Pretty Scary in Pink

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix



With just a week left until the final installment of the Harry Potter book series is to be released, I found myself looking for a quick fix to tide me over. 870 pages condensed into 2 hours and 18 minutes quite brilliantly. Director David Yates does an excellent job creating a Harry Potter movie story that flows with relevance and accuracy…well, mostly.

As Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his cohorts, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) are set to enter their fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, they find themselves heavily ensconced in The Order of the Phoenix as they prepare for Lord Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) return to power. Harry is once again reunited with his godfather, Sirius Black (Gary Oldham) and he couldn’t be happier.

This movie is action-packed, even with paring down the original book, but a lot of the scenes are flashes from the 4 previous films. Gone are most of the scenes at Sirius’s house dealing with The Order, but we are still given a glimpse into that piece of the storyline. Harry continues to confide in Sirius and this time around, he is entrusted with most of the secrets of The Order.

This book was notorious for teen angst and a brooding Harry and the movie is no different. The beauty of the abridged version is that he seems to snap out of it a lot sooner. However, we were not denied any of the delicious plot involving the pink yet vicious Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Her insertion as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor by the paranoid Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy). Her ability to be such a menace over the students and the school is absolutely hair-raising. Her wall of decorative cat plates and her sipping of tea temporarily masks the evil side within. Her pure torture of Harry in detention is as scary to watch as it was to read.

Knowing that Voldemort has returned and being denied the opportunities to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry et al build Dumbledore’s Army and decide to teach themselves how to defend the world against the ultimate evil. Using the Room of Requirement for their lessons, the kids learn everything from Stupefy to Patronus. The addition of Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch) is so refreshing and delightful to watch. This young lady was born to play Looney Lovegood, indeed.

As we soon find out, Harry’s connection to the Dark Lord is stronger than ever and they are actually able to read each other’s thoughts and experience each other’s actions. In order to try and stave off the cranial intrusions, Harry finds himself taking Occlumency lessons from none other than Professor Severus Snape (Alan Rickman). The portrayal of the aspect of the story was absolutely dazzling. Using the footage from previous films and intertwining some new scenes for Snape was a beautiful harmony of images to give much more meaning to these scenes than my own imagination could do.

After being duped by Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs), Harry and part of his army end up at The Ministry of Magic to try and save Sirius and thwart Voldemort’s plans to steal the Prophecy. Honestly, there was a lot of cutting in this part of the book/movie, but it worked nonetheless. From Sirius’ end to the battle between Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) and Lord Voldemort, the ending was breath-taking and heart-pounding.

This is not the best of the series, but it is a very close second. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and felt that this put the series back on track. I have resigned myself to the fact that the movies will never be as detailed and full of secondary storylines as the books are and I am okay with that. If you enjoy this series, you will truly enjoy the newest installment of The Boy Who Lived.


My ratings of the Harry movies so far:
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Dinner and a Movie

Movie Review: Ratatouille

½


The writer-director is Brad Bird, who made The Incredibles (2004), lets just say...incredible! So my expectations were quite high walking into this new installment from Pixar Animation Studios.

Our hero is a little rat named Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt). He's kind of cute and loveable and has a predilection for all things culinary. He is a man among mice (er, rats) and even walks on his hind legs so as not to walk on the same things he uses to eat - his hands! Now, you may be thinking, ewwww a rat! However, once you get over the swarming of rats in a couple of scenes, you kind of forget his origins and learn to root for the little guy.

Remy understands the intricacies of tastes and flavors; he delights in combining complimentary spices and feels that you are what you eat. He is a natural-born chef without the culinary school degree. His taste buds separate him from the pack and he dreams of working in a real French kitchen. Obviously, he gets his wish (otherwise, why did we pay $9).

Remy's journey takes from fleeing a gun-totin’ Granny to raft being flushed through the sewers under Paris until he finds himself at Gusteau’s – the restaurant of his late-great-mentor. After accidentally tumbling into the kitchen, he runs across a soup in dire need of flavor-correction while trying to mount his escape. Being the gourmet he is, he cannot just walk by and do nothing. Next thing you know, Remy works his magic and not only saves the day, but helps put the restaurant back on the map.

As it turns out, this is somewhat of a buddy movie. Since Remy cannot take credit for the soup himself, Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano) ends up getting the accolades. Linguini and Remy decide that they need each other to get what they want (Linguini gets to keep his job and Remy gets to cook by using him as a puppet). Suddenly, the restaurant is at the top of the must-eat list and our co-chefs are happier than ever. Linguini even ends up with a love interest, Colette (Janeane Garofalo), who is the kitchen’s badass female chef who won’t take any crap from anyone – a nice touch to her story is to tell us how impossible it can be for a woman in a restaurant kitchen!

Unfortunately, to have a movie, you must have peril and conflict…even if this is a kids movie. So enters the Executive Chef, Skinner (Ian Holm), who resents Linguini and his ability to cook and wants nothing more than to use Gusteau’s name to make money in the frozen food business. But wait, that’s not all…we also have a ghoulish looking, embittered restaurant critic, Anton Ego (Peter O’Toole) who looks more like some scary castoff from Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride than something in a Pixar flick. Apparently, his only mission is to make restaurateurs and chefs miserable in their endeavors by giving them crappy reviews.

