talking about filmmaking. Also, while I’ve shared it before I’ll share it again. My family is composed of Jews, Arabs, Asians, Latin Americans, and tons of PA Dutch (Deutch) folk. We also picked up a Catholic somewhere along the way. Personally, I have very strong feelings on the entire debachal and on going atrocities of the Middle East. I am very one-sided and anyone who has ever brought up the topic with me knows how fiercely angry and passionate I get. So without inflaming and violating the sanctity of the blog, I choose to keep my “pro” feelings to myself.

The Film…

Spielberg and Kazminski’s latest collaboration perfected fluid camera work, a subtle a trademark of the two. Through cranes and dollies the camera’s motion created an antithetical complement to the comments of uncomfortable stillness. The chemistry and physics applied to the light itself is absolutely brilliant. While it’s been sadly five years since my hands touched any raw film stock, I’m posing a guess that the negative skipped the bleaching process. The white light of the film was so fiery hot that it made that iconic scene in Out of Sight seem tame. Although Munich benefits from awe-inspiring photography, the visuals were crafted with such finesse that there was never a stylistic distraction from the narrative.

The wonderful ensemble cast was fantastic including the new (and improved?) James Bond, Daniel Craig. Eric Bana once again brings to life an honorable, yet tragically flawed hero, similar to those in The Hulk and Troy. Bana is so masterful with this type of character, that his repeat performance doesn’t lose anything or belittle the film.

Unfortunately, that’s all Munich has going for it. First, I have a problem with the title as it would have been better off to retain, Vengence, the title of the book it was based upon. The film deals very little with the incident at Munich and uses it only as a precipitating incident. The screenplay suffered from a horrible structure and becomes a dragging jumble of ideologies, plots, and conspiracies. Many scenes seemed to have not purpose other than to manipulate emotions that by this point of the film have already shut down. After the first 45 minutes, dialogue floats away and the film becomes mundane and confusing, no to mention impossible to cohesively resolve towards the end. All of this is quite shocking seeing that the literary genius Tony Kushner (Angels in America playwright) and Forrest Gump and Insider scribe, Eli Roth, were behind the screenplay.

Munich is the not film it could have been nor is it the film it should have been. If it weren’t so blasé it would be insulting.

Sidenote: I was unable to see Syriana during the couple weeks it was available here. I have The Constant Gardener at home and Narnia and Geisha in the works. Capote isn’t available until March on DVD, but Pride and Prejudice and The Squid and the Whale are available next month. So, The Brain Drain Popcorn Honors will be announced on Wednesday, March 1st.

Hajimemashite

2006-01-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

Konichi Wa

So I haven’t blogged in a while and figured I should. Work has been fantastically busy since I returned from my holiday hiatus. This is actually a very good thing.

While in Ohio, the little sis and I tolerated the rest of the family during our traditional Christmas movie adventure. This year we endured King Kong, which just edged out Memoirs of a Geisha. I thought the film was great, but WAY too long. Some studio executive needs to learn to say “no” to Peter Jackson. Not every film he touches will be Lord of the Rings. A complex series of novels understandably will benefit from extra scream time. A 3 hour adaptation of an old black and white “moving picture” just becomes masturbatory. So my sister, for whom I adopted an orangutan at the Columbus Zoo just a few months ago, wept hysterically thoughout the drawn out inevitable conclusion. As I told people back in 1997-1998 while working in a box office, “Yes, it’s really that long and guess what? The boat sinks.”

So, since my return to the day-to-day, I’ve been bogged down with de-christmasafying my home and spending most of my time playing the new video games I received. I’ve been addicted to The Movies, which has its problems, but it’s loads of fun… Especially when I can use basic 3D modeling applications to “sculpt” my own stars. If you’re nice to me, maybe I’ll make one of you. I also received civ, but seeing that I have become unhealthily addicted to II and III, I’m a bit hesitant to open this package until after I’ve taken the GMAT.

Oh, the GMAT. So besides the SAT, and the SAT II, and the LSAT, time has now come to take the GMAT. My friend Darci asked why I needed to take a standardized test of some sort every few years? Is it to satisfy my own ego, or do I just have a sick and delusional concept of fun? Trust me, Darci, I find many more things fun (for $250) than a four hour test that leaves me with a mushy brain and an inferiority complex. This all of course relates to my move to the Mid West in the upcoming months as I try to get into grad school. That’s right… future investment banker here.

So, besides studying math and grammar every night, I’ve also started studying Japanese. The ironic thing is that I spent five years in speech therapy to lose the Japanese accent I picked up from my grandmother as a child. So now, 15+ years later, I’m trying to get it back. And learn the language while I’m at it.

I took a break from the games, housework, and studying this weekend and saw both Madagascar and March of the Penguins. Madagascar was funny, but only about as much as your average episode of The Family Guy, and utilizing references way over a child’s consciousness, ahem Tom Wolfe. It also had no point. Call me sentimental, but there was no greater good from the film other than the slightly inferred “message” of promoting vegetarianism. How would Nemo feel?

March of the Penguins on the other hand was very good. The cinematography was breathtaking as the film showed command for certain crafts often neglected in documentaries. All in all, it was more like a really good special on the National Geographic or The Science Channel than a feature release. Considering that this past weekend one of my friends learned that she is pregnant and another learned that his fiancée is cheating on him, the film came at a poignant time as we all watched the penguin families bond.

The Globes are a week away so thoughts will be abounding. I have yet to see Geisha, Munich, or Narnia which are all on my short list. I’m going to try to squeeze one in one Wednesday. The gay cowboys ride into town on Friday!

Until then…

Angie desu. Sayonara

p.s. Darren, what did you think of Pretty Persuasion?

A slap in the face with a prehensile tail

2005-12-22T09:05:00.000-05:00

I haven't commented on this in awhile and tried to stay away from politics as of late. I grew up in a trailer park a mile down the road from Dover Area High School, so as people across the nation chime in with there opinions on the matter and us people and students from Dover, I feel as if I should say something.

First, I never remember mention or a lesson of evolution from high school biology. I remember fruit flies and DNA. The only discussions I remember having on the matter at all was in my AP American History class (taught by a brilliant and respectable man who is now retired and living in Wyoming) in regards to the impact of The Origin of Species and "The Scopes Monkey Trial." I knew about evolution from a much younger age. I learned of it from trips to science museums, with displays of fossil study, of early hominoids, of ape to man charts. Yet now, when I, and every other student from Dover, apply to college, grad school, jobs where transcripts are required, Dover's reputation will precede us. Are we backwards? Are we uneducated? Are we zealous? Or conversely, are we a people now forsaken?

We may be small, and rural, but we are not people whose views were respected or represented by the former Dover Area School Board. As a graduate of Dover Area High School, I have never been very proud of my school and community, that is not until this November. In an overwhelming landslide, the community ousted the fanatics that seized control of our school board and ousted those who pushed us into nationwide humiliation. The liars and drug addicts whose sanctimonious claims and agendas permeated the national media are not welcome here. We are not a community of "Schmevolution" even though we did make The Daily Show a few times.

As the public has spoke, now so has the court. This week, the legal matter was settled, justly and hopefully finally.

Before I share with you the decision, I would just like to say that fanaticism is a mental defect, an illness, a disease, and a plague. It is obsession beyond all logic and reason that inhibits humanity. Fanatic Muslims and fanatic Catholics have beget bloodshed time and time again through history. Fanatic Protestants scorched the earth of New England with blood of innocent women. Sports fanatics incite riots. Celebrity fanatics instill fear and, in extreme instances, death in the quest to satisfy obsession.

Opinion isn't fact. Denial isn't coping. Belief isn't reason. As Thomas Jefferson once said, "Error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it."

Excerpt of the Decision as printed in The York Dispatch. For the entire decision, click here.

"It is notable that not one defense expert was able to explain how the supernatural action suggested by ID could be anything other than an inherently religious proposition."

"After a careful review of the record and for the reasons that follow, we find that an objective student would view the disclaimer (Dover's ID statement) as a strong official endorsement of religion."

"Whether a student accepts the Board's invitation to explore Pandas, and reads a creationist text, or follows the Board's other suggestion and discusses 'Origins of Life' with family members, that objective student can reasonably infer that the District's favored view is a religious one, and that the District is accordingly sponsoring a form of religion."

"In summary, the disclaimer (Dover's ID statement) singles out the theory of evolution for special treatment, misrepresents its status in the scientific community, causes students to doubt its validity without scientific justification, presents students with a religious alternative masquerading as a scientific theory, directs them to consult a creationist text as though it were a science resource, and instructs students to forego scientific inquiry in the public school classroom and instead to seek out religious instruction elsewhere."

"We find it incumbent upon the Court to further address an additional issue raised by Plaintiffs, which is whether ID is science. While answering this question compels us to revisit evidence that is entirely complex, if not obtuse, after a six week trial that spanned twenty-one days and included countless hours of detailed expert witness presentations, the Court is confident that no other tribunal in the United States is in a better position than are we to traipse into this controversial area. Finally, we will offer our conclusion on whether ID is science not just because it is essential to our holding that an Establishment Clause violation has occurred in this case, but also in the hope that it may prevent the obvious waste of judicial and other resources which would be occasioned by a subsequent trial involving the precise question which is before us."

"ID, as noted, is grounded in theology, not science. Accepting for the sake of argument its proponents', as well as Defendants' argument that to introduce ID to students will encourage critical thinking, it still has utterly no place in a science curriculum."

"It is notable, and in fact incredible that (former school board member Alan) Bonsell disclaimed any interest in creationism during his testimony, despite the admission by his counsel in Defendants' opening statement that Bonsell had such an interest. Simply put, Bonsell repeatedly failed to testify in a truthful manner about this and other subjects."

"Finally, although (former school board member William) Buckingham, Bonsell, and other defense witnesses denied the reports in the news media and contradicted the great weight of the evidence about what transpired at the June 2004 Board meetings, the record reflects that these witnesses either testified inconsistently, or lied outright under oath on several occasions, and are accordingly not credible on these points."

"Although Defendants attempt to persuade this Court that each Board member who voted for the biology curriculum change did so for the secular purposed of improving science education and to exercise critical thinking skills, their contentions are simply irreconcilable with the record evidence. Their asserted purposes are a sham ..."

"The Board consulted no scientific materials. The Board contacted no scientists or scientific organizations. The Board failed to consider the views of the District's science teachers. The Board relied solely on legal advice from two organizations with demonstrably religious, cultural, and legal missions, the Discovery Institute and the TMLC (Thomas More Law Center). Moreover, Defendants' asserted secular purpose of improving science education is belied by the fact that most if not all of the Board members who voted in favor of the biology curriculum change conceded that they still do not know, nor have they ever known, precisely what ID is. To assert a secular purpose against this backdrop is ludicrous."

Who’s Desperate Now?

2005-12-13T12:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, it’s almost Christmas, but that doesn’t matter because the gift of award season has recently been thrust upon us. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association took the time to bless us with the Oscar pre-party that is The Golden Globe awards. This morning nominations were announced. I know you’d think I’d be sharing the fantastic news that Brokeback Mountain lead the herd with 7 nominations, but for the goodie goods on that, visit The Red Room Movie Palace. Today, it’s all about my box… the big one… on the entertainment stand… in my living room. What you were thinking?

Okay, so I’ve been meaning up to catch up on TV as that is what I do best here on The Brain Drain. I must have caught a case of slackeritis from Mr. Gilbert over at The Big Ticket. (j/k I got nothing but love for you jlg :0)

Anyway, as I’ve been telling you or at least meaning to, Eva Longoria has been the shining star of Wisteria Lane so far this season and by golly other people are noticing as well. Miss Longoria, and her naughty cohorts, all landed Globe noms. Yay! Don’t look for a repeat from Hatcher, though. One by one, I’m slowly turning the world against Susan Meyer. While Felicity Huffman took home the Emmy, she’s turning heads with her gender bender adventure Transamerica. I hope Felicity can pull off a Helen Hunt who took home an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Oscar all in one year (Mad About You/As Good as it Gets), though I expect her Globe to come from her film nomination and not the television categories. Longoria’s nomination is ever so triumphant as she has been the odd housewife out during their trailblazing first season. While Marcia Cross (my personal favorite) has been nominated for her stunning portrayal of icy Bree Van Der Kamp, she’s taken on the role of bridesmaid which should repeat itself come January.

While we’re on the Housewives, here’s a delicious quote from house husband Doug Savant:
"Marc Cherry wants Felicity and I to go out with another couple, and that couple would be Bill Macy and Laura Leighton, Felicity's husband and my wife," Savant reveals to "Extra" at a Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House. "We'll have to wait and see ... it would be a blast."

If this is true, might I recommend that Bree’s twin sister Kimbery come for a visit and get into a cat fight with Sydney by Gabrielle’s pool. Lynette’s nanny, Jane, could jump in as well. :0)

Okay, but in reality, that would be awesome to see Miss Leighton on Wisteria Lane.
For the rest of the Globes, my boy went and got himself a nomination. Or shall I say boys as all my favorite television actors have a dinner reservation for mid January. Congrats Jeremy Piven, Naveen Andrews, Keifer Sutherland, and Hugh Laurie!!! While Piven was robbed of his Emmy kudos for his outstanding portrayal of Ari on Entourage, I was hoping redemption was here… UNTIL I noticed he was nominated along side Paul Newman. Paul Newman!!! Who wouldn’t vote for Paul Newman? Why… Cause he’s Paul Newman!

In Entourage news, the new season starts filming in February, maybe they can film at the Globes and do a sassy tie in. The word on the street is great. Look for more Ari and much less, well, of the Entourage. "Ari is like a phoenix," Piven’s quoted as saying in Kristin Veitch’s latest column. "He'll rise again. And I think we'll see more of his professional life and home life colliding. Like that bat mitzvah scene, you know? It was kind of like a silverback ape trying to fit into a canary cage."

Speaking of 2006, Jack Bauer’s coming back, with a vengeance baby! Unlike another spy, on another show, on another network, he didn’t get himself knocked up over hiatus thus affecting the season plotlines and action scenes. If that were the case, Kiefer’s more talented than I thought. You want to know what’s coming on 24, you say?

According to Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) "A lot of cast members have to be naked this year. Is that a good one? And about myself, I may have a male lover...on my computer desk, as I am working. No, I don't know. It's true. Yeah, I may."

That’s all tongue and cheek of course… or is it? Set your DVR for Jan. 15th. Do it right now, so you don’t forget.

I must add that I am shock and awed that the HFP over looked my two FAVORITE shows. For the second year in a row, Veronica Mars gets no love. Kristen Bell can sing, dance, and throw out some sass more so than most actresses out there. Not to mention, she’s the lead on one of the best written dramas to rock prime time.

While I know the ax has already fallen, I was hoping to see Arrested Development go down in a blaze of glory. I would shed a tear over its absence, but I can’t spare the moisture.

Look for commentary and predictions come 2006. Don’t forget to check out The Red Room Movie Palace for all FULL story. And the nominees are...

MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
"Brokeback Mountain"
"The Constant Gardener"
"Good Night, and Good Luck"
"A History of Violence"
"Match Point"

ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Maria Bello, "A History of Violence"
Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica"
Gwyneth Paltrow, "Proof"
Charlize Theron, "North Country"
Ziyi Zhang, "Memoirs of a Geisha"

ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Russell Crowe, "Cinderella Man"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"
Terrence Howard, "Hustle & Flow"
Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain"
David Strathairn, "Good Night, and Good Luck"

MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
"Mrs. Henderson Presents"
"Pride & Prejudice"
"The Producers"
"The Squid and the Whale"
"Walk the Line"

ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Judi Dench, "Mrs. Henderson Presents"
Keira Knightly, "Pride & Prejudice"
Laura Linney, "The Squid and the Whale"
Sarah Jessica Parker, "The Family Stone"
Reese Witherspoon, "Walk the Line"

ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Pierce Brosnan, "The Matador"
Jeff Daniels, "The Squid and the Whale"
Johnny Depp, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"
Nathan Lane, "The Producers"
Cillian Murphy, "Breakfast on Pluto"
Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk the Line"

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Kung Fu Hustle" (China)
"Master of the Crimson Armor" aka "The Promise" (China)
"Merry Christmas (Joyeux Noel)" (France)
"Paradise Now" (Palenstine)
"Tsotsi" (South Africa)

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Scarlett Johansson, "Match Point"
Shirley MacLaine, "In Her Shoes"
Frances McDormand, "North Country"
Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"
Michelle Williams, "Brokeback Mountain"

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
George Clooney, "Syriana"
Matt Dillon, "Crash"
Will Ferrell, "The Producers"
Paul Giamatti, "Cinderella Man"
Bob Hoskins, "Mrs. Henderson Presents"

DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE
Woody Allen, "Match Point"
George Clooney, "Good Night, and Good Luck"
Peter Jackson, "King Kong"
Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"
Fernando Meirelles, "The Constant Gardener"
Steven Spielberg, "Munich"

SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE
Woody Allen, "Match Point"
George Clooney & Grant Heslov, "Good Night, And Good Luck"
Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco, "Crash"
Tony Kushner & Eric Roth, "Munich"
Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana, "Brokeback Mountain"

ORIGINAL SCORE - MOTION PICTURE
Alexandre Desplat, "Syriana"
James Newton Howard, "King Kong"
Gustavo Santaolalla, "Brokeback Mountain"
Harry Gregson-Williams, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
John Williams, "Memoirs of a Geisha"

ORIGINAL SONG - MOTION PICTURE
"A Love That Will Never Grow Old" -- "Brokeback Mountain"
Music by: Gustavo Santaolalla, Lyrics by: Bernie Taupin
"Christmas in Love" -- "Christmas in Love"
Music by: Tony Renis, Lyrics by: Marva Jan Marrow
"There's Nothing Like a Show on Broadway" -- "The Producers"
Music & Lyrics by: Mel Brooks
"Travelin' Thru" -- "Transamerica"
Music & Lyrics by: Dolly Parton
"Wunderkind" -- "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
Music & Lyrics by: Alanis Morissette

TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
"Commander in Chief" (ABC)
"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
"Lost" (ABC)
"Prison Break" (Fox)
"Rome" (HBO)

ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Patricia Arquette, "Medium"
Glenn Close, "The Shield"
Geena Davis, "Commander in Chief"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
Polly Walker, "Rome"

ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Patrick Dempsey, "Grey's Anatomy"
Matthew Fox, "Lost"
Hugh Laurie, "House"
Wentworth Miller, "Prison Break"
Kiefer Sutherland, "24"

TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO
"Desperate Housewives" (ABC)
"Entourage" (HBO)
"Everybody Hates Chris" (UPN)
"My Name is Earl" (NBC)
"Weeds" (Showtime)

ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Marcia Cross, "Desperate Housewives"
Teri Hatcher, "Desperate Housewives"
Felicity Huffman, "Desperate Housewives"
Eva Longoria, "Desperate Housewives"
Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"

ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Zach Braff, "Scrubs"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Larry David, "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Jason Lee, "My Name is Earl"
Charlie Sheen, "Two And A Half Men"

MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION SERIES
"Empire Falls" (HBO)
"Into the West" (TNT)
"Lackawanna Blues" (HBO)
"Sleeper Cell" (Showtime)
"Viva Blackpool" (BBC America)
"Warm Springs" (HBO)

ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Halle Berry, "Their Eyes Were Watching God"
Kelly MacDonald, "The Girl in the Café"
S. Epatha Merkerson, "Lackawanna Blues"
Cynthia Nixon, "Warm Springs"
Mira Sorvino, "Human Trafficking"

ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Kenneth Branagh, "Warm Springs"
Ed Harris, "Empire Falls"
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, "Elvis"
Bill Nighy, "The Girl in the Café"
Donald Sutherland, "Human Trafficking"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TV
Candice Bergen, 'Boston Legal'
Camryn Manheim, 'Elvis'
Sandra Oh, 'Grey's Anatomy'
Elizabeth Perkins, 'Weeds'
Joanne Woodward, 'Empire Falls'

SUPPORTING ACTOR, SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TV
Naveen Andrews, 'Lost'
Paul Newman, 'Empire Falls'
Jeremy Piven, 'Entourage'
Randy Quaid, 'Elvis'
Donald Sutherland, 'Commander in Chief'

when I was arrested I was dressed in black

2005-12-08T11:41:00.000-05:00

So, this morning, I woke up left my house and sitting on my back porch was a bottle of Tennessee Whiskey. Now, I haven’t drunk whiskey since I met my husband and I only started drinking whiskey when I realized I had to lay off the vodka circa 1998. I have a pretty good idea where the bottle came from and why it was on my back porch, which made me think to myself… Maybe it’s about time I invested in a shotgun. Thank you June Carter for the inspiration.

