Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Top 10 Favorite "Bad" Movies


We all have them. Sometimes known as guilty pleasures, although I don't feel much guilt about anything on this list, especially the top 3. What I was going for are films that have low Rotten Tomato scores (pretty universally hated by critics) but also don't have a lot of goodwill out there amongst the common man either. Will not include critically eviscerated films that have since gone on to become much-loved cult classics like Newsies, Mallrats, Empire Records and (I would include) She's the Man. There has to be an audience that thinks these movies suck too. (And Twilight is just too obvious a mark even though I really quite enjoy the first one.)

  • 10 - What's Your Number? (2011): I think Anna Faris is really funny. Yes, she can be a bit too much and while she doesn't have "methface" there is something wrong with her mouth that I can't quite place. But in a movie, she gives it her all. Nothing is too ridiculous that she won't try for the laugh. Here she plays a woman trying to find her husband from among her previous 20 sexual partners because she doesn't want her number to get any higher. She slept with some real duds. She faked an English accent for the entirety of one relationship. And when she tries to resurrect it later, it tumbles into Cockney, then Borat and painfully goes on forever. Laugh my ass off every time. And Chris Evans is in it too and they play a sexy game of strip HORSE. Very flawed, but very funny.

  • 9 - Heavyweights (1995): This is how I like my Ben Stiller. Craaaaazy eyes. A fairly generic and formulaic story about kids at fat camp banding together against the fanatical new owner. Kind of a less inspired The Mighty Ducks. But Ben Stiller is brilliant as Tony Perkis. The script has a few genuinely great lines. Plus, I love Lars, the German counselor. Heather and Emily, say it with me now: "How ya doin, little Tony?" "Bad." "Why do you feel bad?" "Because everythings's falling apart and I can't do anything about it! It's not my fault!"

  • 8 - Major Payne (1995): Kind of in the same vein here. Misfit kids with shared goal of taking down their leader. But in this case, their leader is Damon Wayons and underneath the ridiculous phonetics of his speech, he actually cares. And he gives us the most terrifying version of the Little Engine That Could that I have ever heard. Monsters in your closet? no problem, we'll shoot it full of caps. "One - don't you look dumb! Two - look at you! Three - don't you ever make jokes about me behind my back or else I'll stomp you into the ground!"
 
  • 7 - Housesitter (1992): Goldie Hawn has a one night stand with Steve Martin and then moves to his hometown, moves into the house he built for the girl he actually loves, and tells his parents that she is his wife. And because it's Goldie Hawn, I don't find her psycho in the least. They spend the entire movie making up grandiose stories, he with the hope of proving to the girl of his dreams what a great husband he would make, she with mostly just a desire to cause chaos. It's pretty stupid actually. But it cracks me up. Hawn and Martin have great chemistry and are phenomenal comic actors, even in shit like this.

  • 6 - Center Stage (2000): Most of the characters in this movie are played by actual dancers, so you have to excuse the absolutely horrendous acting. Focus on the dancing, please. It is spectacular. Especially the sequence where a lead ballerina makes 3 intricate costume, hair and make-up changes in mid-performance without ever leaving the stage. And try to ignore actual actress Susan May Pratt giving the 2nd worst line reading in the world: "I am the best goddamn dancer in the American Ballet Company. Who the hell are you?!? Nobody!" (1st is obviously Andie MacDowell's "Is it raining? I hadn't noticed" in Four Weddings and A Funeral.)

  • 5 - Hook (1991): Yes, it's kind of dingy. Yes, Julia Roberts was a terrible choice to play Tinkerbell, especially as in love with a Robin Williams Peter Pan. But you can't fault Dustin Hoffman's Hook one bit. Or the inspired casting of Bob Hoskins as Smee. Or having an imaginary food fight that becomes real. Or having the new leader of the Lost Boys sport a red mohawk and be named Rufio. RU - FI - OOOOOOO! I like the twist that Peter Pan grew up and can't remember, and the scenes at the beginning of Grandma Wendy (Maggie Smith) trying to tell him are magical and scary. So much better than it's given credit for.
 
  • 4 - Gidget (1959): Cheeseball movie for sure, but Sandra Dee is such a darn cute spitfire as Gidget. She is relentlessly cheerful and naive, but full of pluck and determination and smarts. She's not out to score a fella (though she does succumb to the machinations of the romantic comedy eventually) - she wants to surf and be one of the guys. Cute score, James Darren was a dreamboat and I'm a sucker for the image of ease in 1950's California.

