Trip Report - Day Three ~ Part Two

Well, I have absolutely no pictures for this segment (there really wasn't much that was photo worthy) but at least I have some video.

So when I left off, we were enroute to get our rental car in a taxi. We rented the car from Alamo, which was located near Union Square. It was the best price I could find for a one way rental, and I actually booked it online through Orbitz.

So the taxi dropped us off, and I dragged all our luggage inside and waited while Brian signed all the paperwork and got the GPS I had also rented. I thought about bringing ours from home, but across the country and a two week vacation seemed like too much trouble for one day. So decided it was worth $11. There was a little confusion as to where our car was, but we got pointed in the right direction. We had to go into another garage and find our red Chevy Aveo. (Yes, of course I had reserved the cheapest type of car!) The trunk was small, but we had all the backseat, and so we loaded everything into the car and I started to try and get the GPS to find us.

I don't know what it is with GPS', but they always seem to take forever to locate us! We knew we had to leave the garage in order to get a signal, so into the roads of San Francisco we went. Of course the roads around Union Square are pretty congested, unlike the rest of the city we had seen. It was kind of stressful, driving in one direction waiting for the GPS to catch up with us! (I had TOTALLY forgotten that I had written directions in my phone. Yeah. Way to fail.) Anyway, the GPS finally got with the program and we got on the highway and headed out of San Francisco to San Jose. The drive was rainy but fine and the roads weren't very crowded because it was before rush hour. I found a decent station on the radio and enjoyed the lovely CA scenery. Despite the rain.




We arrived at the DoubleTree San Jose about an hour later. It was still raining. We went to check in and our room was ready. We were also given two delicious chocolate chip cookies. I love those! Brian had a little confusion with the parking situation, but we got to our room and brought our stuff in. It was very nice! Big, and we had a small balcony, even if the view was of the parking lot and it was raining.

We just relaxed for awhile and discussed what we wanted to do next. We both wanted to see a movie - sherlock Holmes - so I researched where the nearest theater was and we decided to head over there (with the help of our GPS) to see the movie.

I forget what time the movie was, or what time we left, but it was dark when we got there. We didn't have any trouble finding the mall (Thank you, GPS) but the parking lot was crowded and it was still raining. We weren't really sure where we were going, so we just parked where we found a spot and went into the mall. This mall was technically in Milpitas and it was called Great Mall. I swear, that's what it was called. Anyway, this mall was one level and it was HUGE and full of great stores. There was actually outlet stores in the mall! Man, I wish our malls were that awesome out here. I saw some stores I wanted to stop in, but there wasn't a ton of time before the movie and we still had to find the theater, so we kept moving.

The theater ended up being at the total opposite end of where we were - and it was outside. And still raining. There was a bit of a line, so we hopped on it, and gawked at the prices. And we thought NY was expensive! It was almost $11 a ticket. But more than that, I was perplexed why they felt the need to post a sign stating that firearms were not allowed in the theater. We weren't in a bad area or anything! Very strange. But luckily we just made it in time to get the matinee price, which I think lasted until before 6.

Anyway, we grabbed some snacks and saw the movie, which we both enjoyed. I just love Robert Downey Jr. He's a very good actor. Afterwards there wasn't too much time before the mall closed. Brian wanted dinner, but I had eaten popcorn and I was good, so I went shopping while he headed to the food court and had a hot dog or something. I ended up buying this really cute dress. I don't remember the name of the store, but it wasn't a store we have out here. It was kind of like Forever 21, because the clothes were cute and inexpensive. It was called Love Culture actually. Afterwards we found our car, went back to the hotel, showered and went to bed. We had a big day ahead of us!

Here's a look at the weird street lights in San Jose and a brief review of the our night:

NEXT...

Winchester House...of Mystery!
An important lesson about rental cars
San Diego delays

I (heart) Netflix and Broadway

More trip report will be coming up in the coming days. But I needed to take a break from that for a bit.

I signed up for Netflix awhile ago, and after the free trial was over I kept it. I have the cheapest plan - one DVD and unlimited streaming. I use the streaming the most. Between the PS3 and our Netflix enabled Bluray, it's really handy to have so many movie and TV shows ready to watch whenever I want. The streaming library grows all the time - just today I discovered they have Into the Woods! Into the Woods!! Really?! That isn't exactly a common movie to have. When it comes to musicals their selection leaves a lot to be desired, but there are a couple of good choices and I'm sure there will be more as time goes on. (Where is Show Boat?! I know it's old as hell and probably never came out on DVD, but come on! Find a way!)