As I said in my posting on Brokeback Mountain, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about being a kid, the summers of my grandparents farm, the horses, my sheep, hiking on the mountain, and copperhead snakes. I’ve also come to realized that I HATE the suburbs. There is this distinct non-confining environment and realism that rural and urban setting offer. It’s not so in the ‘burbs, but that’s for another post. Anyway, as I was saying… nothing brings back memories of my badass country grandpa more so than listening to Johnny Cash.

Walk the Line, 7/10

Walk the Line was my most anticipated film of the year. (You would think it would be The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, but I’m not keen on being reminded of how Disney destroyed my life long dream.) I finally made it to a showing of Walk the Line last weekend, but not before my sister in law saw it three times.

Joaquin Phoenix does more than disappear in an impeccable impression of Johnny Cash like Jamie Foxx did in Ray; he stepped into the man and radiated Cash from the inside out. The performance is powerful and authentic, but not so much that you don’t feel like you’re seeing a new side of the man in black. Performing the music himself, Phoenix brings something different to the standard Cash recordings, without altering or betraying their intention. This is especially apparent in the Folsom Prison recordings. It’s liberties like this that make the film a film as opposed to an attempt to reenact a documentary.

Reese Witherspoon’s sheds the dumb blonde safe type cast she’s seemed imprisoned by since the double-edged sword that was Legally Blonde. A southern girl with plenty of sass herself, she gave life, love, pain, and power to woman who’s on stage persona couldn’t be different from her real world.

Sadly, this is where the greatness of the film ends. The screenplay is a mess. There is some good dialogue that captures slang perfectly, but the story seems to be more like an outline with stops along the way than a fully developed film. The problem isn’t the running time, which clocks in over two hours, but the misuse of the time the film is given.

I understand that this was to be a film about June and Johnny and not the Johnny Cash Story per se, but leaving the film, I don’t feel like I really know much about the two and certainly nothing about their life together only that Johnny had to work damn hard to woo the girl of his dreams to his side.

The direction is good, but again falters somewhat by the hollow script. James Mangold’s direction of the stage scenes were the stand out moments as he fully accomplished the goal of having us on stage with Johnny and June to experience their love instead of viewing a musical number from the audience perspective. Over all, the film and the soundtrack are worth experiencing, but the depth of the work falls squarely on Phoenix and Witherspoon who both deserve nomination after nomination when the awards come rollin’ around.

The Ladies of Brokeback Mountain

2005-12-08T10:23:00.000-05:00

The repressed beautiful wives of Brokeback Mountain. Take note, motherhood does an actress good.

With all the buzz about the men of the movie and there love for each other, the stellar supporting cast, all female for the most part, has been over looked. In fact, I think about the kind of audience the cast could draw in a wide release.

Take for instance, my fourteen year old sister who is in love with Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom - we like Aussies. She's also a huge Dawson's Creek fan which she discovered courtesy of reruns. She was more concerned with cartoons and dolls during the original run dates when we had viewing parties for "The Creek" in my college dorm. She's also seen both Princess Diaries movies and probably would recognize Jake as "the hottie from the ice age movie [The Day After Tomorrow]" as opposed to The Good Girl or Donnie Darko which is when I fell for the boy. Given that, I think my Midwestern Christian conservative little sis (who was raised most of her life in the south) would get the shock of her life when Ennis first drops his jeans. This of course would not nearly be as shocking as my stepmother's reaction to her daughter being exposed to gay love. I remember taking her and our younger sister to see Return of the King during one of the final scenes she yelled out "Oh my Gosh, they're gay!" Clearly, she was confused by any kind of male on male affection. As a side note, this is the same sister than ran into Ang Lee during my college graduation, literally.

All that being said, I wanted share this reasoning on the casting, which, by the way, is absolutely perfect and pivotal to the film...

Heath likes it when I call him Daddy.

Since the story spans 20 years in the characters' lives, Lee wanted to cast young actors because it was easier to simulate age than to simulate youth. This meant that he often had to audition performers whose previous work appealed to a younger audience and therefore might not be the obvious choice for the heartbreaking epic with adult themes. The filmmaker finally settled on "Princess Diaries" star Anne Hathaway and former "Dawson's Creek" star Michelle Williams.

In "Brokeback Mountain," Hathaway portrays sassy rodeo queen Lureen Newsome, who marries bull rider Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal). Unbeknownst to her, Jack is in love with Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger), a man he met while working in Wyoming during the summer of 1963 and with whom he is carrying on a longtime affair. Although the Twists' marriage is successful in the technical sense -- they're financially prosperous and have a son together -- Lureen suspects Jack is keeping something important from her.

Lee charted Lureen's maturation through the years by changing her appearance, reflecting her increasing desperation to hang onto her happiness, which she associates with her youth, when she ruled the rodeo circuit and first met Jack.

"[For Lureen] everything's great when she's young, [but when] she turns bitter, her makeup starts to get thicker and her hair gets higher -- and lighter, too," says the director. "Each time she shows up, the hair is a different 'do and a different color."

In contrast, Lee cast Williams as the struggling, less glamorous Alma, Ennis' wife, whose change is more internal. Unlike Hathaway, Williams had already thrown off her teen queen status and has worked steadily in a number of more mature films, including "But I'm a Cheerleader," "Prozac Nation," "The Station Agent" and "Imaginary Heroes."

For the entire article, including how Lee and Williams constructed the stairwell scene, read here. Although if you haven't seen the movie, and I'm betting you haven't, you might not want to ruin the power of the scene which is one of films best.

As a final note, it seems that Gyllenhaal and Ledger can't keep far enough away from each other. One attended the LA premier while the other the New York premier. Gyllenhaal talks about how resentful he was about Ledger and Williams falling in love on set after Miss Dunst dumped him and how petrified and scared he was about making out with Ledger in Entertainment Weekly. I frankly find the article a bit disturbing on Gyllenhaal's part and surprising on Ledger's. Until Brokeback, I found Ledger untalented and overrated, and Gyllenhaal a day dream inspiration. If you want more Brokeback fun, visit The Red Room Movie Palace for any and all mountain related fun. That ol' Brokeback got Darren good.

We didn't go up there to fish

2005-12-05T16:35:00.000-05:00

I promised Darren that I would write a review of Brokeback Mountain and post it on this blog. I've had a rough week. Some of you may know why, and others, I keep a strong front. I've been watching a lot of films which I have yet to review here including Rent and Walk the Line. I don't really feel like writing a review on Brokeback Mountain. As the film conveys pure emotions through starkness, it seams a violation to attempt to use words to express everything that has been evoked inside me in the past 24 hours. I could write about both the surety and the doubt that exists in my own heart. I could write about my family and how watching Walk the Line, North Country, and now Brokeback Mountain has allowed me to reconnect with pride with things inside myself I've often tried to hide. I could write about the moments which play in my head over and over burned in my consciousness. I could write about the gut wrenching sorrow that exists in my heart from a decade of emptiness that will never again find fulfillmentment. Sometimes, for some people, happiness is only a once in a lifetime experience. I could do this, but if I started, I woudn't know where to end, and certainly not know how to get through the middle.

While I am dying to tell you about the haunting score which sounds like heart strings being plucked, the awe inspiring camera work, and one of the all time most power performances ever delivered by a leading man on screen (sorry Joaquin, you lose), I'll instead urge you and plead with you to see the film yourself. The trailer doesn't even begin to do this film justice, yet no 2 minute clip could. So, for now, I will leave you with only this.

"If you can't fix it, you gotta stand it."

Brokeback Mountain is the most compelling and heart wrenching love story that I have ever experienced. It is an instant classic and nearly impossible for anyone involved with the film to ever aspire to anything greater than this. To watch it, is to be in the shadow of humble greatness.

Westward Ho!

2005-11-22T14:56:00.000-05:00

I know it's been awhile, but what's one to do when life expects things from you beside random internet blogging. Frankly, It's quite arrogant as well to assume that people really care what I think about each and everything I watch. That of course doesn't mean I'm going to stop. Anyway, speaking for random, I do have one bit of personal update.

Brace yourself (and no, I'm not pregnant)...

I'm relocating to....

THE MIDWEST.

This is not a typo. And I'm am quite serious. In about six months and by August at the latest I will be a resident of the midwest. I feel kind of dirty about this, but also excited. And, anything that makes you feel dirty and excited at the same time can't be bad. Happy Thanksgiving.

put down that cornball and show some respect

2005-11-11T15:44:00.000-05:00

It is a sad day...

"The Bluth clan of Fox's ratings-challenged 'Arrested Development' is also headed for the exit after Fox cut the third-season order on the Emmy-winning comedy to 13 episodes.

Also getting the ax at Fox is "Arrested's" companion on Monday, the freshman comedy "Kitchen Confidential," whose order will not be extended beyond the initial 13 episodes."

A sad, sad day.

THE BOX - That's a bad bad boy

2005-11-09T14:40:00.000-05:00

Attention Desperate Housewives Fans:

You know that guy, that guy that Mrs. Applewhite (Alfre Woodard) keeps chained in her basement? Well, he's been a very bad boy. So bad in fact that Disney fired Page Kennedy for "improper conduct." For all the details, click here.

this recruit got lost on her way home from college

2005-11-07T12:48:00.000-05:00

What is it about cerebral men acting like cavemen that gets me all… Well, you know?

Jarhead 7/10

I loved this movie. Everyone else in my office this morning hated it. I loved this movie. This is not a great film, but it is certainly a good film. As I left the theater, I felt (though not to the full extent) the same way I felt after my very first viewing of Fight Club. Primal. If you know me, you know how I feel about Fight Club, the second greatest film ever made, EVER. So, to compare Jarhead to Fight Club obviously is saying a lot for me.

Jarhead is not a film, NOT a film about the Gulf War (I). Jarhead is NOT a film about being a Marine. Jarhead is a film about one man’s impression of duty, of service, and of meaning as influenced by the Corps. The film is not objective and though a memoir, I doubt it’s even very truthful. Yet the film conveys a moment, an impression of one man’s life and how the Corps has and will always influence who he is for good and for bad.

While this film was supposed to be Jake Gyllenhaal’s coming out party – by that I mean his portrayal of something other than the shy/nice/sad/smart/good boy we’ve all come to know and love – Jamie Foxx and Peter Sarsgaard stole each scene they were in. Jaime Foxx was nothing short of brilliant as he ingeniously and seamlessly delivered lines that a less skilled actor would turn into ridiculous parodies or badly timed punchlines. Sarsgaard’s seriousness and dedication offset the good ‘ol boy attitude held by his counterparts.

Gyllenhaal, for his tour of duty, delivered a powerful performance. In one scene in particular, the man and his rifle, I actually thought to myself, “wow, that was Jake.” Swafford (Gyllenhaal) was the middleman of the movie. He had a bit of every character in him and was inconsistent in his reactions. Sometimes he was the level head, sometimes he was the jerk, sometimes he was the psycho killer. Gyllenhaal’s performance was just as disjointed as the character, which isn’t to be confused with well rounded.

So anyway, go see Jarhead, because I loved it. Don’t be surprised though… You’ll probably hate it.

P.S. Look for Jake’s coming out performance this Jan/Dec. Pun intended.

Good Night and Good Luck – 10/10

In a normal year, I would declare this the most important film of the year to watch, but with Syriana and Munich on the release schedule, I don’t think I can firmly make that assertion.

Leave the Middle East for a moment (just a moment) and remember back to a time when Russia or the USSR was our enemy. I was born in 1979 so I remember snippets of spite. My mother on the other hand was born in 1956. She was raised in the time when nuclear drills and communist hatred were standard operating procedure.

Good Night and Good Luck takes you back even further though, to 1953, the era of the post war American Dream. Suburbs were on the rise and kitchens were becoming modernized. There were many stories taking place that Julianne Moore would one day tell through cinema. In Washington though, a war of ideals – correction: a genocide of ideals - was underway spearheaded by Karl Rove. Oops, I mean Joseph McCarthy.

Good Night and Good Luck is a brilliant little film that plays like, well a play. It’s script and scenes are tight and its style is slick without being flashy. The cinematography, set design, the entire mis-en-scene was crafted and woven with perfection. Its message is unobscured by gloss, and its poignancy is timeless.

Clooney’s directorial debut should easily land him with a nomination, if not a little shiny statue, come early next year. The camera work is reminiscent of master filmmakers like Orsen Wells, Alfred Hitcock, and Billy Wilder. The performances were flawless. David Strathairn gave the performance of his often overlooked career and should be standing beside Clooney on a podium somewhere. The only thing I found awkward was the casting of Patricia Clarkson opposite Robert Downey Jr. While Clarkson is only 6 years Robbie’s senior, she looked uncomfortably too old to play his wife. She is a beautiful women who by no means looks like an old lady, but the role of Shirley should have gone to a woman in her late thirties or the role of Joe should have gone to someone in his fifties.

That aside, this is a great film that is less about the past than it is about the present. I’m happy that it hopped into the box office top 10 this week as everyone – especially you red staters – should see this film. After all, when an old white man who smokes a lot is outspokenly critical of the government, Washington starts listening… And so should you.

Naked Lunch (DVD) – 8/10

So I finally got a chance to sit down and watch the Criterion Collection edition of Naked Lunch. This film is beautiful, though maybe to some, disturbing to watch. The entire craftsmanship, from the costumes, to the lighting, to the music, to the creature effects are gorgeous… classic Hollywood noir.

The spiraling hallucinatory journey into and out of the Interzone is worth the watch filled with all its Kafka like glory. Will you know what’s real and what’s not? Will you even care? Does the story have a point? How many drugs was Burrows on when he wrote this novel? Are the bugs a metaphor? Does it even matter? If you have two hours with nothing else to do, let David Cronenburg take you on a vacation. Don’t worry, you’ll come back.

The Lost Weekend (DVD) – 9/10

The Lost Weekend is one of a long list of films in my netflix cue that fall into the “how have I never seen this film” category. Now, I have.

The Lost Weekend, set in New York City, follows four days in the life of an alcoholic unpublished writer as he falls off the wagon and then gets run over by it.

This film is very, very good and only mildly dated in subject matter. Having known my share of alcoholics and drug addicts, this film could easily be a documentary about four days of a man’s life. Ben found it depressing and the ending unbelievable. I found the last act a bit over top – a reefer madness spin to it.

That aside, the camera work is beautiful and rhythmic and the acting top notch. It actually gave me a desire to read the novel on which the film is based. It deserved all the acclaim it garnered in its time and deserves more attention from today’s audience.

THE BOX

First, let me start by saying last night’s Simpson’s is one of the worst Treehouse of Horror in years.

Okay, moving on…

Desperate Housewives 2:06 “I Wish I Could Forget You”

Last night’s DH was amazing. Eva Longoria is charging after those golden globe and emmy statues for next year as a tiny little force to be reckon with.

As Gabrielle woos her lawyer back into action after a courtroom shoot out, Lynette steps up the hotness factor to shut up the judgmental label whores in the work place.

The best moments of the night though, came from the disturbing dance of seduction between Bree and George as she works through some nerves to give “it” up to the creep. George, in his shystery pharmaceutical ways, helps her along.

And Susan, dear Susan finally gets her freakin’ upcomings for being a flighty spaz as Mike publicly dumps her – while wearing a wedding dress no less. Okay, I’m not saying Susan was wrong for putting her daughter first, but she’s a moron to try to keep Mike in her life. Susan, of course, was acting desperately.
Tonight, make sure you tune in for the return of Arrested Development. Woo Hoo

frail beautiful people killed john lennon

2005-11-03T14:36:00.000-05:00

Lindsay Lohan has had her fill of Disney teen flicks. After playing a 24 year old publicist in Just My Luck (2006), getting super thin and platinum for Prairie Home Companion (2006), jumping on the A-List band wagon for Bobby (the Emilio Estevez pic about RFK), Miss Lohan has joined also frail and sexy Jared Leto for "Chapter 27."