Overall, the movie is quite good, but fails in trying to stand up to the previous Pixar films. The animation is just as incredible and is more appetizing than ever, but the story is a little flat. I enjoyed watching the triumph of the underdog and it was very smart to give kids the message of “Anyone Can Cook.” The camera work was enticing and the ending was fun and funny at the same time. However, the movie just paled in comparison to my expectations. I will own this movie; I am sure I will end up watching it again and again (after all, I am a movie buff with a culinary degree). I will say, that watching this movie made me want to taste Thomas Keller’s recipe for Ratatouille (and I hate eggplant!!!) – That’s progress.

One other note, for the first time I feel like the ilk of voice talents was a little “bottom of the barrel” in terms of well-known actors. Nothing against the folks who lent their voices, but they were no Tom Hanks, Albert Brooks, Paul Newman, or Owen Wilson. At least John Ratzenberger kept his Pixar streak alive as Mustafa – but honestly I couldn’t tell you who he was in the movie.

So in honor of this movie, I feel I should post my Pixar list in order of most to least favorites:

The Incredibles
Finding Nemo
Toy Story
Cars
Monsters, Inc.
Ratatouille
A Bug’s Life
Toy Story 2

As an honorary mention, Lifted, the short that precedes this film, was cleaver and funny. It is no One Man Band, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is worth taking the time to watch it.

Not Always in the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

Movie Review: Live Free or Die Hard
½


Move over Peter Parker - you and Jack Sparrow have been outdone this time around! In the Season of the Sequel, Bruce Willis shows his repetitive cohorts how it is done - Yippie ki yay...

The 4th installment of the Die Hard series (originally started almost 20 years ago) does its level best to combine all the fights, explosions, the wit and the comedy of the first flick while adding a younger flair (sorry Bruno). Put it all together and you have the recipe for one kick ass action movie for the summer of 2007.

John McClane picks up almost where he left off as an NYPD cop who always seems to be the only guy who can stand up to a band of terrorists. This time around, we have the old school cop up against the new age of computers and hackers. As the bad guy says, "you’re a Timex watch in a digital age, John."

Our villain, Thomas Gabriel is played quite convincingly by Timothy Olyphant (Deadwood). Gabriel and his merry band of hacker-terrorists have figured out how to pull off a "Fire Sale" - basically a systematic shutdown of all the United States using our computer dependency against us. What's their motivation..what's their trauma? Who cares? Honestly the reasons why are a bit hokey, but the age-old battle of 1 vs. 100 in order to save the world is a recipe that is still working for Mr. Willis.

What would a Die Hard movie be without a non-cop character for McClane to protect? This time around, Justin Long (none other than Mac, himself) plays the computer-savvy sidekick who inadvertently gives the terrorists some program to help them implement their nefarious plans. He brought in humor, an air of innocence and someone you really wanted to root for in this movie. The casting could have used some work for the smaller roles, but putting Bruce together with Long was the work of a genius. I will say that giving Kevin Smith a small part as a Hacker who lives in his mother’s basement seems somehow fitting, Boba Fett standee and all.

The beauty of this movie is its ability to bring back the heyday of the big, blockbuster action films from the 80's. Where else can you get cars being flung at helicopters because the cop ran out of bullets and options? Not only does this movie respect its original, but they actually play homage to it in a couple of ways - there is even an Agent Johnson – but just one this time.

So for Die Hard #4 – you should be pleasantly surprised. With witty one-liners, explosions, the brutal demise of many bad guys and an evil mastermind all dispatched by John McClane…you’ll feel like you’ve come home once again.

Currently listening :
The Very Best of Elvis Costello
By Elvis Costello

Surf’s Up!

Movie Review: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
½


Much more interesting and entertaining that the first installment of the Fantastic Four franchise, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is quite the gem in a sea of sequels this summer. The brilliance of this flick is the intriguing choice to dig into the annals of the Marvel Universe and pluck from it one of the coolest characters and tell his story (in conjunction with The Four, of course). Vocally portrayed by Laurence Fishburne, the Silver Surfer glides onto the big screen with a graceful menace that grabs you early on. I will say, that it was very hard for me NOT to think of The Matrix whenever he spoke (luckily, his lines were sparse).

As for the plot devices and crappy pacing - most of this can be overlooked if you remind yourself that this movie was made to be enjoyed by kids and adults.

What are these plot devices, you ask? Reed Richards and Sue Storm (Ioan Gruffudd and Jessica Alba), a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic and The Invisible Woman, keep planning their wedding and it seems to have been postponed a few times. I'm not sure how important this really is when you have to save the world for a living, but I guess the writers are trying to give some character and back story to The Four. Oh, did I mention that Victor Von Doom (the always yummy Julian McMahon) is alive and well and causing havoc once again?

I think my favorite unnecessary plot device ties to Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) a.k.a. The Human Torch. After a run-in with the Silver Surfer, anyone he touches ends up switching powers with him. It allows for some funny moments and adds to the depth (I use this word loosely) to the character.

The main conflict in this movie is truly this: Is the Silver Surfer a villain or a hero? This ties very closely to his introduction into the comic book and is a decent homage to comic fans.

So why is this sequel better than the original movie? This movie is a much more ambitious than the first Fantastic Four, which gives it much more to sustain itself with for 2 hours. The characters are still weak, but the actors appear more at home in their roles the second time around. There is also far more action and less campiness in this movie. Dr. Doom is a much better character in this movie, but he still isn't quite the force to be reckoned with from the comic books. And finally, the special effects are much more robust and breath-taking (check out the Fantastic Four's new ride!)

Overall, I think the movie companies need to take a meeting. Don't skimp on the funding, but don't throw money at a picture just to try and over sell it. You can make a decent comic book movie as long as you stick to storylines that the fans know well enough to enjoy, but not so well that they get pissed off when you don it wrong. Give us action, fun, a little comedy and some backbone in our heroes and we will come to the box office every time!

