Monday, December 7, 2009

First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows


Don't have the money for Bluray? Still playing it old school with a DVD player anyway? Then fear not! Check out the Dailymotion.com exclusive (and my Examiner exclusive) on the first look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.


Yes, you can thank me later. Or now. Whichever.

Friday, November 20, 2009

New Moon Midnight Madness


If you hit the comfort of your bed between 3am and 4am this morning, you might have just been someone out past closing time at your local Cheers bar or perhaps you were just someone who got lost in the excellent choices of Thursday night television over at a friends place - but most likely you were actually a die-hard Twi-hard, just getting out of one of the multiple midnight showings of New Moon. If you were of the latter, then you should have been pleasantly surprised to find that having to wait all night for the comfort of your bed was, many times over, worth the wait (unlike the last time that you might have put forth the effort to see a midnight showing of another certain vampire themed love story).

Late last night, gaggles of twittering, giggling teenage girls piled into the multiple theaters at the Atlantic Station Regal that would house the premiere of New Moon. They began to fill the seats around nine o'clock, the most hardcore of the fans arriving hours early in order to procure the perfect seating arrangement for the special event. The proceeding hours were spent gossiping about Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, swooning over thoughts of Taylor Lautner's chiseled abs and debating the pros and cons of Team Edward verses Team Jacob. High school students, grad students and adults who should know better, from all over the Atlanta area, came together to celebrate their love/obsession for everything Twilight - and let's face it, that's pretty much just Edward. Morgan King (18), Brein Millea (19), and Kiersten Smith (18) were just one of several groups of girls that arrived at the theater early enough to claim some prized front-and-center seats. They confessed to being all Team Edward but differed on their opinions on the much-criticized Twilight. "I loved it because I'm a true fan...A lot of people think that the movie sucked because it didn't do the books justice but I think that if you love the characters, you love the movie anyway", Morgan argued. Brein and Kiersten had slightly different thoughts on the first film. "The acting, we thought the acting was quite comical but we still enjoyed it. We still had fun. It was just more hysterical laughing, most of it". No matter their differing opinions on Twilight, they could all agree upon their excitement about seeing New Moon. "There's a different director right, so I think that it's going to improve and I'm looking forward to that", Brein and Kiersten agree.

A slightly older group of women could be found a couple rows up. Twilight Mom Gina Roche (39) and sisters Tina (24) and Katie Hrinda (24), all Atlanta locals (and incidentally all Team Edward), took time away from their smartly packed Twilight-themed crosswords and word-searches to discuss the merits and downfalls of having read the novels before seeing the films. "I was not a huge fan [of Twilight]. I was slightly disappointed but I loved the books so much, I think that had a large part to do with it", Tina said. However, she is was still very excited about seeing New Moon. "It looks like they did a much better job on it". Katie agrees wholeheartedly with her sister. "I was not a fan of the first movie. It was very disappointing." Katie is taking a unique approach to the viewing of New Moon. "I'm trying not to be too excited so I won't be disappointed if it's not good", she reasons. Gina, mostly likely one of the very few in the crowd who has not read the books, had a very different opinion on the first movie. "Because I did not read the books, my perspective is, I loved it! But if I read the books, I would be interested to see how I felt afterwards".

As for the film itself, shockingly after the quality of the first movie, it was a stirring and quite thrilling ride, even for those who already knew all the twists and turns. Under the gentle and knowledgeable ministrations of director Chris Weitz, the acting was elevated several notches from the previous film's performances, which was extremely helpful in taking down the level of cheese and corniness and allowing for more time to "ooohhh" and "ahhhh" instead of giggling uncontrollably. Most prominent in the improvement area were the three main actors, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and young Taylor Lautner. Lautner, though young and still in need of some polishing, gave both an uplifting and heartbreaking performance as Jacob Black. Not only did he obviously train physically to keep his role, he also proved to be someone worth watching over the next few years, showing that he has what it takes to become an excellent and versatile actor. Stewart and Pattinson also both showed signs of having got to know their characters on a much deeper level than for Twilight. Stewart's Bella was much warmer and much more accessible in this film and Pattinson proved Edward could be more than what the swooning girls force him to be, which is merely an objectified sexual being. As for the developing relationship between Bella and Jacob, Weitz's tendency towards close-ups and medium close-ups gave the audience an intimate and emotional view of their story - most likely with the effect of giving those of Team Edward a moment of doubt over their chosen alliance.

All in all, the film was far more enjoyable than its predecessor and certainly worth missing bedtime for. Feel differently or want to throw your weight into the yay-New Moon camp? Make your opinions heard below.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Review: 2012


Roger Ebert once wrote, "A lot of people just go to movies that feed into their preexisting and not so noble needs and desires: They just go to action pictures, and things like that." Now, I'm not saying that Ebert is wrong. On the contrary, I completely agree with this statement. But Ebert has always been very close-minded when it comes to movies. He tends to wear his Snob-Goggles while watching films, which leaves very little good opinion for "action pictures", as he says. All great, Oscar-worthy films tell a capturing and emotional story (ie, see A Beautiful Mind, Million Dollar Baby, No Country for Old Men, etc) but that does not necessarily mean that every capturing and emotional story will always be Oscar-worthy. A good story doesn't have to be complex, nor does it have to parallel the current state of our country or be dubbed "a true story". In fact, I am of the opinion that a good story, a good film, is one that instead does the opposite - or at the very least shows us how very much worse (or better, for that matter) our situation could be. 2012 does that, and is therefore, in my humble estimation, a good film.