According to Reuters... "Chapter 27 features Lohan as a Lennon fan who befriends Lennon's murderer, Mark Chapman (Leto), during the weekend that he kills the musician outside his New York apartment building, the paper [Daily Variety] said. It did not mention who would play Lennon. "

What this film will shape up to be could be anything at this point but one this is for sure... That's a dynamic on screen duo.

We can like raise the dead or do something halloweeny

2005-11-02T15:31:00.000-05:00

This past weekend sugar and darkness were plentiful as we celebrated Halloween. Friday night, Darren invited me to his place for an adolescent type sleepover watching horror movies with his parents. The perk? We got to watch Paris Hilton die…

House of Wax – 6/10

I thought this film was good for a gore-horror movie, but not great. The pacing was good and the effects were just enough “yuck” factor without gratuitous over the top pointless blood. Speaking of pointless… Along side Paris Hilton, Elisha Cuthbert looked like Meryl Streep. Speaking of Meryl, has she ever super glued her lips?

While I’m no stranger to seeing Kim, I mean Elisha, in troublesome situations where a little common sense goes along way, this time she got to be the super heroine. Darkening her standard platinum locks was also a good move.

The film is classically formulaic in a good way. There were very few scream out load moments, in fact I don’t think any, but Chad Michael Murray with his shirt off… How is that not worth it?

The wax effects are the star of the film as the director used creativity (with complete absence of realism of course) when visually designing the eye-popping climax in (duh duh duh) the House of Wax.

Next up on Darren’s scary movie schedule was the art house horror flick May. Okay, if you’ve strolled through the horror section at the local video anytime during the past year and half, the cover to this film is bound to stick in your memory, or at least mine anyway. Angela Bettis looks like a bizarre cross between Rose McGowan (Scream) and Robin Tunney (The Craft).

May – 8/10

I thought this was a well-crafted highly disturbing film, though I don’t know if I liked it or not yet. I saw Paperhouse, a UK art house horror film often compared to Nightmare on Elm Street, when I was a kid. It was on Cinemax, Cine-Vangard night. I think that film combined with Blue Velvet sidetracked any chance I had at being well adjusted. I’ve tried to find Paperhouse on DVD or Video, but it’s like the film never existed… Anyway, I’m digressing. Where was I? Oh yes, art house horror. Highly disturbing normally bodes well with me, in fact to steal a quote from the film “I like weird.” I mean, I do live for David Lynch and David Cronenberg flicks, so have I finally hit too weird?

SIDE NOTE: Darren will never forgive me for making him watch Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me or as he calls it “that weird movie.”

What makes this so peculiar you ask?

1. Jeremy Sisto – Elton, as I will call him, is normally quite hot from Clueless to Thirteen and even in Wrong Turn, quite sexy. Yet, not in this. He bore a striking resemblance to one of my ex’s, on Mr. Klein; I personally think it was the horrid hairstyle he sported throughout the film, very reminiscent of Tim Curry in Rocky Horror.

2. Anna Ferris – Ms. Ferris has a hot voice. It’s very “California,” like a raspy valley girl. In this film, she takes on the role of swingin’ lesbian, an oversexed secretary looking to score with any and all who spread their legs. Yes, Anna Ferris is hot, but the unrelenting sexuality couple with her raspy voice and aggressive dialogue definitely radiated and uncomfortable vibe.

3. Angela Bettis – I easily see why Ms. Bettis was cast in this film. Angela Bettis is weird. Don’t get me wrong, she is in her own gothicly peculiar way quite beautiful… (See Below)

Yet, her body frame actually distracted me throughout the entire film. She is tiny, minute even. I have no idea her exact body dimensions obviously, but we’re talking Olsen twin stature here, maybe even smaller. That in itself wouldn’t be too distracting except her body is so small, depending what she was wearing, she looked like a bobble head about to tumble over. What makes it more awkward is that her frame looks natural. She didn’t look like Lindsay Lohan or Mary Kate Olsen. She wasn’t just skin stretched over bone that you desperately want to share your Halloween candy with. She is just perfectly peculiar. As I said, this distracted me throughout the film. Because of her doll like form and stature, Bettis couldn’t have been more perfectly cast as the girl her who never had a friend. So after being sexually rejected one to many times, she made her own.

After reflecting, I think it’s Loopie, the fluffy Persian. Frozen cats may just be too weird for me.

And so, that was it for my Friday celebration. I think Darren and I started watching Hocus Pocus on the Disney channel, but I passed out quickly.

Saturday night Ben and I made an impromptu appearance at the Halloween party thrown by friends… We were Shaggy and Velma if you’re curious. Sunday Darren came over to my house and tried using a Ouji board to talk to the ghosts that Ben insists we have. We then dorkily played horror movie charades – Oh yeah! How would you act out The Grudge! And that my friends, was my All Hallow’s Eve.

THE BOX

In the world of television, Fox brought back House last night after a too long baseball induced hiatus. I love Doctor House and I can’t stand Cameron. Jennifer Morrison is quite pretty, but I hate her character. She’s weak, and dumb, and easily manipulated by all those around her. No wonder House wouldn’t bang her last season. Ron Livingston made a guest appearance last night stunningly portraying a self-centered doctor without a border that - you guessed it – easily manipulates Cameron. My thought: pretty smart girls don’t have to act so stupid.

Speaking of Fox, Arrested Development doesn’t come back until next Monday, but production has been put on hiatus because Jason Bateman had a sore throat. Well, a little more severe than that. Our beloved Bateman had to undergo throat surgery for a benign tumor. Which means Arrested will have to wait. So far 8 episodes have been completed, yet only three have aired. So hopefully there won’t be too much of a disruption of the broadcasts.

As for repeats, Lost is repeating itself once again tonight. To that I say “UGH!” On the Lost front though, I came across this quirky story today.

“Producers of ABC's mega-hit castaway thriller "Lost" plan to introduce a new storyline centering on the discovery of a fictitious manuscript that will become the basis for a real-life novel that Hyperion will publish this spring.” For the entire story and marketing ploy… Click Here.

POPCORN

As for the upcoming weekend… I still have the whole freakin’ current season of Veronica Mars to watch. The DVD-at-home line up features The Lost Weekend (still), Million Dollar Baby (still), and Naked Lunch. Mysterious Skin is on its way.

Whether I get to this viewing or not is yet to be seen as this weekend, little ol’ York (We don’t believe in Evolution) PA is getting a copy of Good Night and Good Luck which just might be occupying my Friday night. Regardless, Jarhead is debuting as well and I just can’t get enough Gyllenhaal (either of them). Have you seen Jarhead’s TV spots featuring Kanye West? I can’t remember the last time a TV spot looked or sounded so good.

That’s this week’s Drained Brain…. For now anyway.

Darling Dakota doomed to be a Bonaduce

2005-10-28T11:20:00.000-04:00

I would like to start out by dedicating this post to my dear friend James who has declared Miss Fanning as his favorite actress. Granted, he also thinks Love Hewitt is hot.

This is quite possibly the funniest thing I've ever read. I couldn't help but repost the whole article by Daniel Fienberg which you can also find at the normal source, www.zap2it.com.

Happy Friday...

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) As a fan of the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots and USC Trojans, I'm uniquely aware that the only thing more important than when you jump on a bandwagon is when you make your graceless exit. Thus, while the pedomorphically obsessed press are spending the week declaring Dakota Fanning to be America's Sweetheart, the next Julia Roberts, or at the very least, the second coming of Anna Chlumsky, it's clear that it's time to make a stand.

Dakota Fanning is so 2005, folks. Do you want to live in the past and the present or do you want to look to the future?

Of course, there are still objectives that Team Fanning has yet to achieve before the campaign for world domination can cease. Sure, her box office returns are impressive, but where's the hardware? And her spiffy new braces don't count. Anna Paquin had bad teeth too, but she also got an Oscar at 11. That Osment tyke was the same age when he got a nomination. Dakota probably pulls the heads off her Carebears at night in frustration that back in 2002, even though she got a SAG nomination for "I Am Sam," the Academy passed her over in favor of a bunch of wrinkly British Dames from "Gosford Park." Which is more challenging, playing a grungy maid with an accent or coping with a wildly hammy Sean Penn?

The way I see it, Fanning has several options, none of them necessarily good. She can continue to play robots, aliens and children of preternatural wisdom and morbidity until the shine wears off and critics stop comparing her to a younger, blonder, tinier, more articulate Marlon Brando and start yawning at her every precocious word. She can make a baseball movie, vanish for a few years, marry John McEnroe and then have a series of unfortunate emotional problems. She could disturb everybody by continuing to make movies as she goes through puberty, skeeving out viewers who wonder why that nice girl from "The Cat in the Hat" is making out with the flavor-of-the-month WB star in a Miramax romantic comedy about a jock who falls in love with an awkward-looking girl (Fanning), who's really beautiful inside, except for the parts of her that are riddle with cancer. Or, she could step aside gracefully for the next decade -- suffer through acne in privacy, get a little bit rebellious, attend Princeton, Yale, Penn or NYU and get a degree in something serious like economics and return to acting on 2015 refreshed and ready for a FOX sitcom about a former child star who inherits her grandfather's bar in rural Arkansas.

The moment has come for Dakota Fanning to step back and let the world see that the new Dakota Fanning, just waiting in the wings, is Elle Fanning. In an industry that puts a premium on youth, why are buzzmongers so obsessed with 11-year-old Dakota, when Wee Elle is only seven and every bit as freakishly mature. She was great in "The Door in the Floor," showing that Fanning-esque ability to seem ready to discuss Sartre when most of her peers are stuck on Seuss. There's no way of knowing for sure if Elle is really qualified to pass Dakota as our nation's Official Fanning of Record, but you never get the big score if you only back favorites.
If recent Hollywood history has taught us anything, it's that prematurely endorsing the first talented sibling at the expense of their kin is a mistake. Beau Bridges or Jeff Bridges? Eric Roberts or Julia Roberts? Randy Quaid or Dennis Quaid? Haylie Duff or Hilary Duff? Alec Baldwin or the combined superpowers of Billy, Stephen, Daniel and the entirely unrelated Adam Baldwin? Yes, everybody loved Meg Tilly back in the mid-80s when she was a helium-voiced Oscar nominee, but how much emotional attachment could have been skipped if audiences had just known back then that helium-voiced sis Jennifer (more advanced in age, but several years behind in the biz) would see that Oscar nod and raise it one "Seed of Chucky" and become a championship poker player to boot?

Maybe it's the advantages of learning from experience and maybe it's just our collective obsession with upgrading to the next flavor-of-the-month, but we live in a Johnny-come-lately world. As we speak, my own younger brother is getting ready to usurp me, preparing to become the Elle to my Dakota, the Jacob to my Esau.

I'm just trying to warn Dakota that whether you're younger or older, it's the way of the world. One minute you're Jeb Bush and you think you're the family's Golden Boy choice to become president and the next minute your screw-up of a brother sneaks in and suddenly you're stuck down in Florida playing shuffleboard and visiting Epcot while the other guy is in the White House. Garden variety fate is fickle, but she's got nothing on Hollywood fate.
Don't look back, Dakota. Elle might be gaining on you.

"It's not about right. Not about wrong. It’s about power."

2005-10-25T11:40:00.000-04:00

POPCORN: Welcome to North Country 8/10

The airwaves have been inundated with thesps, critics, and anchors talking about North Country. I couldn’t resist seeing my darling Charlize on screen and made the trek on Sunday.

North Country follows a fictionalized account of the first class action sexual harassment lawsuit set to coincide with the Clarence Thomas – Anita Hill senate hearings.

While the film is being marketed at this generation’s Norma Rae… I found that misleading and generic as the film turned out to be more about empowering men than women.

Yes, Charlize was fabulous and easily deserves another Oscar nomination, but not necessarily the win. Yes, Frances McDormond deserves another nomination, and maybe another win.

SIDENOTE – How wonderful it was to hear Mrs. Coen don that iconic Minnesota accent once more.

It’s true that EVERYONE involved in this film gave powerful performances, but the key is in the male characters.

This film is about masculine power, the character of man, and the psychological effects of physical weakness in our society. According to the film’s “message,” sexual harassment stems from the same socio-psychological place as racism: Insecure working class white man. Granted the lesson of sexism is filtered down in company policy from the very top, but it’s tolerated and exploited by the working class miners of northern Minnesota who could easily reject the ideals if they felt empowered against the wealth and the proverbial man.

Speaking of empowerment, it’s not the bravery of the women that struck me about this film, but the men. Josie Aimes’ (Theron) father is by far the most complex character of the film. The performance delivered by character actor Richard Jenkins is the most outstanding and poignant part of the film.

Coming from a working class family, I know these men. I’ve seen them everyday of my life, at least for first 18 years. I’ve seen Sean Bean’s character in my husband, and Jenkin’s in my own father and grandfather. And yes, I went to high school with many a Bobby Sharp. Josie Aimes is so similar to my mother that at points I felt sick.

(FYI - I just went through a legal battle with my mother and the corporate people at her former place of employment.)

While there are moments of the film sprinkled in cliché, make no mistake… this is no chick flick.
Make a trek through North Country and come back a man.

SIDENOTE: As a woman, there are certain scene which made my skin crawl with emotional filth, showers are probably required after viewing.

POPCORN: A Lesson on A History of Violence 9/10

First let me say, that my first (male) child will be named David. Why? Because of my father, David Lynch, David Fincher, and this man… David Cronenberg.

Since we’re on the topic of violent white men today, let’s waste no time in getting into A History of Violence.

The film follows a small town family man, Tom Stall, as he is plagued by the recent appearance of a Philadelphia mobster, which may or may not be from his past. What would you do to protect your family, to protect your way of life?

Viggo Mortensen disappears in the part he was born to play, Tom Stall. After watching every single second of every extra feature on every extended edition of Lord of the Rings, I became a bit crept out by Mortensen’s soft spoken nature and esoteric love of his craft. This is by far his best work and hard to beat in future projects.

Maria Bello - who proved last year she’s more than a sassy bartender (Coyote Ugly), she can be a sassy cocktail waitress too (The Cooler) – tackles the role of Tom’s wife with provocative force. Supporting actress nomination please!

Ashton Holmes, who portrayed their teenage son, also delivered a stellar debut as teenager caught between words and action.

SIDENOTE: I’m not getting into how creepily Amish William Hurt looked with that beard.

Outside these key performance the direction is the power of the film. The script was good with brilliant structure, but adequate dialogue. This isn’t a film about words though; it’s about action. So, in a way only he can, Cronenberg takes us back inside our own Ids as he graphically put forth an essay on sex and violence set against Middle America. The film does not make any attempt to gloss, slick, or use animation to dull the impact of violence as in Kill Bill or Sin City. Instead, the director makes every effort to show the ramification of violent actions… be they a shotgun to the back, a bullet to the face, the face of man whose nose was just shoved back into his skull, etc. Cronenberg also uses sex juxtaposed against the violence to which you can draw your own opinions.

This not a classic Cronenberg film (Videodrome, Naked Lunch, Dead Ringers, eXistenZ, Crash, The Fly, etc.) in that he did not direct from his own script. If you looking for the bio-tech themes often explored in his auteur work, you’ll be disappointed by the lack of “twist” Violence has to offer. Thematic issues aside, it its Mr. Cronenberg in the raw and one of his best efforts. 98 minutes of your life is worth this film.

P.S. Do you recognize this post's title quote? What's it from?

planning on a lost weekend

2005-10-21T09:56:00.000-04:00

So after having a week from hell - not necesarily tragic, just phenomenally annoying - I've decided this cold and rainy weekend calls for some quality time dedicated to me.

On the plate are showings of A History of Violence and North Country down the street at the mall. At home under cuddling blankets the cats and I have not only DVD's to watch, The Gift and The Lost Weekend, but I have a month of Veronica Mars to with which to catch up. Thank you DVR.

So look forward to numerous thoughts on these, and Meet the Feebles, coming next week. Have a great weekend bloggees.

stop looking for it

2005-10-20T15:29:00.000-04:00

So while in Las Vegas last week I missed my first ever episode of Lost… Seeing that the show has been moving at the pace of a hermit crab, I figured a lost aficionado like me would have no problem.

I have been thoroughly disappointed with this show since the finale. Maybe I’m bitter and not giving the new season a chance but from my perspective it’s all over the place with now driving mystery and drama and most episodes reference one’s we’ve already seen. This makes sense, but it’s nothing new. The musically overdone endings are becoming monotonous as I try to remind myself how great this show once was.

It must be horrible to be declared the best drama on television, because you have no where to go but down. Something better happen soon to sustain the “hype.”

THE BOX: Lost 2:05 “…and Found”

Sun and Jin paths cross in Seoul Korea as Michael searches for Walt.

The Good – Subtle powerhouse performances by Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim saved the show. The new character Mr. Echo, delivered much needed energy and perspective to the castaways. Definitely a new favorite.

Others thoughts: Last night’s episode has been on par with every one so far this season (which have all been frankly, subpar). Okay, that’s not fair. “Orientation” (2:03) was a phenomenal episode, but it should not have been episode 2:03 it should have been Part II of a two hour premier with the second episode that was aired scrapped entirely. The premier was saved by Matt Fox’s outstanding performance. So I guess the season hasn’t been a total wash, but something’s just not clicking. The flashbacks last night had little to add when juxtaposed with the current time frame. The tension is gone from the show as it has quickly slid from Doug Liman style slickness into the pits of Michael Bay. It’s all in the writing, and the writing isn’t what it used to be. It’s no surprise to me that Damon Lindelof, co-creator of the series was involved in the process. His episodes have been the weakest of the series. David Fury, where are you?

long live the new flesh

2005-10-18T10:36:00.000-04:00

Okay… so I’m married and back from Las Vegas. I had just enough time to recover before Darren convinced me a night out was in order. Now, I’m in need another vacation :0) Anyway, if you’re interested, LV pics are up on myspace. Onward…

I was going to attempt to go back and recap or comment on the past month of television and movies, but when I realized the daunting task in front of me I came up with a new idea. How about I don’t and we can pretend I did. (If it makes you feel better, blame it on a technical glitch that erased my brilliance before you had a chance to read it.)

