About a year ago, I made a list of my Top 5 Most Disliked Characters Of All Time. Well, with a fresh batch of shows that have come out since then and a reminder from an old favorite, I have been inspired to make this list again. A part 2, if you will.
Also, this time I will follow up my most disliked list with a list of my most favorite scene-stealers from the past season. I'm not going to rank the following characters as they all get under my skin and make me heave an equal amount of frustrated/irritated sighs, while yelling "Gah! I hate you!" at my television. Oh, as always a spoiler alert applies here, so read at your own risk, friends!
So without further ado...
- April Kepner ( played by Sarah Drew) from Grey's Anatomy. April was brought onto the show in season 6, as one of the rival surgical residents from Mercy West, who was joining the Seattle Grace staff. I instantly disliked her. They purposely made her into a competitive, overbearing outsider to show the tension between the original residents and the new. So, I guess, job well done on Shonda Rhimes part? She is unbelievably whiny and always, always, always yelling at someone in a shrill voice. It makes my ears hurt and I cannot count the amount of times her character makes me roll my eyes during an episode. She's constantly on the verge of tears and always throwing a temper tantrum. Quite frankly, she stresses me out and that's that.
- Joffrey Baratheon/Theon Greyjoy (played by Jack Gleeson and Alfie Allen) from Game Of Thrones. yeah, this ones a double dose of UGHness. Joffrey is a 12 year old King. Joffrey is a hole. There is no other way to describe him. He's a spoiled brat who gets whatever he wants and doesn't care who suffers because of it. He's mean and I hate looking at him. That sounds awful because it's just a dude, playing a character and I'm sure Jack Gleeson is a very nice boy in real life but his character does so many vile things that the site of him simply sickens me. George R.R. Martin and the writers of the show do a really wonderful job of getting you to hate this kid, trust me. Theon Greyjoy just grosses me out. No, he skeeves me out. He's skeevey. He was taken on as ward to Eddard Stark (Sean Bean) and was bff's with Robb Stark (Richard madden) and initially started out helping him fight a war against Joffrey (see, because Joffrey is a hole!). He ended up turning on him and taking the Stark's castle under siege. All the while, Robb thought Theon was helping him. Oh, and he is awful to women. He's gross. Just icky.
- Daisy Wick (played by Carla Gallo) from Bones. Daisy is one of the revolving interns at the Jeffersonian who help Dr. Brennan and company solve murders. I love all of the other interns. I love that they have a new one represented each week. I don't love Daisy. She is a know it all and she knows she's that way but she doesn't care. I guess it's supposed to be an endearing quality about the character but I can't stand it. I love when Brennan shows her up and puts her in her place. The other thing that annoys me about her is she is dating Dr. Lance Sweets (John Francis Daly), whom I adore. She's super lovey dovey with him and calls him Lance-a-lot in every episode she's in and it drives me nuts. Her presence is like nails on a chalkboard to me.
- The cast of The Secret Circle. I won't name them all because that would take up too much space. Just know that never before has there been such ill fitting cast members on a show. The books that this show is based on are really, really good. The story is really, really good. The characters are really, really good. They mutilated all of that when they brought it to tv. They changed all of the characters personalities and eliminated half of them. One who is supposed to be the epitome of understanding and kindness in the book is a total B in the show. One is super whiny. One only whispers when he talks. One is constantly pouting. It's just a complete mess. Such a mess that we stopped watching it.
- Lori Grimes/Carl Grimes/Shane Walsh (played by Sarah Wayne Callies/Chandler Riggs/Joe Bernthal) from The Walking Dead. That's a lot of people from one show to be annoyed with, isn't it?? I like the zombies better than the 3 of them. Lori is an adulterer who plays her husband, Rick (Andrew lincoln) against her lover (gross), Shane. Then she turns around and gets mad at each of them when they end up doing what she asked of them or insinuated in the first place. She never watches her kid (Carl) but is constantly going on and on about how they have to keep Carl safe. MAYBE KEEP AN EYE ON HIM THEN!??! Carl is a 12 year old boy (hey, just like Joffrey!) who, for some reason, finds it necessary to continuously look for trouble when there is a zombie apocalypse going on. Oh, hey, there's a Walker stuck in the mud? I'mma throw rocks at him and get real close since there is just no way he could ever break free and try to bite me (sarcasm)! Shane is a hothead and a big, giant, man-baby. Always whining about how he can take better care of Lori and Carl than Rick can and how he's a better man than Rick. You are a grown man! Stop whining all the time! He is always threatening to leave and then never following through on it. He hurts people so that he can stay alive. He's just a jerk. A big, giant, man-baby jerk.
Now, my most favorite scene stealers of the season!
- Schmidt (played by Max Greenfield) from New Girl. I love Schmidt so much that just the thought of him makes me smile. When the show first started, I figured he would annoy me. He plays a douchebag and I figured it would be way too over the top and annoying. The thing is though, they gave him a hilarious personality on top of it. Sure he does douchebaggy things but he's also OCD and has a genuine appreciation for his friends. He's funny. He's so very funny and I just love him. You will always find a Schmidt line from any given episode to quote the next day. He is so much fun.
- Klaus (played by Joseph Morgan) from The Vampire Diaries. Klaus is a bad guy. He's one of the Original Vampires and he's a total badass. BUT he also has a sweet side that makes you kind of fall in love with him. He can be ripping someone's heart out or throwing a temper tantrum because he can't get into Elena's house in a scene and then be wooing Caroline or getting yelled at by his mother in the next and you go from hating him to feeling totally sorry for him. Joseph Morgan is a phenomenal actor. He does such a fantastic job of portraying Klaus's very wide range of emotions. I love watching him. He is a bad guy that I never, ever want to go away.
- Dr. Jack Hodgins (played by T.J. Thyne) from Bones. To say that this season of Bones has been a bit on the lackluster side would be an understatement. The one character getting me through that every episode (aside from staring at David Boreanaz) is Hodgins. He's the comic relief and always has me laughing. I told Jeff that he is the best part about the show these days.
- Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin (played by Robert Carlyle) from Once Upon a Time. I love this character so much. Even the way Robert Carlyle portrays his movements from Mr. Gold to Rumpelstiltskin is mesmerizing. He is awesome. Every time he is on screen, I am riveted. he knows everyone's business and everyone's secrets and has plenty of issues himself. He is an absolute joy to watch and I look forward to it every week.
- James Van Der Beek (played by... James Van Der Beek) from Don't Trust The B--- in Apartment 23. This one may not count completely because I haven't been watching the show consistently, but what I have watched has impressed me. JVDB is brilliant playing a fictionalized version of himself. Any actor who can embrace their past accomplishments, ones that fans love them for and display it proudly earns lots of respect from me. He is always giving Dawson's Creek and Varsity Blues shoutouts and making fun of the ridiculous of being a celebrity and I absolutely love that. It is so so clever and I give much kudos to him for doing it. Well done, Dawson... er, JVDB!
There you have it. I'm sure I've missed some, so feel free to tell me yours or if you disagree with my choices (though, hello? why would you do that?! Haha), you can tell me why.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Back To Work.
Let me tell you something... the days sure fly by when you aren't sitting at a computer, staring at the clock all day long. My Staycation (a vacation from work where one does not actually leave to go anywhere) went by in a blur. Allow me to list for you our adventures as I took a glorious week off from work to spend time with my boys and to indulge in some mental relaxation.
-To kick off my time away from work, I decorated a surprise Hunger Games cake for my niece Emily's Birthday sleepover. She hinted that she wanted one, so Rhonda and I collaborated on it. She baked it and I made it look cool. I stayed up until 2am trying to make it perfect. It wasn't perfect by any means but I had a lot of fun doing it (C and Jeff had fun eating the scraps) and the look on her face when I walked through the door made it worth all the effort I put into it. She was ecstatic, as were her friends. They put on their own version of the games while Dennis and I helped a little and it was hysterical and so much fun to watch. The cake was super delicious as well!
-We took Charley to see Pirates! Band of Misfits. It was about The Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) and his quest to win Pirate of the year. It was silly and cute and not too long. All things a kids movie should be. In the middle of it, as C was shoving popcorn in his mouth, he said "this is a REALLY good movie". So I guess that's all the review you need of that, haha. We then took him to Barnes and Noble where I saw no less than 4 books that I wanted to purchase for myself... but I did not.
-We tried to take C to Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum. TRIED. I should have known better. I know my kid has my fear of dolls that move and things of that nature but I had a Groupon for it and showed him a video of the place beforehand and he was all for it and was actually excited to go. Then we pulled into the lot and he was instantly terrified. As soon as we walked through the door, he said "I don't want to play any games here. I want to go home. Now." We forced him to walk through real quick and I kid you not, he was shaking. he was so freaked out. If you don't know what this place is, it's basically an old timey arcade with lots of old fashioned coin operated machines. In other words, there are moving dolls EVERYWHERE. I'll admit, it freaked me out too but I was putting on a brave front for C. He was having none of it. Needless to say, we left soon after arriving. So, Dennis... you and the boys got yourself a free Groupon for there whenever you feel like going!
-I made some homemade cinnamon rolls. This was exciting for me because I have always shied away from the recipes that require too much work. I.E: dough rising. I don't have the patience for it and always figured I would screw it up. I decided to make them at 8pm on Sunday night and an hour later when I went in the kitchen to see if the dough had risen and it had, I actually squealed in delight. SUCCESS! They turned out good and Jeff and Charley liked them, so hooray for that. I also baked an apple pie for my neighbors, for dog sitting for us.
-We went to the zoo and had the best day there that I think we have ever had. Animals were out, it wasn't too crowded, wasn't too hot or too cold. It was just fantastic.
-Drove up to Port Austin for a couple days to hang out with my parents. I realize that this technically makes the staycation null and void but we don't count it because it was only 3 hours away from our house and it was really only for 2 days. The weather was nice for the most part, we ate a lot, we laughed a lot and we walked a lot. It was so much fun.
-Enjoyed a delicious coffee drink from Dairy Queen (a mocha moolatte') on the drive home. Because a vacation just isn't complete without a fancy, delicious coffee drink!
-Took Charley to Comic City in Novi for Free Comic Book Day, where we got to visit with the owner and our very good friend, Jill. It was fun to see all the people crowd around the free books, some dude dressed as Batman and to see how excited Charley was about buying some weird comic book version of the Star Wars movies. In it, Darth Vader looks like Kermit the frog when Luke takes his helmet off at the end. C thought that was hysterical.
-On our last day, Charley and I ran errands while Jeff stayed home and cut the lawn. We purchased some Birthday invitations, which he was very excited about and then ventured on over to the mall to get some Mother's Day cards (it's this Sunday, friends!). C unfortunately wanted to walk around while we were there and "see daddy's work", which broke my heart a little. When I told him that it wasn't there anymore, he said "I know, but I want to see what it looks like now". So, we walked around and by the time we got to the location formerly known as FYE, I was all sorts of choked up and C didn't even recognize it. "That's it? That girl store right there?" he said. Yep. We continued our depressing walk around the mall and it helped me come to the conclusion that between the crappy stores and empty spaces, Westland Mall is a sad version of it's former self and I hate going there now.
And that was that. Not a lot done but it was a good time and went by super fast. Now, I look forward to my next day off, which is this Friday so that we can take Charley to Kindergarten Roundup. ACK.
A few miscellaneous tidbits:
-We took Charley to see Pirates! Band of Misfits. It was about The Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) and his quest to win Pirate of the year. It was silly and cute and not too long. All things a kids movie should be. In the middle of it, as C was shoving popcorn in his mouth, he said "this is a REALLY good movie". So I guess that's all the review you need of that, haha. We then took him to Barnes and Noble where I saw no less than 4 books that I wanted to purchase for myself... but I did not.