I've been on a bit of a Broadway kick lately, which is evident in what I've watched on Netflix streaming lately:

Stagedoor - A documentary about the musical theater camp in upstate NY. It was interesting, and a quick watch.

Life After Tomorrow - This was an interesting and slightly disturbing documentary about the girls who were in Annie during the 70's and early 80's on Broadway and on tour. (Including Sarah Jessica Parker - totally forgot she was in that.)

Broadway: The American Musical - this was a six part series that originally aired on PBS, I believe. Hosted by Julie Andrews, it chronicles the history of Broadway from the turn of the century until like 2004. Very interesting and entertaining.

Singin' in the Rain - Can you believe I had never seen this before? It was really good - Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor. Man. Stars don't have talent like that these days. And Gene Kelly was like 40 when that movie came out and he's dancing all over the place.

Besides being on a musicals kick, I'm also on a old movie kick. I plan to watch a bunch in the coming weeks... I'm sick of new movies. Most of them suck. Why can't people write a story any more? It seems to be we're just relying more and more on special effects and computers to tell our stories for us...which is impossible.

I have seen two new movies lately - The Hangover and Zombieland. Both were good. The Hangover was amusing and entertaining but not the non stop laugh-a-thon people make it out to be. I only laughed out loud a handful of times. (I do, however, finally get what's so hot about Bradley Cooper. Yum.) So over hyped, but still good. Zombieland was amusing, the perfect length and not very gory for a movie about zombies.

That's about it for now - FYI, if you set up a station on Pandora Radio for Wicked (Original Broadway Cast) you mostly seem to get music from Rent, Disney movies and Glee. (And Wicked, of course!) That's what I've been getting with my latest station, anyway.

Top 10 Christmas Movies

Okay, it's that time of year. (Obviously) Every year I tell myself I'm gonna watch alllll these Christmas movies, and I never do. Oh, I manage to squeeze one, two - maybe even three in there. But I never watch as many as I'd like to.

Until this year. I've actually watched 8 of the movies on this list! Plus I've watched other movies and TV specials that didn't make the list/couldn't make the list. (I didn't include TV specials, otherwise forget it!)

So without further ado, my top 10 favorite Christmas movies of all time.

10.  The Santa Clause

I've always had a soft spot for this one. You gotta admit it's pretty original - Santa dies so this working single dad gets stuck being Santa and has a year to accept it. Meanwhile his son runs around telling everyone he's Santa, and everyone thinks he's warping the kid's brain. Funny and touching - all the things a good Christmas movie should be. I even like the sequel, I must admit.

9. A Christmas Carol

I like the old school one starring Alistar Sim - it's my favorite version that doesn't involve puppets. Everyone knows the story here - unless you're secretly from Mars. It's the most classic Christmas story out there. Seriously, it's a brilliant story - far and away the best thing Dickens ever wrote in my opinion. ...And I don't like anything else he wrote, so that's not hard. But I love, love, LOVE a Christmas story, and yeah, I read it. Under my own power. This version sticks pretty close to the book, which is why I like it so much. "Bah! Humbug!"

8. A Christmas Story

"You'll shoot your eye out, kid!" There's a reason this movie is shown in a 24-hour marathon every year - it is hilarious! Oh, little Ralphie's quest for a Red Ryder BB gun never gets old. Who can forget Flik's tongue getting stuck to the pole? Or dad's "major award"? Or the Bumpass' dogs? There are just so many memorable scenes. Most memorable is probably the scene with Santa, where Ralphie grips onto the slide for dear life to tell Santa what he wants, only to get a shoe in the face. Ho ho ho!

7. Muppet Christmas Carol

Muppets? Songs? The story of A Christmas Carol? Yes, please! The Muppets can do no wrong in my book. And they certainly brought their unique sense of humor and their entertaining tunes to this version of the classic tale. Gonzo and Rizzo are great as the Narrators. And Statler and Waldrof as the Marley Brothers? It's packed with great stuff.

6. Bad Santa
This isn't your typical Christmas movie. It's rated R.
And for good reason. The main character is a drunken criminal named Willy who robs malls every year with his accomplice after he's been playing Santa and has had a chance to scope out the place. There is foul language and sex all over the place! But there are tons of laughs - and there's definitely heart here too. This is such a well written movie - you will root for Billy Bob Thorton's character despite his many, many faults. If you haven't seen this one, you're really missing a great movie.

