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That mess in Iraq has reached the latest fatality milestone: 3000 Americans dead. What a sad way to end the year. Please give a prayer for the family members dealing with the tragedy of losing their son, father, mother, or daughter .
I posted about the Filmbrain Quiz earlier. All I had to do was confirm my guess about what movie was represented by Filmbrain’s screen shot. Well, my instant guess was correct. I’ve been watching the film (I’m not telling what it is either!) and saw the scene that I expected.
Man, I love being right.
The previews for Charlotte’s Web looked horrid. I thought the movie would also be horrid, but found out that my memories of the book that I read as a child were not totally sullied. There was some heartfelt emotion to the story of how Charlotte tries to save Wilbur.
I’ve seen the film twice now. Besides my initial viewing for reviewing purposes, I also joined my niece and great nieces for a viewing on Christmas day. They kids enjoyed it and I still got choked up.
Anyway, here’s my review.
In my quest to finish posting my reviews that I write for a local paper (I’m one of four reviewers, so do not review every film), here’s my review for A Good Year. This Russell Crowe film came and went quickly from our local theater, but it should be released on DVD in February.
So let’s see, I’m posting tons of my reviews, posting about a film quiz, and not mentioning work. Yeah, I’m delaying doing any work.
I did go into the office yesterday for a few hours, but did not accomplish much. That may have had to do with me remembering that one of my Christmas presents was in my backpack: a $15 iTunes gift card. After browsing the iTunes store I purchased about five dollars worth of music, but it did take two hours. I better get some work done today here at home. I can get screen shots of the software tomorrow or Monday on my work computer, but I can write up the web pages here on my laptop for the online workshop I’m putting together.
The music I bought? I’m such a nerd. There wasn’t any Archies or Nancy Sinatra this time, but here’s what I got:
“Everybody’s Girl” - a song from a Kander/Ebb musical sung by Debra Monk at a special event at Carnegie Hall. I saw her sing it on the Broadway’s Leading Ladies DVD.
“Bang, Bang” - Dizzy Gillespie
“Idlewild Blues” - Outkast - I saw the video as part of the movie DVD of Idlewild and fell in love with the song.
A song from an Indian movie with a title that I can’t remember.
“Pink Cadillac” - Springsteen
So, though I did not get the work done that I wanted to, I do have some nice new tunes to listen to. There’s a decent trade-off there, right?
This week’s quiz from Filmbrain is the last one of this round. I’ve guessed them correctly so far and this last picture of people dancing was immediately identifiable. Of course, I do need to confirm my instant guess and have rented the film to doublecheck. I’m always afraid I’m being too cocky and will guess incorrectly when just a little research or movie-watching will show me the right answer. Luckily, I love this film so do not mind watching it again. If I am right I’ll have bettered my score from the last round when I missed one. Oh please, oh please, oh please let me be right.
The documentary Wordplay played right into one of my obsessions: crossword puzzles — or any kind of puzzle. Here’s my review of the DVD.
Now this was one of my favorite B movies of the season. I think having Jude Law as one of the romantic interests helped make it my favorite. He’s gorgeous in The Holiday. Read the review.
There’s a backlog of movie and video reviews that I haven’t uploaded, so expect lots of them today and tomorrow. My review for The Nativity Story should have been added before Christmas, but as the movie is still out there you can still catch it at your local theater.
Oh what a nice Christmas break I’ve had. My time down in Phoenix with family turned out great. Christmas Eve day we had a blast. My niece, Lisa, brought my great nieces, 8-year old Catherine and 3-year old Allison over to my sister’s house (I always stay at Susan’s place — she’s kind enough to allow my dogs to come along). My sister, Susan, has an 8 and 3 year old too: Jamie and little David.
We made holiday cookies, went over to a local park and played frisbee (and I thought four frisbees was way more than we needed - silly me), and went out to eat for lunch. This all worked great, because when we gathered that night at my brother’s house for our annual Christmas Eve extravaganza, the 3-year olds were fast buddies and not shy at all.
As for the presents, Santa and friends were very good to me. I got the anniversary edition of A&E’s Pride & Prejudice, which I watched in its six hour entirety the other day. A nice Henckel’s knife, a blender and toaster, plus a variety of other fun and useful things were part of my haul. The gifts that I gave seemed to be appreciated, but there were some folks that were hard to buy for — my brother-in-law Larry, for example.