-We tried to take C to Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum. TRIED. I should have known better. I know my kid has my fear of dolls that move and things of that nature but I had a Groupon for it and showed him a video of the place beforehand and he was all for it and was actually excited to go. Then we pulled into the lot and he was instantly terrified. As soon as we walked through the door, he said "I don't want to play any games here. I want to go home. Now." We forced him to walk through real quick and I kid you not, he was shaking. he was so freaked out. If you don't know what this place is, it's basically an old timey arcade with lots of old fashioned coin operated machines. In other words, there are moving dolls EVERYWHERE. I'll admit, it freaked me out too but I was putting on a brave front for C. He was having none of it. Needless to say, we left soon after arriving. So, Dennis... you and the boys got yourself a free Groupon for there whenever you feel like going!
-I made some homemade cinnamon rolls. This was exciting for me because I have always shied away from the recipes that require too much work. I.E: dough rising. I don't have the patience for it and always figured I would screw it up. I decided to make them at 8pm on Sunday night and an hour later when I went in the kitchen to see if the dough had risen and it had, I actually squealed in delight. SUCCESS! They turned out good and Jeff and Charley liked them, so hooray for that. I also baked an apple pie for my neighbors, for dog sitting for us.
-We went to the zoo and had the best day there that I think we have ever had. Animals were out, it wasn't too crowded, wasn't too hot or too cold. It was just fantastic.
-Drove up to Port Austin for a couple days to hang out with my parents. I realize that this technically makes the staycation null and void but we don't count it because it was only 3 hours away from our house and it was really only for 2 days. The weather was nice for the most part, we ate a lot, we laughed a lot and we walked a lot. It was so much fun.
-Enjoyed a delicious coffee drink from Dairy Queen (a mocha moolatte') on the drive home. Because a vacation just isn't complete without a fancy, delicious coffee drink!
-Took Charley to Comic City in Novi for Free Comic Book Day, where we got to visit with the owner and our very good friend, Jill. It was fun to see all the people crowd around the free books, some dude dressed as Batman and to see how excited Charley was about buying some weird comic book version of the Star Wars movies. In it, Darth Vader looks like Kermit the frog when Luke takes his helmet off at the end. C thought that was hysterical.
-On our last day, Charley and I ran errands while Jeff stayed home and cut the lawn. We purchased some Birthday invitations, which he was very excited about and then ventured on over to the mall to get some Mother's Day cards (it's this Sunday, friends!). C unfortunately wanted to walk around while we were there and "see daddy's work", which broke my heart a little. When I told him that it wasn't there anymore, he said "I know, but I want to see what it looks like now". So, we walked around and by the time we got to the location formerly known as FYE, I was all sorts of choked up and C didn't even recognize it. "That's it? That girl store right there?" he said. Yep. We continued our depressing walk around the mall and it helped me come to the conclusion that between the crappy stores and empty spaces, Westland Mall is a sad version of it's former self and I hate going there now.
And that was that. Not a lot done but it was a good time and went by super fast. Now, I look forward to my next day off, which is this Friday so that we can take Charley to Kindergarten Roundup. ACK.
A few miscellaneous tidbits:
- I have told you all before about one of my most favorite book series of all time, The Enchanted Inc. series by Shanna Swendson which is about a magical immune (she's immune to magic) and a handsome wizard, named Owen Palmer and the goings on of the company that they work for; Enchanted Inc. Up until now there were only 4 books in the series. On my last two Birthday wishlists, I wished for the 5th book to be published and chances were looking mighty slim... until now. Shanna announced on her blog last week that they will be releasing the 5th book in the series and I am absolutely ecstatic! It will only be available through e-readers at first (which means I will be borrowing my sisters since I do not own an e-reader) but I am ok with this as long as I get to read the story. No release date has been set but it should be some time this summer. HOORAY and now I can cross this item off my Birthday wishlist!
- Ben Folds Five is working on a new album at the moment. Instead of doing the usual press tour with talk shows and radio interviews, they are strictly sticking to asking their fans to get the word out and using social media. I think it's so brilliant and shows the fans how much the band cares about them and their input. Just another reason to love the genius that is Mr. Ben Folds.
- The season 5 premiere of True Blood airs in 35 days.
- Spoiler alert for any Game Of Thrones fans out there who didn't watch last nights episode... Not only did Joffrey have poop thrown in his face (POOP! LOLZ) by a starving, angry citizen of Kings Landing, he was also slapped by Tyrion. IT WAS WONDERFUL. That character is so wretched, he deserves any and all bad things that are headed his way.
- Lots of season finales coming up in the next couple of weeks! Castle tonight, New girl tomorrow, Vampire Diaries on Thursday!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Books and Movies and Things.
Speaking of J.K. Rowling and her brilliance... I'm sure you have all heard that she has a new book coming out, The Casual Vacancy (geared toward adults), set to be released on September 27, 2012. She is also currently working on a Harry Potter encyclopedia. I imagine it will hold some of the new content found on Pottermore plus other stuff as well. All the proceeds from this book will be donated to charity. You know I'll let you know when I find out the release date for it!
- Jeff and I finally watched The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo over the weekend. I liked it better than the Swedish version, if only because they seemed to pay close attention to the details of the book. I love when that happens. Even though they changed the ending a bit, I was OK with it... which is weird (I know) but it didn't ruin the story in any way, it just kind of simplified it, so I am alright with that. Daniel Craig did a great job as Mikael Blomkvist and Rooney Mara kicked ass as Lisbeth Salander. As I have said before, the books are real hard to get through but the story is worth it in the end. The movie does a good job of taking the most important bits of the book and putting them front and center, while weeding out the mundane stuff like shopping lists and what they put on their toast (I'm not kidding when I tell you that there are pages and pages of shopping lists in the book). Anyway, if you are interested or are a fan of the books, check the movie out. It's good.