5. Home Alone

If you were a kid in the early 90's, you've probably seen this movie many, many times. I know I have. What kid wasn't captivated by Kevin's fight against the evil burglar's? Plus he got to eat all that junk food and set up all those cool traps! This movie puts a smile on my face every time. And I even like the sequel. But those other movies were never made as far as I'm concerned.

4. Miracle on 34th Street

Colorized? No. That new one they made back in the 90's - hell no! How dare they! The original is an amazing film with a smart script and fantastic acting behind it. There was a reason Natalie Wood was a top child actress - she was brilliant. Just look at her face when Kris Kringle tells her he's really Santa Clause that first time. I absolutely love the scene where all the letters get dumped on the judge's desk. This is the kind of movies they made before they could rely on stupid special effects.

3. It's a Wonderful 
Life

Another old school classic. Watch poor George Bailey's life get messed up time and time again! But in the end, he realizes how much he's has. Jimmy Stewart is an amazing actor. You really feel for George at every twist and turn. And the part where he and Mary are sharing the phone - now that's real sexual tension for you! Also, if you don't at least have tears in your eyes by the end, you're a robot.

2. Elf

Elf is everything a great Christmas movie should be - original, clever, funny and it makes you believe in the magic of Christmas. Okay, call me corny, but I really love this movie. Will Ferrell is always awesome, but he's truly endearing as Budd the Elf who meets up with his real dad in a human world he just doesn't understand after being raised by elves. Sure, maybe the ending is a little corny, but I think the best Christmas movies have a little of that too. Plus, "You sit on a throne of lies" is one of the best lines ever.

1. Christmas Vacation


A small paragraph is not enough to truly convey my love for this film. I can quote large sections of it. Basically the whole thing is one awesome scene after another. It's hilarious and endearing - the best family related Christmas movie ever made. Well, in my opinion anyway. All Clark Griswold wants is to throw a fun old fashioned family Christmas - but his family and boss keep getting in his way. By the end, you'll be singing along with everybody else. And you gotta love Aunt Bethany and Uncle Lewis. And that squirrel.

My Top 10 Christmas Movie Quotes

Okay, this was a difficult list to make. I LOVE Christmas movies, and so narrowing it down to just ten movies was hard enough. But then I decided to choose only 1 quote per movie. Many of these movies have many quotable lines, but I stuck to only the best of the best and, in some cases, the most classic lines. And yeah, some of these are technically TV specials, but what're ya gonna do.

So here we go. These are in no particular order.

     Hey! If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is! Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where's the Tylenol?  

    Christmas Vacation (1989) This movie is full of classic lines - many of them ones I know by heart from watching it so often! If you've never seen this movie, you're seriously deprived - it is THE funniest Christmas movie ever, hands down. There are so many classic moments. "SQUIRRRRRRRREL!!!!" - Just one example. But the above quote comes at the climax of the movie, where the main character and family patriarch, Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase) snaps after finally getting his much anticipated "Christmas bonus". Ah, the holidays.

   The old man stood there, quivering with fury, stammering as he tried to come up with a real crusher. All he got out was...  
   Naddafinga!

   A Christmas Story (1983) Yet another classic movie chock full of quotable lines. It was hard to pick just one from this movie. "You'll shoot your eye out, kid." immediately comes to mind, of course. But I just had to go with the father's reaction to his "major award" being destroyed beyond repair. The whole lamp saga is my favorite part of this must see holiday staple. If you've somehow managed to avoid seeing this movie, um, TBS? 24 hours of it starting on Christmas Eve? Seriously. No excuse.

   Didn't I ever tell you about bumbles? Bumbles bounce!

   Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964) I'm actually watching this classic TV special as I write this. Love, love, LOVE this one. I have tons of figures and ornaments based on the characters in this beloved Christmas staple. Yukon Cornelius is my favorite character - and he's the one who gives the line I chose to quote. The "bumble", of course, being the Abominable Snow Monster - post dental work.

   You sit on a throne of lies!

    Elf (2003) This movie may be only 6 years old, but it's an instant classic. Again, soooo many quotable lines. "I love smiling. Smiling's my favorite." Will Ferrel is hilarious and endearing as Buddy  - a human who managed to accidentally sneak into the North Pole as a baby and wound up raised by elves. It's a movie I have to watch every year. The ending always puts a big smile on my face. I wish they made more Christmas movies nowadays in the same spirit as this one. Anyway, the quoted line comes from Buddy when he confronts a department store Santa. It's a scene you really should see for yourself, if you haven't already.