Currently listening :
Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
By Various Artists
Release date: 12:00 AM

Evan Help Us

Movie Review: Evan Almighty
½

In this loosely called sequel, The Office’s Steve Carell stars again as new broadcaster (now a newly elected Congressman) Evan Baxter. If you think back to 2003’s Bruce Almighty, Steve is the guy who stole the show from Jim Carrey in only a few scenes of comic genius.

Now, I will do my best not to get onto my soapbox at all, but here is another movie where they have completely marketed it incorrectly. From previews and commercials, including the stars doing just about every talk show in the last two weeks, you would think this is a laugh-riot comedy. Nope – everybody out of the pool!

Evan is the epitome of waste and an environmental drain – big house, Hummer, hates animals, etc. His focus on work, his appearance, and neglect of his family (his wife Joan is played by Gilmore Girls alum, Lauren Graham) cause him to be the one man who needs divine intervention more than any. Laughably, the man’s campaign slogan was ‘Save the World.’

Enter God (well-played once again by Morgan Freeman) who comes to Evan and says “Son, you must build an Ark.” The few moments of comedy in this flick soon follow as he initially resists this request and ends up having pairs of animals (and God) following him around DC. Once he gives in, the movie turns from trying to be a comedy to its true self, an inspirational biblical flick.

There are a few funny moments still left in the movie – Evan’s hair and beard won’t stop growing and God only allows him to wear Noah-inspired robes. Evan tries to “beat the system,” but even that gets tired after a minute or two.

Fun performances from Ed Helms (The Office, The Daily Show) and Wanda Sykes (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Monster-in-Law) do their best to keep the movie light, but honestly there was no chance this could happen based on the subject matter. At best, this is a movie the kids can watch in Sunday School so they don’t have to read Genesis.

The movie isn’t terrible, but it leaves a lot ($175 million) to be desired. The real live animals (instead of spending less money on CG) couldn’t save this flick from impending doom. My head hurts from the shovel of a message being smacked into my brain: Don’t waste, do Acts of Random Kindness and you can avert being washed away with the next flood. In the immortal words of Bill Cosby: Himself…Riiight!

Currently listening :
Ultra Payloaded
By Perry Farrell's Satellite Party
Release date: 12:00 AM

It Sure as Sh*t Ain't Sad

Movie Review: Ocean’s Thirteen

How refreshing – a sequel that actually stands up to the original. In the season of the sequel (see footnote below), Ocean’s does its due diligence and lives up to the hype. This is the heist movie everyone wanted to see in Ocean’s Twelve, but felt completely let down and dismayed. George Clooney and team are back for round 3 and this time it’s personal.

When Reuben (Elliott Gould) is double-crossed by his new business partner Willie Bank (exquisitely played by Al Pacino), he ends up suffering from a medical nightmare that sucks the life out of him. Enter Danny Ocean and his merry band of thieves* who come to the rescue with an elaborate plan that just might work. All of our old favorites are back, with the delightful addition of Eddie Izzard as the smarmy yet intriguing Roman Nagel.

How do you hit the infamous Willy Bank where it hurts? You turn his fancy new hotel into a complete disaster. This is a huge undertaking and it will take everything they have got up their collective sleeves to make it work – they even have to solicit some help from their old nemesis, Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). This movie is about the ultimate heist – how can you lose your shirt in a casino when the house always wins? Leave it to Danny Ocean to execute the perfect revenge in the span of 3 ½ minutes.

This movie is smart, flashy, funny and completely entertaining. It has brought back the glamour and success from Ocean’s Eleven and done it up right. There are some nods to both previous films (most of which a newcomer may miss, but it won’t effect their enjoyment of the movie), including some familiar faces. George and Steven Soderbergh learned their lesson from Twelve and this time around made the movie they should have made before. Honestly, as a woman, I’m perfectly happy watching 2 hours of some of the hottest men in Hollywood – but this movie delivered in many ways that would even make the guys happy.

With some twists, turns (and shakes), a prosthetic nose and a really bad boob job, Thirteen leaves the audience ready for Ocean’s Fourteen! And boy, did they ever leave the door open for that.

The Season of the Sequel:
May: Shrek the Third, Spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, 28 Weeks Later
June: Ocean’s Thirteen, Hostel: Part II, Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer, Evan Almighty, Live Free or Die Hard
July: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
August: The Bourne Ultimatum, Rush Hour 3, Halloween (the 9th one)
September: Resident Evil: Extinction
October: Saw IV
November: The Punisher 2
December: National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Alien vs. Predator: AVP2

*The rest of the team:
Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt)
Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon)
Livingston Dell (Eddie Jemison)
Basher Tarr (Don Cheadle)
Yen (Shaobo Qin)
Virgil Malloy (Casey Affleck)
Turk Malloy (Scott Caan)
Frank Catton (Bernie Mac)
Saul Bloom (Carl Reiner)

Currently listening :
Versions
By Thievery Corporation
Release date: By 16 May, 2006

Drop the Chalupa

Current mood: amused

Main Entry: cha•lu•pa
Pronunciation: ..chä-'lü-pä, ch&-'lü-p&..
Function: noun
Etymology: Mexican Spanish, from Spanish, boat, skiff, from French chaloupe
Date: 1895
: a fried corn tortilla sometimes shaped like a boat and usually filled with a savory mixture (as of meat, vegetables, or cheese)

So since when is this a catchphrase? I did a little research on the 'net and this is what I found:
1. drop the chalupa

Giving Birth

My ol' lady dropped the chalupa

2. drop the chalupa

to take a big-ass dump, especially after consuming food from Taco Bell

This made me laugh my ass off – seriously. All this ties to a kick ass time we had celebrating Delia's birthday this past weekend. Hanging out at the Gargoylee Mansion with beer, wine, burgers and dogs (and not to mention the red velvet cake provided by yours truly). It was a Hurricane-themed shindig and leave it to Delia to celebrate while there is a tropical depression (his name was Barry, but it would have been more appropriate if it had been named Delia). This is what you get when you are born on the first day of the Atlantic Hurricane season!