- We also watched The Muppets with C (finally). I loved it. I loved seeing all the nods to the original show and the previous hosts. Jason Segel did a fantastic job with the storyline and the songs were wonderful. This part made me get all sorts of choked up:
- While at the library a couple weeks ago (Sidenote: I love the library so much. You should visit your local library ASAP. They have so much more than just books that you can check out. You can get DVD's and CD's as well. For free. Free! Libraries are awesome.) I stumbled upon a book by Katie Fforde. I had never heard of her before, but the name of her book Love Letters caught my eye. It was after I had read Lucky by Alice Sebold and was desperate for a happy story. After reading the summary (to make sure it wasn't a sad book disguised as a happy book) I was sold. It's about a 26yr old girl named Laura, who is in charge of running a Literary Festival in England. She is tasked with the job of going to Ireland to track down her favorite author, Dermot Flynn, to convince him to headline the festival. I know it doesn't sound like much, but give me a book about a girl who loves books and an Irish boy and I am hopelessly hooked. I love this book. Absolutely loved it. I am now going to try to work my way through Katie Fforde's other books. That should keep me busy for a little while at least.
- Speaking of books... Laurel Park Place's Bookstock begins this Sunday, April 22nd and runs through April 29th. My sister and I are really, really, really excited for it. We have been looking forward to it since last years ended. It is one great big, giant, used book sale. Compared to other used book sales, the books are kind of on the high end ($4 for a hardcover) but the selection is huge and it is so much fun to walk through a mall and see tables upon tables of books. Books, books everywhere! Check it out!
- Jeff and I are kind of over Bones at the moment. The last couple of episodes have gone beyond my tolerance for television believability (if that makes any sense). Normally my tolerance level is pretty high. I can buy a polar bear on a tropical island, no problem, but there is just something off about seeing a "genius" 9 month pregnant woman, running through a dining hall full of fighting prisoners (not to mention giving birth in a stable with no medical help whatsoever and going straight home afterwards) that makes me put my hand up and say NO.
- I won't go on and on about Matt Bomer's guest appearance on Glee anymore (it was magnificent) because I gushed about it enough (it was SO good) when it aired last week, but if you enjoyed him on there or at least enjoyed looking at him, I encourage you to check out the first 3 seasons of White Collar. Season 4 doesn't start up until July 10th, so you have plenty of time to get caught up before then. I promise, it's a great show. You won't be disappointed.
- I don't care that Brad and Angelina got engaged. Do. Not. Care.
- I cannot stand/detest/loathe/am repulsed by Jaleel White. I look forward to his elimination on Dancing With the Stars. He makes me cringe.
- Oh! and Jessica Simpson IS STILL PREGNANT!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
A Project Of Sorts.
Happy Opening Day, Detroit Tigers fans!!!
While most of you are out celebrating Spring and the beginning of the baseball season, as well as the awesomeness that is Justin Verlander, I am stuck here, at my desk, trying to keep myself entertained by perusing the internets and listening to the game via my handheld am/fm radio.
Now, on a normal day, Dawn and I will spend the hours messaging each other back and forth via google chat, trying to make one another laugh, sharing internet links with each other, or just listening to one another vent. It helps make the day go by fast and I look forward to it daily. On the days when she is off (I.E. TODAY), I am quite bored. So, anticipating my boredom, Dawn gave me a list of things to do while she is off having fun and I am sitting here, staring at my computer screen. The following is the list she made me and documentation of how I completed each task.
1. Take a blank piece of paper and ensure all of your pens, highlighters and markers work at your desk.
10. Clean out your emails.
Now, on a normal day, Dawn and I will spend the hours messaging each other back and forth via google chat, trying to make one another laugh, sharing internet links with each other, or just listening to one another vent. It helps make the day go by fast and I look forward to it daily. On the days when she is off (I.E. TODAY), I am quite bored. So, anticipating my boredom, Dawn gave me a list of things to do while she is off having fun and I am sitting here, staring at my computer screen. The following is the list she made me and documentation of how I completed each task.
1. Take a blank piece of paper and ensure all of your pens, highlighters and markers work at your desk.
Done. I even threw away 3 pens that no longer work!
2. Read about something you never thought you would want to read about.
This is what I chose to read about -------> Toilet Story
3. Fall asleep from reading that boring subject.
I didn't fall asleep but I did laugh. I mean, it's a story in the newspaper about fancy toilets. FANCY TOILETS!
4. Start your fanfiction hobby that you secretly can't wait to start.
She's joking and being sarcastic of course, because she knows how much I detest fanfiction (come up with your OWN story, people! Don't piggyback off of someone else's good idea). Anyway, I didn't write my own but I did do a search for some Hunger Games fanfiction and found this ---------> Cheesy Fanfiction . I read some of the stories and then I wished that I hadn't because, no, just stop it.
5. Write a new blog post.
DONE. You're readin' it. Boom!
6. Go to theberry.com or thechive.com and check out their very first post and go forward.
This is a wonderfully, fantastic time waster and while I have not yet finished going through all of these posts, I did find this one --------> 10 Reasons to Date a Unicorn.
7. Facebook stalk people you wouldn't normally stalk.
Listen, I Facebook stalk people all the live long day. This task was done before 9am... Oh, don't judge me! You know you all do it too.
8. Clean your desk.
I cleaned it with that blue, fuzzy thing right there. My space is now dust FREE.
9. Start your own fantasy baseball league.
I did not start my own league as I don't feel I am qualified enough to do so, I am, however, listening to the game on my above mentioned handheld am/fm radio and eating some Cracker Jacks, so it's almost as if I am really at the game!
10. Clean out your emails.
I had 121 spam emails. Almost all of them were trying to get me to buy Viagra or Cialis. They have all been deleted forever. Hooray, no spam here!
11. Document yourself doing this list.
I have no pictures of myself actually doing each task because I am just one person and I was too lazy to have someone take pictures of me. But here is your documentation, nonetheless!
Project: Completed.
Now, some miscellaneous tidbits/musings:
- If you have SOAPnet and you are a Kristen Bell fan, you should tune in to the network on April 15th, from 8am to 7pm. They will be showing an all day marathon of Veronica Mars to kickstart their weekday showings of it at 5pm and 6pm. The show originally aired from 2004-2007 and was about a teenager named (duh) Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) who was a detective in her spare time. She solved crimes big and small with her witty personality and never give up attitude. Enrico Colantoni played her father (whom I adored) and over the course of its run, they had a wide array of guest stars from Ken Marino to Richard Grieco to Charisma Carpenter. The stories were always clever and kept you guessing and it was a genuinely good show with a short life span. I am ecstatic that they will be showing reruns of it. Fans have been chomping at the bit for a movie to be made and this will have to hold us over until that time comes. For real, people, check it out. It's a great show!