   And what happened then? Well, in Whoville they say that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day. And then - the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch found the strength of *ten* Grinches, plus two!

   How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) Yeah, I'm talking about the classic, original cartoon version that was made for TV - not that horrible Jim Carey movie that I couldn't stand watching for more than 10 minutes. Dear god, that was an abomination. Anyway, I absolutely love this version, as well as the original book. I know large portions of it by heart. I used to own Grinch hats and t-shirts and all that crap. I have a much loved stuffed Grinch that's comes out every holiday season. I'm sure everyone has seen this special. The quote I chose comes from the ending, and it pretty much speaks for itself.

   Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to. Don't you see? It's not just Kris that's on trial, it's everything he stands for. It's kindness and joy and love and all the other intangibles.

   Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Again, I'm all about the originals. Remakes. Bah! Humbug! Anyway, this movie is another classic, of course. It's timeless. And, of course, I love it. It's just a movie with a great story before the days where special effects took over. The quoted line comes from Doris Walker, played by the beautiful Maureen O'Hara, who has spent her entire life teaching her daughter to view things realistically - that there's no point in make believe or believing in things you can't see. But after meeting Kris Kringle, the man she hired to play Santa at Macy's, she begins to see the world in a whole different way.

   Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.

   It's a Wonderful Life (1946) The movie the studio tried to kill by releasing it in summer, believe it or not. They thought it would bomb. Well, little did they know they had produced one of the best Christmas movies of all time. Like many of the other movies on this list, it's a classic, a classic that's been parodied many times. It's a wonderful story with a feel good message. The line I chose is, of course, a classic, from the very end of the movie. Atta boy, Clarence.

  This is my house. I have to defend it.

   Home Alone (1990) If you grew up in the 90's, you've probably viewed Home Alone many, many times. To kids, this movie definitely fulfilled some fantasies - being alone and having a house all to yourself. All of the tricks and traps Kevin sets up are awesome. Seriously - my favorite is still the part where Kevin makes it look like there's a party going on using his Michael Jordan cardboard cutout and some mannequins. Anyway, this is another movie chock full of great quotes - but I felt this one summed up the movie. Kevin says it right before the burglar's start their break in.

   Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! When I get home, I'm getting a CAT scan!

   The Santa Clause (1994) Okay, probably not a classic to most people, but I really enjoy this movie. It's clever and always enjoyable to watch. Tim Allen plays Scott Calvin, a man who accidentally becomes Santa Claus after the prior Santa dies on his roof Christmas Eve night. He then must cope with the fact that he's now Santa, and his young son won't stop telling all the unbelieving adults about it. My quote comes from Scott after he finishes delivering the gifts on his first reluctant Christmas.

   If they'd rather die, then they had better do it and decrease the surplus population!

   A Christmas Carol (Done soooo many times!) I love A Christmas Carol - I don't like Dicken's books, but this one is fantastic. I'm sure everyone knows the story here, so I'm not gonna bother rehashing it here. But Scrooge is a pretty quotable guy, and I never met a version of this story I didn't like, so it was impossible to pick a particular movie, and I had a tough time picking just one quote. I ended up settling on this Scrooge-ism, mostly because it's really the most evil thing he says. Enjoy your ghosts, jerk.

In case it wasn't obvious...I really love Christmas movies! And these aren't my only favorites. What are some of your favorite Christmas movies and quotes?

Review ~ Up

I always enjoy Pixar movies. Some more than others, but I've enjoyed them all. Still, when I first heard about Up and saw the trailer, I wasn't too excited about it. An old man floats his house using a bunch of balloons? Seriously? It seemed rather far out to me - and it is. But by the time you're done watching, you won't care.

Up is the story of Carl Fredrickson, a retired balloon salesman who lives in what was once a beautiful residential area, but is now a construction zone. Carl dreamed of being an explorer as a child, and rather than be dragged off to a nursing home, he attaches his house to a bunch of balloons and takes off to finally follow his lifelong dream. Only he discovers Wilderness Explorer (think Boy Scout) Russell has accidentally stowed away. And then there's this bird named Kevin. And a taking Dug named dog. And it's an hour and a half of laughs, tears and entertainment that will have to riveted from beginning to end. 

It's hard to talk about the movie without giving much away, but it really is a touching story and it kind of tells an important lesson. Carl may seem like a cranky old man a lot of the time, but you'll find yourself rooting for him all the way. Kevin the bird never says a word but will have you laughing anyway. And Dug is quite possibly the cutest and most darling Pixar character ever. You can't help but love him. Even if he isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.