Anyway, we had great fun hanging out, swapping dirty jokes, and ultimately pulling out the game Catch Phrase. This was a first for me and while I did well on most of it – I ended up with "Drop the Chalupa" as my catchphrase. How the hell do you describe that one? We got a great laugh out of it – that's all that matters, really. A fun time was had by all.

Now I am back at work – slammed with a million things – and am doing my best to procrastinate. Obviously, this is not the best idea since I am trying to advance at work and should probably be giving a better impression of my work and work ethic. But after much thought, it occurred to me that I should be myself and not over-do it or over-think it. This is me – take me as I am!

Last night, The New Hotness won at trivia again. We were behind the entire game and came through with a come-from-behind-win! I mean seriously – were we the only ones who knew the name of the castle at Disneyland? That's insane! Oh well – it meant $40 for us, so I am not complaining!

So tonight I am headed to the Ocean's Thirteen screening. I cannot wait! Two hours of watching a whole bunch of hotties that I get to drool over – ahhhh, life is so hard!

Currently listening :
How To Save A Life
By The Fray
Release date: By 13 September, 2005

The Bitter Taste of Venom

Movie Review: Spider-Man 3
½


I want to establish first, that I am a fan of this franchise. I enjoyed the first 2 films and went in wanting another dose of the web-flinging hero. What I was missing, was some of my friendly neighborhood Spidey that I have grown to love. But is it really Spidey's fault? I think not - chalk it up to the constant barrage of negative energy from all angles (otherwise known as a weak script trying to hide behind big effects and a lot of cash).

First - Sandman. A giant of a villain who is a bit dusty after being molecularly altered (personally, I think the CGI guys were from The Mummy franchise). Next, this creepy alien goo lands from above and infects its host by intensifying the negative energy - it takes over photographer wanna-be, Eddie Brock, and he becomes Venom.

You just think that is all the villains in this tale...oh no. Next, we have Harry trying to be nuGreen Goblin (Peter killed his father, yada yada) with a lot of the fancy toys his dastardly father left behind. Really, is that all?

But wait...there's more! Next is Mary Jane - now while she is usually the damsel in distress, this time around she is annoyed by Peter and his emotional brick wall, so she gets to while a lot.

Last but not least - the demon within. The goo takes over Spidey and turns him into an anti-hero in a black Spidey suit. Like Tobey Maguire didn't already have enough to do.

Spider-Man 3 isn't bad, but there is too much going on to really be able to get into any one of the storylines going on here.

The focus on the hapless criminal who accidentally is turned into a giant sand creature is misplaced and fleeting. His only mission is to make enough money to help out his sickly daughter - who knows if you are supposed to root for him or against him. And Spidey's battle with Sandman doesn't give you any idea if black-suited Spidey is a bad guy or not.

The new photographer (Topher Grace) is not around long enough for you to enjoy his smarmy ways before he morphs into Venom; this story akin to a Public Service Announcement regarding the dangers of member of the paparazzi.

Harry Osborn is a tough nut to crack. He has little evidence that Spider-Man killed his father - he has one faint memory and from that we are to believe that he is willing to turn his back on his best friend, and kill him just to spite him. Oh, and by the end of the movie, he has experienced a completely 180? I am SO confused.

So a message to Sam Raimi - pick a storyline, pick a villain; pick a real conflict for Mary Jane and Peter. Once you have done this, write your script for Spider-Man 4 and stick with it. Please, don't go way over budget creating special effects, don't create too much story which keeps you from telling a full story that makes sense, and please, bring back the fire, the danger, the romance of the first two flicks. I beg of you - redeem the franchise before it is nothing more than a caricature of its former self!

Currently listening :
The Last Kiss
By Original Soundtrack
Release date: By 08 August, 2006

Just Do It Already!

Movie Review: Knocked Up




...That's what she said! First, let me warn you that this movie is longer than expected and does not fall into the Stupid-Humor category. So if you are a fan of Judd Apatow movies and TV shows, you should truly appreciate this movie in its entirety.

The premise of this flick (if you don't already know), is about a young loser-type Ben who is just as shocked as the audience when he is able to hook-up with the hottie Allison in a very 'productive' one-night stand. In writer-director Judd Apatow's follow-up to The 40 Year-Old Virgin, he writes what he knows and puts together the geeky stoner who refuses to grow up and get a job, with the highly successful and beautiful girl who is used to getting everything she ever wanted.

As usual, Apatow develops his characters incredibly well and gives us such a large and fun cast of supporting characters that the lengthy flick doesn't seem it at all. His ability to build his usual band of freaks (everyone has a connection to Apatow - either family or previous cast members), helps to create this world that you feel you are truly a part of.

The acting in this movie is so good, it is hard to remember they are acting. Let's start with the leads - Katherine Heigl plays our put together leading lady Allison, who shows such familiar emotions, especially when she is staring at Ben's naked butt in her bed and is trying to figure out how she ended up in this situation. Her roller-coaster of emotions, most of which are due to the pregnancy, allow her to help us feel her pain as she is trying to figure out what to do with this guy with the Peter Pan complex.