  • 3 - Far and Away (1992): I've honestly never understood why Tom Cruise's Irish accent gets such a bad rap. It's not great, but it doesn't distract me from the movie. I think he and (at the time) wife Nicole Kidman have an easy chemistry together (and she is quite funny too), Ron Howard shot a film with beautiful visuals, a lovely score, accurate set design and the credits close with Enya's "Book of Days." What's not to love? The penis under the bowl jokes? The amped up boxing? The edge of your seat land race?
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  • 2 - Across the Universe (2007): Perhaps trying to tell a story about 6 characters where their entire storyline is constructed from what Beatles songs you had the rights to was a bit ambitious and a slight misstep. But the songs and the singers are lovely. Fantastic renditions of "I've Just Seen a Face," "If I Fell," "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," "Helter Skelter," and "Let It Be." Amazing visuals, even when they skew heavy-handed. Great actors, uplifting story. At least it really tries. Balls to the wall tries.

  • 1 - Speed Racer (2008): This movie is a treasure. Cheesy, long, occasionally tone-deaf, but revolutionary visuals. A storyline that is begging to be mocked, and yet somehow draws you in. Exciting, well-shot action sequences with engrossing races. The editing of the final race alone is masterful. I know the film had to fail in theaters when pitted against Iron Man, but why it failed so massively on a critical scale I will never understand.



Just Missed the cut: The Lake House, The Holiday, Summer Magic and Six Days, Seven Nights.

What are your favorite "Bad" movies?


Review: Catching Fire (mostly for book readers)


I'm going to live-blog this event even though it's been approximately 108 hours since I saw the movie. All time stamps have been completely fabricated, but I tried very hard to get them close. If you haven't read the book, or don't want to be spoiled about film details, do not read. While I am a spoiler whore myself, if would truly sadden me to ruin it for any Catching Fire virgins out there.





-0:10 - A kid in the audience just proposed to his girlfriend using a cardboard sign and glow sticks. Cute. Or would be if I wasn't sitting with my ex about an hour after we had discussed thwarted wedding ideas of our own.

-0:09 - Oh thank God, he was just asking her to the Winter Formal. Still kind of awkward.

0:01 - Katniss is wearing a hideous, asymmetrical knit scarf that appears to be growing out of her coat. It's distracting me from the scene. And I say this as a die-hard lover of all scarves.

0:03 - Hey, it's Jack Quaid! You know, the first guy that Katniss killed? It's a flashback. And here I was worried Meg and Dennis' kid wasn't gonna get more work.

0:06 - My thigh is touching my ex's thigh. Is that weird? Maybe I should move it over. Now my inner thighs are strained. Must do more Pilates. Ooh, good kiss between Gale and Katniss.

0:07 - I like the look of the Victor's houses; generic and identical. But I wish we got a better angle of how alienated and isolated the Victor's are. In their own section of town, surrounded by all the empty houses of Victors never to come.

 
0:09 - Donald Sutherland is a great choice for President Snow but the book is so much better at conveying his sensory creepiness. The fact that his breath smells like blood is by far the most compelling thing about his villainy and the film is simply not getting that across.

0:11 - Peeta and Katniss are really cute and awkward in this scene before the cameras. It's making me root for Peeta here, which is a good sign for Josh Hutcherson: his chemistry with Jennifer Lawrence and his overall charisma have really improved.

0:15 - Gah, Rue! You were wonderful. And the Victory Tour in District 11 is pretty gut-wrenching. Except there is that one sister of Rue who is just giving me nothing. It's like she's playing that her Ipod isn't going to be delivered until after her birthday instead that her sister died. Boooo! Rue was the best.

0:18 - I love you, Woody Harrelson. You are truly a treasure as Haymitch. Keep giving Katniss hell.

0:23 - The costumers are having so much fun with Effie's wardrobe. How does she even see in that high-necked monstrosity? Poor Elizabeth Banks has to completely turn around just to see the other actors. But I love Katniss' eyeshadow and the fact that her gown has subtle feather detailing. I can't remember if that is in the book or not but as it is a Cinna creation, it's a pretty safe bet.


0:25 - Glad they included the bit about the liquid that makes you throw up. Revolting yet exacting detail from the book.

0:27 - I almost put my arm around my ex's shoulders and stroked his neck. Damn, I gotta watch myself.  I have to literally grab on to the opposite arm rest to keep my hand from wandering. It's just too familiar. My fingers are gripping the cup holder.