DVD: Videodrome (Criterion Collection)

I first saw this film back in 1999 – whenever it was York got a copy of eXistenZ. The parallels between the two films are undeniable. My date for X, who was 32 at the time, told me about Videodrome which he saw when he was younger and of which I had never heard. I was a fan of Mr. Cronenberg, especially Dead Ringers, so I decided to check it out and the film branded my psyche.

Last Christmas, I was thoroughly surprised when I opened a package from Ben containing the CC edition which I didn’t even know existed. Sadly, it took ‘til last Sunday for me to watch. The film is only 89 minutes long, so it wasn’t that I didn’t have enough time before. It was about having the right time. See your brain must be on a certain wavelength to receive the Videodrome signal (in more ways than one.)

A young and attractive James Woods and a brunette Blondie (Deborah Harry) take you on a sensory stimulation ride through the Id that most likely offends a majority of people. Granted, weak minds – don’t watch.

I could write a hundred pages concerning this film and never really come close to the film's poignant commentary about violence, media, technology, pain, pleasure, and social and physiological evolution. Hell, the gun-to-gut visuals alone would be enough to keep Freud writing commentaries and interpretations for years.

The film is (imo) the most experimental of David Cronenberg’s work – not in theme but more so in structure. While now the importance it sets on the videotape and a CRT seems a bit dated, the social implications are still applicable. It also sets the tone for the techno-physical thread that DC’s would explore and develop in his subsequent work. In a way Videodrome is a dream that wakes up to eXistenZ.

I haven’t had time to sort through the oodles of extras yet, but the DVD is still worth the price.

As a sidenote, I was so looking forward to and then disappointed by Spider, I tried not to put too much faith into A History of Violence. It seems though, from what I’ve heard, to be a phenomenal film which surprisingly is playing here in York. Multiplex here I come.

I CAN BE NAKED IN 20 SECONDS, INCLUDING TRAVEL TIME

THE BOX: Desperate Housewives - "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"

DH delivered its best episode of the season this week showcasing why exactly Miss Huffman (aka Mrs. Macy) took home that shiny gold statue. While I’ve preached for over a year that Marcia (Bree) and Felicity (Lynette) are the powerhouses of the show, I’m glad the writers and storylines are becoming less Susan-centric. Mostly, because I can’t stand Hatcher’s character. Eva Longoria’s Gabrielle is really having a coming out party so far this season. Her scenes are some of the most memorable along with her wit making her more than the bendy bitch with a shoe fetish. If the trend continues, it will be a crime if Hatcher doesn’t take odd man out role this time around.

The men aren’t too shabby themselves shaping up to be more than soap opera mancandy. I was very sad to see Rex actually dead and buried as I loved his character. Andrew has more depth and this week was actually likable as Bree’s selfish delusional murdering son paired off against Bree’s selfish delusional murdering boyfriend/stalker. And what is with those Applewhites!

As the Wisteria grows, it becomes more entangled in a superior way.

ELSEWHERE…

With the Fox House hiatus, take time tonight to check out Supernatural (WB 9 p.m.) with the delicious Jensen Ackles, a bizarre cross between Grant Show and Jason Priestly. Watch out Kelly Taylor!

The newest offering in the ghost rhelm crosses the X-Files with Easy Rider as the Winchester Boys (back by some serious fire power) investigate paranormal activities while on a quest to solve a bigger mystery. This is the network that brought us Buffy, Angel, and Pacey Witter. The classic WB is back.

ACKER, ACKER, EVERYWHERE.

Speaking of Angel (see how I do that oh so casually) the Angel-Alias entanglement goes on air as Amy Acker joins the cast for about 9 episodes. Acker, who played the graceful geek Fred for 3 seasons of Angel, also guest stared on the third episode of Supernatural. The A-A overlap is much more complex and most people aren’t dorky enough to care like me. Basically, Joss and JJ must share rolodexes.

Since we’re catching up with the old gang…

Check out that charismatic Cassablanca on Veronica Mars and the cute pesky pastry chef on Kitchen Confidential.

And lastly, for a show that’s all about retired actors, is this bit of news from zap2it…

“Fox [Michael J.] has signed to guest in three episodes of ABC's "Boston Legal," playing a "charismatic and dynamic" CEO who's also battling stage four lung cancer. Airdates for Fox's episodes haven't been scheduled yet.”

For you lost castaways, don’t worry, Thursday’s thoughts aren’t that far off.

Mitchell Crumrine's Greatest Hits

2005-10-04T22:20:00.000-04:00

spinning dizzy circles

2005-10-03T19:03:00.000-04:00

Yes, I’m quite aware that I have severely neglected this blog over the past month – so much so that the gold fish floating in my pond have more life and spirit. I know you’ve missed my opinions on the Emmy’s, Lost, Arrested Development, Veronica Mars, House, Desperate Housewives, and newbies like Kitchen Confidential, Invasion, Prisonbreak, and Supernatural. I’ve also been watching movies and thanks to Darren’s generous gifts of movies passes and free netflix – I’m sure there will be much more. Why has all this happened you ask?

Anyway, I, silly girl that I am, had to go and get MARRIED!

first look...

That’s right, I did it.

Ben and I were blessed with a beautiful day, friends and family, food and drink, a multitude of gifts and most importantly, each other. Not even a snooty organist and a horde of military and police could keep us down.

It was great to see people whom I haven’t seen forever like NYUer’s Zoe and Kathy. It was wonderful to see my sisters interacting with my friends, to see my mother interacting with my father, and to see others find something new in those that were right in front of them all along.

Though all was not perfect as I forced myself to break a promise... To never give up. It’s takes certain events in life to shake the truth out of the tree of denial. Maybe it took a day of such happiness to see the selfishness, the despair, the hopelessness I’ve been fighting to avoid for so long. On Sunday I said good-bye to one of the dearest people I have ever known. I pushed him out of my home, out of my life. Then cried in the back of a closet for 30 minutes petrified of what I've done. There is no room for demons in paradise. I hope one day he has the strength to come back to me, back as the whole person that he once was, that maybe one day he could be again. So where there is an end, there is also a beginning…

... like waking up to this for the rest of my life.

The planning is over and life can move on along the chaotically planned track laid out ahead. Fours days to Las Vegas my friends.

Look for an all new and updated Brain Drain come October 17th.

Oh, and for any of you that care, I did cut off all my hair.

move heaven and earth my friends

2005-09-02T16:52:00.000-04:00

Remember, even if you have nothing, they have less. Why donate time, money, supplies? How can you not?

Theron on "Arrested"!!!!!

2005-08-30T09:54:00.000-04:00

Some news is just too exciting to contain. From yahoo!...

Theron from the upcoming Aeon Flux

"LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Oscar winner Charlize Theron is set to add some star power to Fox's "Arrested Development" when its third season debuts next month.

Theron has signed on to guest-star in five episodes of the critically acclaimed black comedy, playing a British woman who becomes the love interest of "Development" star Jason Bateman. Theron will debut in the second "Development" episode of the season, after its September 19 premiere. "

I'll update later when I take on Rome, Entourage, and Prison Break.

Every City Has It’s Secrets…And so do I

2005-08-25T15:27:00.000-04:00

Grab your toga, my friends and countrymen. It’s time to trade in your desperation for debauchery Sunday night at 9 p.m. when HBO unleashes Rome.

I haven’t been this excited about watching a pilot since, well honestly, since Lost premiered. So, it wasn’t that long ago. Speaking of Lost, we’ll get to that. But first, the hot, wild city…

I will admit, if this was a series about, say, the Incas called Machu Picchu, I probably wouldn’t be nearly as interested. Yes, I’m fanatical about the ancient (western) world. I find it mind boggling the things that the Greeks, Roman, Egyptians, Persians, Babylonians, and Jews were able to accomplish culturally, philosophically, and militaristically. This was an era where men’s lives became legend; when men became Gods. Suddenly, with the birth of Christianity, it all fell apart. There are lessons to be learned here, but I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions about that.

Politically speaking, I’ve always found America to be a modern age Rome. Now more than ever, I think many could draw parallels between the age of Julius Caeser and our current senators. So, it would make sense to set Rome, the series, in 52 B.C. when the country was still a Republic – not yet an empire. Let the drama unfold.

Here’s what the website has to say about the world we’re stepping into:

"You rarely see onscreen the complexity and color that was ancient Rome," says co-creator, executive producer and writer Bruno Heller. "It has more in common with places like Mexico City and Calcutta than quiet white marble. Rome was brightly colored, a place of vibrant cruelty, full of energy, dynamism and chaotic filth. It was a merciless existence, dog-eat-dog, with a very small elite, and masses of poverty. We see the same problems today - crime, unemployment, disease, and pressure to preserve your place in a precarious society. There's the potential for social mobility, if you're smart. "Human nature never changes," continues Heller, "and the great thing about the Romans, from a dramatic perspective, is that they're a people with the fetters taken completely off. They had no prosaic God telling them right from wrong and how to behave. It was a strictly personal morality, and whether or not an action is wrong would depend on whether people more powerful than you would approve. You were allowed to murder your neighbor or covet his wife if it didn't piss off the wrong person. Mercy was a weakness, cruelty a virtue, and all that mattered was personal honor, loyalty to yourself and your family."

Rome is a joint venture between HBO and BBC, the same creative team behind the wildly successful mini, Band of Brothers. HBO has assembled the best of the best to bring Rome into our homes. The creative force behind this project is phenomenal. The first season features directors from The Sopranos, Entourage, Carnivale, Six Feet Under, Band of Brothers, The Wire, Deadwood and Sex and the City. The first three episodes were helmed by Michael Apted, director of the Academy Award winning Coal Miner's Daughter and producer of Dracula (FFC’s 1992).

Episode teasers are available as well as downloads (including Firefox Skins) and other behind the scenes video at Rome’s official site, here.

Elsewhere in the land of television…

For those of you other castaways dying to know what the PTB have in store for our island buddies this upcoming season including what happen in the tail of the plane, gobble down this tidbit from Damon Lindelof:

"We know she [Michelle Rodriguez’s character] was sitting in the tail section of the plane, so we know that there was at least one other survivor of the crash who's been out there leading this sort of Tom Hanks-ian castaway existence by herself.”

“…I think people are really compelled to see what's been going on with her for the last 45 days. She's had her whole own second show going on, we just weren't watching it. So, when she joins the cast, she has two backstories: (1) everything that happened pre-crash, and (2) everything that happened between the crash and when we meet her. We're gonna tell that story in one awesome concept episode.”

Thank you to my hero, Kristin Veitch for the info. Kristin promises a Lost-apaloozaa update pre season two. I can’t wait!

Now, how shocked was I to log onto Kristin’s column this week where I learned about James Marsters! I felt like Brody upon learning Stan Lee was in the mall! (That’s right, I’m a Mallrats fan too.) I mean really, James Marsters! How does something like this get past me?

So, here’s the deal. Marsters has been tapped at the Big Bad or “nemisis” to one Clark Kent on the upcoming season of Smallville playing Brainiac/Dr. Fine in six to ten episodes including the premier. Mmmm… James….

Lest any of you be confusing James for his alter ego Spike (a.k.a. William the Bloody), he will be sporting his natural brown locks and also natural American accent on Smallville.

Here’s a tidbit from the Kristin’s interview.

KV: Smallville's now on Thursdays at 8 p.m., up against Joey, Survivor and Alias. They need you.
JM: Wow. It is? That's gonna be interesting. Oh, we will smash them, Survivor with their weak story plot points. We will smash them with fiction. We will cream them with metaphor. Verisimilitude, my junky bottom. We're creating an immaculate reality that beats reality any day.

To which I say, wow – that’s hot. I might actually watch an episode.

Now for my final thought of the day, maybe some of you could answer. Why is it that I often fall in love with fictional characters? I mean, I fell in love with Holden Caulfield long before a “real boy.” The ironic thing is that when the real boy came along, he was definitively Holdenesque. And so the pattern continues my whole life thus far:

overly intelligent, depressed, sarcastic and creative boys
(five o’clock shadow is a bonus)

Minus the real life flesh and bone boys I’ve known, there was Holden, Gary Oldman as Beethoven in Immortal Beloved, Josh Jackson as Pacey on Dawson's Creek, Joquin Phoenix in Quills, Marster’s as Spike, and my newest fictional crush… Dr. Greg House. I find Hugh Laurie absolutely mesmerizing as House, so much so that I really don’t care that the rest of the show is somewhat lame. I just sit and stare at him, like a drunken schoolgirl at a college party who's not drunk enough yet to blurt out her feelings in an embarrassing soliloquy - but will by the end of the night. Which is why I don’t understand Laurie’s nick name… he was once nicknamed Boris because his features are vaguely reminiscent of “Frankenstein” star Boris Karloff.

I guess when it comes to wanting what you can’t have; I take it to the next level. Well, actually I do have what I want. If you’ve ever met Ben, you know what I mean. :0) Is this a usual psychological Nurse Betty condition I have, or does everyone crush on fiction?

Now, I’m getting all giddy.

If you’re overloaded on my TV posts, sit tight as I have some indie movie reviews to get posted.

Until next time my friends.

Getting Lost Across the Pond

2005-08-17T10:41:00.000-04:00

Those Brit's really do appreciate good TV.
(24 and Buffy fans of the world unite!)

Anyway, I just came across the ad campaign channel 4 is using to launch the show. Photographically, these are much better than the cast shots we're oh so familiar with. Enjoy.

et tu brute

2005-08-17T10:06:00.000-04:00

Why is it so hard keeping good news in? So, since I’m busting at the seams, it’s time to make it official. No longer is my film career lost in four-year “wannabe” hiatus as I have officially been commissioned to write a screenplay. Don't worry, it's not a comedy. The script is for an independent production, so I’m NOT writing Spidey 3 here nor am I quiting my day job. This does have potential as the project is lacking the Direct-to-Video-ness of a possible Wild Rabbit Psycho Killers 3 or Dark and Dirty Nights or a cast featuring Eric Roberts.

Anyway, this will be the producer’s fifth feature and the director’s second. Their previous work has garnered good reviews from the trades and played at Sundance. I was so excited to be part of a project again, I wrote the script in three days which impresses even myself. Since no one has given me any feedback yet, I have no idea if it sucks or not.

After a summer of total disappoint and utter stress, this news was obviously a welcome change.

Now from what could be, to what is…

The Comeback has grown on me. If you tuned in for the pilot and were annoyed and disappointed, believe me, I get it. In fact, if you can get past the first three episodes, the series is shaping quite nicely. Don’t get me wrong, it’s no Curb Your Enthusiasm. But, like with CYE, Seinfeld, and Arrested Development, there is something about sadistic comedy that appeals to my psyche.

Lisa Kudrow delivers a powerfully sad, pathetic, and miserable character in the has-been Valerie Cherish. The sit-com show within a pseudo-reality show concept does well at showing how obsessive, unnatural, and contrived some people can be with a camera in the room. While the Cherish character is annoying and fun to look down upon, the show’s supporting cast is where the real laughes come from. I’m a fan of Juna “baby-girl” Milken played by the adorable Malin Akerman who is a the perfect fusion of Kate Bosworth and Anna Ferris. Damien Young, who portrays “Marky Mark”, Valerie’s husband has come to steal every scene he’s in by constantly ignoring the camera’s presence and embarrassing his wife. So, if you were turned off by the first couple of episodes or never tuned in in the first place, give it a try.

On the topic of HBO, Bill Maher is back this Friday with the season opening of Real Time. The independent topical show isn’t afraid to tell any and everyone how it is. No one is safe and least of all Bill. Check out the transcripts from last season’s infamous Alan Simpson episode. Oh that HBO.

Rome is coming. While the premier is still two and half weeks away, here’s your first look.

Outside the world of HBO, the yummy Paul Rudd has joined the cast of clueless Amy Heckerling's "I Could Never Be Your Woman." Rudd will star opposite the divine catwoman herself, Michelle Pfeiffer. The cast is rounded out with Tracey Ullman, Fred Willard, and Clueless alum Stacey Dash. In a bizarre side note, Ullman plays Mother Nature.

What’s with Irish, Australian, and Brit’s getting all the good Civil War roles? The New York Daily News reports that Steven Spielberg has picked Liam Neeson as Abraham Lincoln for the bio-pic set to start filming next spring. That’s right, no Tom Hanks.

Those of you dying to see what Ebert noted as the “worst film ever made” or just struck with an obscene curiosity to check out Chloe Sevigny getting (and going) down on Vincent Gallo, Brown Bunny is now available.

Finally, if you miss the sultry voice of Fiona Apple and have trying to be compensating with Joss Stone, mark your calendar for October 4th. That’s right the controversial next album, Extraordinary Machine, has a release date, though some of you .mp3 bloggers might already have some of the tracks that were originally set for the album, it won’t be the same. For the full juicy-juice story, check here.

Return to Summer (Isle)

2005-08-10T11:32:00.000-04:00

Nicholas Cage is attempting to put an end to the antics of Lord Summerisle and he’s getting some help, sorta. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Leelee (no relation to Helen Hunt) Sobieski and Ellen Burstyn are joining the cast of Neil LaBute's indie reworking of the 1970’s occult cult classic "The Wicker Man." Burstyn reportedly plays the head of the cult.

Since we’re talking 1970’s non-gore horror…

Variety is reporting that Darren’s dream boy, Liev Schreiber, and Julia Stiles are in the works of reviving the roles made famous by Gregory Peck and Lee Remick in Fox's remake of, The Omen. Ugh, Julia Stiles? Come one. She way too young and bland. Perfect for the role would be rarely working now Gwyneth Paltrow or why not use Liev's better half, Naomi Watts. Kate Becksale would be much better too. Like with the Exoricist, the sequals to The Omen faltered terribly, but the original was quite a good film. The ending is right on key, the only thing that would make it better was if Peck’s character wasn’t interrupted… If you’ve seen it, you know what I mean.

