New Year's Non-Resolution

I'm typically not one to make any resolutions because I am acutely unable to stick to them. I know this about myself and I respect that. I'm not going to resolve to lose weight or to read more books because that is the one way to be sure I won't. But that doesn't mean I don't have goals or that I don't intend to try and better myself. So although I wouldn't call it a New Year's Resolution, my goal is to stop posting only 5 blogs a month. I used to have a pretty good average going, 12-20 regularly, and I have been heartily ashamed of myself for slacking so monumentally (look for reasons for that in the upcoming post "I Am a Hack"). So, in the coming months, here are some features you can expect to see (I won't put down a timetable as I would be sure to break it):

• REVIEWS: And I mean a lot of them! I'm sure you've forgotten I ever did this, and though the stress of it is partly why I haven't written one in forever, I can't let that stop me. I'll never get better it I don't keep writing, so write I must. I already have outlines for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire, Doubt and Twlight, and there are plans to see and review Revolutionary Road, Frost/Nixon, The Reader, and The Wrestler in coming weeks. That's a lot of reviewing with me being crusty and all, so I may only end up writing reviews on 3/4 of these films. However, there will be reviews!
• TWILIGHT FEVER: I finally relented, saw the movie (which I enojoyed) and read the books (which, as I suspected I might, I loved more that I should have). I don't know why I'm surprised: I love "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (human/vampire hookups are so tortured!) and my favorite movie in the 4th grade was the Zefferelli version of Romeo and Juliet. Obviously this franchise would appeal to my melodramatic inner child. I won't be joining a Twi-hards cult and Robert Pattinson is not my new celebrity crush, but there will probably be a post or two about why I loved the books so much when they are no where near the quality of my beloved Harry Potter series.
• THINGS I MISSED, PT. 2: This one is almost done and will probably be the first or second thing posted. I know, I've said it before, but I swear, it really is almost done!
• 20 FAVORITE ACTORS: Because that favorite actresses list got me thinking and I can't resist a list...
• I AM A HACK: A full post in which I explain all of my petty insecurities. Can you wait?
• OSCAR MONTH: I am finally getting in the swing of Awards Season, though with considerably less zeal than usual. But I'm not going to let that stop me. I had a lot of fun writing some Oscar posts and doing Oscar Top 10-lists last year, so I'm going to try and emulate some of that fun again this year. Last year I wrote about the rules for song/score nominations; this year I may try and dig into the criteria for foreign film or documentary entries (every year it seems the Academy misses something that most critics are flabbergasted to explain, and I'd like to understand why). As for the lists, I did my favorite topics last year, but I may try one on the worst winners or the most hideous fashion. I guess we'll see.
• 100 FAVORITE FILMS: I did this last year too, so it's hardly necessary for another compilation, but I kind of like the idea of adding new entries every year and tracking my film-loving trajectory. Just indulge me.

In the meantime, here are some videos I love:

• Found this on another blog. It's Kate Winslet's guest appearence as herself on the British sitcom "Extras" in 2005. Remember at the Golden Globes when Ricky Gervais teased her about doing a Holocaust movie? Here's why. Very funny.

• I know I haven't gotten to BSG yet, and this video will do little to appease Damon, but it's just a little Apollo/Starbuck shipper vid to Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know." Well-edited, and maybe you'll like it, Sarah!

Because Tonight's the Midseason Finale...

Just be happy that they're not "Gossip Girl"!

This has been an awesome season of "Battlestar Galactica" and in that spirit I found some videos. I know, I know, but they're not all shipper vids; I made a concentrated effort to find videos about the show in general. I realize there are probably only two people who read this blog that actually care about BSG and less than that care about these videos, but I don't care.

• This vid uses the score from the show and pairs is with random character moments and lots of BSG's particularly excellent space porn! Beware of the violence.
  

• I know I promised minimal shipper goodness, but this is an Adama/Roslin vid, and in honor of their finally admitting they are in love, I thought it was appropriate. Plus the song is the Oscar-winner from Once so....automatically better!