0:30 - I was very excited when Philip Seymour Hoffman was cast as Plutrach. He has a quiet authority and calm and these scenes with President Snow portray what a clever poker player the character had to be.

0:34 - The guy they got to play Commander Thread is a very familiar character actor. I can't place him right now but I hate him on sight.

0:36 - The whipping of Gale would be more effective if I hadn't just seen 12 Years a Slave and learned what a truly eviscerating whipping looks like.

0:43 - I feel sorry for anyone who was already spoiled on Katniss going back into the arena because this moment was such a gut-punch in the book. I remember wanting to crawl into the ground with Katniss. The anger was just so palpable. To be fair, Jennifer Lawrence plays it for all it's worth.

0:45 - Haymitch's assertion that Peeta is "more than you'll ever deserve" would carry more weight if the films could focus more on his character. I feel like Josh Hutcherson is capable of making Peeta that noble and tender, but it somehow just isn't coming through in the film's structure.

0:47 - Elizabeth Banks has so much more to play this time around. I think I like Effie even more in the films than in the books. Her eye contact with Katniss in this scene speaks volumes.

0:51 - While I'm glad for the footage of the other Reapings, they just look so budget and junior high AV club. This is a multi-million dollar franchise; the production value should extend to the 2nd unit work. But yay, I'd forgotten about the casting of Jeffery Wright as Beetee and Amanda Plummer as Wiress!

0:52 - Amanda Plummer is the daughter of Christopher Plummer; Captain Von Trapp spawned the delightful weirdness that is Honey Bunny. I'm so tickled.

0:55 - The smell of popcorn has finally settled down and all I can smell is my ex. I'd forgotten how much I missed that smell. I'm starting to feel like a creeper over here.

0:59 - First appearance of Sam Claflin as Finnick. Well, he certainly looks the part. But he was terrible in Snow White and the Huntsman - less charming than Kristin Stewart, if that's even possible! I'm going to reserve judgment for now.


1:02 - YES! I love these costumes! In the book it says they are supposed to look like coal embers - I'd say mission accomplished. And the CGI is much less distracting than it was for the Girl on Fire moment in the first film. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson look badass. And the way Katniss holds eye contact with President Snow the entire ride is pretty fantastic too.

1:05 - Dear me, Jena Malone is a perfect Johanna Mason (and their initials match - how darling, like it's MFEO). That striptease in the elevator is the most levity these films have ever had. So much sass and Jennifer Lawrence is practically falling over with those melodramatic eyerolls.


1:09 - Jennifer Lawrence finally gets to show off all that archery training she's done. Impressive simulation. Reminds me of Tron.

1:12 - Yay, Ceasar Flickman! Stanley Tucci's take on him is one of the most delightful things I've ever seen. That ridiculous, maniacal laugh, the faux sincerity, how he plays the pageantry to the audience. I wish these interviews were in real time so we could indulge in his every artificial maneuver.

1:14 - Johanna Mason tells the Capitol to Fuck Off and they bleep her! The moment I never knew I always wanted.

1:17 - That wedding dress is totes fugly. It does look like it belongs in the Capitol. But perhaps my favorite moment of the entire film is watching her twirl and become the Mockingjay - those magnificent wings and the wonder on her face. It's beautiful.



1:22 - And the Victors all hold hands in united defiance of the Capitol. Great moment in the book, great moment in the film.

1:25 - Accidental boob graze from my ex when reaching for the soda. Why are these seats so close together?

1:28 - Shit, Cinna's last scene is effective. Pretty much as brutal as I imagined. Great acting from Jennifer Lawrence here; completely unhinged and hysterical, slowly melding into radiant determination. And even if Lenny Kravitz isn't a great actor, he had a very solid and comforting presence.


1:31 - The arena is a pretty exact replica of what I had imagined. And they don't shy away from the violence here.

1:37 - Okay, Sam Claflin can stay. I wasn't completely sold on alluring tribute Finnick, but in-the-arena Finnick is awesome and gets it done.

1:42 - Jennifer Lawrence has been very solid overall, but I just don't get how she is balls-out amazing in some scenes (like crying over almost-dead Peeta) and then gives such flat line readings in others. Was the editor snoozing? To be fair those dead readings are mostly in scenes with Gale. I guess Liam Hemsworth just isn't an inspiring partner.

1:47 - Creepy, creepy mist. Great effects overall. I totally forgot it was poisonous. Damn, I really like Lynn Cohen as Mags. She was Miranda's housekeeper, Magda, on Sex and the City.