I have always enjoyed Roland Emmerich's films. Independence Day is a complete, brilliant classic and you should probably back away slowly from anyone that tells you different. He's had some misses; don't even get me started on Godzilla and though I never saw 10,000 B.C., I did not hear great things. But I thoroughly enjoyed The Day After Tomorrow, perhaps even more so than 2012. That could have just been due to the movie's Gyllenhaal-shaped eye-candy, but 2012's yummy Russian pilot certainly held his own in the in that particular department. All in all, I would say that Emmerich's love for world-ending disasters is not a bad or far-too-repetitive thing, as some have claimed, but rather a great thing for those of us movie-goers who enjoy watching a intense three hours of our world going to shit. And it was a fun three hours. In fact, though I was sure I would need at least two bathroom breaks for such a lengthy film, I was far too enthralled with 10,000-feet tall tidal waves and with Yellowstone blowing it's top while the always-appreciated Woody Harrelson provided much-needed comic relief. I did not once get bored and my eyes were unceasingly and willingly glued to the canvas of destruction that was in front of me. They even teared up a couple times, I'm ashamed to admit.

This is not a spectacle film with no real, genuine story attached to it. This is spectacle film that portrays a world-shattering event and with some surprisingly smooth storytelling, follows around a few, very different individuals through that event. It is a very effect method, one that many other films have followed in the past, to show different angles of the same story. See, not all effect-heavy films are without a good story to give them credit. 2012 may not have offered up a great or original story, but it was a good story.


The point, along with the fact that this movie IS worth seeing in theaters, is that you do not have to walk out of every movie a better or different person than when you walked in. You don't have to remember the movie for the rest of your life - or even until the following day. A great movie doesn't have to be Oscar material to fulfill the purpose that movies have have since The Great Train Robbery in 1903; to entertain, to provide escape, to tell a story, to thrill an otherwise thrill-less audience. 2012 serves these purposes - John Cusack is just an added bonus.


Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Joss Whedon's Letter to the Terminator Owners


I'm not really sure how anyone can not love and adore Joss Whedon, but just in case you are one of those dumbos, just take a little look at this Open Letter to the Terminator Owners that Joss wrote on Whedenesque yesterday. This is honest to goodness genius stuff people, and he just pulls it right out of his genius a**. I could not even DREAM about being as bada** as this man is. I know you hear my praises for Joss a little too often and maybe I should tone it down a notch...but really...why? I'm not the only person with eyes wide open that sees him for what he really is; a god in geek clothing. No joke. I'm pretty sure the Greeks even had a very specific god that was actually Joss Whedon. Not a god that moved mountains or controlled the sea or fell down on unsuspecting, beautiful mortal women as a shower of rain and impregnated them, to the horror and shame of their mortal husbands. No, this was a god that entertained, a god that moved people, not mountains or oceans. Not a god that worshipped wine and scantily-clad women, but a god that worshipped the light and dark of humanity and strangely-clad lesbian women. I'm almost 99% sure that there was a god just like that up on Mount Olympus...they just forgot to add him into our mythology textbooks. Which is a horrible misdeed, if you ask me.



Luckily, the world took pity on those that have come after the times of Greek gods and though beautiful mortal women will only have to explain the normal suspicious pregnancy to their husbands and not the god-like kind, we have been sent the real Joss Whedon; a modern day Geek (not to be confused with Greek) God to brighten up our lives, to move us as easily as Zeus moved mountains and Poseidon moved the sea.


And if that doesn't convince you, he would also give Christan Bale's John Conner a throat lozenge. Because we all know he REALLY needed one.


Check out Joss Whedon's comments about his "letter" here.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

10 Reasons Dating a Vampire Sucks


In this day and age where vampires, both the good and the naughty, are all the blood-thirsty rage, little twittering tween girls (and oh, I admit, me too) will gladly give you about a million reason why dating Edward or Stefan or Mr. Bill Compton (or if you're old school like me, Spike or Angel) would be the only thing worth living (or hey, dying!) for, the ever insightful Park Bench throws its weight with the opposing camp with 10 Reasons Dating a Vampire Sucks.

Now, it's not necessarily true that you can only ever find yourself a vamp-boytoy who doesn't merely sparkle like a gay little fairy in the sun or that doesn't happen to have a family ring that acts as the most powerful sunblock in existence - but I'm sure there are vamps out there who DO burn-up like La Push driftwood if caught in the sun. And it's not necessarily true that every eligible vampire has such bad fashion sense as to always tend towards wearing capes... or that every hot, young, single vamp has a garlic allergy... but anything is possible.

I'm just saying... Don't knock it til you've tried it... I mean...ummm...

10 Reasons Dating a Vampire Sucks

10. They can't go outside in the daytime.
Honestly, you might as well be dating a well-dressed rock for all the daytime action you won't be enjoying with this dead weight around your neck. No days out at the art fair or trips to the ballgame. Even if you somehow get him to the beach, he'll just embarrass you with his gamy white skin before bursting into flames and taking his shame with him. And in the time it takes him to immolate, you wouldn't even be able to roast a marshmallow. Vampires even ruin beach s'mores. Jerks.

9. They don't like garlic...and now you can't either.
Remember all those fun times and delicious meals you had at your local Olive Garden? Yeah, I hope you took some pictures because those were the last bread sticks and meatballs you'll ever ingest, thanks to the big pasty loser moping next to you.

8. They're invisible in mirrors.
Vampires can't see their own reflections. That means your bloodlusty beau will be depending on you, missy, to tell him what he looks like EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY. "Do these pants make me look hippy?" "Does this cape make me look fey?" "Is my widow's peak too derivative of Grandpa Munster?" Natter, natter, natter. Trust me, you're going to wish you could stake him twice.

7. They're nocturnal.
You know how sometimes your cat spazzes out and gets all hyper in the middle of the night, running back and forth over your face and yowling until you pet it? Right there? That's your new boyfriend. He just hasn't decided to poop in a box yet.