This weekend I watched Amores Perros as part of my research for the unofficial new job I have. If you’ve ever internally tormented yourself over the issues of sleeping with your brother’s wife, leaving your family for a supermodel, or abandoning your family for political radicalism/activism… This is the film to watch. Take my advice in each of these situations and just don’t.

The film establishes the structure that director, Alejandro González Iñárritu has made his signature in the follow-up English language pick-me-upper 21 Grams (Naomi Watts) and the currently filming Babel staring Cate Blanchet. There are three stories that intertwine over one fate altering/affirming incident. More so than in the beautiful 21 Grams, Amores Perros stays liner in time for a majority of the film and breaks the stories into vignette forms.

The film was indeed good, incredible acting, directing, editing, and cinematography. The main problem lies in the story structure itself. The film is 2.5 hours. The first story clocks in at about 50 minutes, the second at 35, and the third fills up the remainder. In fact, the first story was the strongest which distracted me from caring about the rest. I kept watching the clock thinking, “this has got to be over soon.” While that may sound negative, this film is truly superior and original deserving all the accolades which has been bestowed upon it.

And from the Brain Drain Box…

In slightly good news, depending on your perspective, one week after its CBS push, Veronica Mars' UPN ratings blossomed by 30 percent to a mind blowing 101st place, or 1.9 million.

Also in Veronica news, can you guess which one of these bombshells will be joining the cast for it’s second season?

(Can you believe this was only five years ago? Talk about dated.)

Charisma Carpenter is more than a nice rack with a sci-fi cult following. The former Chargers Cheerleaders, turned teen bitch, turned warrior princess, turned goddess, turned match-maker, is moving into the the seaside community of Neptune. She is, despite what you might think, a phenomenal actress whose career I feared maybe trapped in the world of ComicCon and Playboy.

Here’s the official scoop from UPN’s website:

Carpenter will play Kendall Casablancas, a sexy trophy wife and stepmother to brothers Dick (Ryan Hansen) and Cassidy "Beaver" (Kyle Gallner) Casablancas, two of Veronica's (Kristen Bell) rival, affluent schoolmates. She will appear in at least six episodes. Meanwhile, Guttenberg will star as Woody Goodman, a charismatic major league baseball team owner and leading candidate in the local race for mayor of Neptune, Calif. To show his support for the community, his daughter will be transferring from her private school to Neptune High. He will appear in at least seven episodes.

If you’re wondering, yes, it is that Guttenberg… Move over Harry Hamlin, Steve’s gonna give you a run for your money.

The first season of Veronica Mars will be available on DVD October 11th.

While we’re talking returning television, you might want to make a note of the following premiers:

Reunion (Fox) Sept. 8
Simpsons (Fox) Sept. 11
Family Guy (Fox) Sept. 11
Gilmore Girls (WB) Sept. 13
House (Fox) Sept. 13
Kitchen Confidential (Fox) Sept. 19
Arrested Development (Fox) Sept. 19
My Name Is Earl (NBC) Sept. 20
Veronica Mars (UPN) Sept. 21
Lost (ABC) Sept. 21
Invasion (ABC) Sept. 21
Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) Sept. 22
Desperate Housewives (ABC) Sept. 25
Boston Legal (ABC) Sept. 27
Alias (ABC) Sept. 29

You Got Gold

2005-08-05T11:34:00.000-04:00

I’m glad to report that things are looking up since I last posted and starting next week, the Brain Drain will be back in action. Where, oh where, did this summer go? I’ve spent most the time helping my mother move her things from her home and put it on the market. Her place sold in less than a day, to the first people who toured the home actually. So now that that’s all taken care of…

I took the time back in July to turn twenty-six celebrating with a round of shit talkin’ mini golf after a gourmet brunch. My wonderful Ben surprised me with Wonderfalls and my very own iPod. We’re now a two pod household. When the cat needs a shuffle, we got problems. I also spent a much-needed day wandering the streets of NYC, roaming through the Met, and reminding myself of what I’m fully capable. Thank god, because little did I know how much I would need that trip.

The wedding plans are coming along as I ordered 20 bottles of champagne and 130+ red roses this week. I’m so control-freaky, I (with Ben’s help) took the time to write our own ceremony instead of letting that in the hands of the church. My god, I’m going to be someone’s wife in eight weeks.

I, as I’m ashamed to admit, haven’t been to the movies once all summer. When I get sleep, I’m happy at this point and there doesn’t seem much time for anything else. I know I’ve rented and watched films, but for the life of me I can’t remember what they were at this point. I remember I watched Exotica the other day thanks to the newest edition to my household… THE DVR!

Oh baby, where have you been all my life? Yes, I am a total geek/loser and am not ashamed to admit it. I now have the ability to experience the magic of Ari Gold by just touching a button. Let’s get down to business…

While the first season of Entourage was adequate, and only made so by Jeremy Piven’s Ari Gold, the second season has developed into my favorite non Arrested Development comedy. Having worked in an agency and having lived with an agent wanna be back in my LA days, I can truly appreciate how spot on Piven’s performance is. The characters of Johnny Drama and Turtle have evolved from the annoying “other guys” into the full blown stars of the show – after Ari of course. The last two episodes are easily my favorite of the series as Drama goes Jack Nicholson with a golf club on the PCH and we are drawn into the world of ComicCon and Vikings. The entire Aquaman arch of the season serves only to connect the antics from one episode to another and reminds us what the show is supposed to be about, some up and comer I guess. That being said, let’s hug it out bitch.

For other TV, back in June it was reported that Michelle Rodriguez has joined the cast of “Lost” full time. During her brief plot point last season, she mentioned she was in sitting in the tail of the plane. What’s it all mean, I guess there’s more to the island than we thought – duh!

The Inside, which was like Seven on the tube, came and went while the rest of you were watching D-listers dancing. Anyway, while the genius that is Tim Minear has once again been violated by the programming peeps at Fox, Rachel Nichols has signed on to Alias for next season. That’s right, from FBI to CIA without breaking a nail.

Besides watching Jonathan cry at everything and Gordon yell at everyone, summer television has been pretty bleak. Oh, but fall is coming.

I mentioned the best show on television earlier, Arrested Development. If you haven’t noticed, Fox is airing two hour blocks each Friday in August so you can catch the entire second season again. Now, I can also enjoy Buster at will too. It’s like a belated birthday present.

On a sidenote, I have also been watching The Comeback on HBO. Like with Napoleon Dynamite, I haven’t decided yet whether or not whether I love or hate the show.

On the professional front, one of my projects was officially not accepted into Sundance’s Feature Film Lab for next year. I must admit, it was the nicest rejection letter I’ve ever read. Maybe I’ll post it later. The good news is that I don’t really care because I have been “unofficially” been made an offer that could launch my role in the entertainment out of this blog and into the real world. So fingers crossed, and when it is official, I’ll share the stellar news.
Much love.

Checking In

2005-06-24T12:44:00.000-04:00

BEST LINE OF TV EVER: "What are we talking here? Are we talking Burton's batman or Schumacher's Batman?" ~Entourage's Vince to Ari debating the role of Aquaman.

PERSONAL NOTES:

Where have I been you may be asking. Well, about a month ago I learned that my disabled mother has to sell her house to pay off debt collectors (she's unable to work and therefor has no source of income). This came only a couple weeks after our dog died so things were rough for a while. Anyway, every spare moment I've had I've spent "shit shifting" as I move my furniture and belongings that I never took when I moved out to space room in our house we have yet to move into. I've also been helping my mom move her things to my grandparents house 2 hours away. They never threw anything out - family bondfire! In addition, my father's in China and my stepmother's not happy that my father's in China. My sisters are all pissed my dad relocated the family to the midwest. And who knows when we can move into our house, because Ben's mother is living there now until she finishes remodeling the house she bought last summer.

Any other few moments I've had, I've been working on my ABC Fellowship Application and my Desperate Housewive Spec. Yes, I fully believe that I can write for "Lost" better than some of the current writers and plan on proving it. (Arrogance 101 was required at NYU :0)

Throughout the month of July, I will be prepping my mother's house for sale, prepping our current multi-unit building in the city for sale, working on moving things from the building to the house in the suburbs, and prepping my garden for my wedding in the fall. Thrilling I know.

The downfall is that no film watching is in my immediate future. I've been catching the second season of Entourage where Jeremy Piven is even better than before and watching The Inside. I suggest you do the same.

Until then, The Brain Drain is on official hiatus. I might pop in every now and then. Don't worry, we'll be back in August to gear up for all the goodie goods on the new TV season.

~Ciao

THE BOX – Veronica v. Maebe: The Blowout

2005-06-08T11:25:00.000-04:00

While I abhor most reality television, I have to admit that I became utterly addicted to Blowout during it’s first season. That’s what happens when Bravo runs a marathon and I have nothing better to do that day.

There is something fascinating about diving in the most self-important narcissistic mind/ego in all the world: Jonathan Antin. No one in this world has as much love in them as this man does for himself. Watching his business practices, client and employee relations, and his general hairstyling is sinfully entertaining. For a sample, check this out.

Last night’s season two premier featured a “global” crisis. Jonathan was booked by Alia Shawkat, better known to us as “Marry Me” Maebe on Arrested Development, for her Golden Globe appearance. Jonathon tells Alia that he’s happy to do her hair, but not the way she wants it. She caves. Later, Jonathan get’s a frantic call from Kristen Bell’s (Veronica Mars) “people.” Jonathan can’t do both, but he is a god and will find a way to split himself in half to soak up double the prestige. Controversy then erupts over Alia’s potential updo, ego’s flair, backs are stabbed, and entertainment rages on. In the end Alia comes out looking the worst (though her hair looked great) as Jonathan put her and her mother in her place.

Along with everyone else, Jonathan fights to develop “Jonathan Product.” Which brings me to...

RANT - Why do stylists (not your mall people mind you) refer to any goo, spray, shampoo, etc. that goes in ones hair “product.” It’s an all encompassing term I find slightly confusing as it “Wow, you’re hair could really use some product.” It’s so non specific and not often correct. Many times, your hair needs “products.” Anyway, I have bad grammar and certainly am not the grammar police. I find industry use of the word “product” silly – not in a bad way – it just makes me laugh. Antin would call his line “Jonathan Product.” END RANT

Blowout airs everyday of the week at some point in time. Check it here.

THE BOX – “Inside” Genius

2005-06-08T10:55:00.000-04:00

Tonight “The Inside” makes its prremier on Fox. Shame on me for not reminding you everyday for the past month to get your tivos ready.

The Inside first blipped on my radar last fall when talk of the midseason rumbled through television land. Okay yet ANOTHER show about CRIME your saying. I know I know, way to beat a dead horse. BUT this just isn’t any crime drama. This is from the mind of genre master Tim Minear.

Okay, never heard of him right? Well, maybe you’ve heard of his work: Lois & Clark (that other Teri Hatcher show), The X-Files, Firefly, Angel, and the way too short-lived Wonderfalls.

All other credits aside, Minear earned my everlasting admiration by not only producing, but writing and directing a large portion of Angel: Season Three (buy it) – the best single season of drama ever aired. That’s right Lost, 24, West Wing, and ER, I said it.

In addition to Minear, Howard Gordon (Producer of 24) is the co-creator. This gets a loud “F*ck Yeah” from me. Did I mention Brian Grazer is executive producing? That’s right, from the people who brought you 24, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, and Arrested Development bring you inside evil...

The Inside:

“With very little field experience, rookie F.B.I. Agent Rebecca Locke will become part of a sinister and unsavory world when she is recruited to join the Bureau's Los Angeles Violent Crimes Unit as a new profiler. A special division headed by Supervisory Special Agent Virgil "Web" Webster that is devoted to investigating the darkest and most heinous crimes committed by human beings. Unbeknownst to Rebecca, her traumatic past that she has struggled to bury and keep hidden from others is the sole reason why Web has recruited her. That what had tormented Rebecca so long ago will give her a unique insight and place her in a specific mindset to help her tackle these cases. This is also the case with her new colleagues as Web knows each of their past histories and secrets. It remains unclear the lengths that he is willing to go with his agents in order to successfully solve a crime.”
(From TV Tome)

***For you Buffyverse fans, look forward to Adam Baldwin (a.k.a. Hamilton) and Amber Benson (a.k.a. Tara).

I’ll also leave you with this interesting set report from inside The Inside:

“The show is filmed on what used to be the Buffy the Vampire Slayer sets, and Minear’s new office is Joss Whedon’s old office. The floor the Buffy writers occupied for seven years is pretty barren, now. The movie posters that used to line the hallway (Dude, Where’s My Car?) and artwork plastered on the writers’ office doors is all gone, as is the huge neon Buffy logo that used to take up half the wall on the first floor. There’s been no time to redecorate, the new sets took precedence and have only been standing on what used to be the Hellmouth for a couple of weeks. Besides, this building is to be leveled in the summer, having been sold by FOX Studios. Other than a bottle of holy water and some discarded wrapping paper from Christmas gifts strewn about Minear’s office, everything is sort of beige and non-descript, but there’s really no reason to settle in completely.”

You can find the complete coverage at http://www.timminear.net/

2005-06-03T14:38:00.000-04:00

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "If he wants to see 'Chicago,' I've left him two tickets -- one adult, one child." Brooke Shields... in regards to TomKat. BS is currently on the London stage as Roxie Hart.

THE BOX: Finale is lost on cast...

2005-06-02T13:18:00.000-04:00

Keep your hands where we can see 'em boys.

As it turns out, 49th Castaway wannabe's, Josh Holloway (a.k.a. Sawyer) and I have two things income - well in addition to the fact that we both think he's damn pretty.

First of all, I'm happy to see I'm not the only one who was mondo disappointed with Lost finale. As you can read more about on www.zap2it.com, Mr. Holloway was as well.

HALLOWAY - "I was a little disappointed in the finale. I liked it, but I didn't love it. The script was one thing, but they tried to do so much, I feel like that some things lost the power they had. But that's okay; it was still good."

Apparently the director failed to capture key elements of the script including the "Shower of Meat" - Arzt meat - and the fact that the kidnaping boaters were identical twins.

RANT - Okay, I feel that I'm a keen observer, but I didn't catch the twin angle. Did anyone else? What I did catch, though, was that they were using a motor boat - MOTOR boat. Now I'm not mechanical engineer, but doesn't a moter boat normally require gasoline? So where, prey tell, are they getting the gas? Oil I can accept may exist on the island, but where is the refinery? Is that the black smoke? I sure hope not. - END OF RANT

Holloway also diverges that alot more was shot on the waves than what we got see.

Oh, if you're wondering what the second thing we have in common is, we both find Dr. Jack "Foxy." More about the boys' "brotherly love" and "Lost" can be found here.

That's Hot...

2005-06-02T10:19:00.000-04:00

I'd like to extend my congratulations to fellow NYU UGFTV alum - and my former actor's craft buddy - Jesse Metcalfe on his recent Teen Choice Award nom. Jesse left NYU after being cast in Passions, but has become the object of desire for numerous women after mowing the lawn of Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria) on "Desperate Housewives." Jesse has also been cast in the title role in John Tucker Must Die (sometime 2006).

Jesse's fellow "Hottie" nominees include Adam Brody, Ashton Kutcher, Chad Michael Murray, Jesse McCartney, Omarion, Orlando Bloom and Usher. Choice Hottie Female nominees include Angelina Jolie, Beyonce, Christina Milian, Eva Longoria, Jessica Alba, Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan, and Rachel Bilson.

The awards will air on Fox on August 16th.

It's Picture Day on the Brain Drain

2005-05-27T10:42:00.000-04:00

Maybe I'll make Friday permenant picture day, who knows? Today, though, offers up some hot shots from the network upfronts. I'll be honest, I'm being biased. I'm happy to see so many Buffy/Angel alums working; let hope they survive cancellation. Below are also pictures of pretty people, talented people, or in some cases, pretty talented people.

Enjoy the photos. I'm desperately going to try to make it into a theater this weekend so maybe I'll have a new review up. Oh, and I finally after trying all wintereand spring, have a copy of Friday Night Lights to watch. Damn you, blockbuster.

Have a nice weekend.

2005-05-27T10:41:00.000-04:00

I love Chris Rock so it's no surprise that I'm looking forward to "Everybody Hates Chris" this fall on UPN.

2005-05-27T10:40:00.000-04:00

You might be at my family reunion if you look like any of these people. Check out Jason Lee in My Name is Earl, this fall. Comedy may not be so dead after all.

2005-05-27T10:39:00.001-04:00

2005-05-27T10:39:00.000-04:00

One word: Goldberg

2005-05-27T10:38:00.000-04:00

Honestly, I know nothing about this show, The Gate, but, this woman, Marguerite Moreau is so striking, I had to share.

2005-05-27T10:37:00.000-04:00

There's Allie, with Doogie, isn't she cute?

2005-05-27T10:36:00.000-04:00

Now that's a fish! Brad Cooper hops from Alias to a new confidential position, "Kitchen Confidential."

2005-05-27T10:35:00.000-04:00

Have you seen Sin City? Have you seen this woman in Sin City?

2005-05-27T10:34:00.000-04:00

Check it out, Finnigan is coupling with Lindsay! Okay, okay... Well Jennifer Finnigan is returning to crime drama after a brief encounter with sitcom life. Christian Kane (formerly of Wolfram & Hart) joins her on CBS.

2005-05-27T10:29:00.000-04:00

Why is Henry Winkler on a sitcom that is not "Arrested Development," and on CBS no less? Stockard Channinig co-stars in "Out of Practice."

2005-05-27T10:28:00.000-04:00

Whether or not FOX's "Prison Break" will be any good, Robin Tunney still deserves to be looked at. Yum!

2005-05-27T10:27:00.000-04:00

Betting on the Spielberg/Cruise summer sure thing "War of the Worlds"... ABC is launching it's own INVASION this fall. The first thing I thought when I saw this photo was... "So, that's what happen to the people in the tail of the plane."

"Lost" fans lose out

2005-05-26T13:22:00.000-04:00

Let’s for a moment look at the concept of the “cliffhanger.”

Ross and Rachel during pretty much any season finale of Friends: Cliffhanger.
When Nina shot Teri Bauer: Cliffhanger.
When Carter and Lucy were stabbed and left dying: Cliffhanger (mid season no less).
When Wolfram and Hart resurrected Darla: Cliffhanger. Actually, every season finale of Angel – besides season two – featured some of the best cliffhangers in television history.