1:49 - The characters are immersing themselves in water to wash off the poisoned boils and the theater is bubbling with laughter every time one of them groans. I guess it does sound kind of orgasmic. Reminds me of watching The Rules of the Game in film class; everyone was in hysterics during the game hunting scene (don't ask me why, but once it starts it's infectious) and our TA's were horrified at the irreverence for such an important and solemn scene.


1:52 - We have arrived at the monkeys. They are baboons, which I was not expecting, and kind of silly, which I should have. But I can only imagine how difficult is is to create a horde of threatening monkeys on your computer. All those pink behinds...

1:57 - Finally Johanna Mason is back to curse at the heavens once more. I adore her. And she reminds me that we're not really aware of just how horrible the Victors have all had it. How much they have lost. Was this in the book? Or not until Mockingjay? My righteous anger is curious.

2:02 - The whole jabberjay existence was never really explained in the movies, but their execution here is unnerving. Horrifying reactions from Katniss and Finnick, and bless Peeta's little heart and he tries to be encouraging. I keep wondering if I would be as attuned to voices of my loved ones in this situation. I have never heard them scream - would they still sound familiar?

 
2:11 - I feel sorry for the actors playing Enobaria and Gloss and the other "Careers." They show up on the red carpets and smile and pose and then here they are with practically no screen time and nary a close up to help me remember them at all. Kind of a thankless job. Like that model hired to play "Heidi" in Twilight: New Moon. She is literally in two scenes with one line. But her casting was announced in the trades along with everyone else. What a letdown.

2:13 - In some of the wide shots the arena just doesn't look big enough. It's beautiful, but a little closed and fake. Maybe that was intended.

2:16 - Sweet, sweet romance between Peeta and Katniss on the beach. I think I'm officially rooting for them, finally. Magnificent lighting on the beach. Great kissing too - vastly superior to the first installment. My ex is side-eyeing me. Checking for signs of discomfort during these painfully heartfelt moments? Well, I may look pissed as hell, but it's a mask. My heart is breaking a little more every day.

2:20 - What is there to say about these final moments in the arena? That Katniss searching for Peeta is a tad poignant? That Johanna is still a badass? That Finnick is beautiful when he says "Remember who the real enemy is"? And that hopeful arrow aimed skyward...

2:23 - And then they tossed on an interminably long shot of Katniss in Christ-pose. A little heavy-handed I feel? You are not Willem Dafoe in Platoon.

2:25 - When Jennifer Lawrence calls Haymitch a liar she sounds exactly like her character in Silver Linings Playbook. Kind of threw me for a minute. I wish we could have seen Peeta one last time. I do not look forward to the shell of Peeta he will be once we meet again.

2:27 - And credits. Actually, according the IMDb running time, the credits should have started about 9 minutes ago. Damn.



Conclusions: A very faithful if somewhat unimaginative telling of the book. Sticklers for detail will be pleased with how closely this hews to the book, but there is not a lot of room for surprises or spontaneity, except in scenes with Johanna Mason or with Jennifer Lawrence reacting to Johanna Mason. But, great effects, brilliant casting, effective script, a little mirth and I'm not sure what else I should really be expecting. A smidgen more mood and mystery, perhaps. But I can't say I'm disappointed. Also, if you were a movie-going couple, do not go to a movie with your ex too soon. The close physical proximity is sadly distracting and every love reference in the movie will seem like a gavel pounded on your heart.

Friday, November 22, 2013

You Should Be Watching...

THE GOOD WIFE




For those of you hiding under a rock I just don't have the patience to lay out the whole premise for you; it makes me feel like I'm writing the blurb on the back of a DVD cover. It's boring. So go read this blurb from the back of a  DVD cover. The gist? Julianna Marguiles plays Alicia Florrick, the wife of a disgraced State's Attorney, caught in a public scandal after his infidelities (sound familiar - like right out of the daily news?), and forced to re-enter the workforce after a 13-year absence from law. Alicia literally is the good wife who stands behind her husband and supports him after he has publicly humiliated her, and in the beginning at least, Alicia represents the position of moral rightness. We trust her character. And Marguiles plays her brillinatly, so quiet and subtle and perfectly calibrated. She is surrounded by other fantastic actors including Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart, one of her new bosses, Matt Cruzcy (of Gilmore Girls fame) as Cary Agos, fellow first-year and sometimes adversary, Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma, the film's enigmatic star investigator, Chris Noth (Mr. Big on "Sex and the City") as Peter Florrick, her disgraced husband, and Josh Charles (of Dead Poets Society and "Sports Night") as Will Gardner, her boss and former law school friend. The acting on this show is simply top tier.