- Season 5 of True Blood starts on June 10th at 9pm. I can't remember what happened in the finale last year and I have no clue what this season will be about. All I know is Scott Foley is guest starring, as well as Christopher Meloni and I am all for that.
- You all know I watch Dancing With The Stars. This season, I am absolutely in love with Katherine Jenkins. She's so pretty and humble and talented. I look forward to watching her dance every week and needless to say, I am pulling for her and Mark this season.
That's all for now. I am well aware that it is only 2pm and I have a few more hours to kill, but I hope you are all having a great day celebrating baseball. GO TIGERS!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
And May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor.
Here is your SPOILER ALERT. Please, please believe me when I tell you this is a wonderful story and if you have any urge whatsoever to read the books, then stop reading my blog right now. This is truly a story where you do not want to be spoiled. You want to experience everything for yourself with fresh eyes and not go into it knowing everything that is going to happen. Trust me.
So again... SPOILER ALERT.
Ok, if you are still with me and you don't plan on reading the books, the movie (The Hunger Games) is based on the book of the same name. It takes place in a post apocalyptic future, where the world (Panem) is divided into 12 districts and The Capitol (which is where the President resides). As a way of reminding the world of the rebellion which caused the apocalypse in the first place (and a warning not to start another one), one boy and one girl (ages 12-18 and known as Tributes) from each district are chosen to participate in the Hunger Games, which is a televised fight-to-the-death battle that takes place in an arena for all the world to see. The names are chosen at random and when 16 year old Katniss Everdeen's 12 year old sister is chosen, she volunteers to take her place. The movie shows what she goes through to prepare for the games, how she endures the games and how she unknowingly starts a rebellion. That's a real short and quick description for you.
I went to see the movie with my 13 year old niece, Emily and my two brothers, Dennis and Jay. All of us have read the book and love it. The theater was pretty full but not overwhelmingly so and that was nice. To say Emily and I were excited would be an understatement. We drank our 12oz, $3.75 (absurd!) slushes while impatiently sitting through the previews (though I was very happy we got to see a teaser for Breaking Dawn Part 2 and a teaser for The Host) and when the movie started we were riveted. District 12 looked exactly how I pictured it in my mind. They completely captured the poor, run-down, starving feel of it and Jennifer Lawrence is so perfect as Katniss. She looked the part and played her so, so spot-on. I was really impressed with her.
Let me give you a list of my favorite things about the movie:
- The behind the scenes stuff with Seneca Crane. I absolutely loved being able to see how they operated things for the games. You don't get any of that when you read the book. I found it absolutely fascinating.
- When Peeta touches Katniss's braid as they are about to eat the Nightlock Berries. It was sweet and it was simple and it stuck with me.
- Caesar Flickerman played by Stanley Tucci. This character in the book just seemed like a silly fella to me. I didn't like him, I didn't dislike him, he was just part of the story. Stanley Tucci brought such life to him that I beamed every time he was on screen. He was so entertaining. I thought he was phenomenal.
- Elizabeth Banks as Effie. She "got" the nature of the character. Her ridiculousness and her "Capitol-ness" were played flawlessly and exactly how I pictured it in my mind.
- The flower bed that Katniss made for Rue. The whole scene was done exquisitely. Emily and I cried and cried during that entire part. So much so, that she had to ask me for more napkins, haha.
- I loved that the Tracker Jackers looked normal and not like giant, mutant wasps (which is how I pictured them when I was reading them). I also loved how they explained them to the audience. It was so clever.
- The Reaping scene. I know this book is an emotional roller coaster but I didn't expect to get as emotional as I did watching the movie. The entire Reaping scene was so well done that it had me holding my breath, trying to hold back tears. If I had been at home by myself watching it, I would have been a mess.
- The Capitol was perfect. The colors, the people, the absurdity of how nice it was, it was perfect.
- Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. The girl can act. The girl can shoot a bow. The girl is kickass and beautiful to boot!
- The shot of all the Tributes on their platforms as they are counting down. It gave me goosebumps.
And now, a few minor criticisms:
- No bread from District 11 for Katniss. Yeah, they showed them uprising (which I thought was brilliant) but I thought that was such a sweet moment in the book. It would have been nice to see.
- I wanted more of the Cave Scene. That is such a big part of the book and truly where Peeta and Katniss's relationship blossoms. We got a tiny portion of it in the movie but I wanted more. I wanted the flirting and the lamb stew with dried plumbs and her tricking him into drinking the sweet syrup, so she could get his medicine from the feast. It may be silly, but I wanted it all.
- I wanted more Haymitch. I get that there is only so much you can cram into a 2 1/2 hour movie but why wasn't he at the Reaping?
As with any book to screen adaptation you lose some of the magic of the story. Jeff hasn't read the books, he has just listened to me prattle on about them for months so I was excited for him to see the movie. We went to see it last night. He said it was okay but he felt like it was missing something. I had to explain some things to him because I knew the background information from the book but overall he said it wasn't bad. I really loved it and was so happy with it. I think It captured the emotion and the heart of the book and you can't go wrong with that. Yes, it's a story about children killing children for entertainment and adults cheering them on but underneath all that, is a story of hope. It's a story about being able to stand up for what's right in a horrific situation and it's a story about courage... With a little bit of a love story thrown in.
Now that the spark is set, on to Catching Fire!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Thoughts & Things & Such.
Just some stuff that has been floating around my head the last few weeks:
- One of my favorite TV shows of all time is Scrubs (2001-2010). It was a half hour medical comedy with a little bit of drama thrown in, created by Bill Lawrence and starred Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, John C. McGinley, Judy Reyes and Neil Flynn and it originally aired on NBC (it moved over to ABC in it's 8th season). The show focused on all the employees of Sacred Heart Hospital and was usually seen through the eyes and silly daydreams of J.D. (John Dorian) played by Braff. I loved that show the second it aired. It was silly, it always made me laugh and it was heartwarming. I was constantly trying to get my family and friends hooked on it as well (I wanted everyone to love the show as much as I did) and I am proud to say that I was pretty successful in my campaigning. With as great a show as it was, they still needed the network behind them to help promote it... to get it out there, so people would be aware of it. Instead, NBC tended to move the show all over the schedule and frustrated fans because they never really knew what night the episodes were airing. Sometimes it was taken off the air for a few months at a time and people thought that it had been canceled all together. Thankfully, once it moved to ABC, they were able to end their run in a very, very satisfactory way. I still watch reruns of it and reminisce about it.
