Just Because

OK, I'm excited.

Get familiar with my new town here.

Addendum

I'm a little ashamed of myself.

I did an entire post on movies I saw this summer, and I left what was quite probably my very favorite flick OFF THE LIST.

How embarrassing.

Three times in the theater, and I want to go back before it's gone. If it had an arrival date, I would have already pre-ordered the DVD.

I've been distracted.

And busy.

And I'm moving in less than a month.

And I suppose it's at least a little understandable - I mean, hey, no one really WANTS to admit they like a movie starring Nicolas "Is This A Hairpiece I See Before Me" Cage.

(Plus, Disney. Urgh.)

Fine.

I LOVE THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE. (The movie, not the actual apprentice. That would be weird, and/or Mickey, which is a whole different thing because everybody loves Mickey and he's iconic and anyway it's a completely separate context. Mostly.)

Right. Sorry.

You know how I mentioned Knight and Day is the Tom Cruise we knew and loved before he started abusing living room decor? Well, The Sorcerer's Apprentice is National Treasure Nic Cage, with just a shade more crazy and quite a bit more hair. He's relaxed, he's having fun, he's saving the world and getting the girl, and as per the title, he's brought along a protege. Jay Baruchel more than holds his own, though - this is geek chic at it's finest, and the boy is a-dork-a-ble. Remember how much you loved How to Train Your Dragon? (Of course you did. I don't even care if you didn't see it - trust me, you loved it.) His distinctive voice will take you right back to that happy place, and it's smooth sailing from there. Alfred Molina is ever reliable as the smarmy villian (though cockroaches?!? Ew) and the whole thing is literally smoke/mirrors/lightning/strobe effects. Don't expect to think - just know that you'll thoroughly enjoy yourself and call it a day.

I liked this movie so much that I even attempted to draw some parallel between the melding of science and imagination, of technology and magic, but in all honesty it's really just Disney and a lucky combination of Nic, Jay, a screenwriter who'd never seen High School Musical, "Hannah Montana", or anything else offered up by the Disney Channel (obviously he lied on his application - go team!) and a director with a good eye and sense of humor intact.

It's dorky.

It's cheesy.

After three viewings, I'm still not in any way bored with it (which is more than any of us can say about some of the people we've dated).

I downloaded the theme song on ITunes, and still get mushy and giggly when I hear it on the radio.

I'm ready to go see it again.

Any takers?

Good, good times. (Call me!)

Sunday Snippet

Love divine, all loves excelling,

joy of heav'n, to earth come down.

Fix in us thy humble dwelling,

all thy faithful mercies crown!

Jesus, thou art all compassion,

pure, unbounded love thou art;

Visit us with thy salvation,

enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit

into every troubled breast!

Let us all in Thee inherit;

let us find thy promised rest;

Take away the love of sinning;

Alpha and Omega be;

End of faith, as its beginning,

set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,

let us all thy life receive;

Suddenly return and never,

nevermore thy temples leave.

Thee we would be always blessing,

serve thee as thy hosts above,

Pray and praise thee without ceasing,

glory in thy perfect love.

Finish, then, thy new creation;

pure and spotless let us be;

Let us see thy great salvation,

perfectly restored in thee;

Changed from glory into glory,

till in heav'n we take our place;

Till we cast our crowns before Thee,

lost in wonder, love, and praise.

Amen.

- Charles Wesley

Listen/watch

Sterling Singers

Today in Pictures

(Oops. Next time I sit in a bookstore reading for an hour and a half, maybe I'll buy something!)

Still Reeling

I understand from a reliable source that certain people don't know what to think about particular movies until I review them, so... *Ahem*

...

... if you were expecting some catchy title or big razzle-dazzle moment right there, I apologize. Drew a total blank - I got nothin'. Just, you know, gonna start talking about movies. In no particular order.

Inception: Yep. Go see it. You are smart enough, you are cool enough, and darn it - people like you. Also, they like the movie, and with good reason. Just go. And when you go a second time, call me - I need to see it again, too.

Salt: In my opinion, don't bother. It's every other spy movie you've seen and thought was cool/dark/stylish, only it's not any fun. Yay Angelina Jolie for being a female action star, but... could you pick up some Bond-like repartee, or Bourne-style sheepishness, or ANYTHING to make us actually care about your character? Thanks. Just sayin'. I'd rather watch Knight and Day.

Knight and Day: It's so sad when actors' personal lives invade their professional personas to the point that audiences stay away from their films. (1 - I, ironically, blame the media. 2 - That first sentence had some awesome alliteration. Zing!) Tom Cruise may have hijacked the Crazy Train and gotten himself elected mayor of CrazyTown, but this movie is what we all used to love about Tom Cruise. It's wry, tongue-in-cheek, deadpan-with-a-twinkle, and has chemistry and over-the-top (but not TOO over-the-top) action. Even Cameron Diaz works in this movie. I KNOW, right? I saw it twice in the theater (matinees, but still) and I wouldn't mind seeing it again. It's violent but not gory, comparatively clean and still funny, and has a couple of niiiiice kisses and no sex. I'll go for the DVD, and I'll buy it still shaking my head that the film didn't do better on screen.

