I’ve never been a huge Star Wars fan, but it’s hard not to get caught up in all the excitement about the premiere of the latest installment…
Especially since I helped capture a stormtrooper last weekend outside a museum near Chicago.
Typical Sunday morning kinda stuff, you know how it is.
I have watched Seth Meyers on Late Night since he took over the time slot.
His monologue was awkward, and the producers wisely ditched it a couple of months ago.
But his interview skills put most of his competitors to shame.
Case in point: his recent sitdown with Ellen Page.
Page was on the program to promote her movie Freeheld, the true story of a dying woman’s fight to leave her pension benefits to her lesbian partner.
Page was focused and somber; you could see her talking points reflected in her eyes. Seth was respectful of the film’s subject matter, but injected humor at just the right beats.
Jimmy Fallon? Take a look and take a lesson.
This is how you do it.
Posted in Celebrities, Comedy, Entertainment, Humor, Movies, Television
Tagged celebrities, comedy, Ellen Page, entertainment, Freeheld, Humor, interview, Jimmy Fallon, late night, monologue, movie, Seth Meyers, Television
I watched The Princess Bride for the umpteenth time again today.
(It came on TV suddenly; what else could I do?)
I was playing on Facebook and Twitter at the same , where I encountered a bunch of pumpkin stuff. This spurred a random thought —
Are there any Princess Bride pumpkin carvings out there?
As you wish!
Posted in Crafts, Design, Entertainment, Holiday, Humor, Movies
Tagged as you wish, crafts, design, drop your sword, Facebook, Halloween, Holiday, Humor, life, movie, Movies, Princess Bride pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin carving, The Princess Bride, tis the season, Twitter
I saw the movie The Fault in Our Stars today.
I hadn’t read the book, so I could judge it on face value. No expectations. No preconceived notions. No condemnation for any meandering from the original plot.
But I’m pretty sure that, even if I’d been watching with a more critical eye, I still would have been bowled over by Augustus and Hazel Grace.
I am not a fan of cancer movies — when you have experienced the unhappy ending in real life , it’s hard to get on board for the journey on film — but I was transfixed by theses two kids’ humor and courage and life in the face of certain death.
The cast was exceptional all-around, and while I don’t know what parts were true to the original text and was what added later, to my eye it was seamless and sensitive.
Okay?
Okay.
Posted in Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, Life, Movies
Tagged cancer, celebrities, entertainment, film, life, movie, movie review, review, The Fault in Our Stars
My Memorial Day was wide open — no plans, no obligations, just a blank slate for me to fill.
Heaven.
I had a mental list of things I wanted to do. I’ll admit there was some work on there (we freelancers have no respect for the calendar) and some chores around the house. Then I was going to do some shopping and take in a a movie or two.
But after finishing my work, I made the mistake of flipping through the cable channels.
The rest of my day was undone by The Good Wife marathon on Hallmark Channel.
Turns out there are twenty different Memorial Day marathons going on around the dial today.
Beware.
Posted in Entertainment, Holiday, Humor, Life, Television
Tagged blank slate, cable channels, chores, entertainment, freelancers, good night and good luck, Hallmark Channel, Holiday, Humor, life, Memorial Day, mental list, movie, shopping, Television, The Good Wife, The Good Wife marathon, work
Kevin Costner does good sports movies.
Field of Dreams. Bull Durham. Tin Cup. And my personal favorite, For Love of the Game.
So his latest film — centered on the day of the NFL draft — had me at the trailer. Costner may not deliver in every film (Waterworld comes to mind), but when it comes to sports —
I believe.
And Draft Day does not disappoint.
The NFL was squarely behind this movie, so all the teams are real franchises. Costner manages the Cleveland Browns and wheels and deals with teams like the Seattle Seahawks. There are so many cameos by NFL players and ESPN announcers, you kinda forget it’s a movie; it certainly looks like the actual draft that you’ve seen on TV.
The only clunky part for me is the romantic relationship. While it can be an integral part in films like For Love of the Game, here Costner’s scenes with co-star Jennifer Garner grind the action to a halt. While she certainly has reason to distract him, you have to wonder why a sports fan like her would.
It’s draft day, for cripes sake!
Posted in Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Movies, Sports
Tagged Bull Durham, celebrities, Cleveland Browns, commentary, Draft Day movie, entertainment, ESPN, Field of Dreams, For Love of the Game, Humor, I believe, Jennifer Garner, Kevin Costner, movie, movie trailer, NFL Draft, NFL players, review, romantic relationship, Seattle Seahawks, Sports, sports franchise, Tin Cup, Waterworld, wheels and deals
I saw a movie double feature this afternoon — Inside Llewyn Davis, directed by the Coen Brothers, and Her, directed by Spike Jonez. But I needn’t have bothered.