Why am I going on and on about a show that has been off the air for a long time now? Because Bill Lawrence created it. He also created Cougar Town (ABC Tuesdays at 8:30pm). It's a show starring Courteney Cox, Christa Miller, Busy Phillips, Ian Gomez, Dan Byrd, Brian Van Holt and Josh Hopkins. It's about friendship, family and drinking wine. It's not a show about Cougars, the animal or Cougars, the mascot or Cougars, the slang term for older women going after young dudes. It's a funny show with good storylines and good actors. I'll admit that I haven't watched the show as obsessively as I watched Scrubs. I would try to catch an episode here or there if I remembered and that was that. Until I saw the determination of Bill Lawrence to keep the show on the air. If you aren't following him on Twitter (@VDOOZER), you should be. He connects with his fans, keeps them updated and is always, always taking what his followers say into consideration. He's a talented dude with real passion for his show(s) and his fans and I love that. I respect him so much for it that I started a series recording for Cougartown on my DVR because of it. I am asking you, my friends to check it out as well. Especially if you are a Scrubs fan. Sarah Chalke and an array of other guest stars have made and will be making appearances. What else do you have to do on Tuesday nights at 8:30? Help keep a quality show alive!
- A couple weeks ago, Natalie and I went to see One For The Money. It's based on the book by the same name, written by Janet Evanovich and it stars Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum. I was really, really hesitant about KHeigl playing Stephanie. She's not at all who I pictured in my head as the first time bail bonds agent but I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised with her performance. They followed the book almost exactly (with a few exceptions, as always) and I was very happy with the film. Jason O' Mara who played Joe Morelli was great but my only complaint is with Ranger (played by Daniel Sunjata). In the book, he's supposed to be quiet, reserved and super mysterious. The Ranger in the movie, was real chatty. Overall though, I enjoyed it and will totally see it again.
- I really love New Girl (FOX Tuesdays, 9pm). I know people are kind of sick of Zooey Deschanel right now but that show is so funny. Those boys; Max Greenfield (Schmidt), Jake Johnson (Nick) and Lamorne Morris (Winston) are incredibly funny and play off of each other so well. I love when they bicker and I love discovering new quirks about each of their characters. That show makes me so happy.
- I feel like Jessica Simpson has been pregnant for 47 years.
- As much as Jeff being unemployed sucks (money-wise, uncertain future etc.) it has been absolutely wonderful having him home every night and especially on the weekends. If anything good has come from him losing his job, it's that... and that the laundry is always, always done.
- Why don't people say goodbye when they end a phone conversation on TV? They just hang up. Does anyone in real life actually do that?
- FYI: Vampire Diaries returns next week, March 15th. I love that show so much. Never have I wanted the bad guys in a show to stick around so much. Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and Elijah (Daniel Gillies) are so wonderful. It's pretty impressive when two guys, other than Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley can keep me so entertained week after week.
-I am in love with the Gotye album, Making Mirrors. I could listen to "Somebody That I Used To Know" on repeat, all the live long day. I. Love. It.
- I tried to make Snickerdoodles the other night and didn't realize until I had everything mixed together that I didn't have enough flour. I baked them anyway (I really, really wanted some Snickerdoodles). They turned out real bad. Sad.
- I watched GCB (ABC Sundays at 10pm) starring Leslie Bibb and Kristen Chenoweth and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I will continue watching.
- I'm looking forward to the new season of Dancing With The Stars. Mostly because of Gavin Degraw but I'm real sad that Lacey Schwimmer won't be on as a regular. I heart her.
- I'm very, very much looking forward to the Hunger Games movie (March 23rd, the day otherwise known as my niece, Emily's 13th Birthday. 13!) and I am absolutely thrilled with the fact that almost my entire family has read or are currently reading the books (and loving them).
-I've been obsessed with watching the 2004 movie version of The Phantom of the Opera, starring Gerard (eat-my-own-face) Butler and Emmy Rossum. I've seen it before and I have also seen the play a couple of times but HBO has been showing this version quite a bit lately and it sucks me in every time I notice that it's on. It completely captivates me. I made C watch the sword fight between The Phantom and Raoul in the cemetery with me and he said: "I like sword fighting! It's cool! Why are these people only singing? Why is nobody talking?" and then he was bored with it and went about his business.
- I tried sushi for the first time a couple weeks ago (thanks, Dawn and Adam!) and it was so delicious. So so good. I couldn't even tell you specifically what I had but it was awesome and they brought it out to us on a giant wooden boat. I want to go again. Soon.
- The last book I finished was Wildwood by Colin Meloy. I should have loved this book. It had magic and animals and fantasy, all things that would make up a book that I would love but it fell flat for me. The story is very clever but the pacing was off and a lot of things seemed very repetitive. I was disappointed with it. I hate when that happens.
- I am currently reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I am very much enjoying it.
- One complaint: If unemployment is so bad right now and all these companies are looking for employees, why don't they call back the people who submit resume's?! It's infuriating and frustrating and makes me want to yell. But I won't. I'll just quietly complain to you guys.
What has been on your mind lately, readers??