Christmas day was also fun. Larry’s sister lives here in Flagstaff, so every other year they come up to Flag for Christmas. I stayed in Phoenix. It was another chance to have fun with Catherine and Allison. They live in California, so we don’t see them as often as I’d like. After a second viewing of Charlotte’s Web I went back to Sue’s house. Alone in the large house I did what any good couch potato would do: I turned on cable TV. Whoo hoo! I choose not to purchase cable or satellite, so consider it a treat when I can switch from E’s Hollywood Story to the Arrested Development Marathon to parts of Fields of Dream showing on HBO.
I grabbed my blankets and decided to sleep on the couch, thus seeing sections of that classic film, Armageddon, at 2:00 in the morning (man, is Michael Bay a horrid director or what?). The TV stayed on though that day after Christmas as I tried to put together many of the toys for the kids. It takes a college degree to finagle through all the packaging some of these toys are stuck in. I finally turned off the TV to have one more dinner with Lisa and Jay and their kids, along with my brother Lorin and Mom. I’m telling you, I have some great nieces, nephews, and great nieces.
So I headed back to Flagstaff on Wednesday and have lounged around the last two days. It helps that it has snowed. Snow days are all about lounging.
Now it is Friday and I’m trying to force myself to go to work. The university closes down over the holidays and many of us are forced to take vacation days. This sounds lovely, but I have a project that I want to get done before we get back next week. Due to illness — someone else’s, not mine — I was not able to finish this before the holiday break and so have a few days to work on it.
But, do I have to? Can’t I goof off one more day? Sure, I do have to go feed my fishes at the office, but maybe that’s all I need to do, right? Oh shoot, I better do something. This project needs to be done so I can start working on the next big project when I get back. It will cut down on my stress levels if I do work today and tomorrow, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.
Well, let me head out and see what I get done. Just a little bit will make me feel better, so I better go do it.
Meanwhile, I hope the rest of you are lounging about enjoying your day.
Well, I’m sitting about looking at my Christmas haul and feeling very pleased with myself. I must have been a good girl or I sure faked out Santa real good.
This afternoon is a movie with my niece and her two girls (we’re seeing Charlotte’s Web) and somehow a nap must be fit in somewhere — yes, this is the perfect Christmas: a movie and a nap.
I hope that you folks who celebrate Christmas are enjoying the day as much as I am!
Jeez, does Filmbrain have to do this to me? It’s the Filmbrain Capture Quiz and this week’s was a doozy. Of course, the hint that the film was captured before in a prior round was my clue to obsess over all the past rounds. So about three hours later and many Filmbrain post later I do have some ideas about the movie. plus it was a perfect chance to read some great posts about films. What Filmbrain knows about Asian films is amazing.
After hours at the computer devouring Filmbrain’s site, I think that the clue in the text tag of the photo narrows my guess down to one film. I’m not telling you guys what movie I think it is — I’ve guessed every film in this round’s quiz so far and I’m afraid to help any of my competitors (yes, I do take my movie trivia seriously and yes, I do need a life).
Anyone else play the Filmbrain quiz?
TBogg highlighted this Saturday Night Live skit. It’s dirty, but hilarious. It’s the way it so mimics the style of pop videos that really makes it work.
Today is the big day. It’s Dress Like Lawrence Day. What, you haven’t heard about it? Well, it hasn’t got as much attention as Christmas and Hanukakh, and certainly has not received any media attention whatsoever, but for one little office at one university there will be a group of people dressed up like Lawrence.
Lawrence is our programmer who knows all things database and he dresses waaaaay cool. It’s sort of a retro thrift-store, don’t-give-a-damn-about-how-I-look kind of look. It involves at least one pant leg rolled up (he rides a bike), hair standing up tall upon the top of his head, some kind of snugly fitting short-sleeved, button-up shirt. It looks great on him.
Not so good on me.
Women with hips should not try to look like lanky Lawrence, but who cares? The semester is over, we’re wrapping up projects, and we could all use a laugh.
If your office was going to dress like anyone, who would it be?
Update: Oh. My. God. Lawrence showed up in a sage-green leisure suit. It is absolutely disgustingly perfect — Leisure Suit Larry with tennis shoes.
Another Update: I won the Best Dressed Like Lawrence Award as judged by Lawrence. I am such a geek.
I think Helen Mirren has a lock on an Oscar nomination for her role as Queen Elizabeth in The Queen. In fact, she has a real good chance of winning the gold statuette. Here’s my review of The Queen. I loved it and loved Mirren in it.