They are the same film.
Both are about men who had recently lost a partner and were struggling to reconnect. When they do, they choose individuals — and I use that word consciously — that their friends and family don’t readily understand.
Each movie follows their journey.
I would argue that Davis is the more successful of the two. Set in the 1960’s, it is stripped down and soulful, the soundtrack doing much of the storytelling and Oscar Isaac’s deep-set eyes doing the rest. I read the cats were divas on set, but I found them very affecting.
I loved this film.
Her is set in an unnamed future, told amid high rises and high tech. Compared to the very internal Davis, this movie’s heart is on its sleeve. Joaquin Phoenix’s character writes emotional, personal letters for other people for a living, yet can’t sustain a relationship…until he gets his new OS.
I do love Scarlett Johansson’s voice acting, but the movie itself is at least thirty minutes too long.
If you’re not one to spend five hours in the theatre, I suggest Inside Llewyn Davis for its beautiful story, amazing performances and soundtrack that stays with you long after you leave the theatre.
Posted in Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Movies
Tagged 1960s, cats, celebrities, Coen Brothers, commentary, deep-set eyes, diva on set, double feature, entertainment, film, folk music, heart on its sleeve, Her movie, high-rise, high-tech, Humor, Inside Llewyn Davis, Joaquin Phoenix, life, movie, movie character, movie director, movie mashup, movie soundtrack, Oscar Isaac, personal letters, review, Scarlett Johansson, soul, Spike Jonez, storytelling, voice acting
I hailed a cab to take me to downtown last night — nothing unusual about that. But as soon as we pulled away from the curb, there was a flash of lights and sirens behind us.
From another cab.
An undercover taxi cab police car.
I didn’t even know they existed! But my taxi driver said the police have undercover taxis, town cars — you name it — all waiting to take down unsuspecting lawbreakers.
Which filled my head with this scene:
A New York City bus pulls up to a stop. But it’s not a real bus — it’s an undercover police bus! Filled with SWAT team members. All armed and dangerous. Who run out of the bus and into the streets.
That’s all I got so far. But I like it.
To be continued…
Posted in Automobiles, Cars, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Movies, Television, transportation, Writing
Tagged automobiles, bus, bus stop, cabs, cars, city bus, entertainment, lawbreakers, lights, movie, New York City, police bus, police story, siren, SWAT, taxi cabs, taxis, Television, towncars, transportation, undercover police, writing
I spent my Friday afternoon at the movies. Today’s feature:
The Place Beyond the Pines
Here’s a still from the movie.
Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes look kinda depressed, don’t they?
I was pretty low after the film was over, and I only had to watch it — I can only imagine how they must have felt living that story.
It’s a downer, no lie. And it’s violent. Plus, Ryan Gosling is only in the first third of the movie — I cry foul! Thank goodness Bradley Cooper was there to pick up the slack.
That’s the positive hing tabout the movie. Wonderful actors, moving performances. But grim. The previews were dark and violent, too.
If you go, be sure to get candy for moral support.
Posted in Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Movies
Tagged actors, Bradley Cooper, commentary, downer, entertainment, Eva Mendes, film, humor life, movie, movie candy, movie previews, performances, Ryan Gosling, The Place Beyond the Pines, violence
The Sticky Egg 
I’m a Veronica
I bought a ticket to see Heathers: The Musical in late March.
I finally got to use it tonight.
Is it as dark as the movie? Definitely.
Is it funnier than the movie? Definitely.
Does its soundtrack feature some of the wildest lyrics I have heard on a stage to date?
Most definitely. (We’re talking blue balls, ‘sword fighting’ — yes, you should take that in a dirty way — and a salute to ‘my dead gay son’ that rocks the house.
If you’re a fan of the movie, you will love it. If you have never seen the movie — like my friend Beth, who joined me tonight — you will love it. And if you love great parody…
You’ve probably already seen it. Go again. You deserve it!
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Posted in Broadway, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Movies
Tagged blue balls, Broadway, comedy dark comedy, commentary, dark comedy, entertainment, funny, Heathers, Heathers: The Musical, Humor, lyris, movie, movie fan, musical, musical comedy, my dead son is gay, parody, review, rocks the house, soundtrack, sword fighting, ticket