Next is Seth Rogen, plays the nervous but loveably and goofy Ben. He is so lost and cannot figure out how to get his shit together to be the dad he thinks he wants to be. As the movie goes on, you find yourself wanting to root for him.

One of the best sub-plots is the relationship between Allison's sister, Debbie (played by Leslie Mann) and brother-in-law, Pete (played by Paul Rudd). They steal the screen several times in the movie as their problems are a warning bell to the Allison-Ben budding coupling. Mann, Apatow's wife, is amazing and as the movie progresses, she goes from a complete bitch - who honestly is saying everything we are thinking - to someone who you truly end up loving. One of the best scenes in the movie takes place outside a night club when older Debbie and pregnant Allison are refused entry and she goes postal on the Doorman, played by The Office's Craig Robinson. Talk about brutal honesty being roll-on-the-floor hysterical! And its hard not to love Rudd's portrayal of a guy who just doesn't get the family life he is up to his eyeballs in. I love him in anything he does - why has no one given him his own movie, yet! Honorable mention goes to the real-life daughters of Apatow who play Debbie and Pete's kids. They stole the show once or twice, themselves.

The merry band of freaks that play Ben's friends and housemates is a list of Apatow graduates that keep us entertained throughout the entire movie. Jay Baruchel, from Undeclared, plays Jay, a silly stoner with the worst hair in history. Martin Starr, from Freaks & Geeks, plays Martin, another stoner who agrees not to cut his hair or beard for a year in order to cover his rent. Little did he realize part of the deal was he would have to endure all the jokes about his every-worsening appearance from his buddies? Jonah Hill, plays Jonah, was the boot-guy from Virgin. And finally, Jason Segel plays Jason (aren't these names original?), from Undeclared, Freaks & Geeks and non-Apatow show, How I Met Your Mother. I think he was my favorite!

The laughs are spread out throughout the movie, so even with the serious relationship issues portrayed; you cannot help but laugh along with the reality airing on the big screen. This movie is so much more realistic than Virgin, but only because how many 40-year olds do you know who still have their 'virtue' left in tact?

With the pop culture references ("Matthew Fox — you know what's interesting about him? Absolutely nothing!'') and the off-the-cuff remarks ("Gynecology is a hobby of mine."), you won't want to miss a minute of this sharp and hilarious commentary of such a believable storyline. This movie is truly a breath of fresh air and reminds me why I have so enjoyed just about everything Apatow has put out there.

Currently listening :
Wincing the Night Away
By The Shins
Release date: By 23 January, 2007

It's Not Easy Being King

Movie Review: Shrek the Third
½


Something for everyone, but not as much as the previous films in the franchise. Shrek always delivers with the right amount of fairy tale characters mixed with kid and adult humor.

This time around, Shrek is called upon to play king while his father-in-law, King Harold is ill. Suddenly, Shrek realizes that he is expected to be the heir to the throne of Far, Far Away. Not willing to leave his life of swampiness, he sets out on a journey to find Arty (or Wart for the King Arthur fans) who is the only other living relative. Shrek sets sail with Donkey and Puss in Boots to a prep school to help find the outcast that would be king.

Meanwhile, Princess Fiona bands together her princess buddies to rise up against Prince Charming's coup d'etat. Prince Charming takes an odd turn as a woosy villain for Shrek, by deciding to band together with the other fairy tale villains in order to "win for once." This was kind of a let down as there wasn't a feel of peril for our heroes this time around - the "battle" was anti-climactic.

Honestly, the movie was cute, but just didn't entertain me as much as the previous 2 movies. The kids will love it and there are some jokes for the adults worked in (can you say Abercrombie & Witch?), but the 80 minutes seemed more like 180 - which is never a good sign.

The highlight for me was when I realized that Lancelot (a bully at the prep school) was voiced by none other than hottie John Krasinski (cutie Jim from The Office). I had no idea he was doing a voice, but it was a fun surprise. I can't help that I am such a geek when it comes to voice talent.

Folks, you won't be disappointed in this movie at all if you are looking to escape into a land far, far away for an hour and a half. This delivers, but just not as well as their predecessors.

Currently listening :
A Beautiful Lie
By 30 Seconds to Mars
Release date: By 30 August, 2005

A Pirate's Life for Me

So I am back to posting movie reviews. While I am WAY behind on seeing movies, I haven't posted reviews about the last dozen I have seen. My bad! So here goes, a whole lot of them. I am starting with the most recent as that one probably interests you all the most! So here goes:


Movie Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End



Now, the irony here is that the last review I posted was Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - crazy to think it has been that long since I have posted a review. What's worse is that I actually have seen movies since last July, but didn't make the time to review them. Also, note my new rating system above.

First, let me start by telling you not to believe all the reviews for this movie so far. Those folks have clearly lost sight of the child inside of them because this movie was the perfect ending to a great trilogy!

Now, I will say that Jack Sparrow is not prominent in this movie (how could he be, since he has been trapped in Davy Jones' Locker all year), but honestly the movie was great without him being in every scene.

We picked up a short time after the end of Dead Man's Chest to find our reluctant heroes (Elizabeth, Will, Barbossa and the crew of the Black Pearl) in search of a map to get them to Jack and Davy Jones' Locker. Right off the bat there are some great action scenes, complete with explosions, sword fights and a little gun play. This is just what I was hoping for. Yun-Fat Chow was excellent as Captain Sao Feng, but he was barely in the movie - such a disappointment for me as I absolutely love watching this man on screen. He commanded the scenes he was in, but truly, it was not enough. However, the path of this character really seemed to be laid out to allow Keira Knightley to run away with her part this time around.