So I'm praying that none of the Final Five kick the dust in tonight's finale, but the way this season has been going, you just never know; someone has died in practically every episode, and they're almost out of non-main characters to kill. I just pray that they don't ruthlessly airlock Tigh, Tyrol, or Anders cause these characters have really grown on me. Also, Roslin is finally awesome again, so please don't kill her either. And if Helo dies anytime before the very end, I will not forgive you show!

YouTube Video of the Week!

Don't worry, this is not going to become a ongoing feature. But since I mention and post and view these shipper videos on a regular basis, the title seemed apt. Here's my latest obsession, a Chuck and Blair vid, really well edited - totally gets the dynamic - and I can't get the song (by "American Idol" alum, Blake Lewis) out of my head! Catchy with great lyrics!

Flashback!

,
I don't know what prompted this sudden resurgence of love for my erstwhile favorite show, but I am in the middle of a "Dawson's Creek" renaissance. I must have caught an episode at 5am a couple weeks ago, that is the only possible explanation for how it has become a permanent fixture on my brain. But I have fallen off the wagon and am knee-deep in the Pacey and Joey abyss. God, Joshua Jackson cannot guest-star on "Grey's Anatomy" fast enough for me! So in honor of this rekindled flame I drudged up some, you guessed it, YouTube videos! (Seriously, this website has provided me with a whole lot of cheap and easy shipper therapy!)

First up, we have the artsy video. It's a creative editing job about the angsty Dawson/Joey/Pacey triangle in Season Three. (Oh, how I miss the days when "Dawson's Creek" was the height of sophistication for me!)



And second, just your standard "Pacey and Joey are in love" montage. To be fair, this song should technically belong to Chuck and Blair over at "Gossip Girl" but as much as I love the Dawson's videos and the people who made them, they don't choose a lot of songs I like. They are pretty sappy. And this is coming from someone who likes sap. But I draw the line at Celine Dion and Faith Hill providing the entire Pacey/Joey soundtrack. So, glad I found this one, well-edited and to a song I can stand!

Nominations Reaction; JAM video

In regard to this morning's Oscar nominations, I just have to say I am unexpectedly satisfied. Much to my surprise, Atonement did get nominations for Picture and supporting actress Saoirse Ronan - I was doubting that it actually would! It also got totally deserved nods in adapted screenplay, cinematography, costume design, art direction and score. Yay! Supporting actor was exactly as I hoped, and the only change to my supporting actress list was Ruby Dee from American Gangster replacing Kelly MacDonald. And both Best Actor and Best Actress are, again, mostly as I hoped, but Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd) and Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age) replaced James McAvoy and Keri Russell (which is not unexpected). The only change to my list of Best Picture nominees is There Will Be Blood replacing Once, although Once did get a nomination for Best Song, "Falling Slowly" - YAY!

Best Director included category favorites Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men) and Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood), both films which led the nominations with 8 each, but Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton) and surprise! Jason Reitman (Juno) were also nominated. There are lots of other great choices in nominations in the technical categories as well. The awards most surprising snub, to me, appears to be Into the Wild, a critics favorite that didn't get Sean Penn a directing nod (or best song/score), however it did garner supporting actor and film editing nominations. If you want a full list of the nominees, just search Academy Awards 2008, and your computer will be falling all over itself trying to give you a link! I am immensely pleased with this year's selections!

So, in other news........

It's been about about two months since we got a new episode of "The Office," and I've been going through a few minor withdrawals. I know that none of you are as psychotic as I am and don't spend hours watching shipper videos on youtube, but in light of our collective pining, I decided to post my absolute favorite Pam/Jim video ever. (Seriously, really well-edited; hits all the right notes.) If you only watch the show for the comedy and Michael, sorry, but this is not likely to soothe your pain. But for those of you who, like me, were on tenderhooks throughout their agonizing courtship, this is the video for you! It's from Pam's POV, dealing with the ramifications of turning Jim down in the season 2 finale, and completely schmaltzy! Makes me inexplicably happy every time I see it!