- One of my favorite TV shows of all time is Scrubs (2001-2010). It was a half hour medical comedy with a little bit of drama thrown in, created by Bill Lawrence and starred Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, John C. McGinley, Judy Reyes and Neil Flynn and it originally aired on NBC (it moved over to ABC in it's 8th season). The show focused on all the employees of Sacred Heart Hospital and was usually seen through the eyes and silly daydreams of J.D. (John Dorian) played by Braff. I loved that show the second it aired. It was silly, it always made me laugh and it was heartwarming. I was constantly trying to get my family and friends hooked on it as well (I wanted everyone to love the show as much as I did) and I am proud to say that I was pretty successful in my campaigning. With as great a show as it was, they still needed the network behind them to help promote it... to get it out there, so people would be aware of it. Instead, NBC tended to move the show all over the schedule and frustrated fans because they never really knew what night the episodes were airing. Sometimes it was taken off the air for a few months at a time and people thought that it had been canceled all together. Thankfully, once it moved to ABC, they were able to end their run in a very, very satisfactory way. I still watch reruns of it and reminisce about it.
Why am I going on and on about a show that has been off the air for a long time now? Because Bill Lawrence created it. He also created Cougar Town (ABC Tuesdays at 8:30pm). It's a show starring Courteney Cox, Christa Miller, Busy Phillips, Ian Gomez, Dan Byrd, Brian Van Holt and Josh Hopkins. It's about friendship, family and drinking wine. It's not a show about Cougars, the animal or Cougars, the mascot or Cougars, the slang term for older women going after young dudes. It's a funny show with good storylines and good actors. I'll admit that I haven't watched the show as obsessively as I watched Scrubs. I would try to catch an episode here or there if I remembered and that was that. Until I saw the determination of Bill Lawrence to keep the show on the air. If you aren't following him on Twitter (@VDOOZER), you should be. He connects with his fans, keeps them updated and is always, always taking what his followers say into consideration. He's a talented dude with real passion for his show(s) and his fans and I love that. I respect him so much for it that I started a series recording for Cougartown on my DVR because of it. I am asking you, my friends to check it out as well. Especially if you are a Scrubs fan. Sarah Chalke and an array of other guest stars have made and will be making appearances. What else do you have to do on Tuesday nights at 8:30? Help keep a quality show alive!
- A couple weeks ago, Natalie and I went to see One For The Money. It's based on the book by the same name, written by Janet Evanovich and it stars Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum. I was really, really hesitant about KHeigl playing Stephanie. She's not at all who I pictured in my head as the first time bail bonds agent but I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised with her performance. They followed the book almost exactly (with a few exceptions, as always) and I was very happy with the film. Jason O' Mara who played Joe Morelli was great but my only complaint is with Ranger (played by Daniel Sunjata). In the book, he's supposed to be quiet, reserved and super mysterious. The Ranger in the movie, was real chatty. Overall though, I enjoyed it and will totally see it again.
- I really love New Girl (FOX Tuesdays, 9pm). I know people are kind of sick of Zooey Deschanel right now but that show is so funny. Those boys; Max Greenfield (Schmidt), Jake Johnson (Nick) and Lamorne Morris (Winston) are incredibly funny and play off of each other so well. I love when they bicker and I love discovering new quirks about each of their characters. That show makes me so happy.
- I feel like Jessica Simpson has been pregnant for 47 years.
- As much as Jeff being unemployed sucks (money-wise, uncertain future etc.) it has been absolutely wonderful having him home every night and especially on the weekends. If anything good has come from him losing his job, it's that... and that the laundry is always, always done.
- Why don't people say goodbye when they end a phone conversation on TV? They just hang up. Does anyone in real life actually do that?
- FYI: Vampire Diaries returns next week, March 15th. I love that show so much. Never have I wanted the bad guys in a show to stick around so much. Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and Elijah (Daniel Gillies) are so wonderful. It's pretty impressive when two guys, other than Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley can keep me so entertained week after week.
-I am in love with the Gotye album, Making Mirrors. I could listen to "Somebody That I Used To Know" on repeat, all the live long day. I. Love. It.
- I tried to make Snickerdoodles the other night and didn't realize until I had everything mixed together that I didn't have enough flour. I baked them anyway (I really, really wanted some Snickerdoodles). They turned out real bad. Sad.
- I watched GCB (ABC Sundays at 10pm) starring Leslie Bibb and Kristen Chenoweth and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I will continue watching.
- I'm looking forward to the new season of Dancing With The Stars. Mostly because of Gavin Degraw but I'm real sad that Lacey Schwimmer won't be on as a regular. I heart her.
- I'm very, very much looking forward to the Hunger Games movie (March 23rd, the day otherwise known as my niece, Emily's 13th Birthday. 13!) and I am absolutely thrilled with the fact that almost my entire family has read or are currently reading the books (and loving them).
-I've been obsessed with watching the 2004 movie version of The Phantom of the Opera, starring Gerard (eat-my-own-face) Butler and Emmy Rossum. I've seen it before and I have also seen the play a couple of times but HBO has been showing this version quite a bit lately and it sucks me in every time I notice that it's on. It completely captivates me. I made C watch the sword fight between The Phantom and Raoul in the cemetery with me and he said: "I like sword fighting! It's cool! Why are these people only singing? Why is nobody talking?" and then he was bored with it and went about his business.
- I tried sushi for the first time a couple weeks ago (thanks, Dawn and Adam!) and it was so delicious. So so good. I couldn't even tell you specifically what I had but it was awesome and they brought it out to us on a giant wooden boat. I want to go again. Soon.
- The last book I finished was Wildwood by Colin Meloy. I should have loved this book. It had magic and animals and fantasy, all things that would make up a book that I would love but it fell flat for me. The story is very clever but the pacing was off and a lot of things seemed very repetitive. I was disappointed with it. I hate when that happens.
- I am currently reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I am very much enjoying it.
- One complaint: If unemployment is so bad right now and all these companies are looking for employees, why don't they call back the people who submit resume's?! It's infuriating and frustrating and makes me want to yell. But I won't. I'll just quietly complain to you guys.
What has been on your mind lately, readers??
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Daydream Believer
I have a very vivid memory of being at our old house in Inkster and dancing with my brother, Dennis to The Monkees "Cuddly Toy" in our basement. I think he had on a little top hat and was dancing with a cane, to mimic Davy Jones in the video. I remember laughing and having so much fun at the time and thinking that The Monkees were the greatest thing ever.