And it doesn't end with the regular cast. One of the greatest strengths of the show is it's guest actors. Like "Ally McBeal" before it, the casting has a familiar rotating bench of judges (including "Hey, It's That Guy" regulars Denis O'Hare, David Paymer, Kurt Fuller and Ana Gasteyer) which makes the Chicago law scene feel more real (and don't let that comparison scare you off; tonally, the shows couldn't be more different. Where Ally McBeal was quirks and whismy and dancing babies all the time, The Good Wife is more grounded, complicated and the whimsy is dosed in very small increments.) It also boasts amazing guest lawyers from Michael J. Fox as an opposing counsel who uses his handicap to underhanded advantage, Martha Plimpton as their most shameless and ruthless foe, Carrie Preston as a delighfully oddball fixer, and Nathan Lane as a reserved accountant. And it doesn't end with them; the show is univerally praised for it's excellent casting and guest actors. I could write an entire post just about them.

This show certainly doesn't need any help shilling from me. It gets solid ratings on CBS and has amassed about 30 Emmy nominations over the past 4 seasons. (Go ahead and count how many are for it's guest actors alone.) Currently in it's 5th year this show continues to take huge risks. The showrunners have a talent for implementing radical upheavals in their storylines that constantly shift and change the dynamics of the show (from destroying relationships to legal takeovers, dirty political campaigns to low-key affairs), but still craft entertaining procedural cases on a weekly basis. The relationship between Alicia and her husband is never as simple as "he cheated, it's over." These characters have a rich history, two children and his political career to think about and the decisions they make about their relationship are never obvious or simple. The writers choose a more realistic and nuanced path. Peter is a compelling character on his own and his storylines became immensely enjoyable further into Seasons 1 and 2, thanks especially to the addition of Eli Gold (Alan Cumming) as his crisis counselor and campaign manager.

 
More examples: when Alicia and fan-favorite Kalinda have a serious falling out, it takes almost a year for the ice to thaw. The two characters hardly had any scenes together and the show didn't suffer. When extreme liberal Diane begins a relationship with a ballistics expert who is a member of the Tea Party (Gary Cole) the writers takes him serioiusly as a character and challenge the idea that people of opposing political beliefs cannot find common ground, even love. The will they-won't they, love triangle aspects of the show never take the expected course and still have the ability to surprise and challenge audience expectations. And just recently, an upheaval in the main law firm has pitted all of our good guys against each other in such a way that you don't know who to root for.

Simply put: this show rocks more than any other network drama on television. It doesn't underestimate the intelligence of it's audience. It has fantastic, multifaceted female characters of all types. It's funny and smart and fast-paced and breaks your heart at least once a week. It plants story ideas and characters every episode that spiral out in the most unexpected ways. Just please watch it. I want to talk about this show with everyone!



Now out of fairness, anyone have any recommendations for me? And they cannot include any of the following (which I have already heard are great and as soon as I have Netflix and more time, I plan to catch up on all from the beginning): Game of Thrones, Breaking Mad, Mad Men, Homeland, Boardwalk Empire, The Walking Dead, Sleepy Hollow, Masters of Sex, The Sopranos, The Wire, Parenthood, Sons of Anarchy, Pushing Daisies, Fringe, Parks and Recreation, Girls, Veep, or American Horror Story.


Friday, November 15, 2013

Links


  • If you love "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as much as I do, you must check out this awesome Ranking of all 135 episodes over at Buzzfeed. I'm rooting for "Once More With Feeling," obviously.
  • Pajiba's got Forgotten Film Crushes of the 90's. Oooh, John Hannah, you charming little devil.
  • Again on Pajiba (just read it everyday people) is this fantastic little personal story about the writer who had a lifelong hate-on for Adam Goldberg. Hilarious story.

And I am crazy in love with this song by Tegan and Sara:



Movie Posters

I obviously love them ----------------------->

But I can't really enjoy the poster if I don't love the movie as well. Or at least respect it. So it really bugs the shit out of me when I LOVE a poster and hate the movie, because I will never be able to enjoy that poster as art on my wall or decoration on my blog. It would be a lie. Like this one for A Good Woman. I have loved it for so long. Great, great poster. Crap, crap movie.