The voice acting and animation in this film are both top notch, of course, but the important thing is this movie is not all pretty pictures and clever one liners. Pixar knows how to tell a gripping and emotional story, and they've proved it again here - big time. In fact, I'll be bold enough to say that this might be the best story they've told thus far. (And that is some high praise coming from me - especially on the heels of last year's WALL-E.)


So if you haven't seen this movie yet, you're doing yourself a disservice. You will enjoy this movie, I promise. If you don't, I'm sorry, but you  have no soul.

Tis the Season For Scary

So, I hate scary movies. I'm a big wuss. Always have been, always will be. I hate horror movies. I just don't see the fun in gore or getting scared.

That makes Halloween a hard season for me TV/Movie wise.

I don't have too many favorite Halloween movies. Most Halloween related movies are scary/gross, which makes sense I guess, but I wish they would make some more kid friendly ones. I can handle kid friendly! Anyway, here are some Halloween movies I can handle:

• The Nightmare Before Christmas (My all time favorite.)
  
• Hocus Pocus (A classic.)
  
• It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Another classic.)
• Garfield Halloween Special (Although it scared the crap out of me as a kid.)
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (The Disney one.) 
• Claymation Halloween (You probably haven't seen this.) 

That's all I can think of for now... Anyone else have any suggestions? I'm more into Christmas movies.

Movies On Base

So, with baseball season coming to a close, I've had a yearning to watch some baseball movies. Enter Netflix. After a simple internet search, I created a list of movies I wanna watch having to do with America's favorite pastime. Some of these are movies I've seen before. But most of them I haven't seen.

Here's the list:

bold - watched it since starting since project.
italics - seen it before


Mr. Baseball
Field of Dreams
61*
The Natural
Cobb
Major League
Major League 2
Angels in the Outfield
The Sandlot 
The Rookie of the Year
The Babe
Pastime
Bang the Drum Slowly
The Bad News Bears
Bleacher Bums
Bull Durham
Eight Men Out
For Love of the Game
Damn Yankees
Everyone's Hero
Fear Strikes Out
Mickey
The Winning Season
The Life and Times of Hank Greenburg
Finding Buck McHenry
A League of Their Own
Hustle 
The Pride of the Yankees
The Rookie
The Scout

So yeah, I've only watched one movie so far, Mr. Baseball, which is from the early 90's and stars Tom Selleck as a fading major leaguer who goes to play in Japan. It's a comedy, and I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It's pretty funny. Plus, Tom Selleck is just plain awesome. Also, it has the guy from those State Farm commercials. A good start to my project.


Next on my list? I'm not sure. I have a bunch of the movies waiting for me from Netflix, plus I actually own a few. I'll probably watch either Cobb or The Natural next.

The Wovie Channel

OMG.

The Weather Channel's gonna have movies.

Yeah. For real.

This is just so sad to me. I understand people can't watch weather all day...well, most people anyway, but seriously - movies?! That just seems wrong to me. And some of their choices - Deep Blue Sea?! That movie is hilarious - mostly unintentionally - is that really the kind of movie a respectable channel such as the Weather Channel wants to associate with? I mean, for the love of god, the ending theme is LL Cool J singing about how his hat is like a shark's fin. (I am NOT kidding!)

Though, when you resort to movies...is there any respect left to give? 


You'll have to look for your local forecast while Samuel L. Jackson yells about shit.

'Arrested' in Development?

Looks like the Arrested Development movie might finally be happening sometime in the near future!

I really hope they get a script done and start filming already. I wasn't too satisfied with how the series ended, and I'd love to see more of the crazy Bluth family.

Arrested Development has to be my favorite TV series EVER - and that is pretty high praise coming from me because I like a lot of shows. (I'm a bit of a TV snob, I guess you could say.) Gob is my favorite character - I just love Will Arnett. He's actually working on a show for FOX, which doesn't sound like the type of show that I'll enjoy, but since he's staring and writing (and so is the creator of Arrested Development) I'll give it a watch should it ever appear in my local listings.

Follow The Yellow Brick Road

So I got this in my email yesterday:

We're proud to present a 70th anniversary celebration of the classic movie The Wizard of Oz later this month in New York City.

We're hosting a free outdoor screening of the movie in Central Park, preceded by a free, live concert featuring special performances of songs from the movie by: Jennifer Hudson, Julianne Hough and ?uestlove of the Roots.