I bring this up because it's the first thing I thought of when I heard the news that Davy had passed away at the age of 66 from a heart attack. When I say that we loved The Monkees, I truly mean that we LOVED The Monkees. We grew up in a rock and roll household. My parents were always, always playing music and it was a given that you would find Dennis, Jay, Natalie and I dancing our little butts off on a Friday or Saturday night (I'm sure there are videos to prove it!). Inspired by their music, for Christmas, Dennis got a guitar from Santa and I got a keyboard (so I could play like Peter Tork). I like to think that The Monkees are what planted the seeds in our minds that music is awesome and so much fun.
We adored the television show. From 1986-1988, Nick at Nite played reruns of it and we watched obsessively. The show was silly and corny but we thought it was fantastic. I loved that every episode had their music in it. Whether it was incorporated into the storyline, or just a music video thrown in, I thought it was so much fun. Davy was the one who had stars in his eyes and fell in love in practically every episode, he was the one all the girls swooned over, he was the one who would talk in the middle of a song and profess how much he "loved you girl", he was the baby faced cute one and he was real good at playing the tambourine.
In 1987, my parents took Dennis, Jay and I (Natalie was too little) to our first concert, featuring The Monkees (with special guest, Weird Al Yankovic) at Pine Knob. I remember being amazed at how loud it was and even more astounded by the fact that the guys who I watched on TV obsessively, were down there, in person (albeit, looking a lot older than how I saw them on TV), on stage, singing all the songs that I loved. At the end of the show, my Uncle, raced Dennis down to the stage so he could try to get a high-five from one of the guys. We were ecstatic. The picture over there, is Dennis and I after the concert, wearing our extremely over-sized concert t-shirts. Can you tell we were a little giddy??
Now, we don't listen to The Monkees every day and obviously we have moved on to other bands and different kinds of music throughout the years and our tastes have changed a bit, but The Monkees have always been in the back of my mind as a kind of driving force as to what music means to me. They remind me of really great times as a kid, dancing and singing in my pajama's and friends and family singing "cheer up, Sarah Jean!" to the tune of "Daydream Believer" when I was sad. They were the first band I loved and every single member, Davy, Mike, Peter and Micky left their mark in my music mind separately and together in one way or another.
On Tuesday night, I found out that Peter Tork was going to be at the Motor City Comic Convention in May. I was real excited! I immediately sent Dennis a text to let him know. Needless to say, I had planned on going to the comic convention anyway, but knowing that a Monkee was going to be there was like icing on my nerdy cake. The next afternoon we found out the news about Davy. The very next day. So weird. That same afternoon, Dennis sent me a text about his passing and said "so strange that our last two texts were about The Monkees." SO strange. And with that, it brought back a multitude of happy, great memories.
I am honestly surprised (and delighted) by the outpouring of love and affection that critics, bloggers, celebrities and fans have shown for him since the news broke. Not that I don't think he was well respected but I know a lot of people thought The Monkees were just a made for TV gag. Each of the guys tried really hard to prove that they were all talented in their own ways and it makes me happy to see that people do appreciate that. I will continue to honor Davy and the rest of the guys by introducing Charley to their music and to the TV show. I will forever cherish those memories of dancing to Davy's voice and watching all the guys on TV and on stage. So join me and break out those old records and bask in the memories of some FUN music.
I'll leave you with the classic "Daydream Believer" because that is the most popular choice. I love the beginning when he's playing the piano next to Peter:
I bring this up because it's the first thing I thought of when I heard the news that Davy had passed away at the age of 66 from a heart attack. When I say that we loved The Monkees, I truly mean that we LOVED The Monkees. We grew up in a rock and roll household. My parents were always, always playing music and it was a given that you would find Dennis, Jay, Natalie and I dancing our little butts off on a Friday or Saturday night (I'm sure there are videos to prove it!). Inspired by their music, for Christmas, Dennis got a guitar from Santa and I got a keyboard (so I could play like Peter Tork). I like to think that The Monkees are what planted the seeds in our minds that music is awesome and so much fun.
We adored the television show. From 1986-1988, Nick at Nite played reruns of it and we watched obsessively. The show was silly and corny but we thought it was fantastic. I loved that every episode had their music in it. Whether it was incorporated into the storyline, or just a music video thrown in, I thought it was so much fun. Davy was the one who had stars in his eyes and fell in love in practically every episode, he was the one all the girls swooned over, he was the one who would talk in the middle of a song and profess how much he "loved you girl", he was the baby faced cute one and he was real good at playing the tambourine.
Now, we don't listen to The Monkees every day and obviously we have moved on to other bands and different kinds of music throughout the years and our tastes have changed a bit, but The Monkees have always been in the back of my mind as a kind of driving force as to what music means to me. They remind me of really great times as a kid, dancing and singing in my pajama's and friends and family singing "cheer up, Sarah Jean!" to the tune of "Daydream Believer" when I was sad. They were the first band I loved and every single member, Davy, Mike, Peter and Micky left their mark in my music mind separately and together in one way or another.
On Tuesday night, I found out that Peter Tork was going to be at the Motor City Comic Convention in May. I was real excited! I immediately sent Dennis a text to let him know. Needless to say, I had planned on going to the comic convention anyway, but knowing that a Monkee was going to be there was like icing on my nerdy cake. The next afternoon we found out the news about Davy. The very next day. So weird. That same afternoon, Dennis sent me a text about his passing and said "so strange that our last two texts were about The Monkees." SO strange. And with that, it brought back a multitude of happy, great memories.
I am honestly surprised (and delighted) by the outpouring of love and affection that critics, bloggers, celebrities and fans have shown for him since the news broke. Not that I don't think he was well respected but I know a lot of people thought The Monkees were just a made for TV gag. Each of the guys tried really hard to prove that they were all talented in their own ways and it makes me happy to see that people do appreciate that. I will continue to honor Davy and the rest of the guys by introducing Charley to their music and to the TV show. I will forever cherish those memories of dancing to Davy's voice and watching all the guys on TV and on stage. So join me and break out those old records and bask in the memories of some FUN music.
I'll leave you with the classic "Daydream Believer" because that is the most popular choice. I love the beginning when he's playing the piano next to Peter:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)