In the past, Elizabeth Swann has been a bit whiney and too much the damsel in need of rescuing – c'mon Hollywood, it's 2007 and we want to see women rescuing the men occasionally, no matter what era the movie is set in! Finally, Keira stepped up! She stole the show in a lot of scenes (how many weapons can that tiny girl hide on her person, really!). I was really impressed with her this time around.

Next up – Orlando Bloom. Thank goodness he is pretty! I will say that in this movie, I did not notice his lack of acting as much, but I think I was distracted by the sexual energy just jumping right off the screen from him. He was very much the Dread Pirate Roberts meets Dirk Pitt this time around…yum!

As for the rest of the cast, I think that Bill Nighy as Davy Jones and Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barbossa owned the entire film – not to mention all the action and mayhem.

There were twists and turns (some obvious, some not) and a lot of old time pirate history, a nod to the Disneyland ride that started it all, with some mythology thrown in for good measure. Sure, you had to use your brain while watching the movie, but that is what makes it SO great. This wasn't all mindless fighting and action scenes with a little comedy thrown in (hello, Keith Richards), it was a good, all-around, something-for-everyone movie!

So yes, this is a long movie (2 hours and 45 minutes) and is a little slow in parts. However, if you are looking for great action, excellent special effects and a little Jack Sparrow to round it out – this is the movie to see!

Burgers, Beer and a State of Fluxx

Current mood: content

Two days left until I play "California Girl" for two weeks and I cannot wait! I will miss some things, so I decided to list them as a reminder to myself:

1) Heather and Nick (even when Nick is blocking my path to work with his big-ass truck! Plus with Jennifer having the baby on Friday, I feel like I am missing so much.
2) My trivia buddies
3) Playing trivia (notice, I put my teammates before the actual game - does that mean I only go for my friends?). This includes arguing with Trivia Kelly as well.
4) My place (full control of the remote, a swimming pool right there and people jumping up and down on my ceiling...no wait...)

Anyway, I will have great fun (and will post pictures of the kids as soon as I have some) and I will miss all my friends (except the ones IN California, of course). I will do my best to Blog while I am out there.

So a weekend update - this was a fabulous weekend! My friend Deals had a barbecue and so we all sat outside, hung out, drank (those of us not counting caloric intake) and ate delicious burgers and hot dogs.

We had a lot of fun and the weather was absolutely perfect for it. We just chilled out and laughed and did our best to avoid the subject of work (half of us are at the same company) and then the dirty jokes and stories started and even a sailor would have been blushing! All-in-all, it was a great time for all!

As it started to get dark, the Fluxx cards were pulled out and we could barely keep track of whose turn it was and what the current rules were set to. We played it by ear and had a good laugh or two - after all, that's what really matters, right?

Some friends weren't able to make it (you know who you are) and you were missed. Next time - no excuses! Did I mention I brought two kinds of brownies?!?!

That's all I have for now. I'm just tired thinking about my 7am flight and my having to miss Trivia Tuesday night, but oh well - you take the good with the bad, I guess!

Currently listening :
Hot Fuss By The Killers
Release date: By 15 June, 2004

Two Months Later...

Current mood: excited

Wow - I suck! It has been two months since my last post and I swore I would do better this year! Time has been non-existant. When I have had the time, writing about myself has been the absolute LAST thing I would think about. So here I go again, trying to promise to do a better job!

So I am sticking to my "healthier" lifestyle and therefore my back is a lot better. I still have issues and pains, but I don't want to end it all just to get through it anymore. Most of the people I work with have been coming up to me and commenting on how great I look - which is really cool. Now, I just need to keep this up!

Work is good - in fact, they are sending me to California for 2 weeks to do some work in So and NoCal in our offices there. Very cool - especially if I get to see some of my friends. Plus, almost two weeks with the niece and nephew - very exciting! Plus my newphew will be 2 years old, and I will be there for it!

Otherwise, things are pretty tame. Nothing too exciting going on, but you should see a lot of posts while I am in Cali!

Snaps for the Fam

Current mood: cheerful

Saturday was my birthday celebration with my parents where they cook an amazing meal and usually watch a movie together. Yes I know this was a bit early, but my father is a consultant and has been traveling a lot lately. He is off to Rochester, NY for the week and so we needed to do this before he left. The upside is, it leaves me free to play Trivia on Tuesday night with my buddies!

I spent the day working on projects for my parents and doing a little prep work for dinner. For once, they did not torture me by bringing out my presents early and setting them on the table without allowing me to open them. Finally, just before dinner, my mother walked in with a couple of presents for me.

As a side note, I have had one item on my Amazon.com Wish List for a couple of years now, and no one had bothered to get it for me. I just guessed that since it was a high priced item, they opted against it. However, it turns out (I realized at Christmas) no one really uses my Wish List anymore. I think it was a tool for Angie (as I used hers) for Birthdays and Christmas...now I think I use it more as a reminder for myself!

So to get one with the news, I opened my presents. First up was a ThermaPen in Green. Those of you who know my cooking side; this is an instant-read thermometer that is the top of the line. So I was very excited about that! Plus, the green goes with my kitchen decor. Next was the huge box. At first glance, I assumed this was just some china; that seemed reasonable. I took off the paper and was just chatting away with my parents when I let out quite a scream. It turns out, that high priced item was in the box!! It is a Digital Canon SLR 350D. And all that started running through my head was "what can I shoot first?"