6. Stranger in a strange land syndrome
Have you ever gone to a foreign country and met one of your countrymen out of the blue and suddenly, you two are best friends because there's no one else like you within a 50 mile radius? Count Lonelypants is going to do that too. He'll want to be friends with every other vampire he runs into. And then he'll drag them back to your place and they'll stay up all night drinking hamsters and talking about is how much Transylvania's changed and how you never want to let him bite you anymore even though you guys used to bite each other like bunnies four or five times a day. Wah, wah, wah!

5. He'll relate to every vampyric pop culture reference ever made.
Want to make a joke about "Twilight?" He'll sulk for days. Casually mention that no vampire will ever be better than Spike? He'll lock himself in his casket for a week. Declare that Coppola's "Dracula" wasn't as bad as you remembered? He'll freeze you out for months. Even worse, he'll get all excited about the vampires he likes -- Count Chocula, Bram Stoker, Ann Coulter. Boring!

4. He'll be skittish around the word "stake."
No more "going Outback tonight" for you guys. The first time he hears "$9.99 for a 6 ounce steak" he's going to run like a pretty little girl, and berate you for your insensitivity. And then you'll laugh and laugh and laugh...

3. He'll be all arrogant and authoritative about vampire lore.
Could Bugs Bunny really turn that vampire into a bat by saying, "Hocus Pocus?" Would the mullets of "The Lost Boys" have been accepted within the stylist wheelhouse? Do fang whiteners really work? And how the hell do you floss overgrown incisors anyway? He'll tell you, and probably in a fancy voice.

2. One word: capes
Some of your more old school and debonair vampires likely will wear capes, better suited to sweeping departures down dark alleys and hiding stolen watches for sale after baseball games. That's all well and good, but here's your problem. Have you ever tried to hang up a cape? It's impossible! There's no shoulders or sleeves; they just slide right off the hanger. So then you just drape them over a chair right? No, because then they get wrinkled. How about hanging them over a balcony? Again with the wrinkles. You could pin them to something, but then there's holes in the fabric. You, quite literally, will spend weeks trying to figure out what to do with this goddamn cape.

1. Everyone hates a biter.
Remember in grade school when there was always some little boy named Timmy or Blake who would run up and just randomly bite people to get attention? Remember how much you hated him and tried to stuff him into the tire swing? Your buddy Count Nipalot is going to want to bite you ALL THE TIME. And sure, the first few times are fun if you're into that, but after a while, you're going to get anemic and then you're going to have to eat more spinach. So think about that: biting and spinach. What kind of life is that?


I really do hate spinach...


Check out Park Bench for all your nerdy needs. I just can't handle them all by myself. It's just too much pressure!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Why I Watch Dollhouse


Hello all. I apologize for the long absence. It's the product of a full-time job, a part-time writing job and a lot of time spent working on a certain pitch that may or may not end up being totally awesome. As I've said before, I'll try to pop in as much as I can and update you on all the wonders of the television and film worlds.

For now, check out this incredibly awesome fan push for Dollhouse. It's all hands on deck and the battle for Dollhouse has long since started. It's us (the fans) against Fox, who, I must admit, has put in more than their fair share (and much more than expected) to keeping Dollhouse on the air. We all know the show has its flaws, but that's not to say that it won't eventually find its footing. As ever, we are hopeful.

So, check out this video and give your support to Dollhouse.



Monday, October 5, 2009

Review: Zombieland

Hey all. Check out my review here.



Tuesday, September 29, 2009

*New* New Moon Posters

Yahoo! Movies has recently released three new New Moon posters. They are all themed; one for Bella and the Cullens, one for Jacob and the wolf pack and one for the Volturi. Check them out below:






I have to say, these are pretty cheese-tastic. I don't really think they could have spread more cheese over these posters if they had that big block of Cheez-It cheese from those commercials. What do you think? Too much cheese or just cheesy enough?

Thanks to HGE for the pictures.

Monday, September 28, 2009

A Bit o' News

Howdy kind readers. I just wanted to pop in and let you know that I have recently been hired to write for Examiner.com. I'll basically be rambling about the same things I do on here, just in a more professional manner. Which of course is code for "less fun". I'll try my best to continue posting here as well, but my posting output is definitely going to take a hit. If you end up missing me terribly, just head over to my page, Atlanta Drama Movies and TV Examiner, to get your movie and TV fix, a la moi.

And I just want you to know...you'll always be my favorite. If you are feeling slightly betrayed, just watch this video and you'll feel loads better. I promise.






Friday, September 25, 2009

Supernatural & The Vampire Diaries

Hello Evil, it's me Lauren.

One quick question, if you have the time to spare. I know your schedule is pretty busy on Thursday nights, so you're probably sleeping in right now but if I could just have a second of your time...

Evil, why do you get all the crazy awesome people? Honestly. Why does Good get all the boring, brooding tool-belts and you get all the delightfully stirring, wickedly amusing recruits? I know Lucifer is bad and all, but when you put him in that totally yummy Mark Pellegrino suit, I just can't help but be tempted to the Dark Side. That's not to say I don't still swoon over my two favorite demon-hunters and their trusty angel sidekick - there is Much Ado About Swooning during the 9 o'clock hour on Thursday nights - but even our good guys are now walking the thin(ning) line between Good and Evil. Watching them slap around a bunch of oafish angels is almost more fun than watching them kick demon butt up and down the US of A for four years. As for Good, if Stefan was any more of an sulking, brooding, Angel wannabe, Paul Wesley will have to start referring to himself as Boreanaz, David. His whole "I Want to Drink Your Blood But I Don't Want to Hurt You Because I'm Like a Cuddly Vampire Puppy Dog" conflict is so very obvious and so "been there, seen that a million times already". But Damon, though he too reflects a certain bleach-blonde Buffy alum, has such deliciously complex potential - with just the right amount of evil BA-ness and charming playfulness - there's just no contest between the two. Sure, Damon enjoys to eat people every now and then and as someone who considers herself pretty Pro-Good, I shouldn't really be into that, but at least he's got some charisma, some depth to him. And what about Sam? I'm already dreaming of the good old days when Sam would celebrate a hard day's work of demon smack-down with his own version of demon smacking, nay, snacking down. You catch my drift? With the topsey-turvy world of Sam and Dean forcing them now to fight against the forces of good, therefore knocking them out of that category altogether (capturing an Arch Angel? Really Dean? That is sooooo bad), I'm thinking your side, Evil, is looking pretty good right about now.