Date:	Tuesday, September 29th
Concert:	7:30 pm
Screening:	8:30 pm
Address:	Rumsey Playfield
	Central Park, New Yor

For more details please visit: www.netflix.com/wizardofoz

As part of the celebration, Netflix will also be inviting the general public to instantly watch The Wizard of Oz for free online on Saturday, October 3rd, at the website noted above. Be sure to tell your friends not to miss this classic movie and try out the Netflix service.


See you in New York.

–Your friends at Netflix

Doesn't that sound amazing? Too bad I can't go - going to the city on a Tuesday night is not exactly feasible for me. But I would love to see that concert and enjoy watching the movie outside in Central Park. I love, love, love The Wizard of Oz. Not just the movie, but the book, too. I have a gorgeous hardcover edition with full color pictures and I've read it numerous times. I'm not sure where the book came from - I've had it ever since I was a little girl, and it's my most treasured book. 

I think the amazing thing about the film is how it holds up no matter how many years go back. The movie is from 1939 - 70 years ago, and yet children still enjoy it. Goes to show what a great movie it is, not only story wise (Classic. Timeless.) but production and casting wise. Who can't love Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale? She's just darling. And Margaret Hamilton as the witch - she'll be delighting audiences for 70 plus years to come. And the music...the music is iconic. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is quite possibly one of the most recognized and beloved songs ever made for a movie. What little girl doesn't want their own pair of ruby slippers? (I know I did... I still do...) And no matter how many times I watch it, I'm always captivated when Dorothy steps out of her gray fallen farmhouse and into the colorful world of Oz.

So I urge you to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the movie by watching it. And hey, pick up the book if you've never read it before. It's different in many ways from the movie, but I've always been able to enjoy each for what it is. Even though it's missing a lot next to the book, the movie still a great adaptation and captures the heart of the story - after all, there's no place like home.

(And I urge you to check out the movie trivia on IMDB. Fascinating stuff!)

Friday, 9/4/09 ~ News and Junk

Definitely more this week than last week.

TV

>> It's a boy for Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs! Congrats to them.

>> Looks like Danny Gokey is getting an album...wonder how many people will actually shell out money for it.

>> TV Guide Lists the most anticipated shows of the Fall. Glee was on this week, and I missed it, of course. 

>> Looks like SNL will be getting 2 more female cast members.

>>And more promos for The Office:

MOVIES


>> In case you care, The Final Destination was #1 last week. In taking a longer look at the title, I can't help but notice it does say THE FINAL Destination. So it really gonna be THE FINAL one? After being #1 at the box office, (Halloween II was third), I doubt it.


>>John Krasinski directs and stars in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. Check out the article and trailer - it looks awesome. Plus Will Arnett is in it. I'm there. It comes out on the 25th of this month.

>>Aaaaaaand it looks like Warner Bros. is set to win the summer. Harry Potter, Terminator, and The Hangover are the movies they have to thank for it. 


>>Oh, and Disney's gonna buy Marvel. Who the hell saw that coming?


>>In Theaters Today:

• All About Steve (I have a friend named Steve. It's not about him.)
• Extract (This'll be on my Netflix queue in a few months. I love Jason Bateman.)
• Gamer (Young men will flock to this one.)

 

VIDEO GAMES

 

>> That "Hot Coffee" crap is still going on?! They shouldn't have to pay a dime, in my opinion. Ridiculous.

>> Wii games are getting better according to critics. That's good to know - though looking at the shelf of the local game store is still depressing for people not looking to dress up pets or play games with some creepy, soulless looking character.

>>A bunch of games that I could care less about but I know tons of other people will be excited for are slated to be out by next July. Some wives and girlfriends might wanna start bracing themselves now.

>>Nintendo is going to release a cooler version of Wii Fit, now that everybody already owns it.

Back In the Day ~ Annie

I was obsessed with several movies a kid, but I have to admit this was probably the most influential:

My mom loves to recount the story of how I got up on a chair at a diner and started singing "Tomorrow". I believe I was 2. Luckily, I remember none of this. I have no idea what would have possessed me to get up in front of a crowded restaurant and start belting out show tunes. Sounds like a scene from some musical all by itself, doesn't it?

But yeah. Annie. My mom had taped it off TV and I watched it over and over again. As I grew up and heard people bash this movie I was horrified. How could anyone hate my beloved movie?