It is equally frustrating to love the movie and hate the poster. Or at least find the poster completely prosaic. And dull. And uninspired. Like this one:




By the by, this is a fantastic movie and all of us who ever said that Bradley Cooper couldn't act could not have been more wrong. Love Jennifer Lawrence as I do, in all truth, he blows her out of the water. Best performance in a movie also starring Robert DeNiro.

And I can't use this poster cause it's just so damn bland!

Monday, November 11, 2013

10 Pop Culture Gems Ruined By My Break-Up


In no particular order and with absolutely no context...


  • How I Met Your Mother: The season in which we finally get a resolution to the longest and most inappropriate story to ever tell your children, WE HAVE SIGHTED THE ACTUAL MOTHER, and yet I remain unmotivated.
  • "No One" by Alicia Keys: Gah. Can't even. Turn the radio station off and leave the store. Immediately.
  • Stranger Than Fiction: F*** you Maggie Gyllenhaal and your oddly appealing chipmunk cheeks. (Wreckless Eric's "Whole Wide World" is still firmly delightful.)
  • "I Will Always Love You": Dolly or Whitney, ironically or not, even in that great episode of Gilmore Girls. Nope. No more.
  • Pride and Prejudice: The book, the miniseries, the movie - in all it's forms this story and all the hope and goodwill it engenders are galling right now. Give me Marianne Dashwood and her melodramatic wailing!
  • Kung Fu Panda: Apparently The Iron Giant  will be the only non-Disney cartoon to which my future hypothetical children are ever exposed. (Whoops, forgot about The Brave Little Toaster - tainted, but not ruined.)
  • "I Will Wait For You" by Mumford and Sons: Really anything by Mumford and Sons. Too bad, I really like their style.
  • Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling and Crazy Stupid Love: Steve Carell remains unaffected. My love for him pre-dates any romantic affiliations. (You're a double negative, indeed.)
  • My Big Fat Greek Wedding: In which a dowdy 30 year-old virgin (who still lives with her parents) meets the perfect, gorgeous man of her dreams and gets her long-awaited happily ever after. Bullshit. DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE 30!!! That's insanity and it doesn't help a damn thing.
  • "I Don't Know Much" by Aaron Neville and Linda Ronstadt: My history with this predates anything else on this list, and yet it is still somehow irrevocably spoiled. I guess there was a lot more that I needed to know.

Honorable Mention: "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, all of Adele's "21" album, multiple episodes of "Sex and the City," Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and the entire Kevin and Winnie storyline from "The Wonder Years."


And in the "Should Be Ruined, But Aren't" Category we have:

  • "Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem feat. Rhianna: But only in private.
  • Fringe: Need to get Netflix so I can figure out what the hell is going on!
  • Anything to do with Harry Potter:  Too important to the fabric of the universe to fall prey to something as common as a break-up.
  • Jennifer Lawrence and Silver Linings Playbook: She will be mine. Oh yes, she will be mine.
  • "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers: Just so damn good. And memories of certain people singing this song soooo off-tempo will always bring a smile to my face.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Here We Are Again

So, it's been awhile, eh? It has in fact been almost 4 years. Gossip Girl is no longer even on the air so I will be forced to find another means of sartorial expression than drooling over the suits of Chuck Bass. A big loss to all of you, I'm sure.

In all honesty, it's been a tough year. I have some demons to work out. And for better or worse, I have always used pop culture to do that. It's what makes sense to me. But before we delve into all that heavy list-making (oh, will there be lists!), here's something light and fun: my new movie crush.

 
Trust me, you have to see the kid in action to really get the appeal. He is the perfect combination of crass and charming, which is apparently my thing. I first saw him as the scene stealer in that mediocre Footloose remake, and then he got pretty great reviews for this indie The Spectacular Now, a movie that came nowhere near me during it's short release but I am dying to see. And then I rented 21 and Over, a perfectly average drunken-college-shenanigans type movie, and was later forced (by myself) to buy it just because I liked this guy in it so much.

Most recently there is this trailer for a Zac Efron vehicle called That Awkward Moment and while it looks pretty funny overall, and also stars the fantastic Michael B. Jordon, the entire reason I want to see it is Miles Teller. Which is this guys's name, by the way. Check him out, I hope you enjoy.





Side Question: Miles Teller is 26 years old, so I'm not robbing the cradle or anything, but he has played primarily high schoolers. Does that make this crush creepy? At what age are you no longer allowed to crush on actors under the age of 25, or who only play characters under the age of 21? Don't get me wrong, I can work a mean crush over the more age appropriate James McAvoy or Michael Fassbender, but when will it no longer be socially acceptable to find the young things attractive?