So, when's your next meet and greet? And if I swear to join your side, do you think you could introduce me to Ian Somerhalder?

Best Wish With All Your Evil Endeavors,
Lauren


Thursday, September 24, 2009

Gleefully Loving Glee

After last night's episode of Glee, I was kindly reminded by the VO (industry speak for voice-over) guy that if I felt so inclined, I could stop by iTunes and throw away some of my hard-earned money on the songs performed on the show. Well, Mr. VO Guy, I AM so inclined to throw away some of my hard-earned cash on those catchy and brilliant renditions of popular pop songs, thank you very much. My pick of choice: Take a Bow, sung by Lea Michele. Not only is the singing absolutely heart-stopping, but the whole scene almost brought me to girly-tears even though I hardly know these characters and my dear readers - that is what you call great writing. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out below. It'll make you feel like a teenage girl all over again - even if you were once a teenage boy.



What about you? What Glee songs are you spending your cash on?

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

New Moon Set Pics

For those of you who just can't get enough of steamy jail-bait Taylor Lautner and oddly gorgeous Rob Pattinson (though in my opinion, Rob is beginning to sound a little bit like an over-played song on the radio), you'll be pleased to check out these 40 new pictures from the set of New Moon. They are actually pretty cool and I have to admit my blood pressure did rise a bit when I came across the shirtless Lautner pictures. Between him and Zac Efron, I've been feeling mighty pervy lately. Robbing the cradle, indeed.

They are a bit spoiler-ish, so click here to see the rest AT YOUR OWN RISK. Thanks to HGE for the link.



Monday, September 21, 2009

Song of the Day

I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything "of the Day", but in an effort to mentally fight off the depression that this weather is slowly forcing upon me (and poor Corrie), I thought a nice love song might be just the thing to win the day against this horrible, dreary rain. That, and I also came across the song while my iPod was on shuffle and I suddenly remembered how much I love the Plain White T's. I love discovering old songs that you totally forgot you loved once upon a time. It's the best part about the Shuffle option.

For those of you in the Lost City of Atlanta, I hope this cheers you up. It's not exactly an upbeat song, but it's the thought that makes me happy...


NPH Is a God



As everyone else here in Georgia searches their cluttered and spider-infested garages for their inflatable baby-pools and large floaties in order to paddle their way to work this morning, I've decided to report on a more significant event that occurred last night (no, not football - it's like you don't know me at all!), seeing as I made it safely to work without being swept away by the Great Flood.

The event I am referring to is of course the Emmys, hosted by the one and only, Dr. Horrible himself, Neil Patrick Harris. As predicted by yours truly, NPH caused an otherwise dull and lifeless ceremony to sparkle and shine like a newly polished golden statuette of some chick holding a globe-like object (what is that thing anyway?). Despite the fact that everyone from last year won again this year, causing me to distinctly dislike 30 Rock and Mad Men, just on principle alone, we still had Neil. And he's worth tens of thousands of disappointing Emmy wins. His opening number was almost, almost worth the snub that the Emmys gave Battlestar Galactica. And in an unexpected and thrilling turn of events, we even got a bad-ass Dr. Horrible "interruption" of the show, which upon Captain Hammer (my dear Nathan Fillion) jumping into the frame, fists flying as usual, brought about far-too-loud squees! from Katie and I. I fear we might have woken the neighbors with our vociferous love of everything Dr. Horrible. I wanted to jump into the television and pridefully clap Jon Stewart on the back when he finally told Neil what everyone else was thinking: that he was doing a damn good job of hosting.

Highlights:

On the Red Carpet - Everyone How I Met Your Mother. I couldn't adore Jason Segal anymore than I already do and seeing Alyson Hannigan up and about after having her and Alexis' baby girl was a great treat. She looked absolutely stunning. I also enjoyed reading her tweets as the night went on.

Also, Best Dress goes to Anna Torv, who rocked a gorgeous and totally unique gown for the night. We loved it mostly because it wasn't like any other actress' dress (it wasn't that silly mermaid cut and it actually had sleeves!) and besides, she looks smokin' in that red.



Dr. Horrible's hijacking. By far the very best part of the night. I was so bummed about not getting the once hinted-at performance by the cast... but this stunt completely made up for it. Joss+NPH+Nathan Fillion = comedy and musical gold. Throwing in anything Dr. Horrible to any show on television can only make it ten times better - but that goes double for an awards show. I tip my hat to you, Emmy planning people.

NPH's opening number. Exactly what I expected; total brilliance. I honestly believe this man can do no wrong. It's like all the love and happiness and talent in the world converged into one fine-looking human male and now we have Neil Patrick Harris to lighten up our dull work hours with a certain lovable evil doctor and to spice up our otherwise dull award show Sunday with enthusiastic song and dance.

I love that Michael Emerson won for Best Supporting Role for Lost and that Kristin Chenoweth won for Best Supporting Role for Pushing Daisies. It was such a great honor for the show, which was cancelled way before its time.

So, did you like the ceremony? Did NPH deliver, in your opinion? Don't worry, I'll probably not hunt you down and hurt you horribly if you say "no"...