I was so excited, I could hardly contain myself. This was huge and quite awesome of my parents to do. No more crappy hand-me-down point and shoot happy-snapping digital camera. This was the REAL DEAL!

Not to worry folks, this does not mean I am stopping with the analog, film and negatives photography...I just couldn't. However, I will be saving a LOT of money and time this way and I cannot wait!

So for dinner, we had a wonderful meal:
Beef Fondue with a Variety of Dipping Sauces
Lemon Spaghetti
Cappuccino Crème Brûlée

It was all scrumptious.

After dinner, my brother called to tell me that he had sent my present, but was unaware we were doing dinner so soon. It turns out, he is sending me a very large memory card for my new camera and it just had not gotten there yet...DAMN! He did, however, offer me my first assignment…his birthday present! I have until March 14th, so I should have plenty of time to scout my location and get just the right shot for him, then frame it and send it.

All-in-all it was a great celebration. Today, it is super quiet at work. Most of my team is off in the Bay Area on business (without me, which is annoying). Now I am wondering why on Earth I am coming in to work tomorrow instead of being stress free....not sure, but I will enjoy the quiet time, for sure!

I still have my "dinner party" next weekend with my friends and I hope everyone can make it. It will be great fun and great food once again!

Currently listening :
Oh No
By OK Go
Release date: By 07 November, 2006

A Superior Bowl?

Current mood: curious

Monday after the Super Bowl...which means all Football is over until the fall and I find myself somewhat perplexed at last night's show. At least I still have Hockey with Baseball right around the corner.

Don't get me wrong, the football action was pretty good, I am speaking about the pitiful showing of Super Bowl Ads (at a trillon bucks a pop).

The Super Bowl is truly the one showing per year that I actually watch the commercials (my TiVo actually gets somewhat of a vacation). Unfortunately, after 3 1/2 hours of football, I was sorry I didn't skip most of them. This was a pitiful year.

Some of the ads were cleaver, but I am used to getting a hearty laugh out of them, and even a few will give me one of those great laughs where you just cannot stop laughing! Where have all the funny ads gone? And why did these companies spend SO much money for such a poor showing?

Honestly, the two BEST ads were at the very beginning, so a ton of people missed them completely. I even commented that I was concerned that CBS had blown through its best material before the game really got underway (well, the Bears had just scored a TD on a beautiful kick return).

So for those of you who didn't watch, and those of you who watched, but had not really settled in yet, I give you the cream of the crop!

Pet Shop Boys and Rock, Paper, Bud Light

My friends, if you want to see all the ads, MySpace was kind enough to post them: MySpace Super Spots - knock yourselves out! But please post a comment telling me which you liked the best - I have to find out if I am alone in this, or if everyone is on the same page!

Currently playing:
Lumines
Release date: By 15 June, 2006

Has the World Gone Mad?!

Sorry for the delay in posting my friends, but it has been a rough week. I just can't seem to catch a break!

First, after posting such a chipper blog last week, I went home, fixed some dinner and ended up almost in the morgue. Grim I know, but I'm here to detail the shit that happens to me.

Somehow I ingested cashews. While some of you may be wondering why that is such a big deal, a lot of you understand (and some have been witness to it). I am allergic to most Tree Nuts, cashews being one of the worst offenders. By the time I realized there was a problem, it was really too late for me to do anything effective. 20 minutes and 2 injections later (epi-pens, for those of you in the know), I was still not improving and had to be rushed to the hospital. Fun, I know.

Next came the IVs and the loading up of the drugs. This is never fun for me and I dread it so much, you practically have to drag me (no kicking and screaming, though, as usually I cannot get any oxygen). After a couple of hours and 4 or 5 different medications, I was finally back in the land of the human. Again, luckily they let me go home (or to my parents' home, anyway).

So here I am at work, trying to will my body into a normal life once again and I am exhausted. I have battle scars and am weary, but I will bounce back once again!

My new gig is going relatively well; just trying to get my feet wet without falling in and drowning completely. My old responsibilities are in the care and protection of great people who have worked for me for quite some time...which really makes it easy to "let it go." In the hands of just about anyone else, I would have a hard time not being involved, but this has been smooth sailing so far.

But today, in my somewhat blasé state, I have been looking around to see what my friends are up to - and let me tell you, some weird things are happening on some friends' profiles. I'm not sure when I became the "Normal One," but suddenly I am feeling a bit boring. Some of you are taking some bizarre turns in your personal lives (and preferences) that are someone foreign to me. One day, you guys can explain it to me. So to my other friends, beware which of my friends you click on...enter at your own risk (and maybe not while in a work environment).

And to continue the theme, I have to say how much I miss my friends who have moved away. I am thankful for email and this crazy place to help keep me tied to those I care about (you know who you are) and am also thankful for those I still have around me. I am sticking to my resolutions and am spending more time with them all!

Tonight, I am taking a page from my past and spending the evening playing Team Trivia with Shannon (OMG, seriously). It is like it is the year 2000 again. And I cannot wait! I also have some tentative plans for hanging out with other friends, and it is the count down begins to the big 3 - 4. (sigh)


Currently reading :
Dark Tort: A Novel of Suspense (Goldy Bear Culinary Mysteries)
By Diane Mott Davidson
Release date: By April, 2006

MIA I Have Been

Current mood: chipper

SO...to all my friends who have come up to me in the last 2 weeks...I hear you - I am back to blogging! You can all do a little dance now.