I don't understand it to this day. Maybe it's the memories clinging to me, but I still love this movie. What's to dislike about it? First of all, the movie has Carol Burnett, Tim Curry, Bernadette Peters, Albert Finney and Ann Reinking. Carol Burnett and Tim Curry alone are both amazing. (I have admit I always thought he was very good looking as Rooster - haha!) Add in Bernadette Peters and "Easy Street" is one of the best movie musical numbers ever - in my opinion anyway. Ha! How could you not love sliding down the banister while Rooster and Lily consistently leave Miss Hannigan to fall all over herself. And what about Rooster's sudden gymnastics? It's so much more than just dancing. If it entertains a 2 year old, you know it's gotta be pretty damn good.

Let's go back to Carol Burnett for a minute. I just love her. She is a legend for good reason. She plays Miss Hannigan with such a perfect mix of drunk and crazy without making her look evil. Then there's her duet with Albert Finney as Daddy Warbucks - "Sign". Another fantastic number. I'm embarrassed to admit my sister and I used to perform this for relatives when we were kids. (Guess who was Daddy Warbacks... Yeah...) Anyway, the song, which involves Miss Hannigan trying to seduce Warbucks until he points out all the dirt he has on her, has classic lyrics. Here are some of my favorites:

Hannigan: You ever been to "Bonas Ires"?
Warbucks: Where?

Hannigan: Buy me a ruby.
Warbucks: No!
Hannigan: Why shouldn't you be mine!?

Warbucks: You spend your ev'nings in the shanties
Hannigan: You had me followed?
Warbucks: Imbibing quarts of bathtub gin!
Hannigan: Bronchitis!
Warbucks: And here you're dancing in your scanties!
Hannigan: Great gams!
Warbucks: With some old geezer called Little Caesar.
Hannigan: He's an uncle!

Warbucks: You lock The orphans in the closet!
Hannigan: They love it!
Warbucks: You hock their Christmas souvenirs!
Hannigan: A drink?
Warbucks: You steal the funds you should deposit.
Hannigan: It's fresh.
Warbucks: You make them grovel, while you buy lavaliers.

What the hell are lavaliers? Per the dictionary: an ornament hanging from a chain, worn around the neck.

Anyway, while we're discussing classic numbers you can't forgot "Sandy" (how cute was that dog?) "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile", "It's a Hard Knock Life", and, of course, "Tomorrow", the pinnacle of classic.

I'll tell you what song and scene is my least favorite - "Let's Go to the Movies", which I always found way too long. And the movie they show, (Camille, from 1936) always tends to make me drowsy, so I don't blame Annie for falling asleep during it. Runner up: "We Got Annie". Too much dancing, and you can't say much for the lyrics to that one. ("We got Annie" x 1000. Okay. We get it.)

I love the whole ending scene where Annie gets away and Rooster chases after her (slapping his own sister in the face in the process.) and they climb up the bridge. In pure dramatic fashion, she's rescued by helicopter.

I guess for a little girl this movie had a lot to offer: orphans, a spunky girl, a dog, a mansion, singing, jewelry (I loved that broken locket), drama, and the ending - with the animals and fireworks - who could ask for anything more?

Annie will always have a special place in my heart for sure.

 

Friday, 8/28/09 - News and Junk

Kind of a boring week for entertainment news if you ask me.

TV

>> Whoo hoo! Preview of the season premiere of The Office. Looks promising, but at the same time I am also nervous that this could easily be turned into something ridiculous. I'm just hoping season 6 is better than season 5.

>> Looks like Kristin Chenoweth will appear as a guest host on American Idol. She's one of the many celebs who'll be filling Paula's vacant seat during the initial auditions. Another celeb pegged to fill Paula's void? How I Met Your Mother's own Neil Patrick Harris. Guess I will be watching this season. At least the audition rounds.




MOVIES


>> Seems somebody didn't want to be interned above Marilyn Monroe after all, and the crypt is back on the market. That lady must really need cash if she's going through all the trouble of moving her husband's corpse.


>> The big movie that's getting attention all over the web this week is Inception, starring one of my favorites - Leonardo DiCaprio. Check out the trailer and see what you think. It's not coming out till July 2010.

• Looks weird, right? I thought so. Here's a bit of the plot for you. Sounds kind of interesting, but not something I'd rush out into theaters to see. Sorry, Leo.
• Oh, and apparently Leo is fat. He looks fine to me. But I guess I'm just glad it's an actor instead of an actress for once.

>> In theaters today:

• The Final Destination (Yeah, they're still riding that train, I guess.)
• Halloween II (Because just one sequel wasn't enough.)
• Taking Woodstock
• Big Fan
• The September Issue 

So, in the battle of the "They're still making those?" horror movies, which will come up on top? Personally, I hate horror movies. But that's another blog.