Monday, September 14, 2009

New Moon Trailer

I promised myself I wouldn't get excited about this film. I got extremely excited about Twilight when I saw the trailer and I was severely disappointed with the movie. So I promised myself I wouldn't walk into New Moon with high expectations. I would just enjoy it for what it ended up being - total crap or Chris Weitz awesomeness. But seriously - this trailer is the SHIT. It's going to be REALLY difficult to keep my Totally Psyched levels down for the November release. Check it out:




Way more Edward in this trailer than the last one. Not that I care. I am so over Robert Pattinson...well...kinda. Hehe.

Thanks to HGE for the trailer. Mine's a little cut-off, so follow the link for the full window.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Dragon*Con 2009



Here's the truth about any Con, whether it be Comic-Con, Dragon*Con, or even, yes, TwiCon: attending one is strangely similar to attending a family reunion. It's like coming home; there's no need to impress anyone (unless you're posing for pictures that will be around for awhile), just a pressing desire to take the small bit of time you have and enjoy just being yourself, for once. You don't have to be afraid to let your Geek Flag fly - your family has no choice but to love you anyway. The same goes for the Conies (not to be confused with Carnies). You walk in a room and you instantly know you're among family. These people feel you, they're on your level, on your same page. You can be yourself around them and there's not an ounce of judgement coming your way, cause let's face it, you're probably the sanest one in the room. That's not to say that you get along with all of them. Akin to a family reunion, there's always that one person who is not on your level, not on your page. When Uncle Bob leeringly inquires whether you've been working out lately, it's just about as creepy as that one Conie who approaches you while you're waiting for your Marta train and comments on how nice your teeth are. But besides good ol' Uncle Bob, it's always nice to see the family; to be among your own kind. Still, however nice it is, you can probably only take a couple days of it (I know I can only stand a couple hours at a time with my family), then it's time to rejoin the real world. But it was fun, and rather interesting, while it lasted...
I had a full, four-day pass to Dragon*Con this year... and absolutely no one to go with. Every single one of my friends (and family) flaked out on me at the last moment. This didn't necessarily turn out to be a bad thing. When you're attempting to traverse through a room packed full with hundreds of Con-goers, most in costume (I can't tell you how many times some dude's sword poked me - *There's your dirty-minded material for day...You're welcome), it's best travelled alone. On Friday, I went to pick up my badge and spent a couple hours walking around, buying a couple comics and having dinner with a friend that was working security.



As always, my most pressing stop was the Walk of Fame, where all the actors and panelists sign autographs. Now, you have to pay for an autograph, which to me is really like paying for the privilege of meeting a favorite actor. I could really care less about the actual autograph. Last year, I had money for one (the disastrous meeting with Nathan Fillion) and the same went for this year. True to form, I stalked around, searching for my newest sci-fi crush, Michael Trucco. He was sitting among the other Battlestar Galactica alum, all of whom I was immensely excited to see. His line was very short, only a couple people were in front of me, which was good considering my nerves were at their breaking point. With legs made of jello and a heart beating far too fast and hard to be healthy, I met Michael Trucco. Even cuter in person, he was an absolute doll. He immediately broke the tension by laughing about my confusion as to where I put my money (his girl helper wasn't very helpful at all) and laughing even harder when I received my $5 change ("And there, you get that back..."). I bravely thrust my hand towards him and introduced myself as he shook it. I was already doing better than I did with Fillion. I told him that I had just recently finished Battlestar and how great it was and we entered into a conversation about people trying to avoid spoilers and such - he leaned back in his chair, with his beautiful arms crossed, like he was just chilling at home with a friend. I realized I hadn't picked a picture for him to sign yet, so I embarrassingly scanned the piles and chose one. I can't imagine what it must be like for the actors, sitting there and waiting while their fans choose a picture of them that they liked. It felt very awkward. I couldn't think of anything to say while he signed the picture (later I thought about a ton of things to talk about) and he handed it over and I told him, "Thanks, it was nice to meet you", and walked away with legs now like marshmallow. All my energy and cool (the little that I had) now sapped, I headed home with my XOXO signed photo of Sam Anders.



Since I spent most of my time at Comic-Con waiting in lines for panels and little to none exploring the exhibition halls, I promised myself I would do the opposite during Dragon*Con. The only panel I attended was an 11:30am Battlestar Galactica panel on Saturday morning. I got there far too early, but was rewarded with a seat in the first 5 rows in front of the stage. It was a great panel, including Michael Hogan, Michael Trucco, Kate Vernon, Mary McDonnell, Luciana Carro and Alessandro Juliani - with a surprise guest, Aaron Douglas. Mary McDonnell was like a giggling schoolgirl, she opened the panel with "Hey y'all. I love Georgia!", in a deep southern accent. She was by far the most interesting and active panelist - always cracking jokes and laughing. She was also the smartest person in the room. Michael Hogan and Kate Vernon jokingly argued like a married couple about Tigh's affair with Caprica 6 and Michael Trucco avoided the mic as much as possible. Everyone else was great. I felt like the biggest geek in the world when, as they got up to leave, Michael Hogan (in his booming, unique Col Tigh voice) yelled, "SO SAY WE ALL!" to the whole room and we all obligingly called in answer, "SO SAY WE ALL"! There is really no going back for me. *sigh* If men don't start listening to this, I'm doomed to be the old lady who lives with her cats and who watches reruns of Firefly every night.






After spending two days alone around the Con, I was ready for some company. Luckily, I had some friends that didn't tend towards flaking out. I met them (Eric & Emily) around midday on Sunday and we spent the next 10 hours walking around the exhibition halls, seeking out food, taking pictures, learning about Steam Punk and drinking buckets of rum. They had never been to a Con before, so I enjoyed showing them around and just having some friends to enjoy the experience with. We met up with several of their friends, most in costume, and relaxed by people watching on the Hyatt patio. As 11pm rolled around, and if it's possible, the Con got even more crowded, I was seriously fading and we finally headed back via Marta (where we met the Uncle Bob of the convention). I decided I didn't contain one tablespoon of nerd pride left in me and took Monday to recover from geek-overload instead of attending the last day of the Con.