Memo to Lost staff: If J.J.’s to busy with Alias (which I heard rocked your face off last night), let David Fury write the script. Outside the pilot, David Fury has been responsible for the best, most mysterious, and most “cliffhangery” episodes all season. After all, he got lots of practice with Angel.

So, what did happen on that wacky island?
(sad spoilery ahead)

Hey, guess what morons, the other people want your children! Like we haven’t known that most of the season?

We did get to finally see the “monster” which as far as I can tell was black smoke accompanied by a mechanical drawbridge-like sound. Ooh, smoke, scary.

How do I really feel you might be asking? Don’t hold back, you say? Well…

Here’s the good:

- Arnzt blew up. “You got some Arnzt on you.” Best line of the show.
- Sawyer had an excuse to take his shirt off.

Now the bad:

- The back story came across as filler and offered nothing new, like say STORY.
- Sap is for trees and conosuers of Lifetime – not sci-fi adventure.
- What was with the slow melodic music playing forever over images? I felt like I was watching the end of the Return of the King (which was summing up enough of a hell ride to justify it, unlike this episode. )
- Nothing really happened… or did I miss something?
- I’m betting there was more drama on American Idol.

I kept waiting for something to fucking happen. Where's the "oops i crapped my pants" ending I've been hearing so much about?

The season finale of Lost was not only the worst episode of the season, but it was so badly written and directed, I’m contemplating if I ever want to watch the show again. Yes, I’m actually offended.

Veronica Mars, you won my heart.

To everlasting belly rubs...

2005-05-20T20:34:00.000-04:00

Today my dog died. Chalk it up to breakdown number three. A real downer, I know. He was a really good dog. He died peacefully in his sleep all curled up on the couch, heart failure. He was only seven. Here to you, my fluffer-nutter puppy, and that eternal belly rub you always wanted.

RIP Soho, Feb. 1998 - May 2005

(Darren, know that you were his favorite of all my friends.)

Topher and Tobey Together at last

2005-05-20T09:52:00.000-04:00

The wonder boy will be in good company on the set of spiderman 3. Sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun. Anyway, Topher Grace, a.k.a. the next Tom Hanks (take that Colin), will join Miss Dunst, Mr. Franco, and Tobey in the third Rami installment of Spiderman. Production starts 2006.

While Thomas Hayden Church has already been cast as a “nemesis.” Nothing is known about Topher Grace’s part in the film. Is it a coincidence he bares a striking resemblance to Tobey’s Peter Parker? I don’t know enough, or pretty much anything, about the Marvelicious character history to wager a guess. Do you? If so, share.

Give a girl a break (down)

2005-05-19T13:50:00.000-04:00

So, since I’ve last shared my comments with the world, I’ve had two (or more) nervous breakdowns, helped put half a new roof on my mom’s house, got sun burned at the future inlaws’ yard sale, designed my wedding cake, found out I need a new stylist for my wedding, dropped 8 pounds, gained back 5, been forced to yodel in business meeting, and had a “pre-stroke episode” consisting of a condition know as aura vision. I know I’m a drama queen, but it really has been kind stressful. Oh, back to the simple times of college. Where have I been, I’m sure you’re thinking. Cause you want all my wonderful opinions of course. I know, What a time to have everything fall apart!

I have yet to make it to the theater to see Kingdom of Heaven and Crash. Now with the Sith folks, it’s gonna be way too pack for my frazzled girly nerves to handle it.

Do it Daddy…

No wonder mama Echoll's killed herself. Or did she? I smell a season two plot twist.

Veronica Mars wrapped up it’s stellar debut season with a phenomenal last two hours. So who killed Lily Kane? It wasn’t her dad – been there done that Twin Peaks fans. Was it Duncan, who by the by, is not Veronica’s brother. Whew! That was a close case of incest. Was it one of Lily’s lovers? Yes, yes it was, but not the one (which ever one) it is you’re thinking. Keith Mars! No, just kidding. The long awaited murderer was none other that Col. Mustard, I mean Aaron Echolls (Harry Hamlin). After seeing HH in “Blow Out,” not to mention Clash of the Titans, I find him very disturbing. I’m glad he was the scum in question. Why? Because I just love Logan too damn much.

Veronica may have wrapped up all the loose ends besides you know the identity of the person who came a knocking at 3 a.m.

Is it over yet?

Jack Bauer’s fourth day in the public eye is finally drawing to a close. This is the worst season of 24 ever. It’s so bad it tries to be good again. Alas, it gets stuck. After reading an article last fall about how character of Jack was based on Captain Kirk, I can’t take the man seriously anymore. I just can’t. I keep watching out of habit, but it is quite sad. A couple weeks ago, Chloe killed a man to the worst “duh, duh, duh” scoring I’ve ever heard. God forgive me, but bring back Kim and Nina. While overly predictable for the viewers, their antics are still better than this shit. Oh, and in case you forgot, I love Tony (and his soul patch.) Can Carlos Bernard (Soulpatch) join the cast of Lost next season? He can help Sawyer with all his shirtless sweaty needs, like bamboo chopping…

Uh, yeah. You work that bamboo, mmm... just like that.

Two boat loads of fun

Yes, Exodus is upon us. Last night four of our beloved castaways set a course for the virgin sea. Next week, none of our questions will be answered on the two hour season finale (Exodus pt. II) of Lost. What can I say? Island has power, kids are the key, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Once and for all Jackie boy, my torch is bigger than your torch. Wanna play "Star Wars" ?

Anyway, I had this dream the other night that I opened up the hatch from the jungle. Actually, there were two hatches, the numbered hatch from Lost and the seal of Danzalthar (BTVS Season 7). Anyway, I opened the hatch which was linked to the seal with some kind of magical code with the help of my cat. Suddenly blue goo, like paint, oozed out only to become diluted to the point of aqua water. It smelled like kerosene causing my head to ache. I tossed my cat out a window to a space with clean air. Then I woke up with a level 10 migraine. Yes, I am this much of a dork.

Speaking of blue water...

Did anyone happen to see the end of Revelations? I saw three episodes: the first two and the last one - Mostly because Ben (mine) hates Jennifer Garner (more so than I once did) and won’t watch Alias. So, that was probably the crappiest ending to any mini series I’ve ever seen. It’s the worst ending to any film, play, short story, tv show, and joke in my consciousness. WTF?
Okay, sorry for that sidenote.

‘Til Death Do Us Part…

DH and Lost fans, look for one of the characters in each show to die in the next week. I’d be most happy with Andrew (DH) and Michael (Lost) cause both are overly annoying.

Backing up the Front

As If that wasn’t enough, the networks have rolled out their new schedules as I bring up the back end of the upfronts.

ATTN UPN: Morons! I CAN’T watch Lost & Veronica Mars at the same time!!!!!
Top Model a strong lead in my ass. Honestly, your network sucks. It’s not about giving Veronica a stronger lead in, it’s about what the show is up against. I’ll give up any Law & Order, even 24, Alias, House, but not Lost. It’s time to blink UPN. Thursdays at 8 sounds good to me.

Make new friends…

Television is truly missing a show about scientists and law enforcement and sexual tension between collegues. Leave it to Fox to come up with the ever original ideas.

David Boreanez has a new X-Filey type show on Fox called Bones which gets an actual valuable AI lead in. Granted, that’s if Bones doesn’t get cancelled before hand.

Memo to Alyson: Get better hair. Hire a stylist. I hear Harry Hamlin - your tv papa - knows a guy.

Alyson Hannigan finally had a sitcom picked up; this one on CBS with Neil Patrick Harris called “How I met your mother”. Xander, I mean Nicholas Brendon, also has a comedy on Fox’s schedule, Kitchen Confidential. That’s right, those Buffversers refuse to stay dead.

Just one more thing Xander has in common with my Ben. A Chef's jacket.

Divine Intervention

God doesn't care about ratings and neither do we! Long live Arrested Development.

The best news of all is that Arrested Development was also picked up and will settle in right at home on Monday nights. YAY!

For the lowdown on the networks newbies and rearranging, check out pretty much any entertainment news site like Variety or Zap2it.

All of this and Rene Zellweger pulled a Julia Roberts, secret weddings between A list super talents and country singers never work out, darling.

And that’s simply all the more I can write about for now.

~Tootles.

third time's the charm

2005-05-05T14:05:00.000-04:00

So, if you aren't already aware, David Fincher is the reason that I went to film school - Seven - and after a leave of absence, the ultimate reason why I gratuated film school - Fight Club.

I can't recall how many times I've seen Fight Club. It probably tops the amount of times I've seen Spaceballs which, for those of you not familiar with my talent to recite the film beginning to end on long road trips, is a lot.

I often said that Fincher's films alternate between good (Panic Room) and great (Fight Club). Since PR hit screens, I've been desperately waiting for the next great thing from Fincher. First their was his reteaming with Pitt in "Seared" which has never been spoken of since it's announcement. Then he took MI3 making it his first priority, but then again who hasn't been attached to direct MI3. (I think even I was at some point mentioned) Anyway, that project is now in the lap of JJ Abrams a.k.a. Lost-Alias genius.

But what about David?

According the trades and the wires, Fincher and Pitt are going at it again with F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Cate Blanchett is also attached to the project. I'm crossing my fingers, but not holding my breath.

Hopefully, this summer will actually see Fincher on set again with Zodiac, the serial killer thriller staring the delicious Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo. Mmmm.

Speaking of Nicole Kidman (okay, Panic Room)... She is hopefully reteaming with her Moulin Rouge director, Baz Lurhman in what I quote is "Australia's own Gone with the Wind." Russell Crowe has signed on as her boy toy. I have a feeling he's more Rhett Butler than Ashley Wilcox.

you da man

2005-05-03T10:09:00.000-04:00

The best actress on Desperate Housewives is finally getting her props, though not for the frazzled character most people know her for. Felicity Huffman won the best actress prize at the Tribeca Film Festival playing a transsexual woman in "Transamerica."

First Look at This Week's Lost

2005-05-03T10:05:00.000-04:00

If you're dying to see some images from the final, EXODUS, check out Lost Media. Warning, they are spoileriffic.

I always wanted to play house on a tropical island in a magical jungle in the middle of nowhere.

2005-05-03T10:04:00.000-04:00

Locke, we have you red handed, I mean red shirted. Don't make me get out the bamboo spikes.

2005-05-03T10:03:00.000-04:00

Good Bye Boone - maybe.

two for the road

2005-05-03T09:58:00.000-04:00

That's right Marsaholics, there are only two more to go and so many questions to answer. 9 p.m. can't come soon enough. Who raped Veronica and who killed Lily are the biggies. I'm assuming everything else falls into play around these to instances.

Could Keith Mars have killed Lily? Check our Kristin's column at E! Online.

those wacky wysterians

2005-05-03T09:50:00.000-04:00

So like my daughter was dating the son of the man who kidnapped him as an infant from your mutilated drug addict girl friend. I guess this make him or he at least seems to be your psychotically disturbed son, right? What are the odds they'd live right across the street. If we like start having sex again cause - you're my "one" - what does that make Julie and Zach? And who exactly did chop up your girlie girl and why was their a great big explosion in my house? I hope it's Edie, cause that would at least be good karma. This sure is one wacky street.

damn dirty yet darlin' hippies

2005-05-03T09:45:00.000-04:00

Cameron Diaz hugging a baby tree MTV's "Trippin'"

you killed my mother, prepare to die

2005-04-21T16:24:00.000-04:00

ABC finally made official what most people have known for the past month. Olin will return to Alias this season. Read the official word...

ABC confirmed Thursday (April 21) that Lena Olin, who played Irina during the show's second season and had since resisted creator J.J. Abrams' entreaties to return, will guest-star in the show's final two episodes this season. They're scheduled to air at 10 p.m. ET Wednesday, May 18 (the second of two episodes that night) and May 25 (following the two-hour "Lost" finale).

Reports of Olin's return have been bubbling for several weeks, but ABC is also offering a few details about how her character will be worked into the show's story. After finding out she's alive, Sydney, Jack (Victor Garber) and Nadia (Mia Maestro) will track Irina down and enlist her help in stopping a catastrophe brought on by followers of the mysterious Rambaldi.

this isn't marc cherry's house

2005-04-21T11:06:00.000-04:00

Isn't Logan (Jason Dohring) cute? He's such a hottie. I'm so glad the writers of Veronica Mars spun our towheaded heroine away from the sweet and handsome cop to the tortured wealthy hottie. She's a girl after my own bad taste in boys. In fact, Logan so much resembles my former roommate, I'm sometimes really disturbed. Veronica is getting good, damn good... and it will RETURN NEXT SEASON!!!

As for Arrested Development, the jury is still out. The show must come back, but where and when is still uncertain. Look for my upfront coverage in May.

My last note before I get personal, has anyone watched Tru Calling the past couple weeks? It's actually really good. It's 500% improved from last season which is why I'm almost sad to watch each episode knowing it's predestined fate.

Sorry I haven't posted much lately my anonymous virtual friends. It seams to be developing into a sad sad trend. Here's the lowdown: work sucks. My "real" work. For the past month, it's been getting ickier and ickier. When I started this blog it was a way to entertain, inform, vent, and counter boredom that fluorescent lights and carpeted cubby walls tend to bring. When times were good and people where happy I needn't concern myself with too much. Oh how times have changed. My plates kinda full now with wedding planning, trying to keep my job by getting my hands dirty with my staff, and trying to pave a road out of my perplexing and sometimes retched home town (this would be the screenwriting). Now that two of the scripts are down, I'm working on figuring out what to do with them. Yes, I'm thankful I have friends in LA now. I knew that summer wasn't a complete waste. On top of that, Ben and I will be packing up and moving in about two months. My father is packing up and moving my family from the South to the Midwest (i'd say for the better) at the end of the school year. My mom is packing up the home I grew up in to move back to the home she grew up in near my late grandpa's one time horse farm. When you add in my early morning schedule and early bedtime now, it seems as if their isn't time for anything. You might know this from the standard conversation...

ME: I miss you.
FRIEND: I miss you too.
ME: We totally need to hang out some time soon.
FRIEND: I know, it's not like I'm busy with anything else.
ME: How about lunch sometime next week, or happy hour beers?
FRIEND: Okay, well you know where to find me.
ME: Call my office.
Hug and on our merry ways. It used to be easier than this.

So, I promise I will try to update when possible, but if I don't too often, don't be mad at me. Don't worry, I will fully tackle the season finale's of Lost, Desperate Housewives, and Veronica Mars. It doesn't help that everytime I seem to want to post anything, I end up with serious blogger speed issues.

The Upside of "Desperate"

2005-04-08T11:57:00.000-04:00

Kristen at Eonline, my favorite columnist after Dear Abby, has some straight up reporting on the Housewife debauchle without any of that glammed up tabloid crappola. Here's a recap...

"I've talked to people who were at the shoot, watched the video footage and can tell you this: Teri did get weepy, Marcia did drop a few F-bombs, and the shoot did get a little out of control. But it seems that any truly outrageous behavior may have come from the people working the shoot, not from the girls themselves, and that said, this whole thing may have been blown a teensy bit out of proportion.

For starters, you should know that tension and tears are pretty much commonplace at photo shoots, because everyone is miserable. You can't sit down, or you'll wrinkle. You can't breathe, or you'll pop a button. You can't find anything to wear that doesn't make your ass look like it's the size of Wyoming. And no one eats. "

For the entire story, read Kristen's column.

mr. murdoch, save our show

2005-04-08T11:55:00.000-04:00

For some good warm and fuzzy news on this dreary east coast friday....

"Liguori is 100 percent behind Arrested Development and unless Rupert Murdoch says, 'Over my dead body,' it will come back."

For more on Arrested fate, check this out.

Also find out why GOB (Will Arnet) is saying....

"What's that, America? You want me to do a bunch of nude episodes? Great! I'll do it. America, I'm saying if you want me nude, I'm ready. Just go ahead, ask."

POPCORN: Which Sin City cast member would I most like to have sex with...

2005-04-07T12:35:00.000-04:00

That's such a hard question to answer but in the end, it was clear.

So, I finally saw my first theatrical film of year and it wasn't the Ring Two. My current schedule allows only a brief window of opportunity to get into the theater on Saturday or Sunday. Factor in the fact that I despise crowds and cant afford anything more than matinee prices, and the time table was very narrow. For Sin City, I made it.

Sin City follows three intersecting short stories set in the same corrupt violent metropolis. The film is adapted from the works of Frank Miller and directed by Miller and Robert Rodrigez.

The story of Nancy was by far my favorite. This story opens and closes the film bookending the two other shorts. This portion stars Jessica Alba (in her best performance) as Nancy, a victim of kidnapping an attempted sexual assult who grew up to be a stripper, and Bruce Willis as the cop who saved her as a child. Willis and Alba have a disturbing but great chemistry which works in this noirish tragedy where each character is ultimately a victim of irony. I found this story to be above all else, poetic. It's power was perfect to open and close the film.

The story of Goldie was by far the most violent. It's great to see Mickey Rourke acting again and not in films like Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man. He even get's to work with Kiera Knightly too. When I was young girl I caught Wild Orchid on Showtime late at night. Let's just say I learned a lot about sex from Mickey Rourke and Zalaman King (9 ½ Weeks, Wild Orchid) long before I learned a lot about sex. Back to the story, so Rourke's character wakes up next to a dead angel/prostitute, Goldie (Jaime King). He's framed for her murder and sets off on a quest for revenge and blood. His quest leads him to Elijah Wood's character, who has a disturbing fetish - think Texas Chainsaw Massacre. (Finally other people realize how creepy Elijah Wood really is)

The story of Old Towne was by far the most comical. I don't know what it was, I think it was Dwight's (Clive Owen) voice-overs and hallucinations combined with the over-the-topness of the whores. This story follows Dwight as he tracks down a the ex-boyfriend of his current girlfriend. When the boyfriend gets killed the red light district, the girls discover that he was a cop and fear the truce of Old Town will be destroyed.