VIDEO GAMES

 
>> Big news is the Xbox price drop. But more importantly, they claim the whole red ring of death debacle is behind them. I guess only time will tell on that one, but I'm not holding my breath. Of everyone I know who has an Xbox 360 - I know only one person who hasn't seen that famous ring yet.


>> And finally, Beatles fans, the Beatles Rock Band is coming September 9th. And if you don't already own another Rock Band game, you can pick up the bundle from Amazon or Best Buy for $140 bucks. Not a bad deal.



That'll do it for this week.

The Flix

So you know what's awesome? Netflix. Before you used to practically have to strap me down to get me to watch a movie at home. I just feel like I'm wasting my time if it's on DVD and I can watch it later. I bet I have something more important to do NOW. Like sit on this couch. Yeah.

Anyway, so now that I'm paying for these DVDs I'm more inclined to watch them. Here are quickie reviews of everything I've watched so far. And don't judge me - Netflix seriously screwed up at one point and sent me random movies that were WAY far down on my queue, saved for a rainy day where I felt like watching something brainless. I'm not making this up - I have a witness.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno ~ I enjoy Seth Rogen, I must admit. And while this movie was funny, I wouldn't put it in the same humor category as 40 Year Old Virgin, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked Up or Step Brothers. The movie was entertaining but not particularly memorable. A solid rental, though. Worth a watch.

Marley & Me ~ If you're not a dog lover, don't bother. But I think dog lovers like myself will definitely get something out of this movie. (Including a tear or two.) It's a really enjoyable movie - not to the point that I would buy it, but I recommend it. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson have a great chemistry. Definitely worth watching.

Stranger Than Fiction ~ An odd movie... I enjoy Will Ferrell, but this is not one of his best. The story really teeters on being unbelievable - you'll really have to get your brain a rest to enjoy this one. Once was enough. I don't think I'd watch it again. If you like Will Ferrell you should watch it just to see him do something kind of different.

Milk ~ A solid biopic, but not my favorite. A little slow in parts. Good and solid without being great. Definitely worth seeing, but I wouldn't buy it.

Ghost Town ~ Based on the trailer I thought I would love it. But it's not as funny or clever as it could have been. An enjoyable movie, and while I'd recommend it, it's not with much enthusiasm. Paced oddly.

Charlie Bartlett ~ Another movie that looked promising based on the trailer. But it too was not as funny/clever as it could have been, and was also paced poorly. Just okay. If you wanna see a lot of the kids from Degrassi, I swear they shoved them all in a bus and drove them over to the set.

Definitely, Maybe ~ A cute romantic comedy starring the always entertaining Ryan Reynolds. Sweet without being sappy. I wouldn't buy it, but I enjoyed it. Definitely an different kind of a romantic comedy, which was refreshing.

Hamlet 2 ~ Another movie where the trailer was better. While a few moments were funny, most of the movie was weird and AGAIN not paced well. (Who is editting these movies? The same guy?) Just okay. There are much better comedies out there.

And this is where Netflix kind of decided to do it's own thing.

Bee Movie ~ Cuter, funnier and more entertaining than I thought it would be. Though at times it is ridiculous, it never takes itself seriously, which only adds to the charm. I actually really enjoyed this movie and highly recommend it - if you like animated movies and you like Jerry Seinfeld, you should definitely give this movie a look. I would actually consider buying this one.

Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa ~ Even more medicore than the original. If I have to hear "I like to move it" one more time... There were a few laughs, but otherwise there have been much better animated movies made. If you haven't seen the first one, forget it all together. If you have, it's worth watching if you're bored. The penguins, as always, steal the show.

Uptown Girls ~ A fluffy chick flick all the way. It's a very stereotypical romantic comedy, but it's good enough that you won't want those minutes of your life back - if you like these kinds of movies. Dakota Fanning is cute. Made me wonder what the hell happened to Brittany Murphy.

13 Going on 30 ~ Okay, this movie was really cute. Far from being anything groundbreaking, but it was just an enjoyable hour and a half. Jennifer Garner is entertaining to watch. I'd watch this one again.

Role Models ~ Who doesn't love Paul Rudd? This movie isn't as hilarious as some of the other movies he's done recently, but it's still an enjoyable comedy that's worth a watch. Not too many laugh out loud moments, but you'll be entertained.

Okay, I'm done. Count how many times I used the word 'enjoyable'. I bet it's a lot.