All I can say is - my body and sanity are very happy to hear that they don't have to go through that again for at least another year. Below are some pictures from the Con. Enjoy.










Friday, September 4, 2009

Review: Ponyo




So, Ponyo.

For those of you who don't already know, Ponyo is an animated film about a little girl-fish who escapes one day from the ocean, only to be found by Sosuke, a 5-year-old boy. Sosuke names his fish Ponyo and as the day goes by, with Ponyo in a little green bucket of water, Ponyo falls in love with him...and ham also. Ponyo really likes ham. Now, don't ask me how a little girl-fish falls in love with a human boy - I have no idea and I know better than to ask those kind of questions while watching a Miyazaki film.


Starting from the very first scene, I experienced some serious Little Mermaid deja vu - only Japanese style and only if Ariel and Prince Eric were 5-year-old kids. I was also slightly confused about what was going on, but as with all Miyazaki films, you just have to go with it. Ponyo's father (who suspiciously resembled David Bowie), voiced by Liam Neeson, was something of a under-water wizard...person, even though he was apparently not human, but used to be at some point in the past. Are you getting all this? Good. I won't give any more of the story away, but just know that it is filled with action and adventure and Matt Damon (when we first heard his voice, Rebekah leaned over to me and whispered, "Jason Bourne is his dad"! Much giggling ensued) and lots of old ladies. As with ninjas, you can never go wrong with adding lots of old ladies to your movie. Miyazki, I've come to find, tends to enjoy having lively and oftentimes hilarious old people in his films. I can't say it's a bad move - some of his best lines are delivered by senior citizens.


I was only a little bit surprised by how child-like this film turned out to be. If you're looking for a Princess Mononoke (with lots of blood, both red and green) or even a Spirited Away, you'll not find it with Ponyo. This is one of Miyazaki's more mainstream, Disneyesque films and is really targeted more towards children than adults. That's not to say that it doesn't touch upon Miyazaki's favorite (adult) themes - nature vs human nature, the effects of industry and technology in and on the earth, with strong, female character leads. Fujimoto, who I like to think of as David Bowie, himself swept the waves while searching for Ponyo and grumbled non-stop about the "filth" we humans leave in our wake. The idea was nearly identical to the main theme in Princess Mononoke, but instead of humans slowing destroying the forest and all its spirits, Ponyo portrays humans destroying the ocean and all its spirits. In that same vein, the work that ended up being the most difficult for Miyazaki to tackle, the drawing of the sea and it's waves, turned out to be the most visually spectacular part of the film.


As with all Guillermo del Toro films (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy I and II), with Miyazaki we must recognize and bow our heads to the vastly unique and unashamedly out-of-this-world imagination these filmmakers were gifted with. It's as if they have the ability to awake from their nightmares and dreams and remember every little detail of their dream-world and convert it to film for our very own viewing pleasure.

I won't say that Ponyo was one of my favorite Miyazaki films, because it wasn't, but it was entertaining nonetheless. I would like to suggest that you see the film in theaters, if only because the visual stylings of Miyazaki's hand-drawn pictures should have their due on the big-screen, but I doubt it will be in theaters for much longer. So, if you're desiring a night of lighthearted, giggle-inducing fun (Ponyo is seriously the craziest fish-girl-chicken-girl-thing ever), then just wait for the DVD release and have Miyzaki night. I'll even loan you my Princess Mononoke, in case you're jonesin' for a double feature.

Now, in a surprising twist (one that will no doubt reveal me to be the amateur writer that I am) allow me to introduce to you our very own GUEST BLOGGER, Rebekah Nolan. Rebekah accompanied me to the film last night and has her own thoughts about the film to add to mine. Take it away, Rebekah!


Thanks, Lauren! I think you're a great writer. I mostly write poop jokes all the time, so this should be interesting.

First off, let me confess…I don't really think Miyazaki can do any wrong. I'm an animation-lover, and when it comes to that particular medium, I've never seen anybody do it better. Not even Disney or Pixar. Don't get me wrong. I will always have a fondness for classic Disney features, and Pixar is doing amazing things. They're second on my list. But Miyazaki will always be at the top. I agree with Lauren. Ponyo wasn't my favorite of his films. Spirited Away will always have that distinction. The story doesn't have the same sophistication as that movie, or Mononoke or Nausicaa, but its sweetness will win you over. I read that Sosuke, the little boy, was inspired by Miyazaki's own grandson. This movie is a tribute to the innocence of young children. Sosuke is brave and kind and never forgets about Ponyo…even when he thinks he's lost her. And Ponyo's love for Sosuke is the driving force behind the magic that explodes out of the sea when she fights to get back to him. There's no real villain to this piece--Fujimoto distrusts humans, but he loves his daughter and he loves the sea. He isn't portrayed as a monster by any stretch of the imagination. It's an interesting choice, and a brave one. Disney films would never craft a whole movie without an obvious villain. But even in a children's film, Miyazaki is determined to show that life, and people (and magic sea creatures) are complex. Things aren't black and white.