I have been told that my last couple of attempts were sorta of down and depressing, so this will be better! It is a happy new year for me and my plan is to stay chipper and upbeat through it all!

First, let's start with the crappy stuff first. Yes, my back is still a serious problem. The docs have no clue what to try next that isn't a complete crap-shoot. Let's not spend all my money in the first 4 weeks of the year, ok? I will suffer - fine. I have done it before, I can do it again.

So what's new with me? Well, there is a laundry list of things, but I will spare you some of the boring things.

1) I have a new job - sort of. I am still at The Link and am still in Strategy, but I have left behind the shackles of Customer Service. Instead, I have been given the entire gambit of Customer Support (believe me, it is something different). To explain, I am managing budget and development for everything that goes through Customer Support. Fun, I know. It actually puts me behind the 8-ball for once and I need to learn how to do something new. The Oracle is not gone, but just laying low for now.

2) New Year's Resolution for 2007: Better Health. So far in 2+ weeks I have actually dropped almost 20 pounds. I feel better, have more energy, and am a lot happier person.

3) Spend more time with friends. I have missed so much the last 10+ years and I have decided NO MORE. It is time to appreciate what I have and enjoy it more. I have some wonderful friends who I just don't spend enough time with and that just is not acceptable. More friends are moving 3000 miles away and I think back on time wasted trying to make schedules meet.

4) Travel more. As you all know, my travel schedule is tied to my family and work. This year, I plan to exercise my new Platinum status on Delta and go visit some of those friends who have moved (or are moving) away. Especially, if I can do this without spending too much money. Simple weekend getaways with friends to the next state would be okay. I miss the road trip. My road trip buddy moved away and I have not yet found a new one.

5) See more movies. 2006 was a bad year for me - I didn't see much of anything in the theatres. It was for a lack of movie screening passes either, but with travel and my back, my heart just wasn't in it. I won't cause widespread shock and awe by telling you how few I saw this year (I used to see 100+); let's just say it was a very small number.

6) Brush the dust of the Xbox 360. I have finally started playing again and had forgotten how much of an escape it was. I am glad I did not waste my hard-earned money on something that would just be another dust-collector in my home.

7) Blog more. 'Nuff said.

I'm about to be 34 and I have decided that this is my year to make some great changes. Spending Saturday night at The Highlander (kickin' it old school) with lots of friends (both old and new), even with the bittersweet theme of friends moving away hanging over my head, was a blessing. I had missed that and did not realize by how much until then.

I have missed you all and I hope this will be a fabulous year for all of you too. Drop me a note - let's hang out soon!


Currently playing :
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (Xbox 360)
Release date: By 12 September, 2006

A Sad Day for The Link

Current mood: depressed


Well folks, this is really quite sad for me to be posting this today. Honestly, I wish I was back blogging for a good reason.

I have been working at my company for 8 years now and in that time I have met and become friends with a lot of people. And the people I have become friends with are all over the company - it never mattered their title or position; my company has always been like that and as long as it remains so, I think I will probably stick around.

This morning, I came into work to a very sad announcement. Our CEO, who has been battling cancer recently, had passed away last night. While he wasn't a close friend, he was a positive influence on me and was always good for a laugh. He will be missed.

In other news, I have friends going through very tough times. One is about to have surgery on her back and is scared it won't help while another is going through a tough time with his family and needs all the love and support he can get.

Meanwhile, I remain in bad shape with my own back and the doctors can't seem to figure it out. However, they don't mind spending all my money to find out what it isn't. Nice, huh?

Anyway, this is a bad back day and a sad emotional day that just seems to get worse and worse as the day goes on. C'est la vie, I guess.

Step By Step

Current mood: ecstatic


Well folks, I am pretty much moved into my new place! Can you believe it? After having to pay for packers and movers (since my current condition allows for NO physical activities), my checkbook hates me, but my new place is great!

Did I mention that I painted the living room purple?

For those of you that know me - this is completely normal and totally fitting for a Lindy apartment. Yes, yes, you can all come over for a visit as soon as the boxes are unpacked...now, how will I get that accomplished?

I will say that YB was a god-send as usual. He stepped in and helped with the heavy-lifting (literally). Also, D3 offered her handiwork as well, but for whatever reason we passed...big mistake in hindsight.

Anyway, my shit is in a new locale - that's all that matters :)

Next on the list - I have to take a trip. I am making my usual trek to SFO for Thanksgiving week to see the kiddies. However, this will put me one California trip shy of Platinum status on Delta for 2007 - so apparently LA here I come. I have a few friends out there (some who actually might like to see me and some who may have to think of excuses), so it won't be a waste of a long weekend. I mean, only $300 for a weekend trip to LA?! Why not, I say.

Anyway, that's all there is to report! Later all. Have a Happy Halloween!

No I am not dead...

Current mood: optimistic


...although the rumors are not that far off. So the reason I have been MIA (from the Blog, MySpace, XBox, etc) is that I have been laid up for well over a month - more like 2. I have slipped a disc in my back and have not been in my own home pretty much since my trip back from India.

So as a result - I am moving! Why you may ask? Well, I currently live in a townhouse where you walk in the door and walk up a ton of stairs. Then to go to my office or bedroom, I have to walk up a ton more stairs - not good for the back or the knee. So......

Next week I am moving across the street - well, sort of. Can you call a street in an apartment complex an actual street? Anyway, the new place is practically in the next building over and is about the same size, but without all the stairs! And did I mention the major savings in rent I would be benefitting from as well?

Soon, you should all be hearing from me once again on a more regular basis, I hope. Stay tuned.