(And now I'm DYING to get a couple more "p"-words into that initial sentence. Presuppose? Persistent? Preclude? Postulate? Argggh!)

Nanny McPhee Returns: Ah, Emma Thompson. How I love and respect you! How I admire and revere your work and talent! And how befuddled I am by what you may or may not have been trying to accomplish with your latest opus to warts, oversized teeth, and the sparkly, pound-y magic of stern, riddilistic (I totally just made that up!), standoffish loving care! Nanny McPhee (the 1st) is a jewel, truly. It's odd, quirky, and completely beautiful. NMcP Returns ("Small 'c', large 'P'" - Say what? Is that the new "I did knock"?) is odd, quirky, and has moments of beauty scattered throughout a highly uneven and unstable "plot". Maggie Gyllenhall is completely charming and adorable. Rhys Ifans is not. The children are thoroughly engaging and delightful. The "henchladies" are not. The CGI works, against your better judgement - it's not quite real, it's not quite magical, it's just a little "off", but you'll smile anyway. Weird. Two bonus features: Ewan McGregor's cameo is absolutely swoon-worthy (Ewan! Where have you BEEN!?!), and in no other movie this year will your kids learn how to dismantle a WWII-era UXB (UneXploded Bomb). So, there is that.

And, in conclusion, a DVD review:

Date Night: I would happily watch Tina Fey and Steve Carrell rifff off of each other while reading the phone book (I was going to say "something dire like 'Canterbury Tales'" but then I imagined Carrell and Fey mucking with Chaucer and went a'quiver with delight) because, seriously, they make the perfect couple. The underlying thread of the story - their relationship - is really wonderful, and all the craziness that happens on top is outrageous, ridiculous, and very very funny. I'm not sure how all that escaped the critics. Good times right there, and all to be had for the price of a (free, if you know how to shop) Redbox rental (I know I have a coupon here somewhere).

* * * * *

Honestly, I haven't been to very many movies lately, and not much out there looks all that interesting. I'll probably drag myself out to see Despicable Me (and enjoy it) before too long, but other than that I'm just waiting for the second half of Glee Season 1 on DVD, Easy A, Voyage of the DawnTreader, and Tron: Legacy. I will most likely also see Legend of the Guardians: Owls of Ga'hoole, but ONLY for the artistic aspects and because I can't get away from that 30 Seconds to Mars song. YOU KNOW THE ONE.

Happy movie watching! Let me know your favorites, and feel free to leave any suggestions that I should see and/or avoid!

P.S. Yes, I put that third "f" in "rifff" on purpose.

P.P.S. The title of this blog post is now one of my favorite content-appropriate puns ever. It will someday be the name of my column or TV show.

P.P.P.S. You're hearing that song in your head right now, aren't you? You totally are.

Fwends

I'm coming in just under the wire today, so I'll skip the controversial, politically-charged, debate-generating, blood-spilling topic I had in mind and go right to something nearer the heart:

I have awesome friends. *insert shower of sparkly confetti here*

It's true. I have a real knack for cozying up to the smartest, coolest, most engaging people in the room and convincing them to let me hang around. Tonight was Girls' Night Out with a group of ladies I've known since high school, and they are opinionated, intelligent, cheerful, encouraging, interested, grounded, and have terrific senses of humor. We always have fun when we're together, generally spending the better part of the evening talking and sharing experiences. These are good people, some of the best people, and they're mine!

My friends tend to be funny, talented, creative, and involved. They care about others, and do their best to lead, teach, and support. They are some of the world's greatest story- and joke-tellers. They can take it, they can dish it, and they'll love you all the more for it at the end of the evening. My friends are people who make things happen, in their jobs, their families, their creative outlets. They express themselves well, and are always interested in learning something new. They'll be the first to help when help is needed, and are savvy enough to spot a scam before it hits. My friends fight for the ones they love, gleefully recount victories, and commiserate over defeats. My friends have fun, and feel good about themselves in the morning. My friends are people who help you want to be more and better than you are, and have every confidence that you can.

If you're a friend of mine, you belong with this group I've described. Sometimes I think one of my greatest talents is finding the best kinds of friends!

(I feel like this post should probably have a Disney soundtrack. Just choose your favorite "friend" tune and hum along.)

* * * * *

As a gift to the girls who share my North and South fixation (and as a tribute to the fantastically awesome, talented, hilariously sarcastic friend who sent me the link) here's an interview to brighten any fangirl's day. Enjoy!

Since When...

... did we start considering Pride and Prejudice a "young adult" novel? Was there a memo? I'm a fan of both, but never would have thought of putting Twilight and P & P in any kind of comparative category.

Check out Persnickety Snark's Top 100 YA Novels of 2010.

On one hand, I'm a little surprised by how many of the books on this list I've already read; on the other, it's always nice to have a hefty selection of new book choices that lots of other people like! (Ease up on the vampire stories, YA genre, and you'll have me for good!)