Apart from the story, which is charming, if strange and meandering, there are certain technical aspects of Miyazaki's work that will never cease to amaze me. The animation is always flawless. In Ponyo, since so much of the story involves water, there is a fluidity to it that's really lovely. The sea is literally its own character, bending, twisting, and flowing through the movie. Ponyo herself will morph partially back into a fish girl when she uses her magic. This transformation reminded me of Sophie in Howl's Moving Castle. Sophie is turned into an old woman (see Lauren's notes on Miyazaki and old women!) but as the story progresses her age becomes plastic. At times she looks very old, at times young, and at times her face falls somewhere in the middle. But it's animated so beautifully that the changes feel completely organic as you watch. Miyazaki collaborates with the same composer, Joe Hisaishi, on pretty much all his films, and their work, as usual, integrates perfectly. The soundtrack has some of that same fluidity that the animation does. It's moves like water. Finally, like always, the detail will blow you away. This, to me, has always been the key to Miyazaki. When you're working on an animated film, you have to think of everything. You have no actors to instinctively move or behave a certain way. There was a moment, in Ponyo, where Sosuke wades out into the shallows to fish Ponyo out of the water. He carefully takes off his little shoes and then pulls his pant legs up and holds them as he wades. It's what a real child would do. It's small, but those are the little touches that make his work so striking. He looks at the way people move, their mannerisms, and makes sure his characters have those things. It would be easy, and more efficient, and probably cheaper, to skip some of those details when you're animating. But he never does. I think that's why we buy the magic and the strangeness and the dream-like quality of a lot of his films…there's an authenticity mixed in with the strangeness, which makes us more than willing to believe what we see.


So, those are my thoughts. Oh, and the voice cast was pretty good! I'm neither a Miley Cyrus NOR Jonas Brothers fan, but their respective little siblings did a nice job with Ponyo and Sosuke. And Tina Fey impressed me as well. Actors like Liam Neeson and Cate Blanchett are always reliable, and the trio of old ladies, Betty White, Cloris Leachman, and Lily Tomlin, were very funny.

As always, this just leaves me eager to see what Miyazaki comes up with next!


Thank you for your very well written thoughts, Rebekah! I'm sure my three readers will appreciate having some good writing to read, for once.
Until next time, anime-lovers, I leave you with this assignment:
Go rent Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. Watch them and adore them and thank me (and Rebekah) later.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Whedon vs Reality TV


Straight from my head-thoughts to Adam Vary's head-thoughts, put to digital paper, I give you the the best and truest thought IN THE UNIVERSE...!

"And yet Joss Whedon has never been at the helm of a bone fide mainstream hit. From his seminal first series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to his current distaff genre series Dollhouse, Whedon has instead become a master of cult TV, fostering a small(ish) but rabidly loyal fan base for each of his series. A critics’ darling if ever there was one, he has failed, however, to win the respect of Emmy voters, who have — in the unimpeachable opinion of Whedon fans everywhere — unforgivably snubbed his shows, their writers (well, mostly), and their actors. No matter. If all he had done was make Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s first three seasons, Whedon’s place in the TV firmament would be secure. As it stands today, his ongoing body of work is a testament to the heartening truth that unique and uncommonly great network television is still possible in an era dominated by reality TV and endless procedural crime show spin-offs. "

I HATE crime show spin-offs and reality television. Having the honor to watch anything Joss nowadays is like a cool spring breeze on the hot summer day that is crappy network television these days. If reality television had a heart, I'd put a stake through it.

Check out the rest of the EW University column here.

Here ends my Joss rant. One can never have enough of those.

In other news, Dragon*Con is merely a day away and I will be attending all four days (unless I'm totally wiped by Monday and then I might commit a Nerd-Girl Party Foul and sit that last day out). Either way, I'll come back (hopefully) chalk-full of fun nerd experiences and (hopefully) signed autographs from the Buffy and Battlestar Galactica alums that will be running around. I'll have to work on my self-control in case I run into Michael Trucco. Ummmm... Anders....yummmm. Yeah, I should probably start working on that.




Later tubers.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

O Death - Supernatural


Ok, all - you can now download Jen Titus' song, "O Death", from the new Supernatural Season 5 promo that I posted earlier. Download it here.


Pretty creepy, huh?

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The Last Battlestar to Cross the Finish Line




SPOILER WARNING!!







Since I was so late on jumping on the Battlestar bandwagon (and I have to admit, it was Joss Whedon's unmistakable admiration for the show that finally had me Netflixing season 1), it now seems like I am the last person in the world to reach the final episodes, "Daybreak" Part 1, 2 and 3. After falling hard while testing out the miniseries - I mean, how can you NOT fall for this show, starting from the very first, mind-blowing, curiosity-raising scene - I went straight to Amazon to buy all the rest of the seasons. I caught up to season 4.5 before it was released this last month on DVD, so I had to wait, dodging Internet spoilers and feeling the ache of Adama-withdrawal, until I received the last DVD set in the mail. It was only last night that I finally finished what seems to me to be the most perfect ride I have ever experienced via television. I'd like to say that I'm being overly dramatic - but I'm not, and all you cynical bastards are just going to have to deal with it. I used to be one of those people - a sci-fi-wary doubter. Just because someone enjoys vampires, werewolves, demon-hunters and vampire slayers, doesn't mean they'd also enjoy fictional planets, robots, space cowboys and fighter pilots. Any decent nerd will tell you there is a big difference between fantasy and science fiction - and they'll probably use charts and graphs and a Powerpoint presentation to do it. But once Firefly proved me wrong on that account, I was more open to testing the sci-fi waters. What I discovered was a beautifully complex, deeply emotional, heart-wrenching and heart-filling show that left me feeling sad and happy, lost and found, drained and satisfied at the end of each and every episode I watched.



I never thought it was possible for a television show to allow the viewer to feel this vast array of emotions in one 40 minute period - I always believed that to be literary territory. I had only ever felt so connected and aligned with characters when they came from fantasy book series. It takes at least 3-12 novels (all 500 pages or more), all dedicated to developing several key plots and characters, for me to become so emotionally tangled and invested in a story. Yet Battlestar needed less than half a season to win me over so thoroughly. Even Buffy, my go-to show and the show I compare all other shows against, couldn't create this spectrum of emotion in just one episode. And that, my fellow Joss-lovers, is a tough truth to concede. But if ever a network was searching for the recipe for the perfect show, they'd only have to look here - at a small group of human survivors, fighting against religious and political upheaval, with cylons and traitors in their midst as they search for a new, and hopefully non-nuked, home. Of course, it's so much more than just that. Battlestar had in it's employ a group of fantastic, not just good or great, but FANTASTIC writers (insert shout out to Jane Espenson here) and a cast of the best actors that can be found today. When I saw Edward James Olmos signing autographs mere feet away from me at Comic-Con, I couldn't make myself walk any closer, knowing that I would forever and always see him as the wise and loyal father figure, filled to the brim with honor and goodness and not just a few inspiring speeches. Even though I know the difference between an actor and the character he plays, Olmos played Admiral Adama so well I know I will always have a hard time seeing him as anyone else. The same goes for every other, extraordinary actor on the show.