My over all impression... This is the most violent film I've ever seen. Granted, I can't make it through all of Audition. The photography was stunning, but then again I had to keep reminding myself that besides the actors, everything was animated. The raw themes of violence and sexuality worked well within the black and white animation. If this film had been adapted in a more standard method, I'm sure I would have puked or left at some point. With white blood and shadows, the violence becomes it's own disturbing art form.

The script was original and instantly classic in it's use of the voice over and the slightly campy tone - think Sunset Boulevard. Speaking of, this film has redefined noir, Neo-Noir if you will, that far surpasses L.A. Confidential.

As for the cast, most disappointing was Alexis Bledel whom I thought fell flat on her face with a chance to break out from her Rory persona. She's so great on the Gilmore Girls, is she in a rut? Her delivery of her lines felt awkward and forced and not in a creative purpose kind of way.

Oh, in case you're wondering, it's Carla Gugino. Who knew the mom from Spy Kids looked so good naked?

THE BOX: Veronica Mars wins by a landslide

2005-04-07T11:05:00.000-04:00

Okay now a while ago I posted about Eonline's "Save One Show" (SOS) campaign. And, I know, I'm about two weeks late on reporting the results. I was shocked, and just thought I'd share.

1. Veronica Mars (UPN): 56%
2. Arrested Development (Fox): 9%
(the rest do not matter)

First, I'd just like to say, Tuesday's used to be so hard to choose between Veronica Mars and House seeing that I still live in a TiVo-less world. No longer is it an issue. The past two weeks of Veronica have been phenomenal, so why are people not watching? My friend Jon asked me one time, why I like the show. He's watched it, he just doesn't get what's so great about it. My Ben doesn't like it either. I think the reason I love Veronica is because I feel like I'm watching myself in high school. Granted my dad wasn't a private eye and I didn't work for him and my best friend wasn't murdered, etc. But, there was an incident of sort that found me ousted from my so called friends which opened my eyes to the world around me. I became too sarcastic for my own good. After that I was pretty bitter as well as smart and my life flipped upside down. I had my issues and I survived them only to come out surprisingly well adjusted and "normal." I'm still too sarcastic for my own good and tend to sport my hair in pigtails, but that's besides the point. This is definitely a show for girls, of all ages. Throw in the Jessica Fletcher mysteries and top it off with Gilmore Girls style pop culture references and the show is my current favorite on the air. Please, people watch it.

Oh that reminds me... Those mysterious neilsen families. I finally met one. As it turns out, my best friends parents are now a neilsen family. I got to see the box and everything. Unfortunately, they have no desire to watch either Veronica Mars or Arrested Development.

THE BOX: Who wants to be my freak bitch?

2005-04-07T11:03:00.000-04:00

Speaking of Arrested Development, my favorite comedy, I am constantly amazed by the shows ability to get better and better and better every week. This show NEEDS TO BE PICKED UP. I don't want to be part of a world where there are no new Arrested episodes. How can you not find this to be the funniest show on TV, you freak bitch?

THE BOX: How to photograph a housewife

2005-04-07T10:39:00.000-04:00

No one put's Teri in the middle.

Desperate Housewives returned from it's time off with a bang last week. This past Sunday's episode was one of the best. Between it and Lost, I'm just plain giddy. A couple days before Boone died is pure drama, Mama Solis kick the bucket in pure comedy - some damn good comedy.

Sunday's episode made me feel more for each of the character. I'm starting to dispise Susan (Teri Hatcher) for her dimwitted victim trips. The men on the other hand, were quite good. When Rex threw his heartless and not yet out of the closet son up against the wall to protect Bree's (Marcia Cross) honor, I was happy. Finally this man has done something not weak-willed and skeezy. Doug Savant was redeemed as well treating his wife with all respect she deserves. Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) became more pathetic. There is a reason why Eva isn't nominated for awards, her character sucks. No, I'm not talking in that "love to hate" Nicolette kind of way. Just sucks.

Now the gossip circling the cast is more interesting than their alter egos. Apparently Marcia made Teri cry at a Vanity Fair photo shoot. Now it's not Teri's fault that she's nominated for awards and wins when the other ladies sit on the sidelines. It's not Teri's fault she makes four times as much money as the rest of the ladies either. It's not Teri's fault that men think she's hot and therefore is put on the cover of many magazines. You musts admit though, to be Marcia and Felicity must be a pain. These two ladies are by far the strongest actors on the show, and are getting very little credit. Apparently, Marcia finally snapped. Watch out for red heads; they're fierce. Again, none of this is Teri's fault, but if were Marcia I'd hate her too. Why? Because I'm an irrational girl, of course. I hope these girls can get along and the media can try to play fair. I mean, no one wants to be Janet when they could be Chrissy now do they?

THE BOX: Boone didn’t die, he was murdered.

2005-04-07T10:08:00.000-04:00

Wowsers!

Yes last night’s Lost was one of the best of season. Matthew Fox earned and Emmy in my book and redeemed his somewhat boring character that has faded since the pilot.

Last week, if you missed it, Boone attempted to radio for help and the island fought back sending him smashing down a bluff in a prop plane. Locke heroically carried his dying disciple back to Dr. Jack before disappearing into the jungle.

ABC hyped the previews so much portraying Boone’s death, I thought for sure that Jack would save Boone and Claire would die in childbirth. Like 24 did earlier this week with the obvious attack of Air Force One, Lost stayed the course without any last minute “won’t get fooled again” twist. While 24 has become a cliché of it’s former greatness like a bloated over weight boxer, Lost delivered an emotional and nail biting episode that tossed me out of bed. I haven’t been so close to passing out from watching a network episode of television since the season premier of the 2001 (or 2002 can’t really remember) ER – you know, the one with the helicopter and the arm and the blood and the triage… yeah, Lost was kinda like that.

Dr. Jack first stabbed Boone in the chest to compensate for a collapsed lung.

Then he “reset” his broken leg during which I screamed, convulsed, and performed other girlie actions known as “freaking out.”

Jack then used a sea urchine to tap his veins and perform a blood transfusion on Boone until his leg became swelled with blood and Jack looked “goth.” Now, the only thing left to do was to amputate the leg that was collecting the blood. Sun meanwhile learned that Boone was bleeding internally.

If that wasn’t enough, Charlie, Kate, and Jin had to force Claire into delivering a baby in the middle of the jungle. Thank god no cesarean was needed. Who knows what Dr. Jack would have ripped Claire open with.

If all this wasn’t traumatic enough, Shannon and Sayid were conoodling on the beach unaware of the days events.

In the end, Jack let Boone die of his own wishes and Claire delivered a healthy baby boy which I don’t think is a coincidence. Let's just call him Boone II.

After breaking the news to Shannon, Jack went to find John Locke. You might say, he’s committed.

live your life like you're gonna die, cause you're gonna

2005-04-05T12:19:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while and boy do I have lots to post about including Desperate Housewives, 24, Veronica Mars, Lost, The Office, and my first film of the year Sin City. Unfortunately between work and wedding and my old friend sleep, I haven't had much time for anything.

Today though, thanks to Darren (No. 1), I created a quiz about myself because I'm vain. If you know me, and what to see how well take the All About Angie quiz.

Now, in honor of finally completing my first feature length screenplay, I've created another quiz. The screenplay, The Men of Margot Merriwether is based on the guys I've grown up around throughout high school and college. So if you're dying to know who of Sam, Joe M. Darren H., Brian J., Gustavo, Mario, Adam, Mike, Peter, Brian S., Carlos, Aaron, John V., Dan, Marcello, Jon G., Joe B., Kevin, Bob, James, and Darren K made it into the story, hope that some one will like to buy the script. Or you could just ask me, I guess? Anyway, if you think you really know me, take Advanced Angie: The Boys and find out how much you know about my favorite things.

The Gimme: The answer to the first question is "Joe". I figured I'd just tell you because the real answer is Byron but I programmed it in wrong. So, everyone should have at least 10 pts.

2005-03-29T09:53:00.000-05:00

LOVE on LOVELACE...

Hole star, Courtney Love, has been cast as porn star Linda Lovelace who was most famous for her anatomically abnormal "Deep Throat" character. The film's working title is "Lovelace". Lovelace later said that she was basically a sex slave of the adult industry and drugged to perform. She died a couple years ago. Love on the other hand was the wife of musical legend Kurt Cobain. Her handling of the rights to his recordings and journals as well as other alcohol and drug offenses, has made Love a star of Court over the past few years. In the late 1990's with the help of Milos Forman, Love actually gained respect for her roles in "The People v. Larry Flint" and "The Man on the Moon." PvLF is one of my all time favorite films. It's not hard to see Love expanding her portfolio from Althea Flint, former centerfold AIDS junkie to Linda Lovelace.

i love being a girl! or whatever

2005-03-28T16:21:00.000-05:00

So, I found myself mildly offended by a personality quiz today. If you're used to my Lost ramblings, you know that I absolutely love Sayid, Locke, and Sawyer. While checking out the ent news wire on zap2it, I happened upon a test. We all know our favorites but...

Which castaway are you most like?

I couldn't resist and honestly was bored at work. I figured I'm somewhere between Hurley and Dr. Jack, but no standout "oh I'm totally (*#@!!." Well I took the test and according to my results, I'm a Shannon. WTF?

"People are happy to build your shelter and catch your fish because your pretty. Pretty people do not work - it ruins manicures. Besides, being pretty IS work. Why do ugly people not get that."

This is about as far from my personality as I can imagine. I'm not even pretty. Okay, well I'm pretty, but I'm not blonde in a string bikini pretty. I'm not Maggie Grace pretty. I've never had a manicure either. Okay, well if substitute "pretty" with "intelligent" this would totally fit. But pretty? I'm not that vein. I'm oodles of insecurity. Do I have an inner celebutant? Am I an inner selfish bitch? Nah... didn't think so. Will someone else please take this wacky test and let me know if your results are anywhere close to accurate?

Alyson tests the power of three

2005-03-28T14:40:00.000-05:00

I love Alyson Hannigan which is apparent to anyone who reads the blog. You should love Alyson too! After what was reported to be a poor choice with her development deal at NBC ("Americana"), Hannigan signed on for a supporting role with ABC's "In the Game" staring Jennifer Love Hewitt. Both projects fell though.

Since she hung up her witch willowness on "Buffy", Hannigan (also star of the American Pies) has been doing plays in the West End and guest staring on "Veronica Mars." The actress has widely publicized that she wants a 1/2 hour comedy gig. Well, making her third attempt, thirty one year old Hannigan has signed on to "How I met your mother" a sitcom for CBS which sounds Raymond-y.

the good... the bad...

2005-03-28T14:28:00.000-05:00

The upside is that Zach Braff - best director of last year with Garden State - will be directing something other than episodes of "Scrubs"... a music video. Yes! The bad news is that it's for Gavin Degraw who's OTH song is quite possibly one of most annoying songs I've heard this past year. No! It's right up there with that damn whiny obnoxious "Beautiful Soul" song which I might ad also has WB connections.

The video is for the song "Chariot" and should be on air sometime in the next month.

it's like salman rushdie and paris hilton

2005-03-25T12:29:00.000-05:00

Michael works for SD-6?
Lily was too "frumpled"?
Dom as Sawyer?
Holloway on When Animals Attack?

If the palm tree's a rockin...

I'm talking about Boone and Shannon of course peoples. Get the goodies on Lost including the finale's not to final ending - uh, Angel fans, hello? Remember when Darla emerged from that cage. You yelled OH SHIT! Right? Or 24 peoples, when Teri was shot and the clock started ticking as she was bleeding in Jack's arms, NO!!!! I hate cliff hangers, but I have to admit, I love them. I can't wait to see what JJ will pull. Also, if you're that jackass playing "the numbers" in powerball, Jorge wants you to stop. For more gossipy goodness... Kristen's column this week on Eonline is all about Lost. Yes peoples, the wait is almost over.

To pre order Lost (Season One).

they call it "the moon"

2005-03-25T12:12:00.000-05:00

If you love to shake your meatwad, you'll be happy to know that Aqua Teen has been picked up for another season. That means all new episodes starting in the fall and a possible movie for 2006. Click here for a special message from the mooninites.

it's a sin

2005-03-25T11:41:00.000-05:00

A week from today, Sin City, a film that promises to be the most groundbreaking and visually stunning film of the decade will open in theaters across the company.

Directors make many sacrafices, especially the great ones. Have you ever tried it? Anyway, Robert Rodriguez made a huge sacrafice for Sin City. He reliquished his membership in the DGA to make it. Apparently, having buddy Quentin Tarentino credited as guest director was against the rules. The two also buddied up on From Dusk til Dawn and two for the four stories in Four Rooms, both back in the 90's. It's quite apparent who wrote and directed what seeing that each has a distinct style.

You might not think that getting kicked out of the DGA is all that big a deal, but then you'd be wrong (ha!). It's not just a little club. The guild's sign contracts with the producers and studios so that only persons in their networks can work for each other. This means that RR has to operate completely outside the studio system. Granted, this is what he's done most of his career, but it set limitations. Imagine what this man could do with a budget. I mean, look what Sam Raimi did with one: Spiderman.

"I mean, I can't do a studio movie that was developed by a studio now, but that just means, you know, I should be doing my own material." ~Robert Rodriguez

Creativity is something that should never have limits placed upon it.

we need the pain to enjoy the glory

2005-03-25T10:45:00.000-05:00

For you fellow Lost junkies, Zap2it.com has an interview with Josh Holloway who plays my favorite castaway, Sawyer. Check it out.

The best part is according to the article, Lost will be back with all new episodes March 30th which is about 2 weeks earlier than was first reported. YAY!

THE BOX: Do it to me one more time...

2005-03-23T15:26:00.000-05:00

Fuck you, Fox.

Okay, so someone at Fox is on the hot seat once it was discovered all the votes from last night on American Idol (or Idiots) were invalidated. As it turns out there was a SNAFU with the phone number system including which number was allotted to which contestant. So not wanting to hurt their precious, Fox has bumped the results show and inturn is running an hour of American Idol tonight (9 p.m. when you should be watching Alias). They are rerunning last night performances with a "live element" which undoubtly will be Seacrest trying to sell you Coke and a Ford and a Cingular cell phone. The results show will air at 9 p.m. Thursday.

Now for the BAD NEWS...

"Life on a Stick"'s highly promoted premier tonight has been completely preempted to make room for the heftier AI. LOS's preem has be pushed back to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday following the results show... or THE SAME TIME AS THE OFFICE!!!

Fuck you, Fox.

POPCORN: hbo and new line turn newmarket fine

2005-03-23T15:23:00.000-05:00

Newmarket Films, most famously distributors of Monster and The Passion of the Christ along with other independent and arthouse fare, has an admire. New Line Cinema and HBO Films just announced plans acquire Newmarket Films
and combine it with specialty label Fine Line.

be back before dawn

2005-03-23T10:34:00.000-05:00

March has been a bleh month for the Brain Drain as it’s been a bleh month in general falling off the Academy Awards and Lost’s “Numbers”.

I could again tell you how brilliant Arrested Development was this week, but you should already know that because you should be watching it!

Desperate Housewives is returning with new episodes on Sunday – THANK GOD! I can’t remember the lasteepisode I saw. I certainly don’t remember what happened.

Tonight after AI results show, Fox is premiering “Life on a Stick” which from the previews looks quite funny. It is on opposite Alias which is the downer – 9:30 on Fox. If you’re a sitcom lover at heart, check it out.

Speaking of sitcoms, Thursday NBC’s Americanized version of The Office will premier. This has the makings of the next Arrested Development – News Radio type show. Don’t miss this. Unless you just can’t miss the latest corpse on the lastest drone forensic show, at 9:30 p.m. you should be watching The Office. Here’s to hoping it doesn’t suck. It does star Steve Carrell folks; how bad could it be? Anyway, what better way to follow up shark jumping lesbians and oversexed adults on Fox.

Now for the interesting news, every damn story since Friday seems to involve a Buffy/Mutant Enemy alum.

Joss Whedon is writing/directing Wonder Woman which I mentioned earlier. While many ME followers know Joss’s tendency to cast those he’s familiar with – much speculation fell in the Charisma Carpenter/Sarah Michelle Geller corner. Me, guilty, I know. Joss himself at the recent Wizard World (a geek-a-thon I’m guessing) convention answered questions about Wonder Woman. As reported by zap2it.com…

---“The audience laughed accordingly until he [Joss] swiveled to look at Morena Baccarin -- a brunette "Serenity" cast member sitting to his left -- and added, "Where will I find a dark-haired, olive-skinned beauty?" The hundreds of fans crammed into the Long Beach Convention Center's ballroom went wild. Whedon strengthened the message that Baccarin was a contender to play the heroine, when afterwards he was seen discussing "Wonder Woman" with her at his side.

As for X3 which Joss was rumoured to at one point direct, that assignment has been given to “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" producer Matthew Vaughn.

In more news, Eliza Dusku (Faith from “Buffy”/”Angel”) will again see the harsh light of day as Tru Calling’s final “lost” episodes find airtime. Before Gail – hates Arrested Development – Berman steps down from her post at Fox to take over Paramount, she pushed Tru to replace Point Pleasant at the 9 p.m. Thursday time slot. This was the home held by Tru Calling last year where the show out performed both North Shore and Point Pleasant. Point, if you need reminding was created by Marti Noxon, former Buffy exec producer and and gifted writer. Unfortunately, PP is very poor in quality, at least the hand full of episodes I’ve seen. To it’s credit though, so was the first season of Buffy.

To all you Tru Calling fans, don’t get your hopes up. The show is still cancelled. The final six episodes begin airing March 31st.

In my final bit of news, Michelle Trachtenberg (“Harriet the Spy”/”Eurotrip”) best known as Dawn Summers, Buffy’s kid sis, is currently appearing in Ice Princess. Yes, this is the film that Kim Cattrall dissed her “Sex in the City” co-stars for in turn foiling any plots for a “Sex” movie. Riiiiight.

Trachtenberg has been announced as the star of “The Dive From Clausen's Pier” which is based on the book of the same title. This is a Lifetime film and looks downright painful to have to watch, but it’s being adapted by Harry Winer, a writer on both Veronica Mars and Alias. Okay, Lifetime? If you need a Dawnie fix like so many men I know disturbingly do, I recommend checking out Mysterious Skin, the new film by Doom Generation and Nowhere filmmaker Greg Araki.