The fourth and last season of this show treated me like a wet towel, twisting me into knots and draining me of all my moisture. There wasn't one episode where I didn't at least tear up a little. This was never so true as with the last three episodes. Unlike the poor blokes that had to watch "Daybreak" Part 1, 2 and 3 through several weeks, I got to watch it all, uncut and extended, right through. No waiting for the next part to air, no getting up for dessert or answering my phone, just straight through, all in one terrifically wistful and terribly beautiful night. One box of tissues was not nearly enough. Akin to the end of Return of the King, Battlestar had several endings, each one that passed making me fear more and more it's final ending. But it was good, really good. I am a sucker for Disney happy-endings and this was anything but a Disney happy-ending, but it wasn't a bad end either. It was a realistic end - one that included many, many dead bodies, but one with a last hope finally realized. Lee Adama's beautiful mane of hair didn't hurt either (it was glorious, no?) - though at the end, I worried about how alone he would be for the rest of his life (Yes, I know he's not REAL, but I was still concerned!). It would have been nice to have just one other positive event at end the series (besides the humans finally finding a home) to offset all the loss. Thoughts of Starbuck and Apollo spending the rest of their lives together, exploring their new world, would have been a big help in getting me through the melancholy end to the series. Oh well, guess a gal can't have everything. And yes, the main emotion I felt at the end was sadness; sadness for all the lives lost and all the people unable to enjoy the beautiful new world that was found, sadness for the great relationships that never got to reach their full, awesome potential, and sadness for me, who fears she will never again find such an extraordinary and touching show on television.




Even while I was sneaking around spoilers before I finished the series, I still heard moans of Battlestar withdrawal throughout the whole of the Internet. I was fearful that once I finally finished, I would lie aching in bed, pinning for Helo and Starbuck and Adama & Son and nothing would fill the vast hole of their loss. Character withdrawal can be an ugly thing and only time can heal it. Luckily, Jane Espenson and other Battlestar writers, are giving us a prequel with the Caprica series in January, not to mention The Plan. Joss is also helping to heal the pain of withdrawal, by casting several Battlestar alums as guest stars in Dollhouse next season. I can only feel desperately grateful to him for giving me more Jamie Bamber (Apollo/Lee Adama) screen time. Yummmm.




And here ends a doubters tale of enlightenment. In trying and loving this show, I am an official sci-fi geek, and proud of it. If anything is worth the title, this show is. I can only hope to be proven wrong many more times over.


Good hunting!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Supernatural - New Season 5 Promo

I love this promo. The music is dead on, eerily beautiful; an old child's tale about the rising of Lucifer. It brings to mind the Buffy episode, "Hush". The sneak peek of the return of Alona Tal and the shots of Casitel give us a little something extra to look forward to. Now all we need is a shot of Lucifer himself - the great Mark Pellegrino. September 10th can't come soon enough.






EDIT: Per Watch with Kristin, the song in the promo is called "O Death", sung by Jen Titus and produced special for the show. It should be up on cwtv.com at some point. I'll let you know when.

Friday, August 21, 2009

A Game of Thrones

I'm not sure how it's possible that I missed this news. I feel like I may have heard whispers about this some time ago - but they were so faint they must have went in one ear and out the other. Well, they certainly aren't faint any longer. In fact, they just hit me square between the eyes (think Jason hitting that dick preacher Newlin with that paintball in True Blood). HBO is creating a show from George R. R. Martin's awe-inspiring, fantasy book series, A Song of Ice and Fire. A Game of Thrones is the first book in the series. It was written in 1996, followed by three other books, the last which was published in 2005. So basically, fans of the books (it's a pretty large fandom) have been waiting over 4 years for the next novel, A Dance with Dragons. If I was as impatient about this fact as my father is, I'd be grumbling non-stop around the house, mumbling things like, "Get on with it" and "How can it take this long...?!" and other, less proper exclamations of annoyance. However, it's now been so long since I was enveloped in this story, I seem to have completely forgotten most of the plot-lines and characters. All I really remember is that it was an outstanding, emotional and complex amalgamation of several different sub-stories, all rolled into one theme: war. And how these sub-stories often collided with each other was a constant source of excitement and tears. But other than that, and the introduction of several adorable wolf puppies, I don't remember much. Still, I know a good thing when I hear it and HBO creating this series is definitely a good thing. They are still casting some parts (it's a pretty big character list to fill) but they have already cast a lot of roles. They start filming the pilot in Ireland in October. Check it out:


Harry Lloyd as Viserys Targaryen

Mark Addy as Robert Baratheon

Sean Bean as Eddard Stark

Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister

Jennifer Ehle as Catelyn Stark

Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon

Kit Harington as Jon Snow

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister

Alfie Owen-Allen as Theon Greyjoy

Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner as Arya and Sansa Stark

Richard Madden as Robb Stark

Tamzin Merchant as Daenarys Targaryen

Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont

I am most excited about the casting of Sean Bean (love that guy) and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. I really enjoyed watching Nikolaj in New Amsterdam, plus, it's always a time-filler to try to pronounce his name correctly.

If you're interested in learning more, check out this Winter Is Coming website. Here are some pictures related to the book series you can check out also:





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The views expressed on this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.