Wonder Woman battle has begun…

2005-03-18T08:48:00.000-05:00

Okay, actually it’s be going on for well over a year now. Both Sarah Michelle Gellar and Charisma Carpenter, former "Buffy" co-stars, have made it clear they want to step into Linda Carter’s boustier. While each have offered different physical assets to the part (I’m talking butt kicking skills people), things got very interesting yesterday when it was made official, Joss Whedon - creator of both "Buffy" and "Angel" - will write and direct the big screen version of the girlie superhero.

This isn’t the first time SMG and CC have competed for apart. Any Buffy fan knows that Carpenter auditioned for Buffy and Geller for the part of Cordelia. Joss on the other hand loved both girls, but saw them differently.

While I personally believe Carpenter would be far better suited for the role (and the costume), let’s not forget she and Joss are not the best of friends. During season four of Angel (2002-2003), Carpenter dropped the bombshell that she was pregnant. This unfortunately created a problem for Chase character, a loving warrior who became a super sexy sword wielding love interest in the third season. Rumors then surfaced that Joss was furious with Carpenter and had to rework the entire story arch of the season turning it into an Oedipal like theme - love your mother, kill your father – centered around Conor. Joss then killed the character of Cordelia Chase by putting her in a coma at the end of season four and killing her off in season five (“You’re Welcome”). The show became a misogynist catastrophe without Carpenter and was cancelled only a couple weeks after the You’re Welcome episode aired.

While SMG starred in the haunting beautiful Japanese horror film The Grudge last fall, Carpenter has been well off the radar with only guest TV spots on the cancelled Miss Match and Charmed. Carpenter has never had a feature film career while SMG also has credits in Scream 2, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Cruel Intentions on her resume just to name a few.

Whedon’s feature film directing debut will hit the screen this spring, Serenity. The film is adapted from his short lived television series Firefly. He has also been rumored to take the rains of X3 while Bryan Singer dives into Superman Returns. Whedon’s film writing credits include Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), Toy Story, Alien: Ressurection, and Titan A.E.

Why don’t we offer Amy Acker and Eliza Dushku the role too? We can throw all for ladies into a vat of jello and whip cream. Last woman standing is most wonderous.

"Planning life as a loser? Most people just turn out that way, but you're really taking charge"
~Cordielia Chase on Xander Harris

In even more Buffy related news, Nicholas Brendon who played Xander Harris for seven years has just signed on the Darren Star pilot “Kitchen Confidential” for Fox. He’ll play a pastry chef. I find it quite ironic seeing that the character of Xander is so similar to my Ben… and guess what he does for a living? Ironic. Since Buffy went dark, witty and talented Brendon hasn’t done much but enter rehab.

March (Movie) Madness

2005-03-16T10:42:00.000-05:00

So this week I began my 4:30 a.m. wake up call and have been passing the wee morning hours with cycling, steam yoga, strength training, and all that jazz. With the lack of Desperate Housewives and Lost these past couple weeks, I'm bored. Luckily Arrested Development has been on an ultra-brilliant streak. One word: MotherBoy. I've also become very into That 70's Show reruns and am developing a strange attraction to Hyde. What can I say, I love a smart ass. P.S. Lost isn't set to comeback and wrap up the season until mid April. One more time, Damn you ABC!

Anyway, Darren sent me an amusing link this morning that takes on film like college basketball. I immediately thought of a friend of mine who was always most happy (or least sad) during March. Now if you could combine the experience of his favorite comedies with the "excitement" of March Madness, I'm sure he'd be almost happy!

Will Miss Agnes take Best In Show? Or will she be left Waiting for Guffman?

Anyway, I took the time to weigh the films in my own mind from the four different divisions: Broad Comedy, SNL Alums, Smart Comedy, Classic Comedy. It was very difficult. How does one ever choose between The Graduate and Dr. Strangelove? Or, between Best in Show and Election? It was very close.

My final four came down to Shaun of the Dead, Beverly Hills Cop, Best in Show, and The Graduate. At the end of the day, Best In Show, took best in show.

Play for yourself, share your champion with me.

et tu Bruce Willis?

2005-03-11T15:01:00.000-05:00

Looks like Lindsay might be tired of Rumours, but not her Dad... read on:

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - If the rumors were true, both Bruce Willis and Lindsay Lohan would have one-upped their exes.

The two were reportedly doing some die-hard canoodling at the after party of Willis' premiere for "Hostage" on Tuesday, March 8, although flacks for both insist their charges behaved in a strictly professional manner, report news sources.

"She is not interested in Bruce Willis in any way but as the producer of her next film," says Lohan's rep. Willis is producing the romantic comedy "Just My Luck," which co-stars "Princess Diaries 2" hunk Chris Pine.

Willis, 49, allegedly embraced Lohan, 18, throughout the evening, to the point that her pants slipped down to display a tattoo -- that her spokesperson describes as on her "lower back" -- that reads "La Bella Vita" (The Good Life), not "La Bella Vista" (The Beautiful View) as an eyewitness cheekily insisted earlier.

The pair then reportedly went back to his suite at the Peninsula Hotel to while away the early morning hours.

Lohan is only two years older than Willis' eldest daughter Rumer, while the "Die Hard" star will turn 50 in a week.

After Willis' split with ex-wife Demi Moore -- who has been carrying on a romance with 27-year-old Ashton Kutcher -- he dated actress Brooke Burns, 26, until June 2004. Lohan has been at loose ends since her relationship with "That '70s Show" star Wilmer Valderrama ended in November 2004.

Willis recently appeared in the comedy sequel "The Whole Ten Yards" and next stars in the crime thriller "Hostage," which opens nationwide on Friday, March 11.

"Mean Girls" star Lohan's other film credits include "The Parent Trap," "Freaky Friday" and "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen." She recently released her debut album, "Speak," and is currently filming "Just My Luck" in New Orleans. Her latest Disney remake, "Herbie: Fully Loaded," will open nationwide in June.

'Suspicious farmer set trap in his barn'

2005-03-11T10:19:00.000-05:00

I'm bored. It's been a boring week in the world of rerun television and no new films are out that I have any desire to see. Ben and I rented Ginger Snaps and Maria Full of Grace last week. Friday Night Lights was still out! We have yet to watch them though. I'm slowly adjusting to my waking at 4:30 in the morning to accomodate our new work/car pooling schedule. Which meant I (eek!) fell asleep before "Alias" this week. Okay kiddies, for your Friday entertainment to cap off this week, is a true - I shit you not - article that ran in my hometown paper this week. Enjoy...

Arrest in sheep assault on farm
By ELIZABETH EVANS The York Dispatch

An alert farmer and the motion-detecting system he installed in his Paradise Township barn helped police catch a man they suspect sexually assaulted a sheep early yesterday.

Northern York County Regional Police Officer Pat Gartrell captured Bruce Charles Englar as he was walking out of Terry and Cindy Patterson's barn in the 600 block of Big Mount Road around 3 a.m.

Englar, 53, of 4658 Bentz Road, North Codorus Township, is charged with burglary, attempted intercourse with an animal, possessing an instrument of crime, criminal and agricultural trespass and loitering and prowling at night. He was released on $10,000 bail yesterday.

Examining the sheep: Police said charges against Englar will be upgraded if an examination of the animal confirms signs of sexual abuse.

"We're going to have a veterinarian go out and examine the sheep," she said. "We'll have to wait to see what the results show."

Smith said she sees "no reason" to euthanize the ewe.

Sounding the alarm: According to Englar's arrest affidavit, Terry Patterson told police he installed alarm and intercom systems in the barn because he suspected someone was sneaking inside at night and assaulting his sheep.

Early yesterday, the alarm sounded and Terry Patterson ran outside while his wife called 911.
The farmer looked in the barn window and saw Englar in a corner holding a sheep to the ground, belly up, police said.

Police said Gartrell arrested Englar as he was leaving the barn.

Englar was dressed all in black and had twine in his pocket, which matched twine found hanging in the barn, police said.

Englar told police he was just "petting" the animal, according to his affidavit. He then asked for a lawyer.

The Pattersons did not return a phone message seeking comment.

Smith said the number of reported cases of animals being sexually assaulted is low.

"But I think it happens more often than we know about."

MUSIC: O Damien

2005-03-04T10:11:00.000-05:00

There are plenty of blogs out there, like The Big Ticket, that do such a bang up job of music and .mp3 work, I don't even try to compete. That, and I don't have a way to host the files. On this Friday though, I wanted to share with you the music of Damien Rice. His amazing album, "O" (buy here) has contributed to two very poetic scenes in the past couple of months both on television and in the theaters. If you've been haunted or dying to listen to "that song" from Closer (Natalie Portman's theme) or "that song" that Hurley was listening to right before his batteries finally died on Lost last week, I strongly recommend buying the album which contains both The Blower's Daughter and Delicate.

Eskimo Friends happens to have .mp3's available of live versions of the songs. Follow the links below to their site (and buy the album).

Happy Friday friends.

As heard in Closer:

2005-03-04T10:07:00.000-05:00

Damien Rice - The Blowers Daughter.mp3

from eskimofriends.com

As heard on Lost 1-17 "In Translation":

2005-03-04T10:06:00.000-05:00

Damien Rice - Delicate.mp3

(from eskimofriends.com)

THE BOX: Good-bye Lenny!

2005-03-03T11:49:00.000-05:00

At 10 p.m. tonight, tune in to say goodbye to Detective Lenny Briscoe.

(from zap2it)
---The newest addition to the ridiculously successful "Law & Order" franchise, "Trial By Jury" takes viewers through a criminal trial by offering every point of view -- from the attorneys on both sides to the jury. Sounds delectable. In tonight's premiere, Assistant District Attorney Tracey Kibre (Bebe Neuwirth, "Cheers," Broadway's "Chicago") investigates the murder of an aspiring Broadway actress but has little evidence to prosecute the suspect, an acclaimed but self-absorbed theater producer (guest star Tony Bill). Joining her for the investigation is fellow ADA Kelly Gaffney ("Third Watch's" Amy Carlson), as well as investigators Hector Salazar (Kirk Acevedo, "Band of Brothers") and Lennie Briscoe (the late Jerry Orbach, in one of his final episodes). The show moves into its regular timeslot Friday night.

THE BOX: lost in a numbers game

2005-03-03T11:12:00.000-05:00

WOWSERS! Where do I start. Last night's Lost was fan-fucking-tastic. Of course, so have been all the episodes written by David Fury. The ex-Buffyverse writer twists, turns, and mystifies in each episode he writes enhancing the bizzaro island world.

While not my favorite castaway, most are totally in love with Hurley and last night was "his" episode.

LOST 1-18: Numbers

The last pivotal episode, 1-14 Special, which coincidentally was also written by David Fury, was the first that actually made me contemplate that fact that they are not dead. For a refresher and my take on the meaning of numbers and children, check it out here.

The symbolism of the three or the trinity is echoed once again in numbers as we learn that Hurley has a fatalistic tie to the island.

The episode works backwards from Hurley through the connections. For the sake of clarity, I'm going to start at the beginning. As the story goes...

1. Two Australian naval officers were assigned to monitor air waves coming out of the Pacific. All they ever heard was static, until one day they picked up a frequency with a message "4 8 15 16 23 42". One of the officers retired from the navy. During a carnival, he entered a contest. The trick, guess the amount of beans in a container and win $50,000. So the man guessed 4,815,162,342. He was exactly right. From that point on, his life spiraled into disaster after disaster until he put a shotgun in his mouth. The other naval officer went insane. When we meet him, he is playing connect four and eating the checkers. He mumbles to himself repeatedly, 4 8 15 16 23 42. Apparently, Hurley did a bid in the mental institution. We don't know why, all we know is that he's touchy about the subject. After settling back into "normal" life, Hurley decides to play the lottery: 4 8 15 16 23 42. He wins, BIG! The biggest lottery winner in history, Hurley becomes plagued by bad luck, fire, death, pain, and ruin. He keeps getting richer. Monkey's Paw, anyone? He believes he's cursed only to then decide that the numbers are cursed. He returns to the institution were the old nutty man tells him the source of the numbers and that they are the key to the box (Pandora's if you will). Yes, still, when I think "key", I think Dawn and mystical monks. I think hellgods. I think, "this can't be good". So Hurley travels to Australia to find the other officer only to discover his fate. On the way back to LA, the plane goes down...

2. So, what does this have to do with island? These are the same numbers that are written repetitively on the French ladies map. When Hurley discovers this, he's off to track her down. After, explosions, bullets, and collapsing bridges Hurley finally confronts here. She shares with him the story...

When she and her family were sailing in the south pacific, they picked up this random frequency: "4 8 15 26 23 42". They tried to trace it assuming it was a distress call. They shipwrecked on the island; disaster insued. The woman eventually found the source, a radio tower near "the black rock". So this never happened to anyone again, she stopped the frequency and replaced it with her own - the one from the pilot part II.

3. In the last shot we find out that these numbers really do represent a box, literally. They are marked on the hatch Locke and Boone have been trying to open for weeks. Cue the music: Dunh, dunh, duh!

(Is anyone thinking Cube; has anyone seen cube? )

And that kids, was the best episode thus far.

Up next on Lost:

"Deus ex Machina" or God in the Machine:

The next new airing is at the very least three weeks away. ABC is evil. They always put a break after the most awesome of episodes. The next ep is Locke centric and entitled "Deus ex Machina". Considering the title, the character involved, the lack of promotional shots, and that co-creator Damon Lindoff penned it himself, look for the entire world of Lost to be turned upside down.

If you aren't familiar with Greek tragedy or the literary term "Deus ex Machina", let me elaborate: (from dictionary.com)

1. In Greek and Roman drama, a god lowered by stage machinery to resolve a plot or extricate the protagonist from a difficult situation.
2. An unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot.
3. A person or event that provides a sudden and unexpected solution to a difficulty.

Six episodes to go:
We know one castaway dies. Does anyone else suspect the birth of Claire's baby will be the season finally? Will she die in childbirth?

2005-03-02T12:12:00.000-05:00

Buena Vista Home Entertainment releasing Lost: The Complete First Season on DVD Sept. 20. The six-disc set includes deleted scenes, casting tapes, bloopers and other featurettes and retails for $60.

THE BOX: sending out an SOS

2005-03-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

Over on E! Online, Kristin has launched her annual Save One Show (SOS) campaign. Her column this week brings us all up to speed with the fate of our favorite shows from "code black" or dead (like Enterprise) to "code blue" which means only a freak accident will keep this show off the air, like Alias (yay Alias!).

While most of the shakey shows, like North Shore, deserve their shakiness... There are two exceptional shows that you evil Neilsen families aren't watching.

Code Red: Veronica Mars, which is my favorite new show of the year and Code Orange (slightly more healthy) Arrested Development which is simply pure genius.

Please visit E! to vote for a show. Kirsten then lobbies one specific executive on behalf of viewers everywhere. She's quite relentless and good to have you your show's side. The problem, we can only save one.

Click here to vote and get the lowdown on your shows' status.

POPCORN: four in a million

2005-03-01T09:33:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm sure you know by now that Million Dollar Baby took top honors and earned director Clint Eastwood, and cast members Morgan Freeman and Hillary Swank all Academy Awards Sunday night. For a full list of winners, check just about anywhere on the internet.

The show was as boring as the fashion this year as everyone played it safe. Bring back Laura Ziskin! At least her 2002 broadcast was fun, screw the time. The broadcast was Sunday, it's only Tuesday, and I've already forgot just about everything that happened. All but the much anticipated Jamie Foxx ,delivered drone speeches. There were no Native Americans, teamster jokes, or streakers. There was no self effacing humor. Chris Rock was great and his jokes and sketches were all that garnered a laugh. Hey, Sean Penn - get a sense of humour! I will say the changes weren't as awkward as I suspect they would be. I did find it most insulting that not only did the orchestra overplay some speeches, but the cameras would cut away as well. That's just rude.

Had I not spent the night with Darren, Kevin, and Ben, I would have fallen asleep at some point after Sydney Lumet's speech. That, and Darren forced me to eat lemon meringue pie. The sugar rush alone had me spinning; no Merlot needed. Enjoy the brief glimpse into our boring lives...

2005-03-01T09:31:00.001-05:00

My favorite picture of the night!

2005-03-01T09:31:00.000-05:00

I think this picture of Ben, Joel, and sideways paraphernalia speaks for itself.

2005-03-01T09:29:00.000-05:00

Take the one and only glimpse you'll ever get of me.

POPCORN: the superficial side of the oscars

2005-02-28T15:15:00.000-05:00

Yes, I will get my fashion opinions up and out of the way. More than awards, the Oscar red carpet is glam and hi style at it's best. 2005 saw a slightly bizarre trend. First, no one looked horrible. Why? Because everyone looked the same, well except for Hillary Swank who didn't get the memo. Annette Benning sabotaged it.

Actress 1: What are you wearing?
Actress 2: A super tight strapless mermaid dress.

Actress 1: Shut up, me too!
Actress 2: No way, bitch I thought of it first!

Actress 1: Well, mine will stand out, cause it's red.
Actress 2: Shut up, me too!

Okay readers, I have a questions, why is iit that a white man can't wear a suit like a black man. By far Jamie Foxx, Chris Rock, and Puffy blew away the white boys. Whatever they got, take notes boys!

Okay now to the pictures and pronouncements: The Best Dressed...

2005-02-28T15:12:00.000-05:00

1. While Kate Winslet has been left on the losing end more times than most people have every been nominated, she's without a doubt the most glamourous fashionista of the night. Though she didn't get the gold accessory she was looking for, she has a great backup. I'm of course refering to Sam Mendes not the 40cts. in diamonds.

2005-02-28T15:08:00.000-05:00

2. Cate Blanchette is dressed in two very ugly colors that most people would run from. However, Cate looks like a buttercup blossom that was given an angelic human form for one night only.

2005-02-28T15:03:00.000-05:00

3. Catalina Sandino Moreano looks absolutely smashing. For the numerous people watching who had no idea who she was or what's she's done, she makes a breathtaking first impression.